Upon hearing Meng Zhuqing report the anomaly, Xiao Changyi and An Jing’s hearts immediately felt alarmed, and their expressions turned serious. After all, their four children were seated in the carriage; not a single mishap could be tolerated.
Xiao Changyi first instructed An Jing to stay inside the carriage to guard the children, then he stepped out of the carriage and asked, "What’s the anomaly?"
"My lord, look," replied Meng Zhuqing, unsure of how to explain, and simply pointed towards something ahead for Xiao Changyi to see.
Following Meng Zhuqing’s gesture, Xiao Changyi saw not far off a black horse, upon which rode a man dressed entirely in black, lying prone, blood occasionally dripping from his body towards the ground.
Xiao Changyi’s cool eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn’t immediately instruct Meng Zhuqing to go and check; instead, he surveyed the surroundings first. Seeing that everything appeared normal and unlikely to pose a threat, he then ordered, "Go and take a look."
"Yes," Meng Zhuqing immediately complied and went to investigate.
Meng Zhuqing’s hand grasped the sword at his waist and cautiously approached the black horse. The horse paid him no attention, content with grazing, while the black-clad rider appeared to be a man based on his attire.
Even through the black clothing, the conspicuous bloodstains were visible, indicating the man had been severely injured.
Only upon drawing closer did Meng Zhuqing realize that although the man lay draped over the horse’s back, his hand was tightly wound with the reins, preventing him from falling off. It was a fortunate thing that the reins had bound him.
The man in black seemed to have lost consciousness. Meng Zhuqing called out twice, but there was no response from the man, so Meng Zhuqing then moved to the other side of the horse to see the man’s face.
The man had eyebrows like distant mountains, skin as smooth as jade; even with his eyes closed due to unconsciousness and his lips pale, his handsome features were still evident.
Meng Zhuqing was somewhat surprised that the man was so handsome, not at all inferior to his own brother Meng Lanqing’s stunning appearance, but since he had always had a brother of remarkable beauty, his surprise was only slight.
Reaching out to check under the man’s nose, Meng Zhuqing detected a faint breath. He then quickly ran back to the carriage to report to Xiao Changyi and An Jing.
"My lord, madam, it’s a very handsome young master who’s seriously injured and unconscious with only a weak breath remaining. Do we save him or not?"
An Jing, already informed by Xiao Changyi about the anomaly and assured that it wouldn’t pose a danger, had let her worries subside. Then, she too climbed out of the carriage, stood beside it, and alongside Xiao Changyi, looked in the direction of the man in black on the black horse.
Upon hearing Meng Zhuqing’s question about whether to save the man, An Jing said, "If he were a vicious and wicked person, we naturally wouldn’t save him; death would be his just deserts. However, since we can’t be sure whether this man is such a villain, let’s save him."
There were some deaths she could ignore, but there were others she simply couldn’t bear to disregard.
Whether the man could genuinely be saved was beyond her considerations; she only wished to have a clear conscience.
Now, An Jing’s commands were as good as Xiao Changyi’s. If Meng Zhuqing disobeyed An Jing’s orders, Xiao Changyi would become displeased, so upon hearing An Jing say to save the man, Meng Zhuqing immediately obliged, "Yes!"
Without delay, Meng Zhuqing then ran back towards the black horse, and as he took the man in black down from it, he sensed something was amiss and promptly laid the man on the ground.
Afterwards, Meng Zhuqing stared at his hands, lost in thought.
"What’s wrong?" An Jing asked, puzzled by Meng Zhuqing’s sudden strange behavior.