Mu Wan Yao accompanied the Emperor to this summer retreat located in Fanchuan, on the outskirts of Chang'an.
Fanchuan lies at the foot of Mount Zhongnan, where high-ranking officials, nobles, and members of the imperial family all favored seclusion and enjoyed building private gardens.
Naturally, the Emperor also had his own private retreat here.
While it remained uncertain how the grand garden—currently being constructed by the Crown Prince with great fanfare and lavish treasures from across the land—would turn out, the current retreat in Fanchuan was the Emperor's favorite. Every year during the hot season, the Emperor would reside here for two months.
This year, Mu Wan Yao was in his entourage.
Although she had come to curry favor with the Emperor on the Crown Prince's orders and to avoid Yan Shang, the old Emperor, living in solitary loneliness, found his mood greatly lifted by the presence of his youngest daughter, who bore a striking resemblance to his deceased wife.
Fanchuan was indeed much cooler.
In the mansions of Chang'an's nobility, ice was commonly used to combat the heat, but in the Fanchuan retreat, the plums and honeydew melons served by the eunuchs were merely stored in cellars, not chilled with ice. These fruits, not overly cold, were much to Mu Wan Yao's liking.
Seated under a canopy with the Emperor, Mu Wan Yao was engaged in a board game called "Liubo."
Liubo was a game where moves were determined by casting lots, quite popular among the nobility of Great Wei.
As she played against the old Emperor, Mu Wan Yao's mind wandered chaotically.
She thought about how she needed to stay close to the Emperor, probing his attitude toward the Crown Prince and striving to bolster the Crown Prince's standing with him. As a peace marriage princess, Mu Wan Yao had no real choice in alliances; the Crown Prince, as the heir apparent, was her natural option, so she was determined to support him wholeheartedly.
Once the Crown Prince ascended the throne and perhaps granted her a title like The Eldest Princess, she might finally gain her freedom.
Then, her thoughts suddenly turned to Yan Shang, and her heart wavered slightly.
She believed that with her current attitude, someone as perceptive as Yan Shang would understand her intentions. After spending a month here and returning to Chang'an, with both parties having cooled down, they could revert to a normal ruler-subject relationship.
The truth was, she felt an irresistible itch for him now... If not forcibly interrupted by distance, she feared she might cling to him relentlessly.
And Yan Shang, with his resolute nature, had marriage plans entirely different from hers. Startled by this, she hoped her stance would make her position clear to him.
Yan Shang... should understand, right?
But thinking of him left her heart in turmoil. The idea of him reestablishing boundaries made her resentful; recalling his serene sleeping face that night—how she had sat in the tent, knees hugged, secretly watching him for so long... If only he were truly her elder brother.
Then she could accept his kindness without guilt.
And not worry about him walking away.
Now, three days had passed; Yan Shang should have understood.
Would he be angry? Would he be sad?
The thought of someone like him possibly feeling hurt twisted Mu Wan Yao's heart, filling her with even more unease...
"Yao Yao, your chess style is quite similar to your mother's," the old Emperor remarked casually, pulling Mu Wan Yao back from her thoughts.
Mu Wan Yao looked up at the Emperor across from her.Great Wei had an open and liberal social atmosphere, where heroic spirit was revered from the highest to the lowest levels. This open custom allowed even the Emperor, despite his supreme status as the Son of Heaven, to rarely wear the imperial yellow robe or display his imperial majesty through attire.
When the Emperor was in good health, he often wore riding attire, which led his ministers to follow suit as a trend. In recent years, as his health declined, he had taken to wearing loose, casual robes.
From her vantage point, Mu Wan Yao observed the Emperor opposite her: his temples graying, his face gaunt, his robes hanging loosely, and a languid look in his eyes. Yet he was toying with gaming chips and smiling at her.
In that moment, she suddenly realized this man had truly aged. In the past, he had been decisive in war and governance, rarely revealing any expression. Now, he was even smiling at his youngest daughter.
Playing along, Mu Wan Yao asked, "In what ways do I resemble my mother?"
The Emperor narrowed his eyes nostalgically and said, "A'Nuan was unlike any other woman. When she played chess with me, she never retracted a move, unlike others who often tried to take back their plays. She was intensely focused during games, neither speaking to me nor tolerating interruptions. Such a woman with profound depth is rare nowadays."
A'Nuan was the childhood name of the late empress.
Probably no one in the entire realm but the Emperor would dare use the late empress's childhood name anymore.
Mu Wan Yao thought to herself that she indeed didn't resemble her mother. Her mother had been focused during chess, while she was merely distracted, her mind elsewhere.
Noticing the concerned look in the eyes of the eunuch behind the Emperor, Mu Wan Yao paused inwardly, realizing that the Emperor's frequent reminiscences of the late empress were worrying those around him about his state.
After discarding a chip, Mu Wan Yao made another move. She said, "Not retracting moves is indeed a good style. It seems I should learn from my mother."
The Emperor chuckled wryly, "Why learn from her? To become as cold-hearted and icy as she was? To become like her..."
He seemed slightly dazed, but Mu Wan Yao didn't listen further.
She had spotted a maid outside the tent, anxiously peering their way. The maid was one Mu Wan Yao had brought with her this time. Her heart sank, suspecting something was wrong. Using the excuse of freshening up, she excused herself from the Emperor and stepped out.
The moment Mu Wan Yao emerged, the maid rushed over in panic to report: "Your Highness, Sister Chunhua seems to be failing... She's dying, isn't she?"
Mu Wan Yao's mind went blank momentarily before she snapped sharply, "Nonsense! She was perfectly fine when I left! How could someone suddenly be at death's door?"
The maid glanced around nervously, noting the solemn silence around the Emperor's tent where numerous maids and eunuchs stood waiting.
Not daring to speak openly, the maid leaned close to Mu Wan Yao's ear and whispered fragmented phrases: "Seems to be pregnant," "massive bleeding," "barely breathing," "everyone's terrified and crying."
Mu Wan Yao's expression turned stern, and she immediately decided to return and check.
On her way back, she remembered something and instructed the maid to find the Emperor's personal eunuch to request an experienced imperial physician to accompany them. She only mentioned that the princess was unwell, without elaborating further.
Returning to her quarters, Mu Wan Yao pushed open the door to the maids' room and strode straight in. Having heard the general situation from the maid along the way, her mind was clear, and she had roughly guessed what had happened.
The maids, too afraid to make noise, stood trembling in the corridor. They watched as Mu Wan Yao entered the room, where many maids knelt around the bed, clutching the hand of the woman inside the curtains and sobbing quietly.
"Your Highness!" they exclaimed, turning to see Mu Wan Yao enter.Mu Wan Yao was filled with rage, furious that Chunhua had wanted to abort her child yet hadn’t dared to tell her.
Was she afraid she wouldn’t agree?
Or afraid she would be put in a difficult position?
Seething with anger, Mu Wan Yao swept aside the bed curtains, only to see the pale, sweat-drenched girl lying beneath the blankets. In that stunned moment, all the harsh words she had prepared died on her lips. Ignoring the panicked protests of the maids, she yanked back the covers and saw the blood staining the sheets beneath… Mu Wan Yao’s eyes instantly reddened.
Trembling, she cried, “Have you lost your mind! Have you lost your mind! How could you take medicine so recklessly? How could you trust some backwoods physician? You… you… are you trying to kill yourself!”
Chunhua, wracked with agonizing pain, hazily glimpsed through tear-blurred eyes what seemed to be Her Highness.
She weakly reached out a trembling hand, her voice filled with sorrow and fear: “Your Highness, Chunhua can no longer serve you… Chunhua must go first…”
Mu Wan Yao gripped her wrist, her voice cold and sharp: “This Palace forbids it! This Palace absolutely forbids it!”
Chunhua’s breathing was already growing faint, her inhalations shallow. If she didn’t speak now, it would be too late.
Drenched in cold sweat, her face ashen and pale, she trembled and choked out: “I know… I made the same choice you once did. I didn’t mean to wound Your Highness’s heart… but I truly didn’t want this child. I have Young Master Liu… I don’t want to betray him. I don’t want to enter the prince’s manor, I don’t want to be with someone I don’t love…
“I know my wish is too extravagant. Even Your Highness couldn’t achieve it—how could I? But I too have dreams… I imagine that I’m just a maid, that I’m not so important… I only want to be with the man I love, to marry him, to bear his children… to be with him forever.
“Even if we’re poor, even if life is hard. I’m not an important figure like Your Highness—I don’t have to make such choices. I just need to get rid of this child… Your Highness, please don’t blame Young Master Liu. After I’m gone, please take care of him. It was I who betrayed him, I who wronged him. I know Your Highness doesn’t like him… but he isn’t a bad man.”
The girl curled beneath the blankets, still bleeding, the hand Mu Wan Yao held growing cold. Her once captivating beauty, which had charmed everyone, now looked dull and haggard, all its former radiance gone.
The other maids in the room stood with bowed heads, some sobbing quietly, others weeping in silence.
Mu Wan Yao sat on the edge of the bed, her hand trembling slightly as she held Chunhua’s.
She watched as a faint, illusory smile touched Chunhua’s lips, her murmuring voice barely audible: “Young Master Liu is so good to me… he’s always treated me well. Last time, I even found out he wants to marry me. I’m going to be wed… I don’t want to wrong him… Young Master Liu, Young Master Liu… beneath the Yellow Springs, a hundred years from now, when will we meet again?”
Mu Wan Yao tightened her grip on Chunhua’s hand: “Chunhua! Don’t say such things… You followed me out of the Black Barbarians’ lands—we survived that hardship together. Life is better now. I can protect all of you. Why didn’t you tell me? Why bear this alone?”
Mu Wan Yao’s lips paled slightly: “You’re just a maid! You’re only a maid!”
Amid the sounds of weeping, a guard’s urgent call came from outside the room: “Your Highness, the imperial physician has arrived!”
Mu Wan Yao immediately responded: “Bring him in at once!”The imperial physician said Chunhua's pregnancy was not progressing well, and now the lives of both mother and child were intertwined. If the pregnancy wasn't preserved, Chunhua might survive, but judging by the current bleeding... she might never be able to conceive again.
Inside the room, Chunhua had already fainted, leaving Mu Wan Yao as the only one who could make decisions.
Hearing that without preserving the pregnancy, Chunhua might never have children again felt like a thunderbolt striking her skull, leaving Mu Wan Yao's mind momentarily blank.
She couldn't help but recall the scene two years ago among the Black Barbarians, where maids knelt weeping around her bed in the tent, nearly breathless with grief.
No pregnancy preservation meant no future children.
Mu Wan Yao had been forced into a corner with no choice back then. If she had died, everyone around her would have perished among the Black Barbarians. Yet she couldn't afford to have a child - having blood ties would have trapped her forever among the Black Barbarians...
Though only two years had passed, it now felt like a lifetime ago.
Back then she had no choices, nor anyone to decide for her. But now, Chunhua had options. Chunhua had her.
If she couldn't protect herself, could she not even save her own maid's life?
Mu Wan Yao said softly: "Physician Zhang, focus first on preserving Chunhua's life."
Turning to Fang Tong, she ordered: "Ride with utmost speed. I need you to return from the Princess Residence within half an hour and fetch that specially commissioned miraculous pregnancy-preserving medicine I had prepared."
Fang Tong bowed solemnly and left without another word.
Standing at the entrance to the maids' quarters, Mu Wan Yao scolded the weeping servants, forbidding them from spreading news of what had happened.
She stood alone for a long time, clutching her sleeves, remembering why she had such medicine at the Princess Residence.
Fortunately, driven by some inexplicable sentiment - though pregnancy had nothing to do with her personally - she had kept remembering the hardships endured among the Black Barbarians.
After returning to Chang'an, she had several imperial physicians collaborate to create this pregnancy-preserving medicine.
Perhaps Mu Wan Yao would never need this medicine in her lifetime.
But she had stubbornly insisted on having such medicine prepared.
Now it seemed... perhaps Chunhua's life could be saved by it—
At the Institute for the Advancement of Literature, a book lay open on Yan Shang's desk.
Resting his forehead in his hand, a strand of hair brushed against his long, slightly curved fingers. He stared at the pages but felt too restless to concentrate.
After spacing out for quite some time, an official entered and informed him that someone was waiting outside.
Yan Shang closed his book and went out, only to find Feng Xianyu waiting for him.
In the Great Wei official system, eighth and ninth-rank officials wore deep green robes. However, due to Great Wei's unrestrained customs, even the Emperor didn't wear yellow robes, and officials typically didn't wear formal attire even for court sessions, preferring ordinary clothing.
Thus, when Feng Xianyu stood properly dressed in his deep green ninth-rank official robe waiting for Yan Shang at the Institute, passersby had already been casting curious glances his way. Unfazed, Feng Xianyu smiled when Yan Shang emerged.
Feng Xianyu: "Suchen, it's been too long."
Yan Shang looked him up and down, setting aside his earlier chaotic thoughts as he revealed his usual warm, natural smile, sincerely congratulating: "Brother Feng has finally achieved his wish. May I ask how this official robe feels to wear?"Feng Xianyu had finally secured an official post, albeit through the Eldest Princess's influence, yet he couldn't help feeling a quiet pride. His visit to Yan Shang wasn't meant for boasting, of course. Having spent considerable time with Yan Shang, Feng Xianyu knew well that Yan Shang's ambitions lay elsewhere.
Thus, Yan Shang's teasing held no ulterior motive.
Feng Xianyu, unusually self-conscious, admitted, "This official robe... well, it does feel quite nice."
Yan Shang couldn't suppress a chuckle but still offered a word of caution: "Brother Feng, while it's understandable to revel in your success for a day or two, note that other officials don't wear their robes casually. Dressing like this is rather conspicuous and might come across as ostentatious."
Feng Xianyu replied, "As expected, you prefer to keep a low profile, Su Chen. But your advice is sound. I'll indulge for just a couple of days and store it away afterward, no more reckless wearing. I wonder what His Majesty is thinking—such fine official robes go unworn, while everyone seeks to flaunt their individuality."
Yan Shang smiled without comment.
Feng Xianyu glanced at him, aware that Yan Shang never engaged in ambiguous remarks—a trait he deeply admired.
Moving aside with Yan Shang, Feng Xianyu said cheerfully, "Truth be told, I sought you out for no particular reason. I've made some new acquaintances and arranged a banquet in the Pleasure Quarter tonight. Would you care to join? I could introduce you to a few figures in official circles."
Yan Shang hesitated briefly before declining, citing his busy schedule with studies and duties, though he expressed gratitude for the offer.
Feng Xianyu nodded, then lowered his voice to share that Luling Grand Princess was growing increasingly displeased with the Crown Prince's frequent demands for funds. She might erupt at any moment, and while Feng Xianyu would strive to placate her, he advised Yan Shang to brace himself.
Yan Shang thanked him and resolved to include the matter in that evening's memorial to the princess. As a retainer, it was his duty to keep her informed.
Yet... Yan Shang drifted into thought, suspecting that Mu Wan Yao likely wouldn't even glance at his memorial now.
Having said his piece, Feng Xianyu clasped his hands in farewell. But Yan Shang stopped him: "Brother Feng."
Turning back, Feng Xianyu was taken aback to see Yan Shang frowning, his expression uncharacteristically troubled.
Feng Xianyu asked, "Is there something I can help with? Speak plainly, Su Chen. Given our friendship, even if I can't assist, I'll be honest—no need for hesitation."
Yan Shang sighed. "It's not exactly a difficulty... I just don't know how to phrase it."
He lowered his head, lost in thought, which only piqued Feng Xianyu's curiosity about what could trouble Yan Shang so.
After a long pause, Yan Shang spoke haltingly, "Brother Feng... how do you usually interact with the Eldest Princess?"
Feng Xianyu: "..."
Had anyone else asked, Feng Xianyu might have suspected insinuations about currying favor. But from Yan Shang, he was utterly baffled. "We just... interact normally. What do you mean, Su Chen?"
Yan Shang fell silent for a moment before pressing awkwardly, "What does 'normally' entail? When you're with Her Highness, does she ever... criticize you for being... inadequate?"
Feng Xianyu grew more confused. "Inadequate in what way?"
Yan Shang: "...In skill."
Feng Xianyu: "..."
He stared blankly, locking eyes with Yan Shang.A quiet, awkward tension lingered between the two.
Yan Shang abruptly averted his gaze, his expression stiff. He let out a self-deprecating laugh to ease the tension. "I was just asking casually, Brother Feng. Don’t overthink it."
With that, he made to leave, but Feng Xianyu quickly took two steps forward and stopped him.
After observing Yan Shang for a while, Feng Xianyu said, "...Are you perhaps referring to the Danyang Princess?"
Yan Shang remained silent.
Feng Xianyu’s heart skipped a beat, and he found the situation even more peculiar. He had long suspected something between Yan Shang and Mu Wan Yao, but since Yan Shang had denied it before, Feng Xianyu had assumed he was mistaken... Yet now, it seemed he hadn’t been wrong at all.
After a long silence, Feng Xianyu said, "...You have a bright future ahead of you, far better than mine. There are other paths available—why must you get entangled with the Danyang Princess?"
Yan Shang remained silent.
Feng Xianyu stared at him for a long while, unable to comprehend his friend’s reasoning. He grew so frustrated on Yan Shang’s behalf that his face turned pale. "And she actually dares to complain that your skills are lacking?"
Yan Shang shifted his gaze away. "No, that’s not it. I wasn’t referring to her. Just making casual conversation, Brother Feng. Please don’t read too much into it."
Feng Xianyu replied, "A man of integrity shouldn’t ask such questions. He should turn and walk away, never getting involved with such a woman again."
Yan Shang lowered his eyes without a word, his shoulders slightly stiff.
Seeing that Yan Shang refused to respond, Feng Xianyu sighed inwardly. He said helplessly, "Then what do you plan to do? Why not join me tonight for the banquet in the Pleasure Quarter? You could... practice your skills."
Yan Shang’s face flushed slightly, and he waved his hands repeatedly. "Forget it, forget it. I was just speaking thoughtlessly, Brother Feng. Please don’t take it seriously. I still have to focus on my studies—these trivial matters shouldn’t occupy my mind. I ask that you keep this confidential for me."
Feng Xianyu sighed, "Ah, you..."
Meeting Yan Shang’s calm, dark eyes, he swallowed all the words of advice he had intended to say and shook his head.
Matters of the heart are known only to the one who drinks the water. How could an outsider persuade him?
He simply couldn’t understand why someone like Yan Shang, with such a promising future, would choose this path. Why would Yan Shang involve himself in the messy affairs of the royal family?—
After parting ways with Feng Xianyu, Yan Shang remained at the Institute for the Advancement of Literature for another hour. He forced himself to finish reading one essay, but he knew that in his current state, it was impossible to absorb anything.
Since that was the case, there was no point in wasting time here any longer.
Yan Shang packed his books, left the Institute, and returned to his residence early. He thought that after washing up and calming his mind, he might be able to continue reading.
Yun Shu, the servant accompanying Yan Shang, noticed that his master had been unusually quiet all day, hardly speaking—a stark contrast to his usual warm and amiable demeanor. Yun Shu felt indignant on his master’s behalf.
That morning, when Erlang went to the Princess Residence to pay his respects, Yun Shu had also overheard the answer that was tested.
It was clear that the princess had abandoned his Erlang!
As expected, the princesses of Great Wei were all so detestable! They toyed with people’s feelings but refused to take responsibility. What fault could there be in his Erlang’s noble character, handsome appearance, talent, or temperament? How could the princess humiliate him like that?
Just as Yan Shang was about to enter his residence, he heard the sound of galloping hooves from the alley, approaching rapidly.
He turned abruptly, a faint spark of hope flashing in his eyes as he looked toward the alley’s entrance.
But he had been overthinking. The rider speeding toward him on horseback was not the person he had hoped for—it was Guard Fang.Fang Tong had no time to spare for conversation with anyone. Dismounting directly, he entered the residence without delay. Before the Princess Residence's staff could process their confusion, and while Yan Shang was still pondering at his own estate's entrance, Fang Tong had already reemerged from the Princess Residence.
Sweat dripping from his brow, Fang Tong leaped onto his horse in one swift motion.
Realizing this might be his last chance to speak, Yan Shang cupped his hands in salute: "Guard Fang."
Looking down from his saddle, Fang Tong rapidly explained: "His Highness has given me a strict command—I must return to Fanchuan within half an hour. There's no time to catch up with you now, Erlang. Please accept my apologies!"
Yan Shang's heart sank as he asked, "Why such haste? Has something happened to Your Highness?"
Fang Tong hurriedly replied, "Her Highness is fine. She sent me back to fetch a miscarriage-preventing medicine."
No sooner had the words faded than Fang Tong had already galloped out of the alley, leaving only the sound of hoofbeats and dust in his wake.
Yan Shang stood frozen in place.
He noticed the guards and maids at the Princess Residence's entrance were equally bewildered, whispering among themselves: "Miscarriage prevention? Who needs that?"
Their eyes collectively turned toward Yan Shang standing at his own residence's entrance across the street, filled with suspicion.
Yan Shang: "..."
His face flushed crimson as he managed to say, "Her Highness and I have a purely proper relationship."
The Princess Residence staff responded awkwardly: "Of course, of course."
Though inwardly they thought, who could really know?
Yan Shang felt both angry and embarrassed, yet couldn't block their speculative gazes. Nor could he explain to the Princess Residence staff that although he was close to the princess, they had always maintained proper decorum and never crossed any lines.
Yet Yan Shang couldn't deny he had stayed in the princess's chambers at night.
Though Yan Shang knew he had remained in the outer chamber, never sharing a bed with Mu Wan Yao. But the attendants didn't know that.
Yan Shang could only flick his sleeve and turn to enter his own residence.
Yun Shu followed behind him, even asking with concern: "Young master, is Her Highness ignoring you because... she's pregnant?"
Yan Shang sighed: "...Her Highness and I truly have a proper relationship."
The servants remained half-convinced, but though Yan Erlang was good-tempered, they couldn't overstep by pressing further. Yan Shang closed the door, cutting off the outside voices.
Returning to his private quarters and sitting down, Yan Shang found his own thoughts growing restless.
Miscarriage prevention?
Who needed miscarriage prevention?
What had happened at the summer villa?
He trusted Mu Wan Yao's character - surely she wasn't the pregnant one... but since she had recently cast him aside, he wasn't entirely certain of her character anymore.
In any case, Yan Shang's thoughts were in disarray, countless threads tangling together without a clear starting point.
He couldn't help but pick up his brush to write Mu Wan Yao a letter, asking what exactly had happened there.
...Though he knew she might never read his letter, he still felt he should ask—
By the next morning, both Chunhua and the child in her womb had been saved.
Chunhua leaned against the bedpost weeping, having been sternly reprimanded by Mu Wan Yao.
Mu Wan Yao resented Chunhua's timidity - how she dared not confide in her about anything, yet trusted folk remedies; and hated that matters had reached this point with no room for reversal.
Mu Wan Yao gritted her teeth: "Keep this child. I'll find a manor to raise the child secretly, far from all this, where no one will know. You can still be with your Young Master Liu, with none the wiser."
With matters having reached this stage, Chunhua felt both heartbroken and confused in her sorrow.
She asked the princess softly: "If I lose this pregnancy and can never bear children again, would no gentleman truly accept me?"
Mu Wan Yao turned to look at her.
Mu Wan Yao said quietly: "No one would accept that."
Chunhua's face suddenly paled, her fingers clutching the bedcovers. Tears gathered on her lashes again as she gathered courage to ask: "Then Your Highness..."
Mu Wan Yao responded calmly: "I am different from you."
She stood by the window, looking outside.
The summer day was brilliant, yet this room alone felt cold.
Mu Wan Yao's profile was as cold as ice and snow as she repeated softly: "You and I are different... you need not destroy yourself."No one spoke in the room. After a moment of silence, Mu Wan Yao, unable to bear the oppressive atmosphere, was about to instruct Chunhua to rest well and prepare to leave when a knock came at the door.
A maid announced, "Your Highness, a letter has arrived from the Princess Residence."—
It was likely the daily correspondence from her advisors.
Mu Wan Yao had the maid bring in the letters.
Among the many letters, she spotted Yan Shang’s name. Her fingers trembled, her heart clenched, but she immediately passed over that letter without expression, refusing to open it even for a glance.
Amid the stack of letters, Mu Wan Yao suddenly let out a soft "Huh," her tone teasing. "Why is there a letter for you, Chunhua? It doesn’t even have a name—could it be from Liu Wenji?"
She chuckled lightly. "He’s quite prompt with his letters, isn’t he?"
Chunhua’s face was pale, unable to muster even a faint smile. The princess tossed the letter over, and Chunhua, after holding back for a long while, tremblingly reached to open it.
But the letter was not from Liu Wenji.
As Chunhua read it, her expression grew dazed, and she stammered, "...Your Highness, my brother has sold me to Prince Jin! He claims I’m Prince Jin’s concubine! Because my brother offended someone, people came to tear down their house, so they presented me as Prince Jin’s concubine to protect themselves... This letter is from Prince Jin asking about me!"
Mu Wan Yao: "..."
She snatched the letter and sat down, visibly irritated. "What exactly is going on?"—
It turned out that a local tyrant was trying to seize Chunhua’s brother and sister-in-law’s house and farmland, claiming it was for official use by the court.
Chunhua’s brother and his wife were terrified and mentioned that their sister served as a maid in Danyang Princess’s residence, but the tyrant scoffed, refusing to believe them.
Coincidentally, Prince Jin was overseeing Ministry of Works operations in that area. In desperation, Chunhua’s brother and sister-in-law took the drastic step of sending Chunhua’s deed of servitude to Prince Jin’s residence.
Prince Jin was puzzled and wrote to ask if Chunhua needed his help.
To address this inquiry, Princess Consort Jin had already been dispatched by Prince Jin to the summer villa. It was believed they would soon meet to discuss the matter—
Mu Wan Yao suppressed her anger. "Utterly incompetent fools!"
To sell one’s own sister like that!
But who was it, using the court’s name, to seize commoners’ homes and land?
Mu Wan Yao: "...I’ll first deal with Princess Consort Jin and have an advisor investigate what’s really happening."
She would send an advisor to represent her... an advisor, after all.
She deliberately bypassed Yan Shang.
Thinking he wasn’t necessary anyway.
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