An Jiu averted her gaze. “Ignorance is bliss.”

At that moment, she suddenly understood the helplessness contained in these four words. Perhaps only those who have lived with clarity can utter such a phrase.

As night fell, occasional boats passed by on the water, their lights reflecting like stars in the sky.

Seeing him half-drunk, An Jiu asked, “If the truth is as you suspect, what do you plan to do?”

Hua Rongjian leaned on the wine jug. “I just want to know why, but I’m also afraid to find out.”

“Perhaps your father, Minister Hua, had you with another woman, and when the real Hua Rongjian unfortunately died young, he brought you home to raise,” An Jiu said. “The concealed truth might not be as serious as you think.”

Hua Rongjian raised his head, looking at An Jiu’s profile. She wore a human skin mask, her features delicate, eyes downcast, long eyelashes casting shadows beneath them.

“What you say… is possible,” Hua Rongjian sighed, smiling. “Maybe I’m overthinking it.”

He recalled that Lu Danzhi had told him this out of concern for his safety, fearing he was living in ignorance. If Lu Danzhi hadn’t died, he might never have revealed this information.

Thinking of Lu Danzhi, Hua Rongjian sighed, “To think the Cui clan’s lineage was completely extinguished because of one woman!”

“Yelü Huangwu?” An Jiu asked.

Hua Rongjian nodded. “If Cui Yichen hadn’t known Yelü Huangwu, she wouldn’t have known about the Cui family. The Cui family wouldn’t have fallen, Cui Yichen wouldn’t have gone mad, and Danzhi wouldn’t have died… This woman truly had formidable methods.”

An Jiu said, “Not just the Cui family. Weren’t the Mei and Lou families also destroyed overnight?”

“Khitan men are wolves, and their women are vipers,” Hua Rongjian said. “With such enemies, how can the Great Song, full of Confucian scholars, hope to compete?”

“It seems you’re not content with being a figurehead either,” An Jiu looked at him with new respect.

Hua Rongjian glared at her. “This young master has never been a figurehead!”

“I misspoke,” An Jiu thought carefully. “A decorative pillow, perhaps?”

Hua Rongjian reached out to flick her, and An Jiu instinctively blocked with her hand.

Holding the wine jug with one hand, he lost his balance and swayed. “Quick, Mei Shisi, grab me!”

Splash!

An Jiu watched as he fell into the water, still clutching the wine jug. At first, the empty jug floated for a moment before quickly sinking as it filled with water.

Hua Rongjian splashed to the riverbank, grabbed the grass on the shore, and leaped out of the water, sending a shower of droplets flying like heavy rain.

An Jiu grabbed the wine jug with one hand and quickly pulled out an oilcloth umbrella from behind her, opening it. She turned to look at Hua Rongjian, who had landed not far behind her.

Hua Rongjian was trying to look cool and imposing, but then he saw the water drumming on the umbrella. An Jiu’s calm gaze swept over his body through the cascading water curtain.

He looked down and realized his silk clothes were clinging to his body, revealing every contour. Even the two points on his chest and the bulge below his waist were visible.

The high-quality fabric has its drawbacks!

“Why do you have an umbrella on a clear day?” Hua Rongjian asked, embarrassed and angry.

“When out and about, one must always be prepared,” An Jiu replied. She hadn’t carried umbrellas before, but this one was a weapon. The umbrella’s edge was lined with blades, and the ribs could be detached as weapons. Even the handle had a mechanism that could shoot poison darts when triggered.

This was one of Lou Xiaowu’s proudest creations among her cold weapons. Originally a common oilcloth umbrella, Lou Xiaowu had modified it into a folding umbrella at An Jiu’s suggestion, reducing its size to just one chi when closed. Delighted with the result, Lou Xiaowu had given it to her as a thank-you gift.

An Jiu quite liked it. When she couldn’t carry her Fulong bow, this made a good self-defense tool. She just hadn’t expected its first use to be in this situation.

She concealed many weapons on her person, which could easily be exposed if her clothes got wet. Unless necessary, she wouldn’t use this item.

“Talking with you all day has made me feel worse!” Hua Rongjian said as he took off his outer robe and wrung it out.

An Jiu closed the umbrella and put it in her back pouch.

Hua Rongjian’s attention was drawn to the umbrella. “Oh, you have this kind of umbrella too.”

“You’ve seen one before?” An Jiu was surprised. Shouldn’t this be the only one in the Great Song?

“Yes, we have twenty or thirty at home,” Hua Rongjian said, sitting down on the grass beside her while wringing out his clothes. “A shop in the capital recently opened, specializing in selling these peculiar items. This folding umbrella is their best-seller.”

If they were selling so well, Lou Xiaowu, as an expert in this field, should have known about it. “When did they start selling these umbrellas in the capital?” An Jiu asked.

“About ten days ago,” Hua Rongjian said with a smile. “The shop also takes on various private commissions, mainly custom-made cheating devices for examination candidates. For example, hiding answers in the umbrella handle costs only two taels of silver.”

“The shop owner’s surname wouldn’t happen to be Lou, would it?” An Jiu didn’t think Lou Xiaowu had this kind of business acumen.

“No,” Hua Rongjian said. “It’s Zhu.”

Zhu Pianpian?

The name flashed through An Jiu’s mind.

Seeing her interest, Hua Rongjian added, “She’s an interesting young widow.”

An Jiu glared at him. “You don’t even spare young widows?”

Every time Sheng Changying saw Zhu Pianpian, his face would turn so red it could drip blood. Anyone who wasn’t blind could see he had feelings for her. An Jiu had a good impression of Sheng Changying and felt that for such a rigid person, developing romantic feelings was extremely rare.

Before Hua Rongjian could respond, An Jiu earnestly advised, “You cause trouble for people regardless of gender or age. Why not leave this one for someone else to pursue?”

“No wonder I’ve never been able to cause trouble for you,” Hua Rongjian laughed. “Doctor Mo was right when he said there are four types of people in this world: men, women, eunuchs, and Mei Shisi. It’s indeed true.”

An Jiu snorted, “He never says anything worthwhile.”

“Your words sound suspiciously like a thief crying ‘Stop thief,'” Hua Rongjian said.

“You’ve figured it out,” An Jiu stood up, looking down at him. “A fool’s world should be simple, right? You’re only troubled because you’ve suddenly gained some wisdom. Continue being foolish; don’t try to approach high intelligence.”

She shoved the wine jug into his arms and turned to leave.

Hua Rongjian didn’t chase after her. When she had walked about ten zhang away, he called out, “Mei Shisi! You bastard!”

An Jiu stopped and turned back, her face expressionless. “Excellent! You didn’t realize this was consolation, which means you’re still a happy fool. I’m glad for you!”

“Hah! Who says I didn’t realize? This young master just isn’t happy about it!” Hua Rongjian shouted.

“Is that so? Then you haven’t found the right way to be happy,” An Jiu tossed back before disappearing into the night.

Hua Rongjian stared into the vast darkness, suddenly breaking into a smile. He tilted his head back and took a long drink.

A servant from the Hua mansion ran over, having heard the commotion. Seeing Hua Rongjian’s drenched state, he quickly unfurled a cloak. “Young master, did you fall into the water?”

“Yes, how refreshing,” Hua Rongjian laughed.

The servant’s eyes welled up with tears. “Young master hasn’t laughed like this in so long.”