In early November, Princess Danyang arrived in Nanhai.
When she descended from her carriage, the common people of Nanhai gathered around to catch a glimpse. They had never seen a princess visit their region before. The princess, adorned in embroidered brocade and glittering jewels, inspired their admiration and respect.
After brief welcoming ceremonies, Mu Wanyao went to the study of Li Zhi, the Nanhai County Magistrate, to pay respects to her uncle.
How could Li Zhi allow a princess to truly bow to him? As soon as Mu Wanyao began to bend her knees, Li Zhi anxiously helped her up.
Uncle and niece gazed at each other, both feeling time had passed swiftly. Since their parting in Chang’an three years ago, each had changed considerably.
Mu Wanyao was no longer the tender, innocent little princess of fourteen or fifteen; Li Zhi now had grandchildren, with three generations living under one roof.
Li Zhi had the lean appearance of a scholar. He invited his niece to sit and had maids serve tea: “Your Highness arrived in Lingnan in October, and though I’ve been eagerly awaiting your arrival each day, it’s taken over a month to finally see you. It hasn’t been easy.”
Mu Wanyao smiled faintly and said: “We’re family, Uncle, no need for such formality. I fell ill in October and had to recuperate in Shashui Town, causing you to worry.”
Li Zhi asked with concern: “I heard about it, though the details were unclear. Could Your Highness elaborate?”
Mu Wanyao then briefly recounted her attempt to find the White Bull tea trees to bring back to Chang’an.
She had already inquired upon arrival that even in Nanhai, people knew little about White Bull tea trees, confirming she had indeed found something rare and valuable.
Li Zhi stroked his beard, contemplating: “What a clever open stratagem. I hear this Second Young Master Yan is barely seventeen, yet his methods are quite sophisticated.”
Mu Wanyao froze.
She recalled the details of her search for the tea trees and laughed: “What are you talking about, Uncle? What stratagem? What does this have to do with Second Young Master Yan?”
Li Zhi gazed deeply at the Princess of Danyang. Even he, upon first hearing of this scheme, could only sigh at its brilliance as an “open stratagem.” And open stratagems were the most impossible to counter or criticize.
Li Zhi explained to her: “That Second Young Master Yan personally pointed out the intrigue of White Bull tea to you. Unless I’m mistaken, he likely guessed your identity even before your servants revealed it. If he demonstrated White Bull tea to you, why not complete his kindness and simply give you the tea trees? Why do you search for them yourself?
“As a local, wouldn’t he know about the snake pits and enchanting grass? One could say he rarely visits that area and thus didn’t know. But he might have known very well. I suspect that even if Nanhai hadn’t sent people to search for you, Second Young Master Yan would have found some excuse to rescue you in the wilderness. Yet no one could blame him, as whether you went into the wild was your own choice; he didn’t raise those snakes that bit you.
“He wished to become your lifesaving benefactor, to establish a connection with Your Highness.”
Mu Wanyao was stunned: “Connect with me for what… Ah, I see.”
She suddenly understood. By becoming her lifesaving benefactor, after her departure, the officials of Lingnan would surely pay attention to the Yan family. Yan Shisheng, who focused on the imperial examinations, wanted to use this method to succeed.
How laughable!
Li Zhi observed Mu Wanyao’s expression, noting her soldering demeanor, and asked curiously: “I thought his aim in connecting with Your Highness was to marry a princess? But could Second Young Master Yan, a mere rural scholar, think he could marry a princess? This seems inconsistent with the intelligence that devised such a strategy.”
Mu Wanyao laughed coldly: “He doesn’t want to marry a princess at all, he wants the officials’ recommendation in next year’s provincial examination to reach Chang’an!”
Li Zhi was speechless, then laughed.
Mu Wanyao said: “Because his poetry and prose are worthless! If he could earn a spot in the provincial examination through his actual talent, I might as well take his surname! He played me like a puppet…”
Mu Wanyao ground her teeth, growing angrier as she spoke, slamming her teacup on the table.
To think she had believed Yan Shisheng… To think she had felt guilty toward him when leaving…
Mu Wanyao raised her voice in anger: “Someone, go to Shashui Town and find Second Young Master Yan, have him…”
However, halfway through her command, she suddenly stopped.
She remembered him pressed against the carriage wall at their parting, his eyes reddened, breathing softly. After being forced for so long, he had become aroused, but just as he tried to embrace her shoulders, she pushed him away without mercy…
Mu Wanyao’s cheeks burned; she tried to hide it by drinking tea, but the hot liquid only made her face redder, as if painted with rouge.
Li Zhi observed the princess’s reactions throughout, wearing an ambiguous smile—
Discovering Yan Shisheng had used her left Mu Wanyao in a foul mood. After holding back for a long time, by dinner time, the princess who had been suppressing her feelings all day finally sent Guard Fang on an errand.
She ordered Fang Tong to go to Shashui Town and berate Yan Shisheng severely for two hours!
Mu Wanyao smiled sweetly: “Best if you knock on his door in the dead of night, drag him from his bed to scold him for two hours. Only then will my hatred be satisfied.”
When Fang Tong returned at noon the next day, having ridden hard, he wearily described to Mu Wanyao how bewildered and helpless Second Young Master Yan had been when woken in the middle of the night to be scolded.
Hearing of Yan Shisheng’s bewilderment and helplessness, Mu Wanyao burst out laughing.
Only after forgiving him did she remember the document Yan Shisheng had written for her at parting. Mu Wanyao then went to find Li Zhi again, presenting Yan Shisheng’s strategies for dealing with the Wuman.
Mu Wanyao had come to Nanhai in such haste to resolve the matter with Meng Zanshi, naturally to seek Li Zhi’s counsel.
Her uncle had once commanded a hundred thousand border troops and was skilled at political maneuvering in Chang’an. Only after Li Zhi reviewed Yan Shisheng’s strategies could Mu Wanyao feel at ease.
Not that Uncle Li Zhi particularly loved his sister’s only surviving daughter.
Rather, politics demanded it—Mu Wanyao’s return to Chang’an required the support of the Li clan of Jinling, and the Li clan’s restoration also depended on Mu Wanyao’s mediation in Chang’an. Their mutual benefits had aligned them.
After reading the document, Li Zhi’s eyes gradually brightened, and he said: “What a pity.”
Mu Wanyao tensed: “What’s wrong?”
Li Zhi said: “If you hadn’t told me this Second Young Master Yan was determined to go to Chang’an, I would have wanted him as my strategist. You say you never told him about the Wuman situation, yet he guessed nine-tenths of it correctly. Such talent has limitless potential.”
Mu Wanyao’s lips curved slightly.
It was as if her uncle was praising her instead.
Yet she spoke dismissively: “What’s so remarkable? Ask him to write poetry and prose, and it would kill him. He’s used so many schemes to get to Chang’an, but once there he still has to pass the poetry examination. He’ll barely make it as a jinshi; I don’t think he has any other talents.”
Li Zhi shook his head and smiled, ignoring the princess’s stubborn words.
Li Zhi kept the document and said: “One of Second Young Master Yan’s strategies is quite good, and I plan to use it. Though I no longer command the border troops, some still listen to me. With this plan, I’ll help Your Highness deal with this Wuman king. For at least a year, the Wuman king won’t have time to harass Your Highness.”
Mu Wanyao’s gaze was clear, her eyes misty like fog.
Even Li Zhi, her elder, found her charming and delicate, his tone softening: “Your Highness has suffered. Please rest assured, now that you’ve returned from Wuman, I will never let you return to such a barbaric place.”
Mu Wanyao thanked him perfunctorily.
She knew well that when she married Wuman, it was the result of a discussion between this uncle and her mother.
Back then, the Li clan needed to sacrifice her to gain influence in Chang’an; now they helped her so the Li clan could restore their position in the future.
It was all about interests.
She would be foolish to think her uncle helped her out of sympathy.
Sure enough, after discussing this matter, Li Zhi smoothly brought up her marriage.
Li Zhi asked with a smile: “Now that old matters are settled, and Your Highness is still in your prime, do you have anyone you fancy in Chang’an? In our Great Wei, there’s no rule that women who have been married cannot marry again. If common people can remarry, surely a princess who has been married before can too.”
Mu Wanyao spoke languidly: “I don’t. Though His Highness the Crown Prince has recommended quite a few.”
Because the Crown Prince also wanted to draw her into his faction, wanting the Li clan’s power behind her.
Li Zhi’s eyes flickered, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
The Li clan both allowed Mu Wanyao to ally with the Crown Prince in Chang’an, yet didn’t want their relationship to progress further.
Li Zhi said: “Before coming to Lingnan last year, I passed through Luoyang. Your Highness must know of the great Wei clan of Luoyang. Your Highness shouldn’t marry a legitimate son of the Wei family, as His Majesty would be suspicious. But if it were just a son of a concubine, His Majesty wouldn’t question it too much.
“When I was in Luoyang, I met a brilliant young man, a son of a Wei concubine. His mother was from outside the family and wasn’t well-received after returning to the Wei household. I took him as my disciple and taught him for a few days. Before parting, I told him he could go to Chang’an for the examinations and present himself to Princess Danyang.
“Your Highness should meet him when the time comes. If you find him suitable, you might consider making him your consort.”
Mu Wanyao remained silent for a moment, then nodded slightly.
Seeing her cold attitude, Li Zhi said more: “Your Highness need not worry, the disciple I’ve chosen is no nobody. He has exceptional bearing and talent; if he hadn’t been suppressed by the Wei clan for years, I wouldn’t have had the chance to win him over. Ahem, but Your Highness needn’t rush to marry. You can get to know each other first. Waiting a year or two, even three, wouldn’t matter.”
Waiting one or two years, even three, wouldn’t matter?
Li Zhi’s words were very strange.
Mu Wanyao looked at her uncle with surprise: “What’s his name?”
Li Zhi replied concisely: “Wei Shu, I gave him the courtesy name Juyuan. Perhaps you don’t care now, but once you meet Wei Juyuan, you’ll understand I’m not forcing you into marriage. Compared to the matches the Crown Prince found for you, Wei Juyuan would be a more suitable partner.”
Mu Wanyao nodded again.
Li Zhi stared at her for a moment.
He asked: “What’s wrong, you’re unwilling? Could it be you have someone you like? Which great family’s son is he? Your uncle can help you consider it.”
Great family’s son.
Mu Wanyao’s eyes curved.
After talking with Li Zhi all evening, the moon had risen high.
In the elegant room, moonlight brushed their faces as she propped her chin with her hand, her eyelashes casting shadows, charm radiating: “Uncle misunderstands. It doesn’t matter to me whom I marry.”
Li Zhi gazed at her for a long while, his eyes showing pity.
He said softly: “If after many years… you find someone you like, you can divorce and marry whom you truly love. It’s just not possible now. Do you understand, Yaoyao?”
Seeing her uncle so serious, Mu Wanyao couldn’t help but laugh: “Uncle truly misunderstands, I don’t like anyone. I didn’t before, and won’t in the future. Since returning from Wuman, I’ve sworn to be a willful, bad-tempered princess. Marriage means nothing to me.”
She turned her face aside, her gaze proud as she quietly watched the moonlight outside—
It wasn’t easy being a marriage alliance princess returning to Chang’an.
She couldn’t marry whom she wished.
So she wouldn’t like anyone.
She would never again let herself suffer, or let those close to her suffer.