Chang'an was busy with the year-end ceremony. The court was now focusing on this. Small countries began to come to Chang'an one after another.
These small countries were all received by the Honglu Temple. However, there were too many small countries coming to the court, and the Honglu Temple was short of staff.
For this purpose, the Secretariat sent Yan Shang, the head of the Secretariat, along with some other minor officials from various departments, to the Honglu Temple for help.
Yan Shang actually liked this arrangement very much.
Anyway, he didn't have any important things to do in the Secretariat all day, just writing documents and doing odd jobs for others. The important power was not in his hands.
Instead, he went to the Honglu Temple, because he was from the Secretariat and could do some practical work and receive these foreign envoys.
The Honglu Temple was already very experienced in receiving these foreign envoys and had its own set of rules. Yan Shang only needed to follow the rules.
But on this day, after Yan Shang arrived at the Honglu Temple, he saw several officials gathered together and arguing. He went over to listen and asked, "What happened?"
The officials of the Honglu Temple turned around and saw that it was the young official sent by the Secretariat.
They had a very good impression of Yan Shang, because although Yan Shang came from the Secretariat, he did not have the arrogance that was common in the Secretariat, which was to treat other government officials as subordinates.
Normally, Yan Shang would help silently with the tasks assigned by the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, without interfering too much.
This humble style is still very much liked by the Honglu Temple.
Now, the officials of the Honglu Temple were arguing about something. When Yan Shang asked about it, he sighed and told him, "There is a small problem. We have an official who specializes in learning the language of the southern barbarians. But two months ago, the official's father passed away, so he naturally had to resign and go back to mourn. Now, there is a vacancy in the Honglu Temple regarding the southern barbarian language, and no one has been hired to fill the vacancy.
"We have reported this to the Minister of the Honglu Temple. The Lord of the Palace has always responded well and said he would find someone. But two months have passed and no one has been found.
"We can't just find someone who can speak Wuman from the city, right? How can that be possible?"
The Wei Dynasty was open to people, so there would definitely be people who could speak Wuman. But the people the Honglu Temple wanted were people with high cultural literacy, talented people who could speak and write... The Honglu Temple had no use for ordinary people.
Yan Shang was slightly startled and asked, "We have never been on good terms with the Nanman. Aren't the Nanman said to be still at war? Could it be the Wuman? The Wuman... have finished their war?"
The official being questioned said weakly, "We don't know. The list of countries that will come to the court has not included the name of Wuman. Wuman probably won't come, right? But just in case, there must be someone who understands the Wuman language. If they really send an envoy, and they can't speak our Great Wei official language, no one here can communicate normally... Where will the face of our great country be?"
Yan Shang lowered his eyes, as if thinking about something.
Another official looked at their gloomy faces and laughed.
When everyone's eyes fell on him, he smiled and said, "Why doesn't anyone speak Wuman language? Our princess who is going to marry into the foreign country..."
Yan Shang suddenly interrupted his thoughts: "My dear!"
The official who was about to suggest that they ask Princess Danyang for help was startled by Yan Shang's sudden words. He glared at him unhappily and asked unhappily, "What's the matter?"
Yan Shang said gently: "Look, you are busy arranging for the accommodation of other small countries and receiving other small countries. How about letting me learn the language of the Wuman country, which we don't know whether it will come?"
Everyone looked at him in astonishment: "You?"
Yan Shang said, "I have nothing to do all day anyway, so I'll go to the West Market to find some Wuman people and learn their language. I just happen to have some free time. Regardless of whether Wuman will send envoys to the court, we should be prepared, right?"
Everyone was still skeptical: "There are only two months left until the ceremony. Can you do it?"
Yan Shang lowered his head and said shyly: "Next to my mansion is the Danyang Princess's mansion..."
Everyone suddenly understood and accepted this statement. Living next to Princess Danyang, it was indeed much easier for her to learn the Wuman language than to learn from them.
Therefore, the Honglu Temple handed the matter over to Yan Shang with confidence, and Yan Shang finally had something to do.
Yan Shang breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that he certainly didn't want these officials to ask Mu Wanyao for help and let Mu Wanyao teach them how to speak Wuman language.
Although the details are still unknown, since Mu Wanyao had a bad relationship with her ex-husband...this marriage would probably not be a pleasant experience.
He tried his best not to bring up her bad memories.
-----
In fact, Shang was busy all day long not only learning the Wuman language.
There were envoys from small countries who loved martial arts and wanted to compete with the people of Wei. The Honglu Temple would of course arrange for the generals and warriors of Wei to meet these envoys from small countries, but the Honglu Temple would also send people to follow them.
Yan Shang was sent to follow such a small country.
Following the envoys of this country all day long, even though Yan Shang was a civil official, he had to accompany these envoys in riding horses and watching boxing from time to time.
After a few days, Yan Shang had back pain. He learned archery from these people.
After a month, he could shoot arrows on horseback.
Yan Shang smiled bitterly, thinking how surprised his eldest brother would be if he knew that he could shoot arrows now.
After working so hard all day, learning the Wuman language in the Honglu Temple in the morning, running around the military bureaus in Chang'an in the afternoon and accompanying foreigners in horse riding and archery, and returning to his own mansion at night, Yan Shang was really exhausted.
Even though he was so tired, when it was time to eat, the servants in the mansion brought him a bowl of water, a Hu pancake, and a plate of side dishes.
Even Yan Shang looked a little dazed.
He looked up at Yun Shu and said, "...Am I so poor now? Is this all I can eat all day?"
Yunshu said he was wronged, and shouted: "Didn't you do this yourself, Erlang? You just received your salary, and you went to the Yongshou Temple and donated the money to the children in the nursing home. You also gave money to the temple so that they could help the poor. You also paid the monthly rent owed to Princess Danyang, and paid the monthly wages to us... You have no money anyway!"
Yunshu was furious: "We tried to persuade the young master that day. He said that he was used to hardship and came from a small place in Lingnan. Now he doesn't need to be extravagant in Chang'an. A few cakes a day are enough... The young master is so kind, what can we say? I am surprised that the mansion can eat Hu cakes now!"
Yan Shang: “…”
His face turned slightly red, and he said, "Even if it's my fault, you don't have to remember it in such detail, right?"
Yunshu looked righteous, and thought proudly in his heart that he had actually been practicing these words for a long time. He could finally say them in front of Erlang... He was so proud.
Yan Shang also just realized that he was so poor. He rolled up his sleeves and sighed, soaked the hard Hu pancake in water, and ate it with bland taste. But after a few bites, he was choked and couldn't eat anymore.
I feel like I am a bit too pathetic...
He worked so hard for the court every day, but he ended up like this?
Yan Shang put down the pancake and lowered his eyes: "...We have to think of a way."
-----
It was getting dark, and before the gate closed, Mu Wanyao rode his horse back to the town.
She went to the palace today and had a dispute with the Prince of Jin's mother, Concubine Xian, over the right to organize the grand ceremony. Mu Wanyao prevailed and sent someone to send a letter to the south at noon.
She wanted to use the power of the Jinling Li family to transport a three-person-high stone with the emperor's merits and deeds recorded in it from the south to Chang'an.
It is said that this huge stone was dug out of the ground... Naturally, no one believed it, but everyone pretended to believe it.
Regarding the issues in the south, the Jinling Li family can still help. Mu Wanyao is now gradually gaining more influence in Chang'an, and she also wants to use the Li family.
After entering the alley, when Mu Wan was thinking about the proud and triumphant mood, she saw Yan Shang sitting on the steps at the door of his mansion, lost in thought.
It's really strange that the beautiful young man looks like a woman waiting for her husband.
Mu Wan shook her head and looked at him a few times, seeing that he was still in a daze.
Mu Wanyao ignored him and wanted to go into his own mansion. Yan Shang had to be pushed by Yunshu, the servant, before he came back to his senses.
Yan Shang: "Ahem... Your Highness just came back?"
Muwan glanced at him.
Yan Shang: "Your Highness, do you want to have dinner?"
Mu Wan shook his head and said, "You want to treat me?"
Yan Shang was startled, then blushed: "...I mean, can I go to your highness's house for dinner?"
Mu Wanyao: ...Are you asking for sex? Are you asking for sex with such a bottom line?
She snorted, "As you please."
Yan Shang breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that his meal was guaranteed.
-----
The Wuman King Meng Zaishi spent two years to annex the Chiman.
Now, of the five southern barbarian tribes, only four remain.
The person who lived in the same period as Meng Zaishi was the Southern Barbarian King Bule.
Meng Zaishi's ability was only praised in Wuman, but the great talent and strategy of Nanman King Bule was praised throughout Nanman.
This young King of the Southern Barbarians was brave and good at fighting. Since he ascended the throne of the Southern Barbarians, he had fought wars in the south and the north. Over the years, several Southern Barbarian tribes gradually obeyed his orders.
The king was still not satisfied and planned to combine the five tribes into one, so that he could be the real Southern Barbarian.
Only then can we establish a foundation as magnificent as that of the Great Wei.
Compared to the legend of the young Nanman King Bu Le, the Wuman King Meng Zaishi is so low-key that he is almost unnoticed.
If Chiman had not been annexed by Wuman and completely disappeared, the Southern Barbarian King would not have noticed that he had such a powerful king under his command.
Unlike the Wuman who were pro-Wei, the Nanman King Bule was extremely disgusted with the Wei. He believed that it was the women, jewelry, and culture from the Wei that paralyzed and corrupted the power of the Nanman.
Nowadays, the southern barbarians have become weaker in combat power than before. They even begin to prefer living in houses instead of tents, and prefer settling down instead of roaming around... This is all caused by the weakness brought by the Wei Dynasty.
Therefore, the King of Nanman never liked the marriage between Wuman and Wei.
However, they did not like it before and had no ability to oppose it. Now that the Southern Barbarian King Bu Le has gradually unified the voice of the Southern Barbarians, he can interfere in the close relationship between the Wu Man and the Wei Dynasty.
Meng Zaishi wiped out the Chiman in one night, and he should have been held accountable by the King of the Southern Barbarians.
However, the King of the Southern Barbarians sent an envoy who, instead of asking any questions, was very friendly and directly granted the land of the Chiman to the Wuman.
The Wuman people felt relieved.
After settling the envoys, several subordinates close to their king followed Meng Zaishi to the top of the mountain to observe the situation of the Wei border defense, and talked about the matter of the King of the Southern Barbarians sending people to grant land.
A crowd said, "We were afraid of being criticized by the King of the Southern Barbarians before, but now it seems that King Bulu is still reasonable."
Everyone looked at the tall and majestic back of the Wuman King, wondering in their hearts which one was more powerful, their own king or the warlike Nanman King.
In the dim twilight, Meng Zai Shi stood before his subjects and sneered when he heard the words.
The subordinates all looked terrified and dared not speak.
Wuman originally had no subjects, but after Meng Zaishi abolished slavery, he followed the example of the Wei Dynasty and appointed generals and vassal lords to his subordinates one by one.
Anyway, it looks very formal. Now each of the subordinates also puts on airs. When Meng Zaishi is not around, they act like their master.
But when Meng Zaishi was around, they always felt a little uneasy, as if they were inferior to others.
Meng Zaishi said lazily: "How can he be reasonable? He doesn't think that giving me the Chiman land is a big deal. Besides, I have already conquered Chiman, what else does he want? To fight me again? The wars in the north and south of the barbarians have not been settled yet, how can he have the energy to fight me. And if he doesn't come in person, I don't care about the soldiers he sent."
The subordinates were relieved and knew that their king was extraordinary.
They were surprised again: "Why doesn't King Bulue think that giving Chiman to our king is a big deal? After all, it is one of the five tribes' lands, why doesn't King Bulue care about it?"
Meng Zaishi folded his arms and answered, "Maybe there are two reasons. One reason is that Bu Le thinks he is not able to spare the effort now, so it's okay to give Chi Man to me. When he spares the effort, he will unify not only Chi Man but also Wu Man. Now that I have destroyed Chi Man, he still thinks that I have saved him a step and made things easier for him."
After a pause, they stood on a high place in the strong night wind and saw the young Wuman King talking with a scar running across half of his face looking hideous.
Hearing King Bulhe look down on his own king, his subordinates were all angry: "This is too much! It took us two years to annex the Chiman, but he treats us Wuman as if it's easy. He doesn't take us seriously at all!"
Meng Zaishi said jokingly, "The second reason is even more interesting. Just like you, you can now say 'take something from the bag', a language passed down from the Wei Dynasty, but no one in the Nanman that King Bulu wants to unify can say it. We learn the culture of the Wei Dynasty and the advanced technology of the Wei Dynasty, but Bulu looks down on us. He thinks that the Wei Dynasty is weak and incompetent and should worship him as king. He believes that the Wuman who have learned the culture of the Wei Dynasty are no longer orthodox Nanman.
"He only knows how to fight. He gave me the Chiman land because even if he had Chiman in his hands, he would have no use for it. He has no idea how to govern. What else can these lands and people do except serve as a fighting force for him?"
Meng Zaishi smiled, the scar on his face making him look even more sinister: "Since it's useless, why not give Chiman to me and do me a favor. He will also be right when we destroy Wuman in the future."
The subordinates nodded and said, "So that's how it is."
Then they were complacent and felt that King Bule's behavior was very unwise. When the previous king was alive, he ignored the opposition and decided to marry into the Wei Dynasty. Now it seemed that he had made the right move.
They seemed to have looked down on the King of the Southern Barbarians, thinking that the Southern Barbarians were backward, and that the Wu Barbarians had left them behind.
They looked at Meng Zaishi's back with joy, thinking that this was all thanks to this king. Although the previous king had arranged a marriage alliance, he had nothing else to do except trade with Wei.
It was only in the three years since the king ascended the throne that they gradually got rid of their previous ignorance.
The subordinates asked, "Then, great king, we are letting the envoys sent by the King of the Southern Barbarians stay here. Are we planning to discuss with them about going to Wei to pay homage to the Emperor of Wei? Has the king decided to send someone?"
Meng Zaishi asked in return: "Who should I send?"
There are many different opinions.
Meng Zaishi said: "What you said is not good. How about I suggest one person."
The subordinate immediately stopped talking and listened.
Hearing Meng Zaishilang laughing, he turned around to look at them and pointed at himself: "Look at me, how am I?"
Everyone was stunned, and they heard their king say again: "What do you think, I should go to Wei in person?"
After everyone was stunned for a long time, they came to their senses and began to praise King Wuman again, "Your Majesty, you are giving face to the Emperor of Wei! The Emperor of Wei will be happy!
"Your Majesty is the hero of Wuman! You are the high-flying eagle! You are the star in the sky!"
Meng Zaishi remained silent. As they praised him, his gaze moved from the brightly lit layout of the Wei border at the foot of the mountain to the brilliant starry sky above his head.
Meng Zaishi said calmly: "I have heard of a legend. It says that only heroes will turn into stars in the sky after they die. And who in this world is worthy of being called a hero?"
The starry sky is boundless and time is passing by.
He thought of Princess Danyang Mu Wanyao again.
-----
That was one month before the Wuman Incident.
The old Wuman King was wounded by an arrow on the battlefield. After returning to the royal court, he was taken care of by Queen Mu Wanyao. Mu Wanyao took great care of her husband, but the more she took care of him, the more serious the old Wuman King's injury became.
The first Wuman king felt that he was going to die soon, and in the last stage of his life, he had fallen in love with his wife from the Wei Kingdom. He did not think that the Wei princess would murder him, and there was always a witch doctor in the royal court, who also exaggerated the Wei princess's intentions.
King Xian Wuman was so sad that he felt that his life was about to be taken away by God, so he began to choose the next king.
He directly skipped over his disliked eldest son Meng Zaishi, who was born to a little maid in another department, and wanted to pass the new throne to his favorite youngest son.
The first Wuman King was afraid that Princess Wei would be unhappy, so he held Princess Wei's hand and said, "Don't be sad. If you have a son, I will make your son king."
Princess Wei cried as she said, "Your Majesty, I am so embarrassed. My husband and I are husband and wife, why would I care about this?"
King Xian Wuman always found it difficult to listen to his wife's flowery way of speaking. He said, "Don't worry, I will make arrangements for you."
The arrangement he made for the Princess of Wei was that after his death, the new King of Wuman who succeeded to the throne would marry the Princess of Wei again.
However, when King Wuman became seriously ill, Princess Wei quietly left the king's tent after one night and had a private date with Meng Zaishi, the eldest son who was not favored by King Wuman.
The two men rode their horses away from the royal court, drinking and having fun.
Speaking of King Wuman's impending death, the princess couldn't help but smile.
Meng Zaishi said, "According to our Wuman legend, everyone will turn into stars in the sky after death. Father will always be watching us like this. Are you afraid?"
Mu Wan was stunned for a moment, then laughed.
She said, "I dare to kill him even when he is alive, so how can I be afraid of a dead person?"
She held her burning cheek with her hand and looked at Meng Zaishi.
Her eyes blinked gently, and the gentleness that was unique to the women of the Great Wei made her different from any woman Meng Zaishi had ever seen.
The women of Wei are always more delicate than the women of Wuman.
Compared to her softness, two years of living in the wild made Mu Wanyao feel colder and harder. So she became colder and softer, more beautiful and more indifferent.
When Mu Wan looked at Meng Zai Shi, her eyes were charming. Meng Zai Shi could not help but prop himself up and move closer to her, wanting to take a look at her beautiful eyes.
Meng Zaishi suddenly asked her: "How did you kill my father?"
Mu Wan shook her head and smiled: "Guess."
Meng Zaishi came back to his senses and thought: "Is it just an arrow wound? The witch doctor said you listened to them and did nothing."
Mu Wanyao's smile was particularly cunning.
Meng Zaishi pinched her chin and said with a half-smile: "Little princess, you are naughty again. Well, tell me what you want this time?"
Mu Wanyao: "Well, after your father died, he wanted me to marry your brother. I don't want to marry, I want you to give me a few Wuman warriors to help me kill people that night and escape from him."
Meng Zaishi looked at her deeply and said, "You can't escape."
Mu Wan shook casually: "What does it have to do with you? Anyway, this is my condition. If you give me the manpower, I will tell you the answer."
Meng Zaishi looked at her for a moment and agreed. At that time, he only thought that Mu Wanyao did not want to marry again, but he never thought that she wanted the warriors he gave to cause misunderstandings among the new Wuman King and kill both of them at once.
Meng Zaishi was probably drunk that night and didn't think too deeply about Mu Wanyao's intention.
He easily agreed to give it to her, and then he saw her raise her palm, delicate and white, in her direction, indicating Meng Zaishi to put his ear over.
Her lazy charm was lost in the stone eyes, leaving only her fingers and eyes.
The light in his eyes dimmed, and he moved over calmly and hugged the slightly drunk woman in his arms.
She still smiled: "Of course it was an arrow wound. But before your father went to the war, I went to see the arrows you prepared for the war. I asked, not only you, but also the enemy used this kind of arrows. They were all useless arrows that were splattered with blood and rusted and wiped off.
"I don't know how to fight, and I don't know martial arts. But I know that this kind of broken iron crossbow can easily kill people if it enters the human body. Haha, this kind of arrow is full of poison. If I delay the treatment afterwards, your father's health will be a little worse, and he will easily die.
"It's so easy! Why should I do anything special?"
Meng Zaishi was stern and asked her, "How do you know this? Can you find this in the books of the people of Wei?"
She whimpered incoherently and no longer answered him.
She was already very drunk, her eyes were misty and watery. She leaned on his shoulder, looked up at the stars, and suddenly said, "In fact, in our Wei Dynasty, there is also a saying that some people turned into stars in the sky after death."
Meng Zaishi looked up with her to see the stars in the sky.
His deep eyes looked down at her clear eyes, and he loved them so much that he wanted to bite off her seductive eyes.
He said slowly: "So, after I die, I will also meet the little princess in heaven?"
Mu Wan was stunned for a moment, but shook her head.
Meng Zaishi felt cold all over and thought that she meant that she didn't want to meet him again in heaven.
But then he heard Mu Wanyao muttering in bewilderment: "However, we in the Great Wei say that only heroes can turn into stars in the sky.
"Who is the real hero in this world?"
Meng Zaishi looked at her, took her hand and put it to his lips. He said, "Then I will be a hero. Even if I die in the future, the little princess can see me in heaven."
He asked her, "Do you want me to die?"
Meng Zaishi placed his hot palm on her slender white neck. She shook her head when she heard his words.
She just leaned on his shoulder, tilted her face up, and looked straight at him.
It seemed that she took a while to understand what he said, so she gently pressed down her upper eyelids and then quickly opened them wide.
These charming cat-like eyes perfectly illustrate what "eyes like spring water" means. They are lively, yet not frivolous.
No man can resist her gaze.
She didn't answer his question in the end, and he didn't ask again.
Meng Zaishi held her tightly in his arms, kissed her face, and whispered, "Little princess...when I become king, I will let you be the queen. Stay here forever, okay?"
Later he found out that she wanted him to die.
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