Chapter 1085 – A New Turmoil Arises (1)
Meng Heng stayed behind to collect Meng Zhan’s body, while Jiang Pengji led her people away, leaving space for Meng Heng.
Everyone had departed, except for Nie Xun, who lingered.
Meng Heng knelt until his knees were numb, coming back to his senses after a while, catching a glance of Nie Xun’s unclear expression out of the corner of his eye.
“Cheng Yun, your arm is still injured. It’s not wise to stay in this damp, cold dungeon—”
He placed Meng Zhan’s icy corpse on the ground, aligning it, then pried open the cold, sword-wielding hands, straightening each curled finger one by one.
Only then did Nie Xun snap back to reality, his throat producing a sound akin to a beast’s desperate panting, as if he were containing overwhelming emotions.
“Ugh—”
Nie Xun leaned against the wall with his good right hand, gagging in discomfort.
Meng Heng lifted his hand to close Meng Zhan’s wide-open eyes, seemingly oblivious to Nie Xun’s unusual reaction.
“You have some connection to the Meng Clan?”
Nie Xun wiped the stains from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, panting, “Xun hails from the Nie Clan of Zhong Zhao in Bianzhou; what connection could there be to the Meng Clan?”
“The head of the Meng family died by suicide, and Cheng Yun accidentally harmed him while trying to protect Heng. You bear no blame in all this.” Meng Heng paused for a moment, seemingly relieved. “Thanks to your help today—otherwise, the one lying on the ground right now would probably be Heng.”
Nie Xun looked at Meng Heng’s back with a complicated expression; his normally straight spine now slightly hunched.
All alone, it tugged at the heartstrings.
“I thought Liu Xi was a person of deep feelings, but after this incident, I now realize I was wrong—very wrong,” Nie Xun stated as he left the dungeon, not surprised to see Jiang Pengji. He stepped forward and said, “Does Liu Xi not fear causing a rift with Shi Jiu by doing this?”
“This is already the best outcome. Cousin Heng is a wise man; he knows how to choose the best path.” Jiang Pengji replied with a smile. “Meng Zhan’s life is lost; if his death can buy some time for other members of the Meng Clan, wouldn’t that be splendid?”
Logically, Meng Heng would harbor some resentment, or at least feel a hint of estrangement towards her.
What could be the cost of such actions?
The Meng Clan had no protector!
Meng Heng was warm and gentle in nature, but that didn’t mean he was an emotional person.
To the contrary, he was very calm and rational.
“Meng Zhan is Cousin Heng’s biological father, but their father-son bond has long been ground away until little remains,” Jiang Pengji said steadily, gazing at Nie Xun with a faint smile. “Human hearts are complex, yet very simple. If Cousin Heng were to resent me, I would have no rebuttal.”
Upon hearing this, Nie Xun swallowed hard, looking at Jiang Pengji with a hint of shock.
“You—have you guessed my identity?”
Nie Xun could almost swear that Jiang Pengji knew the truth.
“You likely don’t know, but your face resembles that of your concubine mother. Years ago, she told me about her stillborn child, who had a cinnabar mole on his forehead at birth.” Jiang Pengji chuckled lightly. “When I first saw you, I thought your face looked somewhat familiar. Later, I learned from Bo Gao that you came to Dongqing to seek your roots, and that sparked my suspicion. However, without proof, I couldn’t be certain. Only after Cousin Heng escaped from Cangzhou and you showed him special care, did I dare to speculate—so, do you have feelings of admiration for Meng Zhan?”
Nie Xun grit his teeth and declared, “How is that possible?”
Meng Zhan raised him not, and mercilessly allowed a bastard son to take over his identity, burying him in the cold ground when he was still barely a month old—
Had his luck been slightly worse, his life would have been over long ago.
To him, Meng Zhan was nothing more than a stranger with whom he shared blood.
Jiang Pengji retorted coldly, “If that’s the case, then it makes no sense for you to resent me.”
Nie Xun was left speechless.
After a moment, he looked at his own hands, where the dried blood told a tale of violence.
“Designing someone to kill their father, does Liu Xi not fear revenge?”
Jiang Pengji replied, “You and I stand at odds; my enemies overflow. Adding one more or subtracting one doesn’t make a difference. The victor is the king; the loser is the bandit. If one day I become your prisoner, you can take my life at will—”
With that, Jiang Pengji walked past Nie Xun without looking back as she exited the premises.
Not far from there, she spotted a familiar figure standing at the end of the long street, warming her heart slightly.
She didn’t require others to comprehend her, but having someone willing to connect with her could very well be the greatest reward.
Given the special times, and Meng Zhan being a prisoner, his funeral was naturally kept simple.
But once Meng Zhan’s coffin was laid to rest, Meng Heng had grown significantly thinner, with his originally well-fitting clothes now hanging loosely.
Not a single member of the Meng Clan attended the funeral to avoid suspicion, leaving the funeral procession sparse and especially desolate.
Had it not been for Wei Ci and Feng Zhen, who attended out of respect for Meng Heng, the ceremony would have been even more dismal.
Although Jiang Pengji did not attend, without her backing discreetly, the Meng Zhan memorial hall would have been wrecked by the citizens of Meng County long ago.
“I really don’t know what good deeds Meng Zhan did in his past life; in this life, he did countless bad things, yet after his death, he still has a good son to send him off.”
Meng Hunyun sought revenge for great grievances, but the burden in his heart was not so easily lifted.
Had his wife and daughter not faced misfortune, he should be cradling a grandson now, enjoying the blissful life of a doting grandfather.
Feng Zhen poured wine for Meng Hunyun with a smile, then filled his own cup. “Meng Xiaowei, why not take another wife? The vengeance of your sister and niece has been avenged, and you should let it go. The dead are dead; the living remain. If you live well, they can rest easy in the afterlife.”
Meng Hunyun shook his head, having no desire to remarry.
In this life, he only wished to be loyal to the lord, repaying the life-saving grace from back then.
Feng Zhen, seeming to speak casually, remarked, “With Meng Zhan dead, the grudges of the past finally have an ending.”
Meng Hunyun huffed, slamming down the wine cup with a bang.
“Zishi, there’s no need to be indirect; I’m a straightforward man. Just say what you want.”
Feng Zhen wore a grin, not embarrassed. “Since Meng Xiaowei has spoken, I’ll say the truth. Meng Zhan’s troubles won’t affect his descendants. The lord will likely treat the Meng Clan’s side branches leniently. I’m letting you know first so you aren’t uncomfortable. Additionally, Shi Jiu is the lord’s cousin; he lacks talent but will be used in the future. As for you and him—”
Incompatible civil and military affairs was a great taboo.
Meng Hunyun fell silent for a moment before asking, “Is this the lord’s intention?”
Feng Zhen laughed, “Not the lord; it’s a guess on my part.”
Meng Hunyun downed the wine in his cup, grunting, “Meng Shijiu has been with the lord for a while. Do you think I care about him?”
Feng Zhen clasped his hands in admiration. “Meng Xiaowei is broad-minded; I must have thought too much and will self-implicate with a cup.”
Meng Hunyun raised his hand to stop him, booming, “There’s only one jar of fine wine; what do you want to drink so much for?”
After the funeral concluded, Meng Heng immediately changed out of mourning clothes and donned plain, light-colored garments, tying a simple white belt around his waist.
That night, he sought out Jiang Pengji.
“I thought Cousin Heng would come to find me sooner—”
Jiang Pengji was not surprised by Meng Heng’s visit.
