Li Rоng hаd аn idеа in mind. She turned tо lооk аt Нua Le, crоssing hеr arms as shе leanеd аgаinst а рillаr, her tonе quite provocativе: "Whаt do уou think уоu аrе in my mаnоr, dаring tо tеll me nоt to leavе?"
"Li Rоng!" Huа Le shouted with sоme authоrity. "You аrе сurrеntlу undеr invеstigation. Yоu knоw pеrfесtly wеll whethеr Сhen Hоzhаo wаs killed by yоu!"
"What do I know?" Li Rоng sсоffed. "With уour track rесоrd of hаving оthеrs сорy Вuddhist sсripturеs for уou sincе childhооd, if it wеren't fоr Соnsоrt Rou managing thе Supervisory Deрartment, what dо you think уou соuld aсcomplish? Don't think that just because you brought people from the Supervisory Department, you and I are on the same level. The gap between you and me isn't just about background," she said, tapping her own head, "but also about brains."
"Go home quickly, wash up, and sleep. Don't embarrass yourself here. But I do sympathize with you," Li Rong said as she walked up to Hua Le, a smile on her face. She lowered her voice, speaking softly so only the two of them could hear: "A concubine-born child can only amount to this."
The word "concubine" struck Hua Le like a sharp blow, as if it were a nightmare she could never escape. Almost unconsciously, she raised her hand and slapped Li Rong!
Li Rong let out a startled cry, hastily dodging the slap. She stumbled backward and fell straight to the ground. Chaos erupted around them as Jing Lan rushed to help Li Rong, exclaiming anxiously, "Your Highness, are you all right, Your Highness!"
Hua Le stood frozen in place, watching as everyone rushed to help Li Rong, who lay on the ground as if she had fainted on the spot. Jing Lan called for assistance, frantically urging others to lift Li Rong up. Hua Le stared at the unconscious Li Rong on the ground, her hands trembling slightly. Fear surged within her, but at the same time, an indescribable, hidden sense of pleasure welled up.
In that moment, she suddenly understood why her mother always spoke of climbing higher.
Only by climbing higher and attaining supreme power could she trample underfoot those who dared to call her a concubine-born child.
She looked down at Li Rong, watching as the crowd hurriedly carried her inside. Hua Le shouted, "Stop! Princess Pingle is a wanted criminal of the Supervisory Department. Arrest her immediately!"
"You..."
Just as Jing Lan was about to speak, Li Rong, who was pretending to be unconscious, grabbed her wrist under her sleeve, and Jing Lan immediately halted her words.
With Jing Lan's pause, the surroundings descended into chaos. The Supervisory Department's personnel dared not step forward, but Hua Le had also brought her own people this time. Once her people moved, the Supervisory Department could not openly defy Hua Le's orders and could only follow suit.
Li Rong's Manor Guards refused to back down, and the two sides clashed, pushing and shoving against each other.
Having received Li Rong's silent instruction, Jing Lan understood her intentions. She raised her voice and declared, "Everyone, stop! These are officials. What are you doing? Are you rebelling?"
As the steward of the Princess's Manor, her words carried weight, and the Manor Guards ceased their resistance. Jing Lan looked up at Hua Le, her voice cold: "Your Highness Hua Le, are you determined to take the Princess away today?"
"Yes."
Hua Le sneered, "What? Does a mere steward dare to stop me?"
"This servant would not dare."
Jing Lan bowed and said, "But this servant must confirm: my Princess is only involved in the investigation. Your Highness Hua Le is merely taking her for questioning and will not subject her to torture, correct?"Hua Le hesitated for a moment. She dared not publicly declare that she intended to subject Li Rong to torture, even though she desired it desperately. Clearing her throat, she responded, "Of course not."
Upon hearing this, Jing Lan respectfully said, "Then this servant will first have someone confirm my princess's safety. Once all is well, we will escort her into the Supervisory Department. Does Your Highness Hua Le agree?"
Li Rong was still unconscious. Having secured Jing Lan's promise to send Li Rong away, Hua Le did not press further, only saying, "Then summon a physician first. Once it's confirmed she is unharmed, do not delay any longer!"
Jing Lan bowed and had someone assist Li Rong inside, then called the physician in to examine her.
The physician, seeing Li Rong's condition, understood there was some hidden scheme at play but remained silent, going through the motions of a diagnosis while Jing Lan stayed by her side.
Hua Le sat nearby, sipping tea as she watched the physician examine Li Rong. Jing Lan feigned concern, holding Li Rong's hand, while Li Rong, hidden beneath her sleeve, wrote one word at a time for Jing Lan.
"Zhao Chongjiu, Pei Wenxuan, Conscription Order, enter the palace."
Jing Lan memorized these words. Though she did not understand their meaning, she knew she had to find Pei Wenxuan.
After the physician finished the examination, Li Rong continued to feign unconsciousness. Seeing that Li Rong showed no signs of waking, Hua Le ordered a stretcher brought in and had Li Rong carried directly to the Supervisory Department.
As soon as Li Rong was taken away, Jing Lan changed her clothes and slipped out through the back door to find Pei Wenxuan.
Pei Wenxuan had just returned from his official duties and entered his residence when Tong Ye informed him that Jing Lan had come. Frowning, he personally went to the main gate and asked directly, "Has something happened to Her Highness?"
"Today, Her Highness Hua Le brought people from the Supervisory Department to the Princess's Manor and took Her Highness away."
Jing Lan was concise. Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan actually felt somewhat relieved.
How could Li Rong allow herself to be taken away so easily by Hua Le? This must be part of Li Rong's scheme.
But considering the temperaments of Consort Rou and Hua Le, he still worried about Li Rong's situation. However, not yet understanding Li Rong's intentions, he could not make a decision and could only ask for clarification first: "Did Her Highness leave any message?"
"Her Highness left four words: Zhao Chongjiu, Pei Wenxuan, Conscription Order, enter the palace. This servant does not understand their meaning, but knew I should come to find the Imperial Son-in-Law, so I hurried here."
Upon hearing the term "Imperial Son-in-Law," Pei Wenxuan's eyes unconsciously flickered with a hint of amusement. His expression unchanged, he nodded and instructed Tong Ye to summon Zhao Chongjiu.
Zhao Chongjiu arrived quickly. Pei Wenxuan looked up at him and asked, "Her Highness mentioned the Conscription Order. What is the situation?"
Zhao Chongjiu was momentarily stunned before realizing what was meant. He promptly explained the entire matter of Xun Chuan's letter from beginning to end.
As Zhao Chongjiu spoke, Pei Wenxuan gently rubbed the surface of the teacup in his hand. After Zhao Chongjiu finished, Pei Wenxuan seemed lost in thought. Everyone waited in silence for a moment before he looked up at Tong Ye beside him and instructed, "Go to the Censorate immediately and find one of our people. I will write a memorial shortly. Have him copy it verbatim and submit it. Then ensure the Grand Secretariat is properly managed to guarantee the memorial reaches His Majesty's hands tonight."
At this time, the Grand Secretariat was newly established and filled with many appointees.
Li Ming had created the Grand Secretariat to cultivate Prince Su's influence and prevent himself from being cut off from information. In selecting personnel, he deliberately avoided scions of prominent families as much as possible.By not selecting scions of noble families, it became convenient for Pei Wenxuan to insert his own people. Nowadays, each family has its own channels within the Grand Secretariat, and the new Grand Secretariat is not too different from the old Memorial Hall. However, since all those selected were newcomers, it was still much better than the days when the transmission of memorials was entirely controlled by the noble families.
After giving his instructions, Pei Wenxuan set down his teacup and finally spoke: "Once the memorials are delivered, immediately inform the Empress and have her go to receive the person. For now, first notify Shangguan Ya and have her protect Her Highness to ensure nothing goes wrong."
After saying this, he still felt uneasy and stood up: "Jing Lan, you go and muster the Princess's Manor's personnel, wait outside the Supervisory Department, and be ready at any moment. I will go there now."
While Pei Wenxuan was arranging everything, Li Rong, wearing iron chains, was lying in a carriage pretending to be unconscious.
Hua Le sat in another carriage, leading her toward the Supervisory Department.
She could not be taken away by Hua Le while awake—if she were taken away while conscious, where would her dignity be? It had to be that Hua Le seized her while she was unconscious for everything to make sense. After all, she had been accustomed to acting arrogantly in Huajing; being broken into her manor, beaten, and taken away by Hua Le would be nothing short of a joke.
Hua Le did not want to share a carriage with her, leaving her alone inside. Li Rong found this rather comfortable, so she reclined in the carriage, holding the iron chains, leisurely pondering the next steps.
Something like a Conscription Order, if handled carelessly, could easily be linked to rebellion, so it naturally could not be directly requested—only Li Ming could give it.
Therefore, what she needed to do was to hint to Li Ming about the solution of the Conscription Order, then have him resolve the matter in the northwest, blocking all his other solutions until only the Conscription Order remained as an option.
Li Rong lay in the carriage with her eyes closed, slowly considering the few channels through which Li Ming could resolve Qin Lin's situation.
The first was to force Xiao Su or other noble families to send reinforcements to Qin Lin; the second was for the state to increase military pay and disaster relief funds.
Li Ming could not command the noble families, and there was not much silver available to increase military pay, leaving only Xiao Su to send reinforcements to Qin Lin.
However, Xiao Su was Li Ming's trump card reserved for Li Cheng, as well as his own army to counter the noble families. Once Li Ming sensed that the military power of the noble families threatened him, he would never allow Xiao Su to send reinforcements.
Li Rong lightly tapped her palm with a small fan, contemplating what she would say when she met Li Ming tonight.
Given Pei Wenxuan's efficiency, she was not at all worried about being able to enter the palace tonight. Her only concern was...
In just this one afternoon, Hua Le and Consort Rou might not go too crazy.
Just as she was thinking this, she heard the coachman outside call out, "Whoa!" Li Rong was taken aback and couldn't help but feel a bit flustered. She usually didn't worry about other matters, but she was anxious about whether Pei Wenxuan's mind had gone astray again, failing to grasp her intentions and coming to rescue her?
But after some thought, she decided to give Pei Wenxuan a bit more confidence and tried to calm herself down. Just as she was mentally preparing herself, a gentle yet unyielding young man's voice sounded from outside: "Your Highness Hua Le, the Ministry of Justice is here to take someone for investigation into the case of missing commoners in the outskirts of the capital. We must request Princess Pingle to come to the Ministry of Justice. I ask for Your Highness's cooperation."
Hearing this voice, Li Rong couldn't help but be stunned. She had never expected Su Rongqing to appear at this moment.
Hua Le was clearly even more surprised than she was.
"Vice Minister Su?"Hua Le seemed somewhat at a loss, hesitating as she said, "Elder Sister is now also involved in the case being investigated by the Supervisory Department. How about waiting until the Supervisory Department finishes their investigation before Vice Minister Su comes to interrogate?"
"This case has now reached a critical juncture. I hope Your Highness Hua Le will not make things difficult for me."
As Su Rongqing spoke, his voice gradually drew nearer. Li Rong surmised that he must have said something to Hua Le. She couldn't hear what was being said outside, but after a moment, she heard footsteps approaching. She quickly closed her eyes and lay down, then felt someone lift the curtain and enter. The person sat beside her and instructed someone outside, "Return to the Princess's Manor."
After saying this, the person lowered the curtain, and the sounds outside immediately grew quieter. Li Rong then heard the clip-clop of the carriage.
It wouldn't be appropriate for her to suddenly wake up now. Besides, if she did, sitting face-to-face with Su Rongqing in the carriage would be awkward. So she lay on the carriage, desperately trying to figure out Su Rongqing's intentions.
Su Rongqing seemed to watch her for a while before rising and kneeling in front of her. His presence enveloped her, and only then did Li Rong catch the scent on him—it was the same as in her previous life.
It was the unique incense used later in the Princess's Manor in her past life. Now he no longer concealed it, even wearing the incense on his person.
In a daze, Su Rongqing gently lifted her hand. He removed the handcuffs for her, then carefully placed her hand back down. After that, he took off his outer robe and draped it over her before returning to sit nearby.
According to etiquette, even if they were in the same carriage, he should have taken the seat farthest from her. Yet he did not do so.
He sat not far from her—not too close, but certainly not far either. This was exactly where he used to sit in her previous life.
Li Rong didn't know if he was aware she was awake, but she no longer wanted to wake up now. Waking at this moment to confront him would be far too awkward.
She wasn't afraid of people who clashed with her head-on, like Hua Le or Consort Rou—she could handle them one by one or two by two.
But she was afraid of Su Rongqing.
She had an inexplicable feeling that when dealing with Su Rongqing, he wouldn't hide anything if she asked. Yet it was precisely because he wouldn't hide anything that she dared not ask.
This feeling troubled her deeply, to the point that even his arrival today made her feel somewhat agitated. So she simply closed her eyes and feigned unconsciousness, deciding to wait until she returned to the Princess's Manor to investigate any further questions on her own.
Not long after Su Rongqing intercepted Li Rong, the news reached Pei Wenxuan. Upon hearing that Su Rongqing had taken her away, Pei Wenxuan immediately led his men back to the Princess's Manor.
Tong Ye found it strange and couldn't help but ask, "If Vice Minister Su intercepted Her Highness, shouldn't you go to the Ministry of Justice to look for her?"
"He won't take Her Highness to the Ministry of Justice," Pei Wenxuan's voice was somewhat cold. "He will take good care of Her Highness."
Li Rong endured the journey with her eyes closed, feeling as though time dragged on endlessly.
When the carriage was halfway there, she began to feel drowsy, but she didn't dare fall asleep.
Faintly, she heard Su Rongqing instructing someone outside the carriage, his voice so soft it seemed to come from far away: "Go slower, don't jostle Her Highness."
She truly couldn't hold on any longer. The robe covering her felt as if it were biting her, so she simply turned over and pushed it off.Su Rongqing watched quietly as Li Rong deliberately pushed the garment to the floor. He gazed at the fallen clothes for a long while before finally speaking: "Your Highness, sleeping like this will make you catch cold. If you do not wish to cover yourself with my clothes, please rise. I have brought some storybooks; I can read them to you to pass the time more quickly."
Hearing this, Li Rong knew that Su Rongqing was aware she was not asleep—even aware that she was avoiding him.
After all, he had worked on cases in the Ministry of Justice for many years; he still had that keen eye.
Exposed, Li Rong no longer pretended. She simply sat up and smiled candidly: "Very well, I shall rise now."
Su Rongqing did not reply. He retrieved a storybook from his sleeve and said calmly, "Today, this humble official has brought 'Tales from the Boudoir'..."
"I don’t want to hear that kind of story," Li Rong interrupted him directly. Su Rongqing paused briefly, then nodded and tucked the book back into his sleeve.
Li Rong watched him. She wanted to ask about the past, yet she did not wish to discuss such matters with him.
The history between them seemed like a forbidden zone, something she felt reluctant to touch upon. After a moment of silence, Li Rong finally spoke: "Why did Vice Minister Su come to see me today?"
"I heard that Princess Hua Le went to the Princess's Manor to cause trouble for Your Highness," Su Rongqing replied steadily. "I thought that if Princess Hua Le truly took Your Highness to the Supervisory Department, you would likely suffer hardship, so I brought you back midway."
"I suppose it wasn’t to spare me hardship, but to prevent me from setting a trap for Hua Le."
Li Rong smiled mockingly. Su Rongqing fell silent for a moment, not hiding the truth, and said straightforwardly: "Indeed, that was also a reason."
"You don’t conceal it from me."
"Rongqing dares not deceive Your Highness."
Su Rongqing lifted his eyes to look at Li Rong, his expression calm. Li Rong met his gaze and stared at him for a long time.
These eyes seemed no different from those in her previous life. Li Rong could not help but laugh: "Haven’t you deceived me enough already?"
Su Rongqing paused briefly. At that moment, it was as if both of them stood before a thin veil—they could vaguely see each other’s silhouettes, yet never clearly discern the other’s face.
If either of them took one step forward, they could tear the veil apart and see the other’s true appearance.
But neither knew whether that appearance would be hideous and terrifying, or as beautiful as the face in their imagination.
Su RSu Rongqing saw it clearly, and Li Rong saw it just as clearly. Li Chuan's cruelty toward the Su Clan was not solely due to Qin Zhenzhen's death. What Qin Zhenzhen had revealed was the terrifying power of the aristocratic families, while the downfall of the Su Clan represented the final glory of the great aristocratic families of Great Xia. From then on, the existence of all aristocratic families would be nothing more than lingering echoes.
Li Rong could not hold Li Chuan back, nor could she restrain the steps of any ruler with even a hint of ambition.
Su Rongqing smiled. "Your Highness, I have no choice."
Li Rong was left speechless.
For a moment, she suddenly felt that this man was both detestable and pitiable.
She poured herself a cup of tea, held it, and remained silent.
The most important question had already been asked. Even though she had known the answer before asking, she still wanted to ask once more. Now that she had received a definite reply, she had no further thoughts.
The two remained silent for a long while. Just after dusk, the carriage arrived in front of the Princess's Manor.
Pei Wenxuan waited at the entrance of the Princess's Manor. Before coming, he had already ordered the area cleared. Today, with the Princess's Manor surrounded, it was only natural to block the roads under such special circumstances.
After the area was cleared, no one remained in front of the Princess's Manor. With his hands tucked into his sleeves, he stood guard at the entrance. Seeing the carriage clattering toward him, he clenched his fists nervously.
Upon spotting Pei Wenxuan, the coachman halted the carriage. Before he could even call out "Lord Pei," he saw Pei Wenxuan stride forward and pull open the carriage curtain.
Li Rong had not expected Pei Wenxuan to arrive so quickly. Holding her tea, she was momentarily stunned. Then, she watched as Pei Wenxuan coldly glanced at Su Rongqing's clothes on the floor before lifting his gaze to meet hers.
Li Rong suddenly felt an inexplicable psychological pressure. She cleared her throat softly and explained, "Wenxuan, that..."
"Your Highness, please step down first to speak," Pei Wenxuan said calmly, extending his hand toward Li Rong.
The calmer Pei Wenxuan was, the more uneasy Li Rong felt. She quickly placed her hand in his, allowing him to help her down from the carriage.
Su Rongqing turned away, lowering his head to pour himself a cup of tea.
As soon as Li Rong stepped down, Pei Wenxuan removed his outer robe and draped it over her shoulders, speaking gently, "Your Highness must be cold."
"I'm not..." Li Rong instinctively wanted to refuse, as it was almost April. But before she could finish, Pei Wenxuan grasped her shoulders and stated firmly, "You are cold."
Li Rong: "..."
Apart from being cold, she had no choice.
Not daring to say more, she kept Pei Wenxuan's robe on. Pei Wenxuan called Jing Lan, who was guarding the entrance, to help Li Rong inside.
Seeing that Pei Wenxuan did not intend to accompany her inside, Li Rong grew somewhat worried, fearing he might do something rash. After all, Cui Yulang's punch had been the talk of the court for days.
Few had paid attention when Cui Yulang was punched, but if Su Rongqing were to be struck, it would be no small matter.
Yet she was also afraid that saying too much would make Pei Wenxuan misunderstand her as protecting Su Rongqing. Struggling to hold back, she could only say, "Let's go in together, alright?"
Pei Wenxuan knew what she was worried about. He smiled gently and whispered, "Your Highness, go back first. I'll just say one thing and return, alright?"
With Pei Wenxuan speaking like this, Li Rong could not press further. She could only look back repeatedly as Jing Lan helped her inside with some difficulty.
Seeing Li Rong return to the manor, Pei Wenxuan's expression turned cold. He lifted the carriage curtain once more.
Su Rongqing knew he had returned alone and looked up indifferently. "What guidance does Vice Minister Pei have to offer?"Pei Wenxuan smiled gently and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Vice Minister Su, I must remind you that the scent you wear is meant for eunuchs. I hope you remember this."
Su Rongqing's gaze turned icy in an instant. Pei Wenxuan gave a slight nod as a gesture of courtesy, then raised the curtain in his hand and let it fall, blocking the view of the person inside. With that, he turned and left in high spirits.
By the time he caught up with Li Rong, his face was already beaming with triumph. Seeing his smile, Li Rong couldn't help but feel curious: "What did you say to him?"
"Ah? Nothing." Pei Wenxuan smiled. "I just complimented him on how nice the scent he wears is."
Li Rong was speechless. She knew Pei Wenxuan had a nose like a hound—if she had smelled the fragrance Su Rongqing wore in her past life, he couldn’t possibly have missed it.
She chose silence for safety. After a moment, she deliberately changed the subject: "Aren’t you afraid of being seen, staying so openly in the Princess’s Manor?"
"Today is a special situation. I had people clear the area in advance. Right now, only the inner courtyard and my people are still moving around outside."
Pei Wenxuan quickly answered Li Rong’s question and, without waiting for her to ask more, continued: "The memorial has already been submitted to the Grand Secretariat. It should reach His Majesty’s hands tonight. As for the Ministry of Revenue, don’t worry—money is always in short supply. It won’t be easy for His Majesty to levy funds, so he won’t be able to give money to Qin Lin. Your Highness can rest assured."
As they spoke, the two walked together into the inner courtyard room. As soon as they entered, Pei Wenxuan turned sideways, blocking Li Rong’s path.
"Now there’s only one question left."
Hearing his serious tone, Li Rong felt a sudden fear.
She didn’t know what she was afraid of—it was just an instinct, as if she had done something wrong. She forced herself to stand still, only to see Pei Wenxuan reach out and place his hand on her face, his voice filled with pity and interrogation: "Did she hurt you?"
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