Tao Qizhong stared at Song Mo in shock.
If Duke Ying killed all the loyal guards who had been punished by Song Mo for following his orders, who would dare serve Duke Ying in the future?
However, compared to Song Han, this demand seemed almost insignificant.
He pondered for a moment before asking, “Can the Second Young Master return to rest in the upper courtyard?”
Song Han had always lived with his parents in the upper courtyard.
So that was it!
Song Mo silently mocked himself.
Perhaps one of the main reasons his father compromised so quickly was fear that Song Mo would use Song Han to threaten him.
In his father’s eyes, Song Mo was nothing but a heartless, shameless person who wouldn’t even spare his brother!
Or perhaps, having reached the depths of disappointment, there was no hope left.
Song Mo’s heart suddenly became very calm.
He said indifferently, “I will lead the memorial service on the seventh day after Mother’s death, and I will carry the banner at the funeral after forty-nine days.”
With this, everything from the past became a joke.
Song Mo would once again be recognized as Duke Ying’s heir, and the conflict between father and son would be downplayed, even glossed over as a mere “misunderstanding.” Duke Ying would no longer be able to pursue Song Mo for murder charges.
This must be very difficult for Duke Ying to accept.
But there was still a long way to go.
The urgent matter at hand was to ensure Song Han’s safety. Duke only had these two sons. He was already at odds with his eldest son, and if he were to lose his second son as well, would he have to adopt a son from his cousins to inherit the title of Duke Ying?
For someone who valued lineage so highly and took great pride in being Duke Ying, this would probably be even more painful than death, wouldn’t it?
Without hesitation, Tao Qizhong answered on behalf of Song Yichun, “Young Master, as the eldest son, it is only right that you lead the memorial service and carry the banner. Who else could take your place?”
From today onwards, his father would probably spend day and night thinking about how to make Song Han replace him, wouldn’t he?
Song Mo wasn’t afraid. He laughed coldly to himself and said, “From now on, I won’t interfere with the affairs of Duke Ying’s mansion, but Duke Ying’s mansion should not interfere with the affairs of Yizhi Hall!”
Since the incident with his maternal uncle, one thing has happened after another. He needed time to sort out the people his uncle had left him and to understand the real reason behind his father’s attempt to frame him. Only then could he truly resolve his crisis.
Tao Qizhong thought the same as Song Mo.
With so many deaths, Duke Ying’s mansion needed time to recover from these losses and reduce outside attention. A period of peace was necessary.
“An eagle should be allowed to soar in the sky,” Tao Qizhong smiled. “Young Master has grown up and should learn to manage the affairs of the Duke’s mansion. Starting with Yizhi Hall is the best option. When Duke was still the Young Master, he also began by managing Yizhi Hall.”
“Is that so?” Song Mo smiled faintly. “In that case, after Mother’s forty-nine days of mourning, please ask Father to divide Mother’s dowry between me and Tian’en.”
Tao Qizhong was taken aback.
Song Mo continued, “Father is still in his prime and will likely remarry soon. Handing over mother’s dowry to us brothers before the new wife arrives would show that father has no selfish intentions. With mother’s dowry to rely on, Tian’en can live comfortably with father in the upper courtyard, and I’ll be more at ease.”
When the Duchess had married into the family, she brought a dowry of nearly ten thousand taels of silver. Over the years, through wise management, it had likely grown to at least thirty or forty thousand taels.
Both Song Mo and Song Han were still young and unmarried, so it wasn’t unreasonable for Duke to manage the Duchess’s dowry. Why would Song Mo think of dividing it now?
However, his request wasn’t excessive.
The main point was that Duke was still in his prime, both sons were not yet of marriageable age, and there was no one to manage the household affairs of Duke Ying’s mansion. Duke would inevitably have to remarry. Dividing the Duchess’s dowry between the two sons in advance would be a show of respect for the Duchess and her children, especially Song Mo. He already had people managing the dowry of the elder Duchess Lu, and there had been no issues for many years. In the eyes of outsiders, it would seem natural to entrust him with Duchess Jiang’s dowry.
From Song Mo’s tone, it seemed he would only hand over the Second Young Master after the dowry was divided…
Tao Qizhong smiled and said, “Dividing property is a tedious matter. I’m afraid it won’t be resolved quickly…”
He spoke slowly, observing Song Mo’s expression, seemingly trying to gauge his reaction.
Song Mo felt even more disgusted.
If Song Han was so important, why would his father care about his mother’s small dowry?
He listened impassively as Tao Qizhong finished speaking, then said, “Then let’s divide it slowly. After all, neither my brother nor I are in a hurry.”
Tao Qizhong was now certain of Song Mo’s intentions.
He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly before smiling and saying, “The Young Master is unwell, so I won’t disturb you further. I’ll report back to Duke and make arrangements for the twenty-first-day memorial service.”
Song Mo had already made his demands. As for whether his father would agree when it was now a matter of who could be more patient!
He nodded slightly, instructing the guards to escort Tao Qizhong out.
A guard came to report, “Doctor Yang has arrived.”
One of the main reasons Song Mo had asked Yang Xiushan to examine him was to inquire about his mother’s illness.
When Yang Xiushan saw Song Mo’s injuries, he was so shocked that he couldn’t recover for a long time. When he finally did, he urgently asked, “What happened?”
Song Mo had already prepared an explanation, mixing truth with lies, “Mother passed away, and father was in a bad mood. I rushed back anxiously and reproached my father for not informing me earlier. I offended him, and he beat me severely.”
“This beating is far too harsh!” Yang Xiushan shook his head repeatedly and suggested that Song Mo also invite Huang Zhongli, “His family specializes in treating bone injuries.”
Song Mo was already thinking about how to pressure his father, and Yang Xiushan had just given him a good idea.
He readily agreed and immediately sent someone to invite Huang Zhongli. Then he began discussing his mother’s illness with Yang Xiushan.
“It was mainly due to emotional distress,” Yang Xiushan sighed. “This kind of heart ailment requires emotional healing.”
He was a frequent visitor to Duke Ying’s mansion and knew how close Song Mo was to his mother. He wanted to say that Song Mo should have been by Jiang’s side at the time, but considering Song Mo’s injuries, he swallowed his words.
Before Huang Zhongli arrived, Gu Yu came first with a large assortment of medicines and tonics.
Seeing Song Mo’s condition, he drew in a sharp breath.
Yang Xiushan also often treated the women of Viscount Yunyang’s family and was familiar with Gu Yu. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Yang Xiushan tactfully excused himself to write a prescription, leaving the space to Gu Yu.
As soon as Yang Xiushan left, Gu Yu sat down on the brocade stool by Song Mo’s bed with a gloomy face. “What happened? Why did you ask me to keep Uncle occupied for a few hours if possible?”
Knowing that he might need Gu Yu’s help to restrain his father in the future, Song Mo decided to be honest. He briefly explained what had happened.
Gu Yu’s expression changed dramatically, and he exclaimed, “How could this happen?”
“I don’t know either,” Song Mo’s expression turned somewhat bitter. “If I could find the reason, perhaps I could untie this knot.”
“Every family has its difficulties,” Gu Yu’s face showed a hint of mockery. “Everyone thinks I’m a fool, but I know that those who dare to scold me in front of my aunt are the ones who truly care about me.” His expression turned solemn and cold as he continued, “Brother Tianci, tell me what you want me to do. I’ll go through fire and water for you, no questions asked.”
He didn’t care about filial piety or rebellion against authority; he simply stood firmly on Song Mo’s side.
Song Mo’s eyes immediately became moist. After a while, he said, “There’s nothing I need your help with at the moment.” He told Gu Yu about his conversation with Tao Qizhong, then continued, “First, I need to recover from my injuries, then find ways to protect myself and investigate why father would treat me like this. After the mourning period, I’ll seek an official position.”
Once he entered officialdom, Song Yichun wouldn’t be able to use such crude methods against him.
Gu Yu nodded and said, “Don’t worry. During the mourning period, I’ll come to see you every few days. Not only will I come myself, but I’ll occasionally bring one or two influential noble youths from the capital. I’ll also mention you from time to time in front of my aunt and the Emperor.”
“Thank you!” Song Mo was very grateful.
“Oh, why are you saying such things?” Gu Yu’s face reddened slightly. It was the first time in his life that someone had thanked him so solemnly, and it was Song Mo, whom he greatly respected. “I can’t be of much help.”
Time is the most ruthless. After three years of mourning, who knows if the Emperor would still remember him? With Gu Yu’s help in mentioning him frequently to the Emperor and Empress, even if his father tried to stop him, he would have a way to secure a position after the mourning period.
“This is already the greatest help for me,” Song Mo thanked Gu Yu again.
“Let’s not talk about this anymore,” Gu Yu waved his hand, embarrassed. “Do you need any guards here? I have two skilled ones that my aunt gave me. If you want, I can give them to you…”
Those were life-saving talismans given to Gu Yu by the Empress. Without these two guards, how could he have made a name for himself as the “Little Tyrant” in the capital city full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers?
“No need,” Song Mo couldn’t help but smile. “I still have the people my uncle left behind.”
“How could I forget that!” Gu Yu slapped his forehead and then asked, “Do you need any money? I don’t have much pocket money, but I have many unregistered antiques and paintings. I can pawn them when the time comes, and it should add up to about ten thousand taels of silver.”
“None of that is necessary,” Song Mo felt warmth in his heart. “Keep it for yourself.” Knowing that Gu Yu was sincere, he added, “If I need anything, I’ll let you know.”
Gu Yu nodded repeatedly, “You must remember to tell me!”
“I will,” Song Mo smiled. Just then, a guard came in to report, “Doctor Huang has arrived.”
Gu Yu hurriedly welcomed Huang Zhongli on Song Mo’s behalf.
Huang Zhongli was in his fifties, very tall and robust. At first glance, he looked like a warrior, but although his hands were large like fan leaves, they were extremely dexterous.
He took Song Mo’s pulse and then felt the injured areas. His brows furrowed tightly, “The external injuries are manageable and should heal in three to five months, but the internal injuries…”
Gu Yu was startled, “What? Can’t they be cured?”
“It’s not that,” Huang Zhongli said. “It might take three to five years to fully recover.”
Gu Yu let out a long sigh of relief, “As long as it can be cured! Just tell us what medicine you need! If necessary, I’ll ask the Empress for it.” His spoiled young master’s demeanor suddenly appeared, making Song Mo smile and shake his head.
Surprisingly, Huang Zhongli was also a man with a temper. He smiled, hiding a needle in cotton, “The medicines are all common herbs, but they need to be decocted with rootless water, which is a bit troublesome.”
Rootless water is referred to as rainwater.
Rain was scarce throughout the year, especially in a dry climate like the capital.
Gu Yu muttered, “Do we need to move to the Jiangnan region?”
Song Mo knew that Huang Zhongli was teasing Gu Yu, but he was moved by Gu Yu’s sincerity. He smiled and said, “We can just collect water in buckets when it rains.”
“Why didn’t I think of that!” Gu Yu laughed heartily.
However, Song Mo had a sudden thought.
Three years ago, the Emperor had awarded him a small manor, less than sixty li from the capital in Daxing.
Perhaps that place could be of use!