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Chapter Ten

Mu Feng set the mounting stool in place. “Please, Miss Meng.”

Meng Yu Ning stepped onto the stool and climbed into the carriage. Lifting the curtain, she entered and offered a formal greeting first. “Greetings, Your Highness.”

Qi Jing Yan inclined his head slightly. “Sit.”

Meng Yu Ning took the seat on the right side of the carriage, only then discovering that the vehicle, which had appeared remarkably spacious from the outside, was even roomier within.

At the very back of the carriage stood a bed. Judging by its length, Qi Jing Yan could stretch out on it with room to spare. At present, however, he sat upright upon it, slowly sipping tea from a cup in his hand.

The Seventeenth Prince sat obediently beside him. One small hand clutched Qi Jing Yan’s sleeve, while the other held a tiger-headed quilt. He blinked his beautiful, wide eyes at her. Perhaps because he had eaten the food she prepared, the wariness he had shown when they first met had vanished, leaving only curiosity in its place.

Meng Yu Ning smiled at him kindly. The little boy grew shy and buried his face against Qi Jing Yan, but curiosity soon got the better of him, and he secretly lifted his head to look at her again.

After taking two sips of tea, Qi Jing Yan placed the cup on the cabinet fixed to the carriage wall at his right. He reached out and stroked Yi’er’s head, then looked toward Meng Yu Ning. “What will happen after they finish eating?”

Meng Yu Ning did not hide anything. “The water hemlock will cause a reaction within fifteen minutes at the earliest, or half an hour at the latest. Nausea and vomiting will be among the symptoms.”

Qi Jing Yan asked again, “Can it be fatal?”

Meng Yu Ning curled her fingers slightly. “That depends on how much each person eats. Those who consume a large amount may lose consciousness and suffer convulsions and difficulty breathing after about an hour. They could even suffocate and die.”

“Very well. I understand.” Qi Jing Yan waved her off. “Go back to your carriage and rest for now.”

Meng Yu Ning agreed, then asked, “Your Highness, when shall we depart? Is it possible to set out before those people realize something is wrong?”

“Why?”

Worry appeared on Meng Yu Ning’s face as she honestly explained her concern. “I was the one who prepared the dish. I’m afraid that if they discover there’s a problem, they’ll come after me later.”

Qi Jing Yan was clearly surprised by her frankness. The corner of his brow lifted almost imperceptibly. “Set your mind at ease. No one will be able to harm you.”

That was as good as saying he would protect her. The knot of anxiety in Meng Yu Ning’s heart finally loosened. She bowed to him and said sincerely, “Thank you, Your Highness.”

She turned to leave, but just as she reached the entrance, the man behind her spoke again in his calm voice.

“Miss Meng, how did you come to recognize so many wild greens, as well as water hemlock?”

The hand with which Meng Yu Ning was lifting the curtain paused, and her heart tightened. She did not know why he had suddenly asked such a question. Was he merely curious, or had he noticed something amiss?

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Qi Jing Yan and the original Meng Yu Ning had only been betrothed by imperial decree the previous year. Qi Jing Yan was occupied with state affairs, while the original owner was a refined young lady who strictly observed propriety. Aside from seeing each other a few times at palace banquets, they had scarcely met in private. He should know very little about her.

Moreover, judging by Qi Jing Yan’s indifference when the original owner fled in the original story—neither angered nor worried—it was plain that he had never cared about her at all.

So he was probably only curious.

With that thought, Meng Yu Ning turned back and answered with an expression of perfect composure. “I lost my mother when I was young and lived at my maternal grandmother’s home for several years.”

That was true. After the original owner’s mother died of illness, Meng Huai Fu hurriedly brought his second wife into the household. Taking pity on her granddaughter, the girl’s maternal grandmother brought her to live with her for several years, only sending her back to the capital once she was older.

Qi Jing Yan gazed silently at Meng Yu Ning. He said nothing, but his eyes clearly conveyed three words: And then?

Meng Yu Ning braced herself and continued. “My maternal grandmother enjoyed eating wild greens. When I was little and fond of playing, I often followed the maids and nurses into the fields at the estate to gather them. After picking them so many times, I came to recognize them.”

She had invented all of that. The original owner had been cherished and pampered by her maternal grandmother like a precious jewel. Her grandmother had never made her eat wild greens, much less allowed her to run through the fields gathering them.

But her maternal family lived more than two hundred miles east of the capital. Since they were now on the road to Lingnan, Qi Jing Yan presumably would not send someone to investigate over such a trivial matter.

Qi Jing Yan continued staring at Yu Ning in silence.

Meng Yu Ning had no idea whether he believed her. She forced herself to remain calm and meet his gaze, though her heart was filled with unease.

After a long while, Qi Jing Yan pointed to his own left cheek. “You have ash on your face.”

She had not expected him to change the subject so abruptly. Meng Yu Ning froze, then gave an awkward little sound and hurriedly raised her sleeve to wipe at her face twice. Not only did she fail to remove the ash, she merely spread it over an even larger area.

Yi’er, who had been sitting quietly beside Qi Jing Yan, suddenly giggled. “A painted face.”

Meng Yu Ning gave an embarrassed smile. “How embarrassing. I must have gotten it on me while cooking earlier.”

Qi Jing Yan nodded. “You may go.”

Meng Yu Ning did not linger for another moment. She agreed, turned, and left the carriage. Once outside, she hurried straight to the riverbank, scooped up water, and washed her face several times. She carefully scrubbed her hands clean as well, then leaned over the water to examine her reflection.

She wanted to see what she looked like now.

Unfortunately, she had stirred the water into constant motion, and ripples spread across its surface, making her reflection difficult to discern.

Still, it seemed that the shape of her face and her features were rather similar to those she had possessed before. If she got the chance, she would have to find a mirror.

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After washing her face and hands, Meng Yu Ning rose and walked back. Along the way, she casually plucked several foxtail grasses and twisted and braided them into a fluffy little rabbit. She then carried it back to her luggage cart.

Once inside, she lifted a narrow slit in the carriage curtain and secretly watched the escorting soldiers. They were still eating. Perhaps because the food tasted especially good today, the atmosphere was far livelier and more cheerful than usual. Several soldiers had even gathered around a dish that was clearly down to its last scraps, scrambling for them and provoking a burst of laughter.

Meng Yu Ning watched for a while before letting the curtain fall. She sighed.

In her heart, she warned herself:

Meng Yu Ning, this is a life-or-death struggle. You cannot afford to be softhearted.

Besides, her life and her future were both in the hands of others. She had no choice to make in the first place.

After talking herself through it all, Meng Yu Ning stopped dwelling on the matter. She curled up atop the pile of bundles and closed her eyes to rest.

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Inside Qi Jing Yan’s carriage, Mu Yun reported everything he had overheard to his master.

When Qi Jing Yan heard the vile remarks made by the soldiers, his brows drew together in displeasure. “Since they cannot speak like human beings, deal with them.”

“Yes,” Mu Yun replied.

Mu Feng, who had been listening quietly at the side, asked, “Your Highness, what exactly did those men mean by saying that the Meng sisters should share one husband? Could it be that the old scoundrel Meng Huai Fu gave another of his daughters to the Third Prince?”

Qi Jing Yan said, “How many daughters did you say Meng Huai Fu had?”

When the emperor had suddenly arranged his marriage to the eldest daughter of the Meng family, Mu Feng had been curious and gone to investigate the household. Upon returning, he had chattered on at length about what he had learned, though Qi Jing Yan had paid little attention at the time.

Mu Feng answered, “There are only two. One is the eldest Miss Meng traveling with us, and the other is the second Miss Meng, Meng Jing Ru. But Meng Jing Ru was brought into the Meng household by that stepmother. She is not even a year younger than the eldest Miss Meng.”

“Although Meng Jing Ru is not Meng Huai Fu’s biological daughter, that old thief extended his affection to her as well. He allowed her to bear the Meng surname and even entered her into the family register.”

“Still, it is rather strange. Though the two Meng girls are not true sisters, they bear some resemblance to each other. Of course, the eldest Miss Meng is the prettier one.”

Qi Jing Yan recalled that face—free of cosmetics, with a smear of ash upon it, yet still breathtakingly beautiful—and nodded.

Mu Feng assumed that His Highness agreed the eldest Miss Meng was attractive. But when Qi Jing Yan spoke, he said only, “Set out at once. Have Miss Meng’s carriage travel ahead of mine.”