Аftеr giving hеr instruсtiоns, Li Rong glanсеd intо thе distаnce. Su Rongqing sееmed to hаve finished his invеntоrу аnd instruсtiоns, greeting Su Rоnghua who had come frоm аnothеr pоrridgе stаtiоn. Su Ronghuа lеft first. Li Rоng lооked аt the sky; it was still еаrly, аnd there werе still a few hоurs beforе thе Мооn Теmple wоuld bеcоmе livеly in thе evеning.
Sо she simplу mоved thе carriagе forward a fеw stерs, chаnged into plаin сlоthes insidе, аnd stерреd down.
Su Rоngqing hаd alrеadу disapрeаrеd—рerhарs hе hаd finished his tasks and gоne home. She wandеred around thе porridgе statiоn, оbserving.
Тhe Su Clan’s porridge stall appeared quite shabby compared to their family’s wealth. Other noble families used fine, plump rice for disaster relief porridge, earning widespread praise. But the Su Clan’s porridge was made from the lowest quality coarse rice, with some sand mixed in, making it utterly unappetizing.
She remembered it wasn’t like this in her previous life. Back then, the Su Clan’s rice had been of good quality, but because of that, many people who weren’t even disaster victims had come to take advantage and get free meals.
This change made her sigh with emotion. Although she was already fairly certain about Su Rongqing’s origins, every time she truly realized it, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of melancholy.
Why come back?
Li Rong smiled bitterly. She and Pei Wenxuan had returned to rekindle their past relationship. But why had he come back?
What was he hoping for?
While Li Rong was observing the porridge stall, Cui Yulang, following Consort Rou’s request, went to the palace to tutor Prince Su.
Led by a palace attendant, he arrived at the place where Prince Su studied. As soon as he entered, he saw Prince Su Li Cheng sitting properly at the front. Behind him was a screen, and through it, the faint outline of a woman could be seen. Cui Yulang immediately understood—this was Consort Rou.
Pretending not to know anything, he respectfully knelt and said, “Your humble servant greets Your Highness.”
“Rise,” Li Cheng said, sitting cross-legged with his hands on his knees, looking quite imposing.
Cui Yulang stood up, and a maid quickly brought a cushion for him to kneel on opposite Li Cheng. The maid then withdrew, leaving only him and Li Cheng in the room.
“My mother said she wants to see you,” Li Cheng stated directly, then pushed himself up from the floor and moved to the side. Consort Rou emerged gracefully from behind the screen and took Li Cheng’s original seat.
“Greetings, Consort Rou.”
Cui Yulang hurriedly bowed to Consort Rou, who smiled and said, “There’s no need for such formality, Lord Cui.”
With that, Consort Rou gave Li Cheng a meaningful look. Li Cheng pouted, reluctantly stood up, and poured tea for Cui Yulang and Consort Rou.
Cui Yulang noticed Li Cheng’s expression and knew he wasn’t doing this willingly. He quickly said, “There’s no need for Your Highness to serve me. This humble servant can pour it myself.”
“Cheng’er,” Consort Rou glared at him just as Li Cheng was about to happily let go. Li Cheng’s face fell again, and he said, “Lord Cui, there’s no need to be reserved. This prince will pour tea for you.”
Cui Yulang forced a smile and could only nod in thanks.
After Li Cheng finished pouring tea for Cui Yulang, Consort Rou looked him up and down and said, “I heard that today, Lord Cui submitted a memorial impeaching the Crown Prince and was even penalized with a deduction of your monthly salary.”Upon hearing these words, Cui Yulang’s face immediately showed anger and annoyance. Consort Rou observed him and slowly said, “Lord Cui has done nothing wrong. The Crown Prince made an error in last year’s sacrificial rites. Even if it was an unintentional mistake, it was still the cause of this year’s calamities. His Majesty punishing you was truly a helpless decision.”
“Your Highness sees things clearly,” Cui Yulang sighed. “Nowadays, the court is rife with collusion among noble families. A humble official like myself can’t say anything without being criticized.”
“Then, my lord, have you ever considered,” Consort Rou hinted, “finding an ally to seek a way out for those of humble origins?”
Cui Yulang did not reply. He slowly raised his head and looked at Consort Rou, who met his gaze with a smile. After a long while, Cui Yulang said slowly, “The path Your Highness intends to take is far too perilous. If Your Highness wishes to use me, I have one condition.”
“Oh?” Consort Rou picked up her teacup and said leisurely, “What condition does Lord Cui have?”
“I require Your Highness to place absolute trust in me.”
Hearing this, Consort Rou’s hand paused. She lifted her head and stared at Cui Yulang. After a moment, she chuckled softly. “Lord Cui, we are not yet familiar with each other. Absolute trust requires time. However, I can assure you,” Consort Rou raised her hand and placed it over her heart, “since I have chosen to use Lord Cui, I will not harbor undue suspicion. As long as Lord Cui does not betray my expectations, I will also place absolute trust in you.”
“But,” Consort Rou tilted her head slightly, “how does Lord Cui plan to earn my trust?”
Cui Yulang straightened his posture, a hint of confidence appearing on his face.
“May I ask Consort Rou,” Cui Yulang lowered his voice, “do you desire the Supervisory Department?”
Consort Rou’s eyes instantly turned cold. Cui Yulang fanned himself with a fan, smiling as he watched her. “Consort Rou has countless strategists under her command. I naturally know that earning Your Highness’s trust is extremely difficult. That is why I have not come empty-handed this time.”
“Impeaching the Crown Prince was my stepping stone.”
Consort Rou looked up, her eyes now serious.
If impeaching the Crown Prince was merely to attract her recruitment, then this person’s intellect was indeed not just that of a humble official worth recruiting, but a talent she must recruit.
“And the Supervisory Department,” Cui Yulang leaned forward slightly, “is my gift to Your Highness.”
“I wonder if Your Highness wants this grand gift or not?”
When Cui Yulang left the palace, Li Rong had already observed several porridge kitchens and finally encountered another scholar.
The scholar seemed to have traveled a long way, looking weary and dusty. He carried a letter and found a servant of the Su family. After some conversation, the servant led the scholar away.
Li Rong hurriedly followed. As the servant and the scholar entered a narrow alley, they soon arrived at a residence. Li Rong hid around the corner, listening as the servant knocked on the gate. When the gate opened, the guiding servant said, “This gentleman has also come to Huajing to take the imperial examination. Please take him in and look after him.”
“Please come in, sir.”
Someone inside led the scholar in. After a while, a voice from within said, “Are all the visitors today here for the examination?”
“Yes,” the guiding person replied, sounding somewhat troubled.
“What a pity,” the person inside sighed. “Not a single one has come to lodge a complaint today…”
“Your Highness.”Li Rong was just about to listen more closely when a steady voice sounded from behind her. She was so startled that she nearly jumped, but she instinctively restrained all bodily reactions. After freezing for a moment, she regained her composure and turned around with a smile, only to see Su Rongqing standing not far behind her.
His hands were tucked into his sleeves, his expression devoid of joy or sorrow, as calm as an emotionless deity.
"Minister Su," Li Rong pretended as if nothing had happened, smiling as she spoke, "what are you doing here?"
"This is a property under the Su Clan's name, used to accommodate scholars who recently lacked the funds to stay at inns," Su Rongqing replied without asking why Li Rong was there, only saying, "Has Your Highness lost your way? Do you need this humble official to guide you?"
"Indeed," Li Rong naturally took the opportunity he offered, replying, "Then I'll trouble Minister Su."
Su Rongqing nodded and stepped aside, gesturing for Li Rong to go first.
Li Rong walked ahead in the direction he indicated, while Su Rongqing followed behind.
Half a step behind, neither too close nor too far—just as he had been her servant in her previous life.
After walking a few steps, Li Rong began to feel uncomfortable. She paused, turned to look at Su Rongqing, and pointed ahead with her small fan, saying, "Isn't Minister Su supposed to be guiding the way? Please lead."
Upon hearing this, Su Rongqing stared fixedly at Li Rong.
His hands, hidden in his sleeves, clenched into fists, yet his expression remained composed.
Li Rong tilted her head with a light laugh and asked, "Minister Su?"
"This humble official," Su Rongqing's voice was slightly hoarse, "dares not overstep."
"Sir is merely guiding the way. How is that overstepping?" Li Rong smiled gently. "Now that you are the legitimate son of the Su Clan and the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, you are no longer a servant. There is no need to be overly reserved."
As Su Rongqing listened to Li Rong's words, his face gradually paled. Every sentence, every word she spoke seemed to scrape against his heart.
Li Rong watched the changes in his expression, waiting for him without showing any emotion. After a long while, Su Rongqing seemed to understand something. He gave a low laugh and stepped forward, saying, "Your Highness, please."
With that, Su Rongqing walked ahead, not too far in front, while Li Rong followed half a step behind, allowing him to lead the way.
She had originally intended to ask something or gather some information, but upon seeing Su Rongqing, she suddenly lost interest.
For some reason, she felt that if she asked, Su Rongqing would answer.
But if he truly answered, she wouldn't know how to handle it.
She couldn't do what Shangguan Ya did—knowing the other was attending a banquet, yet still setting a trap in return. She could win against this person with schemes and strategies, but she could not win in this way.
The two of them walked in silence for a while before Su Rongqing finally asked, "Does Your Highness not have anything to ask?"
"What is there to ask?"
Li Rong walked out of the alley with him, saying only, "If I want to know something, I will investigate it myself. What you intend to do is not difficult to guess."
"Your Highness has always been forthright."
Su Rongqing replied calmly, and Li Rong smiled. "If I were to ask you something, it would likely only be under one circumstance."
Su Rongqing glanced back at her, and Li Rong placed her hands behind her back. "Either when I am about to die, or when you are about to lose."
As they spoke, they exited the alley. Once out of the narrow lane, Li Rong waved her hand. "No need for you to accompany me further. I'll take my leave."
With that, Li Rong turned to leave, but Su Rongqing suddenly called out to her, "Your Highness."
Li Rong stopped and looked back, only to see Su Rongqing standing silently in the crowd, watching her.This place was not far from the Matchmaker Temple. As lanterns began to glow and crowds bustled, the warm light cast a gentle glow over Su Rongqing. He extended his hand and performed a bow, the same gesture he had used in his previous life when serving as her advisor, saying only, "Take care."
Li Rong watched his movement without a word. Just then, a young man shaking a rattle drum bumped into her.
Li Rong looked up and met his eyes.
The man wore a fox-faced mask and a water-blue robe with silver patterns. His visible eyes held a hint of warning, and as he brushed past her, he whispered, "Still looking."
Li Rong almost laughed aloud, but knowing Su Rongqing was still watching, she suppressed her smile. She nodded to Su Rongqing, then turned and followed Pei Wenxuan’s steps into the crowd.
Pei Wenxuan and she seemed like strangers. With one hand behind his back and the other holding a rattle drum, he walked ahead. The small beads dangling from the drum lightly tapped against its surface, producing a rhythmic da-da sound, making him appear like a thoroughly bored young nobleman.
He was quite tall, standing half a head above the crowd. Li Rong didn’t need to search deliberately—she could spot him at a glance. After following him for a while, she saw a shadow guard standing at the entrance of a tavern. Li Rong turned and entered the tavern, quickly changing her clothes and hairstyle. When she emerged, a peach blossom mask adorned her face.
On the streets near the Matchmaker Temple, many men and women wore masks. With her mask on, Li Rong didn’t stand out. She scanned the crowd and saw Pei Wenxuan haggling with a vendor at a small stall.
Li Rong walked up behind him and gave a light cough. Pei Wenxuan remained unmoved, still bargaining with the vendor. "A little less."
Li Rong didn’t look at him, walking with her hands behind her back along the street. Before long, she felt someone appear beside her.
Without turning her head, she knew who it was and suppressed a laugh. "How many coins did you save?"
"Do you care about a coin or two?" Pei Wenxuan flicked his wrist, and Li Rong heard the swish of a fan. She glanced over and noticed Pei Wenxuan had brought a fan today, putting on an air of elegance that somewhat resembled Cui Yulang.
Li Rong couldn’t help but laugh. "Did you learn from Cui Yulang?"
"For such a trivial matter, I need to learn from him? You really underestimate me."
Pei Wenxuan’s tone was dismissive. Li Rong looked him up and down and remarked, "That mask suits you well today, doesn’t it? Old and cunning."
"Your mask isn’t bad either," Pei Wenxuan said coolly. "You may not resemble a peach blossom, but you certainly attract plenty of them."
"Are you saying I’m not good-looking?"
Li Rong took the offensive. Pei Wenxuan avoided a direct confrontation and shifted the battlefield. "I’m saying you attract a lot of rotten peach blossoms."
"Then you should be happy," Li Rong teased with a smile. "You’re the best among all those rotten peach blossoms. You ought to be proud."
Pei Wenxuan scoffed but said nothing. Neither of them brought up serious matters, instead wandering aimlessly down the street like an ordinary young couple.
They walked close together, shoulder to shoulder, their robes brushing and intertwining as they moved silently forward through the crowd.
After a while, Li Rong gently reached out and, hidden beneath their sleeves where no one could see, hooked her pinky finger around Pei Wenxuan’s. Pei Wenxuan turned his head and saw Li Rong blink, her cunning eyes filled with a hint of laughter, as if certain he wouldn’t get angry.Pei Wenxuan restrained his smile, withdrew his hand, and turned his head away, snubbing her in one smooth motion. Li Rong’s expression instantly darkened. Just as she was about to scold him, she felt Pei Wenxuan take her hand again. This time, he not only held her hand but also slipped something into her palm.
The object was smooth, shaped like a crescent moon, slightly larger than a fingernail. As he pressed it into her hand, she heard him whisper softly, "For you."
His voice was very soft, as if he were somewhat embarrassed. Li Rong, for some reason, was also affected by his mood. She lowered her gaze and walked hand in hand with him along the street, murmuring quietly, "What is it?"
"A pair of crescents," Pei Wenxuan explained. "I kept one, and the other is for you."
"Bought from a street stall just now?" Li Rong laughed. Pei Wenxuan felt a momentary awkwardness, and Li Rong teased, "You got tricked again."
Pei Wenxuan: "..."
He tried to pull the crescent back, his voice slightly low. "If you don’t want it, forget it."
But before he could retrieve the crescent pendant, Li Rong clenched her hand around it, lifting it up. The red thread of the crescent pendant still dangled from her fingers. She opened her palm, letting the pendant hang in mid-air. Walking backward, she showed it to Pei Wenxuan and said with a smile, "Something that’s already in my hand, and you still want to take it back?"
As she spoke, Li Rong raised her hand and slipped the pendant around her own neck, lifting her head proudly. "No..."
Before she could finish the word "way," Pei Wenxuan stepped forward, pulled her into his arms, and wrapped his arms around her waist.
Then Li Rong heard someone hurriedly apologizing, "Sorry, sorry, I wasn’t paying attention just now."
"It’s fine."
Li Rong knew she had caused trouble by walking backward. She turned her head from Pei Wenxuan’s embrace to reassure the middle-aged man with the child. "It was my carelessness too."
The man made the child apologize to her. Seeing how adorable the child was, Li Rong gave her the rattle drum Pei Wenxuan had been playing with earlier. After the child left, Li Rong turned around and saw Pei Wenxuan standing behind her, his gaze exceptionally gentle beneath the fox mask.
Feeling somewhat embarrassed under his gaze, she couldn’t help but ask, "What are you looking at?"
"You weren’t this patient before," Pei Wenxuan said bluntly. "Just now, watching you comfort the child, I thought you looked very beautiful."
Li Rong chuckled softly but said nothing more. She understood what Pei Wenxuan meant.
In her previous life, she had been full of resentment, often impatient with children and easily irritated by matters. How could she have had such patience?
She didn’t elaborate on these changes and finally brought up the main topic. "Today, I saw Su Rongqing taking in scholars who came to Huajing to take the imperial examinations. I followed them and overheard from their servants that he’s not only looking for those taking the exams but also those who have come to file grievances."
Li Rong frowned, feeling quite uneasy. "I can’t quite figure out his intentions. If he’s only taking in scholars for the imperial exams, I could guess he’s trying to win people over. But he’s also looking for those filing grievances..."
"How is Cui Yulang doing?" Pei Wenxuan suddenly asked this question. Li Rong was taken aback, realizing he was forcefully changing the subject. She stared at him intently.
Pei Wenxuan acted as if nothing had happened and smiled. "What did you discuss with him? How did he end up impeaching the Crown Prince today?"
"If he impeaches the Crown Prince, Consort Rou will come looking for him."Li Rong followed Pei Wenxuan's lead, smiling as she continued, "I'll play along with him for a few more scenes, gain Consort Rou's trust. Since he comes from a humble background and is inherently at odds with Su Rongqing, with him around, the alliance between Consort Rou and Su Rongqing won't hold."
"Your Highness is very clever," Pei Wenxuan praised. "Without Su Rongqing, Consort Rou is nothing to fear. Once Consort Rou and Prince Su fall, Su Rongqing alone—unless he plans to rebel—stands no chance against the Crown Prince."
"That's my plan."
As they spoke, they reached the end of the stone bridge at the Matchmaker Temple. Seeing the path end, Li Rong smiled and said, "I've said what I needed to. I'll head back now."
Pei Wenxuan acknowledged her. Li Rong waved her hand. "I'm off."
With that, she stepped onto the stone bridge.
The surroundings were quiet, with the moonlight reflecting on the water beneath the bridge and the gentle sound of flowing streams. Just as Li Rong set foot on the bridge, Pei Wenxuan called out to her, "Rongrong."
Li Rong turned to look at him. Pei Wenxuan gazed at her silently for a long moment before raising his hand, pointing to himself, then drawing a circle over his chest, and finally pointing at her.
Li Rong understood—it was his way of saying "I like you" in sign language.
After a brief silence, Li Rong smiled softly. "I know."
Pei Wenxuan slowly smiled back, watching as Li Rong lightly crossed the bridge like a bird and then disappeared from his sight, running off.
As soon as Li Rong left Pei Wenxuan, a shadow guard leaped down from the nearby wall and followed behind her.
Li Rong's smile faded as she instructed, "Have people keep an eye on Pei Wenxuan and Su Rongqing separately. Report any unusual movements to me immediately."
The shadow guard acknowledged the order. Li Rong returned to the tavern, changed into her own clothes, and descended the stairs as if she had merely eaten a meal there. She boarded her carriage and headed back to the Princess's Manor. Alone in the carriage, she let out a heavy sigh after a long while.
Li Rong's people soon responded. Zhao Chongjiu delivered the news: "Lord Pei is also investigating Su Rongqing."
"What's the situation with Su Rongqing's people?"
Li Rong frowned as she opened the report brought by Zhao Chongjiu. Kneeling on the ground, Zhao Chongjiu recounted in detail, "According to my investigation, since the beginning of this year, Su Rongqing has been providing food, clothing, and shelter for scholars coming to the capital for the imperial examinations. Ordinary scholars stay in the large courtyards Your Highness has seen. But those with grievances are housed separately in another villa."
Li Rong listened quietly, her brow furrowed. "What is he gathering these people for?"
"It's unclear for now, but there's something interesting."
"Oh?"
"Lord Pei's people have infiltrated this group."
Li Rong fell silent, pondering Zhao Chongjiu's words.
Su Rongqing was gathering petitioners, yet Pei Wenxuan not only ignored it but also told her not to concern herself. He even sent people to muddy the waters.
It was likely that this gathering of people was no small matter.
Li Rong thought quietly for a while, gradually forming a plan in her mind.
Zhao Chongjiu waited for her. After a long pause, she finally understood.
"Hurry," Li Rong urged, "summon Cui Yulang back to me immediately!"
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