Chapter 102 102 Such Courage
Chapter 102
Meng Yuning turned around dissatisfiedly after being stopped by him: "Your Highness, why are you stopping me?"
Qi Jingyan didn't let go, but said calmly, "No need to go."
As soon as Meng Yuning stood firmly on her feet, she raised her hand to push his arm away and asked, "Why don't you let me go?"
Qi Jingyan grasped her wrist with his backhand and gently led her back to the couch to sit down. He explained in a gentle voice, "Everything I just said was just my own speculation."
"If Lingchuan's injury is genuine, it would be both moral and logical for Miss Cai to rush back and see him."
"If Ling Chuan's injury is fake, then his actions must have deeper meaning. At this moment, how Miss Cai reacts to this matter is crucial to Ling Chuan's plan."
Meng Yuning thought about it carefully, and suddenly a light bulb went off in her head, and she thought of a possibility.
In the original book, Qi Jingyan did not escape on his way south, Young Marquis Yu never showed up, and Sister A Zhao never followed the Young Marquis all the way.
At that time, Young Marquis Yu had no idea Sister Zhao was interested in him. Later, Young Marquis Yu was first granted marriage by Emperor Kangwen, while Sister Zhao was later betrothed by Emperor Kangwen. Ultimately, the two missed each other and never crossed paths again.
But in this life, everyone has walked together and experienced the ups and downs together. It seems that something has changed between Sister Zhao and the young marquis.
Although Sister A Zhao didn't tell her in detail, she knew that Sister A Zhao had revealed her cards to the young marquis.
So, is there a possibility that the young marquis is actually interested in Sister A Zhao, but the current court situation is delicate and Emperor Kangwen is suspicious and jealous, so it is impossible for him to approve the marriage between the Yu and Cai families.
So he pretended to be seriously injured, causing a big uproar, even at the cost of tarnishing his own reputation. Was he trying to use this to reject the emperor's possible marriage and gain freedom?
The more Meng Yuning thought about it, the clearer it became. The more she pondered it, the more she felt that this was indeed the case. Thinking of Sister Zhao and the young marquis finally getting married in the near future, she couldn't help but smile slightly, almost laughing out loud.
Qi Jingyan saw her expression change from confusion to enlightenment, and then a smile. He couldn't help but ask with a smile, "Why are you so happy all of a sudden?"
Meng Yuning suppressed her excitement, raised her hand to half-cover her lips, and leaned close to him and whispered, "Your Highness, do you think the young marquis staged this drama in order to reject His Majesty's arranged marriage?"
Qi Jingyan's eyebrows slightly raised, a hint of surprise flashed across his eyes: "A marriage? How did Aning know that His Majesty intended to arrange a marriage for Ling Chuan?"
Meng Yuning was speechless for a moment, knowing she had spoken out of turn, and quickly made up an excuse: "I was just guessing. How could His Majesty allow the young marquis to marry at will given his status?"
Qi Jingyan's gaze lingered on her face for a moment, and he finally smiled slightly and said softly, "A Ning is indeed smart."
Seeing that he didn't ask any further questions, Meng Yuning breathed a sigh of relief and then asked, "Then, Your Highness, do you think my guess is correct?"
Qi Jingyan nodded slightly and said, "Ling Chuan did mention it before. Your Majesty has expressed his intention to grant marriage to Marquis Cheng'an many times, but Marquis Cheng'an has politely declined for various reasons."
Meng Yuning clapped her hands, her brows curved, and she could hardly contain her smile: "That's it."
Seeing her like this, Qi Jingyan couldn't help but smile: "Are you not going to chase your sister Zhao now?"
Meng Yuning leaned back comfortably on the pillow behind her, shook her head and said with a smile, "I won't chase you anymore."
Since they had to hide this from Emperor Kangwen and so many other eyes in the capital, they had to put on a perfect show. Although Sister Zhao was inevitably sad at the moment, if the two of them finally got married, what would this temporary suffering be?
Thinking that Sister Zhao would soon get what she wanted, Meng Yuning was in high spirits. She casually grabbed a pillow, hugged it in her arms, and pounded it a few times happily: "Hehe."
Qi Jingyan couldn't help laughing at the girl's silly smile. He reached out and rubbed her head: "Are you so happy?"
Meng Yuning raised her hand to push away his hand that was pulling at her head: "Of course, if Sister Zhao is happy, then I'm happy too."
At this point, she couldn't help but sit up straight with worry, her brows slightly furrowed. "Your Highness, there are so many skilled doctors in the palace. If His Majesty really sends a doctor to treat the young marquis, wouldn't his illness be exposed?"
Qi Jingyan looked calm: "Ling Chuan has always been meticulous in his actions. Since he dared to do this, he must have thought of a perfect plan. Ning, don't worry."
Hearing his confident tone, Meng Yuning felt slightly relieved. Curiously, she asked, "But Your Highness, how could this be such a coincidence? My sister A Zhao arrived just as the letter from Cheng'an Marquis' Mansion arrived. How did Yu Yan know that my sister A Zhao was spending the New Year with us?"
Qi Jingyan: "I think Yu Shi and the others sent a letter to the Marquis' Mansion in advance, saying that Miss Cai would come here to celebrate the New Year. Yu Yan then sent the letter here, and it just happened to arrive on the same day."
"That should be the case." Meng Yuning nodded and asked, "Your Highness, do you still need Divine Doctor Tang to return to the capital?"
Qi Jingyan: "Go ahead. Although I have some guesses, I need Doctor Tang to see it in person before I can truly rest assured."
The next night, Doctor Tang came back from the mountain exhausted. After hearing Qi Jingyan's arrangements, he went back without saying a word, packed his bags, and prepared to set off overnight.
Before leaving, he was worried about the house, so he called Qiulian, who had been learning medicine from him for a while, and handed her a few bottles of commonly used pills.
Then he gave detailed instructions: "Now that the two princes and An Ning are in good health, you should check their pulses every three to five days. If anyone has a minor headache or fever, just use the medicine I usually give you. Don't panic."
Qiulian looked nervous and whispered, "But Master, the two princes and our girl are of noble status..."
Divine Doctor Tang raised his hand to interrupt her, puffing his beard and glaring at her, scolding her, "You little girl, don't you handle every illness that happens to other people in the mansion? Why do you become so timid when the two princes and An Ning are mentioned?"
Qiulian whispered, "I'm worried that my medical skills are still limited and I might use the wrong medicine."
Doctor Tang: "Given your cautious nature, even if something does go wrong, it won't cause a big mess. Don't worry, I'll be back as soon as I finish my work. It will take at most two months."
After giving Qiulian instructions, Doctor Tang got on a carriage and hurried off with two baskets of dry food and snacks specially prepared by Meng Yuning.
Mu Feng led ten guards to escort them, and the group hurried towards the capital under the moonlight.
---
After seeing off Divine Doctor Tang, Meng Yuning saw Qiulian still looking worried, so she smiled and patted her arm gently, saying to herself, "Don't worry, Mu Feng and the others will be there to protect you along the way. They will definitely take good care of your master. Let's go back."
The two walked slowly side by side, and Qiulian whispered, "Miss, thank you for allowing me to study medicine with you."
Meng Yuning smiled and said, "You've thanked me so many times already. You really don't need to mention it again in the future. If you keep being so polite, it will only make us seem distant."
After that, she continued in a gentle voice, "I've told you many times that you don't need to call yourself 'slave' anymore. Even the two princes respectfully address Divine Doctor Tang as Uncle Tang. Since you're his official disciple, if you still refer to yourself that way, we won't know what to do."
Since Qiulian officially became his disciple, Meng Yuning obtained Qi Jingyan's consent to return her indenture to her, and asked Mu Ying to accompany her to the government office to handle the paperwork and restore her status as a good citizen.
Qiulian blushed upon hearing this and quickly responded, "Slave, Qiulian will remember this."
Meng Yuning smiled and patted her hands: "That's right, now that Divine Doctor Tang is away, we have to rely on you to take care of the people in our house."
Qiulian's expression straightened, and she replied solemnly, "Don't worry, young lady. Qiulian will do her best."
Meng Yuning nodded with a smile, but she couldn't help but think of Yi'er's fever a few days ago.
That time, Doctor Tang was not at home, and she was in a hurry, so she had to send someone to call a doctor from outside.
Although it was a spur-of-the-moment idea, she cautiously asked the doctor to try the medicine first. But after Yi'er recovered, she became more and more scared the more she thought about it.
What if the doctor had planned it in advance, took the antidote in advance, and then poisoned the patient?
Canghai County was a small place, and there were only a few clinics and pharmacies. If these doctors had been bribed or coerced, she would have been inviting a wolf into the house.
The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became.
But Divine Doctor Tang always loved to travel around, collecting herbs and searching for remedies. They couldn't just keep him in the house all the time and not let him go out. Besides, Divine Doctor Tang had a bad temper. If he wanted to go out, who could stop him?
After thinking it over for a while, Meng Yuning felt that in addition to Doctor Tang, he needed to have someone in the mansion who was proficient in medicine, in order to be safe.
She suddenly remembered that on the day Yi'er had a fever, Qiulian's diagnosis was exactly the same as what the doctor invited from outside said, so she discussed the matter with Qi Jingyan.
Qi Jingyan went to ask Doctor Tang if he would be willing to take him in as a disciple. Doctor Tang said it didn't matter, as long as the medical skills he learned didn't harm anyone, he was willing to work hard, and he wasn't afraid of being scolded, he would be willing to teach. Of course, there was another condition: the candidate had to be the right material.
Meng Yuning was very happy to get the answer from Doctor Tang. She immediately called Qiulian and asked her if she was willing to take Doctor Tang as her teacher and learn how to cure diseases and save lives from him.
Qiulian has been living with her parents since she was young and has learned a lot about herbs and medicine. She has also read several medical books.
However, her mother later encountered an unfortunate event and did not allow her to study medicine anymore, so she was forced to learn needlework instead. However, she always longed to continue practicing medicine.
Qiulian was startled at first, then tears welled up in her eyes. She fell to her knees with a plop, kowtowed deeply to Meng Yuning, and said in a choked voice, "I am willing! I am grateful for your kindness, young lady. I am willing to work like a slave for the rest of my life to repay you!"
Meng Yuning quickly helped her up and personally took her to see Doctor Tang.
Doctor Tang tested Qiulian on many medical theories and medicinal properties. Although Qiulian was a little nervous, she answered all the questions fluently.
The more Doctor Tang asked, the more surprised he became. Finally, he clapped his hands and smiled, "Excellent! Excellent! With such understanding, I can be considered a successor!"
While he was delighted, he also calmed down and said in a cold voice: "But you must remember, if you dare to use your master's medical skills to harm others, I will personally eliminate the sect and will not tolerate it."
Without hesitation, Qiulian knelt once more, raised her hands, and swore to the heavens, "Disciple Lü Qiulian swears to heaven that I will never use the techniques taught by my master to harm anyone's life or well-being. If I disobey, I will be punished by heaven."
Doctor Tang stroked his beard, his expression slightly relaxed, then suddenly changed the subject: "Of course, I forbid you from actively harming others, but if someone bullies you or intends to harm you, you don't have to tolerate it blindly. Fight back when you should. If you simply give in cowardly, you will only bring shame upon me."
Qiu Lian was slightly startled, then responded quickly, "Yes, disciple will remember Master's teachings."
Since becoming a disciple, Qiulian has been learning medicine from Master Tang for several months.
Nowadays, no matter who in the mansion suffers from minor ailments such as headaches, fever, gastrointestinal discomfort, etc., Doctor Tang will first ask Qiulian to take the pulse and prescribe medicine, and then he will carefully review it.
Every time he reviewed a prescription, Doctor Tang would stroke his beard, his eyes filled with unconcealed pride, and he would say repeatedly, "Not bad, not bad, you are worthy of being my disciple!"
Every time this happened, Qiulian's eyes would light up brightly and she would look energetic, completely different from the silent woman who used to sit quietly all day, embroidering with her head down.
Meng Yuning saw all of this and felt even more relieved. She felt deeply that she had made the right decision.
The world may have lost a skilled embroiderer, but it has gained a doctor who can save lives. Such gains and losses are truly worth it.
Moreover, Qiulian's excellent embroidery skills did not stop there. She taught all the girls in Meng Jin who were willing to learn, and even Lin Wang's wife learned a lot of exquisite needlework skills from her.
Seeing that all the girls in the courtyard were studious and motivated, Meng Yuning felt relieved and happy.
Every day after Yier went to school, she would practice archery and martial arts with Mu Ying and Mu Li to strengthen her body.
Meng Yuning not only practiced diligently herself, but also often took Meng Jinqiulian and others, as well as two little maids who later entered the mansion, to practice martial arts together.
She often said to them seriously: "If we women want to avoid being bullied, we must first be strong."
One day, Qi Jingyan accidentally saw her with her hands on her hips, speaking these words passionately to a group of women. She looked so serious and lively that he couldn't help laughing.
When he was resting in bed at night, he looked at her sideways, with a smile in his eyes, and said softly: "Our Miss An Ning is so courageous. If she were to go to the battlefield, she would definitely be a female general capable of commanding thousands of troops."
Meng Yuning was so delighted by his praise that she cooked a table full of delicious dishes for him the next day.
Qi Jingyan ate very comfortably, his brows relaxed and full of smiles, but he still said softly: "The food tastes very good, but next time you don't have to work so hard. On ordinary days, making one or two home-cooked dishes will be fine."
Meng Yuning felt warm at his considerate words and replied with a smile, "Don't worry, Your Highness. I cook because I'm happy and in the mood. If I'm tired, I'll naturally rest. I won't force myself."
Upon hearing this, Qi Jingyan nodded and said softly, "Okay, then I'll do as you say."
---
The entire mansion was resting today. Meng Yuning got up early in the morning, took a group of people out of the mansion, and personally bought a large cart of fresh ingredients.
Time flies. Just a few days after Doctor Tang passed away, New Year's Eve arrived.
She first returned to Yanfu Residence and stuffed a piece of dragon beard pastry into the mouths of the two people, one big and one small, who were eagerly waiting for her return. Then she announced with a smile, "I will cook for this year's New Year's Eve dinner!"
Yi'er immediately cheered, jumped off the chair, and took her hand: "A Ning, Yi'er will help you taste the vegetables!"
Meng Yuning smiled and said "OK", then took Yi'er's hand and walked out.
Qi Jingyan followed behind slowly, "Try the food."
Meng Yuning and Yi'er turned around at the same time and said in unison: "Just to taste the vegetables!"
After saying that, the two of them hummed in tacit understanding, turned around and continued walking forward.
Qi Jingyan couldn't help but chuckle, quickly caught up with Meng Yuning, and softened his voice and said, "A Ning, I want to try some vegetables too."
When Yi'er saw his brother imitating his speech, he immediately puffed up his face and punched him with his fist: "Bad brother, don't imitate Yi'er!"
Qi Jingyan deliberately teased him, raised his eyebrows and said with a smile: "Why, only you are allowed to taste the vegetables, but I am not allowed to taste them too?"
Yi'er jumped up angrily and chased him to beat him. The two of them, one in front and one behind, circled around Meng Yuning.
Meng Yuning was dazzled by them, but was also amused by these two "childish ghosts", one big and one small, and laughed so hard that she fell backwards and bent over with laughter.
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