In her mind, she was just thinking when she heard Ziyang’s voice coming from outside: "Dongling."

"We were just talking about her, and she’s here." Dongling smiled and said, "I’ll go take a look." Seeing Min nod, she went out the door: "Sister Ziyang, you’re back."

Ziyang was holding a tangerine petal-shaped lantern in her hand and handed it to Dongling: "I saw this on the street and bought it for you to play with." Dongling was delighted upon seeing it: "Oh my, it’s really delicate and interesting, thank you, Sister Ziyang."

"You’re welcome." Ziyang glanced into the room and asked, "Has Young Master Min returned?"

Dongling nodded and said, "Just came back, he’s eating the fruit platter you sent." Ziyang chuckled: "Could you pass a message to Young Master Min for me, tell him I need to talk to him?"

"Now?" Dongling asked, seeing Ziyang nodding, she thought for a moment and nodded: "I’ll go and tell Young Master Min, wait here for me." With that, she handed the lantern to the young maid guarding the door, entered the room, and shortly returned, saying: "You can go in, it so happens Young Master Min isn’t resting yet."

Ziyang acknowledged and went in, and Dongling followed to greet Young Master Min, instructing a maid to fetch hot water, then left the room, leaving Ziyang inside, with a few maids guarding outside.

Min looked at Ziyang and asked, "What do you need me for?"

Ziyang looked back at the open door, walked to the entrance and closed it. Min observed her solemn expression and couldn’t help but feel puzzled: "You..."

"Young master!" Ziyang suddenly knelt on the floor: "Servant Yuechun greets the young master."

Min was extremely astonished, standing up in surprise, as if not recognizing Ziyang, he asked: "You’re not called Ziyang? What did you just call me?" Everyone in the residence called him Young Master Min, no one used such a strange title.

Ziyang repeated: "This servant is named Yuechun." Seeing Min’s puzzled look, she explained: "Previously served at the Second Prince Mansion, which was the former residence of the current Emperor, serving as the personal maid of the Second Prince Consort."

The Second Prince? Isn’t that the title the Emperor held before ascending the throne?

Why is she calling him master? Min grew more confused, looking at Ziyang with a vigilant gaze: "What do you mean?"

Ziyang knelt on the ground, her eyes blazing with anticipation as she looked at Min: "Young master might find the servant’s words incoherent, but please give the servant some time, I will explain everything clearly!"

Intuitively, Min did not want to listen, but seeing Ziyang like that made him a bit curious, he mumbled, sat down, furrowed his brows looking at her, and eventually nodded: "Alright, speak!"

Ziyang then said: "This servant’s original name is Yuechun, given by the late Second Prince Consort, who was the late Empress, always serving by the Princess Consort’s side..." She began to narrate the situation at the Second Prince Mansion, explaining how on the day the Second Prince Consort was about to give birth, she was out of the mansion observing mourning for her deceased mother, thus avoiding disaster. When she rushed back upon hearing the news that night, the entrance was already surrounded by people from the Third Prince. She found a secret door hoping to enter, but unexpectedly saw a dark figure carrying a bundle, flying out nimbly like a night eagle. The figure moved so quickly she couldn’t see clearly, but she remembered the body shape and the long sword held. Later, when the Second Prince was ’escorted’ out of the estate by the Third Prince, noticing the guards were fewer, she crawled into the estate through a dog hole, only to find the Second Prince Consort had died in childbirth and the estate’s servants were killed or tied up, with no one left to guard. She gathered the courage to arrange the Second Prince Consort’s remains, only then realizing her belly had deflated.

She was utterly shocked, both sad and happy, sad because the Second Prince Consort died so tragically, happy because she did not perish during childbirth with the child... at that moment, she thought of that suspicious person carrying a bundle she saw at the entrance.

Later, she secretly left the estate, waited on Long Street, and among the crowd, she saw Fourth Master Xiao, recognizing immediately that he was the person in black with a long sword... the next day rumors in the Capital spread about Fourth Master Xiao having a child with an actor outside, bringing him openly back to the mansion to be raised by the Grand Dowager.

For some reason, she was utterly convinced that child was the Second Prince Consort’s offspring. She then lingered outside the Marquis Mansion, months later, by chance learned the mansion needed maids, and spent much silver bribe human traffickers to get into the mansion, using her cleverness and diligence to enter the Grand Dowager’s courtyard...

The first time she saw little Young Master Min, she knew she was right; he had to be Second Prince Consort’s child, those eyes resembling the Prince Consort’s so much, perhaps others wouldn’t know, but she could vouch with her life.

No matter what, she was very happy, as the Second Prince Consort died so miserably, and the Second Prince’s whereabouts remain unknown, now there’s only the young master, even if it costs her life, she’d stay by his side to protect him...

By chance, she was transferred to Fourth Master Xiao’s courtyard by the Grand Dowager, initially wanting to make a move back to the Dowager’s courtyard, but Fourth Madam came in. She didn’t know Fourth Madam, but as Young Master Min is a concubine-born son, no legal mother would like that, fearing the Grand Dowager might send Young Master Min to be raised by Fourth Madam. Thus, she stayed on guard, moving in and out of the Grand Dowager’s courtyard hoping Young Master could stay with the Grand Dowager longer.

Later, Young Master Min still followed Fourth Master Xiao and Fourth Madam. Fortunately, Fourth Madam treated Young Master Min well, she felt reassured, and continued serving in the kitchen, content to watch from afar, knowing he grew up healthy and well, satisfied whatever the future holds, whether the Emperor recognizes him or not couldn’t be changed, nor does she have the power to change it, just clinging onto this slight wish she kept striving for.

Originally, she thought Young Master Min would quietly grow up like that, never expecting the Emperor would arrive and allow him to become the eldest prince’s reading companion. She was uneasy, afraid the Emperor would reclaim him into the royal lineage...

Excitement mixed with fear, the Imperial Palace seeming like a devouring place, how could Young Master Min, being so young, compete with the Empress and the eldest prince? Moreover, in her view, Fourth Master Xiao and Fourth Madam didn’t intend to help Young Master Min return...

What to do, what actions should she take?

Until today, seeing people from the Shen Family brought her real hope. Shen An, Lord Shen, is the cousin of the Second Prince Consort, once encountered at the Prince Mansion... never imagining anyone from the Shen Family still alive, her heart tumultuous wanting to meet them, on earth should anyone be willing to risk protecting Young Master Min, it’s the Shen Family.

Eagerly she wanted to find them, conveying Young Master Min remains alive, incapable of deciding some matters, but Shen An could!

"Young master, everything the servant said is true, tonight risking reprisal to inform you as instructed by Lord Shen. He mentioned the young master has matured, should learn about his origins, to contemplate your birth mother, the Second Prince Consort’s hardships, in a few days when he finds a chance, he’ll visit you in the mansion."