The other Black Barbarians behind Meng Zaishi stood rigidly at attention, their expressions stern and vigilant. Their sharp gazes were fixed on the young Great Wei official sitting at the desk, casually writing with a brush, as if Yan Shang’s office chamber were some kind of ferocious beast or deadly threat.
When Meng Zaishi posed his question, not only did Yan Shang counter with one of his own, but even the Black Barbarians behind Meng Zaishi showed expressions of sudden realization.
Over the past two years, while the Black Barbarians were busy fighting a major war with the Chiman, the Uman King had never forgotten who had instigated this conflict. Meng Zaishi had sent spies to infiltrate the Great Wei border forces and, following this trail, had traced it to Li Zhi, the magistrate of Nanhai County—who was also the maternal uncle of Danyang Princess.
From Li Zhi, they had obtained a letter containing a poisonous strategy proposed by a man named "Yan Shisheng," a scheme designed to stir up internal strife among the Southern Barbarians.
However, Nanhai was managed so tightly by Li Zhi that it was impossible to infiltrate. The Black Barbarian scouts spent a great deal of time, but the trail went cold in Nanhai. The Black Barbarians speculated that Yan Shisheng was likely one of Li Zhi’s strategists, yet after half a year of surveillance in Nanhai, they never encountered anyone by that name.
Moreover, after that letter, Yan Shisheng seemed to vanish into thin air. There was no sign of Magistrate Li Zhi ever contacting this person again.
When the scouts reported back to Meng Zaishi, he was left with no recourse.
Now, having arrived in Great Wei, Meng Zaishi had no time to personally travel to Nanhai. But upon meeting this young official with the surname Yan, and seeing how intimately he had strolled through the Pleasure Quarter with Danyang Princess… Meng Zaishi didn’t necessarily think Yan Shisheng and the official before him were the same person, but he was convinced there must be some significant connection between the two.
Leaning against the wall, Meng Zaishi rested his hand on a nearby flower stand. He lowered his head and idly fiddled with the wintersweet blossoms growing in the corner.
Having never seen such small yellow flowers in winter, Meng Zaishi was deeply intrigued. He replied casually, “It’s just that when I previously associated with Danyang Princess, I heard her mention this person in passing, so I thought I’d ask.”
As soon as he said this, Yan Shang knew he was lying.
Meng Zaishi’s expression remained indifferent, but clearly, the Black Barbarians behind him had not mastered their king’s ability to lie without blinking.
The Black Barbarians were, after all, far behind Great Wei in terms of culture. Years of nomadic life and warfare had made their natures straightforward and rough. They lacked the cleverness of the Great Wei people—a trait they regarded as “cunning” and “inconsistent.”
So while Meng Zaishi lied upfront, these Black Barbarians, upon hearing the name “Yan Shisheng,” revealed indignant expressions before quickly trying to suppress them, recalling their king’s earlier instructions.
Observing their reactions and combining them with Meng Zaishi’s demeanor… Yan Shang’s mind raced, deducing that if there were no other reason, it must be the strategy he had proposed to Mu Wan Yao that had caused this trouble.
Yan Shang’s eyes flickered slightly.
He smiled. “So that’s how it is. Then I suppose I don’t know any Yan Shisheng.”
With that, he set aside the booklet he had just finished writing in, opened a fresh, blank one, and began translating and transcribing anew, referencing the “birthday congratulatory letter” provided by Meng Zaishi.
Meng Zaishi stared at Yan Shang. “Didn’t you just say you’d vaguely heard of him?”
Yan Shang replied with the ease of a seasoned official, speaking in the Great Wei bureaucratic tone, “I’m afraid you may not understand our Great Wei customs, sir. ‘Vaguely heard of’ and ‘definitely heard of’—the difference is slight, but the error is a thousand miles wide.”The Black Barbarian behind Meng Zaishi began to feel dizzy: What did that mean? Was this man spouting those refined idioms of Great Wei again?
Even though Meng Zaishi understood some of the Great Wei language, he still found this rather difficult to grasp. Yet he paid it no mind, continuing to gaze at Yan Shang: "A figure like Yan Shisheng—I would have thought he'd be quite famous."
Yan Shang: "Then you are mistaken, sir. I don't know who this Yan Shisheng you speak of is, but clearly he is not a notable figure. You may freely ask anyone else in Chang'an, and they will all be as unaware of this person's existence as I am."
Meng Zaishi: "Does the Danyang Princess not know either?"
Yan Shang lifted his eyes slightly, leaving no pause: "Then you should ask the Danyang Princess. Do you have a past connection with her, sir?"
Meng Zaishi: "Vaguely, I'm not entirely clear."
Yan Shang: "Judging by your demeanor, you must be a general. If the Danyang Princess had undergone a Peace Marriage, how could you not know her?"
Meng Zaishi: "Her Peace Marriage is her affair—what does it have to do with me?"
The two engaged in this sharp exchange, each remark following swiftly upon the last. Everyone else standing in the room sensed the tense, probing atmosphere, feeling the mounting tension between the two men.
The Black Barbarians in the room stood even straighter, while a Great Wei official who had approached the door to enter, hearing the commotion in the side chamber, silently retreated, choosing not to join the dispute.
As Yan Shang and Meng Zaishi locked eyes, Yan Shang's brush never ceased moving, continuing to write; Meng Zaishi idly admired the wintersweet blossoms in the corner, seemingly engrossed in his appreciation of the flowers.
Yan Shang set down his brush, placing it on the brush rest, and rose to take the completed document outside. Just then, a Black Barbarian joined the silent battle between Yan Shang and Meng Zaishi: "Halt!"
The loud shout was directed at Yan Shang as he stood up.
Even Meng Zaishi looked over curiously, wondering what the Black Barbarian had discovered to speak to a Great Wei official in such a manner.
The Black Barbarian strode forcefully toward Yan Shang.
His demeanor was fierce, as if ready for combat.
Throughout their journey into Chang'an, many Great Wei commoners had been frightened and scattered at the sight of the Black Barbarians' aggressive postures. This Black Barbarian intended to use the same tactic to intimidate the Great Wei official, but Yan Shang remained unperturbed, calmly meeting his gaze.
Outside the room, other officials from the Court of State Ceremonial had been discreetly observing the situation and couldn't help but smile—
Yan the Second was the man who had executed the Zheng Family Head on the spot. How could someone of such decisive resolve be intimidated by the Black Barbarians' weapons?
Failing to frighten Yan Shang, the Black Barbarian shot him a surprised glance. But that was clearly not his main objective. He walked to the desk where Yan Shang had been sitting, snatched up the first booklet Yan Shang had written, and began flipping through it.
Yan Shang maintained a polite smile, feigning appropriate astonishment: "What are you doing, sir?"
The Black Barbarian quickly scanned the first booklet, noting the steady, ancient-style calligraphy—exceptionally elegant and flawlessly executed from start to finish without a single smudge. This copy was already perfect; why had the Great Wei official discarded it to write a second one?
The Black Barbarian then approached Yan Shang and demanded the second booklet he was about to submit.Yan Shang smiled: "It seems you wish to accuse me of something. Then you should be prepared—this is Great Wei territory. To accuse a Great Wei official of wrongdoing, even a minor official like myself, you must first receive thirty cane strikes. Since you're in Great Wei territory and not an investigating censor, you must follow our rules."
The Black barbarian was stunned: "We are Black Barbarians!"
Yan Shang smiled: "This is Great Wei's capital, Chang'an."
The Black barbarian: "We are guests."
Yan Shang: "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
The barbarian grew furious: "You... you..."
Yan Shang raised the ledger in his hand: "Are you still certain you wish to see it?"
At this point, the atmosphere in the room grew tense. The troublemaking barbarian couldn't make the decision and turned to look at Meng Zaishi, who was still admiring flowers with crossed arms. Yan Shang's eyes paused briefly, thinking this man must hold high status.
Meng Zaishi looked amused at their argument: "Why look at me? I can't decide either."
Though his tone carried laughter, there was a cold threat in his words as he glanced at the troublemaking barbarian.
The barbarian shuddered, then turned back to Yan Shang with renewed determination, muttering in the Black Barbarian tongue: "I'm certain there's something wrong with that ledger! I must see it! If you're innocent, I'll take the thirty strikes after leaving."
Yan Shang stood his ground: "Take the thirty strikes first, then I'll show you."
The barbarian: "Damn you, playing games with me..."
Enraged, he moved to strike this seemingly refined and fragile Great Wei official, who said calmly: "Assaulting a Great Wei official would make the Black Barbarians' presence unnecessary in this ceremony."
Meng Zaishi called from behind: "Ke Li Lu!"
That was the barbarian's name.
Ke Li Lu's face turned purple with rage, shifting through expressions before he finally turned and stormed out of the chamber to receive the punishment.
Soon, the sound of wooden canes striking flesh echoed through the compound.
The Court of State Ceremonial had become quite lively.
The Chief Minister of the Court emerged, standing stiffly in the main hall, watching the barbarian being beaten in the courtyard with horror.
Great Wei officials, accompanied by Hu interpreters summoned from the Western Market who spoke the Black Barbarian tongue, tried to persuade him to reconsider to avoid damaging relations. Ke Li Lu, his face purple, shouted: "I willingly accept your thirty strikes! This is my choice!"
Unable to dissuade him, they had to proceed with the punishment.
Hearing his subordinate's report, the Chief Minister sighed: "Yan Erlang... reminds me of when he shot and killed the Zheng Family Head with an arrow."
The Chief Minister grew pale, dizzy at the thought of a Black Barbarian dying during the ceremony.
He could only smile wryly: "Truly worthy of Yan Suchen, famous throughout Chang'an."
A trembling attendant asked: "Should we intervene?"
The Chief Minister looked skyward: "No need. After all, Yan Suchen isn't a formal official of our Court..."
He added slyly: "Yan Suchen's appointment is with the Secretariat. If anything goes wrong with the Black Barbarians, let the central authorities hold the Secretariat accountable. Isn't Lord Liu Yan Suchen's teacher? With such a student, Lord Liu must have terrible headaches."
His subordinates nodded repeatedly, relieved that they wouldn't be held responsible for Yan Suchen's actions, and settled in to watch the drama unfold.In the side chamber, Ke Li Lu returned limping, his face dark as he extended his hand toward Yan Shang. Yan Shang smiled at him and handed over the booklet he had prepared to submit to the imperial court.
Ke Li Lu’s breathing grew heavy at once. He anxiously flipped through the pages—if this booklet turned out to be flawless, his beating would have been in vain, and he would have made a fool of himself.
The Uman King would surely punish him upon his return! Perhaps even execute him!
As he leafed through the booklet, the pages rustled noisily. Suddenly, Ke Li Lu’s eyes lit up. Holding two different booklets, he turned to report to Meng Zaishi, "Eldest Brother! These two booklets are indeed different! The one that Great Wei official intended to submit later has become much thicker, with many more characters than the one he initially prepared."
Ke Li Lu’s breathing was heavy, but he exclaimed excitedly, "He must have tampered with it in between! Taking advantage of our inability to read Great Wei’s script, he’s trying to deceive us before the Emperor."
Yan Shang sighed with a faint smile, "Sir, let me remind you once more—falsely accusing me will only lead to another round of caning."
Ke Li Lu’s expression shifted abruptly.
The memory of the very real caning he had endured made his backside ache even now.
But as he handed the booklets to Meng Zaishi, Ke Li Lu stood firm, "We Black Barbarians grew up on horseback since childhood—how could we be compared to you delicate Great Wei people? Why would I fear a caning?"
Ignoring his subordinate’s clamor, Meng Zaishi lowered his head to examine the two booklets. Although he had learned some Great Wei language and a few simple characters from Mu Wan Yao, the text Yan Shang had written... out of every ten characters, Meng Zaishi did not recognize nine.
The literary style of scholars, rich in rhetoric and deliberate embellishments... was something straightforward Black Barbarians could never grasp.
Moreover, Yan Shang was already one of the rare Great Wei literati who lacked literary flair. Had Wei Shu been present, or even Feng Xianyu or Liu Wenji, the compositions they could have written would have completely bewildered the Black Barbarians.
Yet, even with just Yan Shang here, seeing that the second booklet contained at least three pages more text than the first, Meng Zaishi narrowed his eyes, sensing something unusual.
Meng Zaishi looked at Yan Shang, "Do you admit it?"
Yan Shang replied, "That depends on how you decide, sir."
The two locked eyes.
Meng Zaishi smiled faintly, "Naturally, I trust you. Your demeanor and grace... make me feel as if we’ve been friends for years. You surely wouldn’t make any mistakes."
Yan Shang smiled.
Then, as expected, the other’s tone shifted, "...However, we Black Barbarians have traveled thousands of miles to pay homage to the Great Wei Emperor, and it hasn’t been easy. We cannot afford any mishaps along the way. Even if it means offending you, I must verify this."
Yan Shang made a gesture of "please"—
While the Court of State Ceremonial was hosting the Black Barbarians, news finally reached the palace. Arrangements for the palace banquet and its protocols had to include the Black Barbarians.
Not only that, but the Court of State Ceremonial also brought word that the Uman King himself had come to pay homage, clearly showing great respect for Great Wei. They needed to exert a hundred thousand times more effort to ensure proper hospitality, so as not to disappoint the Black Barbarians.
When this news arrived, Mu Wan Yao had just emerged from the old Emperor’s bedchamber, followed unusually by her fourth elder sister, the Yuyang Princess.
A eunuch reported the news quietly into Mu Wan Yao’s ear. Seeing that the Danyang Princess’s expression remained unchanged, he felt relieved.
Mu Wan Yao nodded slightly, "I understand."Her hands clenched within her sleeves, a chill wrapping around her heart: ...The Uman King is coming personally!
It must be Meng Zaishi!
He truly wouldn’t let her go!
The eunuch handed a booklet about the Black Barbarians’ audience to Danyang Princess for her review before slowly retreating.
Behind Mu Wan Yao, Princess Yuyang had been staring at her sixth sister’s slender back for a long time.
Princess Yuyang was conflicted. Recently, because the Noble Consort had been confined and the responsibility for managing the grand ceremonies and banquets had fallen to Mu Wan Yao, her own mother and Third Brother were displeased. Moreover, at court, the officials friendly with Mu Wan Yao had kept Third Brother constantly on his toes.
Third Brother now wanted to intervene in the ceremony arrangements. Therefore, Prince Qin hoped to temporarily reconcile with Mu Wan Yao and sent his own younger sister, Princess Yuyang, as an intermediary.
Princess Yuyang called out softly, "Sixth Sister."
Mu Wan Yao tilted her head slightly, looking at her questioningly.
Princess Yuyang approached with a gentle smile. "It seems I’m pregnant with my second child, but I haven’t told my husband yet. I wanted to share this happy news with you first, Sixth Sister."
Mu Wan Yao’s expression went blank for a moment before she lowered her gaze to Princess Yuyang’s still-flat stomach.
After studying her fourth sister, Mu Wan Yao offered a polite smile. "Congratulations."
Princess Yuyang rested a hand on her abdomen, speaking tenderly. "What do you think of my life, Sixth Sister? Though my husband is busy, as a princess, he must show me great respect and cannot take concubines or the like. There are no conflicts with mother-in-law either—all because I’m a princess. The benefits of being a princess, having a husband and children, are truly a blessing for us women."
Mu Wan Yao asked, "What are you trying to say, Fourth Sister?"
Seeing her cold, unyielding demeanor, Princess Yuyang grew somewhat anxious. "What I mean is, we women are naturally meant to be virtuous wives and loving mothers, bearing children for our husbands, sharing marital harmony, and having both sons and daughters. That is our happiness as women!
"Not like you, Sixth Sister, constantly entangled with ministers and state affairs. What does having power matter? We are not men, after all—we cannot compete for such things. Why don’t you also find an Imperial Son-in-Law, properly bear children, and become a princess like me?"
Princess Yuyang pressed, "Must you always oppose my brother and his faction?"
Mu Wan Yao stared at her fourth sister.
A faint trace of envy stirred within her.
Virtuous wife, loving mother, bearing children, marital harmony, both sons and daughters... Each word transformed into a cold blade, piercing her heart. That feeling of being slowly carved apart, those things she had long lost—Princess Yuyang would never understand.
Mu Wan Yao said, "I forgive you."
Princess Yuyang: "...?"
Mu Wan Yao replied coldly, "I forgive you for your ignorance. Because you haven’t lived through my experiences, because you’ve safely remained your normal princess self, you don’t know how I died and came back to life. You don’t know my pain, so you can ignorantly advise me to let go. I don’t blame you. You’re my sister, and I hope you remain as naive as you are today. How fortunate that you don’t understand my situation."
Princess Yuyang’s face flushed red.
She felt the mockery in her youngest sister’s tone.
Despite her gentle nature, she couldn’t help growing flustered and angry. "Why must you insist on playing politics?!"
Mu Wan Yao flung the missive she had just received at Princess Yuyang, her voice sharp as a blade: "This is why—"With that, she walked away without looking back.
The booklet struck Princess Yuyang, who hurriedly caught it, hearing Princess Danyang loudly call for someone to "drive to the Court of State Ceremonial."
Kneeling on the ground, Princess Yuyang picked up the booklet and opened it, immediately spotting a few words at the beginning—
"The Black Barbarians have come to pay tribute, with their king personally offering congratulations."
Princess Yuyang’s fingers trembled, instantly recalling that Mu Wan Yao was a princess who had once been married off to the Black Barbarians. Now that the Black Barbarian envoys had arrived, along with their new king... what would become of Mu Wan Yao?
Princess Yuyang looked up at Mu Wan Yao. She saw the crimson hem of her dress, blood-red like a phoenix, embroidered with peonies and herbaceous peonies. Mu Wan Yao walked across the vermilion steps under the setting sun, noble and dignified.
Each step was steady, without a single glance backward.
Yet Princess Yuyang was already trembling with fear for her sixth sister, chilled to the bone, regretting that she had spoken such words—
Beneath the Office of Ceremonies in the Court of State Ceremonial, the sky was gloomy, and a bone-chilling cold permeated the air.
The Chief Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial was summoned, his eyelids twitching, as he reluctantly took the two booklets and flipped through them under the watchful eyes of all. The officials of the Court of State Ceremonial and the Black Barbarians, led by Meng Zaishi, stared intently at him, making the old man sweat profusely and feel uneasy even in the cold of the twelfth lunar month.
After a long pause, the Chief Minister looked up, his gaze complex as he glanced at Yan Shang.
In that glance was admiration, respect, and no blame.
Meng Zaishi noticed it keenly and pondered thoughtfully.
Sure enough, the Chief Minister explained to the Black Barbarians, who did not understand the Great Wei script, in a way that at least made it clear to Meng Zaishi, who could comprehend the Great Wei language. Yan Shang, in turn, translated the Chief Minister’s words for the other Black Barbarians: "...These two booklets are actually both correct. However, according to the etiquette of Great Wei, the second one is clearly more appropriate to submit.
"The first booklet, in terms of word count, is a direct translation of the document provided by the Black Barbarian kingdom. But, esteemed envoys, you must understand that the etiquette of the Black Barbarians and Great Wei differs greatly. What you consider simple words, we here must elaborate upon with flattery. For example, you do not have the kowtow ritual, but in Great Wei, during such grand ceremonies, it is absolutely necessary. When addressing our emperor, you merely say 'Father Ruler,' but we must add numerous honorifics to make you appear reverent and respectful.
"Generally, the documents submitted by envoys are polished and refined, making them much thicker than the originals, with more words and greater emphasis on propriety."
The Chief Minister looked at Yan Shang and asked, "Why did your first booklet merely translate truthfully without any embellishment, while the second one was refined?"
Yan Shang lowered his eyes. "As I am not originally an official of the Court of State Ceremonial but merely on temporary assignment, I am not very familiar with the administrative affairs here, so I made a mistake. Fortunately, I remembered in time and corrected it, not wanting the Black Barbarian envoys to misunderstand."
The officials of the Court of State Ceremonial exchanged glances, none quite believing that Yan Shang could be unfamiliar with the affairs here.
If he had been on temporary assignment for just ten days or half a month, it might be plausible, but Yan Shang had already been here for a month and had never made a mistake before. To say he had forgotten now... seemed rather dismissive.
The Black Barbarians, realizing they had caused a misunderstanding, already looked displeased.
Ke Li Lu lowered his head, knelt with a thud, his face pale, ready to accept punishment.
Meng Zaishi gave Yan Shang a deep look but paid no attention to Ke Li Lu. Calmly, he returned both booklets and said politely, "So it was I who misunderstood this Yan Erlang."Hearing others address Yan Shang that way, he followed suit. At least the pronunciation of "Yan Erlang" was much easier than that "Yan Suchen" or whatever.
Yan Shang sighed: "It's merely a misunderstanding. My unfamiliarity with administrative affairs has made me a laughingstock before our guest."
Meng Zaishi smiled: "Your methods are already quite remarkable, young master."
Yan Shang smiled in return: "Your perceptiveness is equally remarkable, young master."
The two men exchanged flattering remarks, completely ignoring the previously tense atmosphere. Ke Li Lu, pale-faced, had already been taken away for another round of caning, yet Meng Zaishi and Yan Shang appeared to admire each other deeply, creating an indescribably peculiar scene.
The officials of Great Wei wore the strangest expressions: they naturally knew of Yan Erlang's charm, which was enough to make anyone like him and befriend him.
But for such amiability to even move the Black Barbarians from a foreign land... it was simply too bizarre.
Amid the friendly atmosphere in the Court of State Ceremonial and the ongoing exchanges between the two nations, the court also reached its year-end sealing ceremony. As the officials emerged, exchanging hollow pleasantries, they happened to see Danyang Princess's carriage passing by.
The princess's carriage came to a halt.
Meng Zaishi's eyes met those of Fang Tong, the guard riding alongside the carriage. Old acquaintances reunited—Fang Tong's muscles tensed throughout his body, while Meng Zaishi maintained his smile, though his eyes narrowed sharply.
Meng Zaishi instantly recognized that the person seated inside the carriage must be Mu Wan Yao.
Fang Tong leaned down and whispered something into the carriage. A young maid, whom Meng Zaishi did not recognize and who was riding on the other side of the carriage, urged her horse forward a few steps along the official road and said, "Yan Erlang, Her Highness says that since we live in the same lane and are neighbors, if you wish to return to your residence, we can give you a ride."
All the officials turned to look at Yan Shang, who was walking unobtrusively and slowly at the very back.
Their expressions grew even more peculiar.
On one side were the Black Barbarians; on the other was Yan Shang, who had once been betrothed by the Emperor but rejected by the princess.
Now, Danyang Princess was inviting Yan Shang into her carriage right in front of the Black Barbarians.
Yan Shang's expression remained unchanged. He bid farewell to his colleagues and walked toward the carriage.
The carriage door was lifted open.
In the silence, the creak of the door opening revealed a beauty inside, vivid and enchanting like a classical painting, causing everyone to stare in momentary astonishment.
Meng Zaishi's gaze locked directly with Mu Wan Yao, who sat in the carriage, her skirts spread across the floor.
He wore a faint, ambiguous smile, his eyes suddenly turning sharp.
She appeared aloof and arrogant, her gaze drifting lightly over Meng Zaishi.
The evening glow cast a dusky red across the bluestone paving. Yan Shang stood tall and graceful, a young man of remarkable talent.
Years had passed in the blink of an eye. The biting cold wind howled as the three remained silent, understanding without words, undercurrents swirling ominously.
OpenNovel