Chapter 486 Meeting

Dou Zhao looked in the direction Princess Ningde pointed and saw a girl of about fifteen or sixteen dressed as a maid, with almond eyes and rosy cheeks. She was quite pretty, but she was a stranger.

"I don't know her either." She smiled, "But since she is with my sister-in-law, she must be serving her. Why did you pay attention to this girl? Do you want me to ask her?"

"That's not necessary." Princess Ningde said, "When you were not here just now, Miao followed me. I saw that she didn't speak and act like an ordinary maid, but Miao treated her indifferently. I wondered if she would be the one who would bring shame to the Song family. Miao is too soft. Even if such a person cannot be controlled, she should not be brought out for social events. Wouldn't this help others to be more ambitious and destroy one's own prestige? No wonder Song Han doesn't take her seriously."

Very dissatisfied.

Dou Zhao did not say anything, but just smiled at Princess Ningde.

Princess Ningde frowned and wanted to say something, but more and more people came to the flower hall and some came to greet her. Princess Ningde had no time to talk to Dou Zhao, so the topic was just brought to an end.

Dou Zhao breathed a sigh of relief.

He followed Princess Ningde around, sitting together, listening to operas together, and admiring chrysanthemums together, and never acted alone.

Miao Ansu was secretly surprised and asked Dou Zhao quietly, "Didn't my sister-in-law say that she wanted to take a closer look at the chrysanthemums in Prince Liao's mansion? Do you want me to help you serve the princess for a while?"

"After all, we are here as guests." Dou Zhao said with a smile, "There are plenty of opportunities to see the chrysanthemums. If I were to be rude in front of so many elders, it would be frivolous and make people look down on me."

Miao Ansu suddenly realized and followed Dou Zhao's lead, causing the Third Princess to smile and say to Princess Ningde, "Look at how respectful your two nieces and granddaughters-in-law are to you!"

Princess Ningde laughed, but her eyes looked very cold when she looked at Miao Ansu.

Miao Ansu felt bitter, but she still followed Princess Ningde reluctantly - apart from them, she didn't know anyone else, and others had no intention of knowing her. When she turned around, it seemed as if someone was pointing fingers at her.

She finally waited until the banquet was over, and a maid from the Liao Palace came over and whispered to Dou Zhao, "Madam, the Prince of Ying said he is waiting for you outside the door."

Dou Zhao smiled and nodded, rewarded the little maid with a red envelope, and after seeing off Princess Ningde, he said goodbye to Miao Ansu and walked out of the Chuihua Gate.

Miao Ansu saw Dou Zhao off with a smile, but her own carriage was nowhere to be seen, while people were leaving one after another around her. She stood alone at the door with hanging flowers and waited for a long time. She saw the maid from Prince Liao's mansion standing by with a broom, waiting to clean the yard, and her own carriage was late.

She couldn't help but ask, "Why did you come so late?"

The coachman did not dare to respond and timidly saluted Miao Ansu. Song Han, however, stuck his head out of the carriage and shouted at her, "Why are you talking so much? Why don't you go home?"

Miao Ansu had no choice but to swallow his dissatisfaction and grievance, and stepped onto the carriage on the footstool.

Dou Zhao and Song Mo were almost home at this time.

Song Mo was massaging Dou Zhao's shoulders while he was talking to him: "Are you tired? Fortunately, he has to leave on October 1st to return to Liaodong."

Dou Zhao lay on Song Mo's lap, closing her eyes in comfort, and said, "I'm not tired, but I feel uncomfortable. I don't want to be hypocritical with these people in Liao Wang's mansion." Then she asked about Liao Wang, "We didn't bring Yuan Ge'er here, so he didn't say anything, right?"

"I asked." Song Mo adjusted his posture to make Dou Zhao lean more comfortably, and said, "I said the child was too young and was afraid he would be frightened in a familiar place, but he didn't say he would."

Dou Zhao's heart finally settled down.

Who knew that within two days, Song Yichun told Song Mo and Dou Zhao that he would invite Prince Liao back to the Duke of Ying's Mansion.

Song Mo stared at Song Yichun expressionlessly and said, "Do you know what you are saying? Prince Liao is a vassal prince, aren't you afraid that the Crown Prince will be unhappy? Or do you think that the Duke of Ying's Mansion will be mine in the future, and whether it is good or bad has nothing to do with you? Otherwise, you can go to the palace and tell the emperor that you want to pass the title to me in advance, then when the Duke of Ying's Mansion is in trouble, you can probably be spared."

Song Jiachun was so angry that his face turned red and his neck became thick. He shouted, "You evil boy, the emperor didn't say anything, but you jumped out to say irresponsible things. Don't you even consider whether you are in other people's eyes? If you don't like it, you can just stay at home."

Song Mo really followed Dou Zhao and Yuan Ge'er to visit friends in Sihou Hutong.

Song Mo also got a few kilograms of the newly-earthed glutinous rice from Jiangnan. He saw that older people liked to eat glutinous rice, so he sent half of it to his grandmother. When they went there, his grandmother and Hong Gu were making glutinous rice balls with newly-ground glutinous rice and freshly pickled osmanthus sugar. After washing her hands and wearing an apron, she came out and loudly ordered the maids and servants around her: "Hurry up, take out the snacks that Sixth Madam sent over the day before yesterday and give them to Yuan'er to taste."

Dou Zhao was very surprised and asked with a smile, "Sixth Aunt has been here?"

"Yes!" Grandmother smiled, "She said she came to pay her respects to me and brought a lot of food. Some of the snacks were said to be gifts from the palace. They look delicious. I asked someone to collect them and will take them out for Yuan Ge'er when you come over."

The snacks given by Yu were rare to others, but they meant nothing to Yuan Ge'er, who often walked around the palace. But the grandmother's mood warmed people's hearts.

Song Mo went forward to help his grandmother, and as he walked into the main hall, he exchanged pleasantries with her: "We haven't come to see you for a few days. How have you been these days? Is there anything you want to buy for the family?"

"Everything is fine, everything is fine." Grandma looked at Song Mo, joy overflowing from her eyes.

Song Mo really has a connection with the elders!

Dou Zhao thought with some jealousy as he carried Yuan Ge'er into the main room.

In the evening, Dou Shiying and Dou Dechang, who had received the letter, came over for dinner.

Everyone was chatting and laughing until it was time to light the lamps.

But what Dou Zhao and Song Mo didn't expect was that the banquet at the Duke of Ying's Mansion was just over at this time.

They ran into Song Yichun and Song Han who were escorting Prince Liao out.

Prince Liao stepped forward and punched Song Mo on the shoulder, and said with a smile: "You kid, even if we are not the same as before, you don't have to hide from me so obviously. You make me too sad. However, I didn't stay until now just to wait for you, but I was late because my mother asked me all kinds of questions in the palace. Don't worry!"

In his previous life, Dou Zhao had once met King Liao from a distance.

Although she didn't see the King of Liao clearly, he gave her the impression of being majestic, overbearing, and moody and mysterious. But the King of Liao at this time was young, generous, and humorous, making people feel like spring breeze.

She glanced at Queen Liao quickly and immediately lowered her eyelids, bent her knees in greeting, and stood behind Song Mo.

Song Mo, however, was somewhat confused. He bowed respectfully to the King of Liao and said, "I was ignorant at that time. Now that I know that the king is always the king and the minister is always the minister, I can't help but feel a little scared. You know my temper. I am most afraid of these disputes, so I had to hide away."

"Don't give me that!" King Liao laughed. "Are you a coward? I think you are just dissatisfied with me." As he spoke, he reached out to grab Song Mo's shoulder.

However, Song Mo suddenly turned around and ordered Dou Zhao: "The prince's princess hasn't come yet, you take Yuan Ge'er back to the house first!" He just missed the arm that Prince Liao extended to him.

It seemed like just a coincidence, but it was too much of a coincidence.

Song Yichun walked forward angrily and shouted "Song Yantang" in a low voice, with an obvious warning.

"Forget it, forget it, don't teach Yantang any more," Prince Liao waved his hand without any concern, appearing very generous, and said, "I also know that today is different from the past, and some things can never go back." As he spoke, his expression darkened, "I shouldn't have come back this time."

"Your Highness has misunderstood!" Song Yichun said hurriedly, "The Emperor and the Empress are looking forward to your coming to the capital to visit them..."

"Let's not talk about this anymore." Prince Liao interrupted Song Yichun with a smile, and soon recovered his previous cheerfulness. He pointed at Yuan Ge'er who fell asleep in his nurse's arms after playing tired, and said with a smile, "This is your eldest son, right? I heard that his nickname is Yuan Ge'er, and he was born one after the other with his brother's third son. His name was given by his father. You are lucky. I didn't see him that day." He took off a jade pendant from his waist and handed it over. "This is a meeting gift for Yuan Ge'er. We don't know when we will see each other again in the future. Please accompany me for a drink." He turned and walked into the Duke of Ying's Mansion. "I just want to ask you what is going on between you and Bo Sun. It's such a big fuss that even the Queen Mother knows about it."

Song Mo thought about it and followed him into the mansion.

Seeing this, Song Yichun and Song Han rushed forward.

Dou Zhao glanced around and saw Liu Zhang standing among the servants with his head lowered and his eyes submissive.

She glanced at Liu Zhang and went to Yizhitang.

When she turned the corner of the ceremonial gate, she looked back and saw that Liu Zhang was nowhere to be seen.

Dou Zhao nodded slightly and took Yuan Ge'er back to the inner room.

I gave Yuan Ge'er a bath, fed him goat's milk, and coaxed him to sleep. The sound of the second watch drum could be heard faintly in my ears.

Dou Zhao felt a little uneasy and asked Ruotong, "Has the prince not returned yet?"

"No." Ruotong said, "The lights in Xixiang Courtyard are brightly lit, the banquet hasn't ended yet!"

Dou Zhao pondered for a moment and told Ruotong: "Go and ask Mr. Chen to come over."

Ruotong went away in response, and after about an incense stick of time, she brought Chen Qushui in.

Dou Zhao quietly told Chen Qushui about Song Mo drinking with Prince Liao in the Osmanthus Courtyard, and said, "Xia Lian just escorted us back. He can't always follow the prince. You ask Duan Gongyi and Chen Xiaofeng to find a way to sneak into the Osmanthus Courtyard quietly, so that the prince will not be left alone."

Chen Qushui was shocked and immediately realized the seriousness of the situation.

He ignored his old age and trotted out of the main courtyard.

Dou Zhao was sitting on the kang by the cell window, fussing and waiting for Song Mo.

After a few minutes, Chen Qushui came back.

He said with a somewhat strange expression: "Madam, I don't know when Lu Ming returned home."

In other words, there is someone around Song Mo who is protecting him secretly.

Dou Zhao chanted "Amitābha", and then felt something was wrong.

When did Song Mo call Lu Ming back?

Why did he give Lu Ming back to Ru?

You know, Lu Ming is responsible for training Song Mo's death squads!