☆, Chapter 267 Do you still have me in your heart?
"She's coming back."
Early in the morning, Meng Jingjing went to Li Changyi and said, "You are now the King of Lingnan, and your beloved woman is about to return. It's time for us to get a divorce."
Li Changyi looked surprised: "I think you've long been used to being a princess."
“It took me five years to adapt from Meng Jingjing to Princess An Ding. It took me twice as long to go back to Meng Jingjing. I’m only thirty-five years old. Thirty-five is a time when you men can achieve great things, and it’s also a time when I, Meng Jingjing, can achieve great things.”
"Don't you care about me anymore?" Li Changyi stared at the other person's face.
Meng Jingjing simply smiled and said, "Whether I have you in my heart or not is not important. Your Highness should ask yourself who else is in your heart."
"With you."
"oh."
"Only you."
Meng Jingjing froze, but only for a moment. She chuckled, "Your Highness is so used to acting that even without the costume or a stage, you can still get into character so easily. I truly admire you."
How do you know I'm acting?
“I don’t know, but whether Your Highness is putting on an act or not is not important to me. What is important is that I don’t want to put on an act anymore.” Meng Jingjing took out a piece of paper, which she had prepared two years ago. “If Your Highness has no objections, I will take it to the yamen to register it.”
"I have a bad temper and have angered the princess. In a fit of anger, she wants to divorce me. I am trying to win her heart and am also seeking the opinions of all the people of Lingnan... Even if you take this piece of paper to the palace, my brother will not agree to the divorce. He will only scold me and then escort you back."
Meng Jingjing hardened her fist.
Li Changyi continued, "I met the Princess when we were still young. I am grateful that she followed me when I had no fame or fortune. After many years of marriage, we have no children, and I have not taken any concubines or maids. My heart and eyes are only for the Princess. I am deeply in love with her and am a rare romantic in the Great Liang Dynasty. No matter who mentions it, I am a good man. If the Princess says she doesn't want me, this good man, everyone will only think that she is ungrateful."
"Then I'll pretend I didn't know what was good for me—" Meng Jingjing was stunned when she saw the face suddenly looming closer. "Chen Liangjin, get out of my way!"
“Jingjing, when I said I had you in my heart, it was the truth. It was also the truth that you were the only one in my heart. Now that the Great Liang has unified the world and there is peace, the Meng family will have its own generals and will not need you for the time being. I remember you wanted to go to Tianshan to see where your father sacrificed himself. Perfect timing, I also want to go, why don’t we go together!”
Meng Jingjing said no, but Li Changyi didn't care at all. He made the preparations on his own, and seven days later, he carried the sleeping Meng Jingjing onto the carriage and began his journey to Daliang.
Two days later, Zhao Yunjing and Zhou Mujiao arrived in Lingnan and heard that Li Changyi and Meng Jingjing had already left Lingnan.
Shuisheng said, "Master, does the King of Lingnan have a problem with you, or does he still have designs on the Madam?"
"The King of Lingnan is a magnanimous man; you're overthinking it." After saying this, Zhao Yunjing smiled as he saw Sijiu come out to greet him.
Si Jiu is already married. His wife is a hardworking and beautiful girl from Lingnan. She is very composed, and the atmosphere between them is very comfortable. The main reason is that Madam Chen and Chen Wan'er did not come to Lingnan. Even though Si Jiu has become the most favored person under the King of Lingnan and has reached the rank of fourth grade, they still look down on Si Jiu from the bottom of their hearts and are unwilling to accept him.
Si Jiu didn't care. All the warmth he received in the Chen family came from Li Changyi. He didn't care how others treated him. Moreover, there were no elders in the family, which allowed him and his wife to get married smoothly. Their married life was very comfortable. If Madam Chen and Chen Wan'er had come to Lingnan, one could imagine how much his wife would have suffered.
Si Jiu feels that the good life she has now is a gift from God, and she is very grateful and content. As the saying goes, a broad mind makes one healthy and happy. Si Jiu looks very blessed now, and her smile is very approachable.
"Your Excellency, Your Excellency, the mansion has been prepared. Please return to the mansion to rest. I will prepare a welcome banquet for Your Excellency tomorrow night."
Zhao Yunjing said calmly, "Let's skip the welcome banquet. I'm going to sea tomorrow. Oh, by the way, send a letter to the Prince of Lingnan and tell him that I have a new project to do. If he's interested, I'll wait for him for a month. If he's not interested, then Ajiao and I will do it ourselves. Just don't let him get jealous and try to sabotage us."
The Duke's Mansion is located in the main city, just two streets away from the royal city. Standing at the highest point of the two mansions, one can shout out loud and chat without leaving the house, as long as one has the lung capacity and can say anything that is not appropriate.
The mansion was very well maintained. The courtyard had the characteristic Lingnan walled village structure, with many rooms and winding corridors. Without a map, a stranger would not remember the way after walking through it five or six times.
Zhou Mujiao's grandfather lived in the walled village. Every year during winter and summer vacations, Zhou Mujiao would go back to stay for a period of time. She liked the atmosphere of the walled village. When she was younger, her grandfather would take her from house to house, eating at each other's homes. She would make friends every few steps. She loved it. However, as she grew up, she had more responsibilities and fewer opportunities to play. Every time she returned to the walled village, she cherished the time she spent with her grandfather.
Upon entering the house, the overwhelming sense of familiarity made Zhou Mujiao's eyes well up with tears. She felt a little dazed, as if she had returned to her childhood, where she could push open a door and her grandfather would laugh and ask, "Is it me, Ajiao, who has returned?"
Unfortunately, this is Daliang, and there is no grandfather here.
Sensing her dejection, Zhao Yunjing immediately grasped her hand, without asking why or offering any words of comfort. But this silent companionship was more powerful than any words.
Dinner was authentic Lingnan cuisine, light and sweet. The pot of water snake porridge was her favorite. She drank a full bowl first before eating other dishes. Zhao Yunjing, on the other hand, loved the poached chicken and braised pork. He ate non-stop, occasionally taking a break only to keep an eye on whether Zhou Mujiao's mood had improved.
Far from the capital and the imperial court, the couple were unusually free from worldly affairs. They indulged in absurdity until the early hours of the morning, and their planned sea voyage the next morning was canceled because they both overslept.
Si Jiu and Shui Sheng waited outside. After sending their respective people away, the two looked at each other and smiled.
Congratulations to Si Jiu on becoming a fourth-rank official and having a happy family. Congratulations to Shui Sheng on being able to leave the capital and achieve his wish. Back then, the two were just little pages by their respective masters. Now, several years have passed, and their status has changed, but their feelings for their respective masters remain the same.
"The sea trip has been postponed to three days later," Shuisheng said. "I'd appreciate it if you could show me around this new Lingnan royal city, Brother Sijiu."
"Come on, little Shui Sheng."
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