In recent days, Concubine Yu had moved to Gushe Palace, keeping Gao Dazhuang extremely busy.

The Emperor often visited, and after taking the golden elixir, he would have Concubine Yu dress as a celestial maiden. They would then engage in passionate lovemaking as if they had already ascended to immortality.

After witnessing the Crown Prince’s revelry and unfortunately, also his father’s, An Jiu began to feel disgusted by the decadence and depravity she saw everywhere in the palace. She suddenly understood why Lou Mingyue wanted to join Wei Yue.

Lou Mingyue had joined the Konghe Army intending to use its power and resources to strengthen herself. However, as a Dragon Guard in the palace, she would likely never have the chance for revenge or to hone her skills. Assassins could only refine their craft through constant missions; too long in a lax environment would dull even the sharpest blade.

In the bedchamber of Gushe Palace, the sounds of lovemaking could be heard. Maids and eunuchs stood outside the curtains, listening to the embarrassing noises.

The Emperor had six hidden guards with him. Although they would have difficulty detecting An Jiu, any movement from Gao Dazhuang could easily be misinterpreted. So, after watching the “performance” for a while, An Jiu returned to her quarters.

Before entering the room, she sensed Mei Yanran’s presence.

She pushed open the door and called out, “Mother.”

Mei Yanran responded but remained seated in the round-backed chair. Watching An Jiu pour water, she said softly, “You’re not Jiu’er.”

An Jiu paused and turned to look at her.

It was too sudden! She had only interacted with Mei Yanran once before being exposed, and before this, Mei Yanran hadn’t shown any signs of suspicion.

Since she had been discovered, An Jiu decided not to hide anymore. She calmly said, “She’s still alive. I borrowed her body to come find you, considering it as repaying a debt of gratitude.”

In the dim light, Mei Yanran’s clasped hands trembled slightly. It was unclear whether this was due to the shocking nature of the revelation or from anger and worry.

Silence.

An Jiu asked, “How did you realize I wasn’t Mei Jiu?”

After all, it was still the same person, and they had minimal contact. When An Jiu was with her, she was almost like a statue, with few movements and little conversation.

“How could a mother mistake her child?” Mei Yanran looked at her form, almost hidden in the darkness, her tone distant. “People change, but habits don’t change so quickly. For example, she would call me ‘Mother,’ and when pouring water, she habitually raised her pinky finger.”

Mei Yanran had been too emotional during their first meeting to notice many details, but after spending a night with An Jiu, she noticed that her sleeping habits were completely different from her daughter’s. So she paid closer attention. The bond between mother and daughter isn’t just about blood ties, but also about spiritual connection.

“Is she… doing well?” Mei Yanran asked hesitantly. After hearing An Jiu’s words, she was half-terrified, fearing that Mei Jiu might be enduring unimaginable hardships.

“She’s fine. She’s even married,” An Jiu replied.

“Really?” Mei Yanran seemed to regain her composure, her eyes brightening. “Has she possessed someone else’s body? Who did she marry? How is she living?”

For a mother, nothing is more important than her daughter’s safety and happiness. Although the situation was difficult to accept at first, hearing that Mei Jiu was doing well put her mind at ease.

“Yes. She married Hua Rongtian,” An Jiu said. Then, she took the opportunity to persuade Mei Yanran to leave. “If you stay here, she can’t live peacefully. Why don’t you leave with me? You can either follow her or come with me.”

An Jiu felt somewhat disappointed. She had hoped to make up for everything she owed her mother through Mei Yanran, but that might no longer be possible.

Mei Yanran looked at her for a long time before saying, “Roll up your left sleeve.”

An Jiu was momentarily stunned, then realized that Mei Yanran still didn’t fully believe her words and probably wanted to check for marks on this body. She undid her arm guard and rolled up her sleeve to her shoulder.

Mei Yanran stood up and walked to her side, seeing a tiny red birthmark, as small as a needle tip, on the back of her upper arm near the armpit.

Even an impersonator wouldn’t be so meticulous! Mei Yanran closed her eyes briefly, and when she looked at An Jiu again, her gaze was much more complex.

This was her daughter, yet not her daughter.

“Can you leave?” Mei Yanran asked.

An Jiu confidently snorted, “Don’t worry, I’m not Mei Jiu. I have a detailed plan.”

This seemed like good news, but Mei Yanran wasn’t particularly happy. It was as if her daughter was somehow inadequate. But this small emotional reaction didn’t show on her face. Her expression and tone remained unchanged as she said, “I’ve ingested a potent poison. I need to take the antidote regularly.”

An Jiu frowned, “Why haven’t we been given any medication?”

“You haven’t?” Mei Yanran was surprised but then thought that perhaps the Dragon Guards had different roles. She was responsible for protecting the Emperor closely, so naturally, her situation would be more severe.

Thinking this, she moved on from the topic and continued, “Your cousin Mo…”

She habitually treated An Jiu as Mei Jiu, pausing briefly before continuing, “If you know Sigui’s whereabouts, he might be able to help detoxify me. But have you considered that if we leave, all the Mei family members remaining in the Konghe Army will suffer the consequences?”

“You still have feelings for the Mei family?” This wasn’t good news for An Jiu.

Mei Yanran was at a loss for words. She had forgotten again that the person before her had no attachment to the Mei family and wasn’t Mei Jiu.

“It’s not about sentimentality. I just can’t bring myself to let so many blood relatives die because of me,” Mei Yanran explained.

This issue… An Jiu hadn’t considered it. The biggest problem An Jiu had originally thought of was how to find Mei Yanran and then how to leave. The concept of family was completely foreign to her.

“Let me think about it,” An Jiu said, feeling a headache coming on. Using her destructive intelligence for preservation was quite challenging!

In her view, destroying a family with one person’s strength was a hundred times easier than protecting one.

“What was your original plan?” Mei Yanran also wanted to go out and see Mei Jiu.

An Jiu pulled out a map from her pocket. “I prepared seven escape routes. Safely leaving Bianjing isn’t a problem.”

Mei Yanran: “…”

So the so-called detailed plan was just about how to quickly escape? After stirring up this hornet’s nest with the Emperor, wouldn’t they be hunted for life?

An Jiu thought for a moment. Since they would be hunted anyway, why not, “Eliminate the threat first?”

Mei Yanran’s eyelid twitched, understanding that she meant killing the Emperor.

“Then we’ll need to make a new plan,” An Jiu muttered.

Seeing her serious tone, Mei Yanran quickly intervened, “No! That’s not possible!”

“Keeping such an Emperor around is harmful,” An Jiu said, before realizing that while the Emperor on the throne was harmful, without him, the Song Dynasty would likely fall into greater chaos.

A country cannot go a day without a ruler, especially with strong enemies at the borders.

Mei Yanran, seeing that An Jiu seemed to understand, sighed in relief. “Let’s think about this carefully and make long-term plans.”