Hidden Shadow – CH 258

Chapter Two-Hundred-Fifty-Eight: The Crown Prince

“Yes, he’s now a lecturer at the Zishan Hall,” Mei Yanran said.

The Zishan Hall was where princes studied, and the lecturers were responsible for instructing and supervising the Crown Prince or other princes. Elder Zhi was a talented scholar in his youth, having achieved the highest rank in the imperial examinations and earning the Emperor’s high praise. The Mei family held considerable power in the Imperial Guard and were also wealthy locals, so the Emperor was naturally reluctant to promote him to a high position. Now that the Mei family had fallen from grace, it was not surprising that he was able to take up an official post.

“I’ve never seen him before.” An Jiu had finally managed to get here from the Imperial Guard, half due to her own abilities and half due to luck. She had no time to pay attention to anything else, especially since she was not particularly interested in Elder Zhi’s affairs.

Mei Yanran did not continue, only taking her hand and sighing, “Jiu’er, I almost do not recognize you anymore.”

An Jiu remained silent, thinking that it was already quite good that she recognized her.

“It’s my fault for not taking good care of you.” Mei Yanran’s feelings were a mix of emotions, including guilt, heartache, and a touch of relief. “You are a strong child.”

Every few days, Mei Yanran would go to Elder Zhi to inquire about her daughter. She had thought that after the Mei family’s downfall, Mei Jiu might not survive, but the reality was quite the opposite! Now, her daughter stood before her, unharmed, though her demeanor had become somewhat cold and aloof, giving her a sense of unfamiliarity.

However, in a place like the Konghe Army, which was designed to toughen people up, how could one survive without hardening one’s heart?

Thinking of this, Mei Yanran cast aside all other thoughts, leaving only heartache.

The two women spoke for a while, then went to rest.

Mei Yanran stayed. Although An Jiu was not used to it, she did not ask her to leave.

As dusk fell, there was a gentle knock on the door. Sui Yuntong whispered, “Let’s go.” It was time for her shift.

An Jiu quickly packed her clothes, slung the Dragon-Subduing Bow over her shoulder, and saw Mei Yanran also putting on her robe. She said, “I am leaving.” Without waiting for Mei Yanran’s reply, he hurriedly left.

Mei Yanran swallowed back the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

The Emperor was cautious about his own safety, so the commander assigned them to the East Palace.

The Crown Prince would spend two hours in the Zishan Hall in the morning, and after lunch, he would study state affairs with his tutor and others in the East Palace.

Sui Yuntong and Li Qingzhi took good care of An Jiu, letting her be in charge of the inner chambers to avoid the wind and sun.

An Jiu readily complied, lying on the rafters of the East Palace study and sleeping soundly. Whenever the Crown Prince moved, she would follow, essentially acting as his personal bodyguard.

After idly sleeping all day, An Jiu woke up and squatted on the rafters to observe the Crown Prince.

It was said the Crown Prince was nineteen this year, but he looked much younger. His fair, delicate face suggested he was only fifteen or sixteen, with refined features and fine, downy eyebrows. When reading, his brow was furrowed, as if he were deeply concerned for the country and its people. In reality, he often drifted off into thought.

An Jiu secretly yawned. The next Emperor did not seem so promising!

The Emperor had only three sons, leaving him with limited choices. Seeing this, An Jiu suddenly understood why Emperors wanted many sons—statistically, this greatly increases the chances of having a bright child.

The Crown Prince finally made it to dinner. After seeing off the officials from the Eastern Palace, he slumped onto his mat and let out a long sigh.

A eunuch bowed and entered. “Your Highness, would you like to bathe?”

“I need to rest,” the Crown Prince said lazily.

The eunuch said softly, “This servant will massage Your Highness’s shoulders.”

The Crown Prince closed his eyes and hummed in agreement.

The eunuch knelt behind the Crown Prince, his shoulder massages practiced and skillful.

The Crown Prince dozed off comfortably, soon collapsing onto the eunuch’s lap.

The eunuch’s slender, white hands then massaged down the Crown Prince’s shoulders to his chest and then down to his groin… In no time, the Crown Prince had an erection.

Wait, something was not right! An Jiu looked closely at the eunuch and realized he was actually a woman!

The Crown Prince suddenly rolled over, pinning the woman to the ground.

The woman’s eunuch hat fell off, revealing a head of black, silky hair spread across the mat, exposing a delicate and pretty face. The Crown Prince leaned down and kissed her lips, both of them breathless from the kiss.

An Jiu estimated the girl was only fourteen or fifteen years old; with the two teenagers rolling around on the ground, doing this and that, the scene was both innocent and exciting.

Seeing the prince’s practiced ease, he was clearly a seasoned veteran. In no time, the girl was crying and begging for mercy.

An Jiu suddenly remembered yesterday by the stream when Chu Dingjiang had brought his lips close to hers… Her eyes widened slightly as she understood Chu Dingjiang’s intentions.

Indeed, who in this world would be kind to someone for no reason?

An Jiu did not resist being close to Chu Dingjiang. Looking at the arousing scene below, she was certain her instincts were still there. If she saw Chu Dingjiang again, she would not mind doing it again, but beyond that, she did not want to think about it anymore.

She never wanted a husband, nor children, and she certainly did not want her children to face a terrifying father.

An Jiu’s mind wandered for a while, and then the two of them finished.

Like cats who had stolen food, they did not dare call for service. After cleaning themselves up, they went to the bathhouse together.

An Jiu was in charge of everything inside, so she had to go with them.

Young people were indeed full of energy; these two got excited halfway through their bath and spent the entire half hour making a ruckus inside.

An Jiu had never seen such a long, explicit scene in her two lifetimes combined. She’d had her fill—she’d been on duty for twelve hours, and the Crown Prince had been with her four or five times, each time with a different woman.

So much so that when she returned to her quarters, her mind was filled with images of white, swaying buttocks.

Fortunately, she had strong willpower and had received professional anti-brainwashing training. She quickly put these thoughts aside and began thinking about how to get Mei Yanran to leave with her.

An Jiu could understand Mei Yanran’s concerns. Even she, someone who did not know Chu Dingjiang well, sometimes wondered if his friendliness towards her had ulterior motives.

She had not quite figured it out before, but today, thanks to the Crown Prince, it finally became clear.

Days in the palace passed by, both boring and fleeting. Before An Jiu knew it, half a month had gone by. She realized the Crown Prince was simply a lustful creature; he neglected his studies and political affairs, spending all his energy on women every night. If the Song Dynasty were to fall into his hands, it would be better to hand it over to the Liao Dynasty.

In the living quarters, Sui Yuntong was tilling the ground to plant vegetables. An Jiu squatted on the veranda, basking in the sun, and asked him, “What kind of people are the other two princes?”

Sui Yuntong, while scattering seeds into the holes, replied, “It’s said the Second Prince is fond of martial arts and dislikes Taoism. He has been reprimanded by the Emperor several times for offending Taoist masters, so the Emperor does not like him much. The Third Prince is skilled in both literature and martial arts, but due to the prevailing social trends, he prefers literature and calligraphy.”

“Do they both have many women?” An Jiu asked.