Dòu Zhāo gets to know Sòng Mò. Elegant words and feelings are first expressed.

  At this time, Song Mo was still young and had a youthful appearance, but she recognized him at a glance.

  At that time, Song Mo had already made a name for himself in Kyoto. Tuo's daughter passed away, and she had already established herself in the Jin Ninghou Mansion. However, inexplicably, she didn't want others to know, so she quietly set off with her five-year-old daughter to attend the funeral in Zhending. On their way back to the capital, they encountered a heavy rainstorm, and their carriage became stuck in the mud, breaking an axle. They had no choice but to take shelter in a rural scholar's home.

  She was exhausted at the time, and a part of her seemed to have disappeared with Tuo's death. A slight breeze or rain made her powerless to resist, leaning on the inner room's window sill in the master's house, closing her eyes to rest, but when she opened them again, Yin Jie'er was nowhere to be seen.

  She was so anxious that she didn't even have the strength to scold anyone, and she hastily put on a cloak and rushed out of the door. She searched all the way to the front yard's corridor, where she coincidentally ran into Song Mo, who had also taken refuge from the heavy rain.

  He was squatting under the veranda in the front yard, listening intently to Yin Jie's words: "...... it's called dog tail grass, look, doesn't it swing back and forth like a dog's tail?"

  Heavy rain poured down like a waterfall, with water curtains dividing the corridors and handrails into two worlds.

  He wore a dark-colored coarse linen robe, with white hemp embroidery around the edges of his clothes, and there was not a single ornament on his body, simple and elegant. His delicate and pale face was like glazed white porcelain, emitting a gentle and elegant glow in the dim light, and his dark eyes seemed like bright jewels, shining brightly.

  Heavily armored guards stood in the courtyard, silent as statues, unmoving as the rain washed over their helmets and armor.

  Yin Jie's childish voice was like a chirping sparrow, echoing clearly in the courtyard.

  He leaned in and listened intently to Yinyin's childish chatter, as if nothing else in the world was more important.

  Not only that, he also nodded from time to time and chimed in with "Really?", "I never knew", and "Is that so?"

  She was stunned at the time, and without thinking, she made a gesture to stop the shouting of the maidservants, standing quietly there. Looking at her daughter's face, which was flushed with excitement, and her sparkling eyes, shining with joy, she couldn't bear to make a sound, as if it would ruin the beautiful scene in front of her, leaving her with eternal regret.

  "I went with Mother to mourn for Auntie, why are you here too?" the daughter asked him with wide eyes.

  He smiled and gently brushed aside the dogtail grass that his daughter was holding, which swayed back and forth like it had drunk too much wine.

  "I'm going to pay respects to my sister!"

  "Why didn't you bring your daughter? My mother always takes me wherever she goes!"

  "I have no children."

  "Why don't you have children?"

  "I don't have children of my own." He gently stroked Yinsister's hair, his movements soft and delicate. It was as if Yinsister were a fragile porcelain doll, but a deep sadness flashed in the depths of her eyes. "Not everyone is suited to be parents..." He said this, then suddenly smiled brightly, his smile radiant like a summer day, illuminating the entire courtyard. Then he stood up, patted Yinsister's shoulder, and gently said: "Alright, hurry back to your mother now. Be careful or she'll worry if she can't find you."

  Yin Jie nodded vigorously and ran towards the backyard along the corridor with a patter.

  He stood still, seeing Yin Jie's figure disappear at the corner of the corridor before turning around to face the guards in the courtyard with his hands behind his back. The atmosphere was suddenly filled with a sense of killing intent, causing Duan Zhao to shiver involuntarily.

  A man wearing a bright red three-piece brocade uniform with a dragon pattern hastily walked through the heavily armed guards, and humbly knelt on one knee in front of him, speaking in a low voice. She only then realized that she had seen something she shouldn't have, and quickly retreated to the backyard with light steps.

  She felt a gaze on her, like a thorn in the back. But she didn't dare turn around, only quickened her pace and hastily rushed towards the inner courtyard.

  It wasn't until the next morning that the wife of the local gentry, trembling with fear, told her that Song Daoren, the commander of the Divine Machinery Battalion, had made a brief stop at their house the night before. Only then did she realize that the handsome young man was actually the famous Song Mo.

  She never saw him again after that.

  But his serious expression when listening to his daughter's words was deeply etched in her heart.

  She sometimes thought that it was no wonder so many women knew he had a bad reputation but still followed him willingly, as he also had a good side to him.

  Sometimes it is also guessed that he found out that day that he didn't have one after all?

  He also wondered who was the "sister" he went to worship - the British Duke had only two sons and no daughters.

  Never expected so many years have passed, she met him again.

  Dong Zha rubbed his face which was stiff from a sleepless night and asked Su Xin: "What time is it now?"

  She was first anxious and uneasy, then panicked and disheveled, followed by a sleepless night. Su Xin watched as her heart felt like it had been scratched by a cat, making her restless and unable to sit or stand still, also going without sleep for the whole night. When she heard her ask a question, Su Xin immediately got up and took a look at the water clock, saying: "It's just the third watch, Miss, you should go back to sleep!"

  Dong Zhao sat up and said, "Anyway, I couldn't sleep, might as well get up." Then he asked the lodging guests, "Have they left?"

  "It's impossible to go out!" Su Xin said, helping Du Zhao lift up half of the curtain and hooking it with a silver ornament in the shape of a phoenix and sun, "The rain is getting heavier and heavier, you can even swim ducks in the courtyard now."

  Dongfang listened carefully with his ears perked up.

  The raindrops continued to patter against the roof tiles like scattered beans.

  She thought of the time she passed by the British Consulate, where ancient trees with trunks as thick as a man's embrace had canopies like umbrellas, densely and luxuriantly stretching out from the crumbling walls, though in decline, still exuding an air of antiquity, rich and profound, serene as if timeless.

  She instructed Su Xin: "You go and tell Duan Gongyi and Chen Xiaofeng that those people can do whatever they want, just let them do it, try to be polite and courteous, don't conflict with them, and send the person away respectfully."

  A moment of stunned silence.

  The Duan family was a wealthy and influential household, and the fourth young lady was not someone who feared trouble. However, at this moment, her tone carried a hint of evasiveness and fear.

  She thought of Du Zhao's pale face last night.

  Did Fourth Miss see something?

  What's the origin of these people that even Fourth Miss doesn't dare offend them?

  Dong Zhaonaturally saw Su Xin's confusion, but she couldn't say anything.

  The British Embassy is located in the north of the city, in a hutong called Jiao Dao Hutong, which occupies an entire hutong. The embassy has been there for over 100 years and was once very prosperous, but now it's in decline. Old Beijing residents still call it "British Embassy Hutong", while few people know its original name is actually Jiao Dao Hutong.

  After Song Meiren killed her brother, people from the nearby hutongs, including Jian Dao Hutong, claimed to have heard wailing sounds at midnight, and those who had some savings all moved out. Although it's a relatively central location in Beijing, it gradually became desolate and was inhabited by the lowest class of people.

  Even so, no one dared to sneak into the empty British Embassy, and everyone could only watch as the once-prosperous embassy declined day by day.

  Dong Zhao thought he couldn't afford to offend someone like him.

  "Don't ask, just follow my instructions." She repeatedly reminded Su Xin.

  She replied solemnly and went out to inform Duan Gongyi. When she came back, her face showed hesitation, and she said in a low voice: "Fourth Miss, Mr. Chen seems not to have slept all night either. Just now when I went out, his personal servant asked me if you were awake, saying that Mr. Chen had already sent him to check on you several times."

  Dòu Zhāo was somewhat surprised.

  Could Mr. Chen have seen something too?

  Mr. Chen is secretive about his past, but through two years of contact, listening to him comment on the figures in the imperial court with ease and accuracy, she also knows that Mr. Chen is not a simple person.

  Dong Zhaobing said: "Please ask Mr. Chen to come to the hall and have some tea."

  With a pure heart, respond to the call and leave.

  Ganlu came over to serve her, helping her with her hair and dressing.

  Su Lan was helping to pass small items such as towels and socks on the side, while whispering to Du Zhao: "Fourth Miss, what do you think? That young master who came to our house to stay, what kind of person is he? He's really handsome! I've never seen anyone so handsome before. And where is his family from? Is he going somewhere for business..."

  Dong Zhao gazed at Su Lan's eyes, which were full of longing. "Heh" he laughed and teased: "I'll give you to him as a maid!"

  "No, no." Su Lan immediately jumped up and muttered discontentedly, "Miss is teasing me again. I just think he's very handsome and can't take my eyes off him, but that doesn't mean I should go be his maid! I don't even know who he is or if he's a good person or a bad one..."

  Dòu Zhāo only thought it was interesting.

  In Kyoto, many noblewomen secretly gossip about Song Mu. However, if someone mentions Song Mu in a public setting, they all sit up straight and pretend to have never heard of him before. It's better to be like Su Lan, open and honest.

  Ganlu smiled and scolded Sulan: "You also know that the young lady is joking with you, right? Then why care where he's from or where he goes?"

  Su Lan giggled and handed a hairpin to Gan Lu, who helped Dou Zhao pin it up.

  Dòu Zhāo smiled faintly.

  Since the incident with Pang Kunbai, the estrangement between Ganluo, Suzi and Bie sisters has been immediately eliminated. They are now as close as sisters in words and deeds. The atmosphere in Douding's house also became warm and lively.

  Mr. Chen had a heavy, dark eye sockets, his expression was solemn, and his face looked particularly haggard, it could be seen that he also didn't sleep well last night.

  He asked Du Zhao to dismiss the maidservant who was serving in the house.

  "Fourth Miss, I'm afraid we've gotten ourselves into trouble," Chen Quanshui said in a low voice. "Those people aren't ordinary, and I suspect that young master is the son of the British Consul, Song Mo."

  He spoke a word that revealed the mystery of heaven, and Duan Zhao was startled, and said in a condensed voice: "How did you see through it?"

  Chen Qu Shui was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice: "Thanks to Miss's mistaken love, I have never asked where I went during those years when I wasn't with you..." As he spoke, his eyes revealed a hint of sadness. "Those years, I was in Fuzhou, serving as a clerk for Fujian Governor Zhang Kai." He guessed that Du Zhao might not know who Zhang Kai was and, suppressing his shame, explained: "Thirteen years ago, the Japanese pirates besieged Fuzhou City, and Governor Zhang abandoned the city and fled. He was captured by General Jiang Meiying of Fujian and beheaded. According to precedent, we, as Governor Zhang's private clerks, should have been executed along with him as a warning to others. However, General Jiang said that since the enemy was at hand, we should unite and focus on external threats. As long as we were not the main culprits, we would have the opportunity to redeem ourselves by making amends. He spared our lives and allowed us to serve in the government office, just like regular officials."

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  Everyone who is reading this, the update will be a bit late, so let's all take a look tomorrow morning.

  o(n_n)o~

  PS: Looking for pink tickets...

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