Ming Lingyi raised an eyebrow, a little surprised.

However, she figured this must be why the twin brothers hadn’t been sold yet.

The two of them were quite a bargain at only two taels of silver.

But the little girl alone cost two taels of silver, which seemed a bit too expensive.

"What can that girl do?" Ming Lingyi asked. "Why is she so expensive?"

The broker chuckled. "Rest assured, Miss, we would never overcharge. This little girl was sent to a restaurant as a kitchen helper when she was young, and her skills are excellent! I heard she’s loved cooking since she was a child. Before her family got into trouble, they couldn’t dissuade her, so they sent her to the restaurant. Later, she was implicated in her family’s affairs and is now being sold. If you buy her, Miss, you won’t even need another cook in the house."

Ming Lingyi’s eyes lit up. ’Isn’t this a bit too coincidental?’

She had been hesitating about whether to hire a cook, and now a cook was being thrown in with the purchase of guards. From the sounds of it, an experienced one at that. It was just what she needed, right when she needed it.

"Alright, bring the girl over and let me have a look. If she’s suitable, I’ll buy her." Ming Lingyi didn’t bother haggling. Four taels of silver could solve her current predicament, which she felt was well worth it.

"You got it! One moment, Miss!"

A moment later, the broker led the twins’ sister to Ming Lingyi.

A strange expression flickered across Ming Lingyi’s face.

"Is she really their biological sister?" Ming Lingyi looked at the seemingly mature-looking young woman before her, then glanced at the twins beside her and scratched her head. ’They don’t look much alike at all.’

The broker replied, "Maybe one takes after their father, and the other two take after their mother?"

Ming Lingyi was speechless.

Just as she was considering, another man who looked like a steward approached. "How much for these two?"

The broker said, "Two taels of silver, take them as a package deal. But there’s a condition. They have a sister, and these two are stubborn. They insist that their boss take their sister along as well, otherwise, I..."

"What can the little girl do, and how much silver?"

Ming Lingyi observed that although the steward was dressed in simple cloth, a small abacus was partially visible at his cuff, and a heavy money pouch hung from his waist. She guessed he was not short on silver.

"I’ll take these three. There’s a matter of first come, first served, isn’t there?" Ming Lingyi made a swift decision to settle the matter.

The broker’s face immediately lit up with a grin. No longer considering doing business with the other man, he quickly led Ming Lingyi to handle the paperwork.

"Miss, if you buy them, you’ve definitely gotten a great deal!" the broker said with a smile on their way.

Ming Lingyi also felt she had gotten a good deal. She left the brokerage with her three newly bought servants and asked for their names on the road.

After learning that none of them wanted to use their old names, Ming Lingyi decided she would give them new ones when she got back.

「After she left, the broker finally let out a sigh of relief.」

"Thank goodness you showed up. Otherwise, I think that lady might have had second thoughts. If someone else had snatched them up..." The broker shivered at the thought.

If Ming Lingyi had been there, she would have recognized the person speaking to the broker as the very same man she had mistaken for a steward earlier.

"Hah! You should be counting your lucky stars. That person was generous, wasn’t he? Paying you a hefty sum of silver to make sure you sold them to that young lady."

The broker just chuckled slyly and said nothing.

The man who had pushed him to make this deal was masked, his voice was hoarse, and he looked like a desperate Jianghu Guest who didn’t care about his own life. The broker was afraid, but the man was incredibly generous. One part of him felt his life was in danger, while the other couldn’t resist the huge sum of silver. In the end, he took the job.

As for what would happen to the young lady after taking those people back with her, why should he care?

「Ming Lingyi had just returned to Huaided Fang and hadn’t even stepped inside when she saw a little mushroom crouching by the back gate.」

The moment she saw Li Yan, Ming Lingyi was a little surprised.

She walked over quickly. "Little Huachao, why did you come without sending word?" Ming Lingyi asked.

Xiao Chun and Shi Mingyue both recognized the Little Prince, and for a moment, they were both at a loss.

Before, when they didn’t know Li Yan’s identity, they could treat him normally, thinking of him simply as the young master of some wealthy family.

But the Crown Prince and the young master of a wealthy family were worlds apart. They felt quite awkward in Li Yan’s presence.

Ming Lingyi raised her hand, signaling for Xiao Chun and Shi Mingyue to take the newly bought servants away to get settled in.

Xiao Chun and Shi Mingyue hastily bowed to Li Yan and then scurried away.

Neither of them noticed that the three people following them also bowed respectfully to Li Yan, their etiquette flawless.

Little Bun was upset right now; how could he possibly pay attention to anyone other than his mother?

His gaze didn’t land on anyone else at all. Once he saw that they were alone, he threw himself directly into Ming Lingyi’s arms.

Ming Lingyi was startled by his action. She opened her arms to catch the small figure, then patted Little Bun’s back comfortingly and asked in a low voice, "Did something happen? Or were you wronged in the palace?"

From last night until now, Li Yan had felt he was handling things very well.

Even Yu Yi and Yanxia couldn’t help but praise how impressive he was. After learning that the Emperor had fainted, he had remained calm and composed, not flustered in the slightest. He even gave orders to the palace staff in a methodical and orderly manner, almost becoming the backbone for people like Liu Ye.

He was only five years old, yet he already possessed such courage. It was truly gratifying.

Even his Father Emperor, after waking up today and hearing from the palace staff about his conduct throughout the night, offered rare words of praise.

But now, in front of Ming Lingyi, it was as if Li Yan had suddenly shed the identity of Prince Dayan, leaving only the core of a five-year-old child. His emotions were on full display, impossible to hide.

"Mother, Father Emperor was unconscious all night..." Li Yan mumbled, his face buried in Ming Lingyi’s shoulder. "I was so scared," he said.

Ming Lingyi was shocked. How could Li Yun have fallen unconscious? ’Wasn’t he perfectly fine when he came to see me?’

But right now, she had no time to think about that. All her attention was captured by Li Yan’s words, "I was so scared."

"There, there, don’t be afraid. Our Little Huachao isn’t afraid of anything. Mother is here," Ming Lingyi said, stroking Li Yan’s head.

The Crown Prince’s head was something even the Emperor rarely touched, but for Ming Lingyi, it felt completely natural.

Li Yan said, "But Father Emperor doesn’t look well at all..."

His heart was heavy. Although he felt his Father Emperor was being terribly fragile, Li Yan still wished his father could forever be the man he had always known—the one with the eternally upright figure, who could never be struck down by anything or anyone.

"Also, Mother, I discovered a secret today," Li Yan whispered.