Chapter 264 Suddenly

When Song Mo returned to Yizhi Hall, his whole body exuded a cold aura, enough to scare anyone who saw him from a distance. However, he assured Dou Zhao, "Don't worry, I will take care of this matter."

He didn't care whoever his father wanted to marry, but if his father wanted to find someone to suppress Dou Zhao, he would never agree to it no matter what.

Dou Zhao saw veins popping out at his temples, and couldn't help but comfort him, "Things are not as bad as you think. Hasn't it been decided yet? Fortunately, father told us in advance. If we found out after it was decided, wouldn't we be more vulnerable? Now the most urgent task is to find out how father-in-law suddenly got involved with the Hua family, so that we can counter it."

Regardless of whether Song Yichun had taken a fancy to the daughter of the Hua family or decided to remarry in order to suppress her, she did not want this to happen before she took charge of the inner court of the Duke of Ying's Mansion.

The Hua family was Wang Qingyuan's husband's family in her previous life. The Hua family's power and tyranny left a deep impression on Dou Zhao. She never thought that she would have to deal with the Hua family in this life!

Song Mo was confused by his father's anger. After hearing what Dou Zhao said, he quickly calmed down and called Chen He: "Go ask Du Wei what's going on."

If his father wanted to arrange a marriage, Du Wei couldn't be unaware of it.

Chen He left in response, but within half a cup of tea, before Song Mo and Dou Zhao had time to change into home clothes, Chen He returned and said, "My Lord, Du Wei sent someone here to say that there is something urgent concerning the continuation of the Duke's marriage, and he is waiting outside the second gate for a report."

It seems that Du Wei did not fail in his duty.

Song Mo looked slightly worried, and asked Chen He to take him to the study. Then he said to Dou Zhao, "Change your clothes and come over to listen."

Dou Zhao also wanted to know what kind of medicine Song Yichun was selling, so he responded, changed his clothes quickly, and went to the study.

The person Du Wei sent over was a young servant of about fifteen or sixteen years old. He had a very ordinary appearance and figure. He was the kind of person who would be hard to find in a crowd. However, he spoke very eloquently, revealing that he was somewhat extraordinary.

"…The captain of Qiuling Captain's Office in Weizhou was caught borrowing land and not returning it. The victim reported it to the Ministry of War. The Ministry of War verified the facts and because the victim's family had no successor, they were going to take back the hereditary captain's position. Huatang wanted his eldest son to take over the position, so he followed the path of Marquis Changxing and came to Kyoto to deliver money." The servant didn't expect that someone else would come in to listen, so he glanced at him. Who knew that after this glance, he couldn't help but look twice more, and his speech slowed down. "I happened to meet the Duke at the gate of the Five Armies Military Governor's Office. The Governor of the Rear Army Military Governor's Office, Marquis Anlu, took the Duke out for a drink. The Duke seemed to have nothing to do, so he followed along. I don’t know what was said during the banquet, but I know that as soon as the banquet was over, Hua Tang excitedly ordered his personal attendant to rush to Weizhou. Because you once ordered that no matter what the Duke did, as long as there was something unusual, we should find a way to find out. The person who was following him sent a secret message to Master Du, and Master Du sent someone to pretend to be a robber to take out a letter from the attendant. Only then did they know that Hua Tang knew that the Duke had no more wives and wanted to marry his eldest daughter to the Duke, with Marquis Anlu as the matchmaker. The Duke did not refuse, so Hua Tang hurriedly sent someone to Weizhou to inform Madam Hua and ask for Miss Hua’s birth date. Master Du saw that something was wrong, so he hurriedly ordered me to ask the Crown Prince for advice. ”

Song Mo's eyes were like cold stars, and he asked, "Did the messenger find out that the letter was lost?"

"No." The servant didn't dare to look at Dou Zhao again. He looked at his nose, and then his heart. His voice gradually became steady. "Master Du sent someone to stuff the letter back."

Song Mo nodded. Fearing that Dou Zhao didn't understand, he explained, "Most of the thousand households and hundred households in each guard post are hired by relatives. Sometimes when the father dies and the son is still young and unable to manage the guard post, he will lend the job to his relatives and ask them to return it in five or ten years. Those who are trustworthy will return it on time; those who are not trustworthy often don't return it. I guess the thousand households of Qiu Ling were lent to relatives, and as a result, his son died before he grew up. After bargaining with relatives, the family could not reach an agreement on the terms, so they reported the relatives to the Ministry of War. Everyone broke up and no one could get away with it. The Weizhou Guard was under the jurisdiction of the Datong General Military Office, which was in turn supervised by the Five Military Commandery and the Rear Army Commandery. If Huatang wanted his eldest son to replace the head of the Qiuling Thousand Households, he had to get the support of Shi Duanlan, Marquis of Changxing, and Zhou Chaoyu, Marquis of Anlu, who was the governor of the Rear Army Commandery.

Dou Zhao understood everything the servant said.

She nodded slightly.

Song Mo sneered, "Hua Tang had a good idea! It's a pity that he misplaced the abacus beads this time." He ordered the servant, "Go tell Du Wei to keep a close eye on the Hua family, including Marquis Anlu. I want to know what they have done in the past few days."

The servant retreated in response.

Song Mo and Dou Zhao returned to the inner room.

Dou Zhao poured Song Mo a cup of tea.

Song Mo sat on the big kang by the window, drinking tea and thinking about something.

Seeing him like this, Dou Zhao couldn't feel sleepy anymore, so she sat beside him and did some needlework.

Song Mo smiled and said, "Go to bed! You have to go to the palace early tomorrow morning."

Dou Zhao wanted to make a good impression on the Empress Dowager and the Queen, so she really didn't want to stay up late. But seeing Song Mo like this, she couldn't lie down any longer, so she said, "It's been a long time since we got here from Weizhou, so you should get some rest early! After a good night's sleep, you'll be more energetic and your mind will be clearer. Maybe you'll have some good ideas."

Song Mo nodded, got on the bed, leaned against the headboard and continued to think.

There is no longer the beauty just now.

Dou Zhao couldn't help but sigh in his heart again.

I'm afraid only those who have lived through two lives can understand this kind of contradictory feeling.

※※※※※

The next day, just after the ugly hour, Song Mo and Dou Zhao got up, dressed appropriately, and went to pay their respects to Song Yichun.

Song Yichun's gaze lingered on their faces for a long time, as if he wanted to learn something from their expressions. In the end, he learned nothing, so he frowned and waved his hand for them to leave.

There was no intention of sending them into the palace.

This is better!

Dou Zhao and Song Mo took a car to the palace.

Along the way, we occasionally encountered carriages and sedan chairs going to the morning court.

Officials above the third rank had attendants holding angry lanterns with their surnames written on them in front of their carriages and beside their sedan chairs. Officials below the third rank carried bare angry lanterns. Everyone could tell whose carriage and sedan chair it belonged to at a glance, and they avoided them according to their rank, all in good order.

Dou Zhao found the scene interesting and was in a good mood. He tried to find his uncle or father's carriage in the crowd, but unfortunately he didn't see it.

When they entered the palace, they found out that the emperor had already gone to attend the morning court.

Song Mo smiled and said, "Let's wait here for a while."

Can you go back without waiting?

Dou Zhao pursed his lips and smiled.

Song Mo saw that she was in a good mood and felt relieved.

There were palace maids all around them, so the two men didn't know what to say. They just sat there and drank a few cups of tea. It was only when the sky was getting bright that a eunuch came running over.

"Your Highness, the Empress has gone to Cining Palace and asked you to go there to pay your respects to her."

Dou Zhao and Song Mo went to Cining Palace again.

In her previous life, although she went to the palace for audiences, she always followed the ladies of the inner and outer court. They looked at each other, occasionally whispered a few words, and it seemed that they arrived very quickly. Unlike now, the road was full of towering high walls and deserted alleys. No matter which direction you looked from, it was the same. You could only hear your own footsteps, as if there would never be an end.

Only then did she deeply realize that being on duty in the palace was also a tough job. No wonder Wei Tingzhen was unwilling to let Wei Tingyu take on the job.

Song Mo saw a few beads of sweat on Dou Zhao's forehead, so he took out a handkerchief and handed it to her: "Wipe your sweat, we'll be there soon."

The eunuch who led them to Cining Palace couldn't help but turn around and look at Dou Zhao.

Dou Zhao was smiling at Song Mo and didn't notice.

The eunuch led them into the Cining Palace and went directly to the side hall at the back.

Dou Zhao knew that was the Queen Mother's bedroom.

In her previous life, she had only been to the main hall at most, and couldn't help but look around a few times on the way.

A pretty palace maid in her prime was standing in front of the side hall waiting.

Song Mo bowed to her and called her "Aunt Lan".

Dou Zhaoze stepped forward and bowed, then called out "Aunt Lan".

Aunt Lan smiled and nodded, looking Dou Zhao up and down with a gentle gaze, quite friendly to her, then turned around and led them into the side hall.

There were only the Empress Dowager and the Empress in the side hall.

The Queen Mother was sitting on the Luohan bed wearing a homely lilac-colored jacket with floral patterns. Her dark hair was neatly tied into a bun, and she only wore an emerald ring the size of a dove egg on her hand. She looked to be in her early forties, but in fact she had passed her sixtieth birthday five years ago.

The Empress sat below the Empress Dowager. She had fair and delicate skin, a long face, and a pair of bright eyes. Although there were fine wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, she did not look haggard, but rather very amiable.

Dou Zhao had met these two people more than once in her previous life, but the impression they gave her then was completely opposite to what it was now.

The Queen Mother is amiable and amiable, while the Empress is dignified and solemn.

Especially the Empress Dowager. When she last saw her, the Emperor had passed away. The King of Liao appointed her as the Grand Empress Dowager, and the ladies from outside the court were ordered to go to the palace to pay their respects. The Empress Dowager looked haggard, like an eighty-year-old woman, and was supported by someone. She fainted before the ceremony of appointment was completed, and died two days later.

She still remembers the Queen Mother's skull-like face.

Dou Zhao lowered his head, and he and Song Mo kowtowed to the two ladies.

Then she heard the Queen Mother's gentle voice say to the Queen Mother: "Although he grew up in the countryside, he has a good sense of etiquette. It shows that he is a smart child."

Dou Zhao felt a little nervous when he thought that after the Empress Dowager was promoted to Empress Dowager, she actually dared to beat Prince Liao's favorite concubine to death with a stick, while Prince Liao, who was already the emperor, was so arrogant that he didn't dare to say a word.

She lowered her eyelids and stood aside with her hands hanging down respectfully. She heard the Empress Dowager say with a little displeasure: "The Dou family of Beilou is a family that has handed down poetry, literature and etiquette from generation to generation. Naturally, the girls raised there will not be bad at all."

Dou Zhao heard the Empress hurriedly responded with a "yes" with a smile, her voice sounding particularly gentle.

This Empress was not the Empress she knew in her previous life.

The Queen Mother waved to Dou Zhao and said, "Come over here, let me take a closer look."