The lights in the hall were dim, but Yun Jishu still spotted the name on the yellow talisman at a glance.
Her pupils shrank, and she asked instinctively, “Sweet darling, where did you get this from?”
Even her exact date of birth and eight characters were written on it without a single error!
Gu Yanzhao swept a glance at Cuiyu, pulled his daughter into his arms, and instructed, “Retire!”
Cuiyu curtsied, walked to the doorway, and gently closed the door.
“Mother, do you still remember the incense burner in Eldest Brother’s room? I accidentally dropped the incense burner, and then I found this talisman!”
As soon as Tangtang’s words fell, her small hand was taken by Yun Jishu: “Sweet darling, are you hurt anywhere? Let Mother see!”
That incense burner was cast from iron, after all; if an iron shard had flown off and cut her sweet darling, her heart would ache to death.
Tangtang shook her head: “Mother, I’m fine! I’ve seen the patterns on this talisman paper before at Eldest Brother’s and Third Brother’s places!”
What puzzled her, however, was why the talisman paper with Mother’s name and birth date written on it would be at Eldest Brother’s place.
Tangtang shook her head; the top priority right now was to save Mother first.
Yun Jishu and Gu Yanzhao looked at each other, monstrous waves surging in both of their hearts simultaneously.
With the birth date and eight characters written in such detail, the person behind the scenes must be someone close to them.
Yun Jishu tried hard to recall. Cuiyu and Hongyu were her dowry maidservants, fiercely loyal and absolutely incapable of betraying her.
Chundong and Chunxia were also people who had served her since childhood; their parents both served in the Duke’s Manor, and their deeds of indenture were held in her own hands, so they shouldn’t dare to betray their master either.
Yun Jishu’s fingertips were icy cold; as she recalled the recent occurrences, her mind was in utter turmoil.
Tangtang chanted a few incantations, and under the gaze of the three of them, the yellow talisman emitted a faint firelight.
Before Yun Jishu could untangle her thoughts, she felt her entire body enveloped in warmth; even her usually groggy mind cleared up significantly.
“All done~ The formation on Mother is broken!” The little girl puffed out her chest proudly: “With Tangtang around from now on, Mother will never have anything bad happen again!”
Yun Jishu felt a surge of warmth in her heart and kissed her little daughter’s face several times before urging: “It’s late at night, Mother will coax my sweet darling to sleep…”
As soon as she reminded her, Tangtang opened her mouth and let out a big yawn, feeling her eyelids grow heavy.
Gu Yanzhao, however, could not sleep. Putting on his clothes, he led Mofeng and headed straight for the Inner Punishment Court.
Those palace servants who were locked up—he would interrogate them in person!
Gu Yanzhao’s expression was icy cold, hostility overflowing on his handsome face.
In the early morning, Yaya stood on a tree branch, cawing away.
Tangtang rubbed her eyes as she woke up. Just as she was about to sit up, a enlarged handsome face came into view.
“Third Brother!” Tangtang called out joyfully.
“Sister, you’re finally awake!” Joy showed between Gu Jinze’s brows: “Get up quickly, Third Brother is taking you out to play today!”
Ever since he contracted the strange illness, Gu Jinze had not left Xuezhu Courtyard and had been bored out of his mind long ago.
This morning, he had begged Royal Father and Imperial Mother for a long time before they finally agreed.
“Going out to play?” Tangtang’s eyes lit up, her small face full of anticipation: “Where are we going? Is it fun?”
Ever since coming home with Father, aside from Imperial Grandfather’s house, she hadn’t been anywhere else.
Now that Mother and her two brothers were all healthy, she wanted to go out and see the world too.
As for Second Brother… Tangtang’s small hand pinched the corner of the quilt. She would go see him after she came back from playing.
The snacks given by Imperial Grandmother last time—she hadn’t had time to send them to Second Brother before they were all eaten up by Tangtang.
Mm~ She had lots of gold now, so she could buy tasty snacks for Second Brother to bring back.
“Let’s go to Xiangyun Bakery to eat first, and then Brother will take you for a stroll on the street!” Gu Jinze patted the bulging purse at his waist: “Brother has money, Tangtang can eat and buy whatever you want!”
After Tangtang finished washing up, Gu Jinze led her onto the carriage.
Seeing Mofeng, Tangtang waved her small hand in greeting: “Uncle Feng, are you going out to play too?”
What a coincidence, she was actually riding in the same carriage as Uncle Feng!
Could this be the fate Master often talked about?
“But Master’s fate always comes with copper coins. Today I have fate with Uncle Feng, yet Uncle Feng didn’t give me copper coins,” Tangtang thought seriously with her head tilted.
Mofeng only felt a chill down his spine. He looked up at the sky; the bright sun was shining high with not a trace of wind—what on earth!
The carriage moved forward smoothly. Tangtang stuck her head out of the window, looking left and right like a rattle-drum, her appearance exceptionally adorable.
Suddenly, her gaze was caught. Tangtang’s eyes went wide, filled with excitement.
Right upon stepping out, she ran into a family holding a funeral! Today was truly a good day!
Tangtang pulled her head back in and grabbed Gu Jinze’s arm: “Third Brother, we’re not going to the restaurant to eat today. Tangtang is taking you to a funeral feast, to eat your fill!”
Gu Jinze was completely bewildered, asking in confusion: “What funeral feast? Sister, do you have acquaintances in the capital?”
If he remembered correctly, his sister had no relatives or friends and was brought back from a Taoist temple by Father.
Tangtang giggled and pointed out the window: “We’re going to eat a funeral feast! I’m a professional at wailing at funerals—not only can I earn copper coins, but I can also take Brother to eat and drink the good stuff!”
The family holding the funeral looked very grand, clearly an influential household.
Gu Jinze looked at her in disbelief. Going to a stranger’s home to eat a feast—wasn’t his sister afraid of being beaten out?
What’s more, how old was she!
A three-year-old toddler going to wail at a funeral was far too ridiculous!
Gu Jinze thought about it, stuffed the purse into her hands, and coaxed in a low voice: “Be a good girl, Sister. Brother has money here, you can spend it as you like! If it’s not enough… Brother will go ask Eldest Brother for more!”
If it still wasn’t enough, Gu Jinze gritted his teeth—at worst, he would go to the palace and cry poverty to Imperial Grandfather.
“Thank you, Third Brother, Third Brother is the best! But there are so many people in the capital, wailing once gets twenty copper coins, I can’t bear to miss it…” Tangtang held the purse in her arms, her small face scrunched up.
Her price had gone up now; twenty copper coins used to require wailing twice before she could earn it.
The little girl stole a glance at Gu Jinze, thinking covertly: if Third Brother was willing to wail with her, that would be two sets of twenty copper coins!
Seeing Tangtang looking at him expectantly, Gu Jinze’s heart softened, and he helplessly agreed.
Ah well, it was rare to come out for a trip; as long as his sister was happy, that was all that mattered.
If they were truly beaten out by the hosts, at worst he would just reveal his and his sister’s identities!
The carriage stopped in front of the Shen Manor. Tangtang and Gu Jinze stepped down one after the other.
Tangtang looked up at the plaque, then took Gu Jinze’s hand and walked inside.
Just as they stepped into the mourning hall, they saw a dusty figure sitting hunched over on the coffin.
“Old Grandfather, isn’t it tiring to sit on the coffin? Why don’t you lie inside?” Before Tangtang’s words could finish landing, the members of the Shen family all turned to look at her with frowning brows.
“Where did this little girl come from?” The eldest son of the Shen family had an obvious look of displeasure on his face: “This is a mourning hall, you can’t barge in blindly! Someone, take these two small kids out!”