"It's because Mother's passing was so inexplicable that I dare to make wild guesses! Mother had always been in good health, how could she suddenly die like that? Who forced her to write a divorce agreement before her death and even personally arrange the wedding to marry Su Shi on your behalf?!"

Duke Pingguo's veins bulged, and he felt as if the wound on his chest, which had not yet healed, was about to burst open again. He took a deep breath and said, "Go find your eldest sister first. Your mother left you a will. Understand it before you come to question me."

Yun Tianbai clearly didn't believe it. "You must have put on such a convincing act that you tricked Mother into writing some kind of will! I don't believe it!"

Yun Manyan rushed over, “Brother, don’t be impulsive! Let me explain. After Mother returned to the capital, I stayed by her side. No, I should say I’ve always been by her side. Mother’s headaches didn’t just appear recently; they started showing signs three years ago. But headaches are difficult to cure; we’ve seen many doctors and imperial physicians, but none of them could help. If you don’t believe me, you can ask the former physician of the Zhang family in our Yun household. Last year, when the Marquis’s mansion was raided, I clearly noticed that Mother’s headaches were getting worse. When the news of Father’s death came, Mother fell ill. At that time, Physician Gu predicted that Mother wouldn’t live more than three days. It was my cousin Youran who gave her medicine and acupuncture, which allowed Mother to live for another half a month…”

She took a breath and continued, "Father didn't actually die, but he was seriously injured and unconscious when he returned to the manor, his life hanging by a thread. It was my little cousin and Doctor Gu who managed to remove the arrowhead and stitch up the wound, but he remained unconscious. When Mother went to Guangxiao Temple to pray for blessings, the abbot advised her that she needed to find a destined person to perform a ritual to bring good luck in order to give Father a chance to live. That's why Mother was ordered to enter the manor to perform this ritual."

When they were in Taizhou, Yun Manyan was already quite close to Madam Su, so after Madam Su entered the mansion, she accepted her as her mother without any psychological barriers.

It should be said that, apart from Yun Tianbai, everyone in the Yun family who had been demoted to commoners was very close to Madam Su. They were overjoyed when Madam Su entered the Yun family.

Yun Tianbai was furious and didn't believe it at all. "What abbot! Was he someone bribed and arranged by Jiang Youran and the Su family?!"

Yun Manyan shoved him angrily, "What Jiang Youran and Su Shi?! Little Youran is now Su Youran, our own sister! Our aunt is our legal mother! They had no idea Mother was going to Guangxiao Temple to pray for blessings, so how could they possibly be bribing or making any arrangements?!"

Yun Tianbai's mind went blank for a moment. Jiang Youran had become Su Youran?

Why?

Changing your surname isn't that easy!

What exactly happened in this life? Why are so many things different from my previous life?

My mother in my previous life also died of a headache, but it happened the following year after my father was reinstated and returned to the capital.

Why did my father get reinstated to his official position more than a year earlier in this life, and why did my mother die more than a year earlier?

Duke Pingguo waved his hand, "You two siblings should have a good chat first. Bai-ge'er, you've just returned, and there are many things you may not know. Let your older sister tell you all about it."

Yun Manyan pulled her younger brother out of their father's study.

Yun Tianbai asked in astonishment, "Big sister, why did Jiang Youran become Su Youran?"

Yun Manyan recounted how the Yong'an Marquis's mansion had repeatedly plotted against Madam Su and her daughter, attempted to force Xiao Youran to return to the Jiang family, and how Madam Su had angrily given her children her mother's surname.

Yun Tianbai was even more shocked. "Big sister, what did you just say? Jiang, oh no, Su Youran is a county princess? Su Shi is a fifth-rank lady-in-waiting, holding the official position of guest minister?"

Yun Manyan nodded, her face full of admiration, and said, "Yes, Mother is indeed a very intelligent woman, and she has taught Sixth Sister to be very intelligent as well."

After Xiao Youran entered the Yun family, she became the sixth daughter of the Yun family.

Although she still shares the surname Su, it doesn't stop her older brothers and sisters from calling her Sixth Sister.

Yun Tianbai's head was buzzing. Unlike his previous life, Su Shi hadn't died of illness; instead, she had become his legal mother?!

Then Jiang Youran... could no longer be his wife, but only his nominal younger sister?!

He disregarded everything else for a moment, staring at Yun Manwan and asking, "Eldest sister, where is Jiang You... Sixth sister... now?"

He uttered the words "Sixth Sister" with great difficulty.

Yun Manyan pointed eastward, "She lives in her own courtyard. Grandmother specially reserved a courtyard for Xiao Fubao next to hers."

"Little Lucky Baby?" Yun Tianbai asked, puzzled.

Yun Manyan smiled, "It's Sixth Sister! She's our little lucky charm! Last year when we went back to our ancestral home in Taizhou, if it weren't for them, we probably wouldn't have survived last winter."

Without saying a word, Yun Tianbai ran towards Xiaoyouran's courtyard.

At this moment, Su Shi was having breakfast with Xiao Youran.

Xiao Youran teased her, "Mother, you're already the Duchess of the State, why don't you go back to the main courtyard? Why do you insist on living here with me?"

Su's face showed slight embarrassment, "I...I still don't know how to face your eldest cousin..."

Little Youran grinned, "My eldest cousin... no, should I start calling him 'Dad' now?"

Before Su could answer, a voice came from outside, "You are not allowed to call him father!"

Young Yun Tianbai strode in.

For a moment, Xiao Youran felt a slight pang of fear, "You..."

Yun Tianbai's face darkened as he looked at Madam Su, "Aunt, could you please leave for the time being?"

A feeling of disgust inexplicably arose in Su's mind. "What did you call me?"

Little Youran immediately puffed out her little chest, "Yes, you are Daddy's son, so you're my older brother. And now my mother is also your mother, so you can't call her cousin anymore!"

Yun Tianbai gritted his teeth and unconsciously rotated his little finger, ring finger, and middle finger in turn with his right hand.

Xiao Youran was sitting, her line of sight level with his right hand. When she saw his movement, she was immediately terrified.

Yun Tianbai has been reborn too!?

Oh my god!

She was very familiar with this action.

In his previous life, Yun Tianbai was wounded on the battlefield. His right palm was slashed, nearly severing the last three fingers. After the wound healed, it was very inflexible, almost preventing him from wielding a sword again. It was the army doctor who advised him to frequently move the last three fingers.

So he would unconsciously twitch those three fingers whenever he was emotionally upset.

Looking at Yun Tianbai's gloomy face, Xiao Youran suddenly understood his thoughts.

He must have been unable to accept the fact that she had become his sister.

hehe.

She sneered inwardly, but a naive smile bloomed on her face. "Big brother, my mother is now the Duchess of the State, she's your mother. So I'm your little sister!"

Madam Su nodded in agreement, "Little Youran is right, Bai-ge'er, you can't call me aunt anymore. Little Youran is your sister."

Yun Tianbai blurted out, "She doesn't have the surname Yun, so how could she be my sister?!"

Madam Su smiled and said, "Her surname has already been approved by the government, and she can take her mother's surname. This will not prevent her from being included in the Yun family genealogy. I have already discussed this matter with your grandmother."