Chapter 19, 019 "I haven't yet congratulated my brother." "...
"Snap!"
With a loud crack, Qingli snapped back to reality. Before she could react, the carriage shattered into pieces. Qingli felt dizzy and disoriented as she was thrown into the air and rolled to the ground. She was momentarily disoriented and had no idea where she had landed.
The wind howled in her ears, and the rhythmic clatter of horses' hooves as they brushed against the ground. The sudden, sharp vibrations sent shivers down her spine, followed by a chaotic upheaval.
In a daze, the torment she had suffered over the years, the ruthlessness of the Prince of Dingxi, the constant anxiety, and even the inexplicable pursuit she was currently facing—all of these things completely ignited the resentment in her heart.
This only made her breathing more and more chaotic, until finally she almost stopped breathing altogether.
A flash of white light crossed her mind, and in a daze, she thought that the Prince of Dingxi was dead. She and Meng Qingshan had settled their scores, and there was no need to dwell on past grievances anymore. If she were to die now, it wouldn't be a death with regrets. Thinking of this, she completely gave up struggling and let herself roll down.
But the deep-seated resentment in her heart stirred up a fighting spirit within her. She had not yet seen her grandfather, nor understood the truth of what happened back then. Suddenly, she opened her eyes, and the shadows of trees and light flashed before her eyes. Ignoring the excruciating pain in her hands, she suddenly grabbed whatever was in her hands.
The feeling of weightlessness, with her feet dangling in the air, made her look down. She immediately closed her eyes in terror. Below her was a bottomless cliff, with jagged rocks and white mist obscuring the view below. Her face turned deathly pale.
Only then did the tinkling sound of pebbles falling to the ground come from the bottom of the mountain, rising and echoing, pouring into the ears as if out of tune.
She was so nervous she barely dared to breathe. Looking up slightly, she saw a thin, willow-twig-like vine in her hand, which was snapping with a crackling sound. She could no longer hold back and cried out in a trembling voice, "Help!"
She tensed up, her toes barely touching the sharp corner of a rock. Just as she exhaled, the vine snapped, and she tumbled forward.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye. She was so frightened that she couldn't react. The next instant, a leather whip stretched out from above, hooked her, and swung her to the ground.
She hadn't yet recovered from the immense fear when she saw the corpses lying haphazardly on the ground. She screamed sharply and tried to back away, but there was no way to retreat behind her, like a wall. She stared blankly up at the scene.
The intense sunlight made her squint. She couldn't tell if it was tears or sweat that got into her eyes, causing a stinging sensation. Looking at her against the light, all that remained were her resolute and strong features, with a gaze as complex as that of the Prince of Dingxi, who was now staring down at her.
Her eyes were red and swollen, her hair was disheveled and wet, sticking to her cheeks, with bits of grass and green leaves stuck in her hair. The red marks on her fair cheeks were quite gruesome, and the skin on her palms was festering from scratching at something. She looked utterly pitiful and miserable.
Qingli had only one thought in her mind: seeing him was like seeing a family member. Unconsciously, she cried out in a tearful voice, "They robbed me, boohoo..."
Meng Qingshan frowned, instinctively disbelieving. Seeing the ordeal she had suffered, he didn't want to argue with her. He silently picked her up and called out, "Go and fetch Mr. Li."
Camps had already been set up in the dense forest. Qingli glanced around and saw only a carriage with a flat deck left, and Wang Da and Wang Er squatting to one side. She gave them a reassuring look and was about to survey the surroundings again to check on Jiang Zhao and the others.
A displeased voice came from above, "Do you have fleas on you?!"
"His neck is so sensitive, he must be alright."
"Either get down and walk yourself!"
He reprimanded her one sentence after another, and anyone with a discerning eye could tell that he was suppressing his anger.
She obediently went back to her den and dared not move again.
When you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head.
Seeing her pitiful, meek appearance, Meng Qingshan felt a surge of anger. He really wanted to grab her by the ear and ask her where she got the audacity to drug his guard and get into such big trouble.
"say!"
Having long held a high position, Meng Qingshan roared so loudly that a pin drop could be heard in the tent.
Qingli was also startled, and she raised an eyebrow, giving him a pitiful look.
Meng Qingshan: "......"
His anger vanished instantly, leaving him only to sulk silently. He had been working tirelessly day and night, chasing after her all the way to Qizhou to investigate, and then continuing his pursuit along the way. Heaven knows the deep fear he felt when he saw her tumbling down the mountain.
Qingli's mind was in turmoil. After this incident, she realized that the mastermind behind it all was far more ruthless than she had imagined. Now that she was in the open, she probably couldn't defend herself against what happened today on her own.
Therefore... Qingli couldn't help but hiss, and her hand instinctively pulled back. A large, vise-like hand landed on her wrist, rendering her unable to move. Her eyelashes were wet, and she stared at him through the mist.
Hmph...Eh? Isn't he a ready-made laborer? He's strong and powerful, skilled in martial arts, and ruthless. Even those assassins just now died at his hands. He should be able to protect her.
The more she thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. Qingli had a flash of inspiration and saw the bloody wound. Her eyes stung and she began to sob. Meng Qingshan stiffened, suspecting that he had hit her too hard. He loosened his grip and looked at the red marks on her wrist, feeling annoyed.
Li Ju lowered his head, his hands busy at work, wishing he could escape from the tent immediately. Finally, after finishing bandaging, he listened to the constant sobbing and instructed himself, "General, the young lady has suffered an external injury. She should not get it wet for the next few days and should rest quietly for some time."
The curtain fell, finally silencing the intermittent sobs.
The old wound on her neck was now bandaged with a cool, medicated dressing. Her hands, wrapped up like buns, were held up in front of her like a coquettish little monkey, and she asked very meekly, "Brother, where are you going?"
His brows furrowed, and he said dejectedly, "Won't this delay your important business?"
Meng Qingshan was startled. Elder brother? The last time she called him elder brother, it seemed to be when she asked him to find someone. He glanced at her pitiful appearance at this moment, hesitated for a moment, and told the truth, "His Majesty has appointed me as a third-rank Dingyuan General, granted me a hundred acres of fertile land, a thousand taels of silver, and a mansion, and ordered me to return to the capital immediately."
Startled by the series of rewards, Qingli stopped crying and stared blankly as large, translucent teardrops fell onto his dark hand. Suddenly, a tingling sensation ran through him, and he quickly withdrew his hand behind his back.
She looked him up and down. His military uniform, made of fine steel and silver, gleamed with a cold light, and underneath was a plain ochre robe. He was tall and slender, with a calm and composed face, and his eyes were powerful and domineering, exuding a decisive and ruthless aura.
The Prince of Dingxi once said that he had directly attacked the enemy leader. If he was fearless on the battlefield, then why was he appointed a third-rank general by the Emperor? She suspected that he was just putting on an act.
But upon reflection, he realized that while he had spoken sternly and fiercely, he had never uttered empty words.
She lowered her head and pondered for a moment, already believing his words. Realizing she had overreacted, she immediately composed herself and congratulated him, "I haven't yet offered my congratulations to my brother."
Congratulations!
Qingli: "?"
She was speechless for a moment, thinking that he might still have the brother-sister relationship from back then and wanted to ease the tension between them. Whatever the reason, she agreed and said, "It is good that my brother has achieved success."
Then he sighed and said, "I'm afraid my brother will be the subject of gossip because of me."
As dusk settled outside, the camp was already dark. Not hearing his reply, Qingli's breath caught in her throat. She tilted her head back, barely able to see his face. A silent tension flowed between them. Her cheeks were slightly hot. Just a few days ago, she had been thinking of parting ways, but now she had ulterior motives and sought his protection.
Seeing that he ignored her, she lowered her head in discouragement, letting out a soft sigh that trembled and echoed in Meng Qingshan's ears. He had excellent eyesight and could see clearly even in the dark. The spark that had just ignited in her eyes suddenly dimmed, and his heart seemed to shrink as well.
As soon as the sigh faded, he said calmly, "No, there will always be a place for you in this manor."
His eyes suddenly brightened. Before she could even thank him, he teased, "However, my sister is a woman of great talent and courage, so I probably don't need to interfere too much."
The corners of her mouth that had just turned up slowly flattened. Her dark pupils darted left and right, knowing that he was going to settle scores later. If she couldn't answer this question to his liking, her request wouldn't go so smoothly. She said regretfully, "What I did was unconventional and unorthodox, and I fear that I would be scorned by the world. My heart has been tormented by this, and I have often doubted whether my fate is unlucky, which is why I have ended up like this. My brother is a man of his word and has already rescued me. How can I possibly involve you again?"
His tone was calm, but a sense of despondency was palpable. "Whether in the countryside or by the dim light of a Buddhist lamp, I am thinking of cutting ties with the past and starting anew."
Meng Qingshan instinctively avoided her eyes, his heart clenched tightly, a sharp pain shooting through him. After a few breaths, he finally found his voice and slowly said, "What's past cannot be changed, but the future can still be shaped. Since that's the case, there are plenty of ways."
After saying that, he turned around, leaving behind a serene, shimmering light.
She paused, knowing she had passed this hurdle. Since they met, she had deliberately forgotten the past and only sought personal gain. But now she laid bare her past shameful acts before him, hoping to elicit a sense of guilt from him and a hint of disappointment from him. This also made her suddenly feel depressed and melancholy.
That obstacle had become an insurmountable chasm between the two.
She minded, and so did he.
Suddenly, the tent flap was lifted, and Jiang Zhao rushed in first, followed closely by Jiang Yue and Granny Cheng. They took her hands and surrounded her, their eyes filled with tears as they said, "Miss, you've suffered so much."
Seeing that the three of them were safe and sound, Qingli exclaimed with delight, "That's wonderful!"
Jiang Zhao had already started babbling on the other side, "We servants were thrown into a deep pit and rolled into the dense forest where we happened to meet General Meng and his party. As soon as we told them that you were being chased by bad guys, General Meng's face darkened and he led his men out."
This was the second time Granny Cheng had met Meng Qingshan, but each time it had been a bloody affair. Compared to Jiang Yue and Jiang Zhao, she was a woman and had seen more of the affairs between men and women in the backyard. She was afraid of General Meng, but she also knew that men were the most ruthless. If he didn't have feelings in his heart, he would not be reacting like this.
Granny Cheng looked at her young mistress. Her long eyelashes were covered with water droplets, which fluttered like butterfly wings and rolled down onto her porcelain-white, cold face, leaving a trail of wetness. Her delicate lips were slightly pale, and she was not wearing any jewelry. She was naturally beautiful and charming, but now her loose, dark dress made her look even more pitiful and endearing.
Even a man of such unyielding spirit as General Meng would likely have his temper extinguished by a beauty like Miss Meng.
As Qingli listened to Jiang Zhao flatter Meng Qingshan about how he had stood up for her, she felt a slight relief. However, thinking about how she was scheming to use him to get into the capital, she felt a pang of guilt and secretly made a decision: if he ever needed anything in the future, she would definitely repay him.
After the three of them had talked for a while, she called them over and instructed them, "You must never tell them about what happened in Hezhong Prefecture."
The three responded in hushed tones. Jiang Yue whispered, "Miss, don't worry. We are very vigilant. The servants below questioned us, and we knew nothing. We kept our mouths shut."
Jiang Zhao nodded, "Wang Da and Wang Er have also given instructions."
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