Li Rоng hurriеdlу left the Рrinсеss's Маnor. Oncе аt the gatе, she turned аrоund аnd lоwеrеd her voiсe to speak to hеr аttendаnt: "Go find Dерutу Dirеctоr Shаngguаn immеdiаtelу. Have hеr invеstigatе the list of cоurt officiаls Hua Lе аnd Соnsоrt Rоu hаve reсеntly bееn in сontаct with. Find оut еxaсtlу who рlaced thе Imperial Sоn-in-Lаw’s nаme in thе Ministry of Реrsоnnel fоr thе роsitiоn оf Vicе Мinister. Тell hеr to get tо the bоttоm оf this at оnсе."
Тhe attendаnt acknowledged in а low voicе, and Li Rong bоardеd hеr cаrriage, instructing it to take her to the palace in haste.
While Li Rong was rushing to the palace, Consort Rou was leading Hua Le in dyeing their nails.
"Pei Wenxuan actually fainted," Hua Le sat beside Consort Rou, handing her fingers to a maid for trimming, her expression somewhat puzzled. "Isn’t being Vice Minister of Personnel a good thing? Did he faint from anger or from joy?"
"If he fainted from joy, I would be delighted," Consort Rou said lazily, her eyes closed as she let a servant massage her back and tend to her nails. "But I’m afraid he fainted from anger."
"Angry over a promotion?" Hua Le frowned. "How is that possible?"
"Why wouldn’t it be?" Consort Rou replied without opening her eyes, explaining slowly. "If he’s smart at all, he certainly wouldn’t be happy."
"Why?"
"If he becomes Vice Minister of Personnel, the court officials won’t agree," Consort Rou said calmly, looking down as bright red polish was applied to her nails. "Not only will he fail to get the position, but it will also arouse His Majesty’s suspicion, making him wonder just how much power the princess truly holds. If the princess’s power grows too great, His Majesty will inevitably worry. And once His Majesty worries," Consort Rou lifted her gaze and smiled faintly, "the princess’s path in the court will come to an end."
"Advancing as a means of retreat," Hua Le brightened up. "Mother Consort is truly brilliant. That old fool Liu Chunhang, choosing her over you—he must be blind!"
"Nowadays, I hold no real authority and rely entirely on His Majesty’s favor," Consort Rou said unhurriedly, unperturbed by Hua Le’s words. "Ping Le controls the Supervisory Department, so naturally, the court officials fear her. However, if the court officials fear her," Consort Rou looked at Hua Le with a smile, "your father, the Emperor, will fear her too."
With that, she turned her gaze toward the direction of the imperial study outside the window. "Ping Le is still too young."
"Father is really unfair," Hua Le sighed in frustration upon hearing Consort Rou’s words. "He entrusted something as important as the Supervisory Department to Ping Le but gave me nothing. It’s too much."
Listening to Hua Le, Consort Rou smiled at her as if looking at a child who had yet to grow up.
"Do you know what you lack compared to Ping Le?"
"What I lack compared to her?" Hua Le bristled with anger. "What do I lack?"
"Ping Le, that child, knows what she wants and will fight for it, seize it," Consort Rou said, smiling as she looked at Hua Le. "She understands clearly that the most important thing for a woman is to hold power. But you, silly child, only think of finding a perfect husband."
"But to have power, one must also marry a powerful man," Hua Le said, leaning closer to Consort Rou and taking her hand, cooing sweetly. "Just like you, Mother Consort. You married Father and became a noble woman, didn’t you?"
"You’re mistaken," Consort Rou gently pulled her hand away, speaking earnestly and tenderly. "You must remember, your power is something you seize for yourself. Men are merely your means," Consort Rou’s voice grew even softer, "but they should never be your goal.""I don't believe it," Hua Le turned her head away, saying proudly, "Father loves you most. If it weren't for the pressure from the Shangguan family, you would have been Empress long ago."
Consort Rou listened to Hua Le's words, lowered her head and smiled, only saying, "Silly child."
Then she turned her head away, shifting her gaze to the vibrant wild grass in the courtyard.
Spring had arrived, and all plants flourished. From Mingle Palace to the Imperial Study, the vegetation presented a scene of thriving vitality.
Li Ming looked at Wang Houwen kneeling on the ground, pacing back and forth in the hall. He wanted to scold someone but felt it would damage Wang Houwen's dignity too much. After all, Wang Houwen was a senior minister, and he had to give him that respect.
"What qualifications does Pei Wenxuan have that you dare to place him in the position of Vice Minister of Personnel?"
Li Ming felt a surge of pent-up anger. He stared at Wang Houwen: "For such an important position, even if you appoint someone mediocre, I wouldn't question you. I've always trusted your judgment in Ministry of Personnel matters. But now, what do you mean by this? Pei Wenxuan is just a greenhorn!" Li Ming shouted loudly, "How dare you place him in the position of Vice Minister of Personnel?!"
"Although Imperial Censor Pei is young," Wang Houwen seemed somewhat uneasy, hesitantly praising, "he is, after all, the Imperial Son-in-Law to the princess. The princess..."
"What about the princess?!"
Li Ming roared: "Can the princess override the law, the court regulations, and even me?! I ask you, what qualifies Pei Wenxuan to be Vice Minister of Personnel? What?!"
Just as Li Ming finished shouting, he heard an announcement from outside that Li Rong had arrived.
Li Ming raised his head and shouted: "I won't see her!"
After saying this, he saw the eunuch hurriedly retreating and called him back: "Forget it," Li Ming said conflictedly, "bring her in."
As he spoke, Li Ming looked down at Wang Houwen, waved his hand, and said helplessly: "What's done is done. You may leave first and reflect on this yourself. I'll have someone investigate the rest."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Wang Houwen respectfully bowed, then stood up and retreated.
Li Rong stood at the door for a while, thinking about how to speak to Li Ming when she saw him.
The position of Vice Minister of Personnel could not remain vacant, but if she didn't keep it, Pei Wenxuan would miss the transfer period. He wouldn't be able to become Vice Minister of Personnel, nor could he take any other position. If he had to wait for another transfer, it would have to be next year.
Most importantly, without this transfer, he would completely miss this year's imperial examinations. Waiting for another chance at the Dragon and Tiger List would likely take another lifetime.
She had to protect Pei Wenxuan's position as Vice Minister of Personnel, but if she didn't relinquish this position, Li Ming would inevitably become suspicious of her.
Consort Rou's current scheme was probably to put her in a dilemma: either make Li Ming suspicious or give up Pei Wenxuan's promotion. If she followed Consort Rou's line of thinking, she would lose either way. So now, her best approach was to appeal to emotions and use a diversionary tactic.
What Consort Rou wanted Li Ming to see was her privately lobbying ministers to seek an official position for Pei Wenxuan. Then she would directly admit to this matter and file a complaint against Consort Rou.
She colluded with court officials, and Consort Rou colluded with noble families.
Li Rong sneered. She wanted to see which of these two Li Ming would consider more serious.
Just as Li Rong was pondering this, she saw Wang Houwen walk out.
When he reached the door, Wang Houwen respectfully bowed to Li Rong. With a stern face, Li Rong saw his bow and said coldly: "Minister Wang, a third-rank minister and senior court official—I cannot accept such a courtesy from you.""What does being a Minister matter?" Wang Houwen sighed. "Xie Lanqing was the Minister of Justice and head of the Xie family, yet Your Highness still managed to bring him down, didn't you?"
Hearing this, Li Rong looked up and fixed Wang Houwen with a cold glare.
Wang Houwen gave a light smile, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Highness, this humble official takes his leave."
With that, Wang Houwen turned and walked straight out.
Li Rong entered the imperial study, bowed respectfully, and Li Ming, with a stern face, motioned for her to rise, his voice icy. "What brings you here now?"
As he spoke, Li Ming's anger flared up. "Pei Wenxuan's official position has already been decided. What more are you dissatisfied with?"
"This is precisely why I have come."
Li Rong hurriedly knelt again. "I beg Your Majesty to select another candidate for the position of Vice Minister of Personnel!"
Hearing this, Li Ming's expression softened slightly. "Pei Wenxuan becoming Vice Minister of Personnel is a good thing. Why do you want to change it?"
"Father," Li Rong said urgently, "I will speak frankly. For this transfer, I actually secretly helped Pei Wenxuan, maneuvering behind the scenes."
"I know," Li Ming sneered. "Otherwise, how could he have become Vice Minister of Personnel?"
"But the position I sought for him was not Vice Minister of Personnel."
Li Rong looked up anxiously. "Father, the position I sought was the sixth-rank Examination Merit Secretary."
"An Examination Merit Secretary—did you really need to go to such lengths for that?"
Li Ming frowned. At these words, Li Rong's eyes reddened, and her voice grew hoarse. "Father, you don't understand. Since I took charge of the Supervisory Department, I have made many enemies in the court. Because of me, the Imperial Son-in-Law has faced immense difficulties in his work. By convention, after marrying me, regardless of his previous rank, he should have been directly promoted to the sixth rank. He spent a year honing his skills in the Censorate and helped me handle several major cases. By all accounts, transferring him to serve as an Examination Merit Secretary should have been more than sufficient. But because of me, he has been obstructed from all sides in the court, with no one willing to accept him. Yet he cannot remain a Supervisory Censor forever, can he?"
"Isn't the Censorate under Shangguan Minzhi's control?" Li Ming tapped the table thoughtfully. "Wouldn't it be better for him to stay in the Censorate?"
"That is precisely the difficulty!" As Li Rong spoke, tears began to fall. "You know how many members of the Shangguan family I have investigated and prosecuted. Uncle Minzhi resents me for not sparing even relatives and has made things difficult for the Imperial Son-in-Law at every turn. If there were any other way, I would not have been so desperate, running around on his behalf. The Censorate obstructed him, and none of the other ministries would take him. In desperation, I had no choice but to lobby on his behalf, pleading with various officials to see if they could find a solution—if not a Vice Director, then at least a Secretary. But those officials all made excuses and evaded the issue. I... I had no choice but to seek help, spending a great deal of money, and finally managed to secure a Secretary position for the Imperial Son-in-Law. Yet, to my surprise, in today’s court session, he was appointed Vice Minister of Personnel!"“Becoming the Vice Minister of Personnel—isn’t that a good thing?” Li Ming observed Li Rong’s expression. Li Rong wiped her tears: “Father, your daughter does crave power, but she also deeply understands the principle that things turn into their opposites when they reach the extreme. Both Wenxuan and I are still young. He has been in the court for less than a year. To leap directly to Vice Minister of Personnel—how many eyes will be fixed on him? If he truly takes this position, how many people will resent him, saying I used the authority of the Supervisory Department to pave his way? If he lacked talent, it would be one thing, but the Imperial Son-in-Law is clearly a capable man. To suffer such grievances—how is this helping him? This is harming him!”
Listening to Li Rong’s words, Li Ming frowned. He remained silent for a long time before saying, “If you had difficulties, why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“Your daughter has difficulties, but does Father not have them as well?” Li Rong restrained herself, sobbing softly. “Your daughter established the Supervisory Department precisely to share Father’s burdens. If I cannot help Father, that’s one thing, but I should not trouble Father with my personal matters. This matter is indeed your daughter’s fault. I should not have privately sought a path for the Imperial Son-in-Law. If they won’t let him rise, then so be it; if they bully him, let them. If others mock me, I can endure it. Privately seeking a path for him like this—I truly deserve punishment. I only hope Father can now think of a solution. The position of Vice Minister of Personnel—we truly dare not accept it.”
As she spoke, Li Rong kowtowed, crying until she was breathless.
Li Ming listened to her pitiful weeping and heard her say that someone had mocked her. After all, she was a child he had raised with his own hands. Once arrogant and domineering, she had become what she was today, and he felt some heartache. With anger, he said, “Who dares to mock you? I want to hear who has such audacity to even dare mock you?”
Li Rong remained silent. Li Ming grew impatient: “Why aren’t you speaking? What’s the use of just crying?”
“Father, it’s not that your daughter won’t speak, but if I do, I fear Father will think I am stirring up trouble.”
Li Ming frowned, already guessing: “Is it someone in the palace?”
Li Rong lowered her head, seeming somewhat weary.
Seeing her silence, Li Ming grew more annoyed: “Speak.”
“Father,” Li Rong steadied herself and straightened up, “if you insist that your daughter speak, then I will tell the truth.”
Li Rong stared at Li Ming, tears in her eyes as she smiled: “Ever since your daughter married, I have been ridiculed by the other princesses in the palace. Sister Hua Le said that Pei Wenxuan is low in rank and insignificant, and that Father dislikes me, which is why you bestowed me upon him.”
“Nonsense!”
Li Ming roared angrily, his face alternating between green and white: “How could Hua Le say such a thing!”
“What does Father mean by that?” Li Rong laughed through her tears. “Do you think Hua Le would not say such a thing, or that she should not say such a thing?”
Li Ming was momentarily speechless. Li Rong continued: “Father, do you know why I am so afraid today? Why I rushed into the palace in such panic, begging Father to remove the position of Vice Minister of Personnel? It’s not just because Pei Wenxuan is too young. In terms of youth, Su Rongqing is also young. Why can he become the Minister of Justice, while my husband cannot even become a vice minister? Yet I still had to come, because I knew that if I didn’t,” Li Rong lowered her head and smiled, tears clinging to her hair, “Father would surely think that I was behind the scenes, maneuvering to get him appointed as Vice Minister of Personnel. I am afraid in my heart.”"I..." Li Ming looked embarrassed, "How could you think I would think that way?"
"Because I've been afraid for so long," Li Rong choked back tears. "If I were Sister Hua Le today, of course I wouldn't be afraid. Because I would know that Father trusts me. But I am a daughter of the Shangguan family."
"What's wrong with being a daughter of the Shangguan family?" Li Ming spoke anxiously. "You are the Shangguan family's daughter, but you are also my eldest princess!"
"But Sister Hua Le said," Li Rong stared at Li Ming, "that because Father suspects the Shangguan family, that's why you married me off to someone from a humble background."
"She's talking nonsense! Utter nonsense!" Li Ming angrily slapped the table. "Pei Wenxuan is Pei Lizhi's son, the top scholar of his year, with excellent character and appearance. Don't you know how good he is? I valued his character."
"I know Father's good intentions, so when I married him back then, I was overjoyed," Li Rong showed weariness. "But after hearing it for so long... I also become afraid. I always hope Father thinks well of me, trusts me more, so I don't fight, don't ask, don't compete. My Imperial Son-in-Law isn't from a noble family, his rank is low, and I've never said anything. Even when they gossip behind my back, laugh at me, I pretend not to hear."
"I'm tired."
As Li Rong spoke, she kowtowed again. "I only beg Father not to suspect me. I don't have such great abilities. I've exhausted all my efforts just... to seek some justice. So that my husband won't, because of me, be unable to even secure a sixth-rank official position."
"Pingle..."
Listening to Li Rong's words, Li Ming's heart also felt a pang of sorrow.
"I beg Father to grant this."
Li Ming didn't speak. After a long while, he sighed, personally walked to Li Rong, and helped her up.
"Get up first," Li Ming's voice was gentle. "This matter, I will give you justice. Go back first."
"Thank you, Father."
Li Rong bowed respectfully, but her words carried a hint of distance. Li Ming suddenly felt uncomfortable inside.
Li Rong had always loved to act spoiled with him. He originally thought that among so many children, he didn't care about their comings and goings. But when Li Rong truly showed disappointment in him, he realized that deep in his heart, he always held some fatherly affection for this eldest daughter.
"Go back first."
Controlling his emotions, he patted Li Rong's shoulder. Li Rong bowed respectfully, her posture always elegant and proper. After she bowed and withdrew, Li Ming stood in place, quietly watching Li Rong's receding figure.
Fulai brought tea and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, Her Highness has already gone far."
"Fulai," Li Ming suddenly spoke, "have I been unkind to Rong'er?"
"How could Your Majesty say such a thing?" Fulai answered smoothly. "Your Majesty has been very good to all the Highnesses. You are an extremely loving father."
"I feel that Pingle is disappointed in me."
Li Ming spoke slowly. Fulai smiled and said, "Your Majesty jokes. Princess Pingle has always trusted Your Majesty the most. No matter what Your Majesty says, Her Highness will believe it. You are her best father; she will never be disappointed in you."
"Hearing you say that makes me even sadder."
As Li Ming spoke, he turned around and sighed, "In this palace, all those who think to use feelings as a blade will be wounded by that blade."Fulai reached out to support Li Ming as he sat back down. After a moment of hesitation, Li Ming finally said, "Send someone to investigate who was behind Pei Wenxuan’s entry into the Ministry of Personnel."
"Yes."
As he spoke, Fulai pressed down one sleeve with his hand, picked up the ink stick with the other, and began grinding ink for Li Ming. He couldn’t help but ask, "But Your Majesty, regardless of whether Princess Pingle intervened, isn’t it…"
"Isn’t it what?"
Li Ming looked up at Fulai, who forced a smile and said, "Isn’t it… a bit too early for Lord Pei to become the Vice Minister of Personnel?"
"Why do you always say Pei Wenxuan is too young, but never say the same about Su Rongqing?"
"Minister Su, after all, comes from a noble family…"
"So you all bully Pei Wenxuan for being from a humble background and losing his father early, is that it?"
Li Ming let out a cold laugh. Fulai hurriedly knelt on the ground, pleading anxiously, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. It is this servant’s fault. I only heard from others outside…"
"By your reasoning, are many people truly laughing at Pingle behind her back?"
Fulai dared not speak.
Li Ming took a deep breath. "Good," he said, pointing at Fulai and nodding. "Very good."
Fulai knelt, repeatedly kowtowing and begging Li Ming for forgiveness.
Li Ming only pointed at Fulai without speaking. After a long while, he took another deep breath. "Go and investigate first. Find out the truth. I will await the result!"
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