Once again, she turned the tables on him.

Yan Shang thought this must be his most unpleasant experience since falling for Mu Wanyao.

Even with her tender embrace and beauty, his heart remained tormented, wavering between choices.

Mu Wanyao embraced Yan Shang from behind, watching as he kept his head lowered, remaining silent even as she accused him of wanting to abandon her.

Yan Shang was indeed rarely the type of lord to lose his temper. While other lords frequently flew into rages, Yan Shang’s gentle nature was his norm. The previous time the two had quarreled about children and marriage was one of the rare occasions when Yan Shang had truly become angry.

This time, though he hadn’t returned to Chang’an for half a month, how could Mu Wanyao not have received reports from the Princess’s mansion? How could she not know that Yan Shang had returned to Chang’an ten days ago, had even visited the Princess’s mansion looking for her, and likely knew about her feigning illness to get him to return?

Add to that his experiences in Shu.

He should be furious, even more angry than last time. It would be normal for him to rage at her. So his current silence made Mu Wanyao feel the situation was even more serious.

And his silence terrified her, afraid he would see reality, afraid he would decide after reflection that they weren’t suitable, afraid he would reject her and leave her.

Though Mu Wanyao was frightened inside, as a princess who had never needed to please others, she truly didn’t know how to apologize with genuine sincerity. So she embraced his waist from behind, thinking that although he wasn’t speaking, at least he hadn’t pushed her away.

She smiled sweetly: “After half a year in Shu, your shoulders have broadened quite a bit, but your waist is still so slim.”

Yan Shang said softly: “Your Highness, please let me put on my clothes first.”

Mu Wanyao naturally wouldn’t let him speak properly. She held him tight and nuzzled against him, then kissed behind his ear, her voice soft and gentle: “Father Emperor has bestowed an evening banquet, why didn’t you go? Looking at you, were you planning to sleep so early? How could you sleep at such an early hour?”

Yan Shang: “Why didn’t you go?”

Seeing he was willing to speak with her, Mu Wanyao’s eyes filled with mirth. She continued to kiss him lightly, like droplets of water, while saying: “What would I go for if you weren’t there? I just wanted to see you.

“After half a year apart, you don’t miss me at all, but I think of you every moment, Second Brother Yan.”

Yan Shang’s heart softened.

He said quietly: “I missed you too.”

Mu Wanyao was immediately delighted. She pulled him to turn and face her, and Yan Shang didn’t resist much, letting her turn him around by the hand.

Mu Wanyao had changed her clothes, no longer wearing the layered formal robes from when he saw her in the afternoon. Now she wore a pink and white dress with a high waist and long skirt. The skirt was decorated with a vigorous plum tree branch, clever and lively.

Behind Mu Wanyao was a bookshelf table. She lightly rose on her toes and hopped to sit on the table, pulling Yan Shang to come closer.

She had him stand near her, and with her feet dangling, she swayed slightly before wrapping her arms around his neck, making him lower his head so she could kiss him.

Her fingers slipped into his waist sash.

Amid the rustling of fabric, she tilted her head up and spoke softly to him: “I know you’re angry that I pretended to be sick to trick you, but I did it to make you come back sooner. I heard you were targeted for assassination in Shu. If it weren’t too far for me to reach in time, I definitely would have gone to save you. You were so unsafe there, how could I watch you stay in danger without returning?”

Yan Shang looked down at her, his black eyes fixed on her as if judging and evaluating.

Mu Wanyao’s lips brushed his neck as she kissed him again, saying: “I had people make you a great cloak and rabbit fur coat… You’re from Lingnan, so when you come to Chang’an, you feel the winter cold more than we do. I prepared early, so you’ll be more comfortable this year.”

She tilted her head thoughtfully, then said with concern: “But when I embraced you earlier, I felt you might have lost some weight. It must be because Shu didn’t suit you well. Should I feed you more to fatten you up a bit, or should we take new measurements to adjust the clothes I had made for you?”

Yan Shang was stunned.

His cool fingers caressed her fair cheek as she sat obediently on the table, lifting her face for his inspection. He couldn’t quite describe the feeling in his heart: “You actually… made clothes for me? You never… used to care about such things.”

Mu Wanyao blushed slightly: “I was ignorant before. Now I’m learning how to take care of my lord. I’ve learned quite a bit from my Fourth Sister… Second Brother Yan, in these six months apart, I’ve truly improved a lot. I’m not as willful and self-centered as before. I’m learning to be considerate of you.”

Yan Shang bent down and embraced her.

Seeing he was willing to hold her, Mu Wanyao was especially delighted. She turned her face to kiss him again, touching his lips. Though he was affected by her presence, this was the first time during such an intimate moment with Mu Wanyao that his mind wandered.

He looked at her with a complex expression.

A person’s nature is inevitably influenced by their experiences.

She was both afraid to face problems directly, yet would decisively cut them away.

She clung to him desperately like a drowning person clutching at straws, yet could also be ruthlessly decisive in severing ties.

She was both bold and timid. Unrestrained, yet fragile. She wasn’t foolish; in fact, she was quite perceptive. Her clumsy, careful attempts to please him, her beautiful eyes looking at him, were all saying “I’m sorry” and “I was wrong, but please don’t be angry.”

As desire colored Mu Wanyao’s features, under her mischief, Yan Shang’s already thin inner robes were thoroughly disheveled. She knew he was also aroused – after such a long separation, he couldn’t possibly resist. She smiled somewhat proudly, tilting her head back and guiding his hands to caress her.

Yan Shang suddenly asked: “How deeply were you involved in this matter?”

Mu Wanyao froze, looking up at him. She paused, then answered obediently: “I didn’t interfere, I only called you back.”

Yan Shang’s tense jaw relaxed slightly. He had feared she was too deeply involved – if her crimes were too grave, even if he protected her… it would all be wrong.

Yan Shang continued: “Does the Ministry of Revenue truly have such deep connections with Yizhou officials? Have they all received bribes from below…”

Mu Wanyao grew impatient: “Are you investigating a case? Are you interrogating me? Are you trying to get some answer from me?”

Yan Shang fell silent.

Mu Wanyao immediately realized her attitude was wrong – she had come to appease Yan Shang, not to deepen their conflicts. Mu Wanyao softened her manner, saying quietly: “Can’t we just talk about love and romance? If you want to investigate matters, go investigate on your own. Don’t question me at this moment, don’t treat me with such suspicion at this time.”

Yan Shang said: “I’m sorry. But, you really…”

She stopped his mouth, not letting him continue.

Spring passion flowed like water as the moonlight shone through the window.

Mu Wanyao worked hard to guide Yan Shang, trying to keep their interaction from remaining so tense. But he could never fully engage, and she patiently endured for a long time. For the first time, their intimacy became like torture, making him unwilling and preventing her from feeling any pleasure.

Both were just enduring.

And this endurance soon erupted.

At a crucial moment, pressed against his partially open collar, Mu Wanyao suddenly cried out in pain, her whole body tensing, startling him. Immediately, Mu Wanyao pushed him away, making him step back. Only then did he grab her wrist to pull aside her waist to check on her, but Mu Wanyao slapped his arm with a “pak!”

The corners of her eyes held tears of pain: “How dare you be so rough?”

She spoke without restraint: “Being unskilled is one thing, but now you don’t even have a shred of gentleness. I wasn’t ready at all, and you just forced me ahead? What do you take me for? A punishment? A trial? A duty? You just wanted your pleasure? Don’t you think I feel pain?”

Yan Shang’s face fluctuated between pale and flushed, being told so bluntly for the first time that he was unskilled. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he saw through the candlelight and window light that her face was drawn and somewhat pale. Though stung by her sudden rejection and harsh words, he set aside his discomfort and immediately looked down to see where he had hurt her.

Yan Shang stammered: “I’m sorry, I didn’t know it would be like this. Did I hurt you? Are you injured? Let me see…”

Mu Wanyao: “Get away!”

She couldn’t bear this atmosphere anymore and refused to let him touch her again. She jumped down from the table, furiously adjusted her clothes slightly, and walked toward the door with an icy expression. Yan Shang hurriedly tied his sash and searched for his clothes so he could chase after her.

Halfway out, Mu Wanyao turned back and threw something at Yan Shang.

It didn’t hurt though.

Yan Shang caught what she threw, looked down, and saw it was an ugly pouch. What was embroidered on it? Water plants? Cockroaches? Or butterflies?

Perhaps even the pouches his little sister embroidered at age twelve were better looking than this thrown object.

Mu Wanyao’s eyes were red and bright with anger as she waved her ten fingers, speaking furiously: “To embroider this pouch for you, I nearly pierced all ten fingers through, my hands were swollen for a month! While you were being noble and upright, my heart was full of nothing but you!”

Yan Shang: “Yao Yao…”

He clutched the pouch, barely covering his open collar. As Mu Wanyao walked out again, he had too many words he wanted to say to her, so he chased after her, grabbing her wrist to stop her from leaving.

Issues they both knew about must be spoken of! Must be resolved!

Yan Shang spoke quickly, afraid she would leave: “The Shu matter truly can’t be separated from the Ministry of Revenue, right? Are you protecting them? Who are you protecting? Since this wasn’t ordered by you, don’t get involved anymore… Even if there are some losses, you’re still a princess after all. Your status as princess won’t be harmed in the least…”

Mu Wanyao was held by him and found it laughable.

She said: “The manpower I’ve lost, the power I’ve lost, those resources and reputation I worked so hard to build up… none of that matters?”

Yan Shang’s tone grew stern: “What do those things matter? I warned you early on, and told you many times, that loving power isn’t a great sin, but you shouldn’t be obsessed with it. Don’t be stubborn and sink deeper and deeper! You…”

Mu Wanyao stared at him.

She said softly: “Power isn’t important? But Yan Shang, without power, how could you marry a princess? How could I marry you?”

Yan Shang was stunned, not knowing why the topic had turned in this direction.

She looked at him quietly, tears from earlier still in her eyes, her expression also very weary.

At this moment, Mu Wanyao didn’t look like a willful princess; her whole being emanated that cold despair of one in power.

She stared into his eyes: “Yan Shang, when you left Chang’an, chasing dozens of li, what were you begging for? You begged for us to reconcile, begged me to give you a timeline, not to leave you waiting indefinitely, not knowing when we could be together openly.

“I remembered your words, I’ve been working hard to give you an answer. Without power, could I achieve this answer? If I lose my current position, would the Li family spare me, or would the Crown Prince spare me? You seek the people’s welfare and the nation’s prosperity, while I seek simply to survive – to live gloriously and uncoerced.

“I’ve been thinking, as long as my power makes the Crown Prince wary, makes the Li family need to rely on me, then I can make conditions with the Li family, I can tell everyone that I want Yan Shang as my prince consort. Only when my power makes people unable to look down on me can I freely marry who I want to marry and live the life I want to live?”

A tear fell from her eye, splashing onto Yan Shang’s hand that gripped her arm.

His chest tightened, and many of his accusations died unspoken at that single tear.

Though tears fell from Mu Wanyao’s eyes, her expression remained stubborn and unyielding: “In the half year you were gone, I thought very seriously about the timeline you wanted, about how long it would take me to give it to you. I set myself a goal of two years – within two years, I must marry you, and make the Li family and Crown Prince all accept it.

“If I don’t rely on myself, can I count on you? Yan Shang, you’ve never been willing to use public office for private gain, I can’t count on you. I fell in love with someone who puts public duty first – I don’t blame you, this is the path I chose for myself, and I’ll walk it myself. Now you say I love power abnormally, you tell me to let go… Yan Shang, don’t judge others’ suffering until you’ve experienced it yourself. I’m not as good as you imagine, but I’m also not utterly evil.”

“Our positions differ, not by my choice. However, if you want to cross swords with me, I won’t retreat a single step, nor will I show any mercy.

“Yan Shang, when you first came to serve me, I told you that if you ever ceased to serve my interests, if we ever walked different paths, I would kill you. Now… let each of us rely on our abilities.”

She shook off his grip on her wrist and walked out. He followed for two steps, standing at the doorway, only to watch her dejected figure departing. Confusion and bitterness arose in Yan Shang’s heart. In this world, many things aren’t simply black and white – to help some people meant hurting others.

He firmly believed he was right.

But Mu Wanyao wasn’t choosing to oppose him for the sake of evil. She did it for self-preservation, for the sake of… having a day when she could marry him without others’ doubts, without being abandoned-

That night, rain began falling in the latter half of the night.

Yan Shang lay sleepless all night, thinking of many things; Mu Wanyao also didn’t sleep, her eyes red from staying awake.

Another person who couldn’t sleep was Liu Wenji.

Liu Wenji sat alone in a dark room, pouring himself drink after drink. Since taking control of the Northern Office, he had spent less time serving in front of the Emperor. Just like this night, he had time to hide in his room drinking away his sorrows.

As the alcohol burned in his stomach, his mind repeatedly replayed the scene from the evening – Chunhua holding her child, smiling gracefully by the water.

Liu Wenji’s face was expressionless.

Since being castrated and entering the palace, he had kept himself busy with various affairs, dealing with all sorts of people. He made himself especially tired, especially humble. Because only this way could he forget Chunhua.

A year had passed.

He hadn’t thought about Chunhua once.

Not once.

Only by not thinking of her could he survive. Only by not thinking of her could he convince himself.

But today she appeared unexpectedly, with a loving husband and a dependent son. She lived happily, her smile as pure as clear dew.

Liu Wenji felt both jealous and heartbroken. Now he hid in darkness, clutching his increasingly twisted heart, full of scars, only able to cry alone-

Why did she have to see him like this?

Why did she have to see? See that the man she once loved had become a eunuch and a eunuch with blood-stained hands.

Did he want her pity? Her sympathy?

When heaven allows people to fall in love, forgetting each other early is appropriate – why must sympathy be what remains in the end?

He resented this fate, he wasn’t resigned to this fate!-

Liu Wenji sat motionless all night, listening to the muffled rain. The next day at dawn, the rain stopped. Liu Wenji washed his face, knowing his state wasn’t suitable for serving His Majesty. Just as he was about to request leave, an inner servant came knocking.

Liu Wenji tiredly let the person enter.

That servant whispered in his ear: “Sir, Luo Xiu is dead.”

Liu Wenji’s eyes flew open-

The servant smiled apologetically: “We didn’t kill him. When we found him, he was floating in the water, already bloated. We found him behind a lord’s mountain villa… That lord helped us deal with Luo Xiu and said we could say Luo Xiu was drunk and drowned after falling into the water. If anyone investigates, that lord will testify for us.”

Liu Wenji stared steadily.

Looking at this servant’s expression, he immediately understood: “…Someone has come to pledge their loyalty? Heh, scholars usually look down on us, I wonder which one has such foresight?”

The servant said softly: “It’s Director Zhao.”

Liu Wenji frowned, never having heard of such a person. But a Director… an insignificant noble official, it was natural he hadn’t heard of him.

The servant: “That Lord Zhao wishes to visit you, sir. Would you be willing to see him?”

A malicious, mocking smile appeared at the corner of Liu Wenji’s lips.

His voice was soft, casual: “See him! Why not? A scholar coming to pledge loyalty… there will be more in the future.”

He looked down at his long fingers, yet could vaguely see yesterday’s blood in his palm. The smile at his lips deepened, his voice growing softer, twisted: “Just watch, this is only the beginning. The noble families coming to depend on me will only increase…”

Power, is like a monster, tempting everyone, dragging everyone to hell.

That increasingly swelling ambition, that power becoming harder and harder to let go… once someone had tasted its sweetness, who would willingly give it up?-

Yet Yan Shang was determined to pull Mu Wanyao out of it.

Mu Wanyao was still at the imperial garden in Fan Valley, and Yan Shang came again the next day to seek an audience. With the Emperor present, Mu Wanyao couldn’t engage in lovers’ quarrels with Yan Shang under the Emperor’s nose, so she had no choice but to let him in.

But though she let him in, she ignored him.

In the hall warmed by a charcoal fire, Mu Wanyao reclined on a beauty couch, drinking cup after cup. Yan Shang sat nearby, speaking to her softly, urging her to drink less, and perhaps trying to persuade her of more things.

When Chunhua came to pay respects to the Princess, this was the scene she saw.

It gave Chunhua a sense of déjà vu – just like when she was at the Princess’s mansion, the Princess would always sulk and ignore Second Young Master Yan, while he would try to pacify her gently.

Mu Wanyao lifted her eyelids to look at Chunhua.

After they exchanged greetings and Chunhua sat down, she hesitated several times, uncomfortable, but finally gathered her courage: “Your Highness, I saw Liu Wenji.”

Mu Wanyao’s hand holding the wine cup stopped. She was already somewhat confused from drinking, but her mind was still clear enough to immediately understand what Chunhua was saying. Mu Wanyao looked at Chunhua, and Yan Shang, sitting beside Mu Wanyao, also looked over in surprise.

Chunhua held back her tears.

She knew she shouldn’t ask too much, but after seeing Liu Wenji like that yesterday… she couldn’t help but ask.

Chunhua didn’t dare show anything in front of the Prince of Jin, but now before the Princess, her tears finally fell unexpectedly. She hurriedly tried to wipe her eyes, but the tears fell even more.

Chunhua’s eyes were red, how could there not be resentment in her heart, how could she not blame anyone?

Her voice trembled: “Your Highness… didn’t you promise me you would look after him? Why did he become a eunuch? Why isn’t he married with children, blessed with both sons and daughters? Why did this happen?”

Mu Wanyao’s hand holding the wine cup trembled slightly.

She clenched her jaw, her cheeks flushed from drinking, now slowly turning pale.

Her head was splitting with pain, her heart was troubled, but she forced herself to endure.

Mu Wanyao reached out, pushing Yan Shang’s arm, frowning as she fought her discomfort, vaguely telling Yan Shang to get up: “You go talk to her, you go tell her what happened… you have a good temperament, you go explain in my place!”

Yan Shang sighed, and before leaving, only instructed Xiarong to watch over Mu Wanyao and not let her drink anymore.

Xiarong was anxious, thinking if Second Young Master Yan couldn’t stop her, how could she possibly persuade her?

Sure enough, after trying to persuade her a couple of times, she was sent out of the hall by the Princess to endure the cold wind-

When Yan Shang returned, two-quarters of an hour had passed. The charcoal fire in the hall had gone out, and he saw Mu Wanyao lying on the table, hand supporting her forehead. She seemed to be in extreme pain, tapping her forehead with her fingers.

Seeing her like this, Yan Shang felt both angry and pitying. He sat down and leaned in to look at her when Mu Wanyao suddenly awoke and pushed him away.

Yan Shang was slightly annoyed: “Yao Yao!”

Mu Wanyao turned to look at him and asked: “Has Chunhua left?”

Yan Shang suppressed his worry for her and gave a soft sound of agreement: “I told her everything, cried with her for a while, then consoled her some more. Don’t worry, when she left, I had a maid take her to wash her face, no one will know she cried here with us.”

Mu Wanyao said: “It’s with me, not with us.”

Yan Shang fell silent.

Mu Wanyao closed her eyes, self-mockingly: “I’m unlucky now. Everyone with a grievance comes to settle accounts with me, demanding explanations from me. As if I was the one who castrated Liu Wenji as if I was the one who committed evil in Shu. I should be drawn and quartered, die to atone for my sins, then you’d all be satisfied.”

Yan Shang’s heart ached: “When you speak like this, you cut into my heart. If I thought that way, how could I still be sitting here?”

Mu Wanyao: “I don’t know why you’re still sitting here either! Shouldn’t you be checking accounts, investigating, thinking about how to bring me down? What are you doing here? Seeking sympathy? Seeking comfort?”

Yan Shang was silent for a moment.

He said: “I’m now marginalized in the Ministry of Revenue, with no access to anything. How can I investigate?”

Mu Wanyao mocked: “Well, you deserve that.”

Yan Shang had been troubled by this matter, tense about it, and now was also exhausted. He said wearily: “Can you not be like this? If there are problems, we can solve them. What good does it do you to mock me so sarcastically, does it make you feel better inside, what benefit do you get?”

Mu Wanyao was quiet for a while, then said: “I thought not killing you was already merciful of me. Yan Shang, you should know, if it were anyone else affecting my interests like this…”

Yan Shang said: “If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t be so constrained by it either.”

Mu Wanyao grew wary.

She looked at him, and he looked back at her.

Sitting beside her, they both looked out of the hall.

Yan Shang spoke slowly: “I don’t want to investigate too much either, and I don’t have that ability. What’s important now isn’t investigating anyone’s crimes, but making amends. I’m now marginalized by you all, and truly can’t investigate anything… Yao Yao, don’t force me to investigate either, I don’t want everyone to end up in mutual destruction, benefiting no one. I need you all to make compensation, to make amends to the people of Shu.

“Among Shu’s officials, though only the Governor of Yizhou died, as for the other officials… I hope they can be replaced too. However, I’ve already made promises to those officials, I can’t go back on my word. Such matters can only be compensated by you all now.

“Next spring’s examinations will bring another batch of new officials to court. I hope you’ll make a promise to let these officials fill the vacancies in Shu.”

Mu Wanyao didn’t speak.

Yan Shang gently held her hand. She trembled slightly, and struggled a bit, but didn’t pull away. Yan Shang was stunned for a moment, then said: “Yao Yao, I know you’re like this because you’ve never seen truly suffering common people. A lady who can read ‘The Large Rats’ with me, who could say such things about Lady Zhao Wu, couldn’t be a princess who disregards human life.

“You just haven’t seen it, you just don’t understand. Yao Yao, during next year’s spring plowing, let’s find a way to leave Chang’an together. I must let you see what real common life is like… not what you imagine, not what you’ve seen in books. Only when you see them will you understand why I stand on their side?”

Mu Wanyao turned her face to look at him quietly.

Completely unrelated, she suddenly brought up a topic: “I’ve prepared your coming-of-age ceremony, and invited your teacher to perform the capping ceremony. It’s in a few days.”

Yan Shang was stunned: “My coming-of-age ceremony?”

A self-mocking smile appeared at the corner of Mu Wanyao’s lips.

She lowered her eyes and said: “Your heart is with the people’s livelihood, with the world. But in my heart, there is only you.”

Her eyes looked at the cloudless sky outside the hall, and she said softly: “Am I too small, too pathetic, too laughable?

“I’ve always been too small, too pathetic, too laughable to you, haven’t I?”

Yan Shang stared at her in a daze, then reached out and pulled her, half-drunk, into his embrace. This time, ignoring her struggles, he held her tight, his burning heart pressed against her cold body.

Like making a vow, he whispered in her ear: “I will watch over you. I will watch over you.

“I won’t let you go astray. I will hold onto you.”-

After coaxing Mu Wanyao to sleep, Yan Shang left Fan Valley. He went to the Ministry of Revenue once but quickly left. Because now that he was marginalized in the ministry, there truly wasn’t much he could do. The ministry was guarding against him, he had nothing to do all day, so he might as well leave.

But this didn’t mean Yan Shang could relax at all.

There was the latest news in court: Luo Xiu was dead.

Yan Shang, who had been responsible for investigating those behind Luo Xiu, was immediately alarmed: Luo Xiu’s death could not possibly be an accident.