An Jiu avoided his gaze, "Ignorance is bliss."
Upon reflection, she suddenly understood the helplessness behind these words. Perhaps only those who lived with clarity could utter such a phrase.
Night fell, and occasional boats drifted across the water, their scattered lights reflecting on the surface like stars in the sky.
Seeing him half-drunk, An Jiu asked, "If the truth is indeed as you suspect, what will you do?"
Hua Rongjian slumped over the wine jar, "I just want to know why, yet I'm afraid to find out."
"Perhaps Prime Minister Hua had you with another woman, while the real Hua Rongjian unfortunately passed away young, so he brought you back to raise," An Jiu said. "Not all secrets are necessarily grave."
Hua Rongjian looked up at An Jiu's profile. She wore a Human Skin Mask, her features delicate, her eyes lowered, long lashes casting shadows beneath them.
"What you said... could be true." Hua Rongjian exhaled and smiled. "Maybe I'm overthinking it."
Lu Danzhi had told him out of concern, fearing he might live in ignorance. As a friend, it was natural to worry for his safety. Had Lu Danzhi not died, he might never have revealed this matter.
Thinking of Lu Danzhi, Hua Rongjian sighed, "The entire Cui family—their lineage was severed because of a woman!"
"Yelü Huangwu?" An Jiu asked.
Hua Rongjian nodded. "If Cui Yichen hadn't known Yelü Huangwu, she wouldn't have learned of the Cui family. The Cui family wouldn't have fallen, Cui Yichen wouldn't have gone mad, and Danzhi wouldn't have died... That woman truly wields formidable methods."
An Jiu said, "Not just the Cui family—weren't Mei Shi and Lou Shi also destroyed overnight?"
"Khitan men are wolves, their women vipers." Hua Rongjian remarked. "How can the Song Dynasty, with its Confucian scholars everywhere, stand against such enemies?"
"Seems like you're not content to be a fool either." An Jiu regarded him with newfound respect.
Hua Rongjian glared at her. "This lord has never been a fool!"
"My wording was off." An Jiu pondered carefully. "A pretty face with no substance?"
Hua Rongjian reached out to flick her, and An Jiu instinctively blocked with her hand.
Clutching the wine jar with one hand, he lost his balance and swayed. "Quick, Mei Shisi, grab me!"
Splash!
An Jiu watched as he plunged into the water, still holding the jar. At first, the empty jar floated for a couple of breaths before filling with water and sinking swiftly.
Hua Rongjian floundered to the riverbank, grabbing the grass to haul himself out, sending a cascade of water splashing like a downpour.
An Jiu, holding the jar in one hand, swiftly drew an oilcloth umbrella from behind her back with the other and opened it. She glanced back at Hua Rongjian, who stood dripping not far behind her.
Hua Rongjian wore a domineering expression, only to see water pelting loudly against the umbrella. An Jiu's calm gaze, visible through the curtain of cascading droplets, roamed over his body.
He looked down—his silk robes, soaked, clung tightly to his form, leaving nothing to the imagination. Even the outlines of his chest and the bulge between his legs were unmistakably clear.
High-quality fabric had its downsides!
"Why carry an umbrella on a clear day?!" Hua Rongjian fumed in embarrassment.
"One must always be prepared for the unexpected when traveling." An Jiu hadn’t carried umbrellas before—the one in her hand was actually a weapon. Its edges were lined with blades, its ribs detachable as separate arms. Even pressing a mechanism on the handle could release poisoned needles.This was one of Lou Xiaowu's proudest creations among cold weapons—originally just an ordinary oilcloth umbrella. Inspired by An Jiu, Lou Xiaowu modified it into a folding umbrella, reducing its length to just one chi when closed. Overjoyed, she gifted it to An Jiu as a token of gratitude.
An Jiu quite liked it too. When carrying the Dragon Subduing Bow was inconvenient, this made for a decent self-defense tool. She just hadn’t expected to use it for the first time under such circumstances.
She carried many hidden weapons on her person, and if her clothes got wet, they would easily be exposed. Unless absolutely necessary, she wouldn’t have used this.
"After talking with you all day, my mood’s even worse!" Hua Rongjian took off his outer robe and wrung it dry.
An Jiu closed the umbrella and stowed it in the bag on her back.
Hua Rongjian’s attention was drawn to the umbrella. "Huh, you have one of these too?"
"You’ve seen it before?" An Jiu found it odd—there should only be one like this in the entire Song Dynasty!
"Yep, my family has twenty or thirty stored away." Hua Rongjian sat down on the grass beside her, still wringing out his clothes. "Recently, a shop opened in the capital selling all sorts of bizarre gadgets. These folding umbrellas are their bestsellers."
If they were selling so well, Lou Xiaowu, as an expert in this field, shouldn’t be unaware. "When did they start selling these umbrellas in the capital?"
"About ten days ago," Hua Rongjian said with a laugh. "That shop also takes on private commissions, mainly crafting cheating devices tailored for imperial examination candidates—like hiding test answers inside umbrella handles. A small job like that costs just two taels of silver."
"The shop owner wouldn’t happen to be surnamed Lou, would they?" An Jiu doubted Lou Xiaowu had the business acumen for this.
"Nope," Hua Rongjian said. "Surnamed Zhu."
Zhu Pianxian?
The name flashed through An Jiu’s mind.
Hua Rongjian noticed her interest. "She’s quite an interesting young widow."
An Jiu glared. "You’re even preying on widows now?"
Every time Sheng Changying saw Zhu Pianxian, his face turned red enough to drip blood. Anyone with eyes could see he had feelings for her. An Jiu had a favorable impression of Sheng Changying—someone so rigid finally developing a crush was no small feat.
Without waiting for Hua Rongjian to respond, An Jiu earnestly advised, "You’ve been wreaking havoc on men, women, young, and old alike. Leave this one for someone else to torment!"
"No wonder I’ve never managed to torment you," Hua Rongjian laughed heartily. "Miracle Doctor Mo once said there are four types of people in this world: men, women, eunuchs, and Mei Shisi. How true."
An Jiu snorted. "His mouth has never produced anything decent."
"That sounds suspiciously like the pot calling the kettle black," Hua Rongjian retorted.
"You noticed." An Jiu stood up, looking down at him. "A fool’s world should be simple. Your sudden flashes of insight are what bring you trouble. Stay foolish—don’t try to approach higher intelligence."
She shoved the wine jar into his arms and turned to leave.
Hua Rongjian didn’t follow. Watching her walk away, he suddenly shouted, "Mei Shisi! You bastard!"
An Jiu stopped and turned back, expressionless. "Fantastic! You didn’t realize that was meant to comfort you—proof you’re still a happy fool. I’m thrilled for you!"
"Pfft! Who says I didn’t realize? But this gentleman isn’t pleased!" Hua Rongjian roared.
"Oh? Then you’re just not finding the right way to be happy." With that, An Jiu vanished into the night.
Hua Rongjian gazed into the darkness and suddenly laughed, tilting his head back to take a long swig of wine.A servant from the Hua residence came running at the sound and, seeing his drenched clothes, quickly unfolded the Mantle in his hands. "Did the young master fall into the water?"
"Yes, how refreshing," Hua Rongjian laughed.
The servant's eyes welled up with tears. "It's been so long since the young master laughed like this." (To be continued...)
Note:
Sleeves is in a terrible state tonight and spent the evening talking with friends to ease my mood. I won't be able to update before midnight. Everyone should wash up and rest first, you can check for updates tomorrow. I'm truly sorry. (To be continued...)
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