A group of beggars with no knowledge of the world, never knowing where their next meal would come from—even a little food would surely have tempted them.
Yet the Secret Guards had spent a hundred taels of silver to pry their mouths open.
However, what they said couldn’t be fully trusted, so the Secret Guards went to question other beggars in Cliff City as well.
It could be confirmed that Chu Mo was indeed a little beggar in Cliff City.
The only thing that set her apart from the other beggars was her remarkable strength, and she was fiercely protective of her own. If any other beggar snatched food or money her little brothers had begged for, she would take it back without a second word.
So over time, no beggar bothered to steal food or money from her and her little brothers anymore—it was a waste of time and earned them a beating for nothing.
From the information gathered, there was nothing suspicious about Chu Mo’s background.
But that was precisely what was suspicious. Why would a little beggar from Cliff City suddenly come to the Capital City insisting on claiming Father King as her dad?
Chu Xingyu frowned slightly. Gazing at the two people in the pavilion who seemed to have paused their scuffle, he thought for a moment, decided not to disturb them, and turned to leave.
He didn’t believe there was no one behind her pulling the strings. Since nothing showed for now, he would keep investigating right under his nose.
Chu Mo, who had no idea she was being investigated down to the last detail, sat in the pavilion gulping down tea.
Chu Congning sat across from her, panting heavily. He had practiced martial arts since childhood—how could he not even outrun a little girl?
“Chu Mo, what did you eat growing up? How are you so fast?”
“I ate whatever I could find,” Chu Mo replied.
Chu Congning froze, nearly forgetting that she used to be a beggar—of course she ate whatever she could find. Thinking of this, he felt a pang of guilt.
“From now on, you’ll live in the Prince’s Mansion. You can eat whatever you want.”
“Great, great!” Chu Mo agreed with a grin.
Perhaps because Chu Mo and Chu Congning were close in age, the two spent their days together over the following days and genuinely developed a bit of sibling affection.
Of course, most of the time Chu Congning was still driven to his wit’s by Chu Mo.
That day, Chu Mo went to pay her respects to Liu Zhurong as usual. Although Liu Zhurong had said there was no need to come every day, Chu Mo felt she should know her place as someone living under another’s roof.
So she went to Cedar Courtyard every day without fail. And there was Chu Congning—he always seemed to “coincidentally” run into Chu Mo on her way to pay respects, and then she would drag him along to Cedar Courtyard.
Chu Congning said he wouldn’t go, but his body didn’t resist in the slightest, letting Chu Mo pull him along.
Chu Mo found it a little amusing. Fourth Brother was still a little tsundere.
After breakfast, Liu Zhurong said, “Congning, in a few days is the old madam of the Duke of Qi Mansion’s birthday. Come with me.”
Chu Congning nodded. “Yes, Mother Consort.”
After a pause, he glanced at Chu Mo. “Mother Consort, isn’t Chu Mo going too?”
Before Liu Zhurong could speak, Chu Mo waved her hands repeatedly. “No, no, I’m not going.”
She hadn’t been officially recognized by the Prince’s Mansion and held no status—she certainly couldn’t attend.
Chu Congning pressed his lips together. “If Chu Mo isn’t going, then I’m not going either.”
“Huh?” Chu Mo was a bit bewildered. “Why not?”
Chu Congning turned his head away. “I don’t care. If you’re not going, I’m not going either.”
Chu Mo tried to persuade him. “Fourth Brother, don’t be childish. I haven’t been formally recognized as their daughter yet, so of course I can’t go.”
Chu Congning: “I don’t care.”
Liu Zhurong lifted her tea cup and took a light sip of tea, then set down the porcelain cup and spoke in a composed tone.
“Let’s go together.”
At those words, Chu Mo sprang up from her stool, waving her hands frantically, her face full of urgent protest.
“No, no, no! Mother, I can’t read a single character, and I don’t know the slightest bit of etiquette or propriety. If I go along, I’ll surely embarrass you completely.”
Liu Zhurong lifted her eyes calmly, her expression unruffled.
“No matter. There are still three days until the banquet. I’ll instruct a governess to come every day and properly teach you manners and conversation.”
Chu Mo’s face instantly fell, her brows drooping with reluctance.
But she still wouldn’t give up, arguing in a small voice, “Three days isn’t nearly enough time. How could I possibly learn so many complicated rules?”
Liu Zhurong looked at her, her tone carrying an undeniable authority.
“As a daughter of the Prince’s Mansion, social etiquette, conversation, and bearing are all things you ought to learn.”
“Three days, with a governess’s careful guidance, is quite enough for you to manage an ordinary banquet.”
With that, she raised her voice and gave the order to Nanny Li, “Nanny Li, from today onward, accompany the young lady day and night as she studies etiquette and practices her bearing. No slacking.”
Nanny Li curtsied to Liu Zhurong. “Yes, Princess Consort.”
Chu Mo’s eyes went wide. What, starting now?
No way!
Wait—daughter of the Prince’s Mansion? Young lady?!
Chu Mo’s eyes suddenly widened, her heart surging with excitement.
Mother had said she was a daughter of the Prince’s Mansion.
That meant Mother had agreed to acknowledge her as her daughter?
Wonderful! Then she absolutely had to learn this etiquette.
As long as it didn’t kill her, she’d study it to death!
Off to the side, Chu Congning watched Chu Mo with gloating delight.
“Chu Mo, you’d better study hard. Don’t you dare embarrass our Prince Yong’s Manor.”
Nanny Li was an old attendant of Mother Consort’s, having even served in the palace—she was extremely strict.
Chu Mo retorted almost instinctively, “Mind your own business, Crybaby.”
The word “Crybaby” triggered Chu Congning’s explosion code.
“You! You wretched girl, believe me, I really will smack you.”
Chu Mo turned her head and tattled at once, “Mother, Big Brother is going to hit me.”
Chu Congning: “…Tattletale.”
Liu Zhurong watched them with amusement. “Enough, all of you go on. You’re giving me a headache.”
Chu Congning stormed off in exasperation.
If he ever spoke to Chu Mo again, he’d be a dog!
Seeing this, Chu Mo very politely curtsied to Liu Zhurong before chasing after Chu Congning.
Liu Zhurong gazed after the departing figures of the two siblings, rubbing her brow.
“Banxia, what do you think of this child, Chu Mo?”
Banxia thought for a moment, then replied, “Miss Chu Mo has a very lively, cheerful personality. This servant has rarely seen the Fourth Young Master so… so full of life.”
The Fourth Young Master had three older brothers, each of them exceptional, so his presence in the manor had always been rather low-key.
He spoke little too—whenever he saw the Prince and Princess Consort, he hardly said anything, often keeping his head down, silent and withdrawn.
Liu Zhurong sighed softly. “Yes, I too have rarely seen Congning so lively and cheerful.”
She had four sons. Her eldest had gone to the frontier with his father and grandfather since childhood, so she never needed to worry about him.
Her second son had been exceptionally clever from a young age—no need to worry about him either.
The third son was much the same.
But after her youngest was born, sudden misfortune struck the manor, and she fell ill herself, so inevitably she neglected him.
Later, enemy agents bribed servants in the manor to spread rumors into the youngest son’s ears, and he began to speak less, growing sensitive and insecure, even coming to believe they looked down on him.
She tried to explain to him, but he simply wouldn’t listen.
Now, watching her younger son gradually become more cheerful, Liu Zhurong was also very happy.
She thought, if it could make her younger son happy, then accepting Chu Mo as her goddaughter would be no bad thing.