The King and Queen of Yingchuan did not reveal their true identities while conversing with Lin Yan and the others, so Du Zihui treated them as his father's friends.
As they walked into the courtyard together, they discovered that the carriage that had been following them had also entered.
Upon reaching the entrance, a robust-looking wet nurse beside the carriage mounted it. Soon, she descended, carrying a swaddled infant.
The infant appeared to be only six or seven years old, completely enveloped in a red cloak, obscuring its face.
Since the King of Yingchuan had previously introduced the child as his youngest daughter, Lin Yan refrained from staring and had yet to see the infant's appearance.
After everyone had entered the house, the infant was placed in a sheltered spot. The wet nurse then gently unwrapped the cloak, revealing the child's face.
The moment the face was revealed, Lin Yan froze.
It was her little brother, that shadow from the depths of her memory.
Despite the child's attire as a young girl and a face that seemed to have lost its baby fat due to illness, it was unmistakably the youthful appearance of Ming Hao.
She still recalled the affection she felt the first time she met Ming Hao. As a child, it was the joy of having a brother; during adolescence, it was a vague concern and unspoken affection; later, it became a love etched into her bones.
How could she possibly forget him? So, was he now the King of Yingchuan's frail youngest daughter, and also his third son who died prematurely?
She was cross-dressing, and he was cross-dressing; their current identities were indeed quite fitting!
However, allowing a legitimate son of a royal household to grow up as a princess implied considerable danger.
Observing the King and Queen of Yingchuan's affection for him, Lin Yan seemed to understand why the King of Yingchuan would rebel.
Just as her grandmother, despite her confusion, supported her cross-dressing and even risked punishment for it.
The King of Yingchuan surely did not want his son to live his entire life as a mere princess. As for who prevented the King of Yingchuan from having a living son, the answer was obvious.
What should she do? Suddenly, she felt like rebelling too.
But she couldn't possibly tell the King of Yingchuan that she wanted to rebel with him.
Lin Yan inwardly covered her face, deeming her earlier desire to sever ties with the King of Yingchuan as utterly foolish.
Having seen her little brother's face, her mind was now filled with thoughts of recruiting soldiers and marching on the capital.
She couldn't dwell on it any longer, or she would genuinely start planning an invasion of the capital.
"An An greets Uncle Du," the young princess offered a respectful bow to Du Mengzhou as a junior.
"Rise, rise quickly," Du Mengzhou urged. He knew this young princess was a person crafted from glass, extremely fragile, and any minor oversight could cause her harm.
"An An's health is delicate and she cannot bear the wind, so please be understanding. An An, this is Uncle Du's youngest son; call him Brother Zihui. And this is Uncle Du's newly accepted disciple; call him Brother Yan."
"Brother Zihui, Brother Yan," the young princess responded obediently, melting hearts.
Despite being nearly ten years old, her body resembled that of a six or seven-year-old child, appearing even younger than the eight-year-old Du Zihui.
"An An, hello," Lin Yan greeted him first.
"Father, I am older than An An, aren't I? Why am I called 'brother'?" Du Zihui turned to Du Mengzhou with a puzzled expression.
However, his question caused everyone in the room to pause, and the Queen's eyes welled up, tears almost falling.
"An An is nine this year, so she is a little older than Brother Zihui." Born early in the year, her age was quite substantial, more than ten months older than Du Zihui, who was born mid-year.
He knew his body was weak and he was thin, but he was truly trying to eat. It was just that his appetite was so small, and his stomach was always occupied by medicine, leaving even less room for food.
Lin Yan then carefully examined An An's appearance. It still bore the visage of one fated for an early demise, although perhaps the arrival of Liang Minghao had caused some alteration to this prognostication.
The physiognomy indicated a great trial; if he survived it, he would attain immense prosperity, but if not, he would perish prematurely.
Lin Yan understood that the turning point for this ordeal was herself. Both she and Ming Hao were anomalies in this world; together, they would undoubtedly alter everyone's destinies.
"Alright then, Brother An An." Du Zihui, noticing the change in everyone's expressions, quickly and softly called out "Brother."
A sweet smile immediately bloomed on An An, the young princess's face, just as Lin Yan had seen when they first met.
Watching the smile on An An's face, the King and Queen's expressions visibly eased.
An An did not stay long. Wrapped up again, she was carried to the back courtyard.
However, as she was being carried away, she gazed at Lin Yan for a long time, seemingly very curious about her.
After An An was taken away, the King of Yingchuan and his Queen entertained Du Mengzhou and his two disciples.
After An An's departure, Lin Yan remained distracted. Fortunately, with her system's prompts, she was able to respond to others when they spoke to her.
Having only seen his complexion and not taken his pulse, Lin Yan was unsure of the exact nature of An An's illness. However, she trusted her medical skills; even if no medicine in this world could save him, she had the system's store.
The biggest challenge now was how to persuade her teacher and the King and Queen of Yingchuan to allow her to treat An An.
To avoid the underworld knowing his name, he had no formal given name, only a nickname by which he was always called.
An An, such a simple name, held the greatest hopes of the King and Queen of Yingchuan for him.
Lin Yan now fully understood why the King of Yingchuan intended to rebel. Regardless of whether this young princess survived or perished, he would rebel; it was merely a matter of time.
During lunch, the Queen of Yingchuan went to the back courtyard to care for An An, while the King dined with them.
After the meal, Du Mengzhou led Lin Yan and Du Zihui back to their own courtyard.
"Yan'er, you've been preoccupied since entering the hall. Is something bothering you?" Du Mengzhou asked.
"Is Senior Brother distracted? I didn't notice," Du Zihui responded with evident confusion.
"There are some matters. I haven't confirmed them yet. Once I have, I will inform Teacher," Lin Yan replied evasively.
"I see. I trust your judgment," Du Mengzhou said, not pressing further.
"Senior Brother, were you really distracted just now? But you answered very well when I spoke to you," Du Zihui pestered Lin Yan.
As Lin Yan pondered how to respond, Du Mengzhou intervened, "Your Senior Brother's reaction was slower by a beat than usual. Didn't you notice?"
"Was it?" Du Zihui quickly tried to recall his conversation with Lin Yan.
Lin Yan, too, was taken aback. She truly hadn't expected her teacher to understand her so well. She had assumed that with her system recording everyone's conversations, no one would be able to detect her distraction.