Chapter 238 – Spitting Blood (7)
“Who goes there?” The soldier, spotting the coffin on the carriage from afar, brandished his knife and stepped forward with fury, blocking the way. “This is the sacred ground of the Meng Clan! You commoners, quickly back off and don’t stain the noble’s eyes!”
The Escort Group Leader tumbled out of the carriage in disarray, tears streaming down his face.
His head and waist were wrapped in white cloth, dressed in coarse linen, with a scruffy beard and bloodshot eyes that looked downright terrible. His face was covered with a layer of grime, making him look as messy as a stray cat.
“I have urgent news for the Master… The Second Young Master… The Second Young Master has returned!”
While he wept and wailed, he knelt on the ground and tremblingly pulled out his token, its inscriptions confirming his identity. The soldier couldn’t read, but he recognized the token and his expression changed immediately.
What?
The Second Young Master has returned?
The soldier’s expression shifted as he was about to flatter Meng Liang to leave a good impression. His gaze fell on the coffin in the carriage.
In an instant, an ominous premonition surged from his spine to the back of his head, leaving his entire body numb.
Could it be… is the Second Young Master Meng Liang inside that coffin?
The mere thought shook the soldier to his core.
“Quickly report back to the Master! The Second Young Master’s body has returned… why are you still standing there?!”
The Escort Group Leader dared not face Meng Zhan’s wrath himself.
He shouted at the soldier, whose mind was whirling from the consecutive shocks, making him stumble as he darted toward the Meng Residence, forgetting entirely what kind of fury awaited the newsbearer!
At this moment, Meng Zhan was having tea and drinks with a friend by the waterside pavilion. They were seated across from each other, discussing the world and laughing merrily.
But this pleasant atmosphere didn’t last long as an impudent servant made a loud commotion, annoying Meng Zhan greatly.
The Meng Clan was one of Dongqing’s four great noble families, with strict family teachings. Even the lowliest of servants were expected to maintain decorum that couldn’t be criticized.
Such an awkward incident occurring while hosting esteemed guests, even if his friend wasn’t bothered, Meng Zhan still felt a loss of face.
“Perhaps something has happened; you should ask Governor Meng.”
His friend smiled gently, eyes calm and serene, much like clouds in a clear sky that brought warmth and peace.
Meng Zhan swallowed his anger and replied pleasantly, “I have not raised my servants well, and it has caused you to witness this.”
With that, his expression darkened suddenly as he walked towards the rude servant.
Meng Zhan wore an impatient look. “Speak! What exactly has happened?”
The servant trembled, desperately trying to shrink into the ground to minimize his presence.
At that moment, Meng Zhan noticed a strange soldier next to the servant, likely a guard of the Meng Clan.
Instantly, Meng Zhan’s fury escalated.
This was his place to host distinguished guests, and a mere gate guard dared to intrude! If anyone else saw this, wouldn’t they mock the Meng Clan’s lax discipline, unable to manage even the lowly servants?
However, he hadn’t yet erupted in anger when the soldier, trembling, finally spoke up.
“Reporting… reporting to the Master… the Second Young Master’s body has been brought back…”
Meng Zhan felt his mind blank out, as if a clap of thunder had exploded by his ear, stealing away his hearing in an instant.
A long moment passed before Meng Zhan’s expression returned to a dazed state as he grabbed the soldier’s collar.
His rough movement startled the guests at the waterside.
“What did you say?! Whose body has returned?!”
Meng Zhan’s eyes widened, fury like a tempest, contrasting sharply with his usual calm demeanor.
The soldier grew more anxious and stammered, “The Second Young Master’s body… has been brought back…”
The Second Young Master?
Meng Zhan took a step back, slamming into the pillar of the corridor as if all his strength had been drained away.
A group of servants froze in place, unable to lift their heads. The friend in the waterside pavilion, hearing the commotion, looked puzzled and was about to rise when suddenly, Meng Zhan pressed his hand against his chest and spat out blood, collapsing into the pond with a splash.
Witnessing this, the friend stood in stunned disbelief, frozen in place.
What… just happened?
Meng Zhan fell into the pond, and everyone was frozen like deer in headlights, momentarily forgetting to jump into the water to save him.
Finally, it was that friend who found his wits and ordered someone to jump in and fish the unconscious, convulsing Meng Zhan out.
In a daze, Meng Zhan regained consciousness, greeted by a familiar sight and a friend by his bedside.
He was stunned briefly, then recalled the message he’d heard before fainting and quickly threw off the blankets.
“Governor Meng, the doctor just came to check on you. You’ve experienced excessive grief and need to rest…”
Meng Zhan suddenly erupted with a powerful current, shoving his friend aside, his eyes filled with hateful intensity.
“Bring him here!” Meng Zhan roared, almost biting his tongue. “Who on earth harmed Liang’er?!”
Liang’er?
The friend, momentarily caught off guard by that name, froze in surprise.
Wasn’t that the name of the second young master of the Meng Clan?
What on earth happened?
Seeing Meng Zhan storm away in anger, the friend’s astonished expression gradually returned to composure as he tidied his disheveled hair and clothing, pondering, “Could it be… that something happened to the Meng Clan’s Second Young Master?”
Recalling the young friend he had met before coming to Meng County, a mischievous glint sparkled in his eyes.
“Could it be… you anticipated this?”
He quickened his pace to follow Meng Zhan, arriving at the great hall where Meng Liang’s coffin was placed. The servants had already donned white mourning garments, the room decorated accordingly, with white flags fluttering and incense burning, transformed into a mourning hall, centered around a massive coffin.
As he stepped inside, a pungent stench wafted into his nose.
Meng Zhan, in a panic, pushed the coffin lid open. Inside lay a corpse, already decomposed, with flies crawling over its surface.
Even though ice had been used to preserve the body, Meng Liang had been dead for nearly three months, and the weather was getting warmer with no chance to replenish the supply of ice on the way, making the decay and presence of maggots inevitable.
However, the worse it was, the greater the blow to Meng Zhan.
Even if he didn’t believe the person lying inside the coffin was his son, that face, now infested with maggots, still vaguely resembled Meng Liang’s features. This… this was his Liang’er! At the sight of this, Meng Zhan felt a sharp pain in his throat, blood oozing from the corner of his mouth.
This scene left everyone horrified.
The friend raised an eyebrow, preparing to take his leave when suddenly a waft of fragrant wind brushed by.
He turned to see a magnificently dressed noblewoman collapsing onto the coffin, weeping bitterly, her face like a rain-soaked pear blossom, evoking pity.
Yet, with such thick makeup, her tears should have ruined her appearance, making it an impressive feat.
The friend mused silently, overhearing the woman repeatedly calling the corpse in the coffin “my dear son.”
Wait a minute, isn’t the biological mother of Meng Liang the current stepmother of Liu Zhi, the Governor of Hujun?
At this revelation, the friend’s eyes widened slightly.
It seems… he had stumbled upon some serious gossip.
