Song Mo and his wife sat down on the large kang by the window.

Dou Zhao called out loudly for Gan Lu to serve tea, and the maidservants entered one after another. It was then that Su Xin shyly walked in.

“Madam, I’ve already informed Steward Wang about your instructions. He immediately sent someone to the Imperial Medical Bureau and said we should expect news shortly.”

Song Mo, intrigued, asked, “Who is unwell?”

“No one,” Dou Zhao replied with a smile. “You don’t need to worry about this.”

Seeing Dou Zhao in good spirits, Song Mo thought perhaps one of the household maids was feeling ill, and Dou Zhao wanted to show some kindness. He decided to put the matter out of his mind.

Dou Zhao then asked, “How could the Marquis of Changxing so easily admit defeat?”

Song Mo chuckled, “I had Inner Steward Wang give a heads-up to the Ministry of Revenue and delayed the military pay for the Datong General’s Office.”

Dou Zhao widened her eyes in surprise. “Is that wise? What if the Emperor finds out…”

Song Mo dismissed her concern. “Which general’s office hasn’t had their pay delayed? Why should the Datong General’s Office be any different? It’s not like we’re withholding it entirely; it’s just that their pay is coming a bit later than others! There’s a sequence to these official documents. Even if he reports this to the Emperor, he won’t have a leg to stand on! The Marquis of Changxing can’t possibly come to the capital every month to treat those minor clerks in the Ministry to meals and drinks over such trivial matters!”

This was a classic case of “the King is easy to see, but the little devils are hard to deal with!”

Dou Zhao wiped her brow. “How could Inner Steward Wang help you with this?”

“Is it so easy to take advantage?” Song Mo joked. “You can’t always gain without losing something!”

Well, she might as well not have asked.

However, getting Wang Yuan to intervene and making the Marquis of Changxing bow his head was truly impressive!

As for the Wang family, that was another story.

Someone had sent word, and at first, there was some doubt. But when the Marquis of Changxing ordered a lavish gift to be prepared and sent a close attendant to escort it back to the capital, he was suddenly drenched in cold sweat, his face a mask of despair as he sought confirmation from the Marquis, politely declining the Song family’s proposal with the excuse of “incompatibility of birth dates.”

Dou Zhao couldn’t help but scoff. “Incompatibility of birth dates? That’s a convenient excuse that works anytime!”

What concerned Song Mo was Song Yichun’s attitude towards Dou Zhao.

He sincerely apologized to Dou Zhao.

Dou Zhao smiled, pressing her lips together, and winked at Song Mo. “Don’t worry, I won’t hold it against the Duke. He’s suffered such a great grievance; we must let him have a place to vent!”

Song Mo chuckled.

Dou Zhao said, “What were you doing just now? If there’s nothing at home, you should go about your business! No need to worry.”

“I had originally planned to drink with Ma Youming, but when I heard something happened at home, I made an excuse to reschedule,” Song Mo said with a frown. “Now, how can I go back to find him?” He then looked at Dou Zhao with eager eyes. “Shou Gu, why don’t you cook something delicious for me today?”

This guy just loved to boss her around!

Dou Zhao hadn’t cooked in a while, and hearing his request piqued her interest. She instructed Gan Lu to inform the kitchen staff.

Song Mo, feeling affectionate, said, “I’ll go with you! I’ve never seen how others cook!”

Dou Zhao didn’t know what to say.

She took Song Mo to the kitchen.

The kitchen staff rushed to the small courtyard in front of the kitchen to greet them, then nervously helped to start the fire and prepare the ingredients.

Song Mo sat on a spring stool at the kitchen counter, watching Dou Zhao’s every move.

Wherever she went, his gaze followed.

As time passed, Dou Zhao began to feel overwhelmed. She nearly spilled a whole spoonful of salt into the pot.

She had no choice but to shoo Song Mo away. “Go outside! It’s smoky in here; you’ll end up smelling like grease!”

Song Mo replied with an “oh” and moved to the kitchen door, only three steps away from the counter.

Dou Zhao couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time. After finally preparing a few of her signature dishes, she instructed the kitchen staff to bring them to the banquet room.

Just then, a young servant came to report that someone from the palace had arrived, asking for Song Mo to come to the palace early the next morning.

The day after Song Yichun returned, he went to the palace early in the morning to bow and express gratitude, completing his duties.

When he returned, he was beaming with joy. Dou Zhao had been worried he might have said something about Song Mo in front of the Emperor, and she pondered, “Should we find out what the palace visitors have to say?”

“There shouldn’t be any issues,” Song Mo replied with a smile. “If there were, Steward Wang would have informed me in advance.”

Steward Wang referred to Wang Ge.

When Song Mo met with the palace officials, he exchanged a few polite words and rewarded them with generous red envelopes. The next morning, he and Song Yichun entered the palace one after the other.

Before Song Mo could leave the palace, a messenger rushed in, exclaiming, “Congratulations, Madam! Congratulations! The Young Master has been promoted to the Deputy Commander of the Jinwu Guard and is also overseeing the affairs of the Five City Military Command!”

Dou Zhao was taken aback.

Song Mo was only sixteen this year.

“Is that true?” she leaned forward, asking, “Who told you this?”

The young servant’s eyes sparkled with uncontainable joy as he vividly explained, “It was a little eunuch by Steward Wang’s side in Qianqing Palace who said the Emperor has already issued the decree. You’ll see the imperial edict when the Young Master returns.”

This imperial favor came so suddenly!

But when pressed for more details, the young servant had no further information.

Dou Zhao could only patiently wait for Song Mo to return.

However, Dou Shishu had witnessed the entire process.

When it was time to leave the office, he declined social engagements and headed straight back to Huai Tree Alley.

Madam Wu personally helped him change clothes.

He asked her, “How many days until Shou Gu returns to her family for the moon-viewing festival?”

Madam Wu smiled, “Four days left.”

He pondered, “When the time comes, you and the two daughters-in-law should prepare well and go to Jing’an Temple Alley to give Shou Gu some face.”

Madam Wu was surprised.

Dou Shishu never concerned himself with matters of the inner courtyard.

“What happened?” she asked anxiously.

“After today’s morning court, the Emperor kept the Duke of Ying and the Fourth Master in Qianqing Palace for a discussion,” Dou Shishu explained. “During the conversation, the Emperor praised the Fourth Master for his steady actions and adaptability several times, then suddenly asked when the Fourth Master would send the Fourth Madam back to her family for the moon-viewing festival. He then promoted the Fourth Master to Deputy Commander of the Jinwu Guard and also put him in charge of the Five City Military Command, saying to the Fourth Master, ‘This way, you’ll have more face when you return to your father-in-law’s house.’”

Madam Wu gasped. “Did the Emperor say that?”

This was not how an Emperor treated his subjects; it was more like how a senior relative treated a younger family member.

“He said that,” Dou Shishu replied gravely. “The Duke of Ying was present and humbly tried to decline, but the Emperor scolded him, saying, ‘The child has grown up and should be trained more; otherwise, how can he be of great use in the future?’ He also said, ‘It’s precisely because Yantang is still young that I let him work under my watch. Even if he makes mistakes, I can correct him in time. If I send him to Xuantong or Guangxi, where I can’t reach him, those officials will easily deceive me, and we wouldn’t know anything, raising a proud and arrogant child—that would truly harm him.’”

Madam Wu took a sharp breath, hesitating. “What does the Emperor mean by this? Is he reprimanding the Duke of Ying? Yet he promoted the Fourth Master…”

Dou Shishu, unaware of the matter regarding General Wang, informed Madam Wu about the Song family’s intention to marry into the Hua family. “…It’s likely related to the Duke of Ying’s remarriage.”

Madam Wu was stunned. “Does the Emperor not want the Duke of Ying to remarry? That’s too unreasonable!”

“Seeing how astute you usually are, how could you be confused about this matter?” Dou Shishu said. “The Emperor can’t dictate whether the Duke of Ying remarries; he’s subtly hinting to the Duke that he favors the Fourth Master for the position of heir in the Duke’s household, urging him to think carefully about his actions!”

Madam Wu pondered for a while before grasping the intricacies of the situation. She couldn’t help but exclaim, “The Fourth Master is truly impressive! He can manipulate the Emperor so skillfully!”

“Stop talking nonsense!” Dou Shishu scolded urgently. “Is that something you can say out loud?”

The implication was that everyone understood the situation without needing to say it explicitly.

Madam Wu immediately perked up. “I think we shouldn’t wait until the fourth day; I’ll go to Jing’an Temple Alley tomorrow. Even if there’s nothing to help with, it’s good to go and take a look.”

Dou Shishu thought for a moment and said, “There’s one more thing—discuss with the Fourth Madam about the Wang family bringing the Wang family back to live long-term. We can’t always have a stewardess managing the household in Jing’an Temple Alley. It would be better to find a girl from your family with a good background to be a concubine for the Seventh Brother. This way, she can help manage the household affairs and also take care of the Seventh Brother’s daily needs. If that girl is fortunate, she might even bear a son or daughter for the Seventh Brother, continuing his lineage.”

Madam Wu understood and immediately said, “Rest assured, my husband, I will convey your words to the Fourth Madam.”

As for whether Dou Zhao would agree or not, that was her business. However, they must have a clear stance regarding the Wang family.

Dou Shishu nodded in satisfaction.

When Dou Zhao heard that Song Mo was returning, she couldn’t help but run to the entrance of Yizhi Hall to greet him.

“Did you get promoted to the Deputy Commander of the Jinwu Guard?” she asked anxiously.

The Deputy Commander of the Jinwu Guard was the second-highest position in the Jinwu Guard, and because it specifically managed military pay, military merit applications, and the verification of positions, no one dared to take it lightly.

Song Mo smiled and nodded.

Dou Zhao couldn’t help but clasp her hands together and murmur, “Amitabha.”

This meant that Song Mo’s plan had succeeded.

The Emperor had heard about the discord between Song Yichun and Song Mo.

In this world, perhaps only Shou Gu was clever enough to understand.

She could see through the slightest hints.

Song Mo smiled and nodded again, feeling very pleased. “Shouldn’t the Madam reward me? After all, I’ve been promoted and made progress!”

This relaxed and somewhat mischievous Young Master was someone the servants of Yizhi Hall had never seen before.

Everyone was left speechless.

Yan Chaoqing quickly cleared his throat and smiled, inviting everyone inside. “…This isn’t a good place for conversation, and since the Young Master has been promoted, the people in the household should congratulate him. Please, Young Master, go to the hall and sit; we’ll also take this opportunity to congratulate you.”

Thinking of his father’s face in Qianqing Palace, which looked as if he were constipated, Song Mo couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief, feeling as if the sky above him had cleared a bit.

From now on, his father’s petty schemes would no longer harm him!

“Alright!” he laughed as he headed to the hall, instructing Dou Zhao, “Give everyone two silver ingots as a reward!”

The Duke of Ying’s household minted various silver ingots for rewarding favors. The ingots were eight coins each, the plum blossom ones were five coins each, the square ones were four coins each, and then there were silver beans and gold beans, which were two coins each. Two silver ingots amounted to just over one tael of silver.

Everyone was delighted.

Dou Zhao’s spirits lifted as she cheerfully responded, “Of course!”