Led by palace eunuchs, the successful examination candidates waited behind the doors, catching only glimpses of the imperial family banquet inside. As the Third Scholar, Yan Shang stood at the front with Wei Shu, able to see more than those behind them:
He saw the room dimly lit, with only a lotus-branch candelabra half his height standing behind Princess Mu Wanyao, illuminating her. The imperial relatives sat in silence in the dim light, appreciating Princess Danyang’s konghou performance.
Princess Danyang knelt on the ground, her golden-threaded dress embroidered with phoenixes and her translucent white shawl spread behind her. The phoenix-headed konghou she held before she matched her kneeling height. The instrument, with its dragon body and phoenix form, was decorated with golden ornaments. When Princess Mu Wanyao lowered her head, her delicate hands plucked the strings, and suddenly, crystal-clear sounds like springs descending from heaven filled the pavilion.
The konghou’s sound was clear and ethereal, with an otherworldly quality like rippling water. The music was both expansive and soul-stirring.
Everyone who heard Princess Danyang’s performance sighed softly in appreciation, gazing transfixed at the young princess as she played with a bowed head.
The Emperor’s youngest daughter, Mu Wanyao, had been known in past years for her talents, musical expertise, and exceptional beauty, combined with a gentle nature and clever disposition.
How many fine young men of Chang’an had once dreamed of marrying this princess?
Now, as times had changed and Mu Wanyao played the konghou again, everyone in the hall, including the listless Emperor, seemed to see the Princess Danyang of years past.
Standing outside the door, Yan Shang watched Mu Wanyao and listened to her konghou. In the darkness, only she carried a gentle radiance.
In that instant, Yan Shang felt rooted to the spot, his mind briefly blank, his blood seeming to freeze. Slowly, his back began to tingle and break out in sweat.
Earlier that day, Mu Wanyao had teased him about being too inexperienced with women.
At the time, Yan Shang had dismissed it.
But now, seeing her serene beauty as she played the konghou, he realized just how inexperienced he truly was…
Yan Shang struggled to look away, refusing to gaze longer. He dared not look again, dared not think for another moment. In his peripheral vision, he saw the other candidates entranced by the music, while only Wei Shu maintained his composure, handling it better than the others.
Feeling awkward, Yan Shang lowered his gaze and began reciting texts in his mind to distract himself.
As the performance in the pavilion concluded and Mu Wanyao rose while attendants carried away the konghou, the audience finally reacted, offering scattered praise.
Mu Wanyao gave a small smile. She naturally played well, though she no longer enjoyed playing the konghou. Still, performing at a family banquet wasn’t too much trouble.
When the hall’s candles were lit and brightness returned, Mu Wanyao returned to her seat.
Amidst the continuing praise, Prince Qin remarked: “With Yaoyao’s talent and beauty, I wonder which fortunate young man will benefit.”
Mu Wanyao’s hand, holding her wine cup, paused. The room suddenly fell silent as she raised her eyes to look at Prince Qin.
Sitting beside Prince Qin, Prince Jin felt his third brother was deliberately causing trouble. While quietly distancing himself from his third brother, he carefully added a word for Mu Wanyao: “Yaoyao has only recently returned to Chang’an. She can rest for a couple more years. Marriage matters should wait for Father Emperor’s word.”
Prince Qin sneered.
He glanced at the Crown Prince’s strange expression, then at the timid Prince Jin beside him.
Everyone knew people had their eyes on Mu Wanyao’s marriage prospects, but since Mu Wanyao and Prince Qin weren’t aligned, Prince Qin seized the opportunity to irritate the Crown Prince. Or rather, to test the Crown Prince before their father.
After all, who didn’t know the Crown Prince was courting Mu Wanyao to gain the support of the Li family behind her? Prince Qin himself wasn’t envious – his backing was far stronger than the Crown Prince’s… Yet despite his superior position, the Crown Prince was still the eldest son, which was ultimately frustrating!
So Prince Qin said: “What did I say wrong? Girls should marry when they come of age, and our Great Wei doesn’t follow the saying ‘a good woman doesn’t marry twice.’ Should Yaoyao never marry again just because she was previously married? Father, am I not right?”
The Emperor ignored Prince Qin’s provocation, looking at the crowd’s scheming expressions before glancing at his youngest daughter, who held her wine cup with an indifferent expression.
The Emperor remained silent.
He looked at the slightly tense Crown Prince, well aware that due to his mother’s humble background, the Crown Prince had always sought to strengthen his power base. Being able to ally with the Li family of Jinling through Mu Wanyao would naturally be an excellent strategy.
However, the Emperor and Empress had fought for so long to suppress the Li family – how could they allow the Li family to rise to prominence again?
In the imperial family, in Chang’an, only Mu Wanyao remained of the Li family. They wouldn’t give up on Mu Wanyao and must have made other arrangements for her… hoping for the Li family’s resurgence.
Yet as before, the Emperor didn’t want this outcome.
Lost in thought, the Emperor looked again at his youngest daughter and suddenly met Mu Wanyao’s ice-cold gaze.
The Emperor started slightly, his eyes showing regret and disappointment.
In that instant, Mu Wanyao’s expression changed slightly. She withdrew her gaze and drained her wine cup in one gulp. The hot liquid burned her chest, making her cough twice. Princess Yuyang beside her offered a handkerchief, still not understanding why everyone had fallen silent.
Looking at Mu Wanyao, the Emperor thought: What a pity.
According to his wishes, with the Li family having returned to Jinling, it would have been best for the situation if Mu Wanyao had remained in Wuman for life as a marriage alliance princess.
However, Wuman was now in chaos and at war. Mu Wanyao’s former husband had passed away, and the marriage alliance seemed meaningless in the currently chaotic Wuman. Mu Wanyao had returned to Chang’an, so be it.
Yet why did there have to be trouble over marriage again?
Whether from the Crown Prince’s side or the Li family’s side, the preparations made for Mu Wanyao were too favorable – both would allow the Li family to rise again. According to the Emperor’s wishes, it would be best if Mu Wanyao married someone who would never amount to anything, or better yet, didn’t marry at all.
Wouldn’t it be fine to happily live as a princess, keep some male companions, and enjoy life, just like Princess Luling?
Of course, perhaps after his death, Princess Luling’s current status would no longer exist… However, she had already experienced what ordinary girls could never enjoy in a lifetime.
Why did Mu Wanyao have to take sides? Why did she need status and longevity?
The Emperor didn’t respond to Prince Qin’s words, and everyone in the hall lowered their heads, lost in their thoughts. The Emperor’s attending eunuch, being especially astute, spoke up to ease the hall’s atmosphere: “Your Majesty, the examination candidates have come to pay their respects.”
The Emperor nodded: “Let them enter.”
The candidates who had been waiting behind the doors filed in to pay their respects to the hall’s occupants.
The Crown Prince and other princes had already met these candidates, so that need not be mentioned – they were currently preoccupied with wondering what signal the Emperor’s silence on Mu Wanyao’s marriage meant. The others in the hall curiously looked at this year’s successful candidates.
When they first saw the leading young man, noting Wei Shu’s youth and graceful bearing, they couldn’t help but admire the Wei family of Luoyang’s fine manner.
The Second Scholar was an older man – they gave him a cursory glance and moved on.
Then came the Third Scholar, and the crowd was startled again.
They had thought the First Scholar’s bearing was already excellent, but he was too young to inspire much thought. However, this Third Scholar truly had gentle features and a bearing like pine and bamboo – he was truly a beautiful man like a jade branch, lighting up the entire hall.
Princess Luling let out a soft “ah,” her eyes suddenly brightening, nearly dropping her wine cup. She almost stood up in excitement, fortunately held back by her attending maids who prevented her from making a scene.
Princess Luling had seen many beautiful men, but a Third Scholar who was both handsome and dignified like this made her heart flutter.
Even the Emperor’s gaze first fell on Wei Shu, then on Yan Shang. The Emperor had seen these candidates before, but looking again today, he felt this Third Scholar, perhaps having risen from humble origins, carried himself with much better bearing than his previously poor appearance.
The Emperor said: “This year’s imperial scholars are quite good. Let me test you all. Crown Prince, Prince Qin, what were you arguing about recently?”
As soon as the Emperor asked this before the Crown Prince and Prince Qin could answer, they first heard Mu Wanyao’s laughter.
Yan Shang kept his eyes lowered, his eyelashes trembling slightly, but he remained perfectly proper, not once raising his head to look. This attitude, in contrast to the other candidates who couldn’t help stealing glances at the princess, earned him some of the Emperor’s approval.
Mu Wanyao said with a smile: “Father, you just said we wouldn’t discuss politics tonight, how are you bringing it up again? Father should be penalized three cups of wine.”
The Emperor was startled, then smiled: “You’re always so particular about everything.”
He didn’t deny it though, and those below hurriedly poured wine for His Majesty.
The Princess’s playful words finally eased the hall’s tense atmosphere.
When the Crown Prince answered the Emperor, he also carried a hint of a smile: “It’s like this. I recently took over the Ministry of Revenue, and Third Brother’s ministry needs money. However, the imperial treasury has no money to give, so I had a few more words of disagreement with Third Brother.”
Prince Qin interjected: “Father, I manage the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of War – which doesn’t need money? When Big Brother withholds funds, I can’t accept it.”
The Crown Prince said: “It’s not that I’m withholding funds, but that we truly have no money.”
Prince Qin sneered: “Is Big Brother perhaps deceiving me? Just the other day I saw Big Brother approve a large sum for the Ministry of Works. How can such an insignificant ministry receive money while the Ministry of Personnel and Ministry of War cannot?”
Yang Si behind the Crown Prince returned the sneer: “Why doesn’t Prince Qin notice that besides the Ministry of Works, even our own Ministry of Revenue hasn’t approved funds for itself? There must be good reason for approving funds for the Ministry of Works!”
Prince Qin coldly stared at the Crown Prince’s follower Yang Third Young Master, knowing that Yang Third’s words represented the Crown Prince. Displeased, he said: “The five southern barbarian tribes are in turmoil – doesn’t the frontier need provisions? These are all important matters. Since Big Brother manages the Ministry of Revenue, he should sort this out properly.”
Seeing Yang Third about to argue back, the Emperor said: “Enough, I roughly understand both your positions. Let’s make this the examination topic – let today’s candidates speak freely and see if they can provide a solution.”
The candidates immediately felt overwhelmed. They hadn’t yet entered officialdom – was this about choosing sides now? It would be best not to support either side. But taking no sides meant they needed to find ways to generate revenue… This put everyone in a difficult position.
After all, arithmetic was considered a lesser skill.
There might be true financial experts in the world, but not in the Ministry of Revenue or His Majesty’s Imperial Household Department… Even most noble families just bought some land and shops and left them be – who would truly study how to generate wealth?
The Emperor watched them, waiting for their response.
As First Scholar, Wei Shu had to speak first.
He was momentarily stunned, unable to think of any methods to generate wealth. Fortunately, his mind was quick, and in just these few moments, he roughly considered all the financial management methods he had encountered, saying: “The Ministry of Revenue’s last census of Great Wei’s population seems to have been ten years ago. In these ten years, I fear many have become bandits or wanderers, and much farmland has been abandoned. The Ministry can conduct a new census, redistribute land, and recalculate field taxes – perhaps this would generate considerable additional revenue.
“Moreover, corrupt officials can be investigated and dealt with.
“Furthermore, some rural strongmen have developed considerably in recent years…”
As Wei Shu listed these points one by one, the Crown Prince nodded repeatedly, and the Emperor’s expression softened with approval.
Because this young man’s thoughts were clear and his logic excellent, as he spoke and thought, he organized everything quite well… After Wei Shu finished, the Crown Prince felt regretful, thinking how good it would be if Wei Shu could be used for his purposes.
The Crown Prince looked at Wei Shu: “After the banquet, submit a memorial to me, reorganizing what you said tonight.”
Wei Shu bowed and agreed.
But while Wei Shu had stolen the spotlight, the other candidates behind him turned pale and unsightly, extremely resentful of Wei Shu.
They resented Wei Shu’s intelligence for saying everything they wanted to say – what could they say now? This person didn’t leave any room for others, did he?
Sure enough, when the Second Scholar gave his response after Wei Shu, he stammered and sweated, his words disconnected, making the Emperor stare at him for a long while: was this the level of a Second Scholar?
The Crown Prince waved his hand, understanding that Wei Shu had said everything these people could say. The Crown Prince estimated Wei Shu had covered everything alone and didn’t expect the other candidates to add anything more. The Crown Prince let the Second Scholar off, and next came the Third Scholar, Yan Shang.
The Crown Prince stared at Yan Shang, not holding much hope. After all, this person hadn’t read many books… His achieving Third Scholar might be as Yang Third guessed – Mu Wanyao’s protection and good luck.
Yan Shang was also deep in thought.
He should hide his abilities.
After all, he had just appeared not very talented before the Crown Prince. If he suddenly spoke eloquently now, the inconsistency might make him a thorn in the Crown Prince’s eye. But in a few months, when he showed his talents again, he would have the excuse of having studied for several months, and the Crown Prince wouldn’t focus on him so much.
However, Yan Shang didn’t plan to say anything. If he said nothing and became mediocre, no one here would remember him.
So saying something useful, but not stealing Wei Shu’s spotlight, would be best.
Yan Shang therefore spoke deliberately and methodically: “In my humble opinion, to generate wealth, besides common methods like land and shops, trade with other countries is more useful. Not just land trade, but maritime trade is equally important. As someone from Lingnan, while court officials mostly consider Lingnan a backward place – when I first came to Chang’an, some even wondered how Lingnan people who supposedly ate raw meat and drank blood could be literate – some rare specialties from Lingnan cannot be found in the Central Plains. For example, lychees are precious in Chang’an but commonplace in Lingnan, found everywhere.”
When he spoke thus, everyone present laughed.
Yan Shang continued: “If we opened up trade routes widely, exchanging the common and uncommon, wouldn’t that be much better? Moreover, I believe money need not mold in treasuries – when it circulates, mobilizing human and material resources, it can truly be effective.”
Though he spoke just these few casual sentences, the Emperor’s previously indifferent gaze fixed on him.
The Crown Prince leaned forward, wanting to hear him continue.
However, Yan Shang raised his eyes and smiled: “These are just some crude thoughts, still immature. This is all I can think of at present.”
The Crown Prince couldn’t help feeling disappointed. He thought that after all, a commoner’s son might have fresh perspectives but was still too crude.
Yet he was still different from the others. The Crown Prince nodded: “You also write a memorial for me.”
Yan Shang agreed.
Then came the other candidates, all stammering without saying anything substantial. So after everyone had spoken, the Crown Prince had only requested memorials from Wei Shu and Yan Shang, which everyone found reasonable.
With this round complete, the Emperor’s examination of the candidates concluded. With Wei Shu and Yan Shang at the front setting the standard, the Emperor was marginally satisfied and ordered rewards for these candidates, with Wei Shu’s and Yan Shang’s being the most generous.
The Crown Prince’s expression darkened slightly, wondering why Father Emperor gave Yan Shang such generous rewards. Could Yan Shang be more outstanding than he thought… The Crown Prince turned back, intending to exchange glances with Yang Third, to discuss with Yang Si.
But he saw Yang Si absent-mindedly drinking wine, his gaze wandering, seeming to be daydreaming again.
The Crown Prince: “…”
He could only feel disappointed in his followers.
The Emperor smiled at Yan Shang: “Yan Su Chen, seeing your youthful brilliance, my heart is moved. I wonder if you have a wife at home?”
The Crown Prince was startled, then suddenly understood – so Father Emperor’s generous rewards for Yan Shang, equal to Wei Shu’s, weren’t for other reasons but because he wanted to arrange a marriage. But marry him to whom… The Crown Prince’s eyelids twitched with a bad premonition.
Yan Shang was stunned, truly not expecting his marriage prospects to receive such attention from so many people.
Being asked about it constantly these past two days was one thing, but even the Emperor was concerned.
Yan Shang could only answer: “I am not yet married.”
He resisted the urge to look at Mu Wanyao’s expression.
He had just told Mu Wanyao he wouldn’t marry, but if the Emperor arranged a marriage… he couldn’t refuse.
How would Mu Wanyao think of him?
As he anxiously tried to think of a solution, the Emperor above smiled and said: “That’s wonderful! Yan Su Chen, what do you think about my youngest daughter, Danyang, for you?”
Yan Shang suddenly looked up, his eyes full of confusion.
The Emperor grew increasingly satisfied as he looked at him.
Yan Shang had no backing, was a poor scholar, and who knew when he would enter officialdom. Moreover, Yan Shang was young, handsome, and talented – he was this year’s Third Scholar after all.
Didn’t everyone hope he would arrange a marriage for Mu Wanyao? Then he would arrange for Mu Wanyao to marry Yan Shang.
This way, at least for three or four years, Mu Wanyao would let him rest easy.
Hearing the Emperor’s words, Mu Wanyao suddenly raised her head to look at her father.
The Crown Prince’s heart sank as he slightly clenched his fist. And Yang Third, who had been daydreaming for so long, suddenly came to his senses, looking at Yan Shang, then at Mu Wanyao. Yang Si suddenly felt angry, feeling the Emperor was truly bullying Mu Wanyao.
Her first marriage was a political alliance; for her second, to be matched with a Third Scholar without any background to dispose of her?
Wasn’t this too cruel to Mu Wanyao?
Did Mu Wanyao mean nothing more than political benefit to the Emperor, with no familial affection left?
Yang Si was about to stand up, almost instantly ready to declare his willingness to marry Mu Wanyao, to compete with the Third Scholar for her.
If no one in this world would be good to Yaoyao, what harm was there in him entering the fray?
Yang Si was firmly pulled back by the Crown Prince, who held him down tightly to prevent him from speaking up at this moment. Yang Si glared at the Crown Prince, who shook his head at him, indicating to wait and watch, not to enter the situation at this time—
Everyone fell silent, Yan Shang lost in thought.
If… if the Emperor arranged his marriage to Mu Wanyao, he couldn’t refuse, and perhaps it wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Between him and Mu Wanyao…
As Yan Shang’s thoughts were in chaos, he heard Mu Wanyao’s lazy yet unrestrained laugh, her voice like jade chimes, carrying a hint of determination: “Father, what are you saying? I am unwilling to marry this country bumpkin.”
Yan Shang was startled and looked at her.
She stared at him coldly as she slowly stood up.
Their eyes met, many scenes floating up in their shared gaze, then dissipating one by one.
Yan Shang watched her, saw her stubbornness, her endurance, as she coldly turned away her eyes, no longer looking at him.
She stepped out from her seat and knelt beside Yan Shang, raising her hands in salute: “With his background and shallow learning, if Father truly cares for me, you shouldn’t make me marry such an inadequate person.”
The Emperor fell silent.
He asked: “Yan Su Chen, what do you think?”
Yan Shang said softly: “Your Highness is a golden branch and jade leaf – I am not worthy of Your Highness.”
Mu Wanyao knelt beside him, hearing him say this, her eyelashes trembled, almost bringing tears. But she pressed her lips together in silence, her eyes rippling with emotion. He glanced at her, and she wasn’t sure if she had read it wrong, but she felt Yan Shang wasn’t angry with her.
That glance was full of gentleness, full of understanding—
It’s alright, don’t be afraid.
No one can force you—
No one could force her.
At least at this moment, Yan Shang was helping her.
He was so good, so very very good.