Looking at Li Yue Shu's serious and earnest face, Qin Mo Yuan curved his lips, "A Shu and I are thinking the same thing."
Under Li Yue Shu's confused gaze, he slowly said, "If we were to proactively ask for the Scarlet Flame Vine, given Qin Yi Jia's personality, she would definitely use it to make demands, and might even ask for A Wen and A Yi back." This was an unacceptable choice for the children and for Li Yue Shu.
Li Yue Shu hadn't expected him to think of these things, and her heart was touched. In the past, no matter what happened, she had to consider everything on her own. But now, Qin Mo Yuan would solve problems with her, even making more comprehensive arrangements for her.
After a brief moment of surprise, Li Yue Shu asked, "Do you have a plan?"
Qin Mo Yuan nodded. "The news of my return to Chong Zhou has spread, and the children's appearance will naturally draw the attention of those people. I believe it won't be long before the right people know their identities, and Qin Yi Jia will definitely come looking for us then."
Li Yue Shu's worried mood seemed to dissipate significantly. She nodded at Qin Mo Yuan, "Okay, I'll follow your arrangements."
Seeing her so obedient, Qin Mo Yuan's heartstrings felt a gentle, ticklish tug.
Li Yue Shu didn't notice his unusual reaction. She suddenly remembered what Hong Dai had said last night and asked softly, "I heard from Hong Dai that the Ting residence caught fire that year, and Qin Yi Jia went to the royal monastery to become a nun. Is there a connection between these two events?"
In Qin Mo Yuan's eyes, she was perhaps a demon of unknown origin, so it was normal for her not to know some things. As expected, Qin Mo Yuan didn't show surprise at her question, but his expression briefly changed as he thought of some matters.
He was silent for a moment before slowly saying, "A Wen and A Yi were originally named Ting Wen and Ting Yi. Their biological father was Ting Le Bai, one of my subordinates, and a brother who had shared life and death with me for many years."
Qin Mo Yuan paused, his voice seeming somewhat suppressed. "That year, he refused all rewards and used his numerous military achievements to ask the Emperor for a residence and to marry Qin Yi Jia. The Ting residence... was his home."
Li Yue Shu heard the name Ting Le Bai for the first time. The original book only mentioned that Princess Yonghe, Qin Yi Jia, had been married twice and had an army left by her husband, but it did not elaborate on the situations of her two husbands. From Qin Mo Yuan's words, he seemed to have a good relationship with Ting Le Bai, but he was not very friendly towards Qin Yi Jia. Qin Yi Jia was, after all, his half-sister, yet he always referred to her by her name, and his tone was even cold when mentioning it. What exactly happened? Why did Qin Yi Jia abandon A Wen and A Yi? Why did Qin Mo Yuan harbor such great animosity towards her? Why did they pretend the two children died in the fire?
Although Li Yue Shu had many questions, she could see the suppressed emotions beneath Qin Mo Yuan's expressionless face, and a trace of pain welled up in her heart. After a moment of hesitation, she still didn't ask, but instead asked, "Do the children know their biological father's identity?"
Qin Mo Yuan nodded, a hint of nostalgia appearing in his eyes. "When A Yi's poison is resolved, I want to take them to Le Bai's grave to pay our respects." He felt he had failed his friend's dying wish by letting A Yi carry unknown poison.
Li Yue Shu didn't miss the concern in his eyes. For some reason, it reminded her of He Xiao Yu. It was rare to find a true friend in life, and she had also experienced the feeling of being separated from a dear friend by death. However, Qin Mo Yuan at least had a place to pay his respects, while she could only rely on memories and the traces in the small kitchen of her space. Thinking of the scene where she dreamed of Xiao Yu last time, Li Yue Shu felt a deep sense of worry. Xiao Yu alone could not defeat the organization. She hoped Xiao Yu wouldn't do anything foolish!
Li Yue Shu sighed silently and said, "I will go pay my respects too."
Qin Mo Yuan looked at her in surprise. Li Yue Shu smiled faintly, "A Wen and A Yi call me mother, after all. I should also see their biological father and let him rest assured." Seeing Qin Mo Yuan's expression, she knew that Ting Le Bai cared about the two children, so she naturally had to pay her respects.
Qin Mo Yuan looked at the woman in front of him. As if thinking of something, his face suddenly softened. He nodded, "Alright, when A Yi's poison is resolved, I will take you to see Le Bai." Le Bai always said that with his personality, he would probably never meet a girl he liked in his lifetime. He hadn't cared about these things before, but now he could tell Le Bai that he had met a girl he liked.
Perhaps it was the intense emotion contained in his gaze, but Li Yue Shu inexplicably felt a little hesitant to meet his eyes. She averted her gaze and somewhat stiffly changed the subject, "Well... Hong Dai has selected a few locations for new pharmacies for me. I want to go see the specific situation in a few days."
Qin Mo Yuan smiled and nodded gently. Although he wanted to keep Li Yue Shu in the prince's mansion, he didn't intend to restrict her freedom. An A Shu without freedom would not be the A Shu he knew.
But the next moment, he suddenly remembered something, and his expression changed. "A Shu, I might have to take A Min to the palace these few days."
Li Yue Shu was startled, not understanding his meaning. She had heard from Elder Yan that ever since they arrived in Chong Zhou, the prince's mansion had received many visiting cards every day, but all had been refused. Even Qin Mo Yuan had been busy in his study and hadn't left the mansion. Why would he suddenly take A Min to the palace?
Qin Mo Yuan had promised not to deceive Li Yue Shu again, so he naturally didn't hide anything. "A Min carries not only the identity of a prince but also the dying wishes of his maternal family. For him to clear his maternal family's name, he must openly restore his status as a prince."
Although Li Yue Shu already knew the true identities of the four children, she was completely unaware of the events that had happened to them. Seeing that Qin Mo Yuan had no intention of hiding anything, she proactively asked, "Since A Min is a prince, why did he change his name and follow you to Tong Mu County back then?"
Qin Mo Yuan glanced at her, then suddenly got up and lit a small stove nearby. Li Yue Shu looked at his actions, feeling a little confused but didn't ask further. After placing the kettle on the small stove, Qin Mo Yuan finally spoke, "A Min is the son of the Emperor and Consort Rong. His birth name is Qin Yi, with the courtesy name Zi Min. His maternal grandfather, the Zheng family, was a military noble family from Chen Nan Kingdom. Years ago, due to treason, the Emperor personally ordered their arrest."
"However, the person sent to arrest them claimed that the Zheng family defied the imperial decree, resisted arrest, and rebelled with their troops. All three hundred plus members of the family were executed on the spot."
By the time he uttered the last four words, Qin Mo Yuan's tone had become heavy. The fire in the small stove was burning fiercely, but the wind around them felt chilling. Li Yue Shu had a bad premonition. "Where was A Min at that time?" A Min was a prince, and even if the Zheng family had indeed colluded with the enemy, it shouldn't have affected him, unless...
Qin Mo Yuan took a deep breath and slowly said, "A Min was at the Zheng family's home at that time, celebrating his maternal grandfather's birthday."