"The current Emperor is also quite shrewd, but is he a wise ruler? Temperament and ability matter most." Chu Dingjiang had been observing the Second Prince for some time. Though brave and martial, the prince was not impulsive. At times, he seemed slightly lacking in strategy, but when his advisors presented various plans, he remained unswayed and could select the one most suited to the situation.
The Second Prince’s birth mother, Lady Li, was the daughter of a military family. Her looks were not particularly striking, and her temperament was too resolute, lacking the delicate, fragile beauty typical of most women. Moreover, she had little talent for the arts, so the Emperor had never taken a liking to her. While the Li family still held power, the Emperor had gritted his teeth and tolerated her presence. But once the Li clan relinquished their military authority, he could hardly bear to look at her, and even the Second Prince had little opportunity to interact with his father during his childhood. Under Lady Li’s influence, the Second Prince gravitated more toward martial pursuits.
Chu Dingjiang recounted all this to An Jiu. "I’ve also learned about Lady Li—truly a remarkable woman. In the harem, she neither vied for favor nor bent to the Emperor’s whims. Rarely did she act rashly. With such a temperament, any child she raised with care would surely not turn out poorly."
If Consort Li had wished to compete for favor, she could have easily molded her son into the kind of person the Emperor liked. But she had not done so.
The Emperor disliked Consort Li, and in her heart, she likely held little regard for him either.
"Without the skin, where would the fur cling?" Chu Dingjiang sighed. "I thought I could remain detached from everything, but watching the Song Dynasty teeter on the brink, I can’t help but want to wade into these troubled waters."
An Jiu thought for a moment before replying, "We’re still young. If we spend our whole lives hidden away in the mountains and forests, it might get a bit dull. Why not wade into the mess first, and once the waters clear, we can wash up and come back to herd sheep."
Chu Dingjiang was deeply moved by her words and tightly grasped her hand. "My A Jiu is truly understanding."
An Jiu replied bluntly, "Actually, since we’re so close, you don’t need to be insincere. The truth is, I just didn’t pay attention."
"……"
The two walked silently through the snow until they reached Plum Blossom Village.
As dusk fell, the lanterns of Bianjing gradually lit up, casting a warm orange glow over the snow-covered ground. The wind and snow were fierce, leaving the streets nearly deserted.
At the Hua residence, a group hurried along the covered walkway. Two maids in pale green jackets and skirts led the way with lanterns for a woman in red, richly dressed, while four others in brown jackets and skirts followed behind.
No one spoke—only the rustling of fabric could be heard.
As they neared a turn, the woman in red spotted another group approaching from the opposite direction.
Prime Minister Hua was swamped with affairs of state, often dining at irregular hours, and Hua Rongtian was much the same. The Prime Minister’s wife disliked noise and commotion, and since both her daughters-in-law had been sent by the Emperor, she preferred to keep interactions with them to a minimum. For convenience, the family usually dined separately in their own courtyards, gathering only a few times each month for shared meals.
"Stop. Let’s wait for my sister-in-law," the woman in red said, halting.
Since marrying into the Hua Clan, Mei Ru Yan had only met this sister-in-law five or six times and had yet to exchange a single word with her. She had heard that this woman was not only a Shadow Guard of the Crane Control Army but also a member of the Mei Clan. Anyone who could navigate Hua Rongtian’s world was surely no ordinary person, and Mei Ru Yan was eager to learn more about her.Over there, Mei Jiu noticed the other party had stopped and suddenly slowed her steps. Ever since she learned that Hua Rongjian had married Mei Ru Yan, she had been trying her best to avoid meeting her. Fortunately, she usually preferred staying indoors, so it didn't require too much deliberate effort to evade. Now seeing Mei Ru Yan pause, Mei Jiu hesitated slightly, but it was clear she couldn't avoid this encounter any longer.
The two met at the turning point.
Mei Ru Yan gave a slight bow. "Eldest sister-in-law."
Mei Jiu returned the gesture. "Younger sister-in-law."
They couldn’t help but size each other up. Mei Jiu gazed at the familiar face before her, yet it felt strangely unfamiliar. Mei Ru Yan was dressed in a red wide-sleeved satin jacket embroidered with silver threads depicting a few slender white plum branches—vibrant yet with a touch of refined elegance. She had grown even more alluring than before, though her eyes now carried a hint of coldness, no longer the bright smile she used to flash at anyone she met.
Fate played tricks on people. Back when Mei Ru Yan had desperately tried to shed the mark of a courtesan, her words and demeanor still carried traces of worldly coquetry. Now that she had let go, she finally exuded an air of dignified grace.
As for Mei Jiu, she wore a dark purple jacket and skirt today, draped with a cloak. Her fair face, with eyes like autumn water, had a rosy flush on the tip of her nose and cheeks from the cold, giving her a healthy glow.
This was the first time Mei Ru Yan had taken a proper look at Mei Jiu’s current appearance. True to the Mei family’s reputation for producing beauties, she was stunning yet carried a hint of innocence—the kind of woman men would instinctively want to protect. What surprised Mei Ru Yan even more was that this woman didn’t have the slightest trace of killing intent about her.
"It’s too cold outside. Let’s hurry along," Mei Jiu said, suppressing her emotional turmoil as she spoke first.
"Eldest sister-in-law, please go ahead," Mei Ru Yan replied.
Mei Jiu said nothing more, merely giving a slight nod before stepping through the arched gate.
She narrowed her eyes slightly to shield them from the wind and snow, the corners of her lips curling up imperceptibly.
When Mei Jiu saw Mei Ru Yan deliberately waiting for her, she had felt quite uneasy. But after all, she was no longer that ignorant girl sheltered under her mother’s wing—she didn’t reveal the slightest hint of it in her response.
At this moment, she suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.
So this is what it feels like to deceive someone, she thought. No wonder so many people are obsessed with "scheming." (To be continued...)
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