Chapter 523: The End

In Song Mo's study, Lu Ming was talking to Song Mo quietly: "…Only a few people who usually swept the floor and watered the flowers in the Osmanthus Courtyard were released, and all the others who had served the Duke closely were dealt with. Especially Chang Huwei and Zeng Wu. I threw the bodies into the river with my own hands, and the banknotes were all on my back. Even if someone found them, they would think they fell into the water accidentally, and would definitely not suspect anything else. Tao Qi was seriously ill and died on the way back home due to the fatigue of the carriage."

Song Mo always feels at ease when Lu Ming is doing things.

He nodded slightly and said with a smile: "I don't have much to do here, what are your plans? It's not difficult to join Jinyiwei or Shenjiying. Wuyi also followed Zhao Liangbi to do business, but it seems that you are not a businessman."

Lu Ming smiled awkwardly and said, "I'd better stay in the mansion like Master Duan!"

The prince is always surrounded by people who do his dirty work. He has become accustomed to this kind of life and does not want to go to the guardhouse to be controlled by others.

Song Mo really couldn't do without him, so since he said that, Song Mo didn't force him and didn't mention the matter again.

After a few days, the imperial edict came down.

Gu Yushang was like Jingtai.

Duke Xingguo asked for Princess Jingyi in marriage for his third son.

When the news came, Dou Zhao smiled slightly.

No wonder after the fall of the Duke of Yingguo, the Duke of Xingguo became the first among the dukes.

It seems that the Duke of Xingguo's Mansion was also aware of Prince Liao's affairs, otherwise they would not have rejected their own son, Princess Shang Jingyi.

Now that Prince Liao's plan has failed, the Emperor is still thinking about Empress Wan and feels sorry for Princess Jingyi. The Crown Prince is also having a headache over this matter. At this time, Princess Xingguo's request to marry Princess Jingyi has become a source of worry for the Crown Prince.

Thinking that Princess Jingyi's wedding date was set for September 10th, and Gu Yu's wedding date was set for September 12th, she discussed with Song Mo: "Should we increase the gift to the Xingguo Mansion by a few percentage points more than usual?"

Song Mo also saw the strength of the Duke of Xingguo's Mansion at this time. After thinking for a while, he said, "Then let's add 30%."

Dou Zhao gave the order.

Song Mo asked about Gu Yu's marriage: "Is there any news from the Yunyang Marquis's Mansion?"

Gu Yu was still on his way back to Kyoto from Tianjin, but the Yunyang Marquis' Mansion had already received the imperial decree, and all the in-laws came to congratulate him. Dou Zhao had just been to the Yunyang Marquis' Mansion in the morning.

"Ever since Cui Yijun came to Yunyang Marquis's house and passed on the message, Gu Yu's stepmother has been like a frost-bitten eggplant, completely wilted, and has been pretending to be sick in bed." She laughed, "The one who presided over Yunyang Marquis's reward was Gu Yu's second aunt, who seemed to be a smart person. She used the best things for Gu Yu's wedding."

Anyway, the expenses for Gu Yu's wedding will come from the public purse. If more is spent, she won't have to pay a penny. If less is spent, she won't get a penny either. It's better to spend it generously, do a good job, and earn herself a reputation as a virtuous woman.

Song Mo breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I still have to think about it. If the situation there is not handled properly, I want to find a way to save his face!"

Dou Zhao knew that the person Song Mo couldn't let go of the most was Gu Yu, so she comforted Song Mo: "It can be seen that Gu Yu is a blessed person. Good things always happen to him at critical moments."

Song Mo smiled and nodded.

After returning to Kyoto, Gu Yu went to the Duke of Yingguo's Mansion before going back to the Earl of Yunyang's Mansion.

When he saw Song Mo, he knelt down, grabbed Song Mo's thigh and burst into tears.

Song Mo swore: "Queen Wan was definitely not killed by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"

Gu Yu cried and nodded, saying, "I know. She is so strong, how could she let herself depend on others for the rest of her life... I just feel sorry for her, she ended up like this."

Dou Zhao suddenly understood Gu Yu from his previous life.

Even though Queen Wan and Prince Liao succeeded, he was still unhappy.

Dou Zhao couldn't help but have tears in his eyes, thinking that he was also a proud person. His marriage in the previous life had always been unhappy, and in this life he was Princess Shang. He didn't know if he would feel it was a humiliation. He wanted to persuade him, but didn't know where to start. He could only sigh quietly, turned around and asked the maid to make some jasmine tea, which Gu Yu liked very much.

When Gu Yu got married, Dou Zhao and Song Mo held a banquet at home to entertain him and Princess Jingtai.

Princess Jingtai was a beauty with an oval face, almond eyes, and a slim figure. While she was drinking tea with Dou Zhao in the flower hall, she would occasionally look up at Gu Yu who was talking to Song Mo outside the flower hall.

Dou Zhao finally let go of his anxious heart.

Princess Jingtai laughed and said, "Are you afraid that I will show off in front of my cousin?"

Dou Zhao didn't expect that Princess Jingtai would follow Princess Jingyi in calling Gu Yu "cousin", and he didn't expect Princess Jingtai to be so transparent and straightforward, with a slightly blushing face.

Duke Jingtai did not take it seriously. He looked at Gu Yu outside the hall and smiled softly, "You may not know that my cousin used to go to the palace to play. We have known each other since we were young. Although he has a bad mouth, he has a good heart. I will get a rash on my body after eating almonds. The Empress Dowager is a great lady in the world. How can she remember these little things? Although my mother is good at dancing, she is just a concubine with no power in her family and no children. She has always been the one with a smile in Kunning Palace. Once My mother took me to pay respects to Queen Wan, and Queen Wan had someone bring me freshly made almond milk to drink, and I dared not refuse. But my cousin snatched the almond milk from my hand, saying that he was thirsty, and asked the palace maid to serve me Longjing tea. After that, when I went to Kunning Palace again, Queen Wan's almond milk turned into soy milk..." As she spoke, she lowered her eyelids, and her voice became even deeper, "For this, I will be grateful to him and respect him all my life..."

There is one thing that no one knows.

When her mother began to worry about her marriage, she secretly prayed to Yue Lao, hoping that Queen Wan would have mercy and let her give her to Gu Yu... She would definitely be as virtuous as Princess Yongping of Yongchengbo.

Dou Zhao was stunned.

Is this a blessing in disguise?

After seeing off Gu Yu and his wife, she told this story to Song Mo and asked curiously, "Does Song Mo remember this?"

"I don't know." Song Mo also found this matter quite interesting, and said, "Gu Yu just thought Jingtai was as capable as Concubine Shu. It is said that within a few days of her marriage, the relatives of the Gu family were full of praise for her, and some relatives even said that Jingtai should be in charge of the Yunyang Marquis's Zhongfeng. Gu Yu's stepmother could no longer lie down, and hurriedly said that she was well and wanted to take back the power of presiding over Zhongfeng. However, Princess Jingtai persuaded Yunyang Marquis with a few words, and continued to let Gu Yu's second aunt preside over Zhongfeng in the mansion. Now Gu Yu's second aunt is so close to Jingtai that she discusses everything with Jingtai, and forcibly puts Gu Yu's stepmother aside."

Dou Zhaoyan's eyes widened and he said, "Then shouldn't Gu Yu be very happy?"

"Yeah!" Song Mo smiled, "He felt that he had been so aggressive with his stepmother before, and it was no wonder that others looked down on him. He was indeed too simple and rough."

Perhaps, this is the wife Gu Yu needs?

Dou Zhao laughed.

Song Luo walked in quickly with a strange look on his face and said, "My Lord, Madam, Master Shen from the Huichang Marquis's Mansion is here to visit."

Shen Qing?

Dou Zhao and Song Mo looked at each other.

What is he doing here?

Song Mo went to the flower hall.

As soon as Shen Qing saw him, he dropped his teacup and ran over: "Yan Tang, help! My father wants me to go to the Xishan Camp. Can you find a way to get me to the Jinyi Guard or the Shenji Camp? Even if I owe you a favor, you can ask me to do anything in the future!"

Song Mo rubbed his eyebrows and said, "The West Mountain Camp is also quite good. I have an acquaintance there. I will write you an envelope and ask him to take care of you in the future..."

"Yan Tang, Yan Tang!" Shen Qing interrupted Song Mo and pulled his sleeve, saying, "Even if you have an acquaintance there who is a Tongzhi, can he exempt me from the drill? You can't just watch me die. Am I not as good as Gu Yu? You helped Gu Yu like that, why can't you help me!"

Song Mo's heart skipped a beat when he heard this, and he asked, "How did I help Gu Yu?"

Shen Qing muttered, "If it weren't for you, would Cui Yijun have come forward to pass on the message to the Yunyang Marquis' Mansion? You don't even know that Gu Yu's stepmother has always been servile in front of my mother, relying on my cousin to support her son. Now that my mother knows that the matter of Gu Yu was the prince's intention, she won't see Gu Yu's stepmother at all. Otherwise, it would not be so easy for Gu Yu's stepmother to calm down!"

This was the first time Song Mo heard of this.

Shen Qing said: "Will you help me? If you help me, I will find a way to let my mother suppress Gu Yu's stepmother!"

Song Mo said: "Without you, Jingtai can still suppress Gu Yu's mother."

Shen Qing sat down on the chair in disappointment.

Song Mo looked at him with both anger and amusement, and said, "Are you so unwilling to go to the West Mountain Camp?"

"Well!" Shen Qing said with a bitter face, "We are just relatives from outside the family. We should just live in peace and happiness. Why should we compete with those nobles for credit? My father is blinded by wealth and has no idea of ​​his own status."

Song Mo listened with a twinkle in his eyes and said, "Since you think so, I'll help you try!"

Shen Qing jumped up suddenly: "You agreed?"

Song Mo smiled and said, "I just agreed to give it a try."

"Oh, my father will definitely listen to you." Shen Qing said happily, "My father envied you the most because you killed all the guards and dared to leave them in the yard, saying that this is a real powerful family..." As he spoke, he quickly covered his mouth and said carefully, "I am talking nonsense, you, just pretend you didn't hear it."

Song Mo punched Shen Qing on the shoulder: "Do whatever you need to do!"

"Okay, okay, okay." Shen Qing ran away in a flash.

The next day, Song Mo went to Huichang Earl's Mansion.

I don't know what they talked about, but Shen Qing's plan to go to Shanxi Camp was put on hold.

Shen Qing was very excited and sent two large carts of gifts.

But within a few days, Shen Qing was sent by the Earl of Huichang to the Fujian General's Office to serve as a guerrilla general.

Shen Qing was so angry that his face turned blue. He ran to Yizhitang to find Song Mo and said, "You don't keep your word. You can't even give me the gift I gave you. I bought it for you with my own private money."

Song Mo had a dull expression. He raised his eyebrows and instructed Chen He: "Return everything that Master Shen sent to him!"

When Shen Qing heard this, she squatted on the ground and started crying: "I don't want you to return the things, I want you to get me into the Jinyiwei!"

Song Mo asked Chen He to "invite" Shen Qing and his things out.

Dou Zhao asked him: "Is this appropriate? Although Shen Qing has a childish personality, children will eventually grow up."

"I have my own arrangements for this matter." Song Mo kept her in suspense and touched her belly and asked, "Is the baby well behaved?"

"I turn over every afternoon, but the rest of the time I'm just lazy and don't move."

The couple smiled as they talked about their unborn child.

Soon, the wind began to feel bitingly cold.

The Duke of Ying's Mansion also began to prepare for Dou Zhao's birth, and the Crown Princess even went to Yizhi Hall in person to visit Dou Zhao once.

Suddenly, a piece of news came from Kyoto.

The Earl of Huichang recommended Wang Xingyi, the governor of Yunnan, to be the governor of Fujian.

Although the position has not changed, he has more real power.

Dou Zhao looked at the withered yellow leaves, slightly dazed.

Song Mo smiled and put a fur coat on her, saying, "Are you feeling uncomfortable?"

Dou Zhao nodded.

Song Mo smiled and said, "It was me who suggested meeting Lord Chang."

Dou Zhao was shocked.

Song Mo held her hand and said gently, "I know that Wang Yousheng has no merit in terms of personal morality, but he is a talent in terms of ability. You and Wang fought so hard in those years, but you never thought of Wang Yousheng. You just saw that he could still contribute to the country and the people. But I don't want to make you unhappy. I recommended him to Huichang Earl and placed Shen Qing in Fujian Dusi, just to let Wang Yousheng make wedding clothes for Shen Qing and let him taste the feeling of having his merits taken away by others and having no place to appeal..." At the end of the words, his face was cold, "Huichang Earl wants to change the family status and wants Shen Qing to be conferred a title for his merits. Isn't Wang Yousheng good at fighting and has won many battles? Then help Huichang Earl, I believe the emperor will remember his good deeds."

Dou Zhao and others knew what kind of person Shen Qing was.

In this way, as long as Shen Qing wants to make a step forward in his official career, Wang Xingyi will never leave Shen Qing, allowing him to serve the country while also being suppressed by Shen Qing for the rest of his life.

Dou Zhao's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Yan Tang!" She held his face and kissed him hard, "You are really good!"

Song Mo smiled slightly and said, "Can you rest assured now?"

Dou Zhao pursed his lips and looked at Song Mo with a smile.

In Song Mo's study, the palace lanterns shone brightly on the bright red cocklewood desk.

The news that Ding Yu had died of overeating was firmly suppressed under the bluestone paper.

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