Yan Shang brought Mu Wanyao back to the carriage and instructed, “To North District’s South Lane.”

Mu Wanyao, who had been pulled into the carriage and hadn’t bothered to resist from start to finish, raised an eyebrow. Since Princess Danyang hadn’t objected, the servants outside naturally had no objections. The carriage began moving again, heading toward where Yan Shang had directed.

Mu Wanyao stared at Yan Shang and sneered, “I never expected Young Master Yan to be so composed. At this critical moment, you still have the mind to seek out women.”

The North District was Chang’an’s famous red-light district. If scholars and literati came to Chang’an but never visited the North District, they would be ridiculed. The North District was divided into Middle Lane, South Lane, and North Lane. Among the three, South Lane ranked second, where courtesans of medium-high status resided. This showed Young Master Yan’s boldness.

Yan Shang shook his head helplessly and said, “Going to North District’s South Lane is because we need to find someone there. Let me explain the details to Your Highness…”

Mu Wanyao interrupted his explanation: “If I had gone directly to my aunt’s palace earlier, this matter could have been resolved. Who told you to come stop me?”

As the carriage moved forward, wind and rain mixed with lantern light occasionally struck the carriage’s canopy.

The carriage swayed gently as Yan Shang looked at the princess sitting opposite him, lowering his long lashes: “Didn’t I say? I don’t want you to offend the Princess Imperial over this.”

Mu Wanyao said, “You’re overthinking it. How can my offending my aunt compare to a commoner like you offending the Princess Imperial? What can my aunt do to me? That small price is worth paying.”

Yan Shang said, “It’s not worth it.”

Mu Wanyao’s eyes blazed as she glared at this arrogant scholar who dared contradict her.

He didn’t avoid her gaze, looking straight at her: “Why would Your Highness go to such lengths for me? We’ve only met a few times, and our relationship is quite ordinary. Why would Your Highness be so kind to me?”

Lantern light filtered through the window lattice, illuminating the young nobleman’s refined and elegant features, flickering dimly. This hint of blurred beauty and his direct, unavoidable gaze momentarily stunned Mu Wanyao.

Mu Wanyao raised her chin, somewhat arrogantly and carelessly: “You think I’m doing this for you? Wrong. I simply won’t allow myself to be bullied and have to endure it submissively. Never mind that it’s the Princess Imperial today—even if it were the Crown Prince himself, I would still charge in and provoke him just the same.”

After a while, Yan Shang’s voice grew quiet: “Is that so?”

Mu Wanyao’s eyes looked up at the canopy, the upturned corner of her eyes catching the lantern light, gleaming golden and incomparably beautiful.

Yan Shang gazed at her as she arrogantly said, “That’s exactly how it is.”

Yan Shang lowered his eyes.

A moment later, Mu Wanyao heard Yan Shang’s voice, like jade pieces clinking together, unhurried: “Then I am the same. Even though I know Your Highness is also a princess, and even face-to-face the Princess Imperial cannot do anything to you, I still can’t help but worry. The Princess Imperial is His Majesty’s sister, and her foundation in Chang’an runs deeper than yours. If something were to happen, I fear others would side with the Princess Imperial.”

Mu Wanyao’s expression remained blank: “What’s that to you? Do you think I don’t understand this?”

Yan Shang looked at her gently, and after a quiet moment said: “Even knowing Your Highness won’t be harmed by this, I still need to see for myself. Only seeing Your Highness unharmed will put my mind at ease.”

Mu Wanyao: “…”

What does it mean to “know how to talk”?

This is what it means to “know how to talk.”

With just a few words, Yan Shang made it impossible for Mu Wanyao to maintain her icy facade. She even felt somewhat embarrassed, her cheeks warming as she awkwardly turned her face away and coughed once.

Yan Shang continued: “So the best solution is not to approach this matter through the Princess Imperial. I still don’t wish for Your Highness to become enemies with her over such a small matter. Your Highness might not care about making clothes for the Crown Prince, but I don’t want Your Highness to be caught in a dilemma because of me.”

Mu Wanyao’s beautiful eyes turned back, flowing with a hint of laughter as she looked back at him.

In the quiet rainy night, the young princess in the same carriage with him gave him such a glancing look. With clear black pupils and pure white eyes, she looked at him with both reproach and joy. Yan Shang felt his heart burning, a tingling sensation crawling up his spine.

Too hot.

He turned his face away, not daring to meet her gaze.

Now it was Mu Wanyao who remained composed. She leisurely adjusted her sitting position and reached out to poke Yan Shang’s shoulder lightly: “Hey, you.”

Yan Shang turned to look.

She smiled: “Even if you help me avoid offending the Princess Imperial this way, you still owe me a favor.”

Yan Shang smiled slightly: “Naturally it should be so.”

Seeing that he showed no intention of bargaining at all—this person was full of calculations yet acted so impossibly upright—Mu Wanyao snorted, feeling it somewhat boring and no longer wanting to tease him.

She turned her face away, ignoring him, willful and unreasonable.

Only then did Yan Shang tell her what he planned to do: “Your Highness may not know, but Feng Xianyu frequently spends nights in North District’s South Lane. He’s fond of drinking and merrymaking. When I left today, I met some friends who said they had arranged to drink with Feng Xianyu in the North District. If we go there, we can find him.”

Mu Wanyao suddenly turned back to look at him, both surprised and schadenfreude.

She covered her mouth: “Oh? Hasn’t he already attached himself to my aunt? How dare he still go to such a place as the North District? Isn’t he afraid my aunt will find out?”

Yan Shang said: “That’s probably just for drinking, nothing to do with romance.”

Mu Wanyao glanced at him: “Playing with women is playing with women—speaking so elegantly doesn’t change what it is, does it?”

Yan Shang looked at her helplessly: “Does Your Highness still want to hear what I have to say?”

Mu Wanyao closed her small mouth and couldn’t help but comment.

Yan Shang continued: “Your Highness probably doesn’t know, but Feng Xianyu has a wife and daughter.”

Mu Wanyao’s eyes widened, but because Yan Shang complained about her talking too much, she covered her mouth, though her eyes grew especially round, looking somewhat adorably silly.

Yan Shang avoided her gaze, his hand gripping the table tightly, trying to keep his emotions calm and not be affected by her.

He said softly: “His wife passed away a year ago. I saw his daughter not long ago. But when I went to Feng Xianyu’s home to find him the day before yesterday, he said his daughter had gone to stay with her great-uncle. This is quite unusual.”

Mu Wanyao rested her chin in her hand, listening to him unravel the threads as if listening to a story. She thought it seems he doesn’t want her involved in the Crown Prince’s schemes—

“…So, after deciding to curry favor with the Princess Imperial, he feared she might cause trouble for his daughter, so he sent his daughter away from Chang’an? And worried even that wasn’t enough, he split his people into two groups, openly sending her to her great-uncle’s home, but secretly having others take his daughter to a safe place?”

“Tsk, quite a few little schemes,” Princess Danyang commented thus.

The carriage arrived at North District’s South Lane. When the door opened, Yan Shang got out first. Holding an umbrella, he turned back to see Mu Wanyao lifting her skirts, also preparing to get out.

Yan Shang froze: “…I can handle this matter myself, why is Your Highness also coming down?”

Mu Wanyao gave him a sidelong glance. As she jumped down from the carriage, he had no choice but to support her while holding the umbrella. She said casually, “Such an interesting matter, I want to witness it personally.”

Yan Shang felt slightly uncomfortable.

He said: “But this is the North District…”

Libertines, wandering knights, courtesans, worldly guests… Just standing here, one could smell the thick fragrance of rouge in the air.

This was still because there were fewer guests due to the rain.

Usually, the North District’s lanterns burned until dawn, much livelier than now.

Mu Wanyao pushed aside this scholar who stood stammering in front of her, thinking she shouldn’t be touring the North District: “Move aside, don’t block the way!”

She strode forward.

After a few steps, she turned back, biting her lip as she looked at Yan Shang: “Which door are we going to?”

Yan Shang sighed, having no choice but to catch up and lead Mu Wanyao to their destination.

He should have understood. The Great Wei had open customs, and Chang’an was especially extraordinary. That famous Princess Danyang had probably toured the North District many times dressed as a man… He had been too narrow-minded.

However, tonight was about avoiding detection, as they didn’t want the Princess Imperial to trace this matter afterward. So upon reaching the North District, they had the princess’s carriage return and wait outside, with Mu Wanyao bringing none of her servants.

Yan Shang and Mu Wanyao entered North District’s South Lane and knocked on a door. But they didn’t enter through the front door, instead calmly entering through the back door.

What surprised Mu Wanyao was that when Yan Shang knocked on the back door, it opened immediately from inside. The person who opened the door for them was none other than Fang Tong, the chief guard of Princess Mu Wanyao’s residence.

After Fang Tong bowed in greeting, he said to Yan Shang: “Young Master, rest assured, I’ve already bound that Feng Xianyu. Your Highness and Young Master Yan, please follow me.”

Mu Wanyao glared at Yan Shang: “You had my people help you? Did you ask my permission?”

Fang Tong, afraid Young Master Yan would be scolded, anxiously tried to explain. Unexpectedly, Yan Shang directly and simply said: “It was my fault.”

After staring at Yan Shang for a long while, Mu Wanyao walked past him: “Don’t let it happen again.”

Yan Shang chuckled softly, following her: “Yes.”

Fang Tong, who had opened the door, stared dumbfounded, feeling that Young Master Yan was truly… formidable—

Entering through the back door, the three of them traversed the courtyard and pond garden. Due to the rain, they didn’t encounter anyone. However, just as they were about to enter the building, a woman drowsily opened a window, startled to see three people walking through the back courtyard.

A man was one thing… but why was there a woman? Looking at her makeup and dress, she didn’t seem to be from their establishment.

Fang Tong suddenly grew nervous, wondering whether he should knock this woman unconscious.

Yan Shang faced the suddenly opened window and politely inquired: “We three have lost our way here. May I ask, miss, which room is the ‘Honey Fragrance Pavilion’?”

That woman was also dumbfounded, yet pointed them in a direction.

Yan Shang politely said: “Thank you.”

The woman blushed, ducked her head shyly, repeatedly saying there was no need for thanks, and closed the window.

Mu Wanyao looked at Yan Shang: “Heh.”

Yan Shang: “What does Your Highness want to say?”

Mu Wanyao glanced at him, saying languidly: “Nothing. Just thinking that face of yours is quite useful.”

The woman had given them directions because Yan Shang was handsome, and closed the window out of shyness. That Yan Shang could make even a woman from a pleasure house shy… as expected of him.

Yan Shang could only pretend he didn’t understand the mockery in Mu Wanyao’s words.

Halfway there, Mu Wanyao spoke again: “You come here often?”

Yan Shang said helplessly: “I just arrived in Chang’an, barely having time to study. Does Your Highness think I look like someone who enjoys such places?”

Mu Wanyao stared at him for a moment: “Indeed you don’t.”

She said leisurely: “Others come here for pleasure, but you look more like someone to be pleasured. Hmm, I misunderstood you.”

Fang Tong held back his laughter at the side, while Yan Shang could only pretend not to hear.

They entered the “Honey Fragrance Pavilion,” where someone was already bound hand and foot with cloth stuffed in his mouth. The person had been thrown into the dark room, looking very nervous.

When Fang Tong lit a candle and removed the cloth from his mouth, the bound person looked up, saw Mu Wanyao and Yan Shang enter, and after a moment of surprise, actually became calm.

This person was naturally Feng Xianyu, who had been bound and brought here earlier by Fang Tong.

Feng Xianyu had come alone to the North District to drink away his sorrows, not knowing how he’d been knocked unconscious. Now it was clear—Yan Shang had come to settle accounts.

Mu Wanyao sat down, observing Feng Xianyu—he was indeed fairly good-looking.

She said coldly: “We’ve bound you to have your help with something. Before dawn, you will go knock on the Princess Imperial’s door. Whatever method you use, you must get my aunt to change the examination ranking back. If the Third Scholar position isn’t yours to begin with, it will never be yours.”

Feng Xianyu sat on the ground, initially panicked, but now laughed bitterly: “Your Highness makes it sound so simple. How could I possibly influence the Princess Imperial’s thoughts?”

Mu Wanyao said indifferently: “That’s why you have the next few hours. I just want to see the ranking I expect when the results are posted.”

Feng Xianyu: “What if I refuse?”

Yan Shang said: “Do you know who she is?”

He gave Fang Tong a look, and under Feng Xianyu’s surprised gaze, Fang Tong went out and shortly returned, dragging in a large, rough-looking woman who also had cloth stuffed in her mouth, throwing her to the ground. Upon seeing this woman, Feng Xianyu’s expression instantly became panicked.

Unable to face Princess Danyang, he stared at Yan Shang with venomous hatred: “Yan Suchen!”

The cloth was pulled from the woman’s mouth, and she frantically knelt on the ground, kowtowing: “Customer, I’ll tell everything, I won’t hide anything, please don’t kill me! Master Feng saved this old woman’s life three years ago, and since then I’ve been helping him with tasks. A few days ago, Master Feng had me send his daughter out of Chang’an, so I secretly arranged for people to help him do this…”

Having long mixed with various social classes, seeing the seated lady in her trailing dress, so beautiful and radiant, the imposingly tall guard beside her, and the young scholar as elegant as orchids and jade, she immediately knew these were people she couldn’t afford to offend.

Unable to afford offense, she naturally told everything.

She kept kowtowing to Feng Xianyu while speaking: “Master Feng, this old woman has wronged you! But this old woman must also survive—they took my granddaughter, I had no choice…”

Feng Xianyu was furious: “Yan Suchen, how can you be so despicable? What’s the point of involving innocents!”

Yan Shang ignored his accusations, only saying gently: “People have already been sent overnight to find your daughter based on this woman’s information. If the list isn’t changed by dawn, you might never see your daughter again.”

Hearing this, Mu Wanyao looked at Yan Shang in surprise: Oh? Had people been sent to find this man’s daughter?

She looked toward Fang Tong, who shook his head in confusion.

Mu Wanyao understood then: Oh, Yan Shang was lying again.

Bound hand and foot and sitting on the ground, Feng Xianyu’s robes and hair were in complete disarray. He glared at Yan Shang. Seeing Yan Shang’s gentle expression yet such ruthlessness, his heart instantly turned cold.

His attitude softened as he pleaded: “Young Master Yan! We’ve known each other, and I hadn’t wronged you before—why must you force me to this point? You’re still so young, and with someone like Princess Danyang protecting you, why can’t you let me off just once? Let me off this once this year, and next year you might become the Top Scholar!

“Isn’t Top Scholar better than Third Scholar? Why must you fight me for this Third Scholar position?!”

Yan Shang quietly looked at him.

Seeing him so wretched, Yan Shang felt somewhat sympathetic. Yan Shang said slowly: “I never fought with you for the Third Scholar position—it was you who insisted on fighting with me. If you had discussed it with me properly, if you had told me beforehand, I might have helped you. Instead, you attached yourself to the Princess Imperial at this time and snatched away what was originally mine.

“If I want to pursue this matter, how is that wrong?”

Feng Xianyu laughed angrily: “Discuss with you? How could I discuss this with you? Would you have helped me achieve an official position? If I had told you, would you have yielded to me once? Fine, even if you, Yan Suchen, are truly noble and upright, a rare gentleman in this world, and I, Feng Xianyu, misjudged you! However, can examination rankings be yielded just because you want to yield them?

“What do you know? You don’t understand anything! You’ve just arrived in Chang’an and already managed to gain the favor of someone like Princess Danyang—how could you know what cold shoulders I’ve endured in my four years in Chang’an? Do you know how many closed doors I’ve faced trying to secure a position?”

He was extremely agitated and extremely angry.

Speaking with such emotion, his eyes even glistened with tears: “I know you look down on me, thinking I relied on underhanded means to steal your ranking. But do you think I wanted it this way? If I were like you, accepting the princess’s affections from the start, why would I have ended up here today?”

Mu Wanyao said dissatisfied: “Hey, what are you saying?”

She certainly hadn’t shown any affection.

Yan Shang stared at Feng Xianyu in amazement, saying: “Are you telling me your grievances?”

Feng Xianyu laughed coldly.

Then he became dejected, mumbling: “Young Master Yan, do you know, four years ago when I first came to Chang’an, I had just married, and my wife was pregnant—I was so proud and happy. At a banquet then, when the Princess Imperial showed interest in me, I was arrogant and refused her. How proud I was, thinking how could I betray my wife? And what did I get in return?

“Four whole years of suppression! Four whole years!”

Hatred rose in his eyes: “How did my wife die? It was because I couldn’t pass the examinations, and our household expenses were insufficient—I’d spent it all on socializing with friends and studying. My wife was also from a wealthy family, and Chang’an is such a prosperous place, yet my wife starved to death… starved to death!

“After my wife died, I understood. What’s the use of integrity, what’s the use of dignity? I’m just a scholar, I only want an official position! Only with an official position could I at least… support them. Do you think I feel no shame in attaching myself to the Princess Imperial? Do you think I want to send away my only daughter?”

“My heart is torn to pieces, but what use is any of this?”

Feng Xianyu slumped on the ground, his eyes flickering with sparks, tears threatening to fall but not quite falling.

He finally looked up at the high and mighty Princess Danyang. Her brilliant face was overwhelmingly beautiful—how noble she was, that was what he wanted.

He murmured: “Chang’an… Chang’an. This place is so wonderful, so many people want to stay, but in the end, how many can stay?”

The room fell silent.

No one spoke.

Fang Tong sighed, feeling sympathetic. Coming from a military background, Chang’an valued both literary and martial abilities, while pure martial artists like him were looked down upon. Seeing Feng Xianyu’s breakdown, he felt some compassion.

Looking again, he saw light flickering in Yan Shang’s eyes as he stared at Feng Xianyu, seemingly moved; but the princess remained expressionless, as if she hadn’t heard a word this man had said.

Mu Wanyao said coldly: “You’ve been telling your sob story for nearly half an hour now, and you don’t have much time left. If I don’t see the list changed by dawn, you’ll never see your daughter again.”

Feng Xianyu: “Your Highness! Can’t Your Highness let me off just this once?”

Mu Wanyao said: “I understand your difficulties, but you’re in my way, and I cannot yield.”

Feng Xianyu immediately laughed bitterly, slumping to the ground, thinking how could a princess possibly understand him?

At this moment, Yan Shang slowly spoke: “I am but a humble scholar, seeking knowledge and fame—naturally, it’s not easy. But in one’s lifetime, a gentleman should have nine considerations. Being scholars, how can we abandon even a scholar’s integrity? Some things can be done and things cannot be done.

“I have many words I wish to say to you, but as they reach my lips, I think you’ll feel I’m just talking from a position of comfort, so I’ll leave them unsaid. Yes, the world is harsh, everyone faces this—you can say the entire world forced you to this point, but if you search your heart… when your wife was ill, if you had set aside your studies to beg for a bowl of porridge for her, to seek out famous doctors for her, perhaps she wouldn’t have died?”

Feng Xianyu’s mind went blank, his face pale as he recalled his wife’s sickly appearance in her final days.

Yan Shang said softly: “Go make amends for your mistakes. If you don’t pass this year’s examination, there’s still next year, the year after… and even if you never pass, what of it? You could become an advisor, a strategist, or even join the military at the border… you have so many paths you could take, you’re not at a dead end—you’re just unwilling to accept it.”

He turned away, no longer wishing to say more.

Mu Wanyao gestured for Fang Tong to untie Feng Xianyu, sending him to find the Princess Imperial immediately. Seeing Yan Shang’s poor mood, she unusually felt sympathy and reached out to gently pat his back in comfort.

Yan Shang gave Mu Wanyao a somewhat dejected look, and smiled at her, indicating he was fine.

This scene fell into the eyes of Feng Xianyu as he stumbled to his feet, and he laughed coldly: “You speak so nobly, but how is your relationship with Princess Danyang any different from my situation? Aren’t you also becoming the princess’s lackey, kneeling to her, currying her favor, offering yourself to her?”

Yan Shang suddenly turned back: “Shut up!”

His usually refined face rarely showed such solemnity. He said: “The princess and I maintain our purity—how dare you use your filthy conduct to judge us?”

He said to Mu Wanyao: “Your Highness, this person speaks without thinking, there’s no need to listen to his mad words!”

Feng Xianyu stared at the two in shock, and then his expression turned strange.

Mu Wanyao gave Yan Shang a lazy glance, seeing that his actions were still pleading for Feng Xianyu, not wanting her to punish him.

Mu Wanyao couldn’t be bothered with them—she just wanted the ranking changed back.

She said coldly: “Guard Fang, personally escort this Feng whatever to the Princess Imperial’s residence.”

Fang Tong took Feng Xianyu away, and the old woman who had been brought bound was also untied. However, Mu Wanyao and Yan Shang left directly, completely ignoring the old woman.

Yan Shang seemed somewhat distracted; after leaving, he walked rather aimlessly, clearly not heading toward the back door but entering the building instead.

Mu Wanyao stared at his melancholy figure for a while, knowing that Feng Xianyu’s words tonight had given Yan Shang much to think about. After some thought, instead of leaving alone, she followed him to see where he was going.

Suddenly bright lights appeared before them, and the sound of silk and bamboo music filled their ears. Standing before the main hall, Yan Shang came to his senses, suddenly startled to find he had unconsciously walked into the main hall.

Mu Wanyao’s playful voice came from behind: “Back to your senses?”

Yan Shang turned around to see Mu Wanyao still following him. He suddenly felt embarrassed—how could he lead a princess to such a place?

He said: “I was lost in thought, let’s go back and wait for Master Feng’s news.”

Mu Wanyao: “No, I’ve been tired all night, I want to watch some singing and dancing. You’ll join me.”

What could Yan Shang say? He could only suppress the thousands of thoughts in his heart and follow the princess upstairs.

Everything was different once they entered the main hall. Two doorkeepers at the entrance watched wide-eyed as a woman strode haughtily into their establishment, clearly not one of their courtesans… yet this lady was so confident that it made others feel self-conscious, hesitant to stop her.

Yan Shang followed behind, hastily stuffing some copper coins into the dumbfounded doorkeepers before entering.

But just as Yan Shang entered, before he could gather his thoughts, he saw the previously haughty Mu Wanyao suddenly turn around and hurriedly stride toward him.

In his confusion, Mu Wanyao rushed over and hugged his waist, turning so that she was against the wall with him shielding her. Yan Shang froze, the sudden soft fragrance rushing toward him leaving him completely stunned. When he came to his senses, his face flushed red as he struggled slightly.

The Mu Wanyao who was lowering her head in his arms: “Don’t move, don’t move, there’s an acquaintance!”

Yan Shang: “…Another acquaintance?”

Mu Wanyao had stopped answering him the acquaintance was approaching.

She held Yan Shang tightly, her entire face buried in his embrace. After a moment of rigidity, Yan Shang cooperated, hesitantly placing his hand on her shoulder. The two stood in the corner, and people passing behind Yan Shang glanced over, thinking it was just a customer getting intimate with one of their beautiful courtesans.

Steady footsteps sounded from behind.

While holding Mu Wanyao, Yan Shang collected himself and said softly: “Did the little miss miss me?”

Mu Wanyao raised her face from his embrace.

Still holding his waist, she looked up at his slightly reddened face, trying hard to hold back her laughter: “If you’re not good at it, just keep quiet, don’t make me laugh.”

Yan Shang: “…”

So Yan Shang had no choice but to be a silent customer.

However, as his gaze casually swept outward, he saw a broad-shouldered, long-legged young nobleman with a handsome face, leading several warrior-like men, striding over from behind. Yan Shang’s heart skipped a beat, vaguely feeling he had seen this person before.

As he pondered this, his gaze met with this person’s—

Yang Sanlang Yang Si expressionlessly glanced at Yan Shang.

The other party calmly withdrew his gaze, as Yang Si saw someone holding a courtesan in the corner and knew what this impatient person was doing.

Yang Si tugged at the corner of his mouth and turned his step to brush past Yan Shang.

However, with lowered eyes, Yang Si felt that the person he had just seen looked very familiar, wondering where he had seen him… suddenly a scene emerged—Yang Si remembered seeing Mu Wanyao walking with a young nobleman at Yongshou Temple.

Just as Yan Shang was about to breathe a sigh of relief while holding Mu Wanyao, the footsteps behind him stopped, and Yang Si returned.

Yang Si stood behind him and said flatly: “We’ve met before. Turn around.”

Mu Wanyao became extremely nervous, tightly pinching the flesh at Yan Shang’s waist. She frantically nuzzled against him in panic, hinting for him to find a way to avoid Yang Si.

Yan Shang’s handsome face twisted slightly as his waist was tightly pinched by the princess, almost suffocated by her grip.

…He knew she was hiding from someone.

But he was human too—if she pinched him to death, who would be left to help her?