Chapter 212 – Suppress the Bandits, Kill or Capture (Part Two)
The man staggered off the horse, his legs unsteady as he nearly tripped and fell to the ground, looking extremely disheveled.
He stuck out his tongue to lick his dry, cracked lips, slightly alleviating the sting, his bloodshot eyes wide open as he knelt straight on the ground, secretly calming his breathing while recalling the prepared statements from earlier.
After a long while, a rustling sound of footsteps approached from afar. He quickly pinched his thigh in secret, using the pain to shake off the drowsiness. His chest throbbed like thunder, the powerful heartbeat resonating loudly in his ears.
He lowered his head, catching a glimpse of a brownish-green figure sweeping by, heading straight to the high seat, leaving a lingering rich fragrance in the air.
Even amidst the chaos in Meng County, Meng Zhan, the patriarch of the Meng Clan and the County Guard, still lived an exquisite and refined life.
After a while, the man at the upper seat asked, “Has the Second Young Master already arrived in the capital?”
His voice possessed a calmness unique to his age, elegant and mellifluous, with an extra hint of grace, as if he were reciting poetry.
This kind of speech pattern had become fashionable among the highborn elite over the past two years, a trend that many pursued for its elegance.
Some attempted it and ended up sounding pretentious, like a hoarse-voiced duck, leading the unknowing to believe their voice was malfunctioning.
Others, however, were blessed with a naturally melodic voice, seeming tailor-made for such cadences, instantly exuding elegance upon speaking.
Meng Zhan belonged to the latter, with many noble ladies from Cangzhou secretly praising his unmatched elegance, believing he could easily captivate souls with his words.
The escort kneeling below darkened in expression, slamming his head onto the ground with a dull, powerful thud that caused the floor to tremble.
Hearing this, the escort paled, his face as white as a sheet. He banged his forehead against the ground while his fingers trembled silently.
His palms quickly became slick with sweat, betraying his inner trepidation.
“I-I failed to fulfill my lord’s instructions… The Second Young Master… the Second Young Master was captured… by that traitor Meng Hunyun.”
Meng Zhan’s eyes narrowed, and he threw the teacup he was holding at the escort’s forehead, hot tea splashing all over his face.
“The Second Young Master was captured by Meng Hunyun?” He opened his long peach blossom eyes slightly, a dangerous glint in their corners, his tone dark as he questioned, “You sent a whole team, yet couldn’t even ensure the Second Young Master’s safety? What use do you worthless worms have for the Meng residence?”
The Escort Group Leader, who could still act aggressively in front of the common people or even the Hejian County Guard, now dared not utter a single word in defense.
Being one of Meng Zhan’s escorts, he knew very well the right course of action; arguing would only angers Meng Zhan further, possibly leading to his death.
With a bleeding forehead, blood streaming down his face mixed with tea stains, he didn’t even dare to lift a hand to wipe it away.
After some time, Meng Zhan’s rage had slightly cooled, and the escort, trembling all over, finally spoke, “Please, my lord, quell your anger. This matter is not simply due to our incompetence in protecting the Second Young Master. It’s just that Meng Hunyun’s group is too cunning and treacherous…”
Meng Zhan was disinterested in hearing those excuses, cutting straight to the point. “What does that white-eyed wolf want by capturing Meng Liang?”
As the patriarch of the Meng Clan and the County Guard of Meng County, he could read straightforward situations like this one.
If Meng Liang had already died, the cowardly servant before him wouldn’t dare return to Meng County; he would have long since fled.
“My lord is brilliant; that rogue is indeed trying to use the Second Young Master as a hostage to extort money and grain. I was worried he wouldn’t treat the Second Young Master with care, so I rode hard and exhausted over a dozen fast horses, which is why I hurried back to report,” he explained.
As he spoke, he took out a wrapped object from his bosom and held it high above his head with both hands, “Please examine it, my lord.”
Meng Zhan glanced at the maidservant beside him, who brought the wrapped object over.
He opened it to find two documents inside.
One was written by his son Meng Liang, filled with a tone of pride and disdain for Meng Hunyun’s actions.
The other had an unfamiliar handwriting that succinctly stated they could spare Meng Liang’s life but only if their demands were met.
“Ha ha… Meng Liang only offered five hundred stone, yet this letter demands two thousand stone… A commoner’s shallow vision,” Meng Zhan scoffed, tossing the letter aside with undisguised disdain and contempt in his eyes.
The Escort Group Leader gulped, “My lord, do we really have to give them the grain?”
Meng Zhan leisurely continued, his peach blossom eyes holding a hint of arrogance, “Give it—why not?”
The Escort Group Leader wore a shocked expression.
“Just two thousand stone, nothing more! Only a lowly commoner would put such importance on it,” Meng Zhan huffed coldly. “Follow my orders, draw three thousand stone from the granary, and send a specialized grain convoy—everything is to prioritize the Second Young Master’s safety… Once he receives the grain, we’ll consider this grudge settled! Think of it as my last farewell gift to him as the employer…”
The Escort Group Leader was left bewildered. Three thousand stone of grain? To give it to Meng Hunyun?
Meng Hunyun had originally asked for only two thousand stone.
Seeing his confusion, Meng Zhan smirked but didn’t bother to explain.
Why did Meng Hunyun rebel against the Meng Clan?
Why did he burn down the Duwei’s residence?
Why did he chase after Meng Liang for miles?
Wasn’t it all under the pretense of avenging his wife and daughter?
Now, just two thousand stone could make Meng Hunyun give up on killing Meng Liang—what did that signify?
It meant that, for Meng Hunyun, the honor and lives of his wife and daughter were worth merely two thousand stone of grain.
Since that’s the case, this old employer could afford to be even more generous!
If Meng Hunyun is selling off his wife and daughter, he’d give an extra thousand stone as a kind gesture.
On the surface, it seemed like a generous act, yet it concealed scorn and humiliation.
Three thousand stone of grain was nothing but a drop in the bucket for the Meng Clan.
If Meng Hunyun truly dared to accept this grain, once Meng Liang was safe, the Meng Clan would broadcast this event far and wide.
From that moment forth, the bloodthirsty man supposedly avenging his wife and daughter would simply be exposed as a fraud, easily bought off with just a bit of grain.
The lady in the back courtyard heard that Meng Liang had been captured, initially worried and terrified, but soon felt at ease.
Elegantly pinching a piece of pastry, she disdainfully commented, “Commoners are just like this—no backbone at all. For a mere morsel, they will do anything; this can be considered selling their wife and daughter. If I had known today, why bother with the past? Without a wife and daughter, remarrying and having more children is the way to go. Causing such a ruckus has lost the Duwei’s position and caused my son to suffer and my husband to exhaust himself for Meng County…”
Meng Hunyun’s wife and daughter, after all, were also commoners—how could they possibly compare to the noble bloodline of Meng Liang?
She hadn’t even blamed that mother-daughter pair for tarnishing Meng Liang’s reputation.
“Ah-choo—”
Meng Hunyun sneezed, rubbing his itchy nose, drawing the attention of two guards nearby.
“Ahem, you all keep digging…” Meng Hunyun said somewhat awkwardly, “I’ll go check how things are arranged elsewhere.”
