Tigers Sniff the Rose - Chapter 61

Chapter 61

The entire Zheng clan was exiled to the southern frontier, signaling the beginning of the end for this intense crackdown on the powerful local clans.

Princess Luling of Luling surrendered the palace temples the Emperor had once built specifically for her and moved to another imperial villa to recuperate.

Many of her handsome male companions were forced to leave her; some were imprisoned, while others fled to far-off places. The Princess of Luling, once infinitely glamorous, now hid in a villa on the outskirts of Chang'an, looking quite desolate.

On a scorching day in the seventh lunar month, Feng Xianyu left his office and made a special trip to the outskirts to visit the Princess.

The scenery in the courtyard remained exquisite, with lush grass and flowers, yet as Feng Xianyu walked through, he always felt it was merely a facade maintained to keep up the Princess’s dwindling dignity.

Separated by curtains, Feng Xianyu paid his respects to the Princess and saw, within the veil, two young actors kneeling at the feet of the immensely noble woman. The two actors were giggling and laughing, trying to amuse the Princess.

Princess Luling lifted her eyelids, saw Feng Xianyu’s arrival, and waved her hand for those around her to withdraw. As the two actors left, looking unwilling, they glared fiercely at Feng Xianyu.

They felt that this man was the reason the Princess was always being persuaded to send them away; he was truly detestable.

Feng Xianyu’s expression did not change. After all, he was a scholar with a proud spirit; how could he possibly lower himself to bicker with these ignorant actors?

Once the room was quiet, Feng Xianyu reported to the Princess: "The crackdown on the powerful clans is gradually drawing to a close. His Highness the Crown Prince said privately that he thanks you for the sacrifices you have made, and he will not forget them."

Princess Luling sneered.

She said slowly: "I hope he truly does not forget."

Feng Xianyu remained silent.

He knew she was merely putting on a brave face. Now that the initiative rested in the hands of the Crown Prince, the Princess… ultimately relied on the Emperor. Once the Emperor ceased to care for her, she would become a discarded pawn.

The Princess spoke in a low voice, filled with a trace of sorrow: "Tell me, why does His Majesty refuse to see me? Why won't he dote on me like before? Is it because that girl Danyang is by his side now, so he has forgotten me? Or is he trying to build momentum for the Crown Prince, so he is giving the Crown Prince face? Why does my imperial brother treat me this way?"

After a long silence, Feng Xianyu replied: "Imperial favor is as unpredictable as thunder and dew. His Majesty’s divine authority is unfathomable; who can truly say? In any case, Your Highness is better off resting here than remaining in Chang'an. When the time comes, perhaps at the year-end grand ceremony, when you enter the palace to see His Majesty again, your favor may be as it once was."

The Princess said languidly: "I cannot fathom my imperial brother's mind. To say he loves power, yet he easily surrendered military and financial authority to his sons for their training. To say he does not love power, yet he still firmly controls the direction of everything. To say he dotes on his princes, yet when Prince Jin injured his leg this time, no one spoke of it openly, and he acted as if he knew nothing; to say he does not dote on his princes, yet he gave the Crown Prince and Yaoyao the opportunity to gain prestige…"

"I do not understand him."

Feng Xianyu said: "Your Highness need not worry about those things. You are a Princess; as long as His Majesty is alive, as long as you do nothing too excessive, no one will dare to move against you. This time, they only acted against those who were your dependents. As long as you remain patient, there is still a possibility of returning to the way things were."

Princess Luling whispered: "Feng Lang, come here."

The curtain lifted slightly, and Feng Xianyu, standing behind it, stiffened slightly as he raised his eyes to look at the woman behind the screen.

The Princess said in a haunting voice: "It has been so long since I have seen you. Since you became a Proofreader, you visit me far less often. I have missed you dearly. Feng Lang, come here and let me look at you properly."

Feng Xianyu stood still for a moment before walking forward.

The curtain was lifted and fell again, with the sound of jade beads clinking softly.

Behind the veil, amidst shifting shadows, the young man and the noble woman embraced. He was cool to the touch, and her face was flushed like peach blossoms.

Overwhelmed by waves of passion, the cicadasong of the late summer afternoon grew faint, sounding only occasionally—

The trip to the summer villa came to an end.

Summer ended, and the crackdown on the powerful clans concluded. The Emperor, though not in Chang'an, had spent an entire month watching a play.

This play was performed by his children, and perhaps only Princess Yuyang did not participate. It allowed the Emperor to carefully examine the intentions of every one of them.

Having watched enough of the play, and with the weather no longer hot, the Emperor ordered the carriage to return to the palace. Princess Danyang, having accompanied the Emperor for over a month, was finally able to return to her own Princess Residence.

A month of accompanying the Emperor had made the bond between the Princess and her father much more intimate.

Occasionally, there was laughter and joking.

While accompanying the Emperor during meals, Princess Danyang even learned to act spoiled and playful. The Emperor was in high spirits and enjoyed seeing his youngest daughter become affectionate once more.

Whether genuine or fake, everyone was working hard to play their roles and portray their images well.

However, upon leaving the summer villa, Mu Yaoyao still brought Chunhua from Prince Jin’s mansion to her side. Mu Yaoyao’s excuse was that she could gift Chunhua to Prince Jin, but Prince Jin had to formally take Chunhua into his mansion.

If a Princess’s maid entered Prince Jin’s mansion, she might not become a noble concubine, but the status that should be given, Prince Jin must provide.

This month, Prince Jin had likely been exhausted as well. Furthermore, Mu Yaoyao had just lost the Zheng clan and was in the worst possible mood. Prince Jin did not wish to cross her, so he easily agreed to the requirement of formally taking Chunhua into the mansion—

At the end of the seventh month, Mu Yaoyao got off her carriage at the entrance of her own lane.

It was not that the carriage could not enter the lane, but someone was at the entrance, blocking the road. By the time the carriage could have negotiated with the person to clear the way, Mu Yaoyao was already impatient and stepped out, her magnificent skirts spilling onto the ground.

Two maids followed the Princess out; Chunhua was not among them. She was hiding in another carriage, feeling unwell and unable to step out to serve the Princess.

Mu Yaoyao saw Yan Shang.

Of course, he did not know when she would return, so seeing him at the entrance was merely a coincidence.

When Mu Yaoyao saw him, he was bent over at the entrance of the alley, surrounded by a group of young children. Yan Shang and two or three of his servants held copper bowls, and amidst the children's noisy clamor, they were distributing maltose candy from the bowls to the children.

Yan Shang’s voice was clear and gentle: "Do not rush, do not rush, everyone will have some."

His personal servant, Yun Shu, had a much louder voice than his master: "You all behave yourselves, don't pull on our master's belt!"

The sudden appearance of Princess Danyang and her entourage startled everyone there. Mu Yaoyao stepped down from the carriage, supported by her maid, and everyone at the alley entrance came forward to pay their respects.

Yan Shang had his back to her, and upon hearing the commotion, he turned around to look at her.

In the instant he turned, his robes were swept by the wind, and his hair ribbon fluttered elegantly. As he looked at her, he was still holding the copper bowl, but his eyes were fixed unwaveringly on her. His gaze was deep and clear, as bright as jade.

Mu Yaoyao stared at him silently, her eyes sweeping over his brows, his collar, and his neck, examining him from head to toe.

No one spoke, and the people around felt that something in the air had changed.

Only after a long while did Yan Shang look away from her gaze, bow with the others, and ask with a hint of a smile in his voice: "Your Highness has returned?"

Mu Yaoyao looked away, avoiding his eyes. She lowered her gaze to look at the children surrounding him and asked: "What is going on here? Have you suddenly started adopting children?"

She was very serious: "I do not accept a group of children living in the same lane as me. If you continue to disturb me like this every day, you should move out."

Yan Shang sighed and laughed.

His smile carried seven parts of joy.

He explained to Mu Yaoyao: "I received a letter from home. My sister-in-law was pregnant for ten months and finally gave birth to the first child in our family. It is a boy, weighing a full eight jin. My older brother wrote to me, and I was so happy that I began distributing maltose sent from home to the children nearby, to share my joy with everyone."

He said with a hint of bashfulness: "It is I who caused such a stir, disturbing Your Highness’s return to the mansion."

Mu Yaoyao was silent.

She thought for a long time, but only vaguely remembered that Yan Shang’s eldest brother was a burly man. Mu Yaoyao could no longer recall his specific appearance, but she barely remembered that he was a very honest and easygoing person.

It was precisely because he was so easygoing that all the affairs of the Yan family were left for the second brother to manage, while the eldest brother had no say at all.

However, now that Yan Shang had arrived in Chang'an, the affairs of the Yan family had once again fallen to the eldest brother. That Yan eldest brother had actually fathered a son… Yan Shang was happy for his brother.

Mu Yaoyao looked down at the children around Yan Shang; they were all noble children, dressed exquisitely, their faces like jade and snow, yet they were all clinging to Yan Shang, seemingly very fond of him.

Mu Yaoyao said coolly: "You like children?"

Yan Shang smiled, looked down at the children beside him, and said: "Who doesn't?"

Mu Yaoyao: "I don't."

The air grew still for a moment.

She looked at him mockingly: "Do you find it unreasonable that I, as a woman, do not like children?"

Yan Shang said: "…Everyone has their own preferences; that is only natural. There is no rule stating that because one is a woman, one must like children."

Mu Yaoyao curled the corners of her lips slightly and stopped speaking.

She had once again found a deep chasm between herself and Yan Shang, right after a month had passed, at a time when she was just starting to enjoy being reunited with him.

Reality reminded her again and again how ill-suited she and Yan Shang were.

He liked children, but she would likely never have the opportunity to have them, whether she liked them or not.

Mu Yaoyao stopped paying attention to Yan Shang and walked toward her mansion. Yan Shang paused briefly where he stood, then handed the copper bowl to a servant and chased after her.

He tugged gently on her sleeve, and when Mu Yaoyao looked at him, he offered her a piece of maltose.

Mu Yaoyao: "I have no interest in such candy for coaxing children."

Yet Yan Shang remembered that in Lingnan, when she was ill, she liked eating candy so much.

Yan Shang said: "Treat it as Your Highness celebrating the birth of my brother’s son with me, alright? I offer Your Highness a few candies; please give my brother a bit of face, will you?"

Mu Yaoyao looked at him, and he raised his eyes to look back. Her heart felt unsettled, and she looked away but did not refute him.

Yan Shang smiled slightly.

He followed her to the Princess Residence. As Mu Yaoyao stepped up to enter, she turned back and saw Yan Shang still following.

Mu Yaoyao: "…Why are you still following me? Are you that idle?"

Yan Shang’s face flushed slightly.

He whispered: "I will come to find you at night, alright?"

Mu Yaoyao: "…"

Her mood was complex.

She thought to herself, why would he come to see her at night? Surely not just to lie under the quilts and talk? His intentions were a bit too obvious!

Mu Yaoyao, however, was distressed because she did not know what to do about her relationship with Yan Shang, and she did not know how to answer.

If she were to grit her teeth and break it off with him, telling him she had never been interested in him and that he should stop pestering her, she could not bring herself to be that cruel. If she were to be sweet and carefree with him, she feared she would lose control, and she feared that Yan Shang would be led astray by her.

Since she could not give him a promise, she was only delaying him.

But she was ultimately too greedy for Yan Shang’s kindness… just like the candy he had pressed into her hand. It was sweet but not cloying; who would have the heart to throw it away after only tasting it once?

Mu Yaoyao was lost in thought for a moment when Yan Shang tugged at her sleeve again. He said: "Does Your Highness have nothing to say that we can't talk about inside? Must we pester each other at the gate like this?"

Mu Yaoyao: "…"

Was she the one pestering him?!

It was he who insisted on saying he would come see her at night, making her so conflicted.

Mu Yaoyao pulled her sleeve from his hand and said with extreme courtesy: "I am very busy and have no time for you. Study hard and stop thinking about such useless things; it wastes your time and mine."

Yan Shang froze for a moment and looked up at her, as if trying to probe what she truly meant.

Mu Yaoyao avoided his gaze, fearing he would see her hesitation, and hurried into the mansion. Because of her haste, she tripped on the stairs, and hearing Yan Shang sigh behind her, she immediately turned around, her face red with annoyance.

He looked away, pretending he had not seen her almost tripping. Yet his posture remained stoic and free, and a hint of a smile hung on his lips, making Mu Yaoyao even more shy and angry—

At night, Mu Yaoyao pushed open the door to the guest room and saw Chunhua writing a letter at the desk.

Since Prince Jin’s mansion would send someone to pick Chunhua up tomorrow, it was no longer appropriate for her to live in the maids' quarters. Mu Yaoyao had specifically cleared a room for her. As she entered to visit her former maid, Chunhua stood up and bowed to the Princess with some haste.

Chunhua was already more than two months pregnant; although she was not yet physically inconvenienced, this pregnancy often caused her morning sickness.

However, gradually, a hazy beauty unique to a mother began to appear on Chunhua.

Chunhua welcomed the Princess to sit, knelt on the floor beside the Princess’s skirt, and bowed her head: "Your Highness."

Mu Yaoyao picked up the letter she had left on the desk and saw it was written to Liu Wenji.

Mu Yaoyao scanned it briefly, and Chunhua whispered her explanation: "I told Master Liu that I am seriously ill and will not live much longer. I asked him not to think of me, and after I am gone, not to come looking for me. I am clean; I am a maid of the Princess Residence. I do not wish for people to say after my death that I was entangled with a man outside, damaging the reputation of the Princess Residence."

Chunhua leaned against Mu Yaoyao’s knee, looking into the void, whispering: "After I enter the Prince’s mansion, if Master Liu writes again, please send this letter I wrote today to him. Tell him that I am already gone, let him not miss me, and let him live his life well."

Her eyes brimmed with tears, and she managed a forced smile, but it looked very stiff: "Didn’t he prepare to marry me before? Didn’t he even start the betrothal process? That’s good. Now he doesn’t have to prepare anything more. When he meets another good woman, he can propose directly. In the letter, I asked him to treat the other woman well and not mention me to anyone."

"Just… just act as if… as if I never had anything to do with him."

The fingers holding the letter trembled slightly, and Mu Yaoyao felt her heart suddenly gripped, as if she could not breathe.

She was deeply distressed, tilted her head, and said in a hoarse voice: "I will help look after Liu Wenji. If he fails the imperial examination again next year, I will not wait for him to beg everywhere; I will directly arrange a government position for him."

"Don’t worry. As long as he does not stand against my interests, I will always protect him a little."

Chunhua smiled: "That is good."

The room was quiet, and the mistress and servant remained silent for a long time.

After a while, Mu Yaoyao looked down and saw tears splashing onto the floor mat.

Mu Yaoyao paused, knelt on the floor, and signaled for Chunhua to look at her.

Chunhua raised her face; it was indeed covered in tears.

With tears in her eyes, Chunhua asked with a smile: "Your Highness, by entering Prince Jin’s mansion, did I help you? Did I hinder your plans, did I do anything useless, did I cause you any trouble?"

In that moment, tears flooded Mu Yaoyao’s eyes.

But she gritted her teeth, forcing herself to be strong. The maid was fragile, so she could not be. She still had to hold up this Princess Residence. After Chunhua entered the Prince’s mansion, if she lived poorly, she would still have to rely on her.

Mu Yaoyao scolded: "Fool! Of course you helped me. You bought me time, giving me time to make arrangements."

"You were just plotted against. You were merely a pawn. They needed you, this pawn, to play its part; they needed you to enter Prince Jin’s mansion to alienate me from the Crown Prince… You had no choice, and you are not at fault. You did not do anything useless, and you certainly did not cause me trouble."

"You are just a maid; do not think too much about the schemes of those people. But after you enter the Prince’s mansion, you must be careful; I will not be able to look after you much. Keep a low profile… If the child in your womb can survive and become the first child in Prince Jin’s mansion, you must follow the Prince’s wife closely. Only the Prince’s wife can protect you; only she has the standing to take charge for you."

"You must serve the Prince’s wife just as you served me…"

Chunhua sobbed but nodded.

Mu Yaoyao gritted her teeth: "Also, cut ties with your mother and brother! Do not contact them again!"

Chunhua’s eyes filled with sorrow as she said miserably: "Naturally. I will not repeat the same mistakes. From now on, I will only give them a little money each year, but I will never see them again, and I will never give them the opportunity to plot against me. In this life, one has no family… but one can still live. So Your Highness should not be sad for family."

Mu Yaoyao said: "I was not sad for family to begin with."

Chunhua gave a helpless smile, knowing the Princess would never admit it. She looked up at Mu Yaoyao and whispered: "Then, Your Highness, please let me go. Do not think of me anymore."

With tears hanging on her eyelashes, she repeated softly: "Let me go."

From her fingers to her heart, Mu Yaoyao felt a numbing pain because of that "let me go." She tightened her jaw and pulled Chunhua into her arms. Both women were trembling slightly; Chunhua wanted to say it was inappropriate, but she reached out with trembling hands to hug the Princess’s frail shoulders.

She thought she had helped the Princess a little.

That was enough.

Although she was the only one shedding tears and the Princess did not shed a single one, Chunhua felt she knew the pain in the Princess’s heart—

The next day, Prince Jin’s mansion indeed sent people to the Danyang Princess Residence, left the betrothal gifts, and welcomed Chunhua into the carriage.

Chunhua wore the magnificent clothes she had never worn before, receiving the formal courtesies that she had never received as a servant. Upon entering Prince Jin’s mansion, she was no longer a maid but a concubine of the Prince. To jump from a maid to a mistress, everyone should have been happy.

The Princess Residence was filled with more voices of blessing.

Mu Yaoyao stood expressionless at the gate of the Princess Residence; after all, Chunhua was her personal maid, and coming out like this to watch was giving Chunhua face.

Mu Yaoyao stood at the gate and saw Yan Shang come out from across the way. He stood at the entrance of his residence looking at her, his eyes filled with concern.

Mu Yaoyao shook her head at him, indicating she was fine and he need not worry.

Everything was normal, but just as the carriage drove out of the alley, a person suddenly darted out, running toward the carriage and shouting: "Chunhua! Chunhua!"

Chunhua, sitting in the carriage, froze, her hand resting on the carriage door, recognizing whose voice it was.

Mu Yaoyao and Yan Shang, standing in the alley, were also stunned. Mu Yaoyao hadn't yet realized who it was when she saw Yan Shang’s expression change; he stepped down from the platform and strode toward the entrance of the alley. Seeing such a scene, Mu Yaoyao realized it must be Liu Wenji.

Mu Yaoyao immediately looked at Fang Tong, and the others hurried to follow the Second Young Master Yan.

Mu Yaoyao’s heart beat fast as she lifted her skirt to follow them, fearing that something might go wrong today.

She feared this incident would cause misunderstandings at the beginning of Chunhua’s life in Prince Jin’s mansion.

Liu Wenji chased the carriage, holding a letter in his hand, shouting: "Chunhua! Chunhua! I know you are in there! You lied to me, saying you were ill, fearing you would infect me, and asked me not to see you. But Chunhua, Chunhua! How can I not worry! How can I ignore you!"

He chased the carriage, crying out: "Where are you going? You are not sick, are you? Chunhua, Chunhua… let us not forget each other, let me love you dearly! Have you forgotten? Have you forgotten!"

The guards surrounding the area blocked and pinned him down. He struggled to break through, fighting the guards, breaking free, and running forward two more steps before being pinned down again by the Princess’s guards.

Liu Wenji fell to the ground, watching helplessly as the carriage drove away. The guards and maids surrounding the carriage looked back curiously.

Liu Wenji shouted: "Let us not forget each other, let me love you dearly!"

Pinned to the ground, his robes stained with mud, his voice grew louder and hoarser. Suddenly, Yan Shang rushed over and covered his mouth. Yan Shang blocked the guards who were about to strike and subdue Liu Wenji, and embraced his friend, using his hand to cover Liu Wenji's mouth so he could make no sound.

The guards: "Second Young Master…"

Yan Shang’s voice was tense: "I will handle it! Do not make a move!"

But the guards were afraid Liu Wenji would shout something inappropriate, and seeing the Second Young Master Yan refusing to budge, they had no choice but to act… however, Mu Yaoyao’s voice followed immediately: "Are you all insane! Who gave you permission to touch Yan Shang! Stop immediately!"

Yan Shang hugged Liu Wenji from behind, blocking his mouth, his voice trembling as he whispered: "Wenji, do not make a sound, do not make a sound! Things have come to this, things have come to this… for her sake, do not ruin her reputation!"

Liu Wenji’s eyes were filled with hot tears, and because he had been beaten by the guards, his face was stained with dirt, and there were bruises on the corner of his eyes.

He looked at Yan Shang in anger, struggling to question him with his eyes.

Yan Shang closed his eyes, his voice trembling: "I will tell you everything, I will tell you… but do not disturb her."

"She needs to be well, she needs to climb to a higher place, she needs to be free of distractions. Right?"

On the hand that Yan Shang was using to cover Liu Wenji’s mouth, a hot tear splashed onto the back of his hand.

Mu Yaoyao stood at the alley entrance, watching Yan Shang kneel on the ground, holding and hugging Liu Wenji without a hint of disdain for his dirty state.

The carriage moved far away; the woman inside, crying like a river, did not lift the curtain to look back even once. The people from the Princess Residence suppressed all of this, preventing the influence of the incident from spreading. Only when the carriage could no longer be seen did Yan Shang let go; his hand was already covered with bleeding bite marks from Liu Wenji.

Mu Yaoyao watched, feeling anxious.

Liu Wenji lost his strength, falling back into Yan Shang’s arms, sobbing bitterly: "Why did it have to be this way… why this way!"

Mu Yaoyao stared at this scene, stunned.

She walked over, crouched beside Yan Shang, and took his bleeding hand, looking at the bite marks. Liu Wenji was crying uncontrollably; Chunhua was gone to the Prince’s mansion, and Mu Yaoyao simply knelt there quietly, watching Yan Shang’s hand.

Yan Shang turned his face to look at her, his eyes still gentle.

He laughed softly: "It’s fine, don’t worry about me. Let's take Brother Liu back first."

Mu Yaoyao held Yan Shang’s bleeding hand, saying nothing, her expression cold; she simply leaned her forehead against his shoulder. Only in this way did she feel she could walk out of the tragedy of Liu Wenji and Chunhua.

She knew it was impossible for her to let go of this man. Her reason told her to stay away, but her heart made her move closer.

Yan Shang was too good… even if he was good to everyone, she could never bear to let go of his hand.