Tigers Sniff the Rose - Chapter 136

Chapter 136

The scattered torchlight flowed around like water, while colorful, ornate umbrellas cast brilliant glows in every direction. People came and went, and the puddles on the ground from the rain reflected the lanterns and the layers of silhouettes passing by.

Mu Wanyao and Yan Shang hid under an umbrella; she was held by him, her face lifted up, scrutinized closely as he leaned in.

As he drew near, when his breath was almost mingling with her own, Mu Wanyao was so startled that her round eyes widened, and her cheeks instantly burned even hotter.

Mu Wanyao was confused by his bold behavior—she was both happy and bewildered. She whispered, "Are you not angry with me anymore? Have you forgiven me?"

Yan Shang’s voice was low, distracted yet tender and lingering as he muttered, "Not angry today, but I'll be angry again tomorrow."

Mu Wanyao: "..."

Just as she felt defeated, his fingers brushed against her cheeks. His eyes were almost pressed against her face, which made the usually willful princess feel somewhat uncomfortable. She felt his golden-glowing eyes scanning her inch by inch. And she could not help but feel uneasy, filled with self-doubt—

Was her hair combed well?

Was the powder on her face even, and had she accidentally bitten off her lip tint?

Did she still look beautiful? Did he like it?

She was shy and apprehensive: He had seen her as a young girl three years ago, and she had inevitably grown and changed much since then. Countless people praised her beauty, but she was anxious about her own changes, wondering if she was good enough in Yan Shang's eyes.

After three years of separation, when she first saw him in the rain in Nanyang, she had been captivated at a single glance, unable to forget him ever since. Now, during this night stroll in Jinling, was he experiencing the same—a surge of countless emotions in his heart, just as she had when she first saw him?

Yan Shang did not blink. Because he had only just regained his sight, he still felt his vision was unclear, always seeing double. But he wanted to see Mu Wanyao so desperately; enduring his shyness and hesitation, he wished he could press against her face and count every one of her eyelashes.

His heart beat scaldingly in his chest. He unwillingly stroked her tender cheeks with his fingertips, watching her with total absorption, wanting to etch her into his heart. He marveled at her incomparable beauty in his mind:

The woman reflected in the swaying torchlight had grown much more than he remembered.

In her youth, her cheeks were a bit round, and her chin was very sharp. Back then, when she displayed her majestic aura, she occasionally carried a fragile quality of "strong on the outside, weak on the inside," which would evoke pity in others.

Now, her frame had filled out, her cheekbones were slightly broader, and the flesh on her face clung thinly and cleanly to the bone, looking smooth and sharp. Her chin was no longer small and pointed, having developed a graceful curve.

She was beginning to bloom, like the most magnificent peony, spreading its leaves and petals, blooming in beauty with natural grace and quiet elegance. Her teenage years were not her most beautiful period; one's temperament and beauty change with age. After her unease and hesitation faded, her confidence and poise settled into her brow and eyes... Now, with a soft smile, she was a beauty of peerless charm; the entire city of Chang'an would be stirred by her.

He looked up at her glorious, noble beauty with total humility.

Seeing the look in Yan Shang’s eyes, Mu Wanyao felt her cheeks grow hot again, her heart convinced that his gaze betrayed his obsession with her.

She knew from his look that he liked the way she was now. He was infatuated with her current self. To have someone secretly admiring her in his heart... what woman does not love seeing such a gaze from her lover?

Mu Wanyao was flushed crimson by Yan Shang’s focused, lingering stare. She couldn't help but cough, a smile spilling from her lips as she tilted her head. Mu Wanyao whispered in a breathy voice, "Am I beautiful?"

Yan Shang’s long, slender fingers, which were curved to hold her cheeks, trembled slightly.

Her eyes were filled with smiles, her gaze fixed directly on him, which only served to make her look more charming. Yan Shang’s heart raced and his face burned from her gaze. He gradually felt ill at ease, feeling that it was somewhat abrupt to be holding her face and staring at her so closely in public.

Yan Shang went to withdraw his fingers, but his hand was gripped by Mu Wanyao. He belatedly leaned his upper body back, but this time it was Mu Wanyao’s turn to hold onto his fingers, asking again with a laugh, "Am I beautiful?"

Yan Shang lifted his eyelids and looked at her again. It was a very ordinary look, but after he glanced at her, his face stained red. Mu Wanyao felt her heart flutter. She saw his lips seem to press into a straight line, but he couldn't keep them straight—a smile spilled from the corners of his mouth.

Yan Shang did not answer her; instead, he leaned over and embraced her. His arms wrapped around her back, his cheek brushed lightly against hers, and his cool scent enveloped her completely. Mu Wanyao was momentarily stunned, but he had already released her and retreated. He didn't speak, just squatted in this small world, looking at her with a faint smile.

Mu Wanyao was left breathless and dizzy from his embrace. Then he suddenly let go, and she looked at him in confusion, unable to understand what he meant.

Then Yan Shang looked down at her, unable to hold back, and leaned in to embrace her again. After holding her, he retreated, eyes watching her, ripples of laughter dancing in them.

Mu Wanyao tilted her head back and burst into a laugh.

She glared at him playfully. Having been hugged by him uncontrollably again and again, she didn't need him to speak to understand his heart. This was Yan Shang’s exceptionally bold response born of shyness. Mu Wanyao turned her face, cast a sideways glance at him, and scolded him in a low voice: "Coward.

"Chicken."

She grabbed an umbrella from the side, shielding their left side from the light, while her back leaned against a wall. She shifted from a squat to a kneel, holding the umbrella with her left hand and resting her right hand on Yan Shang’s face, cradling it. She didn't bother talking more to the coward and leaned in directly, capturing his lips.

He had broken into a sweat; he felt awkward and resistant. But with the young woman’s hand on his face and her sweet scent, once his resistance wavered, he no longer wanted to resist at all. He felt both nervous and filled with longing. He deeply hated his own contradiction and was annoyed at why he was so inconsistent in his thoughts and actions.

But in the face of desire, who can resist?

The light flickered, near and far, their shadows dancing in the water puddles. The two hid in the corner, kissing and hugging again and again. They clung to each other, unwilling to part, infatuated and unable to stop, then looked at each other and couldn't help but reveal shy, embarrassed smiles—

Truly foolish—

In the desert north of the Great Wall, Wei Shu and Zhao Lingfei escaped from the isolated state of Guhu and, as envoys of Great Wei, went to two neighboring states to request reinforcements. He engaged in sharp verbal battles, taking a hardline stance and demanding that both countries provide aid to Great Wei.

One of the smaller countries was a vassal of Great Wei; it had been trembling and fearful due to the expansion of the Southern Barbarians. When the Great Wei envoys came to request troops, it hesitated not at all, lending twenty thousand soldiers to Wei Shu. Wei Shu used the decisiveness of this state to persuade the other; the second state, while more sluggish, also provided ten thousand men.

Wei Shu considered ten thousand troops too few, but the small state could provide no more. Wei Shu then changed tactics: "Then pay me in fabric."

Great Wei was a powerful nation; the small state could not refuse, and for the sake of friendly relations, they had to provide the quantity of silk fabric Wei Shu required. Wei Shu immediately demanded that all this fabric be made into battle robes. He specified the style and color of the robes—

Zhao Lingfei walked out of the palace with him and tilted her head: "I don't understand what you need battle robes for. I thought Brother Juyuan wanted the fabric to trade for silver, and then use that silver to hire barbarian mercenaries from outside to deal with the Guhu state."

Wei Shu replied: "Lingfei, we are envoys of Great Wei. We must let everyone know and see that it is the Great Wei army that destroys the Guhu state."

Zhao Lingfei: "But Great Wei is eight thousand miles away... ah."

Wei Shu said: "That is why I need them to make battle robes. I want them to cut and sew vermilion robes and cinnabar banners overnight. Red battle robes, cinnabar-colored command flags... these are all symbols of Great Wei. The Guhu state was once a vassal of Great Wei. It dared to rebel and join the Southern Barbarians only because the Barbarians were powerful and it felt Great Wei couldn't reach this far. But now, when the vermilion robes and cinnabar banners symbolizing Great Wei appear before them..."

Zhao Lingfei murmured: "They will be terrified and break apart, right? You used their own psychology against them..."

She suddenly grabbed Wei Shu’s sleeve, her eyes sparkling with excitement: "Brother Juyuan, you are so smart! You are so calm and so clever... I believe you now; our envoy group will definitely be rescued. We will surely uphold our nation’s prestige in the desert, and we will definitely make all the surrounding small states submit to us!

"We will complete our diplomatic mission! We will return to Great Wei safely!"

Wei Shu was tugged by his sleeve; her strength was great, and he stumbled. Zhao Lingfei spoke quickly, her voice lively, chirping like a thousand little birds flying around his ears until he was dizzy. A person as quiet by nature as him didn't even understand what she was saying.

His face turned slightly red, and he lowered his head: "Let go of my sleeve."

Zhao Lingfei was startled, let go in a hurry, and even gently smoothed the wrinkles for him. She looked up and smiled at him apologetically. Wei Shu looked away, not meeting her eyes, and walked away quickly. Zhao Lingfei bit her lip, standing there at a loss.

Wei Shu had already reached the palace gate; he tilted his head back slightly and said softly: "Not coming?"

Zhao Lingfei beamed instantly; she even skipped a step before rushing to catch up with him.

Their battle against the Guhu state was not difficult to fight, as the Southern Barbarians were indeed occupied and could not spare the attention to manage this situation, and after the Guhu soldiers recognized the "vermilion robes and cinnabar banners" of Great Wei on the corner towers, their leader’s courage shattered.

Wei Shu rode his horse, leading thirty thousand troops straight to the city walls. Chaos erupted within Guhu. They struggled to organize a hodgepodge of soldiers to fight, but having shown cowardice from the start, they only begged the Southern Barbarians to send troops to save them. Zhao Lingfei followed Wei Shu the whole time, watching him handle the horse, direct the battle, and remain unflustered in the face of danger.

His back was elegant, his robes fluttering. In this desert, amidst the yellow sand, he was such a dazzling young man.

Zhao Lingfei thought that Great Wei had truly underestimated Wei Qilang. Years ago during the military drills in Chang'an, they had only let him be responsible for provisions and manage the rear... But Wei Shu’s talent was far more than that!

He could fight, he could command wars, he could ride and shoot arrows, he could engage in debates that defeated all scholars... Wei Qilang just didn't love to talk; he just liked standing outside the crowd and didn't like interacting with everyone. But if you grew familiar with him, if you were thick-skinned enough to approach him every day and talk to him, you would see the real him.

The Guhu state was conquered within seven days, and the Great Wei envoy group was rescued. When the head envoy came out of the prison, he saw the dust-covered, blood-stained Wei Shu and Zhao Lingfei. The head envoy felt a deep sense of emotion; he didn't need to say much, only patting Wei Shu on the shoulder.

Wei Shu said softly to the head envoy: "My lord, the King of Guhu has fled the country, and we have already sent troops in pursuit. We should support a new royal family in Guhu; at the same time, perhaps we can learn about the situation with the Southern Barbarians through Guhu... I feel a faint unease, feeling that the Southern Barbarians are expanding too fast and their power is growing ever stronger. If Great Wei does not learn about them beforehand, I fear we will be sitting ducks."

The head envoy sighed: "Do as you wish, Juyuan. Is there anything I wouldn't trust you with now, anything I wouldn't feel comfortable letting you handle?"

That night, the Great Wei envoy group celebrated their survival. Everyone sat around the campfire and toasted one another, all to their savior, Wei Shu. Wei Shu was naturally quiet, and he didn't say much now either. Whenever someone came to hand him wine, he drank it. Zhao Lingfei couldn't watch anymore; she knelt and leaned in.

She blocked Wei Shu behind her and patted her chest, saying: "I will drink with you all! You are just bullying Brother Juyuan because he doesn't talk!"

She turned back to give a playful smile to Wei Shu, who was staring at her with pitch-black eyes in a daze, and made a "leave it to me" gesture. Wei Shu was likely a bit befuddled from the alcohol, his brain unable to turn, just staring at her blankly. His body swayed, and as Zhao Lingfei’s eyes widened, he slumped over, his head knocking against her back.

Zhao Lingfei’s back stiffened; she didn't know if she should dodge or stay sitting, though it felt so tiring.

The men laughed out loud upon seeing this.

Having spent a long time with Zhao Lingfei and understood the young woman’s liveliness, they dared to tease her: "You’re drinking for Juyuan, but in what capacity are you doing so?

"Lingfei, look at our Juyuan: he has the looks, he has the brains, and he doesn't have any messy 'confidantes.' Wherever he goes, he is always clean and proper... when are you going to marry our Juyuan and be his wife?"

Even the head envoy, watching the group of young people laughing and joking, couldn't help but join in the jest: "I can act as a matchmaker for you two."

Zhao Lingfei’s face flushed red. She wanted to jump up and chase after them to beat them, but because Wei Shu was leaning against her back, she dared not get up. She shouted loudly: "You bastards! You are teasing Brother Juyuan again! Just you wait; I will beat you all up tomorrow—!"

The campfire dimmed, and the young people laughed. When they had laughed enough, they fell silent, looking at the moon above. Someone began to sigh: "Four years... when will we ever be able to go back to Great Wei? I miss my wife.

"Don't talk about it; if I go back, my daughter probably won't even recognize me anymore.

"The letter my mother wrote me was lost the last time we encountered horse thieves. She can't see well anymore, and I miss her so much."

As they spoke, their voices grew lower, and the sound of sobbing increased. The mood was depressed. Zhao Lingfei carefully changed her sitting position, hugged her knees, and also looked up at the moon—

She missed her mother, and she missed her father.

She missed her brothers and sisters at home.

Even though she had run away from an arranged marriage, her father had told her to get out before she left and never to return. Yet, she often thought of her father’s kindness. She liked dancing with swords and spears; her father never watched, but he had never dismantled her little martial arts arena.

He had held her when she was a child and taken her out to buy candy, and even when she yelled and screamed, he had never denied that she was his daughter...

Zhao Lingfei sighed softly, her eyes filled with tears, watching the moon quietly.

Wei Shu’s voice came from behind her: "Are you homesick too?"

Zhao Lingfei’s back stiffened instantly, her hair standing on end: Wei Shu wasn't drunk?

Wei Shu whispered: "I didn't want to drink anymore, so I just faked being dizzy. Don't call out. We should be able to return to Great Wei after we finish handling the Guhu state’s affairs, and you can go home."

Zhao Lingfei learned from him to lower her voice; she sat bolt upright, not daring to let anyone around them see her strangeness: "Why?"

Wei Shu: "We have to report the intelligence on the Southern Barbarians and the situation in the Western Regions to Great Wei. Once Guhu is settled, a complete trade route can be opened up... We can go back to Chang'an."

Zhao Lingfei’s eyes curved. She responded firmly, trusting his judgment completely. Under the cold moon, her heart burned hot, happy because of his unique way of comforting her—

Chang'an, Chang'an.

The Chang'an that haunted their dreams, the Chang'an they saw in their midnight visions. That bustling capital they couldn't see, the tea shops and restaurants they couldn't forget... could they finally go back?

In the city of Jinling, the funeral for Li Gong was finished, and Mu Wanyao’s group packed their luggage, preparing to return to Chang'an.

Just then, the imperial decree from Chang'an, which had been traveling with all haste, arrived in Jinling with several eunuchs, finally delivering it to the Princess.

Mu Wanyao received these messengers from Chang'an in the sleeping quarters of the Li family’s inner residence. She saw the decree intended for her, and her heart stirred—the consort candidate must have been changed. Mu Wanyao took the decree and, upon reading it, found it was just as she had expected. She couldn't help but smile. However, when she saw the seal, her smile froze—

"Why is there no seal from the Secretariat? What, does the Secretariat object to my marriage?"

The little eunuch who delivered the decree quickly cleared up the Princess’s misunderstanding: "The Secretariat is not stating an attitude, Your Highness, so please do not worry. Your Highness’s marriage has been in preparation the whole time; the Secretariat is merely hesitant due to some reasons, but there is absolutely no intention of stopping you from marrying."

Mu Wanyao paused, feeling there was some inside story to this; she made a mental note of it. She handed the decree to Qiusi, told her lady-in-waiting to put it away, and prepared to go flaunt it in front of Yan Shang in a moment. She then looked at the other eunuch: "Are you also here to deliver an imperial decree?"

This eunuch craned his neck to look toward the back hall, quite embarrassed: "Your Highness, the two decrees I carry are for Magistrate Yan. Why hasn't Magistrate Yan come out to receive the decree?"

Mu Wanyao, used to being domineering, said casually: "His eyes are injured, and the imperial physician is applying medicine to them; he won't be able to come out for a while. You can read his decree; I will listen."

The eunuch hesitated.

Mu Wanyao looked over with beautiful eyes, a mysterious smile on her face: "What, he is about to become my consort, so am I, the Princess, not worthy of hearing you read the decree? Or do you want me to kneel down to receive the decree and kowtow in thanks for imperial grace?"

How would the eunuch dare to make the Princess kneel?

He didn't even dare to proclaim the decree in front of the Princess, so he hurriedly handed the two decrees for Yan Er-lang to the maidservant beside the Princess. Qiusi opened the decrees, took a casual glance, a look of confusion surfacing on her face, and leaned over to whisper in the Princess’s ear.

Mu Wanyao’s expression changed slightly, and she snatched the decree—

The first one commended Yan Shang for his three years of service as the magistrate of Rang County, raising Rang County from a middle-tier county to a top-tier county level. Great Wei’s counties were divided according to population and economy, and the rank of the magistrate differed according to the county’s level. Thus, Yan Er-lang’s original seventh-rank position had been upgraded because Rang County was now a top-tier county, making him a sixth-rank official.

Mu Wanyao was greatly stunned.

She thought that the reason Yan Shang hadn't let her ruin his magistrate position was because he was waiting for this news.

The second decree stated that since Yan Shang was now a magistrate of a top-tier county of the sixth rank and had clear administrative achievements, the central government was ordering him to return to the capital for a performance review and promotion. Because of a shortage of personnel in the Ministry of Personnel, Yan Shang was promoted to the position of Evaluation Secretary of the Ministry of Personnel, a fifth-rank post. The central government wanted Yan Shang to return to Chang'an immediately to take office, and because he had been promoted to the fifth rank, from then on, he was not to be absent from the daily morning audience without reason.

The two decrees had been issued by the Secretariat one after another; the Secretariat drafted the decrees, the Chancellery approved them, and the Emperor permitted them... Only then were they sent out of the capital, traveling across mountains and rivers to reach Jinling to be delivered personally to Yan Shang.

Seeing these two decrees and the seal of the Secretariat, and then thinking about the missing seal on her own decree, Mu Wanyao instantly understood that the Secretariat had tactfully handed the power of the consort position into Yan Shang’s hands; the Secretariat would not force Yan Shang to marry the Princess.

The Secretariat might even confront Princess Danyang to protect Yan Shang, this fresh fifth-rank official.

Mu Wanyao’s face darkened, and she didn't say a word. She clutched these decrees and walked straight into the inner residence.

In the sleeping quarters, Yan Shang was leaning against a couch, letting the imperial physician examine his eyes and apply new medicine. Yan Shang could see now, but his vision had not fully recovered; he occasionally saw double when looking at people, so the physician was naturally helping him recover completely.

The old physician was rambling to Yan Shang about precautions, such as eating less spicy food, avoiding tears as much as possible, and not letting foreign objects touch his eyes... As the two were talking, they heard the sound of hurried footsteps.

Yan Shang looked toward the window and saw the maidservants outside lifting their skirts and running toward them in a hurry. The next moment, the curtain was lifted, and Mu Wanyao arrived, her face frosty, holding several yellow scrolls as she "charged" toward him.

The old physician didn't have time to retreat, and Mu Wanyao didn't care about the presence of outsiders; she slammed the decrees at Yan Shang.

Right in the face, with great ferocity.

The old physician standing beside Yan Shang was terrified, but Yan Shang quickly leaned his upper body to the side, dodging the disaster, though his shoulder was still struck by the scrolls she had thrown. Feeling the pain, he picked up the decrees that had fallen onto the couch and asked, "What is the matter, Your Highness?"

Mu Wanyao stood before the screen with her hands on her hips, her face flushed red from anger at him, glaring fiercely—

"What is the matter with me? I should be asking what is the matter with you! So it turns out you were confident all along. I had you under house arrest the whole journey, and I didn't let you know the news from the outside, and you weren't anxious at all... because you knew the imperial decree would come. Once the decree arrives, you are promoted to a new official position and return to the capital for a review, and I would no longer be able to keep you under house arrest.

"This is the sort of thing you were hiding from me. Even though your four-year term wasn't up, you were able to use the change in the county level to turn your seventh-rank position into a sixth-rank one. I have to say, I admire your ability, Yan Suchen.

"Why were you hiding it from me? Were you planning to keep hiding it, and then after returning to Chang'an, go to the Secretariat to lodge a complaint against me, saying that I forced you to marry the Princess? As a fifth-rank high-ranking official of the imperial court, the Secretariat would definitely protect you."

Yan Shang lowered his eyes to look at the three decrees. He went through his own two very quickly, as he had already expected them, but being promoted directly to a fifth-rank official still made him raise an eyebrow in surprise. As he speculated about why the court had arranged it this way, his gaze fell on the decree regarding the change in Mu Wanyao’s consort.

The new consort was written as: Yan Er-lang of Lingnan, Yan Shang.

Yan Shang stroked those words lightly with his fingertips; the words did not disappear, nor did they change.

Seeing him lower his head to look at the decree, calm and unruffled, made Mu Wanyao feel even more angry, feeling as though she had been played. She then felt wronged, tears welling up in her eyes—

"You hid something like this from me. Now that the time has come, I see you’re just going to go before my father the Emperor and say you don't want to be my consort.

"You petty person! You deep, calculating person! You have been calculating the time and everyone involved the whole time... I was wondering why your third brother and younger sister were in Chang'an when you should have been staying in Nanyang for a full four years... so you knew all along you would be returning to Chang'an this year, which is why you had your brother and sister waiting for you there!

"Are you taking revenge on me? Are you taking revenge on me for keeping you under house arrest, so you deliberately didn't tell me about your promotion, just to give me no time to prepare? You don't want to marry me that much? Because I didn't respect you? Because I didn't apologize to you? So you have to play me like this? You bastard, you rotten person, you are disgusting..."

Her eyes were red, her voice trembling slightly. She used her own conjectures to imagine the situation, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt that Yan Shang had a deep desire to take revenge on her. He remained calm, he wasn't anxious when she had him under house arrest, he had been waiting, waiting for this moment...

Yan Shang raised his eyes, looking at her quietly. He glimpsed her unease and fear.

He interrupted her tirade, saying: "We will return to Chang'an to be married."

Mu Wanyao was startled, looking at him blankly.

She was suspicious, and hesitant: "You... you don't want to refuse the marriage?"

Yan Shang said in a low voice: "I was just taking a little revenge on you... I had no other meaning."

He turned his face away, his fingers clutching the decree regarding the marriage tightly, once again tracing over his own name with his fingertips. He said: "It has come to this point; why would I want to refuse the marriage?"

Mu Wanyao looked at him, and the words to scold him vanished from her lips. The atmosphere in the room quieted down. She looked at him, and the expression in her eyes began to change. Sparkling and glimmering, like spring water flowing with affection.

The old imperial physician coughed from the side.

The old physician said: "This old servant has a word of warning. Er-lang’s eye ailment has not yet fully recovered; in the short term, marital relations are better avoided."

Yan Shang froze, then his face instantly turned bright red, and he couldn't speak.

Mu Wanyao smiled.

She was only startled for a moment, then became quite comfortable. Without blinking, she said earnestly to the old physician: "What is this nonsense? The consort and I are very respectful of propriety. How could we do such things before the wedding?"

Yan Shang felt deeply embarrassed; he couldn't speak, and he didn't know where Mu Wanyao got such a thick skin.

The old physician said calmly: "I know. Just a reminder that excessive indulgence is not good, naturally I am not speaking of you and Er-lang."

Yan Er-lang didn't dare to raise his head, the temperature on his face scalding.