Song Mo found Dou Zhao’s words very reasonable.

After being beaten by his father, he lay alone on the heated brick floor of his mother’s inner chamber, feeling utterly hopeless. He wished that when he opened his eyes, everything that had happened would be just a nightmare – his father would still be the somewhat nagging but loving father he used to be, and his brother would still be the slightly timid but obedient younger sibling… At that moment, he felt that death couldn’t be worse than this.

But Dou Zhao had saved him.

His milk brother Chen Tao was beaten to death for refusing to betray him, and his advisors and personal guards were hunted down… He had no choice but to stand up and numbly confront his father… At that time, he felt that this was the most tragic thing that could happen in the world.

But the guards Dou Zhao sent helped him deliver the letter in time.

Not only did he reaffirm his position, but he also secured his mother’s dowry and control over Yizhi Hall. Even with the “filial piety” hat on his head, he now had a way to compete with his father.

Whenever he felt he had reached a dead end, there would always be a glimmer of hope, a new path forward.

Song Mo recalled Dou Zhao’s expression when she said those words to him.

The smile gradually faded from her eyes, replaced by hints of sadness, desolation, resignation, and wistfulness… But these emotions quickly disappeared, and she became vibrant and spirited again, like a weary traveler who, after a long and lonely journey through the night, finally succumbs to the fatigue of crossing mountains and rivers, revealing a trace of undisguised weariness.

Fragile yet resilient.

It made his heart ache unbearably.

She was so wonderful, yet fate had been so unfair to her!

Suddenly, he felt a strong urge to see Wei Tingyu.

“Chen He,” Song Mo instructed, “We’re returning to the capital immediately.”

“Ah!” Chen He was startled, “You’re not going back to the estate in Daxing?”

“I’ve been away for seven or eight days. It’s time to go back,” Song Mo said calmly. “After we return to the capital, take my calling card to the Jining Marquis’s mansion – I have business with the Marquis.”

Chen He responded with a “Yes,” exchanging a glance with Xia Lian.

The Young Master had originally planned to stay in Zhending for three days, but it was only the second day, and he was in a hurry to return to the capital, right after meeting with the Fourth Miss Dou… And the Jining Marquis was the Fourth Miss Dou’s future husband!

Xia Lian was deeply worried.

As soon as they returned to Yizhi Hall, he immediately went to see Yan Chaoqing, who had stayed behind, and expressed his concerns: “…If Duke discovers anything unusual, it could be disastrous! Fourth Miss Dou is the niece of Minister Dou!”

Yan Chaoqing hadn’t known beforehand that Song Mo would go to Zhending to see Dou Zhao. By the time he found out, Song Mo had already been gone for two or three days. He also felt that Song Mo shouldn’t have too much contact with Dou Zhao at this time to avoid giving Duke of Ying’s household any leverage. Now, hearing Xia Lian’s words, he felt the situation was even more serious.

He pondered, “Fourth Miss Dou saved the Young Master’s life. The Young Master personally visiting to express gratitude shows respect for Fourth Miss Dou. Don’t make a fuss about it, just be more careful in the future. If the Young Master visits too frequently, we can remind him then.”

Xia Lian felt somewhat reassured. He chatted with Yan Chaoqing about the trip to Zhending before retiring to his room.

Yan Chaoqing paced around the room for a while before going to see Song Mo.

Song Mo had just finished washing up and was sitting on the large kang by the window, listening to Wu Yi report on the events at Yizhi Hall over the past few days.

Since Wu Yi and Song Luo had recovered from their injuries, Song Mo had made them his attendants.

Seeing Yan Chaoqing enter, Wu Yi smiled and nodded at him, finishing his report before stepping forward to bow to Yan Chaoqing.

Song Mo invited Yan Chaoqing to sit on the kang, smiling, “I was just about to visit you, Mr. Yan. I didn’t expect you to come first.” He then instructed Wu Yi to brew a pot of Biluochun tea, “This season, Biluochun is the best.”

Yan Chaoqing smiled and thanked him, sitting face to face with Song Mo.

Wu Yi served the tea and quietly withdrew.

Yan Chaoqing then said, “So, the Young Master already knows?”

He had caught the tail end of the conversation when he entered.

Song Mo nodded, “I heard from Wu Yi… Father has invited two old scholars from the Hanlin Academy to tutor Tian’en at home, personally supervising his studies.”

In the past, Song Han would have eagerly rushed over upon Song Mo’s return, but today there was no sign of him even at this hour.

Yan Chaoqing hesitated, “Then, what are your thoughts…”

Song Mo smiled, “Given my current situation if Tian’en can win Father’s favor, it might not be a bad thing.”

“But…” If this continued, Song Han would inevitably grow distant from Song Mo. If Duke of Ying had ulterior motives and instigated conflict between them, he might orchestrate a story of brotherly strife.

“It’s alright,” Song Mo said, “Tian’en is only ten years old this year, and Father’s influence with the Emperor is largely due to Grandfather’s legacy. You needn’t worry.”

The old Duke of Ying was wise and skilled at reading the Emperor’s intentions, which made him indispensable to the Emperor. This was how he secured the hereditary military position for Song Mo shortly after his birth. Song Yichun was far inferior to the old Duke, and with Song Mo setting such a high standard, even if he wanted to elevate Song Han, he would need the ability to do so.

Yan Chaoqing understood immediately.

“Indeed, I was overthinking,” he smiled, then expressed the purpose of his visit, “I’m concerned about what might happen after you complete your mourning period – you’ll be sixteen then, and I fear Duke might try to manipulate your marriage…”

With Madam Jiang’s passing, the Jiang family members were either dead or exiled, and Old Madam Mei was far away in Huzhou, even if Song Yichun arranged an unsuitable marriage for Song Mo, there would be no one to intervene in time.

Song Mo sneered, “She would be just a woman of the inner court. If she’s compliant, so be it. If she has ulterior motives,” he paused, “she can be left to her own devices.”

The relationship between father and son had deteriorated to the point of hostility, and this was currently the only leverage his father had over him. His father wouldn’t easily give up using it. Song Mo was prepared; his wife would certainly not be a good match.

Yan Chaoqing looked at Song Mo’s perfectly handsome face and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

Song Mo was well-prepared and had made up his mind. Feeling that continuing this topic would be a waste of breath, he changed the subject, “Has there been any discovery regarding my father?”

Since the situation had stabilized, Song Mo reviewed everything but still couldn’t find the reason why his father would want to frame him.

Although he occasionally thought, “If only Dou Zhao could see something from an outsider’s perspective,” he didn’t place all his hopes on her – even Zhuge Liang, who knew the affairs of the world without leaving Wolong Ridge, did so because he associated with knowledgeable and famous individuals and had a deep understanding of past and present. The affairs of Duke of Ying’s household were probably not significant enough to be common gossip, and Dou Zhao had never been to the capital, so how could she know?

Song Mo’s visit to Dou Zhao was more about thanking her and belatedly congratulating her on her coming of age.

Yan Chaoqing smiled bitterly, “When Duke Dingguo got into trouble, Duke was busy making arrangements everywhere, without any perfunctory actions…”

Song Mo, after much thought, felt that the reason for his parents’ argument could only be related to the deaths of his uncles.

Hearing this, he felt both relieved and somewhat disappointed, murmuring, “Could it be some old matters from the past… that Mother didn’t know about before, but were brought up again due to Eldest Uncle’s death…”

In Song Mo’s impression, his eldest uncle seemed to look down on his father a bit, as if fearing that his father would spoil him. Despite being so busy, his uncle often wrote letters to him personally and interfered with his studies, showing a level of attentiveness that even his sons didn’t receive. His father was quite displeased with his eldest uncle because of this.

As he pondered, before Yan Chaoqing could speak, Song Mo said, “If it’s an old matter, we might have to ask Grandmother…”

Song Mo’s probing had caused Song Yichun to silence all those who had been involved in the plot against Song Mo, especially the old servants who had once served Madam Jiang. Even the lowest-ranking maids had not survived.

As he finished speaking, he discussed with Yan Chaoqing, “This matter concerns the secrets of Duke of Ying’s household. I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you to personally go to Huzhou.”

“Rest assured, Young Master. I’ll go pack my bags right away,” Yan Chaoqing was a decisive person. “I’ll set out for Huzhou tonight.”

Song Mo hadn’t dared to tell his grandmother about the events at Duke of Ying’s household.

His grandmother was advanced in years and had already lost her sons, daughters, grandsons, and granddaughters in succession. How could he bear to make the old lady worry about his affairs?

But his grandmother was also shrewd and capable. To avoid arousing her suspicions, Yan Chaoqing was the most suitable person to go.

He called Xia Lian in and asked him to arrange for some skilled guards to escort Yan Chaoqing.

Xia Lian respectfully agreed, and Chen He returned to report, “Young Master, the Marquis of Jining says he’s observing mourning at home and can’t receive guests!”

Everyone in the room darkened their expressions.

Even in the Wei and Jin dynasties, few people observed the full twenty-seven months of mourning according to the Zhou rites. As long as one didn’t indulge in entertainment, it was considered acceptable. Wei Tingyu’s behavior was an attempt to distance himself from Song Mo.

It seemed all for naught that Song Mo had treated him like a brother before, even gifting him the red jade horse from the household when he saw how much Wei Tingyu enjoyed riding and archery.

Song Mo’s expression also turned grim.

It appeared that news of the events at Duke of Ying’s household had quietly spread.

With Wei Tingyu being so indecisive and timid, wouldn’t Dou Zhao suffer if she married into his family?

He secretly worried for Dou Zhao, considering whether he should find an opportunity to meet with Wei Tingyu.

Although it was for Dou Zhao’s sake, the thought of Wei Tingyu’s unreliable nature made him feel extremely frustrated.

Suppressing his displeasure, Song Mo instructed Chen He, “We’ll deal with this matter later. Just keep an eye on Wei Tingyu’s movements for now!”

Could it be that the Young Master still wants to associate with that useless Marquis?

Chen He and the others’ expressions changed slightly, but only Yan Chaoqing, looking at the teacup in his hand, revealed a thoughtful expression.

Meanwhile, not far from Duke of Ying’s mansion, at the Jining Marquis’s residence, Wei Tingyu was being scolded by his sister Wei Tingzhen, who had returned home to visit their mother, Lady Tian: “…Why are you concerning yourself with the Song family’s affairs? Do you think that after Song Yichun kills Song Mo, he’ll come after you next? What are you afraid of?! Who is Song Mo? Even his father can’t defeat him, and who are you to dare give him the cold shoulder? Have you lost your mind? If I hadn’t accidentally discovered this, were you planning to cut ties with Song Mo completely?”