Tigers Sniff the Rose - Chapter 73
Chapter 73
When good-natured lovers are together, they can never help but be clingy and affectionate, finding it impossibly difficult to part ways.
Even though Yan Shang knew full well what he had to do, even as Mu Wanyao walked him all the way here, he still found the words "you should head back" impossible to say when he turned to bid her farewell.
Under the shimmering light, Mu Wanyao looked up and caught the hesitation in Yan Shang’s expression.
She found it amusing for a moment, wondering if it were truly possible for a man to harbor such tender, reluctant feelings for a woman.
Then, she felt moved, thinking that perhaps only a man as gentle as Yan Shang could be this way.
Hearing the sound of a gong, Mu Wanyao tilted her head toward the source of the noise. She was surprised to see street vendors actually doing business in a place like the North Alley; they had set up a tent, hung lanterns, and rigged up bamboo poles.
These quick-witted peddlers had used the bamboo poles to assemble a makeshift rack, hanging small wooden plaques all over it. The plaques were inscribed with characters like "Jia," "Yi," and "Bing." Correspondingly, the ground was spread with an array of interesting little trinkets that matched these "Jia," "Yi," and "Bing" categories.
"Clang—" The gong rang out again in the hand of a loud-voiced peddler, sounding exceptionally crisp.
"Who is making that noise?" At a window on an upper floor, someone pushed open three or four shutters with great impatience. A delicate, beautifully adorned lady looked down at the street, clearly displeased: "It’s noisy to death!"
The peddler, looking to do business, naturally kept a fawning smile on his face: "My ladies, my young masters, please take a look! We have bows and arrows prepared here. As long as you ladies have your favorite young master shoot and hit the item you desire, you can take it home for free! Twenty copper coins a round! None of the items displayed here are worth less than twenty coins."
"You are all ladies and masters of discerning taste and great talent. Why not come and take a look? Am I lying to you?"
Sure enough, the peddler’s gong and his shouting attracted quite a few young masters who had come to the North Alley to enjoy themselves. Surrounded by their favorite ladies, they stepped up one by one to draw their bows and show off their skills in front of their beauties. This small stall was instantly thronged with people.
People in Chang'an all favored those who were skilled in both pen and sword; coming here, and being in the presence of ladies, everyone naturally wanted to show off a little.
For a time, laughter and cheers erupted from the crowd.
Mu Wanyao watched as they played, finding it interesting. She didn’t particularly like games, but among the items displayed on the ground were a dozen or so hand-painted clay figurines that were so vivid and cute that they immediately captured her heart. Mu Wanyao was itching to try, bowing her head to ponder if she could pass as a man and shoot one for herself.
The trouble was that the customs of Chang'an were very open, and young ladies often wore men’s clothing. She was currently wearing the slit-sleeved robes typical of men, but not a single soul in Chang'an would mistake her for one.
In such an open society with such discerning citizens, how could she make people believe she was a man?
Yan Shang and Mu Wanyao had only stood there for a moment when his keen ability to read the situation surfaced. Yan Shang smiled and said: "Your Highn—if there is any small item you like, I can shoot one for you."
Mu Wanyao looked up at him.
She sized him up from head to toe.
Yan Shang’s body was like a pine or cypress, his face like fine jade; his temperament was so indifferent, refined, and effortlessly graceful.
As he had grown older and spent more time in Chang'an, his air of refinement had only become more pronounced. It was so pronounced that one could never associate such a person with someone who played with swords and blades.
So, after staring at him for a long time, Mu Wanyao said: "Forget it. I might as well rely on my men's clothing to fool everyone than rely on you."
Yan Shang: "..."
He pursed his lips. Even for a man like him, being questioned by his lover regarding his capabilities could not be dismissed entirely as if it didn't matter.
Yan Shang said: "I am actually quite capable at archery."
He hesitated for a moment.
Yan Shang had always disliked bragging, but seeing Mu Wanyao’s lack of trust, he finally suppressed his embarrassment, violated his own principles, and boasted: "General Qin even praised my skills as being good enough for the battlefield."
Mu Wanyao looked at him.
She couldn't recall who General Qin was, but the fact that Yan Shang was actually boasting... after he finished, his face turned unnaturally red, showing an expression of regret and self-reproach.
A once-in-a-millennium sight!
Mu Wanyao was instantly excited, grabbing his hand: "Let's go, let's go, let's go shoot some arrows!"
Regardless of whether Yan Shang was truly capable or not, just for saying that, she couldn't let it go—
Wearing a mask, Meng Zaishi stood with his arms crossed under a lantern in front of the ground floor, watching the couple.
He watched as the young lad was forcefully pulled away by the young princess, with a display of resisting yet giving in.
The youth’s silhouette was slender and imposing, his features refined and handsome, but what was even more extraordinary was his entire aura. Like jade, meticulously carved, he was exactly what the Great Wei had always championed as the appearance of a true gentleman.
Meng Zaishi tutted, thinking that Mu Wanyao was indeed a Princess of the Great Wei after all.
No matter how long she had stayed in Wuman, her aesthetic preferences still leaned toward the trends championed by the Great Wei.
Meng Zaishi watched them silently for a long time before following them.
Meng Zaishi and his entourage had claimed they were in the Great Wei to slowly study the local customs, but with the time remaining being short, they were still rushing to arrive in time for the year-end grand ceremony.
Among the group, Meng Zaishi had the highest martial arts prowess. At this hour of the night, the other Wuman people were still traveling through the night. The fake king was being kept under tight watch by Luo Xiu, the envoy sent by the Southern Barbarian King, but the true King of Wuman, Meng Zaishi, had already used "scouting the situation" as an excuse to enter Chang'an.
He had arrived at the most prosperous and lively part of Chang'an: the North Alley.
It would not be until the day after tomorrow, when the main force of the Wuman arrived in Chang'an, that Meng Zaishi would rendezvous with them.
Chang'an had a curfew, and after entering the city, the only places Meng Zaishi could move freely at night were areas like the North Alley. He never expected that he would have a long-overdue reunion with Princess Danyang in the North Alley.
And he certainly didn't expect that Mu Wanyao would be so unwilling to endure loneliness. Having only been back in Chang'an for two years, she already had a beautiful young man by her side.
She had deceived and used him in the past; he wondered how much true affection she held for the young man beside her today?
Meng Zaishi gave a dry laugh to himself, following behind them as they squeezed into the crowd, intending to play at archery. Meng Zaishi arched an eyebrow, his own interest piqued—
Very well.
Having just arrived in Chang'an, he hadn't brought a welcome gift for the little princess.
Winning an item here by archery to serve as a welcome gift would suffice.
Meng Zaishi also joined the crowd—
As Meng Zaishi silently squeezed in, Yan Shang had already nocked an arrow, and Mu Wanyao was standing beside him, nervously clutching his sleeve.
Yan Shang said softly: "Your Highness, please don't grab my sleeve; it makes it difficult for me to act."
Mu Wanyao scolded him: "Look at you, didn't I say you weren't capable? You are truly too much trouble."
Saying this, she released his sleeve, and so as not to disturb him, she moved two steps to the side.
A tall man standing nearby stopped.
The peddler enthusiastically said: "Young master, would you also like to shoot? Twenty copper coins a round."
Mu Wanyao glanced over casually, her gaze lingering on the man’s mask for only a moment before shifting away, more concerned with Yan Shang’s situation.
Meng Zaishi nodded, remaining silent, fearing that his accent would reveal his true identity. He simply flicked a coin purse at the peddler. The peddler immediately beamed and went to fetch a bow and arrows.
Meng Zaishi toyed with the bow in his hand, a smirk on his face. This was not a bow that could be truly used... it had clearly been tampered with, making it easy for the arrow to go off course.
He glanced at the peddler, his gaze as cold as a frozen blade, enough to slice through skin and bone, leaving one bleeding.
This towering, cold-blooded aura made the peddler freeze. The peddler read the situation and whispered: "Young master, would you like me to replace the bow for you?"
Meng Zaishi sneered.
At such a close range, he could hit the target throwing an object by hand, let alone needing a replacement.
Pushing the peddler aside, Meng Zaishi caught sight of Yan Shang and Mu Wanyao whispering to each other in the corner. Meng Zaishi didn't care at all; he casually drew the bow, took only a perfunctory aim, and let the arrow fly. At the same moment, the arrow in the hand of the man beside him was also released.
The delicate, joyful voice of a young lady rang out: "Hit! You hit it!"
The voice was crisp, like an oriole, filled with upbeat excitement and uncontrollable laughter.
Hearing this, Meng Zaishi felt his heart go hollow, assuming she was laughing because he had hit the target. The corner of his lips curled into a smile as he turned his head to look beside him, but his gaze froze.
It was not the young princess clinging to him, joyfully revealing a smile and praising his prowess.
Mu Wanyao was holding Yan Shang’s arm, pulling on it as she stomped and jumped in delight. Dressed in men’s attire, she could not conceal her charming, girlish spirit. As Mu Wanyao pulled on Yan Shang and laughed, her eyebrows arched, and there was not a trace of gloom in her eyes.
She was carefree, like a little girl, happily following her lad, leaning in to whisper and act spoiled with him.
Meng Zaishi watched, stunned, his heart feeling empty.
He felt as if he had never seen her in such a pure state. She had never been pure when dealing with him, using every strategy in the book... could it be that the Mu Wanyao he knew was not the real Mu Wanyao?
He had taught her not to depend on men, and she had learned it well when they were in Wuman.
But why, upon returning to Great Wei, was she acting like a little girl again, tilting her head and looking at a man with joyful eyes?
Meng Zaishi was lost in thought, while the peddler pointed at the clay figurine, feeling heartbroken, and prepared to give it to him. Meng Zaishi gestured toward the opposite side, signaling the peddler to give the figurine to Mu Wanyao.
The peddler looked back and felt slightly awkward. The young lady clearly had a young master by her side, and that young master had also hit his target... wouldn't it be inappropriate to just rush over and give it to her?
But just as the peddler wanted to argue with Meng Zaishi, he found himself being stared at by Meng Zaishi’s cold, chilling eyes. Feeling a shiver go down his spine, he steeled himself and went over anyway—
Mu Wanyao was happily cradling the clay figurine that Yan Shang had won, praising it endlessly: "So you really can hit the target?"
Yan Shang sighed: "I told you already; it was you who didn't believe me."
Mu Wanyao laughed: "Well, I believe you now. Hurry, hurry, help me shoot a few more! I like these little clay figurines so much."
Yan Shang whispered: "It is not easy for a small peddler to do business; they are only doing this to gain favor for twenty copper coins. But the true value of each of these figurines is far more than twenty coins. Since you have already hit one, damaging their profit once, why not let it be? Do not ruin their chance to make a living."
Mu Wanyao: "..."
She looked up with an expressionless face, gave him a cold look, and said: "You really are a killjoy."
Yan Shang said: "If you like them, I will spend the money to buy them for you. Let us just stop shooting."
Mu Wanyao rolled her eyes at him.
Then, her eyes darted, and she begged: "Then, can you shoot just one more time? Look, no one else around here can hit the target; we are the only ones who did. People around are even saying this stall is a scam; if you hit the target, aren't you indirectly proving that they aren't cheating people? Just help them out one more time."
She pouted, pointing longingly at a figurine on the ground that was wearing a silly grin: "That is the one I like the most! I didn't let you shoot it before because I didn't know you were this pedantic. Can you shoot one more time? Just once. It won't cost them much money, will it?"
Yan Shang, not wanting to see her unhappy, hesitated before walking back toward the peddler. Mu Wanyao immediately beamed, happily following behind him, clutching the figurine he had already given her in her arms.
Unexpectedly, when the two arrived, they saw the peddler hugging the figurine Mu Wanyao had wanted to his chest. Mu Wanyao became anxious, but before she could ask, the peddler walked over, intending to give the figurine to her. Mu Wanyao dodged backward, looking at the man with suspicion, while Yan Shang stepped in front of her, looking at the peddler with a question in his eyes.
The peddler gave a bitter smile: "The guest over there just hit the target, and it is a gift for the young lady..."
Yan Shang and Mu Wanyao looked over and locked eyes with a tall, masked man. Seeing that man, Mu Wanyao’s gaze shrank slightly; she instinctively felt that the man was dangerous and wanted to stay far away from him.
Mu Wanyao immediately turned her head and said coldly: "I don't want it! I don't care for it!
"Yan Er-brother, let’s go! I don't care for things from foul men!"
The peddler was caught in the middle; one person wanted to give, and the other refused to receive, leaving him nearly in tears. Fortunately, there was Yan Shang.
Yan Shang took the clay figurine the peddler was trying to give away, smiled at the masked man, and said gently: "In that case, thank you, sir, for giving my younger sister such a gift. However, we are not greedy people; here are twenty copper coins, please accept them as a gift from you."
Yan Shang took out the money, the peddler took it, and Meng Zaishi stood stunned as he watched twenty copper coins return to his own hand.
Meng Zaishi: "..."
Light and shadow flickered like water and fire intertwining. Yan Shang stood in the intersection of light and shadow, clutching the clay figurine, bowed slightly to Meng Zaishi, and turned, leading the satisfied Mu Wanyao into the crowd.
Meng Zaishi looked down again, watching the copper coins in his palm with complex feelings. A new interest sparked in him:
The man the little princess likes this time is eloquent, knows how to advance and retreat, and is really quite extraordinary—
The encounter between the three that night was silent, with no one taking notice. After parting with Meng Zaishi, Yan Shang went to the North Tune of the North Alley, which set Mu Wanyao’s mind at ease.
The North Alley had three "tunes"; the majority of the courtesans were distributed in the eastern tunes. The tunes were the Middle Tune, the Southern Tune, and the Northern Tune. Among them, the Northern Tune was where the low-to-mid-tier courtesans resided. Many official courtesans and the daughters of disgraced officials were demoted to the Northern Tune.
If Yan Shang had gone to the Southern or Middle Tune, Mu Wanyao would have suspected him of patronizing brothels. But since he went to the Northern Tune... the possibility was infinitesimal; he truly had something to do and someone to find.
Did Yan Shang really think she had followed him all the way to the North Alley because she couldn't bear to part with him? She was just worried about him and wanted to keep an eye on him. She had never trusted men, not even Yan Shang.
After confirming Yan Shang was fine, Mu Wanyao didn't care what he was doing. She carried the two figurines and left, taking a carriage back to her estate. Sitting in the carriage, she looked at the two figurines again and again, unable to put them down.
Following this, Mu Wanyao still had the grand ceremony to attend to. With only a few days left, she had to devote all her energy to it.
As for Mu Wanyao hosting the palace banquet for the grand ceremony, there were naturally those who were dissatisfied and discussed it in secret.
When the Prince of Jin entered the palace to see his mother, Consort Xian, he heard her complaining about Mu Wanyao overstepping her authority.
After Consort Xian finished complaining about Mu Wanyao, she saw the Prince of Jin remain unmoved and said angrily: "Look at the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qin, both busy with the grand ceremony; why aren't you striving for anything? Now that the Noble Consort is under house arrest, I wanted to try and secure the grand banquet for you, to help you gain face before His Majesty... but look at you, why are you so indifferent?"
The Prince of Jin said: "It is of no consequence."
He lowered his eyes and said: "I have been transcribing the Classic of Filial Piety recently and have gained profound insight. Father is physically and mentally exhausted, and Elder Brother and Third Brother have already made him very busy; naturally, I should let Father worry less about me. If Mother is bored, why not transcribe books with me?"
Consort Xian: "...You are actually trying to persuade me to be an idle person with you?"
The Prince of Jin said: "Cultivating one’s moral character, there is nothing wrong with that."
After a long while, seeing Consort Xian glaring at him, he realized she was his mother, and the Prince of Jin couldn't keep everything from her. He leaned toward his mother’s ear and whispered: "Mother, do not worry. Father likes a virtuous monarch, likes those with a good reputation among the common people... Am I not staying in the Ministry of Works to gain the support of the people?
"Otherwise, the Ministry of Works is the lowest of the six ministries; no matter how untalented I am, I wouldn't need to cling to it."
"The 'Classic of History' says, (Emperor Yao) was respectful, enlightened, refined, and thoughtful, peaceful and tranquil; he was genuinely respectful and able to yield, his brilliance reaching to the four corners of the world, extending above and below. He was able to illuminate the virtuous and bright, and in this way, bring harmony to the nine branches of his kin. Once the nine branches of his kin were in harmony, he distinguished and regulated the common people. When the common people were enlightened, he brought harmony to the ten thousand nations."
"I have been taught this passage by my grand tutor since childhood; sometimes when Father asks me about my studies, he will stare at this passage for a long time without turning the page. I suspect Father has always valued this passage. Although Father himself is not like that, he reveres Emperor Yao."
"Father, he has seen too many cunning and ambitious people in his life. Because he is aggressive and overbearing himself, he will prefer those who are honest, obedient, simple, and upright. Have I not been working toward this for so many years?"
Consort Xian was temporarily persuaded by the Prince of Jin, but remained half-doubting.
What kind of heir the Emperor liked was nothing more than the Prince of Jin’s own guess. Could this guess be counted as truth? According to the Prince of Jin, His Majesty did not like the theory of pedigree or the theory of ambition. His Majesty did not need the other party to be intelligent and wise, nor did he need them to conquer the four corners of the world. Among the three princes, His Majesty should dislike the Crown Prince the most... yet there was no sign of the Emperor restricting the Crown Prince?
The Prince of Jin gave a bitter smile: "It is only my guess. But once one has a guess, one must walk that path to the end. Abandoning halfway is a great taboo."
Consort Xian remained silent for a long time before saying: "Then, since you are determined to walk the path of yielding and respect, once you have played the part long enough, you will truly become that kind of person and will never be able to return to who you were. Having become a saint in this way, you have cut off all other paths except that of being a saint; you will not be able to do anything else... is this really a good thing?"
The Prince of Jin said calmly: "I cannot worry about that now. My two brothers have their own strengths; if I want to surpass them, this is the only way."
Consort Xian whispered: "Do you really believe that by just standing still, the throne will automatically fall into your lap?"
The Prince of Jin said nothing, thinking to himself that it might actually fall into his lap.
The Prince of Jin smiled and changed the subject: "In two days, I will have Chunhua come into the palace to pay her respects to Mother; the imperial physicians have said that her child is a boy, which I imagine is quite good."
Speaking of the Prince of Jin’s offspring, Consort Xian grew happy. But she was also a bit worried: "Chunhua being pregnant is a good thing, but why is there no movement from your wife? Is she unable to conceive? It would be best to have someone look at her."
The Prince of Jin said: "The Princess has already had it hard enough; she invited a Buddha statue into our estate, and the mansion is full of smoke and fire all day from her incense burning. Since she has already had it so hard, Mother should not push her to have children."
Consort Xian felt displeased hearing her son speak up for his wife. Mothers-in-law were naturally at odds with their daughters-in-law, even in the imperial family.
Consort Xian said: "What is this talk? Am I not concerned for your heirs, concerned for her position? I have broken my heart over you all, and now you find me annoying?"
Her son being childless had caused her anxiety for so many years. Now that she finally saw hope, she naturally wanted to ask for more.
The Prince of Jin’s wife best have a child. If she had a child, regardless of whether the firstborn was a boy or girl, it would be better than it was now... at least it would prove that the Princess of Jin could conceive.
Now the Prince of Jin’s household was slowly beginning to branch out; other women could conceive, and if the Princess of Jin remained childless, her position would not be stable—
The Wuman envoys arrived in Chang'an and reported to the Court of State Ceremonial.
The court panicked internally for only a moment before setting about to welcome the Wuman envoys in an orderly fashion. Such unhurried, great-power demeanor, along with the scenery of Chang'an they had seen along the way, left the Wuman group feeling somewhat intimidated.
Facing the officials sent by the Great Wei court, Meng Zaishi had the fake king lead Luo Xiu, the envoy sent by the Southern Barbarian King who was supervising them, to rest in the lodging arranged by the Court of State Ceremonial, while Meng Zaishi himself led a few people to follow the Great Wei officials to the Court of State Ceremonial to provide information for the Great Wei’s arrangements.
This time, entering the Court of State Ceremonial to see the Great Wei officials, out of respect, Meng Zaishi had removed his mask.
A long scar slashed across half his face, making his handsome features lookç‹°ç‹ž and terrifying. The official welcoming them looked only once before lowering his head, not daring to look again.
Arriving at the Court of State Ceremonial, the leading official breathed a sigh of relief. Meng Zaishi, relying on his half-baked official Great Wei language, heard the other party shout: "Yan Suchen! The Wuman envoys have arrived; come out and receive them quickly."
It should have been Yan Shang who personally received them, but Yan Shang had been held up by a matter, so another official who did not speak the Wuman language had been forced to harden his scalp, hurry up, and learn a few phrases along the way to receive the Wuman guests. Now that they had arrived at the court, the official breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly shouted for Yan Shang to come out.
Meng Zaishi heard the young master’s clear, gentle voice: "Sorry to trouble you, brother. Please, brother, go inside and have some tea."
Meng Zaishi looked up and saw a young lad in a white robe with a round collar and a head-wrap walking out from the hall to meet them.
Refined and elegant, like jade reflecting light.
The other party descended the stairs, looked up and smiled slightly at them, and bent to perform a traditional bow. He spoke to them in pure, impeccable Wuman language: "Gentlemen, please follow me."
His aura and bearing made the group of barbarians behind Meng Zaishi feel uncomfortable, as if they were being compared to savages.
This young lad made Meng Zaishi freeze instantly, as this refined and elegant youth was clearly the same one he had seen in the North Alley with Mu Wanyao that night.
Meng Zaishi narrowed his eyes: ...He is actually an official—
Meng Zaishi and his party followed Yan Shang, listening to him use their language to introduce the local customs and things they needed to be mindful of.
Yan Shang finally said: "I require the well-wishing note written to His Majesty by Wuman, so that I may translate it and submit it to the palace."
The people behind Meng Zaishi looked at him blankly; they were timid, thinking, what note? They hadn't heard of such a thing.
To their surprise, their king had been prepared and tossed out a scroll. They saw the young official lower his head, take a look, say "very well," and then take the scroll away to translate it, telling them they could act freely and did not need to remain at the Court of State Ceremonial.
Meng Zaishi suddenly said in unpracticed official Great Wei language: "May I follow and see how you translate it?"
Yan Shang was stunned for a moment, and hearing that the other party could actually speak the Great Wei language, he raised his eyebrows and smiled warmly, saying yes.
Yan Shang returned to his office, and after politely asking the other party to take a seat, he sat behind the desk and began to transcribe the scroll, translating it into the Great Wei language.
Meng Zaishi crossed his arms and looked around the room, eventually settling his gaze on Yan Shang. He stared at him for a long time before suddenly saying: "I heard your officials call you ‘Yan something’ just now. Is your surname Yan?"
Yan Shang looked up and smiled: "Indeed. Does the gentleman have any insights?"
Meng Zaishi asked curiously: "Are you very close with Princess Danyang?"
Yan Shang paused, continued to lower his head and write, still amiable: "We have some small connection."
Meng Zaishi became even more curious: "Your surnames sound the same, so do you know someone named ‘Yan Shisheng’?"
Yan Shang: "..."
As he rolled up his sleeves to lift his wrist and write, he slowly raised his eyes and looked at Meng Zaishi.
Yan Shisheng was his original name.
He was certain that apart from old acquaintances from Lingnan, his first teacher in Chang'an, and those around Mu Wanyao, no one in this world knew his real name was Yan Shisheng.
So, for this Wuman man to ask this, it was quite interesting.
Yan Shang said slowly: "It seems I have heard the name, though I am not entirely sure. What is the gentleman asking about this person for?"