Tigers Sniff the Rose - Chapter 114

Chapter 114

Yunshu said that Yan Shang had no evidence.

But in truth, Yan Shang did not need evidence.

The only ones who could suppress a political faction were their political enemies.

And the Crown Prince’s political enemy was none other than the Prince of Qin.

His Highness the Prince of Qin had been recuperating for quite some time following his confinement at the beginning of the year. Now, he was looking for an opportunity to make a move, to let the court know that he had not been defeated—that he had returned. Since October, because of the Ministry of Justice’s investigation into the death of Luo Xiu, the Prince of Qin and Yan Shang had been dealing with each other much more frequently than before.

Therefore, when Yan Shang invited the Prince of Qin to meet in the North Ward this time, the Prince gladly accepted the appointment.

What followed was the suppression directed at the Crown Prince.

The Prince of Qin was surprised, but happy to see it happen, sitting back to watch the rift between Yan Shang and the Crown Prince’s forces widen. If Yan Shang’s plan could weaken the Crown Prince’s influence, why wouldn't the Prince of Qin help him?

It was with this mentality of watching the show that, in broad daylight, the Prince of Qin sat in a tavern in the North Ward drinking tea. Sitting across from him was the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice. Hidden in the shadowy corners of the tavern, more or less, were the investigators and officials of the Ministry of Justice.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for the Prince of Qin’s order.

Just as the Prince of Qin was growing impatient, he suddenly heard the noisy sounds of a man and a woman entangled in a dispute below. Lifting the bamboo blind slightly, the Prince of Qin and the Vice Minister looked out and saw that it was indeed the famous courtesan, Chun Niang, whom Yan Shang had arranged, entangled with Zhang the Eleventh, from the household of a Ministry of Revenue Langzhong.

After Zhang the Eleventh returned to Chang'an, he had thrown away thousands of gold pieces for Chun Niang many times over, becoming one of her most frequent guests.

However, a year later, Chun Niang was no longer the ordinary courtesan Zhang the Eleventh had known. Now, Chun Niang could play and sing, and her poetry improved with each passing day; she was frequently invited by the literati of Chang'an to serve as the "Duzi" (leader of the feast) at their banquets. Great Wei’s requirements for the poetic skills of courtesans had reached an exaggerated level.

Relying on her talent, Chun Niang’s status at banquets rose steadily, and her influence in the North Ward was naturally incomparable to what it once was.

The clearest example of this was that Zhang the Eleventh was not her only frequent guest. Furthermore, Chun Niang kept him at arm’s length and would not let him truly possess her. Now, as the two stood on the stairs, they were quarreling over another man.

That man, the subject of their argument, stood on the other side of Chun Niang, gripping her wrist.

Zhang the Eleventh had been drinking, the alcohol flushing his face. As he grabbed Chun Niang’s other wrist, his temper was hotter than usual: "How many times have you stood me up? You’re just a prostitute—do you really think you’re some great talent? How dare you not show me respect! You are coming with me to this banquet today!"

Chun Niang was in a bind.

The gentleman on her other side seized the opportunity to say: "Langjun, how can you be so rude to such a beauty? Chun Niang, you accepted my gift; you should be coming with me."

Chun Niang frowned, looking apologetically at Zhang the Eleventh: "Langjun, I have already made plans with someone else…"

Zhang the Eleventh couldn't take it: "It’s always like this! You are coming with me!"

He had restrained himself at first because his father had sent him out of Chang'an to avoid trouble after he had acted wantonly in the North Ward before. Now that he had finally returned and his father’s official position had been restored, he naturally dared not act as wildly as he had in the past. But this time, though he didn't want to cause trouble, someone was deliberately provoking him to do so.

Chun Niang covered her face and sobbed. The gentleman on the other side was furious and pushed Zhang the Eleventh.

Zhang the Eleventh pushed back, swearing and cursing, emboldened by the alcohol.

Chun Niang said timidly: "Two Langjuns, please don't argue…"

In the midst of the quarrel, the two began to shove and strike each other. Chun Niang’s back was pressed against the stairs, and she shrank away in fear. She stared at the two men fighting, her handkerchief crushed so tightly in her hands it was as if she were wringing water from it, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it would jump out of her throat.

The gentleman she had chosen to pit against Zhang the Eleventh was a hot-tempered man, very prone to conflicts of pride. And since Zhang the Eleventh was drunk, it would be easy for them to…

Suddenly, Zhang the Eleventh gave a heavy push, knocking the other gentleman down the stairs. The man rolled down, crying for help at first, then collapsing at the bottom. The entire floor was shocked, and he did not crawl back up for a long time.

Following Chun Niang’s scream, Zhang the Eleventh began to sober up.

He started to panic: "I didn't push hard… I just pushed a little…"

Chun Niang: "You killed him! Quickly, quickly, someone help him…"

Fearing a death, everyone in the pavilion swarmed over. Zhang the Eleventh retreated in terror, repeating that he hadn't used any force. As Chun Niang wept, the Prince of Qin upstairs felt the timing was finally right. He gave a command, and the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice standing opposite him stepped out: "Who is disturbing me while I drink?"

The Vice Minister looked astonished: "What? Is there a death?"

Zhang the Eleventh looked up and saw the Vice Minister walking out from upstairs with his hands behind his back. Suddenly, he had a flash of inspiration—he saw the other Ministry of Justice investigators moving toward him from all directions, quietly surrounding him. Fear gripped him, and he remembered how he had been hunted by Princess Danyang’s people here a year ago.

Without a second glance, Zhang the Eleventh turned and ran.

The Vice Minister immediately ordered: "Pursue!"

Regardless of whether the gentleman Chun Niang was holding was truly dead or not, the Vice Minister’s attitude was firm: "A life for a life!"

Hearing "a life for a life" as he scrambled out of the building like a madman, Zhang the Eleventh became convinced he had killed someone. With the Vice Minister of Justice on the scene, he feared he might truly be executed on the spot, as he currently held no official rank.

Zhang the Eleventh ran for his life, with the Ministry of Justice officials in pursuit.

They left the building, left the North Ward, and galloped through the streets of Chang'an in a wild chase.

Yet, not a single one of the Ministry of Justice investigators ever caught up to Zhang the Eleventh, who was riding his horse like a headless fly trying to flee home. This was because they all remembered His Highness the Prince of Qin’s instruction: "Do not catch him; let him run. He is not our target."

Zhang the Eleventh ran into his own mansion.

The lane where the Ministry of Revenue Langzhong’s residence was located became incredibly lively as the Ministry of Justice officials arrived.

Directly across from the residence of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue was the residence of that Langzhong, Master Zhang. When the Ministry of Justice officials arrived in the alley, the Vice Minister was standing at his own gate, watching the bustle for a while, stroking his beard and sighing with a smile: "It seems Master Zhang’s eleventh son has caused trouble again. This child is truly a curse."

The Vice Minister’s eldest son stood beside him, respectful: "Father is right."

Using the constant troubles of his neighbor to teach his own son, the Vice Minister said: "Watch closely; do not ever imitate the Eleventh Master next door. If you act as foolishly as he does, I will not pull you out like Master Zhang does. Your father is in a difficult position now; I must be more vigilant."

His eldest son respectfully agreed.

The Vice Minister returned to his mansion to continue drinking tea, intending to finish his cup and wait for the Ministry of Justice people next door to leave before going to the Secretariat to handle his official duties. During this leisurely time, his eldest son ran in, sweating profusely and in a great rush.

His clothes were disheveled, and the young man had even lost a shoe in his haste.

Just as the Vice Minister was about to reprimand his son for such indecorum, he heard his eldest son say in a panic: "Father, this is bad! The Ministry of Justice officials say that Zhang the Eleventh and his accomplices climbed over our wall to hide, and they have started banging on the door, demanding we cooperate with the investigation. Seeing that they were coming with ill intent, I immediately closed the door. They have actually started smashing it open!"

"Father, what is going on! You are a Vice Minister, a high-ranking official of the fourth rank! How dare the Ministry of Justice people smash our door! Are they not afraid of being impeached?"

The Vice Minister’s face changed instantly.

He murmured: "This is bad!"

He stood up abruptly, his face turning paper-white.

Almost in an instant, relying on his political sensitivity cultivated over many years, he realized that the Ministry of Justice openly smashing the door could not be aimed at a mere Zhang the Eleventh—it could only be aimed at him… Zhang the Eleventh!

The Vice Minister didn't immediately think of how Zhang the Eleventh was connected to him, but he realized acutely that the Ministry of Justice must be brewing a conspiracy.

The Vice Minister ordered immediately: "They are definitely coming for me. You go and block the front gate; I will escape through the back door."

His eldest son was stunned: "They are only arresting Zhang the Eleventh…"

The Vice Minister scolded: "You fool! Neither a Langzhong nor a Langzhong’s son is enough to make them smash our door. Do they think my fourth-rank official position is a joke? They must be trying to redirect the disaster… I hope I am overthinking this, but the most pressing priority is for me to get out and hide!"

He further ordered: "Send someone to the Eastern Palace to seek help!"

His eldest son hurriedly complied and went to help his father block the front gate.

The Ministry of Justice officials were fast in their demolition, but they hadn't expected the Vice Minister to be such an old fox, reacting so quickly. When the door was smashed open, they only saw the Vice Minister’s eldest son; the Vice Minister had already escaped the mansion.

This time, the expression of the Ministry of Justice officials truly changed, and they shouted: "Pursue!"

The leader, ignoring the captured Zhang the Eleventh beside him, didn't even blink an eye: "The accomplice of Zhang the Eleventh has escaped! A matter of life and death, since we have seen it in public, how can we not give the people an explanation! We must bring this accomplice to justice!"

The Vice Minister fled the lane in a panic, leaving the ward. The officials chased after him. With the dark mass of officials in pursuit, the Vice Minister knew his ominous premonition had come true—

Sure enough, the true target of the Ministry of Justice was him.

Although he did not know what crime he had committed, he knew that the Prince of Qin and the Crown Prince were political enemies. If he fell into the hands of the Ministry of Justice, even if he didn't die, he would be peeled of a layer of skin. Cold sweat broke out all over the Vice Minister’s body. Without thinking, he stumbled his way toward the mansion of Princess Danyang.

Given his current situation, even if the Imperial City gates were open, the palace gates behind them would be another obstacle. And even if he passed that, the gates of the Eastern Palace would not be easily opened for just anyone.

Since the Crown Prince could not act to protect him immediately, the Vice Minister, relying on his intuition, was going to seek refuge with Princess Danyang!

Princess Danyang was on her way out of the city.

Yan Shang had rarely skipped investigating the Luo Xiu case today; he had come to the Princess’s mansion to have breakfast with Mu Wanyao. Mu Wanyao had been in a bad mood lately and did not give him a very good look, but when Yan Shang suggested they go out of the city to play by the Qujiang Pool, she did not object.

Because what Yan Shang said was: "Because of recent events, Your Highness’s relationship with me has grown quite cold. Even the coming-of-age ceremony you promised to prepare for me, I have not been able to enjoy; it is truly a pity. Why not accompany me out of the city for two days to play, as a way of keeping me company for my coming-of-age ceremony?"

Mu Wanyao hesitated: "The coming-of-age ceremony should be handled by your teacher. I am not your elder; wouldn't it be inappropriate to ask me?"

Yan Shang said: "However, I only wish to spend time privately with Your Highness; I do not want to trouble too many people."

Hearing him put it this way, Mu Wanyao’s heart softened. She felt that because of the Yizhou affair, Yan Shang’s coming-of-age ceremony had been rushed, with Chancellor Liu simply placing the cap on his head, without it being properly celebrated. Moreover, his mention of wanting to spend two days in private with her touched her heart.

Mu Wanyao felt that because of recent events, the two had drifted apart. Since he had taken the initiative to make a gesture, she naturally agreed happily.

However, Mu Wanyao did not know that as Yan Shang looked at her with apologetic eyes, he was thinking: I must extract her from this.

Once they had left Chang'an for two days, the events in the city would have settled down.

He did not wish to be enemies with Mu Wanyao, nor did he want her to be implicated. The best way he could think of was to take her out of the city.

Regardless, the Ministry of Revenue did not need Yan Shang right now; they would be happy to see him go. Mu Wanyao and Yan Shang rode horses out of the city, with the Princess’s attendants and maids following behind. To someone as low-key as Yan Shang, he was now making no effort to hide his relationship with Mu Wanyao. As for Mu Wanyao, she tilted her head to look at him, her eyes brimming with a smile, no longer keeping the distance she once did.

At the city gate, the guards wanted to inspect the fish-shaped tally and jade plate of the Princess’s mansion.

While Fang Tong went to handle the handover, one of the city guards smiled and greeted Yan Shang: "Second Young Master Yan, you are going out of the city?"

The polite smile that Yan Shang always wore on his lips paused for a moment before he answered courteously: "Yes."

Mu Wanyao, riding on her horse beside him, turned her face in his direction.

Mu Wanyao: "You know him?"

Yan Shang explained: "Because I have been dealing with His Highness the Prince of Qin much more today, it is inevitable that I have met this brother several times."

The young guard praised Yan Shang to Mu Wanyao: "Second Young Master Yan is elegant and graceful, and he does not look down on us martial men; we are naturally happy to make his acquaintance."

Yan Shang, however, clearly did not want to talk more: "Hmm."

He turned his head and whispered to Mu Wanyao: "Let us leave quickly."

Mu Wanyao did not respond.

She remembered Yan Shang complaining that she never cared about his friends or understood his social circles. Now that she had the time, she could learn a little. So, though still on horseback, Mu Wanyao looked down at the guard, a smile on her lips: "Guarding the city for the whole afternoon must be very exhausting, right?"

The guard was startled, flattered by the Princess’s concern, and hurriedly said: "I dare not, I dare not! Actually, I just came on shift; I have not been guarding the city for the whole afternoon."

Yan Shang’s eyes narrowed slightly; he hinted to Mu Wanyao again that they could leave the city.

Mu Wanyao insisted on continuing her chat with the guard: "How can that be? At this hour, it shouldn't be the time for the rotation; it is clearly still half an hour away before you are supposed to rotate."

The guard answered foolishly: "Because His Highness the Prince of Qin temporarily transferred some soldiers, taking away the ones he is familiar with. I was sent over…"

Yan Shang said again: "Your Highness, let us leave the city."

Mu Wanyao was displeased and glared at Yan Shang. He was the one who said she didn't care about his circle, and now that she was showing interest, he kept urging her on. Mu Wanyao felt something was wrong, but she couldn't put her finger on it, and she allowed herself to be urged away by Yan Shang.

Mu Wanyao did not want to make Yan Shang lose face in public, so she ended her conversation with the guard and left the city with him.

Yan Shang breathed a slight sigh of relief—

The Prince of Qin had mobilized people from the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of War to arrest the fleeing accomplice.

The entire city of Chang'an was in chaos. The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue was furious that he had inexplicably become some sort of accomplice to murder, but he did not dare stop, fearing there was a trap and that he would be thrown into prison.

Unable to hide in the Eastern Palace, the Vice Minister was not unaware of the news. The Crown Prince received the call for help transmitted by the Vice Minister’s eldest son with great effort, and his complexion changed instantly. Compared to the flustered Vice Minister, the Crown Prince was calmer.

The Crown Prince knew that Yan Shang had been hanging around with the Prince of Qin lately. If this matter were related to Yan Shang, the Crown Prince guessed Yan Shang’s goal in an instant—

Yan Shang had no evidence of the Ministry of Revenue taking bribes.

The accounts had been filled in by them; a low-ranking official of Yan Shang’s level could not possibly find evidence.

But they could have the Ministry of Justice arrest the Vice Minister on other charges, and under severe interrogation, the Ministry of Justice could force a confession, causing the Vice Minister to spill the secrets of the Ministry of Revenue. As the second-in-command of the Ministry, what the Vice Minister spilled would surely become the biggest case at the end of the year!

The Crown Prince immediately ordered: "What about Yaoyao! Tell her to save the Vice Minister from the Ministry of Justice! Tell her to use her status as a Princess to stall for time; the Vice Minister must not be taken away by the Ministry of Justice people!"

The Crown Prince was anxious.

He issued a second order: "Tell the Dali Temple Minister to lead his people to confront them! Have the Dali Temple snatch the person from the Ministry of Justice! No matter what the charge, the Vice Minister must be on our side!"

After two consecutive orders, the Crown Prince still felt uneasy.

He only hoped he was overthinking things, that Yan Shang wouldn't do this. After all, Mu Wanyao had guaranteed to him that Yan Shang had reconciled with them. Yan Shang wouldn't cooperate with the Prince of Qin… but what if he was?

The Crown Prince’s face twisted, a wave of resentment surging into his heart!

If something happened to the Ministry of Revenue, he would surely make Yan Shang die to apologize for his crimes!

Within the mansion of the Minister of Revenue, someone had actually brought the news of the Vice Minister being chased through the streets.

Although the Minister of Revenue was a bodhisattva who closed his eyes and said nothing all day, he was, after all, the true head of the Ministry. There were some things that, even for the sake of courtesy, had to be told to the Minister.

The Minister of Revenue was playing chess with his son, discussing the matter of his father retiring the year after next.

As the news of the Vice Minister was brought in, he sat in the courtyard, the piece in his hand failing to descend for a long time.

After a while, the Minister of Revenue sighed: "It must be that Yan Shang has cooperated with the Prince of Qin."

His son said: "We shall just watch them fight like dogs. Yan Er is young after all; he goes back on his word. Even if the Crown Prince falls this time, he will strip a layer of skin off Yan Shang. Father is retiring soon; do not participate in their internal fighting."

The white-browed Minister of Revenue frowned, his face a map of wrinkles, his eyes dim and lifeless, looking senile and devoid of spirit.

The Minister of Revenue said: "The Crown Prince is an ambitious man with deep schemes. I fear that before the Vice Minister even figures out why the Ministry of Justice is targeting him, the Crown Prince has already thought it through and is about to act."

His son nodded: "I heard Yan Suchen just came of age? So young, what a pity."

He invited his father to continue, but the Minister of Revenue did not place his piece; he threw it back into the bowl.

The Minister of Revenue’s voice was aged, and he said slowly: "I have visited Chancellor Liu before, and I have seen Yan Suchen. Now we are all old; how the future of Great Wei proceeds does not depend on us, nor on the likes of the Vice Minister, but on young people like Yan Suchen."

"The future of Great Wei belongs to people like Yan Suchen. His teacher said he was full of talent, not something that would stay in a pond. When he came to the Ministry of Revenue, his teacher even privately entrusted me to take care of him. It is just that Yan Suchen’s ability is so strong, he never needed my care."

"Although the Ministry of Revenue is… in a bad state now. But thinking that young people like Yan Suchen will rise in the future, I feel there is nothing wrong with that."

"Yan Suchen, oh. He is good at everything. However, he underestimates the people of the world! There is more than one smart person in the world!"

"The Crown Prince will surely let the Dali Temple take action to snatch the person now. As long as the Dali Temple is one step faster than the Ministry of Justice, the Vice Minister will still not suffer a loss."

Having said this, the Minister of Revenue stood up. He turned his back and walked out.

His son followed him up, suddenly panicked, and called to him from behind: "Father! What are you going to do? Are you going to help Yan Suchen? Father, you cannot! This is being enemies with the Crown Prince, this is being enemies with the Ministry of Revenue! There will never be a good ending!"

His son’s eyes filled with tears as he blocked the Minister of Revenue, kneeling in front of his father, pleading bitterly: "Father is about to retire; why come out for this? Why not retire peacefully, why look for trouble, why let yourself fall into a mountain of blades and a sea of fire?"

The Minister of Revenue looked down at him, placing a hand on his shoulder, and said slowly: "Zicheng, in this world, there are some things one can choose not to do, and some things one must do."

"For an old man like me who is about to be buried, isn't my function to support you all?"

"We will support you from below… I am saving Yan Suchen today, but I am also saving all of you. The greatest sin is not death. I have been an official for decades, often called a mud bodhisattva, ignoring this and asking nothing about that. Today, this matter, I should also manage…"

"It is time to let the world know that the Ministry of Revenue is not some person’s dictatorial fiefdom!"

He walked around his son and walked out of the courtyard with his hands behind his back. Naturally, he was going to the Dali Temple to intercept the Minister of the Dali Temple, to buy time for the Ministry of Justice, for Yan Shang.

His son knelt on the ground, head lowered.

Suddenly, his son knelt in the direction his father had left, lifted his sleeves, and bowed, shouting loudly: "Father! I will wait for you to come back and finish this game of chess! Our game, son will be waiting for you to return!"

The Minister looked back at him once, his eyes filled with both comfort and sorrow. He looked at his son kneeling in the midday sun, vaguely resembling his eldest son when he was first learning to speak.

A thousand flavors, bitterness in his heart.

In the end, he was silent.

Only managing a bitter smile, the Minister waved for his son to go back, and walked out with a stumbling gait—

Mu Wanyao and Yan Shang had left the city, and Mu Wanyao kept her head down, thinking about what exactly was wrong.

She suddenly raised her eyes to look at Yan Shang, who was a foot away.

He was holding the reins, exceptionally quiet.

It was even more wrong.

Although Yan Shang was a shy and quiet person, he had always been very proactive in trying to get close to her. If she took the initiative, he would retreat; if she didn't, Yan Shang would urge her to take the initiative… but today he had been quiet from start to finish, not saying a few words.

Could it be because of the fight they had recently?

Mu Wanyao frowned, feeling it was still wrong. She recalled all her memories of the day, pulling the blurry fragments out of her mind.

In the morning, Yan Shang lingered at her place and wouldn't leave. Although his tone was gentle and his voice calm when he invited her out of the city, he was clearly a little nervous, and after she agreed, he didn't even smile because of his nervousness.

Just now, at the city guard’s post, Yan Shang kept urging her to leave the city.

Wait… that city guard!

That guard was very familiar with Yan Shang, and Yan Shang’s performance was cold, which was clearly different from his usual attitude toward friends. This meant he knew the guard, but he didn't want Mu Wanyao to know.

The guard said he had just switched in because the Prince of Qin had transferred some people away. For no reason, in broad daylight, why would the Prince of Qin suddenly transfer people?

After the guard finished speaking, Yan Shang urged her to leave again…

Mu Wanyao controlled her reins, stopped, and didn't move. Yan Shang turned his head to look at her. Mu Wanyao stared at him for a moment and slowly tested him: "I remembered I forgot to bring something; I have to go back to the mansion to retrieve it."

The veins on Yan Shang’s hand gripping the reins stood out, which Mu Wanyao observed.

He suggested in a calm tone: "Is there anything you can't find at Qujiang Pool? Why go back specifically to get it? We are already so far out of the city; why turn back halfway?"

Mu Wanyao’s lips curled, and she said: "I insist on turning back halfway."

With that, the horse she was riding turned its head, the hem of the lady’s skirt fluttering slightly on the horse, and she was instantly ready to return to the city. Yan Shang immediately rode his horse to her side to block her path: "Why not tell me what Your Highness forgot, and I will go for you…"

Mu Wanyao’s eyes were cold: "Move."

Yan Shang was still speaking softly: "With Your Highness’s noble status, how can you bother with everything yourself? Why not let me…"

Mu Wanyao sneered: "You don't even dare let Fang Tong do it, you have to do it yourself?"

Yan Shang’s pupils shrank.

Mu Wanyao glared at him: "Did you set up something in the city, which is why you are so afraid of me going back?"

He dodged slightly.

She stopped wasting words with him and immediately bypassed him to continue riding back to the city. Yan Shang still followed to block her again. Mu Wanyao’s expression grew increasingly impatient, and she immediately shouted: "Fang Tong!"

Fang Tong and the other guards who had been following behind sighed in their hearts, but they still maneuvered their horses, blocking Yan Shang from the left and right, trying to take Yan Shang away from the Princess. Yan Shang refused to leave, still trying to follow Mu Wanyao, desperately trying to persuade her: "Your Highness!"

Mu Wanyao: "Enough nonsense! What I want to do, you cannot stop!"

Yan Shang pursed his lips and said: "What I want to do, you cannot stop either."

Mu Wanyao’s eyes seemed to be spitting fire. He was still trying to persuade her: "As long as Your Highness leaves Chang'an for a few days, those things will have nothing to do with you… Even if Your Highness goes back now, it is too late."

Mu Wanyao: "Too late?!"

She pressed in: "What did you do? What did you arrange? Why say it is too late? My horsemanship is excellent; returning to the city will be twice as fast as you; is it still too late then?"

Yan Shang looked into her eyes and whispered: "It is too late. Because… this is an open plot."

"Regardless of whether you go back or not, what should happen, will happen."

"I only want you to stay out of it."

Mu Wanyao interrupted him: "Whether I stay out of it or not is my business, I don't need you to decide for me! You think your intelligence is extremely high, that everything and everyone will be predicted by you? If you are really so sure, why are you stopping me now?"

"Yan Shang, you are just also afraid that I will destroy your plan!"

"Fang Tong! We are returning to the city!"

Yan Shang could not stop Mu Wanyao and could only whip his horse, trying hard to follow behind her. And as she herself said, her horsemanship was indeed excellent. She concluded that Yan Shang must have done something that wronged her, her heart burning with anxiety, and her horsemanship was so fast that not to mention Yan Shang, even Fang Tong and the others were left behind.

The Princess’s retinue hurried along, kicking up rolling clouds of dust on the streets of Chang'an!

When they arrived at the ward where the Princess’s mansion was located, Mu Wanyao dismounted, Yan Shang following with difficulty. He was still trying to persuade her, but Mu Wanyao strode forward, ignoring him completely. And before them appeared a disheveled, stumbling person.

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, in his panic, saw the Princess rushing back from outside the city!

He rushed over and hugged the Princess’s thigh, crying miserably: "Your Highness, save me! Your Highness, save me!"

Mu Wanyao raised her eyes and saw the Ministry of Justice officials surrounding the area. Yan Shang’s expression stiffened. Mu Wanyao’s expression did not change; she pressed her hand on the shoulder of the Vice Minister who was kneeling on the ground and stared at the Ministry of Justice people: "With me here, I want to see who can take him!"

No one dared to move the Princess, and the situation reached a stalemate.

The Vice Minister relaxed slightly.

He was helped up by the Princess, knowing he was safe. He revealed a somewhat proud, mocking smile, but when he turned his head, he met Yan Shang’s gaze. In an instant, Yan Shang took a step toward him. While the Princess was confronting the Ministry of Justice, Yan Shang held a knife against the Vice Minister’s shoulder.

The Vice Minister was furious: "Yan Suchen! How dare you!"

Mu Wanyao turned her head, saw what Yan Shang was doing, and her face turned pale with anger: "Yan Shang! How dare you!"

The tense atmosphere gathered once again, taking a sharp turn!