Hidden Shadow – CH 257

Chapter Two-Hundred-Fifty-Seven: Mother and Daughter

Gao Dazhuang did not chase after them. He opened the oil-paper package and saw a small bunch of wildflowers inside. He trembled with anger.

The three of them rushed back to their quarters. Sui Yuntong finally had a moment to ask, “What did you give him?”

“A bunch of small white flowers,” An Jiu thought to herself. “I should have picked some wild vegetables; at least he’d have something to eat.”

“Who gives someone white flowers? Are you trying to infuriate him?” Sui Yuntong sighed.

An Jiu was unconvinced. She had only picked the white flowers because they were pretty; there were many yellow and red ones over there that she had not picked.

Of the three, Li Qingzhi was the most conscientious. He frowned, asking anxiously, “My Lord will not really go hungry, will he? The palace has the imperial kitchen; at least he can get something to eat, right?”

Sui Yuntong shook his head. “Every area of ​​the palace is guarded by secret guards. The imperial kitchen is probably quite well-staffed. Speaking of which, have you not figured out My Lord’s character yet?”

Li Qingzhi’s eyes widened, his face showing utter bewilderment.

“My Lord sometimes acts out of line, but always in a perfectly timed way, never giving anyone a handle to use against him. This time, His Majesty ordered him to impersonate a eunuch. In my opinion, he would not secretly run away from Gushe Palace,” Sui Yuntong said.

An Jiu lacked a clear sense of right and wrong. Hearing Sui Yuntong’s words, she gradually felt a pang of guilt. For people like them, going hungry for three to five days without food, let alone a day, would still inspire them to kill. However, An Jiu had promised to bring him food, but then broke her promise; that was wrong of her.

However, the die was cast, and further contemplation was pointless. After a thorough self-examination, An Jiu quickly put the matter aside, as she noticed the people in the neighboring courtyard had returned…

An Jiu stood there for a moment, then turned and left the courtyard.

Li Qingzhi and Sui Yuntong exchanged a glance and went back to their rooms.

Although An Jiu was not ready to face Mei Yanran, the Konghe Army was not openly present, and now that they were so close, it was best to make contact first.

Having made up her mind, she did not hesitate any longer and gently knocked on the door.

There was no response from inside. An Jiu pushed the door open and went in. She did not want to clash with the people in the courtyard, so she first introduced herself and explained her purpose, “Fourteenth Young Lady of the Dragon Martial Guards, here to find a member of the Mei clan.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a slender figure emerged from a room.

“Who are you?” The person’s voice trembled, filled with disbelief.

An Jiu hesitated for a moment, then whispered, “Mother.” The moment she uttered the word, Mei Yanran appeared before her, removing her veil to reveal a gaunt face.

The Mei Yanran that An Jiu remembered was a gentle, serene woman, untouched by the hardships of her years away from home. Yet, having only recently joined the Konghe Army, a chilling aura had already appeared between her brows. This aura, however, slowly dissipated upon seeing An Jiu.

An Jiu removed her hood and called out again, “Mother.”

This time, her voice was much more resolute.

Mei Jiu’s physical appearance had changed, and coupled with An Jiu’s distinct temperament, she seemed utterly unfamiliar to Mei Yanran at first glance. But after all, she was a piece of her own flesh and blood. The blood ties remained unbroken. She paused for a moment, then reached out and embraced An Jiu. “Jiu’er, how much suffering have you endured!”

She believed her gentle and kind daughter had been forced into this state within the Konghe Army. Though hard to imagine, it was the only explanation.

“Mother, let’s talk in my room.” An Jiu trusted her group of people.

Mei Yanran nodded and took her hand as they went out.

Her hands clasped together, An Jiu tensed uncomfortably, but a glance at Mei Yanran’s profile eased her tension.

Upon entering the courtyard, Sui Yuntong was the first to peek out. “Who is it?”

As assassins, they were extremely wary of strangers.

“My mother,” An Jiu introduced briefly.

Sui Yuntong, surprisingly, greeted her with a bow, like a scholar. “I did not know you were Lady Mei. I am so sorry for the intrusion.”

He knew that the Mei family’s daughters never married outside the family, hence addressing Mei Yanran as Lady Mei.

Mei Yanran was slightly surprised. Sui Yuntong’s manners would be normal outside, but here they felt out of place; she had never seen anything like it during her time with the Konghe Army.

“No need for formalities,” Mei Yanran said calmly, despite her surprise.

Sui Yuntong bowed again and returned inside.

An Jiu led Mei Yanran into her room, and after they sat down, she was momentarily at a loss for words.

Mei Yanran, however, held her hand and scrutinized her closely.

An Jiu, impersonating Mei Yanran, felt insecure under such direct scrutiny and could only lower her eyes and remain silent.

Her appearance was delicate, and this demeanor made her seem like she had suffered a grievance but refused to speak, causing Mei Yanran a dull ache in her heart. She pulled her close, choking back tears. “My child!”

An Jiu leaned against her chest, pondering what topic to use as a starting point.

She thought and thought, but could not come up with anything. Once Mei Yanran had calmed down, she initiated the conversation, “I heard that the Mei family suffered a calamity. How did you escape? And how did you end up here?”

This was a poor choice!

An Jiu was self-aware enough to know that her ability to deceive might frighten a naive girl like Mei Jiu, but it would not work on Mei Yanran.

For some reason, a name naturally popped into An Jiu’s mind at that moment: “It was Cousin Mo who saved me.”

Such a ridiculous excuse would be exposed sooner or later! But there was no way to tell Mei Yanran immediately, “Your daughter is dead, but she’s been resurrected, and I just happened to be in her body too.” That would be too much information, and An Jiu was not sure if Mei Yanran would be so shocked and angry that she’d draw her sword and kill her. She had to appease the situation for now.

“I wanted to join the Konghe Army to find you, so I went to the Konghe Courtyard first. I did not expect to get close to the Dragon Martial Guards so quickly. It is because I helped the Song army in battle at the border that I gained the Emperor’s attention,” An Jiu tried to downplay the situation, barely managing to make it sound plausible. “Also, there’s an official in the Konghe Army who has been helping me.”

Mei Yanran stroked her hair. “My child, your kindness is rewarded.”

The mother and daughter’s conversation was inevitably overheard by others in the courtyard, who were immediately filled with emotion. Fourteenth Young Lady was kind-hearted? Truly, everything in a mother’s eyes was precious!

Since Chu Dingjiang was mentioned, An Jiu picked up a pen and paper and wrote down her departure from the Konghe Army, including Chu Dingjiang’s assistance, as it would be difficult for her to completely break free from the organization on her own.

After reading it, Mei Yanran was very suspicious. Why would a high-ranking official in the Konghe Army, who was not related to them, help them? It was impossible for someone to do a favor without expecting anything in return! She was worried that her daughter had been deceived, so she wrote: “We will discuss this later.”

Then she crumpled the paper, put it in a teacup, and poured water into it. “Have you seen Elder Zhi?”

An Jiu was slightly taken aback. “Is he in the palace?”