Putting aside the family ties, the emperor completely used the Mu Wanyao couple as tools.

Mu Wanyao couldn't stay idle at home, so as to give the Yan family the illusion that she was very virtuous. She became busy like before marriage, summoning ministers to discuss government affairs every day. There was an endless stream of carriages in front of the princess's mansion, and officials lined up in the alley. Every envoy had someone waiting to see the princess, which made Yan's father next door amazed at the princess's daughter-in-law.

But Yan's father couldn't say anything, because his Erlang was probably as busy as the princess.

In October, Mu Wanyao and Yan Shang both fell ill. The Yan family didn’t figure out what illness the couple had. After they recovered, they each got busy.

As the head of the six ministries, the Ministry of Personnel had officials called Tianguan, and Yan Shang's position as Kaogonglang was called "Tianguanlang", and he was called to Zhongshusheng and the Imperial Study almost every day to answer questions. At the same time, after Yan Shang recovered from his illness, he was given the title of Fengche Duwei. Fengche Duwei was also a fifth-rank official, but he was an official in front of the emperor, who could see the emperor every day without being asked, and was also in charge of some military affairs.

In November, Yan Shang was given the title of Hanlin scholar and concurrently served as the director of Hongwenguan.

No matter what other official positions, only Yan Shang's appointment as the director of Hongwenguan caused a sensation in the officialdom of Chang'an. Yan's father, a Jinshi who had been in Chang'an, was also deeply worried about his Erlang. Because he knew his own business, Yan Erlang was definitely excellent in practical matters, but when it came to writing, Yan Shang was shallow and perfunctory, so how could he be qualified to be the director of Hongwenguan?

As the Hongwenguan, the institution with the most abundant books in Chang'an, what does the position of its director have to do with Yan Shang?

However, the officials in Chang'an who were well versed in the rules of the officialdom all knew that the director of the Hongwenguan had always been a part-time job for the future prime minister. The emperor was paving the way for Yan Shang, but according to Yan Shang's age, he was not qualified. All the previous directors of the Hongwenguan were great scholars with rich knowledge. Yan Shang was young and had no reputation in the poetry and literature world. How could he convince people?

Prime Minister Liu even came to ask Yan Shanghua what the emperor meant.

The emperor was just making the best use of everything, and it depended on whether Yan Shang could do the job. If Yan Shang couldn't handle it now, there was no need to talk about the future.

So the Yan family lived in Chang'an for half a year, and they saw Mu Wanyao and Yan Shang only a few times. The two of them were busy with their own things. The princess was better off, she only had to wait for officials to line up to see her; Yan Shang, on the other hand, was not seen by anyone all day long. When Yan Shang occasionally had some free time to rest, the officials in the mansion lined up to ask him about government affairs, and the number was no less than that of the princess.

The Yan family felt ashamed of this extremely busy couple and wondered how many times they could see each other in a day.

However, Chang'an has been generally peaceful recently, except for the increasing anxiety of the King of Qin. However, something not too small happened in Youzhou.

Youzhou is vast and rugged, with abundant resources and sparse population. Yang Si has been here for two months.

In the past two months, the Chang'an Yang family has been discussing marriage with the Youzhou Jiedushi Qin family through correspondence. The Chang'an branch of the Yang family has become a victim in the recent struggle between the crown prince and the Qin prince, and its status is shaky and it is easy to be snatched away by other families. Using the marriage with the Qin family to stabilize the situation in Chang'an is not only the crown prince's intention, but also the need of the Yang family itself.

Probably the groom is the only one who doesn't take this marriage too seriously.

No matter how the two families planned to discuss the marriage or when the wedding would take place, when the Jiedushi of Youzhou asked Yang Si, Yang Sanlang's answer was very simple - just decide for yourself.

Yang Sanlang focused on the border turmoil with the northern nomadic tribes. He trained his troops every day and led his well-equipped cavalry to drive out the turmoil at the border. Yang Si even opened up a large horse farm to raise horses and do business with merchants at the border.

Yang Si often lived in the horse farm and did not come back. His mind was full of war and all his energy was devoted to it, which made his cheap father-in-law, the governor of Youzhou, very dissatisfied with him.

However, Yang Si was handsome and majestic.

It is said that the daughter of the governor of Youzhou saw Yang Sanlang lazily riding his horse through the city at dusk one day, followed closely by the capable soldiers. The setting sun was bright, and the young lady blushed and was so excited that she could not forget him and insisted on marrying the young general.

One day, Yang Sigang rode back from the border on horseback. He led thousands of soldiers and horses that he had trained himself to negotiate with the enemy army of 10,000 people, and won a small victory. When he came back, everyone was in a good mood and talked dirty while riding on the horse.

Yang Si was invited by someone sent by the Jiedushi of Youzhou.

The young men whistled and made faces, "General Yang, why don't you go? The young lady from the Qin family must have come to spy on our general again, and the governor was forced by the young lady to call the general over."

Yang Si curled his lips casually. He had never been enthusiastic about this marriage, but his generals were all from Youzhou, so he naturally couldn't be too perfunctory.

Yang Si went to report to the Jiedushi of Youzhou, and was mentally prepared, thinking that the Jiedushi must have asked him to accompany his daughter to go shopping to buy some rouge and powder. Yang Si didn't understand these things, but the lady kept asking him which color looked good...

Yang Si took a casual look and recognized two of the messy rouge colors. One was vermilion, the same color as the Wei army flag; the other was white, which anyone could recognize.

Yang Si thought it would be ugly if a girl's face was the same color as the military flag, so he said, "White."

Lady Qin cried and complained to the governor: "Sanlang must dislike my black skin."

Yang Si: “…”

He was irritated and felt disgusted. He thought he didn't like this kind of delicate and pretentious girl, but he thought that if she was a heroic heroine, he would think she was a brother and might not like her. So no matter who she was, it was difficult for him to mobilize his emotions.

Because he was angry and unwilling to give up. He knew that everyone was right, but in this fragmented daily triviality, he always couldn't help but recall the girl who made his heart flow like a spring.

Alarm bells rang in Yang Si's mind, telling him to stop thinking about it.

But this time was different. When Yang Si met the governor at his residence, he did not meet his fiancée.

The Jiedushi opened a letter and told Yang Si: "The New Year is coming to an end. Refugees who have escaped from Jizhou have appeared in the border areas of Chang'an. Jizhou is already dealing with it. The prince asked us to look after Jizhou. Jizhou has sealed off the prefectures and counties and settled the refugees. I will go directly to Chang'an and work with local officials to settle the refugees in Taiyuan Prefecture and Wannian County first. The rest of the matter of pacifying the refugees will be dealt with after the New Year."

Yang Si frowned.

When the Jiedushi said this, he instantly sketched a map in his mind and felt that the map was wrong. How could Youzhou help with the affairs of Chang'an? The army of Youzhou was naturally well-equipped, but this was for the border troops to deal with border invasions. To appease the refugees? How could it be a waste of talent?

But Yang Si thought that this was the army that the prince could mobilize, so he listened in silence. The prince did not have as many troops as the King of Qin, so being able to use the Youzhou troops was already very good.

The governor said, "Well, I will lead 30,000 soldiers to do this. You stay in Youzhou and guard the border. Those barbarians also know that our Wei Dynasty values ​​the end of the year. You must not give them a chance to invade."

Yang Si was slightly surprised.

He said, "The prince wants the governor to go?"

Jiedushi: “Yes.”

Yang Si: “Didn’t mention me?”

The Jiedushi confirmed: "No."

Yang Si's lips sank slightly, and he said, "This letter is wrong."

The governor was displeased: "This is the prince's handwritten letter, with the seal of the Eastern Palace. I have checked it again and again, how can it be fake?"

Yang Si stood straight and said indifferently, "The Jiedushi has been in Youzhou for more than ten years. He is a neighbor of the surrounding rioters and is very familiar with them. At such an important time as the end of the year, it should be the Jiedushi who is familiar with Youzhou who stays here. I am familiar with Wannian County and the terrain inside the pass... It should be me who leads the troops into the pass, not the Jiedushi."

When he said this, the Jiedushi also felt strange.

Yang Si: "I am afraid that something might happen in Chang'an. Please do not move your troops and stay in Youzhou. I will lead the troops to Wannian County to appease the refugees. I will personally write a letter to His Highness to tell him about this matter. He will not blame me."

Thinking of the relationship between his son-in-law and the prince, the governor hesitated for a moment and then agreed.

Yang Si returned to his own residence and was about to write a letter, but stopped writing. Although he was not as smart as Yan Shang, his keen intuition from years of military service told him that something must have changed. He did not believe that the prince trusted the governor of Youzhou more than he trusted him.

Yang Si planned to go back to Chang'an in person.

-----

At the end of December, the Wei diplomatic delegation, which had been on a four-year mission to neighboring countries, returned to Wei.

The common people lined the streets to welcome them, and the officials in Chang'an were also delighted. The central government specially held a banquet to entertain these people who had been wandering for four years. When they left the border, there were more than a hundred people, all of whom were pillars of the country selected by the court. But now when they returned, there were only a few dozen people left, which made people sigh.

Not only did they bring back a complete map of the surrounding area, and the news that the small countries wanted to re-attach to Wei, they also brought back intelligence about the Nanman -

The Nanman was an enemy that was too large and had been eyeing Wei covetously. After Wuman King Meng Zaishi returned to Nanman, Wei only knew that Nanman had been in a civil war, and the news brought back by the envoys told Wei that as long as the last Nanman was conquered, the entire Nanman would be unified.

The Wuman King who left Wei on that day is now a loyal minister of the Nanman King, and he fights with the Nanman King in his campaigns.

All these things were reported to the Central Government by the Chief Envoy and his Deputy Envoy Wei Qilang Wei Shu. The Chief Envoy was determined to cultivate Wei Qilang, and he did not take any credit for Wei Qilang. As a result, the Central Government focused on Wei Shu and suddenly discovered that Wei Juyuan, the young man who won the first place in the imperial examination at the age of fourteen, was now a young man.

The young man on the pagoda, who was as white as snow, was handsome and radiant. He had already jumped out of the cage that the Wei family had put him in and was no longer the same as before.

While Wei Shu was being watched by the central government, Concubine Zhao Ling stood in front of her own mansion, looking up at the plaque above the door with a confused look in her heart. The word "Zhao" made her feel a lot of emotions, but she was also afraid to go back to her hometown, so she didn't dare to take a step for a long time.

She stood in front of the door for a long time. Suddenly, the door opened and her father was walking out of the house, meeting her eyes.

Lord Zhao stared at her, his majestic face suddenly trembled, and his voice trembled: "Wu, Wu Niang?"

Zhao Lingfei's eyes flickered. When she was outside the Great Wall, everyone called her "Lingfei" and no one remembered her as Zhao Wuniang. But when she returned to Chang'an, Zhao Wuniang, who was engraved in her bones, came back, and she found that she didn't seem to hate this title that much...

Concubine Zhao Ling said in a trembling voice: "Father..."

Lord Zhao took a step forward and said, "Wu Niang, is it really you? You're back? You, you, you... why don't you come over here and let father take a good look at you!"

Zhao Lingfei choked up and wanted to laugh, but tears fell from her eyes. She looked at her father's white hair and wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. He looked much older and more solemn. But when he was cursing, he was still her father.

Zhao Lingfei rushed over and hugged her father, tears streaming down her face. She acted like a spoiled child to her parents like any other little girl in the world, without any pressure: "Father, where is my mother? I miss you so much..."

-----

When the Zhao family father and daughter were reunited, there were few people on Chang'an Street. Yan Xiaozhou was going to the East Market with his third brother to buy some New Year's goods.

Originally, Yan Xiaozhou was going with her two sisters-in-law, but Yan Sanlang insisted on coming. Her third brother wanted to make money secretly, so he was concerned about the market price. Knowing her third brother's thoughts, Yan Xiaozhou did not refuse. Walking on the street with her brother, the Yan siblings were in a very good mood.

Walking in the cold wind, Yan Sanlang shouted loudly: "This is my first time to celebrate the New Year in Chang'an. It seems to be no different from our Lingnan. My second brother said that it is very cold here in winter, but I don't think it's a big deal."

Yan Xiaozhou tilted her head and saw that her second brother's cheeks were red from the cold, but he was still so stubborn, and she couldn't help but pursed her lips and smiled.

She said softly: "The best thing is to be able to spend the New Year with my second brother."

Yan Sanlang spoke frankly, "How can we celebrate the New Year with Second Brother? You don't understand. A high-ranking official like Second Brother would attend a palace banquet on New Year's Eve and would not be with us at all. We should just close the door and celebrate by ourselves. I would say it's similar to what we did in Lingnan... A-choo!"

Yan Xiaozhou frowned: "Third brother, have you caught a cold?"

Saburo was stubborn and strong: "No!"

Yan Xiaozhou was about to persuade her again when a cold wind blew past from the right. With a sudden feeling in his heart, Yan Xiaozhou looked over and saw a man wearing a hood and covered in a cloak the same color as the night, riding a horse past.

The man was crouching low on the horse's back, riding at a very fast speed, and he did not slow down at all on the streets of Chang'an. His horsemanship was excellent, and just as the passers-by were getting panicked, the man and the horse had already passed away like black lightning.

When Yan Xiaozhou looked at the man, he was hiding under his hood, with only a pair of cold and ruthless eyes looking at her.

Their eyes met, and the man was startled and looked away.

Yan Xiaozhou took a step in that direction, and the man had already ridden away. The time they brushed past each other was no more than a breath. The wind brushed against Yan Xiaozhou's cheek, and Yan Xiaozhou turned her head, her clothes fluttering in the wind. Her eyes were like flowing waves, chasing the man and the horse who turned into the alley and disappeared.

Yan Sanlang was puzzled: "Xiao Zhou, what's wrong?"

Yan Xiaozhou shook his head slowly and pursed his lips slightly.

That man was Yang Si.

She was a little hesitant at first, but after the man made eye contact with her, he looked away, allowing Yan Xiaozhou to confirm that he had not recognized the wrong person.

But Yang Si should be in Youzhou. As a general in charge of tens of thousands of soldiers, how could he secretly return to Chang'an without being mobilized?

Yan Xiaozhou was afraid that if she told the truth, it would cause trouble for Yang Si. Facing Yan Sanlang's questioning, she was silent for a moment and said that she had recognized the wrong person. She was just uneasy in her heart, and always felt that this year's end might not be peaceful.

-----

On New Year's Eve, Yan Shang attended the palace banquet for the first time as a fifth-rank official.

As the beloved disciple of the soon-to-retire Prime Minister Liu, he now holds several positions and is a familiar face to the emperor. At the palace banquet, many officials socialize with him. After Yan Shang dealt with these ministers in a gentle voice, he seized the opportunity to find Wei Shu who was sitting quietly in the corner.

Yan Shang smiled and said, "Juyuan still likes to be alone."

Wei Shu looked up and saw Yan Shang standing in front of him. The young man, who was as bright as jade, looked at him and bowed to him.

Under the palace lanterns, Yan Shang, who was standing under the lights, was thin, with clear eyebrows and eyes, and slightly pale skin. But when he smiled at people, his excellent demeanor and his fatigue neutralized each other, making people feel as if they were bathed in spring breeze.

Wei Shu stood up and respectfully offered Shang a glass of wine.

After not seeing each other for a few years, Wei Shu was happy in his heart, but he had less to say. Fortunately, Yan Shang didn't mind. Even though Wei Shu was very frugal with words, he could guide the topic without embarrassment and let Wei Shu speak. So, after sitting with Yan Shang for a while, Wei Shu regained the friendship they had in the past, and his face relaxed and he was willing to talk more.

Wei Shu looked at Yan Shang and said, "I haven't congratulated Brother Yan and His Highness on finally getting married."

Yan Shang smiled faintly and offered him a glass of wine: "Thank you."

Wei Shu said, "Why isn't Your Highness with my second brother?"

Yan Shang said gently: "Your Highness is with the ladies of the harem, and I am with the ministers, so naturally we are not together. Does Juyuan want to see Your Highness? I will send someone to find her."

Wei Shu shook his head: "I just think you two are both very busy. Do you usually see each other?"

Yan Shang sighed: "I can only take a break from my busy schedule."

Wei Shu frowned and looked at Yan Shang. He saw that Yan Shang looked pale and his spirit was not as bright as when he was young, but it was supported by his good temperament. He had been back in Chang'an for less than half a month when he heard about Yan Erlang's style. He was charming, but he was too busy... Your Majesty should use Yan Erge as three people.

Wei Shu advised: "Second brother, you should take care of your health. No matter how busy you are in the court, you shouldn't risk your life."

Yan Shang's smile deepened, and he said with a sigh and a smile: "I didn't expect Juyuan to persuade people like this now. I know what's going on, don't worry, Juyuan. Um... Juyuan, are you going back to your eldest brother's house to keep watch tonight?"

He had been in the court for a long time, so he naturally knew the change in Luoyang Wei's attitude towards Wei Shu.

Wei Shu shook his head: "No. I'll live alone."

Yan Shang was slightly stunned.

Wei Shu looked at him with a clear and focused gaze.

Yan Shang raised his eyebrows slightly, guessing Wei Shu's thoughts, and invited with a smile: "Why don't you come to the princess's mansion and stay up with me and His Highness?"

Wei Shu smiled immediately: "Okay."

-----

The ministers left the banquet faster, and after the palace banquet, Yan Shang invited Wei Shu to ride in the same carriage. Originally, Yan Shang wanted to wait for Mu Wanyao to join him, but Mu Wanyao was called away by the emperor, so Yan Shang had to go back with Wei Shu first.

Mu Wanyao's side was because the Princess and the Imperial Concubine had a dispute at the palace banquet. Neither of them was convinced, so they went to the Emperor to seek justice. The Emperor was quite troubled by these trivial matters, so he called Mu Wanyao to mediate. After Mu Wanyao asked, she soon realized that Princess Luling was probably deliberately picking on someone this time and was innocent.

The Prince of Qin has been very anxious in the court recently, causing the imperial concubines in the harem to become anxious as well, and they wanted to use this to test the emperor's attitude.

Mu Wanyao naturally wanted to comfort the Imperial Concubine, which wronged Princess Luling. The Princess was furious and said that they bullied her. She had a big fight with Mu Wanyao and left the palace.

Mu Wanyao was also tired of these trivial matters. She was scolded by Princess Luling for handling this matter, and she was in a bad mood. The light snow fell, elegant and cool. Mu Wanyao left the palace with a gloomy face. When the carriage arrived at the door of her mansion, she felt better when she thought of Yan Shang.

Come to think of it, she hadn't had a good conversation with Yan Shang with her eyes open for several days.

Looking up at the snow in the sky, Mu Wanyao felt better and quickened his pace.

-----

Yan Shang was chatting with Wei Shu in the mansion. When he heard the maid say that His Highness's carriage had returned, he got up and went out of the mansion to pick up Mu Wanyao.

Wei Shu hadn't seen Mu Wanyao for a long time, and he was excited. He stood up following Yan Shang.

When Yan Shang was leaving the house, he happened to meet Mu Wanyao. He was the first to appear at the house gate, wearing a jade crown and long robe, and looked solemn. Wei Shu behind him was not seen by Mu Wanyao. When Mu Wanyao saw Yan Shang, her heart was moved.

There is no need to be particular about it in front of your house.

The wine at the banquet made her steps stagger, and Mu Wanyao hurried over and hugged Yan Shang's neck. Before Yan Shang had time to tell her that Wei Shu was here, Mu Wanyao leaned forward and kissed him on the lips, and she pushed gently to force him to open his mouth.

The maids and guards around all bowed their heads.

Yan Shang was shocked. He had his hand on her waist, and he was calm and collected. But now he immediately covered her mouth and pushed her away. Yan Shang kept one hand on her waist to prevent her from falling, and covered her mouth with the other hand to push her face away.

He lowered his head calmly and smiled at Mu Wan: "Your Highness must have drunk too much. You walked unsteadily and almost fell. Don't let Ju Yuan laugh at you."

Wei Shu bowed from behind and lowered his eyes, pretending he saw nothing: "Your Highness."

Mu Wan shook: "..."

She slowly pulled away Yan Shang's hand that was covering her mouth, feeling a little embarrassed for a moment. She looked at Yan Shang and saw that he had a polite smile on his face, but his ears were completely red, and it was obvious that he was more uncomfortable than her. Mu Wan glared at him, saying that he spoke too slowly and embarrassed her in front of Wei Shu.

Mu Wan coughed and said in a gentle voice: "Why is Ju Yuan here?"

Wei Shu lowered his head and said, "Second Brother Yan asked me to come and celebrate the New Year with you. I wonder if Your Highness would mind."

Mu Wan said teasingly, "I don't mind, but you don't have to keep your head down and not dare to look."

-----

The prince is not in the East Palace tonight.

He appeared in Yang Mansion, in Yang Sanlang's bedroom, sat against the wall, and watched the young man in front of him lift his hood and reveal his true face.

The prince stared at him and said, "You are so brave to go back to Chang'an without permission."

Yang Si said, "If I don't return to Chang'an, I don't know what you will do. Your Highness, are you going to get rid of me?"

He took a step forward, his eyes suddenly reddened, and he said in a suppressed voice: "So you forced me to get married, forced me to stay in Youzhou... all so that I can untie you?!"