In early November, Princess Danyang arrived in Nanhai.
As she descended from the carriage, the local people crowded around to catch a glimpse. They had never seen a princess visit a place like theirs. Draped in embroidered silks and adorned with gleaming pearls and jade, she commanded their reverence.
After a brief ceremonial reception, Mu Wan Yao went to the study of Li Zhi, the magistrate of Nanhai County, to pay her respects to her uncle.
Li Zhi would never allow a princess to actually bow to him. The moment Mu Wan Yao began to kneel, he hurriedly and deferentially helped her up.
As uncle and niece looked at each other, they both felt how time had flown. Since parting in Chang'an three years earlier, each had changed considerably.
Mu Wan Yao was no longer the delicate, adorable, and somewhat naive young princess of fourteen or fifteen; Li Zhi now had grandchildren, with three generations living under one roof.
Li Zhi, a lean and scholarly-looking man, invited his niece to sit and had maids serve tea. "Your Highness arrived in Lingnan in October. I have been eagerly awaiting your arrival day after day, yet it took over a month to finally see you. It has not been easy."
Mu Wan Yao smiled faintly. "We are family, Uncle. There is no need for such formality with me. I fell ill in October and had to recuperate in Sand Water Town. I apologize for causing you concern."
Li Zhi inquired with concern, "I heard about it, though the details were unclear. Could Your Highness elaborate?"
Mu Wan Yao then briefly explained her intention to find the White Ox tea tree and bring it back to Chang'an.
She had already asked around upon her arrival, but even in Nanhai, people knew little about the White Ox tea tree. This confirmed that she had indeed stumbled upon something rare and valuable.
Stroking his beard thoughtfully, Li Zhi remarked, "What a brilliant open scheme. I vaguely heard that this Yan Erlang is only seventeen, yet he possesses quite the cunning."
Mu Wan Yao was taken aback.
She reflected on the details of her search for the tea tree and chuckled in disbelief. "What are you talking about, Uncle? What open scheme? What does this have to do with Yan Erlang?"
Li Zhi looked intently at Princess Danyang. Even he, upon first hearing of this stratagem, could only sigh and call it an "open scheme"—one that left no room for objection or accusation, not to mention his politically inexperienced niece.
He pointed out to her, "That Yan Erlang personally hinted to you about the interesting qualities of White Ox tea. If I'm not mistaken, even before your attendants revealed your identity, he had likely deduced who you were through indirect means. Since he demonstrated the White Ox tea to you, why not see it through and simply gift you the tea tree, instead of letting you search for it yourself?
"As a local, how could he not know about the snake pits and dizzygrass there? One might argue he rarely goes to that area and thus was unaware. But he might have known very well. I suspect that even if Nanhai had not sent people to search for you, Yan Erlang would have found an excuse to rescue you in the wilderness. Yet no one could blame him, for whether you went into the wild was your own decision, and the snakes that bit you were not raised by him.
"He wanted to become your savior, to climb the social ladder through you, Your Highness."
Mu Wan Yao was stunned. "Climb the social ladder through me? Ah, I see."
She understood in an instant. By becoming her savior, after her departure, officials in the Lingnan region would inevitably pay attention to the Yan family. Yan Shisheng was wholly devoted to the imperial examinations and sought success through this method.
How absurd!
Observing the cold shift in Mu Wan Yao's expression, Li Zhi asked curiously, "I thought his aim in climbing through you was to marry a princess? But does Yan Erlang truly believe a rustic scholar like him could wed a princess? That seems inconsistent with the intelligence capable of devising such an open scheme."Mu Wan Yao sneered coldly, "He doesn't truly wish to marry a princess—what he wants is to secure official recommendations in next year's provincial examinations so he can go to Chang'an!"
Li Zhi fell silent for a moment, then chuckled wryly.
Mu Wan Yao continued, "Because his poetry and prose are an absolute mess, utterly worthless! If he could rely on his literary talent to earn a provincial examination spot, I'd willingly take his surname! He's been toying with me in the palm of his hand..."
Gnashing her teeth, Mu Wan Yao grew angrier as she spoke, slamming her teacup violently onto the table.
How could she have thought Yan Shisheng truly cared for her... How could she have felt guilty toward him during their farewell...
Raising her voice in fury, Mu Wan Yao declared, "Guards! Go to Sand Water Town and find Yan Erlang, bring him—"
But halfway through her command, she abruptly stopped.
She remembered how he'd been pressed against the carriage wall during their farewell, his eyes reddened, breathing faintly. After being forced for some time, he'd become aroused, but the moment he tried to embrace her shoulders, she'd ruthlessly pushed him away...
Her cheeks burning, Mu Wan Yao took a sip of tea to hide her embarrassment, only to scald herself and flush even deeper, as if painted with rouge.
Li Zhi observed the princess's changing demeanor throughout, wearing a knowing smile—
Having discovered she'd been used by Yan Shisheng, Mu Wan Yao was in poor spirits. After restraining herself all day, by dinnertime the princess finally sent Guard Fang on an errand.
She ordered Fang Tong to go to Sand Water Town and berate Yan Shisheng thoroughly for two full hours!
Mu Wan Yao smiled sweetly, "Best to knock on his door in the dead of night, drag him out of bed, and scold him for two hours. Only then will my anger be appeased."
When Fang Tong returned at noon the next day, having rushed back on horseback, he wearily described to Mu Wan Yao how the abruptly awakened Yan Erlang had appeared both helpless and astonished while being reprimanded in the middle of the night.
Hearing about Yan Shisheng's bewilderment and resignation, Mu Wan Yao burst into laughter.
Only after forgiving him did she remember the memorial Yan Erlang had written for her before parting. Mu Wan Yao went to find Li Zhi again, presenting the memorial Yan Shisheng had written about dealing with the Black Barbarians.
Having come urgently to the South Sea to resolve the Meng Zaishi matter, Mu Wan Yao naturally sought Li Zhi's counsel.
Her uncle had once commanded a hundred thousand border troops and was highly skilled in political maneuvering in Chang'an. Only after Li Zhi reviewed Yan Shisheng's strategy could Mu Wan Yao feel at ease.
Not that this uncle particularly doted on his sister's only remaining daughter.
Politics dictated their alliance—Mu Wan Yao needed the Jinling Li Clan's support to return to Chang'an, while the Jinling Li Clan relied on Mu Wan Yao's political maneuvering in the capital to regain standing. Their mutual interests had united them.
After reading the memorial, Li Zhi's eyes gradually brightened. "What a pity," he remarked.
Mu Wan Yao grew anxious. "What's wrong?"
Li Zhi explained, "If you hadn't told me this Yan Erlang is determined to go to Chang'an, I would have wanted him as my advisor. You said you never informed him about the Black Barbarians' situation, yet he deduced most of it himself. Such talent has boundless prospects."
A slight smile touched Mu Wan Yao's lips.
It almost felt like her uncle was complimenting her by proxy.
Yet she disdainfully added, "What's so remarkable? Asking him to compose poetry would be torture. I see he's employing every scheme to reach Chang'an, but he'll still need to pass poetry examinations there. He'll be lucky to even become a Jinshi—I doubt he has any other talents."
Li Zhi shook his head with an amused smile, ignoring the princess's stubborn denial.Li Zhi accepted the memorial and said, "One of Yan Erlang's strategies is quite excellent, and I intend to employ it. Although I no longer command the border troops, there are still some among them who heed my words. With this plan, I shall help Your Highness eliminate the Uman King. At the very least, the Uman King will have no time to harass Your Highness for a year."
Mu Wan Yao's gaze was clear and bright, her flowing eyes like mist veiling distant peaks.
Even Li Zhi, as her elder, found her delicate and enchanting, and his tone softened involuntarily: "Your Highness has suffered. Rest assured, now that you have returned from Uman, I will never allow you to go back to such a barbaric land again."
Mu Wan Yao offered a perfunctory thanks.
She knew full well that her marriage to Uman had been arranged through discussions between this very uncle and her mother.
At that time, the Li family needed to sacrifice her to gain influence in Chang'an; now, the Li family was helping her so they could regain their footing in the future.
It was all a matter of interests.
If she thought her uncle was helping her out of affection, she would be a fool.
Sure enough, after finishing this matter, Li Zhi casually brought up her marriage.
Li Zhi asked with a smile, "With the past behind us, and Your Highness in the prime of youth, have you taken a liking to any young noble in Chang'an? In our Great Wei, there is no rule forbidding remarriage after being widowed. Commoners may remarry, and a princess who has been married certainly may as well."
Mu Wan Yao replied leisurely, "I have not. His Highness the Crown Prince has recommended quite a few to me."
This was because the Crown Prince also wanted to draw her into his faction, coveting the Li family's influence behind her.
Li Zhi's eyes flickered, but he made no comment.
Clearly, while the Li family tacitly allowed Mu Wan Yao to rely on the Crown Prince in Chang'an, they did not wish for her relationship with the Crown Prince to grow closer.
Li Zhi said, "Before I came to Lingnan last year, I passed through Luoyang. Your Highness must be aware of the prominent Wei family there. Your Highness should not marry a direct descendant of the Wei family, as His Majesty would be wary. However, if it is merely a collateral son, His Majesty would not question it too much.
"When I was in Luoyang, I met a talented youth who was precisely a collateral son of the Wei family. His mother was an unofficial wife, and after returning to the Wei family, he was rather ill-treated. I took him as my disciple and taught him for a few days. When we parted, I told him he could go to Chang'an to take the imperial examinations and present his credentials to Princess Danyang.
"Your Highness should meet him then. If you find him suitable, you might consider making him your Imperial Son-in-Law."
Mu Wan Yao remained silent for a moment, then nodded gently.
Seeing her indifferent attitude, Li Zhi added a few more words: "Your Highness need not worry; the disciple I have chosen is by no means an obscure figure. He is exceptionally talented and brilliant. If not for the Wei family's long-standing suppression, he would not have been available for me to recruit. Ahem, but Your Highness need not rush into marriage; you may take time to understand each other. Delaying for one or two years, or even two or three years, is of no consequence."
Delaying for one or two years, or even two or three years, is of no consequence?
Li Zhi's words were rather peculiar.
Mu Wan Yao glanced at her uncle in surprise: "What is his name?"
Li Zhi replied succinctly, "Wei Shu. I gave him the courtesy name Ju Yuan. Perhaps it matters little to you now, but when you meet Wei Ju Yuan, you will understand that I am not forcing you to marry. Compared to the matches the Crown Prince has found for you, Wei Ju Yuan is more suited to be your good match."
Mu Wan Yao nodded again.
Li Zhi studied her for a moment.
He asked, "What, are you unwilling? Do you have someone you favor? Which prominent family's son is he? Your uncle can help you consider."
A son of a prominent family.
Mu Wan Yao's brows curved slightly.
She had talked with Li Zhi the entire night, until the moon rose above the treetops.In the elegant room, with soft light caressing her face, she rested her cheek on her hand, her lashes casting shadows over her eyes, exuding a myriad of charms. "Uncle, you've misunderstood. It doesn't matter whom I marry."
Li Zhi gazed at her for a long while, his eyes softening with pity.
He murmured softly, "If many years pass... and you find someone you truly love, you can still dissolve the marriage and wed the one you desire. But not now. Do you understand, Yaoyao?"
Mu Wan Yao couldn't help but chuckle at her uncle's earnestness. "Uncle, you've truly misunderstood. I don't have feelings for anyone. I never did in the past, and I won't in the future. Since returning from the Black Barbarians, I've vowed to be a willful, capricious princess with a terrible temper. Marriage means nothing to me."
She turned her face away, her gaze resting proudly on the moonlight outside the window—
A princess returned to Chang'an for a Peace Marriage doesn't have it easy.
She couldn't marry whomever she pleased.
So she chose not to love anyone.
She would never let herself suffer again, nor allow those around her to endure hardship.
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