Li Rоng's wоrds lеft Реi Wenxuаn mоmеntаrilу stunned. Gazing at thе уoung man knеeling befоrе hеr, shе sроke softlу, "Rise. If we are to be rulеr аnd subjeсt, yоu mау knеel tо mе. Вut if уоu regаrd me as yоur wifе, therе is no need fоr this. I know yоu wish to avоid соnfliсt with mе, but I dо nоt require suсh fоrbeаrаnсe frоm yоu."
"I аm not a nаivе girl in my tеens," Li Rong said, рouring herself а сuр of tеa. "I will not chаngе mу mind simplу bесаusе уou knееl befоre mе. It only mаkes mе fееl as thоugh уоu аre pressuring mе."
Hearing this, Pei Wеnxuan felt sоmewhat аt a lоss. Аfter а long hesitation, Li Rong looked up at him and asked, "What is it? Do you need me to help you up?"
At her words, Pei Wenxuan finally stood. Li Rong patted the space beside her and said gently, "Sit."
Pei Wenxuan complied, taking a seat next to Li Rong. She reclined in her rocking chair, swaying slowly back and forth. "You think I would not agree to what you intend to do. Do you know where my disagreement lies?"
"This time, His Majesty's ultimate intention lies in the quota."
"Quota?"
Li Rong looked up. Pei Wenxuan did not hide the truth from her, explaining honestly, "Starting this year, the number of candidates recommended by noble families must be fixed. Alternatively, scholars who rise through the imperial examination system must all be assigned to a designated place, where they will undergo at least a year of training before being distributed to various ministries by the Ministry of Personnel."
The greatest issue with the imperial examination system now is that without Li Ming's close oversight, officials from humble backgrounds cannot attain positions of real power.
In Great Xia, those of humble origins encompass two types: low-ranking noble families like the Pei and Qin clans, and ordinary families not even listed in the Clan Genealogy.
In Great Xia, so-called noble clans are defined by whether they are recorded in the "Clan Genealogy."
The Clan Genealogy is revised every few centuries, documenting the most esteemed noble families across the land. It further categorizes these families into first, second, and third ranks. Marriages occur within the same rank, and crossing ranks is considered a great honor.
All families take pride in marrying into first-rank noble houses. The children of first-rank families would rather remain unmarried for life than marry into lower-ranking nobility.
This centuries-old practice of intermarriage among the populace has established the absolute authority of noble families in the court. In the past, the Li clan, to balance the original aristocracy, married into the Shangguan Clan of Fanyang in Youzhou, bringing this prominent local surname—then at the bottom of the eight great surnames—into Huajing as a means to counterbalance the southern noble families.
But after three generations, the Shangguan Clan entrenched itself in the court, intertwining with other noble families and countering imperial authority. Li Ming then realized the drawbacks of using one noble family to balance another. Drawing from the experiences of previous dynasties, he reinstated the imperial examination system, hoping to balance the court by selecting talent regardless of family background.
Li Ming forcibly implemented the imperial examinations, but noble families had their own methods. Even if ordinary scholars from humble backgrounds could pass the exams, the placement of hundreds of successful candidates each year was entirely managed by the Ministry of Personnel, who assigned them to arduous, exhausting positions with no prospects.
Participating in the exams was difficult, passing them was difficult, securing an official post after passing was difficult, and gaining promotion after assignment was difficult.
If Pei Wenxuan had not relied on Pei Lizhi back then, how could he have become the top scholar?
If Cui Yulang had not gained the favor of a noble through his poetry back then, his examination papers might never have reached Li Ming's hands.
This year, the imperial examinations were entrusted to Pei Wenxuan, and the palace examination was to be made a regular practice—all to address the difficulty of the examination process.Restricting the number of recommendations from noble families or uniformly assigning the first-year placements for imperial examination graduates were measures aimed at addressing the difficulty of securing official positions.
Listening to Pei Wenxuan's words, Li Rong thought for a moment and understood where these graduates would go after their exams: "So, for their first year, these imperial examination graduates are to be assigned to the Grand Secretariat, aren't they?"
After the Memorial Hall was burned down, Li Ming immediately established a temporary replacement called the Grand Secretariat.
At the time, they had only thought that Li Ming wanted memorials to reach him without being controlled by the noble families. But now, with Li Ming making this demand, Li Rong realized: "Has Father been planning this all along?"
"Your Highness, before His Majesty tasked you with establishing the Supervisory Department, he had prepared its land, troops, and funds for years. If you hadn’t built it, he would have eventually had Consort Rou do it. You gave him the opportunity to establish the Supervisory Department. Given His Majesty’s temperament, his current push for reform is not a sudden whim."
"The fire at the Memorial Hall was his opportunity to establish the Grand Secretariat. And the establishment of the Grand Secretariat was paving the way for today’s imperial examination reform."
Li Rong listened silently.
She suddenly realized that she didn’t truly understand Li Ming, just as she hadn’t understood Li Chuan back then.
In the royal family, everyone wears a mask. Neither Li Ming nor Li Chuan had ever truly understood her either.
"You think I won’t agree to the reform."
After a moment of thought, Li Rong spoke slowly. Pei Wenxuan did not respond. Li Rong smiled faintly: "Indeed, I don’t agree."
"But this matter will proceed regardless of Your Highness’s will. If not this time, then the next." Pei Wenxuan looked up at her. "This is the emperor’s will. Even if His Majesty were to die today, any ruler with even a hint of ambition would pick up where he left off."
Just like Li Chuan in their previous life.
When he ascended Li Ming’s throne and looked down upon this realm, he would realize he was merely the next Li Ming.
Li Rong sat in silence, feeling as though she were riding a carriage hurtling forward uncontrollably. She couldn’t stop it, only watch as it plunged over a cliff, crashing and bleeding.
Pei Wenxuan watched Li Rong lost in thought, feeling a pang of sorrow.
In their previous life, he would have already argued with her by now.
He resented her stubbornness, her prejudice against commoners. Most hateful of all was that he loved her, yet the person he loved looked down on him deep down.
But now he didn’t want to argue. They had come too far to let such matters drive them apart again.
After a brief silence, he explained with difficulty: "Rongrong, I know you believe the imperial examination system can’t truly select talented individuals. But consider this: in our previous life, many of the people around me were from humble backgrounds, and they served well, didn’t they? Noble families indeed have their integrity, and the education they receive cannot be matched by merely reading a few books. That’s why the recommendation system still exists."
"Lineage is important, but... we are all human." Pei Wenxuan forced a smile. "Look at me. I come from a humble background, and I’ve turned out... fairly well, haven’t I?"
Listening to Pei Wenxuan’s words, Li Rong slowly turned to face him.
Her eyes were bright, moonlight reflecting in her amber irises like a gently flowing stream.
Leaning slightly, she rose slowly and pressed her lips to his.Pei Wenxuan was taken aback for a moment, then heard Li Rong softly comfort him: "Don't be sad."
A brief, fleeting kiss seemed intended solely as consolation. She withdrew and leaned back on the recliner, speaking gently: "Wenxuan, I don't place such importance on these matters. If I truly did, I wouldn't have liked you back then."
Pei Wenxuan watched as Li Rong lay flat on the rocking chair, which swayed back and forth rhythmically. She gazed at the scattered moonlight in the void and said slowly: "Everyone tells me how important bloodline and family name are, but for some reason, when I first saw you back then, I didn't think about whether you were from a humble background or an aristocratic family. I just thought, this person is truly beautiful."
"Your Highness..." Pei Wenxuan's voice was hoarse, momentarily at a loss for words.
"I used to argue with you all the time. You always thought I cared about social status and was prejudiced, but in truth, the one who truly cares about status is you."
"I disagreed with your reforms back then because I felt the imperial examination system was too rigid. And as you saw, even in our previous life, more aristocratic children passed the exams. But as I grew older, my perspective gradually changed. Aristocratic families appear more outstanding because they have access to more resources, not because anyone is inherently better or worse. That's why I fully supported you when you promoted schools across the regions later on. The reason I disagree with your reforms now is because they're too rushed."
"Wenxuan," Li Rong looked up, "His Majesty doesn't have many years left, but you are still young. If Consort Rou hadn't come today, what would you have done?"
Pei Wenxuan was momentarily speechless. Li Rong answered firmly: "You were planning to take on the case yourself, weren't you?"
"You divorced me, so if anything happens, it won't involve me. So you prepared two plans: if Consort Rou took the case, that would be best. If she didn't, you would take it yourself. His Majesty would fully support you then. If it succeeds, everyone is happy. But what if it fails?"
"Do you not know how difficult it was for you and Chuan'er to implement reforms in our previous life? Why do you think I was unwilling for you to challenge the aristocratic families? Because after every major change comes turmoil. For us, the turmoil is a matter of life and death as players in the game. Have you ever considered what that turmoil means for the common people?"
"During the years Chuan'er implemented reforms, uprisings broke out everywhere. Battles were fought repeatedly in the court. It took us over twenty years to recover and rebuild. But during that turmoil, how did the common people live? Don't you understand?"
"Your Highness, it won't be like that now," Pei Wenxuan frowned. "The Crown Prince was too hasty back then, which is why I'm handling things slowly and steadily today."
"What if you push the aristocratic families too far and they rebel?"
Li Rong stared at Pei Wenxuan. After a long silence, he slowly said: "Your Highness, in this world, no change comes without a price. But if we don't change, will the lives of the common people truly be better?"
"If they rebel, the people will suffer. But if military provisions in the north are insufficient, don't the northern people and the soldiers who died in battle suffer? If there's never enough money for disaster relief and river repairs in the south year after year, don't the victims suffer? The common people at the bottom are born as slaves or commoners—unable to engage in commerce, unable to become officials, only able to farm generation after generation, enslaved by aristocratic families. Don't they suffer?"
"You and your father are truly alike," Li Rong laughed mockingly. "What a pity your father passed away early. Otherwise, seeing you now, he would have been immensely gratified."Pei Wenxuan was speechless. She faintly sensed a glimmer of moisture in his gaze, but it quickly dissipated.
The two stared at each other in silence. Li Rong looked at the man before her, her heart trembling slightly. "I don’t want to be your mother."
"Your Highness will never be my mother."
Pei Wenxuan smiled. "Regardless of success or failure, this matter paves the way for the Crown Prince. Both His Majesty and the noble families will be weakened. With Qin Lin’s military power in hand, when the Crown Prince ascends the throne, Your Highness—"
Before he could finish, Li Rong slapped him across the face.
The sound of the slap echoed in the room. Li Rong stared at him. "Who are you to me?"
"My strategist or my death warrior?"
Pei Wenxuan’s face was turned aside by her slap. He dared not look at her and remained motionless.
"Is your life so worthless? If you care so little for your life, why did you marry me?"
"Rongrong," Pei Wenxuan said hoarsely, "nothing will happen."
"Whether something happens or not, did you ever think to ask me before taking such a risk?" Li Rong looked at him, rising to her feet. She gazed down at the young man before her. "In your heart, do you think I don’t care about your life, or do you believe your life and death have nothing to do with me?"
Pei Wenxuan remained silent. Li Rong’s tone softened. "Have you ever heard a story?"
Pei Wenxuan stirred, looking up at her. Li Rong smiled. "In the eastern part of the city, there was a couple who grew up together, deeply in love. They endured countless hardships and life-and-death trials before finally being together. But later, the husband developed a fondness for cockfighting. He secretly used most of the family’s savings to buy a fighting rooster. Guess what happened?"
Pei Wenxuan said nothing. He understood the metaphor in Li Rong’s words and dared not answer. Li Rong chuckled softly. "The woman divorced her husband."
A couple who had loved each other for over a decade, who had not been separated by life and death, ultimately parted ways over a fighting rooster.
What truly erodes affection is never the great storms and waves, but the countless small moments that accumulate into a river in life.
"Pei Wenxuan," Li Rong looked at him, "your life is not yours alone. You are my husband, the future father of my children. Even if it’s for my sake, you should have discussed it with me. If you can’t do that..."
Li Rong couldn’t finish her sentence. Pei Wenxuan looked at her. Though he was the one looking up at her, in that moment, he felt as though she had lowered her head.
He had never imagined this person would lower her head for him. Even now, her words were carefully restrained, not meant to hurt him as they once had.
He suddenly noticed her change, her growth. They had once known each other’s vulnerabilities and mercilessly exploited them, but now she had learned to restrain herself, not even uttering the word "separate."
Pei Wenxuan stood up and pulled her into his arms.
Li Rong wanted to resist, but as his warmth enveloped her, she felt her eyes grow moist. She tried hard not to cry over such a matter, gritting her teeth as he held her close.
"It’s my fault," Pei Wenxuan murmured softly. "From now on, I won’t act on my own. I’ll discuss everything with you, and we’ll decide together."
Li Rong remained silent. Pei Wenxuan leaned down and kissed her forehead, his voice gentle. "I never imagined my princess could be so good. I was narrow-minded. Please forgive me, Your Highness."
"Smooth talker."
Li Rong muttered the words under her breath.Pei Wenxuan smiled, gently straightening her clothes as he spoke softly, "Your Highness, shall I escort you back?"
Li Rong was taken aback. She looked up at him, thinking that given Pei Wenxuan's temperament, he would have insisted she stay the night. She had already prepared her refusal, but instead, Pei Wenxuan offered to see her home.
Before Li Rong could fully process this, she watched as Pei Wenxuan fetched an outer robe from nearby, draping it gently over her shoulders. After adjusting her attire, he picked up a lantern, took her hand, and pushed the door open as if nothing had happened. He asked softly, "Where did Your Highness come from tonight?"
"Next door to you," Li Rong whispered as he led her out. "I bought it."
Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan couldn't help but smile, though he held back his laughter to avoid upsetting her, letting the amusement linger only on his face.
It was nearly April, and the night breeze still carried a chill. Wrapped in Pei Wenxuan's robe, she walked alongside him down the corridor. He shielded her from the wind and illuminated the path with the lantern. The mansion was not yet fully renovated, and many areas remained unlit. Worried that Pei Wenxuan might not know the way, Li Rong said, "There's a ladder in the backyard. I climbed over from there."
"Your Highness has gone to great trouble."
Pei Wenxuan felt as though his heart had been immersed in the most comforting warm water, and his entire demeanor softened as a result.
Walking side by side, Pei Wenxuan seemed to be protecting a child. After a long silence, Li Rong spoke slowly, "Aren't you going to ask me to stay?"
"I would like to," Pei Wenxuan chuckled, "but tonight I made a mistake. If I asked you to stay, I fear Your Highness might think I'm trying to cover up what happened. Matters of intimacy should be elegant and not mixed with such affairs."
Hearing this, Li Rong turned to look at him. His white robe outlined his tall figure in the night, exuding the refined and graceful aura of a gentleman, like a pine or bamboo.
For a moment, Li Rong was captivated. Pei Wenxuan's appearance, no matter how many years passed, never seemed to lose its charm.
Unaware of her distraction, Pei Wenxuan continued, "From now on, I will inform Your Highness of everything in advance and discuss matters with you. If you are willing, you can also share your plans with me. You are right—we are husband and wife now, different from our past lives. We should discuss everything together. I am not just your ally; I am your husband, the father of your children."
As he spoke, Pei Wenxuan turned to meet Li Rong's gaze and smiled. "I haven't fully learned how to do this yet, so I hope Your Highness will guide me."
Seeing his smile and hearing him speak of his role, Li Rong felt her face grow warm for some reason. She turned away and murmured a soft acknowledgment to hide her embarrassment.
Noticing her slight shyness, Pei Wenxuan found it endearing, though he didn't understand why. He tactfully averted his eyes, smiling as he looked ahead.
When they reached the backyard, he saw a ladder leaning against the wall. Pei Wenxuan walked over with Li Rong, set down the lantern, steadied the ladder, and helped her climb up.
After ascending two steps, Li Rong turned back. Now slightly taller than Pei Wenxuan, she called out, "Pei Wenxuan."
Pei Wenxuan looked up at her, puzzled, and softly responded, "Hmm?"It was at that moment that Li Rong suddenly leaned down and kissed him. Before Pei Wenxuan could react, she deftly climbed up and waved, saying, "I'm off."
Pei Wenxuan looked up at the girl disappearing over the wall and couldn't help but raise his hand to touch his lips.
After a moment, he slowly smiled.
He couldn't wait any longer.
He should start planning early to marry this person and bring her home.
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