Zhu Qingning immediately figured out the crux of the matter. It was a blatant plot.
Knowing that there was a trap in front of him, Liu Xi had to jump into it.
Nie Xun said, "Liu Xi conquered the entire Northern Borderline. I thought it would take two to three years, but I didn't expect him to defeat the Northern Borderline in just 11 months. I heard a lot of news from the lord. I have to admit that Liu Xi is definitely a big threat to the lord. She can only feel at ease if she gets rid of him as soon as possible. If we don't do anything and let her stabilize the Northern Borderline and train a large number of cavalrymen, I'm afraid she can sweep Dongqing … "
Zhu Qingning was speechless. Hearing the name Liu Xi, the image of a youth in cotton clothes and wooden clogs hiding among the branches full of flowers appeared in his mind. He looked lazy and unrestrained. Even today, that scene was still as vivid as before.
Nie Xun didn't know what Zhu Qingning was thinking. He sighed and said, "I don't want to plot against Liu Xi. Liu Xi's power is in a delicate position. Even if the lord doesn't provoke her, she won't let you go. Although she's a woman, her ambition isn't as simple as just one state and one county. If she wants to continue expanding her power, she can't avoid the lord. Sooner or later, the two of them will fight … "
Jiang Pengji had already conquered the entire Northern Borderline. In addition to the two states and one county in Dongqing, her territory was comparable to a country.
The lord, Huang Song, only had Haozhou. No matter what, he was no match for Jiang Pengji.
Therefore, Nie Xun had to plan for Huang Song and close the gap between them as much as possible.
A glimmer of calculation flashed in his eyes.
Nie Xun's original intention was to annex Chenzhou and control half of Cangzhou. The other half of Cangzhou would be given to Jiang Pengji.
If they could stabilize two states and half of Cangzhou, Huang Song and Liu Xi would have the capital to compete.
However …
Nie Xun looked down at his wife, whose breathing was gradually stabilizing. A faint smile appeared on his lips.
He didn't acknowledge Meng Zhan's kindness, but Meng Zhan owed him. He had to get it back no matter what.
Why not use the whole of Cangzhou as compensation?
Nie Xun carried Zhu Qingning and carried him back to the bedroom. Outside, there was a thunderstorm, lightning flashed, and thunder rumbled.
Compared to Nie Xun's blissful life with his wife, his brother Meng Heng was not so lucky.
Meng Heng was wearing a gray scholar's robe. His sleeves and back were mottled with whip marks. Blood was flowing from his open flesh. The thunderstorm washed the blood from his wounds to the ground. Even in such a mess, he still tried to crawl to Meng Zhan who was standing in the corridor.
"Father, I beg you, don't make the same mistake again —"
Meng Zhan held a long whip in his hand. There were some barbs on the whip, and there were some blood beads on the barbs.
This whip was used to punish the unfilial disciples of the Meng Clan. According to the clan rules, only clansmen who had committed grave mistakes would be whipped with this whip.
"Get lost — since when did I have such an unfilial son?"
Meng Zhan responded with a cold smile. Years had passed, and he looked older. His eyes were filled with a cold light.
Meng Heng knelt in the torrential rain. His jade crown was nowhere to be seen, and his long, wet hair stuck to his cheeks and back.
"Even if your younger brother Meng 'er passes away, it's not your turn to inherit the Meng family. I'm not dead yet!"
Meng Zhan was furious. Meng Heng had been studying abroad for years, and he was always against him. From the Battle of Huangshui to the cooperation with the Northern Borderline, it was no wonder that his son was left behind by Gu Zhen. Every time he saw him, Meng Zhan felt disgusted, as if there was phlegm stuck in his throat.
The corner of Meng Heng's lip was broken, and the cold rainwater drenched his wound. The pain made him tremble, but he still stubbornly said, "Ancestor Duke Meng slaughtered many Qiang Wu people. As a descendant of Duke Meng, how can I go against the will of our ancestors and help outsiders? Now that Liu Xi has conquered the Northern Borderline, he will settle the score in a few days. Father, please stop. Don't let the people of Cangzhou suffer. "
Because of Meng Zhan, the people of Cangzhou had suffered for the past ten years.
However, as the Zongzi of the Meng Clan, Meng Heng couldn't do anything. He couldn't protect the people of Cangzhou.
If Meng Zhan still wanted to go against Liu Xi and Huang Song with all the power of Cangzhou, the people would suffer.
Hearing Meng Heng's words, Meng Zhan was so angry that he laughed. He swung the long whip in his hand at Meng Heng's face.
When the shadow of the whip passed, there was a horrifying cut on Meng Heng's face. His left eyelid was scratched, and blood flowed down half of his face.
"Someone, take this unfilial son away. Let him kneel in front of the ancestral hall and reflect on his actions!"
If it weren't for the elder's advice, Meng Zhan would have killed Meng Heng.
Meng Zhan was so angry that he smashed everything in the study.
The flickering candlelight shone on his face. Meng Zhan's mouth curved into a hideous smile, like a Rakshasa ghost.
"Liu Xi, Liu She …"
The father and daughter had made him suffer too much. How could he swallow his anger?
He was whipped by his father, drenched in the rain, and knelt in front of the ancestral hall for a whole night in wet clothes. Even if his body was made of iron, he couldn't take it. As expected, Meng Heng had a high fever that night. His body was burning, and his consciousness was hazy. He was walking on the edge of life and death.
Three days later, he slowly woke up.
When he opened his eyes, he found that his left eye was covered by something. It was so thick that it made his eyes uncomfortable.
"Langjun? Langjun is awake … "
Meng Heng's wife had been watching over him for three days and three nights. Seeing him wake up, she was so happy that she almost cried.
"I …" Meng Heng's throat was dry. He only managed to say one word before he felt like a knife was cutting his throat. "Water …"
His wife brought him water and helped him swallow.
"My eye?" Meng Heng weakly raised his hand and touched his left eye. He only felt a thick white cloth.
"Your eye is fine. Luckily, only your eyelid was hurt. The doctor said that if the knife had cut deeper, your eyeball would have been ruined." Meng Heng's wife sighed and quickly cleaned up the dishes. Meng Heng sat on the couch, his right eye lifeless.
After a while, his wife brought him a bowl of porridge.
Meng Heng glanced at her wrist. The golden bracelet with two phoenixes holding beads was gone.
"Where's your bracelet?"
His wife's anger subsided when she saw that he was still so careful even though he had just recovered from a serious illness.
"I pawned it."
"Pawned it?"
"If I didn't, where would I get the money to buy medicine and hire a doctor?" His wife sighed and fed him the porridge. "Ever since you were disfigured and almost went blind, the Meng Clan didn't even send a single person. They just threw you home to fend for yourself."
Meng Heng's hands trembled. His right eye shone and was filled with water vapor.
After a while, he said, "It's been hard for you to be with me."
His wife said, "We're one family. Don't say that. Drink it. Don't ask for a beating in front of your father anymore."
Meng Heng lowered his head and drank the porridge. His eyes swept over his wife's bulging belly.
His wife had been pregnant for five months. The children in her belly needed nourishment, but he was disappointing and let them suffer.
His wife took a deep breath and resisted the urge to cry.
She lowered her head and heard Meng Heng's calm voice.
"Zhaodi … How much money do we have left?"
His wife whispered, "Only thirty taels left."
"Thirty taels?" Meng Heng mumbled, "That's barely enough …"
"What are you doing?"
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