While Yizhi Hall was filled with romance and charm, Xiangxiang Courtyard seemed as if it had been swept by a great wind. Even the plants and trees trembled, not to mention the maids and servants on duty.
Song Yichun paced back and forth in his study, his hands clasped behind his back and his expression anxious. The soft light from the octagonal palace lanterns alternately illuminated his face and body, making his expression seem unpredictable.
“I should have realized earlier that the little beast wouldn’t let Dou shi suffer any grievances, considering her dowry of several hundred thousand taels of silver,” he stopped and gazed at the palace lanterns, his eyes growing cold. “Today, he represented Dou shi in managing the household affairs. The venison wasn’t fully roasted, the prawns still had a fishy smell, and eggshells were found in the lotus soup. Yet because that little beast stood there smiling and offering toasts, not a single person dared to complain. They even kept praising how well today’s gathering was sung…”
At this point, he suddenly remembered something and asked, “Aren’t we always keeping an eye on Yizhi Hall? How come you didn’t know that Song Mo invited Zeng Chusheng from the Guanglian Society to sing at the gathering? Whose idea was this?”
Last month, when the Eighth Prince established his household, he invited Zeng Chusheng to sing at the gathering. Zeng couldn’t refuse and went despite being ill. He lost his voice midway through the performance. Everyone knew he was unwell, so no one invited him to sing during the Spring Festival. Unexpectedly, he appeared at the Duke Ying’s mansion. The guests were pleasantly surprised, and who would care about the quality of Duke Ying’s banquet anymore?
Song Yichun, as the host, was also present. His face turned ashen with anger, but he couldn’t express his fury. Instead, he had to suppress his rage while listening to everyone’s applause and force a smile as he discussed Zeng Chusheng’s performance with the guests.
Tao Qizhong couldn’t help but smile bitterly upon hearing this and said, “I don’t know what happened either. There was truly no sign of this beforehand.”
Song Yichun was too irritated to listen to Tao Qizhong’s words. He said, “If you didn’t know beforehand, couldn’t you have investigated afterward?” Then he added coldly, “Today he managed to save face with Zeng Chusheng. I wonder how he’ll manage tomorrow?”
Tao Qizhong remained silent for a moment, then softly replied “Yes” and took the opportunity to withdraw.
Standing in the corridor, he couldn’t help but heave a long sigh. The Duke seemed to have been blinded by anger, focusing all his attention on these trivial matters. Even if he managed to suppress the Duchess, what good would it do? As long as the young master remained in the Emperor’s favor and his career continued to prosper, people would still show respect to the Duchess. Not to mention that the Duchess was clever and capable, rarely making mistakes. Even if they found fault with her, would those people risk offending the young master just to create a spectacle?
Tao Qizhong shook his head as he walked out.
Passing by the tea room, he saw Zeng Wu flirting shamelessly with a maid wearing a crimson vest at the corner of the covered walkway.
Tao Qizhong sighed helplessly. This Zeng Wu, recently promoted by the Duke, was far inferior to Lu Zheng!
As the thought crossed his mind, his expression froze. That maid in the crimson vest seemed to be Luoyan from the Duke’s quarters…
He hurriedly turned back. Both Zeng Wu and Luoyan had disappeared. Only a young maid was tending to the fire in the tea room.
He circled but couldn’t find Zeng Wu. However, he saw Luoyan coming out of Song Yichun’s room carrying an empty celadon bowl.
Seeing Tao Qizhong, she was startled and called out “Mr. Tao” in a tense voice. Looking somewhat flustered, she said, “The Duke hasn’t retired yet. I’ll go inform him of your arrival right away.”
“No need,” Tao Qizhong said calmly. “I just came from the Duke’s room. Go about your business!” With that, he walked away.
Luoyan breathed a sigh of relief. Watching Tao Qizhong’s figure disappear into the night, she ran towards the osmanthus grove behind the tea room.
Zeng Wu was waiting there anxiously. Seeing Luoyan, he quickly asked, “How did it go?”
Luoyan, clutching her chest and panting, said, “I was almost discovered by Mr. Tao… Quick, write this down. I only remember this much… There are twenty-eight people in total, all from the Third Princess’s household. Besides the Third Princess, there are twelve female relatives…”
She recounted most of the guests Song Yichun planned to entertain tomorrow.
Although Zeng Wu could write a few scrawled characters, in the dark without paper or ink, he had nothing to write with. But he had a good memory and remembered most of the people Luoyan mentioned.
He gave Luoyan a gilt hairpin, two pearl flowers, and some silver pieces before quickly running off.
Luoyan didn’t want the hairpin or pearl flowers, fearing that if someone discovered them, they might suspect she had an affair with Zeng Wu. But Zeng Wu ran off so quickly that she didn’t have time to say anything.
She reluctantly left the osmanthus grove, only to see Tao Qizhong peering into the tea room at the entrance.
She was momentarily stunned.
Tao Qizhong smiled and said, “I thought I saw Zeng Wu earlier…”
Luoyan felt the accessories in her sleeve burning hot and said, “I didn’t see Zeng Wu…”
As Tao Qizhong walked out, he smiled and said, “Perhaps my eyes were playing tricks on me.” After leaving Xiangxiang Courtyard, he silently wondered if he had misjudged the situation.
He went to Zeng Chusheng’s residence next to the Thousand Buddha Temple.
Zeng Chusheng personally came out to welcome him, saying very politely, “The Duke has already rewarded me generously. How could I trouble Mr. Tao to come in person? If you have any business, just send someone to inform me.”
He then served the finest Biluochun tea.
Tao Qizhong was secretly shocked. From Zeng Chusheng’s tone, it seemed the Duke had invited him to sing at the gathering!
How could this be possible?
Could someone have acted in the Duke’s name?
He probed, “It’s not a big matter. The Duke just wanted me to ask about your upcoming plans.”
Zeng Chusheng smiled and instructed his apprentice to bring out a gold-sprinkled red performance schedule, which he handed to Tao Qizhong. He said, “These are the plays I’ll be performing next. If the Duke doesn’t like them, they can be changed according to his wishes at any time.”
Tao Qizhong accepted the schedule and said, “I only received instructions just before coming here, so I’m not aware of the background…”
Zeng Chusheng, accustomed to dealing with noble households, thought Tao Qizhong might be competing with another steward. He quickly said, “It was Mr. Cui Thirteen from your household’s reception office who invited me. This performance schedule was also his idea.”
There was no one named Cui in Duke Ying’s household reception office.
Tao Qizhong was bewildered for a few moments before quickly realizing that this Cui was likely a relative of Madam Cui, the Duchess’s great-aunt…
Zeng Chusheng had already performed once, and Duke Ying’s household had received him. How could Tao Qizhong now say that this Cui person was an impostor?
Feeling short of breath and chest tightness, Tao Qizhong exchanged a few more pleasantries with Zeng Chusheng before taking his leave and returning to Duke Ying’s mansion.
Song Yichun had already gone to bed but got up when he learned of Tao Qizhong’s arrival.
Tao Qizhong relayed the course of events to Song Yichun.
Song Yichun immediately kicked over a footstool.
As the footstool fell, his toes ached terribly.
Clutching his foot, he shouted at Tao Qizhong, “Throw that actor out tomorrow! He wants to perform at our home for several more days. Not a chance!”
“We absolutely must not!” Tao Qizhong urgently replied. “That actor frequently visits various households, especially interacting with elderly madams and grand madams. We can’t guarantee he won’t gossip like a woman. If we rashly expel him, those elderly madams and grand madams will surely inquire about it. If Zeng Chusheng doesn’t respond well and rumors spread, won’t Duke Ying’s household become a laughingstock? Guanglian Society is known as the capital’s premier opera troupe. During the New Year and festivals, why not let him finish these few days of performances? It’ll add to the festivities!”
Song Yichun jumped up, “If I can’t deal with that pair of scourges, am I incapable of dealing with a mere actor? Make him leave tomorrow!”
Tao Qizhong knew he was too angry to be reasoned with, so he could only withdraw dejectedly.
Song Yichun continued cursing and ranting in his room for a long time, frightening the night-duty maids and servants who trembled for half the night.
Meanwhile, Song Mo looked at Dou Zhao, whose hair was damp with sweat, and his heart filled with pain.
He used his undershirt to wipe Dou Zhao’s face, asking worriedly, “Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”
Dou Zhao felt as if she had run several streets, extremely tired yet inexplicably refreshed.
“Where did you learn these techniques?” Her voice was hoarse from her previous moans. “Tell me honestly.”
Dou Zhao glanced sideways at Song Mo, her eyes shimmering, but inwardly she was quite displeased.
She knew she was Song Mo’s first woman and was well aware of what he liked and knew. However, the bedroom skills he had just displayed were certainly not something Song Mo could have imagined on his own. She feared Song Mo had visited brothels or wandered Changtai, as only in such places would one learn how to please a pregnant woman.
After the passionate encounter, Song Mo felt as if he had finally seen the light after a long wait. He was incredibly happy and failed to notice Dou Zhao’s subtle displeasure.
He embraced Dou Zhao and whispered in her ear, “Was it good?”
Dou Zhao pondered for a moment, then genuinely laughed softly and said “Yes,” while wrapping her arm around his waist.
Song Mo immediately became somewhat proud and whispered, “I asked the palace matrons… They said it was alright…”
Dou Zhao was surprised, and then felt somewhat embarrassed.
She should have had more faith in Song Mo.
However, this answer made her face burn even more.
The Matron Yan Xi, who knew about such matters, was usually under the Empress’s supervision.
They would certainly report truthfully to the Empress.
The family reunion dinner on New Year’s Eve and the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month were all royal family banquets. Not only were those nobles not allowed to attend, but even the Empress’s family members needed a special imperial edict to participate. The Duke Ying’s household, benefiting from their ancestors once being adopted by the royal family, was considered part of the imperial family and had to enter the palace for festivals and holidays. Therefore, Duke Ying’s household’s family reunion dinner was set for the night before the Little New Year.
Thinking about having to accompany the inner court ladies to admire the moon and lanterns during the Lantern Festival, Dou Zhao wanted to cover herself with a blanket and sleep for a long time.
Song Mo, however, teased her, saying with a laugh, “If you meet the Empress in the palace and she tells you to arrange concubines for me, just say you’ve already done so. I’ve sent the two beauties from the Marquis of Jiading to Gu Yu. Make sure you don’t reveal my secret!”
Dou Zhao wished she could find a hole to crawl into.
“Couldn’t you have restrained yourself?” She turned her back to Song Mo in a coquettish fit of pique. “Now everyone will surely know. How can I face the Empress when I enter the palace?”
“They won’t!” Song Mo gently stroked her shoulder, chuckling softly. “When the Empress summoned me, I told her that I only like you and don’t care for anyone else… The Empress even instructed me to treat you well, saying that since you’re pregnant, you might have mood swings, and told me to be more accommodating…”