All members of the Zheng clan were exiled to southern Xinjiang, heralding the end of this vigorous campaign against powerful individuals.
Princess Luling handed over the palace that the emperor had built specifically for her and moved to another palace to relax.
Many handsome men were forced to leave her, some were imprisoned, some left. The once glorious Princess Luling is now hiding in a palace in the suburbs of Chang'an, looking quite desolate.
On a hot day in July, Feng Xianyu came out of his office and went to the suburbs to visit the eldest princess.
The scenery in the courtyard was still exquisite, with lush grass and flowers. As Feng Xianyu walked along, he always felt that he was just trying to save face and maintain the eldest princess's dignity.
When Feng Xianyu met the princess through the curtain, he saw two younger actors kneeling at the feet of the noble lady. The two actors were laughing and making the princess happy.
Princess Luling raised her eyelids, saw Feng Xianyu coming, and waved her hand to let the people around her leave. When the two actors left unwillingly, they glared at Feng Xianyu fiercely.
I feel that this person is the one who always persuades the princess to send him and others away. It's really hateful.
Feng Xianyu's expression remained unchanged. After all, he was a scholar with a proud character. How could he bother with these ignorant actors?
When the room was quiet, Feng Xianyu reported to the princess: "The crackdown on the powerful is gradually coming to an end. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince said privately that he is grateful for your sacrifice and he will never forget it."
Princess Luling sneered.
Slowly: "I hope he really won't forget."
Feng Xianyu said nothing.
I know she is just trying to save face. Now the initiative is in the hands of the crown prince. The eldest princess... is ultimately dependent on the emperor. Once the emperor doesn't care about her, she will be abandoned.
The princess whispered in a low voice, a little sadly: "Tell me, why doesn't His Majesty want to see me? Why doesn't he love me anymore? Is it because he has that girl Danyang by his side that he has forgotten me? Or is he trying to build momentum for the crown prince, so he's giving him face? Why does my royal brother treat me like this?"
Feng Xianyu said after a while: "Thunder and rain are all grace from the emperor. Your Majesty's power is unpredictable, who can really tell? Anyway, it is better for Your Highness to recuperate here now than to stay in Chang'an. After some time, such as the end-of-year ceremony, Your Highness will go to the palace to see His Majesty again, and perhaps His Majesty will be able to show His Majesty his favor as before."
The princess said quietly, "I don't understand my brother's mind. People say he loves power, but he easily handed over all the military and financial power to his sons to hone their skills. People say he doesn't love power, but he still firmly controls everything. People say he loves the prince, but this time when Prince Jin's leg was injured, no one said anything openly, so he pretended not to know; people say he doesn't love the prince, but he gave the crown prince and Yaoyao the opportunity to gain reputation...
"I don't understand him."
Feng Xianyu said, "Your Highness, don't worry about that. Your Highness is the eldest princess. As long as His Majesty is still alive, no one will dare to touch your Highness unless you do something too extreme. This time they are only touching those who are your vassal. As long as Your Highness is patient, there is still a possibility of returning to the past."
Princess Luling said softly, "Feng Lang, come here."
The curtain lifted slightly, and Feng Xianyu, who was standing behind the tent, stiffened slightly and looked up at the girl behind the tent.
The princess said quietly, "I haven't seen you for a long time. Since you became the proofreader, you have come to see me less often. I miss you very much. Feng Lang, come here, let me take a closer look at you."
Feng Xianyu was silent for a moment before he stood up and walked forward.
The curtains opened and fell, and there was a sound of pearls and jade colliding gently.
Behind the curtain, in the shadows, the man and the woman were hugging each other. He was cool and she was rosy-cheeked.
The tide of emotion overwhelmed them, and the cicadas' chirping was weak and occasional in the fading summer afternoon.
-----
The trip to the summer resort is over.
Summer was over, the repression of the powerful came to an end, and the emperor was not in Chang'an, but he watched the show for a whole month.
This play was performed by his children together, and perhaps only Princess Yuyang did not participate in it. Let the emperor carefully read the thoughts of each of them.
After watching enough operas and the weather was not too hot, the emperor returned to the palace. Princess Danyang accompanied the emperor for more than a month and finally returned to the princess's residence.
After a month of accompanying the emperor, the princess and the emperor became much closer.
Occasionally there would be some joking.
When Princess Danyang accompanied the emperor at meals, she also learned to act like a spoiled child and to make jokes. The emperor was in a good mood and liked his little daughter's caring attitude again.
Regardless of whether it is true or false, everyone is trying hard to play their role and portray themselves well.
But when leaving the Summer Resort, Mu Wanyao still took Chunhua from the Prince of Jin's mansion to her side. Mu Wanyao said that she could give Chunhua to the Prince of Jin. But the Prince of Jin wanted to take Chunhua into the palace in a formal way.
A princess's maid who entered the Prince of Jin's mansion might not be able to become a concubine, but the Prince of Jin would definitely give her the dignity she deserves.
During this month, the King of Jin was probably exhausted. In addition, Mu Wanyao had just lost the Zheng family, so she was in the worst mood. The King of Jin did not want to offend her and easily agreed to Zhenzhen's request to take Chunhua into the palace.
-----
At the end of July, Mu Wanyao got off the bus at the gate of his own mansion.
It wasn't that the carriage refused to enter the alley, but there were people at the entrance of the alley, blocking the carriage's way. The carriage had to negotiate with the people at the entrance of the alley and ask them to make way. Mu Wanyao had already impatiently got off the carriage, and her gorgeous skirt was scattered on the ground.
Two maids followed the princess out of the car, but Chunhua was not in the middle. Chunhua was hiding in another car, feeling unwell, and could not get out to serve the princess.
Mu Wanyao saw Yan Shang.
Of course he didn't know when she would come back, so seeing her at the alley entrance was just a coincidence.
Mu Wanyao saw him bending over at the entrance of the alley, surrounded by a group of young children. Yan Shang and his three or two servants were holding copper bowls in their hands, and they distributed the maltose in the copper bowls to the children amid the noise of the children.
Yan Shang said in a clear voice: "Don't worry, don't worry, everyone has it."
His personal servant Yun Shu's voice was much louder than his own master's: "Be good and don't pull our master's belt!"
Princess Danyang and her group showed up unexpectedly, and everyone was stunned. Mu Wan helped the maid get off the carriage, and everyone at the alley came to pay their respects.
Yan Shang had his back to her. When he heard the noise, he turned around and looked at her.
He turned around in an instant, his robe fluttering in the wind, and his hairband also fluttered. He turned his head to look at her, still holding the copper bowl in his hand, but his eyes were fixed on her for a moment. His eyes were bright and clear like jade.
Mu Wanyao stared at him quietly, her eyes sweeping over his eyebrows, across his collar and neck, and taking a look at his whole body.
No one spoke, and the people around them felt that something was very different in the air.
Yan Shang took a long while to look away from her, and bowed to her along with the others, with a hint of laughter in his voice: "Your Highness is back?"
Mu Wan looked away, not meeting his eyes. She lowered her eyes to look at the children around him and asked, "What's going on? Are you suddenly adopting children?"
She was very serious: "I don't accept a group of children living in the same alley with me. If you keep bothering me like this, you should move out."
Yan Shang sighed and laughed.
There was seven points of joy in the smile.
He explained to Mu Wanyao, "I received a letter from my family. My sister-in-law was pregnant for ten months and finally gave birth to our first child. It's a boy, weighing eight kilograms. My brother wrote to me, and I was very happy. I gave some of the maltose sent from home to the children around me to share my joy with everyone."
He said with a slight embarrassment: "It is I who have caused so much trouble and disturbed His Highness's return home."
At dusk, I was silent.
After thinking for a long time, he could only vaguely remember that Yan Shang's eldest brother was a burly man. Mu Wanyao could no longer remember his specific appearance, but he could barely remember that his eldest brother was a very honest and easy-going person.
Because he is easy to talk to, all the affairs of the Yan family are left to Erlang of the Yan family, and Dalang has no say at all.
But now that Yan Shang has arrived in Chang'an, the affairs of the Yan family have fallen back on the shoulders of Yan's eldest son. That Yan's eldest son has even given birth to a son... Yan Shang is just happy for his eldest brother.
Mu Wan shook her head and looked at the children around Yan Shang. They were all aristocratic children, dressed exquisitely and with faces as white as jade. However, they all clung to Yan Shang and seemed to like him very much.
Mu Wan shook her head and said calmly: "Do you like children?"
Yan Shang smiled, looked down at the child beside him, and said, "Who wouldn't like it?"
Mu Wan shook: "I don't like it."
The air was silent for a moment.
She looked at him mockingly: "Do you think it's unreasonable for me, a woman, to dislike children?"
Yan Shang said: "...Everyone has their own preferences, which is normal. It is not the case that women must like children."
Mu Wan raised the corner of his mouth slightly and stopped talking.
She once again discovered the deep gap between herself and Yan Shang, and a month later, she was enjoying meeting him again.
Reality reminded her again and again how incompatible she and Yan Shang were.
He liked children, but she would probably never have the chance to decide whether or not she liked them.
Mu Wanyao ignored Yan Shang and walked towards his own residence. Yan Shang paused for a moment, handed the copper bowl to the servant, and chased after him.
He gently tugged at her sleeve. Mu Wan looked over and he handed her a piece of candy.
Mu Wanyao: "I don't like this kind of candy for coaxing children."
However, Yan Shang still remembered how much she loved eating candy when she was sick in Lingnan.
Yan Shang said: "Your Highness, just celebrate with me the birth of my brother's son, okay? I will give Your Highness some candies, and Your Highness will give my brother some face, okay?"
Mu Wan glanced at him, and he looked up at her. She felt a little confused and looked away, but did not refute.
Yan Shang smiled slightly.
Following her to the princess's mansion, Mu Wan was about to climb the stairs of the mansion. When she turned around, she saw Yan Shang still following her.
Mu Wanyao: "...Why are you still following me? Are you so free?"
Yan Shang's face turned slightly red.
He whispered, "I'll come find you at night, okay?"
Mu Wan shook: "..."
She had mixed feelings.
I wondered what he was doing with her at night. It couldn't be just to chat under the quilt, right? Sima Zhao's intention was too obvious!
Mu Wanyao was troubled by the fact that she had no idea what to do between herself and Yan Shang, and didn't know how to answer.
If she was asked to bite the bullet and break up with Yan Shang, telling him that she had never been interested in him and that he should not bother her, she couldn't bear to do that. If she was asked to be sweetly and carefree with Yan Shang, she was afraid that she would not be able to resist the feelings and that Yan Shang would be misled by her.
Since she couldn't give him a promise, she was just delaying him.
But she was too greedy for Yan Shang's kindness... just like the candy he stuffed into her hand. It was so sweet but not greasy, and she had to throw it away after just one bite. Who would have the heart to do that?
Mu Wan was stunned for a while, and Yan Shang gently pulled her sleeve again. He said, "Your Highness, if you have anything to say, can't you go inside and talk? Do you have to entangle with me at the door of the mansion like this?"
Mu Wan shook: "..."
Is she trying to tangle with me? !
It was he who insisted on looking for her at night, which made her very confused.
Mu Wan shook her sleeve away from his hand and said politely, "I'm very busy and don't have time to care about you. You should study hard and stop thinking about random things all day. It will waste your time and mine."
Yan Shang was stunned for a moment, then looked up at her, as if trying to find out what she meant.
Mu Wanyao avoided his gaze, afraid that he would see her hesitation, and hurried into the house. Because of her hasty movements, she tripped on the stairs. She heard Yan Shang sigh behind her, and Mu Wanyao turned around immediately, looking at him angrily with a red face.
He looked away, pretending he didn't see her almost tripping over the stairs. However, he looked solemn and unrestrained, with a hint of a smile on his lips, which made Mu Wanyao even more embarrassed and angry.
-----
At night, Mu Wanyao pushed open the door of the guest room and saw Chunhua bending over the desk writing a letter.
Because the Jin Palace would send someone to pick Chunhua up tomorrow, it was no longer appropriate for Chunhua to live in the maid's room. Mu Wanyao specially cleared a room for her. She pushed the door open and saw her former maid. Chunhua stood up and saluted the princess hastily.
The fetus in Chunhua's belly is already more than two months old, and she has no difficulty in moving. However, this fetus often makes her mother feel uncomfortable due to morning sickness.
However, gradually, Chunhua also developed the hazy beauty that only her mother had.
Chunhua welcomed the princess to her seat, knelt beside the princess' skirt, and bowed her head: "Your Highness."
Mu Wanyao took the letter she had placed on the table and saw that it was written to Liu Wenzhi.
Mu Wanyao glanced at them casually, and Chunhua explained softly: "I told Liu Lang that I was seriously ill and would not live long. I asked him not to miss me and not to come to see me after I am gone. I am a clean maid in the princess's mansion. I don't want people to say that I was entangled with a man outside the princess's mansion after I die, which would damage the reputation of the princess's mansion."
Chunhua sat on Muwan's knees, staring into space, and murmured softly, "Your Highness, after I enter the palace, if Liu Lang writes to ask again, Your Highness should send my letter today. Tell him that I am no longer here, and ask him not to miss me and live a good life."
Tears welled up in her eyes. She forced a smile, but it was a dry one: "Didn't he plan to marry me before? Didn't he prepare everything? How great. Now he doesn't have to prepare much. If he meets another good girl, he can propose marriage directly. In my letter, I asked him to treat the girl well and not to tell anyone about me.
"Just pretend, just pretend... that I have never been good to him."
Mu Wan's fingers holding the letter trembled slightly, and he felt his heart suddenly tighten, as if he could not breathe.
She felt very uncomfortable, tilted her head and said in a hoarse voice: "I will help you take care of Liu Wenji. If he still fails to pass the imperial examination next year, I will not wait for him to ask for help from others, but will directly arrange an official position for him.
"Don't worry. If he doesn't oppose my interests, I will always protect him a little more."
Chunhua smiled: "That's good."
The room was quiet, and the master and servant were silent for a long time.
After a while, Mu Wan shook his head and saw drops of tears falling on the lichen.
Mu Wan shook for a moment, then knelt on the ground, letting Chunhua look up at her.
Chunhua raised her face, and sure enough, it was covered with tears.
Chunhua asked Mu Wanyao with tears in her eyes, smiling: "Your Highness, have I been able to help you since I entered the Prince Jin's Mansion? Have I delayed your work, done useless work, or made things difficult for you?"
At this moment, the tears in Mu Wanyao's eyes had already welled up to the bottom of his eyes.
But she gritted her teeth and endured it, making herself strong. The maid was weak, but she couldn't be weak. She still had to support this princess mansion. After Chunhua entered the Prince Jin's mansion, if she had a bad life, she would have to rely on her.
Mu Wan shook his head and cursed, "Fool! Of course you helped me. You bought me time and gave me time to make arrangements.
"You were just being plotted against. You are just a chess piece. They must use you as a chess piece. They must have you enter the Prince Jin's Mansion to alienate me and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince... You had no choice, and you were not wrong. You did not do anything in vain, and of course you did not make things difficult for me.
"You are just a maid, you don't need to consider too much about those people's calculations. But after you enter the Jin Palace, I can't control you too much. You have to keep a low profile... If the child in your belly can survive and become the first child in the Jin Palace, you have to follow the Jin Princess. Only the Jin Princess can protect you, and only the Jin Princess has the position to make decisions for you.
"You should serve Princess Jin just as you serve me..."
Chunhua choked up but nodded.
Mu Wanyao gritted his teeth and said, "Also, cut off all ties with your mother, brother and family! Don't contact them anymore!"
Chunhua's eyes were filled with sorrow, and she said sadly, "Of course. I won't make the same mistake again. In the future, I will only give them a little money every year, but I will never meet them again, and I will never give them the opportunity to plot against me again. In this life, people can live without relatives... Actually, they can live well. So Your Highness, don't feel sad for your relatives."
Mu Wan shook her head and said, "I have never felt sad for my relatives."
Chunhua smiled helplessly, knowing that the princess would not admit it. She looked up at Mu Wanyao and whispered, "Then Your Highness, please give me up. Don't miss me anymore in the future."
Tears hung on her eyelashes as she repeated softly, "Give me up."
Mu Wan shook her fingers to her heart, and felt a numbing pain because of the words "give me up". She tightened her cheeks and hugged Chunhua into her arms. Both girls trembled slightly. Chunhua wanted to say that this was inappropriate, but she reached out her hand tremblingly and hugged the princess's thin shoulders.
She thought she had helped the princess a little.
That's good.
Although she was the only one crying, the princess didn't shed a single tear. But Chunhua thought she knew how upset the princess felt.
-----
The next day, Prince Jin's Mansion indeed sent someone to Princess Danyang's Mansion, left a betrothal gift for taking a concubine, and Ying Chunhua got on the carriage.
Chunhua put on the gorgeous dress she had never worn before and received the courtesy that only the master could give her. After entering the Jin Palace, she was no longer a maid, but the concubine of the Jin Prince. Everyone should be happy that she jumped from a maid to a master.
There were also more voices of blessings coming from the princess's mansion.
Mu Wanyao stood expressionlessly at the gate of the princess's mansion. After all, Chunhua was her personal maid, and she made a special trip to see her as a favor to Chunhua.
Mu Wanyao stood at the gate of the princess's mansion and saw Yan Shang coming out from the opposite side. He stood at the gate and looked at her with concern in his eyes.
Mu Wan shook her head at him, indicating that she was fine and he didn't need to worry.
Everything was normal, except that when the carriage was leaving the alley, a man suddenly came out from outside, ran towards the carriage, and chased after it, shouting: "Chunhua! Chunhua!"
Chunhua, who was sitting in the car, froze for a moment, her hand on the door, and she recognized the voice.
Mu Wanyao and Yan Shang, who were standing in the alley, were also stunned. Before Mu Wanyao could remember who it was, she saw Yan Shang's face change, and Yan Shang walked down the steps and ran towards the alley. Mu Wanyao guessed it was Liu Wenji after seeing this movement.
Mu Wan shook his head and looked at Fang Tong, and Fang Tong and others hurriedly followed Yan Erlang.
Mu Wanyao's heart was pounding. She lifted her skirt and followed them out, fearing that something might happen today.
I was afraid that this incident would cause misunderstanding for Chunhua's start in Prince Jin's Mansion.
Liu Wenji chased after the carriage, holding a letter in his hand, and shouted, "Chunhua! Chunhua! I know you are in the carriage! You lied to me and said you were sick and you wanted me not to see you because you were afraid of infecting me. But Chunhua, Chunhua! How can I not worry! How can I ignore you!"
He chased after the carriage, hissing, "Where are you going? You're not sick, are you? Chunhua, Chunhua... Don't forget each other, try your best to love Chunhua! Have you forgotten! Have you forgotten!"
The guards around him blocked him and held him down. He struggled to get out, he fought with the guards, broke free from their hands, ran forward two more steps, and was held down by the guards from the princess's mansion again.
Liu Wenzhi fell to the ground and watched the carriage go away from him. The guards and maids following the carriage looked back in surprise.
Liu Wenji shouted: "Don't forget each other, and try your best to love Chunhua!"
He was pressed to the ground, his robes were covered with dirt, and his voice became louder and hoarse. Suddenly Yan Shang came over and covered his mouth. Yan Shang stopped the guards who wanted to pin Liu Wenji to the ground and make him unable to move. He held his friend in his arms and covered Liu Wenji's mouth with his hand to prevent him from making any sound.
Guards: "Erlang..."
Yan Shang's voice was slightly tense: "I'll do it! Don't do anything!"
The guards were afraid that Liu Wenji would say something inappropriate again, so seeing that Yan Erlang refused to hide, they had no choice but to take action... but it was Mu Wanyao's voice that followed closely: "You are crazy! Who allowed you to touch Yan Shang! Stop it!"
Yan Shang hugged Liu Wenji's body from behind, blocking his mouth, and whispered with a trembling voice: "Wenji, don't make a sound, don't make a sound! Things have come to this, things have come to this... For her own good, don't ruin her reputation!"
Liu Wenzhi had tears in his eyes. Because he was beaten by the guards, his face was covered in dirt and there were bruises at the corners of his eyes.
He looked at Yan Shang angrily, struggling to question Yan Shang with his eyes.
Yan Shang closed his eyes and trembled: "I will tell you everything, I will tell you...but don't disturb her.
"We need to make her well, let her go to a high place, and let her focus on her life. Right?"
Yan Shang covered Liu Wenzhi's hand, and a hot tear splashed on the back of his hand.
Mu Wanyao was standing at the entrance of the alley. When she saw Yan Shang kneeling on the ground, she hugged Liu Wenjie without any disgust.
The carriage went away, and the crying girl in the carriage never lifted the curtain to take a look. The people in the princess's mansion suppressed everything and did not let the impact of this matter expand. When the carriage was no longer visible, Yan Shang let go of his hand, which was already covered with blood marks from Liu Wenji's bite.
This made Mu Wanyao extremely anxious.
Liu Wenji suddenly lost his strength and fell into Yan Shang's arms, crying miserably: "Why is it like this...why is it like this!"
Mu Wanyao looked at all this in amazement.
She came over, squatted beside Yan Shang, held Yan Shang's hand, and looked at the blood on his hand. Liu Wenji broke down and cried. Chunhua had gone to the palace. Mu Wanyao just squatted here quietly, looking at Yan Shang's hand.
Yan Shang glanced at her from the side, his eyes still warm.
He smiled at her in a low voice: "It's okay, don't worry about me. Take Brother Liu back first."
Mu Wan shook Yan Shang's bleeding hand without saying a word, with a cold face, she just gently rested her forehead on his shoulder. Only in this way did she feel that she could get over the tragedy of Liu Wenji and Chunhua a little.
She knew that it was impossible for her to let go of this person. Her mind told her to stay away, but her heart told her to stay close to him.
Yan Shang is too good... Even if he is good to everyone, she will never be willing to let go of his hand.
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