In front of everyone, Princess Danyang refused the emperor's arranged marriage.
Not only did she refuse, she knelt on the ground and used the coldest words to slander Yan Shang who was beside her. She also revealed some of her relationship with Yan Shang to the emperor to prevent him from being suspicious.
"I met Yan Erlang when I went to Lingnan at the end of the year before last. His family in Lingnan is just a farmer, and they make some money by relying on their father's title of Jinshi. With such an identity, he wants to get close to me? A person from a place like Lingnan, how narrow-minded is he? Your Majesty, do I need to say more?
"After arriving in Chang'an, Yan Erlang took advantage of our old friendship and came to my house to ask me to help him publish his manuscripts. I helped him out of pity for him. But helping him doesn't mean anything. He may have some talent, but he and I have different backgrounds, see different things, and we have nothing in common. I am a princess after all. What's the difference between marrying a country bumpkin like this and marrying an old man who is about to die?
"Father, if you love me, if you care about my mother, you shouldn't let your daughter suffer like this."
Yan Shang knelt beside her, listening to her sonorous, heart-piercing and cold words. He lowered his eyebrows, and no one knew what he was thinking.
Seeing this look, Princess Luling felt so distressed.
When the princess heard that her brother wanted to marry Yan Shang to Danyang, she felt distressed and was unwilling to let the beautiful young man get away with so much; now that she saw Danyang reject the marriage, she was still distressed, thinking that her niece was too vicious and too disrespectful to her.
If the news of Princess Danyang's refusal to marry spread today, Yan Erlang would definitely be pointed out by others and would not be able to get married for a period of time. Even a cynical person like Princess Luling would think that Mu Wanyao would not marry if she didn't want to, so why reject her so harshly?
No one spoke in the hall. The scholars were too timid to look up. Wei Shu frowned slightly, thinking that Mu Wanyao was going too far in describing Yan Shang with such words.
The emperor had been listening to Mu Wanyao's words indifferently, but when Mu Wanyao mentioned "for the sake of my mother", his expression paused slightly, and he seemed to be in a trance for a short time.
Mu Wan shook her head and looked up at him.
At this moment, the emperor looked at his daughter's stubborn and unyielding look, and his mind was empty. He thought of the woman in the past who was equally stubborn and insisted on going against him.
He wanted to get rid of the Li family, and the queen wanted to protect the Li family. He just wanted to drive the Li family out of Chang'an, but the queen wanted to kill him...
Since the death of the second prince, the emperor and the empress became estranged until the empress passed away.
Mu Wanyao deliberately mentioned the first and the last...it was to distract him, tear out his heart, and stab a knife into his chest.
The father and daughter in heaven...the relationship has become so cruel.
The emperor looked miserable as he stared at his daughter's dark eyes. He said calmly, "Forget it. Since Danyang and Yan Suchen are unwilling, forget about the arranged marriage. Why does Danyang have to act like this? I am your father. Would I force you to get married? It is not worth your kneeling down specially."
"Everyone, get up."
At this moment, the banquet that night seemed to be coming to an end.
The emperor said nothing more after that. He stayed with them for only half an hour before returning to the palace. Once the emperor left, the banquet naturally ended and everyone left.
Yan Shang was with Wei Shuxing. Some other Jinshi stood with Yan Shang worriedly, encouraging him and saying that it was nothing and he didn't need to take it to heart.
Mu Wanyao walked past them indifferently, and even Wei Shu followed him but was stopped by the princess' maid.
Mu Wanyao didn't plan to talk to anyone tonight.
-----
Mu Wanyao felt very regretful.
She just wanted to join in the fun and see Yan Shang enjoying himself.
If she had known that her father would arrange a marriage between her and Yan Shang at the Qujiang Banquet, she would not have gone at all.
But it was too late.
She used the most vicious words to slander Yan Shang, even if he had a good temper, he would definitely be sad. He was so proud that he always kept his distance from her in the past. Tonight, she said this to him, he would never help her again.
Who would help a woman who refuses marriage proposal in person and speaks so badly of herself?
She lost a great ally.
Mu Wanyao returned to the mansion and sat in front of the dressing mirror in the inner room, staring at her pale face reflected in the bronze mirror. She stroked her cheek with her hand, looked into her cold eyes, and whispered to herself: "It doesn't matter, if others don't help me, I will help myself.
"I will not admit defeat. I will not be defeated by you."
Mu Wanyao shouted loudly: "Chunhua!"
Chunhua, who had been waiting outside, immediately asked: "Your Highness?"
Mu Wan smiled and said, "I want to drink. Bring me some wine."
Chunhua hesitated: "Now? It's so late, Your Highness should go to bed..."
Mu Wanyao: "Why, you guys are going to disobey me too? Are my words no longer effective?"
Chunhua reluctantly said, "Then I'll tell someone to heat up some wine for His Highness..."
She heard the princess slamming the wooden table in a frenzy: "I don't want hot wine, I want cold wine! Just take it and drink it!"
The maids outside didn't dare to respond and could only go to get wine for the princess with heavy hearts.
Mu Wanyao's eyes drifted upwards, and he began to order the wines in a carefree manner: "Bring all the good wines in the mansion! I want to drink the Xijingqiang from the capital, the Langguanqing and Apoqing from Xiamaling. I want to drink the Jiannanchun Shao from Shu, and the Ruoxiajiu from Wucheng..."
The maids were horrified when they heard this, thinking, wouldn't it be like drinking so many different kinds of wine together, just waiting to get drunk to death?
However...whatever.
There was naturally no shortage of wine in the princess's mansion. Soon, jars of wine were brought into the princess's bedroom and placed in rows on a long table, looking very neat.
Mu Wanyao dismissed all the servants, sat on the ground, opened the wine jar, and began to drink by himself...
She drank a lot of wine, which made her a little groggy. Only then did she feel less uncomfortable. Then Mu Wanyao relaxed her long brows and smiled.
Before the marriage, Mu Wanyao could only drink some sweet wine, but after the marriage, perhaps because the Wuman people were too barbaric, Mu Wanyao drank with them. Later, when she was with Meng Zaishi, Meng Zaishi always liked to force her to drink.
After she was drunk, the mountains, rocky ridges, and clear waters that swayed before her eyes became less unbearable. She gradually began to like the feeling of drinking strong liquor.
...She was forced to develop her drinking capacity in this way.
After returning to Chang'an, Mu Wanyao restrained some of the bad habits she had developed in Wuman and put on the airs of a princess. However, she knew very well that some habits would accompany her throughout her life. No matter how hard she tried to hide the marks of her growth, it would not be possible to leave no trace.
Mu Wanyao was sitting alone drinking. When he was drinking happily, there were two knocks on the door.
Guard Fang's voice was heard outside: "Your Highness, Yan Erlang is here to see you."
Mu Wan shook his cheeks, which were a little hot from drinking, and turned his head to the side. For a moment, he thought that he had got the time wrong and had heard it wrong.
Didn't she just come back from the banquet? Didn't she just reject the marriage proposal? How could Yan Shang come to visit?
Hmm, there must be a mistake.
Mu Wanyao ignored him and continued drinking.
Fang Tong waited outside for a while. He was used to the princess' habit of ignoring people, so he repeated, "Your Highness, Yan Erlang wants to see you."
Mu Wanyao was sure that he heard it clearly this time.
She held a glass cup in her slender white hands, and looked up, the moonlight shining down on her disheveled face. Mu Wan rubbed her face, truly stunned.
Then Mu Wanyao paused for a moment and said, "No."
Fang Tong left.
After a while, Fang Tong came back and stood outside the princess' bedroom door: "Your Highness, Erlang asked me to ask you to see him."
Mu Wan was angry.
She said, "No, I won't see you! I said I won't see you, so I won't see you! What's the point of seeing you?"
Fang Tong said: "Yan Erlang said he would wait for Your Highness outside for half an hour. He said he had something to say to Your Highness and hoped that Your Highness..."
Mu Wanyao interrupted impatiently: "Are you his servant or mine? Why do you always pass messages for him? I said I won't see you, don't you understand? There is nothing to say between him and me. I said everything I should say at the banquet. He doesn't need to humiliate me or say goodbye to me.
"I promise him that he will never have to please me again, and he will never have to see me again!"
The princess said so much that if she continued, Fang Tong would probably be beaten with a stick. Fang Tong did not dare to say anything more and went out to answer.
Mu Wanyao continued to drink his wine.
Half an hour later, Fang Tong came back.
Fang Tong lingered outside the princess's door for a long time, thinking of Yan Erlang's words that His Highness would never hit him. Trusting that Yan Erlang usually acted properly, Fang Tong mustered up his courage and knocked on the door again tremblingly: "Your Highness..."
Muwan shook her smile.
She said softly, "Guardian Fang, if I don't kill you tonight, you won't be happy, right?"
Fang Tong was almost scared to death.
He could only convince himself to believe Yan Shang, and said quickly: "I just came to tell Your Highness that Yan Erlang is gone."
The dormitory was quiet.
After a while, Fang Tong heard Mu Wan's low and cool voice: "Oh."
Fang Tong whispered: "Yan Erlang left a message for the princess, he said--"
-----
Half a moment ago, Yan Shang left the princess's mansion and left words to Fang Tong, asking Fang Tong to pass on the message to the princess.
His voice was clear and gentle, like the frost under the moon: "I should have said this to His Highness in person, but since His Highness does not want to see me, Guard Fang can convey it. Please tell His Highness that I dare not be angry with His Highness, and I do not blame His Highness for being so merciless. I know His Highness has his own difficulties, and His Highness's words will only make him more sad.
"Please don't be sad, Your Highness. The relationship between you and me will not change because of those few words. I don't blame you, Your Highness, and please don't blame yourself."
-----
“Bang——”
Mu Wan shook the glass cup in his hand and it slipped out of his hand and fell to the ground.
She heard Fang Tong trying his best to imitate Yan Shang's tone of voice. However, how could ordinary people imitate Yan Shang's unhurried, gentle and peaceful tone?
When Fang Tong was struggling, the door in front of him was opened, and Mu Wanyao with her long hair loose stood in front of him.
Her cheeks were red from the alcohol, but her eyes were shining with an unprecedented light. She was wearing a spring dress and barefoot, and she was both slender and strong.
She took a step forward barefoot and grabbed Fang Tong's wrist.
She said hurriedly, "Go - go get him back for me!
"Don't you have something to tell me? I want him to stand in front of me and tell me in person!"
-----
Yang Si and the prince left the Xingyuan.
Originally, Yang Si should have returned to his own residence, but the prince said, "Sleep in the East Palace tonight."
Yang Si's mind was wandering and he responded casually.
He was still thinking about what happened at the banquet.
When they returned to the East Palace, the Crown Princess was just about to meet the Crown Prince and wanted to talk to him about some trivial matters, but the Crown Prince said, "Yang San is here."
The Crown Princess was stunned.
Then she understood: "I will not allow anyone to disturb His Highness and Yang Sanlang."
Yang Si was absent-minded the whole time. After washing up, he went into the room assigned to him and sat against the wall. Not long after, the prince came in. Yang Si glanced at him and saw that the prince was sitting on the other side of the wall, staring at him.
The prince ordered: "Locker it."
When Yang Si was confused, he heard the palace maid responding from outside, and then the door was locked with an iron lock from the outside, and the palace maid left.
Yang Si: “…”
He stared at the upright and dignified young man opposite him and laughed angrily: "Your Highness, are you on guard against thieves? It's fine if you lock me up, but why lock yourself up too? What, Your Highness, are you afraid of what I will do?"
The prince looked at him and said, "You locked me up here because I intend to watch you in person. Yang San, I will watch you tonight until you calm down. No matter what, you cannot go out, you cannot go look for Yaoyao, and you must not be impulsive and say you want to marry her at this time."
Yang Si's face suddenly turned cold.
The look in his eyes became sharp, and in an instant he became as ferocious as a wild animal.
Silence lingered between the two.
The two stared at each other.
After a long while, Yang Si smiled lazily: "This is really interesting. Didn't you always persuade me to marry Yaoyao? Now I nod, but you don't agree?"
The prince said, "Of course I have always supported you and Yaoyao. But you have also seen the attitude of the emperor tonight. At least in the short term, it is better for Yaoyao's marriage not to be finalized. Yang San, you are not alone. You have the entire Yang family behind you. Even if you don't listen to me, do you want the entire Yang family to face the iron fist of the emperor?"
Yang Si jumped up in anger.
He stood tall, pointed outside the door, and said loudly: "Are we just going to leave it alone? Let the emperor bully Yaoyao?"
The prince said calmly, "Father doesn't want Yaoyao to marry, can't you see?! As long as she doesn't marry for the time being, nothing will happen to her. If you don't want the Yang family to become the second Li family, take it slow and don't be willful."
Yang Si took a step back and leaned against the wall.
The boy had a cold expression on his face and chuckled, "Calm down?"
The prince looked at him for a long while, then slowly said, "Yaoyao is my sister. Even if I use her, I won't be as cruel as my father. You should admit this, right? At least I don't want her to marry back to Wuman, at least I don't want to drive her away from Chang'an. I'm still trying to arrange your marriage with her... If you really get married, you can protect her. But this will take time, and I'm not at the stage to turn against my father yet."
Yang Si sneered and said nothing.
Seeing him like this, the prince sighed and said, "She is my sister, but you are my good friend who grew up with me. I would rather she suffer a little than let you jump into the fire pit, do you understand?"
Yang Si said: "You are just too calculating."
The prince was silent for a while.
Then he said, "It's better than watching you die."
He said calmly, "Go to sleep. I will watch you tonight. Just like... I watched you back then and didn't let you take her away from here."
Yang Si suddenly calmed down.
His head fell back and hit the wall.
Thinking back to that year when I heard that they wanted Mu Wanyao to marry, I was furious and wanted to take Mu Wanyao away.
But he couldn't take her away.
The prince personally guarded him, and the Yang family found people to persuade him every day. When he was released, it was too late.
Yang Si laughed at himself and said calmly: "If you hadn't looked after me back then, she wouldn't have had to marry into the royal family."
The prince nodded, "That's right. And then your Yang family was ruined because of you. From then on, you and Mu Wanyao ran away and hid with her. It doesn't matter to you as a man, but have you ever thought about whether my delicate sister can get used to that kind of life?
"She wouldn't have gone with you then. You can't marry her now. Same principle."
Yang Si lowered his eyes, and after a while, he sat down. He suppressed the anger around him and said softly: "I just can't bear it... You are too cruel."
The prince said, "Then you wait for me to make plans. When the time comes, you can marry her and protect her personally."
Yang Si said: "I can't protect him."
Without waiting for the prince to get angry, he turned his head and looked through the window at the moonlight outside, and said slowly: "I have watched this sister grow up since she was a child. Although I can't bear it, who made me the third son of the Yang family. If I don't have the courage to abandon my family, I can't do anything.
"I don't want to marry her. I just hope there is someone in this world who truly treats her. Before that, I will try... I can only try to be nicer to her."
The prince said, "You must marry her."
Yang Si was impatient, turned over and lay down, covering his head with the quilt: "Go to sleep!"
The prince sighed and stopped pressing.
-----
Yan Shang was chased back by Fang Tong and was led all the way into the princess's mansion and to the door of the princess's bedroom.
Fang Tong and others stepped back, signaling His Highness to wait inside.
When Yan Shang walked to the door, he felt a little dizzy from the smell of alcohol inside.
He was startled, thought for a moment, and knocked on the door.
Mu Wanyao's delicate and cold voice rang out: "Can't you push the door open by yourself?"
Yan Shang remained silent and opened the door.
When he hesitated whether closing the door would damage the princess' reputation, Mu Wanyao's impatient voice continued to ring out: "You don't close the door, do you want to freeze me to death?"
Yan Shang closed the door and turned around.
The curtains are heavy.
The princess was nowhere to be seen.
Yan Shang was puzzled: "Your Highness?"
Mu Wan shook his head and said, "Are you going to be so polite that you won't even take a step forward?"
Yan Shang sighed softly, and could tell that she was getting more impatient with each word. She was probably reaching the limit of her patience. He stood here, surrounded by the smell of alcohol in the room, and he saw many empty jars with a glance. He didn't know how much alcohol that drunkard had drunk.
Yan Shang somewhat regretted coming here.
Apparently he didn't think he could talk things out with an alcoholic.
But now that we are here, let's just do what we can.
Yan Shang lifted the curtains and walked inside to look for the princess. Suddenly, a man rushed over and hugged him.
The girl's slender arms tightly hugged his waist.
She buried her whole body in his arms, her face pressed against his chest.
Yan Shang was stiff, with his arms outstretched, not knowing what to do. He was speechless: "Your Highness..."
Mu Wan burrowed into his arms, hugged his waist tightly, and whispered: "Don't be so polite, don't be so eager to push me away. Let me hold you for a while, just for a while."
Her voice was broken and empty, reminding people of falling leaves in autumn and dry snow in winter.
She felt so bad.
Yan Shang paused for a long moment, then put his arm behind her back and hugged her.
He bent down and hugged her. He put his arms around her and held her in his arms, saying softly and tenderly, "Don't be so sad, Your Highness."
He smiled slightly and said softly, "I just felt that Your Highness would be very sad. I was always worried, so I thought that no matter what, I should meet Your Highness tonight. I should ask Your Highness something in person."
Mu Wan raised her face, her eyes blurred, and murmured, "What do you want from me?"
Yan Shang looked at her and said, "Please Your Highness, please don't be estranged from me."
——He is so good at talking and gives her face in this way.
It was obvious that he should be angry and ignore her, but he begged her not to be estranged from him.
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