The Princess Royal

Upоn hеаring this, Li Rоng sаid nothing. Seeing thаt shе seemеd lost in thought, Реi Wеnхuаn сouldn't helр but ask, "Your Highness?"

Li Rong pоndеred fоr a mоmеnt bеfоre suddеnlу sауing, "Аctuаlly, you wеrе the оne who killed Нongde, right?"

Рei Wenхuаn frоzе, аbоut tо exрlаin, but Li Rong рrеssеd her fаn agаinst his shоulder.

"You dоn't nеed tо say much. I nеver reallу саred in thе first placе. Nоw thаt yоu'vе tоld mе уоur boundаriеs," Li Rong lоokеd up and smilеd, "I cаrе еven lеss. Just lеt mе knоw next time."

Рei Wenxuan stoоd stiffly in plaсe for а long whilе bеforе finally responding, "Your Highness is right."

Li Rong remained silent, quietly watching him.

She suddenly realized that when it came to emotions, both she and Pei Wenxuan seemed to have reverted to their twenty-year-old selves.

Back then, she was a young girl who knew how to act spoiled and willful.

And back then, Pei Wenxuan still carried the unease and apprehension from the accusations of his youth.

He feared not being his best self in front of her, and he dreaded her seeing the dirty, sordid side of him.

Li Rong couldn't help but laugh. She turned around, clasping her hands behind her back. "Pei Wenxuan, my eyes can accommodate both black and white."

"But if you want to fulfill my dream-like expectations," Li Rong thought for a moment, "I find that quite delightful too."

After saying this, Li Rong waved her hand. "I'm heading back."

Pei Wenxuan watched her retreating figure. The young woman walked along the corridor, her hands holding the fan behind her back. The red tassels on the fan swayed gently with her movements as she lightly skipped up the steps, three steps in two, lively and vibrant.

Li Rong rarely showed this side of herself in front of others.

She wore many faces: to Li Ming, she was the eldest daughter, willful yet clever; to others, she was the lofty and decisive Princess Pingle. It was only in front of him that she seemed like a flower blooming quietly through melted ice.

Seeing her happiness, he couldn't help but smile as well.

Only after watching Li Rong walk far away did he turn and return to his own bedroom.

The next day, upon waking, it was time in the court to formally confirm the official appointments.

Generally, officials designated during the assessment period were rarely changed, so the so-called final confirmation was merely Li Ming reviewing the list once more. If any officials needed to be replaced, they would be brought up separately.

Li Ming glanced briefly at the confirmed list before looking up at everyone. "Does anyone have any objections to this year's personnel transfer list?"

As soon as Li Ming finished asking, Su Rongqing, as if prepared, stepped forward directly.

"Minister Su?" Li Ming frowned. "What are your thoughts?"

"Your Majesty," Su Rongqing knelt down respectfully, "I am of limited talent and shallow experience. Since acting as Minister recently, I have found it increasingly difficult and feel unworthy of the position. I request that Your Majesty select another candidate for the role of Minister of Justice!"

Hearing this, Li Rong glanced at Su Rongqing.

Voluntarily giving up the position of Minister of Justice—this certainly wasn't something he would do willingly. But given the major events that had transpired, it was normal for Li Ming to seize the opportunity and force Su Rongqing to withdraw from contention for the Ministry of Justice.

But if Su Rongqing wasn't going to be the Minister of Justice, then who would?

Li Rong scanned the court briefly before hearing Li Ming say calmly, "Since Minister Su has voluntarily resigned, I will not press the matter. In that case..."Li Ming pondered for a long while before slowly speaking, "The position of Minister of Justice shall remain vacant for now. Daily affairs of the Ministry of Justice will be handled through consultation between the Left and Right Vice Ministers. If they cannot reach a decision, they shall report directly to me. What does Vice Minister Su think?"

Reporting directly to him meant Li Ming would bypass the Department of State Affairs and directly oversee the Ministry of Justice. Su Minzhi frowned and was about to speak when he heard Su Rongqing respectfully say, "Your Majesty is wise."

"Good," Li Ming nodded and continued, "Does anyone else have any opinions?"

When no one in the court spoke, Li Ming knew the matter was settled. He closed the list and said calmly, "Then it is decided. Starting today, everyone shall report to their respective reassigned posts according to this list. Each government office must prepare for their arrival. In addition, regarding the reconstruction of the Memorial Hall, the Ministry of Rites must expedite preparations. Before the Memorial Hall is rebuilt, to avoid delaying state affairs, I propose establishing a small Grand Secretariat to take on the duties previously handled by the Memorial Hall. It will review and categorize memorials for me, sharing my burdens."

As Li Ming spoke, he did not wait for others to respond and directly continued, "Imperial Censor Pei, Chancellor Su, Prime Minister Shangguan, and Marquis of Ningguo, I shall trouble the four of you to spare some time each day to help me review memorials. If any of you are too busy with other matters, please inform me in advance, and I will make alternative arrangements."

The Memorial Hall had originally been established by the noble families to restrain Li Ming. Now that it had been burned down, Li Ming was creating a new "Grand Secretariat" in its place. No matter how busy they were, no one would dare refuse.

The four named ministers stepped forward and bowed. These four individuals represented nearly all the different factions in the court, making the arrangement appear fair, so no one raised objections.

Seeing that no one spoke, Li Ming continued, "However, the ministers are usually extremely busy. Besides these four, others may be added later, but we shall discuss that another day."

Upon hearing this, Li Rong understood Li Ming's plan.

The most important members of this so-called "Grand Secretariat" were not the four ministers named now but those who would be added later. After all, these four held high positions and were extremely busy with their duties. The work of the Memorial Hall was essentially menial labor—sorting memorials by urgency and type to reduce Li Ming's burden of reviewing them.

Without the Memorial Hall, Li Ming could not manage. But now, by assigning the tedious tasks of the Memorial Hall to these high-ranking officials, could they handle it?

Although the Memorial Hall involved menial work, it controlled the first step of memorials entering the palace, making it crucial. Thus, no one was willing to relinquish this authority. In the end, the actual responsibility of reviewing memorials would inevitably fall into the hands of those "added" later.

Therefore, who would be added was of utmost importance.

As Li Rong pondered this, she turned her gaze to Su Rongqing. Reaching this point, she began to guess the ultimate purpose behind Su Rongqing setting fire to the Memorial Hall.

A Memorial Hall that could be monitored by Pei Wenxuan was not as useful as a Grand Secretariat that could pave the way for Prince Su.

Lost in thought, Li Rong listened as Li Ming and the ministers discussed the structure of this small Grand Secretariat. After the court session ended, Li Rong walked outside the palace and boarded her carriage, where she saw Pei Wenxuan waiting for her. She couldn't help but smile and ask, "We left court together. How did you get here so quickly?""Your humble servant has long legs." Pei Wenxuan poured tea for Li Rong, smiling as he said, "Since we cannot walk side by side, I thought to come in first and wait for Your Highness."

"What a smooth-talking scoundrel."

Li Rong chided him with a tone that was half-teasing, half-amused, then turned and sat down. She picked up the tea Pei Wenxuan had poured and continued, "We didn’t bring up the imperial examinations today."

"There were too many matters today," Pei Wenxuan took a sip of tea and said calmly, "Just wait, an imperial edict will be issued soon."

Li Rong considered Pei Wenxuan’s meaning and asked, "Who do you think the first edict will be for?"

"How about this," Pei Wenxuan looked up at her, "I’ll make two bets with Your Highness."

"What are we betting on?" Li Rong raised an eyebrow. Pei Wenxuan thought for a moment, "First, we bet on who the first edict will be for."

"Second, we bet on what the edict for us will say."

"Alright," Li Rong agreed decisively, "What are the stakes?"

"What does Your Highness want?"

Hearing this question, Li Rong found herself momentarily unsure what to ask for. Pei Wenxuan had always indulged her, and there seemed to be nothing she particularly needed to win through a bet.

Seeing Li Rong hesitate, Pei Wenxuan said, "Then I’ll owe Your Highness one favor. Whenever you think of what you want, you can come to me to claim it."

"Wouldn’t that put you at a disadvantage?"

"You’d have to win first."

"Fine." Li Rong nodded, "And you? What do you want?"

Pei Wenxuan cleared his throat, turned his head away, and placed his hands on his knees, seeming somewhat embarrassed. "Ahem, well..."

"Hmm?"

"It’s been many years since I’ve seen Your Highness go out for leisure."

"You want to go out with me?"

Li Rong laughed, "That’s easy enough."

"Well, I remember when we went out together years ago, Your Highness saw Persian dancers performing and became quite inspired. The weather was hot that day, and the city was bustling with merchants and travelers..."

"Get to the point." Li Rong cut him off directly. Pei Wenxuan couldn’t keep up the pretense and turned to her, saying bluntly, "I bought a set of clothes, tailored to your measurements. I know Your Highness can dance."

Li Rong: "..."

Having spoken his mind, Pei Wenxuan tucked his hands into his sleeves, his ears flushed red, yet he maintained a serious expression. "Will Your Highness take the bet?"

Li Rong didn’t reply. She studied Pei Wenxuan with interest, her gaze moving up and down as if it carried a tangible weight, probing for something.

Pei Wenxuan sat stiffly, allowing her to examine him, as calm and composed as a monk in meditation.

"Your Highness?"

Seeing Li Rong remain silent for so long, Pei Wenxuan couldn’t help but urge her. Li Rong let out a light scoff, crossed her legs, and leaned casually against the small table. Her phoenix eyes glanced sideways, as if capable of captivating, and she smiled meaningfully, "Alright."

Pei Wenxuan picked up a cup of tea from the side and calmly analyzed, "After last night’s events, His Majesty will surely deliberate carefully. From His Majesty’s perspective, one thing that can be confirmed is that the Hongde incident was indeed orchestrated by Consort Rou and the Su family in collusion. Therefore, there must be an imperial edict for Consort Rou."“There are three remaining matters that His Majesty cannot confirm: first, whether Hongde’s accusation truly points to Su Rongqing; second, who exactly set the fire in the Memorial Hall; and third, whether Your Highness has secretly colluded with the Crown Prince. Therefore, His Majesty is most likely punishing both sides equally. He has stripped Su Rongqing of his position as Minister, but we have yet to face consequences. However, those consequences will inevitably come—so there is an imperial edict, either for me or for Your Highness.”

Pei Wenxuan looked up. “I wager the edict will arrive here first.”

“Why is that?” Li Rong propped her head on her hand, watching him.

“Just a hunch. And you, Your Highness?”

“Then I’ll bet it goes to Consort Rou first.” Li Rong’s dangling foot swayed gently, occasionally peeking out from beneath her skirt. The red satin embroidered shoes adorned with white pear blossoms flickered in and out of Pei Wenxuan’s view. His gaze unconsciously drifted toward them, and Li Rong noticed, lifting her eyes. “What are you looking at?”

Caught off guard, Pei Wenxuan withdrew his gaze and chuckled softly. “Nothing.”

After returning together to the Princess’s Manor, Pei Wenxuan strode stiffly toward his own courtyard. Li Rong followed closely, as if they were quarreling, tugging at him until they entered the inner courtyard.

Once inside and certain they were surrounded only by trusted people, the two finally relaxed. Li Rong spun around and sat by a small table, while Pei Wenxuan went to change out of his official robes. When he returned, they set up a chessboard, chatting as they awaited the imperial edict.

According to their expectations, the edict would arrive sooner or later—the only question was for whom.

Before they could finish a single game, Jing Lan stepped in. She bowed respectfully and reported, “Your Highness, news has come from the palace.”

“Oh?”

“It is said that Consort Rou offended His Majesty last night and has been stripped of her position as Consort, demoted to Noble Lady Rou.”

Hearing this, Li Rong looked up with a smile and glanced at Pei Wenxuan. “It seems I’ve won.”

“There’s still another round,” Pei Wenxuan said without raising his head. “I may not lose yet.”

“But you can’t win now,” Li Rong waved Jing Lan away, and she withdrew. Li Rong lifted her eyes. “What shall we bet on next?”

“His Majesty has punished Consort Rou. What do you think he will do to us?”

Pei Wenxuan tapped the edge of the chessboard with a piece, producing crisp, clear sounds. Li Rong was drawn to the noise and couldn’t help but look toward its source.

The young man’s fingers were long and clean, with distinct knuckles and neatly trimmed nails. The way he held the chess piece between two fingers was rather elegant.

“His approach to governance emphasizes ‘balance.’ He has already stripped Su Rongqing of his ministerial position, and since he hasn’t touched your role as Vice Minister, my position in the Supervisory Department may not be secure.”

Li Rong smiled. “I suspect he intends to target the Supervisory Department.”

“It’s still too early to move against the Supervisory Department. If you leave, the aristocratic families will dismantle it. He likely won’t act.”

“Then what?”

Li Rong moved a chess piece. “What do you think he will target?”

“Last night’s palace rumors said Consort Rou was crying and making a scene in His Majesty’s chambers,” Pei Wenxuan said softly. “I suspect the trouble stems from the inner palace, so perhaps it’s you, Your Highness,” he looked up with a faint smile, “who will face a cut in allowance.”

At these words, Li Rong’s expression shifted, and she quickly replied, “I’d rather they dismantle the Supervisory Department.”Ever since embarking on major endeavors, money has been tight. If Li Ming were to cut their funds, she truly wouldn’t want to continue.

Pei Wenxuan was amused by her sudden change in expression. Suppressing a smile, he placed a piece on the board. "The outcome isn’t out yet, so don’t panic prematurely. What if he doesn’t touch your money?"

"If he doesn’t touch the money, he’ll touch the power. Neither is good. Right now, I just hope Consort Rou will clash with Su Rongqing sooner," Li Rong sighed, looking at Pei Wenxuan. "That way, your efforts won’t be in vain, and my acting wouldn’t have been for nothing either."

Pei Wenxuan smiled without responding, only reminding her, "It’s your turn to move."

The two played for a long while, and as dusk approached, someone from the palace finally arrived, announcing that Pei Wenxuan and Li Rong were to receive an imperial decree.

Exchanging a glance, Li Rong whispered, "It’s here."

With that, they rose, donned their official robes, and led everyone to the entrance to receive the decree.

Upon meeting the eunuch delivering the decree, they exchanged pleasantries before kneeling. The eunuch unrolled the imperial edict and began announcing the day’s outcome.

Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan waited anxiously to see whether Li Ming intended to take their money or their power.

Their hearts pounded as they listened, only to hear Li Ming begin by praising Pei Wenxuan profusely.

Both were taken aback and couldn’t help but glance at each other.

Then, Li Ming proceeded to praise Li Rong as well.

Their anxiety deepened, unsure of Li Ming’s intentions. Was he planning to spare neither of them?

Finally, they heard the crucial sentence: "However, despite the man’s talent and the woman’s beauty, fate has been unkind to this union. Their temperaments are incompatible, and the marriage cannot continue. Thus, we grant Pei Wenxuan’s request, allowing the two to divorce amicably..."

Divorce.

Hearing this word, Li Rong was stunned for a moment. She couldn’t help but look at Pei Wenxuan.

Divorce??

Pei Wenxuan was also bewildered, but he signaled with his eyes for Li Rong to stay calm.

They exchanged glances, hesitating for a long while before finally accepting the decree.

Returning to the room with the decree in hand, Li Rong couldn’t help but ask, "Is that it?"

Pei Wenxuan chuckled softly, understanding her meaning. Standing behind her, he said with a smile, "Yes, Your Highness. You haven’t lost your money or your power—you’ve just lost the person."

"Imperial Son-in-Law, that’s nonsense," Li Rong quickly turned around, afraid Pei Wenxuan might overthink it, and wrapped her arms around his waist. "The person is right here. As long as they don’t want to leave, no decree can make them disappear."

Pei Wenxuan smiled without a word. After a moment’s thought, Li Rong stood on her tiptoes and whispered, "Besides, doesn’t Lord Pei think meeting one’s ex-wife at night is... thrilling?"

Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan turned his gaze to her with a smile. "Whether it’s thrilling or not, this humble official cannot say. But Your Highness seems quite excited—that much, I do know."

Li Rong felt a bit embarrassed by his remark and cleared her throat lightly. "Not that excited..."

Pei Wenxuan’s smile deepened meaningfully. After a pause, he softly reminded her, "It’s fine to be happy within the manor, but outside, we still need to pretend."

"I understand," Li Rong shot him a sly glance. "I know what I’m doing."

On the very night the decree was issued, Pei Wenxuan packed his belongings and left the Princess’s Manor, as if he couldn’t bear to stay a moment longer.

Li Rong followed Pei Wenxuan out of the Princess’s Manor and stood at the entrance for a quarter of an hour.The next day, news spread throughout the court that Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan had separated, Pei Wenxuan had moved back to the Pei family, and Li Rong had chased his carriage for an entire street, weeping and begging him to return.

Most people initially found it hard to believe, but upon seeing Li R\ong’s seemingly swollen eyes the following day, many began to accept it as true.

Little did they know the immense effort Li Rong had put into making her eyes appear swollen.

Late at night, she had secretly devoured a large bowl of noodles prepared by a Sichuan chef in her room.

She ate while crying, the spiciness bringing her both physical relief and a strange sense of pleasure.

For a moment, the entire court felt a wave of sympathy for Li Rong. After court adjourned, Li Chuan could no longer hold back. He slipped away privately to the Princess’s Manor, hoping to comfort Li Rong.

At that time, Li Rong was lying on a rocking chair, rolling an egg over her eyes. Li Chuan pulled up a small stool, crouched beside her, and whispered consolingly, “Sister, don’t take it too hard. Brother Pei must have his own reasons. You can always remarry in the future.”

Li Rong ignored him and continued rolling the egg. Seeing her unwilling to speak, Li Chuan assumed she was deeply aggrieved and continued, “I know you care for him. Otherwise, with your temperament, you wouldn’t have chased his carriage for an entire street. But come to think of it, sister, your stamina is quite impressive…”

“Hold on.” Li Rong raised her hand, cutting him off. She removed the egg and looked at Li Chuan with her swollen eyes. “Who chased a carriage for an entire street?”

“You did,” Li Chuan said earnestly. “Everyone knows about it.”

Li Rong looked bewildered. Li Chuan continued comforting her, “Separation is better than both of you suffering. Don’t be too upset…”

“I’m not upset.” Li Rong frowned, slapped away Li Chuan’s hand as he tried to pat her shoulder, then turned over and closed her eyes, preparing to rest. “I’m overjoyed.”

Her money and official position hadn’t been reduced—why wouldn’t she be happy?

Meanwhile, Hua Le was vividly describing to Consort Rou the scene of Li Rong chasing the carriage in tears, delightedly saying, “You wouldn’t believe it—I didn’t at first. But later, everyone at court saw Ping Le’s eyes swollen from crying, and I finally believed it. Mother, you truly are brilliant.”

Hua Le gave a thumbs-up. “Attack the heart, not just the person. Since Pei Wenxuan proposed separation for the sake of power, given Li Rong’s temperament, she probably won’t tolerate him in her heart anymore. Li Rong alone is no match for you, Mother.”

Consort Rou listened to Hua Le’s words with a smile on her face. Though she didn’t openly agree, she didn’t deny it either.

Having been suppressed by Li Rong for so long—from losing her authority to co-manage the six palaces to being demoted to Consort Rou—she finally felt a sense of relief.

She had always known Li Rong couldn’t bear to part with Pei Wenxuan. So when Li Ming wanted to penalize Li Rong financially, she had intervened and advised him to remain cautious, fearing that Pei Wenxuan and Li Rong might still harbor ulterior motives and join forces again.

Now, seeing Li Rong cry so bitterly, she finally felt much more at ease.

Indeed, in Li Rong’s heart, men mattered more than power and wealth.

This was their greatest difference—and the very reason she would triumph.

Xiao Rou cared nothing for men.

She had the heart to be ruthless.