Chapter 21 021 Cousin Qingwu
A sound of questioning outside brought her back to her senses. She lifted the curtain and could only see his blurry, tall figure, sitting upright on his horse, head slightly lowered, his eyes coldly scrutinizing the officials below. She didn't know what he said, but large beads of sweat rolled down the officials' foreheads, and they didn't even dare to wipe them away with their sleeves half-raised.
She slightly raised her eyelashes, and her body stiffened.
The city gate is inscribed with the large characters: "Taiyuan Prefecture".
Xu Youduo, the postmaster of the post station, was quite old and had seen many officials traveling between the north and south, but he had never met a general as complex and domineering as Xu Youduo, whose murderous aura was chilling.
Xu Youduo couldn't help but recall four years ago, in the dead of winter, when the cold wind howled. Around this very spot, he was wearing only a thin shirt, his back covered in whip marks, seeping blood—a truly gruesome sight. In one hand, he held a long knife, the tip dripping blood that seeped into the frozen earth, quickly turning it a dark ochre. In the other, he held the one-legged playboy from the Bao family, his eyes bloodshot, roaring like a wild beast, "Tell me, where did you send her!"
The scene was so horrifying that no one dared to approach. Even the servants of the Bao family, holding sticks, hid behind. It seemed as if his mother had come forward crying and grabbed his shoulder, saying something unintelligible.
Everyone fell silent, watching to see if he was disrespectful to his birth mother and had gone mad. But he turned his head and stared for a moment, then suddenly let go as if his strength had been released, picked up his long sword, turned around, and disappeared into the white snow.
Snowflakes fluttered down on my face, and the cold jolted me back to reality, only to reveal that it was snowing heavily from the sky.
It was a heavy snowfall, the likes of which hadn't been seen in decades, and it vanished in an instant, like cotton wool being torn apart.
The biting cold from his memory suddenly crept up Xu Youduo's spine, and he couldn't help but shudder. He dared not think any further and hurriedly took out the document from his sleeve and presented it with both hands, flatteringly saying, "General Meng, the post station is all ready."
Meng Qingshan unfolded the letter personally written by General Feng and read it quickly. His brows furrowed. The general had led a large army to the capital at the end of July and instructed him to pay his respects to the Crown Prince first.
In his personal letter, the second prince spoke at length about the battle, without any attempt to win him over, yet his words were full of affection.
His last letter carried a greater sense of solemnity. The Emperor had recently ordered the Ministry of Rites to hold a grand imperial examination next year to assess the performance of local officials and select the best for official positions. Meng Qingshan rubbed the paper slightly with his fingers, his eyes lowered as he looked at the few words on it. It was clear that the Emperor had begun to work on military power after pacifying the feudal lords.
Prioritizing civil affairs over military matters will inevitably be the next step.
His expression was unreadable, but his eyes suddenly turned sharp. After a moment, he glanced at the last two sentences, which said that the fourth prince's maternal grandfather, Huang Pu, was seriously ill. The emperor, accompanied by the Imperial Hospital, came to the scene and ordered that if Huang Qing died, the entire hospital would be buried with him.
Meng Qingshan carefully recalled Huang Pu, who was now in his seventies. He had made great contributions to the emperor's cause, assisting him in raising an army from a regional pacification commissioner. Huang Pu was skilled in diplomacy and reform, and advised the emperor to govern diligently. After the country was pacified, Huang Pu rose to the position of Grand Secretary of the Cabinet. Later, he retired due to illness and petitioned to return to his hometown.
The Emperor wept bitterly, lamenting that only one person remained. He praised the man's brilliant strategy, comparing him to Zhuge Liang. Even though he harbored resentment, he refused to allow the man to submit his memorial. In the ensuing stalemate, an official petitioned to leave the position of Chancellor of the Imperial Academy vacant.
The emperor was overjoyed and immediately issued an edict appointing him as the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy and a Hanlin Academician. Upon hearing this, Huang Pu knelt down and remained silent for a long time, stating that it was neither reasonable nor legal.
The officials had different thoughts. Throughout history, only those who passed the imperial examinations could enter the Hanlin Academy, and only those who were members of the Hanlin Academy could enter the Grand Secretariat. But Huang Pu was demoted from the Grand Secretariat to the Hanlin Academy, which is indeed illogical.
The eunuch who delivered the imperial edict stood in the courtyard and did not leave until he received the edict and returned to the palace to report. Huang Pu received the edict but only went to the Imperial Academy to give lectures and never entered the Hanlin Academy. The emperor pretended not to know.
Meng Qingshan pondered to himself, then looked up at Xu Youduo, who was trembling slightly, and flicked the reins, ordering, "Lead the way."
The post station had two floors. As soon as they entered, the accompanying guards immediately took control of the second floor, preventing even Xu Youduo from going upstairs. The other officials who were staying there were even more terrified and returned to their rooms.
As Qingli listened to the fading footsteps around her, she was reluctant to get off the carriage. The discomfort she had felt since entering Taiyuan Prefecture had intensified, and now it had reached its peak. Her scalp tingled, her legs felt weak, and she wished she could disappear immediately.
"Get out of the car." The deep voice, like the beating of a drum, made her heart tremble.
After a long silence, a hand suddenly reached out from the side and lifted the fluttering carriage curtain. The setting sun cast a dim, iridescent light that made his features appear deep and somber. He looked at him and repeated, "Get out of the carriage."
His tone carried a hint of dissatisfaction.
I tilted my head and observed her slow movements, but even so, she still managed to move to the car door.
He didn't move. The two stood a hand's width apart, staring at each other in the dim, flickering light. He was backlit, his tall and imposing figure radiating an intimidating aura that left no room for retreat. The last rays of the setting sun cast a soft, distant glow on his features, especially his bright brown eyes, which held a captivating light that made her tremble slightly.
His hands, dry and warm, grasped her wrist, effectively calming her timidity. Her face was covered by a thin veil, and her eyelashes fluttered twice before she finally mustered the courage to look around. To her surprise, there was no one around, which made her breathe a sigh of relief.
She had considered that once she met her grandfather, she would change her name and identity, and Meng Qingli would no longer exist in the world. Therefore, setting foot here was definitely not her wish.
Once inside, she forcefully shook off his hand, leaving Meng Qingshan's hand empty. Looking at her tense demeanor, he felt as if he had returned to the day when the two of them were at odds. His voice softened unconsciously, "I have important business here. I will depart tomorrow."
Qingli knew that she needed her help, and that a small act of impatience could ruin a big plan, but a tight string in her mind made her unable to relax, and she spoke with a panic that she didn't realize, "Since it's important, then I won't delay any longer."
Meng Qingshan saw that her lips had lost all color, and her dark eyes were darting left and right in fear, like a frightened little animal. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Yun Xiu report from outside.
"General, someone requests an audience."
She had already gracefully returned to the inner room. Meng Qingshan saw her back being hidden by the bamboo curtain before he opened the door to look. There were two groups of people standing in the hall of the post station. One group was his aunt and uncle and their entourage, and the other group was three people dressed in short clothes.
Aunt Meng was dressed in new clothes, with a bright gold bracelet on her wrist, though its color was dull. She also wore a gold hairpin of the same color in her hair. She nervously tugged at Li Fu beside her. Li Fu, a short and stout man, trembled. He had been poor all his life, and only in the last two years had he become somewhat wealthy thanks to her. Looking up, he saw guards standing on both sides, their blades flashing coldly. He was so frightened that the words he had prepared beforehand fell into disarray.
Seeing her husband's legs spinning, Madam Meng secretly spit out her disdain. She then stepped forward with a smile, remembering the guard's rebuke for not going upstairs. As she climbed the stairs, she said, "Qingshan, I am your aunt."
Meng Qingshan strode downstairs, and the guards all sheathed their swords and bowed their heads. Their uniform voices made Meng Shi tremble. If she hadn't been holding onto the stairs, she would have collapsed to the ground.
Meng Qingshan glanced at the people behind Meng Shi and met the shy woman. The woman lowered her head slightly, then suddenly remembered something, mustered her courage and stepped forward to support her mother before saying tactfully, "Cousin, I am Li Qingwu."
In their generation, regardless of gender, everyone uses the character "青" (qing).
Meng Qingshan thought to himself, "This is quite good."
Li Qingwu was taken care of by her aunt when she was young. After her aunt went to the capital, the family began to have a small business. Her aunt also helped her from time to time, so she never suffered. She also went to a school to study poetry and literature. In the past two years, she even had a maid and found a nanny to teach her manners. Therefore, she has a kind of pride in her bones.
This time, her aunt sent a letter to invite her to Kyoto. Her mother had also given her a thorough analysis. Now, facing him, her cheeks were flushed, but she kept in mind the rules she had learned and stood gracefully, exuding a kind of delicate beauty.
Meng Qingshan nodded slightly, then walked past her and said to Madam Meng, "My mother instructed me to make sure to visit you this time. If you have any requests, please feel free to make them."
Despite the words being spoken with care and warmth, a coldness and aloofness overflowed, assaulting the senses. Meng's lips twitched twice, and her smile almost faltered.
Li Fu was startled and stepped forward, crouching low as if afraid that a pause would prevent him from speaking. He said in one breath, "The hundred weavers in the county trust me and have entrusted me with their weaving, but selling the cloth is difficult right now, which has hurt the trust of the villagers. The cloth can be sold slowly, but..."
Madam Meng blushed as she listened. It was clearly news that Li Fu had heard from somewhere that he was buying up cloth at high prices, but she hadn't expected that a large amount of cloth from other provinces would flood in, and the market price would be low. If the money wasn't paid to the weavers in two more days, her family might have to be demolished. She really didn't want to bring this up in front of her, but she couldn't stop him.
Seeing that her daughter's eyes were red, she glanced at the man in the seat of honor and said calmly, "Uncle, how much do you need? Ask Yunxiu for the number later."
Li Fu was overjoyed to receive the agreement, feeling even more secure. With his daughter coming to the capital, he spoke without thinking, "Thank you. In that case, I'm relieved to entrust my youngest daughter to you."
That's practically selling your daughter for personal gain.
Li Qingwu turned to the side, wiping away her tears with a handkerchief. At this point, Meng Shi didn't know what to say, hesitating whether to step forward or retreat.
Meng Qingshan's expression was indifferent, making it impossible for them to discern his true thoughts. Standing high above them, he seemed to be ignored by almost everyone. "The room is ready. Aunt, please take your leave."
As everyone stepped back, the three brothers Lu Zhao, Wei Xuan, and Wei Huang, who had been standing in the corner, stepped forward, clasped their hands in greeting, and exclaimed with delight, "Big Brother!"
Meng Qingshan patted Lu Zhao on the shoulder and helped the three of them up. They had worked for Meng Qingshan in the gambling den and had a deep bond with him. Since Meng Qingshan wrote to them three years ago, the three of them had regained their support and had been helping him in Taiyuan Prefecture.
However, Meng Qingshan's identity was different from before. The three of them had been on guard on their way here, and they must not take advantage of their past relationship. Lu Zhao bowed slightly and lowered his eyes as he reported, "Brother, Dai Youzhi and Bao Baiyu, who came to Yunlou, have already fallen out, and this time they have even dragged Prefect Sui into it."
Wei Xuan and Wei Huang also composed themselves. All three of them were connected to what happened five years ago. Their elder brother had been plotting for many years, all for the sake of revenge.
"Thanks for your hard work."
Despite the sweltering summer heat, a sudden coolness arrived without a breeze, and the hall became so quiet you could hear a pin drop, as everyone waited for the person at the head of the table to speak.
After a moment's thought, he said in a deep voice, "We'll depart at Hai hour (9-11 PM)."
"yes!"
Having finished discussing the important matter, Meng Qingshan looked at the three men. His long-held position and the domineering aura he had gained from battlefield battles emanated from him. He slowly said, "After tonight, someone will have to guard Taiyuan Prefecture. What are your thoughts?"
The three men were puzzled. They looked at each other and suddenly realized a possibility. The hairs on the back of their necks stood on end. The businesses of Laiyunlou and the Bao family were so huge that they earned hundreds of taels of silver a day. How could they not think about this?
After a bit of pushing and shoving, Lu Zhao and Wei Huang stepped forward. It was Lu Zhao who spoke first, "Brother, the three of us are illiterate and rely entirely on your advice. If it weren't for your guidance, we would just be lowly guards. We all obey your orders."
Meng Qingshan glanced at the three men, finally settling on Wei Xuan, who was standing at the back. After a moment's thought, he arranged, "Lu Zhao will be in charge of Laiyunlou, Wei Huang will take over the Bao family's business, and Wei Xuan will come to the capital with me."
The three men were delighted. Lu Zhao was deep in thought and liked to stay in gambling dens. Wei Huang had a scholarly air and loved making friends. Over the years, he had been keeping an eye on the Bao family's businesses and knew them inside and out. Wei Xuan, on the other hand, was simple-minded. From the moment he entered the post station, he looked at the murderous guards with envy in his eyes. He had long wanted to follow his elder brother to the battlefield.
At this moment, they all got what they wanted, and their faces were beaming with joy.
Qingli slept restlessly all night, her eyes filled with the scene of being captured that day. In her hazy sleep, a group of people rushed into the post station, lifted her off the bed and tied her up, muttering incantations. She struggled but couldn't hear them clearly. Her throat was tightly choked, and she couldn't even make a sound.
"Miss, Miss..."
She suddenly opened her eyes and realized that Jiang Yue was leaning down to call her. She felt sticky and uncomfortable all over, and her hair was wet on her cheeks. She touched her neck, which was cold. She was still in a daze and didn't want to get up.
Jiang Yue noticed that her mistress was covered in sweat, so she quickly called Jiang Zhao to bring hot water into the room, while muttering, "Hurry up and get ready, we have to leave at dawn."
Once she left Taiyuan Prefecture, she felt a little warmer, unaware that a tremendous event had occurred in Taiyuan Prefecture behind her. The owner and manager of Laiyunlou Restaurant had led a fight with the Bao family, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides. The prefect judged that both families had committed heinous crimes and would not pursue the matter further. However, since it was already behind her, it was no longer her concern.
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