On August 12th, the Emperor moved from the Summer Palace in the Western Gardens back to the Forbidden City.
The procession returning to the palace was led by flag-bearing guards at the front and protected by the Imperial Guard at the rear. Though it was only a few dozen li, the grand spectacle stretched for miles, with banners fluttering in the wind. The front of the procession had already entered the palace gates while the rear was still leaving the Summer Palace, exciting the onlooking commoners who pointed and discussed animatedly.
Song Mo had just finished his duties and was preparing to leave the palace when Wang Ge, Wang Yuan’s adopted son, invited him to Cining Palace.
Princess Jingfu’s birth mother, Consort Ning, was also there.
She sat smiling below the Empress Dowager. Seeing Song Mo enter, she rose and whispered a few words in the Empress Dowager’s ear.
The Empress Dowager nodded with a smile, looking at him with great kindness.
“How is the Duke of Ying’s health?” The Empress Dowager beckoned Song Mo over and warmly engaged him in casual conversation.
Usually, Consort Ning seemed indecisive and hesitant, but who would have thought she could be so decisive at a crucial moment, seeking out the Empress Dowager as soon as they returned to the palace?
It seemed he had underestimated these palace consorts!
Song Mo inwardly composed himself and respectfully answered the Empress Dowager’s questions with a smile.
Soon after, the Empress and Consort Su arrived together.
Seeing Song Mo, the Empress smiled and nodded at him, while Consort Su looked quite surprised, her gaze towards Consort Ning flashing with a hint of mockery.
Song Mo had no desire to stand there being scrutinized, especially since he had no intention of becoming entangled with these people again.
He smiled, bowed politely, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then took his leave, returning to the Duke of Ying’s mansion.
However, Yan Chaoqing informed him: “The Duke submitted a memorial early this morning and has now gone to the palace to seek an audience with the Emperor.”
Song Mo smiled and said, “He’s probably gone to inform the Emperor about my engagement to the Dou family.” Otherwise, if the Emperor’s edict came down after he had already become engaged to Dou Zhao, wouldn’t that edict become a joke? If the Song family were to break off the engagement with the Dou family because of this, the imperial family would inevitably gain a reputation for forcing their subjects to remarry. If the Song family didn’t break off the engagement, where would the imperial family’s dignity be?
The Emperor had just settled in after returning to the palace when he heard that Song Yichun was seeking an audience. Thinking that he might become in-laws with Song Yichun in the future, he set aside the Crown Prince’s memorials and met with Song Yichun first.
But he never expected that Song Yichun’s urgent request for an audience was to ask for a few more days of leave for Song Mo.
“So you’re saying you’ve already exchanged marriage contracts with the Dou family and set the wedding date for the 24th of this month?” The Emperor reclined on the large kang bed, his eyes, seemingly clouded from overindulgence in wine and women, flashed with a hint of sharpness. His tone sounded light as he continued, “Then you’ve become in-laws with Dou Yuanji? This Dou Yuanji didn’t breathe a word of this to me!”
Song Yichun hurriedly replied, “How could I dare to disturb Your Majesty’s peace with my family matters?”
The Emperor said no more and waved his hand dismissively.
Song Yichun respectfully withdrew.
The Emperor’s face darkened.
Wang Ge entered with a broad smile: “Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager requests your presence.” He added, “The Empress, Consort Ning, and Consort Su are all there.”
Wang Yuan, who was attending nearby, glared fiercely at Wang Ge.
Wang Ge was slightly taken aback.
The Emperor had already angrily thrown the memorial in his hand onto the desk.
Song Yichun wiped his sweat and made his way back to the mansion.
Hearing that Song Mo had returned, he instructed a servant to summon him.
If Song Mo knew what kind of marriage he had arranged for him, his expression would surely be quite interesting.
Song Yichun couldn’t help but reveal a smug smile.
The servant returned, however, saying, “The young master has gone out.”
It was as if he had been drinking, feeling light and floating on clouds, only to be suddenly struck on the head and fall from those clouds.
Song Yichun shouted, “Bunch of fools! Where did the young master go?”
The servant trembled, fearfully replying, “This lowly one doesn’t know! The people at Yizhi Hall only said the young master went to see a friend. Who exactly, this lowly one didn’t dare to ask…” He mumbled, his body shrinking as if preparing to be beaten.
Song Yichun’s chest heaved with anger, but after a moment’s thought, he ultimately decided not to take it out on this servant.
Meanwhile, Song Mo had slipped into the shadows of a nearby flowering tree. After two-night patrol matrons passed by, chatting in low voices, he picked up a small pebble from under the tree and tossed it with a “thunk” against Dou Zhao’s window lattice.
The light was still on in Dou Zhao’s inner chamber, but there was no response for a long while.
Song Mo wasn’t in a hurry; he tossed a pebble every few breaths.
Dou Zhao was leaning against her bed, engrossed in reading a book, completely oblivious to the noise. It was Suxin, who was doing needlework nearby, who noticed. She discreetly opened the window a crack and saw Song Mo standing in the tree’s shadow.
“Miss, the young master has come,” she said softly.
Dou Zhao was startled.
With the Emperor just having returned to the palace and the various guards still changing shifts, she had thought she wouldn’t see Song Mo until early the next morning.
“Please invite him in to talk,” Dou Zhao said, changing her clothes and going to the unlit hall.
Suxin opened the door for Song Mo.
Song Mo handed Suxin two boxes of snacks, saying, “Pea cakes from the palace.”
Suxin glanced down at Dou Zhao.
No one knew better than she and Mr. Chen why the fourth miss wanted to see the young master.
Her hands trembled slightly as she accepted the snacks… She hurriedly curtsied, stammered her thanks, served tea, and withdrew.
Song Mo asked Dou Zhao, “What urgent matter did you need to see me about?”