Tigers Sniff the Rose - Chapter 58

Chapter 58

After the Imperial City gates were locked, the Ministry of Justice, located in the right wing of the Shangshu Sheng, welcomed the Prince of Qin.

The Minister of Justice, a man over fifty, invited the Prince into the main hall to discuss matters. The Prince walked with his hands behind his back the entire way, his expression cold and grim. Once he entered the room, sat down, and drank a cup of water, the heat that had soaked into his clothes from the summer air outside seemed to dissipate somewhat.

The Prince of Qin let out a long breath and looked at the Minister of Justice, who was standing to the side with a bow.

He let out a cold laugh: "Uncle, tell me, what is the situation now?"

The Minister of Justice was the Prince of Qin’s uncle, but as sovereign and subject, there were distinctions to be made, and he was currently experiencing a severe headache.

He said: "It is nothing more than that according to the law, Yan Erlang, having killed someone in public, deserves to die; yet it is said that outside the imperial city for these past few days, commoners have been gathering to cause a disturbance every day. There are also those scholars who don't study properly—I don't know what they are making such a fuss for, but they petition daily to praise Yan Erlang’s actions."

Glancing at the Prince of Qin’s fluctuating complexion, the Minister of Justice added: "According to what they say, because Yan Erlang killed someone, he has instead become a saint and should be enshrined."

The Prince of Qin said: "In the current situation, isn't he already being enshrined?"

The Prince of Qin continued: "What great boldness! To kill one person and win the hearts of the scholars of the world, and the hearts of the common people. If we kill him now, I fear we shall all leave our names in history books."

"However, he will leave a name of honor, while we will be remembered as 'cruel officials' with a foul reputation."

The Minister of Justice said: "Yet, if we do not kill him, how can we explain the law? Could it be that the government intends to encourage such acts of killing? If someone draws a blade to help those in need on the road, and kills whoever they please, wouldn't this world fall into chaos?"

The Prince of Qin said: "Then kill him."

The Minister of Justice remained silent.

The Prince of Qin glanced at the old man and sneered: "What is it, Uncle? You said it wasn't in accordance with the law to kill him, but now that I am ordering you to do it, you are afraid?"

The Minister of Justice gave a bitter smile.

He replied: "Your Highness, please examine the facts. We all come from scholarly backgrounds; besides seeking justice for the people, do we not also seek a reputation? If we kill Yan Erlang, that reputation... will be gone. This old subject is advanced in age, and I truly cannot bring myself to be that ruthless."

The Prince of Qin let out an "oh": "You are afraid when told to kill, and you say it's not possible when told not to kill... It seems, Uncle, that you intend to dump this difficult problem onto me."

The Minister bowed his head and said in a low voice: "This old subject serves Your Highness. As long as Your Highness gives the order, even if I do not wish to kill, I will sign the execution order."

The Prince of Qin fell silent.

Because of his mother's family, he had easily taken control of the three major departments—the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Personnel—upon entering the court.

Of the Six Ministries, the Ministry of Personnel ranked first, followed by the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Revenue, which were managed by the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince’s control over the Ministry of Revenue was the result of the Yang family’s maneuvering, while his control over the Ministry of Rites... was due to his inherent advantage as the Crown Prince; the royal clan would certainly entrust the Ministry of Rites to him.

Thus, the saying went: The Crown Prince controlled the wealth, and the Prince of Qin controlled the military.

The Prince of Qin had never believed that he would lose the struggle for the succession to the Crown Prince.

That things had reached this point today... also made the Prince of Qin harbor secret resentment.

He had originally wanted to use a maid, sent into the Prince of Jin's mansion, to corner Mu Wanyao, force a rift between her and the Crown Prince, or even make the Crown Prince lose the support of the common people for siding with the powerful local clans... Who would have expected that Mu Wanyao, that girl, was no longer what she once was? She reacted immediately, cutting off her own arm and severing the powerful clans behind her.

The Zheng clan!

Mu Wanyao actually had such resolve; not only did she cut off her own ties, she even petitioned for the Crown Prince to purge the powerful clans of the world.

Though the powerful clans were powerful, they were ultimately not the great noble families. Mu Wanyao had not touched the interests of the noble families, and those families had likely been annoyed by the powerful clans for many years... Just in time to take advantage of this opportunity to work from the inside and out to reorganize power.

Mu Wanyao had not held them back.

And the Crown Prince, a person the Prince of Qin viewed as treacherous and cunning, had not made a single mistake in this process.

So, it had come to this: Mu Wanyao had lost a maid, appearing to have a conflict with the Prince of Jin... however, the sacrifice Mu Wanyao had made for the Crown Prince was even greater. Looking at her fierce protection in self-severing ties with the Zheng clan, the Crown Prince would not drift apart from her over this matter.

In the end, it was merely a maid; how could she be more important than a regional faction?

The Prince of Qin sighed; he truly did not know how the situation had arrived at this point. Not only had he gained no benefit, but the Ministry of Justice was now being pushed onto a roasting spit by the Crown Prince, and all the people of the world were watching to see how the Ministry would try this case...

After a long time, the Prince of Qin sneered: "The Crown Prince wants the Ministry of Justice to bear the infamous name; how can such a good thing exist?"

He had an idea and instructed the Minister of Justice: "Tomorrow, you shall submit a petition to the Central Secretariat, saying that Yan Erlang acted for the sake of the country and the people, for the great righteousness of the world, and that the Ministry of Justice does not dare to judge this alone. You are to convene... a joint trial by the three offices. Whether Yan Erlang is guilty or meritorious can only be known after a joint trial."

The Prince of Qin mocked: "Don't those scholars want to praise Yan Shang as a saint? Heh, I would like to see when this 'made-to-order' saint will turn around and bite them back... Yan Erlang has pleased their hearts this time, but I do not believe Yan Erlang’s actions will always align with their wishes."

The joint trial, which meant the Ministry of Justice, the Censorate, and the Court of Judicial Review would judge the case together.

The Ministry of Justice was controlled by the Prince of Qin’s uncle, so it naturally sided with the Prince of Qin; the Chief of the Court of Judicial Review was controlled by the Yang family, so it sided with the Crown Prince's faction.

As for the Censorate, it exercised supervisory power and did not actually belong to the system of the Three Departments and Six Ministries. However, this time, the central government directly sent people into the Censorate, bypassing the standard channels by transferring them directly from the Secretariat; the goal of the Secretariat in sending people into the Censorate was to hear how this case would be tried.

The Great Wei’s official system consisted of the Three Departments, the Six Ministries, and one Platform.

The Platform was the Censorate, and the Six Ministries were subordinate to the Ministry of Personnel under the Secretariat-Chancellery-Department structure. The Three Departments were the Secretariat, the Chancellery, and the Department of State Affairs.

In Great Wei’s central administration, the general procedure was for the Secretariat to draft imperial edicts after deliberation, for the Chancellery to review and approve them, then for the Emperor to grant final approval, after which the orders would be handed down to the Department of State Affairs. The Six Ministries under the Department of State Affairs were responsible for executing the central government’s orders. The Department of State Affairs had executive power but no decision-making power.

Under this system, the Great Wei Dynasty also adopted a collective chancellorship system.

The result was that the chancellors (prime ministers) of the Great Wei Dynasty all came from the Secretariat or the Chancellery. No one in the Department of State Affairs was qualified to be a chancellor. This time, the Secretariat sending people to the Censorate was a move by the chancellors to listen in on this case and see how everyone intended to pass judgment.

After the proposal for a joint trial was submitted to the Secretariat, it was quickly approved, and the Crown Prince had no objections. The scholars and students of the world had already been paying close attention to this case; when they heard that the court had not let the Ministry of Justice judge it exclusively but had ordered a joint trial, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, knowing the court was still being cautious.

In the Imperial Academy, the students gathered together to discuss the matter.

One student who waved his arms, stepping onto a stone table, shouted to the scholars and students gathering from all directions: "Yan Erlang cannot die! If Yan Erlang dies, doesn't it mean that the direction of public sentiment is meaningless? Have we studied for so many years only to seek fame and profit, ignoring the laws of heaven?"

"Among the scholars of Chang'an, I first and foremost promote Yan Erlang! Just because he dared to kill the head of the Zheng clan! If I were there, I would definitely have killed him too!"

Below, some people looked on with disdain at the spittle-flying student above, thinking to themselves that if you were really there, you would probably have been scared out of your wits, let alone daring to kill anyone. However, the overall sentiment of the person shouting above was not wrong; Yan Shang’s actions matched the universal values of this era, and everyone believed he had done the right thing.

Once someone called out, the scholars gathered one after another to sign their names, petitioning the court in a group to plead for Yan Shang.

It was nothing more than arguments about 'mercy beyond the law' and 'the world being governed by men.'

After all, the students of the Imperial Academy, who held pens in their hands and possessed the hot-blooded passion of intellectuals, were the ones who had the most contact with the common people below.

Students gathered one by one to sign their names to vindicate Yan Shang. Wei Shu had just arrived at the Imperial Academy and was startled by such fierce collective emotion, thinking they were about to riot. When he understood they were petitioning the court to plead for Yan Erlang’s life, Wei Shu breathed a slight sigh of relief.

If they were truly about to riot, Wei Shu would certainly have turned around and left immediately.

Wei Shu had come here because he thought of the Imperial Academy's right to petition the court directly... He could not see Princess Danyang now, and he did not want to seek help from the Wei family, so he wanted to try this method. He did not expect that as soon as he arrived, others had already thought of the idea before him.

Seeing them excitedly petitioning together... Wei Shu thought for a moment, then slowly mingled into the crowd, intending to add his name to the count as well.

It was just that the person shouting and calling for support above had an extremely loud voice, as if he were very close to Yan Shang.

Wei Shu thought absentmindedly that perhaps they really were very close; he did not know.

Wei Shu’s young attendant followed his master into the crowd. Wei Shu stood quietly in the corner, cold and silent, not mingling with the others.

The attendant returned, sharing the news excitedly with his master: "Young Master Seven, I found out clearly. The person shouting up there for everyone to save Yan Erlang has barely spoken more than a few words to Yan Erlang. It seems that after Yan Erlang went to the Hongwen Academy, he came back to the Imperial Academy once to see his teacher, and when he smiled at that person, the fellow decided that Yan Erlang was his soulmate... Isn't that insane?"

Wei Shu: "Hmm."

He said in a low voice: "Yan Erge has always had good interpersonal relationships."

Perhaps it was not insanity; perhaps the other person was truly swayed by Yan Shang.

The attendant did not believe it; he felt that his own master was Yan Erlang’s true good friend. But seeing such a good opportunity for fame being occupied by an inexplicable student while his own master just mingled in the crowd to make up the numbers... He said anxiously: "Young Master Seven, you should jump out and take the lead as Yan Erlang’s good friend! Instead of just leaving a name here and walking away... If Yan Erlang gets out of prison, he will only remember the people who led the effort to save him; how will he remember you, who just hid in the crowd?"

Wei Shu said: "Yan Erge is not that kind of person."

He paused and added with great resistance: "This is fine as it is. I do not wish to stand in the spotlight."

The attendant: "..."

He hated that his master was not living up to his potential: "Young Master, you are afraid of talking to people, aren't you?! What is there to be afraid of! Everyone is just human; why are you afraid of saying a few words to them?"

The fourteen-year-old youth, Wei Shu, suddenly blushed, as if his attendant had struck a nerve.

He remained in his state of indifference, undisturbed by all things, merely insisting stubbornly: "I am not afraid of talking to people. I just do not wish to mingle with a mob."

The attendant said: "Young Master, you are going to be an official; you don't even have a few friends..."

Wei Shu said: "Forming cliques for private gain is a crime; what I am doing is not a crime. And who says I don't have friends? Isn't Yan Erge one? Isn't the Princess one? My relationship with the Princess is quite good."

The attendant: "..."

Was that a "good relationship"?

Princess Danyang clearly only laughed when she saw you because you are good-looking. If you really want to talk about it, wasn't the relationship between Princess Danyang and Yan Erlang even better?

Sigh, how vexing.

The attendant thought that Young Master Seven's teacher was Li Gong, Princess Danyang’s uncle. Li Gong had long ago said he hoped Young Master Seven could marry Princess Danyang... Hadn't his master come to Chang'an with this goal in mind?

And now, as for this marriage... looking at his master’s posture, it was going to be difficult.

These days, the Crown Prince had been vigorously purging the powerful clans, and the noble families had also more or less investigated themselves to cooperate with the Crown Prince. For a time, all of Chang'an became bustling; every day, fast horses delivered letters to the Eastern Palace for the Crown Prince to approve.

Not only was the Zheng clan imprisoned, but the powerful local clans in the countryside were all in danger, seeking help everywhere. But the noble families who had tolerated them in the past now kept their doors closed, unwilling to invite trouble upon themselves.

For a while, when the government officials came to investigate, some confessed immediately and begged for mercy, some hesitantly offered seventy percent of their family property to ensure their safety, others were directly imprisoned, and some were beaten to death.

The commoners actively reported to the government offices, and the offices that used to stall and delay now handled cases with extreme speed.

The incident that had the most influence during these days was the Crown Prince personally investigating Princess Luling.

The Crown Prince petitioned the Emperor, saying that Princess Luling could not manage her own servants, and had caused disturbances for many years; and since Princess Luling had become a Taoist nun and lived in a temple, why did she not abstain from male desire and go everywhere searching for beautiful men?

Many things are overlooked when no one investigates, but when an investigation begins, everything becomes a crime.

It is said that the Emperor spoke a few words for Princess Luling, so her temple was not confiscated, and she continued to live there. However, half of the property in the Princess’s mansion was confiscated for the state. Even though the Princess wept and cried that she wanted to see the Emperor, the Crown Prince used the excuse that the Emperor was resting away from the heat to keep her from disturbing him.

By now, anyone with eyes in Chang'an could see that Princess Luling’s influence had been personally suppressed by the Crown Prince, and the Emperor would not save her. In the future, Princess Luling would not be able to be as arrogant in Chang'an as she had been in the past.

As for those scholars who felt they were handsome, they all breathed a sigh of relief. Regardless of whether the Princess would have even looked at them, they all felt they had escaped a disaster from the female yin-demon.

Under this bustling purge, all of Chang'an seemed to take on a new look. Ten days later, on the day of the joint trial, Yan Shang was invited out from the Ministry of Justice.

The people of the Ministry of Justice, fearing someone would say they humiliated Yan Erlang, even diligently let him wash up and change into fresh clothes.

However, even so, the Imperial Academy students and ordinary commoners outside the imperial city did not disperse, shouting things like "A great scholar should be like Yan Suchen" and "The court cannot kill Yan Erlang."

The noise of the people outside the imperial city drifted in through the palace walls. The Ministry of Justice official escorting Yan Shang glanced at him, expecting that the young man would be either ashamed and uneasy or moved to tears by the crowds' shouts outside the wall. He did not expect that when he looked over... the elegant young man seemed to be daydreaming.

Yan Shang was indeed daydreaming.

He remained in a daze until he entered the main hall and saw the officials from all sides who were trying his case.

People from the Censorate, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Ministry of Justice; one glance, and they were clearly divided—one could recognize which side was which at a glance.

Yan Shang saw an acquaintance here, Yang Sanyuan, Yang Si.

Ten days ago, when Yan Shang was thrown into the Ministry of Justice prison, Yang Si had come to the Ministry, made a huge scene, and effectively told them to treat Yan Erlang with respect; if he found out they had humiliated him, the Court of Judicial Review would directly seize the case. Yan Shang had naturally thanked Yang Si for this.

And today... Yang Si sat in the seat of honor on the side of the Court of Judicial Review, his hand on the hilt of his sword, which he had unbuckled and placed on the desk, the blade facing outward, sharp and cold.

With such a posture, it was clear that if the result did not satisfy him, Yang Sanyuan would directly resort to violence.

The people from the Ministry of Justice secretly despised Yang Sanyuan’s lack of decorum, but they also found it strange. A person who liked to use force like that should have been hanging out with their Prince of Qin; how could he be working for the Crown Prince?

The Crown Prince’s path, filled with endless schemes and tricks... could this Yang Sanyuan really adapt to that?

Aside from the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review, Yan Shang saw the people from the Censorate for the first time. What made him slightly stunned was that everyone present was extremely respectful toward the person sent from the Censorate.

Yang Si folded his arms and said impatiently: "What are we waiting for? Start the trial. His Highness the Crown Prince sent me here today to supervise you; none of you should think about causing trouble."

An old voice sighed with a laugh: "Sanyuan, how is it that after all these years in the Eastern Palace, you haven't developed any more patience? Is this how the Crown Prince manages you on a daily basis?"

Yan Shang, standing in the middle of the hall, looked up and saw that as soon as the old man’s voice emerged, everyone in the hall stood up and turned to face the entrance.

Even someone as blunt and arrogant as Yang Si, who relied on the Crown Prince, stood up and took the initiative to help the old man walking in from outside. Although the old man’s hair and beard were white, he was full of vitality, and his pace as he walked into the hall was not the least bit unsteady; rather, he walked with long, confident strides.

Yang Si said awkwardly: "Chancellor Liu, why have you come too?"

Yan Shang’s brows twitched slightly. Hearing Yang Si address him as 'Chancellor,' he knew that a real prime minister had come in person. He became slightly solemn, not expecting that he would actually labor a chancellor to attend.

Someone brought a low stool and invited Chancellor Liu to sit. After sitting down, the Chancellor looked at Yan Shang and sized him up from head to toe.

Chancellor Liu smiled at Yan Shang with slight favor.

Yan Shang hurried to bow and offer his respects.

Only then did the Chancellor reply casually to Yang Si: "While working in the Government Affairs Hall today, several chancellors mentioned the joint trial and were somewhat interested. In Chang'an these days, Yan Erlang’s reputation is like thunder in our ears, and we old fellows were curious what kind of three-headed, six-armed figure could gain such admiration."

"It just so happens that official business is not busy today, so I came over to take a look. You proceed with your trial; do not mind me."

The Government Affairs Hall was located in the Secretariat and was the place where the Great Wei Dynasty’s chancellors handled state affairs.

The Great Wei Dynasty was said to have a collective chancellorship system, but in reality, there were never more than ten chancellors. Currently, there were barely five.

The Chancellor Zhang whom Yan Shang had visited while soliciting letters of recommendation was not among them, but the Chancellor Liu he saw today was another. Adding them up, Yan Shang had actually already seen half of the chancellors.

Yan Shang knew clearly that he was currently being pushed to the forefront of the storm; the slightest carelessness would mean total failure. However, if he won... this would be the best opening move for his entry into the imperial court.

The situation today was so important.

And under such importance, Yan Shang scanned the people in the hall, his heart unable to help but wander, adding to his melancholy.

It had been ten days.

Everyone had come to watch him, this rare 'creature.' Whether it was the Ministry of Justice or someone else, every day someone came to look at him, to ask him questions, wanting to understand the specific process of the conflict between him and the Zheng clan that day.

Over the past ten days, it could be said that except for His Majesty the Emperor, whom he could not see, even the Crown Prince had met with him once. The Crown Prince had told him not to worry, saying that destiny was on his side and that if he waited a few more days, he would be able to get out. The Crown Prince was naturally there to win hearts, and Yan Shang had put on a display of being moved by the other party.

Both sides were very satisfied.

However... with so many people coming, why did Mu Wanyao not pay him any mind at all?

Hearing Yang Sanyuan speak, it was not that she didn't care about this matter; she had actively entered the game, stepping out for the Crown Prince and proposing the motion to purge the powerful clans. She actively cooperated with the Crown Prince, taking the initiative to cut ties with the Zheng clan, and reorganized all the powerful clans that were attached to her to surrender to the Crown Prince.

Yang Sanyuan said impatiently that Mu Wanyao petitioned the Eastern Palace more than ten times every day on average, annoying everyone to no end.

And in Chang'an, Princess Danyang’s reputation for being "wise and sage" had begun to spread.

Why, after she had so actively entered the game, did she not ask about him once, or even look at him? Even if it was inconvenient for her as a Princess to come see him in person, why didn't she have a servant deliver a word to show concern? He had been imprisoned, and even the Crown Prince had come to make a show of it; why wouldn't she even do the superficial work?

Did she not even want the friendship between sovereign and subject?

Even if she were angry at his acting on his own initiative, she could come and curse him or lecture him—that would be her prerogative. But this act of ignoring him completely... was the most disheartening thing of all.

Yan Shang closed his eyes.

Someone on the bench called out: "Yan Erlang, it has begun. Repeat your actions of that day."

Yan Shang snapped back to reality, forcing himself not to think about Mu Wanyao, and put his mind to the task at hand. For the umpteenth time over many days, he repeated the events of that day without impatience...

The joint trial lasted for a whole day.

During this time, those in high positions used stern, harsh words, questioning whether Yan Shang’s actions were to buy fame and manipulate public sentiment; Yan Shang replied neither servile nor overbearing.

Those in superior positions used feigned kindness, leaving traps in their words to force a confession; Yan Shang spoke neither fast nor slow and was not provoked.

Some members of the Zheng clan were brought in to be questioned; they had originally loudly questioned Yan Shang, only to be left tongue-tied and deeply ashamed by his words.

Some people confronted Yan Shang, and some spoke up for him...

Chancellor Liu kept stroking his beard, watching quietly. Sometimes he looked at Yan Shang, and sometimes he looked at those targeting the young man. He did not express an opinion, so the people there acted as if he did not exist.

By evening, most of the people were exhausted, and half of them had already begun to lean toward Yan Shang.

In fact, they had leaned toward Yan Shang from the beginning... it was only because of their duty that they had to hold the trial.

After setting the final result to be released the next day, the joint trial ended. Everyone sent Chancellor Liu out, and Yan Shang was once again taken back to prison.

A whole day of mental tension had left Yan Shang completely exhausted.

None of these court officials were easy to deal with. Compared to them, Yang Sanyuan, who had mingled among them, was as clean and transparent as a fool.

Yan Shang had to summon all his mental energy to deal with them, not even caring about the outcome; he felt he had done his best.

Back in the cell, the prison door was locked again. A jailer brought food and drink with great diligence. Because his spirit had been stretched too thin, Yan Shang had no appetite and politely asked the jailer to take the food away.

The jailer advised: "Young Master, you don't need to panic. I think judging by our Magistrate's intention, you will probably be able to get out of prison tomorrow. As long as the Court of Judicial Review and the Censorate have no objections. And the Court of Judicial Review will definitely not have any... and the Censorate, they shouldn't have any either."

"I heard that when Chancellor Liu left, it didn't look like he disliked you. Young Master, you should at least eat a few bites; who knows if you will be tried again tomorrow?"

Yan Shang replied gently: "I really cannot eat. Just let me rest. I can eat tomorrow. Thank you for taking care of me these past few days."

The jailer quickly said it was nothing, and then said with good intentions: "Young Master, then sleep first. When I change shifts with the others in the second half of the night, I will come over and bring you some food again."

Yan Shang: "There is no need for that..."

The other party was very persistent: "There are not many people like you, Erlang, who speak up for us commoners. Erlang, you must get out of here. When you become a parent-official in the future, if you still remember the food of this day, and remember us commoners... it will be our good fortune."

A flicker of light crossed Yan Shang’s eyes; he nodded and smiled at the small official, not refusing again.

After all, this was a prison. Even if the people of the Ministry of Justice wanted to take care of Yan Shang, they could not move a mansion into his cell.

It was only that other prisoners had no one to manage their food, while his was delivered on time; others slept directly on straw, but his had a mattress laid underneath; others did nothing but stare at the wall when not sleeping, while he had candles and books to read when he was awake.

Basically, everyone assumed that Yan Shang would definitely get out, and no one deliberately made things difficult for him.

Yan Shang washed his face with clear water, lay down, draped his clothes over himself, and went to sleep, thinking that perhaps he would have to battle the scholars with his tongue again tomorrow, so he needed to preserve his strength.

He did not know how long he had been asleep when he suddenly felt something stepping on his hand.

In his daze, he shifted toward the wall, but the thing followed, stepping on his hand again—the one he was using as a pillow.

Rustle, rustle, it did not stop.

Yan Shang opened his eyes in a blur. Through the haze, he saw a young woman dressed in silk and embroidered brocade.

A gorgeous long skirt of gold and red, embroidered with colorful phoenixes, spread out over the straw in the prison. Under the skirt, the tips of upturned beaded shoes peeked out. The thing that had been stepping on Yan Shang’s hand was exactly one of these shoes.

Yan Shang looked up and met Mu Wanyao’s eyes, which were filled with a faint smile.

Yan Shang sat up abruptly. Being in prison, he was not wearing prisoner garb, but he was in his inner garments. Fortunately, it was summer, so it was not too cold.

He sat against the wall, his long hair slightly loose, a few strands brushing against his face. When he looked up at her, there seemed to be stars and water moving in his eyes, which was quite moving.

She appeared suddenly, like a dream, and Yan Shang could not react in time to whether it was a dream or if she had really come to see him.

But just seeing her, seeing her noble and beautiful as always, her lowered eyes and pitch-black pupils staring at him... a feeling of infinite tenderness flooded his heart, followed by a slight sense of resentment.

Yan Shang’s heart drummed like a drum. He murmured: "Your High..."

Mu Wanyao squatted down right in front of him, so that he did not have to look up at her. She reached out to her red lips and made a soft "shh" sound. The moonlight shone in from the small window above, landing on her face.

She was right before him, clear yet seductive; heartless, yet filled with emotion.

Mu Wanyao’s eyes were like spring water, slowly flowing into Yan Shang’s heart: "Do not speak loudly. I came in quietly; I do not want anyone to know. By rights, I should still be at the summer resort, accompanying my father on his summer retreat. You are such a small person that I shouldn't even have come to look at you at all."

Yan Shang stared at her.

At this moment, her scathing words convinced him that she was not a dream, but real.

He said: "Then why did you come?"

Mu Wanyao: "To appreciate how miserable you are right now."

She looked at him without blinking: "Watching Yan Erlang in prison is not something one can see often. Seeing you with your clothes in disarray is not a common occurrence. Watching how you are humiliated, how you are scrutinized, and how you are guarded against like a thief... these are not common things."

Yan Shang remained silent.

After a long time, he said in a low voice: "So you were angry with me, and that is why you refused to see me? Because you felt I didn't listen to you, you were unhappy?"

Mu Wanyao sneered.

She reached out, and her cold hand gripped his chin, forcing him to look at her.

She said: "Do you know how I felt when I heard you killed the head of the Zheng clan that day? If you had been in front of me at that time, I would have slapped you directly."

Yan Shang: "...Then Your Highness does not want to slap me now?"

Mu Wanyao looked at him and said in a low voice: "Was it on purpose? Did you think that by ignoring you, I would be forced to look at you in this way?"

Yan Shang countered: "Is it possible that the commoners oppressed by the Zheng clan are not important at all in Your Highness’s eyes? Do you just think I was acting out of spite against you?"

Mu Wanyao asked in return: "Weren't you acting out of spite against me?"

Yan Shang’s gaze shifted slightly.

Mu Wanyao repeated again: "Weren't you acting out of spite against me?"

He pursed his lips and did not answer.

Mu Wanyao laughed. She leaned in, almost pressing her face against his, making him stiffen against the wall, not daring to move.

She spoke close to his face, examining him: "So, Yan Shang, you are not without selfishness either. You were angry that I ignored you, angry that I turned and left, angry that I didn't look at your letters... While you want to act for the people, you also want to take a little revenge on me, making me have to follow your lead... You calculated me, yet you still think that my ignoring you these past few days was me being in the wrong?"

Her breath brushed against him, her fragrance gentle.

His face was already flushed, his fingers curling in his sleeves.

He lowered his eyes and said: "Since you were angry, you should have come to see me, to question me, to lecture me, or to scold me."

Mu Wanyao looked at him and gave a subtle smile: "At first, I thought about that, but I deliberately chose not to do as you wished. You wanted to see me, but I wouldn't see you. What can you do to me?"

He suddenly raised his eyes to look at her, a flicker of anger in them, which he tried hard to suppress.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his heart: "Your Highness..."

Mu Wanyao interrupted: "I came tonight to punish you."

Yan Shang was stunned and looked at her curiously.

She lowered her eyes, her slender fingers still stroking his chin. Her eyes looked down, staring at his slender neck and the jade-like skin beneath it, looking again and again.

Mu Wanyao smiled: "Yan Shang, you really are asking for it."

Yan Shang: "..."

He froze completely, wondering if he had heard wrong. How could Mu Wanyao say such a thing? Although she had a big temper, she was also a quiet and elegant princess; how could she... As he was dazed, Mu Wanyao suddenly raised her eyes to look at him.

She leaned down and kissed his lips.