Тhe rain fеll еvеn hеаvier, Li Ming's indistinct shоuts аnd curses сeasеlеsslу rеасhing their eаrs. Pei Wenxuan withdrew his gаzе from Su Rоngqing's side, turnеd tо lооk at thе еunuсh guаrding thе doоr, steppеd fоrward, аnd handed the mеmorial frоm his sleevе tо thе еunuсh, rеquеsting that it be раssed оn tо Li Мing. Thеn he turnеd bаck and sаid tо Li Rong, "Yоur Highness, let's gо."
Li Rong hesitatеd fоr а momеnt, glancing towаrd thе imрeriаl studу, but finаllу nоddеd. She turnеd аnd instructеd the еunuch besidе her thаt shе wаs leаving еаrlу, then walked оut with Pei Wenxuan.
Тhe two walkеd through the wind аnd rain. Оnсe thеy left the palace, Pei Wenxuan raised his hand and placed it on Li Rong's shoulder, using his wide sleeve to shield her from the flying raindrops.
"Why did you come?" Li Rong asked softly. "Entering the palace so boldly to fetch me, aren't you afraid Father will suspect something?"
"I submitted a memorial to him, requesting to serve as the Chief Examiner for the imperial examinations," Pei Wenxuan explained patiently. "The various official appointments will be finalized tomorrow, so it's only natural for me to come tonight to pledge my loyalty. Moreover," Pei Wenxuan glanced back at the palace, "he has no mind to pay attention to us right now."
"Su Ronghua has entered the palace," Li Rong reminded him. Pei Wenxuan's expression remained unchanged as he replied, "I know."
"From Father's perspective, what he can ascertain now is simply that someone sent Hongde into the palace, Hongde's child was taken away by the Su family, and now the testimony is missing, the Memorial Hall caught fire, and Hongde was killed. These three incidents corroborate the first two, and though not conclusive evidence, they are enough in Father's mind to convict Su Rongqing. Now, if Su Ronghua steps forward to take responsibility for the first two incidents, it contradicts the latter three, making those three seem too abrupt..."
Li Rong frowned. "At that point, Father might think we deliberately framed him."
"How would he think that?" Pei Wenxuan asked calmly. Li Rong pondered carefully. "From Father's perspective, you could say Su Rongqing did those three things to cover up his own actions, but it's also possible we did them to frame Su Rongqing. Why wouldn't Father think we deliberately framed Su Rongqing?"
"First, we have no reason to frame Su Rongqing. If we were to frame someone, it should be Su Ronghua, who is Prince Su's tutor."
"Second, Su Ronghua's arrival is too timely and deliberate, making it hard to believe."
"Third," Pei Wenxuan turned his head slightly and said softly, "Su Ronghua brought Hongde's child into the palace."
Hearing this, Li Rong was taken aback.
Pei Wenxuan tilted the umbrella slightly toward Li Rong and said quietly, "Their best course of action would have been to kill the child. As long as the child wasn't found in the Su residence, and they stubbornly denied it, His Majesty would have no solid evidence to punish them. But Su Ronghua not only didn't kill the child, he brought the child into the palace to return the hostage and admit fault."
"And Hongde committed suicide. Unless he was threatened with leverage, he wouldn't have done so. Now that Su Ronghua has brought the child into the palace, Hongde's death is undeniably linked to the Su family. So, His Majesty is eighty percent certain that Hongde's death wasn't our doing. The remaining twenty percent is merely due to his inherently suspicious nature."
Li Rong slowly calmed down as she listened to Pei Wenxuan's words. Pei Wenxuan escorted her into the carriage, then closed the umbrella. He left the umbrella outside the carriage and stepped inside.Li Rong's outer garment was somewhat damp, so he helped her remove it, fetched spare clothing from the carriage, and had her change.
Sitting in the carriage, Li Rong watched the man kneeling before her as he busied himself, listening as Pei Wenxuan continued, "Now that Su Ronghua has taken the blame, Su Rongqing should be fine."
"And what about Su Ronghua?"
Li Rong spoke softly. After a moment of silence, Pei Wenxuan replied slowly, "Leaving the officialdom might not be a bad thing for him."
"Then all your efforts in going around in such a big circle," Li Rong smiled bitterly, "would have been in vain?"
"Who said my efforts were in vain?" Pei Wenxuan looked up and smiled. "Did you think I went through all this trouble just to have Su Rongqing take the blame?"
This indeed took Li Rong by surprise.
Though Pei Wenxuan hadn't explained his actions, Li Rong had guessed most of it. She had assumed his goal this time was to strip Su Rongqing of his position as Minister of Justice, but it seemed that wasn't the case?
"So your real purpose is..."
"Your Highness," Pei Wenxuan reached up and removed the hairpin from Li Rong's hair, letting her dark tresses cascade down. Gazing at the precious beauty before him, he whispered, "Su Rongqing troubles us not for our sake, and I trouble Su Rongqing not for his sake either."
"His goal," Li Rong smiled bitterly, "is Chuan'er, isn't it?"
Pei Wenxuan remained silent for a while before finally saying, "Back when the Crown Prince was deposed, the Su Clan and the Shangguan Clan, along with a hundred other families, joined forces to send troops and helped the Crown Prince reclaim the throne. But after His Highness ascended to the throne, he frequently suppressed the noble families for the sake of governance... Even if the Su Clan were not destroyed, if things were to happen again, no scion of a noble family would allow such a Crown Prince to ascend the throne, knowing full well his intention to suppress them."
Li Rong had no words. Seeing her apparent distress, Pei Wenxuan felt a tightness in his chest.
He no longer wished to speak. After drying Li Rong's hair, he rose and sat to the side, taking out a memorial to read with his head bowed.
After a while, he heard Li Rong regain her composure and return to the main topic, saying softly, "So, your goal is Consort Rou?"
"Hmm," Pei Wenxuan replied perfunctorily.
Li Rong continued to ponder and analyze, "The most troublesome issue now is actually the alliance between Su Rongqing and Consort Rou. I established the Supervisory Department with the aim of using Father Emperor's authority to control the noble families. According to our plan, over the next three years, you and I will arrange our people in the court and lay out our strategy. Then, three years later, if something like the deposing of the Crown Prince were to happen again, we wouldn't need the noble families to intervene—we could directly support Chuan'er in succeeding to the throne."
"Chuan'er is inherently benevolent and virtuous. If we resolve the conflicts with the noble families while Father Emperor is still alive, he will be able to implement his own policies directly, and perhaps the situation from our previous life won't repeat itself. But now that Su Rongqing has returned, and with his alliance with Consort Rou, she is like a tiger with wings. Su Rongqing will manage the court's power for her, and she already has more of Father Emperor's trust than we do. So, whether Su Rongqing becomes Minister of Justice or not isn't the most important thing. What matters most is that he cannot ally with Consort Rou.""Consort Rou has suffered a setback this time and will inevitably doubt his capabilities. Moreover, for Su Ronghua to take the blame, he must confirm his relationship with Consort Rou. Consort Rou has been implicated because of the Su brothers, and given her temperament, she will likely question future cooperation. If we seize this opportunity to drive a wedge between them and then defeat them one by one, it will be much easier."
As Li Rong spoke, she grew excited and turned to look at Pei Wenxuan. "Have you figured out how to exploit this opportunity?"
Pei Wenxuan didn’t respond, keeping his head lowered as he read. Li Rong’s smile froze, and after a moment of hesitation, she asked tentatively, "You... why are you angry again?"
"You can still tell I’m angry?" Pei Wenxuan scoffed. "Should I praise you for having eyes?"
"No need for that," Li Rong chuckled, waving her hand. "Tomorrow, I’ll give you a pair of embroidered shoes. Don’t thank me."
"Why give me that?" Pei Wenxuan frowned.
"Miss Pei," Li Rong lifted Pei Wenxuan’s chin with her fan. "How many inches are your golden lotuses?"
Pei Wenxuan sneered and raised his hand to swat her fan away, but before he could, Li Rong grabbed his hand. Then, as nimble as an eel, she slid onto his lap, straddling him. One hand intertwined with his fingers, while the other pressed his head as she kissed him.
Pei Wenxuan initially wanted to struggle to show some backbone, but as soon as he moved, he heard Li Rong coo, "Brother Pei."
Suddenly, he felt he had not only lost his backbone but also his dignity.
After Li Rong finished kissing him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and gazed at his face, which held a hint of allure under the lamplight. She smiled and asked, "What were you angry about earlier?"
Pei Wenxuan remained silent.
Li Rong leaned against his chest, nuzzling his cheek. "Tell me, so I can change."
Pei Wenxuan still didn’t speak, so Li Rong teased him again. "Say it. If you don’t speak, are you still angry with me?"
"I forgot."
Pei Wenxuan’s voice was hoarse. Li Rong looked up and saw his ears flushed bright red.
At that moment, she was certain—Pei Wenxuan had truly forgotten.
Forgetting why he was angry over something like this was, for Pei Wenxuan, somewhat embarrassing.
Too lacking in backbone.
As the two playfully made their way back to the Princess’s Manor, Su Ronghua was still kneeling on the ground, listening to Li Ming’s interrogation.
"If it was you, why didn’t you say so earlier?"
"This humble official is guilty."
"Now you come forward," Li Ming pointed at him. "Was it you or Su Rongqing?"
"It was this humble official," Su Ronghua replied decisively. "I initially dared not admit it, but I couldn’t bear to see my younger brother wrongfully accused, so I had no choice but to come forward and confess. I beg Your Majesty for forgiveness."
"If it was you, why did Hongde confess it was your brother?"
"When I went to see Hongde, I did not show my face," Su Ronghua explained, lowering his head. "Hongde might have guessed I was from the Su Clan based on something. In Huajing, my younger brother is more well-known than I am, so Hongde might have mistaken me for him."
"Mistaken identity." Li Ming nodded, clearly unconvinced. "If it was a case of mistaken identity, why did you set fire to the Memorial Hall and kill him? What was your motive?"
"I am unaware of the fire at the Memorial Hall. As for Hongde, it was truly a misunderstanding. I did tell Hongde that if anything happened, he should protect me, but I don’t understand why he committed suicide on the way."This statement was half-truth and half-lie. Li Ming quietly assessed the veracity of his words, staring intently at Su Ronghua, who continued to plead remorsefully: "Your Majesty, this humble official was momentarily confused. As the Crown Prince of Prince Su, my loyalty naturally lies with Prince Su and Consort Rou. Princess Pingle holds the position of Director of the Supervisory Department—a position of great power and authority. She and the Crown Prince are siblings; how could they possibly be separated? Consort Rou was concerned about this, so this humble official devised such a method..."
"You fool!" Li Ming couldn't contain his anger upon hearing this. Even knowing Su Ronghua had acted for Consort Rou and Prince Su, he couldn't help but berate him. "You and Consort Rou are both utter fools! Why do you think I appointed Pingle? Without Pingle, would your Su family be willing to confront a behemoth like the Shangguan family? The Shangguan family can mobilize their entire clan's strength for the Crown Prince—can you do the same?"
"Now, Pingle, driven by ambition and incited by Pei Wenxuan, is embroiled in internal strife among the noble families. Whether their conflict is genuine or feigned, the result is that the Shangguan family has vacated positions in the court, and nobles have stepped aside, allowing my people to rise. What is she so anxious about? Even if she is anxious, why must you follow suit? Is this how you help her?!"
"This humble official acknowledges his error. My vision was shortsighted, and I failed to grasp Your Majesty's profound intentions. I beg Your Majesty for forgiveness."
Su Ronghua kowtowed frantically, appearing extremely panicked.
Li Ming looked at Su Ronghua, feeling a wave of exhaustion. He remained silent for a long while before finally waving his hand. "Forget it. Leave. You are no longer fit to remain in the court. Go."
"This humble official thanks Your Majesty for your boundless grace."
Having received Li Ming's dismissal, Su Ronghua stood up and turned to leave.
Once outside, he saw Su Rongqing waiting outside the Imperial Study. The guards stationed there kept their distance from him. Su Rongqing stood quietly, gazing at the curtain of rain as if waiting for him.
Su Ronghua walked over to Su Rongqing's side. The two brothers stood shoulder to shoulder, watching the rain. After a long silence, Su Rongqing said calmly, "You shouldn't have come today."
"If I hadn't come," Su Ronghua replied with a bitter laugh, "what would have become of you?"
"Rongqing," Su Ronghua raised his eyes to the sky, "though I don't know what you're doing, don't forget—I am your brother. You are not walking this path alone."
"But some paths," Su Rongqing said with a serene expression, "are destined to be walked alone. If I reach the end and die there, brother, if you are willing, you can come collect my body."
"Rongqing!" Su Ronghua's voice hardened, his brow furrowing. "What nonsense are you saying?!"
"From now on, don't interfere with my affairs."
Su Rongqing turned his head, his gaze cold and piercing. "What happened today must not happen again. I will walk my own path and bear my own sins. If you wish to be good to me," Su Rongqing looked at the stunned young man before him, his mind repeatedly flashing back to the image of Su Ronghua in his previous life cutting his own throat with a shard of pottery. He couldn't help but tremble, his voice shaking, "then please, just be yourself."
"Go back." Su Rongqing turned away and walked toward the Imperial Study, his voice hoarse. "Go find Shangguan Ya, share a drink with her, and when the time is right, propose."
Su Ronghua stood frozen in place, watching Su Rongqing enter the Imperial Study. His figure was swallowed by the darkness. Su Ronghua stared for a long time until someone handed him an umbrella and reminded him, snapping him out of his daze. He realized it was time to leave.
He descended the steps, walking through the rainwater as he exited the palace. When the palace gates closed behind him with a creak, he couldn't help but look back.The towering palace gate loomed like the gaping maw of a giant beast. He stood dazedly before it, momentarily lost.
He did not know where to go. He did not want to return to the Su residence, yet he had no idea where else he should be.
He had watched power corrupt the people he loved most. The entire city of Huajing seemed like a basin of warm water placed over a fire, gradually boiling people until they became unrecognizable.
Though he did not fully understand Su Rongqing's words, he vaguely sensed one thing.
His younger brother was walking a path entirely different from his own, and in this life, their roads ahead would never converge.
Su Ronghua couldn't help but lift his head, attempting to gaze at the pitch-black heavens. At that very moment, a lively female voice rang out: "Oh? Didn't get a beating?"
Hearing this, Su Ronghua slowly turned around.
He saw a woman dressed in blue, a bamboo hat on her head, unnecessarily holding a paper umbrella in her hand, with a gourd of wine hanging at her waist.
"What kind of attire is this?" Su Ronghua couldn't help but laugh. "In the middle of the night, a young lady from a respectable family like you—are you planning to wander the rivers and lakes?"
"Minister Su has guessed correctly."
Shangguan Ya looked up at him, smiling as she said, "I originally intended to spend the night in the mountains to watch the sunrise tomorrow, but when I heard that Minister Su had risked himself to save his brother and entered the palace, I came by to see. I didn't expect Minister Su to be in such high spirits, standing in the rain like this. Aren't you afraid of catching a chill?"
"Wasn't I thinking that Minister Shangguan would come to pick me up?" Su Ronghua walked up to Shangguan Ya with a smile, reaching out to take hold of the umbrella she was holding. He lowered his gaze to look at her, smiling. "Hoping Minister Shangguan would feel a bit more sympathy for me?"
"Then you've guessed wrong. I'm not one to feel sympathy for others."
"No matter," Su Ronghua tilted his head slightly. "I've done quite well in this matter."
"I've brought wine. Does Minister Su have time to wait for the sunrise together?"
Shangguan Ya patted the wine gourd at her waist. Su Ronghua laughed aloud: "Of course. How could anyone feel at ease letting Minister Shangguan go up the mountain alone without a protector?"
"Then I must thank Minister Su." Shangguan Ya turned around, swinging the jade pendant at her waist, and waved her hand as if summoning a waiter. "Let's go."
Su Ronghua smiled broadly. Holding the umbrella, he followed behind Shangguan Ya.
Suddenly, he felt as if he had found a guide. He didn't need to think about anything; he just needed to follow the young lady's footsteps, step by step forward.
Meanwhile, Su Rongqing knelt before Li Ming: "Your servant knows that Your Majesty trusts no one now. But since you do not trust, why not test it?"
Li Ming stared at Su Rongqing: "Test what?"
Su Rongqing raised his head, his eyes filled with determination: "Test everything Your Majesty doubts in your heart."
Pei Wenxuan thought he had won, but how could things be so easy?
He had crawled out of the purgatory scorched by twenty-five years of karmic flames not to let everything repeat itself.
He would drag all those who had destroyed his faith, glory, family, and hope in his previous life down to hell with him.
At this very moment, Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan also arrived at the Princess's Manor. Walking side by side as they entered, Pei Wenxuan's mood improved, and he finally remembered what had bothered him in the carriage earlier: "What were you thinking about in the carriage? I saw you lost in thought for a long time. Were you feeling sympathetic?"
"Sympathetic about what?"Li Rong smiled, and after speaking, she immediately understood Pei Wenxuan's meaning. She sighed, "What is there for me to feel sorry about? I just keep thinking, why is it that everyone who is perfectly fine now ended up becoming the way they were in our previous life?"
"Su Ronghua is now willing to put herself in danger to save Hongde's child, yet later she could poison Qin Zhenzhen for Shangguan Ya."
"Ya'er can now clearly distinguish right from wrong, yet later she also manipulated countless affairs in the palace without anyone knowing."
"Chuan'er is inherently kind and benevolent, yet in the end, for the death of Qin Zhenzhen alone, he implicated the entire Su Clan."
"And Su Rongqing... that noble young master as pure as a breeze and bright as the moon, eventually turned into a hellish demon wielding a sharp blade."
Li Rong smiled bitterly, "Tell me, who was really at fault? Was it my father?"
"Your Highness," Pei Wenxuan's voice was gentle, "To emerge unstained from the mud is the mark of a sage. But most people, like you and me, are ordinary."
"And what we are doing now is digging away the mud." As he spoke, Pei Wenxuan raised his hand and took Li Rong's hand in his. "The people of the previous life belong to the previous life. This life, in truth, has only just begun."
"What about you?"
Li Rong suddenly asked. Pei Wenxuan looked at her, "What?"
"You said that to emerge unstained from the mud is the mark of a sage. Did you ever commit evil in your previous life?"
Li Rong turned to look at him, somewhat curious. Pei Wenxuan remained silent. As the two walked along the corridor, Li Rong found it strange, "Pei Wenxuan?"
"I am also just an ordinary person."
Pei Wenxuan's voice was faint, revealing neither sorrow nor joy. "But in my previous life, whenever I thought of doing evil, I would remember you."
Li Rong was taken aback. Pei Wenxuan smiled bitterly, "I don't know why, but even when I hated you the most, I didn't want you to look down on me."
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