When lovers who have a good relationship are together, they can't help but be sticky to each other and are reluctant to leave.
Even though Yan Shang knew what he was going to do, Mu Wanyao sent him all the way here. When he turned around to say goodbye to her, he still couldn't say the words "You go back".
Under the dim light, Mu Wan raised her head and saw Yan Shang's expression, and she knew his hesitation.
She found it funny for a moment, and wondered how a man could possibly feel so sorry and unwilling to let go of a woman?
I was moved again, thinking that only someone as gentle as Yan Shang would be like this.
Hearing the sound of the gong, Mu Wan tilted her head and looked towards the source of the sound. She saw that there were actually vendors doing business in a place like Beili. They set up a tent, hung up lanterns, and set up bamboo poles.
These smart vendors quickly made a simple rack with bamboo poles and hung small wooden signs on it. The signs had words like "甲", "乙", "丙" and so on. In contrast, the ground was covered with interesting little toys, which matched the words "甲", "乙", and "丙".
"Dong--" The gong sounded again in the hands of the hawker who was shouting loudly, so crisp and clear.
"Who is it?" Three or four windows in the attic were pushed open impatiently. A delicate lady who was dressing up looked downstairs in dissatisfaction, "It's so noisy!"
The vendor was just doing business here, so he smiled and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, please look! We have arrows here. Ladies, just ask your beloved gentlemen to shoot the objects you want, and the objects will be given away for free. Twenty coins each time! The value of the objects below is not less than twenty coins.
"You are all ladies and gentlemen with vision and ability. Come and see if I have coaxed you."
Sure enough, the vendor's gong and shouting attracted many young men who came to Beili to play. They embraced their favorite ladies and showed off their skills by shooting arrows in front of the beautiful ladies. This small stall was instantly filled with people.
People in Chang'an all like men who are both civil and military. When they get here, and in front of their lady, they naturally want to show off.
For a moment, laughter and cheers were heard from the crowd.
Mu Wanyao saw that they were having fun, but she didn't really like the game. However, among the objects placed on the ground by the vendor, there were a dozen painted clay figurines that were very lifelike and cute, which made her heart flutter. Mu Wanyao was eager to try, and she lowered her head to think about whether she could be a man and shoot herself.
The trouble is that the people of Chang'an are open-minded, and there are too many girls wearing men's clothes. She is now wearing a robe with a notch that only men would wear, but no one in Chang'an would think she is a man.
In such an open-minded and knowledgeable society, how can she make people think she is a man?
Yan Shang and Mu Wanyao just stood there for a while, and his strong ability to read people's expressions was highlighted. Yan Shang smiled and said, "My Lord...if you like any small items, I can shoot them for you."
Mu Wan shook her head and looked at him.
Look him up and down.
Yan Shang's figure is like pine or cypress, his face is like jade, and his temperament is so indifferent, gentle, and pure.
As he grew older and spent more time in Chang'an, his temperament became better and better. So good that you can't even associate this kind of temperament with someone who wields swords.
So Mu Wan shook his head and stared at him for a long time, then said, "Forget it. It's better to rely on me in men's clothing to fool everyone than on you."
Yan Shang: “…”
He pursed his lips. Even for him, whose abilities were always questioned by his lover, he couldn't just ignore it.
Yan Shang said: "I am still good at archery."
He hesitated.
Yan Shang never liked to brag to others, but since Mu Wanyao didn't trust him, he still suppressed his embarrassment and violated his usual principles, and boasted: "General Qin praised my level as being good enough to go to the battlefield."
Muwan shook her head and looked at him.
She didn't remember who General Qin was, but Yan Shang actually boasted about himself... After he boasted about himself, his face turned red unnaturally, revealing a look of regret and self-spitting.
Once in a thousand years!
Mu Wan shook his head in excitement and pulled him up: "Come on, let's go shoot arrows!"
Regardless of whether Yan Shang is really capable or not, she cannot give up just because of what he said.
-----
Meng Zaishi, wearing a mask, crossed his chest and stood under the lantern in front of the first floor, looking at the couple.
Look at the young boy being forcibly taken away by the young princess, he is trying to accept her but also resisting.
The young man's back was solemn and dignified, his features were elegant, and what was even more remarkable was his good temperament. As beautiful as jade, he was exactly what a gentleman should look like, as the Wei Dynasty always admired.
Meng Zaishi sighed and thought that Mu Wanyao was indeed the princess of Wei.
No matter how long she stayed in Wuman, her aesthetic was more inclined towards the trend advocated by Wei.
Meng Zaishi looked at them silently for a long time and followed them.
Meng Zaishi and his group said that they wanted to come to the Wei Dynasty to slowly study the folk customs, but time was running out, so in order to catch up with the end-of-year ceremony, they still hurried on their way.
Among all the people, Meng Zaishi's martial arts skills were the best. At this time tonight, the other Wuman people were still traveling overnight. The fake king was being watched closely by Luo Xiu, the messenger sent by the Nanman King, while the real Wuman king Meng Zaishi had already entered Chang'an under the pretext of "inquiring about the situation."
We arrived at Beili, the most prosperous and lively area in Chang'an.
Meng Zaishi will only join up with the Wuman army when they enter Chang'an the day after tomorrow.
There was a curfew in Chang'an. After Meng Zaishi entered Chang'an, he could only go in and out freely at night in places like Beili. He did not expect that he would meet Princess Danyang again after a long separation in Beili.
I never thought that Mu Wanyao was so unwilling to be lonely. I have only been back in Chang'an for two years, and there is a beautiful boy by my side.
She had deceived and exploited him in the past, so I wonder how much love she has for the man beside her today?
Meng Zaishi smiled to himself and followed them. He saw them squeeze into the crowd to play archery. Meng Zaishi raised his eyebrows and became a little interested.
Whatever.
When I first arrived in Chang'an, I was unable to bring any gift for the little princess.
At this time, I could shoot an arrow and get something as a gift to her.
Meng Zaishi also joined the crowd.
-----
When Meng Zaishi squeezed in silently, Yan Shang had already drawn his bow and arrow, and Mu Wan stood beside him, nervously grabbing his sleeve.
Yan Shang said softly: "Your Highness, please don't grab my sleeves, it makes it difficult for me to move."
Mu Wanyao was scolding him: "Look, I told you that you are incapable, right? You are too troublesome."
Having said this, she let go of his sleeve and moved two steps to the side in order not to disturb him.
A tall man stood next to him.
The vendor said enthusiastically: "Sir, do you want to shoot arrows too? Twenty cents per time."
Mu Wan shook her head and looked casually, her eyes fixed on the other person's mask for just a moment, then she left without paying any attention, paying more attention to the situation on Yan Shang's side.
Meng Zaishi nodded, and remained silent, fearing that his accent would reveal his true identity, so he just threw out his purse and gave the vendor money. The vendor immediately went to get his bow and arrows with a smile on his face.
Meng Zaishi fiddled with the bow in his hand, half smiling. This is not a real bow that can be used... It has been tampered with, so it is easy to miss the target when shooting arrows.
He glanced at the peddler, his eyes like a cold blade, cutting through a person's skin and bones, leaving him bleeding.
This majestic and cold-blooded aura froze the vendor. The vendor observed the man's expression and whispered, "Sir, how about I buy you a new bow?"
Meng Zaishi smiled.
At such a close distance, he can even shoot with his bare hands, so why would he need to change?
Pushing the vendor to the side, Meng Zaishi saw Yan Shang and Mu Wanyao whispering something to each other. Meng Zaishi didn't care at all. He casually drew his bow, aimed it perfunctorily, and shot the arrow. At the same time, the person next to him also shot the arrow.
The girl's sweet and joyful voice rang out: "I hit it! I hit it!"
The voice was crisp, like the sound of an oriole, and it also carried a sense of upward excitement and an irrepressible smile.
Hearing this, his mind was immediately blank, thinking that she was laughing because he shot her. The corners of his lips raised a smile, and he turned his head to look to the side, but his eyes froze.
There was no young princess clinging to him, smiling with joy and praising him for his prowess.
Mu Wanyao held Yan Shang's arm, she pulled his arm, stomping and jumping happily. She was dressed in men's clothes, but her red makeup couldn't hide her cuteness. When Mu Wanyao held Yan Shang's arm and smiled crisply, her eyebrows were curved, and there was no gloom in her eyes.
She was carefree, like a little girl, happily following her husband, whispering and acting coquettishly to him.
Meng Zaishi was stunned and felt empty in his heart.
He felt as if he had never seen her so pure before. She was not pure at all, and she schemed against him... But it turned out that the Mu Wanyao he knew was not the real Mu Wanyao?
He taught her not to depend on men, and she learned it well when she was in Wuman.
But why, when she returned to Wei, she was still like a little girl, looking up at the man with a smile and joyful eyes?
Meng Zaishi was lost in thought, and the vendor was already pointing at the clay figurine with a distressed look, wanting to give it to him. Meng Zaishi looked across, signaling the vendor to give the clay figurine to Mu Wanyao.
The vendor looked back and felt a little embarrassed. The girl was obviously accompanied by a man, and the man had shot her... Wouldn't it be a bad idea to send her there rashly?
But when the vendor tried to argue with Meng Zaishi, he was stared at by Meng Zaishi's cold eyes. The vendor felt a chill in his heart, but he still went over.
-----
Mu Wanyao happily held the clay figurine that Yan Shang shot and praised it endlessly: "So you can really shoot it?"
Yan Shang sighed: "I told you a long time ago, but you didn't believe it."
Mu Wan shook his head and smiled: "Now I believe it. Come on, come on, help me shoot a few more! I really like their little clay figurines."
Yan Shang whispered, "It's not easy for a small vendor to do business. It's just buying a person's favor with twenty coins. And the real price of each clay figurine is not comparable to twenty coins. Since you have already hit it once and damaged someone's fortune, why not let it go? Don't let him make money."
Mu Wan shook: "..."
She looked up expressionlessly, gave him a cold look, and said, "You're such a killjoy."
Yan Shang said: "If you like it, I will buy it for you. Then don't shoot arrows."
Evening shakes his head and looks at him.
Then he turned his eyes and begged, "Can you shoot it one more time? No one around can hit the target, so we can hit it. People around here say that this company is a scam, and if you hit the target, it indirectly proves that it is not a scam, right? Just help them one more time."
She pouted and pointed at a clay figurine with a silly smile on the ground. "That's my favorite! I didn't let you cum just now because I didn't know you were so pedantic. Can you cum one more time? Just once. It won't cost much, right?"
Yan Shang also didn't want to see her unhappy, so hesitantly walked towards the vendor again. Mu Wanyao immediately smiled brightly and followed him happily, holding the clay figurine he had given her in her arms.
Unexpectedly, when the two of them passed by, they saw the peddler holding the clay figurine that Mu Wanyao had taken a fancy to in his arms. Mu Wanyao suddenly became anxious, but before she could ask, the peddler came over and wanted to give the clay figurine in his arms to Mu Wanyao. Mu Wanyao dodged backwards and looked at the other party warily. Yan Shang stopped in front of Mu Wanyao and looked at the peddler questioningly.
The vendor smiled bitterly: "The customer just now was shot, and the one who sent his wife away..."
Yan Shang and Mu Wanyao looked over and saw a tall masked man. Seeing the man, Mu Wanyao's eyes narrowed slightly, and she instinctively felt that the other party was a little dangerous, so she wanted to stay away.
Mu Wanyao immediately turned his head away and said coldly: "I don't want it! I don't want it!
"Brother Yan, let's go! We don't want stinky men's stuff!"
The peddler was caught in the middle, one wanted to give it to someone, the other refused to take it, he was so embarrassed that he almost cried. Fortunately, there was still Yan Shang.
Yan Shang took the clay figurine from the vendor, smiled at the masked man, and said gently, "Well, thank you for giving my sister such a gift. But we are not greedy people. Little young man, here are twenty coins. Please give it to that young man."
Yan Shang took out the money and the vendor took it. Meng Zaishi was stunned to see the twenty cents returned to his hand.
Meng Zaishi: “…”
The lights and shadows were scattered, layer upon layer like the fusion of water and fire. Yan Shang stood in the light, holding the clay figurine, bowed slightly to Meng Zaishi, then turned around and walked into the crowd of lights behind him with a satisfied Mu Wan.
Meng Zaishi lowered his head again, looking at the copper coins in his palm with mixed feelings. He became interested:
The man the little princess likes this time is eloquent, knows when to advance and when to retreat, and is a bit unusual.
-----
The confrontation between Meng Zaishi and the other two that night was silent and no one noticed. After Yan Shang and Mu Wanyao separated, they went to Beiqu in Beili, which made Mu Wanyao feel relieved.
Most of the prostitutes were in the three districts of Beili, namely Zhongqu, Nanqu and Beiqu. Among the three districts, Beiqu was where the middle and lower-class prostitutes lived. Many official prostitutes and daughters of criminals were banished to Beiqu.
If Yan Shang went to Nanqu or Zhongqu, Mu Wanyao would suspect that he might have visited prostitutes. But now Yan Shang went to Beiqu...the possibility of visiting prostitutes was very small, he really had something to do and someone to meet.
Did Yan Shang really think that she followed him all the way to Beili because she couldn't bear to leave him? She was even more worried about him and wanted to supervise him. She didn't trust men, even Yan Shang.
After making sure Yan Shang was fine, Mu Wanyao didn't care what he was going to do. She left here with the two clay figures in her arms and drove back to her mansion. Sitting in the car, she looked at the two clay figures from left to right and couldn't let go.
Next, Mu Wanyao still had to deal with the ceremony. There were only a few days left, so she had to focus all her energy on this matter.
Naturally, some people were dissatisfied with Mu Wanyao's hosting of the grand palace banquet and discussed it secretly.
When Prince Jin entered the palace to see his mother, Concubine Xian, he heard Concubine Xian complain that Mu Wanyao was meddling in other people's business.
After Empress Xian finished complaining about Mu Wanyao, she saw that Prince Jin didn't move, and she said angrily, "Look, the Crown Prince and His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin are busy preparing for the grand ceremony, why don't you fight for it at all? It's not easy for the Imperial Concubine to be confined to her house, and I want to fight for the grand ceremony banquet, and also to help you show your face in front of His Majesty... But I see why you don't care?"
King Jin said: "It doesn't matter."
He lowered his eyes and said, "I have been copying the Filial Piety Classic recently, and I am deeply touched. Father is exhausted, and my eldest and third brothers have already kept him very busy. Naturally, I should let Father worry less about me. If mother is free, why not copy the book with me."
Concubine Xian: "...You are trying to persuade me to be an idler with you?"
The King of Jin said: "There is nothing wrong with cultivating one's character."
After a while, seeing Concubine Xian staring at him, after all, she was his mother, and the Prince of Jin could not be completely ignorant. He leaned close to his mother's ear and whispered, "Don't worry, mother. Father likes wise kings and people who have a good reputation among the people... Isn't it for the support of the people that I stay in the Ministry of Works?"
“Otherwise, the Ministry of Industry is the last of the six ministries. Even if I have no ability, there is no need for me to cling to the Ministry of Industry.
"The Book of History says, (Emperor Yao) was respectful, wise, literary, thoughtful, and peaceful. He was respectful and able to yield. His light spread to all directions and he was respected by everyone. He was able to show his outstanding virtue and was able to get close to his nine clans. When his nine clans were harmonious, he governed the people. When the people were enlightened, he was able to bring all nations together.
"I have been taught this article by my tutor since I was young. Sometimes when my father asked me about my homework, he would stare at it for a long time without turning the page. I guessed that my father always valued this article. Although my father himself was not like that, he respected Emperor Yao.
"Father, he has seen many scheming and ambitious people in his life. He is strong and domineering, so he prefers those who are honest, obedient, simple and upright. Haven't I been working hard for this all these years?"
Empress Xian was temporarily convinced by Prince Jin, but she was still skeptical.
What kind of crown prince the emperor likes is just a guess by the king of Jin. Does this guess count? According to the king of Jin, the emperor does not like the theory of bloodline or ambition. The emperor does not need the other party to be smart and wise, nor does he need the other party to conquer the world. So among the three princes, the emperor should dislike the crown prince the most...but there is no sign of how the emperor restricts the crown prince?
King Jin smiled bitterly: "It's just my guess. But once you have a guess, you have to follow it to the end. Giving up halfway is a taboo."
Empress Xian was silent for a long time, then said, "You are determined to follow the path of Yun Gong Kerang. If you pretend for a long time, you will really become such a person and you can't change back to your original self. A saint pretending to be a saint like this has cut off other paths and you can no longer do anything else... Is this really good?"
King Jin said calmly: "I can't care about so many things now. My two brothers have their own strengths. I want to surpass them, so this is the only way."
Empress Xian whispered, "Do you really think that if you just stand still, that position will automatically fall on your head?"
Prince Jin said nothing, thinking that maybe it would really fall down.
Prince Jin smiled and changed the subject: "I will ask Chunhua to come to the palace to pay homage to her mother in a few days. The imperial doctors all said that she is pregnant with a boy, which is good."
Speaking of the prince of Jin's offspring, Concubine Xian was also happy. But she was also a little worried: "It's a good thing that Chunhua is pregnant, but why hasn't your wife shown any signs of pregnancy yet? Is she infertile? We should find someone to check it out."
The King of Jin said, "It's already been very difficult for the princess. She invited a Buddha statue to our house. The house is always full of smoke and fire because she is worshipping the Buddha. It's already been very difficult for her. Mother, please don't push her to have a baby."
Empress Xian was somewhat displeased when she heard her son speak for her daughter-in-law. Mothers-in-law are naturally at odds with their daughters-in-law, even if they are members of the royal family.
Empress Xian said, "What are you talking about? Don't I care about her offspring and her status? I've been so worried about you, but you think I'm annoying?"
Her son's childlessness had made her anxious for so many years. Now that she finally saw hope, she naturally wanted to ask for more.
It would be best if Princess Jin had a child. If Princess Jin had a child, no matter whether the first child was a boy or a girl, it would be better than now... at least it would prove that Princess Jin could give birth.
Now the Prince of Jin's Mansion has slowly begun to expand, and other women are able to give birth. If the Princess of Jin is unable to give birth, her position as the Princess of Jin will be unstable.
-----
The Wuman envoy reported to the Honglu Temple only after he arrived in Chang'an.
The Honglu Temple was only in a panic for a moment, and then they came to greet the Wuman envoy in an orderly manner. Such a leisurely and great country's demeanor, coupled with the scenery of Chang'an that they had seen along the way, made Wuman and his party a little timid.
Facing the officials sent by the Wei court, Meng Zai Shi asked the fake king to take Luo Xiu, the envoy of the Nanman King who was supervising them, to the residence arranged by the Honglu Temple to rest. Meng Zai Shi then led a few people and followed the Wei officials to the Honglu Temple to provide their own information to facilitate the arrangements of the Wei Dynasty.
This time, when he entered the Honglu Temple and met the officials of the Wei Dynasty, Meng Zaishi took off his mask to show respect.
A long scar ran across half of his face, making his handsome features look hideous and terrifying. The official who greeted them only took a glance at him and then lowered his head without looking any further.
When they arrived at the Honglu Temple, the official who led the way breathed a sigh of relief. Meng Zaishi relied on his half-familiar Wei official language to hear the other party shouting, "Yan Suchen! The Wuman envoy has arrived, you should come out to receive him."
Yan Shang was supposed to go to pick him up personally, but Yan Shang was held up by something, so another official who didn't know the Wuman language just went ahead and quickly taught him a few words along the way before going to pick up the Wuman guest. Now that they had arrived at the Honglu Temple, the official breathed a sigh of relief and quickly called out for Yan Shang to come out.
Meng Zaishi heard the young man's clear and gentle voice: "Sorry to bother you, brother. Please come in and have some tea."
Meng Zaishi looked up and saw a young man in a white robe, a round collar and a fu hat walking out of the hall and greeting them.
Clear and elegant, with a lustrous look like jade.
The other party came down the steps, raised his eyes and smiled at them, bowed and saluted. He said to them in the purest Wuman language: "My fellow men, please follow me."
His temperament and bearing made the group of barbarians hiding behind the stone feel a little uncomfortable, as if they were being compared to savages.
This young man made Meng Zaishi stunned for a moment, because this handsome and elegant young man was clearly the young man he saw shaking hands with Gen Muwan in Beili that night.
Meng Zaishi narrowed his eyes: ...He is actually an official.
-----
Meng Zaishi and a few others followed Yan Shang and listened to Yan Shang introducing the local customs and things they needed to pay attention to in their language.
Yan Shang finally said: "I need the birthday card that Wu Man gave to His Majesty, so that I can translate it and send it to the palace."
The people behind Meng Zaishi looked at him blankly. They were timid and thought, what more post is there? I haven't heard of it.
Unexpectedly, their king had been prepared and threw out a note. They saw the young official looked down and said yes, and then he would take the note back to translate, so that they could move freely and no longer have to stay in the Honglu Temple.
Meng Zaishi suddenly said in his unskilled Dawei official language: "Can I follow you and see how you translate?"
Yan Shang was stunned for a moment. Hearing that the other party could speak the language of Wei, he raised his eyebrows and said yes in a gentle voice.
Yan Shang returned to his office and simply asked the other party to take a seat. Then he sat at his desk and began to copy the post, translating it into the language of the Great Wei and writing it down.
Meng Zaishi crossed his arms and looked around the room, and finally his eyes fell on Yan Shang. He stared at Yan Shang for a long time, and suddenly said: "I just heard your officials call you 'Yan something'. Is your last name Yan?"
Yan Shang raised his head and smiled: "Yes. Do you have any opinion, sir?"
Meng Zaishi asked curiously: "Are you also familiar with Princess Danyang?"
Yan Shang paused, then continued to write with his head down, still in a friendly tone: "It can be considered as some chance."
Meng Zaishi became even more curious: "Your last names sound the same, so do you know a person named 'Yan Shisheng'?"
Yan Shang: “…”
He rolled up his sleeves and raised his wrist to sit in the writing room, then slowly raised his eyes and looked at Meng Zaishi.
Yan Shisheng is his original name.
He was sure that apart from his old friends in Lingnan, his first teacher in Chang'an, and the people around Mu Wanyao, no one in the world knew that his real name was Yan Shisheng.
Well, it is quite interesting that this Wuman asked this question.
Yan Shang said slowly: "I seem to have heard of it, but I'm not sure. Why do you want to ask this person?"
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