Under the warm autumn sun, dense shade covered the ground. Leaves and branches cast flickering shadows on the water’s surface.

At Princess Imperial Mu Wanyao’s manor, the Prince Consort was rarely free from official duties to spend entire days at home, which the servants found quite novel. Yet contrary to Yan Shang’s expectations, his time at home was far from dull. For several days now, he had been practically inseparable from the Princess as she dragged him about to play.

The afternoon light fell on the pavilion at the center of the lake. Windows opened on all four sides, with mist condensing against them, yet contained by the gauze curtains within, obscuring the view inside.

It had been an hour since Mu Wanyao had pulled Yan Shang into this pavilion afternoon. Boats were moored to the railings on all four sides, and the maids had been dismissed to the lakeshore, with no one knowing what the two were doing inside.

They were, in fact, painting.

Mu Wanyao’s robes were gathered at her waist, revealing snow-white shoulders, her thick black hair spilling across the couch.

One hand gathered her lustrous hair while the other supported her on the couch. She bit her red lips lightly, her eyes misty with emotion as she gazed down at the flowering vines that spiraled outward from her heart. The wolf-hair brush moved gently across her chest, its cool touch against her delicate skin causing the flower’s pistils to quiver and branches to sway.

Mu Wanyao furrowed her brows and let out a soft moan, like a sigh.

Her bunched robes resembled flowers surrounding the moon. Yan Shang sat before her, brush in hand. When she made that soft sound, his brush paused briefly as he looked up at her.

Mu Wanyao blinked at him, her dark lashes framing clear eyes, alluring and charming.

Yan Shang’s lashes trembled as he averted his gaze. His face was completely flushed, for even when not looking at her face, his eyes had nowhere safe to land. If not her blushing brows and eyes, then her jade-like skin, or the swaying flower blooming in her heart.

The magnificent peony flower emerged from Yan Shang’s brush, flowing from Mu Wanyao’s heart with dancing petals and swaying leaves, grand and spectacular.

Such overwhelming beauty made Yan Shang’s hand tremble as he held the brush, but he had to paint, and he couldn’t look.

Yan Shang’s voice was soft as if scolding her: “It’s just painting, what are you moaning about?”

As if he had done something to her.

Mu Wanyao retorted: “It’s just painting, why are you reacting so strongly?”

Without hesitation, she reached to caress his waist, but he blocked her with his hand. Yan Shang lowered his eyes: “…I’m painting, don’t be naughty.”

Mu Wanyao stared at him, unable to help laughing. Others would consider painting a beautiful woman to be a romantic affair, but for Yan Shang it was like torture. He worried his painting wouldn’t do justice to her beautiful heart; feared the paint might be toxic and harm her body; he worried about her moving around, and about his hand shaking.

He wasn’t destined for such pleasures.

Mu Wanyao leaned forward and snatched the brush from Yan Shang’s hand. He looked up as she nestled against him. Yan Shang hurriedly wrapped her in fine gauze, saying, “Don’t mess around, the painting isn’t finished.”

Mu Wanyao wrapped one arm around his shoulder while holding a golden cup of wine to his lips with the other. She smiled as she urged him: “Have some wine.”

Yan Shang said quietly: “I can’t drink carelessly. I get drunk easily, and when I’m drunk I can’t remember things.”

Mu Wanyao’s eyes held laughter, thinking that’s exactly what she wanted – for him to get drunk.

Mu Wanyao: “What does it matter if you get drunk?”

Yan Shang: “You’re always reckless. If I get drunk with you and neither of us is in control, we’ll be finished.”

He meant to discourage her from drinking, but his words only made her eyes light up.

Mu Wanyao grew excited: “You mean we’ll both go crazy together? Come on then.”

She tempted him: “I love seeing you go wild with me. Stop holding back, let’s play.”

Such a noble princess, yet in private she was like a rogue. Mu Wanyao kept pressing the wine cup to his lips. Yan Shang helplessly took a sip, then continued refusing: “I can’t drink anymore. If I drink too much my hands will shake and I won’t paint well.”

Mu Wanyao scolded him: “Is the painting really what’s important?”

Yan Shang stared at her chest, but after a moment felt his gaze was too direct and moved it away, his heart pounding. Mu Wanyao had made him drink several times already, and he was starting to feel confused, though he was still stubbornly holding on. Yan Shang worried: “Don’t be naughty, you’ll ruin the painting.”

Mu Wanyao complained: “All you care about is painting!”

She tossed away the wine cup. Yan Shang’s eyebrow twitched as he watched the cup fly out the window, but he was already in her embrace, his face covered in her wet kisses. She kissed him wildly like a child, completely without technique. Yan Shang’s heart melted completely, and he couldn’t help smiling at her antics.

He supported her, pulling her up to embrace her.

Yan Shang said softly: “Weren’t you the one who said you wanted to paint peonies? I paint them for you, and you’re still not happy?”

Mu Wanyao: “Didn’t we agree that I’d teach you how to play? Why aren’t you cooperating? Who told you to finish the painting so quickly… Second Brother, does the flower look pretty?”

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, nodding toward her snow-white neck. His face was red, probably from being forced to drink too much wine. He couldn’t find words to speak, only smiled at her, and after a long while said dazedly: “Beautiful.”

Mu Wanyao’s heart filled with joy as she pushed him to lie down.

Yan Shang propped his head up with his hand, saying: “I think I’m a bit drunk.”

Mu Wanyao coaxed him: “It doesn’t matter if you’re drunk, it’s just you and me here anyway, no one can see you in this state.”

Yan Shang wrapped an arm around her waist, his cheeks burning hot as he gazed at her with watery eyes full of tenderness. Such a handsome and gentle jade tree of a man lying there, falling over at the slightest push. And he was looking at her with that kind of dazed, drowning gaze of adoration – who could resist such a look?

Mu Wanyao’s heart pounded as his gaze made her blush too. Her heart overflowed with happiness as she propped her chin up, grinning foolishly back at him.

She lay in his arms like a child, puckering her red lips at him: “Second Brother, kiss me.”

Yan Shang smiled: “Weren’t we painting?”

Mu Wanyao: “Kiss me first.”

So Yan Shang held her and gently pressed his lips to hers. His kiss was just like him – gentle, warm, soft, and sweet. Mu Wanyao’s face burned bright red as she closed her eyes and smiled, innocent yet seductive. Her finger traced over her heart, pointing at the brilliantly blooming flower against the snow-white background.

Mu Wanyao: “Kiss the flower’s center.”

Yan Shang didn’t move.

Mu Wanyao kept her eyes closed, the red at the corners of her eyes extending to her temples. She was both charming and adorable as she wheedled and threatened: “Come on, kiss here.”

Yan Shang muttered: “If I kiss there, things will get messy.”

Mu Wanyao: “It’s just us two, what are you afraid of?”

Yan Shang: “The painting isn’t finished.”

Mu Wanyao: “We can do both at once.”

Yan Shang started: “What?”

Mu Wanyao opened her eyes to glare at him, about to scold him for being such a spoilsport, when he suddenly smiled and embraced her, pulling her into his arms to kiss her. Robes gathered at their waists as their legs brushed together. Just like that, Mu Wanyao was happy again, melting into his embrace.

Chaotic autumn begonias blew in through the window, scattering deep and light red petals across the floor. Yan Shang’s breath was scorching against her ear as he asked what they should do about the painting.

Mu Wanyao hummed: “Silly brother.”

Yan Shang pinched her cheek, smiling: “Naughty sister.”

Their mixed-up hierarchy didn’t matter – after all, it was just the two of them. The painting was only half-finished, with ink and colored water spilled and scattered across the floor, but that didn’t matter either. Their bodies were stained with those colors, as brilliant as the world in their eyes.

Yan Shang had drunk too much wine, and the nerves he usually kept tightly controlled snapped one by one. He gazed at her with unfocused eyes; when she smiled at him, his eyes would darken further. When she pulled at him, he fell easily.

It felt like drowning; like being in a dream world between sleep and waking.

Strange and wonderful, in a daze—

The Princess and Prince Consort made quite a commotion in the pavilion, spending the whole afternoon inside. The maids didn’t dare ask, only saw the two emerge partway through to go fishing, before diving into the bedroom. A while later, the washroom behind the bedroom was also put to use.

Sometimes they needed paint, sometimes clothes, food.

When Qiusi placed newly mixed paints outside the bedroom door, she saw the Prince Consort’s long fingers reach up from inside, his pristine wrist now stained with paint. Qiusi’s face reddened at the sight and she quickly looked away, secretly cursing how playful the Princess was being.

Those two were just making mischief.

Yan Shang had always had a low alcohol tolerance, and even after years of practice, he was still weaker than most. But Mu Wanyao’s tolerance was extraordinary – yet she pretended to be drunk and silly, demanding Yan Shang carry her, kiss her, feed her, teasing him however she pleased.

He was already good-natured, and when drunk he became even more agreeable. He went along with whatever she wanted, making Mu Wanyao secretly delighted. If not for how red his face was getting, if not for fear that too much wine would harm his health, Mu Wanyao would have loved to make him drink even more.

The wine was for enhancing pleasure, after all.

And in their chambers, it enhanced pleasure in no ordinary way. Though Yan Shang’s vigor later made Mu Wanyao somewhat afraid – his health was poor now, and she somewhat regretted making him drink so much.

So Mu Wanyao coaxed him, not daring to do too much. When his face was burning and his eyes unfocused, she sat in his lap, stopping now and then, resting by talking and eating with him when tired, then continuing once they’d recovered.

They both had many official duties now and couldn’t help discussing them during their idle chat. No matter how drunk Yan Shang was, though he spoke more slowly, his thoughts remained very clear, never incomprehensible to Mu Wanyao.

Mu Wanyao: “…So you don’t like our new Emperor?”

Yan Shang held her in his arms, his hand inside her robes. He casually caressed her, treating her snow-white skin like soft, fluffy dough beneath his fingers. He was casual and leisurely, his clear features both gentle and desiring beneath half-closed eyes. His hair clung to his face, lips parted slightly, breathing like sighs.

He would never be like this normally, but Mu Wanyao remained composed now, pretending not to notice his teasing.

After a while, Yan Shang replied casually: “I don’t much like him. Because his abilities are limited, but his ambitions are high. When virtue doesn’t match position, it becomes the tragedy of officials and common people alike, and will eventually harm others.”

Mu Wanyao: “Actually, Fifth Brother wants to be a good emperor… but he was suppressed for too long, having to suppress himself to gain the trust of the former Crown Prince and my Third Brother. When someone pretends to be foolish for over ten years, even if they weren’t truly foolish to begin with, they end up becoming genuinely foolish.

“He must be very confused now… but what does that have to do with me? I don’t care about him.”

Yan Shang sighed: “We can’t not care. When those in power are incompetent, chaos will reign. If we can help, we should.”

Mu Wanyao’s beautiful eyes held worry as she thought: what if they couldn’t help? Did Yan Shang mean to work himself to death?

The Imperial Physician said he…

Mu Wanyao immediately pushed such thoughts from her mind, telling herself not to overthink. She made a firm resolution in her heart – she was someone who was exceptionally determined when pursuing a goal. No matter how poor Yan Shang’s health was, she would nurse him back to health… whatever methods it took, she would make him well again.

While Mu Wanyao was lost in thought, Yan Shang gently pinched her chin, looking down at her: “Those actors you’re raising, they’re for His Majesty?”

In bed, there was nothing they couldn’t discuss. Mu Wanyao replied perfunctorily: “The affairs of the imperial harem are not your concern.”

Yan Shang said helplessly: “Then why are there male actors as well as female ones? I’ve never heard that His Majesty had such preferences.”

Mu Wanyao gave him a coy look, smiling ambiguously: “That’s because you haven’t played that way. Among nobles…”

Yan Shang covered her mouth, saying: “Alright, you don’t need to tell me more, I can guess.”

Mu Wanyao saw his strange expression and suddenly became excited, giggling. She hugged him and kissed him again and again. Looking at his every brow and glance, she loved him to her very bones, finding everything about him so adorable. She was the type to get carried away and suddenly loved him so much she couldn’t stand it, pushing him down to kiss him desperately.

Her intense emotions and love, meeting this gentleman as gentle as water – his calm temperament soothed the restlessness in her heart, making her press against his chest and hold him tight.

Mu Wanyao: “Second Brother Yan, you’re mine. No one can take you away.”

Yan Shang propped himself up to half-sit, teasing her: “Didn’t you say just two days ago that I was old and losing my looks? Now today you’re worried about someone taking me away?”

Mu Wanyao tilted her face up, gazing at him softly: “Some people are good to the extreme, it has nothing to do with appearances. Someone like you, Second Brother Yan, everyone wants to steal you from me.”

She half-joked: “Relatives want to steal you, friends want to steal you, siblings want to steal you. Officials want to steal you, romantic rivals want to steal you, even the Emperor… wants to steal you from me. But you’re mine, I won’t give you to anyone. I’ll build you a golden house, and we’ll hide you away secretly, alright?”

Yan Shang looked down at her, unable to help smiling. He was both shy and delighted. Mu Wanyao was someone who liked to constantly confess her love to him, and he often felt her affection for him. While wondering how someone could be so comfortable expressing love over and over without embarrassment, he was also happy to be loved by her.

His hand in his sleeve clenched slightly, and he turned his face away, unable to suppress the smile at the corners of his lips.

After a long while, Yan Shang said softly: “Didn’t I tell you long ago that you would have me?”

Mu Wanyao was confused, meeting his embarrassed gaze for a moment. Her memory was poor, and only after he looked at her for a long time and gave her a helpless hint did she remember – oh, the first time Yan Shang was drunk in front of her, he had said: I wish for you to have me.

Mu Wanyao stared at Yan Shang in a daze.

She crawled over, pressing her face against his. She asked dreamily: “So have I gotten you?”

Yan Shang reached out to hold her, chuckling softly: “You’ve had me for a long time.

“You’ve long since had my body, stolen my heart, and carried away my soul.

“What princess are you? You’re a thief. You’re a heart-stealing thief who has me completely fooled. Both my person and my heart are yours – what other path could I possibly take?”

He held her face, speaking words that seemed both drunk ramblings and truths revealed through wine. He said: “Yaoyao, I am yours.”

Mu Wanyao: “You won’t let anyone else have you?”

Yan Shang: “Mm.”

Mu Wanyao: “Then split your heart in two – one half for your friends, family, the common people, officials, and emperor. The other half, the complete half, give it all to me. Let me alone occupy a full half of your heart, that half all mine, only mine! Alright?”

Yan Shang smiled.

She pushed him: “Alright?”

Yan Shang: “Alright.”

His eyes held tender love, seeing her so happy that her face flushed and her heart raced. Yan Shang felt guilty, thinking he wasn’t good enough for her, but Mu Wanyao already felt it was enough. Because his love was so good, so much, that even getting a complete half was more than others’ whole… not to mention that half was hers.

Mu Wanyao was completely satisfied, suddenly pushing him down and pouncing on him to squeeze and bite him. Making him break from pure thoughts, slightly marring his jade-like perfection, letting him fall from heaven to the mortal realm, stained with human emotions and desires, never able to leave her—

On the third watch of the night, when Yan Shang was sleeping deeply, Mu Wanyao woke him up.

Lying under the covers, Yan Shang blearily looked at Mu Wanyao sprawled beside him. Before he could speak, she said with laughing eyes: “Second Brother Yan, I’m hungry.”

Yan Shang smiled wryly.

He propped himself up to sit, sighing before habitually asking what she wanted to eat. Mu Wanyao knelt beside him, watching him without speaking. Yan Shang looked at her curiously, and only then did Mu Wanyao say with a smile: “Are you very tired?”

Yan Shang paused.

He asked in return: “Aren’t you tired?”

Mu Wanyao looked at him smiling, and after a while, she said: “When you’re tired, why don’t you say so? Is it so hard to refuse me?”

Yan Shang was confused: “What?”

Mu Wanyao: “You’re tired, yet when I say I’m hungry you want to get up to find food, when I say I had a nightmare you want to get up to talk with me. Didn’t we agree to teach you how to relax? How is always going along with me relaxing? Don’t you have any temper of your own, can’t you refuse me?”

Yan Shang was stunned: “…You want me to refuse you?”

Mu Wanyao exclaimed: “I want you to look at your feelings! Stop always thinking of others and not yourself! Anyone can call you away from my bed – how can this be right?”

Yan Shang looked at her, waves of emotion rippling in his eyes.

After venting, Mu Wanyao’s tone softened again, tempting him: “Now let’s try again – I’m hungry, what should you say?”

Yan Shang looked at her for a while, unable to help smiling.

Mu Wanyao pushed his shoulder, cursing: “What are you laughing at!”

Yan Shang: “Don’t use crude words.”

Mu Wanyao: “I don’t care. What should you say?”

Yan Shang: “You want me to ignore you, to say ‘I’m tired too,’ right?”

Mu Wanyao’s eyes lit up with a smile, and just as she was about to nod, he embraced her. He smiled casually, reaching out to pinch her face: “But what can I do? I just want to take care of you, want to be good to you. You’re asking me to go against my true feelings, to neglect you – that’s too difficult.”

Mu Wanyao froze.

Her face instantly reddened, both angry and stuttering: “You-you’re just saying nice things to make me happy… you-you just happen to be very good with words, I-I don’t believe you.”

Yan Shang lowered his head to kiss her lips.

Mu Wanyao: “Don’t believe you.”

Yan Shang kissed her again.

Her eyelids trembled slightly as she said softly: “I still don’t believe you.”

He just smiled at her, and this time it was Mu Wanyao who pushed him, kissed him. After kissing him for a while, she had forgotten what she had originally woken him up for. After Mu Wanyao had enjoyed herself for quite a while, seeing his reaction, she sat up with flushed cheeks, clapping and laughing, teasing him: “You lecher!”

Yan Shang: “…”

He became embarrassed, pulling her up as he said softly: “Then shall we, husband and wife, go find something to eat together?”

So in the deep of night, the couple went out of their chambers without disturbing the maids. The next day when the cook was preparing food in the kitchen, she suspected there were rats in the manor and worried about it all day, muttering to herself – but that’s a story for another time—

Yan Shang rested at the manor for five days with Mu Wanyao keeping him there, his body and mind much more relaxed. But unfortunately, he couldn’t rest like that for long.

Many people were waiting to see him, and many matters awaiting his approval. Ministers were waiting to see him, the Emperor was waiting to see him.

The noble families were waiting for him, the palace servants were waiting for him, the common officials were waiting for him.

Yan Shang had only been gone five days, yet many in court were already growing restless.

On the evening of the fifth day, the leader of the noble families came to call on the Princess and Second Lord Yan. This leader’s surname was Liu, and he was the son of Master Liu, Yan Shang’s teacher.

Master Liu was now elderly and about to retire, and after the new Emperor’s ascension, the noble families in Chang’an had a new leader – Lord Liu.

As soon as Lord Liu was chosen as spokesperson for Chang’an’s noble families, he rushed to see Second Lord Yan and the Princess.

The couple received him in the hall for tea, but before tea was served, Lord Liu got straight to the point: “Suxin, you took sick leave to rest at home, and we shouldn’t disturb you, but court affairs are pressing, and I hope you can understand.”

Yan Shang exchanged pleasantries with a smile.

Mu Wanyao sat to the side blowing on her tea, lost in thought.

Sure enough, after asking about many unimportant court matters, he revealed his true purpose: “…Now the palace servants have grown too powerful, His Majesty only listens to them and ignores us scholars. I hear that Liu Wengi is encouraging His Majesty to let the Hai clan enter the capital, and is persuading Minister Zhao’s daughter to marry the seventh son of the Wei clan from Luoyang… These palace servants are so restless, clearly trying to create rifts between the noble families and common officials, to divide us.

“Whether noble families or common officials, we are all of the scholarly background – what right do these palace servants have to sit as our equals?

“I represent the noble families in meeting with Your Highness and Suxin to speak of cooperation between us noble families and common officials… Let’s stop fighting between ourselves, what’s more, important now is to join forces to defeat the power of the palace servants! His Majesty cannot be misled by petty men! The palace servants will surely bring chaos to governance!”

He spoke eloquently about cooperation, and Yan Shang and Mu Wanyao treated him politely.

After he left, Mu Wanyao returned to their private chambers to find Yan Shang sitting lost in thought at his desk. Her heart ached to see him without a moment’s peace, barely resting two days before having to busy himself with such matters, but when things came up, even Mu Wanyao couldn’t tell Yan Shang to just play and ignore important matters.

Mu Wanyao sat down and said: “Noble families and common officials cooperating to drive out palace servants seems the right path, yet you don’t seem happy. That was your teacher’s son, but you didn’t give face or agree – what are you thinking?”

Yan Shang looked up.

Yan Shang said: “The current three-way balance between noble families, common officials, and palace servants is most stable. Whether Liu Wengi or the noble families, they all want to either win us over or suppress us. They all want to turn three forces into two, everyone has some righteous reason… but these struggles do no good for court affairs or the common people. These struggles involve imperial power, and because His Majesty is incompetent, they will only grow more chaotic.

“All of Great Wei will be drawn into the vortex. So I cannot agree.”

Mu Wanyao said coldly: “If you don’t agree, the other two sides will turn to cooperate against us. If you don’t agree, the common officials will grow restless, causing trouble below, questioning why you and I refused such an advantage for their advancement. What then?”

Yan Shang’s brow lifted slightly: “We must think of a way… to give everyone something to do.”

Mu Wanyao raised an eyebrow, smiling.

Yan Shang: “What?”

Mu Wanyao looked at him smiling, casually reminding him: “You’re increasingly showing the bearing of a Prime Minister… not just leader of the common officials, but leader of all scholars, leader of the realm. Our Emperor will be spoiled by you. Be careful he doesn’t become dependent on you, unable to let you go. The more capable you are, the more it highlights his lack of ability.

“But don’t forget – Great Wei is still the Mu family’s empire.”

Yan Shang started slightly, then fell into deep thought.

Mu Wanyao frowned, both annoyed at his heavy concerns and not knowing how, in such troubled times, to let him rest easy and recover without worrying about these things. They were caught in the vortex – how could they escape— Mu Wanyao bit her lip, also falling into deep thought.