Tigers Sniff the Rose - Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Yan Shang had no words to say.

He came from Lingnan and had truly never seen a woman dress in such a fashion. Yet, observing Princess Danyang’s air of confidence and the surrounding people’s accustomed reactions, he realized that in Chang’an, it was not uncommon for women of high status to intentionally dress in men’s attire.

He felt quite impressed by the openness and bold spirit of the people of Chang’an.

Just as he was deep in thought, he was shoved aside by Mu Wanyao, and the poem board was snatched from his hands. "Move aside!"

Princess Danyang disliked people blocking her path, and naturally, all the world’s creatures were expected to make way for her.

Mu Wanyao held Yan Shang’s poem board and did not hang it in the cramped, modest spot he had painstakingly selected. Instead, she pushed her way directly into the center of the crowd of scholars.

Yan Shang followed behind her: "My poem is quite average; there is really no need to hang it in such a prominent place..."

Mu Wanyao: "If your poem is average, why did you come to Chang’an? To try your luck? I see you are beyond help; you might as well go back to your countryside in Lingnan to farm."

Yan Shang felt helpless. He followed behind her, and seeing several scholars gathered nearby step backward, nearly trampling Mu Wanyao, he immediately took a step forward, reaching out to block the scholar’s back and shielding her from the collision.

Mu Wanyao turned back, her beautiful eyes slightly lowered and her cherry lips half-bitten, as she cast a delicate, charming glance at Yan Shang.

Yan Shang felt his face warm up under the weight of that water-soft gaze. He quickly turned his head, coughed, and avoided her stare.

The student whom Yan Shang had blocked turned around, greeted him first, and then saw Mu Wanyao dressed in male attire. The student’s eyes brightened: "Yan Suchen, who is this young lady to you..."

Yan Shang cut off the other man’s suggestive speculation: "A friend, just a friend."

He turned around and saw that Mu Wanyao had already squeezed into the stream of scholars. Fearing she would hang his poem board haphazardly, he quickly followed again.

This time, Mu Wanyao finally selected a suitable spot. She seriously measured the position with the poem board before hanging it in the center of the wall—the most optimal line of sight—ensuring that any visitor scanning the wall would have Yan Shang’s masterpiece smack in the middle of their view.

Faced with the admiring gazes of his friends, the usually low-key Second Young Master Yan was, for once, this high-profile; he hid his face behind his sleeve and coughed violently.

Mu Wanyao didn't even look back: "If you're sick, go see a doctor. Cough, cough, cough—can’t you stop?

"Now that you’ve reached Chang’an, even if you think your work is mediocre, you must carry yourself with confidence. If you don't even believe in yourself, what are you asking for when you stand before the Emperor?"

That, indeed, made a great deal of sense.

Yan Shang fell into deep thought.

The quality in which Mu Wanyao surpassed him was that no matter what she did, her presence was always commanding.

He stared at the Princess from behind. Her little mouth was chattering non-stop, and though the words were not particularly pleasant, from his perspective, he only focused on the sunlight hitting her, making her profile look incredibly refined.

This bold and beautiful Princess of the Great Wei was wrapped in a black gauze turban, her cloud-like hair bun hidden beneath, dressed in a round-collared robe with side slits. Her delicate frame stood straight, and the fine ribbons hanging from the small holes of her waist belt were adorned with a small knife, a scent sachet, and a jade pendant.

She was truly heroic and spirited.

Mu Wanyao turned back, intending to show Yan Shang how excellent the placement of his board was, only to find him standing behind her, staring at her intently. His eyes were dark and glistening like water; his clear pupils reflected her sudden turn and the proud, triumphant smile that bloomed on her face.

Amidst the flow of the crowd, the two of them suddenly locked eyes.

Mu Wanyao was slightly startled, then as if suddenly remembering her identity, she felt annoyed with herself for going through all this trouble to help Yan Shang hang his board. He didn't even care himself.

She bit her lip, feeling a bit angry, and her lovely expression instantly darkened.

Without a word, she pushed Yan Shang aside, turned around, and left.

Yan Shang was momentarily stunned. After giving a brief explanation to the others about his departure, he went off to chase the Princess—

He could have chosen not to follow, pretending nothing had happened; but he knew that once she remembered this later, she would surely blame him for not pursuing her.

"Your Highness, Your Highness..." Yan Shang followed behind Mu Wanyao.

Mu Wanyao stopped, scolding him with a darkened face: "What are you calling out for? Can you just shout like that in public?"

Yan Shang: "Then... Young Lady Mu?"

Mu Wanyao: "Are we really so estranged?"

Yan Shang: "..."

Mu Wanyao raised an eyebrow at him.

Yan Shang hesitated: "Yaoyao?"

As he expected, Mu Wanyao flew into a rage: "Are we really that intimate?"

In short, nothing he did was right; nothing he said was correct. She had simply come to make things difficult for him.

Yet, who was Yan Shang?

He was a person who made everyone around him feel as comfortable as a spring breeze, someone everyone naturally liked.

With the Princess’s rebuke ringing in his ears, Yan Shang was neither embarrassed nor flustered. He looked down at her with calm eyes. After Mu Wanyao turned her face away in annoyance, he still followed her, saying: "You are in a bad mood—did someone provoke you?"

Mu Wanyao: "How do you know it isn't that I find you annoying and am intentionally trying to irritate you?"

Yan Shang said gently: "Although your temper is fiery, you are not someone who flares up at others without cause. Someone must have provoked you and caused you distress. If you can vent a little on me, then that is precisely my purpose."

Mu Wanyao’s face instantly flushed hot.

She was actually made to feel a bit embarrassed by his words.

The truth was, she was someone who would flare up without cause. But Yan Shang had polished the image, making it seem as if she were merely a cute princess who had been greatly wronged and could only vent through small fits of temper.

She was not as good as he painted her to be.

He walked behind her, the two of them strolling through the temple one after the other. There were countless men and women enjoying the temple grounds just like them, but some couldn't help but cast looks of amazement their way.

This was because the young girl in men’s attire leading the way was exquisitely beautiful and charming, while the young man following her had a gentle, scholarly, and humble air. Handsome men and beautiful women walking together always invited attention.

After a few sentences from Yan Shang, Mu Wanyao strangely shut her mouth, finding it difficult to stay angry at him. She thought, Forget it. A person with a temper as good as Yan Shang’s is like hitting a fist against cotton—there is no effect whatsoever. Why bother tiring myself?

She remained silent, and Yan Shang, after observing her profile for a moment, repeated: "If someone has provoked you or if you have any troubles, you can actually tell me. Perhaps I might be able to help you find a solution."

Mu Wanyao didn't care: "You have a lowly status and hold not a single official position. What kind of solution could you possibly find for me?"

Yan Shang said: "Try me."

He was extremely calm and composed. Mu Wanyao looked back at him, recalling the several suggestions he had made back in Lingnan. That time with the "White Cow Tea"—he had twisted her around his little finger, and she hadn't realized it until her uncle pointed it out.

Mu Wanyao’s heart stirred involuntarily. She thought, If even my uncle says he wants Yan Shang to be a strategist, perhaps he really is very capable in this area?

Mu Wanyao tilted her head and studied him for a moment before tilting it further toward her side, gesturing for him to come closer.

Yan Shang whispered an "Excuse me," and stepped forward until he was almost shoulder-to-shoulder with her.

Her shoulder brushed against his arm, and both of them stiffened for a moment before pretending that nothing had happened.

They continued walking, with Yan Shang bowing his head to listen to her speak.

Weeping willows brushed the water, and incense smoke curled gracefully through the temple.

Yang Si had been dragged around Yongshou Temple against his will by his sister-in-law and cousin. With his hands behind his back, he was following the family’s women with an expressionless face when his sharp eyes narrowed. He caught sight of the young man and woman leaning against a wall and a tree not far away.

Yang Si recognized Mu Wanyao at a glance, even in her male attire.

But that young man beside her... if it wasn't Wei Shu, who was it?

Yang Si folded his arms and watched the pair with a thoughtful look—

Mu Wanyao was saying to Yan Shang: "...In short, the Crown Prince is dissatisfied that I helped Wei Qilang. The Wei family does not look highly upon the Crown Prince. Once Wei Qilang enters the court, it is highly likely he will not side with the Crown Prince, but instead be pulled over to my uncle’s faction."

Yan Shang: "Why does the Wei family not look highly upon the Crown Prince? Wouldn't it be much easier to work under him?"

Mu Wanyao paused, then said concisely: "Because if my second brother hadn't died young, the position of Crown Prince would not be held by the current one. Great families who value the legitimate line of succession naturally look down on the Crown Prince. However, the Crown Prince holds the power, so I think he is quite alright.

"The Crown Prince will have a bright future, so the Li family does not reject my attachment to him. But because my mother had disagreements with my Father Emperor precisely because the Li family held too much power, the Li family now does not want to be tied to the same boat as the Imperial House."

Yan Shang glanced at her.

He understood now that Mu Wanyao had taken the Crown Prince’s side.

The problem now was that while Mu Wanyao had sided with the Crown Prince, she was still entangled with the Jinling Li clan. If things went poorly, it would be easy to offend both sides.

She had recommended Wei Shu, which had already planted a thorn in the Crown Prince’s side.

Seeing him silent, Mu Wanyao impatiently gave him a push: "Do you have any ideas? Don't just listen to my intelligence and offer no analysis."

Yan Shang collected himself.

He smiled slightly.

He said slowly: "Actually, Your Highness, there is a way for you to neither offend the Crown Prince nor the Li family in this matter."

Mu Wanyao was stunned and looked up at him in surprise, not expecting him to truly come up with a plan.

Yan Shang said: "In addition to recommending Wei Shu, you could recommend a few more people to increase the influence of the Crown Prince’s faction."

Mu Wanyao thought for a moment and shook her head: "I don't want to recommend anyone else. High-ranking noble families have their own stances; there aren't many like Wei Shu. When they take the examinations, they will have already chosen their sides. Even if I recommend them, they won't necessarily repay me for it."

Yan Shang: "It’s not about having people stand in a line. No one will easily pick a side. It’s just about showing your heart to the Crown Prince, showing him that you have taken a step back and made a concession."

Mu Wanyao stopped dead in her tracks, suddenly enlightened. But a moment later, she denied it: "Your method is good, but sons of noble families are truly too much trouble; once they cling to you, it’s hard to shake them off. I am already in enough trouble; I don't want to find more."

Yan Shang seemed to have anticipated her saying this. Undeterred, he guided her step by step: "Then recommend scholars from humble backgrounds."

Mu Wanyao sneered: "If they aren't from great families, how many can actually stand out in the examinations? How do I know that if I recommend someone, that person can actually make it through out of thousands of scholars? If he fails to pass, how do I show my sincerity to the Crown Prince? Should I say I recommended them, but the person wasn't up to the task and I am innocent?"

Yan Shang smiled without a word.

Mu Wanyao suddenly realized.

She looked up, meeting his gaze.

Mu Wanyao narrowed her eyes, grabbed his sleeve, and said viciously: "The humble scholar you’re suggesting I recommend... is it you?"

Yan Shang smiled.

Mu Wanyao widened her beautiful, round eyes and stared at him: "You didn't even want to hang your poem board properly just a moment ago, but now you’re inducing me to recommend you?

"Are you truly offering advice for my sake, or are you using public business for private ends to seek benefit for yourself?"

Yan Shang stepped backward, leaning against a tree. Mu Wanyao pressed in on him, scrutinizing him.

Yan Shang smiled, whispering softly: "Didn't you just suggest a moment ago that I should strive for it?"

Mu Wanyao huffed.

She poked his chest with her jade-white finger twice: "The matter of submitting your papers to Minister Zhang—that failed, didn't it?"

Yan Shang: "Mm."

Mu Wanyao gloated: "I told you long ago that Minister Zhang and the chief examiner are not on good terms."

Yan Shang helped her stand steady, distancing himself slightly. He bowed to her with a full, deep salute and said softly: "Then I beg Your Highness to take pity on this poor scholar."

Mu Wanyao remained silent.

Yan Shang looked up, and she glanced behind him, suddenly changing her expression and grabbing him: "Let's go!"

Yan Shang was puzzled.

Mu Wanyao urged him urgently: "I think I saw an acquaintance; I don't want to meet them."

Upon hearing this, Yan Shang said no more, blending into the crowd with Mu Wanyao.

Yang Si had approached to investigate, only to see Mu Wanyao pulling the young man and disappearing into the crowd.

Yang Si clicked his tongue, knowing that Mu Wanyao was surely avoiding him.

Ha, she’s avoiding him?

He couldn't be bothered with her, anyway.

Just then, his cousin called out to him, and the Third Young Master Yang turned and walked away—

Blending into the crowd with Yan Shang, Mu Wanyao’s heart was pounding. Knowing Yang Si’s martial arts were exceptionally high, she didn't even dare to look back, terrified that if she did, she would run into his half-smiling gaze.

She did not want to see Yang Si at this moment.

 

Yang Si, whose heart only held the Crown Prince—if he saw her, he might turn around and gossip to the Crown Prince. Mu Wanyao did not wish for her every move to be known by the Crown Prince.

Mu Wanyao did not know what queue she and Yan Shang had joined as they followed the crowd. Seeing the large number of people, she had simply pulled Yan Shang along.

She was distracted, wondering if Yang Si had followed them, when she was nudged in the arm by Yan Shang. A little novice monk ahead was chanting "Amitabha," saying: "Please, two patrons, draw a fortune slip."

Mu Wanyao turned back in surprise, seeing that the line had actually reached her and Yan Shang.

On the table in front were two bamboo tubes filled with bamboo slips. What the little monk was speaking of was for her and Yan Shang to draw slips from them.

Mu Wanyao was blank.

Yan Shang, reading her expression, explained: "It is just like drawing a fortune slip, a kind of divination. Whether you believe in it or not, just draw one or two, so as not to delay those behind us."

Mu Wanyao nodded.

Was this not the same psychological state as the Princess of Jin praying for a child?

The little novice monk smiled: "Patrons, please recite in your hearts what you wish to ask, then draw from the bamboo tube. The female patron should take from the left, and the male patron from the right. What is written on the slips is naturally the answer to what you hold in your hearts."

Mu Wanyao couldn't even worship the Buddha properly with her sister-in-law, so how could she believe this?

She roughly understood that the scene before her was merely a scam to provide people with peace of mind.

People came to the temple seeking peace; women merely asked for marriage, children, or the safety of their husbands and family, while men asked about marriage, their careers, or how many beautiful concubines they could take. What was written on these slips was nothing more than auspicious words—no matter what you asked, they were universally applicable.

Mu Wanyao had no intention of spoiling someone else’s game.

She thought of a question regarding marriage: I want to see what a Princess who doesn't want to marry can draw.

She drew an ivory slip from the bamboo tube, glanced at it, and her hand gripping the slip tightened instantly. The slip read:

"Fallen flowers and wind distress the spring; cherish the person before your eyes."

The person before your eyes...

Mu Wanyao held the long slip, blankly raising her eyes to look at Yan Shang, who stood a step away. She stared at him with a strange expression, looking him up and down. His profile was gentle, though he remained silent.

Seeing that Yan Shang’s expression seemed... exactly the same as her own?

Yan Shang held his slip as well, staring at it for a long time before looking up to meet Mu Wanyao’s gaze.

Yan Shang broke the silence: "Is what you calculated... accurate?"

Mu Wanyao gave a dry laugh: "It doesn't seem to be very accurate."

Yan Shang sighed in relief and smiled: "Mine isn't accurate, either."

The two of them exchanged a peaceful "Oh," and turned to put the slips back into the tubes. But perhaps the content of the slips had affected them, for both were somewhat distracted; Mu Wanyao’s right hand, holding the slip, brushed against Yan Shang’s left hand. Both trembled, and their long slips fell to the ground together.

They both crouched down to retrieve them.

Mu Wanyao picked up Yan Shang’s slip, and she caught a glimpse of the characters on it:

"Purple robes and golden jade belts; of all the hundred officials, I am the first."

Mu Wanyao gripped the long slip tightly.

Her heart was filled with crashing waves of shock.

She looked up abruptly at Yan Shang: Purple robes, golden jade belts, first of the hundred officials... this was a Prime Minister’s slip!

It was a Prime Minister’s slip!

Did Yan Shang ask about his future?

And he received a Prime Minister’s slip?

Yan Shang picked up Mu Wanyao’s long slip and saw "Cherish the person before your eyes." He was silent for a moment before looking at her: "What did you ask?"

Mu Wanyao met his gaze.

She had originally asked about marriage, but seeing Yan Shang’s Prime Minister slip, the topic they had abandoned halfway was picked back up by Mu Wanyao.

An idea formed in her mind.

She looked at Yan Shang and smiled: "I asked whether I should recommend you."

Cherish the person before your eyes.

The Princess of Jin had succeeded in praying for a child here, and Yan Shang had drawn a Prime Minister’s slip... it could not help but make Mu Wanyao feel a subtle sense of belief in this Yongshou Temple.

If he were truly to become that powerful in the future... then if she helped him at the very beginning, he should repay her later.

Thinking of this, Mu Wanyao’s eyes glowed, and she grabbed Yan Shang, pulling him up.

She hurriedly tossed the slips from their hands back to the little monk and dragged Yan Shang out of the crowd—

Returning to the back courtyard of the temple, familiar with the way, Mu Wanyao pushed open the door to the humble dwelling where Yan Shang resided. Yan Shang had been dragged all the way here by her for no apparent reason; before he could react, he was shoved hard by the Princess.

Yan Shang tumbled behind his desk and looked up in astonishment to see Mu Wanyao leaning toward him.

He leaned back warily, testing her: "Your Highness is..."

He had just raised his hand when his outstretched hand was firmly gripped by Mu Wanyao.

Mu Wanyao held his hand, staring at him with a brilliant smile: "Didn't you want me to recommend you? I agree!"

Someone as cautious as Yan Shang, seeing her attitude change so drastically, immediately smiled and refused: "There is no need..."

Mu Wanyao: "I am going to recommend you—do you dare try to stop me?"

Yan Shang: "...However, I may not necessarily pass the examination..."

Mu Wanyao said gently: "No matter. It is just a try."

Yan Shang reminded her: "And I will not side with the Crown Prince."

Mu Wanyao’s smile became even more genuine; she whispered: "I don't mind."

She released his hand and stroked his face. She looked at him tenderly—not with the gaze of a lover, but with the excited look of someone viewing a pig about to be placed on her dinner table.

As Yan Shang felt a shiver run down his spine, she stroked his face, muttering to herself: "You are so handsome; why didn't I think of it sooner? Being as good-looking as you are, it is indeed easy to pass the examination."

Yan Shang: "..."

He asked respectfully: "What does Your Highness mean?"

Mu Wanyao cast a sidelong glance at him, her eyes flowing with hooks for the soul, and said: "A beautiful youth like you is precisely what the central authorities love most. You don't know this, but when it comes to being an official, your face is actually very important."

Yan Shang didn't know what to say.

After a long while, he could only say dryly: "Thank you for the compliment, Your Highness."

Mu Wanyao smiled and said: "Alright, since I am going to help you, let us start now. I will tell you how to win the favor of the chief examiner."

Yan Shang’s face, which had been uncomfortable from her teasing, straightened, and he said: "Please instruct me, Your Highness." —

That night, Mu Wanyao stayed in Yan Shang’s humble dwelling for a long time.

The Princess of Jin had given up and left, and the maids waiting outside were drowsy; some, exhausted to the extreme, simply dozed off on the carriages with their heads resting on their knees.

Inside the humble dwelling, the lamp burned like a bean.

The handsome young man sat beneath the lamplight, writing with ease.

Mu Wanyao, dressed in male attire, paced before him, saying leisurely: "You say your poetry isn't good—that actually doesn't matter. The chief examiner chooses poems not to see how well you write, but to see if your poetry contains the spirit of the 'Jade Hall and Gold Horse.'

"Look to see if your poems are noble, magnificent, and rich in vocabulary. To be honest, those of you who manage to pass the imperial examinations—what can you actually do? At first, you are merely flattering the Imperial Court, writing poems that make my Father Emperor happy, praising him more.

"The more skilled you are at flattery, the more the chief examiner will commend you. You should hold back that humble air of yours; be as magnificent and ornate as possible. Practice how to praise people—how to praise them with flowery language without appearing to do so.

"Oh, and another thing: when you go to the Ministry of Personnel for the examination, tidy yourself up so you look good."

Mu Wanyao daydreamed: "Perhaps the chief examiner, seeing your face, will appoint you as the 'Third Flower Winner' to serve for a time?"

Yan Shang coughed incessantly, pouring himself tea.

He was glared at by Mu Wanyao, who despised his thin skin for being so unpromising.

Thus it went until very late, when Mu Wanyao finally left the temple. Her movements naturally made those who were probing her tracks feel a sense of peculiarity—

On the day of the imperial examination in mid-February, it rained.

Yan Shang, Liu Wenji, Feng Xianyu, and others arrived at the Ministry of Personnel together. As they folded their umbrellas, they saw a carriage parked outside the courtyard gate, and Wei Shu emerged with his own umbrella.

The young Wei Shu was as clean as floating snow, attracting everyone’s attention.

Yan Shang looked on with the others, seeing the carriage curtain gently lifted, and through the veil of rain, Mu Wanyao looked toward this direction.

He abruptly turned his face away.

Others thought she was looking at Wei Shu, but Yan Shang knew she was looking at him. Since she had rarely invested so much effort into someone, she was determined to see the results.

"Next."

It was Yan Shang’s turn.

Yan Shang folded his umbrella and was searched. Nearby, a civil official stood with a blank expression, watching these literary men who were about to take the examination.

The examinees did not know that this was the newly appointed Vice Director of Merit Evaluations of the Ministry of Personnel, who was their chief examiner for this examination.

The chief examiner stood at the courtyard entrance watching them enter the examination hall; none of them recognized him, and naturally, no one took the initiative to curry favor.

The chief examiner heard his subordinate report that the young man’s name was "Yan Shang."

His ears pricked up abruptly as he recalled the academic papers sent by Princess Danyang just two days prior.

He could not help but cast a glance at Yan Shang, observing the young man’s long, handsome figure and his refined, cool bones. Rainwater stained his robes, but rather than looking disheveled, it made his temperament appear even more clear and pure.

The chief examiner was startled, falling into deep thought: ...Is this perhaps the most handsome among this year’s candidates?

If the poetry is decent, then I shall appoint him as the Third Flower Winner.

Since the very first day the imperial examinations were established, the meaning behind the 'Third Flower' has always been about looking at the face.