The dark green dress spread on the ground as Liu Ruozhu crouched, carefully gathering the ashes fallen from the incense burner into her handkerchief.
When her personal maid approached, she didn’t see the expected scene of Liu Ruozhu and Yan Erlang standing together—a perfect match of talent and beauty—but only her young mistress squatting on the ground, tidying up the charcoal ashes.
Upon closer look, the incense burner seemed to be the very one Yan Erlang had used earlier.
The maid was bewildered. “Young mistress, where is Erlang? Didn’t you come here to seize a chance to speak with him?”
Liu Ruozhu replied, “He’s gone.”
Shocked, the maid hurried over, urging her young mistress to rise while she took over the task of cleaning the ashes. As she worked, she cautiously glanced up and noticed a trace of disappointment on her mistress’s face.
Liu Ruozhu’s long eyelashes were slightly tangled, her cheeks flushed, and upon closer inspection, there were faint signs she had been crying.
Yet she only offered a faint, tight-lipped smile to her concerned maid. “It turns out Grandfather was right. Erlang has another young lady in his heart. Grandfather told me not to dwell on it, but I refused to believe it… Today, on New Year’s Eve, seeing how anxious Erlang was to leave, I finally understood—there truly is another young lady in his heart.”
A month earlier, Liu Ruozhu had pressed her grandfather, Lord Liu, asking whether he had spoken to Yan Shang about marriage.
At that time, Lord Liu had stroked her hair and sighed, “It’s my fault for involving you without making things clear beforehand. But from what I can tell, Suchen has someone in his heart. It’s best you don’t get entangled.”
Back then, Liu Ruozhu hadn’t believed him. Yet, raised as a proper young lady from a noble family, she couldn’t bring herself to rush out and confront Yan Shang directly. It wasn’t until today, witnessing it with her own eyes, that she finally accepted the truth.
The maid asked, “Then, young mistress, did you ask Erlang who the young lady he likes is?”
Liu Ruozhu shook her head.
The maid grew anxious. “Are you just giving up like that? What if that young lady isn’t as good as you? Won’t you even try to compete?”
Liu Ruozhu’s gaze was as gentle and flowing as a river, tinged with melancholy as she smiled. “The young lady he likes must be wonderful. Why should I humiliate myself?”
The maid was utterly confused, unable to grasp Liu Ruozhu’s perspective.
In the maid’s view, when you love someone and your family holds power and influence, even coercion was acceptable. How could becoming Lord Liu’s grandson-in-law possibly be a dishonor to Yan Erlang?
But Liu Ruozhu said, “Being the grandson-in-law of the Lord Chancellor would indeed be advantageous, but we cannot force someone. Besides, he is my grandfather’s junior disciple—how could I do such a thing and create discord between him and Grandfather?”
The maid protested, “But a teacher is like a father—how can he not obey his teacher’s words? That would be unfilial.”
Liu Ruozhu’s voice was soft and sweet. “But why should I force someone to stay? You can keep the person, but not their heart. Throughout history, how many powerful families have ended up in lifelong emotional turmoil, with lives lost and hearts broken, for such reasons? Yan Erlang and I are in the prime of our youth—why force each other to such extremes?
“I refuse to become a bad young lady who bullies others with her influence.”
The maid looked up at Liu Ruozhu.
She didn’t fully understand her mistress’s thoughts. This young lady, with her bamboo-like grace and serene composure, personally raised and educated by Lord Liu—how could her insight and demeanor be compared to ordinary young ladies? In the maid’s eyes, Yan Erlang wasn’t even worthy of her young mistress.The maid said earnestly, "It's right for you to think that way, my lady. Your brow and eye area show broad property prospects, your eyebrows have clear and gracefully curved lines, your eyes are large and bright, your nostrils are full, and your earlobes are thick and large... According to the elders from my hometown, you bear the markings of a blessed fate.
"You will never want for food or clothing throughout your life, cherished by your parents; you'll enjoy wealth and peace, have both sons and daughters, and live to a ripe old age. Those around you will also remain free from illness and disaster, sharing in your good fortune. With such excellent facial features, finding a marriage match would be effortless—my lady need not restrict yourself to only Yan Erlang."
Liu Ruozhu had been melancholy about her romantic feelings, but after the maid's serious analysis, her face instantly flushed crimson, revealing a somewhat bewildered and flustered expression.
Feeling both embarrassed and amused, Liu Ruozhu stamped her foot on the spot, her cheeks red as she said, "What nonsense are you spouting! How old am I that you're talking about 'both sons and daughters, living to a ripe old age'? I... I'm ignoring you!"
Liu Ruozhu turned and ran out of the corridor. Once outside, she paused, feeling something damp on her forehead. She stretched out her hand, and snowflakes landed in her palm.
It was evening, and it had begun to snow softly.
A timely snow promises a good harvest.
May next year be a prosperous one.
As Liu Ruozhu joyfully prayed this, she couldn't help but wonder: Who is the young lady that Yan Erlang likes? What kind of young woman could win the affection of someone like him?
Although she had already decided to let go... she was still incredibly curious—
After leaving Lord Liu's residence, Yan Shang went to find Wei Shu.
He wanted to spend New Year's Eve with Mu Wan Yao, but he also knew she was presiding over the grand ceremony at the palace and likely wouldn't return until very late. Moreover, being alone together as an unmarried man and woman... he felt it might not be entirely appropriate.
Anything too suggestive might not be to Mu Wan Yao's liking.
He thought to himself, since she tended to be casual about matters of the heart, he feared his unnecessary actions might startle her into retreating again.
Thus, he thought of Wei Shu.
Although Wei Shu came from the Luoyang Wei family, he was spending the New Year in Chang'an and wouldn't be going to his eldest brother's residence, so he was likely alone. Wei Shu was still so young—only fifteen.
Yan Shang felt a pang of sympathy for the young man who, having just become a Censorate Inspector and offended many people, would also be spending New Year's Eve alone. He decided to check on Wei Shu; if he was truly by himself, Yan Shang would invite him to go together to the Princess Residence to see if they could stay there and wait for Mu Wan Yao to return—
As snow fell in the evening, the palace banquet commenced.
This was Mu Wan Yao's first time presiding over such a grand feast. She had entered the palace at daybreak and had been nervously busy until now.
Watching the court officials take their seats one by one, and foreign envoys being led in, the tension in Mu Wan Yao's heart gradually eased.
When the imperial relatives arrived, it was the Crown Prince leading his younger siblings.
The Crown Prince nodded to Mu Wan Yao, encouraging her for doing well.
Only when Mu Wan Yao saw the Crown Prince's smile did she relax slightly. The Crown Princess, holding her two children and accompanied by the Crown Prince's favorite concubine, stood behind him and also gave Mu Wan Yao a friendly smile.
After exchanging greetings with them, Mu Wan Yao felt like someone was missing. She looked behind the Crown Prince and indeed, Yang Si was nowhere to be seen.
Mu Wan Yao murmured in surprise, "Could it be that Yang San is attending the banquet with the Yang family tonight?"
Her words hung in the air.The Crown Princess at the side fell speechless for a moment: even the Sixth Princess felt that Yang San seemed to live in the Eastern Palace, so in her eyes, Yang Si joining the banquet with the Yang family had become a rather strange matter.
The Crown Prince coughed lightly and said, “It doesn’t matter who he sits with—he won’t be here tonight.”
He continued, “He was supposed to return, but he encountered a snowstorm on the way. According to his letter, he’s stranded. I waited all day, and now it’s confirmed he won’t make it back to Chang’an tonight. He’ll probably return in a few days.”
Mu Wan Yao nodded.
The Crown Prince glanced behind him and sighed to himself, “Usually, I find him annoying and blame him for causing trouble. But now that he’s not here, I actually miss him a little.”
Mu Wan Yao smiled, “Yet I think Yang San must be quite pleased right now.”
The Crown Prince couldn’t help but laugh, “Away from my jurisdiction, he’s like a wild horse freed from its reins—of course he’s happy now. Though Chang’an is prosperous, he doesn’t really like it here.”
Mu Wan Yao said, “Then Eldest Brother should also consider his opinion. Always keeping a wild horse tethered may make it obedient, but it will also ruin its spirit, won’t it?”
The Crown Prince looked thoughtfully at Mu Wan Yao, unable to discern whether she said this simply to speak up for Yang Si or if she had another motive, such as weakening the Crown Prince’s influence in Chang’an... He merely replied, “It seems you and he are still quite close, caring for him so much.”
As they spoke, a cold, mocking voice interjected from the side, “How affectionate you siblings are.”
The Crown Prince, Mu Wan Yao, and the others turned to see the splendidly dressed Luling Grand Princess approaching. The train of her gown trailed behind her, held carefully by her maids. Luling Grand Princess turned her gaze toward them, her eyes outlined in gold and red, her features striking and vibrant.
Though nearly forty, she was well-preserved and could rival women in their twenties.
The Crown Prince led Mu Wan Yao and the others in paying respects: “Aunt, it’s been a long time.”
Luling Grand Princess sneered, “Thanks to all of you, it certainly has been a long time.”
The Crown Prince did not respond.
Luling Grand Princess had disappeared from Chang’an for half a year and now emerged during the grand ceremony, clearly intending to use this opportunity to return to Chang’an.
Neither the Crown Prince nor Mu Wan Yao planned to confront their aunt. After the previous incidents, Luling Grand Princess had been severely weakened; her current display was mere bluster. If she wished to return, so be it.
As they conversed, the Grand Eunuch arrived, his announcement echoing after the drumbeats—
“His Majesty has arrived!”
Instantly, all the Great Wei nobles engaged in idle chatter at the banquet, along with the envoys from smaller nations who had been murmuring in foreign tongues beside officials from the Court of State Ceremonial, turned their gaze toward the central imperial path between the two rows of seats.
All eyes fixed on the golden-yellow palanquin.
Seated atop it, the Emperor was unusually dressed in the court robes reserved for solemn sacrificial rites: a gilded square-topped crown, a black dragon-embroidered cross-collared royal robe, and crimson silk aprons.
Over his ceremonial attire, he wore a crane-feather cloak, while snowflakes drifted through the air beyond the palanquin.
Under the pitch-black sky, two rows of eunuchs carried lanterns ahead, followed by the Imperial Guards armed with swords. Every gaze lifted toward the middle-aged man seated on the palanquin.
That was the Emperor of Great Wei.
The sovereign whom the surrounding smaller nations addressed as “Imperial Father.”
Silence fell across the four directions. The dense crowd knelt in unison, their voices resounding through the heavens—
“We welcome Your Majesty—!”The palanquin came to a halt, black boots stepping onto the ground covering as the Emperor emerged, his gaze cold as he surveyed all the court officials, inner palace consorts, outer palace children, and foreign envoys.
Before everyone, he was the sole sovereign.
The Emperor spoke calmly, "Rise, my ministers."—
The gates of Danyang Princess Residence were knocked open, with the steward leading Yan Shang and Wei Shu inside.
The inner chamber maids hurried out to greet them, and upon seeing the two arrive, their eyes momentarily glazed over in a daze.
Yan Shang was elegant, Wei Shu was pure.
The two youths came through the snow, walking one after the other along the long corridor of the Princess Residence, their proud and upright postures inspiring admiration. When they turned their profiles, their eyes were dark and clear.
Yan Shang’s gaze held a smile, while Wei Shu was as solemn as snow, both causing the maids to blush slightly, their hearts pounding.
Qiushu, one of the Princess’s personal maids, stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Sister Xiarong has accompanied Her Highness into the palace. Tonight, I am in charge of affairs at the Princess Residence. Our Princess is not here tonight—may I ask what brings you two gentlemen here?"
Yan Shang bowed gently and replied, "...Ju Yuan and I are being rather presumptuous in coming here. However, both of us have received Her Highness’s favor, and since we have nothing to do tonight, we thought to visit Her Highness at the residence."
Qiushu exclaimed in surprise, "But our Princess isn’t here!"
Yan Shang lowered his eyes, "So... we’ll wait."
Before Qiushu could continue her refusal, he said, "On our way here, we noticed that the Princess Residence hasn’t prepared anything at all—it feels quite desolate. Even if Her Highness is in the palace, all of you still have to keep watch and celebrate the New Year here. Why not make some slight decorations? Perhaps when Her Highness returns and sees the residence refreshed with a festive atmosphere, she will be pleased."
Qiushu was bewildered, thinking to herself that their residence had never decorated for the New Year before.
Back when the Princess was hastily married off, the Princess Residence was built quickly for her departure. Afterward, the Princess had only lived here for a few months before marrying into the Black Barbarians. And when the Princess returned here again, although she spent two New Years here, she always went to the palace on New Year’s Eve, so the residence was never decorated.
Qiushu stammered, "We never decorate... Our Princess prefers tranquility."
Yan Shang fell silent.
After a long pause, he said, "Looking at Her Highness’s usual preferences... does she seem like someone who enjoys tranquility?"
This left everyone speechless.
Mu Wan Yao usually wore bright red long skirts, with intricate and exquisite makeup, adorned in either gold or silver... She was like a magnificent, dazzling palace—indeed, there was no trace of any preference for cold solitude.
In their confusion, and because of Yan Shang’s unspoken relationship with their Princess over the past few months, coupled with Yan Erlang’s exceptional eloquence, the Princess Residence’s staff were easily persuaded by Yan Erlang to decide to decorate the residence and await the Princess’s return.
If the Princess returned and was angry... wasn’t Yan Erlang there to take the blame?
Wei Shu watched as Yan Shang communicated with the maids, saying nothing himself.
With Second Brother Yan present, Wei Shu naturally remained silent. However, observing Second Brother Yan’s familiarity with the Princess Residence’s maids, Wei Shu’s eyes flickered with a hint of realization—
At the palace banquet, envoys from various countries offered congratulations and birthday wishes, presenting treasures from their lands.
With the Court of State Ceremonial present, the tribute speeches from the less-cultured minor states were written with extreme deference, filled with admiration for the great nation. It was nothing more than phrases like "Celestial Empire" and "our barbaric lands"—words that the people of Great Wei understood, though the envoys from the minor states had no idea what they were saying.After the officials from the Court of State Ceremonial had finished loudly reciting the tribute speeches from the vassal states, the Emperor seated above ordered rewards to be bestowed.
The treasures granted by the Great Wei Emperor were several times more valuable than what the small states had offered.
Great Wei sought prestige, while the small states sought profit—thus, both sides were pleased.
When the last small state had finished paying tribute, palace dancers took the stage to perform songs and dances. Only then did Mu Wan Yao, who had been closely monitoring the entire process from the side, finally relax and take her seat in her designated position.
At this point, her tasks were largely complete. The upcoming artistic performances and exchanges between the small states and Great Wei would be far more relaxed compared to the earlier tribute ceremonies.
Ministers and consorts began dining while enjoying the dance performances.
A eunuch approached Mu Wan Yao and whispered a few words to her. She turned her head and saw Luling Grand Princess leading her attendants toward the Emperor while everyone was distracted by the singing and dancing. Knowing what her aunt intended to do, Mu Wan Yao merely curled her lips slightly and murmured, "Pay it no mind."
The eunuch withdrew.
At the Emperor's seat, Luling Grand Princess bowed to her elder brother with exaggerated grievance. She glanced cautiously at the Emperor, noting his gaunt cheeks and indifferent expression, though his physical condition tonight seemed... passable?
After paying respects, Luling Grand Princess grew flustered when the Emperor merely glanced at her impassively. She hurriedly ordered her attendants to present the human-height red coral tree she had painstakingly collected.
The coral had been carved into the form of a dancing songstress with fluttering sleeves. When the red cloth covering it fell away, its appearance captured everyone's attention.
The Emperor observed it and remarked, "A red coral this tall... must have been difficult to acquire?"
Tears welling in her eyes, Luling Grand Princess knelt and laid her head on the Emperor's knees, beginning to recount her hardships—how she wished to prepare a birthday gift for the Emperor but lacked capable helpers, how arduous the past six months had been.
She lifted her head, still leaning against the Emperor's knees, and pleaded: "Elder Brother, Jiaojiao was wrong before. Jiaojiao has realized her mistakes. Please dote on Jiaojiao one more time. I hardly dare go out now—for six months in Chang'an, no one has invited me to any banquets... How can a grand princess like me live as if imprisoned?"
The Emperor looked down at her.
After a moment, he sighed and said, "Enough, rise. You've had your difficulties. Just stop indiscriminately collecting handsome men—those young men have their dignity too. Who would endure being constantly beaten or scolded by you? When you fell ill this time, who knows how many of your former male favorites contributed behind the scenes? At your age, you still won't let me rest easy. With your behavior, who will care for you after I'm gone?"
The earlier words hadn't affected her much, but upon hearing this, Luling Grand Princess' eyes reddened, tears suddenly pooling in them.
She felt a pang of shame and betrayal.
She had secretly made deals with the Crown Prince behind the Emperor's back. Though confined for half a year, she could at least secure peace once the Crown Prince ascended the throne. Her elder brother knew nothing of this, yet he still worried for her...
Luling Grand Princess choked out, "Your younger sister prays for your long life, Brother."
The Emperor replied, "That won't be necessary. If I truly live to a hundred, I'd become a wretched old man. By the time I descend to the underworld, A'Nuan wouldn't even recognize me."
"A'Nuan, don't you think so?"
The Emperor turned to gaze at the empty space beside him.
On the other side, the eunuch Cheng An had long grown accustomed to the Emperor's delusions and stood with his sleeves tucked, unmoved.The first time Luling Grand Princess witnessed the Emperor’s episode, she stared in horror at the empty space beside him, unable to fathom how deeply her sister-in-law’s passing had affected her imperial brother.
Just then, the singing and dancing below ceased. The performers withdrew, but an envoy from a minor state stepped forward from the banquet tables and positioned himself at the center. Mimicking the etiquette of Great Wei, he bowed respectfully toward the Emperor seated above.
Seated among the guests, Mu Wan Yao’s silver chopsticks faltered, dropping the meatball she had been about to pick up. She lifted her gaze to the man now standing in the center.
That man glanced in her direction.
It was Meng Zaishi.
In halting but clear Great Wei speech, Meng Zaishi addressed the Emperor above: "Sovereign Father, I am the newly appointed King of Wuman. There exists a covenant between Wuman and Great Wei: Great Wei shall wed an imperial daughter to Wuman, and in return, Wuman shall cease hostilities with the border troops, establishing a century of peace.
"My presence here signifies that even with a new king in Wuman, we remain committed to this agreement, honoring Your Majesty as 'Sovereign Father.'
"However, one clause stipulates that a princess of Great Wei must become the queen of Wuman—only then is the covenant truly fulfilled.
"Moreover, Wuman tradition dictates that a successor inherits all assets of the preceding king, including his wives.
"Thus, I beseech Sovereign Father to bestow Princess Danyang upon me once more. May Princess Danyang return with me to Wuman, sealing a hundred years of harmony between our peoples!"
His words fell, and the previously murmuring hall fell into dead silence.
The Crown Prince stiffened, unable to resist glancing upward at his father.
The jade-beaded strings of the imperial crown veiled the Emperor’s face, shielding him from the probing gazes below, yet he observed them all from his elevated seat.
He noted how Meng Zaishi, the King of Wuman, stood tall and spoke decisively—likely after much deliberation.
Ministers whispered among themselves; those who had grown close to Princess Danyang over the year shifted restlessly, their eyes clouded with worry.
Among the imperial family, Luling Grand Princess remained indifferent, watching as if at a play; Prince Jin kept his head lowered, offering no opinion; Prince Qin revealed a flicker of excitement; the Crown Prince’s eyes darted, hesitation evident.
The Emperor’s gaze then turned to Mu Wan Yao.
Her eyes were icy as she stared fixedly at Meng Zaishi.
She looked ready to overturn the table and devour him whole.
A faint smile touched the Emperor’s lips—he found it intriguing—
Outside, heavy snow blanketed the earth, cool and silvery like moonlight.
At the Princess Residence, maids hurried in and out, belatedly preparing pastries and ritual items for the New Year’s Eve vigil.
Guards bustled about upfront, joining Yan Shang and Wei Shu in hanging red lanterns around the residence. For items the Princess Residence lacked, Yan Shang made a special trip back to his adjacent estate to fetch them—all New Year’s goods sent from Lingnan by his family, now adorning the Princess Residence.
Tonight, the two estates merged into one, with Yan Shang’s servants coming and going, assisting in the decorations.
In no time, the Princess Residence took on a renewed vibrancy, brimming with festive spirit.
Yan Shang and Wei Shu led a team to hang lanterns along the alleyway. As Yan Shang put it, the princess should be greeted by illuminated lanterns the moment she entered the alley—everything should feel transformed from the very entrance.
Standing in the alley, Wei Shu held a lantern while Yan Shang climbed a ladder, marking the wall to ensure equal spacing between each lantern.Yan Shang stood on the ladder and asked Wei Shu below, "Can you see more clearly from down there? Is this position accurate?"
Wei Shu suddenly said, "Do you have feelings for the princess?"
Yan Shang stiffened. He abruptly turned and looked down at Wei Shu below. The sudden movement made the bamboo ladder unsteady. His sleeves fluttered as he fell from the ladder.
Wei Shu's eyes narrowed. With a "thud," both the man and the ladder toppled down, collapsing onto the snowy ground.
The snow on the trees was shaken loose, rustling as it drifted from the branches and showered the alley like rain.
Wei Shu hastily set the lantern on the ground and scrambled to dig out the person buried in the snow, his expression both bewildered and panicked. "Second Brother Yan? Are you alright?"
Yan Shang’s voice, muffled beneath the snow, was gentle: "I’m fine."
A slender hand gripped the ladder, emerging from beneath the snowdrift. Yan Shang sat on the ground, shaking the snow from his face and shoulders.
Seeing he was unharmed, Wei Shu breathed a sigh of relief. The young man crouched beside him, watching Yan Erlang’s disheveled state, and said slowly, "...Are you feeling guilty toward me, and that’s why you’re flustered?"
The alley was quiet, the lantern swaying in the snow, casting a warm red glow. Sitting on the ground, Yan Shang looked up and met Wei Shu’s dark eyes—
At the palace banquet, Meng Zaishi’s words had stirred a storm.
The Crown Prince held a wine cup, observing discreetly.
Among the ministers, one official stepped forward, cupping his hands and declaring, "Your Majesty, in Great Wei, there is no precedent for a princess to enter a peace marriage twice! The barbaric lands’ custom of a new king inheriting everything from his predecessor is utterly absurd—a mockery of the world! Sending Danyang Princess to marry again, and to the new Uman King no less, would be a profound disgrace to Great Wei!"
The Crown Prince glanced over and saw that the first official to speak up for Danyang Princess was the Vice Minister of Revenue.
The Vice Minister of Revenue had once served as Mu Wan Yao’s advisor, having risen from her Princess Residence. Though he now pledged loyalty to the Crown Prince, he had originally been Mu Wan Yao’s man.
As the princess’s former advisor, it was only natural for the Vice Minister of Revenue to be the first to defend her.
Mu Wan Yao lifted her gaze to the middle-aged official who had stepped forward from the crowd of ministers.
With one voice raised, it became easier for the next. Another minister stepped out and said, "Your Majesty, we must not agree to the Uman’s peace marriage demand. Even if another marriage is necessary, it should not be Danyang Princess. The same princess should not be wed to the Uman twice!"
But the next official to speak sneered, "Your arguments are the ones that are preposterous. The alliance treaty between Great Wei and the Uman explicitly stipulated Danyang Princess’s marriage. Since the Uman have their traditions, we ought to respect them. Your views are rigid and oppose a woman remarrying! A princess has the right to marry again!"
The Crown Prince observed and knew this speaker was aligned with Prince Qin.
Prince Qin, of course, hoped Mu Wan Yao would leave, severing one of the Crown Prince’s key supporters.
A military official stood and declared loudly, "The princess should not marry! Danyang Princess has already fulfilled her duty. The peace marriage mentioned in the treaty referred to the former Uman King—there is no justification for remarrying."
Yet another official objected, "The reason the treaty between the Uman and Great Wei has held until now is because we have honored our commitments. The Uman King has made his request; for the sake of the nation, Danyang Princess should marry!"
The two sides argued fiercely, neither yielding.
The Emperor watched from above, thinking to himself that Mu Wan Yao’s standing at court was no longer what it had been in the past.
So many ministers were taking her side.
It was clear that all her maneuvering over the past year had indeed yielded results.
Seeing the debate raging and the sides evenly split, the Crown Prince knew it was time for him to step in. He cast a sidelong glance, and a eunuch quietly slipped away from the banquet, moving toward the envoys’ section.
As the Crown Princess sat trembling beside the Crown Prince, an envoy from a minor state among the foreign delegates stood up and laughed heartily:"The Black Barbarians seek to marry Danyang Princess! Though our kingdom is small, we too admire the princess's grace and beauty, and beg Your Majesty to grant this marriage!"
The Emperor narrowed his eyes—
Outside the Princess Residence on the snowy ground, Yan Shang looked at Wei Shu and said slowly: "Yes, I like her. I admire her.
"Ju Yuan... I've wronged you, but I want to marry her."
Wei Shu was stunned, never expecting someone as reserved as Yan Shang would say such words to him.
Wei Shu said softly: "Marrying her will be difficult."
Yan Shang lowered his lashes: "I'm not afraid of those difficulties. What I fear is only her unwillingness to marry me."—
At the palace banquet, opinions were divided.
The ministers split into two factions, while those in the middle like Lord Liu and others remained silent.
Meng Zaishi, King of Wuman, reiterated his intention to marry Mu Wan Yao.
Three or four more envoys from smaller states joined the fray, seeking Danyang Princess's hand for their own rulers.
For a moment, it became a chaotic eight-way battle, quite a lively scene.
"Crash—" Amid the arguments, a glass cup was thrown, not landing on the ground covering but rolling across the blue brick floor.
The clear, sharp sound made everyone turn to look at Danyang Princess Mu Wan Yao, who had stood up after throwing the cup.
Mu Wan Yao looked at them all with a faint smile: "Wanting to marry me is easy enough. You all make reasonable arguments—I'm merely a princess who has been married off before, what difficulty is there in remarrying? It just depends on your capabilities.
"Come and court me then. Whoever wins my affection, I shall marry."
Her gaze was icy yet smiling as it pierced through the crowd toward Meng Zaishi: "If you want to marry me, then come court me, come win my heart. Does the Uman King dare to try?"
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