Tigers Sniff the Rose - Chapter 124

Chapter 124

Yan Shang moved out of his own residence and went to live in the county magistrate's office.

It was truly mind-boggling that a host would leave his own home just to accommodate a guest.

When Mu Wanyao learned that Yan Shang had moved to the magistrate's office, it was early in the morning, and she was sitting by the window arranging flowers.

Qiusi’s dark, rolling eyes watched the Princess, and she saw that Mu Wanyao merely paused for a moment in her flower-arranging before continuing.

If there was any real emotion, it was just a fleeting trace of mockery and desolation that crossed the bottom of Mu Wanyao’s eyes.

Mu Wanyao knew clearly that this was the answer Yan Shang had given her.

He cared about her and insisted on coming to see her, but after she kissed him, he felt something was wrong. He spoke of "discussing" their problems further, and this was the attitude he gave in that "discussion"—he took the initiative to leave, thoroughly avoiding suspicion.

He would not cross the line, viewing her like a flood or a wild beast; why should she be the one making a fool of herself by being overly affectionate? If there were no Yan Shang in this world, there would be plenty of Zhao Shangs, Qian Shangs, Sun Shangs, and Li Shangs. As for men, as long as she held power in her hands, what did it matter how many identical ones she found?

However, when Pei Qing came again to discuss leaving Nanyang with Mu Wanyao, Mu Wanyao still refused.

Mu Wanyao was determined to wait for the old imperial physician traveling from Chang'an. Only after the old physician examined Yan Shang's eyes and confirmed that he was fine would she leave Nanyang.

Pei Qing could see the Princess’s firm attitude. He did not know that Mu Wanyao’s persistence was due to the potential harm the prison disaster might cause Yan Shang; he only thought the Princess was unable to let go of her lingering attachment to "Yan Erlang."

Pei Qing felt bitter, but he could not defy the Princess.

When it came down to it, the Princess was the ruler, and he was the subject. Although they were a betrothed couple, he was actually there to serve the Princess, not to truly consider himself her man.

Pei Qing had always known the Princess was a monarch, and imperial power was above all else. Not to mention that the Princess currently couldn’t let go of Yan Erlang; even if she brought Yan Erlang into the Princess’s mansion and raised him right in front of his face after they were married, Pei Qing would have nothing to say.

Perhaps there were relationships between men and women in this world that were truly harmonious, but such relationships rarely existed between a Princess and her consort.

Like all other imperial consorts in the world, Pei Qing carefully watched Mu Wanyao’s expression, struggling to make a living under the pressure of imperial power. Furthermore, the reason the Princess married him was to bestow him with an official post, so how could he dare to be dissatisfied?

Yet, Pei Qing loved the Princess in his heart, and it was true that he hoped she could let go of Yan Erlang and look at him for once.

He dared not say it to the Princess, but he could go find Yan Shang and make him retreat.

After all, Pei Qing was currently a sixth-rank official, while Yan Shang was only a seventh-rank magistrate. Pei Qing was a capital official, and Yan Shang was just a minor local official.

Pei Qing went to the magistrate’s office where Yan Shang was staying and spoke to him about the Princess.

Yan Shang was preparing to go out to discuss bandit suppression with the provincial inspector when Pei Qing arrived and blocked him at the entrance of the back courtyard corridor of the county office. After Yun Shu, who was supporting Yan Shang, heard what this Master Pei had to say, an expression of anger immediately appeared on his face—their young master had already taken the initiative to avoid suspicion by moving to the county office; what else did this Master Pei want their master to do?

Yan Shang, meanwhile, flushed with shame and annoyance. He felt uncontrollably ashamed and resentful because of Pei Qing’s words. After all, he had been like that with Mu Wanyao... and now he was being confronted by her legitimate fiancé.

He had behaved so improperly, violating his own long-held principles of conduct; this feeling of shame made Yan Shang wish he could just knock his head against a wall and die.

After steadying himself for a long moment, Yan Shang said awkwardly and in a low voice: "Master Pei, please rest assured. While Her Highness remains in Nanyang, I will never see her again, so as not to bring trouble to her or to you. You may stay in my residence; if you have any needs, just mention them to the servants of the house, there is no need to notify me. I will be busy with bandit suppression afterwards and will mostly not be here. Master... you may rest assured."

Pei Qing praised Yan Shang’s demeanor.

But he hesitated for a moment: "I heard that you have a fiancée, is that true?"

Yan Shang sighed, thinking to himself that she was just a stranger he had seen once from afar, yet now she had become his shield. Yan Shang said yes.

Pei Qing then demanded: "Since you have a fiancée, why not get married early so the Princess can give up? Because if you don’t cut off all possibilities, I fear the Princess will still not let you go."

Yan Shang was stunned, remaining silent for a long time.

Yun Shu, who was supporting Yan Shang, finally could not hold back and said loudly: "Master Pei, isn’t this pushing people too far? Our young master has only just become betrothed; doesn't a wedding require preparation? Our young master is also a high official here in Nanyang; how can his marriage be so rushed just because of your wariness? Don’t you need to notify our young master's parents or brothers? You can’t handle the Princess yourself, so you’re forcing our young master to marry!"

Pei Qing felt ashamed, yet he looked at Yan Shang persistently and pleaded once more.

Yan Shang said softly: "...I cannot marry."

Pei Qing hurriedly asked: "Are you afraid that doing so would be disrespectful to your fiancée? With me and the Princess here, do you think we would shame you?"

Yan Shang frowned.

He said: "I know Master Pei thinks that because I... and the Princess... therefore... but in truth, I really won’t do anything with the Princess. However... I truly cannot marry. I cannot marry while you are both here... it would stimulate Her Highness."

Pei Qing disagreed: "Then you must at least show an attitude? You being like this only makes me feel that your heart is not upright and you are unwilling to let the Princess give up. Why would the Princess be stimulated by you getting married? She might be unhappy for a while, but she would die of despair because of it. Only when the Princess is completely disappointed in you will she leave with me. Could it be that you still cannot let go of the Princess?"

Yan Shang had nothing to say.

He thought to himself, why is this consort so clueless about Mu Wanyao...

Yan Shang insisted that he could not marry, but Pei Qing pushed him step by step, appealing to his emotions.

Pei Qing roughly saw that Yan Shang had a very high moral standard, so he kept talking about how difficult his situation was, how much he loved the Princess, and how much he hoped to have a peaceful life with her—while Yan Shang had ruined all of that...

Yun Shu tried to scold him several times, but Yan Shang stopped him.

In the end, trapped by Pei Qing’s emotional appeals, although Yan Shang insisted he could not marry, he made a concession, saying he would discuss moving up the date of the wedding with his father-in-law—

After Pei Qing left, feeling satisfied, Yun Shu was already furious.

Yun Shu said: "Erlang, why are you always like this? Why do you always think only of others and never consider yourself? To be good to the Princess, and to please Master Pei, you are willing to wrong yourself... and then be slandered by Master Pei. It’s as if we were the ones who wronged him.

"He doesn’t have the ability to keep an eye on the Princess himself, so he comes to find us! We’ve already moved out of our own residence to avoid them, and yet he still forces you to marry. When will you ever think about whether you are being wronged? You are simply too kind to people, which is why everyone comes to you.

"The Princess is like this, Master Pei is like this, and your father-in-law... didn't he latch onto you the same way!

"It was clearly because you heard the Princess’s marriage was settled, and that county assistant poured you wine, and in your drunken stupor, you agreed to the assistant’s constant matchmaking. Young Master probably hadn't even prepared for marriage... yet now you have to do this... why bother? Erlang, your wife should not be like this, she should at least be a match for you..."

Yan Shang’s face was pale, but he quietly stopped Yun Shu: "Do not say any more. There is no such thing as latching onto anyone regarding this marriage. The assistant is a man of upright character, and his beloved daughter must be honest and kind... The difficulty is that Master Pei wants me to marry early, but as for the Princess..."

He frowned slightly, and in the end, he decided to just let it be. At the very least, it might end Mu Wanyao’s delusions—

It was impossible for Yan Shang to really marry early; he hadn't prepared for it at all. After all, marriage was a major life event, and for him, the weight of responsibility was immense. But after Pei Qing’s pleas, Yan Shang had the assistant come to the office to discuss moving the wedding date forward.

For the assistant, it was naturally a huge, pleasant surprise.

Yan Erlang had taken a fancy to his family because they were simple and ordinary, and he had taken a fancy to Yan Erlang’s talent and ability.

Ever since Yan Erlang arrived in Rang County, no amount of matchmaking by important figures had worked. The assistant hadn’t dared to dream of such a high match, but who knew that after one drunken night, Erlang had actually let his guard down. This marriage felt like it had dropped from the sky; the assistant had been in a daze, fearing he was dreaming.

He had even prepared himself for the day Yan Erlang would tell him that he had been too drunk that day and that without the betrothal gifts, it didn't count as a marriage engagement.

Who would have known that Yan Shang hadn't said much about the wedding, but the first time he brought it up, it was to discuss moving the date forward. The assistant rushed to the county office immediately, without even needing Yan Shang to visit... fearing that long delays would lead to complications, and someone would interfere.

However, the magistrate’s office and Yan Shang’s residence were truly too close.

The assistant walked into the county office with a face full of spring breezes, wearing a red robe, appearing just like a groom, which Qiusi, who was squatting by a flower bed outside Yan Shang’s residence playing with ants, saw clearly.

Qiusi was young, after all, and full of curiosity about everything. After she ran over to inquire, her expression changed, and she hurriedly ran back to the residence.

Qiusi shouted all the way, looking for Mu Wanyao: "Your Highness! Your Highness! Something has happened!"

When Pei Qing returned to the residence, he saw Mu Wanyao, dressed in a golden silk gown and covered in golden hairpins, looking sullen with Qiusi and other maids behind her, charging toward the county office. With the Princess’s grand momentum, Pei Qing’s eyelids jumped, and he had a premonition in his heart; he hurriedly followed to look.

Opposite the county office, the provincial inspector happened to walk out, and he saw the momentum with which the Princess of Danyang was charging toward the office.

The provincial inspector was from the Nanyang Jiang clan, the maternal family of the Third Prince, the Prince of Qin.

Seeing Mu Wanyao, the inspector’s eyelids twitched, and he muttered to himself: "So the Princess of Danyang really is living in the magistrate's residence... Yan Suchen has released so many false rumors that I didn't know what was true or false; he has hidden her away very well."

The inspector smiled: "A Princess, after all, with a massive entourage. And Yan Suchen even set up a fake Princess with those mountain bandits... he is truly too cautious."——

Yan Shang was sitting in the study, and he had only just begun to speak with the assistant, not yet getting to the point, when the door to the room was "banged" open from the outside.

This impolite attitude startled the assistant, who scolded on behalf of their magistrate: "Who is it! Do you have no respect for our magistrate? How dare you barge into the county office..."

Yan Shang said: "Assistant, you should step down first. We will discuss our business another day."

The assistant was reluctant to leave; they had finally reached the topic of the wedding, only to be interrupted again...

He looked back and saw a woman with brilliant, magnificent beauty walking into the room with a sullen face, followed by several beautiful maids and guards. The assistant’s eyelids jumped; he knew in his heart that this was likely the mysterious noble person living in the magistrate’s residence.

Perhaps it was the Princess.

The assistant dared not make a sound, and after he retreated, Mu Wanyao lifted her hem and headed straight for Yan Shang. She stood behind the desk and looked down at Yan Shang.

The vibrant sunlight shone into the study, and as he looked up slightly, the gauze covering his eyes was dyed with a hazy, translucent white glow.

He sat quietly with his sleeves draped, his expression unchanged, but even with his refined and graceful demeanor, in Mu Wanyao’s eyes at this moment, he was as detestable as a bastard.

Mu Wanyao said coldly: "I heard you are moving up your wedding date?"

Yan Shang gave a soft "hmm": "If there is enough time, Your Highness is welcome to stay for the wedding feast."

The hands inside his sleeves curled into tight fists, trembling violently, but he did not allow himself to show a single trace of emotion on his face.

Mu Wanyao commanded: "Call off the marriage for me."

Yan Shang: "For no reason, why should I call off the marriage? Is it fair to treat that young lady like this?"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone standing in the small study gasped, because without hesitation, Mu Wanyao slapped him, the crisp sound hitting Yan Shang’s face.

Yan Shang’s face was knocked to the side, and he was a bit stunned.

Because no matter how much they argued before, Mu Wanyao had never slapped him. Everyone said she had a bad temper, but Yan Shang had truly never seen her hit anyone.

And yet, today... she had done it.

Pei Qing had followed everyone, and standing outside the window, he had arrived just in time to see Mu Wanyao slap Yan Shang.

Pei Qing was horrified, his heart panicked for a moment, not expecting Mu Wanyao to be this angry. He began to fear that Yan Shang would say it was he who forced him to move up the wedding date, and Mu Wanyao would come back to settle the score with him...

After the slap, Mu Wanyao said coldly: "Are you calling it off or not?"

Yan Shang turned his face back toward her slightly, a handprint clearly showing in red on his jade-white face. He said: "Marriage is not a joke; it cannot be like this."

"Pfft—" the crowd gasped again, because Mu Wanyao picked up the cup of tea on the desk and splashed it at him.

Mu Wanyao’s eyes were red, and she shouted angrily: "Yes, I am not calm. Because I am not like you! You are a coward! A spineless coward! If I were getting married today, you wouldn't say a single extra word. But I wouldn't! You won’t walk a single step toward me... you won’t walk a single step! Why? Do you have to have me chase after you? Do you look down on me that much?"

Yan Shang’s face turned pale; with the tea splashed on his face, under such humiliation, his focus was entirely on her, entirely on that extremely hoarse voice.

Hatred to the extreme, anger to the extreme!

A huge wound was torn open in his heart, pulling at him, dripping with blood.

Yan Shang’s voice was hoarse: "I have never looked down on you. We just have different standpoints..."

Mu Wanyao yelled at him: "Lying about different standpoints! What is different? Do you think I am one to treat human life as grass? Am I a heinous criminal in your eyes? Do you feel I am hopeless, that I am not worth it? I have already come to Nanyang, I stayed here for you... yet you are getting married! Are you doing this on purpose? Do you hate me that much? What did I do wrong to make you dislike me so much, to make you so impatient to get rid of me... why are you so cruel to me!

"Are you still the Yan Shang I know? Are you still the Yan Shang who loved and cherished me? Don't you feel that your heart is especially cold, especially hard... I hate you so much!"

Her tears fell, her voice hoarse and stretched to the breaking point. It was clearly him who had been slapped and splashed with tea, yet her crumbling state, her fragile appearance, was what made it impossible to let go... Yan Shang could no longer sit like that; he had to speak, he had to explain.

As she shook all over, Yan Shang stood up and grasped her hands.

His voice was hoarse and trembling: "It is not like that! I never thought you were bad; I just thought I was unworthy. You know exactly what kind of person I am; you don’t know how afraid I am. I am afraid that between the common people and you, I will abandon you once again, making you say to me, 'You make me feel that in this world, you love no one.' I have always wanted you to receive love, but I feel I am not the right person... I have been haunted by countless nightmares, dreaming that I let go of your hands, dreaming that you look at me with eyes of hatred.

"What I fear is that we will go our separate ways because of our different statuses, that I am not the person best suited for you, that you will be hurt by me, that you will fall into total despair regarding emotions between people..."

Mu Wanyao stared at him blankly; she hadn’t expected this to be the reason he kept stopping. With a tear hanging in her eyes, she realized once again the vast difference between her and Yan Shang’s perspectives.

She was always thinking about the now, while he was always thinking about the future. She wanted immediate pleasure, while he wanted status, then the future... She and Yan Shang were so different. Two such different people—she even began to doubt how they had managed to get along before.

Mu Wanyao said wearily: "Forget it."

Yan Shang, holding her hand, trembled.

She reached out to push his hand away, closing her eyes to suppress her tears: "Forget it, I don't want to have any ideas about you anymore. If you want to marry, then go ahead. If you want to move up the wedding, do as you please. I am leaving... I am going to leave Nanyang, and I never want to see you again!"

Yan Shang gripped her wrist, not letting go.

He felt her despondency this time; the fear in his heart made him feel that if he let go, he might really lose her forever... he had thought so much, done so much, yet he still could not let go.

Yan Shang said, trembling: "Actually, my marriage is not what you think. Actually, I didn't want to move it up, I did it because..."

Pei Qing’s nervous, loud voice entered the room: "Your Highness!"

Mu Wanyao turned her head and saw Pei Qing entering from outside. Pei Qing’s eyes were filled with care for her; Mu Wanyao could not help but think, perhaps Pei Qing was the right person. Even if she didn't love him, perhaps over time, feelings would grow.

Mu Wanyao was dazed, her shoulders held by Pei Qing; she did not know that behind her, Yan Shang’s face was even paler.

Yan Shang took a step forward: "Yaoyao, you have to listen to me..."

Mu Wanyao turned back to look at Yan Shang, but Pei Qing blocked her view of Yan Shang with a caring posture. Pei Qing turned back, a warning smile on his face, and said to Yan Shang: "Yan Erlang, you have gone too far, to actually behave this way toward Her Highness the Princess. Have you forgotten the distinction between ruler and subject?

"And you dare to move up the wedding! What do you take us for? What do you take the Princess’s dignity for?

"Fortunately, the Princess has me by her side now. I will accompany her in the future, and she will never be heartbroken by you again."

Yan Shang stood there, stunned. In truth, when he planned to help Pei Qing, he had thought about how Pei Qing would eventually use his rejection to get closer to Mu Wanyao. But Yan Shang hadn’t expected Pei Qing to go this far... he was still unwilling to give up, wanting to chase after them, wanting to tell Mu Wanyao that it wasn't like that.

But his eyes couldn't see, and the place was filled with their people. Mu Wanyao was wearily led away by Pei Qing; perhaps she had been moved by Pei Qing and had no intention of paying attention to him at all.

The room, filled with people just moments ago, was suddenly empty. Yan Shang chased after them for two steps, and while stumbling, he hit an antique shelf. The books on the shelves in the study fell like a mountain, crashing down on him. Yan Shang endured the pain and dodged; he leaned against the wall and stumbled out the door, only to be stopped by Pei Qing’s people.

The guards Pei Qing left behind warned him: "Yan Erlang, our young master advises you: some things should be said, and some things should not.

"The Princess has already decided to let you go. Since you are determined to do what is best for the Princess, do not do anything more. Our young master and the Princess are a perfect match; the Princess and our young master are in love—you, Yan Erlang, are after all... an old memory.

"If you bother the Princess again, our young master will have to use the methods of a superior official against you."

Yan Shang stood stunned. He did not care about Pei Qing’s threats at all, as he had ways to deal with those. What stopped him was their claim that Mu Wanyao and Pei Qing were in love, and that he should let go—

After Mu Wanyao went back, it was said she fell ill. Under Pei Qing’s careful care, she eventually seemed to have softened her iron heart.

Pei Qing asked to take the recovered Mu Wanyao out to relax; Mu Wanyao thought she should seriously begin a new life, so she did not refuse. Pei Qing was happy that he had finally begun to walk into the depths of Mu Wanyao’s heart; he immediately accompanied Mu Wanyao to go out.

However, luck was not on their side; as they went out, they happened to run into Yan Shang returning.

Mu Wanyao lowered her eyes, not looking that way. As for Yan Shang, his page had said something, and Yan Shang looked toward them and bowed in salute.

Yan Shang "looked" toward Mu Wanyao and said softly: "Has Her Highness recovered from her illness? If you are still feeling somewhat unwell..."

Pei Qing interrupted: "There is no need for Yan Erlang to worry. But didn't Yan Erlang live in the county office? Why have you come back?"

Yan Shang said: "I came back to retrieve some scrolls. Where are you two... going?"

Pei Qing: "Accompanying Her Highness to go out and relax. After all, old wounds are hard to heal. Yan Erlang, please make way."

Yan Shang did not move, but "looked" at Mu Wanyao and said softly: "You have just recovered and you want to go out? That is not good for your health..."

Mu Wanyao was impatient: "With Pei Qing’s arrangements, you don't need to worry about my affairs from now on. Make way."

Yan Shang’s face went pale, and he finally made way. Yun Shu supported his hand, feeling that his master’s fingers were extremely cold. Yun Shu sighed in his heart, thinking that although his master would be heartbroken in the short term, it would be fine once enough time had passed. Meanwhile, Yan Shang kept his head down, listening to the sound of footsteps passing in front of him.

When she walked past him, he smelled the delicate fragrance on her.

Yan Shang was lost in thought for a moment, and it wasn't until Mu Wanyao and the other person had walked far away and out of the corridor that he came to his senses.

Yan Shang frowned and asked Yun Shu: "Did I hear wrong just now... the sound of the footsteps is not right."

Yun Shu was confused: "What is wrong with it?"

Yan Shang: "I only heard the sound of the Princess and Master Pei’s footsteps. Could it be that they are only going out as two people?"

Yun Shu: "...Perhaps they want to have a private meeting."

Yan Shang’s chin tightened—

Mu Wanyao was just being helped into the carriage by Pei Qing when she heard Yan Shang’s voice coming from the residence: "Your Highness, Master Pei... wait a moment!"

Pei Qing was very afraid of Yan Shang appearing, so he immediately urged the carriage to leave quickly.

But Mu Wanyao said: "He is not the type to do things without reason; let’s hear what he has to say."

Yan Shang, supported by Yun Shu, reached the carriage and asked: "Are the two of you planning to go out to play with only one coachman? Rang County is not very peaceful right now; you two should not be so careless, you should bring more guards. Your Highness, you should have Guard Fang follow you..."

Pei Qing was displeased, knowing that as long as Fang Tong was there, everything would center on Mu Wanyao, and he, the future consort, would probably not even have a place by the Princess’s side.

Pei Qing saw Mu Wanyao looking down in thought and quickly pleaded with her: "Your Highness, it is so difficult for me to have a moment alone with you; why must you let unrelated people interfere? Yan Erlang, since this is your jurisdiction, we still have confidence in you."

Yan Shang tried to persuade her further, but Mu Wanyao said casually: "Let’s follow Pei Qing’s arrangements. I trust him."

Yan Shang was stunned.

His heart was extremely painful, but he persisted: "Your Highness... I will not harm you. Bringing a few more guards will not cost you anything."

Pei Qing saw that Mu Wanyao’s gaze toward Yan Shang was somewhat hesitant, so he said: "Then let’s take a few of my guards."

Mu Wanyao said "hmm" and lowered the curtain. Yan Shang wanted to persuade them more, but the carriage drove directly past. The coachman deliberately drove the carriage through a depression, splashing a puddle of water toward Yan Shang, clearly bullying him because he could not see.

It was only thanks to Yun Shu grabbing his master’s hand and yanking Yan Shang back that he avoided having his robes dirtied by the mud. Yun Shu cursed indignantly, and Yan Shang sighed, having no choice but to worry and turn to tell the guards in his own residence to follow them.

Even though he knew these guards would probably be chased away by Pei Qing’s men, he had to try—

Mu Wanyao and Pei Qing went off to play, and Yan Shang, however painful it was, still had to do what he had to do.

Yan Shang left the city and, according to the plan, joined up with the regional commander, laying an ambush in the mountains to catch the local mountain bandits once and for all. The warrior following Yan Shang was Han Suxing, and the one responsible for telling Yan Shang about the surroundings was Yun Shu.

They found some people to pretend to be the Princess and her servants, riding a carriage to play and enjoy the mountains. They had been acting for three days in a row, and today, all the government officials had figured out the routes used by the bandits and planned to take action today.

At this moment, in the middle of the road, the fake Princess’s carriage was indeed intercepted by the bandits and stopped. The government officials, disguised, were hiding behind the grass and bushes, waiting for the right moment.

Just as the plan was about to succeed and Yan Shang was concentrating, with everyone waiting for his order... the sound of thundering hoofbeats broke it all, and several horses came from the mountain road, kicking up dust and smoke.

They watched as the bandits in the middle of the road surrounded the fake Princess, and while riding on horseback, they shouted: "Retreat quickly! That is a fake Princess! The real Princess is in our hands... this is a government trap! Escape!

"Listen, you government officials! If you dare to move, we will kill the real Princess!"

Yan Shang’s heart sank sharply.

And the regional commander next to him, breathing heavily, made a prompt decision: "Kill—"

Yan Shang immediately said: "Wait... what real Princess? Yun Shu!"

Yun Shu opened his eyes wide, looking in the direction from which the rolling dust and smoke were coming, and said with a trembling voice: "Young Master, they seem to have kidnapped the Princess... what is going on? Didn't Master Pei and the Princess go out to play? They didn't leave the city at all... Young Master, I see it clearly, the person on that horse being held by the thief with a dagger is indeed the Princess!"

Yan Shang grabbed the regional commander’s hand next to him: "Stop! The Princess is in their hands..."

The regional commander smiled: "Yan Erlang, you are mistaken. There is only a fake Princess here, no real Princess. This was an arrangement we made when we acted out the play; this is the plan you personally surveyed and approved. Have you forgotten?"

Yan Shang’s expression froze, and in an instant, his heart sank as he understood there was a problem. Someone was stirring the waters, someone had other motives.

He could already hear the sounds of fighting in his ears, and he was burning with anxiety, knowing he could not rely on the regional commander. Yan Shang rose and stood out from the bushes where he was hidden, leading his own men to meet the chaotic battlefield.

He had to save Mu Wanyao!

Only he could save her here! The mountain bandits could be captured again later, but nothing could happen to Mu Wanyao!

Watching the young magistrate turn around and leave without a word, the regional commander didn't know how much Yan Shang had guessed in that instant, but he just smiled indifferently: "Just a scholar... no need to mind him."