"Yes, he is now a lecturer at the Zishan Hall," Mei Yanran said.
Zishan Hall was where the imperial princes studied, and the lecturers were responsible for instructing and supervising the Crown Prince or other princes. Elder Zhi had been a talented scholar in his youth, even achieving the title of Zhuangyuan (top scholar in imperial examinations), earning the emperor's admiration. However, since the Mei family held considerable influence in the Crane Control Army and were local magnates, the emperor had been reluctant to promote him to a high position. Now that the Mei family had fallen, it was no surprise he could finally enter official service.
"I've never met him," An Jiu replied. It had been difficult enough for her to make it from the Crane Control Institute to here—half by ability, half by luck—so she had no time to pay attention to others. Besides, she wasn’t particularly interested in Elder Zhi’s affairs.
Mei Yanran didn’t press further. She simply held An Jiu’s hand and sighed, "Jiu'er, I can hardly recognize you now."
An Jiu remained silent, thinking to herself, It’s impressive you can recognize me at all.
"I didn’t take good care of you," Mei Yanran said, her heart filled with mixed emotions—guilt, heartache, but also a trace of relief. "You’re a strong child."
Mei Yanran had been visiting Elder Zhi every few days, hoping to gather news about her daughter. She had assumed that after the Mei family’s downfall, Mei Jiu might not survive. Yet, the opposite had happened! Now her daughter stood before her, unharmed, though her temperament had grown colder, giving Mei Yanran a sense of unfamiliarity.
But in a place like the Crane Control Army, where one was constantly tested, how could one survive without hardening their heart?
At this thought, Mei Yanran pushed aside all other emotions, leaving only heartache behind.
After some conversation, the "mother and daughter" each retired for the night.
Mei Yanran stayed, and though An Jiu wasn’t entirely comfortable with it, she didn’t ask her to leave.
At dawn, the door was lightly knocked. Sui Yunzhu’s low voice came from outside, "Time to go."
Their shift was about to begin.
An Jiu quickly dressed, slung the Dragon Subduing Bow over her back, and saw that Mei Yanran had also risen and put on her outer robe. "I’m leaving," An Jiu said.
Without waiting for a response, she hurried out the door.
Mei Yanran swallowed the words that had been on the tip of her tongue.
The emperor was cautious about his own safety, so the commander had initially assigned them to the Eastern Palace.
The Crown Prince spent two hours at Zishan Hall in the morning. After lunch, he would remain in the Eastern Palace, studying state affairs with the Crown Prince’s tutors.
Sui Yunzhu and Li Qingzhi took care of An Jiu, assigning her to indoor duties to spare her from exposure to the elements.
An Jiu accepted this arrangement without protest, spending her time napping on the beams of the Eastern Palace study. If the Crown Prince moved, she would follow, effectively acting as his personal Shadow Guard.
After a whole day of idle dozing, An Jiu woke up and crouched on the beam, observing the Crown Prince.
It was said the Crown Prince was nineteen, but he looked younger—his fair, delicate face seemed no older than fifteen or sixteen. His refined features even included soft, downy eyebrows. While reading, he would furrow his brow as if deeply concerned for the nation, though in reality, his mind often wandered.
An Jiu stifled a yawn. The next ruler doesn’t seem all that impressive.
The emperor had few sons—only three—so his options were limited. Seeing this, An Jiu suddenly understood why emperors tended to have many children: statistically, the chances of producing a capable heir increased significantly.
The Crown Prince barely endured until dinner. After dismissing the Eastern Palace officials, he collapsed onto the mat with a long sigh.
A eunuch entered with a bow. "Your Highness, would you like to bathe?""I need to rest for a while," the Crown Prince said lazily.
A eunuch replied in a soft, gentle voice, "This servant can massage Your Highness's shoulders."
The Crown Prince closed his eyes and gave a faint hum of approval.
The eunuch stepped forward, knelt behind the prince, and began kneading his shoulders with practiced ease.
The Crown Prince, lulled into comfort, soon dozed off and eventually slumped onto the eunuch’s lap.
The eunuch’s pale, delicate hands trailed from the prince’s shoulders down to his chest, kneading all the way—until they wandered lower… Before long, the Crown Prince had pitched a small tent beneath his robes.
Huh? This rhythm doesn’t seem quite right! An Jiu took a closer look at the eunuch and realized—it was actually a woman!
Suddenly, the Crown Prince flipped over, pinning the girl beneath him.
Her eunuch’s cap fell off, revealing a cascade of silky black hair spread across the mat and a delicate, youthful face. The prince leaned down, capturing her lips in a heated kiss that left them both breathless.
An Jiu estimated the girl was only fourteen or fifteen. Watching these two half-grown youths rolling around on the floor, doing this and that, was both awkwardly innocent and shockingly intense.
Judging by the Crown Prince’s practiced movements, he was already a seasoned veteran. In no time, he had the girl whimpering and begging for mercy.
An Jiu suddenly recalled yesterday by the stream, when Chu Dingjiang had leaned close to her lips—that was… Her eyes widened slightly as she finally understood his intentions.
Well, of course. In this world, no one was kind without reason.
An Jiu wasn’t opposed to getting closer to Chu Dingjiang. Watching the steamy scene below, she confirmed her instincts were still intact. If she saw him again, she wouldn’t mind giving it a try—but beyond that, she refused to dwell on it further.
She never wanted a husband in this lifetime, nor children, and certainly didn’t want any child of hers to face a terrifying father.
Lost in her thoughts, An Jiu barely noticed when the two below finished their business.
Like cats who’d stolen a treat, they didn’t dare call for attendants. After tidying themselves up, they headed to the bathhouse together.
Since An Jiu was responsible for all indoor areas, she had no choice but to follow.
Youthful vigor truly knew no bounds—halfway through their bath, the two got worked up again and spent nearly two hours inside, making a mess of things.
In both her lifetimes, An Jiu had never witnessed such an extended, colorful performance. Today, she got her fill—during her twelve-hour shift, the Crown Prince went at it four or five times, each with a different woman.
By the time she returned to the servants’ quarters, her mind was flooded with images of pale, swaying flesh.
Fortunately, her mental fortitude was strong, honed by professional anti-brainwashing training. She quickly pushed the memories aside and began thinking about how to convince Mei Yanran to leave with her.
An Jiu could understand Mei Yanran’s hesitation. Even she occasionally wondered whether Chu Dingjiang’s kindness had ulterior motives—let alone someone who barely knew him.
She hadn’t fully grasped it before, but today, thanks to the Crown Prince’s antics, the pieces finally fell into place.
Life in the palace was dull yet passed swiftly. Before she knew it, half a month had gone by. An Jiu realized the Crown Prince was practically a creature of pure lust—neglecting his studies, indifferent to state affairs, saving all his energy for nightly escapades with women. If the Great Song dynasty fell into his hands, they might as well hand it over to the Liao Kingdom outright.
In the servants’ quarters, Sui Yunzhu was tilling the soil to plant vegetables. An Jiu squatted on the veranda, basking in the sun, and asked him, "What are the other two princes like?"Sui Yunzhu scattered seeds into the pit while saying, "They say the Second Prince is fond of martial arts and doesn't believe in Taoism. He has been reprimanded by The Emperor multiple times for offending Taoist masters, so the emperor doesn't favor him much. The Third Prince is skilled in both literature and martial arts, but due to the prevailing trends, he prefers poetry and calligraphy."
"Do they all have many women?" An Jiu asked.
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