Tigers Sniff the Rose - Chapter 74

Chapter 74

The other Wuman people behind Meng Zaishi stood stiffly and obediently, prepared for any eventuality. They stared sharply at the young Great Wei official sitting at the desk, scratching away with his brush, as if the office room where Yan Shang worked were some kind of monstrous beast.

When they heard Meng Zaishi’s question, not only did Yan Shang counter with his own, but even the Wuman tribesmen behind Meng Zaishi revealed expressions of sudden realization.

During the two years when Wuman was busy with the great war against the Chi-Man, the King of Wuman had never forgotten who had triggered that conflict. Meng Zaishi had sent spies to infiltrate the Great Wei frontier army, and following that trail, they had tracked it to Li Zhi, the Magistrate of Nanhai County—the maternal uncle of Princess Danyang.

In Li Zhi’s possession was a letter from a man named "Yan Shisheng," who had offered a strategy—a venomous scheme that had incited internal strife within the Southern Barbarian tribes.

However, Nanhai was managed so impeccably by Li Zhi that it was completely impossible to infiltrate. The Wuman scouts had spent a great deal of time, but the trail had gone cold in Nanhai. The Wuman believed that this Yan Shisheng must be a strategist for Li Zhi, yet they had lurked in Nanhai for half a year without ever seeing such a person.

Furthermore, after that letter, the person named Yan Shisheng seemed to cease existing. Nanhai Magistrate Li Zhi never once took the initiative to contact this individual.

The scout returned to report to Meng Zaishi, and Meng Zaishi had been left with no options.

Now that he had arrived in Great Wei, Meng Zaishi had no time to make a personal trip to Nanhai. Seeing that this young official was surnamed Yan and was so intimate with Princess Danyang while strolling through the North Alley... Meng Zaishi didn’t necessarily think Yan Shisheng and the official before him were the same person, but he was certain there had to be some vital connection between them.

Meng Zaishi leaned against the wall, one hand resting on a shelf holding flowers, and lowered his head, idly toying with the wintersweet flowers kept in the corner.

Having never seen such small yellow flowers in winter, Meng Zaishi found them immensely interesting and replied casually: "It is just that when I associated with Princess Danyang in the past, I heard the Princess casually mention this person, so I thought I would ask."

The moment he said this, Yan Shang knew he was lying.

Meng Zaishi’s expression remained indifferent, but it was clear that the Wuman behind him had not practiced the skill of lying without blinking as well as their King had.

The Wuman were, after all, far behind the Great Wei in culture; years of nomadic life and warfare had made their characters straightforward and crude. They were not as clever as the Great Wei people, and they referred to this Great Wei cleverness as "cunning" or "duplicitous."

So, as Meng Zaishi lied, the Wuman tribesmen, upon hearing the name "Yan Shisheng," revealed expressions of indignation, only to remember the King’s previous warnings and force themselves to restrain their emotions.

Observing their expressions and combining them with Meng Zaishi’s demeanor... Yan Shang’s mind raced, deducing that if there were no other reason, this must be trouble caused by the strategy he had offered Mu Wanyao long ago.

Yan Shang’s eyes flickered slightly.

He smiled: "So that is how it is. In that case, I do not know any Yan Shisheng."

As he spoke, he removed the register he had been writing in, opened a brand new, blank one, and began to translate and transcribe again, referring to the "Well-Wishing Note" provided by Meng Zaishi.

Meng Zaishi stared at Yan Shang: "Didn’t you say just now that you had heard of him vaguely?"

Yan Shang spoke in standard official Great Wei language with effortless ease: "The gentleman likely does not understand our Great Wei customs. To have heard of something vaguely versus having clearly heard of it—a difference of a hair’s breadth leads to a difference of a thousand miles."

The Wuman behind Meng Zaishi began to feel their heads spin: What did that mean? Was this person spouting those flowery Great Wei idioms again?

Even though Meng Zaishi understood some Great Wei language, he found the remark a bit difficult to process. However, he did not care, continuing to watch Yan Shang: "I thought a person like Yan Shisheng would be quite famous."

Yan Shang: "Then the gentleman is mistaken. I do not know what kind of person this Yan Shisheng you speak of is, but evidently, he is not a famous one. The gentleman is free to ask anyone else in Chang'an, and they will all be as ignorant of this person’s existence as I am."

Meng Zaishi: "Does Princess Danyang not know either?"

Yan Shang raised his eyes slightly, leaving no room for a pause: "Then you should go and ask Princess Danyang. Is the gentleman an old acquaintance of Princess Danyang’s?"

Meng Zaishi: "Vaguely an acquaintance, though I am not entirely sure myself."

Yan Shang: "Judging by your bearing, you must be a general. If Princess Danyang once entered into a political marriage, surely you would know?"

Meng Zaishi: "She married whom she married; what does that have to do with me?"

The two engaged in a thrust-and-parry, one sentence following another. Everyone standing in the room could feel the tension of the probing, feeling the sword-drawn, bow-bent urgency between the two men.

The Wuman in the room all stood straighter, while another Great Wei official who had approached the door intending to push it open and enter, heard the commotion inside, silently retreated, choosing not to join the debate.

While Yan Shang and Meng Zaishi locked eyes, Yan Shang’s brush never stopped, continuing its work; Meng Zaishi idly admired the wintersweet in the corner, seemingly finding great aesthetic pleasure in the flowers.

Yan Shang stopped his brush, placed it on the rest, and rose to take the finished document out, when a Wuman tribesman joined the silent war between Yan Shang and Meng Zaishi: "Stop!"

The barked command was directed at the rising Yan Shang.

Meng Zaishi looked over with curiosity, wanting to see what the tribesman had discovered to justify speaking to a Great Wei official in such a manner.

The Wuman tribesman strode toward Yan Shang.

He was aggressive, his posture suggesting an intent to kill.

Along the journey into Chang'an, many Great Wei citizens had been frightened away by the Wuman’s demeanor. This tribesman intended to use this tactic to scare the Great Wei official, yet he saw Yan Shang remain unmoved, gazing at him with calm detachment.

Outside, other officials from the Court of State Ceremonial were already quietly observing the situation, and now they couldn't help but smile—

"Yan the Second" was the man who had executed the head of the Zheng clan on the spot. A person with such decisive intent would never be intimidated by the steel or blades of the Wuman.

The Wuman tribesman failed to frighten Yan Shang and looked at him with some surprise. But this was clearly not his true objective. He walked to the desk where Yan Shang had sat, grabbed the first register Yan Shang had written, and began to flip through it.

Yan Shang maintained a polite smile and even feigned appropriate surprise: "What is the gentleman doing?"

The Wuman finished scanning the first register rapidly, noticing that the calligraphy on the pages was steady, archaic, and exceptionally beautiful, with not a single smudge from beginning to end. This one was already perfectly written; why had the Great Wei official discarded it to write another one?

The Wuman went to Yan Shang’s side, demanding the second register that Yan Shang was about to submit.

Yan Shang smiled: "It seems the gentleman intends to accuse me of something. If so, be prepared—this is Great Wei territory. To accuse a Great Wei official of wrongdoing, even one of my low rank, requires one to first accept thirty lashes. Since you are in our Great Wei territory, if you are not an investigative official like a Censor-in-Chief, you must follow our Great Wei rules."

The Wuman tribesman was stunned: "We are Wuman!"

Yan Shang smiled: "This is Chang'an, the capital of the Great Wei."

Wuman: "We are guests."

Yan Shang: "Guests follow the host’s lead."

The Wuman was infuriated: "You, you..."

Yan Shang raised the register in his hand: "Are you still certain you want to look at it?"

The atmosphere in the room reached an impasse. The agitator could not make the decision and turned back to look at Meng Zaishi, who was still leaning against the wall, admiring the flowers. Yan Shang’s eyes flickered slightly; he realized this man held a very high position.

Meng Zaishi watched their dispute with amusement: "Why look at me? I cannot make the decision either."

He looked at the agitator, his words carrying a hint of cold, ruthless threat despite the smile.

The Wuman shivered, and when he turned back to Yan Shang, his expression became hard again. He spoke in rapid-fire Wuman: "I am certain the register in your hand is problematic! I must see it! If you are not in the wrong, I will accept the thirty lashes the moment I step outside."

Yan Shang yielded not an inch: "Accept the thirty lashes first, and then I will let you look."

Wuman: "Damn it, are you playing with me..."

Enraged, he moved to strike this seemingly gentle and delicate Great Wei official, but the other party said calmly: "Strike a Great Wei official, and for this grand ceremony, there will be no need for the Wuman to exist."

Meng Zaishi, from the back: "Kelilu!"

That was the Wuman tribesman’s name.

The one named Kelilu’s face turned a mottled shade of blue and purple, shifting back and forth, until he finally turned his head, his face dark, and exited the room to accept the rod.

For a time, the sound of wooden rods striking flesh could be heard outside.

The Court of State Ceremonial had become quite lively.

The Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial had emerged, standing before the main hall, watching the beaten Wuman tribesman in the courtyard with a look of horror and rigidity.

The minor Great Wei official there was accompanied by a Hu person summoned from the West Market who could speak Wuman, together attempting to persuade the man that it was unnecessary to go this far, as it would harm the harmony between the two sides. Kelilu’s face was purple as he shouted: "I am willing to accept your thirty lashes! I did it of my own volition!"

Unable to persuade him, they had no choice but to carry out the punishment.

Hearing his subordinate’s report, the Minister sighed: "Yan the Second... it is as if I am seeing the same flair he had when he killed the Zheng clan head with a single arrow back then."

The Minister’s face was pale; the thought of a Wuman life being lost during this grand ceremony made his head spin.

He could only offer a bitter smile: "Truly worthy of being the Yan Suchen who is famous throughout Chang'an."

A clerk nearby asked timidly: "Should we intervene?"

The Minister looked up at the sky: "No need to intervene. In any case, Yan Suchen is not an official of our Court of State Ceremonial..."

The Minister said cunningly: "Yan Suchen’s official post is in the Secretariat. If something truly goes wrong here with the Wuman, let the central government hold the Secretariat accountable. Isn’t Minister Liu Yan Suchen’s mentor? With such a student, Minister Liu must be dying of a headache."

The people below nodded repeatedly; hearing that they would not be held responsible for Yan Suchen’s actions, everyone relaxed to watch the show.

Inside the office, a limping Kelilu returned and extended his hand toward Yan Shang with a dark face. Yan Shang smiled at him and handed over the register he had prepared for the central government.

Kelilu’s breathing became heavy. He flipped through it anxiously—if this register had no problems, then he had been beaten for nothing and had turned himself into a joke.

If he returned to the King, he would certainly be punished! They might even kill him!

As he flipped through the pages, the paper rustled. Kelilu’s eyes suddenly brightened. He grabbed both registers and turned to report to Meng Zaishi: "Big, Big Brother! These two registers are indeed different! The one the Great Wei official intends to submit now has become much thicker, with many more characters, and it is not the same as the one he had prepared before."

Kelilu’s breathing was heavy, yet he was excited and loud: "He must have tampered with it! Bullying us because we cannot understand the Great Wei script, and trying to influence the Emperor against us."

Yan Shang sighed with a smile: "Gentleman, let me remind you once more: falsely accusing me will lead to more lashes."

Kelilu’s face changed abruptly.

Thinking of the authentic rod-beating he had just received, his backside still felt a sharp pain.

But looking at the registers Meng Zaishi was holding, Kelilu remained firm: "We Wuman are raised on horseback from childhood; how can we be like you frail Great Wei people! Why would I be afraid of a beating!"

Meng Zaishi ignored his subordinate’s clamor and lowered his head to compare the two registers. Although he had learned some Great Wei language and simple script from Mu Wanyao, clearly, the characters Yan Shang had written... Meng Zaishi didn’t recognize nine out of ten of them.

The brushwork of scholars, the rich vocabulary, and the deliberate embellishments... were things straightforward Wuman people would never understand.

Moreover, Yan Shang was already a rare case among Great Wei scholars for his lack of literary flair. If Wei Shu were here, or even Feng Xianyu or Liu Wenji, the passages they could write would have completely baffled the Wuman.

Yet even with Yan Shang, seeing that the second register had at least three pages more than the first, Meng Zaishi squinted, feeling that something was unusual.

Meng Zaishi looked at Yan Shang: "Do you admit it?"

Yan Shang: "That depends on how the gentleman decides to handle this."

The two looked at each other.

Meng Zaishi smiled slightly: "I naturally trust you. Your bearing and aura... made me feel like we were old acquaintances upon our first meeting; you should not be capable of wrongdoing."

Yan Shang smiled.

He heard the other party’s tone indeed shift: "...However, we Wuman have traveled a thousand miles to pay homage to the Great Wei Emperor, and it has not been easy; we cannot allow any mistakes. Even if it offends you, I must verify it."

Yan Shang made a gesture of invitation—

While the Court of State Ceremonial was receiving the Wuman, news finally reached the palace that the Wuman were to be included in the arrangements and protocols for the palace banquet.

Furthermore, the Court of State Ceremonial brought news that the King of Wuman had come personally to pay homage, showing deep respect for the Great Wei. They would need to spend ten thousand times more effort to treat them properly so as not to cold-shoulder the Wuman.

When this news was received, Mu Wanyao had just emerged from the old Emperor’s bedchamber, and for the first time in history, she was being followed by her fourth sister, Princess Yuyang.

The eunuch reported the news in Mu Wanyao’s ear, and only when he saw that Princess Danyang’s expression did not change did he feel relieved.

Mu Wanyao nodded: "I understand."

Her hand inside her sleeve clenched, a cold chill winding around her heart: ...The King of Wuman is here in person!

It must be Meng Zaishi!

He truly would not let her go!

The eunuch handed a scroll regarding the Wuman audience to Princess Danyang, requesting she look it over, and then slowly withdrew.

Behind Mu Wanyao, Princess Yuyang had been staring at the slender back of her sixth sister for a long time.

Princess Yuyang was conflicted. Recently, because the Noble Consort was under house arrest and the duty of managing the grand banquet had fallen to Mu Wanyao, her own mother and third brother were displeased. Furthermore, recently at court, the ministers who were on good terms with Mu Wanyao had also left the third brother exhausted in his efforts to respond.

The third brother now wanted to interfere with the grand ceremony as well. Therefore, the Prince of Qin hoped to temporarily reconcile with Mu Wanyao, sending his own sister, Princess Yuyang, to be the negotiator.

Princess Yuyang called out softly: "Sixth sister."

Mu Wanyao tilted her head, looking over with a question.

Princess Yuyang walked over, smiling softly: "I believe I am pregnant with my second child, but I haven't let my husband know yet. I wanted to share this joyful news with sixth sister first."

Mu Wanyao’s expression went blank for a moment before she looked down at Princess Yuyang’s still-flat stomach.

She sized up her fourth sister and smiled politely: "Congratulations."

Princess Yuyang stroked her lower abdomen, saying gently: "How does sixth sister feel about my life? Although my husband is busy, I am a princess, so my husband must show me great respect, and he cannot take concubines. There are no conflicts between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, all because I am a princess. To have the benefits of a princess, with a husband and children—to us women, this is a happy occurrence."

Mu Wanyao said: "What is fourth sister trying to say?"

Princess Yuyang saw her cold, impenetrable expression and grew somewhat anxious: "I mean that we women are born to be virtuous wives and loving mothers, to bear children for our husbands, to share a loving marriage, and to have both sons and daughters. This is the happiness of us women!"

"Instead of behaving as you do, sixth sister, constantly mired in the affairs of ministers and government. What if you do have power? We are ultimately not men, and we cannot compete. Sixth sister, why not find a Prince Consort, bear children properly, and be a princess just like me?"

Princess Yuyang: "Must you insist on opposing my brothers?"

Mu Wanyao stared at her fourth sister.

A trace of envy stirred in her heart.

Virtuous wife, loving mother, bearing children, loving marriage, sons and daughters—each word transformed into a cold blade, piercing her heart. The feeling of being slow-sliced, the things she had long since lost—Princess Yuyang would never understand.

Mu Wanyao said: "I forgive you."

Princess Yuyang: "...?"

Mu Wanyao said coldly: "I forgive you for your ignorance. Because you have never had my experiences; you have lived safely as your normal princess, and you do not know how I died and came back to life. You do not know my pain, so you can ignorantly urge me to let go. I do not blame you. You are my sister, and I hope you remain as naive as you are today forever. It is a very fortunate thing that you do not understand my situation."

Princess Yuyang’s face flushed red.

She felt the mockery her youngest sister held for her.

Gentle as she might be, she couldn't help but be flustered at this moment: "Why on earth must you insist on playing politics!"

Mu Wanyao slammed the scroll she had just received onto Princess Yuyang, her voice like a blade: "This is the reason—"

Having said this, she walked away without looking back.

The scroll struck Princess Yuyang, who hurriedly caught it, hearing Princess Danyang call out loudly for someone to "drive to the Court of State Ceremonial."

Princess Yuyang squatted on the ground, picked up the scroll, and opened it; the first thing she saw were a few words—

The Wuman come to court, the King of Wuman pays homage in person.

Princess Yuyang’s fingertips trembled, and she instantly remembered that Mu Wanyao was a princess who had once entered into a political marriage with the Wuman. Now that the envoys had come, and the new King of Wuman had arrived... what was Mu Wanyao to do?

Princess Yuyang looked up at Mu Wanyao. She saw that the hem of her crimson-as-blood skirt was embroidered with phoenixes and large patterns of peonies and peonies. Mu Wanyao walked upon the palace steps under the setting sun, noble and graceful.

Every step she took was steady; she did not look back even once.

Princess Yuyang, however, was shivering with fear for her sixth sister, her body turning cold, regretting that she had ever spoken such words—

Beneath the Ceremonial Office of the Court of State Ceremonial, the sky was grey and hazy, the cold seeping into the bones.

The Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial was invited out, his eyelids twitching uncontrollably as he was forced to take the two registers and examine them under the watchful eyes of all. The officials of the Court and the Wuman led by Meng Zaishi glared at him, making the old man break into a cold sweat in the lunar month, feeling completely ill at ease.

After a long time, the Minister looked up and cast a complex glance at Yan Shang.

That glance contained respect, admiration, and no blame.

Meng Zaishi noticed this keenly and grew thoughtful.

Indeed, the Minister explained to the Wuman who did not know the Great Wei script, ensuring at least that Meng Zaishi, who understood the language, understood clearly, while Yan Shang translated the Minister’s words for the other Wuman: "...These two registers are actually both without error. However, according to the protocols of the Great Wei, the second one is clearly better to submit."

"Looking at the character count of the first one, it is a faithful translation of the note provided by the Wuman nation. But envoys, you do not understand; the etiquette of the Wuman and our Great Wei differs significantly. What you consider simple language, we must embellish with long compliments. For example, you have no kowtow ritual, but here in our Great Wei, at such a grand ceremony, you must kowtow. When you address our Emperor, you only use the term 'Monarch Father,' but we must add many modifiers in front of it to make you appear strictly respectful."

The Minister looked at Yan Shang and asked: "Why did you only translate the first register faithfully without embellishment, and only embellish the second one?"

Yan Shang lowered his eyes: "Because I am not an official of the Court of State Ceremonial, but here on loan, and I am not very familiar with the official business, so I made a mistake. Fortunately, I recalled it in time and corrected it; I did not want the Wuman envoys to have any misunderstandings."

The officials of the Court of State Ceremonial looked at one another, none of them believing that Yan Shang was unfamiliar with the work here.

If he had been on loan for ten days or a fortnight, he might be unfamiliar, but Yan Shang had already been here for a month and had never made a mistake before; to say he had forgotten... was merely perfunctory.

On the Wuman side, realizing they had caused a misunderstanding, their expressions were already grim.

Kelilu lowered his head, knelt down with a thud, his face pale as he prepared to accept his punishment.

Meng Zaishi took a deep look at Yan Shang, ignoring Kelilu. Meng Zaishi returned the two registers with a composed expression and said politely: "It turns out that I was the one who misunderstood this Yan the Second."

Hearing others address Yan Shang this way, he followed suit. At the very least, the pronunciation "Yan the Second" was much easier to read than that "Yan Suchen" or whatever it was.

Yan Shang sighed: "It is merely a misunderstanding; my lack of familiarity with official business has made the guests laugh."

Meng Zaishi smiled: "Your methods, sir, are already extraordinary."

Yan Shang smiled in return: "Your insight, sir, is also already extraordinary."

The two flattered each other, never mentioning the hair-trigger atmosphere from moments ago. Kelilu had already been led away, pale-faced, to be struck by the rod again, while Meng Zaishi and Yan Shang clearly appeared to be kindred spirits, a bizarre sight to behold.

The Great Wei officials’ expressions were the most peculiar of all: they naturally knew of Yan the Second’s charm, which was sufficient to make anyone like him and wish to associate with him.

But this ability to build rapport, moving even a foreign nation like the Wuman... was that not too strange?

Amidst this friendly atmosphere and bilateral exchange, the Court of State Ceremonial reached the time to seal their offices for the day. As the officials emerged, amidst their hypocritical courtesies, they happened to see Princess Danyang’s carriage passing by.

The Princess’s carriage stopped.

Meng Zaishi locked eyes with the Fangtong guard riding beside the carriage. With their reunion, Fangtong’s muscles tensed, while Meng Zaishi continued to smile, though his eyes narrowed.

Meng Zaishi instantly recognized that the person sitting inside was likely Mu Wanyao.

Fangtong leaned over to say something to the carriage, and a young maidservant Meng Zaishi did not recognize, riding a horse at the side, steered her horse a few steps onto the official road and said: "Yan the Second, our Highness says that since we live on the same alley and are neighbors, if you are returning to your estate, perhaps we might offer you a ride."

The officials looked toward Yan Shang, who was walking modestly and slowly at the very end.

Everyone’s expressions were too strange.

On one side were the Wuman, on the other was Yan Shang, who had once been betrothed by the Emperor and rejected by the Princess.

Now, Princess Danyang was inviting Yan Shang into her carriage right in front of the Wuman.

Yan Shang’s expression did not change; he bid farewell to his colleagues and walked toward the carriage.

The carriage door was lifted.

In the silence, under the creaking sound of the carriage door opening, the beauty inside, like a figure from an ancient painting, vibrant and living, left everyone watching in a momentary stupor.

Meng Zaishi locked eyes directly with Mu Wanyao, who sat within the carriage with her skirts spread across the floor.

He smiled ambiguously, his eyes suddenly turning sharp.

She was cold and arrogant, her gaze sweeping lightly over Meng Zaishi.

The sunset’s afterglow spilled onto the bluestone bricks, a dim red covering the ground. Yan Shang stood tall and upright, a talented young man.

Several years of time, passing in a flash. The biting cold wind whistled; the three remained silent, taciturn, with undercurrents surging.