Boom!
A loud noise drew curious and probing glances from the surroundings.
The carriage suddenly shook violently, with occasional thumping sounds mixed with a man's rapid panting. From the outside, it looked absolutely scandalous!
Someone recognized it as the Hua family's carriage, immediately sparking excited whispers.
Inside the carriage, two people were locked in a tussle. An Jiu truly wished she could use lethal moves, but killing the Hua Chief Counselor's son in public would inevitably lead to pursuit. Not only would she be unable to join the Crane Control Army, but with her current strength, she likely wouldn't last long under the Net of Heaven and Earth. Thus, she couldn't act recklessly.
As for Hua Rongjian, having frequented pleasure quarters for years, he'd never laid hands on a woman before meeting An Jiu—nor had any woman dared strike him. Yet somehow, every encounter with An Jiu inexplicably turned into a brawl. Once engaged, going all out seemed ungentlemanly, but yielding meant taking punches—what kind of choice was that?
Hua Rongjian attributed this entirely to her violent tendencies—always so quick to throw punches.
"Mei Shisi, enough already," Hua Rongjian negotiated.
Hearing this, the crowd grew even more excited! So it wasn't Hua Erlang being forceful—the woman was the fierce one!
In the relatively conservative climate of the Great Song dynasty, this would make for sensational gossip!
The carriage driver, extremely embarrassed, quickened the pace. After the time it took to drink tea, they finally exited the city gates.
"Young master, we're outside the city," the driver reminded.
Hua Rongjian smoothed his robes and glared at An Jiu. "Shrew."
"Speak quickly. I'm busy," An Jiu added at length, "The Mei Clan is practically annihilated now—no more use value. No need to cling desperately. Besides, several marriageable Mei women remain—just pick one. I never had interest in marriage to begin with. Marrying you? Even less so."
"Who said the Mei Clan is destroyed?" Hua Rongjian ignored her last remark. "Not only does the Mei Clan remain, but the Lou Clan survives too—at least for now."
After brief consideration, An Jiu understood—he meant members of both clans still served in the Crane Control Army. The Hua Clan's true interest lay in leveraging this hidden strength. As for how many Mei members remained publicly, they couldn't care less.
Moreover—a crucial point An Jiu hadn't considered—since ancient times, people feared being rootless drifters. Especially for shadowy existences like theirs, the Mei descendants in the Crane Control Army wouldn't let their lineage vanish. If An Jiu became the last remaining Mei, they'd honor her as family head—making marriage to her even more valuable.
The same applied to the Lou Clan.
"We've received word—His Majesty intends to issue an imperial marriage decree for a Mei daughter named Mei Ruhan. Heard of her?" Hua Rongjian smiled, discussing a chilling scheme. "Also from the Mei main branch—now serving in the Crane Control Army's Imperial Forest unit, stationed before the throne."
"They occasionally share the imperial bed. Passing her off as Mei Shi Niang—quite revolting, no?" Hua Rongjian expressed extreme distaste for the Emperor's methods.
Mei Shi Niang referred to Mei Ruhan, who'd once been close with Mei Ru Yan and perished during the Mei Clan's attack.
Noble families' daughters were raised in secluded chambers—outsiders knew their birth order but not personal names. Claiming Mei Ruhan was Mei Shi Niang would raise no eyebrows, especially with imperial decree backing it. Right or wrong, none would dare expose the truth.When those in power act like scoundrels, whoever resists suffers the consequences.
"You find it disgusting?" An Jiu questioned his logic. "When you visit brothels, the women you sleep with have been with countless others—why don’t you find that disgusting? And you’ve been with so many women—anyone who marries you would be thoroughly repulsed. What kind of mindset and reasoning do you have to judge others as disgusting?"
"Tch! Just because I take off my clothes means I must be sleeping with someone? What if I’m bathing? And just because I visit brothels means I must be doing that ? Which eye of yours saw me soliciting prostitutes?" Hua Rongjian was deeply dissatisfied with An Jiu’s sharp words. "Is being charming the same as being a scoundrel?"
"If you’re holding in your pee and happen to see an outhouse, would you just walk in and not relieve yourself?" An Jiu didn’t believe a word he said. "Physiological needs must be met—no one’s judging you. I’m not interested in this topic. Get to the point."
Hua Rongjian felt a suffocating frustration, unable to vent it. He exhaled sharply and said, "The first woman my elder brother married was a spy sent by the Emperor. Later, my sister-in-law developed feelings for him and betrayed the Emperor, so she was secretly executed..."
Hua Rongtian was the epitome of a devoted husband. Even though he knew his wife was a spy, he still cherished her after marriage. At first, it was just an act, but over time, genuine affection grew between them. He was a reserved man, but his care was like a gentle, silent rain. Once he committed to a woman, he did everything in his power to shield her from harm. Unfortunately, against imperial authority, the arm could never twist the thigh. To this day, he still grieves over his failure to protect his wife.
After listening, An Jiu stared at him and offered a blunt assessment: "So it was one bad apple spoiling the whole bunch. I misunderstood the Hua Clan."
Clearly implying he was that bad apple.
"A dog’s mouth can’t spit out ivory." Hua Rongjian was somewhat numb to it by now and continued, "Recently, due to the extermination of the Mei and Lou families, the Emperor has temporarily withheld the decree for an arranged marriage. So I want to marry a Mei woman before that happens. If both my brother and I marry Mei women, the Emperor will surely have doubts."
He was betting that the current Emperor lacked the audacity for such a move.
Hua Rongjian leaned back, adopting a lordly posture. "As for the other surviving Mei women, I’ve gone to great lengths to see them all. You’re the best-looking one."
"And then?" An Jiu said.
"Marrying me comes with benefits," Hua Rongjian said. "I can help your mother leave the Crane Control Army."
It was a shortcut. It wasn’t that An Jiu wasn’t tempted—after all, she knew little about the Crane Control Army and had no confidence in rescuing Mei Yanran. But she had never considered trading herself before and couldn’t immediately decide how she felt about it. "I’ll think about it."
"Take your time, no rush." Hua Rongjian poured himself a cup of water with a smile, as if certain she would agree.
An Jiu stood and jumped off the carriage.
Hua Rongjian paused mid-motion, quickly setting the cup down and sticking his head out to call after her retreating figure, "But don’t take too long!"
In the chilly wilderness of early spring, withered grass rustled in the wind. Hua Rongjian watched the slender figure on the road, who didn’t turn back—only raised a hand and flipped him the middle finger.
"One day or one month?" Hua Rongjian thought she was indicating how long she needed to consider.
An Jiu quickened her pace, ignoring him.Hua Rongjian urged the coachman to drive faster and catch up with her. "I'm asking you a question! Would it kill you to answer?" (To be continued...)
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