Mu Wan shook his eyes over Wei Shu's shoulder and saw Yan Shang.
But this princess was really calm. When Yan Shang saw her, his pupils shrank uncontrollably. However, Mu Wanyao just continued to flick the water droplets on her clothes leisurely.
She still had her cloud-like hair and flowery face, her skirt was gilded, and her beautiful eyes were full of spirit, just like the day when she was seen riding a horse on the street with other noble men and women.
Wei Shu bowed to Yan Shang and said, "Brother Yan."
Yan Shang suppressed the turmoil in his heart when he saw Mu Wanyao, and he tried to be as polite as possible to Wei Shu's greeting: "Why is Juyuan here?"
When he knew about the relationship between Wei Shu and Mu Wanyao, he did think that he might meet Mu Wanyao. But he thought that instead of Wei Shu bringing Mu Wanyao, he should go to the princess's mansion to visit the princess first.
...Yan Shang thought, if he went to the princess's mansion, maybe Mu Wanyao wouldn't see him and wouldn't care about him. But if he didn't go to the princess's mansion, when Princess Danyang suddenly remembered him, it would be his fault again.
When Yan Shang spoke, his eyelashes trembled slightly, and his salute posture was slightly stiff. People who knew him well could naturally see the turbulent waves rolling in his heart.
However, the two people who came were not familiar with Yan Erlang. From their perspective, Yan Erlang was extremely polite.
Wei Shu then stepped aside, letting the beautiful girl behind him, who was twisting her sleeves and wringing water carelessly, step out, and introduced: "Brother Yan, this is Princess Danyang."
Mu Wan shook her beautiful eyes and looked at Yan Shang with a smile.
Yan Shang continued to bow and salute: "It turns out to be Your Highness. I am overwhelmed."
It was quiet and no one spoke.
Wei Shu said softly, with a hint of doubt: "Your Highness?"
The elegant and lazy voice of Mu Wan, like the sound of gold and jade, slowly sounded: "You should be afraid."
Yan Shang pursed his lips. He knew what she was talking about.
However, without raising his eyebrows, Yan Shangli noticed the strange weight in her eyes behind the books that were half on the floor and half on the desk. Wei Shu was unaware of the strange emotion that was unique to the two of them.
Wei Shu introduced Yan Shang to the princess again: "Your Highness, this is the senior brother I was talking about. He is from Lingnan, the second oldest in the family, with a single name of Shang and a courtesy name of Suchen..."
Before Wei Shu could finish his words, Mu Wanyao interrupted him mercilessly: "Your name is Yan Shang?"
Yan Shang thought: Here it comes.
Judging from the question, she probably stopped reading his letters a long time ago.
When we said goodbye last time, he was still called Yan Shisheng; now he changed his name to Yan Shang. The noble and proud Princess Danyang didn't even know that this was a sin for the people.
Yan Shang explained in a low voice: "My teacher helped me change my name."
Mu Wan shook her head and stared at him without saying anything.
Even Wei Shu finally realized that the atmosphere seemed a little off. He thought that Mu Wanyao looked down on him as a senior brother who was not from an aristocratic family. The boy, who was always aloof, took the initiative to help Yan Shang out of trouble: "I was discussing something with the princess, and it might as well be raining heavily. I suddenly remembered that Senior Brother Yan lived here, so I took him here to shelter from the rain."
What else can Yan Shang say: "Of course I should make the bed ready to welcome you."
Mu Wan shook and sneered.
Wei Shu looked back. Mu Wan turned her head. There was still rain on her cheeks, her eyelashes were misty, her face was white, and her hairpins were gorgeous. Wei Shu looked at her, but she didn't respond. She was as noble and elegant as usual, but he didn't know what she was humming.
Wei Shu was silent for a moment, and had to turn the topic back to Yan Shang: "I heard a knock on the door just now, I wonder what Senior Brother is doing?"
Yan Shang said softly, "When you knocked on the door just now, I was sorting out my writings. There were too many books to use and I couldn't find them all at once. The books on my desk fell over, so Juyuan heard the noise. It's nothing serious."
Wei Shu said: "Let me help you take a look."
Yan Shang expressed his gratitude: "Thank you very much."
Mu Wan shook behind him and said coldly, "What is that?"
Yan Shang: “…”
He turned around helplessly and looked at Her Royal Highness the Princess who had finally stepped into his humble abode.
Wei Shu looked at Mu Wanyao in surprise. Mu Wanyao was indeed not a gentle girl, but she was not so rude as to forget the name she had just introduced and not give face to others. How did Brother Yan... offend His Highness?
Mu Wan shook her head towards Yan Shang and raised her chin: "What, is this how you treat guests?"
Yan Shang was silent for a moment, but couldn't help laughing at her deliberate harassment. He hesitated and said, "There is only cold water in the room, and I have been busy... I am afraid there is no hot tea to entertain Your Highness."
Mu Wan twirled her fingers around the slightly wet strands of hair hanging by her ears, and said slowly, "I've been in the rain for so long, my hair and clothes are wet, what if I get sick tomorrow? What are you talking about? Are you so bad at entertaining guests?"
What a clever word.
As soon as she started to make trouble, he knew what she wanted.
He turned his head to Wei Shu, who was frowning and looking at the princess with some disapproval, and said, "Juyuan, please help me read the manuscript first. I will take you to the inner room to tidy up your appearance."
-----
Yan Shang went into the inner room, and Mu Wanyao followed behind him.
After he entered the inner room, he found a clean towel and scooped water, intending to let the princess wash her face. He turned his back to Mu Wanyao and worked hard, whispering: "Please bear with it, Your Highness. This towel is new and has never been used. I don't have any girls' clothes to change, so I can only wipe it with the towel. I will make a bowl of ginger soup for Your Highness..."
Mu Wan shook her head and stared at him.
He was taller than when we separated.
Mu Wanyao was also a tall woman. She used to be as tall as his chin, but just now when she followed him, she found that she was only slightly above his shoulders.
His appearance and temperament also changed slightly.
It is more refreshing, harmless and extremely pure.
He was just wearing ordinary scholar's clothes and combing his hair with a wooden hairpin, but when he looked at people intently, he could already make young ladies blush. This was natural, he was good-looking, and even in a place like Lingnan, Mu Wanyao would still look at him a few more times, not to mention in a prosperous metropolis like Chang'an.
Yan Shang was still blabbering, and Mu Wanyao behind him was already very impatient: "Why are you pretending?"
Yan Shang paused, put down the work in his hands, turned around, and looked at Mu Wanyao who was almost brushing shoulders with him. He was a little stiff, and when he heard the sound of bamboo slips being turned outside, he knew that it was Wei Shu who was busy.
The more Wei Shu was helping, the more he shouldn't have turned his back to Wei Shu and the princess and watched what was happening in the inner room.
However, Mu Wanyao obviously wanted to send Wei Shu away to question him.
She took a step forward.
Yan Shang stepped back.
Mu Wan walked towards him leisurely.
Yan Shang retreated helplessly.
He lowered his eyelashes and lowered his voice so that Wei Shu outside wouldn't hear: "I wrote to the Princess' Mansion to tell them that I changed my name to Yan Shang. Your Highness might be too busy to know about it."
Mu Wanyao almost followed his footsteps, forcing him step by step and walking towards him.
Yan Shang continued to retreat, speaking faster: "I just arrived in Chang'an two days ago, and I didn't visit the princess's mansion because I wanted to prepare for the exam first. After the exam is over, I will definitely visit you. I don't mean to disrespect Your Highness, I do have plans."
Mu Wan looked at him with a smile that was teasing but cold.
“Boom—”
Yan Shang hit the wall behind him, with nowhere to retreat. Mu Wan swayed forward, and Yan Shang had no choice but to reach out and grab her wrist, telling her not to get any closer.
Yan Shang spoke even faster: "I did meet Wei Shu two days ago and I did learn from him about his relationship with His Highness, but I did not take advantage of it nor did I want to gain any benefit from it! I just knew about it... It's not a sin to know about it, right?"
Wei Shu outside asked suspiciously, "Brother Yan?"
Yan Shang shouted loudly: "Nothing! The barrel fell."
I don’t know whether Wei Shu believed it or not, but he neither spoke nor came over.
Yan Shang let out a long sigh of relief. In just a short while, sweat had already formed on his forehead and his heart was beating very fast. He lowered his head and looked at the princess who was holding her wrist and did not come forward. Mu Wanyao looked at him with a half-smile.
She laughed softly: "Do you feel happy having an affair behind your good junior brother's back?"
Yan Shang: “…”
He scowled slightly.
He whispered, "Your Highness, be careful with your words."
Mu Wan's face darkened and he looked at him coldly: "Why are you giving me such a face? I can say whatever I want."
Yan Shang sighed inwardly.
He whispered again: "Your Highness is right."
Then he said, "Your Highness, please keep your voice down."
After saying this, he felt embarrassed because he felt that he was simply confirming what Mu Wanyao said - the weird feeling of having an affair with his junior fellow apprentice with his back turned.
Yan Shang quickly told himself not to think too much. A gentleman should behave uprightly in the world. How could he be dragged around by the dusk and tie his own hands and feet?
Muwan shook her smile.
She asked Yan Shang: "Why didn't you come to see me when you came to Chang'an?"
Yan Shang said: "Didn't I tell you? I plan to visit you after I finish my exams."
Mu Wanyao raised her beautiful eyes, like spring water, brushing towards him wave after wave: "I'm not talking about that. I'm asking who you are applying to?"
Yan Shang said honestly, "He is a disciple of Mr. Zhang."
The Wei Dynasty did not have a dedicated prime minister position, but adopted a system of multiple prime ministers. There was no official position called prime minister in the court, but there were actually several people who exercised the position of prime minister. The Prime Minister Zhang mentioned by Yan Shang was the prime minister who liked to promote new people the most.
Obviously Yan Shang planned to try his luck.
Mu Wanyao thought about it and realized the answer. She said sullenly, "If you can submit your paper to that old man Zhang, why don't you submit it to me?"
Yan Shang slowly raised his eyes, looking at her calmly.
Mu Wan raised his chin, indicating that he should explain clearly.
Yan Shang still held her wrist, and through her sleeve, he could feel the slenderness and softness of her hand bones. She looked so frail and very lovable. However, that was just an illusion.
Yan Shang said slowly: "If I ask you to send me a scroll, will you help me?"
Mu Wanyao looked at him in surprise.
Then he burst out laughing.
Her beautiful eyes lit up and she was overjoyed: "...I really won't."
She broke free from his hand, rubbed her wrist, bit her lower lip, and looked sideways: "I will give you a good beating."
Yan Shang thought to himself, I knew it.
When he remained silent, Mu Wanyao frowned again and said, "But if you ask Mr. Zhang to hand in your paper, Mr. Zhang has a history with the chief examiner. The two of them may not agree with each other, and I'm afraid that if Mr. Zhang hands in his paper, the chief examiner will have some objections, which will be detrimental to your purpose."
Yan Shang asked: "May I ask who is the chief examiner?"
Mu Wan shook his head and said, "Wei Shu doesn't know, so why would I tell you first?"
Yan Shang: “…”
Mu Wanyao said, "Aren't you very powerful? Wait for me to tell Wei Shu, and then you can slowly ask your good junior brother."
At this time, Wei Shu said outside: "Your Highness, your maids are here to look for you."
Mu Wanyao said nothing.
She and Yan Shang looked at each other.
The two of them tacitly stopped their previous confrontational attitude.
Wei Shu waited outside for a while, and when he opened the curtain and entered the inner room, he saw Mu Wanyao sitting on a low stool, brushing her hair, and Yan Shang was boiling water. It seemed as if the murmur of talking he had just heard was just an illusion.
Mu Wan suddenly raised her head and glanced at Wei Shu. Her beautiful eyes were full of waves and she smiled at him, as bright as a blooming flower.
Wei Shu was stunned, then his face turned red. Without thinking any more, he turned around and walked out.
Yan Shang sighed.
Mu Wanyao immediately said, "Why are you sighing? Just boil your water! What does it have to do with you?!"
Yan Shang turned around and smiled at her, but she glared back at him.
Wei Shu felt as if he heard a quarrel inside, so he lifted the curtain again.
Life is still peaceful inside.
Mu Wanyao sat there quietly and gracefully, brushing her hair. Yan Shang boiled water in silence, then looked up and smiled at him.
Wei Shu was silent.
Still feeling like...something is wrong.
-----
After the princess' maids came, Mu Wanyao didn't stay here for long.
Without waiting for the maids to come in and have a surprise reunion with Yan Erlang, Mu Wanyao went out. With Chunhua holding an umbrella, the girls went out in a mighty procession to meet Princess Jin in the front yard of the temple.
Wei Shu thought about it and decided to stay, planning to wait until the rain stopped before leaving.
It was rare for Wei Shu to stay in such a crude house, but he did not have the bad habits of a nobleman. He was cool and indifferent, and seemed to have adapted well.
At night the two of them slept with their feet touching each other, so there is no need to elaborate.
-----
It rained all night.
Princess Jin came out of Yongshou Temple with a worried look on her face, wondering if it was a good or bad omen when she came to pray for a child and it rained. Mu Wanyao comforted the princess perfunctorily, sent her away, closed the door of the princess's mansion, and turned around to interrogate the servants in the mansion.
Sitting in the main hall, the drizzle of rain connected the sky and earth in all directions. There were only lights. The beauties in the ancient paintings on the "Xuanli Screens" set up in all directions were reflected in the firelight, and looked hazy and misty.
Mu Wanyao asked someone to bring out the letters sent by Yan Erlang.
She slammed the table and questioned the people in the mansion: "So you all knew that he came to Chang'an, and that he changed his name, but no one thought of telling me?"
Among the girls, Chunhua bravely said, "Hasn't Your Highness... forgotten about him and said that he doesn't want to hear from him anymore?"
Mu Wan was startled.
She suddenly turned her head and looked at the rain dripping down from the eaves.
She had indeed forgotten him.
If we hadn't met again today.
However, when I saw him in the temple today, and saw him slowly stand up from behind his desk and reveal his face... a myriad of indescribable feelings came to my mind again.
Amid the sound of the drizzling rain in Lingnan, she pulled him up in the carriage and kissed him forcefully…resurfaced.
She thought of this man again.
Chunhua observed the princess's indifferent expression after she turned her head to the side, carefully judged the princess's mood, and said, "How about, Your Highness summon Yan Erlang to come to your house?"
Mu Wan paused and said calmly, "No need. Since he is such a heartless person, there is no need for him to come to my princess's mansion.
"Let's go."
Everyone was completely confused by the princess' words. They didn't understand why Yan Erlang was so heartless... The person who didn't even bother to read Yan Erlang's letter was obviously His Highness.
But no one dared to say it.
-----
Yan Shang is indeed a good person.
When the weather cleared up the next day, he personally visited the princess at her residence, bringing a letter of apology.
But it’s a pity that Mu Wanyao is not here.
Yan Shang only left an apology letter, and when Mu Wan came back, he was gone.
Chunhua observed the princess's expression and said, "Since Yan Erlang has come to Chang'an, he will have many opportunities to visit our house in the future."
Mu Wan was lying on the beauty couch, with his chin supported by his hand, and he said lazily: "You are just a little scholar, please stop bothering me all day long."
Chunhua: “…”
In this way, the people in the princess's mansion really couldn't figure out the princess's attitude towards Yan Erlang.
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