After some thought, Dou Zhao said to Chen Qushui, “The Young Master is not one to act without purpose. He secretly recalled Lu Ming, surely to guard against the Prince of Liao and Duke Ying. Please go inform Master Duan and the others again to ensure the Young Master’s safety at all costs.”
“Rest assured, Madam. I’ll go remind Master Duan and the others right away,” Chen Qushui replied. “Besides Lu Ming, Master Duan and his men also discovered Guard Chang. He’s hiding in the shadows with a group of people. Master Duan said there are several unfamiliar top martial artists among them. He suspects they might be the Prince of Liao’s men…”
Dou Zhao knew things weren’t so simple!
She raised an eyebrow and sneered, “That Chang fellow is tired of living! Previously, we didn’t deal with him because he seemed harmless, and Duke Ying relied on him as his right-hand man. We thought if we got rid of him, Duke Ying might find someone even more capable to replace him, which would cause us trouble. But look at him now, wholeheartedly acting as Duke Ying’s dog, even daring to bite the Young Master!” As she spoke, her expression grew increasingly stern. “Mr. Chen, with the sudden appearance of these top martial artists, do Master Duan and Lu Ming have confidence in taking them down working together?”
“Lu Ming has also noticed those few men,” Chen Qushui said. “Before coming here, I had a brief meeting with Lu Ming and Master Duan. It would be difficult to capture them, but if we disregard life and death, we could give it our all.”
Song Mo was in the open, while Lu Ming was in the shadows. Lu Ming was asking Dou Zhao to make the decision!
Dou Zhao smiled and said, “Then let’s give it our all! Even if we can’t take down those unfamiliar top martial artists, make sure to deal with that Chang fellow in the chaos!”
Chen Qushui smiled and responded with a “Yes” before withdrawing.
Dou Zhao still felt somewhat uneasy.
It felt like throwing a punch without knowing the opponent’s fatal weakness, relying solely on brute force.
She paced back and forth in the room.
If she were the Prince of Liao, facing someone like Song Mo who could hinder her grand plans, what would she do?
Kill him?
No!
Song Mo came from a prominent family and was an imperial official. The consequences would be too severe.
So the only option was to frame him!
For corruption?
Firstly, Song Mo never engaged in corruption; secondly, framing someone was a delicate task involving too many people. Even if successful, given Song Mo’s status, the Emperor might privately laugh it off and just give Song Mo a harsh lecture in public. If the plot were exposed, it would reveal the Prince of Liao’s ambitions, which was too risky.
For treason?
Thieves usually don’t dare to shout “catch the thief”!
What method could make Song Mo fall from his position as Commander of the Imperial Guards and also make the Emperor despise him, never to use him again?
Dou Zhao sat on the large kang by the window, sipping her tea slowly.
Character!
Only if Song Mo’s character was compromised, losing the Emperor’s trust forever, could the Prince of Liao and the Empress have a chance to remove him!
Yes, it had to be this way!
In her previous life, didn’t Song Yichun falsely accuse Song Mo of having an affair with Madam Jiang’s maid during his mourning period for his mother? Wasn’t that the same tactic?
Why hadn’t she thought of this before?
Was it because she had already thwarted this plan in her previous life?
Dou Zhao stood up with a sudden “Oh!” and without further thought, called out loudly for “Ruozhu”: “Go quietly summon Liu Zhang for me.” She then instructed Ruotong: “Go invite Mr. Chen over.”
The two rushed off.
Liu Zhang, being in the inner courtyard, arrived first.
Dou Zhao asked him, “When Song Han came over to entertain guests, who did he bring with him?”
Liu Zhang respectfully replied, “Besides two guards, two servants, and two coachmen, there was also the Second Madam and her two maids, along with two elderly female attendants. The guards, coachmen, and elderly attendants are resting in the warm room next to the sedan chair hall as per custom. The two servants were stopped at the second gate, and only the two maids followed the Second Madam into the inner courtyard.”
“The Second Madam came?” Dou Zhao was somewhat surprised.
By rights, since they had no mother-in-law, she should have come to pay her respects. It was understandable that she didn’t when Dou Zhao wasn’t home, but now that she had returned, why was there still no sign of Miao Ansu… Had she gone back? Or did she not know Dou Zhao had returned?
Liu Zhang explained in detail, “It seems that neither the Second Young Master nor the Second Madam knew that you and the Young Master had gone to Housi Alley. When the Second Madam found you weren’t home, and the Prince of Liao hadn’t brought any female companions, she prepared to leave. The Second Young Master found the Second Madam troublesome and left her with the Duke’s concubine Du Ruo. The Second Madam was so angry her face turned pale, but with the Duke present, she dared not say anything and had to follow Du Ruo to the back chamber, where she’s still being accompanied by Du Ruo.”
Having a nameless concubine accompany a proper wife was indeed Song Han’s style of humiliation.
Dou Zhao asked, “Doesn’t the Second Madam know I’ve returned to the mansion?”
Liu Zhang pondered and said, “This servant doesn’t know!”
Just as he finished speaking, Chen Qushui entered.
Dou Zhao nodded to Chen Qushui, gesturing for him to sit in the nearby armchair, and continued addressing Liu Zhang, “Go quickly and see what the Second Madam is doing. Which two maids did she bring into the mansion to serve her? What are these two maids and Du Ruo doing?”
Liu Zhang responded with a “Yes,” bowed to Chen Qushui, and ran out.
Dou Zhao then shared her concerns with Chen Qushui.
Chen Qushui smiled and said, “But this is Duke Ying’s mansion! Lu Ming and the others are still watching secretly!”
Dou Zhao was unconvinced and said, “Last time it was during the Young Master’s mourning period for his mother! The Prince of Liao’s visit to Duke Ying’s mansion can’t possibly be just for a drink and to catch up with the Young Master. You should know, that if they fall out, it will be a fight to the death.”
Chen Qushui wanted to argue further, but remembering the incredible events that had happened to Song Mo before, he realized that if more unexpected things occurred, it wouldn’t be so surprising!
Dou Zhao said, “Let’s wait and see what Liu Zhang finds out.”
Chen Qushui nodded.
They began discussing Dou Dechang’s provincial examination.
“What did the Seventh Master say when you went to Housi Alley today?” As a repeatedly failed candidate, Chen Qushui was particularly interested in such matters.
“He didn’t say anything,” Dou Zhao was also concerned, but due to her memories from her previous life, she wasn’t anxious. “I thought since the exam was over, there was no point in asking, and I was afraid my twelfth brother might not have done well and wouldn’t want to talk about it, so I didn’t ask.”
Chen Qushui couldn’t help feeling disappointed and said, “I heard this year’s topic for the Northern Zhili provincial exam was ‘Illuminate virtue, rest in the highest excellence,’ and for Southern Zhili it was ‘The mean is the correct path of the world.’ These are well-worn topics, making it extremely difficult to stand out. When the exam papers are released, I’d like to carefully read the top-scoring papers from both Zhili regions.”
Dou Zhao chuckled.
Liu Zhang ran in to report: “The Second Madam has been staying in the back chamber, saying she fell asleep while waiting and no one took the initiative to inform her of your return. As for the two maids the Second Madam brought into the mansion, one is called Ji Hong and the other Liu Hong. Neither of them has been wandering around; they’ve been serving the Second Madam in the back chamber the whole time.”
Liu Hong?
Miao Ansu had brought her out for social occasions again.
Song Han was relentless in his efforts to undermine Miao Ansu!
Dou Zhao, feeling uneasy, whispered to Chen Qushui, “Have Master Duan check if Madam Miao and her two maids, along with Du Ruo, are still in the back chamber. It’s best to have someone keep an eye on their movements. I’m not worried about the Young Master, as he’s skilled in martial arts and has Lu Ming hidden nearby, but I fear they might strike from where we’re likely to be careless.”
Previously, Chen Qushui had felt confident, but after hearing Dou Zhao’s analysis, he too became uncertain. He hurriedly stood up and left.
Seeing that he was the oldest among them, Master Duan gave a secret signal to Lu Ming, leaving the others in Lu Ming’s care, and personally went to peek through the roof tiles of the back chamber.
In the small room, a tiny tung oil lamp illuminated three beautifully dressed maid-like women sitting quietly around the only canopy bed in the room, making knotted decorations. The bed curtains were lowered, obscuring the view inside.
It seemed Madam Miao might be resting behind the curtains.
However, since Dou Zhao had instructed him, it would be best to take a look personally.
Master Duan considered for a moment, worried about alerting Guard Chang’s men. He crushed the roof tile in his hand and threw it with a “clang” against the window frame of the opposite wing room.
“Who’s there?” The maid living opposite got up to check.
This startled Du Ruo in the back chamber.
She raised her lamp and went out to investigate: “What’s wrong?”
The maid looked somewhat frightened and said, “I heard someone repeatedly knocking on my door.”
The courtyard was eerily quiet, with not a soul in sight. A large red lantern hung under the eaves, swaying lonely in the wind.
Both women shuddered.
The maid’s voice changed: “Sister Du Ruo, could it be a ghost? Please let me sleep with you tonight!” She ran towards Du Ruo.
Du Ruo quickly said, “No! The Second Madam is resting in my room!”
“Then let me serve the Second Madam too!” The maid clung to Du Ruo’s hand, trembling.
“I can’t make that decision!” Du Ruo was at a loss.
Hearing the commotion, Ji Hong came out and asked gently, “What’s going on?”
The maid grabbed onto Ji Hong as if she were a lifeline, begging her to allow her to serve Madam Miao as well.
Song Han didn’t treat Miao Ansu as a person, so Ji Hong dared not offend the maid from Xixiang Courtyard. Moreover, she remembered this maid seemed to be one of the Duke’s people, just like Du Ruo. So she smiled and said, “Alright, but remember to be quiet.”
The maid thanked her profusely. Accompanied by Du Ruo, she returned to her room to dress properly before joining Ji Hong and the others to make knotted decorations by the bedside.
Instead of luring them away, another obstacle appeared. Master Duan regretted his action and was thinking of another way to distract the maids when he saw the maid called Liu Hong stand up, stretch, and say, “I need to use the latrine.”
Du Ruo smiled and said, “It’s dark outside, sister. Why don’t you use the chamber pot in the room? I’ll help you empty it.”
Liu Hong glanced at her and said, “Our Second Madam is resting in your room. How could I use your chamber pot?”
Du Ruo blushed and quickly said, “Then let me accompany you to the latrine. In case you can’t find your way.”
“No need,” Liu Hong pulled Ji Hong, “I know where it is. Don’t worry about me, in case the Second Madam wakes up and there’s no one to serve her tea.” Without waiting for Du Ruo and Ji Hong to respond, she lifted the curtain and walked out.
Du Ruo felt somewhat embarrassed.
Ji Hong hurriedly said, “Don’t take it to heart, that’s just her personality.”
Du Ruo forced a smile and said, “I know. She’s the maid who caused your Second Madam to lose face.”
Now it was Ji Hong’s turn to feel awkward.
The maid who had been taken in by Song Yichun, being quite astute, quickly said in a low voice, “Sisters, are you hungry? I have some rice noodles in my room. I can go to the kitchen and get some pickles, and we can have a late-night snack!”
Du Ruo pointed at the still bed curtains.
The maid stuck out her tongue.
Seeing her lively personality, Ji Hong couldn’t help but smile.
Suddenly, a shrill scream came from outside.