Mu Wan Yao is really too much.
The way she apologized to Yan Shang was to really give him a lot of gifts.
Born in the royal family, she had seen the only way to apologize was for the emperor to give gifts to people to apologize. The emperor would never apologize verbally. Mu Wanyao grew up in such an environment, and she would not be humble. She ended up like her hated father, moving gifts to the next door like rewarding a concubine.
When Yan Shang came back and saw that his yard was filled with treasures sent from his neighbors, he was really angry and amused.
It made her angry that she only gave gifts when apologizing but didn't know how to be sincere; it made her funny that she almost filled his yard with things just so that he would forgive her.
Couldn't she go there in person, or at least give him a look to let him know? Wasn't she usually very good at pretending to be pitiful? Why couldn't she do it now? No, he had to change her bad habit.
Now Yan Shang has been an official for half a year, and he has long since gotten rid of his poverty. The salaries of officials in the Wei Dynasty are very considerable. Even though Yan Shang is an eighth-rank official, the court gives him rewards here and there. With all the rewards every month, he is almost able to buy out this mansion and no longer have to pay rent to the neighbor every month.
Since Mu Wanyao wanted to give a gift, Yan Shang simply asked the housekeeper to take the account book to calculate. After calculating the property of the house, Yan Shang asked the housekeeper to move the funds and prepare to raise money to buy the house.
Mu Wan looked forward to it but Yan Shang didn't accept her apology. She was very puzzled and wondered if the gift was too small.
She then worked harder to reward.
Now, when Yan Shanglian saw her in the alley, he just politely bowed and refused to be intimate with her. Mu Wanyao was depressed and a little irritated.
But she was not idle. She suddenly remembered something and waved Fang Tong to come in, asking Fang Tong to quietly inquire about the relationship between Yan Shang and that girl named Chun Niang.
Fang Tong: "Who is Chunniang?"
Mu Wan shook her head and glared: "How should I know?"
She paused and added a few more words: "She shouldn't be a girl from an aristocratic family. She is more likely to be a famous prostitute in Beili. Go to Beili and ask around. Make sure you find out some things for me. For example, who is she, where is her hometown, when did she come to Chang'an, and when did she meet Yan Shang. Find out what happened between Yan Shang and her, and whether Yan Shang slept at her place when he stayed overnight in Beili."
She sharpened her knife and gnashed her teeth: "Yan Shang is still angry with me! If he sleeps in the same room with this Chun Niang at night, I will never forgive him!"
Fang Tong: "That will take some time. One or two days may not be enough."
Mu Wan shook her head and said, "Why don't you go now? Are you waiting for me to treat you?!"
Seeing that the princess was about to slam the table in anger, Fang Tong quickly excused himself and went out with a few guards on horseback.
-----
Yan Shang was working in the Secretariat and had just submitted a memorial.
It is still about the legacy issues from the previous envoy's visit.
Yan Shang pointed out that the Great Wei was in the middle, and its understanding of the surrounding small countries was based on documents and data from many years ago. As the old ministers grew old, the relationship between the Great Wei and the surrounding small countries was no longer as solid as before. Among the envoys who came to the Great Wei this time, there were several small countries that the Great Wei had never heard of; there were also several small countries that were supposed to be present but were destroyed instead.
The Wei Dynasty was hospitable and would receive everyone regardless of whether they had heard of it before or not.
Take the King of Wuman for example. If the King of Wuman wanted to "use the state of Guo as a pretext to destroy the state of Guo", another small country would disappear quietly. The King of Wuman's behavior this time was known to the Wei Dynasty, but there must be more that the Wei Dynasty did not know.
Yan Shang believed that it was necessary for the Great Wei to send envoys to various countries to clarify the current situation in each country and strengthen ties with small countries.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Revenue does not have enough money every year, so it can send officials from the Ministry of Revenue to accompany the envoys, and with the support of the military force of the Ministry of War, open up trade between Wei and neighboring countries.
The Wei Dynasty had no official channels for doing business, and all merchants had to climb mountains and wade through rivers to do business secretly. Yan Shang gave data, saying that in the past, seven out of ten merchants died on the way to do business, killed by bandits. The court should strengthen control and pay attention to this issue.
Yan Shang spent three days writing this memorial, and after submitting it, there was no response. He was depressed, thinking that he was of low rank and his words were not taken seriously, and the officials above him were simply unwilling to listen to his lofty talk. However, he was just a small official, and in the Secretariat, he was just a handyman, and he had no time to deal with any serious affairs.
This official position made him really confused and bored.
On this day, when Yan Shang was writing a memorial to Runbi in the government office, an official of the same rank as him came in and greeted him: "Su Chen, your teacher is back."
Yan Shang looked up and exclaimed in surprise. Mr. Liu was busy with his daughter's divorce. Has he finally sent the young couple who were arguing about splitting up the family property out of Chang'an?
The official who came in and sat at his desk turned around and smiled at him kindly: "Mr. Liu asked you to come over."
-----
Minister Liu was having tea with three other ministers from the Secretariat.
There were a total of five prime ministers in the Wei Dynasty, four of whom were from the Secretariat and one from the Ministry of Personnel. It was impossible for the Ministry of Shangshu to produce a prime minister.
Now the four ministers of the Secretariat were sitting together. Minister Liu took the memorial passed to him by the other ministers and when he saw that the signature was "Yan Shang", he sighed.
Zhang Xianggong, who had a better relationship with Liu Xianggong, said with a smile: "You, the student, are just a handyman in the Secretariat, but you are not willing to do your job. You submit memorials all day long, which annoys us very much. Let's talk about him. Since he is so serious and for your sake, we can't say he is meddling. Let's not talk about him. Submitting memorials every day is really annoying."
Liu Xianggong said: "Just reject his memorial."
The other husband who did not speak said, "It's easy for you to say that. Don't you understand your own student? If it could be easily refuted, we would have refuted it long ago."
The other party was praising Yan Shang's talent in various ways and it was impossible to refute it. Upon hearing this, Mr. Liu stroked his beard and couldn't help but smile on his solemn face.
Zhang Xianggong said, "Old Liu, don't laugh. Look at how you are as a teacher. You don't care about your students, and your students don't ask you. I see that you are not aware of the memorials submitted by Yan Suchen, right? You are letting go too much."
Mr. Liu said, "If you had a student like me, you would also let him go and let him do it on his own. The student did not rely on the teacher for anything, but he managed everything, and in the end he just came to inform the teacher... Don't you envy this ability?"
The other gentlemen all thought of the military exercise and the role played by Yan Shang in it. Afterwards, the information Yan Shang submitted to the Ministry of War on the military strength of various countries was even more detailed than that of Yang Sanlang, the one who actually fought against the Wuman King.
In addition, there was the matter of the princess's marriage which was triggered by the Nanshan incident, and the matter of the alliance between the two countries... Yan Shang handled them all very well.
This was all achieved under the premise that Prime Minister Liu was not in the Secretariat and no one provided him with help.
A man said, "I'm confused. He is from the Secretariat, but the Ministry of War actually cooperates well with him? They transferred him to the Honglu Temple to help, right? Guess what the Honglu Temple Minister said to me the other day? He asked Yan Suchen if he is not very useful in the Secretariat, why not transfer Yan Shang to the Honglu Temple? The Honglu Temple really likes this person and wants him."
Another husband: "What a coincidence, the Minister of War also said so."
Liu Xianggong smiled and said, "The Minister of War said that because they think Yan Shang is the prince's man and don't want him to stay here to help the prince. Why send Yan Shang, a civil official, to the Ministry of War? A scholar sharpening inkstones for a group of military men? Helping them draft memorials?"
Zhang Xianggong deliberately said: "Why not? Isn't Yan Er doing miscellaneous work like this in the Secretariat?"
Mr. Liu murmured, "He can find a job among the odd jobs and keep himself busy. He can even get involved in things that have nothing to do with him... Is this just an ordinary odd job?"
The gentlemen were all silent.
After a long while, one of the gentlemen sighed and said, "I have a feeling, Mr. Liu, among your students, you are the only one who will have unlimited future achievements. As for us, we are already old. We have to accept our age."
Liu Xianggong raised his eyebrows and said, "You may be old, but I am not old yet! I can still serve the court for at least another twenty years. There is no need to compare me with you."
Knowing that Liu Xianggong never admits defeat, the Xianggong who was speaking shook his head and did not argue with the other party. This Xianggong talked about another matter: "We have discussed with the people in the Ministry of Personnel, and Yan Shang should be promoted this time. Your Majesty has also asked about this matter... What we mean is to let Yan Shang go to the six ministries first, and if he is still good at that time, let him return to the Secretariat."
Liu Xianggong asked knowingly: "What are you going back to the Secretariat for?"
The gentleman smiled and said, "I will go back to the Secretariat and be a secretary. I am a fifth-rank official. It is not an insult, right?"
Everyone was stunned.
The four ministers who stayed here all had served as the Secretary of the Central Secretariat. The Secretary of the Central Secretariat was almost a position reserved for future prime ministers. Under normal circumstances, the Secretary of the Central Secretariat had to serve as the Secretary of the Central Secretariat before becoming one. As for the Secretary of the Central Secretariat, as long as nothing unexpected happened, it was almost certain that he would become the prime minister in the future.
In a nutshell, several of the gentlemen here saw what Mr. Liu had arranged for his elementary school students, and were secretly helping him.
Zhang Xianggong said: "If there is no mistake, Yan Suchen can be a secretary of the Central Secretariat when he is thirty years old."
Prime Minister Liu sighed, "My student cannot be judged by common sense. Something will definitely happen to him... How about we make a bet? Maybe my student can become a prime minister when he is thirty years old."
The other men all laughed.
No one believed it.
He said, "Is Old Liu drunk? Well, since you trust your students so much, we will make a bet with you."
-----
When Yan Shang came to pay his respects to Mr. Liu, he heard the laughter of several men in the room. After he entered, he greeted them calmly, looking normal.
Several gentlemen nodded at his behavior.
Liu Xianggong took out the memorial Yan Shang had written a few days ago about going on a diplomatic mission and opening trade routes and said, "Let me ask you a few questions."
Liu Xianggong casually asked Yan Shang about the troops on the trade route and the routes of the envoys to various countries. Yan Shang could answer some of the questions, but not others. Yan Shang felt ashamed for the ones he could not answer, and said he would check it out. However, Yan Shang saw that several Xianggongs were sitting here, and he felt moved, knowing that this was a good opportunity.
He tried hard to express the ideas in his memorial, hoping to get the support of these gentlemen.
Zhang Xianggong, who had the best temper among the four Xianggong, smiled and said, "Well, we old men have been looking at this memorial for several days. If we were not interested, we would not have called you to question us. I also want to congratulate you on your promotion. It's a pity that you will not be able to see the decision made by us old men after the Secretariat."
Yan Shang was stunned and felt a little regretful.
Seeing that he was not happy but disappointed, several officials looked at each other and laughed. One official said, "Are you reluctant to part with your memorial? Are you afraid that if you leave, no one will be able to carry out the contents of your memorial?"
Yan Shang said in a gentle voice: "To be honest with you gentlemen, I do think that if the court is prepared to adopt the content of this memorial, it would be best for me to stay in the Secretariat."
Liu Xianggong sneered and said, "Why are you staying in the Secretariat? Are you waiting for this matter to be done so that you can make another great contribution? Are you worried that we are blocking your path to promotion and stealing your achievements by transferring you out now?"
Yan Shang's expression remained unchanged, and he said softly: "Serving the country is not just about achievements. I am not such a narrow-minded person. I just feel that I understand my memorial best, and it will be of the greatest use if it stays in the Secretariat. I am not doing this for achievements. As long as I stay here, it doesn't matter if the achievements are given to others."
One of the officials said, "It seems that he likes the Secretariat and wants to stay here forever."
Yan Shang lowered his head and said he was ashamed.
Several men kept sulking for a long time, and finally, Zhang couldn't help laughing first: "Okay, I won't tease you anymore. Old Liu, you should speak first."
Yan Shang had always felt that his men were not the kind of people who wanted to steal his achievements, so when he heard that their achievements had been ruined, he remained calm and only looked at his teacher.
Liu Xianggong said: "We are going to transfer you to the Ministry of Revenue to serve as the Minister of Revenue."
Yan Shang's heart paused for a moment, and he leaned forward to salute, which was a little beyond his expectations.
The position of the Minister of Revenue was from the seventh rank. His current position as the Director of the Secretariat was from the eighth rank. This promotion was a big jump, from the eighth rank to the seventh rank... It was a big jump.
Seeing his confusion, Zhang Xianggong smiled and explained for him: "You are lucky. The former Shangshu of the Ministry of Revenue just lost his father and went home to mourn. When the prince heard that you were going to the Ministry of Revenue, he directly let you take that position, saying that it was too low and insulting to your talent. We just wanted you to go to the Ministry of Revenue, but the prince promoted you a big rank. You should thank the prince."
Yan Shang still thanked the ministers: "If I can go to the Ministry of Revenue, the Secretariat is ready to send envoys, and the Ministry of Revenue is ready to open up an official trade route... The ministers still want me to participate in this matter, so they sent me to the Ministry of Revenue. I still want to thank the ministers for their grace."
Yan Shang thought to himself, the prince gave him a higher rank, could this be what Mu Wanyao meant by contributing? Is this the position that Mu Wanyao asked the emperor for? But judging from the looks of the ministers, it seemed like they had decided on this position, and His Majesty had not interfered?
The men were flattered and felt comfortable, and they all smiled without saying anything. It is good to promote people, but it is even better if the other party can sense it instantly when you promote them. It feels worthwhile to cultivate him.
Liu Xianggong paused and said in a serious tone: "Well, it's not over yet. Your official position is actually the Minister of Revenue and the Imperial Censor of the Palace."
Yan Shang was stunned, then he looked at his teacher's serious expression, and instantly realized that the "Palace Censor" behind him, who was also from the seventh rank, was the position that Mu Wan had requested. Yan Shang blushed, because these gentlemen obviously knew that it was the princess who requested it, but they were all pretending not to know... Yan Shang blushed, and endured the shame and bowed again.
The men all acted very serious, as if they had no idea what this concurrent position meant.
Today, Yan Shang had to finish the promotion and transfer affairs, and he had to report to the Ministry of Revenue that day. But after he left, he came back and reported Luo Xiu to several men:
"...I sent a man from Wuman to test this Luo Xiu. This Luo Xiu sent people to Nanman to pass on information and maps. They are all from our Great Wei...I suspect that there are officials in the Great Wei who are colluding with this Luo Xiu..."
Several men nodded, indicating that they understood and were very satisfied that Yan Shang had followed through and told them about this. If Yan Shang had left like this without telling them the news, no one would have blamed him. After all, he was no longer a member of the Secretariat.
Zhang Xianggong said directly: "Then you continue to be responsible for investigating this matter. Since you have the position of Palace Censor, it is your job to supervise all officials. You don't need to report this matter to us. After the investigation, it will be under the jurisdiction of the Censorate."
Yan Shang accepted and said goodbye to them. After that, he said goodbye to other colleagues in the Secretariat. Everyone congratulated him on his promotion and held banquets for him for two consecutive days.
-----
Luo Xiu was given the title of Right Guard General by Wei and was forced to stay in Chang'an, unable to go anywhere. Luo Xiu hired Han Shuxing to deliver maps and messages to the Nanman King, but was intercepted by Yan Shang, who was on Yan Shang's side.
Standing in the study in Yan Erlang's mansion, Han Shuxing reported all of this and waited for Yan Shang's next arrangements.
After Yan Shang pondered for a moment, he said to Han Shuxing in a friendly manner: "Since Luo Xiu hired you to go out of Chang'an to deliver a message to Nanman, you might as well take this opportunity to leave Chang'an. You don't need to be busy with Luo Xiu's affairs anymore."
Luo Xiu must have received information from a Wei official, so he could get such detailed information. Yan Shang was just waiting to see when that person would show up and contact Luo Xiu again.
Luo Xiu's stay in Wei was an unstable factor. The person who had worked with Luo Xiu would definitely be uneasy and would reveal his true colors.
Han Shuxing no longer needs to do all of these.
Han Shuxing stood there in shock for a while before he realized that Yan Shang meant to give him freedom, that he could leave Chang'an and go wherever he wanted. He felt ecstatic at first, but then he was confused.
Han Shuxing: "Erlang, I don't know where to go."
He lowered his head and was silent for a while before saying, "I have never taken the initiative to go anywhere in these years. I am already...unaccustomed to the outside world. Erlang, I am good at martial arts, so you can keep me as a guard. I don't need monthly wages, Erlang, just take care of my food."
Yan Shang said gently: "I don't have any guards with martial arts as good as yours. I am naturally happy that you are willing to stay. However, I can't delay you because of this.
"You have been imprisoned for many years and have lost your goal. You don't know where to go for a while. This is not normal. I hope you can leave Chang'an and walk around. Maybe you will find what you really want to do and the meaning of your life. Han Shuxing, you are no longer a slave. Don't think of yourself as a slave anymore.
"Go and walk around this world. If after many years, you still have no goals and don't know the meaning of life, it won't be too late to come back to me. No matter what, I will never abandon the old people."
Han Shuxing stared at him for a long time, and finally nodded. He didn't understand many things, but he felt that Yan Erlang's words were very pleasant and always touched his heart. He didn't understand this kind of speaking skills, but Yan Shang's sincerity still made him feel warm.
Han Shuxing knelt down and solemnly performed the etiquette of a Wei citizen to Yan Shang before pushing the door open and leaving.
-----
After dealing with Han Shuxing's problem, Yan Shang continued to work in the library. He was thinking about his schedule, but he was uneasy.
Because he did not forget that this afternoon, Yang Siyue had agreed to go to Ci'en Temple to watch a play in the evening.
That day he was trapped in the car, feeling extremely ashamed, and hated Mu Wanyao to no end, angry that she had forced him to hide in the car. Thinking back to it later, Yan Shang remembered the appointment between Yang Si and Mu Wanyao, and his heart was filled with hot and cold.
He wanted to ask, but he was angry with Mu Wanyao and shouldn't ask.
However, Yan Shang cares about Yang Si more than he cares about Meng Zaishi. Because Mu Wanyao doesn't like Meng Zaishi, but Mu Wanyao and Yang Si are so good. Yang Sanlang is a young and handsome man. The girls in Chang'an chase after Yang Sanlang every day. Mu Wanyao likes him too, right?
Yan Shang felt that if he hadn't interfered... perhaps Mu Wanyao and Yang Sixiu would have been together.
He cared so much about Yang Si that he felt sad and could not sit still.
Yan Shang wrote for a while, but he still couldn't calm down. He had no choice but to let his servant Yun Shu come in, pretending nothing had happened and asked Yun Shu to ask, "Has His Highness returned?"
After a while, Yunshu came back and said that Dian had gone out in the afternoon and had not returned yet.
Yunshu looked at Yanshang and asked, "My dear, do you have something to ask His Highness?"
Yan Shang lowered his eyes and sat quietly, saying, "It's all right."
But after a while, Yan Shang couldn't help but send his servants to ask, but Mu Wanyao still didn't come back. He went back and forth several times, and when it was dusk, the woman still didn't come back. Yan Shang was impatient and speculated why she didn't come back for a long time, and what the two of them were doing?
He naturally believed in the character of both of them.
But, but...
Langjun was sitting in the study, working. Yunshu stood in the corridor and sighed, "It's getting dark, and the gate will be closed soon. Your Highness won't be back tonight, will he?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the door of the study opened.
Yan Shang looked uncomfortable, but said seriously, "I'm going to Ci'en Temple."
Yun Shu: "But are we going to pick up His Highness?"
Yan Shang: "Of course not. Yes, yes... I donated some money to Ci'en Temple, and the abbot has been trying to find me to thank me, but I avoided him. Now I suddenly remembered this matter and I have to deal with it."
Yunshu went to prepare the horse, and when she looked back at her husband who was returning to his room, she couldn't help but sigh in her heart, feeling sorry for her husband.
I thought Erlang had such a good temper.
How could there be a gentleman who would answer his servant's questions in a friendly manner?
How could there be a man who would go to pick someone up when he is obviously angry?
Yunshu never believed that Yan Shang was going to see the abbot of Ci'en Temple. Yan Shang was a person who did not expect anything in return. He would donate without waiting for thanks. Yan Erlang went to Ci'en Temple only for Princess Danyang...Princess Danyang should not let down such a gentle man.
-----
When Yan Shang was leaving, a messenger from the post station entered through the Chang'an city gate.
One letter was sent to Wei Qilang's residence, and the other letter was sent to Mu Wanyao's residence.
In the East Palace, the Crown Prince had been paying close attention to this matter. As soon as the messenger entered Chang'an City, the East Palace already knew about it.
Since the military exercise was over, the prince had been waiting for the messenger to enter Chang'an. The prince was a man of deep scheming, and he knew that once the relationship between the Li family and the royal family eased, the Li family would definitely make the next move.
And now he has waited.
Although the letter from the Li family could not be intercepted, the fact that it was sent to Wei Qilang and Mu Wanyao at the same time had already given a message.
The prince was in deep thought.
If he was the head of the Jinling Li family, when Mu Wanyao's power in Chang'an grew little by little, and when the emperor and the Jinling Li family began to reconcile, he would immediately facilitate the marriage of Mu Wanyao and Wei Shu, and let the great families in the south and the north form an alliance.
After the two families formed an alliance, the Wei family would help the Li family return to Chang'an.
The prince was unwilling to see this result. He summoned Yang Si back that day in order to win over the Li family. Unfortunately, the Li family's attitude was always ambiguous, and Mu Wanyao and Yang Si's attitudes were also inconsistent, so the marriage could not be implemented.
Besides, Wei Shu was still a young boy, so the prince thought there was no need to rush and decided to wait a little longer.
Now Wei Shu is only sixteen. But in the eyes of the Li family, the time for marriage has probably come.
However, the prince wanted to let Yang Si go, as he could not use Yang Si to win over Mu Wanyao.
The prince pondered and muttered to himself, "I can't let my sixth sister marry the Wei family. The two families will be even better, but I won't get much benefit. After the marriage, my sixth sister will lean towards the middle faction like the Wei family, and my power will be weakened... It's best to keep my sixth sister and win over the Li family to my side."
He tapped the table with his hand and smiled slightly: "Fortunately, Mu Wanyao should not have any romantic feelings for Wei Qilang. The person she has romantic feelings for is... Yan Shang. Now, Yan Shang has arrived at the Ministry of Revenue and is under my care.
"If I want Sixth Sister to marry Yan Shang, wouldn't that mean I can be a good person and gain the resources of the Li family at the same time?"
Doesn’t the Li family want to return to the political center of Chang’an? I can help too.
Having made the decision, the prince stood up and prepared to meet the emperor.
-----
Mu Wanyao knew nothing about this and was watching a play with Yang Si in Ci'en Temple.
Yan Shang rode his horse into the temple and joined the surging crowd, looking for the two men everywhere.
In Wei Qilang's residence, Concubine Zhao Ling lay on the table, worrying about being forced into marriage. Wei Shu sat opposite her, opened the letter, and saw the letter from his teacher, Li Zhi, Mu Wanyao's uncle.
Nothing else.
I hope he and Mu Wanyao get engaged immediately.
There was a crackling sound outside the window, raindrops were like beans, hitting the wooden eaves. The sky was dim, the wind and rain came in the evening, and the clouds rolled like tides.
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