Chapter 125 Red Veil
Chapter 125
At the beginning of the new emperor Qi Jingyan's accession to the throne, he issued a series of decrees, promoting Yu Yunheng, the Marquis of Cheng'an, to the Duke of Anguo, and promoting General Cai Weilin to the Duke of Zhenguo. He also specially ordered General Cai, who had been stationed in the southwest for a long time, to return to Beijing to visit his relatives.
Meng Huaifu and his two sons, implicated in the Third Prince's treason, were sentenced to death and await execution. Meng Jingru, the second daughter of the Meng family, was also implicated by the Third Prince and sentenced to exile.
The Meng Shangshu Mansion, which once enjoyed great prominence due to its support for the Third Prince, was now left with only one master, his second wife, Madam Jiang.
Due to the sudden change, she lost her support, and her husband and children all died tragically. Jiang's mind gradually became unstable, sometimes dazed and confused, sometimes crazy, smashing things in the house, beating and scolding the servants, making the house a mess, and the servants all avoided her like the plague.
One night, for no apparent reason, Jiang fell to the ground and fell unconscious. A servant quickly called a doctor, who diagnosed her with a stroke. From then on, Jiang remained bedridden, unable to rise or even speak clearly. After days of clamor, the Meng residence finally quieted down.
Although everyone knew that Meng Yuning and the Meng family had severed all ties, Doctor Tang did not want Jiang's death to make An Ning feel more upset, so after discussing with Qi Jingyan, he still went to the Meng Mansion uninvited to treat Jiang.
Mu Jiang, who went with them, sternly warned the servants of the Meng Mansion with a dark face: "Take good care of her. If you can't ensure that she survives the first month of the year, you will be the ones to hold her accountable!" The servants of the Meng Mansion were so frightened that they only obeyed and gave up the idea of mistreating Jiang.
Meng Yuning was unaware of this. When she learned that Meng was ill in bed, she felt calm and just thought that it was karma and retribution.
But in the eyes of the world, Meng Yuning finally lost the support of her natal family and was always alone and helpless.
The Empress Dowager saw it and felt sad, so she specially summoned Qi Jingyan. After careful discussion, the two came up with an idea.
So after General Cai rushed back to the capital, he adopted Meng Yuning as his adopted daughter at the instruction of Qi Jingyan.
Of course, Qi Jingyan had discussed this matter with Meng Yuning in advance. When she heard that she could become sisters with Sister A Zhao, she immediately smiled and agreed.
So, ten days ago, the red gates of the Zhenguo Mansion were wide open and a red carpet was rolled out. General Cai and his wife personally led the entire mansion to welcome their adopted daughter Meng Yuning and their biological daughter Cai Yuezhao, who had just finished her training, back to the mansion.
From then on, Meng Yuning lived in the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion, waiting to get married.
Mrs. Cai has always loved her daughter Ah Zhao. She had heard countless times from her daughter about the good things about Ah Ning. Even before she met her, she already liked her very much.
When he saw this well-behaved, clever, and sweet-mouthed girl in person, he loved her so much that he held her in his arms and refused to let go.
This made Cai Yuezhao pretend to be jealous. She squeezed to the other side to hug her too, and kept saying angrily, "Mother only has An Ning in her heart now!" This made everyone in the room laugh.
The adopted daughter was going to marry His Majesty, and General Cai and his wife put all their efforts into preparing a dowry for Meng Yuning, which was as grand as the wedding of their own daughter.
Cai Yuezhao also happily moved boxes of her treasured jewelry and antiques to the warehouse where the dowry was placed, determined to give her treasures to Aning as a dowry.
Meng Yuning felt bad and refused several times, but was firmly rejected by General Cai and his wife as well as Cai Yuezhao.
Mrs. Cai held Meng Yuning's hand tightly, her eyes full of love: "A Ning, if you don't mind, from now on, this is your mother's home, and your adoptive father and I are your real parents."
If someone else had said this, Meng Yuning might have suspected that they were deliberately befriending her for the future empress's sake. But these words came from the loyal and valiant Cai family, and she felt no other thoughts but a surge of warmth and tears in her eyes.
That night, Qi Jingyan climbed over the wall again, jumped out of the window quietly, and entered the room where she lived.
The two of them sat on the couch, Meng Yuning leaning in his arms, telling him in detail how the Cai family had recently prepared her dowry.
Qi Jingyan entangled her hair with his fingertips and said with a smile, "It's okay. The Cai family treats you sincerely. Just accept it with peace of mind."
After hearing the meaning of Qi Jingyan's words and knowing that he would never treat the Cai family unfairly, Meng Yuning felt relieved.
She snuggled in his arms and looked up at him: "Yunzhou, including today, there are only four days left until the wedding day. From tomorrow on, you don't have to come to see me anymore."
Although she didn't have many taboos, when Sister Zhao discovered that they were secretly meeting in the middle of the night, she pulled her aside and solemnly warned her with a stern face: "Three days before the wedding, the newlyweds are not allowed to see each other."
For the sake of sister A Zhao's kindness, and to avoid misfortune and seek good fortune, hoping to have a happy and auspicious life with the man in front of her, she decided to follow the local customs.
Qi Jingyan lowered his head and kissed her forehead lightly, his voice low: "Okay, I'll listen to An Ning."
This gentle kiss was like a fire in dry wood, and the two of them felt a burning sensation in their hearts. They silently moved closer and closer, leaning in close, their lips touching, and they couldn't help but kiss...
I don't know how long it took, until both of them were breathing unevenly and their faces were flushed, and they finally separated with difficulty.
Qi Jingyan rested his chin on Ah Ning's neck and rubbed it slowly, his low, hoarse voice carrying some reluctance: "Ah Ning, it will take another four days before I see you again. I can't wait any longer."
His whispered "I can't wait" was filled with burning longing and requests, and it made Meng Yuning's ears burn.
In fact, she also felt that four days was long, but seeing how clingy he was, she didn't want to show that she was equally anxious, so as not to cause him pain and torment that would take a long time to calm down.
So he feigned composure and soothed her softly, "Excluding today and the wedding day, it's only two days. Yunzhou, be patient, it will be over in a blink of an eye."
Qi Jingyan sighed softly, kissed her neck behind her earlobe, and said with difficulty: "Okay, I'll bear it."
Then he leaned closer to Meng Yuning's ear and whispered, "A Ning, you must eat well, sleep well, and rest well these few days to keep your spirits up."
Meng Yuning nodded. "I know. The wedding ceremony and the coronation ceremony are both complicated and tedious. It must be exhausting to spend the whole day there."
Qi Jingyan looked at her with scorching eyes, his nose rubbing against hers, his voice filled with a meaningful smile: "Not only is it hard work during the day, but it's even more exhausting at night. If you don't get enough rest, I'm afraid you won't be able to hold on."
Meng Yuning instantly understood what he meant. Her face grew hotter. She raised her hand and patted him on the shoulder, saying unyieldingly, "Don't look down on me. I'm very strong."
Still the same An Ning who refused to admit defeat, still the same An Ning who spoke her mind. Qi Jingyan couldn't help but laugh, his chest vibrating as he chuckled: "Okay, then I'll wait and see."
Hearing a hint of contempt in the man's words, Meng Yuning reached out and pinched his waist. Her eyes moved and she gave him a fierce look, but she didn't argue anymore.
To be honest, she still felt guilty about comparing her physical strength with him, a man who had practiced martial arts for many years.
Especially since the two of them confirmed their relationship, they have been kissing and hugging each other a lot. At the beginning, he was careful to keep a certain distance from her, but later he became thick-skinned and pushed her into his arms without caring about anything.
Many times, she clearly noticed the changes in his body. To borrow a slogan from some mobile phone advertisements in later generations - long-lasting endurance, super long standby...
I don’t know what touched Qi Jingyan’s funny bone, he buried his face in her shoulder and laughed softly.
Meng Yuning didn't rush him and let him laugh as much as he wanted.
After a while, Qi Jingyan finally stopped laughing, raised his head, and gently kissed the tip of An Ning's nose. Then he asked, "An Ning, for our wedding, don't you really want to send someone to pick up your grandmother and uncle?"
Meng Yuning waved her hands quickly: "My grandmother is old, and my uncle is not in good health. It's better not to bother them."
In order to hide her identity, she had told many lies in the past, many of which involved using her maternal grandmother's family as a pretext. For example, she said that her cooking skills, her ability to identify wild vegetables, and other skills she couldn't explain were learned during the years she stayed at her grandmother's house.
If they came, Qi Jingyan would definitely talk to them, and when the two met, she might be exposed.
So, to be safe, it’s better not to let them come.
Qi Jingyan looked at An Ning quietly for a second, then smiled and said, "Okay, whatever you say."
Meng Yuning breathed a sigh of relief and nestled back into Qi Jingyan's arms: "Yunzhou, you're so kind."
Qi Jingyan rested his chin on her furry head: "A Ning is better."
The two of them were snuggling on the soft couch in the warm house, but Yu Xiao and Cai Yuezhao were not so lucky. They squatted in the corner of the yard with their sleeves tucked in, braving the cold wind, and were shivering with cold.
Cai Yuezhao complained in a low voice, "Your Majesty, you're the same. The wedding is just a few days away, but he has to sneak in every night like a thief? If you don't know, you'd think he's stealing someone else's wife."
Yu Xiao, who had been squatting outside An Ning's window for many days under Cai Yuezhao's guidance, was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. He gently bumped her with his shoulder and said, "What are you talking about?"
Cai Yuezhao staggered slightly after being bumped by him. He supported himself on a large water tank beside him and finally steadied himself. He rammed him back with his shoulder without hesitation and glared at him angrily: "Just talk if you want to. Why are you bumping into me?"
Yu Xiao was knocked to the ground by this powerful girl. He got up from the ground with a mixture of laughter and tears, rubbed her head with his hand, and asked in a doting tone: "A Zhao, His Majesty and A Ning are getting married. When are we getting married?"
Cai Yuezhao's cheeks flushed slightly, and she bumped him with her shoulder again, but this time with very little force: "Why are you in such a hurry? I just came out of the palace. I have to wait until An Ning finishes her business first."
Yu Xiao squatted down and moved to the opposite side of Cai Yuezhao, saying pitifully, "Azhao, you know that I ruined my reputation in order to avoid the marriage granted by the Emperor. Now that I go out, people are still pointing fingers at me behind my back. Hurry up and marry me, and then help me clear this up later."
Cai Yuezhao recalled how she had rushed back to the capital from Lingnan overnight, and saw him lying on the bed with no desire to live. She was so heartbroken that she threw herself beside his bed, crying loudly and saying those words, her face suddenly turned red.
She reached out and pushed him: "Yu Lingchuan, can you please have some shame? How can I help you clear up this matter?"
Yu Xiao smiled playfully: "If you marry me, we will be in love. Even if we clarify, there is no need for you to go around saying 'my Lingchuan is in good health'..."
Before he could finish his words, Cai Yuezhao was so angry that he reached out and slapped his mouth, scolding him in a low voice: "Shut up, shut up now."
The two men were playing around the water tank when they saw the door open. They were so scared that they squatted behind the water tank, not daring to breathe, but sticking half of their heads out to look at the door.
Sure enough, Qi Jingyan walked out of the door wearing a black cloak, then turned around to block the door and reached out to push it inside, obviously pushing An Ning, who had chased out to see someone off, back.
Qi Jingyan leaned over and whispered in An Ning's ear, "An Ning, your sister Zhao and Ling Chuan are hiding in the corner and stealing."
"Really? Let me take a look." Meng Yuning leaned forward to peek outside with a curious look on her face, but Qi Jingyan held her forehead with his big hand and pressed her back. "Be careful. Wait until I leave, then you can look through the crack in the door."
Meng Yuning nodded quickly and said yes. She stretched out a finger and poked Qi Jingyan's chest, saying in a low voice, "Then Yunzhou, hurry up and leave."
Seeing that she couldn't wait to watch the fun, Qi Jingyan smiled and said okay, then closed the door, leaving a narrow gap.
Then he turned around, straightened his cloak, glanced casually at the dark corner of the yard, then curled his lips slightly and walked to another corner of the yard.
Yu Xiao and Cai Yuezhao held hands and squatted around the large water tank for half a circle. After watching Qi Jingyan climb over the wall and exit, they breathed a sigh of relief and stood up. "Luckily, we weren't discovered, otherwise we would have been caught."
The two held hands and stood quietly for a long time. Cai Yuezhao blushed and said, "Brother Lingchuan, after An Ning and His Majesty's wedding is over, you can ask my uncle and aunt to come to my house to propose marriage."
Yu Xiao was overjoyed. He immediately grabbed Cai Yuezhao's shoulders and shook them vigorously a few times. "Really? Are you telling the truth, Zhao?"
Cai Yuezhao felt that he was about to shake out the mutton dumplings she had eaten that night, so she kicked him angrily and turned away: "Believe it or not."
Yu Xiao grabbed Cai Yuezhao's wrist and pulled her into his arms with a slight effort. He cupped her flushed cheeks with both hands and kissed them hard on both sides. He said with great joy, "I'll go home and inform my parents. In four days, I will come to propose marriage in a dignified manner!"
Before he finished speaking, he turned around swiftly, ran away with a smile, and when he jumped over the wall, he jumped two people higher than Qi Jingyan had jumped before.
Looking at the swallow-like figure, Cai Yuezhao held the still warm cheeks and smiled silently.
Meng Yuning, who was inside the house, was lying on the door. Through the crack in the door, she saw Yu Xiao jumping three feet high and running away excitedly. Then she saw Sister Zhao walking around in circles in the yard with her hands on her face, not knowing which way to go. She covered her mouth, jumped up and down, and laughed silently.
Great, great, really great! Lovers finally get married, and this time, Sister Zhao finally got what she wanted.
---
The day before the wedding, Yi'er politely declined his brother's invitation to join him in welcoming the bride. He left the palace with his guards and went straight to the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion, insisting on accompanying An Ning on her wedding day.
Not only did he come, he also brought all his belongings. He placed several large boxes in front of An Ning, puffed out his chest, and said proudly, "All of this will be used to make up An Ning!"
The chubby little kid back then has grown into a handsome young boy. Meng Yu looked at the child she had raised with her own hands, and her eyes instantly became wet. She held the little guy in her arms and kissed him on the little face again and again.
The kiss made the little one's face flush red. He found an excuse and ran away. He stopped at the door, turned around, and said seriously: "An Ning, Yi'er will carry you to the sedan chair tomorrow."
After saying that, he disappeared in a flash.
The little guy has grown up and knows how to be shy, but he is still so responsible.
Meng Yuning was relieved, but couldn't help feeling sad. Then she changed her mind and thought that she could always accompany Yi'er as he grew up, and she smiled happily again.
---
In the first year of Xing'an, on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, it is a very auspicious day and suitable for marriage.
The emperor and empress got married.
In the mansion of the Duke of Zhenguo, brocade curtains were hung high, and lights and decorations were hung everywhere, and the whole place was filled with joy.
Meng Yuning had already packed her golden crown, jade hairpins, phoenix crown and bridal veil.
As the auspicious time was approaching, Emperor Xing'an Qi Jingyan personally led Yu Xiao and other envoys to the wedding to pick up the bride. Amid the sound of drums and music, everyone was stopped outside the door by the smiling nephews and nieces of the Cai family. They insisted that the groom compose a poem on the spot to urge him to get ready before they would let him in.
In the inner room, Meng Yuning knew that Xiao Yier could not carry her, but she could not bear to hurt the child's feelings, so she smiled and let him try several times.
When Yi'er found out that she was too short to carry An Ning, she became anxious and angry, stamping her feet in frustration: "If I had known this would happen, An Ning should have waited until Yi'er was taller before getting married."
The childish talk made all the female guests sitting in the room cover their sleeves and smile. Even the female official standing by could not help laughing and turned her head away, her shoulders shaking with laughter.
Meng Yuning took Yier's little hand and comforted him softly: "Aning, you all know Yier's feelings. No matter you carry Aning on your back or not, Yier is Aning's dearest brother." As she said that, she hugged him.
The annoyance on the little guy's face instantly melted away, and he smiled, but then he asked worriedly, "Who will carry An Ning?"
Cai Yuezhao was about to call his brother forward when he heard a clear voice coming from outside the door: "I'm coming."
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Qi Jingyan walking in wearing a red wedding gown embroidered with dragon patterns.
Meng Yuning looked at the stunningly handsome man, her heart pounding. She was stunned for a moment until Cai Yuezhao gently pushed her wrist. She then hurriedly picked up the fan to cover her face.
But just now, Qi Jingyan had already seen how stunningly beautiful his queen was. Even though she covered her face with a fan, he couldn't take his eyes off her.
Seeing this, all the guests in the hall covered their lips and chuckled. Qi Jingyan regained his composure, but his ears turned red.
The welcoming envoy from the Ministry of Rites stepped forward and, in accordance with the folk wedding reception etiquette, sang auspicious words loudly and led the newlyweds through the process. Qi Jingyan followed the rules calmly, and when the last step was completed, he suddenly leaned over, picked up his newlywed wife whom he had been waiting for for a long time, and strode out the door steadily.
Xiao Yier hurriedly caught up, helped Aning hold up a corner of her skirt, and followed her all the way with his short legs, jogging and refusing to fall behind.
But the fan moved down, Meng Yuning secretly looked at the handsome man with a happy face, feeling sweet in her heart, and couldn't help smiling.
Qi Jingyan carried her directly to the gate of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, carefully lifted her into the bridal sedan, and quickly squeezed An Ning's hand before lowering the curtain and climbing onto the horse. Mu Yun carried Yi'er onto another horse, the little fellow straightening his back and reining in the horse to protect the sedan.
The welcoming envoy announced loudly: "Your Majesty, please come! Your Majesty, please come!"
Gongs and drums roared, firecrackers blasted, and the emperor and empress, with their elaborate red dresses, set out from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion and marched towards the imperial palace...
The wedding of the emperor and empress, and the ceremony of crowning the empress, were complicated, and by the time all the ceremonies were over, it was already dusk.
Meng Yuning, exhausted, followed Qi Jingyan back to their bridal chamber, which is Qi Jingyan's current bedroom, Chongde Hall.
As soon as she crossed the threshold, Meng Yuning collapsed on Qi Jingyan. Qi Jingyan smiled and picked her up horizontally, carrying her directly to the bed, and laid her diagonally on it: "Rest for a while first, then have dinner."
Meng Yuning nodded and agreed, but after lying down for a while, she struggled to sit up and pointed to the phoenix crown on her head that was so heavy that it almost broke her neck.
Qi Jingyan stepped forward to help her dismantle it, but his technique was not good and he failed to take it off after a long time. Instead, he pulled it so hard that Meng Yuning's scalp hurt. In desperation, he had to call Meng Jin and others in to help her clean up.
Meng Jin and the others moved swiftly and quickly, removing the phoenix crown and the elaborate wedding dress. Meng Yuning suddenly felt her whole body lighten, and she leaned back on the quilt and breathed a sigh of relief.
Seeing her curled up in the quilt like a lazy cat, Qi Jingyan's heart softened. He reached out and picked her up, carried her to the table, and fed her a bowl of bird's nest porridge first, and then picked up various dishes and fed her a few mouthfuls. He didn't eat anything until she shook her head and said she was full. Then they crossed their arms and drank the wedding wine together.
After drinking, he picked up the person steadily and walked to sit on the soft couch by the window.
After Aning had eaten, she felt more and more sleepy. She leaned on his chest and yawned. He would pat her back from time to time to help her digest the food.
After waiting for a while, Meng Yuning became more energetic. Qi Jingyan ordered the palace servants to prepare hot water, and then he carried An Ning, who looked a little dazed because of fatigue, and ran to the bathroom.
Halfway through the walk, Meng Yuning realized his intention and immediately kicked her calves twice: "Put me down, I'll wash myself."
Qi Jingyan lowered his head and saw his queen with rouge on her cheeks and eyes full of autumn water. He was reluctant to let go, but he suppressed the throbbing in his heart. He put her down at the door of the bathroom and whispered, "A Ning, I'll be waiting for you here. Call me if you need me."
Meng Yuning reached out and pushed his shoulder, "Go and rest for a while."
Qi Jingyan grabbed her hand and kissed her, but stubbornly refused to leave.
Meng Yuning had no choice but to pull her hand back, turned around and went into the bathroom, took off her clothes and entered the water. Soon, the sound of water could be heard...
Qi Jingyan felt as if a cat was scratching his heart, and he felt inexplicably hot. He reached out and unbuttoned his collar, loosened his belt, took off the dragon robe on his body, threw it aside, walked to the clothes rack, grabbed a light casual clothes and put it on, but he still felt hot and unbearable. He turned around and found a palm-leaf fan that he had brought back from Lingnan at the head of the bed. He fanned his collar vigorously, and then he felt a little better.
After Meng Yuning finished her bath and changed into a soft red silk nightgown, she came out and saw Qi Jingyan fanning himself vigorously in the middle of winter, his face flushed with an unusual red. Puzzled, she reached out and touched his forehead, only to find a thin layer of sweat on her hand. She asked in surprise, "Why are you so hot?"
Qi Jingyan couldn't bring himself to express his thoughts, so he just mumbled, "The wine I just drank was too strong."
Seeing the worry on An Ning's face, he hurriedly explained, "It's okay, I'm not drunk and won't interfere with my work."
Meng Yuning instantly understood what he meant and blushed as she moved away from the door: "Go take a shower first."
Qi Jingyan said hello, put the palm-leaf fan in her hand, and gently hooked her palm with his fingertips: "Wait for me." After that, he stepped into the bathroom.
Meng Yuning's heart beat like a drum at the low and tender "wait for me", and she felt hot all over. She moved to the edge of the bed covered with a bright red mandarin duck quilt and sat down. She took a cattail leaf fan and started fanning herself.
She didn't know if it was because of the floor heating in the house, but the palm-leaf fan brought only hot air. The more she fanned, the more heat she felt rising.
Not long after, the bathroom door curtain rang slightly, and Qi Jingyan, also wearing red pajamas, walked out.
When their eyes met, they both felt their hearts beating like drums. He seemed to be suddenly even drunker, and staggered towards the bed.
Meng Yuning was startled and quickly threw away the palm-leaf fan, stood up and ran over to hug the man, carried him to the bed, and helped him lie down.
Qi Jingyan lay on his back on the bed, smiling as innocently and happily as a child: "Hahaha, Aning, we are finally married."
Seeing him like a drunk, Meng Yuning felt both angry and amused. She stood up to pour him some tea, but suddenly a strong force grabbed her waist. She felt dizzy and sank into the soft bed. A strong and muscular body pressed down on her.
She subconsciously pushed him away, and heard a low laugh escape from his throat. He waved his hand back, and the red veil slowly fell, followed by a hot and heavy kiss...
-----------------------
The author has something to say: There are probably only a few chapters left before the main story is finished, and there will be a sequel later...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
