Chapter 1039 – Wielding a Hoe to Dig Under Brother’s Wall
Jiang Pengji listened intently to Meng Heng’s recount, her brow furrowing in concern.
She knew that Meng Heng’s situation in Cangzhou was bleak, but she never expected it to be this dire.
This all links back to Meng Heng’s childhood when Gu Zhen couldn’t even take care of herself, let alone her eldest son.
Gu Min and his wife took Gu Zhen away from the Meng residence, forcing Meng Zhan and Gu Zhen to separate, but they couldn’t take Meng Heng with them.
Meng Heng stumbled his way to the age of enlightenment, living a life that wasn’t befitting of a noble son, but rather like the most neglected bastard son.
From the age of four to eight, he sensed Meng Zhan’s increasingly disdainful gaze toward him due to the favored concubine.
Yearning to escape the harassment of his father’s consort, the eight-year-old Meng Heng found a path; under the cover of night, he visited the patriarch’s school to take counsel from the teacher. There, he received a letter of introduction to enroll in the Dongyang Private School in the capital. It was dubbed as seeking knowledge, but in reality, it was to serve as a “hostage.”
The Cangzhou Meng Clan held the key to the Dongqing horse ranch, and the emperor could never feel secure, always thinking about regaining control.
The Meng Clan naturally refused to compromise; however, they weren’t able to explain that to the royal family. You see, Meng Heng seized this opportunity through the teacher’s recommendation to travel to the capital — half studying and half acting as a “hostage” to ease the tension between the emperor and the Meng Clan.
With this excuse, Meng Heng also acquired a “get-out-of-jail-free card,” as Meng Zhan couldn’t truly kill him, no matter how much he loathed him.
Not long after Jiang Pengji and Feng Jin met, she heard news of Meng Heng from Feng Jin.
What did Feng Jin say about Meng Heng?
If it weren’t for Meng Heng accidentally revealing his identity, many of his classmates would never have suspected that this frugal life was led by the legitimate son of the Cangzhou Meng Clan!
Aside from spending a few days in Cangzhou during the festivals, Meng Heng had mostly remained in the capital for a decade.
Eight years ago, during an evaluation, Meng Heng intended to secure a top three position to enter government service.
This way, he could return to the Meng Clan without fearing harassment from Meng Zhan’s consort.
Little did he know, a scandal involving Meng Liang was uncovered, and the governor’s mansion was burned to the ground by Meng Hunyun’s followers, followed swiftly by a mutiny in Cangzhou. How could this scandal be suppressed? As the legitimate elder brother of Meng Liang, Meng Heng was unfortunately implicated and failed the evaluation’s virtue score.
Forget about the top three; Meng Heng couldn’t even make it into the top one hundred.
With Meng Liang’s downfall, they finally thought of him, sending over a dozen family letters calling him back.
Setting out from the capital, Meng Heng even encountered Jiang Pengji on her way to Langya County — the first meeting of this cousin duo.
Upon returning to the Meng Clan, Meng Heng saw Cangzhou no longer thriving and the weary, impoverished common people, his heart stinging like a needle.
Once the protector of the common folks, how did the Cangzhou Meng Clan become their nightmare, the demon exploiting them?
Meng Heng sought to make amends and restore the Meng Clan’s reputation; however, with Meng Zhan as the head of the family, and his disdain for Meng Heng, he faced constant suppression—
In an era where family heads were akin to gods, Meng Heng’s struggles and efforts were nothing but a joke.
As a son, his only recourse was to offer counsel.
Time and again, his efforts bore unsatisfactory results.
For some reason, Meng Zhan’s attitude towards him grew colder, and Meng Heng could even see deep-seated hatred and murderous intent in his eyes.
“To be honest, my lord, though I am excluded from the clan’s ancestral hall and have been stripped of the family name, Meng Heng is still Meng Heng; I dare not forget the teachings of our ancestors.” Meng Heng declared, “If the fate of the Cangzhou Meng Clan has reached its end, then it is destiny, and I dare not harbor any resentment. I only ask of you, my lord, for one favor—”
Jiang Pengji looked at Meng Heng, guessing his request.
“You wish for me to grant you the name Meng, to retain the ancestral hall of the Meng Clan?”
The ancient obsession with surnames and bloodlines was something Jiang Pengji couldn’t fathom.
Though she didn’t understand, she could respect it.
A glint of surprise and delight flashed in Meng Heng’s eyes as he bowed his head, saying, “I sincerely request you to fulfill this.”
There were many people surnamed Meng in the world, but not all of them belonged to the Cangzhou Meng Clan.
For example, Wei Ci belonged to the Langya Wei Clan, a branch that separated from the Zhong Zhao in Bianzhou and migrated to Langya to establish their own clan.
Both clans were named Wei, but when mentioning their ancestors, one hailed from Bianzhou while the other from Langya — confusion cannot ensue.
Meng Heng intended to establish a new branch; in the event that Jiang Pengji wiped out the Cangzhou Meng Clan, it wouldn’t mean total extinction for his lineage, as he would still be alive.
Such a small request, Jiang Pengji would naturally not decline.
“Very well — let it be as you say, Brother Heng.”
“Thank you, my lord!”
After discussing official matters, Jiang Pengji subtly shifted the topic to Meng Heng’s recent life, inquiring about his interactions with talents under Huang Song’s command. When clever people spoke with clever people, it was quite easy; Meng Heng quickly comprehended that Jiang Pengji wanted to dig under his brother’s wall.
However—
Meng Heng awkwardly said, “I haven’t had much contact with the talents under Huangzhou’s governor; the only one I consider a friend is Nie Xun.”
Indeed, Nie Xun—
Jiang Pengji’s heart flickered with realization.
Nie Xun actually knew about his fraternal relationship with Meng Heng but had never acknowledged it.
Jiang Pengji continued to pry for information, seeking to understand how Nie Xun had cared for him lately.
“Is the lord interested in Nie Xun?”
Jiang Pengji laughed and squinted, “It feels like we’ve known each other forever.”
Meng Heng mentally turned things over, whispering, “The Huangzhou governor is suspicious yet steady; if we were to incite discord, it might not work.”
Jiang Pengji responded, “That’s why we need Brother Heng to step in; Nie Xun has cared for you numerous times, and it would be appropriate to reciprocate.”
Since Nie Xun had been good to Meng Heng, he had the perfect excuse to return the favor.
The two families could increase interactions, fostering closer ties.
Once their relationship deepens, dropping the bomb of their brotherhood, wouldn’t Huang Song be left to contemplate?
Jiang Pengji wasn’t the least bit hesitant to dig under her brother’s wall.
Meng Heng sighed internally; while it might not sit right to sabotage Nie Xun, they were each serving their lords — a betrayal was inevitable.
“I will take my leave.”
The day after Jiang Pengji arrived at Hede County, the Meng Clan’s guards stationed at Han Chang Pass became uneasy.
“One Huang Song is already troublesome enough; how can we face another Liu Xi?”
The guard commander slammed the table, his face contorted, and silence fell upon the crowd.
“General, we can push forward to attack Hede County or retreat to guard Han Chang Pass; there’s no need to fear.”
Everyone understood the reasoning, but—
But that’s Liu Xi we’re talking about! The one who just obliterated the entire northern frontier!
The guards at Han Chang Pass felt their morale plummet upon hearing they had another enemy in Liu Xi. That’s the trouble.
Had there only been Huang Song, they might have taken the initiative to push out and engage, driving their opponent back to Hede County.
Now, with the addition of a wolf-like Liu Xi, let alone taking the offensive, holding onto Han Chang Pass was already a monumental challenge.
“This matter needs to be reported to the higher-ups quickly for a resolution. The enemy is pressing hard, and it may not be easy to handle.”
The guard commander didn’t rashly strike; his mind remained clear.
Currently, the most crucial task was to hold Han Chang Pass and patiently await instructions from above.
Tension loomed at Han Chang Pass, and Jiang Pengji and Huang Song also organized their first military meeting.
