Hidden Shadow – CH 092

Chapter Ninety-Two: The Night Banquet (1)

For many years, An Jiu had no concept of men and women, and she did not know what infatuation was. “No.”

Mei Jiu hesitated. “Why can someone lose their sense of propriety?”

In Mei Jiu’s mind, Mei Ruyan had always been a strong and opinionated woman, capable of handling people and situations perfectly, almost without fault. Now, even she could see that someone like Master Mo would not be a good match for any woman, so why was Mei Ruyan still so hopelessly infatuated?

Both thought seriously for a while before gradually falling asleep.

The next morning, An Jiu was awakened by the sound of footsteps coming and going outside.

It was still early, and Mei Jiu was still asleep. An Jiu sat solemnly in front of the dressing table, letting Yao-Ye arrange her things.

Seeing that she seemed unhappy, Yao-Ye gently comforted her. “Tonight is New Year’s Eve. According to custom, the whole family gathers for a New Year’s Eve dinner. My Young Lady should dress festively.”

An Jiu, having grown up in the West, was unfamiliar with these festivals and had no interest in them. Realizing Mei Jiu was awake, she released control of her body.

Mei Jiu was not fully awake and could not control her body, falling backward.

Yao-Ye quickly supported her. “My Young Lady, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Mei Jiu stammered, “I…I am still a little sleepy.”

Yao-Ye was relieved and continued combing her hair.

In this dynasty, elegant colors were preferred, and respectable ladies rarely wore red or green, except for festivals and weddings. Today, Mei Jiu wore an embroidered dress with jewels, a white fox fur coat, and light rouge on her face, making her even more radiant than usual.

Yao-Ye admired her for a long time, then sincerely exclaimed, “My Young Lady is blessed with a beauty that could launch a thousand ships.”

These words stirred up Mei Jiu’s sorrow again. A woman’s beauty was no match for a good family background. She hoped to marry a husband of equal social standing; he did not need to be handsome or exceptionally talented. She only hoped he would be a gentle man without any vices.

Thinking of this, Mei Jiu blushed, wondering what was wrong with her that she was thinking about such things.

After breakfast, Mei Jiu went to find Mei Ruyan to play, but found her gone. She asked the maids sweeping the courtyard, but they did not know where she was either.

Yao-Ye whispered, “The clan school is closed today. I suspect that Fifteenth Young Lady might have secretly gone to see Master Mo?”

“Who exactly is Master Mo? I remember the disciple boy beside Headmaster Zhao saying he was a handsome and talented scholar in his youth, even a Tanhua in the imperial examinations,” Mei Jiu asked, puzzled. “Why do you say he’s an assassin from the Piaomiao Mountain mansion?”

Yao-Ye replied, “That identity was just a facade. He did indeed participate in the imperial examinations and achieved the third-place ranking. Countless young ladies secretly fell for him, leading to numerous powerful figures vying for his hand in marriage.”

These days, marriage was not as strictly based on social status as in the Tang Dynasty. The distinction between aristocratic families and commoners was not as clear-cut. Talent and wealth were important criteria for the powerful to choose a son-in-law, but some Confucian scholars looked down on merchants and therefore preferred talented and promising young men.

They would inquire about eligible young men before the imperial examinations and had people wait outside the results board. Once a successful candidate was found, they would immediately discuss marriage with him—a practice known as “catching a son-in-law under the results board.”

“As for why he went to take the imperial examination, I heard it was for a business deal,” Yao-Ye added.

The business of Piaomiao Mansion was nothing more than murder.

Upon hearing this, Mei Jiu understood. Master Mo’s nonchalant departure after achieving third place was not truly due to dissatisfaction with his ranking but rather because such a prominent position was not suitable for an assassin to conceal his identity.

Mei Jiu said regretfully, “Why would such a talented young man choose to be an assassin?”

“I heard Master Mo grew up in Piaomiao Mansion; perhaps he had no choice in the matter,” Yao-Ye said, glancing at the hilltop of the clan school. Realizing that Mei Ruyan would not be back anytime soon, she said, “Young Lady, let’s go back.”

“Yes,” Mei Jiu replied.

The two returned to Yuwei Residence. Bored, Yao-Ye found some red paper to help her cut paper snowflakes. They had barely sat down when Mei Ruyan arrived.

“Sister,” Mei Ruyan said, her beautiful face accentuated by her brand-new rouge-colored dress, but her mood was low.

“Come and sit,” Mei Jiu said, not inquiring about her private affairs.

Mei Ruyan haphazardly cut at the red paper with scissors for a while, then could not help but want to confide, “Sister, are you not going to ask where I went?”

“I wanted to ask, but I was afraid you would not want to tell me,” Mei Jiu honestly replied.

“I went to see Master Mo and cooked him a meal, but unfortunately, he did not appreciate it.” Mei Ruyan gave a self-deprecating smile. “Was it too unreserved of me to rush over like this?”

Mei Jiu remained silent, tacitly agreeing with her assessment. Mei Jiu, having read many books on the Three Virtues and Four Morals, naturally possessed self-restraint, while Mei Ruyan, having grown up in a brothel, was completely different in matters of the heart.

“I know, but I cannot let it go.” Mei Ruyan lowered her eyes, looking at the red paper in her hand, a hint of sorrow appearing on her usually smiling face.

“This servant has something to say, but I do not know if I should,” Yao-Ye said, placing a cup of tea in front of Mei Ruyan.

“Speak,” Mei Ruyan said, looking up at her.

Yao-Ye said, “Since you arrived at Mei Mansion, you have not known anyone except my young lady. Spending so much time with Master Mo, it is inevitable that feelings will develop, though they may not be romantic.”

This was just to appease Mei Jiu. Mei Ruyan, having understood matters of the heart since she was seven or eight, how could she not distinguish between the bond between teacher and student and romantic love?

She smiled faintly and said nothing more.

Yao-Ye silently changed the subject. “We will have New Year’s Eve dinner tonight and perhaps stay up all night. Tomorrow morning, we will pay our respects to our elders. After lunch, both ladies should go to bed for a nap; otherwise, you will not be able to stay awake.”

Mei Mansion had few formalities, but human relationships could not be ignored. It was one thing on ordinary days, but during festivals, etiquette could not be neglected.

After having lunch at Yuwei Residence, Mei Ruyan and Dan-Yue returned to their quarters for a short rest, waiting for the New Year’s Eve dinner.

The Mei family had a banquet hall where, on major holidays, the entire Mei clan would gather for a feast.

Mei Mansion not only contains Mei Mansion, but also neighboring villages comprised of branches of the Mei clan. Tonight’s banquet also includes these villages.

A banquet of over nine hundred people—a truly grand affair.

Preparations for the banquet began gradually in early winter. By nighttime, the banquet hall in the front courtyard was bustling with activity. Children played in groups, and two rows of large screens divided the hall into two sides, leaving a path in the middle. The elderly sat at the head of the table, while the young and middle-aged, dressed in their finest clothes, gathered at the lower level to chat animatedly. On the other side sat the women.

Throughout the year, only at times like this did Mei Mansion truly come alive; everyone’s face beaming with joy.

Meanwhile, incense smoke filled the ancestral hall, creating a solemn atmosphere.

Following tradition, before the banquet began, Mei Zhengyan led the Mei clan descendants in paying respects to their ancestors.

After the ceremony, everyone went to a side hall to take their seats.

“Has the news been spread?” Mei Zhengyan asked.

Mei Zhengjing said, “It’s already been spread; let’s see if she falls for it.”

To find out who the matriarch of the eldest branch’s master was, they did not hesitate to spread the news that the Mei family wanted to leave the Konghe Army and go into seclusion.

Elder Qi tapped the ground repeatedly with his white bone staff, making an unsettling thud. “Even now, I still feel it is too risky.”

After a moment of silence, Mei Zhengyan said, “We are in a precarious position. Whether she’s a traitor or a spy planted by the Emperor, she’s pushing the Mei family to the brink. We have no choice but to gamble.”

“In that case, let’s handle it secretly…” Elder Qi, like Mei Zhengyan, was a conservative.

Assassination was the Mei family’s forte. With just a command from the patriarch, they had plenty of ways to make the matriarch of the eldest branch disappear.

“We want to go into seclusion, not rebel. Even if the Emperor finds out, he will only think we are disheartened by the Lou family affair. Even if he does not say anything, he will speculate. Once he confirms our intentions, he will inevitably become suspicious of the other families.” Mei Zhengjing lightly stroked the embroidery on his wide sleeve. “It’s a perfect opportunity to drag them down with us.”

“Are you planning a rebellion?” an elder asked in a low voice.

Mei Zhengjing’s gaze was cold. “It’s self-preservation.” Only the incompetence of those in power forced their subjects to resort to such methods to protect themselves.

“I do not have Elder Zhi’s vision, but I know the Mei family motto of ‘Loyalty and Righteousness.’ Now, the Liao Kingdom is eyeing us covetously, ready to invade at any moment. If all the generals in the court were like us, we might as well hand over the Song Dynasty to them, sparing the people the suffering of war.” Elder Qi slowly rose, preparing to leave.

Was it about personal considerations or the greater good? Mei Zhengjing had considered it, but serving such a master was an insult he could not swallow even if it meant death.

“Do as you please; I do not care anymore!” Mei Zhengjing stormed off, truly abandoning the situation without hesitation.

The elders looked at Mei Zhengyan.

“Proceed according to plan,” Mei Zhengyan said.

The elders remained silent, tacitly agreeing to the decision.

As dusk deepened and the banquet was about to begin, the group left the ancestral hall for the banquet hall.

They had barely stepped outside when a young apprentice rushed over. “Elder, the medicine shed is on fire!”

Elder Qi frowned, his first thought being that Mo Sigui had caused trouble again. “What happened?”

“The medicine furnace exploded,” the apprentice said urgently. “Brother Mo is leading people to put out the fire.”

“I will go back and check.” Elder Qi turned and ran. This was unacceptable! The medicine shed contained many precious medicinal herbs painstakingly collected over many years. Using even a little was like cutting off a piece of flesh; if it burned down, would he even survive?! Mei Zhengyan instructed his servants to take twenty men to help and then went to the banquet hall with several elders.

People gradually arrived. On the women’s side, the two Old Madams were the main figures. Mei Jiu, Mei Ruyan, and Mei Ruhan sat to the left of the old ladies, while Mei Ruhan’s aunt stood behind them serving.

These were the only women left in the main branch.

Compared to the quiet atmosphere on this side, the second branch was much more lively. All the young girls, young and old, crowded around the Second Old Madam, fawning over her. The Second Old Madam glanced at the First Old Madam, her face beaming with smug satisfaction.

The First Old Madam snorted softly, lowered her eyes, and quietly sipped her tea.