Meng Zaishi accompanied Mu Wanyao as she wandered through the streets of Beili. He stayed two steps behind, watching her silhouette from behind. Looking at her carefree demeanor, full of curiosity about everything around her, the smile she showed was that bright kind, like spring sunshine.

This was a Great Wei Princess who had received endless love and affection.

Different from the one in Meng Zaishi’s memories.

Meng Zaishi once had a dream.

Mu Wanyao called it a nightmare, and perhaps it was.

Because in that dream, despite his burning ambitions, he ultimately failed to achieve his aspirations. Due to a moment of carelessness, he perished together with Yang Si.

And in that dream, the lady who occupied Meng Zaishi’s thoughts wasn’t his wife or concubine, but rather an unattainable Great Wei Princess of the diplomatic marriage, Mu Wanyao.

She had married his father king, yet maintained an affair with him. They used each other and played with each other. Meng Zaishi thought in his heart that after he ascended to the throne, he would make this princess his queen.

This had been the Wuman tradition since ancient times, and he saw nothing wrong with it.

But for Mu Wanyao, this was a humiliation.

She seized a slim chance, killed the new king, sowed discord between him and the new king, and returned to Great Wei. After returning to Great Wei, she never wanted to return to Wuman again.

She hated Wuman, hated his father king, and also despised him.

For that princess, Meng Zaishi’s love wasn’t love at all, but rather a nightmare she couldn’t shake off.

After waking from the dream, Meng Zaishi felt lost. Both for his unfulfilled ambitions and early death, and for that Great Wei Danyang Princess he could never have.

He didn’t know if the dream was true or false, but when he slightly used this dream to probe reality, he discovered it was actually a prophetic dream. He then used his foreknowledge to eliminate his father king and prince brother early, ascending to the throne himself.

He also no longer followed the Southern Man King. He planned to ally with Great Wei early to jointly conquer Southern Man. Great Wei had outstanding young men like Yan Shang, Yang Si, and Wei Shu. Meng Zaishi admired and respected them, yet had to acknowledge their superiority. If he were to be enemies with these young men, he might repeat the scenario from his dream.

Better to cooperate.

But at the same time, some things were different from Meng Zaishi’s dream.

For instance, Mu Wanyao wasn’t married to Wuman in a diplomatic alliance. Mu Wanyao was also no longer the pitiful princess abandoned by her mother, bereaved of her brother, and used by her emperor father, who could only fight for her place in the world by seizing power herself.

Meng Zaishi thought that with his prophetic dream, after coming to Great Wei, he could carefully seek to marry this princess. Without the shadow his father king had cast on her in the dream, if he loved her properly and pursued her properly, never letting her suffer again, she might not have been unwilling to return to Wuman with him.

Because she was such a principled princess.

She was the kind of princess who would sacrifice her marriage for the peace between two nations.

However, in reality, Mu Wanyao’s second brother hadn’t died but was now the Crown Prince; there were no rifts between the Emperor and Empress for ministers to exploit and overthrow them. The royal couple steadily suppressed the noble families while supporting the common-born officials, trusting each other, and Great Wei as a nation was prosperous and flourishing, not teetering in storms.

Mu Wanyao didn’t even give Meng Zaishi a chance.

She hurriedly married at just eighteen years old. And the Prince Consort was still Yan Shang.

It was always Yan Shang.

This made Meng Zaishi feel quite defeated—it seemed that regardless of the reason, whenever she had a choice, she would always choose Yan Shang.

She always chose Yan Shang.

Whether she was someone who longed for a gentleman after experiencing hardship or someone who loved a gentleman without having experienced hardship.

Yan Shang was an emotional hurdle she could never get past; she would always fall for this man.

Just as Mu Wanyao was a hurdle Meng Zaishi could never get past. In his heart, he told himself to let it go, to not trouble her anymore, but whenever his eyes saw her, his ears heard her, his heart sensed her, he would involuntarily be drawn to her.

Whether she was the charming yet cold-hearted princess or the current adorably innocent and naturally unrestrained princess.

Her essence remained unchanged.

He just loved her.

—

While walking on the street, Mu Wanyao was also wary of the Wuman King behind her.

She vaguely felt that this Wuman King seemed to admire her, but she wasn’t certain, so she could only maintain her distance. With these doubts in mind, Mu Wanyao didn’t even want to continue playing.

But then she thought, Fang Tong and others were following, and she was still a princess, what was there to fear? She had Second Brother Yan, why should she always show timidity when meeting strangers?

Moreover, Meng Zaishi was merely following her, not disturbing her, and hadn’t put much pressure on her… this man seemed not bad.

Because Meng Zaishi behind her hadn’t disturbed her, Mu Wanyao quickly relaxed and continued her sightseeing.

Meng Zaishi suddenly asked without warning: “Your Highness, being of such noble status, what brings you to a place like Beili?”

Mu Wanyao, completely off guard, answered straightforwardly: “Looking for Second Brother Yan!”

Meng Zaishi raised an eyebrow.

He estimated in his heart that Yan Shang would arrive soon, and couldn’t help but try to sow discord: “It seems the Prince Consort must have done something too wrong Your Highness, for you to come catch him.”

Mu Wanyao’s face immediately flushed red as she turned to glare at him.

Her eyes blazing with anger, she looked exactly like the arrogant and unrestrained Mu Wanyao in Meng Zaishi’s memory.

She angrily said: “Nonsense! My Second Brother Yan would never do anything to wrong me! All men in the world might do such things, but he never would! You don’t understand my Second Brother Yan’s character at all!”

Meng Zaishi maintained his composure: “Your Highness is too young. Are there any men in the world who don’t stray?”

Mu Wanyao stubbornly retorted: “That’s your lot! There are people of noble character who are strict with themselves, who examine their faults daily… such people are like high mountains and clear waters, something other men can’t comprehend in their entire lives!”

Meng Zaishi smiled languidly: “Perhaps he’s just deeply calculating, not letting you know. If he wants to hide something from you, wouldn’t it be easy?”

Mu Wanyao was angered to the point of red eyes.

Meng Zaishi’s few words had made her furious, made her angry. She only knew to insist that Yan Shang wouldn’t be like that, but this was a feeling between husband and wife—how could she convince Meng Zaishi?

She just kept repeating “He’s not that kind of person.”

Meng Zaishi quietly watched Mu Wanyao, seeing her eyes grow moist and her lips half-bitten; she was almost about to cry from his provocation.

Meng Zaishi laughed softly and said: “Your Highness is too young.”

His eyes lifted and he saw Yan Shang approaching. His heart stirred, and immediately he flicked his finger, causing a passerby’s knee to be struck by a current of air, making them stumble towards Mu Wanyao.

Mu Wanyao staggered from the collision, and Meng Zaishi casually stepped forward, reaching out to steady her. To prevent others from bumping into her, he had almost embraced her in his arms.

Meng Zaishi said properly: “Be careful, Your Highness.”

Mu Wanyao’s face instantly turned red, and she said embarrassedly: “Thank you…”

Meng Zaishi suddenly exclaimed in surprise towards a direction: “Oh, isn’t that Second Young Master Yan?”

Mu Wanyao immediately looked where he indicated.

Her eyes brightened as she truly saw that young man in blue robes walking towards them through the crowd.

Meng Zaishi thought Mu Wanyao would feel awkward and avoid Yan Shang because another man had embraced her, creating a misunderstanding between them.

Unexpectedly, Mu Wanyao was so innocent.

She pushed Meng Zaishi away without any scheming and ran towards Yan Shang: “Second Brother Yan!”

Meng Zaishi had also underestimated Yan Shang. He thought Yan Shang, having seen him embrace Mu Wanyao, would be angry with her.

Unexpectedly, when Yan Shang saw the little princess running towards him, warmth rose in his eyes as he smiled, and he actively bent down with open arms, letting Mu Wanyao throw herself into his embrace.

Yan Shang held Mu Wanyao fully in his arms.

Mu Wanyao was surprised he would embrace her in public, with everyone around looking their way. Mu Wanyao strangely raised her face while in his arms, and Yan Shang looked down at her.

He said gently: “I saw you from afar but wasn’t sure it was you. Why did you come to play here? Are you having fun?”

Mu Wanyao said coquettishly: “I don’t know yet, I haven’t gone upstairs! Oh right, someone was accompanying me.”

Mu Wanyao turned back, and Yan Shang raised his eyes to look steadily at the approaching Meng Zaishi. He held Mu Wanyao’s shoulder, drawing her behind himself, while nodding with an unperturbed smile to this man who coveted his wife: “So it’s Your Majesty.”

Meng Zaishi looked at this couple and felt quite defeated.

One was too naive, the other too accommodating. Such minor provocations were useless between these two.

Meng Zaishi said: “I happened to meet Her Highness on the road, and seeing her shopping alone, I feared she might be disturbed, so I came to protect her.”

Mu Wanyao poked her head out from behind Yan Shang: “That’s right, Second Brother Yan, he protected me. Once he got a jade pendant for me, and once when someone bumped into me, he steadied me.”

Yan Shang gently asked Mu Wanyao: “Didn’t Guard Fang and others come along?”

Mu Wanyao pouted: “They did follow, they’re behind. I didn’t let them follow my every step, otherwise, everyone would know my identity and I couldn’t play.”

Yan Shang stroked her cold face, smiling: “Naughty.”

He asked if she was hungry, thirsty, or tired, and Mu Wanyao obediently answered him. She was deeply attached to Yan Shang, answering whatever he asked, and showing complete trust in her Prince Consort.

Meng Zaishi slowly turned his head away, smiling slightly. He knew Second Young Master Yan was putting on this show for him.

Tsk tsk.

As expected of Yan Shang.

His steady and measured style was always like this.

After checking on Mu Wanyao, Yan Shang took her hand, intending to leave with her. At this point Meng Zaishi spoke up: “Wouldn’t that be inconvenient? Second Young Master Yan is here presumably for a banquet with court officials. To suddenly bring a lady back to the feast would make it difficult to discuss certain state affairs.”

Mu Wanyao suddenly said: “Oh, right. Second Brother Yan, I won’t go back to the feast with you. You can come get me after the banquet ends, I’ll just play by myself for a while.”

Yan Shang slightly furrowed his brows, about to refuse, when Meng Zaishi stepped forward: “Second Young Master, please rest assured, I will stay by Her Highness’s side until you return to get her. If anything happens to Her Highness, I will pay with my life.”

Mu Wanyao nodded repeatedly, being understanding: “Brother, you should hurry back!”

Yan Shang: “…”

He stared at Mu Wanyao for a long while: “Yao Yao, do you know what you’re doing?”

Openly coordinating with another man in front of her husband, and planning to leave with another man.

Mu Wanyao blinked: “I’m being a virtuous wife, aren’t I? Am I not being virtuous?”

Yan Shang: “…You’re being too virtuous.”

Mu Wanyao didn’t understand, but Yan Shang reached out to ruffle her hair, withdrawing his previous attitude with a smiling sigh: “Alright if you want to play, go ahead. I’ll come get you after I finish.

“Thank you, Your Majesty, for protecting my wife.”

Seeing Yan Shang define him as a “bodyguard,” Meng Zaishi gave a derisive laugh and cupped his hands in acknowledgment. As long as he could spend a moment or two more with Mu Wanyao, he’d be a bodyguard.

But Yan Shang wasn’t finished.

In front of Meng Zaishi, he called over Fang Tong and gave some quiet instructions. Fang Tong glanced at Meng Zaishi before acknowledging. Meng Zaishi guessed Yan Shang was ordering someone to watch him, to prevent him from offending the princess.

Meng Zaishi couldn’t be bothered to care and let them be.

—

After Yan Shang left this time, Meng Zaishi led Mu Wanyao upstairs, ordered a table of dishes, and called for singing girls and dancing girls to accompany them, letting the little princess feast her eyes on the style of Beili.

However, when Mu Wanyao hesitantly wanted to keep one singing girl behind, Meng Zaishi mercilessly drove her away.

Mu Wanyao glared at Meng Zaishi: “What are you doing? I had something to ask her.”

Meng Zaishi smiled: “You can ask me anything. I can’t let you interact with the ladies of Beili. If you learn bad habits, Second Young Master Yan will come after me.”

Mu Wanyao’s face reddened with frustration as she glumly rested her chin on her hand.

Meng Zaishi poured her wine, smiling: “Don’t be angry, have some wine.”

Mu Wanyao refused: “I don’t drink. Second Brother Yan can’t stand the smell of alcohol, so for his sake, I decided long ago not to touch a drop.”

Meng Zaishi froze for a moment, murmuring: “For his sake, you even changed this.”

Mu Wanyao turned her face: “What did you say?”

Meng Zaishi came back to himself: “Nothing.”

He drained the wine he had poured, then drank one cup after another.

The atmosphere at the table grew heavy.

Mu Wanyao’s beautiful eyes looked at him: “Are you unhappy? Then you can leave, I’ll wait for Second Brother Yan by myself.”

Meng Zaishi’s face darkened: “Second Young Master Yan, Second Young Master Yan, is your entire heart filled with just him! Don’t you seek power, don’t you try to win people’s hearts, don’t you maneuver in all directions! You only remember Yan Shang! What’s so good about him?”

Mu Wanyao stared at him for a long while.

What Meng Zaishi wanted to ask was “Can’t you consider me?”

Mu Wanyao was exceptionally intelligent. She finally saw through this Wuman King’s thoughts and stood up to avoid him: “You’re drunk, I’m leaving.”

Meng Zaishi reached out and grabbed her wrist.

She berated him to let go.

After a long silence, Meng Zaishi gave a bitter smile: “It’s fine, sit down. Let me guess, you came to Beili for a man. Rather than asking the ladies of Beili about men’s thoughts, you might as well ask me, a man.

“You came here because of issues with your relationship with Second Young Master Yan.”

Mu Wanyao was surprised. She hesitated for a moment but sat back down.

—

Mu Wanyao hemmed and hawed, feeling it wasn’t appropriate to ask Meng Zaishi such questions, but Meng Zaishi suddenly put on the air of a confidant, and she couldn’t refuse.

Finally, she hesitantly told Meng Zaishi that everything was good between her and Yan Shang, except for one particular matter that wasn’t going well.

Meng Zaishi was direct: “Bedroom matters?”

Mu Wanyao glared at him.

Meng Zaishi laughed.

As he laughed, he laid down, pillowing his arms on the table, his shoulders shaking. Everything was so laughable, so absurd. The princess he kept thinking about was troubled by bedroom matters with another man.

And he was listening to it!

Violent thoughts arose in his heart, for a moment wanting to simply take her by force regardless of consequences and carry her away. Then he felt bitter again, thinking if he did that, how would it be any different from his dream?

Wasn’t it good that she was carefree and without worries?

Must she become that real Mu Wanyao?

The real Mu Wanyao had experienced bitterness and walked through blood—was that what she naturally wanted?

Mu Wanyao saw him lying on the table, laughing until his shoulders shook, his laughter hoarse like crying. She was frightened and stood up again to leave.

Meng Zaishi said: “No need to leave, I’ll tell you. Bedroom matters aren’t complicated at all.”

He raised his face from the table, looking at her with unfocused eyes: “The simple method would be like what you planned earlier, to seek guidance from the ladies of Beili, learn how to entice men, how to be more harmonious in bed.”

Mu Wanyao’s face flushed red, but she quickly understood: “So you’re saying there are other methods?”

Meng Zaishi said flatly: “There’s a way to solve it once and for all.”

He held a pill between his fingers, waving it in front of the newly seated Mu Wanyao: “Men are mostly the same. Women are mostly similar too. This problem between you and Second Young Master Yan is just that you haven’t adjusted to each other. I won’t guess why you haven’t adjusted well—knowing the reason would only make me angry.

“The once-and-for-all solution is for you to take this pill. It’s an aphrodisiac. I’ll have someone fetch Second Young Master Yan, and to save you since you’re husband and wife, he’ll naturally have to do this with you.

“After several times, your problem should be solved.”

Mu Wanyao stared blankly at the pill in Meng Zaishi’s hand, her heart pounding, and finally reached out her hand toward him.

—

As Meng Zaishi walked out of the pavilion, he brushed past Yan Shang who was hurrying upstairs.

Yan Shang quietly said a word of thanks, but Meng Zaishi didn’t respond.

He was in a daze as if trapped between nightmare and reality. He stumbled downstairs, walking on the noisy street fragrant with rouge.

Lanterns blazed on both sides of the street, singing girls and dancing girls waving from upstairs.

Meng Zaishi suddenly laughed, filled with bitter sorrow, his shoulders slumping.

Let it be like this… let it end like this!

They were truly a match made in heaven, and he was just a passerby.

His best help to her would be to never appear in her life again.

If possible, would he ever want to become her nightmare?!

—

After that night, Yan Shang and Mu Wanyao’s marriage indeed became as sweet as honey.

The couple wrote an invitation to feast with Meng Zaishi. Meng Zaishi attended, calmly discussing state affairs with Yan Shang, speaking of Wuman’s difficulties, in cooperation between Great Wei and Wuman.

As for Mu Wanyao, Meng Zaishi never mentioned her again.

After the grand ceremony, Wuman King Meng Zaishi led the envoys from various nations to conduct military exercises with Great Wei’s court officials. For fairness, civil officials like Yan Shang and Wei Shu also participated.

In these exercises, Meng Zaishi gave his all. He especially wanted to know if, when he tried his hardest and Great Wei didn’t need to hold back, could he defeat Yang Si, could he defeat Yan Shang.

Because of Meng Zaishi’s full effort, these exercises were especially spectacular. Mu Wanyao worried all day outside, while Yang Si showed his prowess in the exercises, making the Crown Prince quite pleased.

The Crown Prince and Mu Wanyao, who usually didn’t get along well, found common ground during these exercises. They both worried someone would get hurt, both feared something would go wrong.

The exercises ended with Great Wei’s narrow victory. But in the final battle, Meng Zaishi used deception, causing Wei Shu, Yan Shang, and Yang Si to all be injured.

The injured fell unconscious after leaving the field. Both the Crown Prince and Mu Wanyao looked furious, wanting to fight Meng Zaishi to the death. Fortunately, the Crown Prince mediated, preventing more bloodshed off the field.

Zhao Lingfei, Yang Si’s cousin, naturally wanted to visit when her cousin was unconscious from injury. But after Yang Si left the field, he was taken into the palace by the Crown Prince, leaving her quite melancholy.

While she was feeling dejected, she saw Wei Shu, who was also seriously injured. The young man’s face was pale, his eyes closed in misery, and for some reason, her mind went blank, her heart suddenly aching.

Zhao Lingfei unconsciously walked toward Wei Shu, standing before him. She bent down, murmuring: “What happened to you?”

—

The three injured young men all had a nightmare.

They remained unconscious for three days, causing those around them great anxiety. In their dreams, they saw storms raging, great houses falling, war and displacement, love affairs and short lives… how could it all be told in a few words?

—

After three days, Yang Si was the first to wake from the nightmare.

Upon waking, after being dazed for a while, he bid farewell to the Crown Prince and rode away from Chang’an, heading straight for Jiangnan.

He rode hard, unable to wait. The dream’s truth was hard to distinguish, but after waking he couldn’t forget. Changing horses several times, he finally reached Lingnan after several days, finding Yan Shang’s home.

At Yan Shang’s old home, fourteen-year-old Yan Xiaozhou was crouching by the well when she turned her face and saw the gate outside the fence being pushed open. The dust-covered Third Young Master Yang, covered in sweat with bloodshot eyes, was looking at her.

She crouched by the well, sunlight falling, fair and delicate, her almond eyes widening in surprise.

Yang Si walked toward her step by step, standing before her.

He thought of the many scenes from his dream, thought of how she had waited for him but could never wait until the end.

His eyes were red, the corners stinging. Yang Si suddenly dropped a tear and reached out to embrace Yan Xiaozhou.

Yan Xiaozhou was stunned, her face reddening: “Let… let go of me… did you mistake me for someone else?”

Yang Si closed his eyes in sorrow.

He murmured: “I didn’t mistake you. It was my fault.

“Little Sister Xiaozhou, curse me, fear me, hate me. In the last life, I made you wait for me in vain. This time, let me be the one waiting. Waiting for you to grow up, waiting for your heart to open, waiting for you… to love me.”

—

In the Wei family mansion in Chang’an, Wei Shu sat wearing his robes, while Zhao Lingfei sat by his bedside with a red face.

She said awkwardly: “Actually, I haven’t been coming to see you every day, I just occasionally come to look… although we don’t know each other yet, but…”

Wei Shu softly interrupted: “My name is Wei Shu, courtesy name Juyuan, seventh in my family, fifteen years old this year, half a year older than you.

“Let’s get to know each other again.”

Zhao Lingfei looked at him in surprise, then suddenly curved her eyes in a smile, thinking of the information she had gathered that said Seventh Young Master Wei didn’t like to talk.

But Seventh Young Master Wei talked to her.

How wonderful.

Zhao Lingfei smiled openly and reached out her hand: “I’d like to be friends with Seventh Brother Wei.”

—

In the Danyang Princess’s mansion, Mu Wanyao was doing her makeup in front of a mirror.

When she heard news that the Prince Consort had awakened, she hurriedly pushed away the maid doing her hair and got up to see Yan Shang. But as soon as she went out, she saw Yan Shang coming this way in disheveled clothes, and they collided into an embrace.

He held her.

Mu Wanyao worried: “What’s wrong?”

Yan Shang lowered his head, his hands cupping her face, looking at her intently.

His gaze, inch by inch, compared her with the Mu Wanyao from his dream. That unrestrained and romantic princess hadn’t appeared in his reality, hadn’t made him fall in love at first sight… but he was grateful she hadn’t appeared.

Only now did he know how precious the pure and innocent Mu Wanyao was.

He held her in his arms, saying softly: “I had a dream. In the dream, we were good that way… but in reality, we’re better this way.

“Yao Yao, don’t change, stay just like this. I liked Yao Yao, and I like Yao Yao too. Let’s stay together forever, alright?”

The young princess in his arms was delighted yet shy, obediently saying yes, then boldly raising her head to kiss his cheek. She mischievously yet nervously observed his expression, her eyes blinking like drops of water.

Yan Shang couldn’t help but smile, holding her even tighter.

He especially cherished this Mu Wanyao.