Tigers Sniff the Rose - Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Clear wind reflected against the window; the mountain screens dripped with emerald green.

Sitting before the window, the maidservants held the fine-toothed combs for the Princess, while Mu Wanyao added incense to the golden duck-shaped censer on the table.

She was waiting for the time for court affairs to pass.

A banquet had been prepared at the manor, and several officials had been invited to attend. These men were all former members of Princess Danyang’s retinue. The highest-ranking among them now was the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, second only to the Minister of Revenue himself.

After the marriage rejection incident that day, Mu Wanyao had thought things through clearly. Merely seeking a balance between the Crown Prince and the Li clan was insufficient; she needed to grow her own power and increase her own leverage.

Only by creating a three-way standoff would she have a foothold.

Otherwise, she would simply be paving the way for others.

Mu Wanyao pondered in her heart that if she wanted to quietly win over court officials for her own use, the simplest way was to first rope in those who had already been part of her retinue. Because scholars respected loyalty and integrity, these people who had once been under the Princess’s wing—as long as she was their master—would remain her loyalists.

This was beyond doubt; those who betrayed their masters would be reviled. Mu Wanyao knew at the very least that even if these people chose a new political stance, they would never forsake her.

Through them, she intended to win over even more people and gain a greater voice in court politics.

Just as the Crown Prince, who lacked a strong power base, did on a daily basis.

Mu Wanyao was not a person with deep schemes, nor was she naturally gifted at political maneuvering. On the contrary, she was a young girl who had once been naive and was still not particularly clever. In many matters, she only realized the truth after having suffered a loss.

Her late mother had been a master of political strife, but while her mother was still alive, the Emperor and Empress had pampered her so thoroughly that she had never touched politics at all.

Later, when she arrived in Wuman, the barbarians there were rough and unrefined; what did they know of such things? Meng Zaishi was ambitious, but they had simply taken what they needed from one another and helped each other out. Her understanding of politics had always remained quite superficial.

Now that she had returned to Chang'an, she was still fumbling along, learning from scratch. There was no one to teach her; if she fell, she simply got back up and started over. She would figure it out bit by bit… at the very least, she could follow the Crown Prince’s lead and steal a few techniques from him.

She did not need to be significantly important herself; it would be enough to hold the Crown Prince and the Li clan in check, ensuring that neither side could push her too hard.

No one knew what the future held, so one could only take it one step at a time.

As Mu Wanyao contemplated these things, her fingers continued to manipulate the incense censer.

She moved the mica sheet aside and, using the incense chopsticks, stirred away the frost-like ashes within the belly of the censer. Then, she pierced the delicate holes in the ash, waiting for the dead fire to reignite.

Chunhua asked, "Your Highness, what incense do you wish to use?"

Mu Wanyao replied, "Jiangzhen incense."

She was thinking of the scent on Yan Shang’s clothes. That incense, produced in Lingnan, had been a novelty to her at first. Its fragrance was like orchids and musk—sweet, clear, and mellow—though it lacked the enduring richness of the imperial Dragon Musk incense used in the palace.

Yet, that scent smelled quite pleasant on Yan Shang.

Mu Wanyao felt a bit resentful, so she wanted to blend the incense herself to match the exact fragrance of the Jiangzhen incense he used. If she smelled it often enough, she would stop thinking his scent was so pleasant.

Mu Wanyao set down the incense chopsticks, wiped her hands with a handkerchief, and placed the mica sheet, which possessed a delicate and beautiful ice-crack pattern, back over the ash.

Chunhua stepped forward promptly, holding a box containing incense cakes. Mu Wanyao picked up a grain of Jiangzhen incense from the silver box. The grain rolled onto the mica sheet, and Mu Wanyao moved the clean charcoal to heat it, waiting for the aroma to become even more intense.

However, Mu Wanyao sighed and gestured for the censer to be moved further away.

As Chunhua signaled for the maid to take the censer away, she asked with confusion, "Does Your Highness not like this fragrance?"

Mu Wanyao answered, "It doesn't smell as good as I imagined. It doesn't smell as good as the one on someone else."

Chunhua grew slightly silent. Guessing that the Princess was talking about Yan Erlang, she shut her mouth and said no more.

She couldn't exactly encourage the Princess to summon Yan Erlang, could she?

What would that look like?

The Princess’s best choices were either Yang Sanlang or Wei Qilang; constantly mixing with Yan Erlang… was not good for the Princess’s future. The Princess herself knew this, and as a maid, she should not encourage the Princess to walk the wrong path simply to please her.

Mu Wanyao propped her chin in her hand, feeling despondent. She asked for the time again, checking to see when the invited court officials would arrive.

When the time was nearly right, Mu Wanyao signaled for the maids to prepare the banquet and the singing and dancing girls. She intended to send the officials off with wine and beauties when they left that day; she wanted to play the part of a caring and good master toward her subordinates.

Taking advantage of the time spent waiting, Mu Wanyao chatted idly with Chunhua. She noticed that her maid seemed troubled, as if veiled in sorrow.

Mu Wanyao paused and said, "Have you not been seeing Liu Wenji recently?"

Chunhua was startled and fell silent, realizing that the Princess clearly knew about her frequent meetings with Liu Wenji. Chunhua shook her head and whispered, "There have been some issues between Young Master Liu and me, and I need time to think."

Mu Wanyao snorted, "Then you had better think quickly. He comes to the Princess’s manor every day to see you, only to be sent away. If he keeps begging for a few more days, Chang'an might soon be filled with rumors that I am keeping male concubines."

Chunhua said with shame, "It is I who have caused Your Highness trouble."

Mu Wanyao did not mind, saying casually, "Matters like these among you people are for you to handle yourselves. I do not interfere much, and do not ask me to make the decision for you. I cannot even manage my own life; I won’t be giving you advice.

"But listen well, all of you. If you wish to marry while still part of my retinue, I will not allow anyone to be a concubine; that lowers my own status. When you want to leave the manor, I will grant everyone ten taels of gold; I will show no favoritism.

"As for the guards, if they wish to take a wife, the standards are always higher. Let’s make it twenty taels of gold then."

The maids and attendants expressed their surprise and gratitude, thanking Her Highness for her generosity. After all, for an ordinary family, ten taels of gold was enough to live a comfortable life for a lifetime.

While they were chatting idly, Chunhua went out and returned with two letters. One was for Chunhua herself; Mu Wanyao, of course, was too lazy to see what her maid had received. The other, however, was an invitation, simple and elegant, with an orchid pressed onto the back of the envelope.

The fragrance was incomparably refined.

Seeing this invitation, Mu Wanyao felt a slight stirring in her heart.

Yet she did not look at it, letting Chunhua read what the invitation said. Chunhua read it and laughed, "Your Highness, for the Buddha’s Birthday celebration this year, they are welcoming the Buddha’s relics. Yan Erlang invites you to go see them with him."

Mu Wanyao was stunned, but her expression did not change. She simply tilted her head, turning her eyes toward the window so the maids would not catch her true emotions or see the corners of her mouth that she could not stop from curling upward.

Since the night they both rejected one another, they had not met. She felt a bit embarrassed and thought Yan Shang was nothing special; there was no need for her to take the initiative to find him.

Yet, as he was busy with his studies and had stopped coming to see her, Mu Wanyao felt a bit unhappy.

Now, though…

Mu Wanyao said, "The Buddha’s Birthday and welcoming the relics? He certainly is in high spirits."

Chunhua smiled, "Then will Your Highness accept?"

Mu Wanyao replied, "We shall see if I have the time that day."

Chunhua secretly arranged the Princess’s schedule in her heart, specifically leaving the Buddha’s Birthday free.

The Princess and Yan Erlang hadn't met for over half a month. For the past two weeks, the Princess had been dealing with court officials all day, and whenever she was in a bad mood, she would vent her anger on everyone in the manor. The Princess’s manor had been walking on eggshells for most of the month; now that there was a chance to catch their breath, naturally, everyone prayed that Yan Erlang would make their mistress’s mood a little better—

Not mentioning how Mu Wanyao dealt with the court officials, Yan Shang and Wei Shu, after passing the imperial examination, had been arranged by the central authorities to wait for appointments at the Hongwen Hall.

"Waiting for an appointment" meant they had no official post, but could have one at any moment; they were simply waiting for the imperial government’s arrangements. While these waiting scholars were not formal officials, the court provided a small stipend to help them scrape by.

This stipend was merely a token amount, extremely low, and not nearly enough for the daily social interactions and expenses of a successful examination candidate. No one truly valued this money.

Even for Yan Shang, this stipend was better than nothing. The large sums Yan Shang had spent so far were all sent to him by his father and brother from Lingnan, which made him feel quite ashamed. He could only endure, hoping that once he truly became an official, this problem of being short on money would pass—

Because of the Great Wei’s official salary system, especially for officials based in Chang'an, the stipends were very substantial.

The Great Wei’s preferential treatment and care for officials far exceeded that of other dynasties.

For Yan Shang, the greatest benefit of waiting at the Hongwen Hall was that his studies were exceptionally convenient, far more so than before. Books he could not access in Lingnan or at the Imperial Academy were all archived in the Hongwen Hall.

The Hongwen Hall gathered famous scholars from all over the world and held over two hundred thousand volumes, making it the richest place for books in the world.

After discussing with Wei Shu, Yan Shang learned there were three paths for those who wanted to become officials—

First, wait for the imperial summons, which could take an eternity;

Second, Princess Danyang could bring them directly to face the Emperor and ask for posts for them, but Mu Wanyao was almost certain not to do so, and Yan Shang did not want to take that path;

Third, take the examination.

To solve the problem of candidates waiting for employment after passing the civil service exam, the Great Wei established "subject exams," held annually in October. The subjects included "Broad Learning and Grand Rhetoric," "Writing and Judging," "The Three Rites," "The Three Histories," "The Three Chronicles," "The Five Classics," "The Nine Classics," "The Kaiyuan Rites," and "Proficiency in Legal Statutes." Those who excelled in these examinations would enter service immediately, regardless of how many years had passed since they had obtained their initial qualification.

The subject exams were far more difficult than the civil service exam.

The civil service exam selected successful candidates from thousands of ordinary people, while the subject exams involved all the successful candidates left over from each year taking the test together.

After Yan Shang inquired further, he realized that, as the name suggested, these exams tested for well-rounded talent and not just poetry. This let Yan Shang breathe a sigh of relief that he wouldn't have to compete in his weakest area, but it also plunged him into a new state of distress.

Because if he wasn't good at poetry, his other talents… were likely even worse.

Furthermore, very few of these candidates were from humble backgrounds; most were from noble families. Successful noble candidates had seen more books and experienced more in life since childhood than Yan Shang ever had. If they couldn't pass, what hope was there for a scholar of humble origins like Yan Shang?

But regardless, it was currently the best path available.

After meeting with his teacher and discussing it, Yan Shang decided to take the "Broad Learning and Grand Rhetoric" exam. There was no other reason than the fact that it was the top-tier subject exam, and those who passed were held in the highest esteem. Not only did they enter service immediately, but their official positions were also higher than others.

Wei Shu had a profound family education, so he naturally looked down on the others; he chose the "Broad Learning and Grand Rhetoric" subject directly. After hesitating for a long time, Yan Shang followed suit. His current task was to spend more time reading than others and ensure that the six months he spent at the Hongwen Hall were not wasted—

Before dawn, Yan Shang left the humble residence he rented at Yongshou Temple and walked to the Hongwen Hall. He timed his departure perfectly so that the Hongwen Hall would open exactly as he arrived.

However, there was one bothersome thing for Yan Shang…

When Yan Shang left through the back door of Yongshou Temple and reached the alley, he saw three or four servants peeking around, and he couldn't help but heave a long sigh. Sure enough, as soon as those servants saw him come out, they turned and ran, vanishing from sight. After a short while, as Yan Shang walked down the alley, a young maiden rode up on horseback and followed him.

It was none other than Zhao Wuniang, Zhao Lingfei.

Zhao Lingfei came to block his door every single day.

Zhao Lingfei had originally wanted to act like a refined young lady in front of Yan Shang, but she quickly discovered that being a refined lady was too delicate and shy to handle Yan Shang’s eloquence. Zhao Lingfei simply abandoned the act and faced Yan Shang with her true temperament.

For instance, at this moment, Yan Shang was walking ahead.

Zhao Lingfei followed behind on her horse, saying, "Yan Erlang, don't be sad. Although everyone who wanted to marry you has changed their minds because of the Princess’s rejection, I am still here! They didn't marry you because they lacked vision. Not everyone in our Chang'an is that short-sighted. I know you are a good man, Yan Erlang; you must not let this defeat you."

Yan Shang replied, "..."

He said helplessly, "Does the lady think I look like someone who is deeply defeated?"

Zhao Lingfei pursed her lips and giggled, "I’m just encouraging you! My father is the Libationer of the Imperial Academy; if you have any trouble with your studies, you can always ask me for help. You have great talent, Erlang; I have seen it for myself."

Yan Shang replied gently, "My lady, I have already said many times that I truly have no plans to marry for the time being…"

Zhao Lingfei said, "It doesn't matter. If we can't be husband and wife, we can still be friends."

Yan Shang was choked for words.

He was truly meeting this kind of persistent, thick-skinned, and cheerful girl for the first time. No matter how many times he refused, Zhao Lingfei remained unbothered, her reasoning being that since he hadn't married yet, being friends was just fine.

However, with her attitude, did she look like she just wanted to be friends?

She looked like she wanted to kidnap him and get married immediately.

Yan Shang said, "Lady, by acting this way, are you not afraid that a young man would grow weary of you?"

Zhao Lingfei asked with curiosity, "But you have such a good temper, and I haven't offended you, so why would you grow weary of me?"

She leaned over on her horse and asked with concern, "Are you weary of me?"

Yan Shang was stunned and turned his head to glance at her. Such a heroic, spirited, and good-natured maiden was actually quite difficult to dislike. Because Zhao Lingfei knew how to maintain that balance—she neither pushed so hard that it made Yan Shang uncomfortable nor stayed so far away that he would forget her.

Yan Shang said in a low voice, "I am not weary of you, Lady, but I do not harbor affection for you either. I truly… I truly have no heart for such matters. What will it take for you to give up?"

Zhao Lingfei said, "The road is wide and open; we are just traveling the same path for a while. You go your way, and I ride my horse; you don't have to mind me."

Yan Shang replied, "There are many excellent men in this world; I could introduce them to you…"

Zhao Lingfei answered, "But I only think you are good."

She grew thoughtful, "At first, I only thought you were handsome, just a flowery pillow. But after knowing you for so long, I discovered your temper is good, your temperament is good, and you have many friends; you seem to know everyone you meet… I feel I don't know you well enough, and perhaps you are even better than what I see.

"And I am no fool. Seeing you are so good, I adore you so much in my heart, how could I bear to give up?"

Yan Shang had no words.

This… was truly too difficult for him.

He really was afraid of Zhao Lingfei, yet he couldn't speak harshly to a lady who merely admired him… Yan Shang could only think of other ways—

The day arrived on the eighth of April, the Buddha’s Birthday.

The Buddha’s relics were transported from India to Chang'an, and the princes went in person to the Anfu Pavilion to respectfully welcome them. In the market districts and ancient temples, everything was boisterous and lively, with the common people watching from the sidelines.

The people of Chang'an used silk and ribbons to create the likenesses of dragons, horses, clouds, and phoenixes, and used paper and bamboo to fashion the forms of monks, Buddhas, ghosts, and gods. The display was massive, with banners, flowers, and canopies lining the streets for over twenty miles, everyone jostling and streaming endlessly.

This was just on the main streets of Chang'an; the relics would rotate through various temples in the city, publicly allowing the people to pay their respects that day. To welcome the relics, the temples of Chang'an had constructed over ten thousand incense shrines. Beneath the ancient pagodas, monks chanted and scholars and ladies came to pay homage.

Solemn and dignified.

It was a great joy.

When Yan Shang invited Mu Wanyao to watch the Buddha’s relics enter the temple, he had asked the servants of the Princess’s manor and learned that whenever Mu Wanyao was in Chang'an, she visited the Great Cihan Temple, the most famous and largest in the Great Wei, every single year.

Mu Wanyao had a sponsored Buddha lamp at the Great Cihan Temple; as long as she was in Chang'an, she almost always went to see it and offer incense every year.

 

It stood to reason that now that Princess Danyang had returned to Chang'an, she would definitely go to the Great Cihan Temple on the Buddha’s Birthday.

Yan Shang went to the Great Cihan Temple early to await the Princess. The temple was loud and boisterous today, the noise of the crowds overwhelming, and even a princess could not order people to clear a space on such a day, for fear of commoners offending the nobility. Thus, it was highly likely Mu Wanyao would travel in plain clothes today.

Yan Shang watched the young ladies in the crowd.

He thought that Mu Wanyao was as brilliant as a pearl, and even if she were in plain clothes among the crowd, he would surely be able to spot her at a glance.

Yan Shang watched this way all morning… his eyes ached, yet he did not see Mu Wanyao.

Yan Shang was slightly stunned, thinking that Mu Wanyao had forgotten their agreement. After all, he had only sent an invitation, and she had neither said she would go nor that she wouldn't; he assumed she would come, entirely based on his judgment of her usual temperament. Since she did not deny it, he assumed it was as good as an agreement.

Yet, what if she had business today and couldn't come?

Yan Shang did not know if it was anxiety or disappointment in his heart. He waited for another hour in the afternoon, when suddenly, a flash of insight occurred, and he thought of a possibility.

This possibility made his heart pound, nearly jumping out of his chest.

Yan Shang went against the flow of the crowd, rushing back to the Yongshou Temple where he was staying, repeating the process of looking for her just as he had at the Great Cihan Temple. And this time, he saw a young lady beneath a shrine, her hands joined like everyone else’s, looking up at the high monk and listening quietly to the master’s teachings.

She stood in the crowd wearing a scarlet pomegranate dress, standing tall and graceful, her figure lithe. She lacked her usual opulent, brilliant appearance; today, her makeup was simple, making her look like the daughter of a modest family who had snuck out to play.

She was followed by only three or four maids and guards.

Yan Shang watched, stunned, his heart filled with mixed emotions, his blood running hot.

He thought she was so headstrong and only ever concerned with herself, and that if she were going anywhere today, it would be the Great Cihan Temple; he never expected she would come to a small temple like Yongshou.

And he might have kept her waiting all morning, yet she still remained in the temple without leaving—

Mu Wanyao was listening impatiently to the high monk muttering about who knew what when someone poked her shoulder from behind.

She thought it was just some commoner pious to Buddhism who had squeezed into the crowd. Too lazy to deal with them, she moved aside to give the person behind her space.

She didn't expect to be poked on the shoulder again.

Mu Wanyao pursed her lips and moved again.

Her shoulder was poked once more.

Mu Wanyao: "..."

Just how fat was the person behind her? She had given up so much space, why were they still poking her?

Mu Wanyao wasn't one to have a good temper; after moving twice, she grew annoyed. With a ferocious expression, she turned back, brow arched, ready to argue with someone. But the moment she turned around, she saw Yan Shang.

His face was like jade, his temperament calm and detached, and he was still maintaining a smile at the corners of his mouth even when facing her sour expression.

And looking further back, it was indeed Chunhua and the others who had cleared the space, allowing Yan Erlang to come over.

Because the high monk was proclaiming Buddhist chants, people’s voices below couldn't be heard clearly. Mu Wanyao opened her mouth, but Yan Shang didn't hear what she said.

Yan Shang lowered his head, "What?"

Mu Wanyao tipped her chin toward him, signaling for him to lean his ear in.

Yan Shang leaned his head down, and her voice pressed against his eardrum—it was crisp and yet a little seductive.

And her tone was mocking: "I said, our pure and untouchable, cold and ruthless Yan Erlang has finally arrived late."

Yan Shang’s ears burned.

He stepped back a pace.

Mu Wanyao grabbed his wrist, not letting him leave. She kept a straight face, looking somewhat displeased.

Yan Shang knew what she meant. Helplessly, he leaned close to her ear again, whispering, "There are too many people here, we cannot hear each other speak. Let’s change to another place."

His breath brushed against her earlobe.

Mu Wanyao immediately covered her own ear; her ear turned fiery red, and she realized in an instant why Yan Shang had pulled away when she spoke to him just now.

Breath spraying on the ear of someone of the opposite sex was, indeed, very… intimate.

Mu Wanyao lifted her eyelids to look at Yan Shang.

He shifted his gaze away calmly.

Then, through his sleeve, he reached back, gently grasping her wrist, and led her toward the outside. Chunhua and the others wanted to follow, but Mu Wanyao turned back and glared at them, and the attendants stopped, looked up at the sky, and continued listening to the Buddhist chants—

The two walked into the bamboo grove in the backyard of the Yongshou Temple.

There was finally no one here, and as soon as they entered the bamboo grove, Yan Shang apologized and let go of the wrist he had been holding.

Mu Wanyao rubbed her wrist, looked at him, and said nothing.

The two walked in silence.

Since that night, this was their first time meeting. Once they met, they couldn't help but think of what happened that night… if Yan Shang hadn't avoided it at the time, they would have completed the act.

And even if he did avoid it, now… it was still very awkward.

Mu Wanyao coughed, breaking the strange atmosphere between them, "What have you been busy with this past month?"

Yan Shang lowered his eyes and said in a low voice, "I consulted with Juyuan, and we decided to take the 'Broad Learning and Grand Rhetoric' exam together; there will be results by October this year. For the next several months, I will be busy with this."

Mu Wanyao said dryly, "Oh."

Then there was nothing left to say.

Slowly, Mu Wanyao grew a bit angry. She was furious that he wouldn't speak—did he expect her to come up with the conversation? Why should she have to come up with it? Where was she supposed to find things to say? She hadn't seen him for a month, so what business did she have to tell him?

She didn't even understand him!

In a fit of anger, Mu Wanyao quickened her pace, leaving Yan Shang behind.

Yan Shang was stunned. In just an instant, he saw the Princess, who had been barely walking beside him, dash away like a horse galloping at top speed.

Yan Shang had no choice but to catch up, "Your Highness, Your Highness… Your Highness!"

He had to reach out and hold her wrist again to make her stop. She looked back with pursed lips, her face filled with displeasure. Yan Shang looked at her and sighed softly, "It is my fault. I did not speak and made Your Highness uncomfortable."

Mu Wanyao pulled away the hand that was holding her wrist and turned her face to look at the bamboo leaves, "…You know it!"

She said coldly, "I see you are very busy. You didn't come to see me today just to watch the Buddha’s relics, did you? If you have something to say, say it quickly. I have other things to do and no time to waste with you."

Yan Shang took a folder out of his chest and handed it to her. Mu Wanyao took it skeptically, flipped through two pages, and her eyelids jumped lightly.

This was a list of names.

Not only names, but also life stories, where they were from… exceptionally detailed.

Yan Shang said, "I have met some scholars at the Hongwen Hall and discovered that there are some in this world who do not actually want to take a political side. They are willing to serve others, but they do not wish to be tied to one ship for their entire lives. I heard from Juyuan that great clans like the Wei family never take sides. Coupled with the lesson of the Jinling Li clan, the Wei family seeks longevity, not prestige. Thus, the Wei family will likely not attach themselves to any prince; at most, they will dispatch some people to help out here and there."

Mu Wanyao grew thoughtful.

Yan Shang looked at her and suddenly asked, "Does Your Highness understand Juyuan?"

Mu Wanyao was startled, then abruptly sank her face, thinking he was accusing her of being too close to Wei Shu. She said, "What business is that of yours? Can I not be on good terms with other men?"

Yan Shang was stunned, realizing she had misunderstood. He explained, "I only wanted to use Juyuan’s situation to tell Your Highness something about the mindset of the great clans.

"Someone like Juyuan, who has conflicts with his family, will likely walk the path of a pure minister. A few days ago, it was said that Juyuan even quarreled with his eldest brother, making it known throughout Chang'an that Wei Qilang and the Wei family were not on good terms. Yet I believe that the Wei family letting all of Chang'an know that Wei Juyuan is at odds with them is clearly intended to let him break away from the circle where the Wei family resides, allowing him to take another path. After all, if you think carefully, Juyuan doesn't plan to cling to imperial power, so why would the eldest brother of the Wei family publicly rebuke his younger brother? It must be to ensure the Wei family does not have only one path to take."

Mu Wanyao understood in a flash, "You mean the Wei family actually tacitly approves of Wei Shu being on good terms with me, hoping that the path Wei Shu takes is different from that of other Wei family members. If Wei Shu wins, the Wei family benefits; if Wei Shu fails, the Wei family loses nothing. Although the Wei family truly nurtures the eldest brother, they have never actually abandoned Wei Shu? The Wei family simply does not want to be bound, spinning a cocoon around themselves."

Yan Shang nodded.

He continued, "From Juyuan, I have drawn some immature conjectures. I suspect I still do not understand the great clans well enough; every clan’s situation is different. Top-tier clans like the Wei and Li seek something different from other clans, while the upper-middle clans below them seek prestige and a chance to climb higher; and further down, clans that have only recently broken away from the powerful gentry seek something different still.

"I believe that selecting suitable clans to cooperate with—clans that do not seek prominence—is actually very suitable for Your Highness. Just like the people on this list of mine; these people will be very useful to Your Highness, yet they will not seek the rewards of 'dragon-backing' (king-making). Once Your Highness commits the names to memory, you can win them over. I will burn this folder afterward so that no traces are left behind."

Mu Wanyao was stunned, gripping the folder tightly.

Clearly, both she and Yan Shang were political novices. But Yan Shang was better at it than she was… Some people, perhaps, were just naturally gifted.

Mu Wanyao couldn't help but feel melancholy, yet touched as well. She hadn't even imagined that Yan Shang, without an official post to his name, could be of such help to her.

She looked at Yan Shang and whispered, "Thank you for teaching me."

Yan Shang was stunned, then smiled, "Your Highness helped me with my 'row-scrolling' (essay submissions), so this is what I should do. And I do not know if my thoughts are correct; I only fear I might mislead Your Highness."

Mu Wanyao shook her head, "You have always been clever; you shouldn't be wrong. You could have chosen not to tell me these things, but you still used the Buddha’s Birthday to tell me… I should thank you."

She said, "How can I repay you?"

Yan Shang hesitated, thinking of Zhao Lingfei, who wouldn't stop pestering him. He paused, "There is indeed one thing I would like to trouble Your Highness with."

Mu Wanyao snorted; the thing she liked least was that every time she asked if he needed anything, he always had a request.

Could he not just help her once without asking for anything in return?

Every time he asked for something, this person was truly mercenary to the extreme!

He kept his relationship with her strictly divided into public and private, to the extreme!

Mu Wanyao said, "What favor do you want me to do?"

Yan Shang replied, "I am currently waiting at the Hongwen Hall, but I still live in such a remote place as Yongshou Temple, and the journey to the Hongwen Hall every day is too far. I would like to ask Your Highness to help me find a new residence and move out of Yongshou Temple. It would be best if the new residence has more restrictions, limiting common people from visiting too frequently, and is a bit further away from where the commoners live."

He was politely expressing his hope that the new dwelling would have more rules, so that Zhao Lingfei wouldn't be able to wait for him at the Yongshou Temple and see him whenever she pleased.

He thought that if there was distance, that young lady should be able to give up, right?

Mu Wanyao agreed without hesitation—

Yan Shang thought it would take some time for Mu Wanyao to help him find a new residence.

But only two days later, Mu Wanyao arrived by carriage to pick him up, saying she had already found a new residence for him and invited him to go see if he was satisfied.

Yan Shang was touched that Mu Wanyao had actually taken his words to heart so rarely; she used to only care about herself and never listened to what he said.

The carriage gradually drove toward Princess Danyang’s manor.

Yan Shang: "…?"

He wondered if, before looking at the new house, the Princess intended to invite him to her own manor for a cup of tea.

That… would also be fine.

The carriage stopped in front of the Princess’s manor, and Mu Wanyao and Yan Shang got off together.

Yan Shang stood silently, staring at the plaque hanging on the gate of Princess Danyang’s manor.

In an instant, a thousand thoughts flashed through his mind, filling him with dread.

He said with difficulty, "Your Highness said you would help me find a residence… surely you don't mean for me to lodge at your manor? This, I absolutely cannot accept."

Mu Wanyao shot him a glance, "How could I possibly let you live in my manor?"

Yan Shang let out a sigh of relief.

Mu Wanyao gestured for him to look at the large courtyard opposite the Princess’s manor: "This is the residence I found for you."

Yan Shang: "…"

He said with even greater difficulty, "Right opposite the Princess’s manor?"

Mu Wanyao confirmed, "Right opposite, just an alley away. Face to face with my manor, it’s quite close; we might even bump into each other the moment we step out. From now on, you might have to yield to my carriage every single day."

Yan Shang was speechless.

…He really shouldn't have let the Princess help him find a residence.