Tigers Sniff the Rose - Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Mu Wanyao widened her beautiful eyes, her voice rising in a defensive, guilty-sounding tone: "What 'every one'? Who is this 'every one' you're talking about?"

Admittedly, Yan Shang was so clever that he certainly knew she had always wanted to bed him... but she hadn't succeeded, had she?

Weren't they quite in sync with each other?

Hadn't they always avoided discussing such topics?

Why did he have to say it out loud? Did he think she was the same kind of person as her aunt, unable to control herself whenever she saw a handsome man?

Seeing the Princess blushing and looking vaguely angry, Yan Shang regretted his momentary slip of the tongue; he hadn't been able to restrain himself.

He frowned and shut his mouth, his eyelashes trembling slightly. Even he did not understand why he hadn't been able to stop himself from picking on her just now.

Perhaps it was because she had been lecturing him all day—even a clay bodhisattva has a temper. Perhaps it was because she had stimulated him by deliberately using her own marriage prospects to provoke him, not to mention how perfectly matched she and Yang Sanlang seemed to be...

Between a man and a woman, there are always emotions that are easily lost to control.

While Yan Shang was reflecting on his own failure to stay composed, he began to apologize: "This subject was speaking of past events. After I arrived in Chang'an and placed third in the imperial examination, didn't many people come to discuss marriage? I meant that I rejected them; I do not treat every young lady the same way I treat the Grand Princess.

"It is natural for men and women to admire beauty. If they do not use underhanded means and simply like me, that is my honor. Why would I humiliate a lady just because she likes me?"

Under this explanation, Mu Wanyao’s complexion looked a bit better. However, when she heard him personally admit that many young ladies liked him, she arched her brows again, feeling a bit displeased in her heart.

She hated that he was simply too good, which was why so many people liked him!

So much that he didn't care if it was a man or a woman!

Mu Wanyao’s face darkened. Her eyes scanned the carriage, and she picked up a grape from the fruit platter on the table and popped it into her mouth.

Yan Shang leaned down to watch her, wondering why she was still unhappy, when he saw the little Princess suddenly raise her eyes, looking at him unexpectedly with eyes bright as if they were mixed with starlight.

Just as Yan Shang was puzzled, he saw Mu Wanyao suddenly break into a smile.

Her eyes rippled with charm. She grabbed a grape from the fruit platter and leaned over toward him. Her slender, jade-like fingers reached his lips, intending to feed the grape into his mouth.

Yan Shang stiffened and leaned back. Mu Wanyao knelt on the low seat, crouching by his shoulder, her breath spraying onto his ear.

The back of Yan Shang’s head went numb. He heard her insist on feeding him the grape, threatening him: "If you eat this, I won't be angry with you anymore! Open up!"

Yan Shang: "Your Highness..."

Mu Wanyao urged: "Eat it, go on, eat it!"

He could not withstand her playful teasing, and he feared that if she pounced on him, he wouldn't be able to handle it. Caught in a dilemma, his situation was not easy.

And so, in a daze, he was urged by her until he opened his mouth, swallowing the grape she held between her fingers.

Mu Wanyao leaned down to look at him. Her fingertips, which had been at the corners of his lips, suddenly made a slight hook, and Yan Shang accidentally took her finger into his mouth.

A sudden, tingling sensation washed over him.

Yan Shang’s face flushed red. He quickly opened his mouth to let her hand out and took out a handkerchief to wipe her hands for her.

In his dazed state, he panicked, wanting to apologize, but when he opened his mouth, he realized he still had the grape she had fed him; how impolite it would be to talk with his mouth full.

Yan Shang’s expression was agonizingly embarrassed.

Mu Wanyao wiped her hands with her own handkerchief. Rarely seeing him this flustered, she couldn't help but smile mischievously. And that wasn't enough; she stared intently at Yan Shang. Sure enough, the next moment, Yan Shang suddenly frowned, his face stiffening.

Mu Wanyao’s eyes widened with joy. She grabbed his shoulder and laughed: "Did you bite it? Did you bite the grape? Is it especially sour? Is it so sour your teeth ache?"

Yan Shang’s face was now completely red, utterly miserable, and he quickly turned his body away. However, Mu Wanyao knelt beside him, leaning on his shoulder to pat it, crowding in to see his expression—to see his inability to bear the sourness of the fruit in his mouth.

The more embarrassed he was, the happier she became, pulling at him and refusing to let him hide.

It was a torment of ice and fire.

On one side was a sourness that made him want to die, and on the other was the intoxicating, tingling sensation brought by her proximity.

The sourness in his mouth was extreme; Yan Shang had never eaten anything so sour. He couldn't help but admire that Mu Wanyao had eaten it earlier without a change in expression, not revealing a single sign of it.

But she was being mischievous, insisting he experience the taste of that grape too.

Even someone with a temperament as good as Yan Shang’s was teased to the point of breaking into a sweat on his forehead. He even began to wonder in his heart who had placed such sour grapes for the Princess to eat... were they not afraid of Princess Danyang’s wrath?

Normally, Mu Wanyao would certainly have been furious, but at this moment, she loved these grapes far too much.

She lay on Yan Shang’s shoulder, admiring him for a long time.

He was in such discomfort—frowning, his entire face flushed deep red, moisture clinging to his long, dark eyelashes, his body trembling slightly, his hands searching for something to grasp but finding nothing... and Mu Wanyao absolutely loved this weak yet struggling appearance of his!

But after watching for a long time—seeing him at a loss, wanting to spit it out but finding it improper—Mu Wanyao finally felt a bit of pity. She handed her handkerchief to his lips and said softly: "Spit it out, go on. If you really can't eat it, just spit it out. You are truly too weak... you can't even stand this little bit of sourness."

In the end, Yan Shang did not spit the grape out. He closed his eyes and, after enduring for a long while, swallowed it. Mu Wanyao handed him a cup of tea, and only then did he recover, leaning against the carriage wall and letting out a gentle sigh.

Yan Shang opened his eyes to see Mu Wanyao staring at him playfully.

Her little face was flushed, her eyes bright, watching him with a wide, smiling gaze.

Clearly, the time of his suffering was a day of joy for her.

Yan Shang couldn't help but say: "Your Highness is too bad."

Mu Wanyao hummed: "It is you who are too weak! I think you should hurry up and practice. In the future, if something happens and the enemy gives you something sour to eat, you might not even need an interrogation to confess everything."

Yan Shang reflected: "Your Highness is right. Might I be gifted this plate of grapes?"

Mu Wanyao was stunned, not expecting he would actually want to practice... wasn't he being a bit too strict with himself?

Mu Wanyao did not like people who had such high demands of themselves; she found it boring, so she waved her hand and left him to it—

After being teased by Mu Wanyao for a long while, by the time they reached the Grand Princess’s residence and he disembarked, Yan Shang’s expression had already eased. After stepping down, he just wanted to perform a salute to bid Mu Wanyao farewell, but the carriage didn't wait for his salute at all—almost as soon as his feet touched the ground, the carriage left.

Yan Shang had nothing to say.

It was Mu Wanyao’s style, as he was familiar with it.

No matter how good she was to him the moment before, the next moment she would always turn her face and ignore him.

This matter could not be dwelt upon; thinking about it too much was useless and only served to disturb one's heart. Yan Shang sighed, turned around, tidied his appearance and mood, went to the door, took out Princess Danyang’s calling card, and requested an audience with the Grand Princess—

The Grand Princess of Luling received Yan Shang.

After letting Yan Shang leave that night, the Grand Princess had been wavering. She felt that this man was shrewd, and it would be best to kill him to prevent future trouble—after all, the man had no official position, so killing him would be easy. But because Mu Wanyao had paid a visit, dropping hints that linked Yan Shang and the Crown Prince together, the Grand Princess was wary.

The Grand Princess had been hesitating for several days with the idea Yan Shang had given her: to concede to the Crown Prince.

Originally, she was afraid that if she sold such a favor to the Crown Prince, her Imperial Brother would notice and punish her. But for several days, there had been no movement from the Crown Prince’s side, and the Grand Princess began to worry if Yan Shang had been deceiving her, or if the Crown Prince simply disdained to use her?

Just as the Grand Princess was burning with anxiety, Yan Shang arrived at her door, which made her heave a sigh of relief.

Yan Shang understood the psychology of his enemies well: the more eager one is, the more the other party hesitates; the more one drags things out, the more anxious the other party becomes.

Therefore, when Yan Shang visited the Grand Princess again, he used even more relaxed negotiation techniques than he had on the bed, easily putting the Grand Princess at ease.

The Grand Princess no longer regarded Yan Shang as just a pretty young man who could only please her in bed, but asked with the respect one would show a strategist: "...Then, in your opinion, Yan-lang, should I take the initiative to donate money to the Crown Prince?"

Yan Shang said warmly: "If you take the initiative, in the eyes of others, Your Highness would seem overly sensitive regarding political affairs."

The Grand Princess: "Please, Yan-lang, instruct me."

Although she had strategists of her own, for these past years, the role of her strategists had been reduced to scouring the world for handsome men for her. Those strategists had already been ruined by the Grand Princess herself, and since one should not trouble two masters for the same task, the Grand Princess simply asked Yan Shang directly how she should act.

Yan Shang’s eyes flashed subtly; he was a bit surprised that she would ask him such a simple matter. Could this Grand Princess really trust him this much?

Impossible.

That could only mean the Grand Princess had no one else to use.

Yan Shang understood in his heart, while maintaining a gentle smile on his face: "Your Highness has so many handsome men in your residence. Just let one of them commit some minor fault, let the Crown Prince seize the pretext, and afterward, have you go to apologize. Wouldn't that be simple enough?"

The Grand Princess nodded. She truly dared not touch politics, fearing that if she dipped her hands in, her Imperial Brother would strip her of her power. Now that Yan Shang had provided the idea, she reasoned that it would just be this one time; no exceptions in the future.

Of course, the Grand Princess could also see that Yan Shang’s suggestion to use this method was intended to take her down a peg.

The Grand Princess chuckled, thinking that he was a young man after all, who thought she cared about this little bit of lost money or face? Very well, if he wanted to retaliate in such a small way, she would treat it as an apology.

However, she did not understand that Yan Shang was not planning for the present; he was planning for the future.

The Crown Prince would not let go of the Grand Princess, this convenient "money bag." Not only would he not let go, but after using her for a long time, he would grow greedy.

Once there is a first time for many things, once the opening is made, it is difficult to turn back.

The Grand Princess of Luling looked at Yan Shang’s charming and pleasant demeanor, which made one feel as if bathed in a spring breeze.

Even after she had treated him that way before, this Yan Erlang showed nothing on his face. If it weren't for the fact that she and Yan Shang knew the truth, no one could have guessed she had previously drugged him.

This person... the Grand Princess of Luling felt somewhat unwilling.

She asked: "Yan Erlang, I am not trying to humiliate you; I truly admire your talent. Could you come to work at my Grand Princess residence?"

Yan Shang said: "I am here today to ask questions on behalf of the Crown Prince."

The Grand Princess felt a sense of loss, knowing that this was a tactful refusal. She let Yan Shang go with great reluctance, ordering her servants to see him off. Watching his figure, as clear as a jade bamboo, walk along the corridor outside the window, the Grand Princess drooled with desire, but she could only let him go...

The servants saw Yan Shang out. Midway, Feng Xianyu approached; he gave the servants a few instructions and proactively offered to see Yan Shang out himself.

Feng Xianyu was now a regular guest at the Grand Princess’s residence and the person most favored by the Grand Princess recently, so the servants naturally did not dare to disobey the young master’s wishes.

Yan Shang naturally had no objections.

Only when the two were walking together did Yan Shang whisper his thanks to Feng Xianyu: "...Regarding what Brother Feng reminded me of last time, it was my fault for not thinking it through, and I ended up wasting your good intentions."

Feng Xianyu was silent.

After a long while, he said: "The idea you gave the Grand Princess is basically because you know she has no strategists around her worth consulting."

Yan Shang smiled without a word. He thought to himself that if the Grand Princess had anyone worth consulting, he wouldn't have offered such a strategy.

Feng Xianyu continued: "Once she suffers a few losses at the hands of the Crown Prince and realizes what is happening, she might go to the Emperor and weep, perhaps adding a charge of 'forming a clique for personal interest' against the Crown Prince. By then, the Crown Prince might throw you out to take the fall.

"Yan Er, why would you give such an idea just to vent your anger?"

There was a hint of disappointment in his tone, as if he felt he had overestimated Yan Shang’s intelligence.

Yan Shang gave a surprised smile, not expecting Feng Xianyu to warn him.

Currently, among the Grand Princess’s male favorites, everyone was clinging to her to enjoy wealth and luxury; perhaps only Feng Xianyu was truly studying, was talented, and wanted to take the imperial examinations...

Yan Shang had always been one to return favors; since the other party had warned him, he was willing to give Feng Xianyu a hand.

Yan Shang whispered: "But isn't this exactly the opportunity for Brother Feng to stand out?"

Feng Xianyu was stunned and looked at him: "...How is that so?"

The two walked together out of the Princess’s residence gates. To outsiders, it just looked like two friends bidding each other farewell. No one knew what Yan Shang was saying.

Yan Shang said: "Once the Grand Princess realizes that I have been tricking her into suffering losses at the Crown Prince’s hands, when she goes to complain to the Emperor, it should be Brother Feng who stops her. Because her power is indeed too great, and she truly needs to make preparations for after the Emperor is gone. But everyone around her are people who indulge in pleasure. When they see the Grand Princess suffering, they will definitely incite her to get rid of this trouble.

"At that time, Brother Feng should persuade the Grand Princess and analyze for her what the long-term path is. How can one rely on beauty to serve others for long? Only when Brother Feng becomes more useful will he be able to stay by the Grand Princess’s side longer and obtain more things.

"Naturally, the premise of my suggestion is that Brother Feng wishes to keep relying on the Grand Princess to seek officialdom and fame. If Brother Feng wants to get rid of the Grand Princess halfway, then just pretend I never said these words."

Feng Xianyu was so stunned that he stopped in his tracks.

Yan Shang watched him with a smile.

The two had now left the Princess’s residence. Feng Xianyu looked at the bearing of this young gentleman and felt a lingering bitterness in his heart, as well as a sense of inferiority.

He had thought he saw through Yan Shang’s routine... but he had not expected that Yan Shang had left a way out for him within it.

If he hadn't come to see Yan Shang off today, perhaps Yan Shang would never have reminded him. He would have pointlessly missed a good opportunity...

Feng Xianyu thought that he was several years older than Yan Er and had thought he understood the situation in Chang'an better than Yan Er, but now it seemed... what did a few extra years of life matter?

He was inferior to Yan Shang; he simply was.

Great kindness requires no thanks.

Feng Xianyu did not speak, standing only at the gate of the Princess’s residence, cupping his hands and bowing deeply to Yan Shang in a very formal gesture.

Yan Shang stepped aside to avoid it; naturally, he would not accept such a formal bow from Feng Xianyu.

The two did not speak again, but regarding the conflict over the Top Scholar quota from that day... Feng Xianyu sighed, thinking that the conflict would now be resolved by Yan Shang—

After Yan Shang finished dealing with the Grand Princess, a few days later, the news reached the desk of the Mayor of the Capital that one of the Grand Princess’s male favorites had whipped civilians while drunk in the street.

The Mayor of the Capital was the husband of Princess Yuyang.

And Princess Yuyang’s biological brother was the Third Prince, the Prince of Qin; logically, the natural stance of the Mayor of the Capital of Chang'an was actually on the side of the Prince of Qin.

But the Prince of Qin had not yet reacted to why the Grand Princess’s male favorite beating someone was worth paying attention to, when the Crown Prince, leading the people from the Ministry of Justice, snatched the case away directly. The Prince of Qin didn't know what the Crown Prince was doing, but given their standing as political rivals, whatever the other party wanted to do, he had to block it—even if he didn't understand why.

A single case wore out the Ministry of Justice and the Mayor of the Capital, leading to another struggle between the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qin, with the Crown Prince ultimately gaining the upper hand.

There was far too much to ponder behind this case.

Mu Wanyao followed behind the Crown Prince, witnessing this matter from beginning to end, helping the Crown Prince handle it and helping him plead his case in many ways.

She muttered in her heart, not knowing if Yan Shang knew that he had dragged everyone into this, and not knowing if Yan Shang had done it on purpose.

But that was the business of the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qin.

Yan Shang naturally returned to the Hongwen Library every day to study, paying no attention to the subsequent events. Seeing that he didn't care at all, Mu Wanyao felt relieved.

However, Yan Shang specifically wrote a note to tell her: "Your Highness, one must not be too obsessed with power."

Mu Wanyao immediately burned the note: "Does he have the right to lecture me?"

In truth, she was still a little afraid that Yan Shang would steal her credit and compete with her for the limelight in front of the Crown Prince.

His focusing on his studies was for the best.

To show her support for Yan Shang’s studies, Mu Wanyao even rarely took the trouble to move many of the books from her own Princess residence to the neighbor's house, saying they were a gift for Yan Shang.

Which made Chunhua want to say something but hold back.

She felt the Princess was too good to Yan Shang.

However, Mu Wanyao was currently enjoying her prime—who cared about that?

Because of the Grand Princess affair, she had begun to be noticed by the Crown Prince, who now started arranging for her to do things.

The officials no longer regarded her as just a little Princess who had returned from a political marriage, but would now consider her opinions. Sometimes when Mu Wanyao spoke, they would also deliberate on the stance of this Princess Danyang.

The carriages in front of Princess Danyang’s residence were finally no longer limited to just her few aides who had gone out from her household and were now officials.

Mu Wanyao began to participate in government affairs more actively, increasing her own leverage. She not only wanted the Crown Prince to think she was useful, but she also wanted more people to fear her.

On Yan Shang’s side, he welcomed Liu Wenji.

When Yan Shang was busy studying, he would naturally also care about his old friends.

But when he and Chunhua heard Liu Wenji’s heartfelt words in the Northern Ward in March and learned that Liu Wenji held a very negative opinion of him, Yan Shang had distanced himself from Liu Wenji somewhat.

Liu Wenji felt miserable in his heart; both his lover and his friend had developed opinions about him, and he finally began to reflect on himself.

This time, when Liu Wenji came to see Yan Shang, he formally apologized for his words that day and asked Yan Shang for help in arranging a meeting with Chunhua, saying he wanted to apologize to her.

Yan Shang welcomed Liu Wenji into his residence; he was not angry at Liu Wenji’s previous look-down-upon attitude, but gently advised: "I don't mind; my talent is naturally not as good as yours, so it is normal for you to feel a sense of unfairness. Besides, since you have apologized to me, I naturally accept it.

"However, regarding the matter of Chunhua, I still have some thoughts. Because if you want to meet Chunhua through me, I am afraid that as an intermediary, if I let you meet, you might hurt Chunhua’s heart again, leaving me filled with guilt. I cannot help but ask, Brother Liu, what are your plans for the future?"

Liu Wenji cupped his hands toward Yan Shang.

Three months later, Liu Wenji looked very different from his previous arrogant self.

His aura was much more restrained; he no longer looked down upon everyone in the world. Liu Wenji was handsome to begin with; as he restrained his aura, standing here in Yan Shang’s residence in plain clothes, he possessed a beauty like that of polished jade.

Liu Wenji said: "Yan Er is right; it was I who looked down on the people of this world too much before. I felt that my talent was the best, so I didn't take anyone else seriously. Now that I have wasted a year in Chang'an, I have finally figured it out. I will study diligently for the exam and will no longer reject the practice of submitting literary works for evaluation. Even if I don't pass next year, I will calm my mind...

"To tell you the truth, in the year and more that I have been in Chang'an, the money from my family can no longer support me. I am ashamed, and I plan to learn from other scholars from humble backgrounds, selling my poetry and essays for money, seeking fame and profit. I am also thinking... if I still don't pass next year, I cannot let Chunhua wait for me any longer.

"I will propose to her, and I will request her from the Princess residence. I hope you, Suchen, will put in a good word for me with Princess Danyang when the time comes."

Yan Shang immediately congratulated him: "Then I congratulate Brother Liu in advance. Such a mindset is for the best... it has only been three months, Brother Liu; have you truly figured it all out?"

Liu Wenji met Yan Shang’s smiling and gentle eyes.

Liu Wenji’s face flushed, and he said embarrassedly: "Suchen, you know my temper... I am trying hard to restrain myself, but you cannot expect me to change my temperament completely and become another person in three months, can you?"

Yan Shang laughed and said: "Naturally, I would not require that of you. This is already very good. As long as you are willing to change, I will naturally help you."

He sighed: "How can a person’s temperament change in a single day? In a lifespan of a hundred years, one needs to reflect every day to avoid making mistakes."

Liu Wenji: "..."

After a moment of silence, Liu Wenji said: "There is no need to be as strict with yourself as you are."——

Having promised Liu Wenji this, Yan Shang naturally came to the Princess residence to find Chunhua to play matchmaker.

But it was clear that Yan Shang had many things on his plate.

It wasn't just his studies; he went to the Hongwen Library every day, not to mention that he had a pile of friends to socialize with. Because he was extremely popular, people invited him to every kind of banquet. He had to be selective and also avoid losing face with anyone. Furthermore, he was busy with who knows what, going to the West Market every day.

Chang'an was divided into an East Market and a West Market. High-ranking officials frequented the East Market, while the West Market had more foreign merchants and travelers.

Judging by the location of the ward where Yan Shang lived, the East Market was actually much closer. Yet, he often went to the West Market, which was rather intriguing.

Mu Wanyao didn't care about him at all.

She was currently obsessed with government affairs, and even though she couldn't see Yan Shang next door when she went out or came in every day, she didn't think of him.

When she suddenly thought of him, it was already June. A month had passed, and the servants next door, all of whom held slave contracts with the Princess residence, naturally had to come to the residence to collect their monthly wages.

While the household manager was distributing the monthly wages, the servants were chatting, and Mu Wanyao, who had just returned to the residence, happened to overhear them.

She heard them talking about the neighbor: "Yan Erlang goes to the West Market every day; who knows what he’s busy with."

Mu Wanyao recalled something, stopped in her tracks, and interrupted: "I heard an official say today that many Western Regions beauties have arrived at the West Market recently. They have opened taverns in the West Market, and those Western beauties don't go to the Northern Ward but instead sing and dance in their shops.

"They are beautiful and bold! These beauties have recently driven all of Chang'an crazy. Quite a few officials want to go and see them."

In the Great Wei, there was no rule stating officials could not frequent brothels; on the contrary, being liked by the ladies of the Northern Ward was considered a good conversation piece.

And if some high-ranking official had never been to the Northern Ward, the Great Wei wouldn't say he was pure and upright; instead, they would say he couldn't play along, was a hypocrite, or was a country bumpkin.

When Mu Wanyao thought of this, she said with certainty: "I’m sure Yan Shang goes to the West Market to see those barbarian beauties."

As she said this, her eyes hid frost, filled with a murderous aura.

The others: "..."

Just as she was speaking, someone came to report: "Your Highness, Yan Erlang is at the door to pay a visit."

Mu Wanyao was stunned, and then her brows and eyes filled with spring as she looked behind her. Hearing that he had come, she couldn't help but feel joy.

But the joy lasted only an instant. Mu Wanyao quickly thought about Yan Shang possibly being surrounded by barbarian beauties in the West Market taverns, and her expression cooled.

Mu Wanyao: "Refused."

The reporting servant: "Er..."

Mu Wanyao squinted coldly.

The servant lowered his head and whispered: "Yan Erlang said that if Your Highness is unwilling to see him, Lady Chunhua will also do."

Mu Wanyao sneered: "...He was like a prophet, knowing I wouldn't want to see him! He even ordered you all in advance!"

Her eyes like spitting fire, she glared at Chunhua, who was standing beside her. Her expression held not just anger, but also grievance and unwillingness.

Chunhua had originally been watching the fun, but when the Princess’s eyes fixed on her, she was startled: "Ah? Looking for me? Why look for me?"

Chunhua quickly explained to the Princess: "Your Highness, I have absolutely, absolutely no illicit relationship with Yan Erlang... I will send him away right now..."

Mu Wanyao grabbed Chunhua’s hand, smiling sweetly: "Why send him away? Let him in! I want to hear what he has to say to you, Chunhua... I want to see what you two are doing behind my back!"

Thus, Mu Wanyao forced Chunhua to let Yan Shang in, and fearing they might be too restrained, she specifically arranged an empty room for them.

After pacing around for a while, Mu Wanyao simply changed into a maid’s attire herself and hid behind a screen.

Princess Danyang leaned behind the screen, eager to hear why Yan Shang wanted to find Chunhua.