Tigers Sniff the Rose - Chapter 153

Chapter 153

Who doesn't know how to write poetry?

However, the vastness of the universe and the grand ideals within one's heart—are these things that can only be expressed through poetry?

Hai Sanlang was talented in his youth and had been called a prodigy since childhood. But in Chang’an, where were there not prodigies? Yet, Yan Erlang, who could write with the boldness of "gazing at the ephemera for ten thousand years," stood out from those other prodigies, which left Hai Sanlang feeling particularly unconvinced.

But no matter how unconvinced he was, he had lost today—his verses could be ornate, his rhetoric could be precise, and he could claim that Yan Erlang’s poem was mediocre and clumsy. Yet, he could not compose a line that surpassed, or even matched, the sheer momentum of "gazing at the ephemera for ten thousand years."

At the Apricot Garden banquet, everyone looked with sympathy at the young man who had been pushed into a corner by Yan Erlang. Hai Sanlang was disheartened and pale, feeling it humiliating to have lost to an examiner whose talent he deemed mediocre. But the officials of Chang’an were thinking something else: to be able to provoke Yan Erlang—a man of such good temper and broad-mindedness—into anger meant that the Hai clan was finished.

Before anyone could attempt to salvage the situation, Mu Wanyao arrived. Seeing the whip in the Princess’s hand, everyone felt a surge of fear. However, Mu Wanyao was calm and composed; she even smiled at them before walking toward her husband.

When she first entered the pavilion, she had been filled with murderous intent, wanting to vent her anger on Yan Shang's behalf. Why should Yan Shang have to suffer their humiliation? But Yan Shang had already handled it himself, and now she felt a somewhat sorrowful sense of relief.

Mu Wanyao stood beside Yan Shang, gripping her whip tightly, her lips trembling. Traces of pain still lingered in her eyes as she looked at him: "Let us go to pay our respects to His Majesty."

Yan Shang knew she wanted to curse the Emperor, so he smiled at her: "We are family; why be so formal?"

He turned back to cup his hands to those who had come to see them off, saying that he could not handle his drink and was returning home with the Princess.

The Emperor, at that moment in the Ziyun Pavilion, had been secretly watching the Hai family’s disrespect toward Yan Shang, the chief examiner, but had refrained from intervening. When he heard that Princess Danyang had arrived, his scalp went numb; he feared his sixth sister would storm in to interrogate him.

The Emperor felt that Yan Shang was young and held a high position, so it didn't matter if the aristocratic clans said a few things about him. He was doing this to stabilize his own throne—he enjoyed seeing the aristocratic clans and the humble scholars tearing at each other.

Yet, he felt guilty nonetheless, and upon hearing the Princess had arrived, he sat on pins and needles. However, after drinking two cups of tea, an imperial eunuch informed him that the Princess and her consort had already left. The Emperor was stunned; for a moment, his face flushed, and he felt deeply ashamed.

He felt that all his machinations were clear to everyone, and they were merely watching him make a fool of himself.

They were all watching him make a fool of himself!

But he had played the fool for so many years; as a prince, he had lived so stifled, and he truly wanted to govern well... His talent had been worn away by the passage of time. Now middle-aged, he was mediocre and bullied by high-ranking, powerful officials, yet he dared not lash out.

How had the late Emperor governed this world? Why did those ministers fear the late Emperor, but not him? Was he expected to start a mass slaughter? But he couldn't even command his own people now; if he killed them all, who would do his work?

...Sigh, Yan Shang was still the best.

He had no desires, no demands, and he bore the burdens for his sovereign—

The night was pitch-black, and under the brilliance of the lanterns, the green waves and red lotuses were charming and lovely.

Surrounded by palace attendants, Mu Wanyao and Yan Shang walked toward the carriage parked outside the Apricot Garden. They had walked halfway when an imperial eunuch came panting after them, saying that Yan Erlang had been wronged, and that His Majesty had gifted him some fertile land and a mansion; the deeds had already been sent to the Princess’s estate.

Yan Shang dealt with the eunuchs, using them to deliver a message of appeasement to the Emperor, while Mu Wanyao stood by with a mocking smile, watching coldly. The eunuch delivering the message dared not meet the Princess’s eyes, fearing the bad-tempered Princess would say something unpleasant that would embarrass the Emperor.

After sending off the eunuchs, as the two resumed walking, more people came chasing from behind—

"Yan Jun! Yan Jun!

"Lord Yan!"

Mu Wanyao raised an eyebrow, noting that Yan Shang’s brows were slightly furrowed; clearly, he was very dissatisfied with this address.

In the deep night, amidst the gorgeous palace lamps, Yan Shang, wrapped in his crane-patterned cloak, turned back and rebuked the pursuing Hai Sanlang softly: "Hai Sanlang, do not address me this way. Since you do not wish to consider me your mentor, I cannot claim the title of 'Lord'."

Hai Sanlang was young, his face still showing the naivety and high spirits of a youth. He had chased after them panting, and after being reprimanded by Yan Shang, his face flushed slightly. He defended himself: "Yan Jun is a Tong Pingzhangshi, with a rank equal to a Chancellor, so calling you 'Lord' is not incorrect. I, of course, wanted to call you 'Teacher,' but I know I did many things wrong before, and I feared you would not wish to accept such an address from me.

"I came to apologize to you! I should not have caused you such difficulty at the banquet; I only thought, I thought..."

Yan Shang smiled: "You thought that since I have no talent or virtue and am young, what right do I have to be the chief examiner? What qualifications do I have to test you?"

He sighed: "It matters not. Many people say this behind my back; you are simply the first bird to dare challenge me to my face."

He looked at Hai Sanlang with gentle, moist eyes and offered some advice: "However, you are still young. Favored by your family since childhood, upon first arriving in Chang’an, you made a few friends and were hailed as a 'genius,' making it inevitable that you would feel self-satisfied, thinking yourself extraordinary. But today you should know: if I wished to make things difficult for you, it would be easy.

"You were instigated by others to challenge me, but have you considered that if I deliberately made things difficult for you in the future, would those who instigated you help you at all?"

Hai Sanlang was stunned. He was, after all, from a prominent family. Once Yan Shang pointed it out, his head cleared and his hot-bloodedness froze. He realized how rash and bold he had been—he stammered: "So, Yan Jun, you will not make things difficult for me in my official career in the future?"

Yan Shang chuckled.

He joked: "It depends on my mood."

Hai Sanlang felt awkward.

Mu Wanyao could not help but look at Yan Shang. She had not expected that he would not be angry after being provoked by a junior today, and his mood seemed quite good... he was even joking.

Hai Sanlang muttered: "Very well... I just don't understand, if you could write that kind of verse, why didn't you teach me earlier? Why wait until today to act? Everyone in Chang’an says you have no talent, and I believed them, but tonight I learned that if you were willing to put your heart into poetry, you would not necessarily be worse than me.

"Since you have such ability, why not use it?"

Yan Shang looked at him in silence, lost in thought.

Hai Sanlang questioned him again.

Yan Shang: "For whom do you ask this question?"

Hai Sanlang was stunned, then instantly realized what Yan Shang was really asking. For a moment, he felt humiliated—ashamed and unconvinced—and began to tremble: "Even though I come from the Hai family, it does not mean I have to consult them on everything. It is true, what I did tonight was partly due to the instigation of some in my family... but it was also my own arrogance. I will be careful in the future and not let myself be used.

"Although I am a Hai, appearing to stand in opposition to you... I am not confined to the divide between the aristocratic clans and the humble scholars! I am myself, not a puppet of the Hai clan!"

Mu Wanyao remarked coldly from the side: "It’s fine to say that while you're young. Go home and tell your father and grandfather that, and see if they don't break your legs."

Hai Sanlang said loudly: "I know the Princess has a grudge against my family, but I have not harmed the Princess. If the Princess wants to settle scores with my grandfather and father, that is fine, but I have done nothing to wrong the Princess."

Mu Wanyao curled her lips in mockery.

Yan Shang interrupted Mu Wanyao’s derision of the youth and said gently: "If you are asking this for yourself, then I shall answer you. Do you know how much official business is waiting for me every day? Before the rooster crows, I must wake up; before dawn, I must go to the Secretariat to discuss the day's court affairs with the other Chancellors.

"While discussing these, we must attend the morning court. There is daily court debate, and I cannot miss a single one. Before His Majesty has figured out what the ministers intend to discuss in the morning, I must already know. There can be no mistakes in court; I must settle the ministers and observe His Majesty to help him out of predicaments.

"After the morning court ends, I must go to the Imperial Study, and then return to the Secretariat. After finishing that, I must go to the Ministry of Personnel. I have to rush back to the Secretariat for the midday meal. Sometimes people from the Hongwen Academy come, or the palace guards come, and I must manage them all... Sometimes, when His Majesty finds a certain minister difficult to use, he calls me in to ask questions, directly ordering me to handle specific matters.

"Which county has been flooded, which prefecture needs a tax reduction this year, which commandery has a militia uprising... These are all things I must worry about, keeping me busy until the third watch of the night before I can sleep.

"Hai Sanlang, tell me, where would I find the time to study how to write poetry and compose essays? The things I spend my whole day busy with have nothing to do with poetry and essays."

The young man listened with an embarrassed expression, then fell into deep thought. Yan Shang sighed: "You all are still too young, spending your days writing poetry and essays, thinking that impressive writing makes one a capable official. But what does being an official have to do with poetry and essays? I spoke with the Minister about this last year, wanting to reform the imperial examination system, but unfortunately, His Majesty’s ascension occurred, and the matter was delayed.

"Cherish the title of Zhuangyuan (top scholar) well. It might be the last one."

Yan Shang looked at the stunned Hai Sanlang. In the third month of spring, he felt a bit cold and, after coughing twice, added: "Since you have the talent of a top scholar, I wonder how you intend to be an official in the future?"

Hai Sanlang said blankly: "I don't know. I just have good academic talent, and I felt the exams were simple, so I just took them..."

Yan Shang laughed.

Hai Sanlang asked with shame: "Should I be seriously considering this question?"

Yan Shang sighed: "Consider it.

"Is being an official to seek benefits for your family, or to serve the people and the world? Is it to protect the people you cherish from being bullied, or to realize your own ambition and courage?

"How the common people of the Great Wei live, how to balance the interests of the family and the individual, how to conduct yourself when things you treat as treasures are discarded like shoes... these are all things you must start considering now. Youth is good, full of high spirits—true to the vigor of youth. I shall gift you one sentence: Do not waste your beautiful youth."

Hai Sanlang was red-faced with shame, yet benefited greatly. Yan Shang had refreshed his understanding, allowing him to view his future from an entirely new perspective. After Mu Wanyao and Yan Shang left, Mu Wanyao glanced back at Hai Sanlang a few times, seeing the youth staring admiringly at their figures, his eyes glowing.

Hai Sanlang’s eyes were full of yearning, tangled with the desire to follow but daring not. He stared intently at Yan Shang, wishing so much that Yan Shang would look back at him; then he would have had the courage to latch on... Unfortunately, Yan Shang did not look back.

Mu Wanyao thought wryly: Another person betrayed by Yan Er’s "heartlessness" —

Back in the carriage, the space was narrow. Mu Wanyao immediately stuffed a hand warmer into his sleeve. Yan Shang leaned against the carriage wall, finally feeling a sense of warmth. Mu Wanyao did not stop, holding ginger soup that the maids had kept hot, and fed it to Yan Shang.

Mu Wanyao bustled about, only feeling satisfied when she saw his complexion turn from pale to rosy.

Yan Shang held her hand, telling her to sit down and stop working. Only when she saw he had much better color did she feel in the mood to sit with him.

The carriage began to move. Inside, Mu Wanyao held Yan Shang’s arm, laughing as she looked at him: "You truly have the air of a superior now. That Hai Sanlang was won over by you; I see him following you around in the future."

She said with great interest: "You pointing things out to Hai Sanlang today was so much like that night your teacher guided you. I was there that day, watching you kowtow to Chancellor Liu, calling him 'Teacher.' You said you wanted to be an official to serve the people and the commoners, saying that no matter how difficult the road was, you would walk it... I felt so moved in my heart at the time; who would have thought that in just a few years, you would be able to guide others.

"You have become as impressive as your teacher!"

Yan Shang said softly: "It’s been almost ten years."

Mu Wanyao was dissatisfied: "How can it be ten years? It’s only been seven."

The carriage swayed gently, and those inside became unstable. Yan Shang said: "So many years have passed... My teacher is about to retire, and I am also at a point where others can call me 'Teacher'."

It was Mu Wanyao who had started the conversation, but seeing him feeling sentimental, she became displeased: "Why are you being so gloomy and old-fashioned? It’s as if you’re already an old man of seventy or eighty. You are only twenty-something... and full of illness!"

By the end of her sentence, she was gnashing her teeth.

Yan Shang’s gentle, lake-like eyes gazed at her.

Mu Wanyao lifted her chin: "What, did I say something wrong? It’s the third month of spring; look at how heavily you’re dressed, you cough after saying a few words—if that’s not full of illness, what is? The imperial physician told you to rest quietly, saying if you keep pushing yourself like this, you’ll die early. I see you don't take it to heart, so I suppose you’re prepared to leave me behind, leaving me in this world to keep a stable of beautiful youths, living happily every day."

Yan Shang laughed: "That sounds good."

Mu Wanyao’s eyes seemed to spew fire: "You say it sounds good when I say I want to raise a stable of men!"

Yan Shang held her wrist, his voice soft: "I meant that just now, with you handing me tea and draping a cloak over me, I felt dazed, as if you were no longer the Princess I knew. Only when you get angry like this do I see that you are still yourself."

Mu Wanyao stared at him, icy cold: "Are you a masochist? You only think I haven't changed when I scold you?"

She pointed at his nose, scolding him: "If it weren't for you just now, I would have used a whip to solve those matters. It’s just a Hai clan, do I not dare to offend them?"

She began to complain about Yan Shang’s temper, saying his nature was too peaceful. She said the Emperor was not good to them, that the Emperor was treacherous and narrow-minded, making Yan Shang busy day and night until he was worked to death... She spoke for a long time, gripping his arm tightly, trembling with the intensity of her hatred.

She truly felt that all of this was a humiliation and that the heavens were unfair to Yan Shang. He was such a good person—why did he have to suffer the Emperor’s oppression, the humiliation of juniors, and the testing of others!

Yan Shang watched her, then suddenly said: "Why don't I resign."

Mu Wanyao: "..."

She was stunned for a moment, looking up at him.

Yan Shang: "My health... has worried you for so long. Recently, the official business has piled up more and more; the Emperor cannot do without me for a moment, and I feel I cannot hold on much longer. Furthermore, the tasks the Emperor gives me are nothing but trivialities. Others could do them, yet he insists on me, merely because he feels he can trust me and I have no demands. It is good that the Emperor trusts me, but treating me as a tool to be called upon at any time is something I am truly too busy to handle.

"The aristocratic clans, the humble scholars, and the inner eunuchs—three forces are fighting. Standing in the middle, whether it’s the aristocratic clans or the eunuchs, they both want to win me over. I have to deal with these things every day... these matters are too trivial and too boring.

"And you are so unhappy, Yaoyao. I suddenly thought... I want to resign and return to Lingnan to keep my father and brother company, and spend time in the countryside recuperating."

He lowered his eyes, then suddenly looked shy and changed his words: "I know you were born in Chang’an and you love Chang’an. But I want to resign and return to Lingnan... I don't know if you are willing to go to the countryside with me. If you are unwilling, then forget it."

Mu Wanyao immediately grasped his hand, her eyes like stars: "I am willing."

Yan Shang looked up.

She said in a low voice: "I already hold great power. There is no deeper path for me to walk in politics; any deeper and I risk becoming a target. I can already rely on power to ensure I am not bullied, so I want to pursue other things. I have always liked Yan Er-ge’s world...

"Yan Er-ge’s world is different from mine. Yan Er-ge’s world is always a garden of birds and flowers, a paradise, full of unrealistic ideals and dreams, like something fake. But this dream-like ideal moves me... wherever Yan Er-ge goes, I will go."

She curved her eyes, eager to try, hugging Yan Shang’s waist and rubbing against his chest. She had been arrogant and overbearing just a moment ago, but now she was like a silly and sweet little girl: "I am willing to go back to the Lingnan countryside with Big Brother to farm! I like going to the countryside to farm with Big Brother! Once Big Brother resigns, I will support him.

"I will raise Yan Er-ge to be white and plump, in excellent health, so we can grow old together!"

Yan Shang blushed and couldn't help but laugh.

He pushed away Mu Wanyao, who kept rubbing against him—she was making him a bit uncomfortable—but he only held her close and laughed. Only after she had finished daydreaming did he lower his voice: "But before I resign, I must solve the three-way stalemate of the aristocratic clans, the humble scholars, and the eunuchs. I must bring stability to these three houses. That way, after I resign, they will not throw the world into chaos."

Mu Wanyao closed her eyes against his neck, sweetly: "I will listen to everything Yan Er-ge says."

Yan Shang grabbed her shoulders, telling her to stop rubbing against him. He coughed and joked: "Then I must cooperate with sister Yaoyao."

Mu Wanyao paused and looked up.

Seeing him blushing fiercely because he had said "sister" during a normal moment, he moved his eyelashes away as soon as he finished speaking. She teased him, and after a while, he became somewhat annoyed: "Why are you looking at me like that? Can I not call you that? I only wanted to say that I want to cooperate with you to solve the three-way stalemate—Yaoyao, it seems we have never cooperated like this since our marriage."

Mu Wanyao corrected: "Not just after marriage; even before we were married, we never cooperated particularly seriously. We often fought side-by-side, but without strategy, relying entirely on mutual understanding and our knowledge of each other.

"So... Yan Er-ge, are you joining forces with me today?"

Yan Shang: "Yes."

Mu Wanyao looked at their clasped hands, pursed her lips, and smiled, somewhat excited. After she and Yan Shang had both grown up so much, what would it look like if they cooperated again? —

Ever since Hai Sanlang heard Yan Shang’s words that night, he had been pestering him. Yan Shang didn't pay much attention to him, but as a youth, he had a stubborn streak and insisted that Yan Shang take him as a student. No matter how much Yan Shang said he was still young and didn't want students, wishing only for the bond between an examiner and a candidate, Hai Sanlang would not listen.

Since Hai Sanlang would not listen to reason, and Yan Shang had already tried to persuade him, he simply decided to make use of Hai Sanlang.

The Hai family, wanting to apologize for Hai Sanlang, held a banquet in the Northern Ward. Yan Shang used the strength of his opponent to strike back, turning the banquet into a trap. While the Hai family was oblivious, Yan Erlang was poisoned at the banquet. The Hai family, of course, cleared themselves of any relationship with the matter, terrified, and began to investigate who had administered the poison.

After Yan Shang’s poison was cured, he began to investigate the Northern Ward.

The Northern Ward was a center of fame and wealth in Chang’an that officials and dignitaries loved to frequent. It hid too many secrets and too many tacitly accepted, secret transactions. When the court did not investigate, nothing happened; once they did, there was evidence everywhere. Yan Shang began to investigate the Northern Ward and naturally met with opposition from many people.

But Yan Shang had a reason: "Someone in the Northern Ward dared to poison a fifth-rank official; who is to say they won't dare to poison His Majesty in the future? Or perhaps it is not that there is a problem with the Northern Ward, but that the Hai family wants to poison me?"

The Hai clan patriarch could only bite the bullet and stand out, expressing support for Yan Shang: "My Hai clan would never dare to harm Yan Shuchen! The Northern Ward is foul and chaotic; it should indeed be thoroughly investigated!"

In order to clear their own suspicion, the Hai clan had to run errands for Yan Shang.

Hai Sanlang watched, filled with confusion: "Father, why are we so afraid of Yan Jun?"

The Hai patriarch shook his head with a bitter smile. His naive son still thought this was a personal grudge. Hai Sanlang had the talent of a top scholar but did not know that this matter had already become a factional struggle within the court.

The Hai patriarch said: "What we fear is not Yan Erlang, but the charge of 'murder.' The last murder charge was given by the Prince, and this time it is a court official... The world says my Hai clan’s foundation is not upright because of the attempted murder of the Prince. Bearing this charge, our clan will never be able to get ahead! If we want to get ahead, no matter what, this time in Chang’an, we must wash ourselves clean of the charge of 'murder'!

"Now that we have offended Yan Erlang, if we do not want to bear the charge of murdering a court official, we must listen to Yan Erlang. Yan Erlang is not targeting us... you can rest assured, he is targeting the powers behind us."

The Northern Ward, the Hai family, it had come to this... Yan Shang was going to rectify the entire officialdom and cleanse the order of the bureaucracy!

The Hai patriarch gazed deeply at his son, placing his hand on Hai Sanlang’s shoulder, his tone solemn: "Sanlang, just you watch! You are the new person we pushed out... No matter what, we must push you to the top!" —

Yan Shang was rectifying the Northern Ward, using the opportunity to investigate the illegal activities of all the aristocratic clans. This action shook the foundations, involving the struggle between the aristocratic clans and the humble scholars. The Emperor hid far away, not daring to participate in or help either side.

Chancellor Liu’s son, Liu Gong, came to plead for mercy with Yan Shang, but Yan Shang was impartial and would not even give his own teacher’s face. Liu Gong wanted to try again but was scolded by his father, so he sullenly cooperated with Yan Shang.

The Emperor watched in fear, always worried that the two sides would cause loss of life. At the same time, the Emperor’s harem was also uneasy.

The Beauty Huo, whom Mu Wanyao had sent into the palace, was pregnant. Chunhua, the Xianfei, constrained by the fate that they had both come from the Princess’s estate, came to visit. Chunhua was depressed, and the Beauty Hai, who had been sent into the palace by the Hai clan, seeing such depression, called Chunhua over to talk.

Beauty Hai’s intention was nothing more than to sow discord between Chunhua and Beauty Huo, thereby targeting the Princess.

Chunhua’s heart was ultimately with the Princess, so she did not say much, but she was hesitant and confused, not knowing why the Princess was so good to Beauty Huo—Beauty Huo was pregnant, and the Princess went into the palace every day to visit, sending precious items for fetal protection to Beauty Huo’s palace.

As for Chunhua, Mu Wanyao almost never saw her.

Had years of friendship been unable to withstand the Princess’s interests?

While Chunhua was feeling this injustice, something happened to Beauty Huo. Mu Wanyao was staying at Beauty Huo’s palace, talking with her, when Beauty Huo suddenly cried out that her stomach hurt. Afterward, they summoned an imperial physician, and the child was miscarried.

Mu Wanyao was incredibly agitated, wanting to investigate who had harmed Beauty Huo. The Emperor was stirred by this, pitying the beauty crying like rain, and wanted to conduct a thorough investigation of the harem.

And this investigation led to Chunhua’s son—

A young child, ignorant, had taken medicine like saffron and secretly added it to Beauty Huo’s medicine. If an adult had not mentioned this in front of the child, how would the child have known?

Mu Wanyao raised an eyebrow, watching coldly as the Emperor hesitated and Chunhua looked stunned. Chunhua had followed the Emperor for several years; although the Emperor did not love her, he pitied her obedience. Furthermore, Chunhua had come from the Princess’s estate—why was Mu Wanyao so heartless to her?

In her own palace, Beauty Hai heard that Chunhua had been cast out, and the corners of her lips could not help but rise. She wanted Chunhua and Beauty Huo to have a falling out, wanted Chunhua and Mu Wanyao to lose their trust, and wanted Mu Wanyao to lose her control over the Emperor—the Hai clan could not murder a prince, but they could use someone else’s hand to get rid of their enemies.

But in this world, the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Not until the last moment does one know who is the chess player and who is the chess piece.

Mu Wanyao and Yan Shang were playing chess in the Princess’s estate, both holding their own pieces. They sat in charge of the chess game, watching from all sides, waiting for the personnel of all parties to enter the arena together.