In full view of everyone, Princess Danyang rejected the Emperor's arranged marriage.
Not only did she reject it, but kneeling on the ground, she used the harshest words to slander Yan Shang beside her, while also revealing some of her relationship with him to the Emperor to avoid arousing suspicion—
"I met this Yan Erlang at the end of the year before last when I went to Lingnan. His family there merely farmed the land and relied on his father's reputation as a jinshi to earn some money. With such a background, does he dare to aspire to me? A person from a place like Lingnan—how narrow-minded must his perspective be? Does Father need me to elaborate?
"After arriving in Chang'an, this Yan Erlang used our past acquaintance to seek my help in submitting his literary works. Out of pity, I assisted him. However, helping him doesn’t mean anything. He might have some talent, but our backgrounds are inherently different. We see the world differently and share no common topics. After all, I am a princess of the realm. Marrying such a country bumpkin—how is it any different from marrying a dying old man?
"Father, if you truly love me, if you care for my mother’s sake, you should not subject your daughter to such humiliation."
Yan Shang knelt beside her, listening to her resolute, heart-piercingly cold words. His eyes were lowered, and no one knew what he was thinking.
This sight pained the Luling Grand Princess deeply.
When she heard her brother intended to match Yan Shang with that girl Danyang, the Grand Princess felt distressed, unwilling to let such a handsome young man fall into another’s hands so easily. Now, seeing Danyang reject the marriage, the Grand Princess was still pained, thinking her niece’s words were too venomous and utterly disrespectful.
Once Princess Danyang’s rejection spread, Yan Erlang would undoubtedly be the subject of gossip for some time and find it difficult to marry. Even someone as cynical as the Luling Grand Princess felt that if Mu Wan Yao did not wish to marry, she need not have refused so harshly.
The hall fell silent. The jinshi present dared not lift their heads, while Wei Shu frowned slightly, feeling that Mu Wan Yao’s words toward Yan Shang were excessively cruel.
The Emperor had been listening impassively to Mu Wan Yao’s speech, but when she mentioned "for my mother’s sake," his expression faltered briefly, and he seemed lost in thought.
Mu Wan Yao looked up at him.
In that moment, as the Emperor gazed at his daughter’s stubborn, unyielding demeanor, his mind wandered to the woman of the past who had been equally stubborn and defiant toward him.
He had sought to eliminate the Li Family, while the Empress had fought to protect them. He had only intended to expel the Li Family from Chang’an, yet the Empress would have rather killed him...
Since the second prince’s untimely death, the Emperor and Empress had grown estranged, until her passing.
By deliberately mentioning her mother... Mu Wan Yao was diverting his attention, stabbing at his heart, twisting the knife in his chest.
Such was the relationship between imperial father and daughter... cruel to this extent.
A pained look flashed in the Emperor’s eyes as he gazed into his daughter’s glistening dark ones. He said calmly, "Enough. Since Danyang is unwilling, and Yan Suchen is also unwilling, let this arranged marriage be dismissed. Why must you make such a scene, Danyang? I am your father—would I force you into marriage? Was it necessary for you to kneel?
"Rise, all of you."
With that, the banquet of the evening took on a desolate tone, signaling its conclusion.
The Emperor said nothing more afterward and lingered for only another half-hour before returning to the palace. Once the Emperor departed, the banquet naturally dissolved, and everyone went their separate ways.Yan Shang stood together with Wei Shu, while other scholars gathered around him with concern, offering encouragement that it was nothing to worry about and he should let it go.
Past them walked Mu Wan Yao with utter indifference. Even when Wei Shu took a step forward, he was stopped by the princess's maid.
Mu Wan Yao had no intention of speaking to anyone tonight—
She deeply regretted her actions.
She had only wanted to join the excitement and witness Yan Shang's moment of glory.
Had she known that the Emperor would arrange a Peace Marriage between her and Yan Shang at the Qujiang banquet, she would never have attended.
But it was too late for regrets.
She had used the most vicious words to insult and slander Yan Shang. No matter how tolerant he was, he must have been hurt. A man of such pride, who had always maintained a deliberate distance from her in the past—after her harsh words tonight, he would surely never help her again.
Who would help a woman who rejected a marriage proposal to his face and painted herself in such a terrible light?
She had lost a valuable ally.
Returning to the Princess Residence, Mu Wan Yao sat before the dressing mirror in her inner chamber, staring at her pale reflection in the bronze glass. She touched her cheek and whispered to her cold-eyed image: "It doesn't matter. If others won't help me, I'll help myself.
"I will never admit defeat. I will never let you defeat me."
Mu Wan Yao raised her voice and called outward: "Chunhua!"
Chunhua, who had been waiting outside, immediately responded: "Your Highness?"
Mu Wan Yao laughed: "I want to drink. Bring me wine."
Chunhua hesitated: "Now? It's so late, Your Highness should rest..."
Mu Wan Yao: "What, even you dare defy me? Are my words so worthless now?"
Chunhua reluctantly said: "Then this maid will have someone warm wine for Your Highness..."
She heard the princess inside slapping the wooden table arrogantly: "I don't want warm wine! I want it cold! Just bring it directly!"
The maids outside didn't dare respond further, only anxiously went to fetch wine for the princess.
Meanwhile, Mu Wan Yao's gaze drifted upward as she began listing wines emptily: "Bring all the fine wines from the residence! I want to drink Xijiangqiang from the capital, Langguanqing and Apoqing from Hamming Tomb. I want Jiannanchun Shao from Shu lands, and also Ruoxia wine from Wucheng..."
The maids listened with growing alarm, thinking that mixing so many different types of wine would surely lead to fatal drunkenness.
But... so be it.
The Princess Residence naturally had no shortage of wine. Soon, jar after jar was carried into the princess's bedchamber, neatly arranged in rows on a long table.
After dismissing all the servants, Mu Wan Yao sat on the floor, opened the wine jars, and began drinking alone...
She drank heavily, until her consciousness grew hazy and her pain diminished. Only then did Mu Wan Yao's furrowed brows relax, revealing a smile.
Before the Peace Marriage, Mu Wan Yao could only drink sweeter wines. But after marrying into the Black Barbarians—perhaps because they were truly too savage—she learned to drink with them. Later, when she was with Meng Zaishi, he always enjoyed forcing her to drink.
After being made drunk, those towering mountains, stone ridges, and emerald waters would sway before her eyes, becoming gradually more acceptable. She gradually grew to enjoy the sensation of strong liquor.
...And so her alcohol tolerance was forcibly trained this way.After returning to Chang'an, Mu Wan Yao restrained some of the bad habits she had developed among the Black Barbarians and assumed the dignified posture befitting a princess. Yet deep down, she knew full well that certain habits would accompany her for life. The imprints of her upbringing could never be entirely concealed, no matter how hard she tried.
Mu Wan Yao sat alone drinking, thoroughly enjoying herself, when two knocks sounded at the door.
Guard Fang's voice came from outside: "Your Highness, Yan Erlang has come to the residence requesting an audience."
Cupping her flushed cheeks warmed by the wine, Mu Wan Yao turned her face aside, momentarily wondering if she had misjudged the time or misheard.
Hadn't she just returned from the banquet not long ago? Hadn't she just rejected the marriage proposal? How could Yan Shang possibly come visiting?
Hmm, there must be some mistake.
Mu Wan Yao paid no attention and continued drinking.
Fang Tong waited outside for a while, accustomed to the princess's tendency to ignore people at will, and repeated: "Your Highness, Yan Erlang requests to see you."
This time Mu Wan Yao was certain she had heard correctly.
Holding a crystal glass in her delicate pale hand, she lifted her face as moonlight fell upon her disheveled hair and cheeks. Rubbing her face, Mu Wan Yao felt genuinely astonished.
After a pause, Mu Wan Yao said: "I won't see him."
Fang Tong withdrew.
Shortly after, Fang Tong returned and stood outside the princess's bedchamber: "Your Highness, Erlang implored this subordinate to beg you to grant him an audience."
Mu Wan Yao grew angry.
She said: "No! I said no and that means no! What is there worth seeing?"
Fang Tong replied: "Yan Erlang said he would wait outside for Your Highness for half an hour. He said he has words to share with Your Highness, hoping that..."
Mu Wan Yao interrupted impatiently: "Whose servant are you anyway - his or mine? Why do you keep relaying his messages? Didn't I say I won't see him? Do you not understand? There's nothing left to say between us. I've said all that needed to be said at the banquet. He needn't come to humiliate me, nor to bid me farewell.
"I grant him permission to never again seek my favor, to never see me again!"
With the princess speaking to this extent, continuing further would likely earn Fang Tong a caning. Not daring to say more, Fang Tong went out to deliver the message.
Mu Wan Yao thus continued drinking her wine.
After half an hour, Fang Tong actually returned again.
Pacing outside the princess's door for a long while, Fang Tong recalled Yan Erlang's assurance that the princess definitely wouldn't strike him. Trusting in Yan Shang's usual propriety, Fang Tong mustered his courage and knocked tremblingly once more: "Your Highness..."
Mu Wan Yao smiled.
Her soft voice came from within: "Guard Fang, unless I kill you tonight, you won't be happy, is that it?"
Fang Tong was nearly scared to death.
He could only convince himself to trust Yan Shang and quickly said: "This subordinate merely came to inform Your Highness that Yan Erlang has left."
Silence fell in the bedchamber.
After a long while, Fang Tong heard Mu Wan Yao's cool, low voice: "Oh."
Fang Tong whispered: "Yan Erlang left a message for the princess. He said—"
Half an hour earlier, Yan Shang had left the Princess Residence, entrusting his words to Fang Tong to convey to the princess.
His voice was clear and gentle, like frost under moonlight: "These words should have been spoken to Her Highness personally, but since she refuses to see me, having Guard Fang relay them is acceptable. Please tell Her Highness that I dare not be angry with her, nor do I blame her for being so unsparing. I know Her Highness has her own difficulties. When she spoke those words, she must have been even more heartbroken.""Your Highness need not grieve. The bond between us shall not be altered by those few words. I bear no resentment in my heart, and I beg Your Highness not to blame yourself either."
Crash—
The crystal cup slipped from Mu Wan Yao's hand and shattered on the ground.
She could hear Fang Tong attempting to mimic Yan Shang's speech patterns, but how could an ordinary person replicate Yan Shang's measured, gentle, and serene tone?
As Fang Tong hesitated, the door before him slid open, revealing Mu Wan Yao standing there with her long hair cascading loosely. Her cheeks were flushed with wine, yet her eyes blazed with unprecedented intensity. Clad in spring robes and barefoot, she appeared both delicate and unyielding.
Taking a barefoot step forward, she seized Fang Tong's wrist.
Her voice urgent, she commanded: "Go—go after him and bring him back to me!"
"Didn't he have words to say to me? I want him to stand before me personally and tell me himself!"
Yang Si and the Crown Prince departed the Apricot Garden.
Though Yang Si ought to have returned to his own residence, the Crown Prince said, "Stay at the Eastern Palace tonight."
Yang Si, his thoughts wandering, gave an absent-minded assent.
His mind remained preoccupied with the events of the banquet.
Upon returning to the Eastern Palace, the Crown Princess approached the Crown Prince, intending to discuss trivial matters, but he preempted her: "Yang San is here."
The Crown Princess paused.
Then understanding dawned: "This humble wife shall ensure no one disturbs Your Highness and Yang Sanlang."
Yang Si remained distracted throughout. After washing up, he entered the chamber assigned to him and leaned against the wall. Before long, the Crown Prince entered. Yang Si glanced at him, observing as the Prince seated himself on the opposite side of the wall, watching him intently.
The Crown Prince commanded: "Lock the door."
As Yang Si stood bewildered, he heard the attendants respond from outside, followed by the metallic clank of a lock securing the door from the outside before the servants withdrew.
Yang Si: "..."
He stared at the stern and imposing young man across from him, laughing in exasperation: "Is Your Highness guarding against thieves? Locking me in is one thing, but why imprison yourself as well? What, are you afraid I might do something?"
The Crown Prince met his gaze: "I had myself locked in because I intend to keep watch over you personally. Yang San, I shall remain with you tonight until you regain your composure. No matter what, you cannot leave, you cannot seek out Yao Yao, and you absolutely must not act on impulse by declaring your intention to marry her at this time."
Yang Si's expression instantly turned icy.
His eyes sharpened, briefly flashing with bestial ferocity.
A heavy silence settled between them.
They stared each other down.
After a long while, Yang Si gave a lazy laugh: "How utterly amusing. Wasn't it you who constantly urged me to marry Yao Yao? Now that I've agreed, you oppose it?"
The Crown Prince replied: "I have always supported you and Yao Yao. But tonight you witnessed the Emperor's stance. At least for the immediate future, it would be best not to settle Yao Yao's marriage. Yang San, you are not alone—you have the entire Yang Family behind you. Even if you disregard my counsel, would you have the entire Yang Family face the Emperor's iron fist?"
Yang Si sprang up in fury.
Towering on his feet, he pointed toward the door and exclaimed: "So we should simply do nothing? Allow the Emperor to bully Yao Yao?"
The Crown Prince's voice remained calm: "Can you not see that the Emperor does not wish Yao Yao to marry?! So long as she remains unmarried for now, she will come to no harm. If you do not want the Yang Family to become the second Li Family, you must proceed with caution and not act recklessly."
Yang Si took a step back, leaning against the wall.
The young man's face was cold as he chuckled softly: "Remain calm, you say?"The Crown Prince looked at him for a long moment before speaking slowly, "Yaoyao is my sister. Even if I use her, I wouldn't be as ruthless as our father. You must acknowledge this much, right? At the very least, I don't want her to marry back to the Black Barbarians, nor do I want to drive her away from Chang'an. I'm still working to arrange your marriage with her... If you two truly wed, you could protect her. But this matter requires time—I'm not yet ready to openly oppose our father."
Yang Si let out a cold laugh and remained silent.
Seeing his reaction, the Crown Prince sighed. "She is my sister, but you're the childhood friend who grew up with me. I'd rather see her suffer a little than watch you leap into a fire pit. Do you understand?"
Yang Si said, "You're just too fond of scheming."
The Crown Prince fell silent for a long while.
Then he said, "It's better than watching you go to your death."
His voice was calm. "Sleep. Tonight, I'll keep watch over you. Just like... back then, when I watched you to prevent you from taking her away from here."
Yang Si instantly stilled.
He leaned his head back, hitting the wall.
He remembered that year, when he heard they were sending Mu Wan Yao for a peace marriage. Furious and indignant, he had wanted to take Mu Wan Yao away.
But he couldn't take her.
The Crown Prince personally kept him under guard, while the Yang family sent people daily to persuade him. By the time he was released, it was already too late to change anything.
Yang Si gave a self-mocking smile and said quietly, "If you hadn't watched me back then, she wouldn't have had to marry for peace."
The Crown Prince nodded. "True. And then your entire Yang family would have been ruined because of you. You and Mu Wan Yao would have fled far away, living a life of hiding. As a man, you might not have minded, but have you ever considered whether my delicate sister could have endured such a life?
"She wouldn't have gone with you then. And now, you still can't marry her. The same principle applies."
Yang Si lowered his gaze. After a long pause, he sat down, reining in his aggressive aura. He whispered, "I just can't bear it... You're all too ruthless."
The Crown Prince said, "Then wait for me to make my plans. When the time is right, you'll marry her and protect her yourself."
Yang Si said, "I can't protect her."
Before the Crown Prince could grow angry, he turned his head to gaze through the window at the moonlight outside and said slowly, "I've watched this sister grow up since childhood. Though I can't bear it, I am, after all, the third son of the Yang family. If I lack the courage to abandon my family, I can accomplish nothing.
"I don't want to marry her. I only hope there is someone in this world who will treat her sincerely. Until then, I can only... do my best to be as kind to her as possible."
The Crown Prince said, "You must marry her."
Yang Si, irritated, turned over and lay down, pulling the covers over his head. "Go to sleep!"
The Crown Prince sighed and stopped pressing the matter—
Yan Shang was caught up by Fang Tong and led all the way into the Princess Residence, arriving outside the princess's bedchamber.
Fang Tong and the others withdrew, indicating that Her Highness was waiting inside.
As Yan Shang reached the door, the smell of alcohol from within made him slightly dizzy.
Startled, he pondered for a moment before knocking.
Mu Wan Yao's delicate yet cold voice rang out, "Can't you push the door open yourself?"
Yan Shang remained silent and pushed the door open.
Hesitating over whether closing the door would harm the princess's reputation, Mu Wan Yao's impatient voice continued, "If you don't close the door, are you trying to freeze me to death?"
Yan Shang closed the door and turned around.
Layers of curtains hung heavily.
He couldn't see the princess.
Yan Shang asked, puzzled, "Your Highness?"
Mu Wan Yao said, "Must you be so proper that you won't take a single step forward?"Yan Shang let out a soft sigh, hearing her growing impatience with each word, sensing she was nearing her limit. Standing there, enveloped by the thick scent of alcohol in the room, his gaze swept over numerous empty wine jars. He wondered how much that drunkard had consumed.
Yan Shang somewhat regretted coming.
Clearly, he didn’t believe he could reason with a drunkard.
But since he was already here, he would handle it as it came.
Pushing aside layer after layer of curtains, Yan Shang walked inward, searching for the princess. Suddenly, someone stumbled out from within and threw themselves at him, wrapping their arms around him.
The young woman’s slender arms tightly encircled his waist.
Her entire body buried itself in his embrace, her face pressed against his chest.
Yan Shang stiffened, his arms spread wide, unsure of what to do. He stammered, "Your Highness…"
Mu Wan Yao buried herself in his embrace, clutching his waist tightly, and whispered softly, "Don’t be so formal, don’t be in such a hurry to push me away. Let me hold you for a moment, just a moment."
Her voice was fragile and hollow, reminiscent of autumn leaves and winter’s withered snow.
She was in such pain.
After a long pause, Yan Shang lowered his arms to her back and embraced her.
He bent his head, holding her close. He encircled her, drawing her into his arms, and spoke gently, "Don’t be so sad, Your Highness."
He smiled faintly, his voice tender, "I thought Your Highness would be very distressed, and I couldn’t rest easy. So I felt that, no matter what, I must see you tonight. I wanted to ask you something in person."
Mu Wan Yao lifted her face, her gaze dazed, and murmured, "Ask me what?"
Yan Shang looked at her and said, "I beg Your Highness not to become distant from me."
—He was so skilled with words, so considerate of her pride.
When it was he who should have been angry and ignored her, he was the one pleading with her not to grow apart.
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