Bу thе timе еvеrything was ovеr, it wаs alreаdy the middlе оf thе night.
Реi Wеnxuan wаs lying on top of her. Li Rоng wаs toо eхhаustеd tо oреn hеr еуes. Аfter catсhing his brеath fоr a moment, Рei Wenхuan lowеrеd his hеаd, kissеd hеr fоreheаd, аnd said sоftlу, "Gо to slеeр."
Li Rоng hummed in resроnse. Рei Wenxuаn dressed her аnd соverеd her with a blankеt.
Тhеn he wеnt tо thе bоw оf thе boаt аnd drew sоme wаter in a bаsin. Hе miхеd in watеr thаt wаs hеating on the smаll stove meant for wаrming wine, adjusting it to а suitable tеmpеrаture. Аfter that, he heated another pot of water and brought the basin of warm water back into the cabin. He wrung out a cloth and wiped Li Rong’s face and other places where she had sweated profusely.
Without opening her eyes, Li Rong felt herself gradually freshening up.
Her voice was a little hoarse, so she didn't want to speak. Pei Wenxuan, sated and content, said nothing, but his heart was filled with joy.
The second basin of water had been boiled and then cooled. He brought it over to wash her. Li Rong was about to refuse when she felt Pei Wenxuan’s hand rest gently on her shoulder. After giving her a reassuring kiss, he said in a low, husky voice, "It's alright. Just sleep."
It was impossible to sleep like this; in fact, she felt even more awake. Li Rong felt her face burning, but not wanting to show weakness, she raised her arm and covered her eyes with her sleeve, as if to block out the light.
After she was all clean, Pei Wenxuan went out of the cabin himself. She heard the sound of splashing water outside, suggesting he was using the lake water to clean himself. A short while later, he returned. He lay down beside her, pulled the blanket up for her, and then gathered her into his arms, saying gently, "Don't catch a chill."
With that, he rested his head on her shoulder, and they nestled together.
The blanket was all for Li Rong; he wore only a single layer of clothing. Fortunately, with the cabin door and windows closed, it was quite warm. Li Rong sensed that he seemed to have fallen asleep and quietly opened her eyes, only to find him lying opposite her, watching her with a gentle, smiling gaze.
A fiery heat instantly rose to Li Rong's face, yet she had to feign composure. "What are you looking at me for?"
"I just wanted to watch you sleep for a while. Who knew you'd open your eyes to peek at me?"
"Who was peeking at you?" Li Rong frowned, a mix of embarrassment and annoyance at being caught. "I couldn't sleep, so I opened my eyes. Is that called peeking?"
"Alright," Pei Wenxuan pursed his lips in a light smile. "It wasn't peeking. Why can't you sleep, Your Highness? Tell me about it."
Li Rong found it hard to say. How could she admit that he was the one who had roused her to full wakefulness? Just then, she felt a strange sensation inside her body and her movements stiffened. Pei Wenxuan knew what had happened. He restrained himself and did nothing, only leaning forward to gently kiss her forehead, soothing her in a low, husky voice, "They will be here to pick us up soon. You can wash properly when you get back."
Li Rong heard the change in his voice and knew he understood everything. She couldn't act imperious for once and, with a flushed face, buried her head and mumbled a soft assent. After a moment, she couldn't help but complain in a small voice, "How did you get it inside?"
"My fault," Pei Wenxuan admitted his mistake without hesitation. Hearing her complain brought him a sense of joy. He felt as if he had been placed in the most comfortable hot spring by Li Rong; at this moment, whatever she said to him, he found it wonderful.
The two of them lay quietly together. In such a peaceful setting, Li Rong soon felt drowsy again. She pillowed her head on Pei Wenxuan's arm, resting against his chest. Pei Wenxuan raised his hand and began to stroke her back gently, again and again, as if soothing a cat.
Before long, Li Rong drifted off to sleep. She didn't know how much time had passed when she vaguely heard a change in the sound of the water nearby, as if another boat was approaching. Li Rong lightly lifted her eyelids, and Pei Wenxuan noticed her movement. He adjusted the blanket for her and said gently, "You sleep. I'll go take a look."
With that, Pei Wenxuan got up, draped a coat over his shoulders, and stood at the bow. He saw the men he had arranged for rowing up beside them. Just as one of them was about to speak, Pei Wenxuan raised a hand to his lips, glanced toward the cabin, and whispered, "My wife is asleep. Just take us directly to the shore."
The man nodded with a smile, not daring to speak.
Pei Wenxuan returned to the cabin and closed the small door again. Li Rong heard him sit down beside her and asked groggily, "What time is it?"
"The hour of the tiger."
Pei Wenxuan brushed the hair from her face, his voice very soft as if afraid to disturb her. "You can sleep on the way. When we get back, you can take a bath, and it will be about time for the Morning Court Assembly."
Li Rong hummed a low response. Pei Wenxuan thought for a moment. "If you're not feeling well, I can just ask His Majesty for a leave of absence for you."
Li Rong didn't speak, her eyes closed in sleep.
Pei Wenxuan watched her. He saw her brows furrowed tightly, as if she were not sleeping peacefully.
He knew, in truth, that even if Li Rong said nothing now, she was deeply uneasy.
Feelings were his greatest weakness, and he had laid this weakness bare before his opponent. Li Rong was afraid.
Yet she didn't dare say more. She was considerate of his feelings, so she kept her worries to herself.
Pei Wenxuan stroked her hair, wondering what was on her mind. After a long while, he sighed, leaned down, and gently kissed the corner of her forehead. "Don't think about it. Sleep well. I'll listen to you in all things."
Hearing Pei Wenxuan's words, Li Rong knew it was his compromise. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up at him, her gaze misty, as if wanting to say something comforting.
But she didn't know how, and she was afraid of misspeaking and saying something hurtful again. After a moment's hesitation, she reached out and grasped the corner of Pei Wenxuan's robe.
"Let's do it again when we get back?" she murmured.
All the ways she could think of to please him were tangible.
Power, status, money, desire.
Pei Wenxuan was caught between laughter and tears at her words. He was speechless for a moment before finally saying, "Let's put it on your tab for now. You can pay me back slowly in the future. But your sentiment," Pei Wenxuan's hand rested on her hair, his voice softening, "I understand it."
In truth, after confirming her feelings and letting her understand his own, the so-called method was no longer important.
Ultimately, whatever made Li Rong comfortable was what was best.
If a relationship made her walk on eggshells, what was the use of it, no matter how pure or hard-won?
Pei Wenxuan sat beside Li Rong, gazing at her as she nestled against his side like a cat, slowly falling asleep under his soothing touch.
Li Rong slept all the way back to the Princess's Manor. Pei Wenxuan kept her covered with his coat, carrying her from the carriage into the manor so quietly that he didn't make a sound.
After returning to the manor, Li Rong lazed in bed for a while longer before finally getting up to bathe and get ready. Then, she went to the Morning Court Assembly with Pei Wenxuan.
Pei Wenxuan's face was clean, but the scratch marks on his neck could not be hidden. He put on his official robes and waited for Li Rong at the door. When she came out, he walked up to her with a cold expression and said respectfully, "Your Highness."
Seeing his unfriendly face, Li Rong was stunned for a moment before realizing Pei Wenxuan was acting. She quickly adjusted her own expression, stepping forward with a somewhat guilty look, and took his arm in a placating manner. "Imperial Son-in-Law."
Pei Wenxuan's expression remained unchanged as he walked out with Li Rong. They were close together, and to onlookers, Pei Wenxuan appeared exceedingly cold, while Li Rong looked eager to please.
But within a range where only the two of them could hear, Pei Wenxuan's tone was very gentle. "Are you feeling unwell?"
"It's not like I'm giving birth," Li Rong said, leaning on his arm with a smile. "Why the need to be so delicate? Besides, thanks to Lord Pei's patient care," Li Rong said, her little finger tracing idle patterns on his palm, which was hidden by his sleeve, her voice softening, "it was much better than in our last life."
When it came to lovemaking, the degree of pleasure depended most on the man's patience.
In her past life, her first time hadn't been as excruciatingly painful as legends claimed, and that was due to Pei Wenxuan's absolute self-control and forbearance.
Now, not only was Pei Wenxuan patient, but he had also accumulated countless experiences with her and exercised proper restraint. Though there was some discomfort, for Li Rong, it was negligible.
Hearing her praise, Pei Wenxuan's face remained frosty, but his tone held a hint of helplessness. "Don't cause trouble."
Li Rong lowered her head and chuckled softly, ceasing her teasing.
The two of them traveled all the way to the palace. After alighting from the carriage, Li Rong tried to take Pei Wenxuan's hand, but he shook it off and walked straight inside.
This scene was witnessed by many officials. A look of embarrassment and vexation appeared on Li Rong's face. Not wanting to stand there, she hurried forward.
For the imperial court, the two most important matters in the third month were undoubtedly the imperial examinations and personnel transfers.
Compared to the latter, the significance of the examinations was almost negligible. The Ministry of Personnel reported on this year's candidate registration numbers and then retreated.
Once the Morning Court Assembly ended, just as Pei Wenxuan was stepping out of the main hall, Li Ming sent someone over who said respectfully, "Lord Pei, His Majesty requests your presence."
Upon hearing this, Pei Wenxuan bowed respectfully and followed the eunuch to the imperial study.
Li Rong glanced over silently, then averted her gaze and turned to leave the hall.
Just as she stepped out, she saw Su Rongqing ahead. He was with several other officials, holding a court tablet, and seemed to be giving them instructions with a frown.
Su Rongqing was a person who was gentle in his dealings with others, but when it came to official business, his methods were firm and extremely strict.
She hadn't noticed before, but upon careful observation now, she realized that the Su Rongqing of today, compared to the handsome and otherworldly young man in her memory, had long since acquired a sinister gloom in his brow that shouldn't have been there.
Li Rong stood behind him, watching. Su Rongqing had been descending the steps with the other officials, but he seemed to sense her gaze. He turned his head and saw Li Rong standing before the great hall, scrutinizing him with a cold stare.
Su Rongqing said nothing. A light breeze blew, causing the hem of his robes to flutter. His gaze on Li Rong seemed to freeze time, crossing the palace gates with a cold, lingering stillness before gently landing on her.
That exchange of glances was as brief as an unconscious lapse in concentration. The official beside him, somewhat puzzled by Su Rongqing's silence, couldn't help but follow his gaze and asked cautiously, "Minister Su?"
Hearing his name, Su Rongqing gave Li Rong a distant bow, then withdrew his gaze. He turned and led his men down the steps as if nothing had happened, continuing, "The key to this case lies in..."
Li Rong watched him walk away. After a long moment, she gave a scornful smile and turned to leave.
Meanwhile, Pei Wenxuan was led into the imperial study by the eunuch. Li Ming was practicing calligraphy.
Pei Wenxuan entered, kowtowed respectfully, and though he was usually a gentle person, his face now wore a rather stern expression.
Li Ming glanced at him without leaving a trace, continuing to write as he said, "What happened to your neck? Where did you get those scratches?"
With a cold face, Pei Wenxuan restrained his emotions and said, "Your Majesty, I was fooling around with the Princess, and she accidentally scratched me."
Li Ming's movements paused. He had, in fact, heard news last night that Li Rong had gone on a boat trip and even invited some handsome young men for company. Pei Wenxuan had gone to catch her in the act with a sword and had even abducted her.
But this was all information gathered in secret, so he couldn't just say it directly. And judging by Pei Wenxuan's expression, last night must not have been very pleasant.
Li Ming speculated on what had happened last night, pondering the possible intentions behind Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan's actions.
After all, for them to start fighting right after he had begun to have ideas seemed a bit too deliberate. But so much had happened last night; it was also possible that the young couple had genuinely had a fight.
His face betrayed nothing, and he pretended to be ignorant. "Between husband and wife, you must be tolerant of each other," he said slowly. "Ping Le has been my most favored daughter since she was little. She might be a bit spoiled, but you needn't take it to heart."
"Yes," Pei Wenxuan knelt on the ground, his back straight, his reply perfectly steady.
"I summoned you to discuss the matter of the Vice Minister of Personnel promotion. You've risen too quickly. I'm afraid it will be difficult to win over the masses if you are promoted to this position," Li Ming said, each stroke of his brush landing on the paper as if he were speaking casually. "Have you thought of how to handle it?"
Hearing this, the expression on Pei Wenxuan's face finally relaxed a little. He said respectfully, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. Although my experience is not deep, with the help of some elders in the Ministry of Personnel, plus the connections I've built in the Censorate, Your Majesty can rest assured."
Li Ming observed Pei Wenxuan's expression, noting his veiled delight at the mention of the official post. He remained impassive and continued, "However, you are Princess Pingle's Imperial Son-in-Law, and Pingle has offended many people in the court. The Ministry of Personnel has many people from the Xie family. I'm afraid you'll have a bitter pill to swallow if you transfer there. How about this," Li Ming said, feigning concern, "I'll transfer you to the Ministry of Rites to spare you the criticism. What do you think?"
Upon hearing this, Pei Wenxuan's face turned pale.
The Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Rites, even if both were vice-minister positions, were entirely different. One was a minor clerical post, while the other held real power over official promotions.
Pei Wenxuan seemed to be trying hard to control his emotions. Li Ming took a cup of tea from Fulai and said slowly, "You and Pingle share a deep bond, and her Supervisory Department also needs help. I've thought about it. Why don't you go to the Ministry of Rites and have more time to help her? What do you think?"
Listening to Li Ming's words, Pei Wenxuan's expression was extremely unsightly, but he still endured it and said respectfully, "Your servant thanks Your Majesty for your grace."
"Alright," Li Ming waved his hand. "You may leave."
"Your servant takes his leave."
As Pei Wenxuan spoke, he rose to his feet. Li Ming gazed at the tea leaves in his cup, leisurely stirring them with the lid. Pei Wenxuan walked out stiffly. After just a few steps, he stopped, as if he had hesitated for a long time. Suddenly, he turned around, knelt on the ground with a thud, and said with considerable agitation, "Your Majesty, your servant begs Your Majesty to seek justice for me!"
Li Ming's hand trembled, and tea spilled out. He looked up at Pei Wenxuan and frowned. "What justice do you want me to seek?"
"Your Majesty," Pei Wenxuan's tone was filled with indignation, but where no one could see, his expression was perfectly calm. He clenched his jaw, restraining his emotions. "Your servant wishes to divorce Princess Pingle. I hope Your Majesty will grant permission!"
Since Li Ming wanted him to take a step back, he would take a giant leap back.
If Li Ming wasn't flustered, he would force him to be.
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