Chapter 51 Childhood
But it was just a very brief flash of thought in Qiandeng's mind.
Amidst the fragrance of pine blossoms, Qiandeng handed the letter back to the Meng family members with a calm expression, praising them softly, "I am very pleased that your son has found a famous teacher. I will wait patiently for his return after completing his studies."
The Mengs smiled broadly and said repeatedly, "My son is always striving for progress and will never let the county lady down!"
Qian Deng chuckled faintly, then changed the subject, bringing up the matter that had been stuck in their throats and they didn't know how to speak: "Speaking of which, I saw Meng Lanxi fall off the cliff this time with my own eyes. Now there's no trace of her, and I'm afraid she's in grave danger."
Aunt Meng was secretly delighted and said hurriedly, "Don't worry, County Lady. If Lanxi is destined to be your husband, he will definitely return safely. If something really happens to him, it is destined, and there is nothing we can do about it."
"But he's a son sent by your Meng family. This county lady has always felt that the Meng family, with their tradition of farming and studying, and a clean background, makes him a good choice for our Changhua Palace..." Qian Deng's tone stretched out, a look of worry on his face. "However, after all, his parents are both orphaned, and he has no one in the family to rely on. If your family can find a more suitable candidate to replace him, it will also be easier to explain to the court..."
Hearing her words, the Meng couple could hardly suppress their ecstasy. They understood that the county lady was actually hinting to them that if Meng Lanxi was gone, there would be great hope for their son.
"County Lady, to be honest, my son Yongshun was originally a candidate for your husband. How could it be such a coincidence that something happened just before the selection?" Aunt Meng immediately cried out, "The only one who benefited from this was Meng Lanxi. I think he appears docile on the surface, but he's actually treacherous. How can he be worthy of being your husband?"
"But now, the Meng family member who appears on the list of my husbands is indeed him. The matter is done, and I'm afraid there is little room for maneuver." Qian Deng stood up, flicking his sleeves and said, "Let your son study hard. If Meng Lanxi becomes my husband, he will naturally receive the grace of the court and at least be a fifth or sixth rank official. He will definitely take care of you in the future. Good days are ahead for your family."
Seeing that the county lady was about to leave surrounded by her maids, Aunt Meng thought about the fame that was within her reach, her heart was burning with excitement, and she impatiently pulled Uncle Meng's sleeve, signaling him to speak quickly.
Uncle Meng hesitated for a moment, opened his mouth but didn't dare to say anything.
Just as Qiandeng stepped out of the door, Aunt Meng blurted out anxiously, "County Lady, I have the truth to report! That Meng Lanxi... he's not from my Meng family!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the hall suddenly became quiet for a moment, and even the birds outside the window that had been noisy stopped singing.
Qian Deng remained calm, retracted his foot that was about to step out of the threshold, and slowly turned to look at the couple.
Uncle Meng glared at his wife, but at this point he was helpless and could only bow to Qian Deng: "Please ask the county lady to dismiss the idlers. I have an important matter to report."
Qian Deng had been waiting for them to act like this, and immediately signaled everyone to leave. When they were the only three left in the hall, he took the still-warm tea from the table and sniffed it, lowering his eyelashes. "Why, from what you're saying, there's something fishy about Meng Lanxi's background?"
"Alas, although family disgrace should not be made public, I still feel uncomfortable when I think about this matter. After thinking it over, I think it's best to report it to the county lady now while it's still uncertain." Uncle Meng said with a sincere face, "In fact, when Meng Lanxi was about to be included in the family tree, many people opposed it. The county lady didn't know that my cousin and his wife returned from the northwest and were married for only six or seven months before Meng Lanxi was born. This is definitely not the right date."
The curling tea smoke obscured Qiandeng's expression, and only her tone could be heard: "Perhaps they have secretly decided to spend their lives together in the northwest. Although it's not pleasant to say, it's still a legitimate child. How can he not be the blood of your Meng family?"
Uncle Meng looked hesitant, but Aunt Meng had already blurted out, "You don't know, County Lady, but my cousin once abandoned Meng Lanxi! If she were his biological daughter, how could he have been willing to do that?"
Hearing this suddenly, Qian Deng was stunned for a moment and looked up at them.
Seeing that the county lady really cared and her husband remained silent, Aunt Meng was even more delighted: "It's true! When we returned to our hometown in Dongting, the child was lost. My sister-in-law was out looking for him like crazy all day. We discussed with my cousin to find more help, but my cousin stopped us, saying that the child was an eyesore and he didn't want him anymore. When we heard that, we knew what was going on and kept silent."
Qian Deng hadn't expected Meng Lanxi to experience such a fate when she was young. She asked, "But later on, I saw Meng Lanxi was fine and went to Beijing with her mother, wasn't she?"
"Well, the child was thrown too close to home and was taken away by a family in a nearby village. Someone they knew saw him and came back to tell my sister-in-law that a family in a certain village had found a child who looked a lot like her son. My sister-in-law immediately ran like crazy to look for him, and we followed to watch the excitement."
Aunt Meng beamed with joy as she recounted the events of that year. "That family, they already had two children, picked up a six-year-old boy for nothing and weren't bothered to take care of him. Seeing he wouldn't listen, they simply threw him into the cowshed and left him to cry. It was dark when my sister-in-law got there, and the cowshed was leaking due to the snow. The child was so cold he was shivering while hugging the cow, his whole body covered in cow dung and mud. But my sister-in-law managed to carry him back."
At this point, Uncle Meng secretly kicked her heel. She realized that she had gotten a little carried away, and quickly suppressed the smile on her face. She said, "Well, they looked really pitiful at the time, but there was nothing they could do. What man would be willing to raise someone else's son? What's more, he was born in the northwest and was abused by a group of rebel soldiers. We don't even know whose father he is..."
Hearing her speak so vulgarly, Uncle Meng finally couldn't help but cough and signaled her to restrain herself.
Qiandeng's hand trembled subconsciously, and tea splashed on the back of her hand. She finally spoke, her voice a little tense: "Northwest rebels?"
"Yes... yes." Looking at the county lady's expression, Aunt Meng finally became a little nervous.
Uncle Meng hurriedly said, "My wife and I would never dare to deceive the County Lady! When my cousin's sister-in-law brought Meng Lanxi back that night, he got drunk and told the truth, recounting the entire story of how he and my sister-in-law met. Although his drunken words were a bit erratic, it's absolutely true that Meng Lanxi is not a member of my Meng family!"
A slight panic suddenly arose in Qiandeng's heart. A chill ran down her back, causing her spine to stiffen and harden.
The vague premonition that had flashed through her mind came true, and the story that the soldiers in the ruined temple had told but was interrupted appeared in her mind involuntarily.
Northwest, rebel soldiers, the Huihe people robbed by Yao Gaotu, the beautiful woman sold by her mistress, the lost and found jade pendant...
Even those soldiers and bandits who were buried in the ruined temple were once the subordinates of our fathers and grandfathers.
Ling Tianshui has been paying attention to and tracking down the soldiers who were expelled from their father's and grandfather's command eighteen years ago.
It was as if a line of coldness penetrated her forehead, and everything seemed to have the same trace. She only needed to pull a thread to completely connect everything eighteen years ago with eighteen years later.
Now the line has become clear and is about to be clearly presented in the mouths of the couple in front of them.
Even though she knew this horrific truth would bring her world crashing down, she still tried her best to steady herself and speak as calmly as possible: "Go ahead, repeat what your cousin said at that time. This county magistrate wants to listen carefully."
Uncle Meng had come today, having already recounted the events of the past and concocted a well-thought-out explanation, so he replied repeatedly, "Yes. My cousin's name is Meng Changshan. Eighteen years ago, he joined a group of traveling merchants. They hired bodyguards and guides and journeyed to the northwest to sell tea. Unexpectedly, on their return journey, they encountered turbulent conditions and the imminent outbreak of war. Fearing they would earn money but not be able to spend it, they quickly formed a group and headed back when they learned of the impending war in the Huangsha Valley..."
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