Dou Zhao felt she had been worrying unnecessarily lately.

Ji Yong rose at dawn and retired at dusk daily. He spent his time either reading or writing, occasionally strolling in the courtyard of Heshou Hall. He never ventured beyond its doors, let alone cause any trouble.

Perhaps it was his dedication to his studies that allowed him to achieve the top provincial exam score at such a young age.

Dou Zhao speculated, frequently instructing Suxin to pay close attention to Ji Yong’s diet and living conditions, striving to provide him with a comfortable environment conducive to his studies.

Ji Yong quickly noticed the change in treatment and began making demands to Suxin: “I don’t like chicken skin. From now on, remove all the skin when preparing chicken.” Or he would complain: “How can bok choy have stems?”

These were minor issues, and Suxin accommodated them all.

One day, Ji Yong went to Fayuan Temple, fanning himself.

Dou Zhao found this quite strange.

Suxin frowned and said, “Young Master Ji said the Zhongyuan Festival is approaching, and he wants to discuss Buddhist teachings with Abbot Tuyin.”

It’s good for him to get some fresh air!

Dou Zhao smiled and said, “He has time for this?”

The young maid Dou Zhao had assigned to serve Ji Yong blurted out, “Young Master Ji studies Buddhist teachings in his room every day. He says this time he’s going to Fayuan Temple to render Abbot Tuyin speechless and make him return to secular life!”

Make Abbot Tuyin return to secular life?

Dou Zhao was stunned and asked, “Hasn’t he been studying the Four Books and Five Classics these days?”

The young maid couldn’t distinguish between texts and only knew that Ji Yong spent hours bent over his desk each day: “He often mutters something about ‘great freedom’ and such.”

Dou Zhao was exasperated and instructed Suxin, “From now on, let him eat what we eat. Are there chickens without skin?”

Suxin was also angry, feeling that he had betrayed everyone’s goodwill.

As a result, Ji Yong stayed at Fayuan Temple, reportedly discussing Buddhist teachings with Abbot Tuyin daily. He attracted elders from nearby temples like Shengshou, Sheli, Chongyin, Hongji, and even Dafang Temple from neighboring Lingbi County. Fayuan Temple became as lively as a temple fair, and whatever meals the Dou family prepared had no impact on him.

Could this fellow be Master Yuantong?

Dou Zhao couldn’t help but wonder.

Before becoming a monk, he tried to tempt other abbots to return to secular life. After becoming a monk, he attempted to persuade the Emperor to become a monk. This indeed fits his character.

She just didn’t know who had made him become a monk in his previous life.

Or perhaps she simply didn’t know.

For someone as troublesome as him, the Ji family would likely keep his affairs tightly under wraps!

She received a letter from Chen Qushui.

In his letter, he wrote that Ji Yong didn’t have a courtesy name yet. But he had been exceptionally intelligent since childhood, able to read quickly and comprehensively. No one in Yixing could match him, earning him the title of a child prodigy at a young age. The Ji family had placed great hopes on him, and everyone doted on him excessively, allowing him to grow up smoothly until now. If there was anything different about him compared to others, it was his extraordinary mischievousness. While other children might climb trees to find bird nests or catch fish in rivers, he would read “The Classic of Mountains and Seas” and want to climb Mount Tiantai, or read “The Memorial to the Throne” and try to build wooden oxen and gliding horses. After hearing the story of Xu Fu taking five hundred boys and girls to seek immortality in Penglai, he attempted to practice alchemy at home, nearly blowing up the Ji residence.

He was only nine years old at the time.

Old Master Ji couldn’t bear to beat him, and scolding was ineffective. At a loss, he could only confine Ji Yong and make a three-point agreement with him: as long as he could pass the imperial examinations, he could do whatever he wanted afterward. But before passing the examinations, he had to study diligently at home, unable to go anywhere.

He readily agreed and spent three years passing the provincial examinations. Though arrogant, he became much more steady. Old Master Ji then felt comfortable letting him travel with guards and servants, hoping to expose him to the joys and sorrows of the secular world and develop a compassionate heart…

Do whatever he wants!

Dou Zhao couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat.

Did Old Master Ji truly understand the promise he had made to Ji Yong?

The news that Song Mo had won against Dong Qi with a pair of mixed fives against a pair of geese quickly spread throughout the capital.

When Madam Jiang entered Yizhi Hall, Song Mo was practicing archery.

He stood like a green pine, his hands steady as a rock. Drawing the arrow, pulling the bow, and releasing—his movements were agile and powerful, flowing seamlessly.

Madam Jiang couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise, her gaze falling on the bow and arrow in her son’s hands.

The bow was black and of an ancient style, its material indiscernible. The limbs were wrapped with thick sinew, while the bowstring was as fine as a hair, gleaming with a dull luster. It was no ordinary bow.

“Why did you take out the Shooting Sun bow your eldest uncle gave you?” Her gaze swept over the bow, as if seeing her late brother’s face, her voice softening, “Didn’t you always say this bow was too eye-catching?”

Song Mo drew an arrow from the gilt quiver, released it with a “twang,” and hit the bullseye. Only then did he slowly lower the bow and say softly, “This bow feels more natural… I need to ensure I can shoot at will. I’m more confident with this bow!”

What does he mean by “at will”?

Madam Jiang was slightly stunned and was about to ask for clarification when she saw Song Mo hand the bow to Chen Tao, who was serving nearby, and accepted a handkerchief from Chen He. As he wiped his sweat, he asked, “Why have you come, Mother? Are you feeling better today?” He then added, “Where’s Tian’en? Didn’t he say he would accompany you? Why haven’t I seen him?”

“Am I that delicate?” Madam Jiang replied, “I was just overly tired. Now that I’ve taken Doctor Yang’s medicine and rested for a few days, I’m much better.”

Song Mo helped his mother sit at the stone table under the old locust tree nearby.

“Tian’en went to school,” Madam Jiang said, smiling as she accepted the tea her son personally offered. “I’m not seriously ill, so we can’t let Tian’en neglect his studies for my sake, can we?” At this point, remembering the purpose of her visit, she hesitated slightly.

Song Mo smiled at his mother, patiently waiting for her to speak.

After careful consideration, Madam Jiang finally spoke tactfully, “I heard that when Zhang Zongyao inherited the title of heir, the Zhang family invited the Guanglian troupe to perform?”

Song Mo laughed heartily and said frankly, “Mother, you want to ask about my gambling with Dong Qi, don’t you? Don’t worry, I know my limits.” His smile faded as he continued, “If I excel in both civil and military affairs, earning praise from the court and the people, the Emperor might become uneasy just thinking about it. But if I always hold back, the Emperor might think I’m too weak. Finding this middle ground is truly the most difficult thing in the world.”

Madam Jiang fell into deep thought.

Song Mo sat quietly beside her, sipping his tea.

The wind rustled through the treetops.

Song Mo’s thoughts drifted a bit.

He recalled what Chen He had told him a few days ago: “Master Chen is investigating Wang Xingyi, the Governor of Yunnan.”

Wang Xingyi was the father of Dou Zhao’s stepmother. Why would he investigate Wang Xingyi?

Should he thoroughly investigate Dou Zhao?

As soon as the thought arose, he immediately suppressed it.

The value of friendship lies in mutual understanding. If he were to investigate Dou Zhao, what would their relationship become?

But why was this thought so tempting?

He uneasily took a sip of tea, but somehow choked and began coughing repeatedly.

“Be careful,” Madam Jiang said, patting her son’s back with concern. “Are you practicing archery for the upcoming autumn hunt?”

Every autumn, the Emperor would hold a hunting event. Noble families would select sons over fifteen to accompany them, allowing the Emperor to assess their horsemanship and archery skills to identify talent.

Song Mo had been granted a hereditary fourth-rank position just days after his birth and began participating in spring and autumn hunts before he could even walk. However, it wasn’t until the spring of his ninth year that he truly started participating in hunting and archery.

In his first autumn hunt, he placed second in horsemanship and fifth in archery. Among the sons of noble families, he ranked first and was the youngest participant, achieving the best results for noble sons in decades.

The Emperor was delighted, believing that noble families had worthy successors, and rewarded him with a small estate of fifty mu of land.

His performance overshadowed the top three winners.

For the next two years, he placed first.

The Emperor’s uncle, Prince Yu, once grumbled drunkenly to the Emperor, “I think we shouldn’t let the heir of the Marquis of Ying participate in the riding and archery competitions anymore. It dampens the spirits of the other young men.”

The Emperor, also somewhat drunk, laughed heartily and tossed his jade pendant to Song Mo, saying, “Song Mo, keep them all firmly behind you!” He then loudly proclaimed to the assembled ministers, “Whoever can surpass Song Mo, I’ll reward them with the position of Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard.”

Hearing his mother’s inquiry, Song Mo nodded and said solemnly, “We need to test to know how the Emperor truly feels about our family!”

Madam Jiang’s eyes moistened upon hearing this: “It’s all my fault for burdening you!” Her voice carried a barely perceptible choke.

“Mother, how can you say that!” Song Mo quickly put his arm around his mother’s shoulders. “You only see the difficulties I face now, but have you forgotten the glory my eldest uncle brought us? Not to mention this bow, and Flying Crossing, and the guards around me…”

Madam Jiang felt greatly comforted.

“Mother, please don’t say such things again,” Song Mo said gently to Madam Jiang. “With Third Uncle around, the Jiang family will rise again within ten years at most. We should encourage Uncle and the others, and help them return to court. We mustn’t speak such discouraging words.”

Madam Jiang nodded firmly, but tears still fell uncontrollably.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the wind turned cold.

This year’s autumn hunt was set in Huailai.

When Song Mo and his group arrived, the Emperor’s guards had already set up the camp.

The Crown Prince approached, sneezing: “Tianci, how are you this year? Do you need me to find you a better bow?”

He was twelve years older than Song Mo, tall and thin, fair-skinned, with thick eyebrows and a high nose like the Emperor’s. He always sneezed incessantly in autumn, and it was even worse at the hunting grounds. For him, the autumn hunt was not a pleasure but a torment.

In Song Mo’s view, his personality was somewhat soft, more like a teacher than a crown prince.

Accompanying the Crown Prince was his cousin, the sixteen-year-old heir of the Marquis of Huichang, Shen Qing.

He teased Song Mo: “Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard, worth fifty thousand taels of silver!”

After the Emperor said, “Whoever can beat Song Mo will be rewarded with the position of Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard,” they joked privately about bribing Song Mo to lose to them in the autumn hunt…

Song Mo smiled and said, “Beating me is easy, but the problem is I’m not the only one in the competition!”

Shen Qing was discouraged.

The Crown Prince chuckled and said to Song Mo, “Don’t mind him. He’s been racking his brains these past few days trying to figure out how to place in the autumn hunt. If it were that easy to get a good ranking, why would you all joke about paying fifty thousand taels to make Song Mo lose…” As he was speaking, someone slowly approached and respectfully bowed to the Crown Prince: “Your Highness!”