Seven thousand and seven

Chapter Seven

Meng Yuning suddenly felt inexplicably nervous and instinctively glanced behind her. Just then, her carriage turned a corner, obscuring the view of the trailing procession.

Of course, she couldn’t see the escorting soldiers strung out at the rear of the group. Likewise, they couldn’t see her, and even less so the two guards who had slipped away into the dense forest ahead.

Her heart eased somewhat, but a sense of puzzlement crept in.

The novel titled The Return of the Regent Prince was something she had read during her recent travels, killing time on the road and in the inn. Having read a few chapters, she found most of the story filled with intricate political scheming and deception—far too convoluted to follow closely—so she hadn’t read it word for word.

However, she had one habit: with any book she started, regardless of interest, she always flipped to the end to see how it concluded.

She wasn’t very invested in this one, so she had only skimmed the ending and remembered the major plot points concerning the protagonist, but small details like the two guards sneaking away had escaped her notice.

Therefore, she wasn’t sure if those two guards were supposed to run off in the original story.

Logically, there ought to have been such a scene.

But what were they up to? Were they going to contact someone?

Regardless of their purpose, they must be following orders; they weren’t fleeing. Otherwise, those sharp-eyed guards would have caught up long ago instead of acting obliviously and cheerfully picking wild vegetables.

Moreover, out of the two hundred guards, most were sent by the Mu family, the empress’s maternal clan, to accompany Qi Jingyan.

Especially Mu Yun, Mu Feng, Mu Shan, and several other Mus, who were essentially Qi Jingyan’s cousins. They had grown up by his side, sharing a deep bond and ready to lay down their lives for him at any moment.

According to the original plot, the group had been repeatedly ambushed along the way, with few survivors left in the end, so perhaps these two failed in their mission.

Meng Yuning was lost in thought, momentarily forgetting to lower the curtain as she stared blankly in the direction the two guards had fled.

Mu Feng approached, clutching a handful of wild onions, blocking her view, and asked with a cheerful smile, “Miss Meng, how do you like these wild onions cooked?”

Meng Yuning snapped back to attention and patiently answered, “They can be stir-fried with meat or eggs, made into buns or pies, or served cold in a salad. All are delicious.”

Mu Feng brightened, “So many ways to eat them! We must gather plenty then.”

With that, he turned and loudly relayed her words, concluding with a reminder: “Brothers, there are many of us; we must collect enough to eat!”

The guards responded loudly and enthusiastically, plucking and pulling with increasing zeal.

Watching this scene, Meng Yuning’s suspicion grew. She had initially thought they were simply starved of decent food for days, which explained their eagerness.

But now, reflecting further, she realized she had been naive. Such a show was likely a deliberate diversion to cover for those two men.

These were the former crown prince’s personal guards, the most trusted under the heir apparent—there was no way they would scramble about like inexperienced novices over a handful of wild vegetables, disrupting the usually disciplined formation.

The more she pondered, the more certain she became.

Yet on the other hand, given that Qi Jingyan had been suppressed openly and covertly by Emperor Kangwen and the Third Prince to such an extent, his ability to turn the tide suggested he was no passive victim, and sending messengers out was only natural.

Thinking that her fate was now tied to Qi Jingyan’s, Meng Yuning lowered the curtain, clasped her hands quietly, and prayed inwardly.

To those two brothers just now—whatever your mission, I wish you swift victory and success!

As dusk deepened, after the guards had fully loaded the rear carriage, they ceased their efforts, mounted their horses, and resumed their march.

Seeing their calm, the troops behind breathed a collective sigh of relief and stopped riding over to check on them intermittently.

Torches were lit as the caravan moved silently through the night, with only the rolling wheels and clip-clopping hooves breaking the quiet.

Tired, Meng Yuning arranged a few large bundles that seemed to contain bedding, took off her shoes, climbed aboard, curled up, and lay down.

She worried the soldiers might notice the two missing men and cause trouble, or that bandits might suddenly attack, but these were beyond her control, so she stopped thinking and closed her eyes, letting the unsteady rhythm of the carriage lull her to sleep.

After an unknown length of time, the curtain at the window was parted slightly from outside, and the glow of a torch shone in briefly before the curtain was drawn again, plunging the compartment back into darkness.

Mu Feng approached Qi Jingyan’s carriage and reported in a low voice, “Your Highness, Miss Meng has fallen asleep. Strangely, she didn’t cry secretly like before tonight.”

Qi Jingyan responded with a faint “Hmm.”

Mu Feng lowered his voice further, “Your Highness, she saw what happened earlier. Should we find a chance to warn her not to speak of it?”

Qi Jingyan: “No matter. She should know what to do.”

Mu Feng: “Yes, Your Highness.”

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Perhaps from exhaustion, Meng Yuning slept deeply. Upon waking, she was momentarily dazed, unsure where she was.

After a long moment of blankness, she recalled the incredible events of the previous day.

She sat up, pulled back the curtain, and saw dawn breaking.

The caravan was still moving quietly. She was surprised at the calm of the night, but no incident was always good.

Having survived another day, her mood lifted.

The mountain morning air was crisp and refreshing. She took several deep breaths, feeling herself invigorated.

Seeing her head emerge from the carriage, Mu Feng, riding beside Qi Jingyan’s carriage ahead, slowed and greeted, “Miss Meng, did you rest well last night?”

Meng Yuning nodded, “Slept quite well. You’ve been riding all night; aren’t you tired?”

Mu Feng shook his head proudly, “That’s nothing. When we followed His Highness on campaigns back then, it was common not to sleep for days and nights.”

Meng Yuning recalled that although Qi Jingyan was the legitimate eldest son of the emperor, the emperor’s favored consort’s third son also enjoyed Kangwen’s favor, so the crown prince’s position was never formally established.

When Qi Jingyan was fifteen, northern invaders attacked. His uncle Mu Xiao was appointed general and led troops to quell the rebellion, and Qi Jingyan volunteered to accompany him.

The conflict lasted three full years. From fifteen to eighteen, he transformed from a refined scholar into a grim-faced general radiating killing intent.

Only after returning from the battlefield did Kangwen officially name him crown prince.

However, after holding the title for barely two years and before his coming-of-age ceremony, Kangwen stripped him of the position.

Ultimately, Qi Jingyan was too outstanding—praised by the Grand Tutor for his virtue and strategy, and by veteran generals for his intelligence and military skill.

But Kangwen’s narrow-mindedness bred suspicion and jealousy, fearing Qi Jingyan would one day usurp the throne—much of this fueled by Consort Dou’s whispers in his ear.

With Qi Jingyan’s fall from grace, his uncle’s family was purged and exiled to the northwest, numbering over a hundred relatives. Coupled with the empress’s death, the Mu family lost all power.

Meng Yuning wondered curiously: Qi Jingyan was twenty this year, but Mu Feng was only fifteen. Did he really go to war five years ago at age ten?

Seeing her doubtful gaze, Mu Feng scratched his head, guessing her thoughts. “I didn’t go, but my brother Mu Yun and the others did. I heard from them. And me? Don’t say days and nights, even ten days and ten nights without sleep is nothing.”

The young man was quite boastful. Meng Yuning couldn’t help but smile and asked, “Are we traveling all day today?”

Mu Feng nodded, “Yes. His Highness said we delayed too much before, but his leg is better now. We’ll make good time while the weather’s fine these days.”

“But when we find a suitable place, we will stop to rest. We’ll need Miss Meng to arrange breakfast for everyone then.”

Meng Yuning gladly agreed, “Of course.”

After about half an hour more, the dawn fully broke, revealing a wide clearing ahead. Rows of willow trees lined the road, beyond which flowed a small river. The caravan halted.

Some began digging a fire pit, others set up pots, and several guards carried baskets filled with yesterday’s bamboo shoots and wild vegetables to the riverbank, clearly to wash them.

As soon as the carriage stopped, Meng Yuning eagerly jumped down and headed toward the river.

After a few steps, she heard someone call out, “Miss Meng.”

She turned to see Qi Jingyan, somehow already lifted from his carriage and sitting in a wheelchair watching her. He wasn’t holding his son Yi’er, so the little boy was presumably still asleep.

She returned to him, bowed respectfully as a greeting, then asked, “Your Highness, do you have any instructions?”

Qi Jingyan spoke gently, “Do you know if there are any wild vegetables around here that cause discomfort when eaten?”

Meng Yuning was taken aback. “Discomfort? How so? For whom?”