On August 12th, the Emperor moved from the Summer Palace in the Western Gardens back to the Forbidden City.

The procession returning to the palace was led by flag-bearing guards at the front and protected by the Imperial Guard at the rear. Though it was only a few dozen li, the grand spectacle stretched for miles, with banners fluttering in the wind. The front of the procession had already entered the palace gates while the rear was still leaving the Summer Palace, exciting the onlooking commoners who pointed and discussed animatedly.

Song Mo had just finished his duties and was preparing to leave the palace when Wang Ge, Wang Yuan’s adopted son, invited him to Cining Palace.

Princess Jingfu’s birth mother, Consort Ning, was also there.

She sat smiling below the Empress Dowager. Seeing Song Mo enter, she rose and whispered a few words in the Empress Dowager’s ear.

The Empress Dowager nodded with a smile, looking at him with great kindness.

“How is the Duke of Ying’s health?” The Empress Dowager beckoned Song Mo over and warmly engaged him in casual conversation.

Usually, Consort Ning seemed indecisive and hesitant, but who would have thought she could be so decisive at a crucial moment, seeking out the Empress Dowager as soon as they returned to the palace?

It seemed he had underestimated these palace consorts!

Song Mo inwardly composed himself and respectfully answered the Empress Dowager’s questions with a smile.

Soon after, the Empress and Consort Su arrived together.

Seeing Song Mo, the Empress smiled and nodded at him, while Consort Su looked quite surprised, her gaze towards Consort Ning flashing with a hint of mockery.

Song Mo had no desire to stand there being scrutinized, especially since he had no intention of becoming entangled with these people again.

He smiled, bowed politely, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then took his leave, returning to the Duke of Ying’s mansion.

However, Yan Chaoqing informed him: “The Duke submitted a memorial early this morning and has now gone to the palace to seek an audience with the Emperor.”

Song Mo smiled and said, “He’s probably gone to inform the Emperor about my engagement to the Dou family.” Otherwise, if the Emperor’s edict came down after he had already become engaged to Dou Zhao, wouldn’t that edict become a joke? If the Song family were to break off the engagement with the Dou family because of this, the imperial family would inevitably gain a reputation for forcing their subjects to remarry. If the Song family didn’t break off the engagement, where would the imperial family’s dignity be?

The Emperor had just settled in after returning to the palace when he heard that Song Yichun was seeking an audience. Thinking that he might become in-laws with Song Yichun in the future, he set aside the Crown Prince’s memorials and met with Song Yichun first.

But he never expected that Song Yichun’s urgent request for an audience was to ask for a few more days of leave for Song Mo.

“So you’re saying you’ve already exchanged marriage contracts with the Dou family and set the wedding date for the 24th of this month?” The Emperor reclined on the large kang bed, his eyes, seemingly clouded from overindulgence in wine and women, flashed with a hint of sharpness. His tone sounded light as he continued, “Then you’ve become in-laws with Dou Yuanji? This Dou Yuanji didn’t breathe a word of this to me!”

Song Yichun hurriedly replied, “How could I dare to disturb Your Majesty’s peace with my family matters?”

The Emperor said no more and waved his hand dismissively.

Song Yichun respectfully withdrew.

The Emperor’s face darkened.

Wang Ge entered with a broad smile: “Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager requests your presence.” He added, “The Empress, Consort Ning, and Consort Su are all there.”

Wang Yuan, who was attending nearby, glared fiercely at Wang Ge.

Wang Ge was slightly taken aback.

The Emperor had already angrily thrown the memorial in his hand onto the desk.

Song Yichun wiped his sweat and made his way back to the mansion.

Hearing that Song Mo had returned, he instructed a servant to summon him.

If Song Mo knew what kind of marriage he had arranged for him, his expression would surely be quite interesting.

Song Yichun couldn’t help but reveal a smug smile.

The servant returned, however, saying, “The young master has gone out.”

It was as if he had been drinking, feeling light and floating on clouds, only to be suddenly struck on the head and fall from those clouds.

Song Yichun shouted, “Bunch of fools! Where did the young master go?”

The servant trembled, fearfully replying, “This lowly one doesn’t know! The people at Yizhi Hall only said the young master went to see a friend. Who exactly, this lowly one didn’t dare to ask…” He mumbled, his body shrinking as if preparing to be beaten.

Song Yichun’s chest heaved with anger, but after a moment’s thought, he ultimately decided not to take it out on this servant.

Meanwhile, Song Mo had slipped into the shadows of a nearby flowering tree. After two-night patrol matrons passed by, chatting in low voices, he picked up a small pebble from under the tree and tossed it with a “thunk” against Dou Zhao’s window lattice.

The light was still on in Dou Zhao’s inner chamber, but there was no response for a long while.

Song Mo wasn’t in a hurry; he tossed a pebble every few breaths.

Dou Zhao was leaning against her bed, engrossed in reading a book, completely oblivious to the noise. It was Suxin, who was doing needlework nearby, who noticed. She discreetly opened the window a crack and saw Song Mo standing in the tree’s shadow.

“Miss, the young master has come,” she said softly.

Dou Zhao was startled.

With the Emperor just having returned to the palace and the various guards still changing shifts, she had thought she wouldn’t see Song Mo until early the next morning.

“Please invite him in to talk,” Dou Zhao said, changing her clothes and going to the unlit hall.

Suxin opened the door for Song Mo.

Song Mo handed Suxin two boxes of snacks, saying, “Pea cakes from the palace.”

Suxin glanced down at Dou Zhao.

No one knew better than she and Mr. Chen why the fourth miss wanted to see the young master.

Her hands trembled slightly as she accepted the snacks… She hurriedly curtsied, stammered her thanks, served tea, and withdrew.

Song Mo asked Dou Zhao, “What urgent matter did you need to see me about?”

Dou Zhao didn’t know how to begin.

Song Mo didn’t press her, quietly sitting there waiting for her to speak.

The clear moonlight filtered through the window lattice, scattered like snow.

“I’m sorry,” Dou Zhao said guiltily. “When you asked me before if I was willing to marry you, I knew your father would never agree to let you choose your wife, so I said that if it was meant to be, we would naturally become husband and wife…”

The clever Song Mo immediately understood.

His mind went blank, and his face turned deathly pale.

Dou Zhao couldn’t quite bring herself to look at him.

She lowered her head, murmuring, “This is all my fault. I’m sorry…”

“I understand!” Song Mo came to his senses, woodenly saying in a soft voice, “Don’t worry, I’ll handle this matter.”

His voice was very light, like the clouds floating around the crescent moon, seemingly about to dissipate at any moment. Yet it carried an inexplicable firmness. Without raising his voice or showing much expression, he could make you believe what he promised, he would accomplish, giving a sense of reassurance.

“I’m sorry!” Dou Zhao apologized to Song Mo again, but for some reason, her heart ached, and tears suddenly filled her eyes.

She quickly closed her eyes, barely managing to hold back the tears.

“It’s alright,” Song Mo didn’t look at her at all, instead gazing at the moon outside the window. He said softly, “It’s my fault for not understanding clearly at the time…”

Or perhaps he simply hadn’t thought about it in that way!

Song Mo couldn’t help but mock himself with a twist of his mouth.

If she were to break off the engagement with him again, once word got out, it would likely be very difficult for her to find another marriage prospect in the future.

She was so clever, how could she not have thought of this?

Most likely, she had other plans.

And he had barged in, full of his assumptions.

Like a fool.

At least Dou Zhao still trusted him enough to let him handle the matter.

Could this be considered a kind of consolation?

Song Mo thought sarcastically when suddenly Ji Yong’s image flashed in his mind.

He was slightly startled.

Perhaps this was the reason the Dou family allowed Dou Zhao to swap places with her sister.

But in an instant, he suppressed this thought.

Perhaps his pride wouldn’t allow him to think further along those lines.

It would make him look like a clown.

Song Mo’s heart was bitter and sour as if he were sitting on pins and needles.

He stood up. “Then I’ll take my leave!”

Dou Zhao knew she had hurt Song Mo.

In some things, unless she forced herself, there was no way to avoid hurting others.

But sometimes, being insincere could cause more harm than telling the truth.

Especially when faced with someone else’s sincerity, it became a kind of hypocrisy.

“I’m sorry! I just don’t want to get married, that’s all,” Dou Zhao stood up, hurriedly explaining. Her voice sounded dry, no longer carrying its usual lightness. “Let me see you out!”

Is that so?

Song Mo pressed his lips together and said, “To avoid being seen and causing gossip.” With that, he strode forward and opened the main door.

The clear moonlight streamed in, illuminating his tall, slender figure. His steps were steady yet solitary, giving off a sense of otherworldly loneliness.

Dou Zhao stood under the eaves, watching Song Mo’s retreating figure, thinking of the two boxes of snacks. Her heart felt incredibly heavy.

After this parting, given Song Mo’s pride, they might never meet again!

What method would he use to dissolve their engagement?

Would he use the opportunity to marry a princess? Or the conflict with Song Yichun?

What would others say about him?

After he had already gained a reputation for ruthless killing?

“Song Yantang!” Dou Zhao couldn’t help but call out to him softly, “I’ll be unwell early tomorrow morning. You… don’t do anything…”

What was this?

Slapping him and then offering a sweet date?

Song Mo couldn’t help but turn around, smiling as he said, “I’m afraid your idea won’t work well—my father is now urgently looking for a wife with some defect for me!”

He smiled as he mocked himself, his voice so gentle, yet so false.

But at least it could make him appear less pathetic, right?

Dou Zhao couldn’t bring herself to smile.

In her two lifetimes, only Song Mo would take her words to heart.

She couldn’t help but step forward, whispering, “Since your father is willing to offer twenty thousand taels of silver as a betrothal gift, he presumably doesn’t want to fall out with you completely. If word gets out that I have a serious illness, he can’t possibly ignore it.” At this point, she raised an eyebrow, “Even if he wants to ignore it, I’ll make sure he can’t!”

Dou Zhao’s expression was serious and determined; Song Mo did not doubt her resolve.

But if things went this way, what would Ji Yong’s elders say?

Dou Zhao’s strong confidence left Song Mo momentarily speechless.

He thought of their first meeting at the farm, of her sending people on a thousand-li journey to save his life, of her guilty look just now…

Song Mo’s heart grew cold.

She had always had her plans!

He had just been worrying needlessly.

Song Mo felt he should feel relieved, but strangely, he felt a faint sense of loss instead.

But his mind was in chaos, and he just wanted to leave quickly.

Ignoring the various emotions in his heart, he smiled and nodded to Dou Zhao, turning to leave once again.

Just ahead was the drip-edge ruyi gate of the Dou family’s main courtyard.

Once he passed through it, he and Dou Zhao would have no more connection.

Helping Dou Zhao break off their engagement would repay her for saving his life.

From then on, they would be like strangers, even a nodding acquaintance would make both of them uncomfortable.

Did the two of them have to reach that point?

Song Mo’s steps faltered, and he involuntarily glanced back at Dou Zhao.

Dou Zhao stood under the eaves, the moonlight and the shadow of the eaves dividing her face into two parts.

In the moonlight, her round, fair chin was as white as jade, also emitting a soft glow like jade.

In the shadow of the eaves, her bright eyes were as deep as springs, quietly gazing at him in the darkness as if this one turn would span years, and they would never meet again!

Song Mo’s heart inexplicably sank, and he recalled her words from earlier.

“I just don’t want to get married, that’s all!”

Was that the case?

Song Mo couldn’t help but turn back and walk towards Dou Zhao with large strides.

He shouldn’t be someone who runs away when faced with difficulties.

If this was a wound, he would rather let it cut deeper and heal slowly later, than let that confusion grow into a permanent thorn in his heart.

“Dou Zhao,” Song Mo stood before her, “Is it that you don’t want to marry me, or simply that you don’t want to get married at all?”

This was the first person to ask so clearly about her true feelings.

Dou Zhao replied very sincerely, “I don’t want to get married.” Looking at his face, still somewhat pale in the moonlight, she added, “To anyone!”

Song Mo’s eyes suddenly lit up, dazzling Dou Zhao.

“Why?” he asked, “Why don’t you want to get married? Is it just because you’re afraid it will be too hard after marriage? Haven’t these years of managing the household affairs of the West Dou family been hard? Won’t it be hard for you to navigate between your nephews in the future? Why exactly don’t you want to get married? The Fourth Miss Dou I know is not someone who shies away from challenges!”