Chapter 362: The Owner of the Letter Delivers a Hongmei
Chapter 362: Chapter 362: The Owner of the Letter Delivers a Hongmei
The Imperial Physicians found that Shen Ningning’s hand was recovering well.
It was even better than they had expected.
But to help the little one recover even faster, the Imperial Physicians prescribed a medicinal soup for a hot compress on her wrist.
That evening, Mo Lingwei had Shen Ningning stay the night in the palace.
He could also supervise her while she soaked her little hand in the medicinal bath.
On a cold winter night, a massive dark figure flapped its wings and landed on Shen Ningning’s windowsill.
Mengyi had a letter tied around its neck.
It pecked at the window incessantly.
TAP, TAP, TAP, TAP! The sound was relentless.
The wolves sleeping in Shen Ningning’s room grew annoyed.
The Little White Wolf leaped up, lunging at the window with a fierce howl.
Startled, Mengyi flapped its wings and fled.
It seemed its Eagle King wasn’t home.
After failing to get any food at Wolf Mountain, Mengyi changed direction and flew straight for the Qi Mansion.
The biting wind blew through the half-open window, which reflected the cold, faint light of a dark new moon.
Qi Xiuwei’s frail figure stood by the window, her delicate, melon-seed-shaped face pale and bloodless.
Coughing, she poured the bowl of medicine into a potted plant by the window.
Her grandmother had said that once she recovered, she would be sent into the palace.
They were dead set on persuading the Crown Prince to take her on as a female official.
But Qi Xiuwei truly didn’t want to go.
She knew her grandmother had many ways to force her into the palace.
She had heard that her aunt, the abandoned concubine Qi Jingchun, had also been unwilling to enter the palace as a concubine at first but couldn’t withstand the family’s pressure.
Her only option was to refuse her medicine, to make her recovery slower... and slower still.
Just then, a huge dark shadow suddenly landed on her windowsill.
"Ah!" Qi Xiuwei screamed. The bowl fell from her hand, and porcelain shards scattered everywhere.
A maid’s voice immediately came from outside the door. "Miss, what’s wrong?"
Hearing the maid about to push the door open, Qi Xiuwei quickly scooped up the chubby Mengyi and stuffed it into her wardrobe.
The maid entered and saw only the shattered porcelain on the floor.
"Oh my, how did the bowl break?"
"I just finished my medicine and felt a little dizzy. It slipped from my grasp."
"Please don’t move, Miss. I’ll clean it up." The maid didn’t suspect she hadn’t taken her medicine. She came in with a broom, swept up the fragments, and then left.
After she was gone, Qi Xiuwei opened the wardrobe.
Mengyi flapped its wings and flew out.
It perched on the folding screen, shaking its head and ruffling its feathers in displeasure.
Its day was not going well. It had failed to get any food at Wolf Mountain, and now it had just been thrown into a wardrobe, leaving its head spinning.
Qi Xiuwei looked at it, a warm smile on her small face.
"You’re just in time. I’ve saved two days’ worth of minced meat for you. I’ll go get it now."
With that, Qi Xiuwei slipped out and returned a moment later, placing two plates of meat on the table. Only then did Mengyi’s eyes light up.
It flew down and began to feast ravenously.
Qi Xiuwei then noticed the letter tied around its neck.
As she unfolded and read it, her eyes gradually grew moist.
It was a letter from Pei Yin.
"Hope you recover soon."
Pei Yin’s handwriting was lean and elegant, as if it possessed a character of its own.
Although the letter was very simple, Qi Xiuwei was deeply moved.
Given Pei Yin’s cold personality, Qi Xiuwei was happy that they could have such a close, private correspondence.
She thought for a moment, then took out a sheet of scented stationery and picked up her brush to reply.
「It was the second watch of the night.」
Pei Yin stood under the eaves outside the imperial guards’ quarters, gazing into the vast, cold night.
A familiar eagle’s cry rang out.
Pei Yin extended his arm, and Mengyi landed on it with practiced ease.
He glanced down. ’Just as I thought,’ he mused. ’Shen Ningning replied.’
Pei Yin went back inside, unfolded the paper, and paused in surprise.
Shen Ningning’s handwriting was more graceful and delicate than he had imagined.
The paper carried an unknown fragrance—fresh, pleasant, and very unique.
"Thank you for your concern, Captain Pei. Although I am still ill, I am taking my medicine on time every day and doing my best to get well."
Reading this, Pei Yin couldn’t help but nod.
He had indeed seen the Crown Prince summon all the Imperial Physicians for Shen Ningning today.
"As I write this reply, I pushed open my window and saw a red plum tree in full bloom. I’ve enclosed a blossom for Captain Pei to enjoy with me."
Pei Yin turned the paper over.
Sure enough, a freshly picked plum blossom was attached to the back.
He lowered his head to smell it and caught its faint fragrance.
He was truly quite surprised.
He had initially written to Shen Ningning out of politeness.
Because they were both raising Mengyi, Pei Yin had a reasonably good impression of her.
He had heard that on the night Shen Ningning was injured and trapped deep in the mountains, she must have blown the whistle; otherwise, Mengyi wouldn’t have been there.
’Perhaps she was trying to call for help?’
That was why Pei Yin had wanted to send a message of concern.
In Pei Yin’s memory, Shen Ningning was bright and lively, the tone of her voice always cheerful and upbeat.
He would occasionally see her with Mo Lingwei, admiring the flowers in the Imperial Garden.
The little one’s happy and energetic voice was very pleasant to the ear.
But the words in this letter gave him an impression of gentleness and grace.
It was strikingly different from the Shen Ningning he was used to seeing.
Looking at the plum blossom, Pei Yin gave a knowing smile. However, out of cool restraint, he did not write back.
He simply placed the red plum blossom in his cabinet for safekeeping.
「The next day, he was on the early morning patrol.」
As he passed Zichen Palace, he saw Shen Ningning emerge, yawning repeatedly.
Mo Lingwei was in a hurry to attend the morning court session, but he didn’t forget to escort the little one to the gate and watch her get into her sedan chair.
Pei Yin hesitated slightly.
’Shen Ningning didn’t leave the palace yesterday? Then how did she reply to my letter? Did Mengyi fly to Zichen Palace?’
Pei Yin deliberately lingered at the entrance of Zichen Palace for a moment.
He saw that there were indeed several red plum trees planted in the courtyard of Zichen Palace.
If Shen Ningning had stayed in a side hall of Zichen Palace last night, it wouldn’t be surprising for her to have picked a red plum blossom.
Pei Yin withdrew his gaze and walked away, his expression as calm as ever.
The matter of the gunpowder had been investigated, and Jiang Zhi’s name was cleared.
She returned to the Fire Soldier Camp.
A light snow was falling that day. When Chen Shaobei came looking for her, she was studying the cannon barrel Shen Ningning had given her.
She was so focused that she didn’t even notice Chen Shaobei standing behind her.
Watching her focused gaze, Chen Shaobei observed for a moment before saying, "That cannon barrel is quite unusual."
"It is," Jiang Zhi replied instinctively, not yet realizing who it was. "The best gunpowder cannons in our armory are only double-shot, but this barrel can be fired three times!"
’Where did Ningning get such a treasure?’
Suddenly, Jiang Zhi snapped back to reality. She turned, saw Chen Shaobei, and quickly put the cannon barrel down.
"Young General." She clasped her hands in a salute and hastily explained, "This cannon barrel was a gift from Ningning. I didn’t take anything from the armory."
Chen Shaobei’s expression was relaxed. He waved his hand. "I know. Don’t be nervous."
As he spoke, he brought out a bag of roasted peanuts and soy-braised beef from behind his back.
"My father misunderstood you before. Please don’t hold it against him. I heard you like soy-braised beef, so consider this a small apology on his behalf."
Jiang Zhi was taken aback and quickly waved her hands in refusal.
"There’s no need. Thank you for your kindness, Young General."
She wasn’t the type to hold a grudge.
Unexpectedly, Chen Shaobei just smiled, set the items down, and left.
Watching his decisive departure, Jiang Zhi scratched her head in confusion.
The fragrant aroma of the soy-braised beef wafted through the air, making Jiang Zhi’s stomach rumble.
She quietly set down the cannon barrel. "I might as well eat some," she muttered to herself. "He already brought it all this way."