Chen Qushui saw Yan Chaoying walk in, but he still forced a friendly smile and bowed respectfully to Yan Chaoying.

  Yan Chaoqin politely returned the courtesy.

  The two of them sat down as host and guest.

  A slender man quietly served them tea.

  "Ah, Mr. Yan, I didn't expect to run into you here! Although this gentleman looks quite ordinary, his demeanor is steady and refined, and I couldn't help but take a second glance. Ha ha, let me introduce myself: my surname is Chen, my name is Bo, and my courtesy name is Qu Shui. I was once granted mercy by the Duke of Dingguo and have been living in seclusion at the Beilou Duan family's estate as an accountant. Who would have thought that the prolonged rain in True North County would bring me here? Our young mistress, being filial to a fault, couldn't bear for the elderly lady to venture out in the wind and rain, so she persuaded her to stay behind and took her place instead. The elderly lady, seeing that I'm the oldest, instructed me to accompany our young mistress on this trip, thinking that there would be someone to attend to any matters that may arise. And now, here we are, running into you, Mr. Yan!"

  "I was really frightened at that time. Thinking of myself falling to this point, where do I still have the face to see old friends? But also thinking of the great kindness of Dingguo Gong to me back then, which I had never been able to repay, my heart is very uneasy. If I can talk about the shame in my heart with old friends from those years, it's also a fate. Therefore, I venture to come and disturb you, please forgive me, Mr. Yan!"

  His words convey several layers of meaning.

  Here is the translation:

  Firstly, he said that he had not forgotten the kindness of Duke Dingguo's pardon and was deeply grateful for it. Secondly, he warned Yan Chaoying and others that Duan Zhao was the young lady of the Beilou Duan family, and she came to Tianzhuang after notifying her elders at home, hinting to Yan Chaoying not to make any moves, otherwise, they would offend the Beilou Duan family. Thirdly, he said that he was now poor and down on his luck, and in order to make a living, he had become an accountant for the Duan family. The reason he could accompany Miss Duan to Tianzhuang was entirely because of his seniority. Not having to avoid suspicion didn't mean that the Duan family treated him differently; it implied that Yan Chaoying shouldn't know about his identity and background. Fourthly, he stated that he was very satisfied with his current life and hoped that Yan Chaoying wouldn't expose his identity, and he also wouldn't mention their identities to the people of the Duan family.

  Yan Chaoqing didn't believe a single word!

  At first, the Japanese pirates retreated, and Ding Guogong was kind-hearted. Except for Zhang Kuo's subordinates who chose to stay or leave, Chen Quanshui was the first person to leave Fujian.

  Since the Fourth Miss of the Tian Zhuang was so valued by the Old Lady Duan, why did she need to come in person on a windy and rainy day? Wouldn't it be enough to send someone to take a look at the Tian Zhuang?

  Chen Qu Shui claimed to be just an ordinary accountant, so why did he come to pay his respects to the young master only after meeting Miss Duan's fourth daughter?

  What he said would not reveal the identity of the young master to others, that's even a bigger lie - if Miss Duan didn't know anything about the young master, how could he say such things?

  He had no intention of saying more to Chen Quanshui, anyway, the young master had already made up his mind, and whatever he said would be a waste of words.

  "Mr. Chen, you're being too serious." Yan Zhaoqing smiled warmly and kindly, "Those are just old stories, don't take them to heart. Speaking of which, it's indeed fate that we meet again in a foreign land. I still remember things clearly from back then. I recall that autumn was particularly hot, when the news arrived that the Japanese pirates were besieging Fuzhou City, I and Dingguo Gong were eating new seasonal pears in the courtyard..."

  He didn't mention today's matter again.

  Chen Sishui's heart sank slowly, as if it had been soaked in water.

  ※※※※※

  Half an hour later, Yan Chaoqing saw Chen Si off.

  He went into Song Mo's inner chamber.

  Song Mo was sitting on the kang by the window, head down looking at a map, while the person serving tea to Chen Qu Shui stood quietly behind him with his eyes cast downward, like a wooden carving on the shelf of the nearby treasure pavilion.

  Hearing the noise, he raised his head and asked faintly: "Is the person gone?"

  "He's gone!" Yan Chaoqing told Song Mo what had been said between the two of them.

  Song Mo nodded slightly and said, "Don't worry about them anymore." Then he asked the person behind him, "Lu Ming, go take a look if Shi An has returned or not?"

  Lu Ming left at the sound of the voice.

  Yan Chaoqing's eyes showed confusion.

  Song Mo smiled and said: "I'm planning to take action at midnight tonight."

  Yan Chaoqing's eyes narrowed slightly.

  Xu Qing with a honest face walked in.

  "Master!" He bowed with his fists to Song Mo, "The guards who were patrolling the Dou family's residence suddenly all got called to the front yard, getting ready to leave."

  "Ah!" Song Mo raised an eyebrow, smiled and glanced at Yan Chaoqing, saying: "I didn't expect Mr. Chen to act so quickly, he's quite a talent." After thinking for a moment, he got down from the bed, "Let's go take a look - how are they planning to leave?"

  He had men stationed at every entrance and exit of the mansion.

  The two of them followed Song Mo out of the room together.

  The rain showed no signs of abating, pounding against the roof tiles, leaves and ground with a deafening patter, while the air was filled with wave after wave of mist.

  The Dou family's guards, wearing rain capes and hats, were surrounding a girl who was also wearing a rain cape and hat, but with an extra pair of wooden clogs on her feet, hurrying out. Chen Quanshui, who would never reveal their whereabouts to anyone, tightly followed the girl with a tung oil umbrella. The maids and old women were nowhere to be seen, apparently abandoning the camp to escort the fourth miss of the Dou family out of the estate with all their might.

  Song Mo couldn't help but laugh and shouted "Miss Dou Si".

  The girl turned her head and looked over.

  Under the bamboo hat, a snow-white face, long eyebrows reaching the temples, sparkling eyes, and gentle beauty with a hint of heroic spirit.

  He was slightly taken aback.

  Yan Chaoqing had already made a gesture.

  Men emerged from the rooftops around them, each with a quiver full of arrows on his back and holding a military bow, taking aim at the people in the courtyard.

  Chen Qu's scalp felt numb all of a sudden.

  This bow can shoot through anyone within a hundred paces.

  "Miss," he reminded Duan Zhao, "beware of those bows and arrows!"

  "Miss, quickly hide behind me!" Duan Gongyi said in a loud and urgent tone.

  Dong Zhao nodded, but walked a few steps towards the east wing where Song Mo was standing and asked loudly: "Lord Mei, what do you intend to do?"

  The Dou family's guards moved in a flurry of footsteps and once again surrounded Dou Zhaowei in the center.

  Song Mo saw the guards of the Duan family enter and exit in an orderly manner, and couldn't help but reveal a few points of admiring gaze.

  "Miss Duan, it's windy and rainy," he said with a smile. "I just want to ask Miss Duan to go back to her room." His voice was warm, but his words sent chills down one's spine.

  Dong Zhao's face turned red with rage, and he shouted loudly: "Lord Mei, I kindly allowed you to stay here, but you repay my kindness with enmity, wanting to put me to death. Is this the behavior of a gentleman?"

  Song Mo couldn't help but sneer coldly.

  This Miss Douruo looks quite pretty. I didn't expect her to say something so stupid, what is she thinking? Isn't this a clear-cut matter? What a pity for such a good-looking face.

  "Miss Duan's words are quite wrong!" He suddenly became dispirited and said, "I just asked Miss Duan to return to the house, why mention life and death? Please don't misunderstand, Miss Duan." As he spoke, he made a gesture, and a sharp tearing sound echoed in the sky. Several arrows were shot into the ground near the feet of several guards at the gate, causing them to retreat in surprise. The people crowded behind him also retreated, and the formation surrounding Duan Zhao was dispersed. The scene became somewhat chaotic, and if not for Duan Gongyi's escort, Duan Zhao almost fell over.

  "Mei Gongzi, you've gone too far!" Dou Zhao's face turned bright red with rage as he shouted, "How can you indiscriminately slaughter the innocent?" His voice was already choked with sobs.

  Song Mo lazily said, "Since Miss Diao Si has a Bodhisattva heart, why must you wrongly kill the innocent and let those guards lose their lives for nothing? Please return to your room, Miss Diao Si!"

  "You..." Du Zhaoqi was so angry she was jumping up and down.

  Song Mo remained unmoved.

  In the midst of the stalemate, a sudden burst of infant wailing echoed through the courtyard.

  "Miss!" Suran suddenly emerged from behind a wintergreen tree next to her and ran quickly to the veranda of the main house, "I'm guilty, I don't dare disobey orders!"

  She hugged the child and rushed towards Dong Zhaorong with a smile on her face.

  Song Mo and others were shocked and rushed out of the corridor of the east wing, but Dou's guards had already formed a barrier between them and the main house. Dou Zhao also ran back to the corridor of the main house under the protection of Duan Gongyi and Chen Quanshui.

  She took over the child, gently rocking him back and forth, making soft, clear but unintelligible sounds with her mouth, and the child soon calmed down.

  Song Mo stood in the rain, letting the rain hit his face, his complexion was ashen, and Yan Chaoqing and others who followed him were even more disheartened.

  The milkmaid rushed out of the house.

  "Master, someone has snatched the child..." She shouted in a hoarse voice, her face covered with tears.

  Song Mo made a silencing gesture.

  The wet nurse closed her mouth, crying silently, and when she looked up, she saw Du Zhao coaxing a child under the eaves of the opposite house, and her eyes widened in shock.

  "Miss Dòu," Sòng Mò gazed at Dòu Zhāo, his voice as gentle and languid as before, "why don't we sit down and have a good talk? What do you think?"

  Dong Zhaoming smiled slightly, and his eyes seemed to shine even brighter: "Lord Mei, I also think we should sit down and have a good talk."

  ※※※※※

  The hall was filled with the scent of lilies, faintly floating in the air and mixing with the dampness, giving a sense of suffocation.

  Song Mo changed into a clean lotus green robe and walked in with Yan Chaoqing and Lu Ming, neither slowly nor hastily.

  Dong Zhao held the child and sat on the master chair at the head of the hall, with Chen Quanshui standing to his left and Duan Gongyi to his right.

  Dong Zhao nodded slightly and smiled politely: "Lord Mei, please take a seat."

  Song Mo glanced at the child.

  The child seems to have fallen asleep and is very quiet.

  He sat under Du Zhao, Yan Chaoqing and Lu Ming stood behind him.

  With nimble hands and feet, she served them tea.

  Song Mo couldn't help but take a glance at Su Xin.

  It was this maid who rushed into the house and snatched away the child.

  I really didn't expect that there would be such a person beside the fourth miss of the Duan family.

  He raised his head and looked seriously at the girl sitting across from him for the first time.

  ※

  Sisters, brothers, I know it's a bit late, but I don't want to post it and then have to redo it again, so I got up early this morning and reviewed the draft again, and made many changes. Please understand!......o(n_n)o...... Then, continue to ask for pink votes... Pink votes ah...

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