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

Xiao Chengyan lowered his head, looking into Xiao Jingjing's innocent eyes, his tone gentle yet tinged with a hint of probing: "Yes, she's very beautiful. Do you know her?" He didn't directly mention what Xiao Jingjing was thinking, afraid of frightening the innocent child, afraid of alerting the enemy and affecting the guards' investigation, and even more afraid that if the matter was not true, it would disappoint Xiao Jingjing and cause Lu Wenshu, who was far away in the capital, more sadness.

Little Jingjing quickly shook her head, her eyes still fixed on the girl, and whispered, "I don't know her, but I feel a sense of familiarity with her, just like the people in the portrait of the Lu family that Mother showed me. Mother said that my second cousin, Lu Songchuan, is twelve years old this year. He has never had any brothers or sisters since he was little, and he is very lonely. The Lu family has never known that there is another child. But I feel that she is my second cousin's twin sister, there's no mistake!"

They are both twelve years old. The second cousin's luck is only half because his twin sister is missing. Once we find his sister, his luck will be complete. Moreover, his sister possesses the power to help us defeat the plague!

Xiao Chengyan understood and didn't ask any further questions. He simply patted Xiao Jingjing's head gently and said softly, "Since you feel a connection, just watch from a distance. Don't run around or disturb her. She's brewing medicine and helping us treat plague patients; she's working very hard. Once we're done with this, we'll slowly find out if she's really the cousin you mentioned, and if she's your second cousin's twin sister. Also, don't tell anyone about this, including Mother. We'll write to Mother after we've confirmed it, okay? Otherwise, Mother will be very worried and heartbroken if she finds out."

"I understand, Father!" Little Jingjing nodded vigorously, sitting obediently beside Xiao Chengyan, but she still couldn't help but look up from time to time, staring at the girl. Her inner voice echoed again: [I know I can't tell Mother, otherwise she'll be heartbroken. But I really want to tell her that she has a niece, and my second cousin has twin sisters, both twelve years old. That way, my second cousin won't be lonely anymore. My cousin looks so pitiful; she doesn't know who her family is, doesn't know where she comes from. She must have suffered a lot all these years. Red-finned Golden Carp, tell me quickly, does my cousin have any treasures? Can they help us defeat the plague? Also, who stole my cousin back then? Why did they steal her? Who bribed that midwife? Where is she now?]

Hearing Xiao Jingjing's thoughts, Xiao Chengyan's eyes deepened with scrutiny—Xiao Jingjing mentioned that this girl possessed the power to defeat the plague, which coincided with his own thoughts. Currently, the plague was raging in Youzhou, and Master Wuwang and Guangming were helpless. If this girl could truly bring a turning point, perhaps not only could she save the people of Youzhou, but she could also take the opportunity to uncover the mystery of her origins and reunite the Lu family. Could the people who stole the girl back then, and the ones who bribed the midwife, be connected to Liu Ruyan and Marquis Yongyi? Liu Ruyan and Marquis Yongyi were ambitious and had always wanted to overthrow the Lu and Xiao families, among other loyal officials. If they secretly stole the Lu family's twin daughters back then, perhaps it was to use them to blackmail the Lu family later. He just didn't know why they ultimately abandoned the girl, who was then rescued by Guangming. He dared not think too much about it and could only patiently wait for the guards' investigation results. At the same time, his gaze never left the girl, carefully observing her every move, trying to find a clue from her expression and actions.

At this moment, the girl seemed to sense something. She paused slightly in stirring the medicine spoon, slowly raised her head, and looked in the direction where Xiao Chengyan and Xiao Jingjing were. Her eyes were clear and calm, without the slightest panic. However, when she saw Xiao Chengyan's wheelchair and his brocade clothes, a barely perceptible look of surprise flashed in her eyes. She quickly looked away, lowered her head again, and continued stirring the herbs in the pot, her expression still serious, as if her earlier glance had been merely accidental.

But Xiao Chengyan caught a fleeting glimpse of something unusual in her eyes—not just surprise, but also a barely perceptible distance and wariness, as if she had an innate defensiveness towards someone as powerful as him. Moreover, in the instant she looked up, Xiao Chengyan noticed an extremely tiny crescent-shaped birthmark on her neck, hidden deep within her collar, almost imperceptible without close inspection. Lu Wenshu had mentioned this birthmark once before; when her elder brother and sister-in-law got married, they had asked a high-ranking monk to pray for their unborn child. The monk said that if a daughter was born, she would have a crescent-shaped birthmark on her neck, and if a son was born, he would have a small red dot between his eyebrows. Lu Songchuan had a barely noticeable red dot between his eyebrows. Lu Wenshu had mentioned this to him before, but he hadn't paid attention to it at the time. Now, thinking back, the crescent-shaped birthmark on the girl's neck and the red dot between Lu Songchuan's eyebrows corresponded exactly to the high monk's words and confirmed Xiao Jingjing's words—this girl was indeed Lu Songchuan's twin sister. The two were both twelve years old and had been forced to separate since birth.

Little Jingjing was so frightened that she immediately lowered her head, tightly clutching Xiao Chengyan's sleeve. Her mind raced with panic: "Oh no! Did my cousin see us? Will she think we're strange? We mustn't let her find out we're observing her, or it'll be terrible! Father, what should we do? What if my cousin gets angry and refuses to acknowledge us, refuses to help us defeat the plague? Also, my cousin has a crescent-shaped birthmark on her neck. Mother said that a high monk once said that daughters of the Lu family would have a crescent-shaped birthmark. My second cousin has a red dot between his eyebrows, and they're both twelve years old—that matches up! There's no mistake, she's definitely my cousin!"

Xiao Chengyan gently patted Xiao Jingjing's hand, signaling her not to be afraid, and said in a gentle tone, "Don't be afraid, she didn't notice us, she just happened to look over. She seems to have a very gentle nature and won't get angry. Besides, look, she's been diligently brewing medicine, thinking only of saving the people. Such a kind girl will definitely be willing to help us." Despite his words, he was still a little more cautious—this girl, though only twelve years old and seemingly aloof and weak, possessed a composure beyond her years. After noticing the abnormality, she showed no panic. This kind of temperament was not something an ordinary child could possess. It seemed that she had indeed experienced a lot over the years and endured many hardships that ordinary people could not imagine.

Meanwhile, inside the quarantine zone, Mr. Wuwang, Guangming, and the various imperial physicians and renowned doctors had been working tirelessly all night, their faces etched with exhaustion and their eyes bloodshot, yet they showed no sign of stopping. Mr. Wuwang, holding a silver needle, was carefully administering acupuncture to a critically ill patient, his brow furrowed, his expression grave, occasionally muttering something to himself, seemingly deep in thought. In his decades of medical practice, he had seen countless rare and difficult diseases, but he had never witnessed such a virulent plague. The patient's symptoms were complex and varied; ordinary herbal medicine and acupuncture could only temporarily alleviate the pain, offering no cure whatsoever.

Guangming stood to one side, holding a yellowed medical book. He consulted the text while observing the patient's symptoms, occasionally raising his hand to take the patient's pulse, his expression equally solemn. His hair was already gray, and his face was covered with wrinkles, yet he remained spirited, his eyes filled with determination—he had dedicated his life to medicine, his heart devoted to the people. During this plague ravaged Youzhou, he disregarded his own safety, coming alone, solely to do his utmost to save as many people as possible, even if it meant risking his life. However, whenever he thought of the girl he had raised, a pang of guilt and worry would rise in his heart. He didn't know if concealing her true identity was right or wrong, nor did he know what kind of harm this concealment would cause her. He also didn't know how this twelve-year-old child would cope with this sudden revelation of her true identity if her family found her, how she would accept the fact that she had been living away from home for twelve years.

"Mr. Wuwang, look, this patient's symptoms are different from the previous ones. He has a persistent high fever, body aches, and is coughing up blood. His pulse is erratic, and his breathing is weak. If we can't find the right herbs soon, he might not make it through the day." Guangming, holding a medical book, walked to Mr. Wuwang's side and said in a low voice, his tone full of urgency and helplessness. He lowered his voice as if afraid of being overheard by those outside, especially the girl who was brewing the medicine. There was also a hint of barely perceptible evasion in his expression.

Mr. Wuwang stopped using his silver needles, nodded, and said solemnly, "I see it. This plague is too bizarre, with complex and varied symptoms. Different patients have slightly different symptoms, and it is extremely contagious. Ordinary herbs can only temporarily stabilize the condition of patients with mild symptoms; they cannot cure it or stop its spread. We have collected samples of patients' sputum and blood for research, but we still haven't found the cause of the plague, let alone developed a suitable antidote. If this continues, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Several imperial physicians gathered around, their faces filled with guilt and helplessness. One of them bowed and said, "Master Wuwang, Master Guangming, we have tried every prescription we could think of, and used various herbs to clear heat and detoxify, and to replenish qi and nourish deficiency, but to no avail. Those patients with mild symptoms will gradually develop severe symptoms if they do not receive timely and effective treatment, and eventually die. We are truly at our wits' end. Please, gentlemen, think of a solution."

Guangming sighed, shook his head, and said in a heavy tone, "I have practiced medicine for over fifty years and have seen countless rare and difficult diseases, but I have never seen such a virulent plague. This plague seems to be caused by a cold, but it is a hundred times more severe. It seems to be caused by heat toxins, but it also carries a trace of coldness. The cold and heat are intertwined and difficult to distinguish. Ordinary medical techniques are simply ineffective in dealing with it. Perhaps we can try to find some rare herbs, which might offer a turning point." As he spoke, his gaze unconsciously turned towards the outside of the quarantine area, looking at the girl who was brewing medicine. A complex emotion flashed in his eyes, including worry, guilt, and a barely perceptible expectation—he knew that the girl was hiding a secret, and perhaps this secret could help them find a way to control the plague.

"A rare herb?"