Chapter 397: It’s Too Late to Feel Fear Now

If the Jin family fell from being newly rich to a disreputable clan due to one wrong move, then in most people’s eyes, the Meng family’s ability to remain established in the capital was largely thanks to the reputation of their ancestor, Marquis Bao Ding Meng Shan. Otherwise, given Meng Xian’s previous reckless actions, he would have been doomed forever. Thus, after returning to the capital, Meng Xian became much more restrained, and his children, under the pretext of observing mourning, rarely saw outsiders. Apart from the additional servants, the household seemed peaceful.

The loud noise in the evening, being far away, was largely ignored by the Meng family, who thought it was just the sound of popcorn or similar things at the market. After dinner, Meng Xian sent away his younger children, leaving only Meng Min and her brothers Meng Tao and Meng Fan. After asking about their studies and martial skills, he told them to leave and then glanced at his daughter dressed in mourning clothes.

“These two boys used to be restless, but now they’ve finally grown up. Although your mother’s death played a role, you as their elder sister also deserve credit… Your mourning period is already 16 months over. Based on the standard of 27 months, there’s still a little over a year left. Your mother was most concerned about you, and I’ve said we need to find a good husband for you.”

Seeing Meng Min bite her lip and remain silent, Meng Xian frowned briefly before sighing. “I’m not like Zhang Xuan, who treats his daughter as mere merchandise. If you have someone in mind, feel free to speak up. Piety should come from the heart. If you marry poorly in the future, even your mother in the afterlife won’t be at peace. You’re excellent at needlework and cooking, and you’re well-versed in literature. You could be an excellent homemaker for any family—there are more than just the Zhang family among the good households in this world.”

“Father!”

At that moment, Meng Min’s face turned pale. She cried out briefly before softly saying, “I wish to observe mourning for my mother for three full years.”

Meng Xian wasn’t surprised by this response. Although he had once asked Huang Yan to find a suitable match for his daughter, he was at his worst at that time, and perhaps some would still be willing to marry her as a secondary wife. But finding a good husband for her wasn’t easy. Now that he had returned to the capital and was busy every day, those who offered themselves were unsuitable, so his advice was merely empty words. Thinking back to when he and his brother Meng Ying discussed their children’s marriages at the Marquis Bao Ding’s residence, and now the two brothers were like strangers, he couldn’t help but smile bitterly. His heart was filled with helplessness and bitterness, but he still mustered his strength.

By the time he had planned everything step by step to the end, tremendous changes would take place! Just as he was about to agree to Meng Min’s request, the door curtain of the room was suddenly pushed open, and a figure rushed in like the wind. The person was dressed in a black cloak, covered in white snow. As soon as they entered, they started frantically shaking off the snow, sending cold wind and snowflakes flying everywhere. Meng Min silently bowed and stepped aside, but Meng Xian couldn’t stand such a rude manner and angrily stood up. “You don’t even bother to announce your arrival. When will you learn some manners?” Compared to the tall and strong Meng Xian and Meng Ying, Meng San was half a head shorter and thinner. Having failed to master martial arts since childhood, he merely managed to become a student at the imperial academy before living as a idle nobleman. Over time, his real name was forgotten, and people simply called him Meng San. He had made many unsavory friends outside, and the family wealth he inherited was long gone. Marquis Baoding Meng Ying barely recognized such a worthless half-brother, while Meng Xian often helped him out out of kinship. At that moment, he glanced at Meng Xian and then sneered, “Manners? You’re the elder brother, yet because of the rules regarding legitimate vs. illegitimate heirs, you didn’t get the title of Marquis Baoding. So why do you still care about manners? Besides, it’s a crisis now, and you’re still stuck to these rules. You should know it’s me who’s saving you!” “Saving me?” Meng Xian was furious at Meng San’s mockery, but upon hearing the last sentence, though confused, he instinctively asked, “I’m fine now. Why do I need your help?” “Ah, at a time like this, you’re still fussing over your status!” Meng San stomped his foot and blurted out, “The explosion just now was so loud—are your family members deaf or didn’t they hear it? Right now, the entire city of Shuntian Prefecture and the Five City Military Bureaus are on the move, causing chaos everywhere. You and your niece act like nothing’s wrong. I really can’t believe it!” Hearing the word “explosion,” Meng Xian finally changed expression. After signaling Meng Min to step back, he coldly asked, “What does this explosion have to do with me? Although a thousand soldiers from Changshan Guard have been sent here, they’re not under my command. Even the gunpowder was stored at the three guard camps, and it requires an order from Prince Zhao or a joint letter from the three commanders to be used…”

He abruptly cut him off, the gloom on his face instantly giving way to utter shock: “Did you use some trick to get those two chests of gunpowder that the armory in the camp just delivered into the city?”
“Not just those two chests!” Meng San tapped his palm with his riding whip, then said impatiently, “The entire military affairs in the capital are under Liu Sheng’s control—no one else can interfere. Eunuch Chang has always felt life is tough these days, so he long ago pledged loyalty to Prince Zhao. Besides, there are many eunuchs in the capital who act as if their orders are absolute—how hard would it be to get some gunpowder? In any case, without that gunpowder, those people in the Divine Machine Camp in the western suburbs are nothing but decorations. It was supposed to be delivered to a secret location behind Beianmen, ready to be used at the critical moment… Well, since the opportunity has slipped away, we should act now—there’s no time to wait!”
Even Meng Xian, who had usually been quite tolerant of his younger brother, was almost driven mad upon hearing those words. He had carefully organized the Changshan Guards from top to bottom and followed Huang Yan’s instructions to build support for Prince Zhao from the outside, all in order to seize the best moment to secure victory. Who would have thought that this good-for-nothing would think rebellion was a trivial game that could be launched at will?
“You damned fool!”
Furious, Meng Xian pointed at Meng San’s nose and cursed, then continued angrily, “You only bring this up now at such a critical moment! Are you deliberately trying to kill me, trying to destroy the Meng family! How am I supposed to launch an attack? I have no troops, no people—I can only wait for death at home!”
“Back then, Prince Zhao called my elder brother back precisely because those officers of the Changshan Guards only obeyed you. Right now, there are a thousand of those guards in the capital. If used wisely, they can be extremely powerful! Besides, I’ve already gotten the pass to enter the palace through the Imperial Secretariat. As long as we can get the imperial seal, we can enter the palace. I’ve even had Gao Zheng prepare the emperor’s last will! Brother, don’t underestimate people like my second brother, the Marquis of Baoding. I, Meng San, am not a coward either!”

Thinking of how few people respected him just because he was an illegitimate son, Meng San grew furious. Unable to hold back, he pulled out a dagger from his bosom, drew it from its sheath, and thrust it fiercely into the table: “It was I who made contact with Eunuch Chang. I also went to meet personally Jiang Bao’s adopted son from the Imperial Secretariat. The other batch of gunpowder produced in the capital was persuaded by me to be hidden in the residence of Marquis Li Maofang of Fuyang. I even obtained detailed plans of the mansions of high-ranking officials—waiting only for the final strike. Even Prince Zhao thought this plan was feasible! I’m stupid… If I were stupid, why would Prince Zhao trust me? If he only trusts you, why would he place spies in your house everywhere?”
At first, he could still respond with a sneer, but as Meng San explained each detail of his plan, even revealing his deepest wound, Meng Xian felt suffocated. He had recommended his younger brother to Prince Zhao just so he could have a means of support and share prosperity in the future. Who would have thought that while he already considered himself crazy, there was someone even more insane and ambitious, yet Prince Zhao still trusted him!
What to do? What on earth could he do? He was indeed willing to risk destroying his family to carry out certain actions, but that didn’t mean he was willing to be forced into something uncertain! But Prince Zhao, Zhu Gao Sui, seemed eager to start right away. Now, he had no way back—in other words, he had to brave the dangers ahead…
“Elder brother, do you still want the title of duke?”
This sudden reminder pulled Meng Xian out of his thoughts. He took a deep breath, ready to risk everything, when suddenly an urgent voice came from the door: “Master, master! Something terrible has happened! A large group of Jinyiwei has arrived at the door. The leader claims to be the commander of the Jinyiwei and asks you to come out immediately!”
Jinyiwei!
In an instant, all the color drained from Meng Xian’s face. Seeing Meng San, who had just been so bold, now look utterly disheveled and unsteady on his feet, he felt an absurd sense of humor. Such a messy plan, conceived by such a person, had actually convinced so many people? Prince Zhao, a noble of high status, was supposed to be experienced—how could he be so gullible?
“Third brother, come with me to meet this Lord Yuan.”

“No, no, no!” Meng San frantically waved his hands. Seeing Meng Xian’s indifferent gaze, he swallowed hard. “Elder brother, I haven’t been in official circles for long. I can’t handle people from the Jinyiwei. How about this: you go ahead, while I hide in the shadows and strike when they’re off guard. As long as we can get rid of him, the Jinyiwei will collapse on their own.”
Repressing the urge to slap him, Meng Xian grabbed Meng San, who tried to run away, and said coldly, “Where did that confident attitude of yours go? Just a Jinyiwei commander, and you think he can stump you, someone whose eloquence could even persuade the Prince of Zhao? Give up the idea of assassination. Since the Jinyiwei have arrived, it’s not easy for them to leave. It’s too late to feel fear now!”