Mu Wanyao, surrounded by her maids, walked slowly towards the semi-open main hall.
In this era, most of the main halls of the rich and powerful families did not have four walls, but were supported by a few pillars to form a "roof" with ventilation on all sides. Walking along the corridor to the main hall, you can just see the young man standing outside the hall.
A maid knelt down to the young man who was waiting, "Sir, our prince is here."
Wei Shu raised his head and looked at the young princess walking under the lush shade. At a glance, he felt that she was bright red and dazzling. Mu Wanyao, who was walking over, also saw him at a glance——
The young man stood in front of the hall, with a graceful demeanor and a noble bearing.
When he looked up, the sunlight fell on his body, and the snow all over his body was shimmering and shining.
Mu Wanyao had never seen such a clean and cold person in her life. He was like a layer of snow on a pagoda, not giving people the slightest sense of teasing.
...Her uncle didn't lie to her. This man's qualifications were definitely the best among all the men Mu Wanyao had ever met.
But the only problem is... Mu Wanyao stood in front of the hall, put away the mocking disdain on his face, and asked seriously: "Wei Juyuan, may I ask how old you are this year?"
Wei Shu looked at her: "Fourteen."
Mu Wan shook her head in silence: "..."
...No wonder my uncle is not in a hurry for them to get married, and vaguely said that they should get to know each other for a few more years before making any decisions.
Mu Wanyao is already eighteen years old this year. Facing a fourteen-year-old boy, no matter how handsome he is... she can't bring herself to do it.
Mu Wan's cheeks were slightly red, and he coughed dryly, "What are you doing in Chang'an?"
Wei Shu's voice was as clear as snow: "I can't stay in Luoyang anymore. My teacher asked me to come to Chang'an. I plan to take part in the imperial examination next year. I hope the princess can help me find some houses and servants in Chang'an. I will repay your highness in the future."
Mu Wan turned her head and smiled: "Sure, sure."
For a moment, both of them were silent.
Mu Wanyao glanced at Wei Shu secretly and found that although the other party was so small, he looked calm and cold.
When Mu Wanyao looked at him quietly, he turned his eyes away calmly, his cheeks slightly red. It was obvious that he knew about Li Zhi's arrangement and was a little embarrassed.
Mu Wanyao calmly arranged for the other party to have tea.
She chatted with Wei Shu for the whole afternoon, just talking about the customs and people of Luoyang. Although Wei Shu was young, his conversation and manners were obviously cultivated by a famous family.
For a while, without talking about love and romance, the two of them were having a great time, and they were in a very happy mood.
-----
Li Zhi has his own considerations on the princess's marriage, and the prince naturally has his own considerations as well.
In the East Palace, as soon as Wei Shu left, someone informed the prince.
The prince sat alone quietly for a while, turning the gilded cup in his hand, and ordered: "...call Yang Si back to Chang'an. After all, he grew up with my sixth sister as a childhood sweetheart. Doesn't he have any reaction to my sixth sister's return to Chang'an?"
The embarrassed servant smiled bitterly: "Your Highness, you also know that Yang Sanlang has a rebellious temper. It was you who arranged for Yang Sanlang to go to the Longxi border army for training. If you call him back so hastily, Yang Sanlang will not be happy, right?"
The prince was secretly angry: "He has a bad temper! Isn't it normal for him to care about his childhood sweetheart who has returned to Chang'an? He must wait until Li is won over by Wei in Luoyang, then he will be happy, right? Let him return to Chang'an, if he wants to train troops, I will give him a position in the Yulin Army.
"His first task is to establish a good relationship with Sixth Sister and win over Jinling Li to me!"
After this, they naturally rode out of Chang'an at full speed and headed to Longxi to find Yang Sanlang.
The prince hopes to arrange a marriage for Princess Danyang with someone who belongs to him.
Among his own people, Yang Sanlang Yang Si had been childhood sweethearts with Mu Wanyao, and had always been the prince's companion and groom, so he was the most trustworthy.
-----
So for a whole year, Mu Wanyao was caught in the middle of the schemes of the Crown Prince and the Li family. On one side was Yang Sanlang, and on the other was Wei Qilang.
They still exchanged letters with Lingnan, but because the distance was too far and correspondence was inconvenient, Mu Wanyao initially cared about Yan Erlang. Later, she was busy following the prince and completely forgot about Yan Erlang from Lingnan.
The young man in the drizzling evening rain in Lingnan that day was just expressing his emotions in the atmosphere. What was so important about it?
Mu Wanyao started out by occasionally asking about Yan Erlang's letters, but later on, even if he wrote to her, she would neither ask nor read them.
Knowing that the princess' interest had passed, Chunhua and the others no longer bothered the princess with Yan Erlang's letter.
However, the contents of Yan Erlang's letters were interesting, and he would tell them about some Lingnan customs and legends. Chunhua, Fang Tong and others read Yan Erlang's letters every month with great interest and passed them around.
In October of that year, Yan Shisheng got the quota to be sent to Chang'an for the imperial examination from Guangzhou as he had expected.
This year, after Yan Dalang got married, his family exchanged all the valuables left after the wedding for gold ingots, which they stuffed into Yan Erlang's bag.
Just after the Chinese New Year, they urged Yan Erlang to go to Chang'an so as not to miss the imperial examination in February.
Yan's father, who drank all day and never asked about his son's future, called Yan Erlang into the house the night before Yan Erlang was leaving home.
After all, his father was a Jinshi (imperial examination winner), so Yan Erlang certainly wanted to hear if his father had any suggestions for his exam.
I don't have any suggestions.
But Yan's father did make arrangements for Erlang: "...I have been away from the Chang'an circle for a long time, so there is nothing I can do to help you. But I have an old friend who is now a doctor of the Imperial College. He is just a small official of the sixth rank and has no future, but it happens to be beneficial to you.
"I have already written to my old friend, asking him to accept you as his disciple. When you arrive in Chang'an, go and join him.
"Erlang, you are a child with more ideas than anyone else. Among all my children, you are the one that I worry the least and the most about. I just hope that no matter good or bad times come, you will not forget your family and not shoulder all the responsibilities alone. If you have any difficulties, such as lack of money, please tell us."
Yan Erlang's eyes were slightly hot. He said nothing, just knelt down and kowtowed to his father.
Father Yan sighed and said, "Your teacher has agreed to accept you as his disciple. But he said that your name is not good, and he wants to help you change it. Are you willing?"
Yan Erlang whispered: "Of course I listen to my teacher and father."
Father Yan nodded, and seeing his son kneeling in front of him, he sighed in his heart, wondering what the future would be like after Erlang left this time. He did not seek an official position in Chang'an back then, and wondered if Erlang would be the same as himself.
However, after sighing, Yan's father suddenly took out a jade pendant from his arms and handed it to Yan Erlang mysteriously.
Yan Erlang was a little confused.
Father Yan said mysteriously, "Your mother asked me to keep this when she was still alive. It is an ancestral token of love for marrying a daughter-in-law. But there are too many children like you, and I don't know who to pass it to... After thinking it over, I'll pass it to you."
Yan Erlang was slightly stunned: "...My elder brother just got married, and my elder sister-in-law has never seen this jade pendant. And I went to Chang'an to take an exam, but you gave me the token of love?"
Yan's father said anxiously, "I am urging you to stop thinking about exams and career and get married and have children! Go to Chang'an and ask your teacher to find a good marriage for you. It will definitely be better than staying in Lingnan. The good ladies in Chang'an don't look down on others, so our ancestral token of love should not be shy, right?
"Anyway, you are already eighteen! It would be best if you get married this year, so that I can have grandchildren next year! You are the second child in the family, and your eldest brother is already married, so don't let your younger brothers and sisters be unable to arrange their marriages."
Yan Erlang had no choice but to accept the jade pendant.
But he disagreed in his heart.
It is obvious that he is only interested in seeking an official position and does not care about marriage.
-----
In January of that year, the maids and guards at the princess's mansion received Yan Erlang's latest letter.
The princess is not at home today, and she has long stopped caring about Yan Erlang, so naturally, everyone reads the letter without waiting for the princess.
Chunhua and Fang Tong were surrounded in the middle. Chunhua read the contents of the letter softly to everyone: "...Erlang said that he has come to Chang'an and will meet us another day if he has the chance."
Everyone cheered. After a year of correspondence, they all fell in love with Yan Erlang.
Chunhua exclaimed again: "Yan Erlang said that his teacher changed his name. From now on, he will no longer be called Yan Shisheng, but Yan Shang..."
-----
The spring water breaks the ice and the sun in Chang'an becomes warmer.
Yan Erlang, named by his teacher, now Yan Shang, stands on Chang'an Street.
In Chang'an, there were many people with noble titles and carriages. He was shocked by the prosperity of Chang'an at first and felt a little uncomfortable.
But after following a caravan of Hu people into the city, I saw more common people, and activities such as "vocal music fights" on the streets, which I found interesting.
Yan Shang bought a freshly baked Hu pancake called "Gulouzi", took a few bites and put it in the bag he was carrying. He walked and looked around the street with great interest, and was overwhelmed by the sight.
Suddenly, several horses and men came galloping from a distance. People on the street hurriedly made way, and Yan Shang followed the crowd.
He was just looking for fun, but he saw that among the young noble men and women in bright clothes riding horses in the street, the one leading them was a girl.
She was wearing a gorgeous skirt and the sound of jingling hairpins as she walked with a man in a brocade robe. The man's horse was faster than hers, but she was not in a hurry.
The veil of the hat was blown open by the wind, revealing the face of the girl on the horse.
The skirt scattered on the horse's back swayed brightly, and the beautiful white face was like the rippling spring water. The slender jade neck and the black hair were like clouds.
Such vivid beauty.
Just like the clouds dispersing, the streets were deserted, and Yan Shang saw her coming on horseback, wearing a variety of gorgeous clothes.
The onlookers whispered: "That must be Princess Danyang, what a beautiful lady."
As Mu Wanyao passed by those pedestrians, he suddenly heard someone calling from behind -
"Yan Suchen!"
Another voice as gentle as jade: "Brother Liu is here."
The latter's clear and mellow sound was like pearls hitting bamboo and bamboo leaves swaying. Dusk shook the imperial horse and stopped, suddenly turning his head to look behind him.
She saw a bustling crowd. There was a person with his back to her, as slender as a jade-like figure, and he and another person walked into the crowd and could no longer be seen clearly.
The man next to her stopped his horse to wait for her and asked calmly, "An acquaintance?"
Mu Wan came back to her senses, looked at the indifferent Yang Sanlang Yang Si with her beautiful eyes, and smiled: "No way? I guess I heard it wrong."
-----
At the princess's residence, the maid Chunhua read out the words clearly:
"Change his name to Yan Shang, and his courtesy name to Suchen.
"Shang means respect and admiration. Su Chen means the minister of the Su Wang. Su Wang is a respectful title for Confucius. The teacher gave me this name and character so that I can practice Confucius' teachings, spread the classics throughout the world, and cultivate literature from ancient times to the present."
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