At daybreak, the envoy sent by the Southern Barbarian King finally gained an audience with the Black Barbarian King. Having heard that the Black Barbarian King was ruthlessly bloodthirsty, a “butcher-like” figure… the envoy felt somewhat timid. However, upon being led into the half-constructed palace of the Black Barbarians and seeing their king in the main hall, the envoy’s nervousness eased slightly. This was because the Black Barbarian King sitting on the throne wore a bronze mask.

The bronze mask perfectly concealed the Black Barbarian King’s scars while also diminishing the overwhelming aura that typically emanated from those in high positions looking down upon others.

The Southern envoy performed an awkward, imperfect ceremonial greeting learned from who-knows-where: “This servant pays respects to the Great King.”

In the main hall of the palace, the Black Barbarian ministers stood in two rows, imitating the Great Wei style. However, strangely, when the envoy bowed to the Black Barbarian above, the surrounding ministers’ expressions became peculiar. Some even turned away and closed their eyes, as if the sight was “too painful to watch.”

The envoy, assuming these people simply didn’t know proper etiquette, felt somewhat angry.

But suddenly, the envoy noticed a tall, imposing warrior youth standing behind the masked Black Barbarian King.

This person wore a shining silver ring in his left ear and had a scar that crossed half his face. While frightening at first glance, upon a second look, he appeared strikingly handsome. His stance, arms crossed, rivaled that of even the Southern Barbarian King Bule.

The young man smiled at the envoy, showing white teeth.

The ministers’ expressions grew even stranger.

The envoy, however, found this warrior beside the Black Barbarian King to be quite courteous.

At this moment, the masked Black Barbarian King cleared his throat, drawing the envoy’s attention: “This year’s birthday celebration for the Great Wei Emperor happens to coincide with their New Year’s Festival. I have decided to personally travel to Great Wei. This King remembers King Bule’s grace, and cannot forget the rewards from Great Wei’s sovereign father either.”

The envoy hastily said: “Great King, King Bule’s meaning is that we are all of the Southern Barbarians, and the Black Barbarians will eventually…”

Under everyone’s gaze, the envoy dared not speak too directly and instead spoke vaguely: “We are one family. The alliance between the Black Barbarians and Great Wei will eventually be dissolved…”

The Black Barbarian King on the high seat replied: “Having established an alliance, it won’t be easily broken.”

Unless there were greater benefits.

The envoy continued to persuade, repeatedly using King Bule’s teachings to convince the Black Barbarians.

The Black Barbarian King’s attitude remained firm: “I have made my decision!”

The envoy was helpless; in truth, he had suspected from the beginning that convincing the Black Barbarians would be unlikely. Currently, King Bule couldn’t unify the four Southern Barbarian tribes and could only watch as the Black Barbarians grew closer to Great Wei. But… all this would eventually pass.

Once the Black Barbarians returned to Southern allegiance, all these problems could be resolved.

The envoy compromised: “Very well. Since the Great King insists on personally visiting Great Wei, King Bule hopes to let this humble servant accompany your party.”

The Black Barbarian King asked: “What is your name?”

The envoy answered: “Luo Xiu.”

The Black Barbarian King didn’t speak further, but surprisingly, the scarred warrior standing behind him spoke up: “Are you from Great Wei?”

The envoy named Luo Xiu was startled and said: “My father was from Great Wei, my mother from the Southern Barbarians. During the great drought, my father fled from Great Wei for his life and never planned to return alive, so naturally I am a Southern Barbarian.”

The young man nodded and said nothing more.

Luo Xiu found this person peculiar but didn’t think much of it.

However, after Luo Xiu left, the one sitting on the throne hastily rose as if his bottom had been scalded: “Great King…”

The warrior who had been earnestly playing the role of guard smiled casually, lifted his robe, and sat on the throne with complete abandon.

This was the true Black Barbarian King, Meng Zaishi.

After the Southern envoy’s departure, the Black Barbarians naturally had their discussion. Some ministers planning to accompany the Black Barbarian King to Great Wei asked anxiously: “Great King, do you plan to have someone impersonate you while you act as a guard throughout our journey?”

Meng Zaishi countered: “Isn’t this interesting?”

The ministers were bewildered: What was interesting about it?

However, given Meng Zaishi’s years of accumulated authority, they dared not object.

They suggested: “Since Your Majesty has decided to go personally, we should prepare a formal letter to Great Wei…”

Meng Zaishi: “Nah.”

His long fingers tapped the throne’s armrest repeatedly as he spoke leisurely: “No formal letter. We’ll first enter Great Wei’s borders under the guise of merchants, traveling to the capital. There’s still a month until the Great Wei Emperor’s birthday. Isn’t it nice to travel this way, seeing Great Wei’s scenery as we go to the capital?

“We’ll send a letter to prepare Great Wei when we’re almost there.

“This journey will be perfect for seeing what Great Wei is really like.”

Meng Zaishi narrowed his eyes, thinking that only this way might he find answers to the questions in his heart—how should the Black Barbarians develop to become as prosperous as Great Wei?

The next day, the Southern envoy Luo Xiu, charged with King Bule’s mission, found himself bewildered as the Black Barbarians disguised him as a merchant.

The Black Barbarian King from yesterday still wore his mask but was also dressed as a businessman.

Their group of about a hundred people entered Great Wei’s borders in separate batches before regrouping.

The tall guard with the facial scar proved particularly reliable, staying close to the Black Barbarian King, earning Luo Xiu’s praise as the model of what a personal guard should be.

However, whenever Luo Xiu praised the guard, several people in the group would develop strange expressions, leaving Luo Xiu quite puzzled.

While Meng Zaishi’s group entered Great Wei’s borders in disguise, another group of genuine merchants was leaving the Black Barbarian borders, returning to Chang’an in Great Wei.

In the deep winter month, these merchants trudged along.

Half a year ago, they had accepted a mission at Chang’an’s Western Market, using trade as a pretext to live in Black Barbarian territory for six months, helping a client gather intelligence about the Black Barbarians.

Now that half a year had passed, the money from that client was spent. Although these merchants were Hu people, they had long pledged allegiance to Great Wei, with their wives and children living in Chang’an. Moreover, this year’s end ceremony in Chang’an was different from previous years.

The Hu merchants, yearning for home, didn’t want to spend the New Year in such a desolate place as the Black Barbarian territory, so naturally, they hurried to return to Chang’an before the year’s end.

However, these real merchants’ pace couldn’t match Meng Zaishi’s group. Although they departed around the same time, they fell many days behind Meng Zaishi’s people—

At this time in Chang’an, the arrival of envoys from various small nations and the approach of year’s end made everywhere extremely lively.

Meanwhile, Princess Danyang Mu Wanyao coldly observed that she had hosted her neighbor, Young Master Yan, for dinner at her residence for five consecutive days.

The noon meal wasn’t her concern.

This wasn’t because Mu Wanyao wasn’t at her residence, but because the court prepared “communal meals” for court officials working in various palace offices. As a minor eighth-rank official like Yan Shang, who was dispatched from the Secretariat to the Court of State Ceremonial, he could eat either at the Secretariat or at the Court of State Ceremonial during lunch.

He certainly wouldn’t go hungry.

However, his shameless dinner-mooching at Mu Wanyao’s residence every evening was undeniable, right?

Mu Wanyao initially thought he had some ulterior motive, but after watching for two days, she realized he simply came to eat and chat with her, which left her utterly astounded—

When had Young Master Yan learned to freeload meals?

How poor was he?

That evening, Yan Shang as usual dined at Mu Wanyao’s place.

They didn’t eat at separate tables, but rather at one long table filled with dishes. However, Mu Wanyao merely swirled her wine cup and drank, barely eating, simply appreciating watching Yan Shang eat.

After Yan Shang finished his meal, before the dishes were cleared, he looked up and met the princess’s eyes.

Yan Shang paused briefly, slowly putting down his chopsticks, recalling whether he had shown any unseemly behavior.

He politely asked: “Your Highness only drinks wine but doesn’t eat?”

Mu Wanyao frowned slightly and said: “Wine and food together create a strange taste, who could stand that?”

Yan Shang: “Your Highness should drink less wine.”

Mu Wanyao glanced at him and, as if deliberately opposing him, poured herself another full cup of wine, raised it to him in gesture, and then drank it all in one go.

Yan Shang: “…”

Although knowing his words would likely be ignored, Yan Shang still said softly: “Then Your Highness should at least drink warm wine. As a woman, you should know not to drink cold wine. It causes not only stomach pain but headaches too. I specifically asked the Imperial Physician…”

Mu Wanyao had enough of him: “Alright, alright, you’re so annoying.”

She nervously let her maids take away the wine in front of her. Yan Shang’s methodical manner of persisting until she agreed was truly irritating to her.

Yet she could only endure it.

After the maids cleared the table, Mu Wanyao saw Yan Shang still sitting there and looked at him in surprise.

Yan Shang steeled himself, maintaining a gentle smile, and casually chatted with Mu Wanyao: “What did Your Highness do today?”

Under the lamplight, Mu Wanyao thought to herself that he was planning to chat with her after dinner again.

Sigh, what was there to talk about?

She and Yan Shang barely saw each other a few times during the day, and they had no shared experiences, what could there possibly be worth discussing every evening?

Perhaps slightly drunk from the wine, she propped her chin up and sneered at him: “Don’t want to say.”

Yan Shang paused briefly, pretending not to understand her dismissive tone, and smiled: “Then let me tell Your Highness about my interesting day…”

He began reporting his daily schedule to her like telling a story. Mu Wanyao didn’t respond. His voice was pleasant, and he spoke interestingly. Although she didn’t want to engage with him, listening wasn’t disagreeable.

Just then, a maid named Xiarong wandered outside with a notebook, tiptoeing to peek inside. Mu Wanyao saw her and jerked her chin in that direction. Xiarong then entered with the notebook, placed it on the table in front of Mu Wanyao, and curtsied before retreating.

Yan Shang continued his gentle, casual chat.

Although he was the only one speaking, Mu Wanyao kept her head down, flipping through the notebook the maid had brought her, showing no intention of responding to his conversation.

Yan Shang felt slightly uncomfortable.

But he was helpless, knowing this was just how Mu Wanyao was.

When she was happy, she became incredibly adorable, clinging to him and acting coy without end; when she was unhappy, merely ignoring him was already considered good-tempered.

When Yan Shang had decided to pursue a relationship with her, he had mentally prepared himself for her behavior. Yet when she acted this way… he couldn’t help but doubt himself, wondering if he was truly so uninteresting that she showed no intention of responding despite his lengthy conversation.

Could it be… could it be that he could only attract her attention through his looks? Perhaps he wasn’t doing well enough, but he was stumbling along, trying his best, while Mu Wanyao… she wasn’t trying at all!

Though they were lovers, Yan Shang felt that Mu Wanyao simply… didn’t want to be with him.

Love could numb even a clever person, and make them anxious and insecure. While Yan Shang was lost in such thoughts, he continued his casual conversation with Mu Wanyao. However, when even he became distracted by his own words, Mu Wanyao suddenly tapped the table.

Mu Wanyao complained: “Do you even know what you’re saying? One moment you were talking about how Teacher Liu disapproved of the teacher your father chose for you, and the next you jumped to how you practice archery. Yan Shang, since when did you become so disorganized in your speech?”

Yan Shang started, but rather than feeling embarrassed by her criticism, his eyes lit up slightly with a pleasant surprise: “So Your Highness was listening to me?”

Mu Wanyao was puzzled: “…I’m not deaf.”

Yan Shang’s lowered eyelashes trembled slightly, his face flushing briefly as his previous melancholy suddenly vanished, replaced by some encouragement. However, before he could continue their previous topic, Mu Wanyao looked up from the notebook she’d been reading, her eyes containing a hint of amusement.

She said: “Stop right there! I don’t want to hear about those boring things anymore. Let me ask you, do you know what you did wrong?”

Fixed under her cold gaze, Yan Shang was momentarily bewildered.

He said: “What did I do?”

Mu Wanyao slapped the table: “Have you been keeping women outside behind my back?”

Yan Shang was both amused and exasperated, saying: “Your Highness is joking again.”

Seeing his completely unworried, forthright manner, Mu Wanyao was both disappointed and relieved: she hadn’t caught him in anything. Perhaps he hadn’t done anything improper.

Only then did Mu Wanyao say what she wanted to say: “You still say you don’t know what you did wrong? Coming to my residence every night, you know perfectly well what you’re doing, don’t you?”

Yan Shang suddenly felt uncomfortable.

He turned his face slightly but maintained his proper posture, looking down at her, saying: “I simply don’t see Your Highness all day and want to talk with you, is that wrong too?”

Mu Wanyao propped her chin up, watching him make such earnest declarations.

In her heart, she cursed that men truly couldn’t be trusted.

She suddenly threw the account book at him, hitting him as she scolded: “What nonsense about wanting to see me! You’re completely broke and can’t afford food, so you come here to mooch meals. Yan Shang, I misjudged you. With such a dignified appearance and seeming so upright, yet you’d do something like this!”

The account book hit Yan Shang square in the face, leaving him slightly dazed.

He picked up what Mu Wanyao had thrown and quickly looked through it. His memory was excellent. The household accounts Cloud Book had shown him two days ago matched exactly what he now saw. He immediately understood that Mu Wanyao had thrown his household’s account book at him.

Though the neighboring house was said to be Yan Shang’s, all the servants were from Princess Danyang’s household. If Mu Wanyao wanted to know something, nothing could stop her.

Moreover, Yan Shang was open and honest; he had never intended to stop her or hide anything from her.

Seeing this account book, Yan Shang knew Mu Wanyao had discovered his little secret. He felt utterly ashamed, but when he looked up, he saw Mu Wanyao’s flushed face as she angrily rose to leave. He panicked slightly and hurried to chase after her.

Catching up at the doorway, Yan Shang grabbed Mu Wanyao’s hand: “Your Highness!”

Mu Wanyao: “What?”

She stood at the hall’s entrance, turning back to look at him. Her expression was cold, leaving Yan Shang unable to tell if she was truly angry.

Yan Shang observed her for a while, and when Mu Wanyao shook off his hand, he frowned, his expression somewhat conflicted.

After a moment, he said: “I was wrong. But I had no choice…”

Mu Wanyao glared at him sideways; she was somewhat unhappy but not angry enough to be truly upset over such a small matter.

Blocked by Yan Shang, Mu Wanyao said: “If you can’t afford food, just say so. I could even lend you money. Why do this?”

Yan Shang looked at her and after a while said: “Did I do this only because I lacked money? Would it be enough if Your Highness just lent me money?”

Mu Wanyao was confused: “What else?”

He lowered his eyelids, looking at where he held her wrist, saying: “Has Your Highness never considered that I did this… also to find reasons to see you?”

Mu Wanyao: “…”

A moment of silence passed.

Yan Shang raised his eyes to look at her.

Mu Wanyao responded with a delay: “Huh?”

Yan Shang frowned slightly; he had been frowning almost all evening. Still holding her wrist, he stood with her at the hall’s entrance. He glanced at her, seeing her completely uncomprehending expression, and felt truly hurt inside.

Yan Shang said: “You… do you never want to see me? We don’t see each other all day, I’m at the Court of State Ceremonial, and you’re busy with your affairs. Then at night, sometimes you go to banquets with ministers, returning very late… I have to study and practice calligraphy in the evening.

“We often go whole days without seeing each other, without exchanging a single word.”

Mu Wanyao remained silent.

She said: “So what?”

Yan Shang grew slightly anxious.

He said: “Lovers shouldn’t be like you and me. We should meet often, talk often… I’m always thinking of you, but I don’t know if you ever think of me.”

Mu Wanyao glanced at him, saying: “How should I respond to that…”

She pulled away, freeing her wrist from his grip.

She rubbed her wrist, stepping on the shadows of corridor lanterns as she walked toward her chambers. Yan Shang followed behind her, occasionally reaching out to lift curtains for her. He heard Mu Wanyao say slowly: “We live so close if we want to meet, it’s very easy.”

Yan Shang: “How is it easy?”

He paused, then said: “You’re still a princess, I can’t find reasons to visit without cause. Sometimes I say I need to discuss official matters, sometimes I can only rely on mooching meals to see you… you’re noble and high-born, you don’t understand my difficulties at all.”

His face reddened as he said softly: “How can I lie every day? How can I think up excuses every day? My head’s about to burst, and what’s the use if I still can’t see you?”

Mu Wanyao walked ahead, listening to his complaints behind her.

She was extremely surprised inside.

Because Yan Shang spoke very quietly, following her while talking, the maids not far behind them couldn’t hear their conversation. Mu Wanyao naturally understood that Yan Shang was too concerned about face to let others hear what he was saying to her, but him… continuously speaking such words to her in such a soft voice, Mu Wanyao, who had been quite composed before, found herself blushing at his words.

Who else would keep saying things like “I want to see you” and “I want to see you” to her?

Mu Wanyao’s cheeks reddened.

She found it both amusing that he had such a side to him and was delighted that he would want to see her so much.

She missed him too… but didn’t he always find excuses to visit? It saved her the trouble.

Reaching her chamber door, Mu Wanyao pushed it open, and turned back to glance at him, her eyes slightly reproachful: “Alright, I understand what you mean! From now on, just come directly to the residence when you visit, I won’t have the servants stop and question you.”

Yan Shang’s face reddened.

He fell silent.

He knew this wasn’t proper, but… he truly had no choice. Hearing Mu Wanyao say this, the corners of Yan Shang’s lips turned up slightly.

Closing the chamber door, Mu Wanyao leisurely lit the lamps and candles one by one, her back to Yan Shang as she said slowly: “But why do you need to see me?”

Yan Shang started, asking: “What do you mean?”

He looked at her slender figure from behind, listening as she said languidly: “I think it doesn’t matter whether you see me or not. After all, even when you do see me, you just sit me down to chat, talking endlessly about your things, telling me what happened at the Court today, what will happen tomorrow… such boring things, I don’t want to hear them.”

Yan Shang: “…Is this why you’ve never been very happy to see me?”

Mu Wanyao gently blew on a candle, and all the candles in the lamp branch lit up, illuminating the hall. She turned to look at him, the bright flames lighting up her face, making it glow with beauty.

Mu Wanyao said reproachfully: “What’s wrong? You’re the one who pulls me aside to talk about these useless things, am I not allowed to dislike hearing them? Must I happily humor everything you say?”

Yan Shang lowered his head in reflection.

Somewhat embarrassed, he said: “I didn’t know… what would you like to hear? I’ll tell you whatever you want.”

Mu Wanyao tilted her head in thought, then gave up: “I like to hear… never mind, I simply don’t want to hear you talk at all.”

Yan Shang: “…”

Yan Shang raised his startled eyes to meet her alluring gaze. He was not a fool; with that slight arch of her eyes, he immediately understood her meaning.

This time even his ears turned red.

After a moment’s pause, Yan Shang sat down himself, lowering his gaze to say: “I thought… between men and women, that’s not the only interesting thing.”

Mu Wanyao: “Well, that’s too bad. We have nothing in common. In my eyes, only that ‘thing’ you dare not mention is most interesting.”

Yan Shang struggled to say: “…Don’t you want to communicate with me at all, to become more familiar? We’ve known each other for so long, but I feel you don’t understand me at all, and I don’t understand you.”

Mu Wanyao sat beneath the bed curtains; the room was heated with charcoal and somewhat warm, so she took up a feather fan to cool herself. She looked at Yan Shang, who sat about three or four zhang away from her, with an ambiguous smile, thinking to herself that at such a distance, he might as well just leave the room entirely.

Mu Wanyao: “Then perhaps I’m just vulgar.”

Yan Shang had nothing more to say.

After a long while, he tentatively said: “I’m not opposed to you, I just think having spiritual communication is more meaningful and lasting. Always focusing on physical… it seems somewhat desperate…”

Mu Wanyao’s face fell, and she slammed her fan against the bedboard with a crack.

She said angrily: “What do you mean? I only have you, can barely touch you, and you call that desperate? You can say that when I have three or four men at once!”

Yan Shang hurriedly stood up: “That’s not what I meant…”

Mu Wanyao: “Get out!”

Yan Shang grew anxious, this time taking the initiative to come over and gently hook her hand, but Mu Wanyao shook him off. Yan Shang said: “That’s not what I meant, I just think that beauty fades and love wanes, if you only care about appearances, what if I grow old and ugly…”

Mu Wanyao grew even angrier: “I haven’t done anything yet, and you’re already thinking about fading beauty and waning love? Before it was no bed, now there’s not even hugging or kissing. Who would dare to be with someone like you?”

Yan Shang saw her growing more unhappy and felt somewhat panicked.

After a while, he said: “Then… then you can kiss me.”

Mu Wanyao laughed angrily: “Do I need your charity? Is it such a hardship for you?”

Yan Shang: “I just, I just…”

Mu Wanyao: “What is it exactly? Say it clearly! If you don’t explain clearly, we’re done, don’t come looking for me anymore!”

Sweat had already formed on Yan Shang’s forehead; he stammered for a long time, finally breaking down at her harsh words. He grabbed her hand, as if afraid she would leave, and with his face alternating between pale and flushed, he finally bent down to whisper a few words in her ear.

Mu Wanyao: “…”

She was suddenly dumbfounded.

She turned to look at him.

The few words he had whispered in her ear were: You always leave me unfulfilled, that’s why I don’t like it.