AWB Chapter 450 Meng Ze Arrives at the Marquis's Residence (Bonus Chapter)
Chapter 450 Meng Ze Arrives at the Marquis's Residence (Bonus Chapter)
Outside the city, more than ten miles to the west, there is a secluded farmhouse with wisps of smoke rising from its chimney.
Behind the house was a vegetable garden, and in front of it were several apricot trees. Although simple, the house was kept clean and tidy.
In the courtyard, a middle-aged man was squatting by a water vat washing his hands, while a woman's voice came from inside the house.
"Husband, you should rest for a bit. Dinner will be ready soon. We came back from the fields early today, so let's eat early too."
Gu Qing smiled and wiped his hands with his sleeve: "Okay, I'll listen to my wife."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a commotion erupted outside the courtyard.
"Gu Qing! Is Gu Qing here? Come out here!" The voice was rough and contained a few curses.
Gu Qing frowned and walked out of the courtyard gate.
A group of arrogant and burly men stood outside the door. The leader, dressed in fine clothes, was a servant of the Duke of Zheng's mansion. Relying on his master's power, he was very haughty.
"Gu Qing," the man said with a sneer, "this land of yours is the property of our Duke's mansion. Now that the master wants to build a hunting villa, are you going to give up this house or not?"
Gu Qing's face darkened: "This house is my family's heirloom, and I cannot give up this land."
"Oh, you dare to talk back?" The servant's face immediately turned cold. He took a step forward and pointed at Gu Qing's nose. "If you know what's good for you, move out. If you don't, don't blame us for being impolite."
Gu Qing's anger surged.
"Do you really think this place is unmanageable? I, Gu Qing, am a law-abiding citizen who has paid taxes! If you dare to forcibly seize a house, I will go to the capital tomorrow to find Prince Xie! I will personally go to the capital to file a complaint!"
His shout startled the group of people for a moment.
The head servant's expression changed slightly upon hearing the words "Young Master Xie," and his eyes flickered.
The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, their arrogance immediately diminishing.
The man snorted coldly and said defiantly, "Go ahead and try, but if you fail, you'll suffer the consequences!"
Even so, her voice was a few decibels lower.
After saying that, he told the people to stop.
The servant of the Duke of Zheng's mansion left cursing and swearing, not forgetting to throw down a harsh remark.
Gu Qing watched them leave, her tense shoulders and back slowly relaxed, and she let out a long breath.
He turned around and walked back to the lonely apricot tree outside the courtyard, but his gaze went beyond the treetops and towards the winding mountain cliffs in the distance.
The wind blew, and the grass rustled.
His gaze drifted into the distance, and his expression became dazed.
My thoughts were drawn back to that night more than twenty years ago.
That night, the mountain rain poured down. Despite his injuries, he used his last breath to entrust his infant child to someone else.
Blood mixed with mud soaked his entire body.
This can be considered as repaying the kindness of the eldest prince.
He thought he would die in the rain.
But fate had other plans.
When he woke up, he was in a low mountain house, facing Mengniang's gentle eyes.
She saved him, prolonging his life and healing his wounds.
His martial arts skills were completely destroyed, and his meridians were ruined, so he could never hold a sword again.
After that, he married into the Meng family and lived a life of anonymity.
Over the years, he has never mentioned the past again, only occasionally hearing the child's name.
He was named Xie Yanli.
From an unknown son to a prominent heir among the powerful and wealthy.
Gu Qing gazed at the cliff, a faint smile playing on his lips.
The child survived and is doing very well.
That's enough.
The next day, at the Marquis's residence.
Meng Ze, dressed in a dark blue long robe, entered through the gate of the mansion with unhurried steps and a calm demeanor.
Meng Ze's gaze fell upon the bluestone-paved ground and the vermilion courtyard walls in front of him.
A quiet surge of emotions welled up inside me.
Even now, he still finds it hard to believe.
He actually had a son...
For so many years, he has remained single and has never thought about starting a family.
He found it hard to believe that he actually had a blood relative in this world.
The thought of this made Meng Ze's heart tighten.
"We've arrived," Meng Chen suddenly said in a low voice.
Meng Ze snapped out of his daze and looked up.
The courtyard gate was half-closed, bamboo shadows swayed, and the atmosphere was quiet and elegant.
Meng Ze's eyes darkened slightly as he suppressed all his emotions.
He stepped forward and entered the courtyard.
Inside the main room of Qinglan Courtyard, incense smoke curled from the burner, and a woman sat in the center.
She wore a moon-white casual dress with delicate cloud patterns embroidered on the cuffs; her eyebrows and eyes were gentle, and her skin was as white as snow.
Her black hair was styled into a loose bun, with a gold and jade hairpin inserted diagonally, giving her a serene and elegant demeanor.
The moment my gaze fell upon her, I knew she was no ordinary person.
Is this his daughter-in-law?
A soft light flashed in Meng Ze's eyes.
He seems to be a good child.
Inside the room, Qin Jiuwei was also watching him.
She could tell at a glance that this person was no ordinary person.
But what's strange is why he's looking at her with such loving eyes?
Isn't he from Daliang?
They didn't even know each other.
Meng Chen stepped forward, bowed slightly, and led Meng Ze in a salute.
“Madam, this is the senior abacus expert I mentioned yesterday. His surname is Liu. I brought him here today to pay my respects to you and the young master.”
Qin Jiuwei stood up to return the greeting, her expression composed, "Greetings, Mr. Liu."
Meng Ze bowed slightly, but before he could straighten up, a maidservant suddenly reported from behind him.
"Greetings, Your Highness."
His back stiffened instantly, and it took him a while to slowly straighten up, his movements extremely slow.
At this moment, the footsteps outside grew closer and closer.
Meng Ze's Adam's apple bobbed, and his gaze unconsciously fell toward the doorway.
Footsteps approached from afar, and the curtain was gently lifted.
Xie Yanli entered with his hands behind his back, dressed in dark casual clothes, his expression calm and composed.
But at that very moment, Meng Ze's gaze fell on his face, and he was suddenly jolted.
That face—
Every single feature of his face, every subtle expression when he turned his eyes, was exactly the same as when he was young.
Meng Ze froze abruptly, a thunderous roar echoing in his heart.
Like being struck by lightning.
What Meng Chen said is all true!
The person in front of him was, without a doubt, his son!