Big Brother

"Reporting to Your Highness, I have found out that the woman is the long-lost daughter of the Chongde Marquisate, but her identity has not yet been officially announced to the public."

The man called His Highness was wearing a moon-white robe that was as swirling as clouds, which perfectly matched his cold jade-like face.

After a moment, he nodded slightly and raised his bony hand. Then the black-clad guard disappeared silently like a ghost in the night.

His fingertips tapped lightly on the jade armrest, and his eyes became deeper.

The Prince of Beiping commanded a large army and had guarded the border for more than ten years, gaining the trust of the court and the people.

But that day in the palace, he heard the woman muttering to herself that the only king of a different surname in the Great Chu would abandon Chu and join Liang in July.

He was skeptical about this nonsense, but to be on the safe side, he still sent spies to the border.

Unexpectedly, there was something fishy going on.

It is only the beginning of March now. Could it be that after April, things will really be as she said?

*

Baoqin combed her young lady's long black hair carefully as she did in the past, but as she stared at the girl in the mirror, she couldn't help feeling a little regretful.

The young lady had a charming face. The sunlight shining through the window onto her face made her complexion look even whiter than jade.

The noble lady who was once as bright as the moon in the capital now has to live in this dilapidated house. I don’t know if I can return to the capital in the future...

Baoqin paused and complained, "Miss, the Marquis and his wife are too heartless." She hesitated, "You and the prince were originally going to get married at the end of the year, but now..."

...The Marquis, his wife, and even the old lady, all sided with Miss Wan'er and wrongly accused her twice in succession.

Mu An Ning's eyes were slightly dazed, and he couldn't help but recall Mu Wan'er's thoughts that day.

She said that the marriage contract would fall on her.

Yes, this was originally an engagement between the Marquis’ Mansion and the Royal Mansion.

Now that the real daughter has returned, how can she, the fake daughter, continue to occupy the title of the prince's fiancée?

However, when she thought of the young man who was used to wearing red clothes, she couldn't help but feel a pang of pain in her heart.

She has liked him since she was a child.

She couldn't remember why she fell in love with him.

Perhaps it was those captivating amber eyes, or perhaps it was his unbridled and outspoken personality, which was completely opposite to hers.

Or maybe...it's just an obsession.

Presumably, the Marquis' Mansion has explained everything to the Prince's Mansion now, and she and he will never meet again.

She once thought that everything was flourishing, but now it is raining heavily.

Mu An Ning forced a smile: "Things in the world are unpredictable, so let's make the best of it." She stood up and said to Bao Qin, who looked worried, "Let's go."

They promised Fang Ziweng last night that they would visit the Fang family.

Right now, the master and servant are helpless, and it would undoubtedly be a good thing if they could establish good relations with their neighbors.

*

The willow-shaded street in the daytime was completely different from the silence of last night and was extremely lively.

The loud shouts, talks and bargaining of the merchants blended with the neighing of horses and the rumbling of carts.

The master and servant were like fish in water, moving at the beck and call of the master. As they had lived in the inner house for a long time, they could not help but stop and walk, and everything seemed new to them.

During this period, many merchants looked sideways at Mu An Ning, with a gleam in their eyes.

Judging from her manners and attire, she must be the daughter of a wealthy family!

"Girl, take a look at this jade bracelet. It's in excellent condition!"

"Girl, my stuff is better than his, come and have a look!"

"girl..."

Therefore, what was originally a half-minute walk was extended to nearly half an hour in this bustling street.

As he walked with the zither in his arms, he leaned close to Mu An Ning and whispered, "Miss, do you think they won't look down on us?"

Despite so many sales pitches, they only bought two small items as gifts for today's visit.

The reason is simple: I am short of money.

Upon hearing this, Mu An Ning smiled softly and asked, "So what if I look down on you?"

If it were in the past, she would not be able to bear the slightly contemptuous looks from everyone, so she would buy them all in one go.

She cares most about the looks of others, whether they are from the Mu family or others.

Her identity as the eldest daughter of a marquis's mansion forced her to do her best in everything and not to let anyone find any fault with her.

But now, she suddenly realized that her first half of life was too depressing.

Suddenly, she felt a little jealous of Mu Wan'er.

While thinking, the two finally arrived at the door of Fang's house.

This low house is older than the other houses on the street. The paint on the walls has peeled off, revealing a layer of mottled yellow earth, and the corners of the walls are covered with moss.

Baoqin knocked on the door gently, but after the two waited for a long time, no one opened the door.

Baoqin frowned, looked at Mu Anning and said, "Miss, I'm afraid no one is home."

Having said that, she knocked hard again.

Then, the sound of hurried footsteps gradually came from inside.

The door was slowly opened, and a man who looked to be in his early twenties appeared in front of the eyes.

He was thin, but his facial features were extremely delicate, and he exuded the air of a scholar.

The only flaw was the bruises under his tired eyes, making him look like he had never slept.

After a moment's thought, Mu An Ning guessed that this person should be the cousin that Fang Ziweng mentioned.

With such hard work, it is no wonder that he was able to pass all the tests and take part in the final palace examination.

When the man saw the person coming, he shook his head slightly, widened his eyes a little, and there was a hint of surprise in his slightly tired expression.

It wasn't because of her gorgeous appearance, but...she looked somewhat similar to his mother when she was young.

Especially those almond-shaped eyes with distinct black and white, which are smart and deep.

Seeing her faint smile, he was slightly stunned.

The curve of their smile is so similar.

Seeing that he didn't respond and just stood there stupidly, Mu An Ning coughed lightly and slowly said, "Sir, we just moved to Liuyin Street yesterday. I met Zi Weng last night and we got along well, so I came to visit you." She smiled, took a set of study tools from Bao Qin's hand, and handed it to the man: "I heard that you are preparing for the exam recently, so I brought some gifts."

This was a birthday gift given to her by her adoptive father last year. She had never been willing to use it, but now she really had nothing else to give her.

The man suddenly came to his senses and waved his hands hastily, not accepting it: "No, no." He stepped aside, invited the master and servant to come in, and said in a gentle voice: "Two girls, please come in quickly."

He walked in front, leading the two people to the front hall with a slightly hurried step: "Zi Weng didn't even tell me that he went to school today and would not be home until later." He said with some regret: "Please forgive me, young lady."

Mu An Ning smiled and indicated that it was okay, observing the surroundings calmly.

Although the yard is small, it is warm and pleasant, surrounded by green trees and the fragrance of flowers.

After the two of them sat down, the man poured them each a cup of tea and said in a gentle voice, "My name is Qiao Qingsheng, and I haven't asked for your name, young lady."

Mu An Ning smiled and subconsciously opened her red lips and said: "My name is..."

Suddenly, she pursed her lips, and the word "Mu" that had not yet been uttered turned into silence in her mouth.

This surname does not belong to her, but to Mu Wan'er, and she knows nothing about her real surname.

Now that they have both resumed their real lives, she definitely shouldn't continue to say that her last name is Mu.

Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and then she slowly said, "My name is An Ning."

After Qiao Qingsheng responded with a "OK", the two of them remained silent and a little awkward.

Mu An Ning felt a little regretful. If she had known that the child was going to school today, she would not have come to disturb him and disturb him from preparing for the exam.

Suddenly, Qiao Qingsheng put down the teacup in his hand and asked gently, "Miss An Ning, what difficulties have you two encountered?"

If there wasn't a disaster, why would an ordinary family let two girls go out alone without any elders accompanying them?

Mu An Ning's eyes moved, slightly surprised, as if she had not expected that this man could easily see through her thoughts.

Last night, after hearing Fang Ziweng mention that the three of them, an orphan and a widow, were living alone, she couldn't help but become interested and wanted to test the waters.

It would be great if they could find a way out for the master and servant.

She thought about it for a long time, then resolutely said with a smile: "To be honest, Mr. Qiao." She looked at Qiao Qingsheng sincerely: "We are not very familiar with Wutong City. This time I came here to ask you if there is any way to make money?"

From the brief observation I just made, this man has the pride of a scholar and should not have any bad intentions, so it would be okay to explain it to him.

Qiao Qingsheng nodded in sudden realization and chuckled, "The girl is quite direct."

Just like his outspoken deceased mother.

He took a sip of tea and said slowly, "I am ashamed to say that I have been preparing for the imperial examination recently and can only rely on my aunt to make a living." He lowered his eyes and said, "In the past, I occasionally sold some calligraphy and paintings. Although the income was meager, it was still enough to make a living."

Having said that, he looked up at Mu An Ning and suggested, "Miss, why don't you go to the market too?"

Mu Anning nodded thoughtfully, and then handed the Four Treasures of the Study that had been placed on the desk to Qiao Qingsheng: "Thank you, Mr. Qiao. If you accept this thing, it is not a valuable thing, but just a small token of your gratitude. Please ask Brother Qiao to help me more in the future.”

After saying that, she took a sip of tea and before Qiao Qingsheng could refuse again, she changed the subject and asked, "Mr. Qiao, what kind of tea is this? I have never tasted it before."

She sniffed it carefully and found that the tea was not even inferior to the best Biluochun.

The young man's fair face flushed slightly. This was the first time he was praised by a strange girl. He seemed a little overwhelmed: "...To be honest, this is the tea I made myself."

A hint of surprise flashed across Mu An Ning's beautiful face, and she praised him softly, "Young Master is really amazing."

In this small town, there are still people who have this kind of skills.

Qiao Qingsheng thanked him shyly, and then, for some reason, he couldn't help but say, "I see that you are about the same age as my little sister, and we are neighbors. If you don't mind, you can call me Brother Qiao."

Mu An Ning's eyes moved, a warm feeling welled up in his heart, and he smiled without any shyness: "Brother Qiao."

For some reason, after just a brief moment together, she felt a sense of familiarity towards this gentle scholar.

Suddenly, she remembered what he had just said and asked in a teasing tone, "Brother Qiao actually has a younger sister at home?"

Last night, Fang Ziweng said that there were only three people in their family, but if there was a girl of the same age as her, it would be necessary to make friends with her.

Qiao Qingsheng's eyes darkened, and a trace of worry flashed across them: "I do have a younger sister, but after our parents died, she left without saying goodbye." He lowered his eyes slightly: "I came to Beijing this time not only to take the exam, but also to find her."

Mu An Ning was about to say something to comfort her, but was interrupted by a hurried voice -

"My cousin, something bad has happened!" Fang Ziweng rushed in, his small face full of anxiety: "My mother has been taken away by the government, come with me to save her!"