The girl in front of me looked no more than fourteen or fifteen years old. Her beautiful face, as white as snow, had two long eyebrows that were particularly eye-catching. She was wearing a plain green face with a cross collar and a right-side jacket, which was calm and generous. The yellow-green lace border was also lively. Her black hair was simply tied up in a bun, and she wore small and delicate earrings with red silver magnolia flowers and pink pearls. At first glance, she was just a well-trained young lady from a wealthy family, but the calmness and ease revealed between her eyebrows were not something that ordinary ladies could possess. He had only seen this in the current Empress Wan and his mother Jiang since he was a child. But how could she compare with the Empress who was the mother of the country and his mother who had the entire Duke Dingguo's Mansion standing behind her?
Song Mo thought of the skilled guards around her, the staff who were comparable to Zhang Yi, and the maid who could snatch the child away right under his nose, and he vaguely understood something in his heart.
Dou Zhao smiled and let him look at her, but in his heart he was thinking about the two people he brought with him.
He brought Chen Qushui and Duan Gongyi with him because the former was his think tank and the latter was the best fighter. He brought Yan Chaoqing and this thin man. Yan Chaoqing was a good fighter, but could this thin man be the best fighter on his side? She thought it was the so-called "treasure sword box" that Duan Gongyi mentioned.
It seems that she has to re-evaluate Song Mo's ability!
I wonder who is better at fighting, this thin man or Duan Gongyi?
If he rushed over, who knows how many moves Duan Gongyi could make against him?
Thinking of this, Dou Zhao glanced to the side with the corner of her eye and saw Su Lan standing beside her with a tray in her hands and a cautious look. She couldn't help but feel a little relieved. She heard Song Mo smiled and said, "This lily is fragrant but not greasy. If I'm not mistaken, this should be the Tianfu Xuanbao secret made by Daxiangguo Temple in Kyoto, right?"
Since it is a negotiation, a friendly atmosphere is essential, and starting with complimenting the other party is always a good choice.
When you need a favor from a stranger, start with the little things he or she has done that are worthy of praise, and find a topic that makes the other person feel happy. This will easily bring you closer and pave the way for the next request. Dou Zhao had already mastered this skill when she was the wife of a marquis.
She perked up, smiled and greeted Song Mo: "Mr. Mei is really well-informed. This is the Tianfu Xuanbao of Daxiangguo Temple, which my father brought back from the capital. The weather has been humid these days. The scents of osmanthus and jasmine are elegant, while the scent of lily is strong. It would be better to use osmanthus or jasmine. However, I live in the city all year round, and occasionally I will accompany the elders of my family to stay in the farm for a few days. My family only has half a box of lily fragrance left over from the last New Year, so I have to make do with it for now. The place is simple, so please forgive me, Mr. Mei."
This is the beginning of a warning to myself!
This woman is really smart!
Song Mo's gaze involuntarily turned to Dou Zhao's face.
"Miss Dou Si is so humble that I feel ashamed." He laughed, "To be honest, this is all a misunderstanding. Mr. Chen, the accountant of your mansion, once served as an aide to Zhang Kai, the governor of Fujian who fled the city. Later, Duke Dingguo thought he was not the main culprit and let him go. Mr. Chen was the first to leave Fujian, and then he informed Miss Dou Si of our whereabouts. We didn't know what he meant, so we were worried, but we never thought of hurting Miss Dou Si. I just don't want to reveal my whereabouts, and I want to keep Miss Dou Si at the farm for a few days after I leave. I also know that there are many hidden dragons and crouching tigers in the martial arts world, far more than my guards can compare, but we carry bows and crossbows from the army, and several guards are good at using crossbows, so we can at least have some advantages. Otherwise, those feather arrows just now would not have been able to accurately fall at the feet of several guards in your mansion, and I would not have ordered them to shoot crossbows. "The words were very earnest.
Duan Gongyi nodded continuously as he listened.
However, Dou Zhao secretly complained in his heart.
No wonder you became so successful in Prince Liao's Palace soon after being kicked out of the Duke of Ying's Palace. Your ability to lie with your eyes open and confuse right and wrong is unmatched.
"It was indeed a misunderstanding." Not only did she not show any expression on her face, but she also nodded seriously, patted the sleeping child, and said, "Since Mr. Chen has revealed the whereabouts of the young master, he would rather kill the wrong person than let him go. But if the rain stops and the weather clears up after a long period of rain, the old and young in the village will come out to bask in the sun. The young master is short of manpower, and it may be difficult to massacre the village. Moreover, such a big case will not only alarm the county and state governments, but also the provincial government, the provincial procuratorate, the military command, and even the provincial government. As for the Dali Temple, this is too disadvantageous for you. It is better to kill people and silence them in the rain. It is more clean, neat and simple. But your words also remind me, why don't you force us to stay in the farm for a few days and release us after you go far away? Going south from Kyoto, we usually pass through Zhending. By the time we report to the authorities, you are already like a flying dragon in the sky and a fish returning to the sea. By the time the authorities find your home, I am afraid you have already arranged everything, and even the Jinyiwei will not be able to find out the reason. "
Song Mo was smiling leisurely at first, but after hearing this, his smile gradually faded, and a hint of coldness slowly appeared in the corners of his eyes and eyebrows.
Dou Zhao was still not satisfied, so he simply stared with his eyes wide open, and said in a shocked voice, "Could it be that the person that the young master entrusted his son to is near Zhending?" As he spoke, a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes, "The emperor has to think twice before selecting ministers to take care of him. It is not something that ordinary people dare to do to harbor the son of a court criminal. Since the person entrusted with the son cannot be easily replaced, we can only kill all of us!"
Even people like Chen Qushui and Yan Chaoqing, who were shrewd, experienced, and never showed their emotions, couldn't help but show shock when they heard it, not to mention Duan Gongyi and Lu Ming - the two of them looked at Dou Zhao, stunned.
There was dead silence in the room.
Song Mo was like a glaze hit by a punch, and finally a fine crack appeared.
He stared at Dou Zhao with a sullen face, his gaze was as cold as a knife, making Dou Zhao's scalp tingle, but she had no way to retreat, she could only burn her boats and fight to the death.
"Let me think," she said with a smile that pretended to be relaxed. "The young master brought an accountant with him. Well, Mr. Yan, the accountant, is already here. There are two stewards. One has a simple and honest face and was just beside the young master. The other should be the one standing next to Mr. Yan. There are four guards. They are the ones who threatened me with a bow and crossbow just now. A wet nurse should be crying silently in the warm room behind the young master's inner room. A baby in swaddling clothes is sleeping in my arms. Everyone is here. But you came in a carriage, and there are two carriages... Although the coachman who drives the horses is the most humble and usually sleeps in the stable, no matter what, they are the young master's people. Where are these two now?"
Veins popped out on Song Mo's forehead, and his glare at Dou Zhao added a hint of undisguised sharpness.
Dou Zhao turned a blind eye and called out to "Su Lan" loudly: "When you went to pick up the young master just now, did you see the young master's driver?"
"I don't know if it was the driver." Su Lan cooperated with Dou Zhao and said carelessly, "They don't know that the rear window of the warm room can be opened from the outside. When I climbed in through the window, there was a big fool standing at the door of the warm room with his back to me. I knocked the wet nurse unconscious with a knife, and quietly took out the rainstorm pear blossom needle soaked in numbing powder that Uncle Duan gave me and gave it to the guy. I shot him with needles all over his body. He glared at me twice and fell to the ground." At this point, she complained to Duan Gongyi, "Uncle Duan, didn't you say that if shot by that needle, even a cow would fall down without a sound? When that guy fell down, his eyes were wide open, and when he saw me jumping out of the window with the little master in my arms, he groaned twice. Your needles don't work very well!"
Everyone's eyes fell on Duan Gongyi.
Duan Gongyi suddenly felt as if he was illuminated by thousands of bright lights. He broke out in a sweat. Thinking that he was dealing with the orphan of Duke Dingguo, he could not hide his guilty conscience. He panicked and grabbed his sleeves to wipe the sweat off his face while mumbling, "This is something passed down from our ancestors. They said it was for our descendants to protect themselves. It hasn't been used for decades, so it may not be very effective..."
Su Lan scolded him, "Uncle Duan, how could you give me such an unreliable thing? If that thing doesn't work, won't I be caught by that big fool? If I get caught, it's a small matter. If it ruins the young lady's plan, I'm afraid we'll all lose our lives!"
"That's it, that's it!" Duan Gongyi sweated even more.
Yan Chaoqing, however, took a deep look at Dou Zhao, who was sitting there with a relaxed smile and a leisurely look.
It turns out that this plan was hers to come up with!
He thought it was Chen Qushui's idea!
Su Lan's jokes must have made Song Mo very angry.
Dou Zhao was naturally happy to meet him.
But we can't let Sulan go too far.
She continued at the right time: "Sulan, the one you saw should be one of the two coachmen... Where did the other one go?" Dou Zhao guessed, "Did he go to inform the person who entrusted the orphan to him?" As soon as she finished speaking, she immediately said in horror: "Guard Duan, where are all our people? The reason why Master Mei had the upper hand during the day but did not take action is that he must have felt that he had too many people and it was a bit risky, so he sent the coachman to ask for help from the person who entrusted the orphan to him. Maybe he had already agreed with the person on the time to take action... This is troublesome!"
Chen Qushui, Duan Gongyi, Yan Chaoqing and others were all horrified.
Only Song Mo picked up the teacup, lowered his head slightly and drank a few sips of tea quietly.
But his slightly trembling hands holding the teacup revealed his anger.
All Dou Zhao relied on was the baby in her arms.
She was a mother, how could she really hurt this baby?
All she relies on is the moon in the mirror and the flowers in the water.
In order to make Song Mo look at her, she had no choice but to continue provoking Song Mo.
"Alas!" Dou Zhao sighed, "The Master is in the open while I am in the dark, and that's the bad thing - I know how many people the Master brought, but the Master doesn't know how many of us there are. I don't know where my other maid has gone? If a large group of people rush into the farm to burn, kill and loot, will she be able to rush back from Zhending Prefecture?"
Song Mo raised his head, his expression serious and dignified, his eyes calm and rational.