In Chang'an, the court was preoccupied with the year-end grand ceremony, and the imperial court's focus was entirely on this matter. Gradually, small states began arriving in Chang'an.
These minor states were all received by the Court of State Ceremonial. However, with so many visiting states, the Court of State Ceremonial was short-staffed.
To address this, the Secretariat dispatched Yan Shang, a chief clerk from the Secretariat, along with several other minor officials from various ministries, to assist at the Court of State Ceremonial.
Yan Shang was quite pleased with this arrangement.
After all, his days at the Secretariat were spent on trivial tasks—drafting documents and running errands—with no real authority ever falling to him.
In contrast, at the Court of State Ceremonial, his background from the Secretariat allowed him to engage in substantive work, such as receiving foreign envoys.
The Court of State Ceremonial was well-versed in hosting foreign envoys, following a set protocol, and Yan Shang simply needed to adhere to it.
However, one day, upon arriving at the Court of State Ceremonial, Yan Shang noticed several officials gathered in a heated dispute. He approached to listen and inquired, "What seems to be the matter?"
The officials from the Court of State Ceremonial turned and saw the young chief clerk sent by the Secretariat.
They held a favorable impression of Yan Shang, for although he came from the Secretariat, he carried none of the arrogance typical of Secretariat officials who often treated others as subordinates.
Typically, when tasks were assigned by the Chief of the Court of State Ceremonial, Yan Shang would quietly assist without overstepping or interfering.
His modest demeanor was well-regarded by the Court of State Ceremonial.
Now, faced with the officials' dispute, they sighed and explained to Yan Shang upon his inquiry: "It's a minor issue, really. We had an official who specialized in the languages of the Southern Barbarians. But two months ago, his father passed away, and he naturally resigned to observe mourning. Since then, we've had no one to fill the gap in Southern Barbarian languages.
"We reported this to the Chief of the Court of State Ceremonial. The Prefect agreed readily, promising to find someone. But two months have passed, and no suitable candidate has been found.
"We can't just hire any random person from the market who speaks the Black Barbarians' language, can we? That would never do."
Given the open exchanges in Great Wei's society, there were certainly people who could speak the Black Barbarians' language. However, the Court of State Ceremonial required cultured individuals—talented scholars who could both speak and write. Ordinary commoners were of no use to them.
Yan Shang was taken aback and asked, "Aren't we on unfriendly terms with the Southern Barbarians? I heard they're still at war. Or is it the Black Barbarians? Has their war ended?"
The official who was questioned replied listlessly, "We don't know either. The list of visiting states hasn't included the Black Barbarians so far. They probably aren't coming? But just in case, we need someone who understands their language. If they do send envoys and none of them speak our Great Wei official language, and we have no one to communicate properly... where would that leave our great nation's dignity?"
Yan Shang lowered his gaze, lost in thought.
Another official, seeing their gloomy expressions, laughed heartily.
When all eyes turned to him, he smirked and said, "Why is there no one who speaks the Black Barbarians' language? What about our Peace Marriage Princess..."
Yan Shang abruptly cut off his train of thought: "Sir!"
The official, who was about to suggest seeking help from the Danyang Princess, was startled by Yan Shang's sudden interjection and glared at him irritably, snapping, "What is it?"Yan Shang said gently, "Look, you're all busy arranging accommodations for other small states and receiving their envoys. Why not leave the language of this uncertain Black Barbarian delegation to me?"
Everyone stared at him in astonishment: "You?"
Yan Shang said, "After all, I have little to do all day. I can go to the West Market to find some Black barbarians and learn their language in my spare time. Whether the Black Barbarians send envoys or not, we should be prepared, shouldn't we?"
They still had doubts: "There are only two months left until the ceremony. Can you manage?"
Yan Shang lowered his eyes sheepishly: "My residence happens to be next to Danyang Princess's residence..."
Suddenly understanding dawned on everyone, and they accepted this explanation. Being neighbors with Danyang Princess indeed made learning the Black Barbarian language much more convenient for him than for anyone else.
Thus, the Court of State Ceremonial entrusted this matter to Yan Shang with relief, and he finally had something to occupy himself with.
Yan Shang breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that he certainly didn't want these officials seeking help from Mu Wan Yao and having her teach anyone the Black Barbarian language.
Though he still didn't know the specifics, since Mu Wan Yao had a poor relationship with her former husband... this Peace Marriage probably wasn't a pleasant experience.
He tried his best not to evoke her unpleasant memories—
But Yan Shang's daily activities weren't limited to just learning the Black Barbarian language.
There were envoys from visiting small states who loved martial arts and wanted to compete with Great Wei's warriors. The Court of State Ceremonial naturally arranged for Great Wei's generals and martial artists to receive these envoys, but they also assigned officials to accompany them.
Yan Shang was assigned to accompany one such small state delegation.
Following these envoys around all day, even as a civil official, Yan Shang inevitably found himself accompanying them in various activities—sometimes horseback riding, sometimes watching boxing matches.
After several days, Yan Shang was sore all over. Through accompanying these people, he even learned archery.
After one month, he could shoot arrows from horseback.
Yan Shang smiled wryly, thinking how surprised his elder brother would be to know he could now practice archery.
With such a hectic schedule—studying the Black Barbarian language at the Court of State Ceremonial in the morning, running around Chang'an's Martial Arts Academies in the afternoon while accompanying foreign envoys in horseback riding and archery, then returning to his residence at night—Yan Shang was utterly exhausted.
Amid such fatigue, when mealtime came, the servants would bring him a bowl of plain water, a flatbread, and a small dish of vegetables.
Even Yan Shang was somewhat stunned by this sight.
He looked up at Yun Shu and said, "...Am I so poor now? Do I have to eat like this every day?"
Yun Shu cried injustice, exclaiming loudly: "Wasn't this your own doing? As soon as your salary was paid, you went to that Yongshou Temple and donated all the money to the children at the Convalescence Center, plus gave more to the temple to help the poor. Then you paid Danyang Princess the monthly rent, distributed our monthly allowances... There's simply no money left!"
Yun Shu continued indignantly: "We advised you that day, but you insisted that you were used to hardship, coming from a small place in Lingnan, and didn't need luxury in Chang'an—that having some flatbread every day would suffice... What could we say when you're so virtuous? Frankly, I'm surprised we can even afford flatbread in this residence!"
Yan Shang: "..."
His face slightly flushed as he said, "Even if it's my fault, you don't need to remember every detail so clearly, do you?"Yun Shu maintained a straight face, but inwardly he was quite pleased, thinking that he had actually practiced these words for a long time. Finally, he could say them in front of Erlang... what a relief.
Yan Shang had only just realized how impoverished he had become. Sighing, he rolled up his sleeves and soaked the hard flatbread in plain water, eating it with little flavor. But after a few bites, he found it too dry to swallow.
He couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for himself...
Day after day, he toiled tirelessly for the court, yet he had ended up in such a state?
Yan Shang set down the flatbread, lowering his gaze. "...I must think of a way."
As dusk began to fall, Mu Wan Yao rode her horse back into the ward just before the gates closed.
She had entered the palace today to spar with Prince Jin's mother, Xian Fei, over the authority to organize the grand ceremony. Mu Wan Yao had gained the upper hand and, at noon, had sent a letter to the south.
She intended to leverage the influence of the Jinling Li Clan to transport a massive stone, three men high and inscribed with the Emperor's merits and virtues, from the south to Chang'an.
It was said that this stone had been unearthed from the ground... Naturally, no one believed it, but everyone pretended to accept it as truth.
Matters in the south were still best handled with the help of the Jinling Li Clan. As Mu Wan Yao gradually strengthened her influence in Chang'an, she also needed to make use of the Li Clan.
Entering the alley, Mu Wan Yao was lost in triumphant thoughts when she spotted Yan Shang sitting on the steps in front of his residence, lost in contemplation.
The handsome young man looked like a "longing wife stone"—truly peculiar.
Mu Wan Yao glanced at him a few times, but he remained dazed and unaware.
Ignoring him, she was about to enter her own residence when Yan Shang, nudged by his servant Yun Shu, finally snapped out of his trance.
Yan Shang: "Ahem... Your Highness has just returned?"
Mu Wan Yao shot him a sidelong glance.
Yan Shang: "Has Your Highness had dinner yet?"
Mu Wan Yao eyed him skeptically. "Are you inviting me?"
Yan Shang was taken aback, then blushed. "...What I meant was, may I have dinner at Your Highness's residence?"
Mu Wan Yao: ...Is this your way of courting? Courting with such shamelessness?
She snorted. "As you wish."
Yan Shang breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that at least one meal was secured—
Meng Zaishi, the Uman King, spent two years annexing Chiman.
Now, only four of the five Nanman tribes remained.
Contemporaneous with Meng Zaishi was Bule, the Southern Barbarian King.
While Meng Zaishi's abilities were only celebrated among the Black Barbarians, Bule's grand ambitions and talents were renowned throughout the Southern Barbarians.
This young Southern Barbarian King was brave and skilled in warfare. Since ascending the throne, he had fought numerous battles north and south, and over the years, the various Nanman tribes had gradually come under his command.
Still unsatisfied, this king planned to unite the five tribes into one, thereby creating a true Southern Barbarian force.
Only then could he establish a foundation as grand and magnificent as that of Great Wei.
Compared to the legendary young Southern Barbarian King Bule, Meng Zaishi, the Uman King, was so low-profile that he almost went unnoticed.
If Chiman had not been annexed by the Black Barbarians, leading to its complete disappearance, the Southern Barbarian King would not have even noticed that there was such a formidable ruler among his subordinates.
Moreover, unlike the Black Barbarians' pro-Great Wei stance, the Southern Barbarian King Bule harbored intense aversion and disdain for Great Wei. He believed that it was the women, jewels, and culture from Great Wei that had weakened and corrupted the inherent strength of the Southern Barbarians.
Now, the Southern Barbarians had grown feeble in combat, unlike their former selves. They had even begun to prefer houses over tents, and settled living over nomadic roaming... all of which, he argued, were the results of the weakness imported from Great Wei.Thus, the Black Barbarians entered into a Peace Marriage with Great Wei, which the Southern Barbarian King had always disliked.
However, in the past, even if he disliked it, he lacked the ability to oppose it. Now, as Bule, King of Nanman, gradually unified the voices of the Southern Barbarians, he could begin to interfere with the close relationship between the Black Barbarians and Great Wei.
Meng Zaishi had annihilated Chiman overnight, an act that should have drawn reprimands from the Southern Barbarian King.
Yet, when the Southern Barbarian King sent an envoy, instead of reprimanding him, he spoke kindly and directly granted the land of Chiman to the Black Barbarians.
The Black barbarians felt relieved.
After settling the envoy, several of Meng Zaishi’s trusted subordinates followed him up to a high point to observe the deployment of Great Wei’s border defenses. They discussed the Southern Barbarian King’s decision to grant them the land.
The group remarked, “We were afraid the Southern Barbarian King would condemn us, but it seems King Bule is still reasonable.”
They gazed at the tall, imposing figure of the Uman King and wondered inwardly how their own king compared to that battle-hardened Southern Barbarian King in terms of prowess.
In the dim twilight, Meng Zaishi stood before his subordinates and snorted with derision at their words.
His subordinates immediately grew timid and fell silent.
Originally, the Black Barbarians had no concept of ministers, but after Meng Zaishi abolished slavery, he followed Great Wei’s example by appointing his followers as generals and ministers.
Though it was all quite formal on the surface, these subordinates now carried themselves with an air of authority. When Meng Zaishi was absent, they saw themselves as masters.
But in his presence, they always felt a sense of inferiority and unease.
Meng Zaishi said lazily, “Is Bule really being reasonable? He simply doesn’t consider granting me Chiman’s land to be a big deal. Besides, I’ve already conquered Chiman—what else can he do? Start another war with me? The conflicts in the northern part of Nanman aren’t yet settled; he has no energy to fight me. And if he doesn’t come personally, the troops he sends… I don’t take them seriously.”
His subordinates felt reassured, recognizing their king’s greatness.
They then expressed surprise, “Why doesn’t King Bule see granting Chiman to our king as significant? After all, it’s the land of one of the five tribes. Why is King Bule so indifferent?”
Meng Zaishi crossed his arms and replied, “Perhaps for two reasons. First, Bule believes he can’t spare the effort right now, so giving Chiman to me is no loss. Once he’s free, he’ll want not just Chiman but the entire Black Barbarians unified under him. By eliminating Chiman, I’ve actually saved him a step, making it easier for him.”
He paused. In the howling night wind, they stood on the heights, watching as the young Uman King spoke eloquently, the scar stretching across half his face appearing fierce in the dim light.
Hearing that King Bule looked down on their king, the subordinates grew angry: “How outrageous! It took us two years to annex Chiman, yet he treats conquering our Black Barbarians as ‘as easy as reaching into a bag to take something.’ He doesn’t take us seriously at all!”
Meng Zaishi’s tone turned mocking: “The second reason is even more amusing. Just like all of you, you can now use phrases like ‘as easy as reaching into a bag to take something,’ which comes from Great Wei’s language. But among the Southern Barbarians that King Bule wants to unify, not a single person can speak like that. We study Great Wei’s culture and learn their advanced techniques, yet Bule looks down on this. He believes Great Wei is weak and incompetent and should bow to him as king. He thinks that we Black Barbarians, having adopted Great Wei’s culture, are no longer true Southern Barbarians.”"He only knows how to fight. He gave me the Chiman territory because even if he held onto it, it would be useless to him. He has no idea how to govern—what use are these lands and people to him besides serving as military strength?"
Meng Zaishi laughed, the scar on his face making him appear even more sinister. "Since it’s useless, why not give Chiman to me? It’s a favor he’s doing me. And when the time comes to destroy our Black Barbarians, he’ll have the moral high ground."
His subordinates nodded in understanding, murmuring that it made sense.
Then they grew smug, convinced that the Bulie King’s actions were unwise. Looking back, the late king’s decision to defy opposition and arrange a peace marriage with Great Wei had been the right move.
They now looked down on the Southern Barbarian King, viewing the Southern Barbarians as backward, while the Black Barbarians had left them far behind.
They gazed admiringly at Meng Zaishi’s back, thinking how much they owed this king. Although the late king had secured the peace marriage, aside from trade with Great Wei, he had achieved little else.
It was only in the three years since this king had taken the throne that they had gradually shed their former ignorance and backwardness.
The subordinates asked, "Your Majesty, by hosting the Southern Barbarian King’s envoy, are you planning to discuss sending a mission to Great Wei to pay respects to the Emperor? Have you decided to dispatch someone?"
Meng Zaishi countered, "Who should we send?"
Opinions varied.
Meng Zaishi declared, "None of your suggestions are suitable. What if I propose someone?"
The subordinates fell silent to listen.
They heard Meng Zaishi laugh heartily as he turned to face them, pointing at himself. "What do you think of me?"
The crowd was stunned. Their king repeated, "How about I go to Great Wei myself?"
After a long silence, they snapped out of their daze and began showering the Uman King with praises: "Your Majesty is showing such respect to the Great Wei Emperor! The Emperor will be delighted!"
"Your Majesty is the hero of the Black Barbarians! The soaring eagle! The stars in the sky!"
Meng Zaishi remained silent. As they praised him, his gaze shifted from the brightly lit border defenses of Great Wei below the mountains upward to the brilliant starry sky above.
He said softly, "I’ve heard a legend. Only when a hero dies does he become a star in the sky. But in this world, who truly deserves to be called a hero?"
The starry expanse stretched endlessly, time flowing on.
Once again, he thought of Danyang Princess Mu Wan Yao—
It was one month before the Black Barbarian incident.
The former Uman King had suffered an arrow wound in battle and, upon returning to the royal court, was cared for by his queen, Mu Wan Yao. She tended to her husband with great diligence, yet the old king’s condition only worsened under her care.
As the former Uman King felt his life slipping away, he had grown fond of this wife from Great Wei in his final days. He didn’t believe the Great Wei princess would harm him, and the court’s shamans had also praised her devotion.
The former king sadly concluded that heaven was reclaiming his life and began appointing his successor.
He outright skipped his disliked eldest son, Meng Zaishi—born to a minor maid from another tribe—and sought to pass the throne to his favorite youngest son.
Fearing the Great Wei princess might be displeased, the former king held her hand and said, "Do not grieve. If you had a son, I would have made him king."The princess of Great Wei spoke through her tears, "Your Majesty flatters me too much. Having been husband and wife with my lord, how could I possibly mind such things?"
The Former King of Wuman always found his wife's refined manner of speaking rather difficult to follow. He said, "Rest assured, I will make proper arrangements for you."
The arrangement he made for the Great Wei princess was that after his death, the newly ascended Uman King would marry this Great Wei princess once again.
However, when the Uman King was gravely ill, the Great Wei princess secretly left the Royal Tent one night and privately met with Meng Zaishi, the eldest son whom the Uman King disliked.
The two rode their horses far from the royal court, drinking and making merry.
When the conversation turned to the Uman King's impending death, the princess couldn't help but reveal a smile.
Meng Zaishi said, "According to our Black Barbarians' legend, when someone dies, they turn into a star in the sky. My father will be watching us forever from above. Aren't you afraid?"
Mu Wan Yao was taken aback for a moment, then laughed.
She said, "I wasn't even afraid to kill him when he was alive. Why would I fear a dead man?"
Resting her cheek in her palm, she turned to look at Meng Zaishi.
Her eyes blinked gently, possessing that unique soft beauty characteristic of Great Wei women that made her different from any other woman Meng Zaishi had ever seen.
Compared to Black Barbarian women, Great Wei women always carried an extra touch of delicacy.
Yet beyond that delicacy, two years of life among the Black Barbarians had given Mu Wan Yao a certain cold hardness. Thus she had become both cold and soft, both dazzling and subtle.
When Mu Wan Yao looked at Meng Zaishi, her eyes flowed with charm. Meng Zaishi couldn't resist leaning closer to her, wanting to see her beautiful eyes more clearly.
Suddenly, Meng Zaishi asked her, "How did you kill my father?"
Mu Wan Yao smiled playfully, "Guess."
Meng Zaishi collected his thoughts, pondering, "Was it simply the arrow wound? The shamans said you followed all their instructions and did nothing out of the ordinary."
Mu Wan Yao smiled with particular cunning.
Meng Zaishi pinched her chin, smiling ambiguously, "Little princess, you're being mischievous again. Very well, tell me what you want this time."
Mu Wan Yao said, "Well, after your father dies, I'm supposed to marry your younger brother. I don't want to. I want you to give me some Black Barbarian warriors to help me kill and escape from his side that very night."
Meng Zaishi looked at her deeply, "You can't escape."
Mu Wan Yao replied casually, "What's it to you? Anyway, this is my condition. Give me the men, and I'll tell you the answer."
After watching her for a moment, Meng Zaishi agreed. At that time, he only thought Mu Wan Yao simply didn't want to remarry, never imagining that she intended to use the warriors he provided to create a misunderstanding with the new Uman King and eliminate both sides at once.
That night, Meng Zaishi was probably drunk and didn't probe too deeply into Mu Wan Yao's intentions.
He readily agreed to give her the men, whereupon she turned her palm upward, her delicate jade-white hand beckoning toward herself, indicating that Meng Zaishi should lean his ear closer.
Her lazy charm, as seen through Meng Zaishi's eyes, was reduced to just her fingers and eyes.
The light in his eyes darkened as he subtly moved closer, suddenly pulling this somewhat intoxicated woman into his embrace.
She still giggled, "Of course it was the arrow wound. It's just that before your father went to battle, I specifically went to see the arrows prepared for your warfare. I asked around - not just your side, but even your enemies used the same kind of arrows. All of them were reused arrows, covered in bloodstains that were wiped clean after rust formed.""I may not understand warfare or martial arts. But I know that these worn-out iron crossbows, once they enter the human body, can easily cause death. Haha, these arrows themselves are already coated with poison. I just need to delay treatment afterward, and if your father's health is slightly compromised, he could easily meet his end.
"So simple! Why would I need to do anything special?"
Meng Zaishi was taken aback, then asked her: "How do you know these things? Are these also written in your Great Wei's books?"
She whimpered vaguely and stopped answering him.
Already heavily intoxicated, her eyes flowed like water, misty and blurred. Leaning against his shoulder, she looked up at the stars in the sky and suddenly murmured, "In our Great Wei, there is also a belief that after death, people turn into stars in the sky."
Meng Zaishi followed her gaze upward, observing the starlight.
His profound eyes gazed down into her clear, translucent ones, loving them so fiercely he wished he could bite off those captivating eyes of hers.
He said leisurely, "Then, after I die, will I meet the little princess in the heavens?"
Mu Wan Yao was taken aback but shook her head.
A chilling aura emanated from Meng Zaishi, thinking she meant she did not wish to reunite with him in the sky.
But then he heard Mu Wan Yao murmur in confusion, "However, in our Great Wei's belief, only heroes turn into stars in the sky.
"In this world, who is the true hero?"
Meng Zaishi looked at her, took her hand, and brought it to his lips. He said, "Then I shall strive to become such a hero. Even after I die, the little princess will still be able to see me in the sky."
He asked her, "Do you wish for my death?"
Meng Zaishi's scorching palm pressed against her slender, pale neck. Hearing his words, she shook her head slightly.
She merely leaned against his shoulder, tilting her face upward, her eyes fixed intently on him.
It seemed she took a moment to process his words before understanding. Then she gently lowered her eyelids and quickly widened them again.
Those bewitching, cat-like eyes perfectly embodied the phrase "eyes like spring water"—lively yet not frivolous.
No man could resist such a gaze from her.
In the end, she never answered his question, and he did not ask again.
Meng Zaishi held her tightly in his arms, his kisses trailing across her face as he whispered, "Little princess... when I become king, I will make you my queen. Stay here forever, alright?"
Only later did he realize that she had, in fact, wished for his death.
OpenNovel