Gao Dazhuang didn’t give chase. He unwrapped the oiled paper package and saw a small handful of wildflowers inside, trembling with fury.
Meanwhile, the three of them darted back to their quarters. Only then did Sui Yunzhu find the chance to ask, “What did you give him?”
“A bunch of little white flowers,” An Jiu replied, thinking to herself that she should have picked some wild vegetables instead—at least those would have been edible.
“Who in their right mind gives white flowers as a gift? You must have been trying to anger him to death!” Sui Yunzhu sighed.
An Jiu remained indifferent. She had picked the white flowers simply because they looked pretty, ignoring the many yellow and red ones nearby.
Among the three, Li Qingzhi was the most conscientious. Frowning, he asked uneasily, “Do you think the commander will really go hungry? The palace has an imperial kitchen—surely he can get something to eat, right?”
Sui Yunzhu shook his head. “Every corner of the palace is guarded by Shadow Guards. The imperial kitchen probably has plenty of hands on deck. Besides, haven’t you figured out the commander’s temperament by now?”
Li Qingzhi widened his eyes, his face a picture of utter bewilderment—clearly, he hadn’t.
“The commander occasionally acts out of line, but always just enough to avoid leaving any evidence. This time, the Emperor ordered him to play the role of a eunuch. In my opinion, he won’t sneak out of Guye Palace,” Sui Yunzhu explained.
An Jiu lacked a clear sense of right and wrong, but hearing Sui Yunzhu’s words, she gradually felt a twinge of guilt. For people like them, going hungry for a day—or even three to five days—was nothing; they could still fight and kill without issue. But An Jiu had promised to bring him food and then reneged. That was her mistake.
Still, what’s done was done. After a brief but profound self-reflection, An Jiu quickly put it out of her mind—because she sensed that someone had returned to the neighboring courtyard…
After standing still for a moment, An Jiu turned and left the courtyard.
Li Qingzhi and Sui Yunzhu exchanged glances before retreating to their respective rooms.
Though An Jiu wasn’t fully prepared to face Mei Yanran, the Crane Control Army members weren’t openly present. Now that they were so close, it was best to establish contact first.
Once resolved, she didn’t hesitate. She approached and lightly knocked on the door.
There was no response, so An Jiu pushed the door open. Not wanting to provoke conflict with anyone inside, she announced her identity and purpose upfront: “Mei Shisi of the Dragon Martial Guard, here to seek the Mei clan.”
The moment her words fell, a slender figure emerged from one of the rooms.
“Who are you?” The voice trembled with disbelief.
An Jiu hesitated briefly before softly saying, “Mother.”
The instant the word left her lips, Mei Yanran was before her, pulling down her face covering to reveal a gaunt face.
In An Jiu’s memories, Mei Yanran had been a gentle, serene woman, untouched by the hardships of their years in exile. Yet after just a short time in the Crane Control Army, her brow already bore a sharp, ruthless aura. But upon seeing An Jiu, that aura slowly dissipated.
An Jiu removed her hood and called out again, “Mother.”
This time, her voice was much firmer.
Mei Jiu’s body had undergone some changes, and An Jiu’s demeanor was vastly different from the original owner’s, making Mei Yanran feel an initial sense of unfamiliarity. But after all, this was the flesh of her flesh—their blood ties remained. After a brief pause, Mei Yanran reached out and embraced An Jiu. “Jiu’er, how much suffering have you endured?”She believed that her gentle and kind-hearted daughter had been forced into this state within the Crane Control Army. Though it was hard to imagine, it was the only explanation.
"Mother, let's talk in my room," An Jiu said, feeling relatively at ease with her group members.
Mei Yanran nodded and took her hand as they stepped outside.
Their hands clasped together, An Jiu tensed up uncomfortably, but as she caught sight of Mei Yanran's profile from the corner of her eye, she gradually relaxed.
Upon entering the courtyard, Sui Yunzhu was the first to peek out. "Who's there?"
As assassins, they were naturally wary of strangers.
"My mother," An Jiu introduced briefly.
To her surprise, Sui Yunzhu stepped forward and cupped his hands in a respectful bow, much like a scholar from the outside world. "I didn’t realize it was Lady Mei. My apologies for the offense."
Knowing that the daughters of Mei Shi never married out, he addressed Mei Yanran as "Lady Mei."
Mei Yanran was slightly taken aback. While such manners were commonplace outside, they felt oddly out of place here—at least, she had never witnessed such courtesy during her time in the Crane Control Army.
"No need for formalities," she replied calmly, masking her surprise.
Sui Yunzhu bowed once more before retreating inside.
An Jiu led Mei Yanran into her room. Once seated, she found herself at a loss for words.
Mei Yanran, however, held her hand and studied her intently.
An Jiu, an imposter, felt her confidence waver under such direct scrutiny. She lowered her gaze and remained silent.
Her delicate appearance made her seem like someone silently enduring grievances, which only deepened Mei Yanran’s heartache. She pulled An Jiu into a tight embrace, choking back tears. "My child!"
Resting against Mei Yanran’s chest, An Jiu pondered how to steer the conversation.
Before she could decide, Mei Yanran composed herself and spoke first. "I heard of Mei Shi’s tragedy. How did you escape? And how did you end up here?"
This was not a good topic!
An Jiu knew her limits—her half-baked lies might fool someone as naive as Mei Jiu, but they wouldn’t work on Mei Yanran.
Strangely, a name surfaced in her mind. "It was Cousin Mo who saved me."
Such a flimsy excuse would surely be exposed sooner or later! But she had no choice. She couldn’t possibly start with, "Your daughter is dead, but her body was revived by a wandering soul—and coincidentally, I’ve borrowed it." The sheer weight of that revelation might drive Mei Yanran to draw her sword in fury. For now, she had to muddle through.
"I wanted to find you in the Crane Control Army, so I went to the Crane Control Institute first. I didn’t expect to get close to the Dragon Martial Guard so soon, but it was because of my contributions in aiding the Song army at the border that I caught The Emperor’s attention," An Jiu explained vaguely, glossing over the details. "Also, there’s a high-ranking officer in the Crane Control Army who’s been helping me."
Mei Yanran stroked her hair. "My child, your kindness has been rewarded."
Their conversation inevitably reached the ears of others in the courtyard, who couldn’t help but marvel—Mei Shisi, kind-hearted? Truly, a mother’s eyes see only the best in her child!
Since Chu Dingjiang had been mentioned, An Jiu took out paper and brush to write about her plans to leave the Crane Control Army, including Chu’s assistance. After all, breaking free from the organization entirely would be nearly impossible on her own.Mei Yanran was quite suspicious after reading it. Why would that high-ranking officer from the Crane Control Army help them when they weren't even related? It was impossible for someone to offer kindness without expecting anything in return! She worried her daughter might be deceived, so she wrote: Let's discuss this matter later.
Then she crumpled the paper, stuffed it into a teacup, and poured water inside. "Have you seen Elder Zhi?"
An Jiu was momentarily stunned. "He's in the palace?"
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