Chapter 473 I Go

The investigation into Leung Chi-fen had to be put on hold for the time being.

Song Mo was very depressed about this.

After returning from the palace's annual banquet, he couldn't help but whisper to Dou Zhao in the carriage: "How did my uncle offend Liang Jifen? My uncle was persecuted to death by the Jinyiwei, and he could watch it all..."

Over the years, the tragic death of Duke Ding and the betrayal of Duke Ying have always been knots in Song Mo's heart. He will never have peace of mind unless they are untied.

Dou Zhao held Song Mo's hand and comforted him softly, "Since we have already found the person, it will be too late to know the result. Don't worry."

Song Mo nodded and sighed softly.

Dou Zhao talked about her entering the palace: "...The Crown Princess was very enthusiastic. In front of the Queen Mother and the Empress, she invited me to bring my children to the palace to watch the lanterns during the Lantern Festival. The Queen Mother laughed and looked very happy, but the Empress seemed not to hear anything and kept talking to the wife of the Marquis of Changxing." She smiled bitterly, "I'm afraid His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has his own plans!"

She had previously taken the palace coup too lightly.

I always thought that the crown prince was naive and weak, which was why he was schemed by King Liao.

But after several contacts with the Crown Princess, she realized that things might not be as she imagined.

The reason why she was so sure that she and Song Mo could get through this level as long as they worked together had a lot to do with her belief that she had glimpsed the secrets. But now she felt a little uneasy.

"Unless Prince Liao is planning to attack from outside the city, he will not be able to get around the Jinwu Guards and the Five Cities Army," she continued. "Your Highness may also know this, so he wants to keep you in his hands. We should be prepared for the worst."

Only then did Dou Zhao realize the importance of the Jinyiwei Zhenfusi.

She finally sighed and said, "It would be nice if my aunt was still in town."

"It's a deliberate plot, even if Chen Zanzhi has three heads and six arms, it won't work." Song Mo disagreed, saying, "It's better to just give it up like this, showing weakness to King Liao and saving Chen Zanzhi's life." At this point, he said impatiently, "Is Chen Zanzhi treating A Yan well? Why doesn't A Yan come to visit?"

Dou Zhao laughed and said, "Ayan has been married for less than a month, and it's almost the end of the year. She is a new bride, how can she have time to go back to her parents' home? After the Lantern Festival, we will take her back and let her stay for a few days." He laughed again, "If you have anything to ask her, tell me now, so that I won't have any random thoughts later."

Song Mo smiled awkwardly and said, "I don't mean anything else. As long as Chen Zanzhi treats A Yan well, I won't treat him badly."

"I know!" Dou Zhao teased him, "I know you are always generous to others - on the second day of the Chinese New Year, come with me to pay New Year's greetings to Lao An!"

"Of course." Song Mo smiled, "I heard that Lao An likes flowers and plants, so he asked people to prepare a few pots of daffodils and told them to find a way to keep them and wait for them to bloom on the second day of the Chinese New Year."

Dou Zhao was very happy. He talked to Song Mo about the New Year's gifts and the red envelopes for Yuan Ge'er. The atmosphere gradually returned to its cheerful state. When they got off the carriage, Song Mo's face was full of smiles. In the evening, he and Dou Zhao made love in bed twice, so much so that they were almost late for the court the next morning.

Because it was the New Year, Yan Chaoqing and Liao Bifeng were out of the house, and Chen Qushui was alone, so he ate at Duan Gongyi's house. During the day, he ate, drank and laughed with the people who came to pay New Year's greetings to Duan Gongyi and his mother. At night, when he returned home alone, he took out the clues he had collected about the cause of Dingguogong's death and pondered them under the lamp.

Song Yichun was jumping up and down, trying to find a job for Song Han.

Soon, it was the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

Chang'an Avenue is filled with lanterns.

Dou Zhao was afraid that Yuan Ge'er would be blown by the biting cold wind from the city gate, so he held his son in his arms, looked at the lights for a while, and then went down the city gate on the pretext of feeling unwell.

Yuan Ge'er, however, was looking very excited, twisting and turning in Dou Zhao's arms, and no matter how he was coaxed, he would not be able to be comforted. However, the Third Emperor's grandson had already fallen asleep in his nurse's arms, yawning.

The Crown Princess asked the Emperor's eldest grandson to give the octagonal glass revolving lantern to Yuan Ge'er to play with.

The emperor's eldest grandson could read at the age of three and could read at the age of five. He was very good at studying, so the emperor valued him very much and often called him to ask about his homework. Perhaps because of this, he was quite generous and readily handed the palace lantern in his hand to the servant beside Dou Zhao.

If nothing unexpected happens, the emperor's eldest grandson will also be the future crown prince.

How could Dou Zhao dare to accept the offer? He kept declining.

The eldest grandson of the emperor smiled and said, "It's okay. Last year, my grandfather also gave me a palace lantern like this, but it was a picture of the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea. This one, let He'er take it and play with it!"

His voice is as gentle as jade, which makes people feel good about him.

As a mother, Dou Zhao couldn't help but feel heartbroken.

Such a good child eventually starved to death in Zhongcui Palace.

She thanked him politely and let Jingui take the palace lantern.

Yuan Ge'er was immediately attracted by the spinning palace lantern and twisted his little body to poke it.

The emperor's eldest grandson found this interesting and asked Jingui to bring the palace lantern in front of Yuan Ge'er.

"No!" The Crown Princess said hurriedly, "Be careful that the light will hurt He'er's eyes."

The emperor's eldest grandson's face suddenly turned red and he looked at Dou Zhao embarrassedly.

Dou Zhao found the steps for the emperor's eldest grandson and said with a smile, "Your Majesty is really thoughtful. I didn't think of this."

As soon as she finished speaking, she heard the emperor's eldest grandson's gentle voice.

Dou Zhao couldn't help but smile, and the group went to the warm pavilion not far from the city gate.

There were various palace lanterns hanging along the way, shining like stars. Yuan Ge'er stared at them intently and had long forgotten the octagonal glazed revolving lantern given to him by the emperor's eldest grandson. When he entered the warm pavilion, he yawned continuously. Before the palace maid who served tea left, he fell asleep with drooping eyelids.

The Crown Princess smiled and touched Yuan Ge'er's little head, saying, "This child has the same temperament as our third child. He can eat, sleep and make noises. I don't know what kind of personality he will have when he grows up!"

Dou Zhao smiled and said nothing.

The Crown Princess ordered Yuan Ge'er's nurse: "Let He Ge'er sleep next to the Third Emperor's grandson. He won't sleep well if you hold him like this!"

Although the emperor generously allowed Dou Zhao and the Crown Princess to leave the city gate early with their children, Yuan Ge'er had no place to rest in the palace.

Dou Zhao knew that this was the Crown Princess trying to show her good will to him. If he kept refusing, who knew what His Highness and the Crown Princess would think?

She thanked him with a smile and asked the nurse to take the child downstairs to rest.

The two of them sat in the banquet room and talked about the clothes and jewelry worn by the concubines during the New Year.

A palace maid walked in with a slightly panicked look and whispered a few words in the Crown Princess' ear.

The Crown Princess's expression tensed up, and she pursed her lips tightly. She cast her eyes on Dou Zhao and said bitterly, "There are historians who have impeached the Crown Prince, saying that he is arrogant and domineering, and has abused public resources for personal gain. He has also ordered the Five Cities Military Department to arrest the rich guards who have offended the Crown Prince's cousin."

Dou Zhao was stunned and asked, "At this time? In front of the emperor?"

The Crown Princess nodded.

Dou Zhao wanted to ask the palace maid to find out what was going on, but because of her status and position, she couldn't order the palace maid around. She couldn't help but frown and feel restless.

Was it the Liao King who ordered this? Or was it that someone really couldn't stand Song Mo's behavior and took the opportunity to attack him?

Or maybe someone saw that they have been too close to the prince in recent days and wanted to give them a warning?

Regardless of whether it is the former or the latter, impeaching Song Mo at this time shows their determination to put him to death. I wonder how the emperor will deal with this matter?

She was secretly worried, but the Crown Princess had already anxiously scolded the palace maid: "Go and listen quickly. If there is anything unusual, report to us immediately."

The maid replied "yes" in fear and retreated in a hurry.

The Crown Princess' eyes flashed with guilt, and she comforted Dou Zhao: "It's okay. Today is the Lantern Festival, the Emperor will not punish his subjects at this time."

Dou Zhao nodded, but a hint of anxiety could not help showing between his brows.

I hope what the Crown Princess said is right.

She couldn't help but put her hands together and chanted "Amitābha" several times towards the west.

The two of them waited quietly in the warm attic.

After about an incense stick of time had passed, the palace maid walked in joyfully.

"Your Majesty, Madam," she knelt and saluted, her eyes full of admiration, "The Crown Prince said that even when promoting a virtuous person, one should not avoid relatives. The Five Cities Military Department originally maintained the law and order of the capital. It is impossible for the Crown Prince to sit still just because the person arrested is the Crown Prince's cousin. The Emperor thought it made sense, and with a smile, he punished the historian with three cups of wine, ready to let the matter go. Who Knowing that the official was still holding on to the emperor's affairs and making a lot of noise, the emperor angrily had him kicked out. He also lost his temper and asked, "Do you think you are King Zhou? One by one, two people are vying to be loyal ministers to gain fame?" The officials in the palace were so scared that they dared not say a word. It was only when the queen asked the nanny to carry the fifteenth prince to the main hall that the emperor calmed down.

The fifteenth prince is only three years old this year and is currently the youngest prince. The emperor treats him completely as his grandson and dotes on him very much.

Dou Zhao and the Crown Princess both breathed a sigh of relief.

This incident seemed to have passed just like that, but it aroused the vigilance of Song Mo and Dou Zhao.

Song Mo sent people to monitor the every move of that Yu Shi.

Dou Zhaoze sent someone to pick up Jiang Yan to live with her parents for the next month.

Chen Jia sent Jiang Yan back.

Dou Zhao invited Jiang Lizhu to accompany him.

Seeing Jiang Yan's rosy complexion and full of energy, Jiang Lizhu teased her, "Are you still worried that Chen Zanzhi will dislike you?"

Jiang Yan blushed, and he sat down beside Dou Zhao, holding her arm, and asked her quietly, "Didn't my sister-in-law take care of the household when she first got married?"

Dou Zhao heard something behind her words and said with a smile, "Why, don't you have a housekeeper?"

Jiang Yan shook his head and nodded.

Dou Zhao was puzzled.

Jiang Lizhu also pricked up her ears to listen.

Jiang Yan then said with embarrassment: "Zanzhi did hand over all the affairs of the inner house to me, but he also asked that Tao Erjia to help me manage the family's financial affairs. There are only me and Zanzhi and a dozen servants in the family. Tao Erjia is also very capable. Every day, I have nothing to do except listening to her report the accounts... I eat and sleep, sleep and eat..."

She was very uneasy.

Dou Zhao and Jiang Lizhu looked at each other and couldn't help laughing.

Jiang Lizhu even said, "You are born with a blessing but you don't know how to appreciate it! Do you think that housekeeper is easy to manage? It's exhausting to be busy with oil and rice. Since Chen Zanzhi has found someone to help you, you can just let go and take a rest. What is there to worry about?"