“That girl? The only things she probably cares about are her medicines and her own willful, self-indulgent ways.”
Leng Mingye’s words happened to be overheard by someone following behind—none other than Nan Zhu. Recalling the decisive and aloof demeanor of that little one, he couldn’t help but voice his thoughts.
“Hah, perhaps. Only she would know.”
Nan Zhu’s words made Leng Mingye think of the girl’s headstrong and reckless nature—fearless of heaven and earth, coupled with her current status. The thought of what she cared about brought a faint smile to his lips as he followed along. Yet inwardly, he murmured to himself: *I’ve already confessed my feelings to her, but what about her? Does she feel even the slightest affection or attraction toward me?*
—
“Alright, let go of me. If you have something to say, just say it directly.”
Wanqing had followed Feng Moli for quite some time, feeling the sedan chair finally come to a stop in a secluded yet elegant courtyard. As soon as the chair landed, the maids had already scattered away.
Left alone with him, she frowned irritably at this uncle who seemed both vaguely familiar and yet a stranger, still gripping her wrist. When he finally released her and stepped outside, she spoke bluntly.
“Your temper—only you would dare talk back to your uncle like that. Fine. This is my territory, so no need for formalities. Sit down, and let’s talk properly. Truth is, I arrived in the capital of Daqi days ago. But the moment I thought of my sister—your mother—I… I came to find you, hoping you’d return with me to Daqi. Perhaps only a mother-daughter bond can awaken her.”
Wanqing’s cold reaction made Feng Moli’s dark eyes narrow slightly, his expression tinged with rare displeasure. Yet he didn’t lose his temper, merely sighing helplessly before speaking. He strode over and sat down, watching as Wanqing hesitated before finally joining him. Only then did he explain his purpose.
“How is my mother, really?”
Despite the many speculations swirling in her mind, Wanqing still turned to him with the question.
“Let me make it brief. Years ago, I had Bai Gu and the others search for you, but to no avail. I couldn’t leave Daqi myself. But these days, your mother’s condition has worsened. If we don’t act soon, she may never wake again.”
At Wanqing’s inquiry, Feng Moli’s eyes flickered with hesitation. After a pause, he told her everything.
Through her uncle’s words, Wanqing finally understood the truth.
Her mother, Consort Hui, had indeed been poisoned shortly after her birth, just as Xu Momo had described. But afterward, her body had vanished—someone had infiltrated the palace and taken her away.
That person was also from Daqi. Upon learning of her death, her uncle, along with the current king and queen of Daqi (her grandparents), had worked to save her.
They had immersed her in Daqi’s famed hot springs for treatment. Though they managed to sustain her life all these years, her body’s warmth and vitality had gradually faded. If she lost consciousness completely, not even the gods could save her.
So recently, her grandparents had sent her uncle to find Bai Gu and inquire about any leads.
And thus, this situation had unfolded.
“So, if I go, I might be able to wake my mother. But Uncle, there’s something I don’t understand—Prince Ning and I share the same mother. Why didn’t you try having him awaken her?”
The thought that her mother was still alive, coupled with the worry and tenderness in her uncle’s eyes when speaking of her, made Wanqing sense that he and her mother must have been close.
Considering his words—that he had come specifically for someone connected to her mother—she thought of Prince Ning’s relationship with Bai Gu. He was the first and earliest known son of her mother, even acknowledged sixteen years ago.
Yet why hadn’t they sought him out instead? Both were her children—either should suffice. Back then, she had been young, sent to the Mu family with an uncertain fate, while Prince Ning had been right there. Why wasn’t he an option?
“Him? I tried years ago. It didn’t work. Perhaps only you can…”
At Wanqing’s question, Feng Moli’s dark eyes dimmed with disappointment as he answered.
“Why? Why would I succeed?”
Though his words suggested possibility, Wanqing couldn’t help but press further. If Prince Ning and her mother shared the same bond, why the difference?
“It seems you truly are as Bai Gu said—never judge by appearances. If I don’t tell you the truth today, you’ll never agree to return and save her. Fine. The reason is this: you and Prince Ning do not share the same mother.”
Wanqing’s puzzled expression made Feng Moli hesitate, but he finally spoke slowly.
“Prince Ning and I don’t share the same mother? I don’t understand. If he isn’t my mother’s child, then whose is he?”
His explanation only deepened Wanqing’s confusion.
“He is my sister’s child—but not yours.”
Seeing her bafflement, Feng Moli sighed before continuing.
“Also your sister’s? Don’t you only have one sister? How could we not share the same mother? I—”
Her uncle’s words clashed with everything she’d heard before, leaving Wanqing utterly lost. She stared at him in bewilderment. He didn’t seem delirious—so why say such things?
“Who told you I only have one sister? Your mother and his mother are both my sisters—and they looked identical. They were twins.”
At Wanqing’s skeptical look, Feng Moli, though reluctant, smiled faintly and revealed the truth.
“Twins? So both sisters married my father? But marrying him wasn’t a bad thing—why hide it? Why present only one?”
Though somewhat relieved, Wanqing remained perplexed. If they were sisters, sharing a husband wasn’t unheard of. Why conceal their relationship?
“That story goes back many years. My two sisters were separated as children. The elder—Prince Ning’s mother—grew up with us. When she married into the Da Ming court as a consort, my mother had just found the younger sister. But who knew the younger one was rebellious? After a scolding from our mother, she fled the palace. We searched for her endlessly, even alerting the elder sister—but she never found her.”
Then, sixteen years ago, she suddenly returned, pregnant—with you.
At the same time, chaos erupted in the Da Ming palace. My elder sister perished in the turmoil. Devastated, your mother—the younger sister—went to Da Ming to investigate her death while carrying you.
The elder sister had also been pregnant, her due date close to your mother’s. But your father—the king of Da Ming, my brother-in-law—had suddenly changed, replaced by Prince An. And Prince An targeted your mother as well.
Since she had been away, no one knew who had fathered her child. Revealing it would have shamed the entire Daqi royal family. And since she hadn’t been in the palace before, we never disclosed her identity.
Apart from you, your grandmother, and me—only Bai Gu knows the truth.
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