Thirteen thousand and thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

She wasn’t afraid that Qi Jingyan would do anything to her. For one, he was now paralyzed from the waist down and unable to move freely, making any such intentions difficult to carry out.

Moreover, in the original story, he had returned to the capital as the powerful Regent Prince, with countless beauties sent to his side, all of whom he rejected. Until his death, he had no concubines and left no heirs.

This clearly showed his utter disinterest in women.

Furthermore, as the daughter of his enemy, he probably wished she were dead.

Even if he were magnanimous enough not to take out his hatred on a mere woman, her intuition told her that if she didn’t know how to cook, he would have abandoned her somewhere deep in the mountains without a second thought.

She was quite clear about her place.

She didn’t want to share a room with him mainly because, even when he sat calmly, he exuded an invisible pressure. His gaze always carried an inexplicable scrutiny that made her nerves taut and her hairs stand on end.

In the past, she often dreamed at night of all sorts of strange and distant places, remembering most of them upon waking.

Dreaming wasn’t the problem; the issue was that she sometimes talked in her sleep.

Yesterday, after hours of riding and cooking over a large pot twice, she was exhausted. Yet even after a night’s sleep in the carriage, her dreams did not cease.

She wondered if she still talked in her sleep now.

The room was small, with the old wooden bed taking up nearly half the space. Adding another bed left barely any room between them.

If she muttered something, Qi Jingyan might overhear it. If she said something she shouldn’t, her life could be in danger.

But if she didn’t share the room with him, where else could she sleep?

She had already checked outside; there was nowhere suitable for her. She couldn’t possibly sleep outdoors with the guards.

In the wild mountains, snakes, insects, and vermin lurked everywhere. She lacked the skill and alertness to guard against night attacks; falling asleep deeply could mean being bitten to death.

No matter how she looked at it, Qi Jingyan’s arrangement was the most reasonable.

So maybe tonight, she could fashion a simple mask from a handkerchief to cover her mouth. That way, even if she talked in her sleep, it would be muffled and no one would overhear.

Her mind raced with these thoughts.

But the master and servant acted as if she didn’t exist, making no effort to consult her. After a brief exchange, one guard said, “I’ll go gather materials to make the bed.”

After Qi Jingyan nodded, the guard turned and headed into the mountains.

Standing at the door clutching her bundle, Meng Yuning was speechless.

Well, since it was settled, there was no use in her fretting over something she had no say in. She stepped into the room.

Mu Feng untied the tiger-patterned quilt belonging to the Seventeenth Prince, gently placed the little boy on the bed, and bowed to Qi Jingyan. “Your Highness, please rest. We will prepare some food.”

Upon hearing this, Meng Yuning placed her bundle on the only table in the room. “I’ll help too.”

With that, she followed Mu Feng and quickly left the room.

Mu Feng was straightforward, simple, and childlike. Mu Yun was steady and kind, always polite to her. Mu Shan was honest and always answered questions. Even Tang, the eccentric divine doctor, had changed his attitude toward her after tasting her cooking.

Rather than stare silently at the calm, probing man, she preferred to be with the guards, even if it meant working.

Qi Jingyan glanced at her retreating figure, then reached out to hold the little boy who obediently sat on the bed clutching a small quilt. “Is big brother scary?”

The boy, tired and sleepy, didn’t fully understand but instinctively agreed, “Big brother is scary.”

Qi Jingyan smiled faintly, his voice gentle. “Are you tired, Yi’er?”

The boy nodded.

“Hungry?”

Nodded again.

Qi Jingyan stroked his hair softly. “Food will be ready soon.”

Looking up at him, the boy asked, “Will there be tasty meat?”

“Yes.”

---

Outside, everyone was already busy.

Two guards had gathered some flat stones and built a simple stove, using tree branches to make a rack for hanging pots.

Soon, dry wood was brought and placed under the stove, then lit.

Tang, the divine doctor, rummaged through his treasured wooden box and pulled out a ceramic pot for boiling medicine. “Now that the watchers are gone, I can finally put this to good use. Where is the water? I’ll brew medicine properly for Your Highness.”

Mu Feng pointed to the rocky wall behind the cabin. “Divine Doctor Tang, there’s a mountain spring there.”

“Good.” Tang carried the pot and walked behind the cabin. Meng Yuning followed.

There, a clear mountain spring flowed down a steep rock face, splashing on a stone slab with a rushing sound before trickling down through crevices.

After climbing so far, Meng Yuning was parched. She washed her hands and drank deeply.

The water was pure and sweet, refreshing her exhaustion.

Delighted, she took two more sips before turning to Tang, who was cleaning the pot with wild grass. “Doctor Tang, you must be thirsty too. I’ll wash the pot; you drink first.”

Tang kept cleaning. “No need, I’m almost finished.”

He tossed the grass aside, rinsed the pot several times, filled it with water, placed it carefully by his feet, then cupped his hands to drink. “Not bad,” he murmured, then carried the pot back.

Meng Yuning followed and saw the two guards had already built another stove.

Mu Yun pointed to the smaller stove. “Doctor Tang, this one is for your medicine.”

Tang agreed, carefully placing the water-filled pot on it, then pulled out a packet of herbs from his box and added them. He sat by the stove, watching the fire.

Mu Yun then pointed to the other stove. “Miss Meng, this one is for you. We’ll need your help preparing dinner.”

Meng Yuning looked around worriedly. “I can cook, but there’s no pot, no ingredients. How am I supposed to do it?”

Mu Yun went to the pile of luggage stacked beneath the cabin window and began unpacking. “We brought all the cooking tools, along with some salt and rice. As for vegetables, the brothers have gone into the mountains to hunt wild game and dig up bamboo shoots. They’ll be back soon.”

Watching Mu Yun lay out one item after another like a magician, Meng Yuning was stunned.

My goodness, look at all this!

Two iron woks, a kitchen knife, chopsticks, stacks of bowls, a spatula, a serving spoon, two wooden basins nested together, a cutting board, plus a jar of salt, a jar of oil, two bags of rice, and even two strips of dried mutton!

No wonder the guards carried huge bundles on their backs during the escape. These men really had great stamina.

Originally, she thought Qi Jingyan had fled on impulse, but now it seemed this had been carefully planned.

Only, why did he plan this escape?

Could it be the butterfly effect triggered by her arrival?

Mu Yun finished unpacking and noticed Meng Yuning staring blankly. “Miss Meng, do you think this is enough? If not, there are more utensils in the cabin’s kitchen; we can borrow those too.”

Snapping back to reality, Meng Yuning said, “With just a dozen or so of us, this is plenty.”

She gathered the knife, spoon, and spatula into a wooden basin and carried it toward the spring. “Mu Yun, bring the two woks over and wash them. Let’s start cooking porridge.”

Mu Yun followed orders and called Mu Feng to help. One held the pot, the other the rice. At the spring, they scrubbed pots, rinsed rice, added water, then carried the pots back to the stove, lit the fire, and began cooking porridge.

Meng Yuning cleaned her utensils by the spring and was just carrying them back when several guards came out from the woods, beaming.

“We caught two pheasants, a rabbit, and dug up some big bamboo shoots!”

Mu Feng happily took the game from a guard. “Tonight, we’re having a feast.”

He turned to Meng Yuning. “Miss Meng, how do you want to prepare it?”

Two other guards approached, each holding several thick bamboo shoots. “Miss Meng, these shoots are huge.”

Though weak from hunger, Meng Yuning’s spirits lifted instantly. Rolling up her sleeves, she began planning.

“These are Mao bamboo shoots—crisp and tender, perfect for stewing with chicken. The rabbit, we’ll stir-fry.”

Everyone trusted her cooking skills completely and raised no objections.

Without waiting for her to start, two guards carried the pheasants and rabbit off to kill and gut them. Then they washed the meat thoroughly in the spring before bringing it back.

Under Meng Yuning’s direction, they chopped the meat into pieces and cleared space.

She peeled four plump white bamboo shoots, washed and cut them, then, with everyone watching eagerly, heated the wok and added oil.

About half an hour later, a large pot of fragrant chicken stewed with bamboo shoots was ready, brimming with soup nearly spilling over.

Diligent Mu Shan washed the pots, and Meng Yuning quickly stir-fried the rabbit meat, finishing soon after.

Together with Mu Yun, Meng Yuning first served porridge and dishes to Qi Jingyan and little Qi Yi, then left Mu Yun inside to care for them and came out to eat with the rest.

Except for the morning meal, everyone had been on the road all day without food, so they were ravenous.

Faced with such a delicious feast and the fresh, savory flavors, everyone hunched over their bowls, eating silently.

When Mu Yun came out holding a stack of empty bowls, everyone had finished, licking their lips, savoring the taste.

Meng Yuning had saved a large bowl of porridge and dishes for Mu Yun. Seeing him come out, she stood and handed it to him. “Mu Yun, eat quickly; it’s getting cold.”

“Thank you, Miss Meng.” Mu Yun handed his empty bowl to someone else, took the bowl from her with both hands, and sat by the fire to eat heartily.

The guards were diligent; once full, they eagerly gathered the pots and dishes for washing without requiring Meng Yuning’s help.

The two guards who had made her bed then resumed work on the half-finished bamboo bed.

Others swept the area between the two stoves with thin bamboo strips, then lit several small fires around the cabin, enclosing the area with a ring of flames to ward off wild beasts and insects.

Meng Yuning wanted to help but was told to rest, so she sat by the stove, watching everyone busy.

Soon, the bamboo bed was finished, and the two guards carried it inside.

Mu Yun said to Meng Yuning, “Miss Meng, the bed is ready. It’s late; you should rest early.”

Her heart tightened, but she had no choice but to stand and follow him inside.

“Alright.”