Chapter 1037 – Each Person’s Calculations (Thirteen)
As Yuan Xin became increasingly out of line, Nie Xun slammed the table with a gloomy face.
The force was so great that even the bowls and chopsticks on the dining table shook.
Inside the tent, everyone fell silent, as if even their breathing had been stifled.
“Do you think my words are incorrect, old friend?”
Yuan Xin was a burly old general, his rough face adorned with a thick beard, his appearance rugged. Sitting there, he resembled a small mountain, wide enough to match two Nie Xun’s. His voice rumbled like thunder, booming and powerful.
“Xun just forgot to hold back earlier and drank too much, losing his decorum in public. I ask the Lord to punish him—”
Huang Song’s stern gaze swept over Yuan Xin, sending a silent warning.
Then he softened his tone, saying, “If that is the case, Xun should return to sober up.”
Nie Xun stood up to leave, faintly hearing Yuan Xin snort behind him.
He clenched his fists secretly as the cold wind outside blew away the lingering smell of alcohol around him.
Wherever people gather, conflict and disputes are sure to arise, especially in a complex group of influences, where tensions are even more likely to surface.
Civil officials and military generals, they represent two irreconcilable factions.
Nie Xun, with his extraordinary looks, inevitably faced disdain and neglect from others, primarily from the military generals.
Usually, they managed to exercise restraint, but now, after indulging in liquor, their true feelings began to show.
This was not a major conflict, and Nie Xun didn’t take it to heart—what worried him was Jiang Pengji’s reaction.
Others might think Jiang Pengji was interested in him because of his appearance, but Nie Xun didn’t see it that way.
In terms of looks, Wei Ci, a scholar under Jiang Pengji, was even more attractive than him.
Other than that, Nie Xun couldn’t pinpoint any other oddities, but his heart felt a peculiar restlessness, as though he were losing his composure.
Meanwhile, Jiang Pengji was being helped back to her quarters by Wei Ci.
“Now that no one is around, can the Lord stop pretending?”
Who didn’t know how much alcohol the Lord could handle?
“Drunkenly charming,” Jiang Pengji leaned against him, and upon hearing this, couldn’t help but smile joyfully.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, and with a little tug, they both rolled onto the bed, half of her body pressing down on him.
“Lord—” Wei Ci’s face turned slightly green with anger as he raised a hand, attempting to push her away.
“Zixiao, I indeed made a mistake regarding Yuexin. Don’t be so harsh with me—” Jiang Pengji clung to him playfully, rubbing her cheek against his neck, mumbling, “You’ve been angry for days, so you should let it go now—”
The moment she spoke, Wei Ci’s irritation intensified—
Was he such a petty person?
“Ci isn’t angry about that.”
Wei Ci favored cleanliness, and even when drinking, he would only indulge in a couple of small cups, rarely getting tipsy.
Jiang Pengji had drunk so much that she turned into a moving barrel of wine, nearly overwhelming him with the stench of liquor.
“So—are you angry about Nie Xun?” Jiang Pengji laughed mischievously, “Is Zixiao jealous?”
Wei Ci replied, “What is there to be jealous about? If Nie Xun has caught the Lord’s eye, I only pity him.”
He understood Jiang Pengji all too well; her earlier antics were clearly designed to scheme against Nie Xun, while poor Nie Xun had yet to realize it.
Jiang Pengji released his neck, rolling around like a child, behaving drunkenly.
Wei Ci: “…”
The Lord was truly regressing into a child.
He sighed inwardly, wondering if he should go along with her act; otherwise, if others saw her act so childish, where would the Lord’s dignity be?
“How does the Lord plan to scheme against Nie Xun?” Wei Ci asked. “I am dull-witted and cannot see through the Lord’s strategy.”
Jiang Pengji, having calmed down, smiled and said, “That Nie Xun is very likely my poor cousin.”
Wei Ci was surprised, “Cousin?”
Jiang Pengji continued, “Zixiao knows, right? My father’s current main wife is not my birth mother; she is my mother’s younger sister—my step-aunt. Before she married my father, she was Meng Zhan’s lawful wife. Meng Zhan had two legitimate sons with her, the eldest being Meng Heng, and the second being my second cousin. When my second cousin was born, Meng Zhan’s favored concubine also had a bastard son. Meng Zhan favored the concubine over his primary wife, confusing the legitimate and illegitimate children, claiming the bastard as legitimate. The real legitimate second son was left to the concubine as a bastard. However, that concubine had a venomous heart and sent someone to deal with this legitimate second son. My aunt once said that the second cousin was born with a red birthmark on his forehead, which would make him easily recognizable—”
Wei Ci frowned, “So you deduce he is Meng Erlang just because of a red mark on his forehead?”
Jiang Pengji laughed, “Of course not; the most important thing is Nie Xun’s appearance—he looks just like my step-aunt.”
With similar looks and the same red mark, Jiang Pengji was confident in confirming Nie Xun’s origins.
Wei Ci thought for a moment and said, “I heard from you, Mo, that Nie Xun came from Zhong Zhao to Dongqing to find blood relatives—”
In other words, Nie Xun was likely Jiang Pengji’s second cousin.
Jiang Pengji added, “I can feel it—he seems to know this as well, but he hasn’t come forward to acknowledge it—”
Wei Ci’s brow furrowed sharply as he suddenly recalled the pitiful Yang Si from the previous life.
In the past, Yang Si obediently stayed under Huang Song, being a strategist, and was mostly just a little greedy.
It was this small flaw that the Lord seized upon to create a rift between Huang Song and Yang Si.
Could it be—
Jiang Pengji scoffed, laughing, “If Nie Xun stays with Boge, it’ll be hard to deal with him later. I have my ways, but if I accidentally harm him, my step-aunt would surely be heartbroken. To be safe, it’s better for family to help family.”
Wei Ci: “…”
What do I do with all this sympathy for Nie Xun?
“Does the Lord intend to drive a wedge between Huang Song and Nie Xun?”
Jiang Pengji exclaimed innocently, blinking her eyes, “Why does Zixiao speak so harshly? What do you mean by driving a wedge? Do I seem like someone who can’t stay put, always wanting to dig into others’ relationships? Boge and Cheng Yun are deeply in love; I would never do such an immoral thing.”
Wei Ci: “…”
It sounds like a ghost wouldn’t believe a word you say!
Jiang Pengji restrained her playful demeanor and said calmly, “Boge is quite suspicious, but being suspicious doesn’t mean he doubts everything. If I were to drive a wedge between them from the start, the effect would only be counterproductive, as Boge is no fool. He has grown and is no longer the easily bullied wine-loving friend of the past. Nie Xun somehow knows about my relationship with him, but he hasn’t told Huang Song. Nie Xun concealing the truth surely is to avoid raising Huang Song’s suspicions. However, the more he hides the truth, the more it invites suspicion—”
She chuckled coldly, “Some things should be revealed early, or by the time he wants to speak up, he won’t be able to say it because he’s missed the best opportunity.”
If he didn’t come clean sooner and waited until others suspected him to admit it, wouldn’t that be suspicious?
Wei Ci sighed softly.
What could he say?
Anyone targeted by his Lord truly had no good fate ahead of them.
Jiang Pengji remarked, “However, our current enemy is the Cangzhou Meng Clan. I have my mind on scheming against Boge and Cheng Yun, but I also need to be wary of the timing.”
Wei Ci maintained an indifferent expression.
She was indeed cautious about timing, but that wouldn’t stop her from planting a seed of doubt in Huang Song and the others now.
Just waiting for the right moment to sprout, watering it just a bit, and the seed would take root.
