Chapter 51051 What I Want
Chapter 51
Hearing these words filled with concern and worry, Meng Yuning felt warm in her heart. She reached out and hugged Cai Yuezhao's waist affectionately, saying in a relaxed tone, "Don't worry, Sister Zhao. It's a little torn here now, but it will be fine after a little cleaning."
Cai Yuezhao hugged An Ning tightly in his arms, with thousands of words choking in his throat, but he couldn't say a single word.
Even though Prince Shen was deposed from the throne, he was still a descendant of the royal family and a dignified prince. However, he was now placed in a house that looked like a ruin.
This is not just a run-down courtyard; it is clearly a deliberate humiliation.
But what worries her even more is that this might just be the beginning.
Who knows how many difficulties and obstacles will be waiting for the two princes in the future.
If Aning continues to stay here, she will not only have to endure the hardships of being tossed around by the wind and rain, but will also have to face those unknown attacks that may appear at any time. I'm afraid she will be worried all day long and have no peace.
In addition, what worries her is An Ning's identity. Even though An Ning has made her position clear, her surname is Meng after all.
There was an irreconcilable deep hatred between her father and His Royal Highness Prince Shen.
This hatred is far more serious than the obstacle between her and Yu Xiao.
She could see that His Royal Highness Prince Shen treated An Ning quite differently and seemed to like her very much.
But no matter how strong the love is, how can it withstand the deep hatred?
Besides, how much weight does a man’s feelings have in the face of power and great achievements?
From Yu Xiao's words, she guessed that His Royal Highness Prince Shen would never accept his fate.
If one day, Prince Shen regains power and wants to settle old debts with the Meng family, how will An Ning cope with it?
Should he watch the Meng family fall, or stand on the side of the Meng family and become enemies with His Royal Highness Prince Shen?
Faced with such a bloody choice, it must be so heartbreaking for a soft, kind and simple girl like Aning.
And Aning came here on the orders of the Queen Mother, so she couldn't take her away easily.
Her sister An Ning, such a good sister An Ning, how could she be so unlucky to have such a despicable and shameless father.
The more Cai Yuezhao thought about it, the sadder he became, and his eyes couldn't help but turn red.
Meng Yuning was a little surprised when she saw Sister Zhao hugging her without saying a word and seemed to be sobbing softly.
She knew that Sister Zhao was worried about her because she saw that the yard was too dilapidated, but why was she so worried?
She was touched and felt a little amused. She reached out and patted Cai Yuezhao on the back: "Sister Zhao, don't worry, everything will get better."
Cai Yuezhao sighed softly in his heart. Yes, there was no other way at the moment. He could only hope that everything would be fine.
She held back her tears, calmed herself down, and then let go of An Ning, revealing a smile: "Come on, take me inside to see your new home."
Meng Yuning agreed and took her arm, not forgetting to lower her head to look for Yi'er. She saw Yi'er leaning on her legs, with a puffy face and staring at Cai Yuezhao with wary eyes.
Meng Yuning squatted down and took Yi'er's hand, "What's wrong with Yi'er?"
Yi'er's dark eyes were filled with worry: "A Ning, will you abandon Yi'er?"
Meng Yuning immediately realized that it was Sister Zhao's words about taking her away that made Yi'er uneasy. Her heart softened, and she took his little hand and said solemnly: "Don't worry, Yi'er, Aning will not abandon Yi'er."
Yi'er looked up at Cai Yuezhao and asked worriedly, "Will Aning never abandon Yi'er?"
The word "forever" is too heavy, and Meng Yuning cannot guarantee it.
But at this moment, she couldn't bear to make Xiao Yi'er sad, so she nodded heavily: "Never."
Yi'er looked into An Ning's eyes for a long time, then finally smiled and threw herself into her arms, saying shyly, "Then An Ning, hug Yi'er."
"Okay, Ah Ning, hold our baby Yi'er." Meng Yuning said with a smile, picked up Yi'er, and looked at Cai Yuezhao: "Sister Ah Zhao, let's go."
Cai Yuezhao nodded and said yes, took An Ning's arm and followed her inside.
Yuan Qing and Fu Dong followed with things in their arms. Seeing that they were carrying so many things that they blocked their vision and they were walking crookedly, Mu Jiang and the others smiled and reached out to take some from them.
---
Seeing His Royal Highness Prince Shen, who was still in good spirits, Eunuch Song knelt at his legs and burst into tears again: "Your Highness, the Queen Mother has always been thinking about you and the young prince."
Qi Jingyan was also feeling bad. He remained silent and waited for Eunuch Song to cry for a while before patting his shoulder and asking him to stand up. He then asked Mu Feng to bring him a stool and asked him to sit down. "How is the Empress Dowager?"
Eunuch Song nodded: "The Empress Dowager is fine."
Then he briefly recounted what had happened in the palace after the two princes left the capital.
Qi Jingyan looked calm and listened quietly.
After Eunuch Song finished speaking, he carefully observed the expression of His Royal Highness Prince Shen. Seeing that he had never asked about the Queen's funeral from beginning to end, he did not dare to bring it up on his own initiative, for fear of making him sad.
After a moment's silence, he began to inquire about everyone's experiences along the way. "Your Highness, please forgive me for my intrusion. The Empress Dowager will definitely ask about this when we return to the capital."
Qi Jingyan nodded and glanced at Mu Feng beside him.
Mu Feng spoke fluently, explaining how they had plotted to drug General Zhang and his entourage, how they had hidden in the mountains for more than a month to recuperate, and then sailed south under the banner of Young Marquis Yu, how they had successfully averted an assassination attempt on the way, and how he had finally met Young Marquis Yu.
Eunuch Song was extremely excited when he heard this. He was amazed and kept cheering.
Finally, he sighed deeply, then looked around cautiously and lowered his voice: "Your Highness, the Queen Mother has some words to say, and she has ordered this old servant to be sure to deliver them."
Qi Jingyan: "We are all family members in this courtyard, so please feel free to speak."
Eunuch Song still stood up from the stool, took two steps forward, and whispered softly, "The Empress Dowager said that you and the young prince had no news before, and His Majesty thought that the two princes had met with an accident, so he felt sympathy."
"But now that the two princes have returned safely, I'm afraid His Majesty..."
At this point, the conversation abruptly stopped. Eunuch Song took a half step back and bowed deeply. "The Empress Dowager's final words were, 'As long as the green mountains remain, there will be no shortage of firewood.' I hope Your Highness will consider the long-term in everything he does."
Qi Jingyan reached out and held Eunuch Song's arm, then faced the direction of the capital and bowed solemnly: "Please, Eunuch, pass on a message for me: 'Grandson, remember the teachings of the Imperial Grandmother and always reflect on yourself.'"
Seeing that His Royal Highness Prince Shen had taken it in, Eunuch Song was pleased and nodded repeatedly, "I will definitely convey every word exactly."
After sitting down again, Eunuch Song considered for a moment before tentatively asking, "Your Highness, the Empress Dowager specifically asked me to ask, how is Miss Meng doing?"
Qi Jingyan knew what the Empress Dowager wanted to ask.
Thinking of that simple, kind, enthusiastic, yet timid girl, a smile appeared on his lips involuntarily: "Please ask Eunuch Song to thank the Queen Mother on my behalf and tell her that Miss Meng is doing well and that she need not worry."
He emphasized the word "very good".
Eunuch Song looked at the smile on His Highness's face and was startled, but he didn't show it on his face. He just said, "That's good, that's good."
As soon as the two finished talking, Yu Xiao strode in.
Eunuch Song hurriedly stood up and responded, bowing and saying, "This old servant greets Young Marquis Yu."
Yu Xiao returned the greeting with a smile: "Eunuch Song."
The two of them sat down, and Yu Xiao said, "Yun Zhou, I visited the County Magistrate's Mansion last night. Guess what I found?"
Qi Jingyan: "What did you find out?"
Yu Xiao: "When the angel Ma finished his decree, he didn't mention anything about where you'd like to live. County Magistrate Chen has cleared out the County Magistrate's Mansion and plans to let you live there."
"Unexpectedly, after noon yesterday, Angel Ma suddenly delivered a message, saying that His Majesty would temporarily allow you to reside in the former residence of the former Prince Yu Nan. County Magistrate Chen arranged for people to come and clean up, but who knew that Angel Ma would find another excuse and take everyone away."
Qi Jingyan: "I already know, Lingchuan, there's no need to be angry about this." Mu Yun and the others also found out.
A cold light flashed in Yu Xiao's eyes. "Such vile tactics are truly despicable. If I don't teach that eunuch a lesson, I won't be able to calm my anger."
Qi Jingyan patted his shoulder and was about to say a few more words of comfort when he saw Eunuch Song, who had been listening quietly on the side, suddenly stand up. He bowed to the two of them with anger and cruelty on his face.
"Your Highness, Young Marquis, why trouble yourselves with such trivial matters? I have served in the palace for many years and am most adept at dealing with such lowly things."
Yu Xiao clapped his hands and laughed, "It's truly the most appropriate thing to leave this matter to Eunuch Song."
Both of them looked at Qi Jingyan.
Qi Jingyan was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly: "I am very relieved that Lord Song has relieved my worries this time. But you must act with caution and not bring disaster upon yourself."
"Indeed." Yu Xiao nodded. Eunuch Ma's actions were definitely related to the Third Prince, who was a vicious and ruthless person who would never let go of any grudge.
Eunuch Song bowed quickly, his eyes filled with determination: "Your Highness, please be at ease. This old servant knows his limits."
He had been in and out of the palace for twenty or thirty years, and dealing with a clueless little bastard was like playing a game. Not only would he not get himself into trouble, but he would also not leave behind any traces that could be talked about.
Qi Jingyan and Yu Xiao were both quite confident in Eunuch Song, who had always served the Empress Dowager, and they nodded in unison.
Having said that, Eunuch Song did not want to delay any longer, so he stood up and said goodbye: "Then I will go to meet that Ma Tianshi now, and I will come back tomorrow."
Qi Jingyan did not keep him and asked Mu Feng to see the person off properly. Eunuch Song then left in a hurry.
---
Meng Yuning and his group arrived at the main courtyard.
After entering the courtyard, Cai Yuezhao's eyes inadvertently fell on the clothesline in the yard, where a row of clothes were neatly drying.
Women's skirts, children's shirts, and men's robes swayed gently in the breeze.
Her face tensed up: "A Ning, did you wash all these?"
Earlier on the boat, she hadn't noticed where An Ning hung her clothes, and had neglected this matter. Now that she thought about it, An Ning must have washed clothes by hand every day, and she might even have to wash the clothes of the two princes.
She is the daughter of a minister, she has lived a life of luxury since childhood, and has never had to do housework, but now she has to do such rough work as a maid.
Cai Yuezhao felt a lump in his throat and felt extremely uncomfortable.
Meng Yuning acted nonchalant and explained with a smile, "I washed Yi'er and I's clothes, but His Highness's clothes have always been handled by Mu Yun and the others."
Upon hearing this, Cai Yuezhao's tense expression relaxed a little. Without saying anything more, she just stared at the row of clothes for a few more seconds and then walked forward.
After entering the house, Cai Yuezhao looked at the tent on the ground that had not yet been put away, and felt sad again.
Seeing this, Meng Yuning pointed to the inner room and said, "Mu Jiu and his friends went to the market early this morning to buy wood, and they are making a bed now."
Originally, Mu Jiu and his team planned to go to the mountain to cut down some high-quality wood. However, they thought that the newly cut wood needed to be debarked, dried, and cut into pieces, and then brushed with tung oil to prevent insects, which would take a lot of time. So they went to the lumber store and bought ready-made beech wood. They were busy all morning.
Meng Yuning took Cai Yuezhao to the bedroom door to see, and saw Mu Jiu and several guards who were good at carpentry were planing wood. The plane made a rustling sound, sawdust flew everywhere, and shavings fell to the ground.
Seeing several people appear at the door, Mu Jiu stopped what he was doing and bowed to them.
Meng Yuning smiled and asked, "Mu Jiu, how long will it take to finish this bed?"
Mu Jiu: "The materials are all cut, so it will be quick to make. It will be done tonight at the latest. After brushing it with tung oil, it will be ready for use tomorrow night."
Meng Yuning nodded: "Okay, no need to rush, you can take a rest if you are tired."
Mu Jiu bowed and said okay, then turned around and went back to work.
Meng Yuning brought Cai Yuezhao out again: "Mu Jiu and his team have excellent craftsmanship. The beds he makes are no worse than those sold outside."
Cai Yuezhao nodded: "She seems to be very capable." Since she couldn't change her sister An Ning's situation, she shouldn't pour cold water on her.
"I brought you something," she said, then called out, "Fudong, bring it in."
Fu Dong responded, and together with Yuan Qing, another person came in carrying a bunch of things. They placed everything on the only table in the room, and then left.
Meng Yuning looked at the pile of things on the table, her face full of surprise and a little embarrassed: "Sister Zhao, why did you give me so many things?"
Cai Yuezhao held her hand and said, "Your moving into a new house is a happy occasion. I couldn't think of a gift for you, so I went to the market and bought a few fashionable skirts, some rouge and powder, and some small items for women. You can use them for now. When I return to Beijing, I will have someone send you something else."
Meng Yuning knew she was sincere, so she didn't refuse. She just took her hand and shook it, saying happily, "Sister Zhao, thank you."
Cai Yuezhao reached out and patted her face: "There's no need to be polite between you and me."
Meng Yuning smiled and said yes.
As he was speaking, Mu Feng's voice came from outside, "Miss Meng, Your Highness, Miss Cai, lunch is ready. Your Highness invites everyone to move to the kitchen for dinner."
"Come right over." Meng Yuning responded, holding Yi'er's hand in one hand and Sister Zhao's hand in the other, and walked out. Before leaving, she did not forget to call out to the inside: "Mu Jiu, take the brothers to eat first."
Mu Jiu agreed and asked his brothers to put down their work, go out together and head to the back kitchen.
---
In the middle of the yard behind the kitchen, the guards had built a simple large shed with wood, and used washed banana leaves as a roof to provide shade.
Under the pergola was a long wooden table made of planks, which was already filled with food.
The guard brothers were very helpful and made six dishes and a soup, including stewed potatoes with pork ribs, stir-fried edamame with beef, stewed carp with tofu, stewed chicken with dried mushrooms, stir-fried cabbage hearts, spicy and sour cabbage, and a tomato and egg soup.
These are all things we have made several times before, and they look pretty good.
The kitchen helpers were wearing aprons and busy setting the table, but their eyes were all looking at Meng Yuning.
Meng Yuning walked over, looked at each dish, and praised them repeatedly: "Not bad, not bad."
Yi'er raised his thumb and waved to the guards who were cooking. After they all squatted down, he stretched out his little hand and pressed it on everyone's face: "Great, great, great..."
No one understood what the little prince meant by "bang bang", but from his appreciative expression, they guessed that the little prince was praising them, and they all grinned.
Meng Yuning couldn't help but laugh. This morning, Yi'er put on his little shoes by himself, and she pressed a thumbs-up on his soft little face, saying, "Yi'er, great!" She hadn't expected the little guy to learn so quickly.
Qi Jingyan and Yu Xiao, who had come over at some point, were sitting at one end of the table, talking in low voices. When they heard the commotion here, they both looked up.
Doctor Tang, Su Yang and others also arrived and sat in the middle of the table.
Meng Yuning walked over, holding the hands of one adult and one child, and greeted them one by one. Everyone returned the greeting with a smile.
Qi Jingyan reached out and pulled out the chair next to him: "A Ning, come and sit here."
Meng Yuning carried Yi'er over and sat down. Next to her was a high chair that was obviously prepared specially for Yi'er. She put Yi'er on it and helped him move the chair forward.
Yi'er sat down and clapped his hands: "Eat, eat."
Yu Xiao also pulled out the chair next to him and looked at Cai Yuezhao cautiously: "Azhao, sit here."
Cai Yuezhao looked at him and nodded: "Thank you, young marquis."
But he didn't sit down. Instead, he walked around a few people, came to Aning's side, and sat down next to Yi'er.
Yu Xiao's face darkened visibly.
Meng Yuning looked at Sister Zhao, then at the young marquis, sensing the odd atmosphere between them. However, she didn't dare ask, so she just smiled and said, "Your Highness, let's have dinner."
Qi Jingyan picked up his chopsticks, nodded and said, "Okay, let's eat."
Everyone responded and picked up their chopsticks. Meng Yuning picked up a piece of braised pork ribs for Yi'er and said, "Yi'er, try it."
Yier picked it up with chopsticks, put it to his mouth and took a bite. The ribs were stewed until they were soft and tender. The meat fell off the bone with one bite. Yier nodded his little head and commented seriously, "The meat is delicious."
Meng Yuning tasted a piece of potato. The potato was soaked in the aroma of meat and was soft and tasty.
She swallowed it and looked at Mu Shan and the others with a smile: "It tastes great. You guys are really amazing. This pork ribs stewed with potatoes is ready to be served."
Mu Shan and the others felt a little embarrassed by the praise, but they still couldn't help but cheer: "Another dish!"
Meng Yuning also tasted the remaining dishes one by one and gave positive feedback, mostly praise.
Amid Miss Meng's generous praise and the young prince's serious "not bad", Mu Shan and the others all felt a little flattered and became more determined to learn how to cook seriously in the future.
Everyone finished the meal happily.
Meng Yuning then realized that the eunuch Song was not here. She tilted her head towards Qi Jingyan and asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, where is the eunuch Song? Why didn't he come to dinner?"
Qi Jingyan also tilted his head towards her: "He has something to do, he will come back tomorrow."
Meng Yuning didn't ask any more questions. She carried Yi'er down to the ground and asked Cai Yuezhao, "Sister Zhao, there's a big banyan tree in the garden behind. It's quite cool under the tree. How about we go over there and sit down?"
Cai Yuezhao thought about what he was going to do and shook his head: "I have something to do. I'll come to you later."
After saying that, he said goodbye to everyone and left in a hurry with Yuan Qing and Fu Dong.
Seeing this, Yu Xiao nodded to Qi Jingyan, then took Yu Yan and Yu Shi to chase after them.
After the guards cleared the dishes, they each found a place to rest. In Lingnan, even though it was not yet midsummer, it was still extremely hot at noon and it was impossible to work.
Su Yang asked Meng Yuning, "Sister Meng, are you going to the big banyan tree? If you do, I'll go over there and spread some insect repellent powder."
Mu Feng also asked: "Miss Meng, if you want to go, I will go and lay out some wooden boards and a mat."
Meng Yuning looked at Qi Jingyan: "Your Highness, are you going?"
Qi Jingyan saw that An Ning was eager to try, and nodded with a smile: "Then go." There was still a tent in the house. It was okay at night, but it would be too hot to stay there during the day.
Meng Yuning smiled: "Okay, let's go."
Soon, the two adults and one child took off their shoes and lay down on the temporary wooden couch under the big banyan tree.
Meng Yuning rested her head on her hands, looking at the treetops that blocked out the sun. "Your Highness, this tree looks like it's hundreds of years old."
Qi Jingyan: "If he had been here when the Yu Nan Palace was built, there would be more than that."
Meng Yuning crossed her legs and swung her feet slowly, pointing to a thick tree trunk: "Your Highness, I want to hang a swing chair there."
Yi'er also rested his hands on his head, lifted up one of his little feet, and slowly swung it twice. He also stretched out his little finger and pointed at a tree trunk: "Brother, Yi'er also wants to hang a swing chair."
Qi Jingyan lay on his side, fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan. He looked at the two, one older and the other younger, who were becoming more and more alike in their speech and actions. He shook his head, smiled, and said, "Let Mu Jiu do it tomorrow."
"You can swing now." Meng Yuning stretched out a hand towards Yier, and Yier clapped her hands in tacit understanding, and they both smiled happily.
Qi Jingyan also laughed and waved the palm-leaf fan a little harder.
Strong winds did make it cooler, but Meng Yuning was afraid his arms would get tired, so she joked, "Your Highness, don't be so strong, or you'll blow Yi'er and me away."
As he spoke, he picked up Yi'er and put him on his other side, saying in an exaggerated manner: "Look, Yi'er was blown away."
Yier giggled non-stop and rolled to the side again: "He ran away, Yier was blown away."
Meng Yuning also rolled over there: "It's over, it's over, An Ning is blown away too."
Looking at the two people laughing together, Qi Jingyan's shoulders trembled with laughter, and he couldn't even hold the palm-leaf fan. In the end, he just covered his face with the fan.
Seeing him like this, Meng Yuning pulled Yi'er and whispered something to him. The two of them crawled over quietly. Meng Yuning lifted up his palm-leaf fan. Yi'er's eyes widened, and he made his two little hands into claws, and rushed over with "Ah Wu" and "Ah Wu" in his mouth.
Qi Jingyan smiled, grabbed Yi'er's collar, stretched out his arms, and lifted him up into the sky.
Yi'er giggled and screamed in a baby voice: "A Ning, save me, the tiger has been caught."
"Here she comes, Aning is here." Meng Yuning threw away the palm-leaf fan and pounced on her, trying to snatch her back.
Unexpectedly, Qi Jingyan stretched out his other arm and blocked her tightly. She struggled for a long time but couldn't get close to Yi'er. Instead, she made herself sweat all over.
She sat down on the couch dejectedly, picked up a palm-leaf fan and fanned herself frantically: "Yi'er, I can't do it anymore. Your brother is too powerful. Aning can't beat him."
Qi Jingyan teased the two for a while, then put Yi'er down. Yi'er clenched her fist and punched him on the arm: "Bad brother, I let you bully An Ning."
After saying that, he glared at him fiercely, then took another palm-leaf fan and fanned An Ning.
Qi Jingyan looked at the little guy whose elbows were becoming more and more bent outward and shook his head helplessly. In another year or so, Yi'er would probably forget that he was his biological brother.
Meng Yuning was also fanning Yi'er. As she was fanning, she remembered something. She turned around and fanned Qi Jingyan a few times, saying in a polite tone, "Your Highness, are you feeling cooler?"
Seeing the girl's eyes moving around lively, Qi Jingyan couldn't help but laugh: "If you have something to say, just say it."
Having been exposed, Meng Yuning didn't hesitate. She took a half step closer, smiling and said, "Your Highness, the west wing is idle anyway, why don't you let me move in there first?"
Qi Jingyan looked at her quietly for a while, his expression normal: "A Ning wants to live on your own?"
Upon hearing this, Yi'er hugged An Ning's arm and said, "Yi'er wants to be with An Ning."
Meng Yuning touched Yi'er's little face and continued to fight: "Your Highness, look, I have more and more things, and I have to find a place to put them."
"Besides, now that we've settled down, Your Highness will have more and more things to do. It's not convenient for me to be in the room all the time when you're discussing things."
"We are all in the same courtyard anyway, and the west wing is only a few steps away. If Your Highness needs me for something, just shout and I will be able to hear you."
Qi Jingyan didn't give in immediately. Instead, he looked at Yi'er, who was nervously holding An Ning's arm, and sighed helplessly: "You know, Yi'er at night..."
Without him having to finish, Meng Yuning immediately stated: "As long as Yi'er needs me, I can be there anytime."
Qi Jingyan was silent for a moment, then finally nodded: "Okay, you can use the west wing then."
Oh my god, after all this time, I finally have some personal space. Meng Yuning was so happy that she almost cried. She immediately smiled and swung her arms towards Qi Jingyan, saying, "Thank you, Your Highness. You are such a good person."
Qi Jingyan hurriedly raised his hand and pushed the palm-leaf fan that was about to hit his face further away, laughing muffledly, "I'm not hot, no need to fan me."
"Okay, Your Highness." Meng Yuning wanted it more than anything. She immediately threw the palm-leaf fan onto the couch, moved to the edge of the couch, put on her shoes, put on shoes for Yi'er who had crawled over, and then took him away.
Qi Jingyan stood up and asked: "Where are you going?"
Meng Yuning didn't even turn her head and said cheerfully, "Let's move."
Seeing her so anxious, Qi Jingyan shook his head and laughed: "Aren't you going to take a nap?"
This time, Meng Yuning didn't need to answer. Yi'er turned his little head back and waved his hand: "Let's move. Brother, you can sleep by yourself."
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