The girl traveled through another world and forced the prince to take the imperial examination

Su Qingyan praised Zhang's two daughters-in-law, saying they were both virtuous and filial, and praised Zhang for being so blessed. Zhang's face was full of smiles.

Mu Qingcheng called Mu Yao over and asked her to meet Zhang's granddaughter Ling'er so that they could play together in the future.

Mu Yao took out a few candies from her pocket and gave them to Ling'er and Xiang'er, but the two little girls were too timid to take them.

Zhang said unhappily, "How petty! Hurry up and take it. Thank you, Miss Su. You are so rude."

Mu Qingcheng frowned and said, "We are all from Daxi Village now. There is no such thing as a young lady. You can just call her Mu Yao. You should play together often in the future."

Zhang was very happy. She wasn't a son-in-law, but she didn't like Liu's timid nature. Her two granddaughters were just like her: timid and quiet. If she could get closer to the Su family girl, maybe she would change her temper in the future.

When Zhang looked up, she saw a familiar figure.

"This, this is..." She pointed at Zijin and looked at Mu Qingcheng in disbelief.

Mu Qingcheng drank her tea calmly and said, "These are my two new maids, Zijin and Zipei."

Zhang walked up to Zijin in surprise and asked, "Isn't this little grass?"

Zijin was a little timid at first, but then she remembered what Mu Qingcheng said and felt that what the young lady said made sense. She couldn't hide forever and had to face it bravely. So she said openly: "I am no longer Xiaocao, I am the young lady's maid, Zijin."

Zhang was even more surprised. Was this really Xiaocao? That child, always dirty, dressed like a beggar, with a pale face and skinny body. Looking at her now, she was still very thin, but her complexion was rosy and she seemed to have grown taller. Her hair, once dry and tangled, was now combed sleekly and adorned with flowers. She wore silk and satin, and her temperament was completely different.

Zhang's heart was filled with mixed emotions. Her family was related to Xiaocao's. She knew that this child would eventually be sold. Alas! She had always felt sorry for this child. Now, she felt that this child was blessed and that she had met a noble person.

"Hey! My child! You must listen to Miss Mu and serve her well in the future. Your blessing has come. The hardship has ended and happiness has come. The future will be full of good days."

These few words were from the heart, and Zijin's eyes were red. She certainly knew how lucky she was to have met a good master, and she would follow the young lady for the rest of her life.

Mu Qingcheng and Su Qingyan both felt relieved, as Zijin would start a new life from now on.

Village Chief Yunqing and Mu Qingcheng had lunch with a few others. Mu Qingcheng said goodbye to Su Qingyan, and Moyu went to Su Qingyan's courtyard to retrieve the valuable boxes. Mu Qingcheng asked Zijin and Zipei to help Moyu.

Yun Qing and Mu Qingcheng were the only ones left on the path home. Hand in hand, they walked home. Yun Qing seemed to be worried, and Mu Qingcheng felt that he was not in a good mood.

"Yunqing, what's wrong with you? Tell me what's on your mind. Isn't it said that one person's plan is short, but two people's plan is long? Maybe I can help you solve it. Even if I can't, the two of us can always share the troubles. Wouldn't that make you feel half relieved?"

Yun Qing sneered, "Where do you get so many twisted ideas from? Do you think this is about sharing food and drink? If you can't solve it, it will only cause more trouble for someone else."

"Hmph! Forget it, then you can worry about it alone!"

Yun Qing stopped, faced north, and frowned.

"I wonder if it's snowing in the north now." His voice was hoarse.

"So, are you worried about something? Or someone?" Mu Qingcheng looked at him in confusion.

He was worried about the hundreds of thousands of border guards on the northern border. Those were his brothers who had been through thick and thin with him. In the two years since he was poisoned, he had no idea what had become of the northern border guards.

Two years ago, he was in the capital preparing food supplies for the northern border troops. It was unknown whether that batch of food supplies was ever delivered to the north.

I don't know if the double rice crop will be successful. If it is, the northern border guards will no longer suffer from hunger. But how will the people in the north survive this winter? What should our brothers in the north do?

Yun Qing said slowly, "Have I ever told you that I guarded a border city in the north for five years?"

Mu Qingcheng was very surprised. The north was cold and dry, which was a miserable life in ancient times without heating equipment. But Yun Qing looked so fresh and lively that she didn't look like she was from the north.

Yun Qing looked down at the blurry figure: "Why, you don't believe it?"

"Hmm! I don't believe it. I've been to the coldest place in the north. The people's skin there was dry, cracked, and swollen from the cold wind. You look like you were fished out of the water in the south."

Yun Qing touched his face and said, "Three or four years ago, my face looked just like what you said."

"Ah! No way! How old are you this year? You have been in the army for five years, and it was only a few years ago. So how old were you when you joined the army?"

"Twelve years old."

Mu Qingcheng looked up and looked at Yun Qing seriously. Something was surging in her heart.

"When I was twelve, I was punished to guard the border because I contradicted my mother."

Yun Qing held back his vomiting before saying the word "mother". He had a mocking smile on his face, as if to say, "I don't care anymore."

Mu Qingcheng's heart was churning even more violently, and it took her a long time to utter three words: "Why?"

Why would a mother treat her own child so cruelly?

"I don't know why. She just doesn't like me. She abused me often when I was a child. She always looked at me with vicious eyes. Only when she abused me to the point of almost dying could I see a smile on her face."

Mu Qingcheng's inner turmoil was blocked in her chest, making her feel very uncomfortable. A mother who took pleasure in abusing her own child, how perverted was that?

"Yunqing, don't be sad. She must not be your biological mother. You must be her adopted child."

Yes! Yun Qing thought so when he was a child. When he grew up and had his own people, the first thing he did was to find out if he was the Queen's biological son. He suspected that he was a child adopted from outside in order to win the Queen's favor.

Unfortunately, none of these assumptions hold true. When the queen gave birth, the queen mother was in attendance. Who would dare to replace the mother?

Although he wasn't the emperor's eldest son, he was the legitimate eldest son and was made the crown prince at birth. For a woman in the harem, having her son made the crown prince was a great honor. Shouldn't he have been pampered and loved? Unfortunately, he was abused from childhood.

"I checked, it's indeed my biological child!"

"When I was little, I thought my biological parents must not know that I was suffering. When I grow up, I must go find them. When I find them, I will tell them about my suffering. They will definitely feel sorry for me, love me well, and never abandon me again."

Mu Qingcheng's tears of heartache fell down. She hugged Yun Qing tightly, but didn't know how to comfort him.

A scarred little boy appeared in my mind, licking his wounds alone in a deserted corner.

She hugged him even tighter, as if she was hugging the scarred little boy, and she wanted to use her arms to warm his wounded heart.

Yun Qing also hugged Mu Qingcheng. At this moment, he felt very happy. There was a girl who felt sorry for him, cried for him, and wanted to comfort him.

"Yunqing, you, you are so amazing, you are so great!"

"Really? Why do you say that?"

Mu Qingcheng buried her head in his arms and said, "Some people say that an unhappy childhood takes a lifetime to heal. Your childhood was so miserable, but you didn't give up your kindness and original intention. So you are great!"

Is that so? Is he kind? What was his original intention?