The Emperor vomited blood and fell critically ill, the emergency reported late at night. The Crown Prince from the Eastern Palace and the two princely lords residing outside the palace walls all rushed to attend to him.
With the Emperor’s birthday less than a month away, it would be highly inauspicious if he were to pass away at this time.
The Crown Prince fed the Emperor medicine, while Prince Qin knelt nearby feigning sobs. Prince Jin wept with the most genuine emotion, nearly fainting from his grief. Disgusted by Prince Qin’s unconvincing tears and Prince Jin’s near-hysterical weeping, the Crown Prince left the inner chamber.
The palace servants in the Emperor’s bedchamber were as frightened as startled birds. Liu Wenji was summoned by the Crown Prince for questioning about the sudden cause of the Emperor’s vomiting blood.
Standing before the Crown Prince with lowered eyes, Liu Wenji knew in his heart that his castration had been orchestrated by the eleventh son of the Ministry of Revenue’s director—a man who received only a demotion as punishment.
This was all the Crown Prince’s doing.
The Crown Prince treated him as worthless grass, no virtuous man at all.
Yet Liu Wenji maintained a facade of terror while his mentor, Grand Eunuch Cheng An, wiped cold sweat beside him. The air grew thick with tension. Liu Wenji would never reveal that the Emperor had vomited blood from heartbreak upon learning that Danyang Princess could not bear children. Such royal secrets were best left unknown.
Instead, Liu Wenji claimed the Emperor had fallen ill after the Uman King’s departure.
Thus, the Crown Prince summoned the Uman King to the palace overnight.
When Meng Zaishi arrived, he suspected a particular reason had provoked the Emperor’s condition—a reason he had intentionally incited to test whether the Emperor held any affection for his daughter. Not wanting this known, Meng Zaishi feigned ignorance.
As the Crown Prince failed to extract answers, sudden exclamations of relief came from the inner palace: “His Majesty is out of danger…”
Inexpressibly, standing outside the palace gazing at miles of red lanterns, the Crown Prince felt a shroud of disappointment settle over him.
For a moment, he had wished the Emperor would simply die—so his struggles would end, and as Crown Prince, he would rightfully ascend the throne.
The Emperor’s cunning schemes had exhausted everyone—
Meanwhile, the Emperor, now out of danger, sank into a deep nightmare.
In this dazed, formless dream, the Emperor found himself standing outside Qingning Palace as if in a trance.
Faint rosy clouds streaked the horizon, and racing clouds cast a soft golden glow over the palace, rendering it illusory and unreal. This was the former Empress’s residence.
The Emperor stepped forward involuntarily, then halted: “A’Nuan…”
Staring at the familiar yet distant Qingning Palace, he dared not approach in his dream. He feared entering to find only dust and cobwebs, or worse—finding A’Nuan there, her eyes filled with hatred.
In his youth, he had married Li A’Nuan, and with the Li Family’s powerful backing, he prevailed in the succession struggle to become Emperor. Though accused of using the Li Family, he had genuinely loved A’Nuan. Before their second son Erlang passed away, the Emperor and Empress had shared a harmonious bond like any ordinary couple.
Suddenly, the Emperor heard an infant’s cry. The wail exploded like thunder in the dim dreamscape, lending a touch of reality to the unreal. As the crying persisted, more voices reached him—
“Her Highness has given birth! It’s a girl!”
“Congratulations, Your Highness!”
“Your Majesty, Her Highness is well, and the little princess is utterly beautiful.”The sound of pattering footsteps came from Qingning Palace, rapid and dense, yet very light—not the footsteps of an adult. The next moment, a young boy peeked out from the palace doorway and ran toward the Emperor, taking his hand.
The child’s soft, slender fingers slipped into the Emperor’s palm.
The Emperor trembled, looking down to see the boy’s delicate features and thick, dark lashes. The child appeared no more than five or six years old, small in stature, yet endearing and adorable.
The Emperor couldn’t help but murmur, “Erlang…”
The boy looked up. “Father, let’s go see Mother.”
The Emperor stared down at him numbly, a sudden ache tightening his nostrils.
He knew this was a dream.
Erlang had left this world ten years ago; he was fifteen when he departed. Erlang had never appeared in his dreams, never left behind even a trace of longing. So whose doing was this dream?
Guided by the boy’s hand, the Emperor entered Qingning Palace, afraid to breathe lest the dream shatter. It didn’t end then. Not only did he see his departed son as a young child in the dream, but he also saw the beautiful woman leaning against the bed, cradling an infant.
The Emperor stared blankly. Time and memory were cruel, each recollection a stab to the heart. His chest ached as if sliced open, yet he could only watch, numb.
A-Nuan waved to him, her expression soft with maternal tenderness. “My lord, come quickly and see our little princess…”
The Emperor sat by the bed, leaning over to look at the princess. Erlang stood on tiptoe, tugging at the Empress’s arm to peek as well. The Emperor and Empress exchanged idle chatter while the boy gazed curiously at the newborn girl. He reached out a finger to poke her, but a stern look from his mother made him withdraw it quickly, grinning sheepishly.
The Empress asked, “Your Majesty, have you thought of a name for our little princess?”
The boy immediately stretched out his hand. “Let me choose! Let me! Father, Mother, please let me name my sister!”
The Empress suppressed a laugh. “Do you even know all the characters?”
The boy pleaded, “Father can write down the characters he likes, and I’ll pick from them. I really want to name my sister—I’ll be very serious about it.”
Unable to resist the boy’s insistence, the Emperor, just as in his memory, wrote down several characters for Erlang to choose from. The boy picked and chose, finally settling on the characters “wan” and “yao.”
The Empress pondered. “Mu Wan Yao? ‘Twilight deep, a small boat sways late.’ The imagery is lovely, but the meaning is ordinary, and it sounds somewhat sorrowful. Not ideal.”
The boy declared brightly, “How could it be sorrowful? She is the child of Father and Mother, the newborn princess of Great Wei. How could it be sorrowful?”
He looked up, his dark, grape-like eyes fixed on the Empress, yet the Emperor felt the boy was seeing into his very soul. The boy continued, “I want my sister to be named ‘Mu Wan Yao.’ I chose her name, and from now on, I will protect her. I will always guard my sister. Let her be called ‘Mu Wan Yao,’ alright?”
Mu Wan Yao.
Twilight deep, a small boat sways late.
Just as the Empress’s words had unwittingly prophesied, twilight had fallen, the sky had darkened—where should her tiny, solitary boat drift now?
The one who named her was gone; the one who promised to protect her could not keep his vow. The Emperor and Empress turned against each other, and in their strife, she became the sacrifice. After the Empress passed away, everything began to draw to a close.
The Emperor won this silent war, yet Mu Wan Yao could no longer bear children.The bloodline of A'Nuan, the Li Family's bloodline... could no longer be passed down within the imperial family.
With the Li Family's crushing defeat, the Emperor could finally set his mind at ease. He no longer had to worry that if Mu Wan Yao were to bear a child, that child, carrying both the Li Family and imperial bloodlines, might be exploited by the Li Family to stir up trouble after he grew old. Mu Wan Yao need not return to the Black Barbarians, nor could the Li Family ever rise again.
Yet accompanying this was A'Nuan's complete departure.
She had truly vanished forever. Her two children—her son had passed before her, and her young daughter could not bear children. Her bloodline... now indeed remained only in Mu Wan Yao alone—
The Emperor jolted awake from his nightmare, right at the midnight hour.
He sat emptily on his bed, gazing into the void. A'Nuan stood there, tears in her eyes, staring at him with hatred.
He finally covered his face, tears falling unexpectedly, and burst into loud sobs.
All these years, all these years... it truly felt like a nightmare.
He had brought the only bloodline A'Nuan left behind to such a state. He had preserved the stability of the empire, yet he had lost everything completely—
The Emperor's weeping was abrupt and hurried in the dark night. The Grand Eunuch hurried over to check, and the Emperor commanded, "Summon the Danyang Princess to the palace."
But just as the eunuch was about to leave to relay the order, the Emperor changed his mind, his voice hoarse, "Never mind. She must be asleep at this hour; do not disturb her. Tomorrow, have the Crown Prince oversee the court. I will not attend. Summon the Danyang Princess to the palace to join me for breakfast."
The eunuch went out to deliver the order.
The Danyang Princess entered the palace the following day.
Mu Wan Yao attended the Emperor as cautiously as ever, but her father kept looking at her with a sorrowful gaze, which left her bewildered and somewhat displeased—
The Emperor's expression made it seem as though she were about to die.
It was terribly inauspicious—
Yet the Emperor was firming a resolve in his heart.
He would protect his young daughter.
He was such a heartless Emperor; the imperial throne and the empire were his true concerns. Until now, he had never spared a thought for his young daughter. Only now did the Emperor begin to include his young daughter in his schemes, planning for her future—where she would go after he passed away—
Taking advantage of the Emperor's critical illness and the frequent comings and goings of people in and out of the palace, Liu Wenji met with Luo Xiu once again.
Luo Xiu had fulfilled what he promised to help Liu Wenji accomplish. Now, the two most trusted disciples by the Grand Eunuch Cheng An—one was dead, the other had been rolled in a straw mat and thrown out of the palace. The remaining disciples posed no threat to Liu Wenji, and he had become the Grand Eunuch's most capable aide.
As agreed, Liu Wenji handed over the materials Luo Xiu wanted.
They met briefly outside the Hanlin Academy, exchanged the memorial as if nothing had happened, and parted.
Luo Xiu asked, "Could the information you gave me be false?"
Liu Wenji replied, "Only with genuine information can we cooperate. If it were false, and you discovered it and reported our conspiracy to the Emperor... you are an envoy, not a dead man. I wouldn't dare deceive you with false information unless I had a death wish."
Luo Xiu thought it made sense and thus took the memorial and left.
Luo Xiu's movements were fully known to the Black Barbarians.
Meng Zaishi had never trusted the man sent by King Ale from the beginning. Since this man had followed them to Great Wei, Meng Zaishi had been curious about Luo Xiu's intentions. He had people monitor Luo Xiu, and the spies returned to report Luo Xiu's actions.
Meng Zaishi remarked, "Tsk. King Ale has surprisingly used his brain for once, not just shouting about killing and fighting."The subordinate said, "Since Luo Xiu's actions have nothing to do with us and don't harm our interests, we should just observe."
Meng Zaishi pondered for a moment and asked, "Do you think if the Southern Barbarians went to war with Great Wei, could Great Wei win?"
The subordinates exchanged glances and replied, "If the Southern Barbarian King can unify the four tribes, it's not impossible for them to defeat Great Wei. However, Great Wei has vast territory, and the Southern Barbarians can't sustain a prolonged war. So victory or defeat would be evenly matched—it ultimately depends on the ruler's decision."
Meng Zaishi said calmly, "The current old Emperor of Great Wei is far-sighted and strategic. During his reign, I don't think the Southern Barbarian King would gain any advantage; instead, he'd be dragged down by Great Wei. But if the old Emperor steps down, we'll have to see the character of the next Emperor... If the Southern Barbarian King really wants to start a war, he should choose the next Emperor's reign. Not now."
The subordinates didn't understand why the Uman King was analyzing this.
While analyzing, Meng Zaishi had already made a decision: "Then I can't let Luo Xiu ruin my plans at this time and drag our Black Barbarians into a war with Great Wei... Detain Luo Xiu first. Don't release him until we leave Great Wei."
The subordinates acknowledged the order.
Afterward, they discussed the military exercise scheduled for next month during the Great Wei Emperor's birthday celebration. As for the Scholarly Duel, they certainly couldn't compete; only the military exercise remained, but while the Uman King would participate, his veteran subordinates who had fought alongside him for years couldn't take part.
Meng Zaishi stood up, stretched lazily, and said with a smile, "Let me see what level Great Wei's current military strength is at. I need to have a rough idea... Since we've come to Great Wei, how can we return empty-handed?"
——
On Great Wei's side, they struggled to select a few junior officers. They even dragged Yang Si into it.
The age limit of twenty-five really restricted most generals. After all, warfare is something veteran commanders are more familiar with.
Besides Yang Si, whom the Crown Prince recommended, the court scrambled to reassign officials and finally, having no other options, sheepishly transferred Wei Shu from the Censorate to manage rear supply logistics.
Wei Shu was initially bewildered but then composed himself and guessed what was happening.
Originally, he hadn't intended to participate in either the Scholarly Duel or the military exercise. Recently, due to his oversight of officials, he had offended many ministers, and Prince Qin was gathering officials to have him demoted. But finding a pretext wasn't easy—now, with the military exercise...
If Wei Shu performed poorly and caused Great Wei to lose face, after the envoys departed, Prince Qin would have an excuse to purge him.
The Great Wei court officials were truly anxious. Unable to find suitable generals, and with Yan Shang being designated by the Uman King, they had no choice but to reluctantly appoint Yan Shang as the "commander."" The commander would coordinate with generals to direct troops, thus barely filling the positions.
Since Wei Shu was assigned to manage rear supply logistics, he focused solely on that area and didn't interact much with others. Yan Shang, on the other hand, had a tougher time—Yang Si took him to the training ground for daily drills.
Yang Si, rarely having the chance to make Yan Shang struggle in any aspect, was naturally quite pleased these days.
After one training session on the field, Yan Shang was nearly exhausted, while Yang Si stood tall and imposing with his sword. Slapping Yan Shang on the shoulder, he laughed and said, "As for this military exercise, even if that Meng Zaishi specifically names you, so what? When the time comes, just stay behind me. With me here, he won't be able to harm you."Yan Shang rubbed his chest, which had nearly been struck to the point of vomiting blood by Yang Si’s palm earlier, and sighed, “Then I thank you, Sanlang.”
Yan Shang then immediately added, “However, warfare is not a straightforward matter. Even though I believe in your divine prowess, Sanlang, it would still be wise for us to seek advice from the veteran generals in the court.”
Yang Si clicked his tongue dismissively, “Seek advice from them? If they were capable of defeating the Black Barbarians, they would have done so long ago.”
Yan Shang replied gently, “By learning from their strengths and compensating for our weaknesses, we can achieve lasting victories.”
Yang Si’s expression turned serious, and he nodded. Afterward, he and Yan Shang visited the residences of several veteran generals in Chang’an. The generals shared their knowledge unreservedly, and Yan Shang listened thoughtfully, occasionally glancing at Yang Si beside him.
Contrary to his earlier casual demeanor, Yang Si now appeared focused, his long brows drawn together and his gaze steady as he listened with intense concentration.
Yang Si further sought the generals’ guidance on martial arts. Delighted to encounter such a talented young man, the generals were more than willing to impart their skills.
Yan Shang accompanied them throughout, observing their discussions on tactics and watching as the generals taught Yang Si how to set traps and arrange formations. Yan Shang felt somewhat like a mere ornament, as his appearance clearly suggested he was not skilled in martial arts. Standing beside Yang Si, it was evident that the veteran generals favored Yang Si over him.
Yet Yan Shang felt no jealousy, quietly absorbing the generals’ teachings.
For half a month, their routine remained unchanged: training and drilling troops at the military grounds during the day, and visiting veteran generals in Chang’an in the evenings.
However, on the evening two days before the Emperor’s birthday, Yan Shang returned to the Secretariat to report on his duties. Yang Si accompanied him, having agreed that once Yan Shang finished his tasks at the Secretariat, they would visit another veteran general together that night.
Yang Si swaggered into the Secretariat behind Yan Shang. By evening, most officials had already left. Those who caught sight of Yang Si, recalling his notorious audacity, merely twitched their eyelids and pretended not to see him.
Yan Shang’s mentor, Lord Liu, was still absent from the Secretariat, so this time, Yan Shang reported to Chancellor Zhang.
Yan Shang extinguished the charcoal in the brazier and closed the windows. After organizing some official documents, he was about to seek out Chancellor Zhang when the chancellor lifted the curtain and emerged unexpectedly.
Yan Shang bowed to Chancellor Zhang and was about to ask Yang Si to wait outside when the chancellor, noticing both of them, flickered his gaze and said, “Chengzhi is here too? Perfect. There’s a new directive from the Secretariat. Both you and Suchen should listen.”
Yan Shang’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, but he remained silent.
Yang Si, however, expressed his astonishment outright, “You’re letting me hear your decisions directly? This is the Secretariat. Isn’t that inappropriate?”
Despite his words, when Chancellor Zhang turned to enter the inner hall, Yang Si followed without hesitation. Yan Shang shook his head with a faint smile and trailed behind them.
Chancellor Zhang said, “There’s nothing inappropriate about it. This latest directive has already been approved by the Chancellery and will be issued to the Six Ministries of the Department of State Affairs tomorrow. In other words, you’ll know about it by tomorrow at the latest. Given that, there’s no harm in letting you know a day earlier, giving you extra time to prepare.”
Yang Si pondered this.
Yan Shang asked, “Is it related to the military exercise?”
Yang Si looked at Yan Shang in surprise, wondering how he had guessed.Yan Shang smiled and explained, "Since Sanlang is to listen alongside me, this matter must concern him. At present, the only affair involving both Sanlang and myself that allows for advance preparation is naturally the Military Exercise."
Yang Si fell silent, while Chancellor Zhang had already grown accustomed to Yan Shang's keen insight.
Upon entering the inner hall, Chancellor Zhang took his seat and handed them the topmost memorial from his desk. As the two reviewed the document, Chancellor Zhang stated, "The Secretariat's latest directive is that for this Military Exercise, Great Wei is not permitted to win—only to lose."
Yan Shang's eyelashes lifted slightly.
Yang Si's face darkened abruptly: "So our month of military drills is just to serve ourselves up as cannon fodder?"
He threw down the memorial and turned to leave, ready to declare "I won't take this assignment." Yan Shang restrained the fiery-tempered Yang Si and asked gently, "Sanlang, don't be hasty. The Secretariat wouldn't issue such an order without reason."
"Since you've informed us in advance to make preparations, you must be able to offer some explanation. Please enlighten us. I too don't understand—why must Great Wei lose? After training so long, are we truly forbidden from winning, only allowed to lose?"
Chancellor Zhang remained unperturbed: "On the same day, the Scholarly Duel and Military Exercise will be held simultaneously. Regarding the Scholarly Duel—do you believe those barbarians and minor states could possibly win? Although Danyang Princess established the rule that only unmarried maidens may participate, even the noble daughters currently in Chang'an surpass those envoys."
"The Secretariat cannot conceive how the Scholarly Duel could be lost. That leaves only the Military Exercise. One victory and one defeat demonstrates our great nation's magnanimity. Winning both would make the visiting envoys mere foils—hardly meaningful. Moreover, the Military Exercise offers numerous manipulable aspects... Great Wei doesn't wish other nations to gain too clear an understanding of our military capabilities."
This explanation brought clarity not only to Yan Shang but also pacified Yang Si's earlier fury.
Chancellor Zhang glanced at Yang Si and added a compliment: "Does Chengzhi not think an elegant defeat is more challenging than victory? Would the renowned Yang Sanlang only know how to win, not how to lose?"
Yang Si snorted.
Gazing at the sky, he declared, "I truly only know how to win, not how to lose."
Chancellor Zhang was rendered speechless: "..."
Yan Shang chuckled softly.
Clearing his throat, Yan Shang said, "So the Secretariat's intention is to use this Military Exercise to probe the military strengths of various nations? With the Uman King leading troops but not deploying Black barbarians, other nations' soldiers will all participate. This allows us to investigate... while staging an impressive defeat?"
Chancellor Zhang nodded: "Great Wei must lose, but without letting the opponent detect it. You must also conduct the Military Exercise spectacularly. The exercise and Scholarly Duel span three concurrent days—during which you must exhaust all means to understand each nation's military capacity. That is the true purpose of this mission."
Yan Shang smiled: "I suspect the Uman King similarly intends to assess us through this."
Chancellor Zhang: "Then it depends on whose skills prove superior."
Seeing he had convinced them both, Chancellor Zhang stood and left the two youths to contemplate their approach.
Approaching Yan Shang, Chancellor Zhang patted his shoulder and sighed: "Suchen, are you aware your name has reached His Majesty's desk?"
Yan Shang started, quickly comprehending: "Because of the Southern Mountain affair?"
Chancellor Zhang smiled: "I wouldn't know. But His Majesty did mention you and inquired about you."He hesitated for a moment, yet to encourage this young man, he added one more sentence: "Originally, these words shouldn't be revealed to you in advance. But if they can inspire you and help make Great Wei's Military Exercise more spectacular... it wouldn't hurt for you to hear them.
"You've caught His Majesty's attention regarding the Southern Mountain affair. If you achieve great merits in this Military Exercise... after these envoys depart, unless my predictions are wrong, you'll be promoted.
"In short, perform your duties well."
Yang Si exclaimed in astonishment beside him: "A promotion? So quickly? He's only been an official for a few months, hasn't he?"
Chancellor Zhang laughed and scolded him: "What kind of official you become, how fast you get promoted—it depends on your capabilities and what you accomplish. For example, if any of you could make all nations submit, even if you're currently a lowly ninth-rank official, the court could instantly promote you to fourth or fifth rank."
Yang Si: "Then am I also..."
Chancellor Zhang: "Naturally, naturally. Isn't the Crown Prince having you participate in the military exercise precisely to get you a promotion?"—
Since Great Wei wanted this military exercise to lose spectacularly, all the strategies previously discussed by Yan Shang and Yang Si had to be discarded and started anew.
When the orders came down, no one explained to the generals like the Chancellor had. Several other selected generals immediately resigned from their posts and refused to continue, among other reactions.
Amid the chaotic adjustments and personnel changes, before anyone realized it, Yan Shang and Yang Si had unexpectedly become the leaders among these generals.
Wei Shu, meanwhile, hadn't participated in their affairs from start to finish, remaining as quiet and inconspicuous as a transparent presence.
Under such intense rehearsals, time arrived at the day before the military exercise. The soldiers who had trained intensely for a month ended their drills early this day, with the generals sending them back to rest and recuperate so they could perform exceptionally well in the exercise.
The soldiers naturally didn't know that the generals' meaning of "exceptional performance" was actually planning how to lose.
Yan Shang also returned to his residence relatively early this day.
He had been taken to the training grounds by Yang Si again during the day and was thrown around until his shoulders and back ached. After resting upon his return, Yan Shang sat at his desk writing for a while before beginning to space out.
He felt like he hadn't seen Mu Wan Yao for a long time.
She was always like this... when passionate, she couldn't get enough of him, but when cold, she'd disappear completely, making it hard to control his feelings.
After spacing out for a while, Yan Shang bathed and went out to visit the princess next door—
Mu Wan Yao was sitting in her study, staring blankly at a jar of wine on her desk.
In front of the wine jar stood a wine cup with only a small amount of clear liquid remaining, evidence that most of it had already been consumed by someone.
Mu Wan Yao stared at this jar of wine, struggling internally as she spaced out.
How she wanted to drink... The minister who gifted her the wine said this was a newly brewed strong liquor from Sichuan that hadn't been released to the public yet, requesting Her Highness to sample it.
Mu Wan Yao had joyfully carried the wine jar back, but once seated at her study desk, she fell into internal conflict.
She had already promised Yan Shang she wouldn't drink... but this wine was so precious, and it smelled so fragrant, and she hadn't touched alcohol for a month... How could she resist?
Mu Wan Yao had been struggling with this jar of wine for half a month, wanting to drink every day, persuading herself daily to keep her word and not drink. But today she finally couldn't resist and secretly opened the jar in her study, drinking one cup.
One cup down, and indeed it was clear, cool, aromatic, and mellow—extremely delicious.
Then she wanted a second cup...
Mu Wan Yao convinced herself: I'll just drink a little secretly. After all, Yan Shang is busy and overwhelmed—he won't know, so I'm not breaking my promise.
Delighted, she immediately poured herself another cup of wine and was about to down it in one gulp when the study door was knocked twice, Yan Shang's voice sounding like a death knell from outside: "Your Highness?"
Mu Wan Yao spat out the mouthful of wine, choking until her eyes watered, glistening like lakes.She frantically hugged the wine jar, trying to hide it. However, the study was empty, and she couldn't find a suitable spot for a long while. Hearing the princess coughing inside, Yan Shang grew concerned and pushed the door open.
He found himself face to face with Mu Wan Yao, who had jumped up while clutching the wine jar: "..."
The young princess suddenly staggered backward, leaning against the bookshelf behind her. Her body tilted slightly, yet she stubbornly held onto the wine jar, preventing it from falling from her embrace.
Mu Wan Yao's cheeks flushed crimson as she supported her head with one hand, her limpid eyes feigning fragility without restraint: "Oh, my head aches terribly—I think I'm drunk. You... who allowed you to enter? Who are you anyway?"
Yan Shang: "..."
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