Chapter 143 Two scumbags team up, each with their own schemes.
At this moment, a strange carriage was parked one street away from the Du residence.
The carriage curtains were black, making it impossible to see inside from the outside. Two guards with swords stood on either side of the carriage, their faces serious.
The two guards kept their eyes fixed on the street corner. When the panicked Dongqing appeared in their sight, the two exchanged a smile, then held their breath and remained motionless.
As soon as Dongqing approached the carriage, the two men acted simultaneously. One struck Dongqing on the back of the neck with a palm strike, while the other put a black bag over Dongqing's head. Then, the two men together roughly threw the unconscious Dongqing into the carriage next to them.
The entire sequence of actions happened in the blink of an eye. There were a few pedestrians on the street. Whether they were moving too fast to be noticed or someone saw them but dared not interfere, it did not cause any commotion, just as the incident of injuring and kidnapping had not occurred.
The two guards sat outside the carriage and drove away quickly.
Inside the carriage, two men sat facing each other, with Dongqing lying at their feet.
The man on the left had a piece of plain cotton cloth hanging from his left hand, with visible bloodstains. He also had several scratches on his face and exuded a sinister aura.
This man was Xiao Songyan, who fell off the cliff. Fortunately, he was caught by the branch of a large tree after falling, which saved his life.
But the tree that saved his life was located in the middle of the cliff. He injured his hand when he fell down from the tree, and his face was scratched by the trees in the mountains when he escaped on the cliff at night. When his two guards found him the next day, he was as if he had lost half his life.
When Meng Lingge disagreed with his proposal to marry Meng Xiyao, Xiao Songyan felt a surge of hatred towards Meng Lingge.
When his attempt to use local thugs against Meng Lingge failed and he ended up losing several thousand taels of silver, his hatred quickly grew to six-tenths.
This time, Xiao Songyan kidnapped Meng Lingge, but was instead pushed off a cliff by her. His hatred for Meng Lingge has reached its peak.
Xiao Songyan stayed at the clinic in Hexiwei for two days. His left hand fracture would take one or two months to fully recover, and the severe scratches on his face would leave faint permanent scars.
He had never suffered such a huge setback with a woman before. Now, whether he could sleep with Meng Lingge had become secondary. The most important thing was that he wanted Meng Lingge to die, or to suffer a fate worse than death!
His two loyal subordinates repeatedly begged him to return to the capital first, but Xiao Songyan insisted on going to Jiangnan, determined to seek revenge on Meng Lingge.
He had inquired about the location of Meng Lingge's maternal grandmother's house while in the capital, so he knew he couldn't catch up with Meng Lingge. He wasn't in a hurry and went straight to Jiangnan while recuperating from his injuries.
He arrived five days ago and has been staying near the Du family since arriving in Jiangnan, preparing to take advantage of Meng Lingge's unpreparedness to do something drastic to her.
Meng Lingge was always accompanied by many people when she went out, while Xiao Songyan only had two subordinates and little money left. He couldn't afford to hire anyone, and his own men had no chance of winning, so he could only continue to wait.
To save money and ensure his meager travel expenses last until he returned to the capital after taking revenge, he ate only pickled vegetables and steamed buns for the past few days and stayed in the cheapest inn.
Thinking of how he, a wealthy young master from the capital, had fallen so miserable because of Meng Lingge, hatred welled up in his heart. Looking at Dongqing at his feet, he raised his leg and kicked Dongqing twice.
Still feeling unsatisfied after kicking him, he took out a sharp knife from his pocket, preparing to slash Dongqing's face.
“That bitch Meng Lingge is quite fond of her maid. If she sees that the maid’s face is ruined, she will definitely be in great pain and distress. Consider this a gift I prepared for her before I meet that bitch.”
A corner of the black bag covering Dongqing's head was torn off, revealing the girl's slender neck and half of her slightly immature face.
Xiao Songyan's lips curled slightly, his eyes were cold, and he leaned forward slightly, then swung the sharp knife in his right hand fiercely at Dong Qing's side.
"Wait a minute."
As a deep, hoarse voice rang out, a hand reached out almost simultaneously and grasped Xiao Songyan's wrist.
Xiao Songyan looked up and glared at the other man: "Young Master Zheng, what do you mean by this?"
The other person smiled slightly, his peach blossom eyes shifting slightly. His hand looked weak, but Xiao Songyan used all his strength, and the dagger could not go any further.
This person was Guan Yi'an, who used Zheng Qingshan's identity to harass Meng Lingge in Jiangnan.
After Meng Lingge went to Jiangnan and he was forbidden from following her, he rented a house near the Du residence and secretly kept an eye on Meng Lingge, looking for an opportunity to get closer.
He didn't encounter any good opportunities, but unexpectedly discovered that besides him, there was another group of people also following Meng Lingge. He looked for an opportunity to sneak up and overheard Xiao Songyan's conversation with his men, learning that Xiao Songyan hated Meng Lingge to the core.
Although Guan Yi'an had not been an official in the capital for long, he was good at socializing and knew most of the officials in the capital. He had also met Xiao Songyan, the eldest son of the Vice Minister of Revenue, once or twice.
Xiao Songyan wants Meng Lingge dead, so there must be a deep-seated grudge between them.
Guan Yi'an didn't care about the specifics of the conflict. Looking at Xiao Songyan, who was in such a sorry state, Guan Yi'an knew that the opportunity she had been waiting for had finally arrived.
Xiao Songyan was his best opportunity; through him, he could gain Meng Lingge's trust.
Guan Yi'an took the initiative to find Xiao Songyan, wanting to cooperate with him to deal with Meng Lingge.
He made up a random excuse, saying that he had glanced at Meng Lingge a few times and was insulted by her guards. He couldn't stand it and retorted a few words, so Meng Lingge's guards stole his carriage and beat him up.
Xiao Songyan knew that Meng Lingge was not an arrogant and domineering person. He guessed from Guan Yi'an's explanation that the truth was that Meng Lingge was too beautiful, and this person was lustful like him. His plan failed, so he was chased and beaten by Meng Lingge's guards. Now that he had not gotten the beauty, he was unwilling and chased her to Jiangnan.
This was not much different from his own experience. Although he felt a sense of sympathy for Guan Yi'an, he would not trust others so easily. In addition, the other party was only one person, while he had three. He did not want others to share the spoils.
It wasn't until Guan Yi'an presented a detailed plan, successfully dealt with Meng Lingge's guard horse Hongying, and promised to lure out Meng Lingge's maid to serve as a hostage, that he was moved.
After all, he and his men had been lying in wait for several days without any results, so having more people to take revenge would naturally make the process faster.
As for how to distribute Meng Lingge after getting her, that's naturally up to him. If that person is dissatisfied, he can deal with him as well.
And so, Guan Yi'an and Xiao Songyan, each with their own ulterior motives and schemes, ended up sitting together in a treacherous collusion.
Knowing that Dongqing had a crush on him, Guan Yi'an chose to send a letter to Dongqing on the day of Old Madam Du's birthday, when the household was busiest and most crowded.
The letter only said that he was leaving Jiangnan and wanted to see her one last time. The young girl, just beginning to experience love, foolishly avoided Meng Lingge and secretly came over.
The first step of their plan was a perfect success. Now, Xiao Songyan wants to disfigure Dong Qing, but Guan Yi'an disagrees, instantly putting the two temporary partners at odds.
Xiao Songyan was furious, but Guan Yi'an was all smiles.
"Brother Xiao, have you ever gone fishing?"
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