Tigers Sniff the Rose - Chapter 118

Chapter 118

Nanyang Commandery belongs to the Shannan Circuit. The highest-ranking official in Nanyang is the Cishi (Inspector), and the administrative seat of Nanyang Commandery is located in Rang County.

When the Emperor said he was letting Yan Shang go to Nanyang to be a county magistrate, he was actually referring to the position of magistrate of Rang County, the very seat of Nanyang Commandery.

This means that both the Nanyang Cishi and the Rang County Magistrate would reside in Rang County year-round. Separated by only one street, the county magistrate’s office sits on one side, and the Cishi’s office on the other.

As the most powerful noble family in Nanyang, the Jiang clan is the source from which the Nanyang Cishi hails.

The Emperor’s intention in sending Yan Shang, a county magistrate, to butt heads with a Cishi from the Jiang clan was glaringly obvious.

Yan Shang sighed softly.

He felt a touch of exhaustion and an inexplicable chill.

The Emperor would not allow him to remain in Chang’an. Because if he stayed in the capital after his falling out with the Crown Prince, Yan Shang might very well choose to cooperate with the Prince of Qin for the sake of self-preservation. Yet, the Emperor clearly had no intention of making things easy for the Prince of Qin; no sooner had Yan Shang been released from prison than the Emperor set him on the road, cutting off the Prince of Qin’s foundation.

Under normal circumstances, a county magistrate naturally cannot exert any influence over a commandery-level Cishi.

However, who else is this new magistrate but Yan Shang, the man who stirred up such a massive storm in Chang’an?

As for Yan Shang’s own life and death, in the Emperor’s eyes, it was likely of no consequence. If he lived, that was fine—he could support him in climbing higher; if he died, that was also fine—he could simply find someone else to support. 

Upon leaving the palace, Yan Shang walked in front, with Liu Wenji following behind.

Liu Wenji observed Yan Shang, who wore a slightly worn, snow-blue robe. His limbs were long and graceful, thin as jade bamboo. Just looking at his back, one could see his refined appearance and elegant bearing. Yet, a man such as this inevitably stiffened his spine slightly with every step he took.

Liu Wenji looked again at the hand slipping out of Yan Shang’s sleeve, vaguely catching sight of a scarred scab on the back of his hand.

Looking closer, his cheekbones were extremely gaunt, and there was a withered quality about his features.

Liu Wenji thought to himself, he did not know if the imprisonment had dealt a blow to Yan Shang’s spirit, but it had at least caused irreparable damage to his body.

Liu Wenji felt a sudden pang of distress, feeling that he had a hand in pushing Yan Shang toward that imprisonment. Even though he had tried every possible way to speak for Yan Shang before the Emperor afterward... Liu Wenji heard Yan Shang say softly, "Thank you."

They were the only two leaving the palace; the nearest palace maids all stayed two zhang away from Yan Shang. Yan Shang had his back to Liu Wenji, but these words could only have been meant for him.

Liu Wenji paused. He lowered his head to hide his expression, asking, "Thank you for what?"

Yan Shang replied, "His Majesty sending me to a remote post—you must have contributed to that as well. Because Chang’an is currently unsafe for me, Nanyang is better by comparison."

Liu Wenji did not speak, but on his downcast face, a trace of a smile slowly surfaced in his eyes.

Of course he had spoken for Yan Shang. This feeling of helping behind the scenes and being perceived by the person involved was something he had seen time and time again only in Yan Shang.

Liu Wenji whispered, "I must also thank you."

Now it was Yan Shang’s turn to fall silent.

Yan Shang’s gaze passed over the white jade stairs in front of the palace and over the multi-tiered eaves. He knew that the thanks Liu Wenji spoke of were for the matter concerning Zhang Shilang. Zhang Shilang had crippled Liu Wenji, and this time, Yan Shang had ensured Zhang Shilang was detained by the Ministry of Justice, where, upon cumulative sentencing, he would likely be exiled.

Yan Shang had indeed helped Liu Wenji, and he accepted his gratitude.

Liu Wenji glanced at Yan Shang’s profile and whispered, "Nanyang is a wealthy land; being a magistrate there is actually quite good. Moreover, your previous post was a rank of 7b, while the magistrate of Nanyang is a rank of 7a. This is considered a promotion; it is a good thing."

Yan Shang smiled slightly.

A nominal promotion, but in reality, a demotion. Just as Mu Wanyao had once told him, the chasm between a capital official and a regional official was as vast as the heavens.

Thinking of Mu Wanyao, Yan Shang’s dark, thick eyelashes trembled, and he lowered his eyes.

He asked, "Was Luo Xiu’s death your doing?"

Liu Wenji was startled.

Then, without changing his expression, he replied, "No."

Yan Shang turned his head to look at him, not probing any further—perhaps he had already reached his own conclusion in his heart, and he had no energy left to do anything about it. He only said, "Take care of yourself."

Liu Wenji’s pupils contracted, and his voice rose with a touch of that sharp, piercing quality unique to eunuchs: "This servant respectfully bids farewell to the Second Master Yan!"

In Liu Wenji’s eyes, as long as Yan Shang was sent out of Chang’an, the matter of Luo Xiu would become an unsolved mystery, and it would all end there.

But Luo Xiu had, in fact, long been wary of Liu Wenji.

Against a eunuch who would kill two people just to climb the ladder, Luo Xiu did not think the other party would show him any mercy.

While the Great Wei capital of Chang’an was in turmoil due to the Ministry of Revenue case, in the southern wilds, within the tent of the Wuman King Meng Zaishi, they welcomed a Nanman clansman who had struggled with great hardship to escape from Chang’an.

This escaped clansman was Luo Xiu’s close attendant. Covered in mud and filth, he knelt at Meng Zaishi’s feet, recounting with blood, tears, and hatred how that Liu Wenji, in order to cover his tracks, had hunted them down, and how he had changed his clothes and fled Chang’an like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bowstring...

Meng Zaishi was thoughtful: "Is that so? Luo Xiu has suffered."

He stood before this attendant of Luo Xiu, but in his heart, he thought that Luo Xiu’s death was fine; in any case, it was no loss to him. He showed kind concern for the attendant and leaned down as if to help him up. As the attendant lowered his head in gratitude, he did not know that Meng Zaishi’s hand, while resting on his shoulder, had fingers that flicked and leisurely reached for his throat.

It was a move to crush his throat and kill him.

However, Meng Zaishi stopped the motion halfway, helped the attendant up instead, and sighed in a pained tone.

At the same time, the felt curtains were pulled aside from the outside, and the thunderous, earth-shaking footsteps approached. The fiery King Ale, the Nanman King, roared like thunder: "Luo Xiu is dead? The Great Wei actually killed our envoy? Does Great Wei not hold our Nanman in their eyes?!"

Meng Zaishi stepped back unperturbed, spreading his hands to show regret, allowing the imposing King Ale to grab that pale-faced attendant; with a light squeeze, he lifted the attendant before him. King Ale began to curse the treachery of the Great Wei in the Nanman language, cursing the ulterior motives of the Great Wei.

Meng Zaishi’s lips curled into a smile as he observed this young King Ale. The man was in his thirties, in the prime of his life; he was broad-waisted and fat, walking like a small mountain, his hair greased into braids, wearing a heavy sable cloak. This was the attire of a Nanman king.

Meng Zaishi had left Great Wei to defect to the Nanman King. On one hand, he developed the Wuman’s own culture; on the other, he used the small state he had borrowed from Great Wei to curry favor with King Ale, helping him conquer the entire southern wild. Now, Wuman King Meng Zaishi had become the most capable right-hand man to the Nanman King.

Some advised King Ale that the Wuman King had the heart of a wolf and could not be fully trusted. King Ale had been suspicious at first, but beyond Meng Zaishi refusing to let the Wuman be drawn into battle, he and his subordinates were death-defying in combat; there was even one time on the battlefield when he saved King Ale, who had been struck by an arrow... From then on, King Ale trusted Meng Zaishi implicitly.

At this moment, Meng Zaishi listened to King Ale’s cursing for a long while, which carried the clear intent to issue a declaration of war to Great Wei and start a conflict. Meng Zaishi touched the map in his bosom. It was the one the attendant had just given him—after all, Luo Xiu had sent people to the southern wilds to deliver the map and had received no news; naturally, he would have been suspicious and made other preparations.

This attendant who escaped had brought with him the terrain map of Chang’an that Luo Xiu and Liu Wenji had traded for that day.

It was a pity, however, that the intelligence Luo Xiu had exchanged for from Liu Wenji would never be known by anyone, because the Nanman people had no written language.

Meng Zaishi said to the enraged King Ale, "Great King, now is not the time for us to start a war with Great Wei."

King Ale calmed down and said, "Right, we should unify the Nanman first... but letting Great Wei off like this is unsatisfying!"

Meng Zaishi replied offhandedly, "Send some small units to constantly harass the borders of Great Wei. The Great King can also issue a state letter to Great Wei in the capacity of the Nanman King, condemning their actions. Tell Great Wei that if they do not hand over the murderer who killed Luo Xiu, the Nanman will declare war."

King Ale pondered, "No, since we know who in Great Wei was in contact with Luo Xiu, we should be able to use it later. It would be a waste to kill him."

Meng Zaishi thought to himself that this fat man actually had a brain, which was a pity.

Meng Zaishi smiled, "Then let us just send the state letter to condemn them."

King Ale agreed; after all, the Nanman truly could not spare the effort to deal with Great Wei right now.

Meng Zaishi stepped out of the tent and slowly took out the Chang’an map that the attendant had just given him. He looked down at it for a long while, finding no difference from the Chang’an terrain map in his memory. Meng Zaishi clicked his tongue twice and tucked the map away again.

It might be useful in the future.

He stayed by the Nanman King’s side, certainly not to serve this man... but to wait for an opportunity to replace him.

The New Year in the Great Wei capital of Chang’an passed in a somber atmosphere.

Because the Emperor was ill again, he did not come to attend the grand banquet. The Crown Prince was confined in the Eastern Palace and did not preside over the feast either. The one whose face was full of spring was the Prince of Qin; the Prince of Qin hosted this year’s palace banquet, yet in his conversations with the ministers, everyone could see a hint of worry on his face.

Seeing that the Emperor was not coming, Mu Wanyao simply claimed illness herself and did not come to attend the palace banquet either.

Only the Prince of Jin remained as honest and steady as in previous years.

The number of people at the palace banquet this year had dropped by half, and the ministers were sparse. Because the entire Ministry of Revenue had been wiped out, a huge vacuum of official positions had appeared. The waiting officials who had failed the examinations for years had stumbled upon a heaven-sent opportunity, and for the past few months, they had been working frantically, trying every possible way to squeeze into the Ministry of Revenue to fill the vacancies.

There was a major reshuffling of officials.

To cope with the vast number of vacant positions, the New Year’s imperial examinations would double their recruitment. Moreover, those who passed the examination this time would not need to wait for a position but would be appointed directly. This was, of course, good news for the scholars of the world.

Those who were more sensitive could see directly from this that the doubling of the examinations might represent the rise of the humble-born (hanmen).

It was likely that after the Ministry of Revenue incident, the noble clans were in the wrong, and letting the humble-born take power was the Emperor’s true purpose.

In this year’s adjustment of Ministry of Revenue positions, the opportunities for officials from humble backgrounds to shine were much greater than before. And after Princess Danyang began to support these officials, they formed a group that stood in a state of subtle confrontation with those in the court from noble clans.

Though they were currently weak and not worth worrying about.

But the future held promise. 

Mu Wanyao helped these officials of humble origin make a name for themselves in the court in a methodical manner.

The imperial examinations had only been implemented by her imperial father for a little over twenty years; the humble-born were not yet strong enough to contend with the noble clans. But after Mu Wanyao discerned the Emperor’s attitude, and because she had turned against the Crown Prince, she chose to take this step.

Moreover, unlike before when she helped the Crown Prince, she now helped her own imperial father support the humble-born; she was no longer as eager or as ostentatious as she had been when she stayed by the Crown Prince’s side.

This was only because, at that time, Mu Wanyao was terrified that she would be used as a sacrificial pawn for an alliance with the Wuman, terrified of being discarded. Now, although her influence had suffered a major blow, that fear of being sent away for marriage had vanished after repeatedly probing the Emperor.

She was not so worried about becoming a discarded pawn.

Just because... her brothers all favored the noble clans, and only she helped the humble-born. Even for this reason alone, her imperial father would protect her and support her.

The rise of the humble-born... it was a long process; one could not be hasty. Let’s take it slowly.

The new year’s imperial examinations could be put to good use.

During the New Year season, Mu Wanyao did not attend the palace banquet, but the social visits to her estate were numerous. From the first to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, ministers came one after another to visit her and be introduced.

Moreover, Mu Wanyao knew that in the residence next door, Yan Shang had already returned.

He was recovering from his injuries at home.

But Mu Wanyao never asked once, nor did she go to see him. Her emotions were stable and her heart was calm; her maids were also cautious and did not dare to mention the Second Master Yan before the Princess.

When Mu Wanyao dealt with these matters, she thought of the Crown Prince and couldn’t help but ponder, feeling he was a bit difficult to deal with.

Because while she was busy, the Crown Prince was also using the convenience of his status to show filial piety at the Emperor’s sickbed.

He had promptly severed his own limbs and admitted his mistakes to the Emperor. He had used almost the same method as Mu Wanyao, using family affection to move the Emperor. So, although he had suffered some losses, his position as Crown Prince was still preserved. The Crown Prince now followed the Emperor daily and no longer monitored the state; government affairs were controlled by the Prince of Qin.

In the court, there was a subtle trend of the Prince of Qin becoming the dominant power.

The Crown Prince pretended not to know.

With such a ruthless ability to cut off what needed to be cut, how could Mu Wanyao not be on guard?

The struggle lay beneath a calm surface. The New Year passed, and when February arrived, as the court prepared to open the imperial examinations, Yan Shang also received the official transfer order signed by the Ministry of Personnel.

He was promoted to a rank of 7a, as Magistrate of Rang County, Nanyang, with the concurrent title of Junior Overseer (Shaojian). He was ordered to leave the capital immediately and go to Nanyang to take up his post.

Yan Shang had done so much, and Han Shuxing had watched it all with trembling fear. After his anger subsided, Han Shuxing began to regret it, feeling that it was he who had ruined Second Master Yan.

Han Shuxing didn’t know where he had heard the rumors in the marketplace, saying that Yan Shang’s journey would not be safe. So, after Yan Shang was released from prison, Han Shuxing very firmly insisted on being Yan Shang’s personal bodyguard and following him to Nanyang to take up his post.

After Yan Shang refused a few times to no avail, he let him be.

In early February, outside the gates of Chang’an, some old acquaintances came to see Yan Shang off as he left the capital.

Among them were Lin Dao and Liu Ruozhu, as well as some newly rising ministers of humble origin in the court, and some old friends who had not completely soured their relationship with Yan Shang during the Ministry of Revenue affair.

They were not only seeing Yan Shang off, but also the former Minister of Revenue.

That’s right, the former Minister of Revenue, who was originally only two years away from retirement, had also been demoted by the central government after the entire Ministry of Revenue was wiped out. The Minister of Revenue, now over sixty, was sent by the imperial court to be the Cishi of Yizhou to clean up the mess currently there.

The gray-haired Minister of Revenue appeared outside the city gates leading his horse, followed by his eldest son who had come to see him off.

When the eldest son of the Minister’s family saw Yan Shang, his face turned cold and quite impatient.

The Minister of Revenue, however, was quite good-natured toward Yan Shang, laughing heartily, "No matter, no matter, it’s just going to Yizhou. Serving the country, one remains vigorous even in old age, eh?"

His son’s tears almost fell, "Father is already at this age, going to such a poor and bitter place..."

The Minister of Revenue said, "Nonsense. I have managed the Ministry of Revenue for many years; do you think I don’t know? Yizhou is actually still quite wealthy; you all don’t need to worry."

He patted Yan Shang’s shoulder, looked at the thin young man, and joked, "Yan Suchen, a noted minister of the realm, eh? The fame is quite large."

Yan Shang did not feel well in his heart, whispering, "It was my impulsiveness that implicated you."

The Minister of Revenue waved his hand, not letting them see him off any further. He took the wine flask from his reluctant eldest son, took a large gulp of wine, and then stumbled onto his horse. With only two little servants following to lead the horses, this old man sat small and thin on his mount, facing the sunset, walking toward an unknown road.

Spring breeze on an ancient road, willows swaying, light rain like fine fur, rustling. A group of young people stood under the city tower; none of them held umbrellas, just standing quietly, listening to the vicissitudes of the old man’s singing drifting in the wind:

"Do not let worldly affairs intrude upon the idle temples of age, a century of life is meant for peaceful sleep and food."

"This old man would lead a hundred thousand soldiers myself, yet Chang’an lies to the northwest of heaven!"

"One cannot even look after one’s own parents, how can one speak of wife and child!" 

It rained, but the rainwater was clear and gentle, not something that made one feel annoyed.

Mu Wanyao and her attendants were coming from outside the city, riding on horses, when she saw from afar the group of young people under the Chang’an city tower. She had sharp eyes and saw Yan Shang at a glance.

Mu Wanyao’s face sank.

She had purposely gone out of the city to avoid this man, thinking that when she returned, he should have already left Chang’an. Why had he not left yet, still standing under the tower, lingering with people?

Fang Tong saw the Princess was displeased, so he racked his brains to think of a way to take a different path to avoid Second Master Yan; Xia Rong sat obediently on her horse, not daring to say a word.

Before they could think of a way, Mu Wanyao suddenly pointed at a person, "Who is that?"

Fang Tong looked, "It is... Han Shuxing! Ah, it’s actually him. It looks like he has actually followed Second Master Yan as a bodyguard?"

Mu Wanyao: "Bring me an arrow."

Fang Tong: "..."

Mu Wanyao fixed her eyes on Yan Shang, who had his back turned to them, her tone hardening, "Bring me a bow and arrow!"

Fang Tong: ...Is she really going to shoot Second Master Yan?

I-is that necessary? 

Under the city tower, Liu Ruozhu’s eyes brimmed with tears, and the others were also filled with reluctance.

Yan Shang found it amusing and said, "Alright, let us part here again..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Han Shuxing, standing two paces behind him, suddenly stiffened his spine and lunged forward, throwing himself at Yan Shang: "Second Master, be careful—"

Accompanying this sound, Yan Shang heard a very light "twang." He was dragged aside by Han Shuxing, and Lin Dao shouted from the side: "Who?!"

Yan Shang turned back. A straight arrow grazed his face and flew past.

Yan Shang looked up, stunned, watching helplessly as Mu Wanyao and her attendants rode over on horseback, the bow in Mu Wanyao’s hand not yet lowered.

Liu Ruozhu was shocked and suspicious: "Princess Highness? How can you... how can you... shoot an arrow like that? If someone loses their life..."

Mu Wanyao smiled brightly: "I am just seeing Second Master Yan off. This is to say, 'an arrow fired cannot turn back.' I am wishing Second Master Yan a smooth journey and sharing a bit of cheer."

She looked down at Yan Shang, seeing that his face was slightly pale, and she still smiled in a slow, deliberate manner: "Does Second Master Yan mind that this Princess is seeing you off in this way?"

Yan Shang lowered his eyes and said, "Your Highness is truly unique."

Mu Wanyao said, "You are not bad yourself."

The two spoke like this, one still standing on the ground, the other sitting proudly on her horse. The atmosphere became strange, and increasingly so. Liu Ruozhu gave a dry laugh from the side, "It’s raining, ah. It seems like it always rains when parting, they say it means they want you to stay..."

Mu Wanyao: "Pfft."

She rode her horse away without looking back, passing them all. Yan Shang lifted his eyes to stare at her vibrant, beautiful back for a long while. Until the city gates closed and the Princess’s party was completely out of sight. Yan Shang did not speak more to the others either; he boarded his carriage and left the place. 

Mu Wanyao rode her horse along the road of Chang’an, looking ahead, and suddenly asked, "Does the residence next door still bear the surname Yan?"

Xia Rong hurriedly rode her horse forward to answer the Princess, "Yes. Second Master Yan always wanted to sell the residence, but the residence opposite our Princess estate is not something ordinary people can afford. Second Master Yan couldn’t help it, so he had to keep it, but all his other houses and courtyards have been sold."

Mu Wanyao did not make a sound.

Xia Rong breathed a sigh of relief.

Mu Wanyao: "Continue."

Xia Rong was startled, not knowing what the Princess wanted her to continue with; she could only guess and say, "Also, also... Second Master Yan came to the estate to return the things the Princess once gifted him, and wanted to send the Princess things. This servant, this servant followed the Princess’s instructions and turned him away, saying the Princess did not want to have any connection with him, and asked him to stay far away from our Princess estate.

"Second Master Yan also stood outside the Princess estate for a while before leaving. He looked... like he was a bit sad."

Mu Wanyao’s action of controlling her horse suddenly stopped.

The horse beneath her was reined in by her, lowering its head and exhaling a turbid breath, its hooves tapping twice lightly on the wet ground. Mu Wanyao’s long dress draped over the horse, her gaze quietly looking ahead.

She sat blankly for a long while like this, the people behind her soaking in the rain with her, no one daring to speak loudly. The scent of rain was soft and damp, wrapping around her, shrouding her.

Suddenly, a delicate shout issued from the Princess’s lips: "Giddyap—"

She turned her horse’s head and galloped rapidly in the direction of leaving the city—

The carriage rattled along, moving slowly because of the rain.

Yun Shu was riding his horse outside, initially trying to chat with the taciturn Han Shuxing. The other man never spoke, so Yun Shu lost interest.

Inside the carriage, Yan Shang lowered his head, looking at the scroll filled with words in his hands.

This was what he had wanted to give Mu Wanyao, but ever since he came out of prison, Mu Wanyao had never seen him, not even giving him a single glance. He naturally knew this was for the best; not only should she be like this, he actually should also dim his thoughts and completely let go of his past feelings.

It was just that this scroll was the final gift he wanted to give to Mu Wanyao.

Yet she did not want it either.

Yan Shang felt as if it were raining inside his heart, painfully so. He was in low spirits; he closed his eyes to soothe himself for a moment, letting himself stop thinking about those useless things. He ought to reflect on his own faults in this Ministry of Revenue case; he had been too impulsive.

Voluntarily entering prison for an investigation was one thing, but not leaving himself enough of a path of retreat was another.

If it hadn’t been for good luck this time, he might have...

Such mistakes must not be made again in the future. In the future, no matter what he did, he should prepare more paths. This time, it was because he had prepared too little...

He meticulously thought through these things, his eyes closed, his hand feeling for a cup of cold tea on the table. He took a sip, lowered his head and coughed twice, his brows slightly furrowed. The injuries from his imprisonment had not fully healed; at least for now, his lungs would still ache with a sharp pain...

When Yan Shang coughed, he vaguely heard a female voice from outside: "Stop the carriage—is Yan Shang inside?"

His hand rested on the teacup, his cold fingertips trembling slightly. He wondered if it was his hallucination, because he actually felt this voice was Mu Wanyao’s.

Although he felt it was impossible, Yan Shang suddenly threw open the carriage curtain and looked outside.

Just in time, the carriage was stopped by the person who had chased after them. Through the carriage window, Yan Shang’s dark, gentle eyes saw the beautiful young woman who had ridden over, covered in raindrops. She was impatiently having his carriage stopped, scolding Yun Shu for not knowing better.

Mu Wanyao suddenly turned her head, her eyes meeting his.

Yan Shang’s heart thudded.

He stiffened and retreated to the side furthest from the window, then he paused, and leaned forward to open the carriage door. And it was while he was opening the door that the bright, stunning woman stepped on the footrest, lifted her skirt, and boarded the carriage.

As the door opened for a moment, Yan Shang looked at Mu Wanyao who had stepped aboard.

He looked at her with some confusion, seeing her looking down, then glancing up at him. The brilliant color in that glance was heart-stealing. There was no expression on Mu Wanyao’s face; she bowed to enter the carriage, and Yan Shang had to move back to make way for her.

As soon as she entered, she closed the carriage door.

Yan Shang leaned against the wall of the carriage, puzzled: "You..."

The cabin, with the door closed, was narrow and quiet. Mu Wanyao looked down at him, indifferent and nonchalant.

He was wearing a white scholar’s robe, clean and refined, looking up at her.

He had lost a lot of weight, but his face was still handsome and graceful.

Sitting in the carriage, he was like hazy moonlight, like warm spring sunshine; his clear pupils reflected her.

Even at this moment, Mu Wanyao looked at him and still felt he was excellent—

Mu Wanyao smiled slightly at him: "Yan Shang, we should have a beginning and an end."

Yan Shang stared at her, stunned.

He rasped: "What do you mean..."

Mu Wanyao said indifferently: "How we started is how we should end."

Yan Shang still did not understand why she had chased after him just to say such a thing. He thought, hadn’t they already separated, hadn’t it already ended? How else was it to end?

While he was struggling to understand, Mu Wanyao leaned toward him and embraced him.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his lips.

Yan Shang froze instantly—

Spring rain fell thick and steady.

Fang Tong and the others rushed over in the rain, seeing Yun Shu and the others standing blankly under the carriage. Yun Shu shook his head helplessly, pointing to the carriage, indicating that the Princess had driven them all out.

Inside the carriage, Yan Shang leaned against the wall, his face tilted up, his eyelashes lightly and slowly brushing against her face. His scent clung to her in the narrow carriage; her breathing was intertwined with his, and strands of hair fell beneath their breath.

At first, he was stiff, but later, he couldn’t help but lift his hands. The string tightened in his mind snapped with a "pop"; in the face of her indifferent attitude, his eyes turned red, and he grabbed her.

It appeared he was being pressed by her, but he stretched his arms to hold her back. Softness met softness; they took and gave.

Heart fell like fire, heart was poured like ice. Suffering, agony, sadness, pain, yet the love did not diminish in the slightest. Intimacy without separation, love so damp, just like the drenching rain outside.

In both their minds, they couldn’t help but think of the past, think of the day Mu Wanyao left Lingnan and how she had pressed Yan Shang in the carriage to kiss him.

Their breath was scalding, impossible to part. No matter how the servants outside waited, no one knew what was happening inside the carriage, what was being suppressed.

Suddenly, there was a sharp pain on Yan Shang’s lip, and Mu Wanyao pulled away.

Yan Shang touched the corner of his lip; it was a bloodstain where she had bitten him. Her lips were red and moist, also dripping with two drops of blood.

Mu Wanyao glanced at him, turned to push open the carriage door, and jumped off—

A good start and a good ending; that was how it ended.

Yet, in her sleeve, a scroll had been tucked by him.

Mu Wanyao looked back at the carriage one last time, then without looking back, mounted her horse, and this time, truly left—

She still felt he was excellent.

But... never again.