Hidden Shadow – CH 112
by MTL TranslationChapter One-Hundred-Twelve: Carriage Sex
Bang!
A loud crash drew curious and inquisitive glances from those around.
The carriage suddenly shook violently, the thuds occasionally mingling with the rapid breathing of a man. From the outside, it was quite a spectacle!
Someone recognized it as a carriage from the Hua family and immediately began whispering excitedly.
Inside the carriage, the two were locked in a fierce struggle. An Jiu desperately wanted to kill him, but if she killed Prime Minister Hua’s son in the street, she would inevitably be hunted down. Firstly, she would not be allowed into the Konghe Army, and secondly, with her current strength, she probably would not escape the Heavenly Net for long. Therefore, she could not act recklessly.
Hua Rongjian, having spent so many years mingling with women, had never laid a hand on a woman before meeting An Jiu. Of course, no woman had ever dared to lay a hand on him. But for some unknown reason, every time he encountered An Jiu, they would inexplicably start fighting. However, once they started fighting, going all out seemed too ungentlemanly, but did he have to back down and take a beating? The reason, Hua Rongjian believed, was that she was too violent, throwing punches at the drop of a hat.
“Fourteenth Young Lady, that’s enough,” Hua Rongjian advised.
The people on the street became even more excited upon hearing this! It was not that Second Young Master Hua was fierce, but rather that the woman was formidable!
In the relatively conservative Song Dynasty, this would be a huge topic of conversation!
The coachman was extremely embarrassed and quickened his pace, finally exiting the city gates a short while later.
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“My Lord, we are out of the city,” the coachman reminded him.
Hua Rongjian smoothed his clothes and glared at An Jiu. “Shrew.”
“Speak quickly; I am busy,” An Jiu added in one breath. “The Mei family is practically wiped out now; they have no use to you. You do not need to pester me. Besides, the Mei family still has several women of marriageable age left; you can just marry any one of them. I had no interest in marriage to begin with. I have even less interest in marrying you.”
“Who said the Mei family is wiped out?” Hua Rongjian ignored her last sentence. “Not only is the Mei family not wiped out, but the Lou family is not either, at least not yet.”
An Jiu thought for a moment and knew he meant that there were still members of the Mei and Lou families in the Konghe Army. The Hua family wanted to utilize this force; they did not care how many members of the Mei family were still publicly known.
Even more importantly, there was a crucial point An Jiu had not considered: since ancient times, people had feared being rootless and adrift. Especially for these ghostly figures like them, the Mei family members in the Konghe Army would not let the Mei family disappear. If only An Jiu remained of the Mei family, they would honor her as the head of the family, making marrying her even more useful.
The Lou family was in the same boat.
“We’ve received word that His Majesty intends to issue an imperial decree to bestow a marriage upon a daughter of the Mei family, named Mei Rushan. Have you heard of her?” Hua Rongjian said with a smile. But what he was referring to was a chilling scheme. “She’s also from the eldest branch of the Mei family, currently serving in the Imperial Guard of the Konghe Army, attending to matters before the Emperor.
They occasionally serve in the Emperor’s bedchamber. She will be called Mei Shiniang. Pretty disgusting, is it not?” Hua Rongjian expressed extreme dissatisfaction with the Emperor’s handling of the matter.
Mei Shiniang was Mei Ruhan, who had once been close to Mei Ruyan, but died when the Mei family was attacked.
Daughters of wealthy families were always kept hidden away. Outsiders only knew their birth order, not their given names. Saying Mei Rushan was Mei Shiniang would not ring a bell. Moreover, it was an imperial decree; whether it was true or not, it had to be true. Even if someone discovered the truth, they would not dare expose it.
Those in power acted like thugs; whoever resisted suffered.
“You feel disgusted?” An Jiu questioned his logic. “When you are at a brothel, the women you sleep with have probably been slept with by countless other men. How come you do not feel disgusted? Besides, with so many women you’ve slept with, anyone who wants to marry you would find it disgusting. What’s the point of your disgusting attitude and motivation?”
“Tch! Does taking off my clothes necessarily mean I am sleeping? Can I not just take a shower? Does going to a brothel necessarily mean I am doing that? Which eye of yours saw me go to a brothel!” Hua Rongjian was very dissatisfied with An Jiu’s sharp words. “Is being a womanizer and being a hooligan the same thing?!
When you need to pee…
If you saw an outhouse, you would not just go in and not pee, would you?”
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An Jiu did not believe him at all. “Physiological needs need to be taken care of; no one will look down on you. I am not interested in this topic; get to the point.”
Hua Rongjian felt a lump in his throat, unable to let it out. He exhaled sharply and said, “My elder brother’s first wife was a spy sent by the Emperor. Later, my sister-in-law fell in love with my brother and betrayed the Emperor, so she was secretly executed…
Hua Rongtian was a devoted husband. Knowing his wife was a spy, he still doted on her after marrying her. At first, it was just for show, but over time, they developed feelings for each other, and this kindness inevitably mixed with genuine affection. He was a reserved man, but his care was like a gentle rain, silent and unassuming. Once he set his mind on a woman, he did everything he could to protect her. Unfortunately, he could not fight against imperial power, and he still grieved for not being able to protect his wife back then.”
After listening, An Jiu stared at his candid assessment and said, “So it turns out one rotten apple spoils the whole barrel, making me misunderstand the Hua family.”
She was clearly implying that he was the rotten apple.
“You cannot expect anything good to come out of a dog’s mouth,” Hua Rongjian said, now somewhat numb. He continued, “Recently, His Majesty has not issued a decree for marriage because of the ambush that wiped out the Mei and Lou families. So I want to marry a woman from the Mei family before then. His Majesty will definitely have doubts if both my brother and I marry women from the Mei family.”
He was betting that the current Emperor did not have that kind of power.
Hua Rongjian leaned back, acting like a lord. “As for the other surviving women from the Mei family, I’ve tried every means to see their faces. You are the most beautiful.”
“And then?” An Jiu asked.
“Marrying me will certainly have its benefits,” Hua Rongjian said. “I can help your mother escape the Konghe Army.”
This was a shortcut, and it was impossible for An Jiu not to be tempted. After all, she knew very little about the Konghe Army and was not confident she could rescue Mei Yanran. She had never considered trading herself for anything and could not immediately discern her own thoughts. “I will think about it.”
“Take your time, no rush.” Hua Rongjian smiled and poured a cup of water, as if certain she would agree.
An Jiu stood up and jumped off the carriage.
Hua Rongjian paused, quickly placing the teacup on the table, and leaned out to call out to An Jiu’s retreating figure, “Do not be too slow!”
In the chilly spring wilderness, withered grass rustled in the wind. Hua Rongjian saw that the slender figure on the road did not turn around but simply raised a middle finger.
“A day or a month?” Hua Rongjian assumed she was indicating a time for consideration.
An Jiu quickened her pace, ignoring him.
Hua Rongjian urged the coachman to catch up with her. “I am asking you a question! Would it kill you to say something?”
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