Wei Shu said, "But Brother Yan, didn't you say you had something to do tonight?"
Yan Shang glanced at Mu Wan vaguely.
She was calm and composed, with her chin on her right hand, as if she was completely unaware of his predicament.
Yan Shang felt ashamed when facing such questions from Wei Shu.
He clenched his fist, put it to his lips, coughed, and said vaguely: "I just remembered that studying is more important. After all, I haven't studied with Juyuan for a long time."
Wei Shu's eyes flashed slightly.
He looked at Yan Shang, then at the smiling princess beside him. Wei Shu lowered his eyes and gently brushed away the leaves that had fallen on the book.
Although he was young, he was sensitive enough to sense that something was not right between the princess and Yan Erlang. He had some guesses... but he was not sure.
Wei Shu frowned slightly and looked at the two of them with some concern. However, he was always aloof, and after hearing this, the two of them probably knew what was going on... Wei Shu didn't want to remind them any more.
-----
That night, the three of them were in the same room, and the reading atmosphere was particularly intense.
There was a long desk, Wei Shu holding a book, sitting with Yan Shang. Mu Wan, wearing a casual red silk skirt, with her long hair tied up like clouds, sat opposite the two of them with her chin in her hand.
Wei Shuhe and Yan were still reading a book, but Mu Wanyao was not reading at all.
But when Wei Shu mentioned something in the book, Mu Wanyao only needed to say the beginning and she could continue. She could easily memorize the contents of the book, playing with her slender fingers while smilingly citing and explaining the contents of the book to the two of them.
Yan Shang is the one who speaks the least.
But he looked at Mu Wan and shook his head many times.
I admire her knowledge in my heart.
Since he met her, he had never seen her read seriously. She occasionally picked up a book, but she only read some legends, novels and other miscellaneous books.
However, Yan Shang always knew that Mu Wanyao must be a very talented girl. Because she could easily give him advice, tell him the traps in the imperial examination and the examiner's preferences. She could easily point out the shortcomings of his poems, and she would sneer after taking a look at his handwriting.
But that was all guessed by Yan Shang from Mu Wanyao's daily words and actions.
It was not until tonight, when he saw that Mu Wanyao could memorize the contents of the book without even reading it, that he realized how amazing she was.
Yan Shang picked up a pen to record Mu Wanyao's casual comments and asked, "When did Your Highness read this book?"
Mu Wan raised her eyelids and thought for a moment: "When I was thirteen or fourteen years old."
Wei Shu raised his head and asked, "Your Highness, haven't you read the book in the past two years? But you still remember the contents of the book?"
Mu Wan shook her head and said, "I used to study with my brother. In order to please my father and the others, I studied very hard. So I can't forget it even after so many years... In fact, I don't want to remember it either."
She sounded slightly melancholy and remained silent for a while.
She can't remember many things.
But many of the books she had read in the past were like marks of her past, and she still couldn't forget them.
Wei Shu was at a loss when he saw Mu Wanyao's expression. He felt that he had touched upon the wound in her heart, but he sat there at a loss, not knowing how to comfort her... Then he saw Yan Erlang casually push the teacup over to her and smiled gently, "Your Highness, are you thirsty? Have some tea."
Mu Wanyao took a sip of tea, frowned, and asked in confusion: "Why does it smell weird?"
Yan Shang persuaded gently, "Good medicine tastes bitter. I added some herbs to the tea when I went out just now. I thought about your highness talking all night and he would be thirsty."
Mu Wan shook her head and looked at him: "I didn't say I didn't want to drink, why are you talking so much?"
Yan Shang shook his head and smiled, then rolled up his sleeves and picked up the pen again.
Wei Shu watched silently from the side and saw the two of them looking at each other with smiles on their faces.
Second Brother Yan’s skillful dealings were enough to coax Mu Wan into submission...Wei Shu had a strange feeling, feeling that he was redundant here.
Wei Shu suppressed the strange thoughts in his mind and lowered his head to continue reading. Yan Shang followed him and continued to memorize.
Mu Wanyao looked at Yan Shang thoughtfully and saw that it was Wei Shu who was flipping through the book from beginning to end, while Yan Shang just watched from the side and did not say a word.
Mu Wan shook his head with twinkling eyes.
Wei Shu was a child of an aristocratic family who didn't know how to take care of others. It was fine that Wei Shu didn't even think that Yan Shang's study progress might be different from his. But Yan Shang just followed Wei Shu's progress from beginning to end, and he didn't say a word... Either Yan Shang didn't want to show his weakness, or Yan Shang could completely keep up with Wei Shu's speed.
And according to Mu Wanyao's understanding of Yan Shang, he is more likely to be the latter.
He can actually keep up with Wei Shu?
Wei Shu is a member of the Luoyang Wei family, a famous family. The speed at which Wei Shu reads is completely different from that of ordinary poor children. If Yan Shang can keep up... it means that he must have a strong ability to memorize knowledge. In fact, this is normal... If Yan Shang is really as bad as he said, even with Mu Wanyao's advice, it is unlikely that he will be the third place in the imperial examination in the first year.
It's just that he is used to being humble, and he often talks about how poorly educated he is... which gives Mu Wanyao the impression that he is really bad.
Mu Wan smiled, feeling as if she had discovered a hidden secret of Yan Shang, and her heart was filled with joy.
She felt like playing around, so she stopped playing with her fingers. She rolled up her sleeves, picked up a brush, took the rice paper and wrote a line of words. Then she crumpled the paper into a ball, and Mu Wan raised her eyes to look at Yan Shang, who was writing with his head down, and Wei Shu, who was reading quietly beside him.
While Wei Shu was not paying attention, Mu Wan raised his chin, leaned forward, and threw the ball of paper in his hand at Yan Shang.
The ball of paper hit Yan Shang's forehead. His eyelashes trembled slightly, and he looked up, and saw a ball of paper rolling into his arms. He looked up at the opposite side, and Mu Wan was shaking her chin and smiling at him.
Yan Shang blushed slightly and glanced at Wei Shu beside him. Seeing that Wei Shu didn't notice, he calmly picked up the paper ball and looked at what Mu Wanyao had written for him.
The paper ball read: "Do you feel happy having an affair with me behind Juyuan's back?"
Yan Shang: “…”
He looked over and saw the hairpins in Mu Wan's hair swaying gently. She winked at him in the dazzling golden light. Her eyes were charming and full of spring water, which was really touching and captivating.
Before he could say anything, his hands holding the paper ball began to feel numb.
He smiled bitterly. He really didn't expect Mu Wanyao to be so bold. He struggled for a while, and Wei Shu said, "What did His Highness and Brother Yan write?"
Mu Wanyao and Yan Shang were both shocked. They looked over and saw Wei Shu looking up at them.
Both of them looked a little stiff, as if they had been caught.
Yan Shang was quick to react. When Wei Shu came over to read it, he casually rolled up the note and said to Wei Shu, "Your Highness asked me about an allusion in the book and asked me if I remembered it."
Wei Shu asked with interest: "What allusion?"
Yan Shang used this and that to fool Wei Shu.
Mu Wan heaved a sigh of relief and patted her chest. When she saw Yan Shang and Wei Shu flipping through a book, she suddenly looked up and glared at her.
Mu Wan coughed and shook his head, then sat up straight and stopped bothering him.
However, this kind of joy of having an affair lingered in his heart, making Mu Wanyao's heart extremely excited.
She really liked the feeling of interacting with Yan Shang like this, that he would respond to her and cover up for her... She really thought he was a great guy, great in every way, so great that she couldn't wait to have some good time with him.
Mu Wanyao regretted a little why she let Wei Shu stay. If Wei Shu hadn't stayed... tonight should have been a good time for her and Yan Shang.
-----
But it seems like we have no chance.
Wei Shu stayed at the princess's mansion that night. Not only did he miss the opportunity, but he also left the next day.
Mu Wan was waiting anxiously for the next opportunity.
But in the afternoon, when Mu Wanyao woke up from her nap, she heard the maid say that Yan Erlang had come. Mu Wanyao thought Yan Shang was here to play with her, so she let him in. Yan Shang said that his teacher asked him to go to the mountains to live for ten days to visit a great scholar.
That great scholar had just come to Chang'an. The subject examinations of the Wei Dynasty were set by that great scholar and other famous families. The families would not easily tell the examination rules. That great scholar traveled all over the world and preached everywhere. This time he came to Chang'an to stay temporarily, and it was very likely that he would pass on some experience and knowledge.
Yan Shang's teacher asked Yan Shang to go with him to visit.
Since the other person wants to go to school, it would be inappropriate for Mu Wanyao to stop him from going.
I could only suppress my displeasure and let him go.
However, after Yan Shang left, Mu Wanyao realized what a tactful person Yan Shang was.
She used to envy Yan Shang's friends, envying them for getting Yan Shang's care. But now that Yan Shang is gone, he sends letters every day, chatting with Mu Wanyao, and sometimes sends small gifts with the letters, which surprises Mu Wanyao.
For example:
"It rained in the mountains today. I played chess with you for half a day and secretly hid a white piece. I wonder when I can play chess with you? Your talent will surely make me admire you."
"The climate in the mountains is cool, but it reminds me of the days when Your Highness was studying at home. It was so hot and humid that Your Highness must have suffered a lot."
"Seeing the camellia flowers in the mountains, I can't help but think of Your Highness. I wonder if Your Highness loves flowers?"
"I drank tea for half a day, tossed and turned all night, and had a stomachache and couldn't sleep all night. Your Highness, don't learn from me and drink herbal tea."
"At dawn, I saw a singing girl picking mulberry leaves in the misty mountains. I was confused and mistook her for Your Highness. While I was sighing at how ridiculous it was, I also missed her."
Mu Wan read his letters one by one, feeling happy. The contents of Yan Shang's letters were quite casual and imaginative, and he would often write one or two words casually, and would pause for a long time before writing the next line.
The change in his handwriting habit allowed Mu Wanyao to see that whenever he was free or remembered, he would write a word or two to her.
He wasn't just concerned about her, but he also often talked about him, what book he read today, what argument he had with the teacher tomorrow. He was a person who spoke in a proper and casual way, without any flattering tone.
It was as if he treated her as a friend and just talked to her casually.
Reading his letters is like talking to him in person. He is neither humble nor overbearing, neither embarrasses you nor hints at you. His chatty way of speaking... but also full of concern.
This way of speaking... Mu Wanyao can never learn it.
But she could feel how good Yan Shang treated her.
Mu Wanyao began to like reading Yan Shang's letters, and counted on her fingers how many days he had been away, and how many of his letters she could still read. This reminded Mu Wanyao of the time when Yan Shang had not yet arrived in Chang'an, when Yueyue had written to her, and it had lasted for more than half a year.
But at that time, Mu Wanyao always asked her maid to read his letters and she never read them herself.
Thinking that she had never read Yan Shang's letter, Mu Wanyao regretted it very much and slammed the table and called for help: "Chunhua Chunhua! Find all the letters Yan Shang wrote last year. I want to read them carefully."
Chunhua came in from outside and agreed to His Highness' request. She looked a little haggard, but Mu Wanyao, who was happily reading Yan Shang's letter, thought that Chunhua was just ill for a few days and did not care much.
-----
Chunhua is not sick.
But she is pregnant.
Ten days ago, she began to feel unwell, tired and sleepy.
At that time, Chunhua also thought that she was sick, so she asked for leave to rest. Afterwards, Chunhua began to vomit and felt nauseous when she saw food. Chunhua then felt something was wrong.
Yesterday afternoon, when Her Royal Highness the Princess was being served by other maids, Chunhua finally couldn't hold back her panic and secretly went to the West Market to find a country doctor to see what was wrong with her.
The doctor did not give her a roundabout answer, but directly congratulated her on her pregnancy. Chunhua turned pale and her head exploded instantly.
Thinking about the medicine my sister-in-law gave me...is it useless?
The medicine didn't work...which is normal.
The best medical skills in the world today are in the palace. Contraceptive pills and the like in the countryside are sometimes effective and sometimes not. Chunhua guessed that she must have encountered the same situation as the princess.
Men's promiscuity makes women suffer, and women's weakness arouses men's tyranny. After the absurdity of sweating, not all children in the world are expected. Women endure humiliation and torture, and if they don't want children afterwards, they can only take medicine. But what if the medicine doesn't work?
What to do next?
The mind was in a panic, and Chunhua's vision was blurry. It seemed that she saw the princess of the past, sitting alone in the tent, with her arms folded, in a daze for half a day. Afterwards, the princess asked for another dose of medicine...
Facing the country doctor, Chunhua said the same thing to the princess in a trembling voice, across time and space: "... then give me an abortion pill."
Faintly, she was repeating the same path as the princess.
-----
Chunhua spent the whole night helping the princess to sleep, and then returned to her room where she and other maids rested.
Everyone else was asleep, and she was the only one sitting at the table, staring at the abortion pills in a daze.
Liu Wenji and Prince Jin appeared in her mind one after another.
She knew who the father of the child was.
For the sake of her own peaceful life, she should not allow this child to appear.
But... this is the child of Prince Jin.
It's royal blood.
How could a maid like her decide whether to keep or go as she was the blood of the royal family? If the Ministry of Rites and the royal family knew that she dared to abort the child of the Prince of Jin, even Her Royal Highness the Princess would not be able to save her.
What's more, is this medicine prescribed by this country doctor...really useful?
Will it be as useless as the medicine her sister-in-law gave her before... or will it be as fierce as the medicine the princess used back then, almost killing everyone without leaving a single trace?
Chunhua sat in the dark night, crying, staring at the medicine, but she didn't know what choice she should make. She was originally a maid, and she was freed from slavery because of the princess's love, but under the power, did she really have the opportunity to choose?
-----
The next morning, when Chunhua woke up, her eyes were swollen.
The other maids asked her what was wrong with her recently, but she just made excuses, saying that she was still ill.
Chunhua was in agony, not knowing who to discuss this with. She stood in the corridor in a daze, waiting for the princess to wake up, when she saw a second-class maid running over with her skirt lifted up, saying happily, "Is your highness awake? Yan Erlang is back, come visit us at our residence."
The maids were very happy to hear that Yan Erlang had come. Not to mention that Yan Erlang was very handsome, just looking at him was pleasing to the eye; it was said that as long as Yan Erlang came, His Highness's temper would be good for a long time. In this way, who wouldn't like Yan Erlang to come to their mansion more often?
Seeing everyone so happy, Chunhua couldn't help but smile and said, "You guys go ask His Highness if he has woken up. I'll go and meet Yan Erlang."
Mu Wanyao heard the noise outside and coughed, and the maid outside quickly lifted the curtain and went in to serve. Hearing that Yan Shang was coming, Mu Wanyao was not in a hurry to see him, but slowly washed and dressed first.
As she sat in front of the dressing mirror and had her hair done by a maid, she heard Yan Shang's voice outside. His voice was as clear as running water, and his unique speaking speed was calming... Mu Wanyao unconsciously glanced out the window and saw a hazy figure.
She pursed her lips to hold back her smile, and under the gaze of the maids, she forced herself to suppress her joy, and instead washed and combed her hair even more slowly.
However, Mu Wanyao stretched her ears to listen to what Chunhua and Yanshang were saying outside——
Yan Shang said: "This is some snacks I brought with me. I wrote to you in the previous letter asking you to try them."
Chunhua smiled and had it cleaned up, saying, "My dear, you are so kind to our Highness."
Yan Shang sighed.
He said, "It's nothing, just a little courtesy. Normally, I should care more about His Highness... But my lady knows that I am busy with my studies and don't have time for other things. So I neglected His Highness and made His Highness suffer in everything. I can only ask my lady to take good care of His Highness."
Chunhua: “…”
Not to mention how Chunhua reacted, Mu Wanyao, who was eavesdropping on their conversation in the room, was already stunned.
She had been slowly taking the jade comb from the maid to comb her hair, while the maids were helping her choose earrings and hairpins. But when Mu Wanyao heard Yan Shang say that, the comb slipped out of her hand and fell directly onto the floor.
She was a little stunned and could hardly believe her ears:
What? Yan Shang said that he neglected her? That he made her feel wronged? That he treated her like this, it was just a little courtesy. He didn't even care about her that much? He still felt that he treated her badly?
This, this... He has achieved this extent, and this is called "too busy studying and no time for other things".
What does he look like when he is really nice to others? That would be so, so... so nice!
Mu Wanyao swallowed her saliva, a little frightened by Yan Shang, and even reflected on whether she had not thought enough. How dare she play games with such a smart person... A smart girl should play games with fools. How can she play with a smart person?
Does she overestimate herself a little?
Outside a door, the flowers in the garden are dripping with jade.
Chunhua looked at Yan Shang's clear and calm eyes, and her heart moved. She thought that Yan Erlang was so smart and always kept his mouth shut, and would not embarrass anyone... Could she ask him for help with her problem?
Chunhua was about to summon up the courage to ask Yan Erlang to let her talk for a moment, but she saw Yan Shang's eyebrows flicker slightly, as if he heard something. The jade comb fell on the floor with a "bang", although the sound was not loud, it was still heard by Yan Shang who had been paying attention to the room.
There was a hint of smile on his lips. Although he couldn't see the scene inside, he looked towards the window and said softly, "Is Your Highness awake?"
In the room, Mu Wanyao glared angrily at the two maids behind him, as if the dull sound of the comb falling on the floor was the fault of the two maids.
Then, Mu Wanyao coughed and asked unhappily, "What for?"
She really has nothing good to say.
Outside the house, Yan Shang smiled slightly and said, "Is it convenient for you to meet me, Your Highness?"
Mu Wan shook his head and said, "It's not convenient."
She regretted it as soon as she said it.
There are no words yet.
I had no choice but to say, "Then I will go to the Hongwenguan first, and come back to pay my respects to Your Highness in the afternoon."
Mu Wan shook her head and said calmly, "Yeah."
-----
But it rained heavily in the afternoon.
Mu Wanyao was trapped in the East Palace and couldn't go back. She drank one cup after another, causing Yang Si, who was solving the Nine Rings puzzle out of boredom, to look at her several times.
Yang Si: "Why, do you have a date with your lover?"
Mu Wanyao glared at him. Just then, the prince came in. Mu Wanyao immediately complained, "Brother, look at what he said about me! He falsely accused me of having a lover!"
The prince looked at Yang Si.
Yang Si: "...I just said it casually. If a princess doesn't have a few lovers, what kind of princess is she?"
Prince: "Chengzhi..."
When Yang Si heard the prince ask him to accept the order, his face froze and he sat up straight: "Okay, I was wrong. But why did you listen to that nagging guy?"
Mu Wan shook her head: "Bah, you are the one who is complaining!"
She grabbed the pillow that was against her waist and threw it at Yang Si, who then threw melon seeds at her without mercy. Seeing the two men fighting again, the prince sighed, walked to the window, and stared at the heavy rain, pretending not to hear the noise made by the two men behind him.
The prince frowned and thought that his father said he was going to the suburbs to escape the summer heat, so should he send someone to follow him and test his father's health?
There is also the end-of-year ceremony, which only has a few months left. He has to arrange people to speed up the process... If the ceremony is done well this year and the King of Qin is firmly suppressed, his prestige in the court should be even higher.
Only if his father supports him, will those opportunistic families be more inclined towards him.
Thinking of those noble families, the prince let out a sigh of relief and thought, don't be anxious.
The aristocratic families in the south are headed by the Jinling Li family. As long as Mu Wanyao is still the card in their hands... there shouldn't be many changes.
-----
It's raining heavily.
After Yan Shang returned to the mansion in the afternoon, he did not go out and stayed in the room reading.
It was late June, and there was not much time left before the October exam. He seized this time and focused on his studies. He did not leave any other tasks for himself, and even declined all the banquets arranged by friends.
I kept reading until late at night.
The rain seemed to be lighter, dripping down along the eaves outside the house and forming a gurgling stream.
Yan Shang finished a day's study and began to examine his words and deeds of the day, record them, and reflect on them.
He wrote a lot of words densely on the paper, and when he added the three words "Mu Wan Yao" at the end, he paused and continued to write his plans and arrangements after Princess Danyang's name. He wanted to have a good relationship with the princess, but of course he needed to plan step by step, and it was impossible to achieve it overnight.
How long will it take to go from a friendship to a husband-and-wife relationship, and considering his official career path... Yan Shang needs to have an idea of this in mind.
He was just making plans for himself as usual, and when he was writing deeply, he heard a knock on the door. There were two knocks, but no one answered.
Yan Shang thought that the servant was busy, so he absentmindedly put down the pen in his hand, casually clipped the paper he was writing on into a book, and stood up to open the door.
Carelessly, the door opened, and the wind and rain outside the window blew in his face. Suddenly, Yan Shang saw a pretty lady standing in front of him with her hands behind her back.
She was wearing a veil, but her clothes were thin. In the dark night, the bright firelight shone on the little bit of her shoulders and neck that were exposed.
On the rainy night, the beauty, with a fair complexion, stood at the door of his room with a smile on her face.
Yan Shang saw her, his eyes lit up slightly: "Your Highness?"
He hadn't seen her for a long time, and he couldn't help but stare at her for a few more seconds. It was a moment later that he reacted and turned sideways to welcome her into the house.
Mu Wan's cheeks were burning with heat, and she looked up at him.
Seeing that the scars on his face where she had stabbed him before had disappeared, she felt relieved. Fortunately, she did not really disfigure such a beautiful boy.
Yan Shang didn't dare to look at Mu Wan's light and flirty dress that half exposed her shoulders, and he tried to keep his eyes on her face. After letting her into the house, he couldn't help looking around to see if there was a coat he could put on her.
cough.
But there are only his clothes here.
When Yan Shang was struggling, Mu Wan raised her hand, and he realized that he was only staring at her face and didn't notice that she was holding a bamboo basket. When she entered the house, the bamboo basket began to drip water.
Mu Wanyao said mischievously, "Oh, I made your floor dirty. What should I do? Will you be angry?"
Yan Shang couldn't help laughing: "Your Highness is joking again."
How could he be the kind of person who gets angry easily?
Mu Wan shook his head: "Humph, sooner or later I will know how you get angry."
Yan Shang said casually: "There is still a long time to come, why should Your Highness be anxious?"
Mu Wan was startled, wondering how could there be so much time left. When she hesitated, he took the bamboo basket from her hand and asked her if she was tired.
Before Yan Shang could ask what was in the bamboo basket, Mu Wanyao grabbed his arm and came over to look at the things in the bamboo basket with him.
Mu Wanyao smiled and said, "Today in the East Palace, an uncle came to give the prince a water lily. I thought it was very beautiful, so I hid some and brought it back secretly for you to enjoy. Do you like it?"
She leaned her arm against him, her cool skin gently touching the back of his warm hand.
Yan Shang paused for a moment, but did not dodge. He said softly, "You came here in the rain for such a small thing. Your Highness, come and wipe your hair."
Mu Wan glanced at him: "Do you know what I mean?"
Yan Shang was silent for a moment, and couldn't help but laugh at her being so roundabout and cute. If it were someone else, who could think of something else from a water lily?
He said softly, "I know... Well, I haven't washed up yet, Your Highness, can you wait for me for a while?"
Seeing that he was so sensible, Mu Wanyao followed him to the inner room with a smile. She quietly clenched her fist to encourage herself.
Well, she came tonight to fulfill what she and Yan Shang had agreed to do long ago but had never done. She had no other intention except to sleep.
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