Liu Wenji made two preparations: one was to send someone to stop the enemy, and the other was to go find Princess Danyang.
An old Taoist priest prepared the medicine that the emperor wanted in his own temple in the palace and carefully brought it out. He was an old doctor that Liu Wenji had found for the emperor overseas. It was said that he knew some magical skills and could also treat illnesses.
Regardless of whether it was true or not, the other imperial doctors were not optimistic about the emperor's condition. Only this old Taoist was confident that he could help the emperor recover. At the critical moment of life and death, it was self-evident who the emperor trusted more.
When the old Taoist was about to leave the temple, he was stopped by an eunuch and dragged to the corridor of the palace. The eunuch chatted with the old Taoist with a smile and told him Liu Wenji's instructions: "...Eunuch Liu asked you to secretly remove a few herbs, so that this bowl of soup can't really make the family lineage end."
The old Taoist was embarrassed: "...This is a crime of deceiving the emperor."
The eunuch who came to deliver the message did not force him, but only said: "The old immortal is from outside the country, and is different from us dirty people. Of course, he does not know whose words will count in this palace after the emperor returns. The old immortal can do it himself."
The old Taoist priest was trembling with fear because of the threat. On a frosty day in October, he stood at the gate of the palace holding the medicine he had prepared, and he broke out in a cold sweat.
The eunuch whispered to him and left. The old Taoist stood there at a loss, waiting for the eunuch who came to fetch him. The eunuch saw him carrying the medicine and yelled, "You've already boiled it, but why don't you bring it? Are you waiting for His Majesty to punish you?"
As the eunuch was speaking, he came to snatch the Taoist priest's medicine, but the Taoist priest, who was in his seventies or eighties, suddenly moved swiftly and dodged sideways.
The old Taoist wrinkled his face into a chrysanthemum-like smile and bowed humbly: "Sir, I suddenly remembered that this medicine is missing an ingredient. Alas, I am old and my memory is not good."
The eunuch frowned, instinctively not believing it. But this old Taoist priest was a big celebrity around the emperor recently, so he didn't want to offend him, so he waved his hand and asked him to prepare the medicine again.
-----
Liu Wenji listened to the eunuch's report and hurried out of the palace. He was confused and hesitant. However, the closer he got to the road out of the palace, the slower his steps became.
He wanted to help Yan Shang... But what if the emperor found out that he was the one who sent the message to the princess and used this as an excuse to kill him? The old emperor had always wanted to kill him, but the princes were still fine, so the old emperor didn't find the opportunity.
Liu Wenji was unwilling to hand the opportunity to the emperor himself.
After crossing the Longshou Canal, Liu Wenji stopped in front of the Danfeng Gate, which was about to leave the palace. The eunuch who had been following him said, "Eunuch, aren't we going out?"
Liu Wenji said indifferently: "I'm not going."
He turned around and was about to go back, but when he narrowed his eyes, he saw a carriage with the Jin Palace logo coming in from Danfeng Gate. This carriage was not of sufficient specifications and could not pass directly, so it was being inspected at the palace gate. Liu Wenji stared at the carriage for a long time, and suddenly something moved in his heart, and he strode over.
The eunuchs guarding the palace gates all bowed their heads and said, "Eunuch."
Liu Wenji walked to the carriage and opened the curtain without saying a word. As expected, the person sitting in the carriage was Chunhua. Chunhua opened her eyes wide and looked at him in surprise. She didn't expect him to open the curtain directly. The maids and guards outside didn't react.
Obviously, Chunhua entered the palace to fulfill her filial piety under the orders of the couple.
Liu Wenji said sarcastically, "The Prince of Jin and his wife did not come, but only sent a concubine. Isn't this a disrespect to Your Majesty? I advise Your Majesty to go back and explain the interests to your prince. What's the point of sending a concubine?"
He got on the car, leaned close to Chunhua's ear and whispered a few words.
Chunhua's body trembled slightly, and after meeting his gaze, she nodded slightly to him.
Liu Wenji smiled at her. When he smiled, his depression was relieved, his eyebrows were full of spring, and he looked like a young man with romantic spirit. Chunhua was moved by his kindness, thinking that he still cared about his old friends even though he was in such a state; she also felt sad for him and couldn't bear to look at him any longer.
Seeing that she was still so kind, Liu Wenzhi couldn't help but smile and suppress the bitterness in his heart for a moment.
She thought he was naive, and that he just wanted to drag Prince Jin down with him - to establish a relationship with him.
After lowering the curtain, Liu Wenji turned around and went back to the palace without saying a word to the maids and guards of the Prince of Jin's mansion who apologized and asked for advice. The servants were relieved that they could enter the palace after dealing with the emperor's favorite, but they heard their concubine speak softly but firmly in the carriage: "I forgot to bring the shoes I made for my mother. Let's go back and get them."
Everyone tried to persuade them, but the usually easy-going Consort ignored them today. They had no choice but to leave the palace.
When they were some distance away from the palace, Chunhua ordered, "Go to Princess Danyang's residence."
-----
Mu Wanyao was meeting Liu Ruozhu at her house, and her sister-in-law Yan Xiaozhou was also by her side. Because the Yan family wanted the princess to help Yan Xiaozhou with her marriage, they naturally wanted Yan Xiaozhou and Mu Wanyao to get to know each other better.
Liu Ruozhu came to say goodbye.
Liu Ruozhu smiled and distributed the pens, inkstones, and various rare books to the princess and her sister-in-law. She said in a gentle voice: "My husband was transferred to Hexi Prefecture to serve, where foreigners and our Wei people live together. I heard that many ancient books were burned as firewood there, and I feel very sad.
"So, after discussing with my family, I decided to follow my husband to Hexi. I may not see Your Highness for the next few years, so I came here to say goodbye."
Mu Wanyao was reluctant to leave. During her years in Chang'an, Liu Ruozhu helped her a lot in her daily life with the Chang'an girls. Although this girl looked bookish, she was not a nerd. Liu Ruozhu was very knowledgeable and interesting. Even if she had a little hostility towards him because of Yan Shang at the beginning, it disappeared over the years.
Mu Wan tried to persuade him to stay, saying, "Then Yan Shang and I will hold a banquet for you and your wife some other day, and you can leave later."
Liu Ruozhu was about to say something when the maid outside hurriedly reported that the concubine of the King of Jin had arrived. Mu Wanyao was surprised. Due to the delicate relationship between their positions, Chunhua never came to visit her. But today... the door curtain was opened, and Chunhua was in a hurry, looking embarrassed, and she ran over with her skirt lifted...
Yan Xiaozhou and Liu Ruozhu didn't hear what Chunhua said to the princess, but they saw Mu Wanyao's face suddenly changed and he stood up. Mu Wanyao didn't have time to greet them and walked out.
-----
Yan Shang was in the palace, discussing some official business with the emperor, and the recent affairs of the Ministry of Personnel. The emperor had kept his eyes closed, and only when the bowl of the heir-killing soup was brought to the long table in front of Yan Shang did the emperor open his cloudy eyes and stare at Yan Shang.
Yan Shang lowered his eyes and looked at the bowl of medicine for a long while.
He felt bitter, sad, and disappointed, but also had a sense of relief that was hard to describe. It was good to think this way, at least it would reassure everyone... He picked up the medicine bowl and drank it all.
The emperor breathed a sigh of relief and lay back.
Yan Shang left the palace, the sun shining brightly on him. He felt dizzy and uncomfortable, standing in the hallway in a trance, and the eunuch Cheng An who followed him did not urge him. Yan Shang looked at the flocks of wild geese flying in the sky, returning from the north to the south, but he was also desolate and lonely...
Mu Wanyao's voice came from below: "Yan Shang!"
Yan Shang came back to his senses, lowered his eyes, and looked at Mu Wanyao who had appeared at some point under the altar. She looked up at him, holding up her skirt and running towards him. Yan Shang smiled at her slightly, his eyes were filled with sadness and relief, but the corners of his lips curled up slightly.
Mu Wan ran over and grabbed his wrist. She stared at him and said in a sharp and urgent tone: "Did you drink? Did you drink?"
Yan Shang saw that she was about to go crazy, so he reached out to stop her: "Yao Yao, calm down, it's nothing..."
Mu Wan shook her head: "No, there is something! There is obviously something!"
She held his arm and dragged him down the steps. She was like a madman: "Go to the Shang Pharmacy, go get all the imperial doctors! I want them to induce vomiting, I want them to dissolve this medicine..."
Cheng An advised from behind: "Your Highness, this is His Majesty's order. His Majesty is doing this for your own good..."
Mu Wan shook her head, her eyes glaring: "I don't accept it, I don't need it! Go find the imperial doctors for me, find the person who prescribed the medicine, I want to kill him! I must kill him!"
Tears were already flashing in her eyes. She felt that she was close to collapse, being tortured to the point of madness by her sick father - "If anything happens to Yan Shang, if it goes as you all wish, I will never let you go!
"If Father wants to kill the person who informed me, then kill me too! If Father wants to kill Yan Shang, then kill me too!"
She was trembling all over, and the hand she was holding was cold. Yan Shang held her hand with his backhand, and she looked up at him, pitiful: "Do you want to vomit? Can you vomit? Let's try to induce vomiting... Let's find all the doctors to see the doctor, okay?"
Yan Shang said softly: "Why do you have to do this... I don't think it's a big deal. You and I are husband and wife, wouldn't we be able to trust each other more this way?"
Tears were about to fall from Mu Wanyao's eyes: "If you marry me, you have to make such a sacrifice, how can I bear it? I don't want you to become like me, I don't want to use this to prove anything... What sin did you commit to meet such a sick family like us... I don't want you to be like this!"
She grabbed his arm with such force that it trembled. She said uncomfortably, "Can you spit it out? Can you? When did you drink the medicine? Second brother Yan, listen to me, let's spit out the medicine... okay?"
Yan Shang looked down at her. He felt bad, but Mu Wanyao looked so miserable, and she looked like she was at a loss... He had already accepted his fate, but seeing her like this, he smiled slightly and said, "Okay, I'll listen to you."
Mu Wan choked and hugged him.
-----
When the emperor heard about Muwan's noise, he sighed and let his daughter do what she wanted. He felt cold-blooded and asked the old immortal who prescribed the medicine. When he learned that the medicine was not easy to cure, he felt relieved.
He also let his daughter go to the imperial physician. As for the person who informed his daughter, he could not kill him, so he punished him. Not only did he order the Prince of Jin to ban Chunhua, but he also fined Liu Wenji's salary. The emperor thought that Mu Wanyao was a princess after all, and she would soon understand that he was doing it for her own good.
The emperor firmly believed that he was protecting Mu Wanyao.
Mu Wanyao hated the emperor very much.
Yan Shang's family was still in Chang'an, living right across from them... They saw each other everywhere. Did the emperor want Yan Shang's family to hate her? Was Yan Shang going to be humiliated by the royal family just because he married her?
When the imperial doctors came to the princess's house, Mu Wanyao didn't even dare to say anything. She didn't dare to say that Yan Shang was in trouble, she just said that she was dizzy and asked the imperial doctors to take a look. When the Yan family learned that the princess was sick, they were particularly worried. They usually didn't dare to deal with the princess, but at this time they sent Yan Xiaozhou to ask if there was anything they could help with.
Yan Xiaozhou also brought the princess a kind of cane sugar from Lingnan that the princess liked very much, and smiled: "My second brother often wrote to us, saying that Your Highness likes to eat it. If Your Highness is not convenient, we will not visit the patient. Just if Your Highness has taken the medicine and his mouth is bitter, you can suck on some candy."
Yan Xiaozhou stood on tiptoe in the courtyard, worried: "I just saw my second brother come back. Is His Highness seriously ill? If he is well, can my second brother tell us?"
But the people in the princess's mansion only knew that the imperial doctors were here to treat Yan Erlang. None of them knew what illness they were treating. Probably only the princess and Yan Erlang knew the inside story. Qiu Si brought Yan Xiaozhou's words to Mu Wanyao, who was standing outside the dormitory, watching the imperial doctors coming in and out, and they lowered their heads and didn't dare to look at her.
Mu Wan lowered her head and sat down, looking at her palm. Her face was white, her eyes were cold and dark, and she didn't respond at all.
A bold imperial physician came up and said embarrassment: Even if the medicine has already been taken and vomited out, some of its efficacy must have been absorbed.
Mu Wanyao was firm: "I don't care, I want you to cure him. He just took the medicine not long ago, he just needs to vomit it out. If you can't cure him, you will all die."
The imperial physician was in a dilemma: "Perhaps the medicine is too effective. Erlang has a fever. We should reduce his fever first..."
Mu Wan shook her head and screamed: "I don't care what you do! Just give it to me..."
A weak voice came from inside: "Yaoyao..."
She was stunned, and suddenly pushed away the people around her and went into the inner room. She walked through the screen and saw Yan Shang lying in front of the bed, spitting out a pool of water. The imperial doctors didn't know what medicine he had prescribed for him. He was about to vomit the acid in his stomach, and he was extremely exhausted, but his face was hot and red because of the fever...
Mu Wanyao sat over with a sad look on her face, holding him and letting him lean on her shoulder.
He sighed: "Stop it... Yaoyao, you're going to torture me to death..."
Mu Wanyao said stubbornly: "Just bear with it for a while. I want a healthy you..."
Yan Shang closed her eyes and breathed weakly. However, he held her cold hand and spoke to her in a gentle and soothing voice: "Does it mean you don't love me anymore if I'm like this? Please let me rest for a while, I really can't vomit anymore.
"Wouldn't it be better to do something useful instead of wasting your time on me?"
Mu Wan shook her head: "No."
Yan Shang sighed: "Yaoyao, be obedient."
Mu Wan lowered his head and said indifferently: "Why didn't you listen? Just listen to the imperial doctors and get rid of the poison. You just drank the medicine, it will definitely be excreted..."
He fumbled around, propped himself up and sat up a little, then held her in his arms. Her face was against the side of his neck, and Yan Shang smiled: "You."
Doing useless work.
Mu Wan raised her head and coaxed him: "Don't talk anymore, we will treat your illness and help you get better. He wants you to have no children or grandchildren, but we won't do what he wants. We will give you concubines, and you will sleep with 17 or 18 women right away, and my father will be so mad at you..."
Yan Shang couldn't help laughing, his eyes slightly curved: "What nonsense are you talking about again. Do you want to piss yourself off to death, or tire me to death?"
Mu Wan shook her head with a determined look, "This matter is not over yet. Don't worry, brother, I will definitely seek justice for you. This matter will not be let go like this... You have to get better, don't give up on yourself. Marrying me is something I like, and it will definitely not be something that will hurt you. Second brother Yan, don't worry, I will not, will never... let you get hurt!"
Yan Shang looked at her quietly.
He could see that she had no luck in her eyes, and she was not happy at all because of this. She was unable to have children, but she never thought of making him the same as her. This was his Yaoyao... the girl he loved. She was different from her father, she had him in her heart.
Love is not a business, nor is it fair. Just because I am like you, you must be as miserable as me. They work hard to protect this love, and are careful not to hurt this love...
Mu Wanyao whispered: "So, just listen to me and follow the doctor's advice, okay?"
Yan Shang said in a hoarse voice: "...Okay."
-----
In the afternoon, Yan Shang fainted because he took too much medicine. The imperial doctors had been trying to find a way to reduce Yan Shang's fever.
Mu Wanyao sat in the outer room, and when she heard the thunder outside, she suddenly felt that everything was extremely cramped. She couldn't sit here any longer. The frowns and sorrows of the imperial doctors were driving her crazy, and the concern of the people next door made her ashamed.
Mu Wanyao stood up suddenly and went outside the princess's residence. As she left the bedroom, a heavy rain began to fall overhead.
The emperor was sleeping soundly in his bedroom when he was awakened by the noise outside. He opened his eyes and saw the palace door had been opened again. His daughter, who was soaking wet, embarrassed and flamboyant, stepped on the water and broke into his bedroom amid thunder and lightning.
The emperor raised his hand and asked the palace servants to leave.
The emperor looked at Mu Wanyao's expression and said with relief, "The effect of the medicine can't be removed, right?"
Mu Wan stood in the hall, looking at the old man sitting on a recliner in the dark. Her face was tense, her pretty face twitched with emotion, and her expression became a little distorted.
She gnashed her teeth and said, "You lunatic! You bastard! Not only did you destroy me, you also want to destroy my husband! You destroyed Yan Shang, and you want to destroy the relationship between him and me. You clearly promised us to get married, but what are you doing!
"Do you want Yan Shang to hate me? Do you want Yan Shang and I to become enemies? You old bastard, what are you doing!"
The emperor frowned and slammed the table in anger, but he was weak due to his illness: "How dare you! How dare you talk to your own father? I am doing this for your own good!"
Mu Wanyao couldn't help laughing.
She felt like a crazy woman. She was indeed crazy and came here to vent her emotions. But she stared at the emperor. She was not afraid of him at all. She did not hide her hatred: "For me? Do you mean that in order to protect me from being betrayed by men, men have to sacrifice themselves? Only if Yan Shang can't mess around behind my back, can I keep my position?
"Are you doing this for me? Stop lying to yourself! You are obviously afraid that Yan Shang will become too powerful... You are afraid that Yan Shang will be out of control, afraid that no one can suppress Yan Shang... And it's good that he has no children. He can't pave the way for his descendants, so he can only be, for generations... to be our tool, our slave!
"He worked for us and managed government affairs for his entire life, but got nothing in return! You wanted him to have no descendants... You forced him to become a tool. You did it for your own kingdom, for your sick and humiliating desire for control! When did you ever do it for me?!"
Mu Wanyao took a big step forward and said sternly, "I just realized that you knew I couldn't have children. You knew my health was damaged in Wuman. You didn't do it for me. You never asked the imperial physician to check my health. You never asked me a question... Others said I couldn't have children, so you hoped I couldn't! You don't want to know the reason, and you don't want to remedy it!
"Have you ever thought about me? Have you ever considered that Yan Shang's father is still alive, and his eldest brother and third brother are still in Chang'an! They live right across from my house! How do you want us to face them, how do you want us to tell them - because I can't have children, my father abolished your son so that he can accompany me?
"How can I say such words? You use your power to oppress others, but you have no heart!
"You wish I had no children, and you wish Yan Shang had no children. No wonder you wanted me to support the poor family, and wanted me to marry Yan Shang... I always thought that you treated me well over the years because you pitied my difficulties and finally remembered that I was your daughter and you wanted to treat me well... It turns out that you have never changed!
"Imperial power! Imperial power! This is all you care about!"
The emperor slammed the table fiercely, and the lightning reflected the dark hall and the dead look on his face. He was so angry at his daughter's frankness that he was shaking. He still had the air of an emperor, shocking her - "Where did I do anything wrong? This world has always belonged to the Mu family! For thousands of years, this has been the Mu family's kingdom! I am doing this for the Great Wei, for the peace of the whole world!
"You are a princess, but you still don't understand?"
Mu Wan shook her head and stared at him.
I don't know if it was rain or tears, but it hung on her eyelashes. She blinked lightly, and the water drops slid down her cheeks and stained her chin.
Mu Wanyao suddenly said, "I won't play with you anymore."
The emperor was stunned.
Ting Mu Wan shook her head and said resolutely: "I will no longer regard you as my father, and I will no longer do this or that for you. If you want to kill Yan Shang, then kill him. If you want to kill me, then kill me. If you don't want to kill us, then let us go. I don't want to be a princess anymore... Find someone else to support your poor family, find someone else to fight against the noble families you are wary of.
"We won't play this game of chess with you anymore!"
The emperor was furious: "How outrageous!"
Mu Wan shook her head and walked away. She strode out, the cold wind blowing on her face, but it was no match for the coldness and exhaustion in her heart. She walked out of the hall, ignoring the frightened eyes of the palace people. She walked out in a daze, and Cheng An quickly caught up with her:
"Your Highness, Your Highness, please stay!
"Your Highness, His Majesty wants you to go back! His Majesty is willing to negotiate terms with you - Your Highness, please turn back!"
The lights were winding out of the palace, and the palace maids knelt down in the heavy rain. With the lights on, they begged the princess to turn back.
Mu Wan stood stiffly in the rain, wanting to cry and laugh at the same time - she won the bet.
The emperor still has to bow his head.
Because of him, no one is available.
You deserve it.
-----
Yan Shang's fever subsided, and he got up from the bed and asked the maid where Mu Wanyao was. Hearing that Mu Wanyao had gone out in the afternoon, Yan Shang listened to the lightning and thunder outside, and became even more worried.
He stood up, ignoring the maids' obstruction, and went out with an umbrella, saying that he was going to the palace to pick up Mu Wanyao. The maids received the princess's order not to let the prince consort run around after waking up. The imperial doctors kneeling outside were still sighing - how could the prince consort run around?
However, the prince consort, who was usually very kind to them, was very firm that night.
Yan Shang went out with a big black umbrella. When he got out of the alley, the rain was as heavy as a bucket, hitting the umbrella like a flood. The rainy night made his vision blurry. When Yan Shang was about to walk out of the alley, he saw a girl walking towards him in the rain that was blown towards him by the wind.
The maids and guards behind her followed closely and held an umbrella for her: "Your Highness, Your Highness..."
In the light of the lantern held by the maid, Mu Wan raised her head and met the eyes of Yan Shang, who was standing at the entrance of the alley, holding an umbrella and looking at her.
Yan Shang said softly: "I didn't see you when I woke up, what did you do?"
Mu Wanyao said with a hollow expression: "He went to threaten my father."
Yan Shang was silent for a moment, then said, "Didn't I tell you to be patient, not to go, and not to make things awkward for us?"
Mu Wan shook her head and said calmly, "What does it matter? What can he do to me? He did this to you, what do I have to be afraid of?"
Yan Shang sighed and said, "What did you threaten him with?"
Mu Wan was in a trance for a while, Yan Shang looked at her calmly, and saw that she came back to her senses and talked to him as if in a dream: "He promised that if we didn't intend to commit treason, he would never take my power. He wrote an imperial edict to the next emperor, saying that he wanted you to be the prime minister. In front of me, he asked Cheng An to send the imperial edict to the Imperial Ancestral Temple and the Zongzheng Temple.
"He said that no matter who the next emperor is, unless they want to betray their ancestors, they must obey the imperial edict and dare not disobey."
Mu Wanyao smiled slowly: "I used this incident to buy us a chance to survive. Did I do a good job?"
Yan Shang felt a pain in his heart, but he smiled at her. She was now so keen on politics that he didn't need to worry about anything. She could easily find any opportunity for herself with one thing... He didn't need to worry about her, but seeing her like this, he still felt uncomfortable.
Yan Shang trembled: "I ruined your chance of a loving father and a filial son, right?"
Mu Wanyao: "No. It's good that you let me face reality and completely stop having expectations of him. Just treat everything we do as a business. From now on, I will no longer consider him as my father. All my relatives are evil spirits who tortured me, and I don't want any of them."
The rain is dripping.
She didn't even call him father anymore.
In the darkness, the candlelight is dim.
Mu Wan shook her head and trembled: "He clearly loved my mother before, but why does he seem to not understand love at all?"
Yan Shang opened the umbrella and said to her, "Don't worry about that. Yaoyao, come here, let me hug you."
Mu Wan stood there in a daze, looking at him. She took a tentative step towards him. He still looked down at her, his eyes were gentle. Under his gentle gaze, she found courage. She then walked forward again until she fell into his arms and was held in his arms.
She clutched his damp shirt and hugged his thin waist. She thought of the devastation he had suffered, and her heart ached even more, sobbing in his arms.
Mu Wan murmured with red eyes: "I don't want all of them anymore, I only want you."
Yan Shang lowered his head, kissed her gently on the forehead, and smiled: "Okay. Shake sister, don't cry."
However, when he called her "Sister Yaoyao", she cried even harder.
In the deep alley, maids and guards stood in a row, some in the rain and some holding umbrellas. Although they didn't know what happened between the princess and her husband, for some reason, their eyes were sore.
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