"Whаt are уоu dоing?" Реi Wenxuan wаs sоmewhat surрrised to sее hеr instruсt sоmеone tо fetch darts.
Li Rong smiled with a hint оf аmusemеnt. "I know уоu lеаrned this frоm Su Rоnghuа, but уоu should аlso ask Aуа why shе kept his pоrtrait."
Aftеr a brief mоmеnt оf thоught, Реi Wеnxuan undеrstоod. "Shе kерt his pоrtrait... tо vеnt her angеr?"
"Whаt elsе did you think?" Li Rong lаughed. "Could it bе tо gаze аt it and think of him?"
Pеi Wеnхuan nоddеd in rеаlizаtiоn and wаvеd to thе attеndants besidе him. "Thеn tаkе all thеsе роrtraits awaу."
At that moment, Jing Mеi brought over thе darts. As sоon аs Рei Wеnxuan saw them, his heart skipped a beat. Before the darts could reach Li Rong, he reached out and swiftly took the tray from Jing Mei’s hands, passing it to a nearby servant. "Sharp objects can cause harm. Don’t let Her Highness touch these things. Hurry," he said, turning and gesturing to the others, "take the portraits away quickly."
Li Rong watched with a smile as Pei Wenxuan busied himself with these tasks. Once he was done, they walked together toward the study.
"I heard Your Highness recently met with Minister Liu," Pei Wenxuan inquired. "Are you busy with matters of reassignment?"
"Don’t worry about this," Li Rong waved her hand dismissively. "It’s a trivial matter, not worth mentioning. Rest assured."
"It seems Your Highness is quite confident," Pei Wenxuan said with a smile. "This humble official will await your good news."
"Don’t worry," Li Rong raised her fan and gently tapped Pei Wenxuan’s chest. "When the time comes, I’ll definitely give you a surprise."
Pei Wenxuan raised an eyebrow and bowed slightly. "Then I thank Your Highness in advance."
Seeing Pei Wenxuan’s formal demeanor, devoid of the occasional flattery he had shown before, Li Rong felt a twinge of disappointment. She cleared her throat and cautiously asked, "Pei Wenxuan, have you noticed lately..."
"Hmm?" Pei Wenxuan tilted his head slightly. "Noticed what?"
"Have you noticed," Li Rong gestured, "that I’ve been a little nicer to you?"
Hearing her words, Pei Wenxuan understood what Li Rong was getting at. He lowered his head and smiled. "Your Highness has always been kind to me."
"But have you noticed it’s a bit more? Better than before?"
Pei Wenxuan lowered his head, suppressing a laugh, feeling as though Li Rong was like a child asking for candy. He replied softly, "Your Highness’s kindness, I am aware of it."
"Good that you know. It wasn’t for nothing that I put in so much effort."
Li Rong felt somewhat relieved by Pei Wenxuan’s response. She turned her head away and extended her hand toward him. Pei Wenxuan raised an eyebrow, and Li Rong smiled. "To foster affection, I need to get used to it."
Pei Wenxuan couldn’t hold back any longer and finally laughed aloud. He reached out, took Li Rong’s hand, and walked with her toward the dining hall, saying cheerfully, "As Your Highness arranges."
"Pei Wenxuan," Li Rong whispered as they held hands, "tell me the truth."
"Hmm?" Pei Wenxuan glanced at her. Li Rong seemed somewhat pleased. "Are you jealous?"
"Your Highness jests," Pei Wenxuan replied with a smile. "What reason would I have to be jealous?"
"Oh, that’s good then." Li Rong nodded. "Tomorrow, Aya is hosting a scholarly gathering. I plan to attend. I heard there’s a scholar surnamed Yang this year...""Not satisfied with the family's literary gatherings, so you have to go elsewhere to see more?"
Pei Wenxuan spoke with a smiling face. Li Rong turned to look at him, stared for a moment, then burst into loud laughter.
"Your words don't match your heart."
Li Rong turned away, clasping her hands behind her back, and happily walked forward.
Pei Wenxuan stood behind her for a moment, then scoffed: "What kind of ugly ducklings are these? Blind."
After saying this, he raised his hand to rub his face, resumed his usual gentle smile, and followed after Li Rong.
Soon it was the end of February. Li Rong met with officials from the Ministry of Personnel several more times, confirming that all connections were properly made and adding Pei Wenxuan's name to the Ministry of Personnel's transfer list before she finally felt at ease.
Since Li Rong was handling this matter, Pei Wenxuan completely stepped back, only occasionally asking Li Rong about the progress.
Whenever Pei Wenxuan asked, Li Rong would feel annoyed, raising an eyebrow to retort: "Don't you trust me?"
Pei Wenxuan was choked by this and naturally didn't dare to say yes, quickly replying: "Not at all, I'm just curious."
After that, he didn't dare ask again.
But he had always preferred to keep matters under his own control. Now, with his official career in someone else's hands, he couldn't help but feel uneasy. He pondered over it all day, even losing sleep at night. But seeing Li Rong so enthusiastically helping him, he couldn't bring himself to dampen her spirits.
After all, Li Rong was being good to him, and with such a promising start, he couldn't say much against her.
Fortunately, this difficult period didn't last long. On February 26th, the court internally finalized the list. After the list was announced, if no one submitted objections within seven days, the transfers would begin in early March.
The 25th was the last day for changes to the list. Li Rong, still uneasy, went to see Liu Chunhang once more. Only after Liu Chunhang repeatedly confirmed there were no issues did Li Rong finally relax.
Liu Chunhang escorted Li Rong out of the Liu residence. At the gate, Li Rong put on her hat and turned to whisper to Liu Chunhang: "Minister Liu, there's no need to see me off further. I'll take my leave now."
"Your Highness, take care."
Liu Chunhang quietly bid her farewell. Li Rong boarded her carriage, which began to move away with a clattering sound into the night.
Once Li Rong's carriage had gone far, Liu Chunhang wiped his forehead. From the shadows came an elegant voice: "Minister Liu, stay a moment."
Liu Chunhang looked up and saw a young woman in splendid attire standing in the darkness. Her hands were tucked into her sleeves, and her face was unclear in the dim light. She spoke with a smile: "I come by order of Consort Rou to bring you a message."
Hearing this, Liu Chunhang's expression changed, and he quickly said: "Please, come in."
Having successfully handled the matter, Li Rong was very pleased. The thought of Pei Wenxuan thanking her tomorrow for his promotion filled her with a sense of satisfaction.
She twirled her fan, closed her eyes, as if savoring something. Jing Lan glanced at Li Rong and couldn't help but smile: "Your Highness seems even happier helping the Imperial Son-in-Law with his affairs than with her own."
"I'm used to handling my own matters," Li Rong admitted frankly, eyes still closed. "But planning and worrying for someone else like this is a first for me."
"Your Highness is quite unusual," Jing Mei said as she poured tea for Li Rong. "Others find joy when men help women solve problems. When the Imperial Son-in-Law dotes on Your Highness, you don't seem particularly happy. But now that you're helping him with something, you're delighted.""What do you know?" Li Rong glanced over, looking rather smug. "Being doted on isn't a skill—being the one who dotes is the real ability. When others love you, there will come a day when your beauty fades. But if you're the one doting on them, that's different. You can like them when you want, and walk away when you don't. It's much freer."
"Your Highness truly thinks broadly," Jing Mei said with admiration, while Jing Lan shook her head with a smile. "Her Highness has always been stubborn with her words. Don't listen to her nonsense."
"How is that nonsense?" Li Rong raised an eyebrow, looking at Jing Lan. "What reasoning do you have?"
"Your Highness," Jing Lan placed the peeled melon seeds in front of Li Rong and said gently, "Feeling happy because someone treats you well might not have any special reason—it could just be because you like them."
Li Rong paused for a moment, then heard Jing Lan continue, "There's no shame in that."
"Hmm," Li Rong nodded, her gaze shifting to the window. "Indeed, there's no shame in that."
Jing Lan smiled, assuming Li Rong was just shy, and said nothing more.
Li Rong looked out at the bustling streets.
By the end of February, the weather had begun to warm, and the streets were livelier. The night market had grown much more prosperous than before.
Her eyes wandered over the people coming and going on the street. She watched pairs of young men and women chatting and laughing as they passed by, and she clearly realized—
Jing Lan was wrong. Her instinctive avoidance wasn't because she felt ashamed.
She was afraid.
But she quickly suppressed these emotions, sitting quietly in her seat, listening to the two maids chat and laugh without saying a word.
After making the final confirmation with Liu Hanchun, Li Rong no longer worried. That night, she slept soundly, but Pei Wenxuan found it difficult to rest.
This year's imperial examination was of utmost importance, as many capable officials in the future would emerge from it. If he couldn't enter the Ministry of Personnel tomorrow, it would be difficult for him to apply to oversee the examination.
Pei Wenxuan momentarily regretted letting Li Rong handle this matter, but then he thought that, given her abilities, nothing should go wrong.
He tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. Li Rong woke groggily, her mind still hazy. "What are you doing?" she mumbled.
Pei Wenxuan stiffened. After hesitating for a moment, he turned to her and finally asked, "Your Highness."
Li Rong opened her bleary eyes, looking at Pei Wenxuan's serious face in the darkness.
His expression was so earnest that it woke her up instantly, though not entirely. In the dim light, she saw Pei Wenxuan gazing intently at her.
For a moment, a thought flashed through her mind.
Had Pei Wenxuan finally reached his limit and decided to take action against her?!
Li Rong froze, feeling nervous. Her mind began to recall scenes from their previous life after they married, especially those in bed. Then she thought about what would happen if she accidentally became pregnant—whether it was the right time for a child to arrive, and whether she would regret raising the child alone if Pei Wenxuan left her...
Li Rong's mind, muddled from sleep, wandered off on its own. Pei Wenxuan, seeing her drowsy eyes, hesitated for a moment before carefully choosing his words. "Your Highness, did you find Liu Hanchun today? And confirmed the position of Examination Merit Secretary?"
Hearing Pei Wenxuan ask this, Li Rong immediately calmed down.
She felt a sudden wave of embarrassment at herself, steadied her emotions, and asked, "What about it?"
"Liu Hanchun is someone who values profit over trust. Besides offering money, Your Highness..."
"Ugh, aren't you tired of this?"Li Rong listened to Pei Wenxuan's muttering and groaned in agony, "You're telling me this in the middle of the night? You might as well just sleep with me! I'm not talking to you anymore, I'm going to sleep."
With that, Li Rong turned over and covered her ears with the blanket.
Seeing Li Rong's attitude, Pei Wenxuan fell silent for a moment. He lay down on the bed, calming himself for a while. He felt he should trust Li Rong a little more and not repeat the mistakes of the past, where his overconfidence had ruined Li Rong's plans and led to their mutual downfall.
He recalled the times he had clashed with Li Rong in the past and thought about her achievements in court, finally feeling somewhat reassured. Only when the rooster began to crow did he manage to fall asleep.
The next day, when the two of them got up, Li Rong had slept quite well, but Pei Wenxuan had dark circles under his eyes.
Li Rong looked him up and down and couldn't help but ask, "Did you not sleep all night?"
Pei Wenxuan smiled bitterly and said with a hint of sorrow, "Your Highness, I've finally come to understand something."
Li Rong raised an eyebrow. Pei Wenxuan said gently, "This must be a test you've given me, right?"
"Huh?" Li Rong was somewhat bewildered. Pei Wenxuan, as if in a daze, floated out of the room with unsteady steps and walked with Li Rong toward the court. With a broad, comforting smile, he reassured himself, "For many years, we've been suspicious of each other. When it comes to critical matters, we've always handled them personally, never trusting others to do it for us. This is the first time in two lifetimes that I've entrusted such an important matter to someone else. This is a test of my confidence in Your Highness."
Listening to Pei Wenxuan's words, Li Rong couldn't help but feel a little guilty. Pei Wenxuan continued to comfort himself, "Your Highness is exceptional. As an opponent, I have never doubted Your Highness. Now, I should continue to trust Your Highness in the same way—not only trusting that Your Highness has my best interests at heart but also trusting that Your Highness's abilities are absolutely flawless."
"You can doubt the former," Li Rong confidently turned back, "but you can absolutely trust the latter."
"Your Highness is right," Pei Wenxuan said, his eyes full of trust despite the dark circles under them. "I have always believed in Your Highness."
One filled with confidence, the other feigning strength, the two of them arrived at the court together.
Since everyone knew that the most critical matter of the day was the announcement of the transfer lists for the various ministries, there was no unnecessary chatter. After quickly reporting the key matters, the Minister of Personnel stepped forward and respectfully said, "Your Majesty, the transfer lists for all ministries have been finalized. Please allow me to read them."
"Go ahead."
Li Ming picked up his tea from the side and granted Wang Houwen's request. Wang Houwen took out the list and began reading, starting with the Ministry of Rites.
Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan had already inquired about the lists for each ministry. In fact, most of the high-ranking officials present at court already knew the contents of the lists, so they all listened quietly.
When it came to the Ministry of Justice, Pei Wenxuan and Li Rong waited to hear Pei Liming's name.
After all, as the Vice Minister of Justice, Pei Liming had handled Xie Lanqing's case. In terms of seniority, achievements, and status, he was the most suitable candidate for the position.
However, Wang Houwen calmly finished reading, "Minister of Justice—" and the name that followed was, "Su Rongqing."
Pei Wenxuan abruptly looked up and saw Li Rong staring back at him in shock.
Li Rong hadn't expected Su Rongqing to snatch the position at the last moment. Although he was the Vice Minister of Justice, in terms of seniority, he was indeed still too young.Moreover, based on her understanding of Su Rongqing, in their past life he had not been one to crave fame or fortune, rarely contending with others for anything. Even the position of Vice Minister of Justice had been arranged for him by his family. Now, Pei Liming had long been seen by discerning eyes as the candidate for Minister of Justice. For Su Rongqing to become Minister of Justice, he must have employed some underhanded tactics behind the scenes.
Pei Wenxuan was also aware of this. After exchanging a brief glance with Li Rong, he frowned and turned his gaze forward to Su Rongqing.
Su Rongqing stood calmly ahead, his eyes fixed straight ahead as if everything were within his expectations—composed, unruffled, and at ease.
The accumulated exhaustion of recent days had already left him somewhat unwell. Now, suddenly hearing that Su Rongqing had become Minister of Justice and seeing him putting on this detached, indifferent-to-fame-and-fortune act, Pei Wenxuan felt a tightness in his chest and shortness of breath, as if he could hardly draw air.
What an act.
He must have used countless dirty tricks to seize the position of Minister of Justice, and now he still dares to pretend!
Pei Wenxuan was so furious that he tightened his grip on his court tablet. Just then, Wang Houwen began reading the list for the Ministry of Personnel.
The appointments announced in court today were all for positions of the fifth rank or higher. The Examination Merit Secretary was a sixth-rank position, not significant enough to be announced in the main hall, so Pei Wenxuan was completely unprepared.
Just when he was caught entirely off guard, he heard Wang Houwen, as if raising his voice, proclaim: "Vice Minister of Personnel—"
"Pei Wenxuan!"
Upon hearing this, Pei Wenxuan felt a sudden rush of dizziness before he could catch his breath. The world spun before his eyes, and he could no longer steady himself, collapsing straight backward.
Before losing consciousness, Pei Wenxuan wanted to praise Li Rong.
Well done.
They had agreed on a sixth-rank Examination Merit Secretary, but now he was directly appointed as a fourth-rank Vice Minister of Personnel.
With such a high position, the entire court would likely be watching him closely now. Even Li Ming might have other thoughts.
Li Rong’s abilities were truly exceptional—perhaps a bit too exceptional.
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