Chapter 1089 – Turmoil Resumes (5)
Wei Ci found himself caught by Jiang Pengji, listening to her sarcastic remarks, and a hint of amusement bubbled up inside him.
He said, “Lord, it seems I’ve spotted my elder brother.”
Elder brother?
Jiang Pengji asked in surprise, “Isn’t Zixiao an only child?”
Wei Ci let out a bitter laugh, “Naturally not. I have two elder brothers. The eldest is five years my senior; to me, he is both brother and father.”
Due to the fortune-telling related to his birth date, Wei Ci was looked down upon by the Wei clan. Had it not been for Mr. Yuanjing’s intervention, the weeds on Wei Ci’s grave would have been replaced a few times over. Though he survived, he was essentially “abandoned” by his clan at a young age and had a tough life, developing a constitution prone to cold. Even so, some treated Wei Ci well, like his eldest brother Wei Ying, who was his first mentor.
Jiang Pengji asked curiously, “Where is he now?”
Not just Jiang Pengji but also the audience was curious.
With Wei Ci’s good looks and charm, it was clear how well the old Wei family genes fared; surely his brother was not lacking either.
Jiang Pengji couldn’t openly search, but the audience had no such qualms and itched to pull everyone in the tent out for a look.
【I’m a Small Steamed Bun】: Found him—could this be it? Aside from the Nie clan, everyone else seems to know!
【Fireworks Era】: No way? When the banquet started, didn’t Huang Song introduce him as Nie Liang?
【July Mint】: #Propping my chin, Nie Liang is such a nice name; I’m totally shipping Nie Liang’s CP.
【Waves Without a Trace】: You all missed someone! The man next to Nie Liang looks familiar, right? I’ll bet a spicy stick that it’s him.
As the audience searched carefully, Jiang Pengji also spotted a “suspicious target” and turned to Wei Ci.
“Is that the one next to Nie Liang?”
Wei Ci nodded, “That would be my elder brother.”
With an expressionless face, Jiang Pengji remarked, “Tsk—it’s not a hellscape, but even worse than one.”
Wei Ci was puzzled, but seeing Jiang Pengji’s expression, he didn’t ask for more details, figuring it wasn’t anything important.
He didn’t get it, but the audience certainly did.
【Shen Jia】: Nie Xun and Meng Heng are brothers, Feng Jue and Feng Jin are brothers, Wei Ci and Wei Ying are brothers, and Nie Xun knows Nie Liang. It’s almost brotherly—several from three factions, brothers hurting each other, isn’t that just a hellscape?
【Dusty Cloud Sleeve】: #Picking my nose, so—could societal struggles be a form of family fights?
Wei Ci’s gaze was too obvious, and Wei Ying also noticed him, surprise flashing in his eyes.
“Zishun, have you run into an acquaintance?”
Holding a wine goblet, Nie Liang’s gaze was fixated on the dancing girls below, his body leaning slightly towards Wei Ying.
“It seems like my younger brother—”
Wei Ying wasn’t very sure; the tent was dimly lit and Wei Ci was quite far away, so he couldn’t see clearly.
“Is this the younger brother Wei Ci you always mention? What is he doing here?” Nie Liang frowned. If Wei Ci was present, they were either with Huang Song’s faction or Liu Xi’s faction, which wasn’t good news for him. “I recall you mentioning he was studying alone in Langya?”
“Considering age, Zixiao is already in his late twenties,” Wei Ying smiled politely. “He always has his own opinions, quite stubborn. Whether it’s Huang Song or Liu Xi, they each have their merits. It isn’t impossible for Zixiao to choose one to serve.”
The Wei family had fallen into decline and, out of necessity, the whole clan moved away from Langya County to take refuge with the Wei family in Zhong Zhao’s Bianzhou.
They all shared the same ancestor; even being a guest in someone’s house was better than being in a dilapidated estate.
Only Wei Ci refused and insisted on staying behind.
As a result, the Wei clan could only leave him with some meager resources and let him fend for himself; they hadn’t heard from him in years.
While talking, Nie Liang discreetly scanned the tent’s occupants, seeming to want to identify who Wei Ying’s younger brother was.
Wei Ci had striking looks, so finding him in a crowd was easy.
“From the looks of it, your precious younger brother seems inclined to choose Liu Xi,” Nie Liang chuckled. “He shares some resemblance with Zishun.”
Wei Ying wasn’t surprised by this outcome; instead, he was a bit curious about the impressive Jiang Pengji.
Jiang Pengji had quite the reputation in Dongqing, and outside of Dongqing’s territory, people were bound to question the rumors about her.
How could a mere woman be so formidable?
Doubt inevitably accompanies disdain; although Nie Liang and Wei Ying didn’t underestimate her, they were still somewhat skeptical.
Rumors shouldn’t be entirely trusted, especially those that are heavily distorted.
Finding Wei Ci in the main tent was a breeze, but tracking down Jiang Pengji was even simpler.
She was the single red flower amidst a sea of green leaves in the tent.
The atmosphere at the banquet was just right; after several rounds of drinks, Nie Liang once again brought up the ownership of Cangzhou.
Huang Song chuckled lightly, but Jiang Pengji interjected, “Words from the living hold little weight, let alone those from the deceased. Meng Zhan’s seventh day has long passed; if he moves a bit quicker, he may have already drunk Meng Po’s soup, crossed the Naihe Bridge, and there’s no evidence left!”
Nie Liang’s expression instantly darkened.
Before he could speak, Wei Ci helped to elaborate.
Compared to Jiang Pengji’s confrontational tone, his speech was much more courteous but still stung.
“Meng Zhan is a traitor who murdered his sovereign, and a historical sinner of Dongqing. How could the Meng clan claim to be the lords of Cangzhou? That’s point one. The imperial family entrusted the Meng family to reside in Cangzhou; fundamentally, the Meng clan remains subjects of the imperial family, not the rulers. That’s point two. Meng Zhan holds no qualifications to decide Cangzhou’s ownership. Even if the letter in the messenger’s hand were real, the common people of Cangzhou would not recognize it.”
Even if the imperial family had already perished at Meng Zhan’s hands, Wei Ci still dragged them out like a shield.
Nie Liang appeared expressionless but secretly exchanged glances with Wei Ying.
Wei Ying’s younger brother was certainly not a simple character.
Even before brothers recognized each other, one had already stabbed the other. Such brotherly affection was truly heart-wrenching.
“So, are the Liu County Governor and Huang County Governor trying to shirk their responsibilities as well?”
Jiang Pengji lightly shook the wine goblet, leaning back against the table, “It’s not as simple as that; the debtor is Meng Zhan, not me or Bo Gao. As the old saying goes, debts must be repaid to their rightful owners. If the Nie clan wants to collect their debt, they better find the right creditor. If they move fast enough, perhaps they could find a skilled person to summon his soul. But in these chaotic times, the road to the underworld is blocked; perhaps Meng Zhan hasn’t had the chance to reincarnate yet!”
Nie Liang: “…”
Hearing that Liu Xi hailed from a scholarly family, he never imagined that meeting the actual person would reveal such rogue behavior!
This relentless and annoying pursuit was something he had never heard of before!
Beside him, Wei Ci sensed his elder brother Wei Ying’s scrutinizing gaze; he didn’t want to delve into the meaning behind that gaze and simply closed his eyes, pretending to be dead.
“So that means—neither the Liu County Governor nor the Huang County Governor wants to give up Cangzhou?”
Jiang Pengji smiled lightly, “I’m from Dongqing; how could I entertain the thought of betraying my country?”
Don’t even mention one Cangzhou—she wouldn’t allow even a small straw hut!
To discuss territorial issues with her was a total misstep.
With a piercing gaze, Jiang Pengji showed no signs of fear.
As the temporary lord of Cangzhou, Huang Song became a mere backdrop, standing aside to cheer Jiang Pengji on.
Though her demeanor was roguish, her clash was truly exhilarating!
