In February of that year, while Yan Shang was still in Chang’an preparing for the new imperial examinations, the decade-long civil unrest in the Southern Barbarians had finally come to an end. The brave and mighty King Ale unified the plateau, merging several Southern Barbarian tribes into one.

Meng Zaishi of the Wu Barbarians became a trusted minister at King Ale’s side. Though the dissatisfaction in Meng Zaishi’s heart toward King Ale may have never truly disappeared, King Ale’s status as ruler left no room for an easy challenge. He could only lie low temporarily, waiting for an opportunity to turn the tables.

King Ale despised Great Wei culture but once unified as a country, the backward nomadic tribes had no choice but to learn how the advanced Great Wei emperors governed their nation. With Meng Zaishi’s guidance, King Ale awkwardly bestowed titles of generals and meritorious officials upon his people, declaring his intention to lead the Southern Barbarians toward prosperity.

However, these grand ambitions, when looking back at the vast territory behind them, were rather disheartening—

The decade of civil unrest had taken its toll: though unified, the Southern Barbarians’ people were destitute, the population was sparse, production had ceased, and bandits ran rampant.

For the Southern Barbarians, the only solution to their current domestic problems was war.

To plunder through warfare, to sustain the people through warfare.

The Southern Barbarians desperately needed a foreign war to plunder resources, gain wealth, and improve domestic conditions. Ten years of civil war had left the Southern Barbarians exhausted and unwieldy, yet without war, they couldn’t even maintain their current state.

For these reasons, King Ale, who already looked down on Great Wei, set his sights on his neighbor, the sufficiently prosperous Great Wei.

Though the war-loving King Ale spoke boldly when facing the vast territory of Great Wei, he took it seriously in his heart. Being skilled in warfare, he would not underestimate any enemy. As he brewed plans for this war, he consulted Meng Zaishi day and night about Great Wei’s situation and recalled the servants who had fled back from the deceased Luo Xiu’s side.

The contents of the deal between Luo Xiu and Liu Wenji, now a powerful eunuch in Great Wei, from years ago became meaningful once again.

And heaven seemed to favor the Southern Barbarians, wanting to save this backward tribe.

A Great Wei person named Cheng An fled thousands of miles from Great Wei, disguising himself along the way, departing from Hexi toward other small countries in exile. This Great Wei person had never communicated with Ambassador Wei Qilang; he didn’t know that the small country he was fleeing to, according to his map, had already been annexed and its people eliminated by the Southern Barbarians.

As the Southern Barbarians’ iron hooves were about to mercilessly crush this ant-like Great Wei person, this gray-templed man knelt on the ground, crying loudly: “You can’t kill me! I am the Chief Internal Manager by His Majesty’s side, I know many secrets… I barely escaped from Liu Wenji’s clutches, I shouldn’t die here!”

Just then, Meng Zaishi was on the street, coldly observing, contemplating how to profit from this war. He understood the Great Wei language, and Cheng An’s wailing in the street caught his attention.

The tall and imposing Meng Zaishi squinted as he observed this hunched, undignified figure sprawled crying on the ground. After a long while, his eyes focused as he recognized who this person was. Several hours later, after being cleaned up, Cheng An appeared in Meng Zaishi’s tent.

Several more hours later, Cheng An had an audience with King Ale.

When King Ale heard that this Cheng An was the former Chief Internal Manager of Great Wei’s previous emperor and also the current Chief Internal Manager Liu Wenji’s master, King Ale mocked Great Wei: “Ministers kill emperors, emperors have no authority, Great Wei is nothing more than this!”

Seeing this barbarian who only knew fighting was so simple-minded and hadn’t thought through the opportunities for exploitation, Meng Zaishi also sneered inwardly, feeling even more convinced he could have a chance to usurp King Ale.

Once war broke out between the Southern Barbarians and Great Wei, how could the powerful Great Wei be as easily dealt with as the five Southern Barbarian tribes? Though Great Wei’s fighting strength wasn’t equal to the Southern Barbarians, their vast territory and abundant supplies were Great Wei’s foundation.

The headstrong King Ale would surely suffer greatly at Great Wei’s hands.

And this would be Meng Zaishi’s best opportunity to replace King Ale and negotiate with Great Wei. When King Ale died, if he himself adopted a humble stance and pledged allegiance to Great Wei, the hypocritical and self-proclaimed magnanimous Great Wei emperor would surely bestow countless treasures to help strengthen the Southern Barbarians… Such an opportunity couldn’t be missed.

So Meng Zaishi suggested to King Ale: “We can use this Cheng An to threaten Liu Wenji. After all, Luo Xiu is dead, and if Liu Wenji doesn’t admit to treason, if he’s as powerful in Great Wei as Cheng An says, the Great Wei emperor might believe him. But with Cheng An in our hands, Liu Wenji will be wary.

“We want Liu Wenji to cooperate with us, do his best to hinder Great Wei, and let Great Wei hand over their vast territory to us. This is what Great Wei people call ‘subduing the enemy without fighting.'”

King Ale was shocked, then dissatisfied as he patted Meng Zaishi’s shoulder: “Meng Zaishi, you’re good! But don’t learn everything from Great Wei. Great Wei is treacherous, like a cunning fox. We Southern Barbarians are protected by the goddess of the high mountains, we have the blood of eagles flowing in our veins. If you learn everything from Great Wei people, you’re no longer like our good Southern Barbarian sons!”

Meng Zaishi respectfully agreed.

After the strategy against Great Wei was set, Meng Zaishi left King Ale’s royal tent. He stood with folded arms atop the tent, thinking of King Ale’s disdainful attitude toward Great Wei just now. He tugged at the corner of his mouth, waiting for the other to taste his own medicine.

Perhaps he had indeed learned too much from Great Wei.

Standing here like a fierce Asura, plotting a war, leading the entire Southern Barbarians tirelessly toward a fiery conflict… but the Southern Barbarians needed war, he couldn’t stop it.

Meng Zaishi only raised his head to gaze at the azure sky. There were no wisps of clouds, it was clear for thousands of miles. A black eagle spread its wings across the heavens, making him think once again of that Great Wei princess—

Five or six years had passed, he now had both son and daughter, had she walked out of the shadows of the past?

Where was that princess now?

Had she and that young official whose original name was Yan Shisheng found their outcome? If they knew about the war he was plotting, they would be enemies again, wouldn’t they?

In Great Wei’s legends, every star in the sky was the incarnation of a deceased hero.

If one day, after he killed King Ale and became the Southern Barbarian king when he met Mu Wanyao again while in friendly alliance with the Great Wei ruler, he wanted to ask her: after he unified the Southern Barbarians, ended the warfare, led the Southern Barbarians to peaceful coexistence with Great Wei, and taught the Southern Barbarian people to move beyond barbarism, by then, would he be worthy of becoming a star in the sky?

Meng Zaishi couldn’t help but smile at the corners of his lips. He muttered Mu Wanyao’s name softly, sneering: “…Little Princess.”

In May, after parting ways with Consort Zhao Ling and traveling for another half month, the couple Yan Shang and their wife arrived in Lingnan.

Upon first arriving in Lingnan, local officials led the common people to pay respects to the new Governor of Guangzhou, Yan Shang. For hundreds of years, the relationship between central and local government had always been a muddle. Guangzhou had feared the highest official sent by the central government would be incompetent, but now hearing that this Guangzhou Governor was originally from Lingnan, and after inquiring about Second Young Master Yan’s reputation in Guanzhong, everyone felt more at ease.

In the carriage, Mu Wanyao was awakened by the sound of gongs and drums.

She held her maid’s hand to descend from the carriage, her long dress trailing the ground, the pointed red shoes beneath her dress visible as she stepped down. Below, the officials who had been gently persuaded by Yan Shang that such courtesy wasn’t necessary were all struck still, looking toward that lady accompanying Lord Yan—Princess Imperial Danyang.

Mu Wanyao raised her chin, as beautiful as peach and plum blossoms, yet as elegant as Chang’an’s most splendid peonies, like endless red clouds spread across the heavens.

She bloomed in this remote rural place. When she casually glanced around, she made the officials bow their heads humbly in greeting to the Princess Imperial without a care.

Mu Wanyao tilted her chin at her husband surrounded by officials on the ground, as if bestowing favor on him: “This place isn’t bad, we’ll live here from now on.”

Yan Shang looked at her helplessly: “This is the government office, I only work here, we don’t live here.”

Mu Wanyao: “…”

She immediately became angry from embarrassment: “If there’s no mansion then build one here! I think the environment here is good, and it’s close to your office, what’s wrong with wanting to live here? Not only will I live here, I’ll also invite your father, your elder brother and sister-in-law, younger brother and sister-in-law to come live here with me. Do you have any objections?”

Yan Shang smiled: “No objections, it’s all up to Your Highness.”

Hearing the lord’s voice was gentle and his temperament seemed quite good, the officials felt relieved, thinking the Governor wouldn’t be difficult to get along with. It was just that the Princess Imperial seemed arrogant and willful, probably not easy to serve.

Regardless of how the officials privately speculated about this couple, the husband and wife settled down here. Yan Shang took up the official seal and began organizing Guangzhou’s affairs. And just as Mu Wanyao had demanded, Yan’s father and others soon moved from the countryside to Guangzhou prefecture to live with them.

Only the Yan family’s third son was still secretly doing business in the Western Regions, not at home. And the Yan family’s young daughter Yan Xiaozhou was in Jiannan, which made Father Yan somewhat critical. But Father Yan was timid by nature, and after muttering a couple times about why the young daughter wasn’t married yet, he didn’t say much more.

This kind of living arrangement vaguely resembled when they were neighbors with the Yan family in Chang’an, yet was much more comfortable than the turbulent situation in Chang’an.

At least there weren’t many officials lining up daily to see Mu Wanyao and Yan Shang, at least there weren’t endless carriages and horses outside their mansion all day, and at least Yan Shang was no longer doing the work of several officials while only receiving one salary.

Yan Shang’s only serving as Guangzhou’s Governor was truly effortless. Perhaps because of returning to his native land, while Mu Wanyao couldn’t adapt to Guangzhou’s heat, Yan Shang adapted very well.

Mu Wanyao had originally wanted to properly supplement Yan Shang’s health, but after returning to Lingnan, she became seriously ill several times, and Yan Shang ended up taking care of her instead, without falling ill himself.

But this life of husband and wife taking turns being sick was really both laughable and lamentable.

Yan Shang was very worried that Mu Wanyao couldn’t adapt to the climate here, fearing she wasn’t accustomed to the environment. Her physical condition wasn’t very good, and seeing her listless all day, he always worried that her old illness would affect her now. And because of Yan Shang’s current poor health, Mu Wanyao urged medicine all day.

So physicians came and went from their mansion all day.

This made the Yan family living next door look at each other with concern: Yan Shang and his wife had been married for two years without children yet, they didn’t dare ask much, but they worried.

Fortunately, Mu Wanyao was a princess, and though she initially had trouble adjusting to the environment, with the change of surroundings, her good mood, the careful care of her maids, plus Yan Shang’s considerate gentleness, she quickly adapted to this place and her spirits improved. And once her spirits improved, Mu Wanyao began to ponder how to find some entertainment for herself.

This wasn’t Chang’an, she didn’t need to discuss politics with officials all day. Letters from Chang’an’s officials came at most once a month, and for most of the rest of the time, Mu Wanyao had no interest in competing with Yan Shang over even a governor’s duties.

She had no court affairs to consider, and after feeling low for several days, she picked up her long-neglected konghou, guqin, and books.

She hosted guests all day, held banquets to invite people, and went out daily in full dress, gorgeously adorned. The Yan Shang mansion had elegant qin music and beautiful melodies every day, making Yan Shang somewhat dazed when he returned home each day. Only then did he remember that his princess was originally a great talented lady.

Accomplished in both talent and music.

It was just that she hadn’t had the chance to pick it up before.

And once she picked up her old studies, it made him seem quite vulgar in comparison.

Yan Shang felt quite ashamed, so when he had free time, he also hesitantly asked Mu Wanyao to teach him to play the qin or learn the konghou. He had such interests in his youth, but later was too disturbed by worldly affairs to have the mood, and now picking it up again, Mu Wanyao was also enthusiastic.

But she didn’t say good, she said no.

Yan Shang helplessly asked: “Why won’t you teach me? Didn’t you use to teach me in the past?”

The two sat under a pavilion in the mansion, the summer breeze wasn’t cool, only the ice blocks placed in the alcove provided any relief. Mu Wanyao tilted her chin up and said: “It’s not that I won’t be a teacher, but if I’m to be a teacher, I’m especially strict with disciples. I require a tuition gift before I’ll teach anyone!”

Yan Shang sat beside her on the stone bench, his features refined and tranquil. Hearing this, he turned his face to look at her with a smile: “What tuition gift do you want?”

Without waiting for her answer, he said: “My entire being already belongs to you, what other tuition gift do you need?”

Mu Wanyao was stunned, then became greatly annoyed: “You’re so boring! Speaking so directly, you’re not as cute as when you used to be shy before.”

Yan Shang sighed.

Mu Wanyao rose gracefully and walked before him. The pavilion had bamboo curtains hanging on all four sides. She embraced his neck, then lifted her leg to kneel on his thighs, making him hold her. The maids kept their eyes straight ahead, admiring the lake view and sky on all sides, while Yan Shang was truly made somewhat shy by her actions.

He placed his hands on her slender waist, pushing gently: “Get down now. What kind of appearance is this in public?”

Mu Wanyao glanced at him sideways, noting his hypocritical manner: “If you don’t hold my waist, I won’t be stable kneeling, wouldn’t I just fall off?”

Yan Shang: “How could I watch you fall?”

Mu Wanyao smiled brilliantly, her beautiful eyes sparkling with charm. She muttered: “Then blame yourself for being soft-hearted.”

She reached out to pinch his face, lowered her head to examine his features, and then said with satisfaction: “Your face has gained some flesh.”

Yan Shang blushed, but couldn’t help smiling. His smile was gentle, and as Mu Wanyao held his face, she felt great fondness in her heart. Her fingers caressed his brows and eyes, suddenly inspired, she said happily: “I know what tuition gift I want.”

She pressed against his ear, both kissing and nibbling, telling him what she wanted to do.

He was utterly shocked, raising his head to look at her, and now he was somewhat reluctant to learn…

Yan Shang hemmed and hawed for a while, then sighed. Mu Wanyao said delightedly: “Tell me, aren’t I amazing?”

Yan Shang’s face reddened: “How would I know if you’re amazing or not?”

Mu Wanyao’s finger traced along his brow bone, and she said seriously: “I meant that I’m amazing for getting you to gain some flesh on your face. What did you think I meant?”

Yan Shang was stunned, then felt ashamed. He began to reflect on whether his mind was in the gutter, while seeing this, Mu Wanyao was even more unable to contain her joy, hugging him and kissing him continuously.

When Father Yan came to visit, across the lake, he vaguely saw the silhouettes of Second Young Master and the Princess playing in the pavilion. He felt quite comforted, thinking perhaps it was Chang’an’s poor environment and tense situation that had prevented the Second Young Master and the Princess from having children. The couple’s relationship was so good, after living in Lingnan for two years, perhaps they would have children—

Unknown what conditions were agreed upon with Yan Shang, but Mu Wanyao began teaching him to play the qin. She felt the konghou was more suitable for women to play, while the guqin was elegant and more suitable for Yan Shang. Mu Wanyao fantasized about future days when husband and wife would be in harmony like qin and se, playing music together.

When she was still a young lady before her political marriage, in her fantasies, her future husband would share her interests, playing music and reading books together with her, a celestial gentleman.

However, when Yan Shang first began learning, Mu Wanyao was greatly disappointed.

The mansion constantly echoed with qin sounds from outside that were as unpleasant as pig slaughter. Whenever Second Young Master Yan had a day off at home, the qin sounds lingered in the air, and within ten li of the mansion, no passerby dared stop to appreciate it.

Mu Wanyao scolded him: “How can you be so stupid, I told you to pluck! This finger technique is called ‘plucking,’ not strumming! You got it wrong again!”

Yan Shang hurriedly corrected himself.

After a while, Mu Wanyao scolded him again and simply pushed him aside to demonstrate herself.

She was extremely fierce, her scolding voice very loud, but when she turned back to look at Yan Shang, seeing his usual calm demeanor—Mu Wanyao grew even angrier: “Are you even listening to what I’m saying? Why don’t you have any reaction, is it because you’re not taking my words to heart at all?”

Yan Shang was bewildered.

He said softly: “I’m always like this.”

Mu Wanyao angrily plucked the qin strings: “Show some reaction!”

Qiusi listened from the side, terrified, feeling the Princess had a bad temper, and worried that the Prince Consort would be scolded for not wanting to learn the qin anymore. Even the Prince Consort’s gentle temperament was being scolded by the Princess…

But the scolding Yan Shang received during the day, by nighttime, when Mu Wanyao came to her senses, she would feel ashamed, feeling she had been too harsh with him. She vowed in her heart that tomorrow she would be gentler with Yan Shang, even if he was tone-deaf, even if he didn’t have this talent, she would be gentle and patient…

Mu Wanyao’s love welled up in her heart, and in bed she would accommodate Yan Shang in every way, calling him “brother” affectionately, making him happy.

But the next day, the cycle of scolding and humiliation would repeat… For half a year, this became daily life in the mansion. Why Second Young Master Yan, usually so intelligent, was so inept at playing the qin became a great mystery—

That year’s New Year’s Eve, Yan Shang and Mu Wanyao naturally spent it at Father Yan’s place. Father Yan again gave them red envelopes, this time quite obviously hinting that they should have a child.

But Father Yan observed that the couple remained as unresponsive as clay Buddha statues to his words.

Could it be that the Princess didn’t like children?

Father Yan observed that the children of the eldest son and third son all liked to gather around Second Young Master, and Second Young Master’s gentle temperament made the children all fond of this second uncle. Compared to the Second Young Master, the Princess seemed somewhat colder toward children… but she didn’t seem to particularly dislike them either.

Father Yan felt anxious, feeling he perhaps couldn’t just hint anymore.

After the new year, one day when Yan Shang returned from the government office, before he could change his clothes, Father Yan called him for a talk. Father Yan hemmed and hawed for a long while, finally asking embarrassedly: “Second Son, you and Her Highness have been married for almost three years, why haven’t you had children yet? I see you two have a good relationship, and although Her Highness sometimes has a bit of a temper, she treats you quite differently from others.

“Since your relationship is so good, why not have children? Could it be… that you two have some hidden ailment? You’re both so young, if there’s some hidden ailment, don’t be afraid to seek treatment. It’s better to treat illness early.”

Yan Shang had long known this day would come.

When he returned to Lingnan, he had thought there would be such a day. Being by Father’s side daily, Father would certainly be concerned about this issue.

Yan Shang smiled bitterly.

He gave the answer he had long prepared: “Father, do you know that my health has been poor these past few years?”

Father Yan was bewildered, then sighed. He didn’t understand much about court affairs and didn’t dare ask. But he knew that Second Son’s return to Lingnan was under the pretext of recuperating.

Yan Shang said: “In earlier years, I suffered imprisonment, which left lasting effects, and I haven’t fully recovered since. When I came back this time to recuperate, I secretly consulted physicians. They all said having children would be difficult for me… I might remain childless for life.”

Father Yan: “…”

He stared in shock, then bewilderment.

He hurriedly said: “Then why aren’t you hurrying to treat the illness?”

Yan Shang said: “How could the aftermath of an old ailment be so easily cured?”

Father Yan after a while: “…Still must be treated.”

Yan Shang sighed and said: “I am treating it.”

Father Yan asked quietly: “Does your wife… does Her Highness know?”

Yan Shang said softly: “How could I let her know?”

Father Yan immediately became anxious: “Then aren’t you, aren’t you deceiving Her Highness… if Her Highness knows she can’t have children because of you, wouldn’t she be furious? What if she wants to kill you?”

Yan Shang smiled naively: “My wife and I have an excellent relationship, she won’t kill me.”

He maintained his gentlemanly bearing, handsome as jade, but at this moment his features were shrouded in melancholy as he said: “I also don’t want her to be with other men, to have children with other men. That’s why I must keep this from her, not let her know. Father, please don’t tell her either, help me this time, alright?”

Father Yan: “…Second Son, how could you be someone who deceives women?”

Yan Shang: “In matters of love, who can truly be noble, truly be above common feelings?”

Father Yan wanted to say more to him, but perhaps Yan Shang had touched upon his matters of the heart. Father Yan sighed and wanted to speak but stopped, ultimately not knowing how to address this matter. Father Yan felt conflicted, full of guilt toward the Princess… he ultimately sided with his son, not wanting the Princess to abandon his son because he couldn’t have children, but he also didn’t approve of his son’s deceptive marriage.

So Father Yan avoided seeing Mu Wanyao.

On the rare occasions when he accidentally encountered Mu Wanyao, Father Yan was extremely kind to her, always looking at her with guilty eyes.

Mu Wanyao was bewildered.

Father Yan also sent many strange medicines to their mansion. In Lingnan, witchcraft was prevalent, and Father Yan invited many shamans to the young couple’s mansion, making it constantly chaotic with smoke and noise. Every time Mu Wanyao returned to the mansion and heard the various chants, music, and drum sounds, she felt dazed.

When Mu Wanyao met Father Yan in the courtyard, Father Yan told her many things about being understanding toward Yan Shang and also said they had wronged Her Highness, and that if one day Her Highness wanted to divorce, the Yan family would accept it.

Mu Wanyao returned to their chambers to find Yan Shang drinking another strange, pungent medicinal brew his father had procured for him.

He frowned, sighing as he drank, and Mu Wanyao felt very distressed watching him.

She said: “Has your father become senile with age, why has he become so confused lately? He sends all sorts of people to our home, forces you to drink all kinds of strange medicines… Has he become confused with age? But he’s not even that old.”

Yan Shang listened to Mu Wanyao describe how his father had been tormenting her lately, how she wanted to get angry but didn’t dare… Mu Wanyao was furious: “He always looks at me with guilty eyes! Yan Er, have you done something bad again? What are you smiling about?”

Mu Wanyao: “He even told me to divorce you!”

Yan Shang joked: “Maybe my father discovered I’m having an affair behind your back and is afraid you’ll divorce me?”

Mu Wanyao was stunned, then said seriously: “No, you wouldn’t. Second Brother Yan would never do such a thing.”

Yan Shang: “How do you know I wouldn’t? All men in the world are the same.”

During this year in Lingnan, his health had improved greatly, his spirits had lifted, and he had come to enjoy making jokes with her. This represented that he was becoming more and more relaxed, more and more at ease in front of her, which of course delighted Mu Wanyao.

And Mu Wanyao earnestly argued: “Second Brother Yan would never treat me that way. Even if all men in the world would do such things, Second Brother Yan wouldn’t. I won’t believe it.”

Yan Shang gazed at her intently, seeing her exceptional trust in him. His heart trembled slightly, and he put down the medicine bowl in his hands, saying hoarsely: “Come here, Yaoyao, I want to hold you.”

Mu Wanyao put her hands behind her back, refusing to go, putting on her full princess air.

Yan Shang said helplessly: “If you come over, I’ll tell you why my father is acting this way.”