Chapter 2: Brotherly Affection and Fraternal Respect—Utterly Laughable

"Fourth Brother, you wield your hand against your elder brother without restraint, utterly violating the Meng family’s precepts of brotherly affection and respect. Such conduct deserves punishment."

A chilling, low voice echoed from the rear of the crowd, its tone brooking no dissent, laced with forceful authority.

Meng Yuxi thought to himself that everyone present now fell silent, holding their breath, astonished by his earlier display of severity. Who was this troublemaker disrupting the harmony?

At that moment, a figure emerged from among the onlookers.

This man was tall and well-featured, clad in an ornate brocade robe. His eyes were sharp and calculating, his brows arched, giving him an air of shrewd arrogance, as if he believed himself above all others.

Meng Yuxi recognized him at once—the eldest brother, Meng Mingzhe. Though the firstborn of the Meng family, he had achieved little in his own right, yet the court, out of respect for Meng Hongchang, had granted him a sinecure as a Fourth-Rank Imperial Scholar.

Since receiving this title, Meng Mingzhe had grown conceited, abandoning all scholarly pursuits, focusing solely on currying favor among the capital’s elite, his ambitions plain for all to see.

From then on, whenever Meng Hongchang was absent, the entire Meng household fell under Meng Mingzhe’s sway.

“It was Meng Mingzhe’s idea to move the original host to the room by Lotus Pool. Had I not transmigrated, the original host would surely have ended up a floating corpse in that pond. These two brothers—one working overtly, the other behind the scenes—their schemes are both precise and deadly.”

While Meng Yuxi was still pondering, Meng Mingzhe had already inspected their second brother’s injuries. Then, with a wail, he threw himself to the ground, crawling to Meng Hongchang’s feet, his voice choked with tears.

“Father, I implore you to grant justice to Second Brother. He lies unconscious now—even if he erred in his recklessness, he does not deserve such a beating from Fourth Brother. I beg you, Father, to uphold justice for Second Brother, lest you chill the hearts of everyone in the Meng household.”

Though Meng Mingzhe cried out in righteousness, his heart sneered, “Meng Yuxi, no matter how much Father favors you—even giving you the best courtyard in the house—you’re still a fool, unworthy of such partiality. You ought to learn to grovel before your elder brothers, begging for scraps of mockery, not bare your fangs. A foolish dog that bares its teeth at its master deserves to be beaten. Now let’s see if you’ll learn the rules.”

As Meng Mingzhe finished his performance, the rest of the assembled relatives, who had moments before been frightened and anxious, now seemed suddenly enlightened and began to weep quietly alongside him. The scene was as though Meng Chenxuan had been beaten to death.

Meng Hongchang frowned deeply. He had only been away from home for half a year, yet upon his return, it seemed the head of the household had changed. Now everyone looked to Meng Mingzhe as their leader.

He lowered his gaze, surveying Meng Mingzhe as if seeing his son anew, sighing inwardly, “Foolish child, does he truly believe that currying favor with the Crown Prince ensures his safety? He appears clever, but is in fact monumentally stupid. How could I have begotten such a son, whose only talent is scheming against his own family?”

Just as he was about to send everyone away, a clear voice rang out, strong and unwavering.

“What a fine speech about brotherly affection and respect. I wonder, when your little brother was struggling in the Lotus Pond, did you hide at the back of the crowd watching from afar? Or did you secretly rejoice in your heart? Or both? Where was your so-called affection then? Without affection, how can there be respect?”

Meng Yuxi’s rapid-fire questions sapped Meng Mingzhe’s momentum in an instant. He faltered, unsure which accusation to answer.

“I only just arrived,” Meng Mingzhe replied, hastily wiping away his tears in self-defense.

“Just arrived?” Meng Yuxi’s words were as sharp as blades. “Then on what basis did you claim Second Brother was merely careless? Was it because you know, as everyone does, that he’s used to beating and kicking me?”

Meng Mingzhe’s eyes darted, searching desperately for a way out.

“You hesitate so long even to speak the truth,” Meng Yuxi continued, “I suspect you saw Father arrive and, fearing blame, hid among the crowd, pretending you’d only just come.”

He gave Meng Mingzhe no chance to reply, turning to the assembled relatives and demanding sternly, “Tell me, did anyone here see me climb out of the Lotus Pond myself? Did any of you offer a helping hand?”

Meng Yuxi had already noticed that only he was soaked to the skin. Everyone else’s clothes were perfectly dry, save for Meng Hongchang, who had gotten wet holding him. Even the muddy tracks on the ground led a single way. Those who had arrived at the pond before were spotless, yet now wept and feigned kindness, a disgusting display.

The others were left speechless by Meng Yuxi’s clear, logical words.

“Is this really the same fool?” some wondered.

“Why do I feel like the real fool here is me?”

No one was more moved than Meng Hongchang. He gazed at Meng Yuxi, who spoke with such poise, tears streaming down his aged face.

“Fourth Son, was your foolishness before all an act?”

Meng Mingzhe leapt up, pointing accusingly at Meng Yuxi’s nose. “So, you admit you were pretending to be a fool?”

Meng Yuxi sneered, “Indeed, I was foolish—thinking that by endlessly yielding and swallowing my grievances, I could win a little familial affection. But being immersed in water has woken me up. Some people simply aren’t worth it.”

“Father, do you think I should find the one who kicked me into the water and thank him properly? While the footprint on my back remains, before anyone can erase it?”

Meng Yuxi lifted his robe, pointing at the muddy print on his back for Meng Hongchang to see.

“Father, I would ask you to have everyone here remove their shoes, and let us compare the prints one by one.”

Meng Yuxi understood that this era was far from civilized. No matter one’s status or wealth, any sign of weakness would draw the wolves lurking in the shadows to tear you apart. The fate of the original host and the ever-shifting attitudes of those around him were proof enough.

At his words, faces in the crowd changed color. They regretted lingering to watch the spectacle, fearing that their shoes might match the print on Meng Yuxi’s back. Several people at the rear quietly slipped away.

Meng Hongchang gently wiped the tears from his eyes, his gaze sharpening as he studied the footprint on Meng Yuxi’s robe.

His expression darkened and shifted rapidly as his eyes flitted from Meng Yuxi to the assembled household.

The fire of the succession struggle had finally spread from the capital to his own home. Now, even a fool tucked away in the south was not safe. What battles must rage in the capital itself?

Had news of Meng Yuxi’s true identity as a prince somehow leaked?

It shouldn’t be possible—he alone in the house knew Meng Yuxi’s secret.

Suddenly, his face hardened with resolve. He barked out a command.

“Guards!”

Several black-clad retainers, swords in hand, appeared instantly, their movements swift and silent. In just two strides, they knelt at Meng Hongchang’s feet, answering in unison, “At your command!”

Meng Hongchang waved his hand, biting back his rage. “Bring everyone in the house here—anyone who can draw breath. I will investigate each one myself. I want to see who has the audacity to plot against the Fourth Young Master!”

“Yes, sir!” The guards replied in thunderous accord. Though few in number, their presence was as daunting as a hundred men. They dispersed swiftly to gather all the household.

Meng family death guards—wherever they appeared, blood was sure to follow.

Meng Mingzhe, realizing the gravity of the situation, grew pale. Father was truly enraged this time. He regretted meddling in this affair at all.