The Li Manor in Jinling was the most coveted destination among the city’s scholars and noble families. Being able to stand in Master Li’s study was considered a matter of pride worth boasting about. Yet today, the one who burst into the study carrying a sword was a woman. Though she was a princess, she had previously been treated merely as a tool, and no one in the Li family had truly taken her seriously. But after what this princess had said, the Li family could no longer treat her as just a marriage pawn.

Standing before the bookshelf, Master Li slowly turned to face his granddaughter, who radiated an imposing presence. Mu Wanyao possessed the natural grace and nobility of youth and beauty. As Master Li studied her carefully, she too was secretly anxious, observing her maternal grandfather. Master Li was her grandfather, now in his sixties or seventies, with graying temples, a clear-eyed countenance, and an extremely thin frame. However, his eyes were as bright as stars when he looked at her, carefully assessing. This was no confused old man who would simply believe whatever Mu Wanyao said.

Mu Wanyao held her chin high, refusing to be intimidated. After Master Li stared at her for a long while, servants rushed in, fearfully begging for forgiveness for letting the princess enter. Mu Wanyao scoffed disdainfully. Master Li calmly ordered the guards who failed to stop her to be beaten twenty times with rods and expelled from the Li household, before sitting down at his desk with a book.

When she heard Master Li directly expel people from the Li household, Mu Wanyao’s eyes trembled slightly. Jinling was the Li family’s stronghold – what other manor would dare employ servants expelled from the Li family? This was cutting off their livelihood. How ruthless.

Master Li observed her expression and said softly, “What’s this? Has Her Highness gone soft? Those who are soft-hearted cannot play politics. A soft-hearted lady would do better to marry early and bear children. After marriage, you can continue being your arrogant, domineering princess self.”

Mu Wanyao immediately replied, “I have not gone soft! If Master Li doesn’t care about his servants, why should I care? I grew up in the palace, watching palace servants beaten to death since childhood. If I were to be soft-hearted, it would have happened long ago. Why now? What I’m discussing with Grandfather today concerns the bigger picture, matters of state. Does grandfather think the lives of a few servants would make me back down?”

Light blazed in her eyes as she stepped forward into the sunlight streaming into the center of the study. “Having come this far, I won’t retreat a single step.”

Master Li gazed at her intently.

Then he said coolly, “So, you refuse the marriage alliance? When the Li family supported you back then, the agreed condition was this marriage. Now that Your Highness’s wings have grown strong, you want to go back on your word?”

Mu Wanyao retorted, “Times have changed. Back then you took advantage of my youth and ignorance of politics to hastily make decisions for me – how could I have had any say? This isn’t about going back on my word now. The situation has changed – the Li family has long been away from Chang’an, distant from political power. The fate of the empire will ultimately be decided in the Central Plains. The decision grandfather made back then no longer needs to be carried out today.

“I’ll say again what I said before. Whether I marry or not doesn’t matter. After all, I’m a princess – all you want is the marriage alliance. Even if after I marry, I come to dislike Wei Juyuan, what can the Wei family say if I keep a few male companions? I only care about my grandfather’s interests and don’t want to see the Li family suffer losses, which is why I rushed to Jinling to explain. This is my maternal family after all – how could I watch my mother’s family repeat past mistakes and be swallowed by circumstances?”

Master Li was silent for a long while.

As Mu Wanyao said, the Li family now had a major weakness – having been away from the center of power for so long, they struggled to accurately judge the current situation. Master Li truly couldn’t determine how much truth there was in Mu Wanyao’s words.

Master Li asked, “How would a marriage alliance between the Li and Wei families lead to us being swallowed by circumstances?”

Mu Wanyao felt relief in her heart, knowing he was starting to waver. But she reminded herself not to get carried away – she had to stay steady, maintaining pressure through her forceful presence. If she showed any timidity, he would notice. She couldn’t afford a single misstep with someone who had played politics for decades.

So she had to mix truth with fiction to convince him.

Maintaining a calm expression, Mu Wanyao continued, “When the Li family previously controlled the southern border armies, you were the foremost among noble families, and none dared say otherwise. After the Li family retreated to Jinling, over these years, my third brother’s maternal clan, the Jiang family of Nanyang, gradually began to take the Li family’s former position.

“The Jiang clan is close to Guanzhong and is a major northern family, making it easy for them to get involved in these matters. The military power the Li family relinquished naturally had to be consolidated by someone, and that someone became my third brother’s maternal clan. Relying on military might, the Jiang clan has grown increasingly bold these years – my third brother even dares to compete with the Crown Prince for that position. Even Father Emperor can’t say anything about it.”

Master Li sneered, “Your Father Emperor has grown old.”

Mu Wanyao nodded, “Grandfather speaks truly. Since Mother Empress passed away, Father Emperor’s health is not what it used to be. How he suppressed the Li family in past years – now he lacks the energy to suppress the Nanyang Jiang clan in the same way. But the noble families remain Father Emperor’s greatest worry – he cannot allow the Jiang clan to grow too powerful and become what the Li family once was. His methods now are much more subtle compared to his previous thunderous approach – now he uses others’ strength against them.

“How could the court not know about the envoys’ frequent interactions with my third brother in Chang’an? After the envoys left, the central government immediately used this excuse to place my third brother under house arrest. Afterward, the Crown Prince took control of Chang’an’s military – Father Emperor helped the Crown Prince consolidate military power through the Northern Command of the Imperial Guard, preventing my third brother from growing too powerful and threatening the Crown Prince’s position.”

Master Li pondered deeply, wondering if the Emperor had truly grown so mild in his methods, no longer striking like thunder. Was this still the Emperor the Li family feared? Had the old Emperor truly aged so much… or had he softened because of his daughter?

His daughter was already gone – now he shows remorse? How laughable.

Master Li said quietly, “But what does this have to do with my Li family?”

Mu Wanyao declared boldly, “Isn’t the Li family’s past the Jiang clan’s present? And isn’t the Jiang clan’s present the future of a Li family seeking an alliance with the Wei family? Father Emperor won’t let noble families grow too powerful, yet you insist on doing so – isn’t this presenting yourself as a thorn in Father Emperor’s side? Grandfather has grown weary of royal marriage alliances, knowing the terror of imperial power, and doesn’t wish to oppose it again. So does Grandfather still hope to clash with imperial power once more?

“When you were forced back to Jinling – if you clash again, might the Li family be destroyed entirely?”

“Outrageous!” Master Li slammed the table in anger.

Mu Wanyao pressed forward relentlessly, her beautiful bright eyes blazing as she stared at him: “Grandfather! In this world, imperial power reigns supreme! No matter how strong noble families become, they must yield. Unless you intend to rebel and declare yourself emperor… but then you would become the new imperial power!

“Father Emperor is consolidating and strengthening imperial authority. Those noble families in Chang’an all play the obedient grandson, refusing to stick their necks out. Should we be the ones to emerge, only to be crushed?

“Why did the Wei family agree to marry Wei Juyuan to me? Because Wei Juyuan is merely a concubine’s son – to put it bluntly, born of a mistress! With such origins, the Wei family can abandon him at any time. If something goes wrong, the Wei family can abandon Wei Juyuan to protect themselves. But what would the Li family have to abandon? Me?

“If you abandon me, you’ll have no connection at all to the center of power! The Li family has peace now because of my presence! I rely on the Li family, and the imperial court uses me to control and adjust relations with the Southern gentry. If you abandon me, are you prepared for complete severance? The Li family’s retreat to Jinling happened just a few years ago – everything hasn’t yet recovered. Do you have the strength now for such a break?

“You should trust me, use my influence, and manage the southern noble families well. I understand the Li family’s desire to return to Chang’an, but now… at least while my father holds power, this is impossible. But once the Crown Prince takes the throne… the Crown Prince trusts the noble families! Once he ascends, we’ll have our chance!”

Mu Wanyao spoke eloquently, her voice like precious jade.

Yet she was no longer the simple puppet the Li family could control.

Master Li stared at her in amazement, seeing the confidence blazing in her eyes as she analyzed the situation and offered her insights. If not every point, at least her overall judgment was correct. In a daze, Master Li saw in her the figure of his beloved daughter in her youth, when she too had been so confident, so casually evaluating the empire’s situation and its heroes…

How proud Li Nuan had been!

As a young woman commenting on the empire’s heroes, she had been overheard by the then-prince who was traveling incognito. That man had sought to marry Li Nuan, while the Li family of Jinling was still hesitating whether to ally with that prince. And it was Li Nuan who had run to the study, standing exactly where Mu Wanyao stood now, speaking confidently about how she would surely help that prince ascend to the throne, surely help the Li family prosper…

In a flash, thirty years had passed!

Thirty years!

Master Li had thought he would never again see his daughter’s spirit in any young woman.

Mu Wanyao declared, “Therefore, I cannot marry!”

That voice overlapped in Master Li’s memory with Li Nuan’s voice. Back then, Li Nuan had said – “Therefore, I must marry!”

After Mu Wanyao finished speaking and heard no response, her heart began to panic, and she turned to look at Master Li. She saw him staring at her blankly, his eyes showing exhaustion, having aged more than ten years in an instant.

Mu Wanyao was stunned and asked softly, “Grandfather… what’s wrong? Did I say something wrong?”

Master Li collected his scattered thoughts, using his sleeve to hide his expression. When he raised his face again, he had regained his composure.

Master Li spoke wearily, “So you oppose the marriage alliance between the Li and Wei families because you think the Li family cannot afford to lose. You want us to continue cooperating with you, providing support, and letting you help the Li family maneuver in Chang’an. Your thoughts are good… but you are still a young woman. You will eventually have to marry and bear children, so why not simply listen to us? Is Wei Juyuan, whom your uncle chose for you, somehow not to your liking? The husband we chose for you is not inferior. Marriage alliances are meant to create bonds, not enmity.”

Mu Wanyao said softly, “Wei Juyuan is fine. Working with him… has been quite pleasant. I know that although the Li family wants to use me for a marriage alliance, you also hope for my marriage to be happy. After all, I am mother’s only daughter, and you are my maternal grandfather – you wouldn’t watch me live out my days in sorrow…

“But I am a princess who returned from a political marriage. I’ve seen through marriage and have no interest in it. The Li family and I are bound together, sharing both glory and defeat. Grandfather should focus on recuperating. The Li family now… should not stick its neck out. Let other noble families take the lead while we watch the show.

“If grandfather doesn’t trust my judgment, shall we make a bet? Father Emperor will deal with my third brother’s maternal clan.”

After a long silence, Master Li said, “Stay in Jinling for a few more days and tell us about the situation in Chang’an.”

He gave a self-deprecating smile: “Having been away from politics for so long, we’ve become like frogs in a well, inviting mockery. Now we must rely on a young girl like you to know Chang’an’s affairs… The Li family has truly declined under my management. When I face our ancestors in the underworld, I will be filled with shame.”

Hearing an old man speak this way, Mu Wanyao felt some distress.

However, she breathed a slight sigh of relief, knowing that her purpose in coming to Jinling had been achieved.

She relaxed, a smile appearing at the corner of her lips. But when Master Li glanced at her, she quickly hid her satisfaction.

Master Li shook his head, thinking that showing emotions so openly proved the little princess was still inexperienced.

As Mu Wanyao was about to take her leave, Master Li suddenly called out to her: “Yaoyao.”

Mu Wanyao paused, turning half her shoulder, her eyes fixed on him.

She heard the old man speak gently: “Yaoyao, don’t blame us, don’t blame your mother. Sending you for that political marriage back then was truly unavoidable. After you left, your mother developed a heart condition, crying every day with regret. She told me then that she hoped the internal struggle between the Li family and your father would end soon, as she wanted to bring you back. No matter what conditions the Wuman people set, your mother wanted to bring you back.”

Mu Wanyao’s expression suddenly froze.

A breath caught in her heart.

She tried not to think about it, never dared to think about it.

When she left for the political marriage, she separated from her mother, never to meet again. She returned to Chang’an using the news of her mother’s death… She never had the chance to ask her mother a single question: When you sent me away for that marriage, did you ever regret it?

People always say mothers are softer-hearted than fathers.

Yet her mother had been so cruel, focused on revenge against her father for her second brother’s sake, even dragging her daughter into it.

Did you ever regret it?

In the underworld, knowing what I went through, Mother, did you ever feel regret?

Was Second Brother your flesh and blood, and I was not? Did you only love Second Brother and not me?

…Mother, how disappointed I am in you all. Even now, when my grandfather speaks this way, I don’t know if he speaks the truth or is just using family sentiment to stabilize me. You people… hypocritical, filthy, ruthless… and I am becoming just like you.

Master Li quietly watched the young princess standing at the study’s door.

After Mu Wanyao stood there for a long while, she turned back with a smile, her eyes rippling like a lake: “I understand. Regardless of whether grandfather speaks truth or falsehood if mother loved me even a little, it gives my heart some comfort.”

Seeing her like this, Master Li knew she didn’t believe it.

Master Li gave a self-mocking smile.

He sighed: “Yaoyao, perhaps you blame us for being heartless. But worldly affairs, worldly people… they’re all like this. Born into the royal family, and as the Li family’s granddaughter, you must walk the same path as us. What you said earlier was good, and very convincing. But now you show timidity… Yaoyao, you still need to harden your heart more, and become more sophisticated.”

Mu Wanyao tilted her face.

She thought of the three books that the Emperor had commissioned the Hanlin Academy and others to compile while the envoys were still present:

“Tales of Chang’an’s Daughters,” “Tales of Chang’an’s Youth,” and “Records of Chang’an’s Heroes.”

Mu Wanyao spoke as if in a trance: “I know I will become like you all… but I’d rather be a hero.”

Master Li was silent for a moment, then said: “Even to be a hero, who is born a great hero?”

Mu Wanyao sighed softly, nodding as she gazed at the patch of sky visible through the study window –

Indeed, who is born a great hero? –

Mu Wanyao was kept in Jinling by the Li family, who wanted her to explain in detail the current state of Chang’an politics. Though eager to return, she patiently worked to convince the Li family. She described Chang’an’s political situation as more serious and chaotic than it was, to persuade the Li family not to muddy the waters.

Meanwhile in Chang’an, continuous rain fell.

In a wine house, Wei Shu was sitting alone by the window drinking when he heard the waiter’s greeting. He turned his face to see Yan Shang being led upstairs by the waiter. As Yan Shang climbed the stairs, he closed his umbrella and shook off the water droplets from his shoulders while quietly talking with the waiter.

Wei Shu observed how the same waiter who had been indifferent to him was extremely enthusiastic toward Young Master Yan, not only helping him with his umbrella but also bringing a cloth to wipe the rain from his shoulders. Yan Shang kept thanking him profusely and insisted on rewarding him.

When the waiter left, Wei Shu thought the man seemed dazed, thoroughly moved by Young Master Yan.

Wei Shu watched quietly.

Having come upstairs, Yan Shang also saw him and showed a gentle smile as he walked over. He was refined and handsome, his entire bearing as clear as bright jade – his demeanor even more impressive than when Wei Shu first met him.

Wei Shu thought to himself that in this world, some people become less interesting the more you know them; yet others become more appealing the longer you know them.

Yan Shang sat down and apologetically explained: “On my way here, I saw Brother Liu leading the Northern Command troops down Imperial Street. I was moved to reflection and stayed with the commoners to watch for a while, which delayed me. I’ll punish myself with a cup of wine to apologize to you.”

Wei Shu looked at him and said: “Punish yourself with wine?”

He certainly knew that Yan Shang rarely drank.

Yan Shang paused, then laughed and accepted: “Very well, wine it is.”

With that, he poured himself a cup of wine and drank it in one go. Seeing him willing to drink, Wei Shu’s eyes also showed a smile, knowing Yan Shang was sincerely apologizing.

Wei Shu said: “The Brother Liu you mentioned must be Liu Wenqi?”

Yan Shang nodded.

Wei Shu’s voice was clear and cool: “Among all of us, only you still care about Liu Wenqi.”

Yan Shang was quiet for a moment, then said softly: “His path to today has not been easy.”

Wei Shu was indifferent, leaning against the window frame and looking down at the clear wine in his cup, speaking faintly: “Without ability, yet forcing himself forward. Whatever consequences come, he must bear them. Who in this world has it easy?”

Wei Shu was a cold person, usually waiting for others to seek him out, and never actively approached people himself. After becoming a Censorate Inspector, Wei Shu became even more cold-hearted and solitary, disliked by others at court. Commenting on Liu Wenqi of his own accord was a first for Wei Shu.

Yan Shang looked at him and noticed the youth’s eyes were slightly red, with a misty gleam. Yan Shang lifted the mostly empty wine jar and sighed in understanding: “Juyuan, you’ve had too much to drink. You’re still young – how can you drink so immoderately?”

Wei Shu said, “I’m not young anymore, I’m already sixteen. The Wei family is arranging my betrothal to the princess – am I still young?”

Yan Shang said nothing but called the waiter to brew some hot tea to help Wei Shu sober up. Yan Shang began busying himself again, tending to those around him as if it had become a habit. Wei Shu sat across from him watching for a while before suddenly saying, “I’m going as an envoy to various countries, leaving Great Wei, resisting the marriage alliance with the princess – shouldn’t you thank me?”

Yan Shang was stunned for a moment, then asked in return, “Do you need me to thank you?”

Wei Shu fell silent.

Yan Shang sighed softly: “Juyuan, though you are young, you have strong convictions. At such a young age, you already hold your own at court – how could I look down on you? Whether you refuse the marriage or not, you have your thoughts. What you want isn’t just a word of thanks from me. What you want is my support.

“I know you have ambitions and don’t want to be someone else’s pawn. This move to leave the game – you made it very decisively. Even if I were in your position, I couldn’t have done better. When it’s time to act decisively… Young Master Wei’s resolve surpasses mine.”

Wei Shu stared at him blankly, then couldn’t help but smile, his shoulders relaxing as he slumped onto the table.

Wei Shu mumbled, “Second Brother Yan always knows just what to say.”

Yan Shang said gently, “I speak the truth.”

After a long silence, Wei Shu spoke in a low voice: “But did I do the right thing? To escape being a chess piece, I volunteered to be an envoy to various countries. It’s a long journey to distant lands – who knows when I’ll return. Maybe I’ll die out there, maybe I’ll never return to Chang’an, or maybe I’ll fail the diplomatic mission and my official career will be over when I return.

“The Wei family arranged for me to become an official – I know what they’re thinking. They think I’m just an adopted son, and if I cooperate well with the princess, the Wei family can climb by connection to the royal family, and their prospects will improve. After all, what happened to the Li family still makes the noble families nervous. However, if the cooperation goes poorly, I can be abandoned at any time – after all, the Wei family loses nothing, after all, I’m not from their main bloodline.

“My teacher wanted me to marry the princess, also for the sake of cooperation between both sides. I don’t know if my teacher’s feelings for me as a student outweigh his desire to use me. I was supposed to follow their arrangements peacefully… but I grew more and more rebellious!

“This shouldn’t be my path!”

Wei Shu suddenly raised his head from the table, his features strikingly handsome, his eyes blazing like ice and snow.

Wei Shu stared at Yan Shang: “Last year, you and I took the imperial examinations together, then participated in the palace examination. I was the top scholar, while you were merely ranked third. And your third-place ranking – who knows how much of that was due to Her Highness’s advanced guidance? Though I never said anything, I know you struggled to rank only with the princess’s help.

“I know Second Brother Yan’s talents lie elsewhere. I know the princess helped you. I don’t mind, but I’m not convinced. I wondered why you could gain Her Highness’s favor. I was the top scholar, and after the palace examination, I became eighth rank while you were assistant eighth rank. You were always a step below me!

“I was so proud then!

“But afterward everything changed… You killed the Zheng family head with one arrow before you even took the palace examination, and the court was already competing for you. Then you suddenly became the Prime Minister’s disciple, recognized by the current Prime Minister. You began making a name for yourself in Chang’an, while I became disliked for constantly monitoring officials.

“Then the foreign envoys came to court. Your one arrow at South Mountain tied you to the princess. Then you negotiated with the Wuman king, arguing forcefully to establish new alliance conditions between Wuman and Great Wei.

“Then came the military exercise! You were just a civil official – why would the Wuman king want you to participate? But the Wuman king disliked you and insisted you join the military officials.

“During the exercise, I was just managing supplies in the rear while you and Third Young Master Yang were at the front lines. Young Master Yang made a great showing, using just dozens of men to block the Wuman king, forcing him to take a detour. You burned their supplies, cutting off their provisions. Afterward, your analysis of the various countries’ military strength was almost as good as Young Master Yang’s.

“Then you suddenly surpassed me, becoming a seventh-rank official. You submitted memorials to the central government about opening trade routes and determining diplomatic missions. While I… was suppressed by the Wei family, forced to become an envoy! Now you’re going to Shu… Second Brother Yan, I feel that ever since we became officials, you’ve always done a bit better than me, and moved a bit faster. Why am I so inferior to you?”

Yan Shang quietly watched Wei Shu.

Wei Shu never spoke of such things, but now that he was leaving, now that he had drunk too much… Yan Shang said: “Juyuan, why must you compare yourself to me? You have your path, you…”

Wei Shu softly interrupted: “But I don’t know if I’m on the right path.”

After a moment of silence, he continued slowly: “Will my diplomatic mission have good results? Thinking back and forth, I remember when I first became an official, it was actually to earn an honorary title for my mother. Later it was to show the Wei family that I could forge my own path without following theirs. After that, I began to feel lost… wanting to do more. I started to feel that being controlled by politics, swaying left and right, was rather meaningless.

“Second Brother Yan, I also want to do something…”

As he spoke, his voice gradually lowered, uncertain of the path ahead.

Yan Shang suddenly said: “Juyuan, I’m just like you. When I first became an official, I thought about serving the people. But after actually becoming an official, I discovered it wasn’t like that. I started in the Secretariat, which seemed like an excellent beginning. But in the Secretariat, I spent all day busy with miscellaneous tasks. Moreover, I didn’t feel that my superiors were busy with anything important either.

“It was just one tedious procedure after another. Just one decree reaching one department, then that department pushing it to another. Constantly passing the buck, back and forth endlessly. What’s the meaning of all this? How does my being busy with these matters benefit the people?

“It’s precisely because I dislike doing these things that I fought so hard to participate in envoy affairs, to constantly submit various memorials… You only saw the central government accept one of my memorials, you don’t know how many more memorials my superiors never even looked at.”

Wei Shu looked up at him.

Yan Shang said: “I also feel discouraged and helpless. I also often wonder why I’m serving as an official. I’m now a seventh-rank official, and I spend all day busy in the Ministry of Revenue… To be honest, I feel the ministry wouldn’t be affected at all without me. Because many officials spend all day busy with tedious and useless administrative work! That’s why I accepted this disaster relief mission to Shu without hesitation. Because I also dislike my current work, I want to do something truly useful.

“Just like you, Juyuan. Being an envoy is truly useful work. When you’re busy with court intrigue, you always find it meaningless.

“The heroes of this world all start from where we are now. Who is born a hero? Who is born with great ambition?

“You don’t know if what you’re doing is right or if it will affect your official career. Let me share a saying with you – ‘Do good deeds without asking about the future. When the river narrows, the water rushes; when people are pressed, wisdom emerges.'”

The lost look in Wei Shu’s eyes gradually steadied.

He stared at Yan Shang, repeating: “Do good deeds without asking about the future?”

Yan Shang said: “I shouldn’t say this. Because in this official world, so many seek only promotion and wealth. I just feel Juyuan shouldn’t be like that… Many things in this world won’t necessarily have good results or benefits. Perhaps when you return from your diplomatic mission, your official path will still be blocked; perhaps my journey to Shu will offend many people… However, in this world, there are always some things that someone should do.

“Perhaps it’s difficult, perhaps there’s no benefit, but it’s right, it’s correct. So we should be the ones to do it.”

Wei Shu looked at him and suddenly smiled.

He sat up straight and poured wine in tribute: “Yes, what you say makes sense. I’m doing the right thing, so why should I hesitate, why should I waver because of the Wei family’s attitude? I am right, even if the outcome isn’t good… but as long as it’s right, I should do it.

“Do good deeds without asking about the future! Second Brother Yan, I toast you!

“May we both remember these words and never forget our original intention!”

In the misty rain, with few pedestrians about, two young men drank in the wine house, discussing the world’s heroes in their drunkenness, occasionally raising their chopsticks in song, until their enthusiasm waned and they departed –

At the end of the fifth month, Wei Shu left Chang’an as an envoy to various countries.

Yan Shang left Chang’an at the same time, setting out for disaster relief in Shu.

At the end of the sixth month, Mu Wanyao returned from Jinling.

On her first day back, before even entering the palace to report her safe return to the Emperor, Mu Wanyao eagerly wanted to see Yan Shang.

She didn’t see him, only receiving a long letter left at the mansion across the way, in which Yan Shang bid her farewell and explained his disaster relief mission to Shu.

Holding the letter, Mu Wanyao was dumbfounded –

Where was her Yan Shang?

Where was her young lord?

Where was that well-behaved young lord who was supposed to be waiting properly in Chang’an for her return?

How could he be gone just like that?