The Hua family dinner was unusually silent.
After the meal, Prime Minister Hua and Hua Rongtian left first due to official duties, while Hua Rongjian and Hua Rongjun stayed behind to chat with the matriarch.
Mei Jiu had long heard of the reputations of these two brothers, but seeing them in person made her realize that rumors couldn’t be fully trusted. Hua Rongjun wasn’t as cheerful as she had imagined—despite his young age, he carried an air of melancholy. Hua Rongjian spoke more, but he wasn’t as unreliable as the rumors suggested.
"Second Sister-in-law doesn’t look well. You should get out and move around more," Hua Rongjun, who had been quiet until then, suddenly interjected.
The matriarch dismissed the idea. "Young ladies should be calm and composed, focus on nurturing their health, and bear a healthy son for my second grandson as soon as possible!"
It was generally believed that women who practiced martial arts had robust constitutions, but extremes led to opposites—those with exceptional martial skills often struggled with fertility.
Mei Ru Yan glanced at Hua Rongjian and, seeing he had no intention of speaking, stood up and said, "Mother is right. Thank you for your concern, Younger Brother."
"You should remember this too," the matriarch said, turning to Mei Jiu.
Mei Jiu had been married into the Hua Clan for over a year. Every day, without fail, she paid her respects to the matriarch morning and evening, whether the matriarch received her or not.
If she were an ordinary daughter-in-law, it wouldn’t be noteworthy. But Mei Jiu had been sent by the emperor, and such diligence inevitably aroused suspicion of ulterior motives. To prevent Mei Jiu from harming Hua Rongtian, the matriarch had secretly assigned Shadow Guards to monitor her. Yet every report came back the same—Mei Jiu was either embroidering, writing, painting, playing the zither, reading, or playing chess. Moreover, the embroidery and calligraphy samples the Shadow Guards retrieved revealed her to be a woman of remarkable talent, utterly unlike the assassins of the Crane Control Army!
The matriarch didn’t know much about the Crane Control Army, and most of her understanding of female assassins came from her previous eldest daughter-in-law.
Hua Rongtian’s first wife hadn’t been incompetent, but since most of her energy had been devoted to martial training, her skills in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting were only superficial—nowhere near Mei Jiu’s level of mastery.
Such skills couldn’t be innate, especially calligraphy. Without over a decade of practice, one could never write like that. Why would a female assassin spend all her time on such pursuits? The matriarch was deeply puzzled.
"This daughter-in-law will heed Mother’s instruction," Mei Jiu said, rising to her feet.
The matriarch observed her every movement, which resembled those of a sheltered noblewoman, and found it even more baffling. She turned to Hua Rongjian and Hua Rongjun. "You two may go attend to your affairs. I’d like to speak with the wives of my eldest and second sons."
The brothers exchanged surprised glances, pausing briefly before standing and leaving.
The maids served fresh tea.
The matriarch waved her hand, dismissing all the attendants except for one elderly servant and her personal maid.
"How the two of you entered this household is no secret to any of us. I won’t waste words beating around the bush," the matriarch said. Though she usually deferred to her husband and sons, giving the impression of a woman without opinions, the authority she exuded now was suffocating. "Being confined to this small courtyard can’t compare to the thrill of moving through the shadows and living by the blade, can it?"
Her words carried deeper meaning.
Mei Jiu replied, "Duckweed floats on water, rootless and adrift. If given a handful of earth, I would willingly turn to dust within it."
She meant that her life in the Crane Control Army had been forced upon her, and if someone could offer her peace, she would choose to die within that peace.
She met the matriarch’s scrutinizing gaze with unwavering resolve. Though she often appeared delicate, in this moment, she shed all fragility.After her rebirth, Mei Jiu pondered many things. For instance, her pitiful yet deliberately strong demeanor could soften Hua Rongtian's gaze, yet it drew disdain from other women. This insight came from An Jiu—had it not been for An Jiu's blunt display of contempt, Mei Jiu wouldn't have consciously observed the subtle reactions of those around her. Mei Jiu was inherently a woman of delicate sensitivity, and after spending day and night with her maids, she could already discern their thoughts with eighty to ninety percent accuracy.
After Mei Jiu stated her stance, Mei Ru Yan promptly added, "I share my sister's sentiments."
She didn't address her as "sister-in-law" but as "sister," aiming to make the Grand Madam understand that they were both women of the Mei family—grasshoppers tied to the same string.
Yet, for Mei Ru Yan, freedom was what she truly preferred.
"Very well," the Grand Madam's expression softened slightly. "I only wish to tell you both that I am merely a mother. I neither ask about nor understand politics, but anyone who dares harm my son will pay a hundredfold."
Both women voiced their agreement, though inwardly they thought, The one who most wants to harm your son is the Emperor!
However, while the Grand Madam's attitude had relaxed, she privately mused that these two women were harder to handle than the previous one!
Ordinary female assassins wouldn't have so many twists and turns in their minds. Even if they had some cunning, how could they compare to the Grand Madam, a master of domestic intrigue? Though she now had no mother-in-law above her, no sisters-in-law of the same generation, and a daughter-in-law who was no match for her, in her youth, she had lived alongside her mother-in-law and sisters-in-law, engaging in no small amount of scheming.
After some conversation among the three women, the Grand Madam dismissed them.
Outside, the snowstorm had lessened. Mei Ru Yan held an umbrella as she walked side by side with Mei Jiu, trying to cozy up to her. "Sister, are you from the main branch?"
Hearing Mei Ru Yan affectionately call her "sister," Mei Jiu felt a momentary daze and suddenly understood many things. In the past, she had met few people, and among the girls confined together, Mei Ru Yan had treated her the best. Thus, she had naturally regarded Mei Ru Yan as her closest sister. But now that she was no longer her former self, Mei Ru Yan's address of "sister" remained unchanged...
"You should call me sister-in-law," Mei Jiu said with a smile. "We must be cautious about our identities."
"Eldest sister-in-law is right," Mei Ru Yan replied, her smile deepening as she saw Mei Jiu respond.
Whether it was the Mei Ru Yan of the past or the present, she had always been this affable. Even with strangers or those with whom she harbored grudges, it was hard to remain cold-faced. Mei Jiu thought that in this world, perhaps only An Jiu could manage that.
Thinking of An Jiu reminded Mei Jiu of what she had once said about Mei Ru Yan allying with Wei Yuzhi.
Even who Wei Yuzhi was had been explained to her by An Jiu.
That wasn't important. What mattered was that she knew Mei Ru Yan had defected to the Liao Kingdom and joined the Crane Control Army. Regardless of the reasons behind it, she could take precautions early, just in case.
Seeing that Mei Jiu had sidestepped her question, Mei Ru Yan understood she wasn't interested in bonding and didn't press further.
The two parted at the arched gate, each heading to their own quarters.
The door curtains were lined with thick cotton to block the cold, and inside, a stove burned, making it as warm as spring. Upon entering, one could immediately feel the heavy dampness on their body.
With the help of her maids, Mei Jiu changed her clothes behind a screen, then dismissed everyone in the room. She picked up a book and sat on the couch. Most of these maids were there to monitor her, so she preferred solitude whenever possible."What you said to your mother-in-law was so sappy and fake, it made my hair stand on end." The room was quiet when a woman's voice suddenly spoke.
Though the words were disdainful, the tone clearly conveyed "Well done!"
Mei Jiu looked up in pleasant surprise to see a slender figure who had somehow taken a seat on the chair opposite her. (To be continued...)
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