Chapter 1079 – The Meng Clan’s Mourning (Part Six)
Huang Song instinctively hesitated to agree, feeling a flicker of doubt in his heart.
Before he could come up with a plausible excuse, Jiang Pengji cracked a joke.
“Boge, I’m asking for Mr. Nie. You wouldn’t be too attached to him, right?”
“How could I be attached? Lan Ting is gracious enough to allow Cheng Yun to accompany him; it’s a sign of trust—” Though he spoke these words, Huang Song knew quite well that if it weren’t for Yuan Xin’s blatant hostility causing Jiang Pengji to be unsatisfied, he wouldn’t be making such defensive moves.
Jiang Pengji stationed a massive army at Qianyan County but only brought five thousand troops here, which was a huge risk in itself.
She was cautious, shunned those who showed her hostility, and Huang Song understood completely.
Yuan Xin, slightly tipsy from drink, felt a nerve tighten at the thought of Nie Xun getting closer to Jiang Pengji’s faction.
“I’m just a rough man, not one for flowery words—hic—Liu Xi is noble, while that little Nie Cheng Yun is hardly sufficient to match my lord’s regard for Liu Xi! If word gets out, outsiders will say my lord is neglecting a distinguished guest and doesn’t know proper etiquette!” Yuan Xin’s cheeks were flushed, eyes sparkling with intense animosity, “I’ve heard—hic—I’ve heard Liu Xi is also a childhood friend of Feng Biejia, and Feng Biejia is my lord’s most trusted aide. If Feng Biejia accompanies him, then we won’t be losing face!”
As he spoke, he hiccuped, his hand shaking as he gripped the wine jar, spilling a fair amount as if he was quite inebriated.
In reality, he looked drunk but was still very much clear-headed.
One thought echoed in his mind: Nie Xun and Jiang Pengji’s faction could NOT get too close!
Little did he know that his overly cautious behavior only placed Nie Xun in an awkward position.
Huang Song’s expression turned slightly unfavorable, and he could only awkwardly chuckle and apologize to Jiang Pengji on Yuan Xin’s behalf.
At this moment, Feng Jue was about to step forward to speak, but Jiang Pengji, appearing tired and uninterested, said, “Enough of this—why be so guarded? We’re all family here! If Huai Jian has the time and Boge is willing to let him, it would be great for him to accompany me over—”
Seeing how things were, Feng Jue had no choice but to swallow his words of apology and cupped his hands, bowing with respect, “If Liu Xi does not mind, I shall gladly accompany.”
The atmosphere at the banquet was already strange, and it became even more stilted now.
Huang Song tried hard to ease the tension, but everyone still ate without taste, suspicion and caution flowing between them.
Jiang Pengji pretended to be drunk and exited the scene, returning to the tent arranged by Huang Song.
She had someone fetch a basin of cold water, then plunged her entire face into the icy liquid.
After a moment, Jiang Pengji lifted her head, blindly reaching for a cloth.
Once she found the cloth, she wiped her face roughly, her originally pale complexion now flushed due to the cold water and friction of the cloth.
Opening her eyes, she unexpectedly saw a barrage of comments flooding the screen, most of the audience comforting Jiang Pengji.
Though they were merely spectators, they could feel the odd atmosphere of the banquet and the awkward interactions between old friends.
【Shuimo Nian Nian】: My heart aches for the host. The phrase “things are different now” is simply too cruel.
【Hong Ban Xi Feng】: I stayed up late binging on the Kaifeng Squad yesterday, and today, seeing the host with Huang Song suddenly reminds me of the crab telling the bun, “We’ll never be like we once were”—OMG, two knives stabbed at once, my heart is shattered.
Even though the audience had mentally prepared for a confrontation between Jiang Pengji and Huang Song, seeing this scene for real still didn’t feel good.
To that, Jiang Pengji could only say they were still too emotional.
【Host V】: If I were Boge today, guess what I would do? Set up a banquet of slaughter, eliminate threats, and be done with it. Boge hasn’t done that; it’s not that he can’t think of such things or that he lacks the ruthlessness, it’s just that he lacks confidence and has his concerns.
Though these were just a couple of brief sentences, the audience could feel a wave of indifference and coldness washing over them.
The audience was momentarily stunned, with many thinking Jiang Pengji was overthinking things, unable to resist voicing their disagreements.
【Xie Huang Bao Yi Sheng Tui】: If Huang Song were really that bad, why didn’t he do anything at the banquet? This is his home turf; poison or set an ambush ahead of time—host, you didn’t bring many people, and if it were truly a banquet of slaughter, Huang Song would definitely have the upper hand.
Jiang Pengji smiled, her expression carrying a hint of coldness.
【Host V】: Boge has seen me kill, and none of his men can withstand me, which is why he says he lacks confidence. If it comes to blows, he’d definitely be the first to die. As for concerns—if I were to square off against Boge, it would just benefit others; that’s not worth it.
At this time, Feng Jue sent Huang Song, who was reeking of alcohol, back to the rear courtyard, while Qiqi hurriedly instructed someone to fetch hangover soup.
“Lady, hold off on the hangover soup; let me be drunk for a while—”
Huang Song leaned on a low table with a pounding head, breathing heavily and weary.
“How much did you drink today?” Qiqi chided, “You haven’t healed from your chronic illness, yet you dare to go against Young Doctor’s advice and drink without restraint?”
Huang Song slurred, “Not much, just barely tipsy—being drunk is good; at least I won’t overthink—”
“Overthink?” Qiqi was puzzled.
Huang Song leaned against Qiqi’s shoulder, taking the opportunity to bury his face in her neck and whispered, “Lan Ting only brought five thousand elite troops; this is a great opportunity, perhaps the best one ever. But—I can’t be reckless and can’t lose my composure.”
He needed to suppress the demons and greedy urges within himself to avoid making a regretful fool of a decision.
Rather than clear his mind, it would be better to remain half-drunk, using the headache to shift his focus.
Qiqi was taken aback, seemingly unable to digest that realization immediately.
“Are you saying, actually—”
“This thought hasn’t seen action yet; I’m just mulling it over in my mind—” Huang Song, slightly tipsy, shook his head, “In this regard, I’m not as good as Lan Ting—if it were me leading five thousand elite troops today, what awaits would definitely be a perilous banquet of slaughter with no room for survival; she has no such reservations—I can’t; if I make a move, she could just snap my neck first—”
The scene of Jiang Pengji using a board to dismember a living person in the court was too deeply etched in his mind, and it still troubled his dreams at times.
Of course, if a banquet of slaughter could be effective, Huang Song wouldn’t let this opportunity slip.
His inaction was precisely as Jiang Pengji had said—
One, lack of confidence; two, concerns.
The next day, Feng Jue and Nie Xun arrived early to take attendance.
“Where is Meng Zhan locked up right now?”
Jiang Pengji, following her usual routine, practiced in the morning before brushing her teeth and washing her face, looking fresh and energetic.
Feng Jue cupped his hands and replied, “That bandit Meng is confined in the dungeon.”
“I’ll go have a look at him myself.” Jiang Pengji glanced over and pointed to two people, “Zixiao, Shijiu, you two come with me.”
Li Yun interjected, “My lord, you’re walking alone outside, and the two gentlemen’s martial arts aren’t particularly high; I would request you to allow me to follow.”
Li Yun’s comment wasn’t unreasonable, but given the tense relationship between Jiang Pengji and Huang Song, it sounded awkward.
