The next morning, as Song Mo went to court, Dou Zhao learned that Xiangxiang Hall had been in turmoil all night. Chuan’er’s face was scratched by Baizhi, and although a doctor was called immediately, the wounds were too deep. Even after healing, her face would be scarred, making it impossible for her to serve in the inner court. Meanwhile, Song Yichun had Baizhi tied up, declaring she would be sold off as soon as a slave trader was called.
Dou Zhao frowned and asked Ruozhu, “Is this related to Qixia?”
“I’m not sure if it’s related to her,” Ruozhu replied, her face pale. “However, when Chuan’er realized her face was scarred, she cursed Qixia as venomous and wished for her death… I think, even if Qixia didn’t do this herself, she must be involved somehow.”
She hadn’t expected things to turn out this way. Not only was Chuan’er disfigured, but Baizhi was also to be expelled from the household. Ruozhu felt uneasy.
Dou Zhao, on the other hand, felt annoyed. These were just 15 or 16-year-old girls, yet their conflicts could turn deadly. All of them had been personally selected by Song Yichun to serve him closely, which revealed much about Song Yichun’s character and temperament.
She advised Ruozhu, “Although we handed her a knife, it was her choice whether to use it to threaten others or to stab them when they weren’t looking. However, you should be extra cautious when dealing with Qixia.”
“Thank you for your guidance, Madam. I’ll remember it,” Ruozhu gratefully bowed to Dou Zhao and retreated, deep in thought.
Song Han came to visit Dou Zhao.
“Sister-in-law, you must have heard about the incident in Xiangxiang Hall,” he said, looking embarrassed. “Father is in no mood to manage my household affairs now, but the three maids in my quarters have long been betrothed and can’t wait any longer. I ask for your help in speaking to Father on my behalf to release these maids.”
Dou Zhao found this interesting and smiled slightly.
While Qixia in his household was ruthless, he showed great consideration for those who had served him.
She smiled and said, “These matters usually follow household customs. The delay is only because replacements for your quarters haven’t been selected yet. This is my fault, and I’ll send someone to handle it right away.”
Surprised by Dou Zhao’s apology, a look of astonishment flashed across his face. “Sister-in-law, you’re too kind. I was just being impatient. My quarters don’t require much attention, so it’s not urgent if they’re short-staffed for a while. That’s why I came to ask for this favor.”
After some more casual conversation, Song Han took his leave.
Dou Zhao instructed Ruozhu, “Go and find out why the Second Young Master is in such a hurry to release these three maids.”
Ruozhu acknowledged the order but hesitated before leaving. “Madam, is it appropriate to release them just like that?”
Dou Zhao smiled, “Did anyone give me prior notice not to release them? As long as I follow the ancestral rules, I’m doing nothing wrong.”
Not only was it her duty to release eligible maids from the household, but she could even arrange maids for Song Han without going through Song Yichun. She simply wanted to see how Song Yichun and Song Han would react, so she acted accordingly.
What surprised her was how easily Song Yichun’s household fell into disarray with just a small ploy.
She released the three maids that afternoon.
By the time Song Yichun found out, a day had already passed.
He flew into a rage and sent Tang Mama to relay a message to Dou Zhao, asking why she had released the three maids without his consent.
Dou Zhao calmly replied, “Didn’t the Duke ask me to manage the household affairs of the Ying Dukedom? Do I need to report to the Duke for releasing a few maids from the inner court? Are the rules of the Ying Dukedom different from others? No wonder the head steward of the outer court came to ask me to intervene when Xiangxiang Hall was in turmoil. It seems the people in this household need to be properly disciplined!”
Tang Mama didn’t dare mention Huang Qing and carefully selected what she could report back to Song Yichun.
Song Yichun felt a surge of anger in his chest and was speechless for a long while.
Since Dou Zhao had decided not to let him feel comfortable, as soon as Tang Mama left, she sent Gao Xing’s wife to relay another message to Song Yichun: “The Second Young Master is still young and in his prime. When the Young Master was his age, he only had a few rough-mannered maids in his quarters, with male servants attending to his daily needs. Madam suggests that since the Second Young Master’s maids are all in their prime and have been released, instead of adding new maids, it might be better to add a few male servants. This way, when the Second Young Master goes out, he’ll have people to run errands, and it will also prevent the young ladies in Xiangxiang Hall from feeling anxious. Madam asks what the Duke thinks of this idea?”
Song Yichun’s mouth twitched with anger.
Gao Xing’s wife, frightened, hurriedly bowed and ran away.
Song Yichun cursed Dou Zhao for her lack of filial piety in his room.
When Song Mo heard about this, his face turned ashen as he muttered “disrespectful old man” under his breath and headed to the Zuixian Pavilion.
He had arranged to meet Ma Youming for a drink.
Seeing only two place settings in the small private room, Ma Youming realized Song Mo probably wanted to discuss his drunken behavior from the other day. He felt both anticipation and fear. After three rounds of drinks and engaging conversation, he finally gathered the courage to ask Song Mo, “What do you think of Prince Liao and the Crown Prince?”
Song Mo remained silent.
The room fell so quiet that one could hear a pin drop, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.
Song Mo slowly poured himself a cup of wine and said deliberately, “Then why did you send your wife and children back to your hometown?”
The color drained from Ma Youming’s face, and his hand holding the wine cup began to tremble.
At this moment, Song Mo spoke softly, “Whether to establish the eldest son of the first wife or the most capable has been debated since ancient times. Prince Liao is generous and aligns with my temperament. But the ruler is the ruler, and the subjects are the subjects. Why should we concern ourselves with judging them?”
Ma Youming’s spirits lifted.
Song Mo was opening up to him!
He hurriedly said, “To be honest with you, Young Master, Prince Liao has been on good terms with many officials in recent years and has shown particular favor to the Divine Machine Camp. A while ago, someone asked me the same question you just did. Although I shared your view, I felt indebted and couldn’t answer directly. I was prepared to give a vague response, but they insisted on a clear answer. As you know, our Divine Machine Camp has always followed General Wang’s lead.
I wanted to gauge his opinion and tried to steer our conversations toward this topic several times, but General Wang skillfully deflected each attempt. In my desperation, I resorted to sending my family back home…” As he spoke, he put down the delicate blue and white porcelain wine cup, grabbed the wine jar beside him, broke the seal, and took a big gulp. “Young Master, I wasn’t wrong about you. You’re a straightforward person. I won’t say more, but I’ll follow you.”
At least he wouldn’t be betrayed by his comrades.
His expression brightened, dispelling the gloom of recent days.
Song Mo smiled, “You’ll follow me? What if I make a mistake?”
Ma Youming laughed heartily, “It’s my own choice. The victor becomes the king, the loser a bandit. I’m willing to accept the consequences. Old Ma has at least that much integrity.”
Last night’s conversation with Dou Zhao had been enlightening for Song Mo.
He realized he shouldn’t solely focus on extricating himself from this quagmire. Instead, he should take the initiative, consider Liao Prince’s perspective on the Eastern Liao deployment, and thereby avoid getting involved in the succession struggle.
Since the Divine Machine Camp was an unavoidable aspect of Prince Liao’s plans, why not start there?
Song Mo smiled and raised his wine cup, saying, “I’ll drink to that. Do as you please!” He drained his cup in one go.
Ma Youming was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, grabbing the wine jar and pouring it into his mouth.
Song Mo watched him finish the entire jar with a smile, then said casually, “You should bring your wife and children back in a few days. Your reaction was too obvious; be careful not to alert them and cause them to make new arrangements.”
Since there was no evidence of Prince Liao’s ambitions, they could only plan carefully before acting.
Ma Youming’s actions would only make the other side more vigilant, and they might even use the position of Divine Machine Camp’s deputy commander to trap Ma Youming.
Ma Youming readily agreed, smiling sheepishly, “I know it wasn’t appropriate — if they wanted to deal with me, they certainly wouldn’t spare my family. I just couldn’t help hoping for the best.”
“It’s only human nature,” Song Mo smiled warmly at Ma Youming and sighed a few words of sympathy before bringing up Jiang Yi. “Don’t you think it’s unusual for him to leave the Divine Machine Camp?”
Ma Youming furrowed his brow.
Song Mo continued in a deep voice, “As far as I know, he used to be Wang Xu’s clerk, and Wang Xu promoted him to ensign. By all rights, they should have a good personal relationship, and Jiang Yi should be visiting Wang Xu frequently. Could it be that Jiang Yi learned something and, to avoid suspicion, was willing to give up his promising future and ask you to help him transfer to the Five Cities Guard?”
Upon hearing this, Ma Youming slapped his thigh, both angry and regretful. “That little brat! I treated him so well, and when he heard such important news, he quietly cleared himself without saying a word!”
Song Mo smiled, “How many people dare to speak openly like you and me?”
“That’s true!” Ma Youming thought for a moment and sighed, “It’s a good thing I was brave, otherwise I’d still be tormenting myself!”
Song Mo smiled, “I think we should have a good talk with Jiang Yi.”
Ma Youming hesitated, “Every man for himself, as heaven and earth decree. We have no choice but to get involved, but he’s young and of low rank. I think we should leave him out of it.”
Song Mo nodded inwardly in approval and smiled, “I’m afraid that’s not up to us — we need to know Wang Xu’s stance, don’t we?”
Ma Youming looked embarrassed, “I’ll go call Jiang Yi right away.”
“No need,” Song Mo smiled meaningfully. “I’ll send someone to call him.”
Ma Youming didn’t understand.
Soon, Chen He brought Jiang Yi in.
Seeing him arrive so quickly, Ma Youming asked, “Aren’t you on duty tonight? Is it alright for you to leave just like that?”
Jiang Yi looked a bit awkward.
He smiled as he poured wine for Song Mo and Ma Youming, respectfully saying, “We rotate every five days in the Five Cities Guard, and today happens to be my day off.”
Noticing that Jiang Yi wasn’t on duty but was covered in a cold sweat, Ma Youming asked curiously, “If you’re not on duty, where were you just now? Why is your hair all wet?”
Although it was mid-spring, the temperature difference between day and night in the capital was still significant. In high-end restaurants like Zuixian Pavilion, the floor heating was still on, so people who had been outside for a while would have their cold sweat turn into moisture upon entering.
Jiang Yi looked somewhat panicked but didn’t explain. He just stood there silently, biting his lip and glancing at Song Mo with a hint of distress on his face.