Tigers Sniff the Rose - Chapter 89

Chapter 89

The Emperor vomited blood and was in critical condition, leading to an emergency in the middle of the night. The Crown Prince, currently residing in the Eastern Palace, and the two Commandery Princes living outside the palace walls all rushed in to attend to the Emperor.

The Emperor’s birthday was less than a month away. For the Emperor to fall ill at such a time was truly an ominous sign.

The Crown Prince fed the Emperor his medicine, while the Prince of Qin knelt to the side, wailing insincerely. The Prince of Jin, however, cried with the most genuine feeling; he looked as if he were about to faint from grief. The Crown Prince looked with disgust at the Prince of Qin, who could not manage a real cry, and the Prince of Jin, who was practically crying himself to death, before stepping out of the inner chamber.

The palace attendants in the Emperor’s bedchamber were like birds startled by the mere twang of a bowstring. Liu Wenji was summoned by the Crown Prince to be questioned about why the Emperor had suddenly vomited blood.

Liu Wenji stood before the Crown Prince with his eyes cast down. He knew that his castration had been the work of the eleventh son of the Household Department Langzhong’s residence, and that the only punishment the Langzhong had received was a one-rank demotion.

This had all been at the Crown Prince’s behest.

The Crown Prince treated him like dirt; he was not a good man.

Liu Wenji’s face showed only fear. His master, the Head of the Inner Palace, Cheng An, stood to the side wiping away cold sweat, the atmosphere thick and stagnant. Liu Wenji would, of course, not tell these people that the Emperor had vomited blood because he was heartbroken after hearing that Princess Danyang could not bear children. Such royal secrets were best left unknown.

Liu Wenji simply said that His Majesty had vomited blood after the King of Wuman had left.

Consequently, the Crown Prince summoned the King of Wuman into the palace overnight.

When Meng Zaishi arrived, he suspected that some reason had provoked the Emperor. But as for that reason—he had intentionally provoked the Emperor, wanting to see if the Emperor truly held even a shred of affection for his daughter… Meng Zaishi did not want this to become public knowledge, so he put on a confused expression.

The Crown Prince could not extract any answers, but suddenly, a joyful cry erupted from the inner palace: "His Majesty is out of danger..."

Indescribable. Standing outside the palace, gazing at the red lanterns stretching for several miles, a layer of disappointment clouded the Crown Prince’s heart.

In that moment, he wished the Emperor would just die. Then he would not have to fight any longer; as the Crown Prince, he would naturally succeed the throne.

The Emperor’s craftiness and scheming left everyone utterly exhausted—

The Emperor, now out of danger, fell into a deep nightmare.

In this hazy nightmare, aimless and blank, the Emperor found himself standing confusedly outside the Qingning Palace.

The horizon was streaked with light mists and thin silks, the clouds shifting as if in a race. In the dream, the Qingning Palace was plated with a soft, yellow light, appearing ethereal and unreal. This was the late Empress’s sleeping quarters.

The Emperor could not help but step forward, then stopped, "Ah Nuan..."

He gazed at the familiar yet strange Qingning Palace, fearing to approach it in his dream. He feared that if he entered, it would be empty, filled only with dust and cobwebs; he feared even more that Ah Nuan would truly be inside, looking at him with hateful eyes.

In his youth, he had married Li Ah Nuan. Because the Li family was powerful, he had stood out in the struggle for the throne and became Emperor. While he had perhaps exploited the Li family, he had also truly loved Ah Nuan. Before their second son passed away, the relationship between the Emperor and the Empress had been as harmonious as any ordinary couple.

Suddenly, the sound of an infant crying reached the Emperor’s ears. That cry rang out like a thunderclap in the dark world, making the surreal quality of the dream feel a bit more real. Following the infant’s cries, the Emperor heard more sounds—

"Her Highness has given birth! It’s a baby girl!"

"Congratulations, Your Highness!"

"Your Majesty, Her Highness is safe, and the little Princess is very beautiful."

The da-da-da sound of footsteps came from the Qingning Palace. The steps were frequent and dense, yet extremely light and small—not the footsteps of an adult. The next moment, a young boy popped his head out from the doorway of the Qingning Palace, ran toward the Emperor, and took his hand.

The child’s soft, slender fingers rested in the Emperor’s palm.

The Emperor trembled, looking down to see a boy with delicate features and thick, dark eyelashes. The boy looked to be only five or six years old, small in stature, yet both adorable and endearing.

The Emperor couldn't help but whisper, "Er-lang..."

The boy looked up, "Father, let’s go see Mother."

The Emperor looked down at him, numb, his nose suddenly aching.

He knew for certain this was a dream.

Er-lang had left this world ten years ago; he had been fifteen when he passed. Er-lang had never appeared in his dreams, never leaving behind a single thread of lingering attachment. To whom, then, was this dream owed?

The Emperor was led by the boy into the Qingning Palace. He did not dare to breathe, fearing the dream would end. The dream did not wake at that moment; not only did he see his deceased, young son, but he also saw the beautiful woman leaning against the bed, holding the infant.

The Emperor watched in a daze. Time and memory were both cruel; everything he did was like stabbing a knife into his own memories. His heart felt as if it were being severed, yet he only looked on, numb.

Ah Nuan beckoned to him, her eyes filled with the gentle, benevolent warmth of a mother: "Husband, come quickly and see our little Princess..."

The Emperor sat by the bedside, looking down at the little Princess. Er-lang stood on tiptoe, pulling at the Empress’s arm, leaning over to see. The Emperor chatted with the Empress, while the young boy stared curiously and unceasingly at the newborn girl. He reached out to poke her, but when his mother glared at him, he quickly retracted his hand and smiled sheepishly.

The Empress asked, "Has Your Majesty thought of a name for our little Princess?"

The young boy immediately reached out: "Let me choose! Let me choose! Father, Mother, let me name my sister, okay?"

The Empress suppressed a laugh, "Do you even know all the characters?"

The boy begged, "Father can write down the characters he likes, and I’ll choose from them. I really want to name my sister; I’ll be very serious about it."

The Emperor and Empress could not refuse the boy, so the Emperor, as he did in his memory, wrote down some characters for Er-lang to pick. The boy picked and chose until he settled on the characters "Wan" and "Yao."

The Empress pondered, "Mu Wanyao? Dusk fading, a small boat swaying at night. The imagery is nice, but the connotation is average, and it sounds a bit sad. It’s not very good."

The boy said loudly, "How could it be sad? She is the child of Father and Mother, Great Wei’s newly born little Princess. How could it be sad?"

The boy looked up, his eyes as black as grapes fixed on the Empress, yet the Emperor felt he had seen into his own heart. He heard the boy say, "I want my sister to be called 'Mu Wanyao.' Her name was chosen by me, and I will protect her in the future. I will always protect my sister, so let’s call her 'Mu Wanyao,' okay?"

Mu Wanyao.

Dusk fading, a small boat swaying at night.

Just as the Empress had prophesied, dusk had faded, the night had arrived, and she was but a small, lonely boat. Where should she go?

The one who named her was gone; the one who said he would protect her could not fulfill his promise. The Emperor and Empress had turned against each other, and in the struggle, she became the sacrifice. Later, the Empress passed away, and everything began to fade into the twilight.

The Emperor had won this bloodless war, yet Mu Wanyao could no longer bear children.

Ah Nuan’s bloodline, the Li family’s bloodline… would finally be unable to continue in the royal family.

The Li family was defeated; the Emperor could finally set his heart at ease. He no longer needed to worry that if Mu Wanyao gave birth to a child, that child, bearing the blood of both the Li family and the imperial house, would be used by the Li family to stir up trouble after he grew old. Mu Wanyao did not need to return to Wuman, and it was impossible for the Li family to rise again.

However, accompanying this victory was Ah Nuan’s total departure.

She had ultimately vanished completely. Of her two children, her son had left her early, and her young daughter could not bear children. Her bloodline… now, in truth, only Mu Wanyao remained—

The Emperor awoke from his nightmare in the middle of the night.

He sat vacantly on the bed, staring into the void. Ah Nuan was standing there, tears in her eyes, looking at him with hatred.

He finally covered his face, tears falling uncontrollably as he burst into loud sobs.

All these years, all these years… they had truly been like a nightmare, hadn't they?

He had actually driven the only bloodline Ah Nuan left behind to this point. He had kept his empire secure, but he had lost everything—

The Emperor’s sobbing in the dark night was sudden and frantic. The Head of the Inner Palace hurried over to check on him, only to be ordered by the Emperor: "Have Princess Danyang enter the palace."

But just as the attendant was about to go out to give the order, the Emperor changed his mind, his voice hoarse: "Never mind. She should be asleep at this hour; do not disturb her. Tomorrow, let the Crown Prince monitor the morning court; I will not attend. Have Princess Danyang come into the palace to eat breakfast with me."

The attendant went out to give the order.

The next day, Princess Danyang entered the palace.

Mu Wanyao accompanied the Emperor as cautiously as she had in the past, but her Imperial Father kept looking at her with a mournful gaze, which left her feeling confused and somewhat displeased—

Her Imperial Father’s eyes made it look as if she were about to die.

It was so unlucky—

The Emperor, meanwhile, was hardening his resolve.

He had to protect his youngest daughter.

He was such a heartless Emperor, one who only truly cared for his imperial power and his throne. Before this, he had never spared a single thought for his youngest daughter. Only now did the Emperor begin to include his youngest daughter in his calculations, starting to plan for her—if he were gone, what would become of her—

Taking advantage of the Emperor’s critical condition and the frequent coming and going of people inside and outside the palace, Liu Wenji met with Luo Xiu once again.

Luo Xiu had completed what he had promised to do for Liu Wenji. Now, the two most trusted disciples of the Head of the Inner Palace, Cheng An, were gone—one was dead, and the other had been wrapped in a reed mat and tossed out of the palace. The other disciples posed no threat to Liu Wenji, and he had become the most capable person beside the Head of the Inner Palace.

According to their agreement, Liu Wenji gave Luo Xiu the information he wanted.

They met outside the Hanlin Academy, exchanging the documents in a brief encounter, pretending as if nothing had happened.

Luo Xiu: "Are you sure you didn't give me fake news?"

Liu Wenji: "We can only cooperate if the news is true. If it’s fake, and you go before the throne to report that I conspired with you once you discover it… you are an envoy, not a dead man. I wouldn't dare use fake news to fool you, unless I didn't want to live anymore."

Luo Xiu thought this was logical and tucked the documents away before leaving.

Luo Xiu’s movements were known clearly by the Wuman group.

Because Meng Zaishi had never trusted the person sent by King Ale from the beginning, and since that person had followed them to Great Wei, Meng Zaishi had been curious about what Luo Xiu wanted to do. Meng Zaishi had sent people to monitor Luo Xiu, and the agents reported back on his actions.

Meng Zaishi: "Tsk. King Ale has actually used his brain for once; he doesn't just know how to call for killing."

A subordinate asked, "Since what Luo Xiu is doing has nothing to do with us and does not harm our interests, should we just watch?"

Meng Zaishi pondered for a moment and asked, "Do you think that if the Southern Barbarians went to war with Great Wei, Great Wei would win?"

The subordinates looked at each other and said, "If the Southern Barbarian King could unify the four tribes, he might not necessarily lose to Great Wei. But Great Wei has vast territory, and the Southern Barbarians cannot afford the attrition. So, the chances of winning are half and half; it all depends on the decisions of those in power."

Meng Zaishi said lightly, "The current old Emperor of Great Wei is deep in thought and foresight. While he is in power, I don't see the Southern Barbarian King gaining any advantages; on the contrary, he would be dragged down by Great Wei. But if the old Emperor steps down, we shall see the character of the next Great Wei Emperor… If the Southern Barbarian King truly wants to launch a war, he should choose the period of the next Emperor’s reign. Not now."

The subordinates did not understand why the Wuman King was analyzing this.

As Meng Zaishi analyzed, he made a decision: "Then I cannot let Luo Xiu ruin my plans at this time and drag Wuman into a war with Great Wei… Lock Luo Xiu up first. Do not let him out until we leave Great Wei."

The subordinates agreed.

Afterward, they discussed the military drills to be held on the day of the Great Wei Emperor’s birthday next month. As for the literary competition, they were certainly not good at that; as for the military drills, only the Wuman King could enter, and his old subordinates who had followed him in battle for many years could not.

Meng Zaishi stood up, lazily stretched his arms, and smiled: "I will see what the current fighting power of Great Wei is really like. One must have a general idea, after all… Coming to Great Wei, how can I leave empty-handed?" ——

On the Great Wei side, they struggled to select a few young generals. They even pulled Yang Si into the mix.

The age limit of twenty-five years old blocked most generals. War was a matter where old generals were more experienced.

In addition to Yang Si being recommended by the Crown Prince, the court scrambled to rearrange officials, but eventually, having no one else available, they guiltily transferred Wei Shu from the Censorate to manage logistics and supplies in the rear.

Wei Shu was confused at first, then steadied himself and guessed what was going on.

Originally, he had not wanted to participate in either the literary competition or the military drill. Because of his duties in monitoring the hundred officials, he had offended many ministers, and the Prince of Qin was gathering officials to have him demoted. But finding an excuse was difficult; now, it just happened to coincide with the military drill—

If Wei Shu did not do well and caused Great Wei to lose face, the Prince of Qin would have an excuse to settle scores with Wei Shu after the envoys left.

The Great Wei ministers were truly feeling guilty and could not find suitable generals. Since the Wuman King had named Yan Shang, they had no choice but to bite the bullet and have Yan Shang act as the "Commander." The Commander would coordinate with the generals to command the troops, which barely managed to fill the quota.

Because Wei Shu was required only to manage logistics, he focused on that and did not work with the others. Yan Shang’s side was quite miserable; he was dragged to the parade grounds by Yang Si every day for training.

It was rare for Yang Si to have an area where he could make Yan Shang suffer, so he had been in high spirits these past few days.

At the end of a training session on the parade grounds, Yan Shang was almost exhausted, while Yang Si remained majestic and upright. He hooked his arm around Yan Shang’s shoulder and laughed, "As for this military drill business, so what if that Meng Zaishi specified you? Just hide behind me when the time comes. With me here, he won't be able to hurt you."

Yan Shang rubbed his chest, which had almost been slapped to the point of vomiting blood by Yang Si, and sighed, "Then I will have to thank the Third Young Master."

Yan Shang changed the subject: "However, war is not a straightforward affair. Even though I believe in your divine might, we should still consult with the old generals in the court."

Yang Si clicked his tongue: "Consult them? If they could defeat Wuman, it wouldn't have waited until now."

Yan Shang said gently, "By taking the strengths of others and making up for one’s own weaknesses, one can fight long and win long."

Yang Si’s expression grew serious; he nodded, and afterward, he accompanied Yan Shang to visit the residences of several old generals in Chang'an. The old generals were helpful, and Yan Shang listened thoughtfully, then looked at Yang Si beside him.

In contrast to his previous nonchalance, once Yang Si arrived, his brows pressed down, his eyes steady, and he listened with great focus.

Yang Si consulted the old generals and asked them about martial arts. The others, seeing such a young and talented man, were quite pleased to find such a student and were naturally generous with their instruction.

Yan Shang followed them all along, watching them discuss tactics, watching the generals teach Yang Si how to set traps and form arrays… Yan Shang himself was like a piece of furniture, for he did not look like the sort who could fight. When he stood with Yang Si, these old generals certainly preferred Yang Si, not him.

Yan Shang was not jealous; he just silently listened to the teachings of the old generals.

For half a month, this went on daily: training, practicing, and visiting the old generals in Chang'an City.

However, on the evening two days before the Emperor’s birthday, Yan Shang returned to the Secretariat to report. Yang Si was with him, having agreed that after Yan Shang finished his business at the Secretariat, the two would go visit one more old general that evening.

Yang Si followed behind Yan Shang, swaggering into the Secretariat. By evening, most of the officials had already left. Occasionally, one would see Yang Si and, thinking of the Young Master’s lawlessness, would twitch their eyelids and pretend not to see him.

Yan Shang’s teacher, Chancellor Liu, had still not returned to work at the Secretariat, so this time Yan Shang was reporting to Chancellor Zhang.

Yan Shang extinguished the charcoal in the stove and closed the windows. Just as he finished organizing some official documents and was about to go find Chancellor Zhang, the Chancellor opened the curtain and actually came out himself.

Yan Shang bowed to Chancellor Zhang, preparing to ask Yang Si to wait outside, but to his surprise, Chancellor Zhang’s eyes flashed when he saw the two of them, and he said: "Cheng-zhi is here too? Good, this is the latest order from the Secretariat. Both you and Su-chen, come and listen."

Yan Shang’s eyes were stunned, and he did not speak.

Yang Si, however, was directly surprised: "You are letting me listen to your decisions directly? This is the Secretariat. I’m afraid that isn't appropriate, is it?"

Though he said this, Chancellor Zhang turned and walked into the inner hall, and Yang Si followed without a hint of hesitation. Yan Shang shook his head with a smile and followed them.

Chancellor Zhang said, "There is nothing inappropriate about it. This latest order has already been approved by the Chancellery, and it will be issued to the Six Ministries of the Secretariat tomorrow. In other words, you will know this order by tomorrow at the latest. Since that is the case, knowing the news one day in advance, giving you an extra day to prepare, is no harm."

Yang Si thought about it.

Yan Shang asked: "Is this order related to the military drill?"

Yang Si looked at Yan Shang in surprise, thinking, How did you guess that?

Yan Shang smiled and explained, "Since you are letting the Third Young Master and me listen together, this matter must be related to him. Now, for something that concerns both of us, and where we can be given advance notice to prepare, there is naturally only the matter of the military drill."

Yang Si remained silent, while Chancellor Zhang was already accustomed to Yan Shang’s sharp insight.

After entering the inner hall and taking his seat, Chancellor Zhang handed the top document from his desk to the two of them. As they read the document, Chancellor Zhang said: "The latest order from the Secretariat is that for this military drill, Great Wei is not allowed to win—only to lose."

Yan Shang’s eyelashes lifted slightly.

Yang Si’s face darkened instantly: "So, the purpose of our month of military drills is just to go out there and offer them our heads?"

He threw down the document and turned to leave, wanting to say, "I'm not taking this job." Yan Shang held back the explosive Yang Si and asked with a gentle, inquisitive tone: "Third Young Master, do not be impatient. The Secretariat would naturally not issue such an order without reason."

"Since the Chancellor has told us in advance and wants us to prepare, it must also be possible to explain it to us a little. I ask the Chancellor to enlighten us. I truly do not understand why Great Wei must lose? We have practiced so long, yet we are forbidden from winning and only allowed to lose?"

Chancellor Zhang remained calm and composed: "The competitions are on the same day; the literary competition and the military drill are taking place simultaneously. In the literary competition, how do you think those barbarians, those small nations, could win? Although Princess Danyang set the rules that only unmarried ladies are allowed to compete, even the noble ladies here in Chang'an are not ones those envoys can compare to."

"The Secretariat can find no way for us to lose the literary competition. Therefore, it has to be the military drill. One win and one loss is the style of a great nation. If we were to win both, and the visiting ministers were merely props, it would be meaningless. Moreover, there is much that can be manipulated in a military drill… Great Wei does not want other nations to know our actual combat power too clearly."

When put this way, not only did Yan Shang understand, but even Yang Si stopped and was no longer as enraged as before.

Chancellor Zhang looked at Yang Si and casually flattered him: "Does Cheng-zhi not think that a beautiful loss is harder than a win? As the dignified Third Young Master Yang, do you only know how to win and not how to lose?"

Yang Si snorted.

He looked at the sky and said: "I truly only know how to win, never how to lose."

Chancellor Zhang was choked by his words: "..."

Yan Shang chuckled.

Yan Shang coughed and said: "So, the Secretariat’s intention is to use this military drill to test the combat power of various nations? With the King of Wuman leading, even if he doesn't let the Wuman people participate, soldiers from other nations will all enter. We can take this opportunity to investigate… and have a brilliant losing battle?"

Chancellor Zhang nodded: "Great Wei must lose, but we cannot let the other side see it. You must also make the drill look extremely brilliant. The drills and the literary competition are simultaneous, lasting three days in total. During these three days, you must do your best to understand the troop strength of each country. That is the true purpose of this trip."

Yan Shang smiled: "I fear the King of Wuman also intends to understand us through this."

Chancellor Zhang: "That will depend on whose skill is greater."

Seeing that he had persuaded the two of them, Chancellor Zhang stood up and left the two young men to ponder how to proceed.

Walking to Yan Shang’s side, Chancellor Zhang patted Yan Shang’s shoulder and sighed: "Su-chen, do you know that your name is already hanging before the Emperor’s desk?"

Yan Shang was stunned, quickly reacting: "Because of the Southern Mountains incident?"

Chancellor Zhang smiled: "I don't know. But the Emperor has mentioned you and asked about you."

He hesitated, but to encourage the young man, he added one more thing: "Originally, I shouldn't let you know this ahead of time. But if you are motivated by these words and can help make this Great Wei military drill brilliant… hearing it won't hurt."

"You are already known to the Emperor from the Southern Mountains incident. If you show great merit in this drill… after these envoys leave, if my predictions are correct, you will be promoted."

"In any case, perform your duties well."

Yang Si was astonished: "Promotion? So fast? How many months has he been an official?"

Chancellor Zhang jokingly scolded him: "What official you are, what promotion you get, depends on how capable you are and how great a task you accomplish. For example, if any of you could make the four seas submit, even if you are a minor ninth-rank official now, the imperial court could instantly raise you to the fourth or fifth rank."

Yang Si: "Then am I also…"

Chancellor Zhang: "Naturally, naturally. The Crown Prince letting you participate in the drills isn't it for the purpose of promoting you?" ——

Since Great Wei had to lose this drill brilliantly, all the strategies that Yan Shang and Yang Si had previously discussed had to be overturned and restarted.

Once the order came down, no one explained it to the other generals like the Chancellor did. Several other selected generals resigned on the spot and refused to do the job, and so on.

Amidst the chaotic struggle and personnel changes, unexpectedly, Yang Si and Yan Shang became the leaders among these generals.

Wei Shu, meanwhile, had not participated in their affairs from beginning to end, remaining as quiet as a transparent person.

Under such intense rehearsal, the day before the military drill arrived. The soldiers, who had trained intensely for a month, finished their training early that day. The generals told the soldiers to go back and rest so they could perform "extraordinarily" in the drill.

The soldiers naturally did not know that the generals’ meaning of "extraordinarily" was to plot how to lose.

Yan Shang returned to his residence early that day.

During the day, he was dragged to the parade grounds by Yang Si again and had his shoulders and back bruised and aching. After resting for a while, Yan Shang sat at his desk writing for a while, then began to stare blankly.

He felt as if he hadn't seen Mu Wanyao in a long time.

She was always like this… when she was passionate, she couldn't get enough of him, but when she was cold, she would seem to vanish, making it impossible for him to handle.

Yan Shang stared blankly for a while, bathed, and went out to visit the Princess next door—

Mu Wanyao was sitting in her study, staring blankly at a jar of wine on the desk.

A wine cup was placed in front of the jar, and only a tiny bit of clear liquid remained in the cup, showing that most of it had already been drunk by someone.

Mu Wanyao just looked at this jar of wine, struggling in her daze.

I really want to drink… The minister who had sent her the wine said that this was a new, potent spirit brewed in Sichuan, not yet made public to the world, and asked Her Highness the Princess to try it.

Mu Wanyao had happily hugged the wine jar and returned, but once she sat at the desk in her study, she fell into an internal struggle.

She had promised Yan Shang that she would not drink anymore… but this wine was so precious, and it smelled so fragrant, and she hadn't touched a drop of alcohol for a month… How could she endure this?

Mu Wanyao had been struggling with this jar of wine for half a month, wanting to drink it every day, and every day convincing herself to keep her word and not drink. Today, however, she finally couldn't help it; she had secretly opened the jar in her study and had one cup.

One cup down, it was indeed clear, mellow, and delicious.

She wanted a second cup…

Mu Wanyao convinced herself: I’ll just drink a little bit secretly. Anyway, Yan Shang is so busy he’s dizzy; he doesn't know, so I’m not breaking my promise.

Happily, she immediately poured herself a cup of wine, held the cup, and was about to drink it in one gulp when the door to the study was knocked twice, and Yan Shang’s voice sounded outside like a summons: "Your Highness?"

Mu Wanyao spat out the mouthful of wine, choking herself until her eyes filled with tears, sparkling like a lake.

She hurriedly grabbed the wine jar, trying to hide it. But the study was empty, and she couldn't find a place to hide it for a long time. Hearing the sound of the Princess choking inside, Yan Shang worried for her and pushed open the door to enter.

He and Mu Wanyao, who had jumped up while hugging the wine jar, stared at each other: "..."

The young Princess suddenly stumbled back a step and leaned against the bookshelf behind her. Her body tilted, but she didn't let go of the wine jar, and it did not fall from her arms.

Mu Wanyao’s face was flushed red. She supported her head with her hand, her eyes watery, and in a weak, desperate tone, she said: "Oh my, my head hurts so much; I think I’m drunk. You… who let you in? Who are you?"

Yan Shang: "..."