Chapter 130 – Meng Liang’s Reckless Pursuits (Part Two)
“Young Master, don’t be upset. Getting angry is not worth it! The Lady will worry, and I’ll feel miserable too,” the young servant whined.
Meng Liang had a strange temperament and a cruel streak, with countless servant boys and maidservants meeting untimely ends at his hands. Yet this particular servant, skilled at reading the room and flattering him, had somehow survived by ingratiating himself, even until today.
That day, with his praises flowing like a river, Meng Liang found his mood lifting considerably.
Arriving at Liu Residence, the absence of the looming threat from Meng Hunyun reignited the restlessness within him. Ever since he hit puberty at eleven, he hadn’t gone a single day without craving the company of women.
With life’s dangers diminished, it was only natural to think about pleasurable pursuits. His mind wandered to the alluring figure of a young woman he had seen before, but sadly, he had only just devised a plan to sneak in and hadn’t executed it yet.
The young servant had Meng Liang figured out completely—just a little poke, and he’d know exactly what Meng Liang wanted to do next.
At that moment, the servant’s eyes twinkled as he proposed, “Young Master, I’ve heard that Liu Zhongqing was quite the handsome young master in Hejian County too, and his wives and concubines are all stunning. Not to mention that Lady Gu Zhen—she’s a true beauty, isn’t she?”
While Meng Liang wasn’t the biological son of Gu Zhen, practically everyone serving near him was aware of this fact.
He resented his eldest brother deeply, for Meng Heng was exceptionally talented and virtuous, earning the clan leaders’ admiration and an implicit mark for inheriting the family line. As for him? Though he was the second son, he acted too absurdly and accomplished nothing in studying or calligraphy.
Thus, every time he got drunk, he would publicly insult Meng Heng, revealing secrets about their lineage.
Because of this, an untold number of maidservants and young servants had been quietly dealt with.
Only this one survived, having ingratiated himself so well with Meng Liang that he was spared.
As Meng Liang’s gaze shifted, he realized the young servant’s suggestion had opened up a new door of possibilities.
Yet, while Gu Zhen wasn’t his biological mother, she was still considered so, and more importantly, she had been his father’s first wife.
Seeing Meng Liang’s interest piqued but trying to play aloof, the servant nudged him further.
“Young Master, you have no blood relation to that Lady. Besides, I heard Liu Zhongqing didn’t bring any wives or concubines when he went to Hujun. That Lady has been alone for years—how long can she endure the loneliness?”
Meng Liang’s interest was already stirring, and the servant seized the opportunity to fan the flames.
“And as for her being the legitimate wife of your father… She’s remarried Liu Zhongqing now—what ties does that have to the Meng Clan? She won’t be in our ancestral graveyard after death, nor is her name in the family tree. She’s no longer the legitimate wife, so there’s no blood tie…”
Meng Liang was completely swayed, and just thinking about the fact that Gu Zhen had once been his father’s wife filled him with a strange thrill.
The servant continued, “If Young Master can’t bear the thought of her identity, I hear Liu Zhongqing even has several mesmerizing concubines. Surely, any of them could please you? Or what about Liu Zhongqing’s daughter? Even though she’s a bastard, she wouldn’t be unworthy of you…”
Meng Liang raised a hand, stopping the servant, and laughed, “You sly one, you know my heart too well.”
The young servant lowered his head with a smirk, secretly wiping sweat from his brow.
Though using Liu Zhi as a distraction felt unfair, letting Meng Liang continue longing for that young woman would end badly should he stray too far beyond Liu Residence’s boundaries. If he ran into Meng Hunyun then, it would be his end.
His family still depended on their livelihood in Meng County; if Meng Liang met a bad fate because of his negligence, they’d all be doomed.
He didn’t want to be an accomplice to disaster, but one must look after themselves first or face the consequences.
By looking after Meng Liang, he ensured a bright future for himself and his family.
He just hoped the clumsy guards would hurry up and find the young master so they could leave Liu Residence and minimize the chaos.
If luck turned sour, and Meng Liang tormented all of Liu Zhi’s household women, well, he could only shrug and accept it.
With these thoughts, the young servant helped Meng Liang change into fresh clothes, preparing to hand over the dirty ones to a maidservant for washing.
“Hey! You! Come here!”
After searching for a long while, the young servant finally spotted a rough-hewn maidservant sweeping the floor.
Hearing the servant’s boisterous call, the maidservant shrank back in alarm and timidly approached, bowing before him.
The young servant thrust the pile of clothes into her arms, giving orders imperiously. “Take these clothes of the Young Master and wash them. Make sure they’re spotless by tomorrow.”
Back at Meng Residence, Meng Liang’s clothes were typically worn once and tossed aside—who would wash them for a second wear?
But the servant knew that Liu Residence wasn’t like Meng Residence, and there weren’t enough spare clothes for Meng Liang to change into at will.
The trembling maidservant accepted the bundle with her head down, shivering as if overwhelmed by the young servant’s imposing demeanor.
Seeing how terrified she was, the servant felt an unpleasant thrill of satisfaction, as if regaining the authority he had in Meng Residence, yet he still had to throw in a bit of disdain, “This place is truly small; even the servants are so spineless—just raise your voice a bit, and they turn into quails.”
The maidservant, clutching the clothes, left Meng Liang’s courtyard and, upon passing the garden, was so furious she tossed them onto the ground, stomping them underfoot. However, thinking back to the earlier conversation, a shiver ran down her spine, and her eyes landed on Jiang Pengji’s courtyard.
Biting her lip, the maidservant squatted down to pick up the clothes, swiftly changing her direction and abandoning her trip to the washroom.
At that moment, Jiang Pengji’s courtyard had already been locked up for the night. The maidservant could only whisper her request to the doorkeeper on duty.
“I have something important to discuss with the Young Master. Please help me convey the message.”
“At this hour, the Young Master is probably resting. If it’s not urgent, you might as well wait until morning.”
The maidservant shook her head, words bubbling up in her throat, her body still holding onto the lingering fear.
Having been moved from the kitchen to serve in the guest courtyard, she originally thought it was an easy job since there weren’t many posts at Liu Residence, much less overnight guests. Yet, unexpectedly, a big shot had shown up today, leading to a conversation that made her eavesdrop.
“This is urgent! Please help me,” she insisted.
The doorkeeper sighed and said, “Fine, I’ll pass your message along. But if you mess with the Young Master, you’ll have to bear the consequences yourself.”
In fact, Jiang Pengji had already laid down to rest.
Hearing the doorkeeper relay her request, her drowsiness hadn’t yet settled, so she got up, draping a robe over her shoulders.
“Let her in.”
As the door swung open, a figure in plain maidservant garb stepped inside, and the moment she appeared, Jiang Pengji recognized her.
“What brings you here?” she approached, “Why are you here at such a late hour?”
