I am the champion of palace intrigue, and even the proud prince bows his head in submission.

Chapter 457 Father (Bonus Chapter)

in memory.

A woman clung tightly to his sleeve, her eyes brimming with tears, her voice choked with sobs.

"I won't leave... I won't leave! If you don't come with me, I'll die here with you!"

Behind her came the sounds of swords clashing and the stench of blood.

That corner of the sleeve was the strip of cloth tied to the tombstone in front of us.

Meng Ze suddenly opened his eyes wide, his chest heaving violently.

Before the image could be seen clearly, it shattered like a bubble, followed by a severe headache that felt like a needle piercing into my brain.

He staggered, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.

Xie Yanli rushed forward to help him, blurting out in his haste, "Father!"

He was stunned when he uttered that shout.

But Meng Ze could no longer hear it.

His body went limp, his vision went black, and he completely lost consciousness.

Gu Qing's expression changed drastically, and he quickly stepped forward: "Your Highness!"

Zizhu rushed over immediately and knelt down to check his pulse and wounds.

After a moment, he looked up and said, "Young Master, his wound has been torn open and he has lost a lot of blood, but his pulse is still stable and he is not in serious danger."

Xie Yanli's expression darkened. "We need to go back as soon as possible."

Qin Jiu nodded slightly and had already instructed people to fetch the horses and prepare the carriage.

Meng Ze was quickly put into a carriage.

Xie Yanli then turned to look at Gu Qing, who was standing to the side with a face full of anxiety, and his tone softened.

"You and your wife, come back with us."

"You've suffered over the years."

Gu Qing froze, her eyes instantly reddening. "Your Highness... Yes! Your subordinate obeys!"

After Meng Ze was sent back to the Marquis's residence, he was placed in Qinglan Courtyard.

Qin Jiuwei sent someone to the palace to invite Imperial Physician Li, but after several acupuncture treatments, he still did not wake up.

The room was quiet, and Xie Yanli stood guard by the bed without saying a word.

Qin Jiuwei then went to the side courtyard, where Gu Qing and Mengniang were temporarily settled.

The place was small, but quiet and clean, and provided with clothing, food, and lodging.

When she stepped into the courtyard, Mengniang was helping Gu Qing pack his bags. As soon as she saw Qin Jiuwei enter, she quickly stood up and bowed.

Gu Qing also stood up, his tone sincere: "Madam, thank you for the arrangements!"

Mengniang nodded, her eyes filled with gratitude. "We never imagined we could live in the Marquis's mansion. This is all too precious. We are unworthy of it."

Qin Jiuwei chuckled softly, "No need to thank us, we should be the ones thanking you."

“If you hadn’t risked your lives to save my husband, he wouldn’t be alive today, let alone be here today.”

She looked at Gu Qing with sincere eyes: "We are the ones who owe you our lives."

Gu Qing immediately shook his head, "These are all things I should do! His Highness saved me back then, so it is my duty to protect his child!"

"Alright, we can't keep thanking each other like this." Qin Jiu said with a smile. "The most important thing now is to get some rest. We can talk about everything else after we've rested."

Gu Qing and Meng Niang nodded quickly.

After Qin Jiuwei settled them in, she returned to the main house from the side courtyard and saw Xie Yanli walking out of Meng Ze's room.

His face was very somber, clearly indicating that Meng Ze's condition was not good and he was still unconscious.

Qin Jiuwei quickly stepped forward and gently took his hand. "You must be tired after a long day. Go and rest for a bit and have something to eat."

Xie Yanli gently shook his head.

He took her hand in his and said softly, "I'm not in the mood to eat right now."

He paused, his eyes sharpening.

"I need to deal with the matter of the Duke of Zheng. This not only concerns Gu Qing, but also the lives of many ordinary people. It cannot be delayed any longer."

"We can talk about what happened back then when Father wakes up."

Since that first cry, when he called out "Father" a second time, his tone was no longer hesitant and was much more natural.

This sense of familiarity shared by blood is ultimately etched into one's very bones.

Once a hole is torn, it can never be broken again.

Qin Jiuwei looked at him and said, "Go ahead, be careful, and come back early when you're done."

Xie Yanli nodded slightly, turned and left, his robes fluttering in the wind.

As night deepened, Qinglan Courtyard was completely quiet.

After returning from the academy, Xie Jue learned that Meng Ze had fainted and insisted on visiting him.

He ran all the way to the inner courtyard and rushed into the room, panting.

But when he stood in front of the bed and saw that face, he froze on the spot, as if he had been frozen in place.

"This...this is Master Liu?"

His eyes were wide open, and his voice was slightly shaky.

Xiaohe nodded: "Young Master Jue, this really is Master Liu."

Xie Jue shook his head violently, like a rattle-drum, "Impossible! How could this be Master Liu!"

He puffed out his cheeks and protested loudly, "Don't think you can fool me just because I'm young!"

"I have big, bright eyes! I can tell that Master Liu doesn't look like this at all!"

Xie Jing's lips twitched.

What does this have to do with eye size...?

Xiaohe was momentarily speechless, opening her mouth but not really understanding what was going on.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door, and Meng Chen walked in, bowing slightly to the group.

"Young Master Jue, it's actually because he was wearing a human skin mask."

"A human skin mask?" Xie Jue's eyes widened. "What is that? It sounds terrifying!"

Xie Jing also turned his head to look at Meng Chen.

He had only read similar accounts in books and had never seen them with his own eyes.

Without saying much, Meng Chen raised his hand and removed the human skin mask from his face.

A soft "rip" sound.

After the mask was removed, a completely different face was revealed.

His features were more defined, and his expression was completely different from usual, as if he were a different person.

Xie Jue froze instantly, completely terrified, his mouth agape.

"Wow! Face-changing magic! Who...who are you?!"

He took two steps back, his face filled with wariness and suspicion.

Even Xie Jue, who was not very bright, realized that something was wrong.

What decent person would wear a human skin mask to disguise themselves?

"You're not Master Li! You're lying!"

Xie Jing's gaze turned colder. "Just what is your background?"

Seeing their expressions, Meng Chen decided to tell them everything.

The adults and Xie Yanli have now recognized each other.

They no longer need to hide their identities.

“I am from Daliang, my name is Meng Chen, not Li Qiubai.”

His tone was calm, but as soon as he finished speaking, a cold glint flashed in Xie Jing's eyes.

"Your surname is Meng?"

He stared at Meng Chen, then changed the subject with a hint of sharpness, "Your master, could he be the Prime Minister of Liang, Meng Ze?"

During this time, he studied under Master Gu, not only researching classics, histories, philosophical works, and literary collections, but also learning about the politics of various countries.

He was aware of the three-way division of power in the Great Liang Dynasty.

Meng Ze was one of them. He rose from humble beginnings to become incredibly powerful in the Liang Dynasty.

As he spoke, he turned his gaze to the bed, "This must be Meng Ze."

Meng Chen didn't expect him to guess so quickly.

This young master Jing is too clever.

He remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded.

Xie Jing's eyes grew even colder. "What exactly is your purpose in coming to the Great Jin?"

Meng Chen tried to soften his tone: "Actually, we don't have any specific purpose. We just want to figure out some things."

Before he could finish speaking, Xie Jue suddenly slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "My God! This Meng Ze looks just like Father!!"

Meng Chen breathed a long sigh of relief.

They finally discovered it...

Xie Jue wrinkled his nose and pondered seriously, "Could it be... that this Meng Ze is Father's long-lost brother?"

Meng Chen's lips twitched slightly.

Or...why don't you take another look?

He was about to explain when Xie Jing frowned, scrutinizing Meng Ze on the bed, and muttered to himself, "They don't seem like brothers..."

Just then, footsteps sounded outside.

Xie Jingchun, dressed in a close-fitting outfit, pushed open the door and entered. He glanced at the atmosphere inside the room and his gaze immediately fell on Meng Chen.

"Who are you?" His brows furrowed, and his eyes turned icy.