With a wave of his hand, the Prince's Mansion's fortune exploded throughout the entire cap

As night fell, the night in Youzhou City was exceptionally cold, with howling winds rattling the tent curtains. Inside the quarantine zone, the lights remained bright. Master Wuwang, Guangming, and the various imperial physicians and renowned doctors continued their busy work, treating patients and investigating the causes of the disease without a moment's rest. They all knew that time was life; every moment wasted could mean the loss of more lives. Therefore, they could only race against time and fight against the plague.

Sitting in his tent, Xiao Chengyan stared at the map of Youzhou on the table, his expression grave, his brow furrowed, his heart filled with worry. He thought of his mother in the capital, Lu Wenshu, Xiao Shulang, and Gu Feng; he thought of the suffering people in the northern border; he thought of Liu Ruyan and the Marquis of Yongyi's schemes. His sense of responsibility grew stronger. He knew that this fight against the plague would be arduous and extremely dangerous, but he did not back down—as Prince Jing, as a descendant of the Xiao family army, it was his duty to lead by example, to risk his life, to fight alongside the people of the northern border, to protect them, and to safeguard the territory of the Great Qi.

He also thought of Lu Wenshu, the gentleness she showed when she mentioned her family, and how she often said that her eldest brother's second son, Lu Songchuan, had been lonely since childhood. The Lu family had never known that his eldest brother had another child. A faint doubt crept into his heart. Perhaps Xiao Jingjing's words concealed a hidden story.

Little Jingjing nestled against Xiao Chengyan and fell asleep without realizing it. In her sleep, she kept talking about treasures, the plague, and her second cousin Lu Songchuan's fortune. Her little brows were tightly furrowed, as if she was worried about the people of the Northern Border, or as if she was anxious about not being able to find her second cousin's twin sisters.

Looking at Xiao Jingjing sleeping soundly, Xiao Chengyan felt a pang of heartache. He gently tucked her cloak in, afraid that she would get cold. Then, he continued to devote himself to the epidemic prevention deployment and did not sleep all night.

The next day, after Xiao Chengyan was pushed out of the tent in a wheelchair by Qing Shi, he saw Xiao Jingjing staring intently at a girl brewing medicine across from him.

Just as they were about to approach, they heard Xiao Jingjing's inner thoughts: "It really is? After looking for so long and confirming it so many times, it really is my second cousin Lu Songchuan's other half of destiny! This is my missing cousin! So she is my second cousin's twin sister! The Lu family never knew they had such a daughter. She was stolen at birth. No wonder my mother always said that my cousin Songchuan was lonely!" Xiao Jingjing did not go up to acknowledge her relative, but secretly observed her. Xiao Chengyan, who heard her inner thoughts, also sent people to carefully investigate this young lady's background and why she was here.

Xiao Chengyan's steps abruptly halted, his fingers tightening subtly, gripping the armrests of his wheelchair until they turned slightly white. The initial shock in his eyes was replaced by a calm, inquisitive gaze. He followed Xiao Jingjing's gaze and saw four enormous black pottery medicine furnaces on the open ground opposite him. The firewood burned brightly, orange flames licking the bottom of the furnaces, wisps of smoke carrying a rich herbal aroma rising slowly, dispelling some of the chill and oppressive atmosphere of Youzhou City. The young woman brewing the medicine stood beside the central furnace, dressed in a faded coarse blue cloth robe, the sleeves rolled up to her forearms, revealing a pair of slender hands covered in thin calluses. She held a dark medicine spoon, methodically stirring the bubbling herbs in the pot, her movements skillful and steady, without the slightest hint of panic.

The girl was about twelve years old, slender yet upright. Though she retained some childlike innocence, her back was ramrod straight, as if she had weathered countless storms, remaining resilient and unyielding, without a trace of spoiled nature. Her hair was tied up with a simple wooden hairpin, revealing her smooth forehead and delicate features. Her skin was a light honey color from long-term exposure to the sun and wind, but it could not conceal the clarity and determination in her eyes. Her profile was soft, yet carried a subtle air of detachment and aloofness, as if the surrounding clamor, suffering, and fear were irrelevant to her. Only the medicine stove, spoon, and herbs in her hands were her sole concerns and hopes.

At this moment, the young girl was slightly bowing her head, intently watching the herbs bubbling in the medicine pot. Her brows were furrowed, her expression serious, and she would occasionally raise her hand to wipe the beads of sweat from her forehead—the sweat trickled down her temples, dampening the stray hairs on her forehead, but it did not affect her movements in the slightest. The herbs in the pot bubbled and simmered, filling the air with a rich aroma, mingled with the fragrance of mugwort, becoming a rare glimmer of life and hope in this oppressive Youzhou City, and adding a touch of warmth to the cold morning.

Little Jingjing remained standing in place, her small body leaning slightly forward, her round, bright eyes fixed on the girl, filled with confirmation and curiosity. She didn't take a single step, only quietly tugging at the sleeve of the female guard beside her, signaling her to be quiet. Her little hands gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, her heart filled with a mixture of doubt and excitement, her inner thoughts echoing clearly and distinctly in Xiao Chengyan's ears.

【Don't be impulsive! Don't be impulsive! As the Red-finned Golden Carp said, one must be cautious in everything. It would be bad if I mistook someone for someone else! Besides, my cousin doesn't seem to recognize me. If I rashly go up to her and claim kinship, will I scare her? Furthermore, Father doesn't know about this, Mother doesn't know that her eldest brother has a biological daughter, and the Lu family has never known that such a child exists. I need to observe her first and confirm that she is indeed my second cousin Lu Songchuan's twin sister and Mother's niece before telling Father and Mother!】

And why is she brewing medicine here? She looks so tired; her hands are calloused. What has she been through all these years? The Crimson-Finned Golden Carp said she is the other half of my second cousin's destiny. No wonder his destiny has always been incomplete; it turns out his twin sister was stolen at birth and has been living away from home ever since! My second cousin is in Jiangnan now. Does he know he has a twin sister? If Mother knew that my eldest brother had another daughter who was stolen, she would be heartbroken. The Lu family would also be devastated if they knew. By the way, my second cousin is only twelve years old, and so is my cousin. They are twins; no wonder their destinies are linked. The Crimson-Finned Golden Carp really didn't lie to me!

Xiao Chengyan's doubts deepened. He wasn't completely unfamiliar with the "disappeared cousin" that Xiao Jingjing had mentioned—Lu Wenshu had once mentioned her maternal family to him, and her eldest brother's second son, Lu Songchuan, saying that the Lu family had never known that her eldest brother had another child, and that Songchuan had been alone since childhood, without any siblings.

He vaguely remembered that Lu Wenshu had mentioned that when his elder brother and sister-in-law gave birth to Lu Songchuan, they hired the best midwife in the capital. However, shortly after the birth, the midwife suddenly disappeared. The Lu family searched everywhere but found no trace of her. At the time, they assumed that the midwife had run away for money and did not think much of it. Now, combined with Xiao Jingjing's words, this matter was probably not a coincidence and was likely related to the girl's disappearance.

Xiao Jingjing said that the girl was Lu Songchuan's twin sister, the long-lost daughter of the Lu family. However, the Lu family never knew that there was such a child. Obviously, someone deliberately concealed it back then. The missing midwife was probably bribed to secretly steal the child, which led to the separation of the Lu family members. Lu Songchuan, who was only twelve years old, had no sister to accompany him since childhood and did not even know that he had a twin sister.

At this moment, he understood that the "second cousin Lu Songchuan" that Xiao Jingjing mentioned was the second son of Lu Wenshu's eldest brother. He was twelve years old and studying under a famous teacher in Jiangnan, but had not yet officially taken up a post. The girl brewing the medicine was also twelve years old, the same age as Lu Songchuan, which was exactly what twin sisters should look like. It seemed that when Lu's sister-in-law gave birth to these twin sisters at the same time, but the existence of the older sister was deliberately concealed, and only the younger brother Lu Songchuan was kept by her side. This made the Lu family mistakenly believe that there was only one child, and forced these twin sisters to be separated from birth, thousands of miles apart.

Numerous questions swirled in Xiao Chengyan's mind. Without a word, he raised his hand and gave Qingzheng behind him a subtle wink, signaling him to step forward. Qingzheng understood immediately, moving with utmost quietness to Xiao Chengyan's side, bowing and whispering, "Your Highness, what are your orders?"

Xiao Chengyan's gaze remained fixed on the girl brewing the medicine. He lowered his voice and spoke solemnly: "Send two quick-witted and tight-lipped guards to secretly investigate the background of the girl brewing the medicine. Find out who she is, who her master is, and why she is brewing medicine here. Also, confirm whether she and Mr. Guangming are really related as grandfather and granddaughter."

The key is to investigate her background, especially her childhood experiences, to see if it is related to the twin daughters of the Lu family who were stolen at birth and never knew about. Also, investigate the midwife who disappeared when the eldest sister-in-law of the Lu family gave birth to Lu Songchuan, to see if the midwife was bribed and who secretly stole the child. Remember, do not alert the girl or let Mr. Guangming notice anything unusual. After you have found out the truth, return to me immediately and report.

Furthermore, send someone on horseback back to the capital—no, send a message by carrier pigeon back to the Prince's residence—and have the Princess contact Lu Songchuan's father to discreetly inquire about the details of the childbirth, especially the whereabouts of the midwife, and whether there were any unusual circumstances. Do not make a sound, lest you alert the enemy and cause the Lu family to become emotionally agitated and lose their composure upon learning the truth.

"Yes, sir!" Qing Zheng bowed and replied, without a trace of doubt in his eyes. He immediately turned around and quietly arranged for two thin, composed guards to attend to him, whispering a few instructions. The two guards nodded, changed into the coarse cloth clothes of ordinary people, and pretended to be servants who had come to collect the medicine. They slowly walked towards the medicine stove opposite, their eyes casually sweeping over the girl, but never lingering. Every move they made seemed natural and casual, attracting no attention from anyone.

Xiao Chengyan, pushed in his wheelchair by Qing Shi, slowly walked to a side corridor and found a secluded spot to sit down, where he could clearly observe the girl opposite him without being noticed. Little Jingjing noticed her father's movements, quietly ran to Xiao Chengyan's side, sat down next to him, tugged at his sleeve with her little hand, and whispered:

"Father, look, isn't that older sister beautiful? She has a warm aura about her, somewhat like Mother's! She even looks a bit like my aunt!"

Her luck and her second cousin's luck are linked, exactly the same, except she's missing half. Together they're complete! They're both twelve years old, so they must be twins!