“You all are responsible for this household? You can’t even handle such a small matter! Do you not want to stay here anymore?” Song Han scolded Qi Xia and the others, causing them to tremble and kneel on the ground in fear.
The cat, however, meowed and jumped onto Song Han’s foot, rubbing against his leg affectionately.
Dou Zhao didn’t want Song Han to use her as a scapegoat. She smiled and said, “Alright, alright, no need to get angry. I didn’t know you had a cat in your inner chamber; I was quite startled.” She pointed at the cat and added, “Why did you choose such a color? It’s rather unsettling. If you like cats, I can have someone find you a few white or gray ones tomorrow. They’re prettier and won’t suddenly jump out and scare people like this one did.”
Song Han chuckled, looking a bit embarrassed, but he bent down to pick up the cat and cradled it in his arms. “Sister-in-law, what brings you here? I practice the piano with my teacher every afternoon. If you have something to discuss, just send someone to let me know; it won’t take long.”
He skillfully changed the subject, avoiding any mention of the cat, which felt like a subtle rejection.
Dou Zhao glanced at the cat again and said, “The midwife advised me to walk more, and since I’ve been wandering around Yi Zhi Tang, even the best scenery has become mundane. I thought I’d come to see what your maids are up to.” She then asked about his piano lessons, “I heard your teacher studied under Du Jianian from the Hanlin Academy. He must be quite knowledgeable, right?”
“He’s a juren from the Renzi year and a fellow townsman of Lord Du,” Song Han replied, handing the cat to Qi Xia as he sat down on the kang by the window. “Lord Du was too busy to take on students, so he recommended this teacher. He has a great temperament, is skilled in music, and also excels in calligraphy and painting. I’ve learned a lot from him.”
“That’s wonderful!” Dou Zhao chatted with him, noticing Qi Xia carefully handing the cat to a little maid who had been trembling like a leaf when she knelt before her. The maid retreated gingerly as if cradling a rare treasure.
How interesting!
She exchanged a glance with Ruo Zhu, took a sip of tea, and with a slight smile, said to Song Han, “The midwife insists I walk at least an hour each day, so I can’t stay here too long. I’ll come visit again when I have the time!”
Song Han stood up respectfully to see Dou Zhao out of the upper courtyard.
As Dou Zhao stood on the steps, she watched the little maids feeding the birds.
Ruo Zhu hurried over. “Madam,” she whispered, “after you left, the Second Master had that maid who was watching the cat dragged away and given twenty lashes. Qi Xia and the others have also had their monthly allowances docked for a month.”
That little maid was only twelve or thirteen years old; twenty lashes could ruin her life.
Dou Zhao’s expression darkened.
Ruo Zhu stood with her head bowed, hands at her sides.
After a long pause, Dou Zhao finally said, “Keep an eye on that little maid and see if we can spare her life by sending her to the estate.”
Ruo Zhu replied obediently, “Yes, Madam.”
Dou Zhao then asked, “Does the Second Master really like raising cats? I had no idea. Besides cats, what other hobbies does he have?”
Ruo Zhu, feeling anxious, replied, “In addition to that cat, the Second Master also keeps four orioles, a pair of parrots, a pair of mynas, and two turtles. He doesn’t seem to have any particular favorites or dislikes.”
If that’s the case, why is he so protective of that one cat?
Dou Zhao felt that Ruo Zhu was a bit too complacent and began to miss Su Xin’s attentiveness.
That evening, she discussed the matter with Song Mo. “Who raises a black cat with green eyes? Just thinking about it makes me uneasy. If the Second Master doesn’t have a particular fondness for it, we should give it to someone else to care for.”
Song Mo replied, “My mother loved raising Persian cats when she was alive, especially those with green eyes.” His expression darkened as he sighed, “Unfortunately when the family fell into trouble, those cats disappeared. I had people search for them several times, but they were never found. Eventually, with so many issues at home, we couldn’t focus on them anymore.”
Dou Zhao leaned against Song Mo’s shoulder. “Could that cat be a keepsake from Mother?”
“Impossible,” Song Mo said, fanning Dou Zhao. “If that cat were a keepsake from Mother, it would have been mentioned long ago. He wouldn’t keep it hidden like this.”
Could it be a tool for manipulation?
Having lived together for over a decade, their shared memories were numerous. It seemed her method of slowly boiling the frog was working.
Dou Zhao smiled slightly.
Song Mo reassured her, “Don’t worry about this. I’ll talk to Song Han tomorrow and have him send that cat to be cared for elsewhere. Once we have children, having cats and dogs around can be troublesome. If they scratch or bite the kids, it would be a problem.”
Is it because the cat was raised by Song Han?
Dou Zhao nodded, smiling.
The next day, Song Mo indeed spoke to Song Han about the matter. Song Han was very surprised but obediently sent the cat to the estate. The process went so smoothly that it surprised Dou Zhao. Even more surprising was that Song Han followed her suggestion and brought back a pair of gray house cats to keep in the house.
When Gu Yu learned of this, he looked down on Dou Zhao. “Do you know how much that Persian cat is worth? The noble ladies in the palace would jump at the chance to have one. You’re wasting it!”
Dou Zhao shrugged it off, smiling, “Should I send that cat to your house instead?”
Gu Yu scoffed, “I wouldn’t raise such little creatures! They’re too delicate, and if they die, it’s still a life.”
Dou Zhao felt a sense of camaraderie with him.
For this reason, she rarely raised cats or dogs.
But she couldn’t help teasing Gu Yu, “I didn’t expect our little tyrant to be so compassionate!”
Gu Yu’s face turned bright red. “Cats and dogs are much more loyal than people.”
Dou Zhao felt her heart soften at his words. They bantered back and forth for a long time, and her mood was very cheerful.
When Song Mo returned and saw them getting along harmoniously, he couldn’t help but smile. After changing his clothes, he sat down and asked Dou Zhao to instruct the kitchen maids to prepare a few dishes that Gu Yu liked, as he wanted to invite Gu Yu to stay for dinner.
Gu Yu frowned and pleaded with Song Mo, “Brother, please speak to my aunt for me. The Emperor recently ordered me to serve in the Qishouwei, but my aunt refused, saying I was still too young and not stable enough. She wants me to stay home and train with Grandfather for another two years. You’re only a few months older than me, and you’re already a third-rank military officer. I’m just here eating and drinking at home while that scoundrel Feng Zhi has already gone to the Wujun Camp. I feel embarrassed to be out and about. My uncle and aunt say the same thing, and I can’t go to Grandfather to plead my case—if that woman finds out, she’ll surely gloat and spread the word. I can only ask you to help me plead my case with my aunt.”
Both Song Mo and Dou Zhao knew that Gu Yu’s reputation preceded him. Empress Wan was worried he would cause more trouble than he was worth, and until the situation with the Liao King was settled, she preferred to keep him at home.
In reality, both Empress Wan and the Liao King were quite considerate of Gu Yu.
In his previous life, Gu Yu had been appointed as the chief commander of the Wujun Dojo at a young age, and he also served as the chief commander of the Qishouwei. His prominence in the court was unmatched.
Of course, Song Mo was unaware of this; he had his ways of dealing with Gu Yu.
“Isn’t it just that you’re being dragged down by that ‘Little Tyrant of the Capital’ reputation?” Song Mo laughed. “Don’t be upset; didn’t the Empress say you’re not ‘stable’ enough? If you do a few stable things to show her, she won’t stop you.”
Gu Yu perked up at this suggestion. “What should I do?”
Song Mo replied, “I’ve acquired a shipyard in Tianjin, and I’m looking for someone to manage it. Why don’t you help me out there? When you come back, everyone will see you in a new light!”
“What?!” Gu Yu was greatly disappointed. “You want me to go manage your shipyard?”
“No wonder the Empress is worried about you,” Song Mo said. “You have high aspirations but lack the skills to back them up. Don’t think I’m just showing off; when I was twelve, I was already reconciling accounts with the big merchants in Guangdong. If I didn’t have some skills, do you think those capable merchants would respect me?”
Gu Yu sat there, fidgeting and silent.
Being asked to manage a shipyard was quite a leap for him.
Dou Zhao chimed in, “A real man can adapt to circumstances. If you can’t even endure this little hardship, how can you achieve great things?”
The truth was, that Gu Yu had never experienced hardship in his previous life; he had lived a carefree life.
If Gu Yu knew that Dou Zhao was just coaxing him, would he glare at her and refuse to speak to her again?
Dou Zhao pondered this in her heart.
But Gu Yu suddenly stood up, pacing the room a few times before stopping with determination. Gritting his teeth, he declared, “Fine, I’ll go to Tianjin! I don’t believe this little task can stump me!”
Dou Zhao hurriedly praised him.
Gu Yu rolled his eyes. “Don’t think I don’t know you’re just tricking me into doing your dirty work. I’m just bored in the capital and need to clear my head.”
Dou Zhao and Song Mo laughed heartily.
Gu Yu turned to Song Mo, forgetting about the trickery, and cheerfully said, “I’ve heard there are rare treasures overseas. Why don’t we build a big ship and go explore the seas?”
Song Mo chuckled, “Those large ships for sea voyages are built under the Ministry of Works’ supervision. Ordinary people can’t even see them, let alone build one privately, which is against the rules.”
Gu Yu reluctantly nodded in agreement, but his eyes sparkled with excitement.
Song Mo sighed as he looked at Dou Zhao.
Sending this carefree boy to Tianjin, was it the right decision or not?
Song Mo had intended to speak with Duke Yunyang, but the next day, a merchant convoy from Liaodong arrived in the capital.
Jiang Sunbai not only sent two large boxes of furs to Song Mo but also included a letter of greetings.
Song Mo politely received the head of the merchant convoy, dining with Liao Bifeng at Duke Ying’s residence. He stayed until the lamps were lit, then took the letter back to his study, instructing Wu Yi and the others to wait outside while he remained alone in the study for a long time without coming out.
Dou Zhao felt a bit worried and went to the study.
Inside, the room was brightly lit. Song Mo sat at his desk, staring blankly at the octagonal palace lamp on the table.
On the desk, besides an open letter, there was also a book titled Qian Jia Shi.