Hidden Shadow – CH 188

Chapter One-Hundred-Eighty-Eight: Roasted Sweet Potatoes

The man untied the red cloth strip from the falcon’s leg, glanced at it, and casually tossed it into the charcoal stove.

Inside, a woman in plain clothes sat on a couch, holding a teacup, her brows furrowed.

The aroma of tea filled the room. After a long while, the woman put down her teacup without drinking. “Shall we go back?”

The man coughed a few times, looking at the charcoal fire flickering in the wind. “Yes.”

…

The snow had been falling heavier and heavier these past few days, and the brutal fight on the riverbank, concealed by the white snow, seemed less gruesome.

The authorities found ninety-one corpses, and nine out of ten houses along the river were empty.

Another horrific tragedy. As soon as the news spread, the major case on the river not long ago was brought up again, with many speculating that it was the work of the same group.

The authorities found a token at the scene—a pass belonging to the Konghe Bureau.

The government immediately tried to suppress the news, but secrets could not stay hidden forever. With so many people talking, the story somehow leaked out. After confirming with the authorities, scholars from the Jiangnan region jointly petitioned the Emperor to thoroughly investigate the Konghe Academy.

The Konghe Academy was ostensibly established to train personnel for the Palace Guard and Imperial Bodyguards. Its construction had been opposed by many officials from the outset, and now that it was involved in this affair, naturally, some people wanted to seize on it and cause trouble.

In a courtyard in Yangzhou, a group of wounded people sat on the veranda, basking in the sun.

Mo Sigui and Sheng Changying sat by a brazier, sleeves rolled up, chatting about the hottest topic in the city these past few days.

“Those people are making such a fuss; I do not know what they are after. The Konghe Academy is not newly built,” Mo Sigui said lazily, warming himself by the fire.

Under Mo Sigui’s care, Sheng Changying’s spirits improved considerably. Now that he was healthier, he felt even more idle. “Previously, the Imperial Guards and Palace Guards were selected from the army, allowing many aristocratic families to easily place their own people there. Their sons could easily secure official positions in these two departments. But now, the Imperial Guards and Palace Guards are completely controlled by the Konghe Bureau. They cannot get any of those coveted positions. Now that we’ve finally got leverage over them, how can we not work hard?”

There was not much personal gain in the Imperial Guards and Palace Guards, but they were responsible for guarding the capital region. High-ranking officials in these departments were close advisors to the Emperor. Furthermore, the founding Emperor himself served in the Palace Guards before ascending the throne, so the dynasty had always placed great importance on these two departments. Naturally, people would fight tooth and nail for such positions.

“They are just wasting their time,” Mo Sigui commented casually. With his head bowed, he poked at the sweet potatoes around the charcoal brazier with a fork, finding one cooked. He picked it up and offered it to Lou Mingyue. “Roasted sweet potato.”

Lou Mingyue, who was resting with her eyes closed, coldly replied, “I do not want it.”

“I will eat it.” An Jiu’s neck was wrapped in a thick cloth, making it difficult even to turn her head, so she turned her whole body around.

This was Lou Mingyue’s favorite food as a child. They used to secretly dig them up from the nearby fields and roast them in a secluded corner. When her parents found out, they were severely punished and forced to apologize to the farmers with gifts.

Mo Sigui said, “Save your breath. That pot of medicine will be enough to keep you full.”

An Jiu paused. “I am only giving you a way out because you are embarrassed. Since you are shameless, I am just worried.”

“Tch. Being shameless is not a new thing!” Mo Sigui said, shoving the hot roasted sweet potato into Lou Mingyue’s hand.

Lou Mingyue held the sweet potato, her palm burning slightly. She did not eat it, but she did not throw it away in front of everyone either.

The sun’s shadow shifted westward; after midday in winter, the sun’s warmth faded. Everyone received their medicine from Mo Sigui and returned to their rooms.

An Jiu entered the room and sat down against the wall.

Just as she was about to fall asleep, a black figure descended from the rafters, casually tossing something to her.

An Jiu caught it, smelling a delicious aroma.

“I did not want to eat it.” An Jiu frowned, staring at him unhappily.

The aroma of roasted sweet potatoes wafted to her nose. An Jiu’s nose twitched slightly. She untied the cloth bundle, took a bite, and her brows furrowed even deeper. “It’s not good.”

Chu Dingjiang took the sweet potato from her hand, peeled it, and held it to her lips. “Try another bite.”

An Jiu took a bite from his hand, her eyes brightening slightly.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

“Fourteenth Young Lady!”

Knock! Knock! Knock!

“Fourteenth Young Lady!” Mo Sigui howled outside. “Chu Dingjiang, if you’ve got the guts, do not hide!” An Jiu opened the door and saw Mo Sigui with a bruised and swollen face.

Seeing Chu Dingjiang indeed in An Jiu’s room, he angrily shouted, “Fourteenth Young Lady! Tie Chu Dingjiang up! Do not let him out to bite people!”

He turned and rushed back inside, and the sound of rummaging through drawers came from the opposite room.

“You hit him?” An Jiu asked.

Chu Dingjiang leaned against a pillar. “Obviously.”

An Jiu did not ask why, closed the door, silently sat back down, and started eating a sweet potato. As she ate, she suddenly grinned.

Chu Dingjiang rarely saw her happy, but he had secretly imagined it countless times. Her face was beautiful; her smile must be alluring and stunning. However, reality was often unexpected. Her smile was silly, but the innocence in her eyes was as pure and innocent as a child’s. Looking at that smile, it was as if a pebble had been thrown into a still lake of his heart, creating ripples.

An Jiu never had a weak side; she was always cold and ruthless. Anyone who witnessed her fierce and ruthless aura would be wary. But at this moment, Chu Dingjiang felt sorry for her, and a desire to protect her arose within him.

An Jiu, unaware of his change, buried herself in eating sweet potatoes, quickly finishing all four in her pocket. Wiping her mouth, she commented, “These smell delicious but taste just so-so.”

Chu Dingjiang chuckled, “Really just so-so?”

“Better than dry rations.” An Jiu’s previous diet was simple, consisting of only a few fixed dishes. But after joining the Mei family, she enjoyed delicious food every day. She could still survive on dry rations, but having tasted good food, she now understood the vast differences in taste.

“The food in the Konghe Army is quite good; we will not have to eat dry rations every day anymore,” Chu Dingjiang said.

This was undoubtedly good news for An Jiu.

With her food and drink secured, she remembered the rumors circulating outside and asked, “Where was the Konghe Academy token found? Is everything alright?”

They would not carry any identifying marks before their operation, let alone a token. It was clearly a setup. Chu Dingjiang understood that An Jiu was asking if he would be implicated.

“A token cannot do much to me, but…” Chu Dingjiang paused, then said, “Their target is not me but the Konghe Academy. They will definitely pin the blame for the two recent incidents on the Academy, aiming to weaken its authority. If I am not mistaken, this is another Liao trick.”

An Jiu could guess what was going on, but she did not understand. “Such an obvious frame-up; why would anyone believe it?”

Chu Dingjiang smiled helplessly. “There are always some opportunistic, short-sighted idiots. Do they not realize that when the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact?”

Knock!

“Is Lord Chu here?” someone asked from outside.

“Speak,” Chu Dingjiang said.

“I have a letter for you,” the person said.