Dou Zhao and Song Mo were also on their way home.

She leaned on her elbow, looking at Song Mo with a mischievous smile playing at the corners of her eyes and brows.

Song Mo felt uncomfortable under her gaze and asked, “What is it?”

Dou Zhao blinked and asked with a smile, “Of the Four Books and Five Classics, did you choose to study the ‘Spring and Autumn Annals’?”

Song Mo cleared his throat and replied seriously, “Of course it’s true! The ‘Spring and Autumn Annals’ is full of profound meanings and pointed criticisms. It’s very beneficial to read, especially the ‘Zuo Commentary,’ which is direct in its rhetoric yet deep in meaning. Even when describing military conflicts, it maintains an elegant and cultured tone, beautifully blending emotion and rhythm…”

“That’s good then!” Dou Zhao nodded with a smile, interrupting Song Mo’s praise. “My father is widely read. Although he lectures on the ‘Book of Changes’ to the princes by imperial decree, like my sixth uncle, his favorite is the ‘Spring and Autumn Annals.’ My sixth uncle excels in the ‘Zuo Commentary,’ while my father is proficient in the ‘Guliang Commentary.’ Since you enjoy the ‘Spring and Autumn Annals,’ my father and sixth uncle will have another person to discuss it with. They’ll surely be delighted!”

As she spoke, her gaze remained fixed on Song Mo’s face, and she couldn’t help but notice that his expression seemed somewhat stiff.

Dou Zhao quickly turned away, lifting the carriage curtain to look outside while murmuring, “Young Master, are we taking the North Street of the Imperial City this time?”

Song Mo absent-mindedly responded with an “Mm,” while inwardly laughing bitterly.

If he had known this would happen, he should have said he preferred the “Doctrine of the Mean,” which Duke Zhongyi excelled in.

Now he had claimed to study the “Spring and Autumn Annals” to please his father-in-law… If his father-in-law were to test his knowledge, how could his superficial understanding stand up to a two-time jinshi degree holder? Not to mention Dou Shiheng, who lectured on the “Zuo Commentary” to the princes, watching from the side… Wouldn’t he be exposed then?

And the likelihood of this happening was quite high.

It was like a skilled chess player suddenly meeting another chess enthusiast; they would inevitably want to play a few games.

Deception at any time is more infuriating than ignorance!

Wasn’t this a case of shooting himself in the foot?

He couldn’t help but stroke his chin.

Before his father-in-law discovered the truth, he needed to find a way to remedy the situation.

But no matter how he tried to fix it, he couldn’t have someone else answer his father-in-law’s questions for him!

Especially when his father-in-law wanted to test his depth of knowledge.

The most prudent approach would be to start studying the “Spring and Autumn Annals” diligently from now on… But scholarship wasn’t like building a wall; money alone wouldn’t suffice. Even if it were like building a wall, it would still take time to buy materials and hire craftsmen! He was facing the predicament of being questioned at any moment.

Thinking of this, Song Mo inwardly sighed.

Dou Zhao caught a glimpse of Song Mo’s hesitant expression from the corner of her eye and almost couldn’t hold back her laughter.

She should have known this guy was clever!

At just fifteen or sixteen years old, with daily martial arts training, horseback riding, and archery practice, not to mention his earlier battlefield experience with Duke Dingguo, even if he didn’t sleep for all twelve hours of the day, it would be impossible for him to have read through the entire three volumes and tens of thousands of characters of the “Spring and Autumn Annals,” let alone understand it!

She knew as soon as she heard that he was trying to please her father.

Yet somehow, her father and uncles had believed him!

Now, how would he get out of this predicament?

Dou Zhao suddenly thought of her previous life, when she had just married Wei Tingyu, truly experiencing the saying “No one asks about the depth of your eyebrows; your sister-in-law tastes the soup you’ve prepared.” Her heart filled with bitterness, and looking at Song Mo again, she no longer felt any desire to tease him.

She pointed to the Wanping County office and asked Song Mo, “Isn’t Shichahai just beyond that? I’ve heard that many people have moved there to live now. Fifth Uncle’s original residence was one he bought himself, and he ended up living there for over twenty years. Now that several of my cousins have married and had children, it’s become a bit crowded. Fifth Uncle invited Sixth Uncle to move with him, but Sixth Uncle felt it would be too far from Father and inconvenient, so he declined. Fifth Uncle then dropped the subject awkwardly.” She smiled and added, “I see you quite like Jing’er. If they moved over here, it would be good, halving the distance between us.” She hoped to divert Song Mo’s attention.

Song Mo smiled at her words and said, “Since I was young, I’ve always envied my maternal uncle’s family for having so many siblings. When I was little, I even pestered my mother to give me a little sister, making her laugh until she doubled over…” Perhaps recalling childhood memories, his smile was full of nostalgia.

Since Dou Zhao had decided to marry Song Mo, she needed to uncover why Song Yichun wanted to put Song Mo to death. Otherwise, wouldn’t she be sitting on a volcano every day and night, not knowing when it might erupt and turn everything to ashes?

Hearing Song Mo’s words, she had an idea and asked with a smile, “How old were you then, Young Master?”

“Two or three years old…” Song Mo smiled, “I don’t remember clearly, but I know Tian’en was already walking by then.”

Jiang Shi wasn’t that old at the time!

“Why didn’t your mother give you a little sister?” Dou Zhao asked, appearing very curious.

Song Mo smiled somewhat embarrassedly and said, “Later, my maternal grandmother scolded me, saying children are bestowed by the Bodhisattva, not something you can have just because you want one. But I did donate a thousand taels of silver to the Great Xiangguo Temple for this matter.”

Dou Zhao couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

Song Mo looked a bit uncomfortable and nudged her with his elbow, saying, “Hey! I know it was a bit foolish, but you don’t have to laugh like that! Haven’t you ever done something silly when you were young?”

“I don’t think you were foolish,” Dou Zhao continued laughing, “I just find it quite interesting. Didn’t your mother say anything?”

“I gave it secretly,” Song Mo smiled, “At that time, I only had a monthly allowance of fifty taels of silver, and all the rewards for festivals and holidays had to be recorded. I borrowed the money from my Fifth Uncle. Later, when I went to Fujian to fight pirates with my eldest uncle’s men, I learned that you could make money from winning battles, and that’s how I finally settled that debt. I think my mother probably knew. But she never said anything, so naturally, I wasn’t foolish enough to confess this to her.”

At this point, his expression showed a hint of sadness, and he said softly, “I wonder how Fifth Uncle is doing now? The last time I saw him, he was very depressed.” He continued, “Fifth Uncle has always been generous. If he were still in the capital when we got married, he would surely be scouring the streets for gifts for us. Even before our marriage was settled, all the antique shops and jewelry stores in the capital would probably know I was getting married…” His words were full of wistfulness.

Dou Zhao couldn’t help but pat Song Mo’s hand, “As long as the green hills remain, there’s no fear of having no firewood to burn. Even if Fifth Uncle can’t be like Third Uncle, leading the Jiang family to rise again, after a few years when things calm down, maybe there will be a way to arrange a general amnesty, and he could return to his hometown to be a simple farmer. That wouldn’t be bad, right?”

Song Mo was slightly startled and immediately suppressed his instinct to withdraw his hand. He said, “Thirty years east of the river, forty years west of the river. The Jiang family has been illustrious for a hundred years; perhaps it’s time to return to simplicity and nurture their strength.” His body suddenly straightened, revealing his inner tension.

Dou Zhao smiled and said, “Then tell me, what kind of person is Fifth Uncle?”

Her candid demeanor quickly dispelled Song Mo’s tension.

He smiled as he recalled, “Fifth Uncle is very handsome. Everyone says I look a bit like him. He’s very generous, loyal, cheerful, and mingles with all sorts of people. Back then, when people in the capital mentioned Jiang the Fifth, everyone would give a thumbs up in praise…”

Song Mo smiled as he talked about some old stories, seemingly returning to a time that, although filled with endless homework that made him feel irritable then, now seemed infinitely happy in retrospect.

Dou Zhao listened with interest, gradually forming an image of Jiang Bosun as a sort of chivalrous figure in her mind.

The carriage quietly stopped in front of Duke Ying’s mansion.

At some point, the rain had stopped, and a rainbow appeared in the sky.

Song Mo helped Dou Zhao out of the carriage. Seeing a puddle in front of the carriage, he instructed Chen He, “Find a more careful coachman for the lady.” Then he led Dou Zhao around the puddle and up the steps.

Chen He, the coachman, and those on duty at the main gate all seemed frozen in place. It wasn’t until Dou Zhao and Song Mo had entered that they came to their senses. The coachman pleaded his innocence to Chen He, but Chen He had no time to listen to his rambling and directly instructed a nearby servant, “Assign him to another task,” before hurriedly following after the couple. Those on duty at the main gate whispered among themselves, creating a buzz of conversation.

Song Yichun’s mood had been as gloomy as the rainy weather ever since Song Mo and Dou Zhao left.

Before Song Mo’s marriage, he hadn’t arranged for any concubines for his son.

Many newlywed couples, due to their husband’s poor performance on the wedding night, would feel embarrassed and reluctant to share a room with their wives afterward.

Not only had his son consummated the marriage with his wife, but he also showed unusual tenderness and consideration when returning to her maiden home.

Men are all the same; once they’ve tasted sweetness, they naturally bow their heads.

Song Mo must be getting along very well with Lady Dou.

So should he hand over the authority to manage the household to his daughter-in-law?

He wanted to discuss this with Tao Qizhong, but Tao Qizhong had gone to Zhending and hadn’t returned yet.

Mr. Du from the Hanlin Academy had sent another letter, saying that he had been ordered by the Emperor to lecture the princes these days and might not be able to continue tutoring Song Han…

Song Yichun was so angry that he felt a lump of foul air stuck in his chest that he couldn’t expel.

He summoned Song Han, gave him ten lashes with a whip, and then drove him out, taking a long time to catch his breath.

Thinking of how he never had to worry about these things when Jiang Shi was around, he felt an inexplicable anger rising within him. After the rain stopped, he paced back and forth several times in the covered corridor of the Xiangmei Courtyard, finally feeling somewhat better.

Hearing that Song Mo and Dou Zhao had returned and were coming to pay their respects, he sat down in the main room with a gloomy face.

But when he heard Song Mo say that he planned to take Dou Zhao to Jiang Shi’s grave early tomorrow morning to offer incense, his mood became extremely foul once again.

Song Yichun decided to put off the matter of household management for now.

“I understand!” he waved his hand gloomily.

But Song Mo persisted, “I want to bring Tian’en along tomorrow as well—during the Qingming Festival, Tian’en had coursework, and during the Lantern Festival, my younger brother said he was afraid… He last paid respects to Mother during the winter solstice last year.”

Song Yichun looked at Dou Zhao, who had been standing respectfully beside Song Mo since they entered, with lowered eyes and hands clasped, yet her beauty was still unmistakable. Thinking of Dou Shishu’s eloquence, he waved his hand, indicating that he understood.

Song Mo and Dou Zhao withdrew.

Only then did Song Yichun realize that he hadn’t instructed Dou Zhao to pay her respects morning and evening every day from now on.