Although Mo Yan harbored a bit of ill will towards Yun Zhao for his previous scheming against Zhenzhen, after spending several months together, that ill will had gradually dissipated. When she put herself in his shoes, she thought she might have done the sa.
However, now that they were a family, it was important to clarify the siblings’ origins. Mo Yan knew that they had been forced out by their stepmother and that there were irreconcilable conflicts with their family. In Jing City, which was neither too big nor too small, an encounter in the future could happen. Should anything arise, it was always best to be prepared.
After lunch, Mo Yan called Yun Zhao to her courtyard, explained the pros and cons, and let him choose whether to speak or not.
Yun Zhao’s face changed, looking rather unsightly. Previously, he had only been focused on agreeing to beco the adopted son of the Mo Family, without considering the potential trouble his birth family, which had left him feeling despondent and cold-hearted, might cause his adoptive family. He smacked his head in annoyance, slightly regretting it now.
Seeing his reaction, Mo Yan’s heart sank, and her tone beca unusually strict, "If you regard as your adopted sister, tell everything exactly as it is."
Furrowing his brow and clenching his fists, Yun Zhao hesitated, uncertain whether he should speak or not as he looked indecisively at Mo Yan.
Even with an unusually mature temperant, Yun Zhao was still only a seven-year-old child who had suffered the neglect of his biological father and the cruelty of his stepmother. Lacking a sense of security at such a young age, he worried that once he spoke out, the Mo Family might not accept them anymore, and the sense of kinship he had finally felt would vanish like smoke. The pain of gaining and then losing was too much to bear.
Perceiving his hesitation and unease, Mo Yan realized her tone was too harsh and couldn’t help but stroke his head to soothe him, "Sister Yan doesn’t an anything else. If you don’t want to speak, Sister Yan won’t force you. Whenever you want to talk, you can co to Sister Yan then!"
"Sister Yan, there’s no need to wait, I’ll tell you now," said Yun Zhao gratefully to Mo Yan. He knew in his heart that Mo Yan was only looking out for his best interest. To keep hiding things would be ungrateful.
Mo Yan patted his shoulder, poured him a cup of tea, and motioned for him to take his ti speaking.
Yun Zhao picked up the teacup, took a few small sips, and under Mo Yan’s encouraging gaze, slowly revealed his origins.
Yun Zhao’s original surna was Mu, and Yun was his mother’s surna. Having learned the true cause of his birth mother’s death, he grew to hate the entire Mu Family. After being forced out by his stepmother, he and his sister changed their surna to Yun.
The Mu Family was a second-tier World Family in Jing City, with a history even longer than that of Great Chu. Most of the family mbers gained social status through education, with several becoming Jin Shi in each generation. Their official posts were neither high nor low, with the highest currently being a Second Grade Official.
The Yun Family had once been a first-tier World Family in Jing City, producing remarkable talents, whether in the civil or military arena, all holding positions of significant authority. But as the saying goes, a full moon begins to wane, and a full river begins to overflow. A few years back, the border-guarding Yun Family was accused of embezzling millions of taels of military provisions and colluding with enemies, shaking the court and the governnt to its core.
Emperor Huian was skeptical, not wanting to wrongfully accuse a ritorious family and sent his trusted officials to conduct a triple inquiry. However, all evidence was against the Yun Family, and after half a year of investigation, their guilt was solidified.
The Yun Family was implicated in a host of cris worthy of execution for the entire clan, but Emperor Huian, in consideration of their years of service to the state, decreed only to confiscate the Yun Family property, executing all the male mbers of the primary lineage. The collateral branches were expelled from Jing City, sent back to their places of origin, and for three generations, the males were not to assu office, nor the females to enter the palace.
As the married daughter of the Yun Family, Lady Yun, Yun Zhao’s mother, escaped the fate of the rest of her family. But the Mu Family had initially sought to marry her to gain an alliance with the sky-high standing of the Yun Family. When the Yun Family collapsed, not only did Lady Yun have no further value for them, but her identity as the daughter of a convict threatened to drag down the Mu Family.
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