Wang Qinghuai didn’t bother advising his younger brother about this matter. He knew his brother’s nature; the more difficult Wei Tingyu’s situation became, the more his brother would try to help him. Conversely, if Wei Tingyu were to rise to prosperity, his brother might gradually distance himself from Wei Tingyu. If he knew about Wang Qinghuai’s attitude towards the Jining Marquis’s household, he might not rush to admonish Wei Tingyu like a reckless youth.
Some things are best left to take their natural course.
The Wang couple had made up their minds, and gradually, they began to send their regrets to the Jining Marquis’s invitations while avoiding attendance.
Of course, this was all in hindsight.
Chen Jia immediately learned of Wang Yuan’s words, which shocked him greatly.
It was precisely because he knew about the relationship between Song Mo and Wang Yuan that he had risked aligning himself with them. However, he hadn’t anticipated that Song Mo would have such influence over Wang Yuan.
Perhaps it was because Song Mo held the Emperor’s favor, forcing Wang Yuan to yield somewhat?
Chen Jia emerged from his hiding place and returned to the small courtyard he rented in the inner city of the capital.
Several of his colleagues from the Imperial Guard were already waiting for him at the entrance.
“Congratulations!” they all greeted him in unison. “The misunderstanding with Lord Wang has been cleared up, and you can now serve the Emperor loyally again!”
Due to the nature of the Imperial Guard’s duties, Chen Jia had anticipated that his colleagues would quickly receive the news, but he hadn’t expected them to appear at his residence so soon.
Two years!
For the past two years, none of his colleagues had dared to associate with him!
He spent all his savings to treat his well-wishers to a meal at Donglaishun. As they drank and made toasts, his memory became hazy. He vaguely recalled everyone inquiring about his relationship with the Duke Ying’s household, but beyond that, he remembered nothing.
Unfamiliar servants came to assist him with grooming, claiming to have been sent by one of his colleagues.
Chen Jia didn’t know whether to feel sad or happy.
He woodenly ate his breakfast and headed to the Northern Commandery of the Imperial Guard.
Along the way, everyone greeted him with smiles. Before he could meet with the Commander of the Northern Commandery, the personal attendant of Shi Chuan, the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guard, appeared at the office. Smiling, he asked, “Who is Officer Chen Zanzhi? Our master wishes to speak with him.” Once again, Chen Jia found himself heading to the Imperial Guard headquarters under the envious gazes of his peers.
Shi Chuan, departing from his usual severity, spoke kindly with Chen Jia, advising him to perform his duties well in the future. He assured Chen Jia that if he ever faced any grievances, he should come directly to Shi Chuan. Then, he offered him tea.
Although no promotion was promised, the gesture of goodwill was evident.
Even with his deep cunning, Chen Jia felt unsettled by these rapid changes. It wasn’t until he stumbled out of the Imperial Guard headquarters that he regained his composure.
He immediately summoned his trusted brothers who served in the Imperial Guard and instructed them, “No matter what, you must find out exactly who the Duke Ying’s heir took to the estate that day!”
Someone hesitated, “The imperial estate in Daxing is heavily guarded, and Duke Ying’s heir just helped you. If we alert them… we really can’t afford to offend them!”
If he wanted to establish himself in Song Mo’s eyes, he had to connect with the person behind the screen that day.
However, Chen Jia had no intention of sharing this information with anyone else.
He cautiously investigated the people around Song Mo.
Meanwhile, Song Mo was incredibly busy.
Every day, he was either inviting people for drinks or to watch opera performances. He would leave before Dou Zhao woke up in the morning and return after she had fallen asleep.
Despite this hectic schedule, he still had the energy to be intimate with Dou Zhao.
Concerned for his health and unable to refuse him, Dou Zhao, noticing the cooler weather, took out two thirty-year-old ginseng roots from her dowry to brew tea for Song Mo.
Song Mo chuckled and became even more playful with Dou Zhao.
Dou Zhao felt both angry and frustrated.
Song Mo, however, found great enjoyment in this.
Sometimes, he simply wanted to see Dou Zhao’s helpless expression towards him.
Consequently, after each encounter, he would caress Dou Zhao’s beautifully curved body as if handling a precious treasure. He noticed that during these moments, Dou Zhao would curl up in his arms, exuding a lazy and alluring charm.
Dou Zhao must enjoy being with him too, right?
Looking at Dou Zhao’s face, still flushed with the afterglow of their intimacy, Song Mo unconsciously tightened his embrace, holding her even closer. He lowered his head to kiss her forehead and began to tell her about the events of the past few days in a low voice: “Wang Ge now understands my intentions. As soon as a suitable opportunity arises, he will pass along the message. However, this ‘suitable opportunity’ might come tomorrow or it might take several months. Father will be back in two or three days, and he’s sure to lose his temper with us. When that happens, no matter what he says, don’t take it to heart. Just treat it as the ravings of a madman…”
Dou Zhao was so tired she didn’t even want to open her eyes. Song Mo’s caresses made her whole body relax, and all she wanted was to sleep soundly. She didn’t want to listen to Song Mo’s chatter. With her eyes closed and yawning, she murmured, “I know, I know. With you here, I won’t suffer any loss…”
Song Mo couldn’t help but smile at her words.
Where did she get such confidence?
Yet hearing such words made his heart feel soft as if it could melt.
His caresses suddenly took on a hint of desire.
Startled, Dou Zhao quickly opened her eyes. “Don’t you have to meet with Eunuch Wang tomorrow?”
“What does that have to do with what we’re about to do?” Song Mo had already skillfully found the pearl in the valley.
Dou Zhao’s entire body felt hot.
Song Mo was eager to continue.
However, hurried footsteps were heard outside, followed by a knock on the door.
Dou Zhao quickly stopped Song Mo. “It must be something urgent.”
“Then let them wait a moment.” Song Mo’s breathing had already become heavy.
There was a whispered conversation outside, and then Gan Lu’s voice came through: “Young Master, Young Mistress, the Duke has returned and is furious in the main courtyard. He demands that you both go see him immediately!”
Song Mo frowned. “Why is he back so early?”
Considering the fire in the household, the burglary, and the Hua family’s withdrawal from the engagement, Dou Zhao felt that Song Yichun’s return was somewhat late!
She gently pushed Song Mo. “Get up quickly!” Seeing Song Mo’s face, which had been full of joy just moments ago, now cold and stern, she inexplicably found herself whispering words of comfort: “After we’ve seen the Duke, I’ll take good care of you.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she was a bit stunned herself.
Song Mo, however, laughed heartily.
In his heart, he knew that this was Dou Zhao’s way of showing concern for him, unable to bear seeing him suffer even the slightest grievance.
“Shou Gu!” He buried his face in her thick black hair. “You treat me so well!”
Dou Zhao’s heart instantly melted, her limbs going weak, feeling as if she could barely hold onto him.
So, she also enjoyed hearing sweet words…
The couple lingered for a while longer before getting up, freshening themselves, and heading to the main courtyard of Duke Ying’s mansion.
Of the nine gates of the capital, only the Xizhi Gate, which was used for water transportation, opened at the Hour of the Ox (1-3 AM). The other eight gates closed at the Hour of You (5-7 PM) and opened at the Hour of Mao (5-7 AM).
Judging by Song Yichun’s travel-worn appearance, he had entered the city directly through the Xizhi Gate.
Dou Zhao and Song Mo stepped forward to pay their respects.
However, before they could straighten up, Song Yichun’s teacup came flying towards them.
Song Mo stepped forward, shielding Dou Zhao behind him.
Song Yichun was so angry that his lips trembled as he spoke: “Outrageous! As a son, you dare to retaliate!”
Song Mo remained silent, coldly staring at Song Yichun.
Song Yichun felt a chill in his heart as he met Song Mo’s gaze, which was as cold as thousand-year-old ice and seemed devoid of any human warmth. Seeing Dou Zhao hiding behind Song Mo without speaking, he glared at her fiercely and shouted, “Is this how a daughter-in-law should behave? I was considerate of your lack of guidance and arranged for the clan elders to teach you how to manage the household. And what did you do? You drove away the family elders…”
Song Mo would not allow anyone to tarnish Dou Zhao’s reputation.
“Father, your words are mistaken!” He interrupted Song Yichun without hesitation, countering, “Our home suffered a fire and was burglarized. My aunt was frightened and therefore handed over the household management to my wife. My wife has been managing the affairs of the Western Mansion since we were in Zhending. Although my aunt returned home to recuperate, my wife has been handling all the household matters impeccably.
This is something that the Young Lady of the Yan’an Marquis and the Third Madam of the Jingguo Duke’s household have witnessed. If you don’t believe me, Father, you can inquire about it. Rebuking my wife without understanding the situation – what will the Dou family think? I implore you, Father, to think thrice before speaking in the future!” As he spoke, he cast a sharp glance towards Tao Qizhong, who was standing silently in the corner. “Don’t listen to slanderous talk, lest it damage the reputation of Duke Ying’s household and sour relations between relatives!”
Tao Qizhong couldn’t help but feel indignant.
What does this have to do with me?
But who would care about what he thought?
Song Yichun was left speechless for a moment before he finally said, “Even so, you shouldn’t have offered such a large reward! Do you know how much silver that will cost? You’ve studied household management for so many years, where has all that knowledge gone?”
He wanted to settle accounts with his son regarding the Hua family’s withdrawal from the engagement. However, facing his son, he couldn’t bring himself to admit that not only had his son ruined his marriage arrangement but had also caused a slight rift in his friendship with the Marquis of Anlu. So he had to make an issue out of these trivial matters.
“Father, are you reluctant to spend the silver?” Song Mo understood his father’s intentions and deliberately misinterpreted Song Yichun’s words, playing tai chi with him. “The house suffered a fire, and repairing the buildings has already cost a considerable amount. I also considered that with the New Year approaching, the household funds might be tight, so I used silver from the Yizhi Hall for the reward. Father, you needn’t worry. If there isn’t enough silver, so be it. The business in Guangdong has been doing well these past few years, and the income from mother’s dowry is not insignificant. The Yizhi Hall won’t miss this small amount of silver!”
Song Yichun’s expression couldn’t have been more unpleasant.
He finally couldn’t hold back anymore and said, “While I was inspecting Datong, I met the Marquis of Changxing. With his recommendation, we’re preparing to arrange a marriage alliance with Wang Hong, the Deputy General of Datong. Get ready, the two families will be settling the engagement in a few days.”
“Congratulations, Father!” Song Mo smiled. “I think our family should form a marriage alliance with the Marquis of Changxing’s household instead! After all, the Marquis of Changxing is the Emperor’s favored minister. I’m just a small Commander of the Imperial Guard’s Forward Division; he probably wouldn’t even consider me. Moreover, I think the Father’s marriage should be carefully discussed as well. This way, we won’t have to prepare for one family today and another tomorrow, only to end up with Father’s disappointment. I think it’s better to wait until both marriages are settled before asking us to prepare. As for the Marquis of Changxing, I should thank him properly on Father’s behalf!”