The clear breeze filtered through the window, casting shadows on the mountain screen dripping with emerald hues. Seated by the window, maids combed the Princess’s hair while Mu Wanyao added incense to the golden duck-shaped burner on the table. She was waiting for the morning court session to end.

The mansion had prepared a banquet, inviting several officials to dine. These officials had all previously served in Princess Danyang’s household. Among them, the highest-ranking was now the Vice Minister of Revenue, second only to the Minister of Revenue himself.

After the recent marriage refusal incident, Mu Wanyao gained clarity. She realized that seeking a balance between just the Crown Prince and the Li family wasn’t enough—she needed to strengthen her power and increase her leverage.

A three-way balance would give her a true position.

Otherwise, she would merely be paving the way for others.

Mu Wanyao contemplated how to discreetly win over court officials. The simplest approach was to first secure the loyalty of those who had served in her Princess’s household. Given the scholars’ respect for loyalty, these officials who had served in her household would consider her their former master as long as she held her position as a ruler.

This was undeniable—those who betrayed their masters would face public scorn. At the very least, Mu Wanyao knew these people wouldn’t abandon her even if they chose new allegiances.

She planned to use these connections to attract more supporters and gain greater influence in court politics.

Just as the Crown Prince did when his backing wasn’t strong enough.

Mu Wanyao wasn’t naturally cunning or skilled in political machinations. On the contrary, she was once naive and still wasn’t particularly clever. Many lessons she learned only through bitter experiences.

Her mother had been a master of political intrigue, but while her mother was alive, both parents had sheltered her from all worries, and she hadn’t touched politics at all.

Later in Wuman, those barbarians were crude and rough—what did they know of such things? Meng Zaishi had been ambitious, but she and Meng Zaishi had a mutually beneficial relationship. Her understanding of politics remained superficial.

Now back in Chang’an, she was still learning everything from scratch, fumbling through on her own. With no one to teach her, she would pick herself up after each fall and start again. She gradually figured things out… After all, she could learn by observing the Crown Prince.

She didn’t need to become tremendously influential—it was enough to check both the Crown Prince and the Li family, preventing either from pressuring her too severely.

No one could predict how future situations would develop; she could only take it one step at a time.

As Mu Wanyao pondered these matters, her hands continued tending to the incense burner.

She removed the mica screen and used silver tongs to clear away the frost-like ash from the burner’s belly. Then she poked ventilation holes in the incense ash, waiting for the dead embers to reignite.

Chunhua asked, “What incense would Your Highness like to use?”

Mu Wanyao replied, “Chen Xiang.”

She was thinking of the fragrance on Yan Shang’s body. At first, she had only found the southern incense novel—its orchid-like and musk-like scent was sweet and rich, but how could it compare to the lasting charm of the dragon saliva incense used in the palace?

Yet that fragrance suited Yan Shang well.

Somewhat disgruntled, Mu Wanyao wanted to blend her incense to match the Chen Xiang scent Yan Shang used. This way, after smelling it often enough, she wouldn’t find his scent so appealing anymore.

Mu Wanyao set down the tongs, wiped her hands with a handkerchief, and replaced the delicately ice-patterned mica screen over the ashes.

Chunhua promptly stepped forward with a box containing incense tablets. Mu Wanyao picked up a Chen Xiang grain from the silver box. As the grain rolled onto the mica sheet, she adjusted the clean charcoal to heat it, waiting for the fragrance to become more intense.

However, Mu Wanyao sighed and gestured for the burner to be moved away.

As Chunhua directed a maid to remove the burner, she asked puzzled, “Does Your Highness not like this incense?”

Mu Wanyao replied, “It’s not as pleasant as I imagined. Not as pleasant as it is on him.”

Chunhua fell silent, guessing the Princess meant Young Master Yan, and decided not to say more.

She could hardly encourage the Princess to summon Young Master Yan, could she?

What would that look like?

The Princess’s best options were either Young Master Yang or Young Master Wei—associating with Young Master Yan… wouldn’t be good for the Princess’s future. The Princess knew this herself, so as her maid, she shouldn’t encourage the Princess down an unfavorable path just to please her.

Mu Wanyao rested her chin in her hand, feeling gloomy, and asked again about the time, wondering when the invited court officials would arrive.

When the time drew near, Mu Wanyao instructed her maids to prepare the feast and arrange for singers and dancers. She planned to send wine and beautiful companions when the officials departed today, establishing herself as a caring superior who looked after her subordinates.

While waiting for the guests, Mu Wanyao chatted with Chunhua. She noticed her maid seemed to have worry lines between her brows as if shrouded in melancholy.

Mu Wanyao paused, then asked, “Haven’t you seen Liu Wenji lately?”

Chunhua started, then fell silent, realizing Her Highness was indeed aware of her frequent meetings with Liu Wenji. Chunhua shook her head and said softly, “There are some issues between this servant and Young Master Liu. This servant needs time to think.”

Mu Wanyao snorted, “Well, think quickly. He comes to the Princess’s mansion daily hoping to see you, only to be turned away. If he keeps pursuing for a few more days, rumors might spread throughout Chang’an that I’m keeping male favorites.”

Chunhua felt ashamed: “This servant has caused Your Highness trouble.”

Mu Wanyao dismissed these concerns, saying casually, “Your affairs are your own to manage. I won’t interfere much, nor should you ask for my opinion. I can’t even figure out my own life properly—I won’t give you advice.”

“But listen well, all of you. If you wish to marry out of my Princess’s household, I forbid anyone from becoming a concubine—that would lower my status. When you want to leave the household, I’ll gift each person ten gold pieces, with no favoritism.”

“For the guards who want to marry, the standard should be higher. Make it twenty gold pieces.”

The maids and servants expressed their surprised gratitude, thanking Her Highness for her generosity. After all, for ordinary families, ten gold pieces could provide a comfortable life for an entire lifetime.

While they were discussing these matters, Chunhua went out briefly and returned with two letters. One was for Chunhua herself, which Mu Wanyao naturally had no interest in reading her maid’s correspondence; the other was an invitation, elegant in its simplicity, with an orchid pressed on the back.

The fragrance was incomparably pure and refined.

Seeing this invitation, Mu Wanyao felt a slight stirring in her heart.

However, she didn’t look at it, instead asking Chunhua to read what the invitation said. Chunhua looked and smiled, “Your Highness, Young Master Yan invites you to view the Buddha’s relics together on Buddha’s Birthday this year.”

Mu Wanyao was startled, but her expression didn’t change. She merely tilted her head to look out the window, preventing her maids from catching her true emotions or seeing the involuntary upturn of her lips.

Since that night when she and Yan Shang had mutually rejected each other, they hadn’t met. She felt somewhat awkward, yet also felt Yan Shang wasn’t significant enough to warrant her taking the initiative to seek him out.

While he was studying and no longer came to see her, Mu Wanyao found herself somewhat displeased.

But now…

Mu Wanyao said, “Buddha’s Birthday to view the relics? He certainly has time for leisure.”

Chunhua smiled, “Will Your Highness accept?”

Mu Wanyao replied, “We’ll see if I have time that day.”

Chunhua had already mentally arranged the Princess’s schedule, deliberately keeping Buddha’s Birthday free.

The Princess and Young Master Yan hadn’t seen each other for over half a month. During this time, the Princess had been dealing with court officials daily, and when in a bad mood, would take it out on the household staff. After half a month of walking on eggshells, now that there was a chance to breathe easier, naturally, everyone prayed Young Master Yan could improve their mistress’s mood somewhat—

Setting aside Mu Wanyao’s dealings with court officials, on Yan Shang and Wei Shu’s side, after passing the examination, they were arranged by the central government to await orders at the Hongwen Library.

“Awaiting orders” meant they didn’t have official positions yet but might receive them at any time, waiting for court arrangements. Although these expectant officials weren’t formal, the court would still provide some salary, barely enough for their expenses.

This salary was merely a token amount, extremely low, nowhere near enough for the daily social activities and expenses of successful examination candidates. No one took this salary seriously.

Even for Yan Shang, this salary was barely better than nothing. The large sums Yan Shang had been spending were all sent by his father and brothers from Lingnan, making him quite ashamed. He could only endure, thinking that once he truly became an official, this problem of lacking money would pass—

Because under the Great Wei’s official system, especially for capital officials in Chang’an, the salaries were very considerable.

The Great Wei’s benefits and care for officials far surpassed other dynasties.

For Yan Shang, the greatest advantage of awaiting orders at the Hongwen Library was the exceptionally convenient access to books, far more convenient than before. Books he couldn’t access in Lingnan or at the Imperial College were all collected in the Hongwen Library.

The Hongwen Library gathered scholars from across the realm and housed over two hundred thousand volumes, making it the most richly stocked collection of books in the world.

After discussing with Wei Shu, they learned there were three paths to official positions—

First, wait for a court summons, which could take an unknown amount of time;

Second, Princess Danyang could directly bring them for an imperial audience, asking the Emperor to grant them positions, but Mu Wanyao was unlikely to do this, and Yan Shang didn’t want to take this path;

Third was the examinations.

To address the waiting period for office entry after passing the imperial examinations, the Great Wei established subject examinations held every October. The subjects included Broad Learning and Literary Expression, Document Judgment Excellence, The Three Rites, The Three Histories, The Three Commentaries, The Five Classics, The Nine Classics, The Kaiyuan Rites, and Clarity in Laws and Ordinances. Those who scored in the superior grade would enter office immediately, regardless of how long ago they had passed the imperial examinations.

The subject examinations were far more difficult than the imperial examinations.

While the imperial examinations selected degree holders from among thousands of ordinary candidates, the subject examinations pitted all remaining jinshi degree holders against each other.

When Yan Shang inquired further, he learned that as the name suggested, these numerous subject examinations tested for comprehensive talent, not just poetry and prose. Just as he felt relieved about not having to compete in his weak areas, he found himself in new troubles.

Because while he was weak in poetry and prose, all his talents… were probably even weaker.

These jinshi degree holders rarely came from common families—most were from aristocratic backgrounds. Growing up in aristocratic families, the books they read and the experiences they had far exceeded Yan Shang’s. If even they couldn’t pass, what hope was there for a commoner like Yan Shang?

Nevertheless, it was still currently the best path forward.

After meeting with his teacher and discussing matters, Yan Shang decided to take the Broad Learning and Literary Expression examination. There was no other reason except that this examination ranked highest among the subject tests, and those who passed received the greatest respect. Besides directly entering official service, the positions offered were higher than others.

Wei Shu, with his deep family learning, naturally looked down on the other examinations and directly chose Broad Learning and Literary Expression. After much hesitation, Yan Shang also selected the same. Their current task was simply to spend more time reading than others, ensuring their half-year wait at the Hongwen Library wouldn’t be wasted—

Before dawn, Yan Shang left his humble lodgings at Yongshou Temple, walking straight to the Hongwen Library. He had timed it perfectly to arrive just as the library opened.

However, Yan Shang had one troublesome matter…

As he exited through the temple’s back door into the alley, he spotted three or four servants peeking around, causing him to sigh deeply. Sure enough, when these servants saw him emerge, they immediately vanished. A moment later, as Yan Shang walked through the alley, a young maiden on horseback followed him.

It was Fifth Lady Zhao, Zhao Lingfei.

Zhao Lingfei came to wait outside his door daily.

She had initially tried to present herself as a proper young lady before Yan Shang but quickly discovered that such a delicate, shy persona couldn’t match his wit. So Zhao Lingfei simply revealed her true nature when dealing with him.

For instance, now, as Yan Shang walked ahead.

Zhao Lingfei followed on horseback, saying, “Young Master Yan, don’t be upset. Although those who wanted to arrange marriages with you changed their minds after the Princess’s marriage refusal incident, I’m still here! If they won’t marry into your family, it’s their loss. Not all of us Chang’an folk are so shortsighted. I know how excellent you are, Young Master Yan—don’t let this defeat you.”

Yan Shang: “…”

He responded helplessly, “Does the lady think I appear that devastated?”

Zhao Lingfei pressed her lips together in a smile, saying cheerfully, “I’m just encouraging you! My father is the Director of the Imperial College—if you have any difficulties with your studies, you can always ask me for help. Young Master, I can see your great talent.”

Yan Shang replied gently, “My lady, I’ve said many times, that I truly have no plans for marriage at present…”

Zhao Lingfei: “That’s fine! If we can’t be husband and wife, we can still be friends.”

Yan Shang was left speechless.

This was truly his first encounter with such a persistent, thick-skinned, yet perpetually cheerful young lady. No matter how many times he refused, Zhao Lingfei remained unfazed, reasoning that since he wasn’t married yet, being friends was acceptable.

However, did her manner suggest mere friendship?

She probably wanted to bind him in marriage immediately.

Yan Shang said, “Lady, behaving this way, aren’t you afraid of earning the young master’s annoyance?”

Zhao Lingfei replied curiously, “But you have such a good temper, and I haven’t offended you—how could you be annoyed with me?”

Leaning forward on her horse, she asked worriedly, “Are you annoyed with me?”

Yan Shang started, turning to glance at her. Such a spirited, good-natured lady was quite difficult to dislike. Because Zhao Lingfei maintained just the right balance—neither pressing so close as to make Yan Shang uncomfortable nor staying so distant that he would forget her.

Yan Shang said softly, “I’m not annoyed with you, but I don’t have feelings for you either. I truly… truly have no interest in this matter. What would it take for you to give up?”

Zhao Lingfei replied, “The road is wide, we’re just traveling the same path. You walk your way, I’ll ride my horse—you need not mind me.”

Yan Shang: “There are many excellent men in this world, I could introduce some to you…”

Zhao Lingfei answered, “But I only find you appealing.”

She mused thoughtfully: “At first I just thought you were handsome, all looks and no substance. But having known you this long, I’ve discovered you have a good temperament, excellent bearing, many friends, and you know everyone you meet… I feel I don’t know you well enough yet—you might be even better than what I’ve seen.”

“I’m not a fool. Seeing how wonderful you are, my heart is so fond of you—how could I give up?”

Yan Shang was speechless.

This… was truly too difficult for him.

He had become truly afraid of Zhao Lingfei, yet he couldn’t speak harshly to a young lady who simply admired him… Yan Shang could only think of other methods—

Time passed to the eighth day of the fourth month, Buddha’s Birthday.

The Buddha’s relics had been transported from India to Chang’an, and various princes went to the Anfu Tower to respectfully welcome them. The marketplaces and ancient temples were bustling with noise and excitement as common people gathered to watch.

The people of Chang’an crafted dragon horses and cloud phoenixes from silk, and made figures of monks, Buddhas, and spirits from paper and bamboo. The grand spectacle of banners, flowers, and canopies stretched for over twenty li, with people shoulder to shoulder in an endless stream.

This was just on Chang’an’s main streets—the Buddha’s relics would rotate among Chang’an’s temples, allowing common people to openly pay respects today. To welcome the relics, Chang’an’s temples had built over ten thousand incense pagodas. Below the ancient pagodas, monks chanted sutras while scholars and ladies came to pay their respects.

The atmosphere was solemn and dignified.

It was a great celebration.

When Yan Shang invited Mu Wanyao to watch the Buddha’s relics enter the temple, he asked the Princess’s household servants and learned that when she was in Chang’an, she went every year to the Great Ci’an Temple, the largest and most famous temple in Great Wei.

Mu Wanyao maintained an offering lamp at the Great Ci’an Temple, and whenever she was in Chang’an, she would go almost every year to see her lamp and add incense.

It seemed that now that Princess Danyang had returned to Chang’an, she would surely visit the Great Ci’an Temple on Buddha’s Birthday.

Yan Shang arrived early at the Great Ci’an Temple to wait for the Princess. The temple was noisy and bustling today, the sound of voices overwhelming. Even for a princess, they couldn’t clear space for her today, fearing the common people might offend the nobles. So Mu Wanyao was very likely to come in disguise today.

Yan Shang observed the women in the crowd.

He thought that Mu Wanyao shone like a bright pearl—even in disguise among the crowd, he would surely recognize her at a glance.

Yan Shang watched like this all morning… until his eyes ached, but he didn’t see Mu Wanyao.

Yan Shang was slightly stunned, thinking Mu Wanyao had forgotten their appointment. After all, he had only sent an invitation, and she had neither accepted nor declined. His assumption that she would come was based entirely on reading her usual temperament. Her lack of refusal should have meant acceptance.

However, what if she had other matters today and wouldn’t come?

Yan Shang’s heart filled with anxiety or disappointment—he wasn’t sure which. He waited another hour in the afternoon when suddenly, divine inspiration struck, and he thought of a possibility.

This possibility made his heart pound almost out of his chest.

Yan Shang rushed against the flow of people back to Yongshou Temple where he was staying, repeating his search process from the Great Ci’an Temple. This time, beneath an incense pagoda, he saw a lady standing with others, hands clasped in prayer, looking up at the monk, quietly listening to the master’s teachings.

She stood among the crowd wearing a crimson pomegranate-colored skirt, graceful as jade, her figure lithe and elegant. Without her usual magnificent splendor, her makeup was simple today, looking more like a lovely maiden who had sneaked out to play from some family.

Only three or four maids and guards followed her.

Yan Shang stared in amazement, his heart filled with complex emotions, his blood running hot.

He had thought her so willfully, always doing as she pleased, that if she were to go anywhere today, it would be the Great Ci’an Temple; he never expected she would come to a small temple like Yongshou.

And he might have kept her waiting all morning, yet she remained at the temple, not leaving—

Mu Wanyao was impatiently listening to the high monk’s mumbling, not understanding what he was saying when someone poked her shoulder from behind.

Thinking it was just some devout commoner squeezing through the crowd, she couldn’t be bothered with such people and simply moved aside a bit to make room for the person behind her.

Unexpectedly, her shoulder was poked again.

Mu Wanyao pressed her lips together and moved again.

Her shoulder was poked once more.

Mu Wanyao: “…”

How fat was this person behind her? She had already made so much room, why were they still poking her?

Mu Wanyao wasn’t one to maintain a good temper—after moving twice, she became annoyed. She turned around fiercely, raising her eyebrows ready to argue. But as she turned, she saw Yan Shang.

His face was like carved jade, his temperament serene, maintaining a smile at the corners of his lips even in the face of her scowl.

Looking further back, sure enough, Chunhua and the others had made way for Young Master Yan to approach.

Because the high monk was preaching the Buddhist teachings, people’s voices below were unclear. Mu Wanyao opened her mouth, but Yan Shang couldn’t hear what she was saying.

Yan Shang lowered his head: “What?”

Mu Wanyao tilted her chin up at him, gesturing for him to lean in and listen.

Yan Shang bent down to listen, and her voice came against his eardrum, somewhat crisp and somewhat alluring.

Her tone was mocking: “I said, our pure as ice and jade, cold and heartless Young Master Yan has finally deigned to arrive.”

Yan Shang’s ears burned.

He stepped back one pace.

Mu Wanyao grabbed his wrist in one motion, not letting him retreat. Her face was stern, appearing somewhat displeased.

Yan Shang understood her meaning. Helplessly, he reluctantly leaned close to her ear and said softly, “There are too many people here—we can’t hear each other speak. Let’s go somewhere else.”

His breath brushed against her ear.

Mu Wanyao suddenly covered her ear, which had turned completely red. She instantly understood why Yan Shang had moved away when she had spoken to him earlier.

Breathing against the ear of the opposite sex was indeed quite… intimate.

Mu Wanyao lifted her eyelids to look at Yan Shang.

He calmly shifted his gaze away.

Then, through his sleeve, he turned his hand to gently grasp her wrist, leading her outside. When Chunhua and the others moved to follow, Mu Wanyao turned back to glare at them. The servants stopped in their tracks, looking up at the sky and continuing to listen to the Buddhist teachings—

The two walked through the bamboo grove in Yongshou Temple’s back garden.

Finally finding a place without people, Yan Shang immediately apologized and released his hold on Mu Wanyao’s wrist.

Mu Wanyao rubbed her wrist, glancing at him without speaking.

They walked in silence.

Since that night, this was their first meeting. Upon seeing each other, they couldn’t help but think of what had happened that evening… if Yan Shang hadn’t pulled away then, they would have crossed that line.

And even though he had pulled away, now… it was still awkward.

Mu Wanyao coughed once, breaking the strange atmosphere between them: “What have you been busy with this past month?”

Yan Shang lowered his eyes and said softly, “I discussed with Juyuan about taking the Broad Learning and Literary Expression examination together—we’ll have results by October. I’ll be busy with this for the next few months.”

Mu Wanyao said dryly, “Oh.”

Then there was nothing more to say.

Gradually, Mu Wanyao began to feel angry—angry that he wasn’t speaking. Did she have to think of things to say? Why should she have to think of topics? What could she possibly say? She hadn’t seen him for a month—what could she possibly have to tell him?

She didn’t even know him well!

In her anger, Mu Wanyao immediately quickened her pace, leaving Yan Shang behind.

Yan Shang was startled—in just a moment, the Princess who had been walking alongside him had pulled far ahead like a horse breaking free.

Yan Shang had no choice but to chase after her: “Your Highness, Your Highness… Your Highness!”

He had to reach out and grasp her wrist again to make her stop. She looked at him with pressed lips, her face full of displeasure. Yan Shang met her gaze and said softly with a sigh, “It’s my fault. By not speaking, I made Your Highness uncomfortable.”

Mu Wanyao pulled her wrist free from his grip and turned to look at the bamboo leaves: “…Well, at least you know that!”

She said coldly, “I see you’re very busy. Surely you didn’t ask to meet me today just to see some Buddha’s relics? If you have something to say, say it quickly. I have other matters and no time to waste with you.”

Yan Shang took out a booklet from his robes and handed it to her. Mu Wanyao accepted it with confusion, flipped through two pages, and her eyelids twitched slightly.

This was a register of names.

Not just names, but detailed biographical information, origins… extremely thorough.

Yan Shang said, “I’ve met some scholars at the Hongwen Library and discovered that some scholars don’t want to take sides. They’re willing to serve someone but don’t want to be bound to one ship for life. I heard from Juyuan that great families like the Wei family never take sides. After the lesson of the Li family from Jinling, the Wei family seeks longevity rather than prominence. So the Wei family probably won’t attach themselves to any prince—at most, they’ll send some people to help here and there.”

Mu Wanyao pondered thoughtfully.

Yan Shang looked at her and suddenly asked, “Does Your Highness understand Juyuan?”

Mu Wanyao started, then suddenly darkened her expression, thinking he was criticizing her close relationship with Wei Shu. She said, “What business is it of yours? Am I not allowed to be friends with other men?”

Yan Shang was startled, realizing she had misunderstood. He explained, “I only wanted to use Juyuan’s situation to explain some thoughts about the great families to Your Highness.”

“Like Juyuan, who has conflicts with his family, he’s likely to follow the path of a pure official. A few days ago, it’s said Juyuan argued with his elder brother about making all of Chang’an aware of Seventh Young Master Wei’s discord with his family. I believe the Wei family letting all of Chang’an know about Wei Juyuan’s disagreement with them is meant to let Juyuan break away from the Wei family’s circle and take a different path. After all, thinking carefully, since Juyuan doesn’t plan to seek royal patronage, why would the Wei family’s eldest son publicly criticize his brother? It seems they simply want the Wei family to have more than one path to follow.”

Mu Wanyao understood immediately, saying, “You mean the Wei family tacitly approves of Wei Shu’s friendship with me, hoping Wei Shu will take a different path from other Wei family members. If Wei Shu succeeds, it’s good for the Wei family; if he fails, the Wei family loses nothing. Although the Wei family truly nurtures their eldest son, they’ve never actually given up on Wei Shu. The Wei family just doesn’t want to be completely bound, trapped in their cocoon.”

Yan Shang nodded.

He continued, “From Juyuan’s case, I’ve formed some immature speculations. I realized I still don’t understand the great families well enough—each family’s situation is different. Top-tier families like the Wei and Li families seek different things from other families, while the upper-middle ranked families seek prominence and advancement; below them, families who have only recently risen from strong commoner backgrounds naturally want something else.”

“I think selecting suitable families for cooperation—those not seeking prominence—would suit Your Highness well. Like the people on this list, they could be very useful to Your Highness but won’t seek credit for backing a future ruler. Your Highness should memorize these names and can win them over. I’ll burn the booklet afterward, leaving no trace.”

Mu Wanyao was moved, clutching the booklet tightly.

Both she and Yan Shang were political novices. But Yan Shang was more skilled… some people might just be naturally talented.

Mu Wanyao couldn’t help feeling melancholic yet touched. She hadn’t expected Yan Shang could help her even without holding any official position.

She looked at Yan Shang and said softly, “Thank you for teaching me.”

Yan Shang started, then smiled gently: “Your Highness helped me with my examination scroll—this is what I should do. Besides, I don’t know if my thoughts are correct; I fear I might mislead Your Highness.”

Mu Wanyao shook her head: “You’ve always been diplomatically skilled—you’re probably not wrong. You didn’t have to tell me these things, yet you still used Buddha’s Birthday as an occasion to inform me… I should thank you.”

She said: “How can I repay you?”

Yan Shang hesitated, thinking of Zhao Lingfei who wouldn’t leave him alone. He paused, then said: “There is indeed one matter I’d like to trouble Your Highness with.”

Mu Wanyao snorted—she hated most how every time she asked if he needed anything, he always had something to ask for.

Couldn’t he just help her once without wanting anything in return?

Always having requests—this person was truly mercenary to the extreme!

Keeping their relationship strictly professional—to the extreme!

Mu Wanyao said: “What help do you need?”

Yan Shang: “Currently I’m awaiting orders at the Hongwen Library while still living in such a remote place as Yongshou Temple. The daily journey to the Hongwen Library is too far. I’d like to ask Your Highness’s help in finding new lodgings and moving away from Yongshou Temple. Preferably somewhere with more restrictions limiting ordinary people’s comings and goings, somewhat distant from the common people.”

He was tactfully expressing his hope that new lodgings would have higher standards, making it impossible for Zhao Lingfei to see him just by waiting at Yongshou Temple.

He thought that with some distance, perhaps that young lady would know to give up.

Mu Wanyao immediately agreed—

Yan Shang thought when Mu Wanyao agreed to help him find new lodgings, it would take some time.

But just two days later, Mu Wanyao came in her carriage to pick him up, saying she had already found new lodgings for him and invited him to look, to see if he was satisfied.

Yan Shang was touched that Mu Wanyao had taken his words to heart for once—she used to only think of herself, never listening to what he said.

The carriage gradually headed toward Princess Danyang’s mansion.

Yan Shang: “…?”

He thought perhaps before viewing the new lodgings, the Princess wanted to return to her mansion and invite him for tea?

That… would be fine.

The carriage stopped in front of the Princess’s mansion, and Mu Wanyao and Yan Shang alighted together.

Yan Shang fell silent, staring at the plaque hanging above Princess Danyang’s mansion gate.

In an instant, thousands of thoughts flashed through his mind, alarming him.

He said with some difficulty: “When Your Highness said you’d help find lodgings… surely you don’t mean letting me stay in your mansion? That I absolutely cannot accept.”

Mu Wanyao glared at him: “How could I possibly let you stay in my mansion?”

Yan Shang felt relieved.

Mu Wanyao gestured at the large courtyard opposite her Princess’s mansion: “This is the lodging I found for you.”

Yan Shang: “…”

He said even more difficultly: “Right across from the Princess’s mansion?”

Mu Wanyao confirmed: “Right across, just one alley apart, face-to-face with my Princess’s mansion. It’s quite close—we might run into each other just leaving our doors. You might have to make way for my carriage daily from now on.”

Yan Shang was speechless.

…He really shouldn’t have asked the Princess to help him find lodgings.