The drifting flames flowed like water around them, while colorful umbrellas shimmered as they descended in all directions. Amid the bustling crowd, the rain puddles on the ground reflected the lantern lights and layers of silhouettes.
Mu Wan Yao and Yan Shang took shelter beneath an umbrella. He cupped her face, drawing near to examine her closely.
As he leaned in, his breath almost mingling with hers, Mu Wan Yao’s eyes widened in surprise, her cheeks flushing even hotter.
Confused by his boldness, she felt both joy and bewilderment. Softly, she whispered, "Are you no longer angry with me? Have you forgiven me?"
Yan Shang’s voice was low, distracted yet tenderly affectionate. He murmured, "Not angry today. I’ll save it for tomorrow."
Mu Wan Yao: "…"
Feeling defeated, with his fingers still resting on her cheeks and his eyes nearly pressed against her face, the usually willful princess grew uneasy. She felt his golden-lit eyes scrutinizing her inch by inch, stirring insecurity within her—
Was her hair properly styled?
Was the powder on her face evenly applied? Had her lip color been accidentally bitten off?
Was she still beautiful? Did he like what he saw?
Shy and anxious, she recalled: the last time he saw her, she was still a girl. After three years apart, she had inevitably matured and changed in appearance. Though countless people praised her beauty, she worried whether her transformation measured up in Yan Shang’s eyes.
Three years of separation—when she saw him again in the rain of Nanyang, her first glance had captivated her, leaving an indelible impression. Now, during their night stroll in Jinling, did he feel the same surge of emotions she had experienced back then?
Yan Shang’s gaze remained unblinking. Having only recently regained his sight, everything still appeared blurred and double-imaged to him. Yet he longed desperately to see Mu Wan Yao clearly. Suppressing his shyness and timidity, he wished he could press his face against hers and count every single eyelash.
His heart burned fiercely in his chest. Reluctantly, he brushed his fingertips over her delicate skin, studying her intently, committing her to memory. Inwardly, he marveled at her unparalleled beauty:
The woman illuminated by the flickering flames had grown significantly since his memory of her.
In her youth, her cheeks were fuller, her chin sharply pointed. Even when she carried an imposing air, there was often a fragile, almost pitiable vulnerability beneath.
Now, her frame had filled out—her cheekbones wider, her features more defined, with slender flesh gracefully outlining her bones. Her chin had softened into a gentle curve.
She was blossoming, like the most splendid peony, unfolding her leaves with poised elegance. Her teenage years had not been her peak; beauty and demeanor evolve with age. Shedding her former uncertainties and hesitations, her confidence and grace now radiated from her brows and eyes… If she were to smile demurely now, her breathtaking beauty would surely captivate all of Chang’an.
He gazed up at her resplendent, majestic beauty with utter humility.
Seeing the look in Yan Shang’s eyes, Mu Wan Yao’s cheeks warmed again, convinced that his expression revealed his fascination with her.
One glance at his eyes told her he adored her as she was now. He was enthralled by the present her. To have someone admire her so deeply—what young woman wouldn’t delight in seeing such a look in her beloved’s eyes?Mu Wan Yao was flushed by Yan Shang's intense gaze, unable to suppress a light cough. A smile spilled from the corners of her lips as she tilted her head slightly. She whispered to him in a breathy voice, "Am I beautiful?"
Yan Shang's slender fingers, curved as they cupped her cheek, trembled slightly.
Her eyes, brimming with laughter, fixed on him with an unblinking stare, making the allure in her gaze even more pronounced. Stirred by her look, Yan Shang felt his heart race and his face grow warm, gradually becoming uneasy. He thought it somewhat presumptuous to secretly hold her face and lean so close to her in such a public setting.
As Yan Shang tried to withdraw his fingers, Mu Wan Yao caught hold of them. Belatedly, he leaned his upper body back, and this time it was Mu Wan Yao who refused to let go of his fingers, asking again with a laugh, "Am I beautiful?"
Yan Shang lifted his eyelids lightly and glanced at her once more. It was an ordinary look, but after meeting her eyes, a blush spread across his face. Mu Wan Yao felt her heart flutter as she watched him. She noticed the corners of his lips seemed about to straighten, but he couldn't hold back, and a smile escaped them.
Instead of answering her, Yan Shang leaned down and embraced her. His arm wrapped around her back, his face brushing lightly against hers, his cool breath enveloping her completely. Before Mu Wan Yao could react, he had already released her and retreated. He said nothing, merely crouching in their little world, watching her with a faint smile.
Mu Wan Yao was left flushed and heart-pounding, feeling somewhat dizzy from his embrace. And then he abruptly let go, leaving her bewildered as she stared at him, unsure of his intentions.
Then Yan Shang looked down at her and, unable to resist, leaned in to hug her once more. After holding her again, he drew back, his eyes fixed on her, shimmering with threads of amusement.
Mu Wan Yao looked up and burst into laughter.
She glared at him reproachfully, having been embraced by him repeatedly in a moment of uncontrollable emotion. Without him uttering a word, she understood his feelings. This was Yan Shang's bold response, born of shyness. Mu Wan Yao turned her face aside, casting him a sidelong glance, and muttered softly, "Coward."
"Timid fool."
She grabbed a nearby umbrella, using it to block the light source to their left while leaning against the wall on the side. Shifting from a crouch to a kneeling position, she held the umbrella with her left hand and placed her right hand on Yan Shang's face, cupping his cheek. Without wasting words on the timid fool, she leaned in directly and captured his lips.
He was sweating, feeling both uncomfortable and resistant. But with the young woman's hand on his face and her sweet presence, once he could no longer resist, he no longer wanted to. Thus, he felt both tense and yearning. He deeply despised his own contradictions and was frustrated by his inability to align his inner and outer selves.
Yet, in the face of desire, who could truly resist?
The flickering light danced, now distant, now near, their reflections rippling in a puddle. Hidden in the corner, they kissed and embraced again and again. They held each other tightly, reluctant to part, unable to let go, and then gazed at one another, unable to suppress bashful smiles—
How foolish—
Beyond the northern deserts, Wei Shu and Zhao Lingfei had escaped the Kingdom of Guhu and, under the guise of Great Wei envoys, traveled to two neighboring states to seek reinforcements. With sharp rhetoric and a firm stance, Wei Shu demanded that both countries must aid Great Wei.
One of the smaller states, dependent on Great Wei, had been trembling in fear of the Southern Barbarians' expansion. When the Great Wei envoy arrived to request troops, it unhesitatingly lent twenty thousand soldiers to Wei Shu. Using this state's decisiveness as leverage, Wei Shu persuaded the other small state, which had been dragging its feet, to contribute ten thousand troops as well.Wei Shu thought ten thousand troops were too few, but the small opposing kingdom couldn't offer more. So he changed his demand: "Then exchange with cloth instead."
With Great Wei's formidable national strength, the small kingdom couldn't refuse. To maintain friendly neighborly relations, they had to provide the quantity of silk fabric Wei Shu required. Immediately after, Wei Shu demanded that all this cloth be made into military uniforms. He specified the style and color of the battle robes—
After leaving the royal palace with him, Zhao Lingfei tilted her head as they walked outward: "I don't understand why we need battle robes. I thought Brother Ju Yuan wanted the cloth to exchange for silver, then use the silver to hire specialized barbarian troops from outside to deal with the Guhu Kingdom."
Wei Shu replied: "Lingfei, we are Great Wei's envoys. We must make everyone know and see that it is Great Wei's troops who will destroy the Guhu Kingdom."
Zhao Lingfei: "But Great Wei is eight thousand miles away from us... Ah."
Wei Shu said: "That's why I want them to make battle robes. I want them to work through the night tailoring Vermillion Robes and Scarlet Banners. Red battle robes, crimson command flags... these are all symbols of Great Wei. The Guhu Kingdom once served as Great Wei's vassal state. Now it dares to rebel and join the Southern Barbarians only because the Southern Barbarians are powerful, and it believes Great Wei cannot reach here. But when the Vermillion Robes and Scarlet Banners symbolizing Great Wei appear before them..."
Zhao Lingfei murmured: "They'll be terrified and scatter in disarray. You're exploiting their psychology..."
She suddenly grabbed Wei Shu's sleeve, her eyes sparkling with excitement: "Brother Ju Yuan, you're so clever! You're so calm and so smart... I believe in you now. Our envoy mission will definitely be rescued! We'll surely promote our national prestige in the desert, and make all the surrounding small kingdoms submit to us!"
"We can complete our diplomatic mission! We'll return safely to Great Wei!"
As she tugged his sleeve, her strength was considerable, making him stumble slightly. Zhao Lingfei spoke rapidly, her voice lively, like ten thousand little birds chirping around his ears, leaving him dizzy and disoriented. Being naturally quiet himself, he couldn't quite follow what she was saying.
His face already somewhat flushed, he looked down: "Let go of my sleeve."
Zhao Lingfei paused, released him immediately, and even gently smoothed out the wrinkles for him. She looked up at him with an apologetic smile, but Wei Shu turned his face away without looking at her and walked off quickly. Biting her lip, Zhao Lingfei stood there momentarily at a loss.
Wei Shu had already reached the palace gate when he slightly turned his head back and said softly: "Aren't you coming?"
Zhao Lingfei instantly beamed, even hopping once before rushing to catch up with him.
Their battle against the Guhu Kingdom wasn't difficult, as the Southern Barbarians truly couldn't spare attention for this situation. When the Guhu Kingdom's troops recognized the Great Wei symbols of "Vermillion Robes and Scarlet Banners" from the watchtowers, their leader was scared out of his wits.
Wei Shu rode his horse, leading thirty thousand troops straight to the city walls. Chaos reigned within the Guhu Kingdom as they barely managed to assemble makeshift forces to fight. However, having shown fear from the outset, they desperately sought help from the Southern Barbarians, hoping they would send reinforcements. Zhao Lingfei followed Wei Shu throughout, watching him control his horse, command the battle, and remain composed under pressure.
His figure was dignified and elegant, his robes fluttering in the desert wind. Amid the yellow sands of the vast desert, he was such a dazzling young master.
Zhao Lingfei thought Great Wei had truly underestimated Young Master Wei the Seventh. Years ago during the military exercises in Chang'an, they had only assigned Wei Shu to manage provisions and rear support... But Wei Shu's talents were far greater than that!He could fight, command battles, ride horses and shoot arrows, and debate with scholars... Young Master Wei the Seventh simply didn't like talking, preferring to stand outside the crowd and avoid social interactions. But if you became familiar with him, shamelessly approached him every day to chat, you would see his true self.
The Kingdom of Guhu fell within seven days, and the Great Wei diplomatic mission was rescued. When the chief envoy emerged from prison, he saw the travel-worn, blood-stained figures of Wei Shu and Zhao Lingfei. Without needing words, the chief envoy patted Wei Shu's shoulder with deep emotion.
Wei Shu softly said to the chief envoy: "Your Excellency, the King of Guhu has fled the country, and troops have been dispatched to pursue him. We need to install a new royal family in Guhu while potentially gathering intelligence about the Southern Barbarians from them... I feel somewhat uneasy, as the Southern Barbarians' expansion has been too rapid, their power growing increasingly formidable. If Great Wei doesn't investigate first, we might be sitting ducks."
The chief envoy sighed: "Do as you see fit. Ju Yuan, what wouldn't I trust you with now? What wouldn't I feel confident leaving in your hands?"
That night, the Great Wei diplomatic mission celebrated their narrow escape. Everyone gathered around the bonfire to toast their savior Wei Shu one by one. Wei Shu, usually reticent, remained quiet, drinking whatever was offered. Zhao Lingfei, watching from nearby, couldn't stand it any longer and knelt leaning forward.
She shielded Wei Shu behind her, patting her chest as she declared: "I'll drink with you all! You're just taking advantage of Brother Ju Yuan's silence!"
Turning back, she gave a playful smile to Wei Shu, whose dark eyes stared blankly at her, mouthing "Leave it to me." Wei Shu, likely muddled from drinking, stared straight at her without reaction. His body swayed, and as Zhao Lingfei's eyes widened in surprise, he slumped over, his head resting against her back.
Zhao Lingfei stiffened, uncertain whether to pull away yet finding it tiring to remain seated.
The men burst into laughter upon seeing this.
Having spent enough time with Zhao Lingfei to appreciate her lively nature, they dared to tease her: "What standing do you have to drink for Ju Yuan?"
"Lingfei, look here - our Ju Yuan has both looks and brains, without any messy romantic entanglements. Wherever he goes, he remains clean and proper... When are you going to marry him?"
Even the chief envoy joined in the fun: "I could serve as your matchmaker."
Zhao Lingfei flushed crimson, wanting to jump up and chase them, but restrained by the drunken Wei Shu leaning against her back. She shouted: "You scoundrels! Making fun of Brother Ju Yuan again! Just you wait until tomorrow when I beat you all—!"
The bonfire dwindled as the young men and women laughed. When the laughter subsided, they fell silent, gazing at the moon above. Someone sighed: "Four years... When can we return to Great Wei? I miss my wife."
"Don't mention it. When I return, my daughter probably won't recognize me."
"The letters my mother wrote me were all lost during our encounter with the bandits last time. Her eyesight is failing... I miss her so much."
As they spoke, their voices softened, with increasing sniffles. The mood grew somber. Zhao Lingfei carefully adjusted her sitting position, hugging her knees as she too looked up at the moon—She missed her mother, and she missed her father.
She missed her elder brothers and sisters at home.
Although she had fled from an arranged marriage, and her father had told her to get lost and never come back before she left, she often remembered his kindness to her. She loved practicing martial arts, and though her father never watched, he never dismantled her practice field either.
When she was little, he had carried her out to buy sweets; when she shouted and screamed at him, he never disowned her as his daughter...
Zhao Lingfei sighed softly, her eyes brimming with tears as she gazed quietly at the moon.
Wei Shu's voice came from behind her: "Are you homesick too?"
Zhao Lingfei's back stiffened instantly, her hairs standing on end: Was Wei Shu not drunk?
Wei Shu whispered: "I didn't want to drink anymore, so I just pretended to be dizzy. Don't cry out. Once we finish dealing with matters in the Guhu Kingdom, we should be able to return to Great Wei. You can go home."
Zhao Lingfei imitated his lowered voice, sitting bolt upright, careful not to let others notice her unusual state: "Why?"
Wei Shu: "We need to report the intelligence about the Southern Barbarians and the situation in the Western Regions to Great Wei. Once matters in the Guhu Kingdom are settled, we can establish a complete trade route here... We can return to Chang'an."
Zhao Lingfei's eyes curved into smiles, and she responded firmly, completely trusting his judgment. Under the cold moon, her heart burned with warmth, happy because of his unique way of comforting—
Chang'an, Chang'an.
The Chang'an that haunted their dreams, the Chang'an they yearned for in midnight reveries. That unreachable prosperous capital, the unforgettable taverns and tea houses... Could they finally return?—
In Jinling City, Lord Li's funeral had concluded, and Mu Wan Yao's party packed their belongings, preparing to return to Chang'an.
Just then, the imperial edict from Chang'an, rushed here with great urgency, finally arrived in Jinling with several eunuchs and was delivered to the princess.
Mu Wan Yao received these messengers from Chang'an in the bedchamber of the Li family's inner residence. When she saw the edict addressed to her, her heart stirred—it must be about the change in the Imperial Son-in-Law candidate. Mu Wan Yao took the edict and, seeing it confirmed her thoughts, couldn't help but smile. However, when she noticed the seal section, her smile froze—
"Why is there no seal from the Secretariat? What, does the Secretariat oppose my marriage?"
The young eunuch delivering the edict quickly dispelled the princess's misunderstanding: "The Secretariat isn't taking a stance, Your Highness need not worry. Your Highness's marriage arrangements are proceeding, it's just that the Secretariat has some reservations due to certain reasons, but they absolutely don't intend to obstruct Your Highness's marriage."
Mu Wan Yao paused, sensing there was more to the story, and made a mental note of it. She handed the edict to Qiu Si, instructing her maid to keep it safe, planning to flaunt it before Yan Shang later. She then turned to another eunuch: "Are you here to deliver an imperial edict too?"
This eunuch craned his neck looking toward the back hall, looking embarrassed: "Your Highness, these two edicts I have are for Magistrate Yan. Why hasn't Magistrate Yan come out to receive the edict?"
Accustomed to getting her way, Mu Wan Yao said casually: "He has an eye injury, the imperial physician is applying medicine, so he won't be out for a while. You can read his edict, I'll listen."
The eunuch hesitated.
Mu Wan Yao looked at him with her beautiful eyes, half-smiling: "What, since he's going to be my Imperial Son-in-Law, am I, as princess, unworthy of hearing you read the edict? Or do you want me to kneel to receive the edict and kowtow in gratitude for the imperial favor?"
The eunuch wouldn't dare make the princess kneel.He didn't even dare read the imperial edict before the princess, hastily handing both decrees intended for Yan Erlang to the maid beside her. Qiu Si unrolled the edicts, skimmed them casually, then showed a puzzled expression as she leaned close to whisper in the princess's ear.
Mu Wan Yao's face shifted slightly as she snatched the edicts—
The first commended Yan Shang for his three-year tenure as magistrate of Rang County, having elevated it from a medium-grade county to a superior one. In Great Wei, counties were classified by population and economy, with magistrates' ranks corresponding to their county's status. Thus, Yan Erlang's original rank of Lower Seventh Grade was directly promoted to Lower Sixth Grade due to Rang County's upgrade.
This stunned Mu Wan Yao.
So this was why he hadn't let her ruin his magistrate position—he'd been waiting for this news.
The second edict, citing Yan Shang's exemplary governance as a newly promoted superior county magistrate, summoned him to the capital for debriefing and reassignment. Due to personnel shortages in the Ministry of Personnel, he was appointed as Appraisal and Merit Secretary, Upper Fifth Grade. The central government demanded his immediate return to Chang'an for duty, and as a fifth-rank official, he was now required to attend daily court assemblies without absence barring legitimate reasons.
Both edicts had been issued in quick succession by the Secretariat—drafted by them, reviewed by the Chancellery, and approved by the Emperor... They'd traveled across mountains and rivers to Jinling, intended for Yan Shang's own hands.
Seeing these edicts and the Secretariat's seals, then recalling the missing seal on her own edict, Mu Wan Yao instantly understood: the Secretariat had subtly handed the Imperial Son-in-Law authority to Yan Shang, refusing to force him into marrying the princess.
They might even confront Danyang Princess to protect this newly minted fifth-rank official.
Her face darkened. Without a word, she gripped the edicts and stormed toward the inner residence.
In the bedchamber, Yan Shang leaned against an armrest while the imperial physician examined his eyes and applied new medicine. Though his vision had returned, it hadn't fully recovered—occasional double vision persisted, requiring continued treatment.
The elderly physician chattered about precautions: avoiding spicy food, minimizing tears, keeping foreign objects away... Their conversation was interrupted by hurried footsteps.
Yan Shang glanced toward the window where maids were rushing over with lifted skirts. The next moment, the door curtain swept aside as Mu Wan Yao marched in with an icy expression, clutching several yellow scrolls.
The physician had no time to withdraw, but Mu Wan Yao paid no mind to his presence. She hurled the edicts directly at Yan Shang.
A fierce, head-on assault.
The trembling physician beside Yan Shang watched as he swiftly leaned aside to avoid the projectiles, though one still struck his shoulder. Wincing, he picked up the fallen edicts and asked, "What troubles Your Highness?"
Mu Wan Yao stood before the screen with hands on hips, flushed with rage, her glare piercing—
"What troubles me? I should ask what schemes you've concealed! So you had everything planned—letting me house arrest you all this way, cutting you off from outside news, yet you never worried... Because you knew the edicts would come. Once they arrived with your promotion and recall to the capital, my confinement would become meaningless.""So this is what you've been hiding from me. Before your four-year term was even completed, you managed to leverage the county-level administrative changes to elevate yourself from seventh-rank to sixth-rank official. Your capabilities, Yan Suchen, leave me utterly impressed.
"Why keep it from me? Were you planning to conceal it all along until we return to Chang'an, then report me to the Secretariat, accusing me of forcing you to marry the princess? As a fifth-rank senior official, the Secretariat would undoubtedly protect you."
Yan Shang glanced down at the three imperial edicts, scanning the two concerning himself rapidly as he had already anticipated their contents. However, his eyebrows lifted slightly in surprise at being directly promoted to the fifth rank. While pondering the court's reasoning for such an arrangement, his gaze fell upon the edict regarding Mu Wan Yao's change of Imperial Son-in-Law.
The new Imperial Son-in-Law was written as: Lingnan's Yan Erlang, Yan Shang.
His fingertip lightly brushed over those characters—they neither faded nor changed.
Mu Wan Yao watched him calmly reading the edict with lowered head, and her anger flared even more intensely, feeling utterly deceived. A wave of self-pity washed over her, tears welling in her eyes—
"You kept this from me! At the last moment, I see you're planning to go before the Emperor and refuse to be my Imperial Son-in-Law.
"You petty-minded man, you scheming snake! You've been calculating the timing and manipulating everyone... No wonder your third brother and younger sister are in Chang'an when you should have been in Nanyang for four years... So you knew all along you'd return to Chang'an this year, that's why you had them waiting here!
"Are you getting back at me? Retaliating because I placed you under house arrest, so you deliberately hid your promotion to leave me unprepared? Do you despise marrying me so much? Because I didn't respect you? Because I never apologized? So you had to play this trick on me? You scoundrel, you rotten... disgusting..."
Her eyes reddened, voice trembling slightly as she spiraled into assumptions, increasingly convinced of Yan Shang's elaborate vengeance. His composure, his lack of urgency during confinement—he had been waiting, waiting for this moment...
Yan Shang lifted his gaze, watching her quietly. He detected her unease, her fear.
He interrupted her tirade: "We'll return to Chang'an to marry."
Mu Wan Yao stared blankly, stunned.
Bewildered and hesitant, she asked: "You... weren't planning to refuse the marriage?"
Yan Shang murmured: "I just wanted to tease you a little... I meant nothing by it."
Turning his face away, he tightened his grip on the marriage edict, tracing his name once more with his fingertip. "Why would I refuse the marriage when things have reached this point?"
Mu Wan Yao watched him, all her curses dying on her lips. The room fell into silence as her expression began to shift—glistening like spring water flowing with tender emotion.
The elderly imperial physician coughed nearby.
The old physician said: "This old subject must offer a reminder. Erlang's eye ailment hasn't fully healed yet. It would be best to abstain from... marital activities for some time."
Yan Shang froze, then flushed crimson, rendered speechless.
Mu Wan Yao chuckled.
She merely showed brief surprise before responding with complete composure, not even blinking as she earnestly told the physician: "What nonsense is this? The Imperial Son-in-Law and I strictly observe propriety—how could we engage in such matters before marriage?"
Yan Shang felt profoundly embarrassed, unable to form words, astonished at Mu Wan Yao's audacity.
The elderly physician actually smiled serenely: "Understood. Just a reminder about the harms of overindulgence, certainly not implying anything about Your Highness and Erlang."
Yan Erlang dared not lift his head, his face burning with heat.
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