The upper house of the Duke of England's Mansion is located in the middle of the Mansion. It is a courtyard with five rooms and four entrances. In front of it are the front yard, main hall and flower hall of the Duke of England's Mansion, and in the back is a small garden with a Buddhist temple. It can be reached by coming out of Yizhi Hall where Song Mo lives and passing through a sloping alley planted with green bamboos.

He walked into the yard and saw his mother, who was tall, elegant and pretty, with a hint of strength and pride between her brows. She was standing on the steps with a dazed look on her face, staring at the camphor tree in the corner of the yard.

The sachet in Song Mo's hand suddenly became like a burning flame, scorching hot.

This camphor tree was given to my mother by my uncle from Fujian on her 20th birthday. It was only as tall as a person then, but now it has grown to the same height as the eaves of a house.

"You're here!" Jiang greeted her son with a smile and sat on the stone bench under the grape trellis.

The grape vines had just sprouted, and the bright spring sunshine shone through the sparse branches onto her face, and her originally dark and shiny black hair was now dotted with a few silver strands.

Song Mo felt sad. While the maid was serving them tea, he walked behind his mother, smiled and pressed her shoulders, and said affectionately, "Mom, you have white hair. Can I help you pull it out?"

Jiang smiled, looked at the long silver thread in her son's hand, and said with a sigh and relief: "You are about to get married, and I am getting old!"

No matter how calm and reserved Song Mo was, he was just a thirteen-year-old boy. His face suddenly turned red and he called out "Mom" shyly.

Jiang was pleased by her son's rare embarrassment. She smiled and asked Song Mo, "How old is the girl you met in Zhending?"

The fact that she could make her son go berserk shows that she is a brave, careful, smart and clever girl.

"Why are you asking this?" Song Mo's face turned even redder, and he shouted unwillingly, "She's already engaged!"

As soon as the words fell, both mother and son were stunned.

The wind blew through the grape trellis, and the tender green buds trembled and swayed in the spring breeze.

Song Mo was extremely embarrassed.

The mother was just curious and asked why he said such a thing?

Thinking of this, he felt his face burning and even more uncomfortable. He said, "Mr. Yan suggested that I make friends with Wei Tingyu, and I think it's a good idea. I was thinking about how to tell Zong Yao and find a way to get to know this person."

Jiang smiled meaningfully.

She felt a little regretful, but knew that continuing to talk about it would only tarnish her reputation as a girl.

Song Mo couldn't hold back his expression, and looked around and asked, "Where's Daddy? Why can't I see him?"

"He went to the Third Princess's residence." She followed her son's lead and changed the subject. "Your father didn't dare to ask the Crown Prince to come forward, fearing that he would be implicated. He wanted to ask the Third Princess to test the Emperor's mood." At this point, her mood became depressed. "I have discussed this with Mr. Min. Since the Emperor has kept the memorial to protect your uncle, then we can ask those who used to follow your uncle to submit a memorial to impeach your uncle... But those who are too close to him on weekdays should not come forward, lest the Emperor become suspicious... I'm afraid that the Emperor has already made up his mind, and no matter what we do, it will be in vain..."

The third princess, Enrong, was born to Empress Shen, the emperor's eldest daughter and was greatly favored by the emperor.

The son-in-law Shi Chonglan is the younger brother of Changxing Hou Shi Duanlan. He and the Duke of Yingguo were childhood friends and they have a very good relationship.

But does this work?

It would be better to take care of the eunuch Wang Yuan who is by the emperor's side!

Song Mo thought about it and nodded randomly.

The atmosphere suddenly became depressing.

Song Mo squeezed the golden bag in his palm, and after a while he mustered up the courage to call out "Mom", and whispered: "I have something to tell you..."

"What?" Jiang raised her head, with a look of confusion still in her eyes. It was obvious that she did not hear clearly what her son had just said.

Song Mo took a breath and was about to repeat what he had just said to his mother, but his mother suddenly perked up and said seriously, "I want to ask your second uncle's cousin Hanzhu to marry you. What do you think?"

He widened his eyes and then slowly pursed his lips.

Jiang secretly sighed in her heart, her voice sounding a little indifferent because of her rationality: "I know that you have been playing well with your fourth uncle's cousin Xiexiu since you were a child, but your cousin Xiexiu is a concubine's daughter. Although our Jiang family doesn't care, your father is a person who attaches great importance to the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children. First of all, you can't pass your father's test. Your second uncle passed away early, leaving only your cousin's bloodline. Other cousins ​​at least have their fathers and brothers to take care of them, but she lost her father at a young age and is alone and helpless without anyone to rely on..."

Song Mo lowered his head slightly.

Cousin Hanzhu likes Yin Jian, the nephew of Jiang's aunt Xiwu's maternal family.

My grandmother and my aunt knew about it. My aunt threw Yin Jian to my uncle's military camp and said to him, "Girls from our Jiang family don't marry cowards. If you want to marry Hanzhu, you can use your military merits as a betrothal gift."

When Yin Jian left, he gave his cousin Hanzhu a golden hairpin, which he asked him to give to her.

But in the face of life and death, what does this love between children matter?

The sunlight fell on his face, and his long eyelashes cast a shadow on his eyelids.

"Marriage is an important matter that should be decided by parents." He said softly, as gentle as the spring breeze blowing on your face, "I will listen to my mother!"

Her son, who had always had his own opinions and never listened to others, suddenly said something like this, which deeply hurt Jiang. She stopped what she wanted to say and felt as if she had lost something.

Sensing Jiang's sadness, Song Mo held his mother's hand: "Mom, I don't feel wronged." He comforted his mother, "Cousin Hanzhu is also very good. She can bend a bow on a horse and write cursive script on a horse. If she marries into our family, mother will have someone to keep her company... I will tell dad that I fell in love with cousin Hanzhu, and then he won't object." As he spoke, he smiled at his mother.

That smile was brilliant and bright, like the rising sun, without a trace of haze.

Jiang's tears fell.

None of this is worth shedding tears for!

Song Mo pursed his lips and took out the golden purse that he had been holding in his hand: "Mother, this is what Xu Qing just sent me..."

Jiang was stunned and had a bad feeling in her heart. Before Song Mo finished speaking, she had already hurriedly grabbed the golden bag.

A thin note, only two fingers wide, feels as heavy as a thousand pounds.

Jiang read it once, wiped his eyes, and read it again. Then he looked up at his son, his face pale: "Is it true?" His voice was hoarse and his eyes seemed a little distracted.

Song Mo hardened his heart and nodded.

Jiang felt as if the world was spinning around him, and he had no idea where he was.

The sound of playfulness gradually approached, and the second son's childish voice came clearly: "Hurry up, hurry up! I want to show it to mother!"

She calmed herself down, took the handkerchief handed to her by her eldest son, and wiped her tears hurriedly.

Song Mo also sat up straight.

When Song Han came over with a bow and arrow, his mother and brother were sitting elegantly at the stone table under the grape trellis drinking tea.

He held his mother's hand and said coquettishly, "Mom, Mom, look, look!"

The servant who came over knelt on the ground and raised the bright red lacquer tray high in his hand.

There was a plump rooster on the lacquer plate, with an arrow stuck diagonally on the rooster's back, revealing its snow-white feathers.

"I am better than my brother, right?" Song Han looked at his brother proudly. "When my brother was ten years old, he went hunting with his fifth uncle, but he didn't catch anything!"

He is ten years old this year, three years younger than Song Mo.

Jiang forced a smile and praised her youngest son: "Well, our Tianen is much better than his brother!"

Tian'en is Song Han's childhood nickname.

Although he was very sad, Song Mo felt a lot better because of Song Han's naive words.

This must be the golden pheasant that we raise in the back garden of our home.

How could my brother shoot so deep when he couldn't even fully draw the bow specially made for him?

Most likely, he was driven in front of him by the boys and then shot at Jinji.

It is also possible that the boys had already shot the pheasant to death, and when my younger brother started shooting at the bushes, they ran over and pulled the pheasant out from the bushes...

Whether it was the former or the latter, he had no intention of disappointing his brother.

"It's pretty good!" Song Mo said with a smile, "The disciple is better than the master."

Song Han was even more proud. He pointed at the golden chicken on the lacquer tray and loudly ordered the servant: "Take it to the stove and ask the woman on the stove to add more dishes tonight."

The servant bowed and nodded, then retreated with the paint tray in his hands.

He sat down next to his mother and stretched like a little adult: "I'm really tired today!"

Jiang and Song Mo both smiled faintly.

Song Han's eyes rolled, and he suddenly jumped off the stone pier and said, "Mom, I want to go back and change my clothes."

"Go!" Jiang had something important to discuss with her eldest son. She smiled and gave a few instructions to the daughter-in-law and maidservants serving Song Han. When the second son disappeared at the door, her smile slowly disappeared.

"God's gift!" Her eyes sparkled as she spoke, "Does Mr. Min know? I'll come to your place later and discuss with Mr. Min, Mr. Luo, and Mr. Yan what to do!" Her voice was calm and she had calmed down.

Mr. Min was my uncle's aide. He rushed over from Fujian after my uncle got into trouble.

Mr. Luo was the aide left at home by my eldest uncle, helping my fifth uncle with household affairs.

Although Mr. Yan had once been my uncle's aide, he had followed him in his early years and was considered a member of the Duke of England's mansion. My uncle's affairs were still mainly handled by Mr. Min and Mr. Luo.

Song Mo was very proud that his mother did not collapse.

He responded respectfully, agreed with his mother on a time for the discussion, and then left.

Jiang sat there with his hands and feet weak, his mind blank.

However, Song Mo saw his younger brother hiding under a cypress tree at the door, waving at him.

He walked away smiling.

"Brother," Song Han looked at Song Mo worriedly and whispered, "Is my uncle going to be sent to prison?"

Although he and his mother had kept the truth from his younger brother, his uncle's affair had already spread all over the city, and his younger brother was very smart, so he must have known about it. If he continued to keep it a secret, his younger brother would only feel fooled, so he might as well tell him the truth.

"Don't listen to nonsense." Song Mo thought for a moment and said, "My uncle is just being questioned now. He will be fine if he explains it clearly." Then he smiled and said, "Not everyone is qualified to be sent to prison!" He wanted to lighten the atmosphere.

Song Han carefully studied his brother's expression.

My brother raised his eyebrows, with some interest in his eyes.

His face turned red and he ran away in a flash: "I know!"

The crisp sound floated in the air, making Song Mo smile slightly.