When Song Mo returned to Yizhi Hall, he radiated a cold aura that made anyone who saw him from a distance feel uneasy. However, he assured Dou Zhao, “Don’t worry, I will handle this matter well.”
He didn’t care whom his father wanted to marry, but if his father intended to find someone to suppress Dou Zhao, he would never agree to it.
Noticing the veins popping at his temples, Dou Zhao tried to soothe him, saying, “It’s not as bad as you think. The decision hasn’t been finalized yet. Fortunately, Father informed us in advance. If we had only found out after the decision was made, we would have been in a worse position. Right now, we need to understand how Father suddenly got involved with the Hua family so we can respond accordingly.”
Whether Song Yichun was interested in marrying a daughter from the Hua family or was simply trying to suppress her, Dou Zhao didn’t want this to happen before she took charge of the Duke of Ying’s household.
The Hua family was the family of Wang Qingyuan from her previous life. Their arrogance and dominance had left a deep impression on Dou Zhao. She never expected that in this life, she would have to deal with the Hua family!
Realizing he had been confused by his father’s anger, Song Mo quickly calmed down and called for Chen He. “Go ask Du Wei what’s going on.”
If his father was planning a marriage alliance, Du Wei would surely have some insight.
Chen He left promptly, and within a short time, before Dou Zhao and Song Mo could even change into more comfortable clothes, Chen He returned. “Young Master, Du Wei sent someone over with urgent news regarding the Duke’s marriage plans. They are waiting outside the second gate to report.”
It seemed Du Wei had not been negligent.
Song Mo’s expression turned serious. He instructed Chen He to bring the person to the study and said to Dou Zhao, “You should change your clothes and come along to listen.”
Dou Zhao was also curious about what Song Yichun was up to, so she agreed and quickly changed before heading to the study.
The messenger sent by Du Wei was a young servant, around fifteen or sixteen years old. He looked ordinary, the kind of person you could easily overlook in a crowd, but he spoke with a certain sharpness that hinted at his unusual background.
“… The Qiu Ling Qianhu from Weizhou Wei has been accused of borrowing and not returning something, leading to a complaint to the Ministry of War. The Ministry confirmed the accusation, and since the complainant has no heirs, they are preparing to revoke the Qianhu title. Hua Tang wants his eldest son to take this position, so he came to the capital to deliver silver,” the young servant explained. He hadn’t expected anyone else to be present, and when he glanced around, he couldn’t help but look twice at Dou Zhao, slowing his speech. “He happened to run into the Duke at the gate of the Five Armies Command. The commander of the rear army, Duke Anlu, invited the Duke to drink.
The Duke, seemingly free at the time, went along. I don’t know what was discussed at the banquet, but once it ended, Hua Tang looked thrilled and ordered his close attendants to rush to Weizhou. Since you instructed that any unusual actions by the Duke should be reported, the watchers sent a signal to Du Wei. Du Wei then dispatched someone disguised as a robbers to snatch a letter from the attendants, which revealed that Hua Tang knew the Duke had not remarried and wanted to marry his eldest daughter to the Duke, with Duke Anlu as the matchmaker. The Duke did not refuse, and Hua Tang hurriedly sent someone to Weizhou to inform Madam Hua and request the birth date of his eldest daughter. Du Wei sensed something was off and sent me to seek your advice.”
Song Mo’s eyes glinted like cold stars. “Did the messenger notice the letter was missing?”
“No,” the young servant replied, avoiding Dou Zhao’s gaze, focusing instead on the floor. His voice gradually regained steadiness. “Du Wei sent someone to return the letter.”
Song Mo nodded, fearing Dou Zhao wouldn’t understand, he explained, “In the military, positions like Qianhu and Baihu are often inherited. Sometimes, when a father dies and the son is too young to manage the position, it is temporarily lent to a relative with the understanding that it will be returned in five or ten years. Those who are trustworthy will return it on time; those who are not often do not.
It seems this Qiu Ling Qianhu’s position was lent to a relative, but when the son didn’t grow up, the family ended up in a dispute. The relative took the matter to the Ministry of War, and now everyone is at an impasse, with no one able to resolve it. Weizhou Wei is under the command of the Datong General’s Office, which in turn is overseen by the Five Armies Command. If Hua Tang wants his eldest son to replace the Qianhu, he must have the support of Duke Shiduanlan of Changxing and Duke Zhou of the rear army.”
Dou Zhao understood everything the young servant said and nodded slightly.
Song Mo sneered, “Hua Tang has a clever plan! Too bad he’s miscalculated this time.” He instructed the young servant, “Go tell Du Wei to keep a close watch on the Hua family, including Duke Anlu. I want to know what they’ve been up to these past few days.”
The young servant complied and left.
Song Mo and Dou Zhao returned to the inner chamber.
Dou Zhao poured a cup of tea for Song Mo. He sat on the large kang by the window, sipping tea while lost in thought.
Seeing him like this, Dou Zhao felt restless and sat beside him, working on her needlework.
Song Mo smiled, “You should go to bed early! We have to go to the palace early tomorrow.”
Dou Zhao wanted to make a good impression on the Empress Dowager and the Empress, so she didn’t want to stay up late. However, seeing Song Mo like this, she couldn’t lie down either. “It’s not like Weizhou is going to change overnight. You should rest early too! A good night’s sleep will help you think more clearly and maybe come up with a good idea.”
Song Mo nodded, climbed into bed, and leaned against the headboard, continuing to ponder.
The earlier lightheartedness had vanished.
Dou Zhao couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
This conflicting feeling could only be understood by someone who had lived two lives.
The next day, just after the hour of the pig, Song Mo and Dou Zhao got up, dressed according to their ranks, and went to greet Song Yichun.
Song Yichun’s gaze lingered on their faces for a while, as if he hoped to glean something from their expressions, but ultimately found nothing. He frowned and waved them away.
He had no intention of sending them to the palace.
This was better!
Dou Zhao and Song Mo took a carriage to the palace.
On the way, they encountered several carriages and palanquins heading to the morning court.
Carriages of officials ranked third and above had attendants carrying lanterns with their surnames written on them, while those ranked below third carried plain lanterns. It was easy to identify whose carriage or palanquin it was, and everyone avoided each other in an orderly manner.
Dou Zhao found it amusing and felt in high spirits as she searched for her uncle or father’s carriage among the crowd, but unfortunately, she didn’t see them.
Once they entered the palace, they learned that the Emperor had already gone to the morning court.
Song Mo smiled, “Let’s wait here for a bit.”
What else could they do but wait? Dou Zhao smiled slightly.
Seeing her in good spirits, Song Mo felt a bit more at ease.
Surrounded by palace maids, they couldn’t say much, so they sat quietly, sipping tea. As the sky brightened, an inner servant hurried over.
“Your Highness, the Empress has gone to Cining Palace and requests your presence there.”
Dou Zhao and Song Mo made their way to Cining Palace.
In her previous life, although she had entered the palace for various audiences, she had always followed the other noble ladies, exchanging glances and occasionally whispering to each other, making the journey seem quick. Now, however, the path was lined with towering walls and desolate corridors, looking the same from every angle, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing, making it feel endless.
She deeply realized that serving in the palace was indeed a hard job, no wonder Wei Tingzhen was reluctant to let Wei Tingyu take on such duties.
Noticing a few beads of sweat forming on Dou Zhao’s forehead, Song Mo took out a handkerchief and handed it to her. “Wipe your sweat; we’ll be there soon.”
The inner servant leading them glanced back at Dou Zhao.
Dou Zhao was smiling at Song Mo and didn’t notice.
The inner servant led them into Cining Palace, directly to the rear hall.
Dou Zhao knew that was where the Empress Dowager’s chambers were located.
In her previous life, she had only reached the main hall at most, and she couldn’t help but glance around.
A graceful-looking palace maid, in the prime of her youth, stood waiting at the entrance of the rear hall.
Song Mo cupped his hands in greeting, addressing her as “Aunt Lan.”
Dou Zhao stepped forward, curtsied, and also called out, “Aunt Lan.”
Aunt Lan smiled and nodded, looking Dou Zhao up and down with a gentle gaze, appearing quite friendly, before turning to lead them into the rear hall.
Inside, only the Empress Dowager and the Empress were present.
The Empress Dowager, dressed in a simple lilac-patterned robe, sat on a rattan couch. Her dark hair was neatly styled, adorned only with a large emerald ring on her finger. She looked to be in her early forties, though she had celebrated her sixtieth birthday five years ago.
The Empress sat beside the Empress Dowager, her skin fair and delicate, with an elongated face and bright, piercing eyes. Although there were fine wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, they did not make her look haggard; instead, they added to her amiable demeanor.
Dou Zhao had seen both of them several times in her previous life, but their impressions were completely different from what she felt now.
The Empress Dowager appeared kind and approachable, while the Empress seemed solemn and dignified.
Especially the last time she saw the Empress Dowager after the Emperor had passed away, the Liao King had conferred the title of Empress Dowager upon her. They, the noble ladies, had been ordered to enter the palace to pay their respects. The Empress Dowager had looked frail, like an eighty-year-old woman, supported by others, and had fainted before the ceremony was completed. Just a few days later, she passed away.
Dou Zhao still vividly remembered the Empress Dowager’s skeletal face.
Lowering her head, Dou Zhao and Song Mo performed the customary bow to the two ladies.
Then she heard the Empress’s gentle voice addressing the Empress Dowager, “Though she grew up in the countryside, her manners are quite good, indicating she is a clever and bright child.”
Thinking of how this Empress had dared to execute the Liao King’s favored concubine after becoming the Empress Dowager, while the Liao King, now an emperor, didn’t dare to utter a word, Dou Zhao felt a bit nervous.
With her eyes downcast, she stood respectfully with her hands at her sides, listening as the Empress Dowager remarked, slightly displeased, “The Dou family of Beilou is a renowned family of poetry and propriety. A girl raised in such an environment will naturally not be lacking.”
Dou Zhao heard the Empress quickly respond with a soft “Yes,” her tone particularly gentle.
This Empress was not the same one she had known in her previous life.
The Empress Dowager beckoned to Dou Zhao, “Come here, let me take a good look at you.”