Chapter 441: Secretly Take Another Drop of Blood

Yelu Kebao Ge finished speaking, paused, then said: "However, moving to the Grand General's residence is appropriate; only then would it be proper and justified."

"I have already received much care from the Grand Princess; great kindness needs no thanks. In the future, if the Grand Princess has any need of me, I will surely go through fire and water!" said Mu Mingcheng.

"This is what you said; I have taken note of it!"

Yelu Kebao Ge smiled, waiting for her peripheral vision to reach the place where Mu Yuanzhi and the others had just stood, discovering no one there, she frowned slightly dissatisfied: "Your sister and brother-in-law actually left without waiting for you."

"Perhaps they have something to do." Mu Mingcheng gave a bitter smile.

Yelu Kebao Ge, seeing this, became even more displeased: "What could be more important than family? This is a bit excessive; I really worry you'll be bullied in the future."

"It won't be; they are indeed my relatives, just that after not seeing each other for years I don't know how to get along; I should be the one to take the initiative."

"You are just too kind... If you have any matters, remember to come find me; I will definitely help you!"

"Thank you, Princess." Mu Mingcheng was very happy.

Mu Yuanzhi went alone to find the witch doctor, while Gu Rongjin returned to the Grand General's residence to keep an eye on Mu Mingcheng.

In a short time, the witch doctor had been promoted to Vice Director of the Imperial Observatory; after the National Teacher left, the Imperial Observatory no longer appointed a National Teacher, so the Vice Director is now the highest position, and now the Imperial Observatory is whatever the witch doctor says.

"It's been a long time since I've seen the Princess; it feels like almost a year." The witch doctor smiled and gave Mu Yuanzhi a cup of hot tea.

"Three months isn't enough." Mu Yuanzhi took the teacup, took a symbolic sip, then asked him: "What does Lord Sima think of the matter concerning Mu Mingcheng?"

"I knew the Princess came here for your brother." The witch doctor gave a sly smile.

"Don't tease me, I'm annoyed!" Mu Yuanzhi rubbed the rim of the teacup, furrowed her brows and asked: "What method can let two drops of blood with no blood relation merge together without anyone noticing?"

The witch doctor naturally had already heard the news right away, knowing that the blood-test for kinship had confirmed Mu Mingcheng as the orphan of the Grand General; he wasn't surprised and asked Mu Yuanzhi: "Please tell me the details of the incident."

"The bowl was brought by Rongjin and Mu Mingcheng together with Li Pozi; they watched as the palace servants prepared the water, and the chief eunuch brought this bowl of water; during this time Li Pozi had no opportunity to tamper, and even if the palace servants and chief eunuch were problematic, Rongjin could not have missed it."

"Could the needle be the problem?"

"Exactly, why didn't I think of this? What if the palace servant who handed over the needle also had an issue?" Mu Yuanzhi regretted not thinking earlier.

"How could she not have thought of this problem!"

"One should have been more cautious!"

"Of course this is just a hypothesis; if we test again now, it would only give him a chance to play the victim, and if his blood still can merge with yours, Princess."

"So we should secretly take another drop of blood?"

"Leave it to me; by the way, I also want to meet that Master Mu."

Mu Yuanzhi: "In that case, I'll trouble Lord Sima."

"Princess, wait for my good news."

Mu Yuanzhi bade farewell to the witch doctor, returned to the Grand General's residence; the servants had already tidied the West Court, allowing Mu Mingcheng to stay there.

"Let him stay in the West Court?"

"Otherwise? We're living in the East Court." Gu Rongjin said.

"Just now I went to find Lord Sima, and he reminded me that the silver needle might be a loophole, which we hadn't considered before." Mu Yuanzhi said ruefully.

"I have already secretly collected and examined the silver needle; Lord Sima, are you actually taking this seriously!" Gu Rongjin was speechless: "I suspect he's just brushing you off with nonsense."

"He said he would go meet Mu Mingcheng and take a drop of blood to test."

"He wouldn't be taking the opportunity to draw your blood for ill intent, would he?" Gu Rongjin thought instinctively.

"He wouldn't, would he? He's already turned over a new leaf, and besides, if I give him blood I'll definitely be watching him."

"Indeed, forget it; for now Lord Sima is the only mystic we have." Gu Rongjin said, "When I returned, I sent a message to the Cloud Mirror Tower, asking them to investigate this Mu Mingcheng."

Mu Yuanzhi had just wanted to speak when the steward came to report that Mu Mingcheng had arrived and was waiting outside.

"Let him come in..."

Gu Rongjin: "I originally wanted to send him away."

"Can you send him away once and then again? It's just idle talk; let him speak."

Mu Mingcheng entered, holding two bowls of sweet soup, seeing them, his smile was earnest.

"I made sweet potato soup; my sister and brother-in-law probably rarely get to taste this authentic Lingnan sweet soup."

"This kind of thing you could have the kitchen maids do." Gu Rongjin said.

"The maids in the residence are all natives of the capital; they wouldn't know how to make such authentic Lingnan sweet soup—they only make northern flavors." Mu Mingcheng said, "Besides, this is the first time I've cooked for my sister; I'm happy."

Mu Yuanzhi: "You're not from Lingnan, so how do you know how to make authentic Lingnan sweet soup?"

"Because my foster mother who raised me is a Lingnan person of the Great Zhou, so from childhood I've been practically half Lingnan." Mu Mingcheng explained.

Gu Rongjin understood; does he need to focus his investigation in Lingnan?

Or is Mu Mingcheng deliberately putting out this misinformation?

"Where is your brother's foster mother?" Mu Yuanzhi asked.

The sudden mention of "brother" caught Mu Mingcheng off guard; he looked startled and delighted, put down the tray, and eagerly approached Mu Yuanzhi: "Sister, do you now acknowledge me as your brother?"

As he drew near, Gu Rongjin became extremely nervous!

But he couldn't really block him, so he could only pay covert attention.

Mu Yuanzhi smiled: "The blood-test for kinship has already proven you are my brother; how could it be false? Earlier I just hadn't digested this fact—brother, you won't blame me, will you?"

"How could I? You are my sister! I finally managed to recognize you as my sister!" Mu Mingcheng was so happy he didn't know what to do.

"Brother hasn't told me about your foster mother yet; where is she now? I ought to properly thank her." Mu Yuanzhi brought the topic back.

Since we can't deny it for now, we might as well go along with the ruse; first, let's quietly probe his words.

Mu Mingcheng sighed, sat down, and said: "She passed away several years ago."

"May you find peace in your grief."

"Does this foster mother really exist? Mu Yuanzhi is very doubtful, even including Zhang Pozi; besides Li Pozi, no one related to him should even be thought of as findable."

Rongjin doesn't recall whether Zhang Pozi and Li Pozi were present at that time.

At that time, that kind of place didn't even keep medical records, making it fundamentally hard to verify.

And now that we have the blood-drop kinship test, everything else has become unimportant.

"Sis, can't you tell me more about our father and mother? I've never even seen their faces..." Mu Mingcheng lowered his head, feeling sorrowful.