Chapter 78078 Mighty

Chapter 78

Meng Yuning was feeling a little guilty at first, but after hearing what he said, she felt more justified.

She tilted her head and looked at Qi Jingyan, her eyes narrowed with a dangerous glint: "Your Highness, are you being sarcastic to me?"

Qi Jingyan remained calm, a faint smile playing on his lips: "No, An Ning, you are overthinking it."

Then he picked up a crab and imitated An Ning's actions, snapping off all the crab legs. He then used a pair of scissors to cut the crab legs in half. He then used the chopsticks An Ning had used to push out some of the crab meat, neatly placing it on a plate and placing it in front of An Ning. "Come on, eat."

Meng Yuning naturally enjoyed herself being taken care of. She reached out and picked up a crab leg, biting out the meat.

The crab meat was firm and elastic, tender and fresh, with a hint of sweetness. Meng Yuning narrowed her eyes happily: "Delicious."

Yi'er, standing beside him, followed suit, squinting his eyes and shaking his head: "It's delicious."

The two, one big and one small, ate happily. Qi Jingyan then peeled the remaining crab, divided the removed crab legs into two portions, and placed them on the two plates respectively.

Seeing this, Meng Yuning couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, don't you want to eat?"

Qi Jingyan's hands kept moving: "You guys eat first."

Meng Yuning guessed that he gave it to her and Yi'er because they liked it. She picked up a crab leg and fed it to him: "Let's eat together. Mu Feng and the others are going to the beach to pick up more tonight."

His Royal Highness Prince Shen wouldn't be so miserable that he wouldn't even be willing to eat a few crab legs.

Qi Jingyan did not refuse and ate four crab legs in a row from An Ning's hand, while continuing to peel the crab shell with his hands.

Seeing that Aning was feeding her brother and didn't care about eating herself, Yi'er picked up a crab leg from her plate and stretched out her little hand to feed it to Aning's mouth: "Aning, eat too."

"Thank you, Yier." Meng Yuning thanked him softly and ate the crab meat that Yier fed her.

When she finished eating and looked up again, she almost saw black.

My goodness, just for a moment I wasn't paying attention and this guy turned the crab roe into a mess, mixing up all the edible and inedible parts.

But it is understandable. He used to be the Crown Prince, and the crabs he ate would probably be unpacked by the palace servants around him, so it is normal that he doesn't know how to unpack them.

"Let me do it, Your Highness." She quickly brought the plate in front of him. "This crab heart, crab stomach, crab gills, and even the teeth... these are not edible."

She picked out a bunch of inedible things, then placed the shells filled with crab roe and crab meat on Qi Jingyan's plate: "Okay, these are all edible."

Qi Jingyan nodded: "Thank you, An Ning. Let me peel yours. I'll watch for a while."

Meng Yuning quickly took the crabs for herself and Yi'er: "No need, no need. Your Highness, you can eat yours. I can do it myself."

She couldn't bear to see such a good crab fall into the hands of the evil one again. Besides, eating crabs is a joy, and peeling crabs is also a pleasure.

Seeing that she was protecting her food, Qi Jingyan did not force her. He picked up the silver spoon and slowly used the crab roe.

Seeing him eating, Meng Yuning ignored him and skillfully opened a crab and placed it on the plate in front of Yi'er. She then handed him a small silver spoon and said, "Yier, try this."

"Thank you, Aning." Yier smiled with curved eyebrows, took the crab shell filled with crab meat, and tasted it carefully spoonful by spoonful.

When it was her turn, she didn't peel the whole crab, but ate it while peeling it. When she finished peeling the whole crab, she was done. She smiled contentedly and said, "I wish I could eat crabs every day."

Qi Jingyan took the warm, damp handkerchief from the table, gently held Ah Ning's hand, and carefully wiped each finger for her: "Crab meat is cold in nature, so don't eat too much."

Meng Yuning naturally understood this principle, so she responded obediently and let him change two handkerchiefs to wipe her hands clean.

At this time, Yi'er had also finished eating the crab meat. Seeing his brother wiping An Ning's hands, he stretched out his two greasy hands and said, "Brother, wipe your hands."

Qi Jingyan was unmoved: "Go to the clean room and wash yourself."

Yi'er agreed obediently, jumped off the chair and walked towards the bathroom on his short legs. Meng Yuning hurriedly followed and helped Yi'er wash his hands. The two of them walked back hand in hand. Yi'er stretched out his two little arms to An Ning again, and An Ning carried him to the chair and sat down herself.

Qi Jingyan shook his head helplessly. Yi'er could take care of himself in Qingketang, but he became a little squeamish in front of An Ning, even needing to be carried to the chair.

Although Qi Jingyan felt helpless, he didn't say anything. He picked up a piece of food for An Ning and said, "Eat."

---

After lunch, the three of them rested together on the couch.

The weather was getting hotter. Even though Qi Jingyan was fanning herself with a palm-leaf fan, and even though Meng Yuning was only wearing a thin silk nightgown, she still felt the heat and stuffiness was unbearable. Fine beads of sweat wet the hair on her forehead.

She turned over and saw Yi'er, who was wearing a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, looking refreshed and comfortable, sleeping soundly beside her. She couldn't help but feel envious.

After hesitating for a moment, she whispered tentatively, "Your Highness, I want Qiulian to make me a set of short pajamas like Yier's."

Upon hearing this, Qi Jingyan first glanced at Yi'er's exposed chubby arms and legs, then looked at An Ning's flushed cheeks, and without hesitation, "If you like, let her do it."

Seeing that he agreed readily and didn't say anything like "unbecoming", Meng Yuning pursed her lips and smiled, then sat up and rolled up her sleeves again: "Actually, I've already asked Qiulian to make it, and I want to change into it now."

Unexpectedly, this carefree girl also learned to be roundabout in her testing. Qi Jingyan couldn't help but laugh: "Since it's done, then let's change it."

Meng Yuning immediately smiled, jumped off the couch barefoot, stepped on her strange shoes, took out a set of light green short-sleeved shorts from the closet, and walked briskly into the bathroom.

In just a moment, she changed and walked out.

When Qi Jingyan raised his eyes, he saw her walking lightly back to the couch. Her arms and calves, which were usually covered tightly, were now completely exposed. Her skin was as smooth as jade and a little dazzling.

She climbed back onto the couch with a smile, lying down next to Yi'er, and sighed contentedly, "It's much cooler now."

Qi Jingyan's gaze paused for a moment on her smiling face, then moved away imperceptibly and looked towards the top of the tent. The palm-leaf fan in his hand was still blowing a cool breeze steadily, but the force seemed to be stronger than before, and the wind was a little stronger.

Meng Yuning felt a coolness all over her body, and she thought it was all thanks to the short-sleeved shirt and shorts. She turned her head and kindly suggested, "Your Highness, why don't I ask Qiulian to make you a set too? It really does keep you cooler."

Qi Jingyan continued to stare at the ceiling, fanning himself without ceasing, and uttered two words calmly: "No need."

Although his voice was steady, his ears felt slightly warm, barely perceptible.

The jade-like arm and calf always caught his eyes inadvertently, and he silently recited the "Heart Purification Mantra" in his heart.

Seeing his straightforward refusal, Meng Yuning assumed he was just being old-fashioned and insisting on strictly observing those rules and regulations. She couldn't help but whisper, "Your Highness, you're only wearing it indoors anyway, and you won't be seeing any guests. Why bother with all this formality? Your own comfort is what's most important."

Before she finished speaking, Qi Jingyan suddenly stood up.

Meng Yuning was puzzled. She looked up at him with confusion in her eyes: "What's wrong?"

"You guys take a rest first." Qi Jingyan said in a low voice, gently placing the palm-leaf fan in his hand on the edge of the couch, "I'm going to the east side room to find a clerk."

After saying this, without waiting for her response, he moved to sit in the wheelchair and went straight to the east side room. His back revealed a rare sense of haste.

Meng Yuning looked at the anxious figure, sighed softly, and murmured to herself, "I'm already busy with official business after lunch? I don't even have time for a short lunch break."

But thinking of the heavy burden on his shoulders, I knew there was nothing I could do about it, so I stopped thinking about it.

She picked up the palm-leaf fan he had left behind and fanned it intermittently. As the cool breeze blew, she gradually closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

In the east room, Qi Jingyan did not look for any documents.

He just sat quietly in the wheelchair by the window, looking out towards the courtyard.

The bright, scorching summer afternoon sunlight shone through the window lattice, casting tiny spots of light on his clothes.

His face was as calm as water, and his slender fingers unconsciously pressed lightly on his knees, stroking back and forth the legs under the brocade robe that had not stood for a long time.

---

Meng Yuning woke up and called Yi'er.

After washing their faces and eating some fruit brought by Meng Jin, they went to the east room to practice calligraphy together.

Because he was thinking about going out to play later, Yier wrote extra fast today. He held the pen in one hand and kept writing. In a blink of an eye, he finished a line. However, the handwriting was inevitably a little sloppy.

Meng Yuning didn't want to dampen the child's spirits, so she softly praised him, "Wow, our Yi'er wrote so quickly today, he's really amazing."

Yier nodded his head vigorously and said proudly, "Yier can write even faster!"

Meng Yuning quickly held his little hand and said gently, "Yier, let's not rush. Let's write slowly. Brother said he won't be leaving until the evening. If we write too quickly, it will be boring to wait for the rest of the day, right?"

She was afraid that the child would be in a hurry and his handwriting would not be regular. Qi Jingyan would not be able to check it later and would have to rewrite it, which would delay the process even longer.

Yier listened to the advice and replied "OK" obediently. Then he calmed down and started writing carefully, stroke by stroke.

When Yier finally finished writing the last stroke, the sun had already set outside the window and the sky was getting dark.

Meng Yuning carefully checked Yi'er's writing, nodded with satisfaction, took his little hand and said softly, "Let's go change our clothes and then go find our brother."

Yier clapped his hands happily, and jumped up and down to follow Yier to the bedroom to change clothes.

Meng Yuning first changed Yier into a light royal blue robe embroidered with auspicious cloud patterns, and then combed her hair neatly and tied it into a small bun.

She went to the bathroom, changed into a light and elegant moon-white skirt, and combed her hair into a neat bun.

After the two of them had packed up, they walked hand in hand towards the Qingke Hall.

Mu Ying, Mu Li, and Meng Jin followed behind.

In the Qingke Hall, Qi Jingyan was sitting at his desk writing something. Seeing the two people enter, he put down his pen and smiled, "I was just about to send someone to call you."

Meng Yuning's eyebrows curved, "Your Highness, are you going out now?"

Qi Jingyan nodded slightly: "The time is perfect, let's go."

Meng Yuning agreed, and went around to the back of the wheelchair with Yier, one on each side, pushing him forward with a smile. Mu Shan followed silently behind, and the group walked slowly to the gate.

Even though dusk was falling, the lights on both sides of the gate were already on.

Mu Jiang had already gathered fifty burly guards to wait here.

The guards dressed in black were divided into two rows, each holding a bright flame and a sword at their waist.

The dancing flames illuminated the stern faces. Their eyes were like torches as they stood solemnly, their silence carrying a murderous aura tempered on the battlefield.

Meng Yu gazed at this solemn and spectacular scene, and felt his heart warm up, and a sense of heroism arose spontaneously.

She straightened her back, waved her hand, and said in a clear voice with a rare boldness: "Let's go!"

"Yes." The fifty guards responded in unison, their voices like a loud bell, shaking the sky.

In fact, Meng Yuning came to her senses as soon as she finished shouting. Qi Jingyan was here, so it was not her turn to give orders.

But I didn't expect the guards to respond in unison.

She was shocked and turned her head away, looking at Qi Jingyan somewhat helplessly.

However, Qi Jingyan was not displeased at all. Instead, he looked at her with a smile, and his eyes were full of clear indulgence and approval.

Meng Yuning also smiled.

Qi Jingyan then nodded slightly to Mu Shan, and Mu Shan understood and stepped forward, carefully helping Qi Jingyan into the spacious black lacquered carriage.

Meng Yuning hurriedly followed behind, holding Yi'er's hand. The car was padded and very comfortable.

As soon as the three of them sat down, the guard driving the carriage cracked the whip, and the carriage rumbled forward steadily.

The guards all jumped on their horses, Mu Jiang led the way, and the guards on both sides held torches and protected the carriage.

Amidst the blazing firelight, the group marched towards the busiest long street in Canghai County at night.