Su Ling looked at Niu Niu, who was playing in the yard, and felt curious. He didn't know why, but he felt a strange sense of goodwill and affection for this ordinary child.
He walked towards Niu Niu, who glanced at Su Ling and politely said, "Greetings, Your Highness!"
The eldest prince, Su Ling, knelt down and affectionately stroked her forehead, saying gently, "Don't call me that anymore. Call me brother, okay?"
Niu Niu opened her round eyes wide, her bright eyes looking at Su Ling not far away, and then said, "Why? My mother said that you are the eldest prince, and you can't be disrespectful to the eldest prince. If you anger the eldest prince, we will be beheaded."
You could see that Niu Niu was trembling with fear. Su Ling waved her hand and said, "No, Niu Niu is a good child. Besides, Niu Niu saved my life in front of the Emperor. How about I recognize you as my younger sister?"
Two words kept repeating in Niu Niu's mind: "Do princes all refer to themselves as 'this palace'? My sister, how can that be?"
"I dare not tell you about this now. I will discuss it with my mother after I go back. If my mother agrees, I will agree to be your imperial sister. If she does not agree, I do not want to upset my mother."
After saying that, Niu Niu ran away in a flash.
Su Ling looked at Niu Niu not far away, toddling along with her short little legs, and couldn't help but smile.
Turning around, she saw the Empress standing behind her. Seeing the expression on Su Ling's face, the Empress said in surprise, "What's wrong? Do you also feel a bit fond of this child?"
Su Ling blinked and said, "Yes, that's right. I don't know why, but I feel that I have a certain affinity with this girl. Although she is a girl, her inner strength and unwillingness to admit defeat are very similar to mine."
The Empress looked at Su Ling and remained silent for a moment before saying, "I think this child is destined to be with us. Look at her eyes and her demeanor. Although she is dressed simply and plainly, her temperament is definitely not that of an ordinary rural child."
Su Ling hesitated for a moment: "Mother, are you saying she is?"
"It's still uncertain. This Lady Cha is very cautious in her work, and we don't yet know what Niu Niu's background is. This is just my rough estimate. What then?"
Su Ling shook her head again: "Mother, please don't overthink it. In terms of time, I'm sorry, since she's an older sister than me, how could she be the same age as Niu Niu?"
The Empress pondered. She had clearly explained this matter to her personal eunuch beforehand, revealing that the missing princess was Su Ling's older sister. In fact, the Empress's ulterior motive was to conceal the child's exact age. She guessed that someone would harm the little princess in order to eliminate any future threats. The actual princess was only a little over five years old, just like Niu Niu.
"Actually, the one your mother lost was your younger sister. To avoid her being killed by villains, she had to say that this girl was older than you, just to prevent the child from suffering a terrible fate. If your younger sister were still alive, she would be the same age as Niu Niu."
Excitement gleamed in Su Ling's eyes. He gripped the Empress's sleeve tightly, his voice filled with excitement and anticipation: "Mother, are you saying that I really have a younger sister?"
The Empress looked at Su Ling with a gentle smile. She patted Su Ling's hand lightly and affirmed, "Yes, Ling'er. Send someone to investigate Niu Niu's background. If she is not Lady Cha's biological daughter, then she must be your sister."
The image of Niu Niu flashed through Su Ling's mind—that well-behaved and adorable little girl could actually be his sister! His heart began to race involuntarily, filled with anticipation for the Empress's proposal.
He secretly resolved to find out the truth and make Niu Niu a member of their family, sharing their glory.
Liang Shuyan sat on a bamboo chair in the inner room, gazing worriedly out the window. Grandma Jin sat opposite her, her face etched with wrinkles, her eyes filled with the weariness of life. Liang Shuyan took a deep breath and finally spoke, "Mother, do you really remember nothing about Niu Niu's background? Could there be any letters or other clues left behind?"
Grandma Jin frowned, trying hard to recall: "It's been so many years, how could I possibly remember? I only remember that I found this little girl on the street that day. She was shivering from the cold, so I brought her home."
Liang Shuyan frowned: "But why do I feel that Her Majesty the Empress's gaze towards Niu Niu is a little strange? It's like she knows her."
Liang Shuyan's words made Grandma Jin fall into deep thought. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and tried hard to recall that winter many years ago.
The north wind howled, and snowflakes fluttered down.
The pedestrians on the street were all bundled up and hurrying by. Grandma Jin was walking home when she suddenly heard a faint sob. Following the sound, she found a small figure huddled in a corner.
When Grandma Jin approached, she saw a little girl, about a year old, with a pale face and lips that were purple from the cold, crying helplessly. Grandma Jin felt heartbroken and quickly picked her up, wrapped her in her coat, and took her home.
These memories brought tears to Grandma Jin's eyes. She shook her head and sighed, "I really don't remember. I just felt sorry for her, so I took her in."
"Oh, right, there was a jade bracelet and a jade pendant back then, but they were accidentally broken in the end. We didn't put them on the baby because we were afraid they would hurt her. The blanket that wrapped the baby is still here; it's a small cotton quilt with a golden yellow sheet."
A trace of sorrow flashed in Grandma Jin's eyes. She gently shook her head, as if trying to shake off those unpleasant memories. She sighed, a bitter smile curving her lips: "Back then, her eyes were filled with helplessness and fear. I really couldn't just stand by and do nothing. I'm just an ordinary peasant woman, powerless to change her fate, but at least I could give her a warm embrace."
Grandma Jin's thoughts drifted back to that cold winter night.
The wind howled through the dilapidated eaves, and snowflakes fell on her red and swollen hands.
She held the child tightly in a small, golden quilt embroidered with a pair of phoenixes spreading their wings. That child was her last remaining relative in the world.
"Could this girl be a princess from the capital? If so, who were those two people who came to our house before?"
Liang Shuyan glanced at Grandma Jin and said somewhat apologetically, "Mother, it's a bit of a disservice to ask you to try your best to recall memories that aren't yours."
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