Meng Xinian’s first act upon returning home was, of course, to deal with those two individuals.
He paid special attention to the one who was critically injured.
When he saw the man’s swollen wrist, his gaze flickered.
At noon, a carriage stopped at their doorstep, from which four plainclothes young men alighted. They quickly took the injured away.
Only then did Ge Liutao heave a sigh of relief and directed Chiang Songhai to break a small bunch of pomegranate branches to soak in water for cleansing the courtyard.
It was said by the older generations that doing so could ward off evil spirits and bad luck.
No one stopped the elders from seeking peace of mind by these means.
Meng Xinian made another call back to the Capital City to reassure Old Meng of his well-being. He did not detail his injuries, but Old Meng still found out about the severity of his wounds on the third day.
It was because on that day, Meng Chaojun returned with a face so dark it seemed it could drip ink, and for the first time in a long while, he took the initiative to discuss Meng Xinian’s affairs with Old Meng.
"We had a small meeting today," Meng Chaojun said in a deep voice. "The Gao Family and Lu Family insisted on holding an inter-provincial competition on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month."
Old Meng furrowed his brows, finding his words somewhat perplexing.
"So let it be held, what’s inappropriate about that?"
The tri-provincial Aristocratic Family Supervisor Guard Teams’ special competition was, in fact, akin to a minor military exercise, targeting the Elite Supervisor Guard. For those elite team members who were selected, it was an opportunity to showcase themselves, and moreover, if they performed well, it could advance their careers.
This was an unwritten rule known to all at their level.
This special competition was held once every three years, and at the end of the competition, there was an ’Elite King’ battle. To take the title of Elite Supervisor Guard was an honor of immense prestige.
And this was the real deal, with actual gold plating.
Meng Xinian had always been waiting for this moment. Three years earlier, he had been squeezed out of the Elite Supervisor Guard contest by a coalition of the Gao and Fong Families. It was because of that episode that he completely lost faith in Meng Chaojun and chose not to return home thereafter.
The Gao and Fong families had clearly used shady tactics, and if Meng Chaojun had been willing to stand up for him, he could have not only reclaimed his spot but also struck back at the Gao and Fong Families.
But at that time, Duan Qingqing fell ill, hospitalized for half a month, looking every day like the frail Xi Shi, silently shedding tears when not with Meng Chaojun, which left him deeply distressed. He reported daily to the hospital, paying no mind to Meng Xinian’s predicament.
By the time Duan Qingqing was discharged, the matter had already been settled.
Meng Chaojun even found Duan Qingqing’s words to be very reasonable.
Three years ago, Meng Xinian had just turned seventeen, and they did not believe a seventeen-year-old him could secure the title of Elite Supervisor Guard. They considered both his age and experience insufficient, believing that if he struggled to participate and then suffered a crushing defeat, it would tarnish the Meng Family’s reputation instead.
It would be better to wait another three years, until his age, experience, and skills were adequate, and he had the capacity to compete.
This time, Meng Chaojun was waiting for the opportunity.
Knowing about this chance, last year he made a firm decision to list Meng Xinian’s name for a special mission that was half training exercise, half support for a neighboring country. As it was a special task, his achievements could not be openly acknowledged, so they were waiting for this tri-provincial competition to let him show some merit and, with those results, promote him.
"News leaked from the Fong Family says Xinian has been seriously injured!" Meng Chaojun said with a grave voice.
"What?" Old Meng stood up abruptly, both shocked and worried, "Xinian is injured?"