Song Mo’s lips curled into a slight, cold smile. He said calmly, “But I find that Li Liang speaks clearly and logically, not like someone who is lying. The former servants also confirm that this is true. So, we brought this girl back and named her Jiang Yan. It wouldn’t be wise to hand her over to the authorities as you suggested—if this matter escalates, it could bring up old issues. It’s said that the midwife who delivered my mother was introduced by my aunt, and I fear that my aunt and her family might get dragged into this. Wouldn’t that make the Song family a laughingstock in the capital? I think you should handle this matter with caution.”
“Are you trying to confuse the Song family’s bloodline?” Song Yichun glared at Song Mo, his eyes wide with anger, as if he wanted to devour him whole.
“You know best whether this confuses the Song bloodline or not, so why question me?” Song Mo replied, calm and composed. “Shall we take the Li family to court instead? Life is unpredictable; with the authorities involved, some people and matters that the Li family overlooked back then might suddenly surface to prove your innocence. Don’t you think that makes sense?”
He fixed a frosty gaze on Song Yichun.
Dou Zhao felt a buzzing in her head.
Confusing the bloodline!
Ordinary people might not fear this, as long as their clan accepted it, the matter would be settled. But noble families were different; it involved the inheritance of titles. The Duke Ying’s residence was even more complicated. The ancestors of Duke Ying had once been adopted by Emperor Taizu and were always regarded as “brothers” by the royal family.
Suddenly, she began to understand, her gaze shifting to Song Han.
Song Han was pale, staring at Song Mo, and his peripheral vision collided with Dou Zhao’s, who stood beside Song Mo. He quickly lowered his eyes, avoiding her gaze.
Dou Zhao pondered this but was interrupted by Song Yichun’s furious shout.
“Are you threatening me?” He pointed at Song Mo, his face ashen with rage. “You ungrateful wretch!”
Song Mo remained unfazed by Song Yichun’s words, still exuding an air of calm. He spoke softly, “A son should not speak ill of his father. How could I threaten you? You’ve misunderstood me. I simply believe that since I’ve brought her back, there’s no reason to send her away, especially since she is recognized as a Song family daughter by the Li family! I just want to ask you to acknowledge this girl. There’s no need for you to be so furious; it makes you seem guilty.”
Song Yichun’s face turned crimson, and he was about to retort when Song Mo added, “By the way, a few days ago, a man named Song Shize from Tianjin, who once served my grandfather, came to see you. You happened to be out, so I met with him. Would you like to meet this person? He said that when Duke Ying’s residence was robbed, many people fled and wanted to return, but the stewards and servants had changed, and they had no way back. They all sought out these old servants. If you meet Song Shize, you can clarify what happened. Although Duke Ying’s residence is not afraid of trouble, having so many former servants missing could look bad if it reaches the emperor.”
After saying this, he picked up his teacup, gently blowing on the floating leaves before taking a sip.
Song Yichun looked at Song Mo with a mix of shock and fear.
Song Shize!
If it weren’t for the fact that he had already dealt with many people and had no legitimate reason to act against others, fearing that it might cause panic among the remaining servants, he would have dealt with that old man long ago!
He never expected that this old man would come to him and even ally with Song Mo!
Did he not realize that he was the Duke Ying?
What were these old servants trying to do? Were they trying to rebel?
If he had known they had such audacity, he should have acted decisively and eliminated them all!
Song Yichun laughed in anger, “Then just bring in that Song Shize! I want to see who gave this old servant the courage to report to his master!”
Song Mo smiled slightly and instructed someone to call for Song Shize.
This wretch dared to call him in!
Song Yichun threw a cup of tea at Song Mo in frustration.
Song Mo sidestepped easily, avoiding the cup.
“Ungrateful wretch, you dare to defy your father!” Song Yichun shouted angrily.
Dou Zhao watched, feeling thoroughly annoyed.
She muttered to herself, “Is this rabbit going to bite back when cornered? And he’s just a person! He’s only trying to save that poor girl. Why is the Duke so angry? Could it be that he has something to hide? The young master is trying to help you, and you’re complaining about his meddling. If I had known this would happen, we should have just let those desperate servants go to the Guang’en Bo’s residence!”
Song Yichun’s hair stood on end at her words.
So, Song Mo had such boldness because he was in cahoots with the Guang’en Bo.
He wasn’t afraid of Song Mo.
Did he dare to kill his father?
But the Guang’en Bo was different.
He had seen how ruthless he could be.
Song Yichun felt a wave of panic, his face alternating between red and white, a sight to behold.
What a fool who refuses to drink the wine offered and instead chooses the punishment!
Dou Zhao truly disliked this father-in-law.
Song Shize was led by Wuyi.
He respectfully bowed deeply to Song Yichun.
Upon seeing his weathered face, Song Yichun thought of the Guang’en Bo and felt utterly disinterested.
He shouted to the guards, “Someone, take this old man away and give him thirty strokes of the rod!”
Twenty strokes could kill a person; thirty strokes would be even worse!
At that moment, Song Shize truly felt despair.
All they sought was a way to survive.
Loyalty to their master and risking their lives was one way to live.
Dying for their master, leaving a legacy for future generations, was another way.
But with someone like Song Yichun, who self-destructed, even if they wanted to be loyal or die for him, it would only be a joke.
No one would care.
He bowed deeply to Song Yichun, his expression strange as if bidding farewell.
In his anger, Song Yichun didn’t notice, but Dou Zhao, keenly observant, did.
She couldn’t help but admire Song Mo a little.
Song Mo slowly called out, “Father,” and said, “If you cut the grass without removing the roots, it will grow back with the spring breeze. Since you want to deal with the former servants, and the emperor has been in a bad mood lately, I won’t provoke you further. Please allow us to take our leave.”
He stood apart, rising and nodding to Dou Zhao, signaling her to follow him.
Dou Zhao fell back a couple of steps, following Song Mo out.
Song Yichun and Song Han were both left dumbfounded.
They had thought Song Mo would protect Song Shize.
The guards rushed in, quickly stepping aside.
But Song Shize understood.
This was the young master warning him, telling him to choose his side!
If he wanted to survive, he had to follow the path the young master indicated.
And what kind of path it was, he had to figure out for himself; otherwise, without that cleverness, the young master wouldn’t use him.
He rushed forward and clung to Song Mo’s leg, pleading, “Young Master, please save this old servant’s life. I will say anything you want.”
Song Mo glanced at Song Shize with disdain before saying to Song Yichun, “You see, I can’t help but save him!”
Xia Lian and a few others rushed in, standing in opposition to Song Yichun’s guards.
Song Yichun was so furious his lips trembled.
Song Mo shot a glance at Xia Lian, then led Dou Zhao out of the hall, leisurely walking into the courtyard.
Inside the hall, sounds of crashing and Song Yichun’s furious shouts echoed.
But no one took it seriously.
The servants in the Xiangxiang Courtyard had long since hidden away. Song Mo’s previously beautiful face was now shadowed, appearing dull and lifeless.
Dou Zhao thought he was saddened by the loss of their father-son bond and couldn’t help but comfort him, “People need to have connections. You see, I have no good words with my father, but when you’re with yours, it’s like you’re real father and son. If I were to take your side, I’d drown in jealousy.”
But Song Mo’s expression didn’t improve; instead, he murmured, “It’s not my father.”
Dou Zhao didn’t understand.
Song Mo looked at her, his deep gaze reminiscent of a starless, moonless night sky, sending chills down her spine.
“The one who killed Tiao Niang wasn’t my father,” he whispered. “If it were him, he wouldn’t have been so surprised…”
Could it be Song Han?
But he was only fourteen!
Recalling the first time she met Song Mo, he had been thirteen, even younger than Song Han now. Dou Zhao glanced at the hall, beginning to grasp what Song Mo meant.
In the silence, the atmosphere grew tense.
Song Mo sighed, gently patting Dou Zhao’s shoulder in a comforting manner, and said softly, “Let’s go back! We wouldn’t want to grab someone and then face your father’s hypocritical questioning!”
Dou Zhao wasn’t in the mood for that either.
She smiled at Song Mo, leaving the Xiangxiang Courtyard, and quietly asked him, “What are your plans?”
“Investigate the people around him,” Song Mo replied. “He couldn’t have done this himself; he wouldn’t be capable of it.”
As for how to deal with what they found, he didn’t say.
Dou Zhao understood his feelings.
The younger brother, who had been spoiled and tolerated for over a decade, suddenly became a stranger and even deceived him; he needed time to sort through this. But he didn’t shy away and could still calmly assess and handle the situation, which made her admire him.
Wanting to help him lighten his mood, she said gently, “You’re so calm, you pinpointed the crux of the problem right away. You’re much calmer than I am. If it were me, I’d probably be too focused on arguing with the Duke. You, on the other hand, forced the Duke to agree to let Yan’s sister into the residence while also pressuring Song Shize and others to take a stand, and you uncovered the connection between Li Tiao Niang’s death and the Duke. That’s quite a feat!”
With Dou Zhao’s encouragement, Song Mo’s mood improved significantly.
He smiled and shook his head, advising Dou Zhao, “When you return later, don’t let anything slip in front of Ah Yan.”
Dou Zhao nodded.
At the entrance of Yizhi Hall, they ran into Jiang Lizhu.
Jiang Lizhu sighed in relief, saying, “Sister Yan is anxious, worried that your conflict with your father will cause a rift between her and her cousin. She insisted I come to the Xiangxiang Courtyard to check on things.”
“I’ve had conflicts with my father for a long time; it’s nothing new to her,” Song Mo admitted for the first time in front of the Jiang family that he had issues with his father. “Tell her not to worry!”
Jiang Lizhu sighed again, glancing at Dou Zhao.
Dou Zhao smiled and nodded at her.
Jiang Lizhu felt somewhat reassured.
Dou Zhao said, “Let’s go see Sister Yan, so she doesn’t overthink things.”