Chapter 1029 – Each Person’s Calculation (Part 5)
Night fell heavily, and big raindrops pounded against the window, making a loud pitter-patter.
The flickering candlelight created shadows on the paper, dancing gently, while the tree branches outside looked like eerie arms clawing at the sky, trembling with the storm.
Thunder roared outside, startling Zhu Qing Ning awake from her dreams.
She sat up abruptly, the blankets rolling down to her abdomen, and the cold air rushed toward her, making her shiver.
“Young Master?” She raised her hand to feel beside her, discovering the other side of the bed was cold. “Has the Young Master not returned yet?”
Worry crept into Zhu Qing Ning’s heart. She quickly grabbed the fur coat hanging by the bed and took a lamp to find Nie Xun.
Seeing that the study still had a burning candle, Zhu Qing Ning walked slowly toward it, opened the paper door, and was hit with a wave of alcohol smell.
“Young Master?”
Zhu Qing Ning had known Nie Xun for so long and had never seen him drink to excess, not even at the Lord’s banquets, where he would restrain himself.
But now——
Looking at the overturned wine jars scattered around Nie Xun, her heart tightened as she hurried forward.
“W-Wife?”
Nie Xun usually held his liquor well. Even if he were half-drunk now, he wouldn’t be rowdy, simply sitting obediently.
“Young Master, what happened?” Zhu Qing Ning took out a napkin and wiped the wine stains from the corner of his mouth, feeling pained as she thought about recent events. It seemed only “nurse” could cause Nie Xun to lose his composure like this. “Young Master, if you can’t find your family, then so be it. You have me and our child. Why torment yourself over parents you’ve never even met?”
Nie Xun opened his bleary eyes, took a moment to regain some composure, and rubbed his pounding temples.
He then cradled Zhu Qing Ning in his arms as if she were a child.
With his chin resting on her neck, he mumbled, “Wife—— I finally found——”
Zhu Qing Ning was shocked. “Found? Isn’t that a good thing? Why are you getting drunk?”
Nie Xun’s arms brushed against her shoulders, his hands resting on her small belly, a苦笑 (bitter smile) on his face.
“This is not a good thing—— Wife, do you know who my biological parents are?”
Zhu Qing Ning followed up with questions, “Who?”
Nie Xun leaned close to her ear and whispered. Zhu Qing Ning, not a foolish woman, immediately grasped the main point.
“Is it really—— besides you and me, does anyone else know about this?”
Zhu Qing Ning gasped, realizing if her husband had this background, his current situation would be quite awkward.
“This matter is critical; how could it be casually disclosed?” Nie Xun shook his head. “This has to be kept secret. Meng Zhan didn’t raise me, but he did give me life. In the eyes of the world, a son is a son, and a father is a father. No matter how wrong a father is, a son cannot oppose him. However—— Meng Zhan is a stumbling block in front of the Lord and needs to be eliminated. If my identity is exposed, I’m afraid that those with ill intentions will take advantage of it. My situation is not a concern. What worries me is you and the child.”
Nie Xun did not acknowledge Meng Zhan’s life-giving grace, but he couldn’t escape the speculative chatter of those indifferent to it.
Zhu Qing Ning listened to Nie Xun’s words, too pained to worry about Meng Zhan’s fate.
She thought her husband’s life was already full of trials, only to find he had faced even more hidden suffering.
However——
Zhu Qing Ning whispered, “Young Master, as for the Meng family— wouldn’t it be better for you to avoid them? There’s no such thing as a wall that won’t let the wind through; your mysterious background is a potential hazard. If it’s exploited by those with ulterior motives, how will you manage in the future? It’s better to observe from a distance with a cold eye.”
Nie Xun felt bitterness on his lips. Didn’t he wish for that, too?
Alas, the world plays tricks, and some things can’t simply be avoided.
“Meng Zhan gave me life, but he confuses legitimate and illegitimate children, allowing concubines to harm me. Thus, this grace is already canceled out.” Nie Xun smelled faintly of liquor but his gaze was quite calm. “In his position, he should scheme and govern. Since I’ve pledged loyalty to the Lord, I naturally must plan for him.”
To Nie Xun, Meng Zhan was merely an enemy he was about to scheme against.
Zhu Qing Ning’s throat tightened, wanting to persuade him, but in the end, she swallowed her words.
“Be careful, Young Master.”
Nie Xun sighed, gently patting his wife’s back as he spoke softly, “I know, my dear.”
The couple embraced for a long time when Zhu Qing Ning suddenly remembered someone.
“If what that nurse said is true, then there should be very few people who know about the Young Master’s identity. As long as these people don’t speak, how would others know?” A cold glint flashed in Zhu Qing Ning’s eyes as she clenched her sleeves tightly. “That nurse—— have you thought about how to deal with her?”
Nie Xun let a pleased smile escape his lips. “It’s been handled.”
Dead men tell no tales.
Without Zhu Qing Ning’s reminder, Nie Xun wouldn’t give that old woman a chance to live.
In addition, he had sent someone to escort the old woman’s family away overnight, finally providing them a hefty relocation fee.
Zhu Qing Ning felt a wave of relief wash over her, though the lingering smell of alcohol around her was uncomfortable.
“Since you’ve made a decision, why are you still frowning?”
Nie Xun sighed and said, “You don’t know, my dear. I’m not worried about my identity, but about the Lord.”
“The Lord? Did he make things difficult for you?”
“No, why would he make things hard for me?” Nie Xun chuckled. “The Lord’s great everywhere, but he can be a bit suspicious. If my background were revealed, that’s not so scary. I’m more afraid of the Lord becoming doubtful. After all—— Meng Zhan’s first wife is now Liu Zhi’s second wife, and Liu Xi’s mother and aunt. This connection, even if I say I don’t acknowledge it, others might think differently!”
The world always believes that blood ties are unbreakable— that the bones are broken but the tendons remain connected—
From this, they conclude that if Nie Xun is Gu Zhen’s son, he must naturally lean towards the Liu family.
It’s clearly a foolish theory, yet countless dull-witted people treat it as doctrine.
Zhu Qing Ning gasped quietly, finally speaking, “The Young Master is loyal to the Lord, not someone who changes sides easily.”
“Yet the Lord tends to overthink.”
Zhu Qing Ning was unconvinced. “Why is it like this? Wind Beijia’s second brother is also serving under Liu Xi!”
Feng Jue was the Chief of Hao Prefecture, Huang Song’s most trusted subordinate.
Nie Xun replied, “Huai Jian and the Lord have been friends since their youth, their bond is extraordinary; it’s not the same!”
Zhu Qing Ning’s face paled as she murmured, “Now that the Young Master has dealt with that nurse, there shouldn’t be anyone who knows about this matter.”
Nie Xun smiled bitterly. “That’s hard to say.”
Zhu Qing Ning looked at her husband in confusion.
Nie Xun lightly coughed and said softly, “I suspect Liu Xi has been the most unfortunate—— outsiders say she’s open-minded and cheerful, but I see her as someone who holds grudges and is petty—”
“How did you offend her?”
Nie Xun replied, “I devised a strategy for the Lord—”
Zhu Qing Ning blinked, asking eagerly, “And then?”
Nie Xun coughed once more.
“This strategy will lead Liu Xi and the Meng family to mutually harm each other, allowing the Lord to take advantage of their stalemate and secretly seize Chenzhou, turning to swallow Cangzhou.”
