Chapter 40

Chapter 40

The surrounding sounds were chaotic—the evening breeze, the ocean waves, the voices of a little girl not far away, and the murmurs of couples mingled together—yet Shang Xianwang's voice came through crystal clear into his eardrums.

Seven concise words, without strong emotional shifts, yet they rolled like obsidian stones tumbling in a hot spring, gently rippling outward, carrying a natural, magnetic allure.

Befuddled, Shang Xueyan felt his ears grew hot. He quickly averted his gaze from Shang Xianwang and, landing on Yu Wenke, straightened his back, his eyes suddenly sharp and intense.

A few minutes later, Yu Wenke dodged Shang Xueyan's defense, and a swish steadily sank into the basket. Shang Xueyan was certain that Yu Wenke's basketball skills were indeed impressive.

Though Yu Wenke was much fairer and more refined than the average man, he stood over 180 cm tall with long limbs and quick speed. Having played basketball for several years, his technique was more advanced and polished than Shang Xueyan's.

The score between them remained neck-and-neck. They had agreed that whoever scored twenty points first would win. When Shang Xueyan sank another two-pointer, he was only one point away from twenty, while Yu Wenke was just two points behind. Whoever scored next would claim victory.

Yu Wenke got the shot off first. He leaped suddenly, extending his arm to raise the basketball, wrist snapping as the rapidly spinning ball flew toward the hoop.

Shang Xueyan detected Yu Wenke's move and jumped almost simultaneously. Leaving the ground, sweat dripped from his brow to the tip of his nose as his right hand shot up, palm meeting the high-speed shot. With a sharp "smack," the orange-red ball, moments from sinking into the net, was forcefully slapped to the pavement.

The intense competition between the two, both exceptionally handsome, drew the attention of nearby tourists.

Shang Xueyan had just executed an extremely precise and beautiful block. Cheers erupted from spectators, but Shang Xueyan remained oblivious.

His focus was entirely on the orange-red basketball. The ball landed closer to Yu Wenke, and though Shang Xueyan dashed for it, he was a step slower. Yu Wenke snatched it up.

His toes skimming the ground, Shang Xueyan didn't even bother wiping the sweat from his forehead. He faked right, pretending to steal the ball from that side. Yu Wenke shifted right to defend but quickly realized the deception and tried to guard left.

Shang Xueyan was faster. His right hand shot out like lightning, fingertips hooking the ball precisely. The force of the effort made his muscles stand out clearly, showing the resilience and tightness unique to youth under the fiery sunset.

Shang Xueyan seized the ball and drove toward the hoop without hesitation.

Three steps from the basket, ignoring Yu Wenke's attempts to block him, he planted his foot, leaping into the air. Aiming his wrist at the basket, he made a precise throw. The orange-red ball traced a beautiful parabola through the pink-purple twilight, landing squarely in the basket under the tense gazes of onlookers.

The hem of his black T-shirt tugged backward by the wind, Shang Xueyan's toes touched the ground. Sweat dampened his bangs as he raised a hand, tugging at his collar in excitement. He turned to Yu Wenke, eyebrows raised, and declared, "You lost."

The sunset cast his shadow long, yet it was impossible to notice anything but him. The sweat-soaked black T-shirt clung to his lean back, outlining his tall, well-defined figure. Under the pink-purple sky, his lightly raised eyebrows radiated high spirits, vitality, and youth.

Shang Xueyan was still young, without any sexual aura or desire, which had never aligned with Yu Wenke's tastes. Yet, at that moment, even he felt a tug at his heartstrings by the boy's steaming vitality.

His gaze drifted to Shang Xianwang not far away. Shang Xianwang was watching Shang Xueyan unblinkingly, a faint, almost imperceptible smile in his eyes.

Yu Wenke's lips curved upward as he approached Shang Xueyan. "A deal's a deal. I won't bother your big brother anymore."

Satisfied, Shang Xueyan was about to leave the court when Yu Wenke stepped forward. Shang Xueyan frowned, ready to push him away, but Yu Wenke's voice sounded by his ear, "But, handsome, do you know your big brother likes you? Flashing your charm so recklessly while protecting him—are you hoping he falls even deeper?"

Shang Xueyan's feet rooted to the spot.

Yu Wenke met his gaze, his tone provocative. "Shang Xueyan, actually, it's not me who should stay away from him—it's you."

Yu Wenke winked at him, a smile playing on his lips, then strode away briskly.

"A Yan." Shang Xianwang's voice snapped Shang Xueyan out of it.

He turned his face. Shang Xianwang raised his hand and gave him two claps. His dark, profound eyes rested on him, his voice low and magnetic. "Well played. Very impressive."

Gazing into the distance, Shang Xueyan saw many tourists at the edge of the court looking at him with admiration, some even recording with their phones. Shang Xueyan coughed lightly, with a hint of embarrassment, while Yu Wenke's words suddenly flashed through his mind again.

Shang Xueyan frowned.

His big brother always kept his promises. He had said he would only be his brother, so he would surely reign in any extra emotions.

Moreover, his brother had once loved Su Shuangxi so deeply—leaving him, their parents, and familiar Shangjing for a post thousands of miles away because of her, writing poetry drunk, pining away—yet now he was indifferent.

His brother knew they were family, that it was impossible. That slight, insignificant stirring of emotion must have been completely eradicated over the past few months.

He shouldn't believe Yu Wenke's nonsense.

Even so, over the next day or two, Shang Xueyan couldn't help but be troubled by those words. Shang Xianwang noticed. While walking by the sea in the evening, Shang Xianwang said, "A Yan, you've been a bit distracted since yesterday evening. What did Yu Wenke say to you yesterday?"

Shang Xueyan's breathing faltered, his eyes darting away before returning to Shang Xianwang's face. "N-nothing, really."

Shang Xianwang looked at him.

Digging his toes heavily into the fine white sand, Shang Xueyan quickened his pace for two steps before turning to Shang Xianwang. "Really, it was nothing. Just... just some trash talk."

Shang Xianwang coaxed gently, "A Yan, you beat Yu Wenke in the match. Do you think he felt good or bad about it?"

"Of course, he felt bad."

"Since you two are on opposing sides, whatever he says is ill-intentioned and not worth believing," Shang Xianwang said.

With Shang Xianwang's perspective, Shang Xueyan suddenly everything clicked. Why should he ponder the credibility of Yu Wenke's words? He and Feng Yu were completely different. Since it was ill-intentioned, it was entirely untrustworthy. Why bother considering its truthfulness?

Moreover, reasoning backward, someone with ulterior motives deliberately driving a wedge between him and his brother only proved the purity of their bond even more.

"I understand now, big brother."

"Mm."

For the next three days, free from Yu Wenke's occasional disturbances and the niggling worries in his heart, the remaining two days on South Island were spent in great joy. After the Spring Festival, Shang Xueyan and Shang Xianwang took a flight back to Jing City.

The day after returning to Jing City, Shang Xianwang officially ended his vacation and returned to work.

After resting for a few days, Shang Xueyan flew to Huzhou to record a variety show. "Shunyang Street Daily" was a period drama with light post-production duties; it had already been completed, reviewed, and was scheduled to air in March or April.

This variety show was actually promotional for the TV series. Shang Xueyan and several main actors from "Shunyang Street Daily" were now participating in the show recording, perfectly timed to promote it just before or shortly after the drama's broadcast.

This was, in fact, Shang Xueyan's first time participating in a variety show recording. It was a classic, long-standing staple indoor variety show. They played several games, all quite interesting.

After the variety show recording, Shen Ling flew back to Jing City. With no recent work commitments, and Huzhou with its distinctive local customs, Shang Xueyan and Fei Yu spent two extra days exploring Huzhou before leaving.

In the airport VIP lounge, with some time before the flight, Shang Xueyan tried a few bites of the caramel pudding available there. It wasn't very tasty, so he wolfed it down in two or three mouthfuls and pulled out his phone.

Casually opening an app, and because he had recently followed the casting news for Jiang Mianzhou, a keyword tag for Jiang Mianzhou appeared on his homepage. Shang Xueyan clicked on it, scrolled down a bit, and found a long-form educational video.

"Shang Hengan: Born into Wealth, Astonishing Talent, Died Young? Discussing the Cherished Friend Jiang Hetong Remembered for a Lifetime"

Jiang Hetong was a renowned historical figure, but Shang Hengan was largely unknown, his name rarely heard. This was the first historical explainer video about him. Shang Xueyan put on his headphones and clicked play.

The speaker was a young man wearing glasses, seated at a desk, calm and composed. After greeting everyone, he got straight to the point: "Today, we're going to talk about Shang Hengan. You might be unfamiliar with this name, but if I mention Jiang Mianzhou, you all know him, right? We all memorized his poems as children. Riding on the hype of the upcoming Jiang Mianzhou TV series, I'll discuss a relatively obscure historical figure: Shang Hengan."

It was a pre-recorded long video. Shang Xueyan glanced at the floating comments: "The rain sounds bleak, suddenly missing Xizhi, gazing afar toward Laizhou, grief-stricken to the core."

The recorder continued, "We'll divide today's content into three parts: the youth from an aristocratic family, the astonishingly talented young man, and the tragedy of dying young."

"Shang Hengan, courtesy name Xizhi. Historical records state his father was the Marquis of Deyuan. The Marquis of Deyuan's ancestor was the famous Shang Chen, a founding minister of Da'an, ranked fourth among the Eighteen Generals of Qingtai. Thus, the Marquis of Deyuan's household was truly among the upper echelons of nobility. However, he was not the biological son of the marquis's family; historical materials record him as an adopted son, reportedly the son of the Marquis of Weiyuan's close friend. After the friend's death, pitying his lack of parents, the marquis adopted him."

"So, in terms of material conditions, Shang Hengan's childhood—at least after being adopted by the marquis's household—was quite comfortable. Silks and fine foods were the basics. Some might say that as an adopted son in a wealthy family, even if not lacking money, he must have been bullied. That likely wasn't the case. Firstly, his adoptive father had no concubines, only one wife, and he had only one brother, as mentioned in Su Mianzhou's funeral ode for him. Although an aristocratic family, it was very simple in structure. With fewer people, there were fewer disputes at home."

"Additionally, historical texts mention an incident where Shang Hengan executed a task exceptionally well. Emperor Pingzong asked what reward he desired. He replied that he wanted a heavenly horse from the imperial pastures. Pingzong laughed heartily and asked, 'Since when does Xizhi love horses?' To which he responded, 'I have a younger brother who recently has grown fond of them.'"

In other words, I have a younger brother who has recently taken a great liking to it. Using his achievements to seek rewards for his brother shows that the relationship between the two brothers was very good. Since the Marquis's household only had two young masters and they were quite close, I believe Shang Hengan's childhood and youth in the Marquis's household must have been very joyful and happy.

Hearing this, Shang Xueyan suddenly recalled that incident. His elder brother had indeed gifted him a heavenly horse, originally telling him it was a reward from the emperor. Since he wasn't particularly fond of horses, his brother had given it to him. He hadn't expected such a record in the history books—that horse had been specifically requested from the emperor for him.

Shang Xueyan's lips curved into a smile.

The young man continued, "Moreover, Shang Hengan himself was very intelligent. He entered the Imperial Academy at the age of fifteen, where he became lifelong friends with Jiang Mianzhou. By eighteen, he had passed the imperial examinations and earned the title of Jinshi—a remarkably young age. This indicates not only diligent study but also exceptionally high intelligence."

"After becoming a Jinshi, he began his official career. His first post, though not high-ranking, was very promising: Editor at the Jixian Yuan (Academy of Assembled Brilliance). The An Dynasty had three main institutes—the Historiography Institute, the Zhaowen Institute, and the Jixian Institute—responsible for compiling histories, proofreading texts, and managing collections. Though these were considered prestigious positions, entry was extremely difficult, typically reserved only for the top Jinshi candidates. Moreover, merely ranking high wasn't enough; candidates had to pass multiple additional exams. The core members of the highest central institutions in Da'an were generally selected from these academies."

"The following year, he was promoted to Proofreader at the Academy. In the fifteenth year of Yanxing, he rose again to become a Director in the Ministry of Rites (Ministry of Rites). He had just turned twenty that year—an age when many were still laboring over the imperial exams—yet Shang Hengan was already holding a substantive position in one of the Six Ministries. His future seemed bright, but that same year, he voluntarily requested a transfer to a local post, angering the emperor, who demoted him to Magistrate of Song County."

"In ancient times, the capital was far more prosperous and bustling than local prefectures, especially Shangjing, the capital of Da'an, which attracted envoys from all corners of the world and gathered rare treasures from everywhere. Local officials might go years without seeing the emperor, and there was always the risk of being forgotten in some remote posting, left to languish until death. From his annual promotions earlier, it was clear that Emperor Pingzong held Shang Hengan in high regard."

"Voluntarily requesting a local transfer seemed ungrateful in Emperor Pingzong's eyes, so he demoted Shang Hengan to Magistrate of Song County. Song County, located in what is now modern-day Shandong Province, wasn't particularly desolate, but its political environment was fraught, with local power held by several influential families. Five years had seen six magistrates come and go. Shang Hengan proved not only intelligent but also exceptionally shrewd and capable. Within a year, he employed a strategy of dividing the larger ones and winning over the smaller ones, splitting the local clans, and offered benefits to the people by sharing profits from silver mining—previously controlled by locals—with the common folk, thereby reclaiming the mines for the court."

"Additionally, he excelled in handling legal disputes. During his tenure, he redressed wrongful convictions and emphasized education and moral transformation. One record from the seventeenth year of Yanxing tells of a woman named Song, who endured domestic violence from her husband for over a decade. During one altercation, she accidentally injured him. Enraged, the husband threatened to divorce her. While divorce might have been a relief for Song, he also insisted on keeping her dowry."

"Song refused, so the husband took the matter to court. In the An Dynasty, injuring one's husband was a serious offense. However, the ruling not only granted the divorce and returned Song's dowry in full but also awarded her custody of their two daughters and half of the husband's property to cover their upbringing and future dowries."

"I wonder what everyone thinks? Women in the An Dynasty didn’t have exceptionally low status—they could own property and establish independent households—but in a male-dominated world, life was undoubtedly hard for them. While this ruling might not have been legally perfect, it was full of compassion and humanity. If I were Song, I would have been deeply grateful for such a magistrate."

"But the case didn’t end there. The husband, dissatisfied with losing not only the dowry but half his property, harassed Song. Having abused her for over a decade, he habitually resorted to violence. Coincidentally, the assistant magistrate was in the village that day and intervened, only to be injured by the husband."

"Intentional injury, provocation, and assaulting a court official—especially the latter—were serious crimes. Magistrate Shang sentenced the husband to twenty years of exile and awarded his remaining property to Song and their two daughters."

"I don’t know what everyone thinks, but it all seems too coincidental—almost overly so. Do you think Magistrate Shang had a hand in it? After all, as mentioned earlier, he was exceptionally shrewd."

"Due to his outstanding governance, in the eighteenth year of Yanxing, he was promoted again. By then, Emperor Pingzong’s anger had likely subsided, as Magistrate Shang jumped three ranks to become Prefect of Laizhou."

"This brings us to the tragic end of his story—his untimely death. Laizhou was coastal, separated only by a sea from Goryeo. At the time, Goryeo suffered from consecutive years of severe drought. The king was decadent and extravagant, leaving the people in dire straits, with corpses littering the land. Consequently, Goryeo people often sailed on wooden boats to raid coastal areas. Laizhou, with its long, rugged coastline, was particularly vulnerable to such incursions. Moreover, the climate then was several degrees warmer than today; even in winter, the coastal waters of Laizhou didn’t freeze, facilitating these raids."

"Thus, Prefect Shang’s foremost task upon assuming office was to combat piracy. He organized militias and strengthened coastal defenses. Within just six months, he had largely quelled the pirate threat. Yet, it seemed heaven envied his talent."

"In the winter of the eighteenth year of Yanxing, after reporting to his superior in the prefectural office, Shang Hengan was returning to Laizhou and stayed overnight at a farmer’s home. Sensing danger that night, he indeed found Goryeo bandits—who had been hiding in the mountains for days—launching an attack. Prefect Shang organized the villagers to defend themselves, killing hundreds of invaders. While protecting a young child, he was struck by a stray arrow and died of his wounds half a month later, at the age of twenty-three."

Hearing this, Shang Xueyan felt a sudden pang in his chest, his breath catching for a couple of seconds.

"The news reached Shangjing. The imperial diaries noted that upon hearing the news, Pingzong was both grief-stricken and sighed in sorrow. I’ve always felt Pingzong greatly admired this younger official. Shang Hengan’s adoptive father was the Marquis of Deyuan, who, though a man of leisure holding only honorary posts, was a hereditary marquis since Emperor Taizu’s time. It’s possible Shang Hengan had met Emperor Pingzong in his youth."

"A junior he had watched grow up—handsome, talented, capable, and virtuous—destined to become a key minister if given time. His premature death was truly a tragedy, evoking deep sorrow."

"Speaking of this, I’m filled with emotion. Everyone knows about the Shuangqing Reform led by Jiang Hetong, which received mixed reviews. Jiang Hetong was a literary master, immensely talented, but too idealistic and radical. I often wonder if Shang Hengan had been alive in the ninth year of Yuankang... Initially, his political involvement was somewhat inexperienced, even incurring the emperor’s displeasure. Though Pingzong grew somewhat tyrannical in his later years, overall, he was a remarkably benevolent ruler."

"It was only a minor demotion. If it had been under Emperor Wuzong or Qingzong, who valued talent but demanded absolute compliance, he might have been executed outright. But in his later years in Song County and Laizhou, his methods were mature and adept, unlike someone in his early twenties. I believe he was a natural statesman, and cared deeply for the people. Had he participated in the New Policies fifteen years later, perhaps the reforms would have succeeded, and Da'an would have experienced a great revival."

"But history has no 'what-ifs.' Death is final."

"Jiang Hetong, in his youth, wrote of his friend: 'During the great heat in the hall, suddenly meeting Xizhi felt like a cool breeze,' praising his friend’s extraordinary presence—so soothing even on the hottest days."

"Shang Hengan died young. Thirty years later, an aged Jiang Hetong still remembered his youthful friend, writing: 'The rain falls mournfully; suddenly I recall Xizhi, gazing toward Laizhou from afar, I am heartbroken with grief.' Even after thirty years, he yearned for that brilliantly intelligent youth. Of course, he wrote many poems in his youth mourning his friend."

"Alright, let’s lighten the mood. Later, when compiling Master Mianzhou’s works, scholars found some miscellaneous notes from his youth, including references to Shang Hengan. One year, while studying at the Imperial Academy—a boarding institution where students were only allowed leave every half-month—Shang Hengan’s younger brother fell ill. Shang Hengan was very worried."

"So, he sneaked out at night to visit his brother. He wasn’t caught the first or second night, but on the third, the academy instructor discovered him."

"Shang Hengan was punished with five policy essays. Since Jiang Hetong shared a dormitory with him and was guilty of concealing the act, he was assigned three policy essays."

Shang Xueyan was stunned. He remembered falling ill one spring while his brother was at the Imperial Academy. His brother came home every night to see him. He had wondered, could students leave the academy daily? His brother had told him he’d informed the instructor of his family member’s illness and his anxiety, and thus was permitted to return home after classes. Had he been sneaking out all along?

How did he manage it? Climbing over walls?

Shang Xueyan couldn’t quite picture his brother scaling walls in his youth. He chuckled softly and continued listening.

The young man went on, "Another time, while serving as magistrate in Song County, Shang Hengan sent some local specialties back to the capital. Dried persimmons from Song Mountain were sweet and delicious. After trying them once, Jiang Hetong wrote asking for more the following year, as he enjoyed them."

"But the next year, the quantity sent was no greater than before. Jiang Hetong wrote to ask if the persimmon harvest had been poor."

"Shang Hengan (courtesy name Xizhi) replied: 'My younger brother is very fond of them, so I wish to give him more. You’ve already received one basket—how can you still be dissatisfied?'"

"'My younger brother also likes dried persimmons very much. I want to give the extra to him. You’ve already gotten a basket—what right do you have to complain?'"

"Quite amusing, isn’t it? Combined with the historical record of requesting the horse, I personally think Shang Hengan was a serious doting elder brother. What do you all think?"

"Alright, that’s all for today’s story of Shang Hengan. See you next time."

After attentively listening to the over-ten-minute video, Shang Xueyan blinked. Though he had looked through some history of the An Dynasty seeking information about his parents’ fates, there were no relevant records—not surprising, as his parents weren’t historically prominent figures.

But he had never looked into Jiang Mianzhou’s affairs or the imperial diaries, so he was unaware of these incidents.

After the video loaded, Shang Xueyan opened the comments section.

"The teacher explained it really well."

"What can I say? He died far too young—twenty-three, just typical college graduation age nowadays."

"Shang Hengan was indeed clever and capable. Song County’s environment was very harsh at the time. His methods were not only skillful but also diplomatic. If he had lived another ten-plus years, perhaps Da'an’s historical path would have been different."

[I totally agree with the teacher about him being a doting brother. In his youth, he wrote a poem praising his brother: "As if forged from immortal bones, or perhaps the soul of autumn waters."]

"Just to clarify, regarding Shang Hengan’s poetry skills, Jiang Hetong commented: 'Sigh, sigh, sigh! Bad, bad, bad!!'"

"'As if forged from immortal bones, or perhaps the soul of autumn waters'—I think it’s quite well-written. I don’t believe a reserved and sincere young man didn’t pour his heartfelt emotions into it."

[Shang Xianwang also wrote a poem, said to be for his beloved: "Seeing you among fireflies, waking without realizing it’s winter."]

[Doesn’t anyone think "Seeing you among fireflies, waking without realizing it’s winter" might also be for his brother?]

"Haha, I think so too. Historical records say Shang Xianwang died unmarried."

"But isn’t this a famously romantic poem?"

"Though Shang Hengan’s brother is hard to judge. It is said he was overbearing and bullied others relying on his status, and was eventually executed by the emperor."

"Huh?"

"I don’t deny Shang Xianwang was just and virtuous in official matters, but his private conduct might have been lacking. His brother was spoiled."

What nonsense? Shang Xueyan skimmed a few comments about himself but didn’t pay much heed. Most focused on Shang Hengan himself, even leading to heated debates on whether, had he lived longer, the Shuangqing Reform could have rejuvenated Da'an.

After reading through the comments one by one, Shang Xueyan put his headphones back on and rewatched the young man’s video. Exiting the trending topic on Jiang Hetong, he noticed another hot search topic with the name Rui Yingli.

Rui Yingli was familiar to Shang Xueyan—she was the female lead in his previous drama and also the most popular character.

Curious, Shang Xueyan clicked in. It was a positive trending topic due to Rui Yingli’s amusing reactions in a currently airing variety show. As he scrolled, a netizen’s post caught his attention.

"Wolf Tooth Potatoes with Extra Scallions: When I went to Buzhage to visit Yingying last time, I was super lucky and met an incredibly handsome guy 【image】"

Shang Xueyan opened the image. It was slightly blurry, showing only a profile. The person wore a navy-blue windbreaker, his expression solemn. But it was someone Shang Xueyan knew very well—even from just a silhouette, he could recognize him.

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