Сui Yulаng аrrivеd in thе evening.
Нis jоurnеу hаd been rathеr сircuitous—hе had takеn sеvеrаl dеtоurs, changеd clothes, and after соnfirming no оne wаs fоllоwing him, wаs led bу Zhао Сhоngjiu ovеr the wall of thе Рrincеss's Manor's rеar cоurtyard, еntеring Li Rоng's rооm аlmоst without a sоund.
Li Rоng had аlrеаdy сoоrdinаted with Zhaо Сhongjiu аnd knew Cui Yulang wаs coming, so shе hаdn't gоne tо bed. She had оnlу undоne hеr hаir bun аnd wаs wаiting in thе roоm with а lamр lit.
Latе into the night, fоotstерs sоunded оutsidе. Li Rоng rеclined on а small couch and lоoked up tо see Сui Yulang рush thе doоr open. Knowing it was improper to meet Li Rong privately at night, he shed his usual carefree demeanor, knelt on the floor, and respectfully bowed without raising his eyes, saying softly, "Your humble servant greets Your Highness."
"I called you here because there are some urgent matters."
Li Rong's voice was calm. Cui Yulang remained silent as she continued slowly, "The matter of handing over the Supervisory Department to Consort Rou needs to be expedited."
"Your Highness says this—has something changed?"
"Just proceed with it, preferably within three days."
Cui Yulang thought for a moment and replied softly, "Your humble servant understands."
This matter had long been prepared by Cui Yulang and Li Rong. Early the next morning, when Li Rong arrived at the Supervisory Department, she saw Shangguan Ya hurriedly approaching her at the entrance and whispering, "Today, a scholar came to the Supervisory Department, claiming his spot for the imperial examination in the capital had been swapped. I kept him here."
Li Rong nodded and walked into the Supervisory Department with Shangguan Ya. Shangguan Ya lowered her voice, "I don't know what this scholar was thinking. He didn’t kneel at the Shuntian Prefecture or the Ministry of Justice—he just knelt at the entrance of the Supervisory Department. His case won’t be easy to investigate; it might require leaving Huajing..."
"No matter."
Li Rong raised her hand, stopping Shangguan Ya’s words, and entered the room with her.
The scholar was nervously holding a cup of tea. When he saw Li Rong arrive, he quickly stood up and knelt on the floor, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness."
"Are you Sun Wen?"
Li Rong asked directly—this was the name of Cui Yulang’s friend.
The man hastily replied, "Yes, it is I, a commoner."
"Did you bring the petition?"
"It has already been written."
"Very well."
Li Rong nodded, instructing Shangguan Ya to collect his petition, and said directly, "Give him five taels of silver and have him leave Huajing first. On the moat of Huajing, there is an old man called Third Master. Board his boat and let him take you away. Midway, near Zhang County, the boat will sink. Follow Third Master and swim to the shore—someone will be there to meet you. Hide for a while and await further arrangements."
Sun Wen had already received instructions from Cui Yulang. After bowing, he was led away.
As soon as Sun Wen left, Shangguan Ya immediately leaned in, "What are you scheming?"
Li Rong carefully examined Sun Wen’s petition and replied leisurely, "You’ll soon have a new master. Prepare yourself."
Hearing this, Shangguan Ya thought for a moment and understood, "Are you stepping back from the Supervisory Department?"
"Su Rongqing recently opened an inn, housing all the candidates coming to the capital for the imperial examination there. He even specifically sought out candidates who had filed complaints. What do you think he’s after?"
Shangguan Ya furrowed her brow, unable to figure it out.
The imperial examination wasn’t a major affair—it was just a formality. Those from ordinary families who passed and entered the court were merely there to find people to assist with tasks.There were always dirty and thankless tasks in the court that no one wanted to handle, and the imperial examination system served precisely this purpose. For someone like Shangguan Ya, born into the highest echelons of nobility, it was truly difficult to grasp why Su Rongqing would go to such great lengths over this matter.
Li Rong glanced at her, knowing she did not understand.
If she had not witnessed the impact of the imperial examination system after the rise of the commoner class, nor known the storm that the so-called Dragon and Tiger List of this year would later stir in the court, she likely would not have understood either.
But she knew, and thus she understood where the key point of contention between Pei Wenxuan and Su Rongqing lay.
"The first thing Su Rongqing aims to do is win over hearts and minds."
"That does sound like something the Su Clan would do."
After all, it was the Su Clan that started the practice of distributing porridge, and other major families only followed suit once they saw the favorable reputation it brought.
"Secondly," Li Rong lowered her voice as she looked at the petition, "Su Rongqing will not let the previous matter rest."
Shangguan Ya paused in her movements and looked up at Li Rong. Li Rong said calmly, "The Emperor stripped him of his position as Minister of Justice and granted Pei Wenxuan and me a divorce, which shows he trusts no one. The Emperor will certainly take further action. Su Rongqing's goal is to undermine Chuan'er's foundation. By gathering so many scholars with grievances this time, what do you think he intends to do?"
Shangguan Ya remained silent. Li Rong smiled and gave her the answer: "He wants to bring this case to court."
"What is his purpose?" Shangguan Ya frowned. Li Rong tapped her finger on the table. "Who do you think the Emperor would want to handle this case if it comes to light?"
Shangguan Ya understood instantly. She looked up at Li Rong. "The Crown Prince?"
If Li Chuan were to handle this case, although the imperial examination case itself might not be significant, it would pit him against the interests of the noble families.
Due to Li Rong's Supervisory Department, Li Chuan already had a rift with the noble families. If he were to personally champion the cause of the commoners, his relationship with the noble families would be further strained.
The commoner class had not yet gained significant influence. If Li Chuan truly severed ties with the noble families and Li Ming did not grant him sufficient trust, his political capital would be reduced to only the Shangguan family.
However, if Li Chuan did not take on the case, or if his refusal led to an unjust trial, his reputation as a wise and just Crown Prince would suffer greatly among the people.
"Now there are only two options left."
Shangguan Ya spoke quickly. "Either prevent this case from being brought to court at all."
"Or," Li Rong continued, "ensure the case falls into someone else's hands."
The government offices currently capable of handling this case are the Censorate, the Ministry of Justice, the Dali Temple, and the Supervisory Department.
The head of the Censorate is Shangguan Minzhi. If the Censorate takes the case, it would be seen by the noble families as Li Chuan taking it.
The Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple are under the control of the noble families, and they would not willingly take on such a hot potato.
The only remaining option is her Supervisory Department.
Shangguan Ya understood Li Rong's meaning. After hesitating for a moment, she said slowly, "But isn't the cost too high to hand over the Supervisory Department for the sake of an imperial examination case?"Li Rong did not speak. She somewhat wanted to tell Shangguan Ya, but refrained from saying too much. After a moment of thought, she only said, "Being in this position is already somewhat dangerous. My father hopes for a fight to the death between me and the noble families, but I cannot go that far. Although I am temporarily stepping away, our people are still here. Everyone knows what should and should not be done."
Shangguan Ya acknowledged with a sound. Seeing her worried expression, Li Rong smiled and patted her shoulder, saying, "Hurry up and finish your work, so you can go drink and gamble."
Hearing this, Shangguan Ya laughed and replied, "Alright."
After saying that, Shangguan Ya leaned closer and whispered, "How have you been feeling since your recent divorce?"
Li Rong raised an eyebrow. Shangguan Ya glanced around and leaned in further. "Have you had any secret rendezvous with a lover? Something exciting?"
Li Rong smiled, picked up a folded document from beside her, and lightly slapped it against Shangguan Ya, saying only, "Get lost."
Shangguan Ya stood up with a grin, waved her hand, and said, "I'm off."
With that, she returned to her own room. After Shangguan Ya left, Li Rong picked up a teacup and took a sip.
In truth, Shangguan Ya's concerns were not unfounded. Handing over the Supervisory Department over a civil service examination case was indeed somewhat risky.
Initially, handing over the Supervisory Department was Pei Wenxuan's suggestion.
And now, deciding to hand it over...
Li Rong gazed at the tea leaves floating in the cup, her eyes turning cold.
—It was because Pei Wenxuan's people were mixed among those petitioning scholars.
What Su Rongqing wanted was to pull the firewood from under Li Chuan's cauldron, but what Pei Wenxuan likely intended was to dismantle the stove itself.
If Pei Wenxuan's intentions lay there, then no matter what, she could not allow herself to be dragged into this vortex.
Li Rong stayed at the Supervisory Department for the day. When evening came, she finally got up to return to the Princess's Manor. As she stepped out the door, she saw Shangguan Ya changed into men's clothing, swinging a money pouch, happily about to head out. Her steps were extremely light, almost as if she were about to skip. Li Rong waited for her at the inner courtyard gate, watching her hum a tune as she approached, and called out, "Where are you planning to go, looking so happy?"
Only when Li Rong spoke did Shangguan Ya realize she was there, startling her. She quickly said, "Your Highness, you haven't left yet?"
"Aren't you still here too?"
The two walked out of the courtyard together. Shangguan Ya cleared her throat lightly. "I'm leaving now, aren't I? It would be too obvious during the day."
"How late do you plan to stay out? If it's too late, your father will likely scold you."
"My father knows my temperament," Shangguan Ya said with confidence. "He's already said so."
Li Rong smiled without replying. Walking alongside Shangguan Ya, she sometimes felt as if she were in her teens again, and at other times keenly aware of the difference between them, feeling as though she were looking at a child.
"Su Ronghua is waiting for you, isn't he?"
Li Rong spoke directly. Shangguan Ya's face stiffened slightly. Li Rong lowered her head with a light laugh. "When you usually go out just to drink and have fun, you're not this happy."
"It's not that I..."
"When did you two become so close?"Li Rong knew she was embarrassed and didn’t give her a chance to explain, instead caring for her like an elder. Shangguan Ya didn’t hide it either, saying directly, "Back in the Supervisory Department, after finishing work, we’d often meet up at the gambling house. On the night you and Su Rongqing caused trouble in the palace, I heard he was heading there and knew something was wrong. I went to the palace gate to meet him, took him hiking, and comforted him. After that, we got along well. Now he has nothing to do, just idling around, so he comes looking for me every day."
"Play is play," Li Rong reminded, "but don’t neglect your duties."
"Don’t worry, I know my limits."
As Shangguan Ya spoke, the two of them stepped out of the Supervisory Department’s main gate. Just outside, they saw Su Ronghua sitting by the entrance, twirling a fan in his hand. Hearing the sound behind him, Su Ronghua turned around and instantly broke into a smile. "Oh, you’re out?"
With that, Su Ronghua stood up and bowed to Li Rong.
Li Rong raised her hand to stop him. "No need for formalities. Here to pick up Aya?"
"Yes," Su Ronghua admitted openly. Shangguan Ya felt the conversation was a bit awkward and turned to wave at Li Rong, saying straightforwardly, "Your Highness, I’m off."
With that, Shangguan Ya walked forward, grabbed Su Ronghua’s sleeve, and pulled him toward the street.
The two chatted and laughed as they walked away. Li Rong stood at the gate, watching them disappear into the distance. Seeing the bustling crowd on the street, she felt an inexplicable emptiness in her heart.
It was like the last few years of her old age in her previous life, when she would often stare blankly at the noise and commotion.
Lost in thought, she saw a young beggar run up to her. Holding a chipped bowl, he said in a tender voice, "Madam, could you spare a copper coin?"
Li Rong lowered her gaze and saw a note inside the beggar’s bowl. Somehow, she felt as if she knew who had sent it.
She took two copper coins from her purse, placed them in the bowl, and quietly grasped the note in her hand.
The young beggar ran off. Li Rong unfolded the note discreetly in the shadows and saw Pei Wenxuan’s handwriting.
"I’m here."
Li Rong instinctively looked up. After scanning her surroundings, she spotted a young man with two patches of fake beard standing not far away.
He smiled as he met her gaze. Li Rong couldn’t help but press her lips together. She hid the note in her palm, placed her hands behind her back, and descended the steps, saying only, "Let’s walk back."
The coachman and attendants were surprised but said nothing, watching as Li Rong strode forward and merged into the crowd.
A young man in blue followed her into the crowd after she turned.
They never spoke, walking one in front of the other, each on one side of the road, like two people who had nothing to do with each other.
Yet, every stall Li Rong passed, the young man would also pass by, buying whatever she had looked at.
Li Rong noticed Pei Wenxuan’s actions and walked over to a lantern stall with riddles. She reached out and touched the most beautiful lantern there—one depicting Chang’e flying to the moon.
She stood in front of the lantern stall for a while, and the young man stopped behind her, casually examining combs at the opposite stall.
After Li Rong left, the young man followed again.
Li Rong walked out of the busiest long street and felt tired. She summoned her carriage and yawned as she prepared to board. Before stepping onto the carriage, she saw the young man standing not far away, smiling at her. Li Rong smiled faintly, suddenly feeling playful, and tossed the handkerchief from her sleeve.The wind carried a silk handkerchief fluttering down the street. Lantern light filtered through the soft gauze as a young master hurried forward, the delicate fabric brushing past his face, leaving behind a lingering fragrance.
The young master raised his hand and caught the handkerchief drifting toward him.
By the time he turned around, the carriage had already vanished like a dream, clip-clopping away into the distance.
Pei Wenxuan stared blankly at the departing carriage. After a long while, he lowered his head with a soft chuckle, carefully folded the handkerchief, placed it over his heart, and returned to the lantern riddle stall.
When Li Rong returned to the Princess's Manor, she had just settled down, soaking her feet while reading a book, when Jing Lan announced, "Your Highness, Lord Zhao requests an audience."
Li Rong glanced up. "Let him in."
Zhao Chongjiu entered upon receiving permission.
As soon as he stepped inside, Li Rong noticed he was carrying over a dozen lanterns.
Seeing the lanterns, Li Rong nearly burst out laughing. Zhao Chongjiu, his face dark with displeasure, placed the lanterns on the ground, then picked up the one depicting Chang'e flying to the moon and handed it to Li Rong. "Just now, Lord Pei urgently sought me out and gave me all these lanterns. He specifically instructed me to personally deliver this one to Your Highness."
"He said he won every lantern at that stall."
Hearing this, Li Rong finally couldn't hold back her laughter.
She took the lantern Pei Wenxuan had won, gazing at the image of Chang'e on it, and laughed for a long time.
Suddenly, she felt that some things, even if they caused discord between two people, were not unforgivable.
In life, all one truly seeks is to live well. With this lantern here, even if there were some rough patches, she still wanted to continue forward.
She vaguely realized that the greatest difference between her now and her younger self might be this:
In her youth, whenever she encountered something unpleasant, her first thought was to discard it.
Now, when she faced something unpleasant, she thought of mending it.
She didn't know whether this was a compromise, a step backward, or a sign of maturity and fulfillment. It simply felt like an inevitable path in life.
If she had thought of discarding things at the first sign of trouble, she and Pei Wenxuan would have ended long ago.
She was not flawless, and Pei Wenxuan was not without blemish.
Yet Pei Wenxuan had never thought of giving up, and in her own forced persistence through twists and turns, she had finally come to realize:
This affection was ultimately worth it.
Meanwhile, after delivering the lanterns, Pei Wenxuan walked with his hands clasped behind his back along the long street, imagining Li Rong's expression upon receiving the lantern, and couldn't help but smile.
Tong Ye yawned behind him, muttering, "Young Master, you have too much free time. Is the Ministry of Personnel's workload too light, or is your energy too abundant? You disguised yourself and waited for so long, finally escorted Her Highness back, and then went to guess lantern riddles. A top scholar like you winning lanterns by guessing riddles—isn't that just bullying others? If word gets out, people will laugh at you."
Pei Wenxuan knew Tong Ye dared to be so bold only because he sensed his good mood.
He didn't respond to Tong Ye, merely looked up at the bright moon in the sky with a smile.
Thinking that Li Rong was under the same moonlight as he was, his gaze softened imperceptibly.
"Let them laugh," Pei Wenxuan said, his voice brimming with amusement. "As long as my wife is happy. What use is all this talent if I can't even please my wife?"
After all, he had already witnessed the view from the highest peaks. What he cherished most now was this ordinary, earthly life.
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