February 22, 2022
Chapter Twenty-Two
Could it really mean “one arrow, three kills”?
Then, when she said earlier, “Family, move your lucky little hands and make it a one-arrow-three-kill; from now on, whenever you want to eat homemade dishes, you’ll have a way,” was she implying that whoever is skilled with the bow could enjoy her home-cooked meals from now on?
Hmm, that must be it, thought Qi Jingyan after pondering for a moment.
Yet, Qi Jingyan raised his right hand and looked at it closely—why call it a “lucky little hand”?
After a while of thinking without finding a satisfactory answer, he put his hand down and let it go.
Tilting his head, his gaze fell on the woman lying on the small bed beside him.
Under the moonlight, she curled up quietly and obediently, completely different from the vibrant, spirited woman she was during the day.
He had always found it hard to sleep, and ever since he was suddenly locked up in the prison that day, it had become even more difficult.
Later, when his legs were broken, the excruciating pain kept him awake all night.
After leaving the capital, Tang He added some pain-relieving herbs to his medicine, easing the pain somewhat, but at night he still tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
Only when utterly exhausted could he manage to nap briefly, but once his eyes closed, nightmares came in waves, waking him up to endure the long night with open eyes until dawn.
Only last night, perhaps because they had reached a temporarily safe place and he relaxed his guard, or for some other reason, after soothing Yi to sleep and listening to their breaths rise and fall softly together, he too fell into a deep, unconscious sleep until morning.
The first good sleep in many days made him feel much lighter in body and spirit.
The great hatred was yet to be avenged, and Yi was still young.
He needed to hang on to this miserable life for another ten or twenty years.
So tonight, he hoped he could sleep well again.
With that thought, Qi Jingyan tucked Yi’s quilt snugly, then reached over to pull down the blanket that had almost covered Meng Yuning’s face, before withdrawing his hand, closing his eyes, slowing his breath, and drifting off to sleep.
---
The next day, Meng Yuning woke to find she was alone in the room.
Qi Jingyan must have been leaving; surely Mu Yun and the others had come in to carry him out, yet she had slept so deeply she had heard no sound at all.
Thinking of them coming and going while she slept like a log, Meng Yuning couldn’t help but sigh.
Ah, that was a sleep fit for a pig.
“Brother is amazing!” Yi’s voice came from outside.
Meng Yuning sat up in one swift motion, pressing her hands against the window frame to look out, and saw Qi Jingyan sitting in his wheelchair, facing a wooden target set up in the courtyard at some unknown time, drawing his bow and fitting arrows.
Yi stood beside the wheelchair, holding a small bow, imitating his movements.
The little boy’s face was serious and earnest, mimicking with surprising skill, which made Meng Yuning smile and cheer, “Go, Yi!”
Both brothers turned their heads to look at her.
Seeing Meng Yuning awake, Yi ran to the window, raising his little bow, “Ah Ning, I’m learning archery.”
Meng Yuning clapped her hands, “Wow, our Yi is so good! Wait for me, I’ll come watch.”
The boy nodded, “Okay, I’ll wait for you.”
Meng Yuning put on her shoes, tidied her clothes, quickly brushed her hair, made the bed, and walked out the door.
As she stepped out, Yi grabbed her hand and pulled her toward Qi Jingyan, “Ah Ning, watch brother first, brother is amazing!”
Meng Yuning smiled and followed Yi’s small hand to look.
Qi Jingyan, now dressed in a black robe, took three feathered arrows from a quiver on the ground, then nocked, drew, and released them.
Swish! Swish! Swish! Three arrows flew simultaneously.
Thud! Thud! Thud! All three struck the bullseye.
“Oh my, this is a divine archer!” Meng Yuning’s eyes widened in astonishment, momentarily speechless.
Only when Yi clapped his little hands and jumped up, “Brother is the best in the world!” did she snap back to reality, applauding sincerely, “Your Highness, you truly are the greatest archer alive; I’m deeply impressed!”
Yi echoed happily, “Great archer! Brother is a great archer!”
Nearby, Mu Yun and the others chuckled at their words.
His Highness’s archery was so precise that even hitting a coin at a hundred paces would be an exaggeration; calling it thunderous string-shots and arrows that make ghosts weep was not far off.
Shooting three arrows into the bullseye at such close range was merely a trivial trick His Highness used to entertain the little prince, yet Meng Yuning had come to admire him so much.
Qi Jingyan’s mouth twitched slightly at the corner, lowering his eyes without acknowledging the two sycophants, one big and one small.
Meng Yuning paid no mind to his cold expression; her eyes sparkled. Leaning closer, she teased, “Your Highness, this is truly a one-arrow-three-kill, isn’t it?”
Qi Jingyan stroked the bow in his hands, “Mm.”
Curious, Meng Yuning reached out to touch the bow as well, her voice full of admiration, “So amazing; I wish I could shoot arrows too.”
Yi tilted his head and chimed in, “Ah Ning, you can learn with Yi!”
Meng Yuning squatted beside Yi, looking at her own arms, “I don’t think I can. Besides, there’s no one to teach me.”
Yi turned to Qi Jingyan, grabbing his hand, “Brother, will you teach Ah Ning too?”
Meng Yuning looked at Qi Jingyan, their eyes meeting for a moment. Just as she thought he would refuse, he said, “Alright.”
Yi smiled at Meng Yuning, “Ah Ning, brother promised to teach you.”
Meng Yuning stood up, imitating Mu Yun and the others by cupping her hands and bowing to him, promising solemnly, “Thank you, Your Highness, for your instruction. I will learn diligently and never disgrace you.”
Qi Jingyan nodded slightly, then called Mu Jiu over, instructing, “Make a bow for Miss Meng.”
“Yes, I’ll get right on it,” Mu Jiu replied with a bow, turning to head into the woods for materials.
The prospect of learning a new skill, especially one that could protect herself, delighted Meng Yuning immensely. Her face beamed brightly, filling everyone around with cheer.
Qi Jingyan’s features softened, his tone gentle, “Mu Feng and the others will go up the mountain soon. Didn’t you say yesterday you wanted to go with them? Eat something first before you leave.”
Meng Yuning smiled and nodded, “Okay.”
She went to wash up at the spring, then to the kitchen.
Tang, the divine physician, lifted the pot lid and brought out a bowl of rice porridge saved for her. Meng Yuning thanked him sincerely, took it, and sat on a wooden stump to finish eating.
Afterward, she washed the bowl and approached Mu Feng, who was chopping bamboo, asking, “Mu Feng, when are we heading up the mountain?”
Mu Feng, exhausted from a morning’s work and growing impatient, tossed the bamboo aside with a smile, “Right now.”
He called two other guards, grabbed two bamboo baskets and a bamboo crate that Mu Jiu had worked overtime to make, greeted Qi Jingyan, and set off up the mountain.
Meng Yuning saluted Qi Jingyan, “Your Highness, we’re going up the mountain now. I’ll be back by noon to cook.”
Qi Jingyan nodded slightly and added as she turned, “Cook some home-style dishes. I want to taste what one-arrow-three-kill home cooking is like.”
Meng Yuning was a bit puzzled by his sudden mention of home cooking but didn’t dwell on it. She nodded and waved to Yi, “Yi, Ah Ning is going to find some good food.”
Yi waved back, “Ah Ning, come back early.”
Meng Yuning promised and picked up a handy bamboo stick, swinging it as she hurried after Mu Feng and the others.
“Miss Meng,” called Tang the doctor, tossing her a pouch, “These are insect-repelling herbs. Wear them; they might help a bit.”
“Thank you, Doctor Tang,” Meng Yuning said sincerely, then pointed to Mu Feng and the others, “Do they have any?”
Tang smiled wryly, “Those boys are as agile as monkeys. They don’t need this stuff.”
Meng Yuning nodded and followed Mu Feng and the others.
The four of them wandered the mountain for nearly two hours before returning, their two bamboo baskets and one crate brimming with fresh produce. Mu Feng and the others each carried something, truly a bountiful return.
After a morning’s work, they had finally built three wooden-frame houses and now sat resting in the courtyard.
Upon their return, everyone swarmed around, asking eagerly, “What did you find?” “Anything new and interesting?”
Yi excitedly ran over, “Ah Ning’s back!”
“Back,” Meng Yuning smiled in response.
They gathered in the middle of the yard, emptied their loads onto the ground, and laid everything out, leaving everyone amazed.
Four mountain pheasants, two wild ducks, five rabbits, three carp, four grass carp, and a pouch of mountain eggs comprised the meat dishes.
As for vegetables, there were even more: piles of large and small mountain bamboo shoots, various mushrooms, shepherd’s purse, wild garlic, water celery, mugwort, locust flowers, and bracken—everything imaginable.
The guards squatted or stood around, studying the colorful bounty on the ground, with little Yi squeezed into the crowd, joining the excitement.
On the way down the mountain, Meng Yuning wanted to help carry some things, but Mu Feng and the others insisted she just take care of herself.
So she walked along, picking a large bunch of wildflowers on the way back. Seeing everyone gathered in a group, she chose not to join the crowd.
Noticing the three houses were completed, she carried the flowers over and peeked inside one by one.
Although only one room per house, they were quite spacious and had windows, making the interiors bright.
If she placed her small bed inside, there would still be enough room for her to do a few somersaults.
She really wanted one of these houses—sleeping alone meant she wouldn’t have to constantly worry about whether her sleeping posture looked graceful, and more importantly, she wouldn’t have to fear talking in her sleep.
Mu Yun noticed her inspecting the houses and came over.
Meng Yuning asked curiously, “How do you plan to arrange these three houses?”
Mu Yun immediately caught her implied meaning and was at a loss for how to answer.
After the houses were built, he had gone to ask His Highness for instructions: “If the brothers squeeze together, they can spare one house for Miss Mu. Should we have Miss Meng move in so Your Highness’s space can be more comfortable?”
His Highness had been silent for a while before saying, “No need. We won’t be staying long. Let it be.”
Mu Yun didn’t know why His Highness, who usually kept women at a distance, wanted Miss Meng to stay in his room, but his intuition told him it was best for Miss Meng to ask His Highness herself, so he said, “That depends on His Highness’s arrangements.”
Meng Yuning then asked, “There are no beds here. How do you all sleep?”
Mu Yun replied, “We’ll lay some dry grass on the floor and then cover it with quilts. That’ll do.”
Meng Yuning estimated that if they slept lined up on the floor, one house could fit seven or eight people. With Tang the doctor and the guards, two houses would suffice.
Her desire for a house grew stronger. After some thought, she carried the wildflowers out of the wooden houses and returned to the front.
There, at the edge of the platform, Qi Jingyan sat in his wheelchair, back to everyone, gazing toward the valley.
Even though everyone else was noisily debating what to eat at noon, the man dressed in black didn’t turn his head once. He remained quiet, emanating a heavy, deathlike aura.
Meng Yuning thought for a moment, then approached with the bouquet and held out the flowers to him.
“Your Highness, are these flowers pretty?”
Brilliantly colorful and vividly fresh, Qi Jingyan nodded, “Pretty.”
Meng Yuning smiled and pressed the large bunch into his hands.
“Then they’re for Your Highness.”
Whether it was the dazzling colors of the flowers or the radiance of her smile, he suddenly felt a bit dazzled. After a moment of silence, he asked, “Why give me flowers?”
Meng Yuning replied, “To make Your Highness happy.”
Qi Jingyan looked at her for a while, then lowered his eyes to the flowers, a faint smile tugging at his lips, “Thank you.”
Seeing his mood improve noticeably, Meng Yuning seized the moment, squatted in front of him, clasped her hands together, and looked up at him.
“Your Highness, could I have one of the houses you built?”
Qi Jingyan regarded the girl, whose expression was unexpectedly pitiful, but his face remained impassive.
“Mu Yun and the others are many in number. Three houses divided among them are already cramped.”
Meng Yuning thought it made sense, then asked, “Then Your Highness, could you build me a smaller one? Just enough for my small bed and a little table.”
Qi Jingyan paused briefly, then refused, “There’s no room.”
Meng Yuning pointed to the open courtyard, puzzled, “But Your Highness, there’s still so much space here. I only want a tiny one to fit my bed. I don’t even need a table.” She demonstrated the size with her hands.
Qi Jingyan said, “Once this period is over, Mu Yun and the others will train daily. The courtyard will already feel small.”
Though she didn’t understand why, Meng Yuning had the strong feeling Qi Jingyan was deliberately refusing her a house. She was a little disappointed, even slightly angry, but didn’t press further.
She stood up, “Alright then, I’ll go cook.”
Qi Jingyan reminded her, “Just home-style dishes.”
Meng Yuning responded, “Okay.”
She turned and took two steps before returning to take the bouquet from Qi Jingyan’s hands, bowing respectfully.
“Your Highness, holding these is tiring. I’ll find a place to put them.”
If he wouldn’t build her a house but still wanted her flowers, he was clearly dreaming.
Watching her seemingly sulky retreating figure, Qi Jingyan’s hands holding the flowers froze midair. “...”