Could it be that Yu Gu would marry the eleventh daughter of Baron Yongen as his main wife in this life, just like in her previous life?
Dou Zhao fell silent for a moment.
Yu Gu wasn’t just dissatisfied with Lady Feng – he detested her.
Feng was the granddaughter of Baron Yongen’s younger brother. Dou Zhao had never met her in her previous life but had heard that Feng was plain-looking, timid, and dull-witted.
In the second year after the Liao King ascended the throne, Yu Gu divorced Feng on the grounds of having no children.
Feng hanged herself in the Feng family’s ancestral temple.
When the Feng family prepared her body for burial, they discovered she was still a virgin.
The Feng family brought the matter before the throne to confront the Yu family.
The Liao King naturally protected Yu Gu, saying Feng was mediocre and unfit to be the wife of the Baron of Yunyang. Not only did the Feng family fail to gain any benefit, Baron Yongen was even fined two years’ salary. A few days later, the old Baron Yongen passed away due to illness. The Feng family lost imperial favor and declined rapidly, falling from first-rank nobility to third-rank.
Meanwhile, Yu Gu received a marriage bestowed by Empress Wan and quickly wed the eldest daughter of Zhou Chao, Marquis of Anlu.
Dou Zhao had met this Lady Zhou. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also skilled in calligraphy and painting. After the Baron of Yunyang passed away, Yu Gu’s father was embroiled in a scandal for engaging in debauchery during the mourning period. As a result, Yu Gu bypassed his father to directly inherit the title of Baron of Yunyang. Though the Yu family was in turmoil for a while, Lady Zhou still managed the inner household impeccably. The noble circles in the capital all said the Baron of Yunyang had married a virtuous wife.
Strangely, Yu Gu’s relationship with Lady Zhou was also very cold.
He moved out of the Yunyang Baron’s manor to live next door to Song Mo. While Song Mo’s inner household was full of beauties, his was crowded with concubines. Song Mo had no offspring, but he frequently produced illegitimate sons or daughters, then had them sent back to the Yunyang Baron’s manor for Lady Zhou to raise. It was said that because there were so many children when he returned to the Yunyang Baron’s manor for ancestral worship during the New Year, he couldn’t even recognize his eldest illegitimate son.
For a time, he and Song Mo both became the talk of the capital.
In this life, was he destined to follow the same path as before?
Dou Zhao thought for a moment and said, “Since Yu Gu isn’t very satisfied, why don’t you help him? Don’t let him be too troubled.”
Song Mo made a surprised sound and smiled, “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t play matchmaker anymore? Why are you getting involved in Yu Gu’s affairs?”
Dou Zhao defended herself bashfully, “He has no one to care for him, so I just feel sorry for him. Marriage is a lifelong commitment. Being forced together is never good…”
Song Mo perked up and leaned in close to ask her, “You think marriage is a lifelong commitment?” As he spoke, he gently caressed her face as if unable to help himself. The scene was so intimate that Ganlu, who was serving in the room, immediately withdrew with a red face.
Dou Zhao pushed his hand away and chided, “What are you up to? After spending a night in the palace, aren’t you sore and tired? Hurry up and freshen up. I’ll massage your shoulders!”
Song Mo smiled brightly and loudly agreed, then went to the side room to wash up.
Dou Zhao couldn’t help but shake her head with a smile.
Sometimes Song Mo was even more mature than her, who had lived two lives. Other times, he was as childish as a kid.
Ever since he once complained to her about the hard bed in the palace duty room after returning from an overnight shift, she sympathized with him despite knowing he was just being coy. After she massaged him to relieve his fatigue, he would claim to have a sore back every time he returned from night duty.
Song Mo quickly came back wearing only his undergarments and lay face down on the kang bed for Dou Zhao to massage his back.
Like previous times, after just a few moments of massaging, Song Mo stopped her, “This requires strength. Wait until after you’ve given birth to give me a proper massage. We haven’t seen each other for two days, let’s just talk instead.”
Remembering his bad mood when he returned, Dou Zhao smiled and said, “I know my limits. If I get tired, I’ll stop.” She continued massaging his back.
But Song Mo seemed uneasy. He turned over and pulled Dou Zhao to lie down with him.
Seeing he wasn’t in the mood, Dou Zhao complied and snuggled into his embrace.
Song Mo didn’t speak, just absentmindedly playing with her hair, messing up her neat hairstyle.
It seems he has encountered some trouble!
Dou Zhao became even gentler and more considerate, indirectly asking about what had happened in the palace over the past two days.
Although Song Mo was afraid of worrying Dou Zhao, after some thought, he still told her about Dou Ming’s situation.
“An illegitimate child?” Dou Zhao was somewhat surprised and said, “After they went to the Wei family, the Sixth Sister-in-law brought Jing’er to visit and told me what happened. But she didn’t mention this, probably to avoid embarrassing me. Although this damages Dou Ming’s reputation, Father can’t escape blame either.” She added worriedly, “I wonder how Father is doing now? Why don’t you go check on him tomorrow? He can talk to you more easily. If I go, we’ll likely part on bad terms again.”
Song Mo smiled and said, “Don’t worry. In this matter, you and your father have both become victims. It’s Fifth Uncle who’s being criticized by the Hanlin Academy scholars. They say he was blinded by greed, even plotting against his clan brother. Some are spreading rumors that it was the Second Great-aunt who made the decision, and the Fifth Uncle, being in the capital at the time, knew nothing about it. Others are saying the Second Great-aunt was too muddleheaded – how could she agree to elevate such a woman to proper wife status? Right now, the Wang family is facing the most humiliation. Some have even dug up the story of how Wang Yousheng, in his youth, once couldn’t pay his bill at a brothel and had to be bailed out by a fellow examination candidate. They’re saying Wang Yousheng is a hypocritical lecher with poor character, which is why his daughter would rather be someone’s concubine. They’ve shifted the blame onto Wang Yousheng.”
Why did Dou Zhao feel so happy hearing this?
The corners of her mouth turned up.
Song Mo said fondly, “Oh my, so you dislike Wang Yousheng!”
“Isn’t that obvious?” Dou Zhao chided. “My mother’s suicide was partly due to her personality, but if that Wang Yingxue hadn’t been Wang Yousheng’s daughter, would my mother have ended up like that? Of course, I’m happy their family is suffering misfortune.”
Song Mo immediately had an idea and said, “What do you say we give Wang Yousheng a hard time?”
Dou Zhao was alarmed and hurriedly said, “He’s now one of the few important frontier officials. You have more important matters to attend to. Don’t get yourself involved over someone like Wang Yousheng!”
“Don’t worry,” Song Mo said, even more cheerfully than Dou Zhao. “I still want to grow old with you. I don’t want to waste time on him.”
Thinking of his domineering behavior in her previous life, Dou Zhao felt uneasy and insisted Song Mo promise her.
Song Mo smiled and hooked his pinky with Dou Zhao’s, saying, “Shall we make a pinky promise?”
So Dou Zhao made a pinky promise to him.
Song Mo couldn’t stop smiling and held her tightly in his arms. “How did I end up with such an interesting wife!”
Dou Zhao quickly reminded him, “The baby, be careful of the baby!” Then she teased him, “You’re only now realizing your wife is great?”
Song Mo suddenly grew quiet, his smile fading. He carefully cradled her face, gazing intently into her eyes, and said seriously, “I’ve long known I married a good wife…”
That’s why he had gone to such lengths to marry her.
He said silently to himself.
Deciding to never tell Dou Zhao about what he had done in the past.
Dou Zhao was startled by Song Mo’s serious expression and hurriedly asked, “Did something happen?”
“Nothing happened,” Song Mo chuckled and lay back beside her. Half-jokingly and half-reflectively, he said, “I just find the ways of the world marvelous. You in Zhending, me in the capital, people from opposite ends, yet we became husband and wife…”
And we get along so well.
Could it be heaven’s compensation for the hardships he had endured?
He wondered silently.
Dou Zhao also found it marvelous.
In her previous life, she was just an obscure woman in the inner quarters, while he was the focus of the entire court, inspiring fear and awe. In this life, they had become husband and wife by chance, and he treated her so well. It felt like a dream.
As the thought flashed through her mind, she was stunned.
Could this be a dream?
She pinched Song Mo.
Song Mo yelped, but his gaze upon her was full of concern: “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”
Dou Zhao smiled.
Even if this was a dream, so what?
She was willing to remain drunk in this dream, never waking.
Dou Zhao buried herself in Song Mo’s embrace, holding him without speaking.
A warm embrace, a cool, fresh scent.
This was Song Mo.
How could it be a dream?
Dou Zhao gently kissed Song Mo’s chin.
Song Mo playfully exclaimed in a low voice, “You’re teasing me too? You’ll have to bear the consequences!”
Dou Zhao smiled sweetly, with a hint of indulgence.
The next day, Song Mo had a day off and went to the Dong Ping Baron’s manor.
He wore a bamboo-green Hangzhou silk straight robe. In the spring breeze, his jade-like face was serene and composed, intoxicating like the warm spring day.
The Dong Ping Baron couldn’t help but sigh, “The Young Master truly deserves to be called the capital’s number one handsome man!”
Song Mo frowned slightly.
The Dong Ping Baron suddenly realized his slip of the tongue and hurriedly invited Song Mo to the study with a smile.
Song Mo brought up Jiang Yi’s matter: “He and I have some karmic connection, and he was recommended by Major Ma. He’s also quick-witted, so we should give him a chance. There happens to be a position of Associate Commissioner in the Five Armies Camp. I’d like to recommend the South City Commander to go there, and transfer Jiang Yi to be the new South City Commander. What do you think?”
The men in the Five Armies Camp rarely left the camp. Even if promoted to the first rank, it wasn’t as free or lucrative as the Five Cities Military Command!
This was practically forcing the South City Commander to make way for Jiang Yi!
The Dong Ping Baron naturally wouldn’t displease Song Mo over such a small matter. He agreed very readily. After all, he was only acting as head of the Five Cities Military Command. It cost him nothing to do this favor.
But he couldn’t help asking about Wei Tingyu: “…He’s been a Deputy Commander for two years. Shouldn’t we consider reassigning him?”
Song Mo inwardly sneered, but his face remained genial as he said, “Although the Marquis of Jining is my brother-in-law, he’s older than me and has the Wang family to worry about. It’s not appropriate for me to interfere in some matters!”
The Dong Ping Baron thought of how Wei Tingyu had come to the Five Cities Military Command through Wang Yousheng’s connections. Recalling the recent rumors in the capital about Wang Yousheng, he believed he understood the reason. With a look of sudden realization, he said repeatedly, “I see! The Young Master’s concerns are reasonable.” He smiled and invited Song Mo to have tea, moving past the topic.
However, the news that Jiang Yi had curried favor with Song Mo, the heir of Duke Ying, and been promoted to South City Commander spread like wildfire through the Five Cities Military Command.