The Princess Royal

"Yоur Нighnеss, sрeaking sо bluntlу tаkеs аll the fun out of it."

Неaring Li Rong's wоrds, Cui Yulang didn't fееl еmbаrrаssеd at all. Нe leisurely stepреd baсk, sat dоwn оn а nеarbу bеnсh, lеаned аgainst the railing, аnd оpеned and clоsed the fаn in his hand. With a smiling ехрrеssiоn, hе sаid, "But Your Нighnеss is right. I do wish tо аttаch mуself tо уou, so this саse is mу gift to Your Highnеss."

"A gift to me?" Li Rоng сhuсkled lightlу. "How so?"

"I knоw Yоur Нighness hаs Соnsоrt Rоu in mind," Сui Yulang соverеd half his fаce with his fаn, lowеring his vоiсe. "Тhis Хiао Pingzhang, who stоle the scholar's sрot, is a relаtive of Сonsоrt Rоu."

It’s not unusuаl for one or two relatives to commit misdeeds. Consort Rou rose from a palace maid to power, so it’s no surprise that her relatives might act tyrannically in the countryside.

But to uproot a tree, one must first loosen the soil. If Consort Rou had no foundation, this one incident would be enough to bring her down. However, if Consort Rou is currently favored by the emperor, bringing this matter to light would not only come to nothing, but the investigator would also face secret punishment from Li Ming.

Li Rong believed Cui Yulang knew this. She sat down beside him, separated by a pillar of the long pavilion, and said leisurely, "Minister Cui, you jest. What does Consort Rou’s affair have to do with me?"

Cui Yulang turned back with a half-smile, giving Li Rong a once-over.

Pei Wenxuan watched from afar and couldn’t help but snap another branch off the tree.

They were sitting so close, and Cui Yulang’s gaze was already improper. Why did these two have to exchange flirtatious glances even when discussing serious matters?

Seeing Cui Yulang’s expression, Li Rong knew he understood her thoughts. She glanced at the sky, aware they didn’t have much time for veiled words, so she cut to the chase: "Why do you want to help me?"

"That, Your Highness, need not concern yourself."

Cui Yulang lowered his head, fiddling with the folding fan in his hand. "Your Highness only needs to know that I am sincere in my desire to pledge allegiance to you, even if it means making some sacrifices."

"If you don’t explain clearly, how can I dare accept your goodwill?"

"Then I’ll say it’s because Your Highness is more beautiful," Cui Yulang looked up at Li Rong, fanning himself. "Is that reason enough?"

"What do you mean by that?"

Li Rong was somewhat puzzled. Cui Yulang sighed and said, "Your Highness, think about it. My father was merely a teacher. I managed to become the top scholar only because when I came to Huajing, my poetry stood out and caught the attention of a noble. I have neither wealth nor extraordinary talent. My only asset is this face, isn’t it?"

As he spoke, Cui Yulang smiled with considerable confidence. "To be frank with Your Highness, shortly after I became the top scholar, Princess Deyang already extended an olive branch to me. But I, Cui, am not blessed enough to accept such great affection, so I declined. After that, I was assigned to the Ministry of Rites, where I’ve been handling trivial matters ever since."

Li Rong nodded. Princess Deyang was her aunt, now nearly fifty years old. Cui Yulang’s age was almost that of her grandchildren’s generation, so it was normal for him to refuse.

"I’ve long heard that Your Highness appreciates handsome talents, but I never dared confirm it. Some time ago, during the Imperial Son-in-Law’s scholarly gathering, Your Highness was pushed out of the crowd. Later, Your Highness secretly visited a pleasure boat. So, I thought I’d give it a try."

"What a pity." Li Rong watched him caress the golden fan in his hand, knowing he wasn’t telling the truth, and said nonchalantly, "I have no interest in this matter."

"That is indeed a pity." Cui Yulang sighed. "Your Highness invited me here, so I thought you had agreed."Li Rong waved her hand and stood up. "Since you won't speak the truth, forget it."

With that, she prepared to walk out. Hearing her words, Cui Yulang paused. As Li Rong was about to step out of the pavilion, he suddenly said, "Your Highness, this humble official is not as incompetent as you imagine. Will Your Highness not reconsider?"

"I don’t doubt your ability." Li Rong’s expression remained calm. In her previous life, although Cui Yulang had resigned and left early, he had gone through several struggles and emerged almost unscathed, a testament to his intelligence. After returning, he lived quite comfortably. Though he achieved little in his official career, he did meet a peaceful end in that life.

"I just can’t think of a reason for your loyalty. I don’t believe the reason you gave. If it were true, someone like you—I wouldn’t dare to use, nor would I need to."

After saying this, Li Rong prepared to leave. Cui Yulang finally called out to stop her. "I can tell you, but I fear you won’t believe me even if I do."

"Three counts," Li Rong didn’t want to waste words with him. "Three, two..."

"Because Your Highness handled Qin Shi’s case." Cui Yulang finally spoke. Li Rong turned back in confusion and saw Cui Yulang looking away, gazing at the nearby stream as he said slowly, "I think Your Highness is a good person."

Li Rong said nothing. Cui Yulang smiled mockingly. "See, I told you. Your Highness wouldn’t believe me."

"I believe you."

Li Rong spoke calmly. Cui Yulang looked up in surprise. Li Rong continued evenly, "I understand your meaning, so I’ll be direct. I don’t want to take you under my wing directly."

Cui Yulang remained silent, waiting for her. Li Rong stepped forward and said softly, "But I can arrange for you to go to Consort Rou."

Cui Yulang looked at Li Rong in surprise. After a moment, he understood. "Your Highness wants me to be your informant?"

"Just answer whether you agree or not."

"Since Your Highness has asked, of course I can."

"To put me at ease, you must take this." Li Rong took out a prepared medicine bottle, half-knelt, and handed it to Cui Yulang. "On this day each month from now on, come to me, and I’ll give you a temporary antidote. Once I’ve dealt with Consort Rou, I’ll give you the complete antidote. Of course, I’ll also offer you corresponding benefits. If you have the ability, regardless of your background, you can aspire to the position of Tongpingzhangshi."

Listening to Li Rong’s words, Cui Yulang thought for a moment, then chuckled softly. He took the bottle, poured the pill directly into his mouth, and tossed the bottle into the lake, sighing with emotion. "Women, always so suspicious."

Li Rong smiled and straightened up. "If there’s an urgent matter in the future, you can come directly to my residence to contact me. For now, go back first."

"What about Your Highness’s guards?" Cui Yulang unexpectedly asked this. Li Rong paused, only then remembering she had come alone. After a moment’s thought, she speculated, "The carriage couldn’t come in here. They should be nearby on the main road."

"It’s not proper for Your Highness to stay alone," Cui Yulang shook his head. "Allow me to escort you back."

Li Rong didn’t refuse either. She nodded and turned, saying, "Let’s go."

Upon hearing this, Cui Yulang stepped forward, broke off a branch from the side, and walked ahead, clearing the way for Li Rong.

He used the branch to press down the thorns protruding from the sides, making it easier for Li Rong to walk.As they walked, he chatted with Li Rong, his words witty and filled with praise. Steering clear of serious matters, he had Li Rong laughing within just a few sentences.

The two walked away, chatting and laughing. Only then did Pei Wenxuan finally straighten up from the haystack. He patted his numb legs and tossed away the last piece of twig in his hand. After a while, Tong Ye finally found him. Seeing Pei Wenxuan standing at the entrance of the long pavilion, Tong Ye hurried over and cautiously asked, "Young Master, what are you looking at here?"

Pei Wenxuan didn’t answer. Only after the last bit of numbness faded from his legs did he turn around and say calmly, "Where is Her Highness?"

"Her Highness and Cui Yulang just walked past. They should be almost at their carriage by now," Tong Ye replied carefully. He knew his master’s temperament all too well—outwardly calm, but only Pei Wenxuan himself knew what was truly going on inside.

"How did Cui Yulang get here?"

After hearing Tong Ye’s reply, Pei Wenxuan turned and followed him toward the main road. Tong Ye quickly added, "He rented a carriage and parked it by the roadside. I even overheard the coachman saying that Cui Yulang looked respectable enough but haggled over the price for nearly half an hour. Honestly, this Lord Cui is truly down-to-earth."

"That’s because he’s poor."

Pei Wenxuan understood this all too well. After a moment’s thought, he instructed, "Go over later and leave two taels of silver in the carriage. Then find a way to distract the coachman and steal a wheel."

"Steal… steal a wheel?"

Tong Ye was shocked. Pei Wenxuan frowned. "Do you have any objections?"

"N-no, none at all," Tong Ye stammered. How could he dare object? He was just stunned.

To avoid bearing the brunt of Pei Wenxuan’s anger, he quickly added, "This servant will go take care of it right away."

With that, Tong Ye hurried back and relayed Pei Wenxuan’s orders to the guards. After a brief discussion, while Cui Yulang was still seeing Li Rong off, Tong Ye ran to the roadside, tossed some copper coins, and began shouting, "Silver coins? Who dropped these silver coins?"

His shouts drew the attention of the coachman resting in a nearby teahouse, who hurried over to see what was happening. Meanwhile, the guards quietly slipped over to the carriage, pulled it away, and disappeared into the distance.

They dragged the carriage into the woods, where one guard held the horse while two others dismantled a wheel. In no time, they removed the wheel, carried it away, and quickly left the scene.

By then, Cui Yulang had already escorted Li Rong to her carriage. The two had enjoyed a pleasant conversation along the way. Once she was inside the carriage, Cui Yulang joked, "Your Highness, are you really not considering me? You’ve already divorced the Imperial Son-in-Law, and I’m not worse than him, am I?"

Li Rong knew he was joking. She chuckled softly and said, "You’d better not say such things in front of others in the future, or someone might hold a grudge against you."

"To vie for the favor of a beauty like the Princess, Yulang thinks it’s worth it."

"Enough," Li Rong said, signaling for the carriage curtain to be lowered. "Let’s go back."

Cui Yulang stepped back with a smile, watching as Li Rong’s carriage drove away.

Meanwhile, Pei Wenxuan stood in the reed field not far away, staring at Cui Yulang as he bid farewell to Li Rong.

The guard who had carried the wheel back stood behind him. Tong Ye whispered, "Young Master, what should we do with this wheel?"

"The coachman will stay here overnight," Pei Wenxuan said calmly. "Leave someone behind. Have the wheel reattached to the carriage tomorrow."

"Huh?"Tong Ye was a bit bewildered, then heard Pei Wenxuan say, "Leave another tael of silver for the coachman, to cover their lodging and compensation."

He only wanted to punish that scoundrel Cui Yulang, not to harm innocent bystanders.

At this hour, if they had to walk back, it would take until evening. The coachman would certainly have to stay here overnight, but Cui Yulang still had to attend court tomorrow, so he had no choice but to walk back.

After some unsuccessful haggling with the coachman in an attempt to get more travel expenses back, Cui Yulang had no other option and could only decide to walk back himself.

It wasn't impossible to call for another carriage, but at this point, going back halfway and trying to hail a carriage wouldn't be worth it for him.

Once it was confirmed that Cui Yulang was going to walk back, Pei Wenxuan finally felt somewhat relieved. He led the others back to the carriage, and after boarding, happily drove past Cui Yulang.

As the carriage approached Cui Yulang, Pei Wenxuan specifically instructed, "Go faster."

The coachman didn't understand the reason, but still followed the order and sped up a bit. As they passed Cui Yulang, dust billowed up from the road, covering Cui Yulang's face in a layer of grime.

Cui Yulang stopped in his tracks amidst the dust, holding his breath. When the dust settled, he looked at the carriage speeding away into the distance and first told himself, "Heaven is about to place a great responsibility on this person..."

But halfway through reciting this, he couldn't hold back anymore. Seeing that there was no one around, he forgot all about decorum and couldn't help but curse out loud, "Running so fast, are you rushing to be reborn? Is having money so great?!"

Pei Wenxuan heard Cui Yulang cursing behind them and finally felt a weight lift from his chest. He took a cup of tea from beside him, took a sip, and felt quite pleased.

Tong Ye observed Pei Wenxuan's expression and couldn't help but ask, "What is the young master so happy about?"

Pei Wenxuan held his teacup, tilted his head slightly, and praised, "Good tea."

After Li Rong finished speaking with Cui Yulang, she returned to the Princess's Manor. She sat alone in her room for a while, thinking about the current situation.

Now, there were less than two years left before Li Ming's illness and death.

In her previous life, Li Ming had deposed Li Chuan in three steps.

The first step was to dismantle the Yang family, sending Xiao Su to the northwest, where he became the Prince of Zhenbei, gaining military power in the northwest.

The second step was to have Consort Rou establish the Supervisory Department. Using the department's capabilities, Consort Rou gained political capital, secured the support of the commoner class, and established her own supporters in the court.

The third step was for the Supervisory Department to begin strictly investigating those around Li Chuan, uncovering various cases involving the Shangguan family. Meanwhile, the power struggles within Li Chuan's harem continued. Originally intended to use marriage to connect with influential families, it ultimately turned into a struggle among the families behind several consorts within the Eastern Palace. When all the dirty laundry was aired, it finally gave Li Ming a reason to depose the crown prince.

But now, the situation was vastly different.

Although the military power in the northwest was nominally held by Xiao Su, she had secretly arranged for Qin Lin to join the ranks early on. She also had Li Chuan personally go to the battlefield, leading the most difficult part of the campaign. Even though the Qin Shi case had prematurely revealed her connection to the Qin family, because Xiao Su had relied on Qin Lin in the early stages of the war, and later, as compensation after the Qin Shi case was overturned, the Qin family had managed to secure a stable position in the northwest.Although Xiao Su controlled the vast majority of the military forces in the northwest, these troops had come from the era of the Yang family, each belonging to their own clans. They held no loyalty whatsoever to a low-born general like Xiao Su, who had parachuted in midway through the war to seize credit. As long as she severed Consort Rou and Li Ming's support in the court, cutting off funds and supplies to Xiao Su, those troops would instantly lose their value.

Thus, the move involving military power had already been half-neutralized by her through Qin Lin.

Next was the move involving the Supervisory Department, which she had also seized in advance.

Li Ming had intended for her to first establish the Supervisory Department and then, when the time was ripe, transfer it to Consort Rou. However, only what one fights for oneself truly belongs to oneself. Back then, the Supervisory Department became Consort Rou's political capital because everyone within it was from humble backgrounds, personally led and promoted by her, so they trusted her. Now, the Supervisory Department was built by Li Rong herself, with personnel she selected and a reputation she earned through decisive actions. Even if Consort Rou were directly appointed as the head of the Supervisory Department, Li Rong could quickly strip her of real power.

Thus, the move involving the Supervisory Department was also nullified.

Finally, there was the plan to undermine Li Chuan's popular support and exploit the noble families in the rear palace who backed him. Now, Li Chuan was not marrying so many women, and the Shangguan family, after Shangguan Ya's self-investigation, was clean and free of any wrongdoing. Moreover, Li Chuan personally went to the north to oversee the military and fought the most difficult battle. After this, it was nearly impossible to damage Li Chuan's reputation.

As things stood, as long as they proceeded steadily, Li Chuan's position as Crown Prince would be difficult to shake.

The problem, however, was that Su Rongqing had also returned.

Li Rong was uncertain about the exact timing of Su Rongqing's return, but at the very least, he should have been back by the time she got married.

Since he had returned, it was unlikely he would stand idly by and watch her make moves without taking any action himself.

If nothing else, at least he had blocked Pei Wenxuan from becoming the Chief Examiner for the imperial examinations.

If he hadn't been stirring trouble behind the scenes, why would Wang Houwen, a perfectly capable Minister, suddenly take the initiative to oversee the imperial examinations?

As Li Rong pondered these miscellaneous matters, she began to feel a headache coming on. She suddenly wished Pei Wenxuan were there so they could discuss things together and perhaps come up with more ideas.

She watched the flickering candle flame in silence. Jing Mei brought in a basin of water for washing her feet and, glancing at Li Rong, smiled knowingly. "Your Highness, are you thinking of the Imperial Son-in-Law?"

Hearing this, Li Rong snapped back to reality. She chuckled softly, feeling an inexplicable sense of embarrassment, and replied, "What is there to think about? I'll see him tomorrow, won't I?"

Jing Mei giggled without saying a word. Li Rong instinctively felt she was being teased and couldn't help asking, "What are you laughing at?"

Jing Mei lowered her head to wash Li Rong's feet and softly reminded her, "The Imperial Son-in-Law asked to meet you today, but you couldn't go. I thought you might be thinking about it."

If Jing Mei hadn't mentioned it, Li Rong might not have dwelled on it, but now that she did, Li Rong missed Pei Wenxuan even more.

She kept her expression neutral and said, "You worry more about this than I do."

Jing Mei continued giggling without a word. Li Rong tried hard to focus on more serious matters to avoid thinking about Pei Wenxuan and losing control of her urge to see him.

But having just divorced, it would be inappropriate to risk meeting him now.

They had been married for so many years—where did all this sentimentality come from?

After washing her feet, Li Rong lay down on the bed. She tossed and turned, thinking left and right, and finally made up her mind.

She had to see Pei Wenxuan.Of course, it wasn't to see him, Li Rong comforted herself. She wasn't that irrational; she just needed to discuss Cui Yulang's matter with Pei Wenxuan.

Cui Yulang was to be utilized, and placing him by Consort Rou's side would require some effort. As for the information Cui Yulang brought, while it wouldn't be enough to bring down Consort Rou, it could certainly be used to trouble Wang Houwen.

Whether it was arranging Cui Yulang or scheming against Wang Houwen, letters were unreliable. She had to meet Pei Wenxuan in person, even if it meant taking some risks.

The thought of having to see Pei Wenxuan suddenly lifted Li Rong's spirits. She turned over, hugged the blanket, closed her eyes, and happily drifted off to sleep.

The next day, during the Morning Court Assembly, Li Rong arrived at the palace at her usual time. As soon as she stepped out of the carriage, she saw Pei Wenxuan, who had just arrived.

Taking advantage of the sparse crowd and the dim, pre-dawn light, she blinked at Pei Wenxuan. Seeing her "meaningful glance," Pei Wenxuan pretended not to notice and turned to walk inside.

Li Rong was taken aback. She glanced around, confirming no one was nearby, and couldn't help but feel surprised. Was Pei Wenxuan taking this act a bit too far?

Meanwhile, Pei Wenxuan walked forward, gripping his court tablet, feeling somewhat stifled.

She had postponed meeting him over such a trivial matter as Cui Yulang, and now she was acting as if nothing had happened. She probably felt no burden at all.

Li Rong was truly heartless to the core.

The two of them went through the entire Morning Court Assembly without exchanging a single glance. Upon returning to the Princess's Manor, Li Rong immediately sent Zhao Chongjiu to deliver a message to Pei Wenxuan, requesting a meeting.

Upon receiving Li Rong's message, Pei Wenxuan knew exactly what she wanted to discuss. He had overheard her conversation with Cui Yulang—though intermittently, he had grasped most of it. It was undoubtedly about recruiting Cui Yulang and dealing with Wang Houwen.

He already had arrangements for these matters; they weren't particularly urgent. So, he decisively sent back a reply: "Tell Her Highness to reflect on what she has done recently. Once she figures it out, we can meet."

Zhao Chongjiu nodded and turned to leave, giving Pei Wenxuan no time to reconsider.

After speaking, Pei Wenxuan stood in the courtyard for a moment. Soon, he couldn't resist and turned to Tong Ye, saying, "Go back and find Zhao Chongjiu. Tell him to disregard what I just said. Instead, inform him to have Her Highness leave a way open in the manor tonight. I'll go to her."

Tong Ye nodded and hurried off to catch up with Zhao Chongjiu.

Pei Wenxuan stood alone in the courtyard, thinking that since Li Rong couldn't figure this out on her own, he would have to discuss it with her in person.

But before he could relay this thought, Tong Ye returned after a short while, anxiously reporting, "Young Master, Lord Zhao left too quickly. I couldn't catch up."

Pei Wenxuan: "..."

For some reason, he began to feel a little uneasy.

He couldn't help but think that his earlier words might have been a bit too harsh.

Tong Ye glanced at Pei Wenxuan and couldn't resist saying, "Um, Young Master, if you're worried, why not send someone else to deliver another message?"

Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan shot Tong Ye a cold glare. "What do I have to worry about? If the message wasn't delivered, so be it. Let's see what she thinks."

Pei Wenxuan turned away and asked, "Is Lord He hosting a banquet tonight?"

"Yes."

"Prepare then. I'll attend the banquet tonight."

"Young Master," Tong Ye said cautiously, "are you really going?""Why can't I go?" Pei Wenxuan glanced over lightly. Tong Ye stammered, "Lord He... has set the location at the Spring Breeze Pavilion."

Pei Wenxuan: "..."

While Pei Wenxuan was still struggling over whether to attend the evening banquet, Zhao Chongjiu returned to the Princess's Manor.

He reported Pei Wenxuan's words to Li Rong exactly as they were, without omitting a single word.

Li Rong took a sip of tea and asked, "Those were his exact words?"

"Yes," Zhao Chongjiu replied calmly. "Exactly."

Li Rong said nothing. She placed the teacup on the table and said to Jing Mei, "Change this to chrysanthemum tea."

Jing Mei hurried to replace the tea. Li Rong looked up at Zhao Chongjiu and asked, "Do you know where he's going tonight?"

"I asked earlier," Zhao Chongjiu replied. Having received Li Rong's instructions to keep a constant watch on Pei Wenxuan, he was well aware of Pei Wenxuan's dinner engagements each night. He answered directly, "He's attending a banquet hosted by He Yan."

"Alright," Li Rong nodded. "I'll go wait for him."

As she spoke, Li Rong stood up. "Where is the banquet being held?"

"Chunfeng Tower."

Zhao Chongjiu replied calmly, but Li Rong's eyes widened abruptly. "Say that again?"

This time, Zhao Chongjiu spoke slowly, as if afraid Li Rong might not hear clearly, enunciating each word deliberately: "The—largest—pleasure—house—in—Hua—Jing—"

"Chun—feng—Tower."