What happened on the South Mountain in the daytime was repeated in the evening, in the light snow. The general who went to intervene in the matter detained and interrogated the troops of both sides, then sent the envoys back to give them a good beating, and finally invited the imperial physician for the King of Wuman.
After finishing all this, the general went to the residence of His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin to report the progress of the matter.
Since Princess Danyang and King Wuman both left, the only people the general could detain were the guards of the Princess's mansion and King Wuman's subordinates. But after Yan Erlang's reminder, the general knew that these people would be released in the future, so he did not dare to offend them and provided them with good food and drink.
The general, who thought he had accomplished the task, went to report to His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin triumphantly.
The King of Qin was drinking tea. He had already felt the veins on his forehead throbbing from listening to the general's report. When he heard that Yan Shang and Princess Danyang had both left, he could not help but throw the teacup in his hand away.
The scalding hot water and tea stains hit the general directly on the head.
The tea leaves and hot water confused the general. He looked up at the gloomy face of the King of Qin, and knew that he might have made a mistake, so he shut up.
The King of Qin was so angry that he almost laughed: "You said that the second and sixth sisters were gone? Such a big thing happened in Nanshan, and you let them go? Who killed them, who started it first, who stabbed the King of Wuman... The King of Wuman is now wounded by an arrow! You even let the person who shot him go?! Are you stupid?"
The staff and advisers sitting on both sides also shook their heads and sighed, looking at the general with contempt, thinking: These people who wield swords and guns really have poor brains.
An adviser hypocritically advised: "Your Highness, calm down. General Ye may not have the courage to release the people. Most likely, someone whispered something in General Ye's ear... General Ye, why don't you tell Your Highness the truth?"
General Ye was startled and said quickly: "Yes, I did not do my job well! The reason why I let him go was because Yan Erlang was kind enough to help me analyze the situation..."
He did not dare to hide anything at this time and repeated Yan Shang's original words.
Yan Shang's original words made sense at first glance. But when General Ye repeated them, even without the King of Qin telling him, he felt something strange.
The King of Qin sneered, "So you were fooled by his words... When you arrived, you saw that he and Sixth Sister shot the arrows together, right? You didn't dare to arrest Sixth Sister, and you also let Yang Sanlang go. Yan Erxiao is just an eighth-rank official, so you still don't dare to arrest him?"
"He used words to fool you, so that you didn't even dare to ask Sixth Sister a single question. And then you were grateful to him, and watched him leave with Sixth Sister... You are so stupid! He was the one who shot the arrow! He was the one suspected of murdering King Wuman! In this matter, at the very least, all the blame can be put on Yan Er alone!
"If you don't dare to touch a princess, how can you not dare to touch Yan Er? However, you didn't arrest him on the spot. If you want to follow up on this matter later, it will be troublesome!
“After all, he is an official of the Secretariat, and his teacher is the prime minister of the dynasty. If he is not arrested on the spot, what reason is there to detain the court official later?
"And you! For your own selfish desires, for fear of future punishment, you let go of a great achievement... and a great opportunity for promotion!"
General Ye was scolded so hard that he broke into a cold sweat, and secretly felt annoyed. Starting as a soldier, being promoted to a general, and then operating in Chang'an, how difficult it must be... and he was fooled by Yan Shang.
All of a sudden, General Ye no longer felt that Yan Erlang was gentle and considerate of him, and began to think that the man was very sinister.
How could there be such a sinister person in the world?
She clearly appeared to be caring and concerned about him, but why was she thinking like this?
General Ye was furious and turned to leave the hall: "I will go and arrest someone else right away!"
The King of Qin sneered, "Come back! Can you still catch him? How can you catch him now? Should you arrest the Sixth Sister, or interrogate Yang San, or just Yan Er? Now the Secretariat and the Crown Prince are going to inquire about this matter... If you let go of such a great opportunity, it won't be so easy to get it back!"
General Ye was unconvinced and said, "But the guards of the Princess's Mansion are still in our hands! Many people saw the murder in Nanshan today! Someone has to be held responsible for the injury of King Wuman."
King Qin's eyes darkened.
Said: "...This will have to be handed over to King Wuman."
He thought for a moment and asked a counselor to go out and tell him, "Take the precious herbs and go visit King Wuman for me. And by the way, tell King Wuman that no matter how he wants to solve this matter, I am on his side."
The counselor who was named stood up, bowed and was about to leave, but was stopped by the King of Qin again.
The King of Qin pondered for a moment, then raised his lips in a mocking smile: "By the way, tell him that I have already found out that Yan Shang and Yan Suchen are the Yan Shisheng he mentioned."
The counselor didn't understand, but nodded in agreement anyway.
The Ministry of Personnel had actually already found out that Yan Shang was Yan Shisheng.
But the King of Qin did not tell the King of Wuman.
The King of Qin was very curious about why Yan Shang made the King of Wuman care so much about him and what Yan Shang had done.
The King of Qin was looking for a suitable opportunity to tell the King of Wuman.
And now... I'm afraid the right opportunity has finally arrived.
-----
At this time, a servant knocked on the door and said, "Your Highness, the East Palace wants you to come in for questioning."
The King of Qin remained calm and asked, "Did you just summon me?"
The outsider replied, "It is said that Yan Erlang was also summoned."
The King of Qin whispered, "I knew it. This is an attitude of reconciliation between the two sides."
One counselor said anxiously, "If this is the case, then the Crown Prince will join forces with the Secretariat. If the two join forces to suppress us, will Princess Danyang really be beyond our control and we won't have to marry her?"
The King of Qin seemed to be thinking about something: "Not necessarily. Maybe in order to appease the King of Wuman, we should send Sixth Sister away... I will go and take a look first."
The counselors also looked sad and discussed the matter.
-----
In Princess Danyang's bedroom, the light from the lantern placed on the low table was dim and extremely weak.
Yan Shang sat by the bed, hugged the bulging mattress, and talked a lot. The people sent by the prince were still urging him to go to the palace, but he couldn't bear to leave like this and leave Mu Wan alone.
But since he sat here and talked, he could no longer hear the faint sobbing sounds coming from under the quilt at the beginning.
It was quiet and silent, as if he was the only one talking to himself, with no one responding at all.
Yan Shang knew that he had said so much, but Mu Wanyao ignored him. He was afraid that even if he said more, Mu Wanyao would still not come out of the quilt. He couldn't force her to come out, so he could only try another way.
After a brief thought, Yan Shang sat in the dark and asked softly, "May I ask Your Highness, in your original plan, after killing King Wuman, what is the next step? Is King Wuman dead and that's it? Things are not that simple. Someone has to be responsible for the follow-up of this matter. I wonder what Your Highness originally planned?"
He looked down at the bulging bedding.
Still no one said anything.
Yan Shang said: "I have been involved in this matter. I played a role in the arrow that hit the Wuman King today. Even if I want to take the blame for Your Highness, Your Highness should let me die with a clear conscience, right?"
A muffled voice of a young girl came from under the quilt: "You won't die. Don't treat me like a fool and lie to me."
The voice was hoarse and a little damp, but at least he spoke.
Yan Shang's eyes lit up slightly, and he couldn't help but lean forward. But he was afraid of scaring the person hiding in the quilt, so he controlled himself not to get too close. He put his hand to his lips and coughed, then smiled and said, "Even if I don't die, it won't be difficult to let me go to jail when they react, right?
"Am I going to jail again?
"Your Highness, won't you help me?"
He reached out and gently tugged at the corner of the quilt. The corner of the quilt slipped out of his hand in panic and moved to the inside of the bed. He pretended not to know and just sat a little bit beside the bed, sighing, "But if I knew what His Highness originally wanted to do, I would have a better idea in my mind, and maybe I could have covered up this matter."
Mu Wanyao said sullenly, "It's no use knowing that. My original plan is completely different from the current situation. You can't use it at all."
Yan Shang said: "If the Wuman King can't survive the arrow wound and dies tonight, then I can use it, right? Wouldn't I have to pay with my life?"
His words finally touched Mu Wanyao.
Yan Shang was sitting by the bed curtain, not daring to get close, when he saw the bulging quilt that had shrunk to the innermost part of the bed gently lifted up a corner. He sat in the dark, still motionless. Perhaps feeling that he was safe, the quilt was finally lifted up a little bit tentatively.
She hugged the quilt, wrapped herself in it, knelt down and looked over.
In the dim light, she was so thin, covered with a blanket, and only her long hair was vaguely visible. Her eyes were red and her eyelashes were tangled. The princess had a delicate face and soft white skin, which had a milky halo under the light.
Because she had been crying so hard, there were traces of tears on her face. Looking at her like this, she had a kind of sickly and weak beauty.
Yan Shang’s eyes narrowed.
The waves in his heart made his body tense. He clenched his fists into his sleeves that were hanging down to the ground, and felt a lot of hatred towards the person who bullied him.
However, Yan Shang remained calm, did not change his sitting position, and did not try to move closer. He just smiled at her, as usual, waiting for her explanation.
Perhaps feeling that he was safe, Mu Wanyao gathered the quilt and told him in a hoarse, tired voice: "I arranged a person who looks very similar to Meng Zaishi. Originally, I planned to replace Meng Zaishi with this person after he died. I want to establish a puppet king for the Wuman Kingdom, and let that puppet king obey the instructions of the Wei Dynasty in everything.
"Meng Zaishi and I are quite familiar with each other. I can have someone completely imitate Meng Zaishi at the beginning. And when the secret can no longer be concealed, the person I arrange should also be able to control the discourse power in Wuman. As long as this person is a puppet, he is fake, then he will never be able to truly control Wuman. He will always need the support of the Great Wei.
"There's still no need to fight. The Wei Kingdom can easily defeat the Wuman people. And I don't have to marry a princess. Isn't that good?"
Yan Shang was stunned and shocked for a moment. He didn't expect Mu Wanyao's idea to be so bold.
What to say?
Should I say... As expected of a princess? Is she really brave enough to be a princess?
If someone else had suggested such a plan, it would seem like a fantasy and a pipe dream... However, Mu Wanyao now has her own power in the court. If she were allowed to do it, she might really be able to carry out this plan perfectly.
Especially if the King of Wuman was really dead, all the court officials of the Wei Dynasty would have no other choice but to form a united front, hold their noses, and follow Mu Wanyao's plan.
Mu Wan looked at Yan Shang and saw that he didn't say anything, so she said quietly: "Why, is my plan not good enough?"
Yan Shang lowered his eyes: "So, I was wrong."
Mu Wanyao looked indifferent, staring into the void, ignoring everything.
Ting Yanshang whispered: "It's my lack of courage that delayed His Highness's plan. If I had more courage today and helped His Highness carry out the plan... maybe the situation could really be reversed now."
Mu Wan was stunned.
Her empty eyes moved back to him, and when she saw him bowing his head and really apologizing, she stared at him for a long time: "Do you think my original plan can be carried out?"
Yan Shang said: "Although it is a bit too bold... but there may be a chance. It would be better if I trusted Your Highness a little more. It's all my fault. I delayed Your Highness's business."
Mu Wan looked at him for a moment, tears slowly rising in her eyes. She murmured, "Don't blame you. It's because I'm usually too fierce, which makes you think I'm brainless and do things without considering the consequences. I don't trust you, and I don't discuss anything with you. Even your coming to Nanshan today was your own guess, not something I told you."
She lowered her eyelashes and said self-deprecatingly, "If you and Yang Sanlang hadn't come, maybe I would have been... Meng Zaishi, I really underestimated him. I thought it was a good arrangement, but he is also very scheming. He has been secretly communicating with the King of Qin for a long time. Even without you, my plan would probably not be implemented.
"Meng Zaishi is really powerful. Even I hate him, but I was taught by him. It's not that easy for him to die. I was too confident."
Yan Shang was silent for a while, and only said: "Your Highness, don't worry, take a good rest. I won't let you go to marry. What's more, Yang Sanlang is back today... With Sanlang by the side of the prince, the prince will definitely help your Highness. Your Highness's top priority now is to take a good rest and stop thinking about these things.
"These troublesome matters... should be left to us men."
Mu Wan lowered her head, knelt down with the blanket wrapped around her, her face hazy. After hiding in the darkness for a long time and staying silent for a long time, she said softly and tremblingly: "Second Brother Yan."
Yan Shang: “Hmm?”
He saw the mist on her drooping eyelashes and heard her hoarse voice: "Do you feel that I am not good?"
Yan Shang was silent for a moment, his heart aching as if someone was holding it tightly. He smiled, but his voice changed a little: "Why do you say that?"
Mu Wanyao: "I have a bad temper. I always scold you, beat you, talk about you, and laugh at you. I have had relationships with more than one man. My past in Wuman is so dirty that I don't even want to talk about it. I am strong on the outside but weak on the inside. I tell you that I don't care, but in fact I still care. My relationship with Meng Zaishi... is so special.
"I didn't solve these problems, so I came to provoke you. You are pure-hearted, don't like anyone, and don't understand love... You could have been a good official, but I make you worry about my affairs every now and then. I... Have you ever thought about breaking up with me?"
Yan Shang looked at her blankly and said, "Your Highness should know what kind of person I am."
Mu Wan shook her head and said calmly, "I know, that's why I provoked you. I know you are a very serious person, and once you make a decision, you will not regret it easily or look back. So even if I am a bad person, as long as I don't mention it, you will not break up with me, right?"
Yan Shang: "It's not for this reason. Your Highness always thinks that I do it out of sympathy and tolerance... However, there are too many people in this world that I sympathize with and tolerate. Whoever I sympathize with doesn't mean I will sacrifice myself to love them.
"Am I really a saint? How good is that? In the eyes of outsiders, I am just an eighth-rank official with no talent or splendor. I am actually involved with His Highness. I really overestimate my own abilities.
"Your Highness is well-read and talented, but I am like a country boy. I have never read any good books in front of Your Highness. I heard that Your Highness is very talented and can write poems and paintings, but I am very dull. I am afraid that I will never be able to compete with Your Highness in poetry and compose poems with Your Highness in my life.
"Your Highness plays the konghou very well. When I first heard it that day, it sounded like the sound of a fairy. I can't do anything. I just think your Highness plays the konghou well, but I can't even explain why. I was amazed by your Highness that day and I still remember it. But your Highness doesn't usually play these things. I don't know when I can hear your Highness play the konghou again."
Mu Wan turned her head and looked at him intently.
Yan Shang finally said: "...I am not worthy of His Highness."
Mu Wan stared at him for a long time, and the tears that had just stopped flowing could not be stopped, but began to fall again.
Perhaps he heard the sobbing, so he looked up at her.
Mu Wanyao choked up and said, "I really don't want to tell you about my past. I don't want you to see my past. I was in Wuman... and there are many things I don't want you to know."
Yan Shang said hoarsely: "It doesn't matter. I don't want to know anyway... If Your Highness doesn't want to tell me, I won't ask about it."
Mu Wan shook her head and covered her face with her hands, trembling: "You said, you said, the past is like a shadow that follows me and will never pass."
Yan Shang's heart ached again when he thought of what he had said when they were still in Lingnan.
He hated himself for saying that at that time. When he said that, Mu Wanyao felt so sad.
Yan Shang said: "I was young at the time and didn't have a clear understanding. The past is illusory and shouldn't have much weight. What's important is the future. We should live the rest of our lives well and not let the past affect us."
Mu Wanyao lifted up the tearful face from her palms. Her eyes were full of tears. She looked at Yan Shang with a layer of mist in her eyes.
She choked up and called out, "Second Brother Yan."
Yan Shang: “Yeah.”
Mu Wanyao slowly pushed off the blanket covering her body, revealing her snow-white undershirt. She knelt on the bed and slowly crawled towards Yan Shang who was sitting beside the bed. She crawled in front of him and looked up at him, and Yan Shang leaned down.
Tentatively, she moved forward and gently touched his lips.
Yan Shang's eyes curved.
Only then did she realize that he was still the second brother Yan in her heart, always tolerant, always beautiful, and different from all the men in the world. He was the best person in her heart, the best person she had ever seen in the world.
Mu Wanyao hugged his waist and buried her body in his arms. She began to cry softly around his neck. Yan Shang hugged her and patted her back gently without saying anything. She cried softly in his arms, her whole body trembling, and her tears wet his neck.
Yan Shang's heart also began to drizzle along with her.
Mu Wan shook her head and said intermittently: "I like Second Brother Yan very much."
Yan Shang hugged her tightly.
At this moment, the maid knocked on the door. Mu Wan shook her head and sobbed, looking up blankly. Yan Shang said, "I asked Xia Rong to make some medicine soup. Your Highness stood in the ice pond for so long today, and your health is not good. I am afraid that your Highness will get sick. Your Highness, drink the medicine soup, okay?"
Mu Wan shook her head.
Yan Shang sighed, "Yaoyao is so well behaved."
Xia Rong came in and brought the medicine soup. She saw the princess obediently covered with a quilt and held in Yan Erlang's arms. She actually obediently let Yan Erlang take the medicine soup and feed it to her. Xia Rong was amazed and thought that Yan Erlang still had a way with the princess.
Mu Wanyao leaned on Yan Shang's shoulder and suddenly said, "Fang Tong and the others..."
Yan Shang said gently: "Don't worry about it, Your Highness. I will find a way to let them come back."
Mu Wanyao stopped talking.
Xia Rong hesitated for a long time, and finally said, "Erlang, the people in the East Palace have been urging you for a long time, asking whether you are going to enter the palace or not."
Mu Wan raised her head and looked at Yan Shang in confusion. Yan Shang said, "Sorry, let the people from the East Palace go back first. I will go there myself later."
Mu Wan shook: "Are you leaving?"
Yan Shang looked down at her and said softly, "I'll leave after you fall asleep."
Mu Wanyao was relieved and lowered her head to drink the medicine obediently. She said, "I want to eat the candy you gave me before."
Yan Shang was stunned for a moment, then apologized and said, "Ask my family to send more some other day."
Mu Wan pursed her lips, her face showing "unhappy". Yan Shang lowered his head and kissed her lightly on the forehead.
She looked up at him in surprise, then lowered her head and touched her forehead. The little princess raised the corners of her mouth again, and looked a little happy.
-----
The East Palace meant that Yang Sanlang would not show up, and to settle the matter, the Crown Prince sent another official to go with Yan Shang to apologize to the King of Wuman.
The prince said privately that he was afraid that Yang Si would meet the King of Wuman and offend him again, so it would be better to lock Yang Si up and let him reflect on his mistakes to prevent him from going out and causing trouble.
Yan Shang naturally agreed.
The Ministry of Central Secretariat was also quite dissatisfied with Yan Shang's behavior, but Liu Xianggong was not in the Ministry of Central Secretariat these two days because of some family matters. The Ministry of Central Secretariat just discussed it, and it was not appropriate to touch other students when Liu Xianggong was away.
Both the Eastern Palace and the Secretariat urged Yan Shang to apologize to the King of Wuman. Yan Shang was such a good-tempered person, so naturally he went to apologize every day with the people sent by the Eastern Palace.
But King Wuman refused to see them.
The officials sent by the Eastern Palace couldn't stand it, and they changed three people in three days. However, Yan Shang remained unmoved and brought gifts to visit every day. When the Wuman King refused to see him, Yan Shang stood in the courtyard for a whole day and was turned away, but his expression remained unchanged.
It amazed those who accompanied him.
I admire this person's cultivation, which is extraordinary.
On the fourth day, the Wuman people were probably reminded and felt that they had been tortured enough, so they allowed Yan Shang to go in, put down the gifts, and meet the King of Wuman.
-----
Just a few days after Meng Zaishi was shot by an arrow, he was able to get out of bed. His expression was stern and looked no different from before.
The two parties met in the study. Meng Zaishi sat with his clothes on, watching coldly as Yan Shang and another official from the East Palace came in. He defined the incident of Mu Wanyao shooting him as a misunderstanding, and hoped that King Wuman would forgive him and reconcile privately.
Meng Zaishi looked at Yan Shang standing with his head down, thinking about the news that the King of Qin had told him. It turned out that this man was Yan Shisheng.
Haha, no wonder.
Meng Zaishi said lazily, "You want to cover up the fact that you almost killed me by bringing me some gifts? My subordinates are still being held captive by you guys."
Yan Shang said: "If the king wants someone, you can release him at any time."
Meng Zaishi: "The arrow you shot that day... you didn't even have to go to jail? Isn't your Wei customs a bit bullying?"
Yan Shang raised his eyes and looked at the Wuman King who was sitting in a rough manner and playing with the inkstone on the desk wantonly, and said, "How does the king want to punish me?"
Meng Zaishi looked at him slowly, feeling resentful that the war had been caused by a plot of the other party, causing Wuman to fight for two years. Although the Chiman had been destroyed, Wuman also benefited from it. However, Yan Shang's original idea was clearly not well-intentioned.
Meng Zaishi answered the question irrelevantly: "While I was recuperating these past two days, I read your Wei books and learned that the word 'barbarian' in Wuman is not a good word in your Wei."
He sneered and slammed the inkstone on the table, causing the official behind Yan Shang to shudder.
Meng Zaishi looked at Yan Shang gloomily: "It turns out that although the two countries have formed an alliance, the Great Wei has looked down on us from the beginning to the end. They regard us as barbarians and call us 'Wu Man', which is not a good word at all... But we don't know it and take pride in it. You people of the Great Wei have laughed at us in your hearts for many years, right?"
Yan Shang said calmly, "I really don't know what your country is called. I was not present at the alliance that day, and I am not responsible for this matter. If your country wants to change its name, it is up to you. I will persuade our king and his ministers to actively cooperate, without any hesitation. It's just a name, it's all up to the king."
Meng Zaishi looked at him coldly.
Said: "Princess Danyang..."
Sure enough, as soon as he mentioned these four words, Yan Shang's gentle eyes changed slightly, and the look he gave him became a little more stern.
Meng Zaishi sneered and said, "I don't mind Princess Danyang trying to kill me. But since you have also made a move, if you want to protect her, you will have to pay the price for it. I heard that you are not very talented, and you have only been promoted to this position because of Princess Danyang's promotion. If you want me to calm down my anger and not implicate innocent people, I will give you a choice.
"From now on, you will be dismissed from office and will not serve as an official of Wei for five years. I will never mention the matter of Nanshan again."
The official behind Yan Shang's face changed, and he immediately said: "Your Majesty, you are going too far! Erlang, you don't have to do this!"
Yan Shang looked at Meng Zaishi for a long time and said calmly: "If I resign, will you no longer mention the marriage?"
Meng Zaishi thought it was ridiculous: "You are just a small eighth-rank official, and you think you are important enough to be mentioned in the same breath with the princess? Well, if you want me to give up the marriage, I'm afraid you have to add another condition."
Yan Shang smiled and said, "What other conditions do you want to add?"
Meng Zaishi's eyes stopped teasing and stared at Yan Shang seriously. After a while, Meng Zaishi said, "As long as you resign and never marry the princess, I will no longer embarrass you!"
Yan Shang remained calm and said with a smile: "Why don't you just let me go back to Wuman with you and help you make plans and do things for you?"
Meng Zaishi also smiled and replied: "I am afraid that you will help me. The more you help me, the more I will be deceived by you and lose money... Yan Shisheng."
The air was frozen.
There were smiles in the eyes of both of them, but the smiles were cold, tearing off the last layer of disguise.
The minor official behind Lang Shang was almost frightened to death by their bold conversation.
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