"Master, what do you mean?" Shen Yimin stepped forward nervously. "Did something happen to Brother Mo?"
The master, knowing the good relationship between them, did not hide it. "Mo Lian's mother is seriously ill and hasn't come to the academy for several days."
The master sighed with pity. "This child is so pitiful. His father died early, leaving his frail mother to raise him. Besides studying at the academy, he spends his time writing for others to earn money, with almost no rest."
"Shen Yimin also often goes out to write for money. Besides supporting his younger siblings, he also has a malicious stepmother..."
"Master!"
Seeing that he was starting to say something inappropriate, Shen Yimin quickly interrupted him. "Thank you for telling me, Master. I will go and see Brother Mo now."
Li Yue Shu: "..."
This master didn't look old enough to be senile, so why was his eyesight so bad?
Li Yue Shu grumbled inwardly but showed no outward reaction. After politely greeting the master, she left.
The master stood there for a moment, only realizing what he had said after they had gone far away.
"Oh no, I actually called someone malicious in front of them!"
...
Li Yue Shu didn't take the master's words to heart at all. Instead, she was thinking about Mo Lian.
Could this person be the Mo Lian she was thinking of?
Li Yue Shu, filled with doubt, glanced at Shen Yimin, who looked worried beside her, and asked, "A'min, are you and this Mo Lian very close?"
Shen Yimin, worried about Mo Lian, still answered her. "We often copy books for people to earn money. In the academy, he is my only friend."
Li Yue Shu suddenly understood.
The case was solved. This Mo Lian was indeed the future Prime Minister!
In the original book, Mo Lian was a scholar from a humble background. By chance, he was taken as a disciple by the current Grand Tutor, Xu Xing. He navigated the court and rose to the position of Prime Minister.
Mo Lian had received help from the female protagonist many years ago, and later became a powerful assistant to the Crown Prince, who was the male protagonist in the book.
Mo Lian was an indispensable figure in the effort to bring down the powerful eunuch Shen Yimin.
However, after Shen Yimin's death, it was Mo Lian who, despite the rumors, arranged for his burial.
The book only explained this with a single sentence, stating that the two had been classmates and friends many years ago.
Li Yue Shu recalled the Mo Lian she had seen that day and couldn't help but purse her lips.
She hadn't expected that the future Prime Minister would now be just a fair-skinned, delicate young boy.
Lost in thought, they arrived at a dilapidated alley. Shen Yimin walked at the front, clearly having been here more than once.
Before they even got close, they saw the young man who had delivered the message that day tightly gripping a man's sleeve. The washed-out clothes looked dirty and disheveled.
The man pulled his sleeve away, his expression somewhat impatient. "Mo Lian, I let you and your mother stay here for free for half a month, which is more than enough. I rely on renting out this house to support my family. Even if you beg on your knees, I can't help you!"
Mo Lian's face turned pale, and his body swayed. His knees actually began to bend.
Just as he was about to kneel, a hand suddenly reached out from beside him, steadying him.
Mo Lian subconsciously looked up and saw a woman of stunning beauty, though her darkened skin concealed it.
Despite her slender frame, as if a gust of wind could blow her over, she stood like a mountain, supporting his tottering body.
Li Yue Shu took out a few taels of broken silver from her sleeve and handed it over. "Is this enough for the rent?"
The man took the silver and nodded repeatedly. "Enough, enough."
With the money in hand, he had nothing more to say and naturally left.
Mo Lian stood there in a daze, as if he hadn't recovered from the situation.
Shen Yimin walked over, looking at him with concern. "Brother Mo, are you alright?"
Mo Lian then snapped back to reality. Looking at the familiar faces before him, he guessed their identities.
He stepped aside and clasped his hands in a salute to Li Yue Shu. "Thank you, Madam, for your help. Mo Lian will gather the silver as soon as possible and repay you."
Li Yue Shu didn't care much about the money. Seeing Mo Lian's demeanor, it was clear he wouldn't be able to not repay it.
That was right. As the future Prime Minister, he must have his own pride.
With this thought, Li Yue Shu smiled faintly. "There's no hurry about the silver. We came today to thank you for delivering the message."
She beckoned, and Shen Wei obediently walked over with the cloth and pastries, thrusting them into Mo Lian's arms without a word.
Mo Lian looked bewildered.
Li Yue Shu: "..."
This guy really was...
Shen Yimin broke the silence first. "Brother Mo, I heard from the Master that your mother is ill. Is she gravely ill?"
At this mention, Mo Lian's expression darkened. "I've traveled to many towns and tried all sorts of medicine, but all the doctors said... she doesn't have much time left."
His voice trembled on the last four words.
The atmosphere instantly became heavy.
Seeing Mo Lian's somber expression, Li Yue Shu's heart ached. "If you trust me, why don't you let me try?"
Mo Lian looked up in surprise. "Madam, are you a doctor?"
Li Yue Shu didn't give a definitive answer. "I need to assess the situation first."
Perhaps as a last resort, Mo Lian somehow brought them into the house.
The house was small but very clean, showing that the people living there were living with care.
Not far away, a woman, thin as a skeleton with a greyish complexion, lay on the bed, covered by a patched quilt. If not for the faint rise and fall of her chest, she would have looked dead.
Li Yue Shu didn't waste time and immediately went to examine her.
After a general understanding of the situation, her brows furrowed deeply.
Li Yue Shu turned to look at the crowd behind her. "You all go outside. I need to give her a detailed examination."
Mo Lian's heart tightened. He wanted to ask something but was pulled out by Shen Wei.
He always obeyed Li Yue Shu's words the most.
Closing the door, Li Yue Shu took the sleeping Mo Mother into her space.
Outside, everyone waited anxiously. Mo Lian even forgot to put down the cloth and pastries.
After an unknown period, the door finally opened, and Li Yue Shu emerged with a grave expression.
Mo Lian rushed forward first, looking at her with hope. "Madam, my mother..."
Li Yue Shu's expression was complicated. "Your mother's lungs are completely diseased. To save her, a lung transplant is the only option."
In this world, Mo Mother's condition was terminal, which explained why Mo Lian in the original book lost his mother at a young age.
Upon hearing that his mother could be saved, Mo Lian immediately said, "Take mine! Give my lungs to my mother!"
Li Yue Shu's heart stirred, and she looked directly at the young man before her. "Without lungs, you will die."
Mo Lian's face turned pale, and his body trembled uncontrollably.
But his gaze remained firm. "As long as it saves my mother, I am willing!"
Li Yue Shu's heart felt as if it had been struck by something.
She looked at the young man before her and uttered a cruel sentence.