Chapter 33033 Gods Fight
【Chapter 33】
Meng Yuning was shocked. Without a word, she immediately denied it: "Impossible, absolutely impossible."
Hearing her certainty, Yi'er raised his head from her shoulder, cupped An Ning's face with his two little hands, and asked earnestly, "An Ning, won't you sleep with your brother?"
Meng Yuning nodded: "Of course not."
The three of them had originally slept in the same room because the mountain was small and there were few houses. They had then moved to the same bed because Yi'er had nightmares and cried constantly, so Qi Jingyan invited her to sleep with her.
Now, Yi'er hasn't had a nightmare for a while. I think after a while, the shadow of the Queen's departure will gradually fade away, and the nightmares at night will be gone. Of course, she won't need to accompany him then.
So what Qi Jingyan said, that Yi'er would not sleep with her forever in the future, was true.
But what Yier said about Qi Jingyan wanting to sleep with her was simply a fantasy, something that would never happen. I don't know why this kid would have such a weird idea.
In fact, she had wanted to try to separate for a while. After all, sleeping in the same bed with a grown man like Qi Jingyan for so long was really inappropriate. But because everyone was still on the road and already exhausted, and to avoid Yi'er crying again and everyone losing sleep, she temporarily gave up.
After receiving such a positive response from Aning, Yier finally felt relieved.
He had previously thought that his brother was going to drive him away, and that he would sleep with An Ning, and he felt abandoned by them, which made him sad and angry.
Now that he knew that everyone would separate, Aning would not sleep with him, but she would not sleep with her brother either. The little boy felt more balanced and his anger subsided.
The little hand let go of An Ning's face and sat obediently on her lap, resting his little head in her arms. "An Ning, when we get to Lingnan, will our houses be next to each other?"
Meng Yuning didn't intend to lie to the child: "When we get to Lingnan, Yi'er should live in the same courtyard with his brother, and An Ning will live in her own courtyard, so our houses shouldn't be next to each other."
Yi'er asked again: "An Ning, why don't you live in the same yard with us?"
This is really hard to explain to a child of a few years old, so Meng Yuning changed the subject: "But we all live in Prince Shen's Mansion, so it shouldn't be far away. When Yi'er is free, come and play with An Ning."
Yier nodded quickly: "When Yier is free, come and play with An Ning every day."
Thinking about Qi Jingyan's strict teaching plans for Yier in the book, I thought that once Yier arrived in Lingnan, he would have to study both literature and martial arts, and he would probably be busy every day.
Such a small child is really pitiful. But there is nothing to be done. After all, his status is different and he has a heavy burden on his shoulders. Naturally, he can't play happily like the children of ordinary families.
But there was no need to tell the little boy about this in advance. Meng Yuning patted his head and said, "Okay, when the time comes, Yi'er will come to see An Ning, and An Ning will make you something delicious."
The little boy clapped his hands and laughed happily.
---
As soon as County Lieutenant Sun and his men returned to the county government office, they immediately went to County Magistrate Hu to report the situation.
Magistrate Hu looked at the yamen runners, who were soaking wet, with weeds hanging from their heads, looking as miserable as drowned dogs. He frowned in disdain and said, "I told you to search the boat, why are you in such a mess?"
County Captain Sun did not fall into the water, but his clothes were in disarray and he looked very embarrassed.
He said with a look of grievance, "To answer your question, sir, the people on that boat are all skilled in martial arts and are not merchants at all. Furthermore, they are not easy to deal with. They throw chopsticks and shoot arrows at the slightest disagreement."
County Magistrate Hu was completely bewildered: "What do you mean by throwing chopsticks?"
County Lieutenant Sun felt a little embarrassed when he recalled how frightened he was by a chopstick, so he didn't explain: "Anyway, if I hadn't decisively led my brothers back, I'm afraid we would all be floating on the river right now."
The other yamen runners also echoed: "Yes, sir, you didn't see how arrogant those people were. They looked like they were not afraid even if the king of heaven came."
Magistrate Hu frowned, half believing and half doubting: "Could it be that you are too cowardly and frightened?"
County Magistrate Sun cried out in injustice, adding, "Sir, not only was the flag with the word 'Yu' flying on that ship, but those people were also holding the token of Young Marquis Yu. Everyone saw it with their own eyes."
The yamen runners echoed in unison: "We all saw it."
The two had worked together for many years, and Magistrate Hu still trusted Lieutenant Sun more. However, when he thought of what the man who came this morning had said, he became suspicious again: "Could those flags and tokens be counterfeit?"
County Lieutenant Sun reasoned, "Although I cannot judge the authenticity of the token and flag, think about it, Your Majesty treats Marquis Cheng'an like a brother, and even Young Marquis Yu is allowed to carry a sword before the emperor. Who in the world would be so audacious as to pretend to be Young Marquis Yu? Does he really want to die?"
County Magistrate Hu was a little shaken: "That's true. Although I have never seen Young Marquis Yu in person, I have heard a lot about his hatred of evil. If an ordinary person dares to use his name to cheat people, he will probably skin that person alive when he finds out."
At this point, he frowned again. "But what that man said this morning was quite convincing. If he didn't have any concrete information, why would he have come all the way here to inform me?"
At this time, the lawyer who had been sitting by and listening quietly spoke up: "Sir, I would like to ask, who is that man, and why do you believe his words so much?"
At this point, County Magistrate Hu waved his hand and said, "County Lieutenant Sun, stay. Everyone else, go ahead. Go change your clothes quickly, and have the kitchen prepare a pot of ginger soup for us."
County Magistrate Sun also waved his hand: "Hurry up and pack up, what a mess it is."
The wet yamen runners bowed and tactfully retreated.
After everyone had left, County Magistrate Hu lowered his voice and said, "The man who came this morning is from the Zhang family in the capital."
County Lieutenant Sun was momentarily bewildered and didn't react. The legal advisor, horrified, leaned closer and asked in a very low voice, "Excuse me, sir, but is that the 'Zhang' in Concubine Zhang's name?"
Magistrate Hu nodded: "That's right, that's why I believed him."
The master's face changed drastically: "Sir, you are confused."
Magistrate Hu was puzzled: "Why do you say that, Master?"
Master: "Sir, please think carefully about the big event that happened in the capital a while ago."
Magistrate Hu was stunned for a moment. "What big deal?"
The master cupped his fists and bowed towards the capital: "It's about the incident that made His Majesty so angry."
Magistrate Hu reacted: "Are you talking about the matter of deposing the crown prince?"
The master nodded: "That's right."
Magistrate Hu: "But what does this have to do with what happened today?"
Master: "Prince Shen was traveling south, but lost contact along the way. Now, a ship suddenly appears under the Yu family's flag, and they are not afraid of the government officials. Think about it, sir, who in this world is so audacious?"
After hearing this, County Magistrate Hu pondered for a moment, his face turning pale. "Oh no! Oh no! I've been used as a pawn."
Although the crown prince was deposed, he was still His Royal Highness Prince Shen after all. Moreover, His Majesty had imprisoned him on charges of treason, but in the end he was able to confer the title of Prince Shen on him and granted him fiefdom. This shows that His Majesty had no intention of killing the eldest prince.
He was just a small sixth-rank local official, but he dared to shout in front of King Shen after being provoked by others. If King Shen comes to power again in the future, his head will probably be moved.
When County Lieutenant Sun heard that the person on the boat might be the former crown prince, he was so frightened that his legs trembled and his body went limp. He slipped off the chair and fell to the ground, unable to stand up.
Magistrate Hu could no longer sit still. He stood up from his chair and began to spin around in circles. "What should I do? What should I do?"
"No, no, I have to go and apologize in person with gifts."
County Magistrate Hu was desperate and tried every possible means. He called for people to prepare carts and boats, and went out in person to chase after King Shen.
The master grabbed him and said, "Think twice, sir."
Magistrate Hu was almost jumping up and down: "I can't think twice, Master, please stop me, otherwise His Royal Highness Prince Shen's boat will sail away."
The lawyer urged, "Sir, the Zhang family's intentions are, frankly, the Third Prince's. If you go to Prince Shen to apologize today, what will you say if the Zhang family returns to accuse you later?"
Thinking of the Third Prince's private reputation, County Magistrate Hu slumped back into his chair, sweat dripping down his forehead. He collapsed and said, "This is truly a fight between gods, and the little devil suffers. I'm afraid I really can't save my head."
After a moment of collapse, County Magistrate Hu slammed his fist on the table and said angrily, "I should have consulted with you this morning before making a decision, but what exactly do you think the Zhang family meant by this action?"
The master thought for a moment and said, "Although I don't know what the Zhang family is up to, in my opinion, the water here is very deep. It's best for you not to get involved."
County Magistrate Hu nodded immediately: "Master, you are right. We must not get involved."
As he said this, he covered his head and cried out, "Oh my god, my head is sick again, go get a doctor."
Seeing this, County Lieutenant Sun also struggled to get up from the ground, holding his stomach. "Sir, my stomach is really uncomfortable. I'm afraid I need to take three to five days off to recuperate."
County Magistrate Hu waved his hand and said, "Go, go, and come back after you've recovered for a while."
After saying that, he stood up and walked out: "This county's illness will take ten days to half a month to recover. I'll leave the recent affairs of the yamen to you, my advisor."
The lawyer stood up and bowed to Magistrate Hu: "As you command."
---
In the largest inn in Chang'an County, in the No. 1 room on the second floor.
The two are talking.
The man in black sitting at the head asked, "Have you figured out that boat is the Yu family's boat?"
The man standing on the ground in a gray shorts shook his head. "That County Lieutenant Sun is a useless piece of shit. Not only did he not get anything out of them, he also failed to get them to take down the flag. Instead, he was intimidated and went back without accomplishing anything."
"I was hiding on the shore, a little far away, and there were people on the boat blocking my view. I didn't see Young Marquis Yu himself, so I can't be sure if it was the Yu family's boat."
The man in black frowned: "What else?"
The man in the gray shorts replied, "Looking at the number of people on the boat, and their arrogant and rude demeanor, I think they are more like Prince Shen and his entourage."
The man in black said with a gloomy expression, "Even if the person on that boat is really Prince Shen, as long as that boat belongs to the Yu family, we can't move it easily. Otherwise, if we offend the Yu family, the Third Prince will definitely not be happy."
The man in gray shorts asked, "We can't be sure whether that ship is the Yu family's ship. What should we do next?"
Hei Yiren pondered for a moment and said, "Keep an eye on it first. Our people must not act rashly."
Then he changed the subject: "But we can send a message to those 'bandits' in the mountains and ask them to find a suitable opportunity to take action."
---
Meng Yuning coaxed Yi'er and took him out to play.
The two of them went to the kitchen and plucked some radish leaves from the big radish, then grabbed a handful of rice and fed the little rabbit and the chicken.
Yier squatted on the ground with his hands in his pockets, quietly observing the little rabbit eating radish leaves. After observing the little rabbit, he moved to the side to observe the chicken eating rice.
Meng Yuning squatted beside them, but she was not very interested in watching the little animals eat, so she just looked around casually.
At first glance, I found that the atmosphere today was different from the past. The guards on the deck were all wearing armor. Instead of playing and laughing, they all had serious expressions. Some were sharpening their knives, and some were moving arrows. It was obvious that they were preparing for a big battle.
Although Qi Jingyan said he had made arrangements, Meng Yuning was still nervous. She touched Yi'er's head and said, "Yier, can we go find our brother?"
When his brother was mentioned, Yier also remembered that he had something to say to his brother, so he nodded and said yes, took An Ning's hand and stood up, and took her to the conference room on the third floor. Sure enough, Qi Jingyan was there.
Probably after they had finished discussing the matter, there was no one in the conference room. Qi Jingyan sat on the terrace, looking ahead.
Mu Shan held a long axe and Mu Feng held a long knife, each guarding one side.
Yi'er took An Ning by the hand and walked through the meeting room and headed straight for the terrace. As soon as he saw Qi Jingyan's back, before he even got close, the little boy happily said loudly: "Brother, An Ning won't sleep with you then."
There was a gleam of pride in that childish voice, clearly an attempt to avenge the previous abandonment.
Mu Feng and Mu Yun looked at each other, both with excitement and excitement at hearing the big gossip, but seeing the indifferent glance from their own prince, neither of them dared to show any emotion. They raised their heads at the same time, one at the clouds and the other at the sky, to show that they had not heard anything.
Qi Jingyan turned around and looked at the two people walking towards him.
Meng Yuning and Qi Jingyan's eyes met, and her old face inexplicably flushed. She quickly looked away, pulled Yi'er, squatted beside him, and whispered, "Yier, this is a secret between us. There's no need to say it so loudly."
Yier glanced at Mu Shan and Mu Feng, and nodded obediently to indicate that he understood.
Then she took An Ning's hand and walked to her brother, leaning on his wheelchair. She covered her mouth with her two small hands and said in a small voice, "Brother, I'll tell you a secret. An Ning said she won't sleep with you. Then we'll each have our own room."
Qi Jingyan patted Yi'er's head, but his eyes turned to Meng Yuning: "Okay, brother got it."
He looked normal, his eyes gentle, but Meng Yuning felt a strange sense of fear when he looked at her. She unconsciously rubbed her arms, turned around, and leaned her hands on the railing, looking out at the river.
Qi Jingyan picked up Yi'er and placed him on his lap. Then he turned the wheelchair with both hands, came to Meng Yuning, and looked back at Mu Feng.
Mu Feng nodded, turned around and went back to the meeting room to bring out a chair, and placed it directly next to Qi Jingyan. Qi Jingyan carried the chair with one hand and placed it behind Meng Yuning: "A Ning, sit down."
Meng Yuning turned around and saw that the chairs were placed behind her, so she thanked them and sat down.
Seeing An Ning also sitting down, Yi Er stretched out his two little hands to her: "An Ning, hold me."
Meng Yuning picked up Yi'er and let him sit on her lap facing forward. She held his little hand and they looked at the scenery together.
I don’t know if it’s because of what Yi’er just said, but Meng Yuning and Qi Jingyan didn’t say anything for a while, just sat there quietly watching.
After a while, Qi Jingyan asked, "Have you ever seen the sea?"
Meng Yuning answered without hesitation: "Look."
As soon as she said this, she realized that she shouldn't have seen the sea, so she changed her words midway: "It's impossible that I have seen it."
This sounded like a deliberate argument, and Qi Jingyan raised the corner of his mouth, "I don't think Aning has seen it either."
Yi'er tilted her head back and looked at the two of them: "Brother, Aning, Yi'er has never seen the sea. Is the sea beautiful?"
Meng Yuning touched the little boy's chubby face, maintaining her image as someone who had never seen the sea: "You'll have to ask His Highness."
Yier turned around and looked at Qi Jingyan again.
Qi Jingyan smiled and nodded: "The sea is big, blue and magnificent. When we get to Lingnan, I will take you to see the sea."
Yi'er clapped his hands and cheered happily: "Let's go see the sea."
Meng Yuning also laughed and asked, "Your Highness, is Canghai County close to the sea?"
Qi Jingyan: "By the sea."
Meng Yuning began to look forward to it: "Your Highness, Canghai County is your fiefdom, so can we eat seafood as much as we want then?"
Qi Jingyan looked at her sparkling eyes, nodded and replied with a smile: "Eat as much as you want."
Yi'er pulled Meng Yuning's sleeve and shook it: "But Ning, aren't we going to eat chicken?"
Meng Yuning was amused by the little boy's cute serious look and laughed out loud: "Okay, then let's eat chicken first, then seafood. When the time comes, An Ning will make you a lobster this big."
When Meng Yuning said "this big", her tone was exaggerated and she used her hands to gesture the size.
Yi'er's eyes widened. He stretched out his two little hands, took Meng Yuning's hands and measured them against his head. He was extremely shocked: "A Ning, that lobster is bigger than Yi'er's head. Will he eat Yi'er?"
Meng Yuning hugged Yi'er and laughed so hard that her body shook with tears. She laughed so hard that she couldn't speak.
Qi Jingyan answered for her: "Don't worry, the lobsters won't eat you. But Yi'er, don't go to the beach alone, okay?"
Yier nodded very seriously: "Yier understands."
Then he asked curiously, "A Ning, what else is delicious?"
Meng Yuning then gestured: "There are also crabs this big, conches this big, and scallops this big. You will definitely be stunned by the fragrance when you see them."
Yier firmly believed that any dish cooked by An Ning would be delicious, so she imitated An Ning and said, "Yier Xiang is confused."
Meng Yuning's thoughts flew far away. Salt-baked lobster, steamed crab, steamed scallops with vermicelli and garlic sauce, grilled oysters with garlic sauce...
Slurp, slurp, this smells really good.
As Meng Yuning imagined the days of free seafood in Lingnan, her eyes curved into crescents. "Your Highness, how long will it take us to get to Lingnan?"
Qi Jingyan: "It's not certain at the moment, at least half a month, at most a month."
Meng Yuning nodded, expressing her understanding. In ancient times, travel was slow and difficult, and there was no telling what accidents might happen along the way. If they could arrive in a month, they would be considered lucky.
She touched Yi'er's little hand, looked ahead, and sighed inwardly. Although she understood, she felt a little tired when she thought about having to wander on the road for so long. Of course, it was mainly because the road was not peaceful, and something happened from time to time, making it impossible to completely relax and enjoy the journey.
Qi Jingyan tilted his head to look at the two people beside him, one large and one small. After a while, he asked, "A Ning, how come you are so familiar with Lingnan food?"
As the saying goes, practice makes perfect, and this was true for Meng Yuning when it came to lying. Now, facing Qi Jingyan's casual question, she was able to make up a story without batting an eyelid: "I read that all from a book."
Qi Jingyan: "What book is it? I'll look for it later."
Meng Yuning waved her hand. "I think it's called 'Lingnan Food Notes'. It's been so long I can't remember. But Your Highness, when we get to Lingnan, we can see everything fresh and new. Why bother learning from books?"
Qi Jingyan readily agreed: "A Ning's words make sense."
Seeing that the sun was about to set, Meng Yuning stood up holding Yi'er and said, "Your Highness, I'm going to cook."
Qi Jingyan pinched her wrist and pulled her back to sit: "You had a full lunch, so you can have something to eat in the evening. I've asked someone to prepare it."
Meng Yuning was naturally happy to have some free time since someone else was doing the work. But when she thought about the unpalatable meals cooked by the guards and Doctor Tang during the first two days after arriving, she still felt a little worried: "How about I go and take a look?"
Qi Jingyan stopped him and said, "They have been helping you for so long, they must have learned the ropes. Just let them do it. With so many people, at least a few of them have to learn how to cook. You can't be the only one who's always tired."
Listening to the man's gentle voice and looking at his sincere eyes, Meng Yuning was moved to tears. She had never seen such a considerate boss.
Qi Jingyan looked into those watery eyes quietly, his voice unconsciously becoming softer, "What's wrong?"
Meng Yuning shook her head: "It's nothing, I just suddenly felt that Your Highness is a good person."
Qi Jingyan was a bit amused and confused. This girl had already given him the "nice guy" card countless times, and each time it was for some trivial matter. With such a simple personality, she walked out alone. She must have been cheated, yet she was still happily helping others count money.
When they get to Lingnan, he should find her some maids who are good at fighting.
The moment the sun set, two guards brought up the meal for the group. Tonight was a simple mutton noodle soup. The noodles were hand-rolled, and the soup was made from the two lamb leg bones. There were also some pickled vegetables on the noodles.
There were five of us, each with a bowl, and we ate it right away. Although the taste wasn't that delicious, the soup was fresh and the noodles were chewy, so everyone was full.
After everyone finished eating, Meng Yuning took Yi'er to the kitchen and praised the guards who made the noodles. Everyone was very happy to get Miss Meng's approval.
When I came out of the kitchen and went up to the second floor, I saw Qi Jingyan coming down from the third floor. He said that he wanted Meng Yuning to take Yi'er to wash up and go to bed first.
When Meng Yuning saw Mu Shan and Mu Feng following him, she knew that something must be happening tonight. She nodded, carried Yi'er back to the room, gave them a quick wash with the hot water brought by Mu Yun and the others, and then lay down on the bed with her clothes on.
Normally, Meng Yuning would feel a bit crowded when three people were lying there, but now it was just her and Yi'er, and she felt inexplicably nervous.
Just when I was thinking about whether to take Yi'er to see Qi Jingyan and ask him when he would be back, I heard someone outside suddenly shout:
"Enemy attack!"
"alert!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
