Su Xin and Su Lan cheerfully helped Dou Zhao retire for the night, then settled themselves on the large kang bed by the window, each hugging a quilt.

Song Mo galloped swiftly toward Duke Ying’s mansion.

The crisp sound of hoofbeats not only shattered the morning tranquility of the capital but also drew the attention of officials heading to court. Soon, rumors of a fire and burglary at Duke Ying’s mansion spread throughout the city.

“Where did these thieves come from?” First Grand Secretary Liang Jifen frowned in his office, waiting for the morning court session. “These heirs of meritorious families are not only uneducated but spend their days hawking, horse-riding, and cockfighting. How dare they gallop through the inner city? What if they hit someone?”

Liang, coming from a humble background, looked down on these second-generation nobles.

In contrast, Yao Shizhong, known as the “Scheming Minister,” came from an illustrious family. Both his wife’s and mother’s families were generations of officials. He disliked those self-proclaimed “upright” scholars from humble origins. Yao always thought Liang was just sour grapes. He turned to He Wendao, also from a prestigious family, and asked, “Lord Wendao, are you still keeping crickets? I recently acquired an ancient cricket cage, seemingly made of gold or iron. The cricket’s call inside is exceptionally clear, like metal striking or waves crashing. It’s quite rare. Would you like to appraise it for me when you’re free?”

He Wendao, being shrewd, knew Yao was mocking Liang. Although Liang was the First Grand Secretary, he was stubborn and inflexible, lacking in subtlety and charisma. He relied solely on the emperor’s authority to assert himself. Not only did the cunning Yao and the versatile Dai Jian disregard him, but even He Wendao didn’t pay much heed to him. As a result, the Grand Secretariat remained fragmented, unlike during Zeng Yifen’s tenure when his word was law, or Ye Shipei’s time when he skillfully managed all sides. He Wendao, not wanting to offend Yao, simply replied, “Alright, how about next off-day? I’m free then.”

Yao then inquired about He Yu, “He did well in the provincial exams this year. Will he participate in next year’s metropolitan examination?”

He Yu had passed the provincial examination in August.

Mentioning his youngest son, He Wendao’s demeanor softened. Stroking his chest-length beard, he smiled, “He should study for a few more years. The boy is a bit wild.”

“Intelligent children are often wild,” Yao remarked. “Unlike some who only know how to study but can’t distinguish between different types of rice or understand human nature when they enter officialdom… Today’s examination system is truly worrisome.”

Liang Jifen’s face darkened.

The tall and robust Dai Jian entered with the handsome and scholarly Dou Shizu.

“We’ve sent someone to inquire at Duke Ying’s mansion,” Dou Shizu, usually gentle and refined, now looked displeased. “With these repeated burglaries, who knows if it’s thieves or something else? We’ll have to see for ourselves after court.”

Knowing Dai Jian was close to Wang Yuan, the emperor’s confidant, Dou complained in front of him.

Dai Jian smiled, “Brother Yuanji, don’t worry too much. Upon hearing this, the emperor was furious and gave the ‘Sun-Shooting Sword’ to Duke Ying’s heir. The matter should be resolved soon. However, the Prefect of Shuntian and the Commander of the Five-Borough Militia might be replaced.”

He had deliberately slowed his pace to wait for Dou Shizu after hearing about the incident at Duke Ying’s mansion.

Among the seven Grand Secretaries, Yao Shizhong and he were at odds. Dou Shizu’s two brothers were He Wendao’s disciples, and the two families were close. Dou Shizu was also related by marriage to Ji Song, the Vice Minister of Works. During Ji’s family’s recent large-scale water conservancy project in Yixing, they received support from Mu Chuan. Through this, Dou Shizu seemed to have reached some agreement with Mu Chuan, as they often acted in unison, appearing almost like allies.

Dai Jian had his eye on the position of Prefect of Shuntian. With Dou Shizu’s help, He Wendao and Mu Chuan’s votes, even Yao Shizhong would have to stand aside… As for Liang Jifen, he wasn’t worth considering. Seeing Dou’s complaint, Dai naturally offered support: “I’ll go with you after court to take a look. Such an incident in the capital reflects poorly on all of us!” He appeared deeply concerned.

Liang Jifen’s face had turned slightly ashen.

As First Grand Secretary, he bore responsibility for any incident, and Dai Jian was implying his negligence.

Dou Shizu vaguely guessed Dai Jian’s intentions but had no desire to be used as a pawn.

Feeling surprised, he smiled, “It’s just a small matter, how could we trouble you, Brother Liren? The emperor will likely bring this up in court today. Let’s see his thoughts first, then we can discuss further.”

Politely rebuffed, Dai Jian was displeased. However, knowing Dou Shizu’s deep scheming and ability to endure silently – having outmaneuvered Zeng Yifen’s favored Wang Yousheng while maintaining an appearance of integrity – Dai Jian was somewhat wary of him. He continued chatting amiably with Dou Shizu until Mu Chuan arrived.

Dai Jian greeted Mu Chuan with a smile.

Dou Shizu, however, sat down in the grand chair next to Liang Jifen.

“Lord Liang, I may need to leave early today,” he smiled. “There’s been an incident at home I need to attend to.”

Liang Jifen merely grunted noncommittally, saying nothing.

Dou Shizu couldn’t help but frown.

By asking Liang Jifen’s permission in front of everyone, he was showing respect and extending an olive branch. Even if Liang wasn’t interested in the Shuntian Prefect position, he should have offered some words of comfort to prevent Dou from aligning with Dai Jian. But Liang seemed oblivious to the undercurrents.

Dou Shizu knew everyone looked down on Liang Jifen, but he believed it was easier to add flowers to brocade than to send charcoal in snow. He felt it was crucial to maintain good relations with Liang, especially now. Once Liang retired, his recommended successor would have a high chance of becoming the next First Grand Secretary.

He recalled how Liang had subtly rejected his overtures a few days ago.

Could Liang have some negative opinion of him? Where did it all begin?

Dou Shizu was perplexed.

As he pondered whether to visit Liang’s residence to gauge his attitude, an attendant entered, announcing, “Gentlemen, it’s time for the morning court session.”

Dou Shizu set aside his thoughts and headed to the Hall of Golden Chimes with the others.

When the Five-Borough Militia and Shuntian Prefecture officials heard about the fire and burglary at Duke Ying’s mansion, they knew the situation was dire. The Shuntian Prefecture, in particular, had failed to immediately dispatch help when the mansion reported the incident. The Commander of the Five-Borough Militia immediately sent two more garrison’s worth of troops to Duke Ying’s mansion. The Prefect of Shuntian personally went to the scene, working with Tao Qizhong to direct the thief-catching efforts.

Duke Ying’s mansion was cordoned off from the alley entrance.

Thus, when Song Mo charged towards the alley without slowing down, he knocked over not ordinary citizens but soldiers of the Five-Borough Militia and yamen runners of the Shuntian Prefecture.

Yet no one dared to utter a word of complaint.

After such an incident, their heads were on the chopping block. Their fate might depend on a single word from Duke Ying’s heir.

Song Mo leaped off his horse and strode directly towards Yizhi Hall.

Daylight had fully broken.

Song Mo’s gaze was clear, his expression calm, but his tightly pressed lips betrayed a merciless coldness. The servants who saw him trembled in fear, pressing themselves against the walls with lowered heads, afraid to catch his eye.

Hearing of Song Mo’s return, Lu Zheng hurried after him with two attendants, panting.

“Young Master, Young Master!” He tried to block Song Mo’s path. “Please wait. The Prefect of Shuntian is having tea with Mr. Tao in the reception hall. Perhaps you should greet them…”

Before he could finish, Song Mo’s horsewhip lashed across his face with a sharp “whoosh.”

Lu Zheng cried out in pain, clutching his face before the burning sensation even registered.

The attendants behind him saw clearly – Lu Zheng’s right cheek swelled up, a bloody welt running diagonally from his right eye to the corner of his mouth, the skin split open, a ghastly sight.

Not only whipped but disfigured.

The two attendants paled and fell to their knees with a thud.

“Kneel!” Song Mo commanded coldly, his clear eyes flashing with icy light.

Song Mo never ordered around the people close to Song Yichun.

Lu Zheng hesitated, showing a hint of reluctance.

Song Mo’s whip struck his shoulder again.

Wincing in pain, he dared not delay further and quickly knelt.

Song Mo kicked the prostrate Lu Zheng aside and strode directly towards Yizhi Hall.

Only then did Lu Zheng feel the heart-wrenching pain.

Song Mo had already entered Yizhi Hall.

“Young Master!” “Young Master!” The guards of Yizhi Hall saluted Song Mo but remained dutifully at their posts.

Song Mo felt somewhat relieved at this.

Ignoring that these were merely Yizhi Hall guards, he urgently asked, “Where’s the Madam?”

“The Madam has retired,” a guard replied with a smile. “She said she would go to Duke Ying’s mansion in the morning to address the servants. Mr. Yan instructed us to accompany the Madam there later.”

Song Mo took a deep breath, only then realizing his palms were drenched in sweat.

One guard couldn’t help but say, “Young Master, it’s a pity you weren’t here to see. The Madam was truly a heroine! With just a few servants and some women from the inner courtyard, she stood firm, preventing those thieves from breaking through the ceremonial gate…”

Song Mo’s heart skipped a beat. “What exactly happened?” he asked.

The guards began recounting the events, talking over each other excitedly.

They spoke of setting fires as warnings, of using boiling water to scald intruders… Each told the tale with animated gestures.

Having such a clever Mistress made them proud as well.

A genuine smile of joy slowly spread across Song Mo’s face, so radiant it outshone the dawn breaking on the horizon.

The guards had never seen Song Mo like this. They were stunned into silence, their narration losing coherence.

Yan Chaoqing, having received the news, emerged from the adjacent study to greet Song Mo.

“Young Master,” he bowed to Song Mo.

Song Mo, his eyes brimming with delight, said, “Thank you for your hard work, Sir.” His gaze swept behind Yan, and he asked in a deep voice, “Where are the others?”

Yan Chaoqing replied, “Xia Lian took your name card to the Shuntian Prefecture to see if they could gather any information from the yamen. Zhu Yicheng and others are searching nearby to ensure Yizhi Hall’s safety. Fearing that those in Jingan Temple Alley might worry after hearing the news, I sent Wu Yi to inform Lord Dou the Seventh that all is well… As for Du Wei and Lu Ming, we’re waiting for your return.”

Du Ming was responsible for gathering intelligence, while Lu Ming trained the elite guards of Yizhi Hall.