Yan Shang still didn't leave.
He asked the maid who stayed in the princess's mansion where the princess had gone and when she would return.
This question is much easier to answer.
The maid Qiusi who stayed behind knelt down to salute the young master and replied respectfully: "Your Majesty has gone to Fanchuan to recuperate, and our Highness has followed him to take care of him."
Perhaps it was a little unreasonable for the maid named Qiusi to run to the sick man just when Mu Wanyao was seriously ill. She was still young and not very good at lying, so she stammered to make up for her previous words: "Although your highness was seriously ill before, he recovered quickly. Because, although the disease was serious, it was not that serious..."
The words are still silent.
The other party would not lie, and he even wanted to make up a story to make it sound more convincing.
Perhaps Mu Wanyao didn't expect him to come back so soon. She probably thought he would come back with the carriage that was escorting the criminals to the capital...so Mu Wanyao had no idea how to tell a lie to the maids in the mansion.
Yan Shang found an excuse for the maid: "Although the disease is severe, it is not life-threatening?"
Qiu Sishu breathed a sigh of relief: "Yes, yes!"
Yan Shang: "What kind of disease is that? Headache, nausea, stomach upset, body aches, etc?"
Qiu Si: "Yes...that's it."
Yan Shang looked at her quietly for a long time and said nothing.
Yan Shang said goodbye to the maid and said he was going back to the mansion to rest. He didn't say anything in particular, he was really discouraged and didn't know how to deal with it. And he always had a little fantasy about Mu Wanyao in his heart, so when he left the princess's mansion, he met a maid and asked about the princess's illness again.
The servant girl couldn't even get in touch with the lie that the princess was sick, so naturally Yan Shang asked about it, and the other party looked confused.
If Mu Wanyao was really seriously ill, everyone in the princess's mansion would be mobilized. How could it be like this now?
Yan Shang sighed, knowing that his last bit of fantasy was shattered.
-----
At night, he was in his own residence, thinking about how to submit a memorial to explain the affairs of Shuzhong. Since he had already made an agreement with the officials of Shuzhong, he should be careful about the wording in the memorial and should not bring down everyone. After all, Shuzhong still depends on those officials to govern... It is not that easy to mobilize all the officials of a state.
Yan Shang had already prepared a draft for this memorial.
But now, he looked at the half-written memorial. Ink was condensed on the wolf hair brush. The ink was thick and seeped down from the tip of his pen, dripping onto the memorial, forming a black pool.
This memorial was thus wasted.
Yan Shang threw away the paper and started over. However, he got stuck again and still didn't know how to start.
Because I thought of Mu Wanyao.
He couldn't help but wonder in his heart, if he was still in Shuzhong now, he would definitely keep an eye on what the officials in Shuzhong would do next, and would not return to Chang'an until the situation there was completely stable. But Mu Wanyao tricked him back by pretending to be sick. Was there a possibility... that this case involved her, and she didn't want him to investigate further?
Yan Shang sat there in a daze, not daring to think about it too much.
He guessed that this case involved officials from Chang'an and the Ministry of Revenue. He was already hesitant about whether to continue, and Mu Wanyao's behavior really made him more suspicious.
How involved is she to be so afraid of continuing to investigate this case?
Did she also instruct the officials who exploited the people? Just like when she first dealt with the tyrants... Mu Wanyao could let go of the tyrants because they were just tyrants; but now that it came to the officials in the court, would Mu Wanyao protect them?
Yan Shang thought about the words he heard Mu Wanyao say to persuade Concubine Zhao Lingfei. Those words moved him as much as they did to him back then.
That day she was clearly moved by his concern for the people, and she was clearly impressed by his integrity.
But in reality, being impressed is one thing, but doing it is another.
Yan Shang was extremely confused and didn't know how to deal with himself.
Should he continue investigating, and how deeply involved is she?
Does she know this is wrong?
It's all good to love power and influence, but isn't she loving it a little too much... She shouldn't be like this!
Did Princess Mu Wanyao, who recited "The Fat Rat" with him in Lingnan, never appear and was it just his fantasy, or did she already go far away and abandon herself at that time?
Yan Shang felt sad and heartbroken. He leaned down on the desk and could not continue writing the memorial no matter what he did.
-----
Yan Shang’s dilemma doesn’t mean much to the outside world.
He finally put the blame on the governor of Yizhou, just as he did in the end. However, after returning to the Ministry of Revenue, Yan Shang did not have to hesitate whether he should continue the investigation, because the Ministry of Revenue directly sent him to the Ministry of Warehouse to deal with some miscellaneous documents that had been piled up for many years, and did not let him get involved in the important deployment of the Ministry of Revenue.
Before the governor of Yizhou entered Chang'an, the Ministry of Revenue ignored Yan Shang, as if Yan Shang had never performed this official task at all.
Those officials from the Ministry of Revenue who had previously had a good relationship with Yan Shang now began to avoid Yan Shang.
Yan Shang knew very well that the suppression from the Ministry of Revenue was coming, and this was just the beginning. The real conflict would break out when the Governor of Yizhou came to Beijing.
Yan Shang is now unable to access the important deployment of the Ministry of Revenue. He cannot specifically check the Ministry of Revenue for the matter of Yizhou. However, the documents that have been piled up for many years... Yan Shang smiled bitterly, thinking that there seems to be a lot of things in it. He doesn't know what to do anymore, so he can only check it out first.
Try not to alarm those people above.
-----
It snowed in early October and Chang'an was cold.
On this day, the governor of Yizhou was taken to the Ministry of Justice prison and brought to Chang'an.
Since Yan Shang came back, Mu Wanyao, who had been following His Majesty, had never returned to the Princess's Mansion, and the two had never met. But Yan Shang knew that with the governor of Yizhou coming to the capital, all the winds and clouds would be stirred up.
Sitting in a room in Beili Nanqu, Yan Shang was working at his desk under the window. This room was where the famous courtesans of Nanqu would live. It was quiet and noble, and no messy people could easily come in and disturb them.
Yan Shang had been working at his desk here for a long time. Outside, the bamboo curtain made a "pop" sound, and then he heard the door creak open and hurried footsteps coming towards this side.
Yan Shang turned his head to look and saw a young, charming and pretty girl hurriedly coming towards him with her skirt lifted.
It was Chunniang.
After not seeing each other for half a year, Chunniang has been training completely according to the lessons Yanshang left for her before leaving Beijing; she is now a well-known top star in Nanqu. Although she has not yet become an official "Duzhi", she is not far away. I believe that with another year or so of hard work, it will not be difficult to become a Duzhi.
Chunniang was in such a hurry that when she met Yanshang's gaze, she quickly suppressed her panic and tried to calmly bow to the man who was writing something at the desk: "Erlang, did I disturb you?"
She stared at Yan Shang's face, feeling anxious and yearning for him. She felt that Yan Erlang seemed to be more handsome after not seeing him for only half a year.
She envied the lucky wife of Yan Erlang again. Her husband was so self-disciplined, handsome and talented. How lucky that girl was.
Yan Shang gently asked her, "Why are you in such a hurry?"
Chunniang then remembered why she rushed in, and said in panic: "Erlang, I just saw an acquaintance downstairs... Zhang Shiyilang has returned to Chang'an!"
She thought Yan Shang would not be familiar with this person, and was about to explain who this person was when she saw Yan Shang startled for a moment and said, "The Eleventh Lang from Doctor Zhang's family, who harmed Brother Liu and your brother, fled Chang'an to avoid trouble. Now that the storm has passed, he has returned to Chang'an?"
Chunniang was stunned for a moment and could only nod stupidly. She didn't expect Yan Erlang to be so clear and have such a good memory.
Yan Shang pondered for a moment, opened the window next to him, and looked down. When he opened the window of Yashe, he saw the real extravagance and debauchery in the north and south pavilions. The frivolous singing and dancing sounded from below, and the girls with bare chests and bellies were dancing and toasting below... The lights were bright, the wine was red, and the birds were singing and dancing.
A young man was surrounded by girls, laughing loudly, pulling out all the purses and money bags from his belt, and throwing gold leaves all over the sky. The girls surrounded him enthusiastically, and he was arrogantly saying: "Let all your top girls come over! I am happy today, and everyone will be rewarded handsomely!"
Chunniang quietly stood behind Yanshang, and together with Yanshang, they looked through the cracks in the window to see the scenery below. She pointed to Yanshang and said, "That's Zhang Shiyilang..."
The other party seemed to notice and looked up. Chunniang turned pale with panic, while Yanshang closed the window calmly.
He seemed to be thinking about something.
Chunniang was just about to act weak and seek protection from Yan Erlang, but she just lowered her head. After seeing the contents on the rice paper on Yan Shang's desk, she was stunned for a moment, and the slight attraction she had for Yan Shang in her heart was instantly awakened.
Yan Shang looked at Chun Niang: "Do you dare to contact him?"
Chunniang was stunned for a moment and was afraid, but when she thought of Yan Shang's purpose of saving her, she nodded.
Yan Shang said, "Okay, you don't have to deliberately contact him. If you meet him in the building, if he still has some feelings for you, just keep him hanging. Men always miss the women they don't have, especially since he fled Chang'an because of you last year... He must have mixed feelings about you when he returns today.
"But don't worry. I will send guards to follow you and will not let your life be in danger."
Chunniang was nervous, but she understood that this was probably what Yan Shang really wanted her to do after keeping her for so long. Knowing everything was just a by-product. This Zhang Shiyilang was Yan Erlang's target.
Chunniang: "What do you want me to do?"
Yan Shang frowned and hesitated again.
Thinking of last year's Ministry of Revenue doctor, this year's Yizhou governor, Ministry of Revenue assistant minister, and the indifferent Ministry of Revenue minister... everyone is holding the Ministry of Revenue. Yan Shang doesn't have to do anything, but when he wants to do something, he hopes that this line can be used.
Yan Shang said softly: "Just pretend to be nice to this Shiyilang first, and don't do anything unnecessary. It won't be too late to tell you what I need you to do when I need you to do it."
He was silent for a long time.
Chunniang stood in front of him, not daring to say much.
Yan Shang raised his eyes to look at her, stared at her for a moment, and said: "I will try my best to protect you. If I can't..."
Chunniang bowed with tears in her eyes and knelt before him: "My dear, you saved my life. I know you are a man of great deeds. You are my lifesaver, and I will never let you down."
Yan Shang was silent. He asked her to get up and go out to calm down.
When Chunniang was about to leave, she turned back, looked at the rice paper on Yanshang's desk, and said, "My dear, is that the lady you painted?"
Yan Shang was stunned for a moment and looked at the rice paper on his desk.
A young girl is standing on the rice paper. She is beautiful, youthful, graceful and elegant. There is a hint of cunning between her eyes and eyebrows, which makes her look more pretty and lively.
Yan Shang smiled bitterly.
He looked at the rice paper and said softly, "She asked me to learn painting well, saying that it would be...useful in the future. Of course I have to learn to paint, but my painting is not good. I am afraid it is still far from her expectations."
As he said this, he crumpled up the rice paper and was about to throw the portrait away. Chunniang felt it was a pity and quickly asked to keep the painting for her collection. Chunniang said: "The girl is so beautiful, it would be a pity for you to throw it away? Leave it to me, so that I can have a memory of it."
Chunniang thought that only a girl with this kind of appearance was worthy of Yan Erlang.
Yan Shang thought the painting was very crude, and since Chunniang wanted to keep it, he didn't say much and just let her do as she pleased.
-----
Since the governor of Yizhou had come to the capital, the contents of Yan Shang's memorial were not something that could be easily fooled. The emperor, who was still recuperating in Fanchuan, summoned Yan Shang.
Because the emperor was recuperating in Fanchuan, Fanchuan had become very lively recently. Many important figures came to live in their own gardens in Fanchuan, finding excuses to wait for the emperor's summons.
For example, King Jin.
When Yan Shang arrived at the imperial garden of Fanchuan and was led by the eunuch to see the emperor, he saw the Prince of Jin, who had just entered the garden with his family and his eldest son. Yan Shang's eyes swept past the pregnant Princess of Jin beside the Prince of Jin, and fell on Chunhua who was following behind them.
He bowed to His Royal Highness Prince Jin and nodded to his old friend.
Chunhua only dared to follow everyone else in returning the greetings. She secretly glanced at Yan Erlang again, feeling happy for him in her heart - although she didn't know what level of official position Yan Erlang held now, an official who could be summoned by the emperor must be very remarkable.
Because Chunhua heard from the King of Jin that only officials above the fifth rank could attend court every day and see the emperor frequently. It was as difficult as ascending to heaven for officials below the fifth rank to see the emperor.
-----
Yan Shang was taken to a warm room. When he paid his respects to the emperor, his eyes paused for a moment because he saw Mu Wanyao sitting next to the emperor.
Mu Wanyao sat sideways beside the emperor, with slender shoulders and waist, red lips and fair skin, and her chest half hidden and half exposed under the gauze, which aroused people's reverie.
She tilted her face to look at him, graceful and elegant, and full of charm. Her magnificent beauty and her tender and affectionate eyes made Yan Shang's cheeks immediately hot and he looked away.
He resented her for half a month, but when he saw her in person, he still showed his ugly side.
Yan Shang lowered his eyes and paid his respects to Her Royal Highness the Princess.
Mu Wan looked at her graceful figure with a smile, charming yet innocent: "No need to be polite!"
The emperor pretended not to notice Mu Wanyao teasing Yan Shang, lowered his head to look at the memorial Yan Shang had written, and said slowly: "Yan Suchen, in your memorial, you said that the faults in Shu were all caused by the governor. Are you serious?"
Yan Shang paused and said, "Your Majesty, I did not tell the whole truth."
The emperor raised his eyebrows. He was disappointed at first, but after seeing Yan Shang like this, he finally became interested.
Yan Shang said softly: "Your Majesty, I cannot report the truth in the memorial. Because if I tell the truth, I am afraid that this memorial will not be delivered to Your Majesty at all, and it will be intercepted. The situation in Shu is complicated, and it is impossible to describe it in detail in the memorial."
Mu Wan's expression paused, she leaned forward, a little nervous.
The emperor looked at Yan Shang and said slowly, "What is the situation in Shu? There are no outsiders here. You can tell the truth now."
Mu Wanyao's palms were sweating. After hearing what the emperor said, her face froze for a moment, fearing that Yan Shang would exaggerate the matter and push it to the Ministry of Revenue. She was thinking about what the Minister of Revenue told her, Yan Shang was sent to a remote area after returning to Beijing and would not be involved in important tasks...However, Yan Shang's ability should not be underestimated!
If he informed on everyone… No, he couldn't have evidence.
Yan Shang's eyes met Mu Wan's.
The tension and stiffness in her eyes made him pause slightly.
Let him reaffirm her position.
Yan Shang was silent for a while, and the emperor did not urge him. Just like a multiple-choice question, the emperor handed it to them and never interfered. After a while, Yan Shang began to answer the emperor. He reported truthfully, saying whatever he saw in Shu...
Yan Shang said: "Officials in Shuzhong protected each other, and they should be punished, but when I was in Shuzhong, I reported it to the court and adjusted their official positions, so the impact has been minimized. If everyone's official position is removed, it may cause too much unrest, and the court cannot arrange so many officials at once. And the official positions are vacant for a while, and Shuzhong has just experienced a disaster, so it is easy to cause chaos. It is better to take it slowly..."
As Yan Shang expressed his opinions, Mu Wanyao gradually relaxed from the initial discomfort.
He did not extend the point or deliberately bring up the officials in Chang'an.
That's good. Letting things end in Shu is the best outcome.
It would be best if the matter could be ended by killing a governor of Yizhou.
-----
It was already late, and the emperor left a message saying he was still living in Fanchuan.
After Yan Shang and Mu Wanyao left one after another, the emperor sat in a quiet room and sighed for a long time.
Cheng An brought the bowl of medicine to the emperor. The emperor took a look at the black medicine and was not in the mood to drink it.
The emperor murmured, "Yan Suchen didn't dare to offend the Ministry of Revenue. What a pity."
Cheng An bowed: "Perhaps Yan Erlang is unwilling to take action against the Ministry of Revenue in order to protect Her Royal Highness the Princess. Yan Erlang has feelings for Her Royal Highness the Princess, so Your Majesty can rest assured, right? If Yan Erlang completely lets go of the Princess for the sake of the public, even if Your Majesty is happy, you will not dare to entrust the Princess to him, right?"
The emperor said calmly, "His attitude now is not good. Yaoyao was wrong in the first place, but he gave up his position just to protect Yaoyao. How can I trust such a person?"
Cheng An: "Your Majesty is too demanding of people's hearts."
The emperor was silent.
Slowly said: "Let's take a look."
After a long time, the emperor said in a tired voice: "Cheng'an, I am the least demanding in terms of people's hearts. But Yaoyao... Although I pity her and want Ah Nuan and my bloodline to prosper after I am gone, I don't want her to become a reckless princess, controlling the government and undermining the emperor... If no one can restrain her, I will not trust Yaoyao."
Cheng An whispered: "Your Majesty cannot arrange everything and cannot settle everyone's hearts."
The emperor murmured, "I have sacrificed so much for this world. If I repeat the same mistakes, what is the meaning of my sacrifice? I have failed everyone except the world. I always hope that the world will not fail me."
Tears welled up in Cheng An's eyes, thinking of the emperor still holding on to such a body, working hard for the Wei Dynasty. Your Majesty is alone here, what else does he have left except the Wei Dynasty?
The emperor closed his eyes and suddenly thought: "Has Liu Wenji not come back yet?"
Cheng An said, "He led the North Court and the South Court to go hunting today and should be back soon. Liu Wenji... Your Majesty, I still feel that using eunuchs to check and balance court officials... is somewhat, somewhat..."
The emperor said calmly, "Who made no one support the poor? The poor are not powerful now, so only the eunuchs can rise to power. These children of the noble families... must be locked up and chained. Cheng'an, never underestimate these noble families... If we relax a little, their power will come back. Then I can only keep them chained."
Cheng An: "But the Crown Prince and Princess Danyang...are both from aristocratic families."
The emperor sighed and said no more.
-----
Liu Wenji led his troops to hunt, but he was just using the name of hunting to let the North Yamen and the South Yamen compete in military strength, hoping to overwhelm the South Yamen.
The reason why he has not returned yet is that in addition to this official mission, he also has a selfish motive.
The Right Guard General, Luo Xiu, finally couldn't help but contact Liu Wenji privately.
Luo Xiu relied on the fact that he had helped Liu Wenji deal with two eunuchs before and tied Liu Wenji up to the throne, so he threatened Liu Wenji and asked him to continue to provide intelligence to Wei. Liu Wenji thought that this person was indeed a hidden danger. If His Majesty knew what he had done, his glory today would definitely not be there.
Liu Wenzhi wanted to kill Luo Xiu, so he took advantage of this hunting opportunity.
During the hunt, Liu Wenji brought along the Right Guard General and told Luo Xiu that they were going to find a private place to discuss private matters. Luo Xiu then brought along some guards and followed the team led by Liu Wenji, the eunuch.
The hunting team was getting further and further away in the Nanshan forest.
The sky was getting darker and darker, and the red sunset glow filled the sky.
When Luo Xiu began to be alert and refused to follow Liu Wenji's team, he found that these eunuchs were riding horses and began to surround him with ill intentions. Luo Xiu shuddered and looked up to meet Liu Wenji's cold eyes.
It was like seeing a poisonous snake, staring at him with its venomous weapon.
Luo Xiu was shocked.
He immediately turned his horse around and fled out of the woods without caring about anything: "Stop him! He wants to kill me! Help--"
As for Liu Wenji, everyone immediately chased after him: "Chase! Don't let him escape!"
-----
This murderous hunt in Nanshan killed all the guards behind Luo Xiu. These eunuchs led the soldiers and held knives, each of them excited and cruel. The sight of blood released the tyranny in their bones that was twisted by the root.
These people now completely follow Liu Wenji and obey Liu Wenji's orders. Liu Wenji took them to do this first big thing, that is, this Luo Xiu is very inconspicuous in the court, it doesn't matter if he is killed, Liu Wenji will find a reason to deal with the body and the consequences.
Just a southern barbarian.
Just kill him.
It is impossible for Wuman to go to war with Wei just because of one person, and there are too many reasons that Liu Wenji can make up for his accidental death.
It's just a pity... Luo Xiu's guards were surprisingly loyal. The last guard tried his best, and when Liu Wenzhi was chasing Luo Xiu, who was rolling on the ground, with a knife in his hand, the guard rushed over and hugged Liu Wenzhi's legs, then jumped up and started fighting with the eunuchs and soldiers.
The guard shouted, "My dear, run away!"
Luo Xiu was so frightened that he rolled down the hillside. The forest was lush and green, and the crowd chased for a while, but only found a fast-flowing stream and a few bloody footprints at the bottom of the hillside, but did not find Luo Xiu.
Liu Wenji was filled with anger and ordered these people: "We must find him and kill him! If he dares to talk nonsense, all of us will be dead!"
The subordinates knew that this matter was extremely important, and they also knew that Liu Wenji had to go back to report to the emperor, so they needed to do the killing to silence him. The subordinates immediately agreed and went to capture Luo Xiu overnight, vowing to kill him.
-----
Liu Wenzhi returned to Fanchuan covered in blood.
He came back from hunting, and even though there was some blood on his body, no one would ask much. Liu Wenji entered the royal garden with a sinister look and asked where the emperor was. Liu Wenji planned to change his bloodstained robes and then go to see the emperor and report to the emperor about the fight between the Southern Court and the Northern Court.
The eunuch ran to catch up with Liu Wenji: "Your Majesty is preparing to hold a night banquet and summon Prince Jin. Your Majesty is in a very good mood..."
Liu Wenji frowned: "Prince Jin is here? What is he doing here again?"
He needed to get all the details right so as not to make any mistakes in front of the emperor.
However, Liu Wenji suddenly stopped and kept silent. He suddenly didn't need to ask anything, and suddenly understood what the King of Jin came for...
The setting sun falls into the deep lake, the dusk is gloomy, the whole garden is quiet, and the lights are about to light up.
A girl squatted by the lake, holding a baby in her arms, and was coaxing the baby to play with her in a gentle voice. The night wind blew her clothes and brushed her cheeks.
She is like clear water.
She is like a dewdrop.
She smiled gracefully by the lake, and Liu Wenzhi's heart was pounding. The world was blank and silent because of her.
When she heard the noise, she thought she had offended the noble, so she hugged her baby tightly and stood up to look over here. Her first reaction was to bow and apologize, but when she saw the person coming, she was stunned.
-----
Chunhua stared at Liu Wenzhi blankly.
Liu Wenjie appeared suddenly, caught off guard.
Across the eunuchs, across the palace maids, across the pavilions and ponds, she held her child, the glow of maternal love on her face as if all the blood had faded away.
She looked at Liu Wenzhi, who was wearing the eunuch's clothes, and even forgot that the baby in her arms suddenly cried.
-----
"Eunuch?" The young eunuch asked Liu Wenzhi in confusion.
Woke everyone up.
The night birds perched on the lake flapped their wings and flew away in fright. Chunhua hurriedly lowered her head to comfort her crying child, while Liu Wenzhi suddenly turned his back and walked quickly in another direction.
Liu Wenzhi walked very fast. The night became particularly cold, and he walked faster and faster.
Dark clouds were pressing down on the sky, and thunder rumbled in the sky. Liu Wenji walked quickly in the suffocating silence, looking down at his eunuch clothes and the bloodstains on his robes.
I thought of Chunhua, who I had just seen, holding her child and playing by the lake. Happy and carefree.
She was still as beautiful and perfect as ever, but he had fallen into the abyss, sinking deeper and deeper.
Walking in the darkness, Liu Wenzhi's tears fell from his eyes.
Silently, his tears kept coming, blurring his vision.
-----
Thunder rumbled in the sky.
Yan Shang was invited by the emperor to stay in Fanchuan. He did not attend the emperor's night banquet, but took a bath in the house, preparing to go to bed early.
As he was getting dressed with his back to the screen, he did not hear the door creak open from the outside. He was worried and sighed softly.
Then a pair of arms hugged his waist from behind, and Mu Wanyao pressed against his body, which was only covered with a shirt, and fit perfectly.
His words were still a little stiff.
Mu Wan shook her head and hummed, leaning against his neck: "You are sighing alone again... Where do you get so much sighing from?"
His face flushed at her scent. He was clearly conflicted, but every time she took the initiative to look for him, he was happy.
After secretly liking him for a while, Yan Shang managed to utter, "Your Highness...you can't do this."
Mu Wan shook her head in grievance: "I was clearly in Fanchuan, but you didn't come to see me. Did you regret it and don't want to be with me anymore?"
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