Dou Zhao knew Song Mo.
Although Song Mo was still young at this time and his figure and face were still very green, she still recognized him at a glance.
At that time, Song Mo was already famous in the capital. Tuoniang died of illness, and she had already established herself in the Jining Marquis's mansion. But inexplicably, she didn't want others to know, so she took her five-year-old daughter and quietly went to Zhending to attend the funeral. On the way back to the capital, they encountered heavy rain, the carriage got stuck in the mud, and the wheel hub broke, so they had to rest in the home of a country gentleman in the village.
She was extremely exhausted at the time, and a part of her body seemed to have disappeared with Tuoniang's death. The slightest wind and rain made her unable to resist. She leaned on the big kang by the window in the inner room that had been vacated by the host's family, closed her eyes and rested. When she opened her eyes, she saw Yinjie'er gone.
She was so anxious that she didn't even have the energy to curse. She put on a cloak and went out, finding her way to the corridor in the front yard, where she ran into Song Mo, who was also staying overnight due to the heavy rain.
He was squatting under the porch in the front yard, listening attentively to what Sister Yin said: "...It's called dogtail grass. Look, does it sway back and forth like a dog's tail?"
The heavy rain poured down like a water curtain, dividing the veranda and the corridor into two worlds.
He was wearing a dark coarse cloth gown with white coarse linen around the edges. He had no ornaments on his body, and looked simple and elegant. His delicate and fair face was like glazed white porcelain, emitting a graceful and elegant luster in the dim light, and his dark eyes were like bright gems, sparkling and shining.
Guards in heavy armor stood in the yard, silent and motionless like statues, letting the rain wash their armor.
Yinjie'er's childish voice, like the chirping of a sparrow, echoed clearly in the yard.
He listened attentively to Sister Yin's childish words, as if nothing in the world was more important than this.
Not only that, he also nodded and agreed from time to time, saying "Really?", "I never knew?", "There is such a thing."
She was stunned at the time, and without thinking, she gestured to stop the maids and old women from shouting. She stood there quietly, looking at her daughter's face which was flushed with excitement, and her eyes which were sparkling with happiness. She couldn't bear to make any sound, as if doing so would ruin the beautiful scene before her and make her regretful.
"My mother and I are going to attend the funeral of Madam Tuo. Why are you here?" the daughter asked him, blinking her big eyes.
He smiled and fiddled with the dogtail grass held by his daughter, and the dogtail grass swayed from side to side as if it was drunk.
"I'm going to pay tribute to my sister!"
"Why don't you take your daughter with you? My mother takes me with her wherever she goes!"
“I don’t have any children.”
"Why don't you have children? Everyone has children."
"I don't have any children." He stroked Yinjie'er's hair gently, his movements were so gentle, as if Yinjie'er was a fragile porcelain doll, but deep sadness flashed in his eyes, "Not everyone is worthy of being a parent..." As he spoke, he suddenly smiled, his smile was as bright and dazzling as summer, making the yard brighter, then he stood up, patted Yinjie'er on the shoulder, and said softly: "Okay, go back to your mother quickly, be careful she can't find you, she will be worried."
Sister Yin nodded vigorously and ran along the veranda towards the backyard.
He stood there quietly, watching Yin Jie'er's figure disappear around the corner of the corridor before he turned around and stood with his hands behind his back facing the guards who filled the courtyard. The murderous intent instantly filled the entire courtyard, causing Dou Zhao to shudder.
A man in a bright red third-rank Jinyiwei python uniform walked quickly through the heavy armored guards with a awed look on his face, knelt on one knee humbly in front of him, lowered his head and whispered something in a low voice. Only then did she realize that she had seen something she shouldn't have seen, and quickly and tiptoed back to the backyard.
She felt as if someone was looking at her, like a thorn in her back, but she did not dare to look back. She just quickened her pace and ran towards the inner courtyard as if escaping.
It was not until the next morning that the country gentleman's wife told her tremblingly that Lord Song, the commander of the Shenji Camp, had stayed briefly at their home the night before. Only then did she realize that the handsome man was actually the famous Song Mo.
From then on, she never saw him again.
But the serious expression on his face when he listened to his daughter's words was deeply engraved in her heart.
Sometimes she would think, no wonder so many women are willing to follow him even though they know he has a bad reputation, he also has a good side.
Sometimes I wonder if he discovered me that day.
He would also wonder who the "sister" he was going to worship was - the Duke of England had only two sons and no daughters.
Unexpectedly, after so many years, she met him again.
Dou Zhao rubbed his face, which looked a little stiff from not sleeping all night, and asked Su Xin: "What time is it now?"
She was first terrified, then panicked, and then she didn't sleep all night. Su Xin felt as if she was scratched by a cat and was restless. She also didn't sleep all night. When she heard her question, Su Xin immediately got up and looked at Lou Dou, saying, "It's only the 11th hour, Miss, you should get some more sleep!"
Dou Zhao sat up and said, "I can't sleep anyway, so I might as well get up." Then he asked the guests staying at the hotel, "Have they left?"
"Where can we go!" Su Xin said, helping Dou Zhao lift half of the tent and hooking it with a silver hook with a pattern of a phoenix facing the sun. "The rain is getting heavier, and ducks can even swim in the yard."
Dou Zhao pricked up his ears to listen.
The raindrops were still hitting the roof like beans.
She thought of a time when she passed by the Duke of England's mansion. The ancient trees, which were as thick as a man's embrace, had crowns like umbrellas, spreading out lushly from the cracked walls. Although dilapidated, they were still full of ancient charm, lush and quiet as if they had lasted for thousands of years.
She instructed Su Xin: "Go tell Duan Gongyi and Chen Xiaofeng to let those people do whatever they want. Try to be courteous and considerate, don't cause any conflict with them, and send them away respectfully."
Su Xin was stunned.
The Dou family is a wealthy and powerful family, and the fourth young lady is not someone who is afraid of trouble, but the fourth young lady's tone at this moment revealed her fear of retreating.
She thought of Dou Zhao’s pale face last night.
Could it be that the Fourth Miss saw something?
Even the Fourth Young Lady doesn't dare to offend this gang?
Dou Zhao naturally saw Su Xin's confusion, but she couldn't say it.
The Duke of England's Mansion is located in an alley in Jiaozhongfang in the north of the city, occupying the entire alley. The Duke of England has been there for more than a hundred years, and the old people in Kyoto call it Duke of England's Alley, but few know its original name, Yitiao Alley. After Song Mo killed his father and brother, people in the nearby Ertiao Alley and Jianzi Alley were said to often hear wailing in the middle of the night, and those with some wealth moved out one after another. Although it was a central place in Kyoto, it gradually became desolate and became a place where people of the lowest class lived. Even so, no one dared to go to the empty Duke of England's Mansion, and everyone could only watch the once glorious Duke of England's Mansion fall into decline day by day.
Dou Zhao thought he couldn't afford to offend such a person.
"Don't ask, just follow my instructions." She repeatedly reminded Su Xin.
Su Xin agreed timidly and went out to tell Duan Gongyi. When she came back, she looked hesitant and whispered, "Fourth Miss, Mr. Chen also seemed to have not slept all night. When I went out just now, his personal servant asked me if you were awake. He said that Mr. Chen had asked him to come and see you several times."
Dou Zhao was a little surprised.
Could it be that Mr. Chen also saw something?
Although Mr. Chen was very secretive about his past, through their contact over the past two years, she knew that he was not an ordinary person as she heard him comment on the people in the court.
Dou Zhao hurriedly said, "Please invite Mr. Chen to the living room to serve tea."
Su Xin left immediately.
Ganlu came over and helped her wash and dress.
While Su Lan was helping to pass small items such as handkerchiefs and socks, she whispered to Dou Zhao: "Fourth Miss, who is the young man who stayed at our house? He is so handsome! I have never seen such a handsome man. I don't know where his home is? Where is he going to do business..."
Dou Zhao looked at Su Lan's eyes full of yearning, chuckled, and said teasingly: "I'll give you to him as a maid!"
"No, no." Su Lan jumped up immediately and grumbled unhappily, "Miss is making fun of me again. I just think he is very handsome and makes people unable to take their eyes off him, but I can't be his maid just because of this! I don't know who he is? I don't know if he is a good person or a bad person..."
Dou Zhao just found it interesting.
There are countless noble ladies in Kyoto who like to talk about Song Mo in private, but if someone mentions Song Mo in public, they all sit up straight as if they have never heard of this person. They are not as generous and frank as Sulan.
Ganlu laughed and scolded Sulan: "You also know that the young lady is joking with you? Then why do you care where he is from or where he came from?"
Sulan giggled and handed a hairpin to Ganlu in a flattering manner, and Ganlu helped Dou Zhao put it on.
Dou Zhao smiled slightly.
After the incident with Pang Kunbai, the barriers between Ganlu, Sujun and the Bie sisters were immediately eliminated. They spoke and acted as intimately as sisters, and the atmosphere in Dou Zhao's room became warm and lively.
Mr. Chen had dark circles under his eyes, his expression was solemn, and his face looked particularly haggard. It was obvious that he had tossed and turned last night and did not get enough rest.
He asked Dou Zhao to send away the maid serving in the room.
"Fourth Miss, I'm afraid we're in trouble." Chen Qushui said in a deep voice, "The background of that group of people is not simple. I suspect that the young man is Song Mo, the eldest son of the Duke of Ying's mansion."
He revealed the secret, and Dou Zhao was shocked. He asked in a serious tone, "How did you know that?"
Chen Qushui was silent for a long while, and whispered, "Thank you for your kindness, young lady, for never asking me where I went during the years I was not in Zhending..." As he spoke, a bit of misery appeared in his eyes, "In those years, I was in Fuzhou, working as an aide to Zhang Kai, the Fujian Patrol." He guessed that Dou Zhao might not know who Zhang Kai was, and explained with shame, "Thirteen years ago, the Japanese pirates besieged Fuzhou City, and Lord Zhang abandoned the city and fled. He was captured alive and beheaded by Jiang Meisun, the general of Fujian, the Duke of Dingguo. According to the rules, the aides and private officials of Lord Zhang like us should be executed together to serve as a warning to others. But Jiang Guogong said that in the face of a powerful enemy, we should unite sincerely and unite to face the enemy together. As long as we are not the main culprit, we have the opportunity to make meritorious contributions while serving our crimes. He let us go and asked us to make meritorious contributions while serving our crimes like the official officials of the Patrol Office."
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