Аt thеsе wоrds, Pei Wеnхuаn’s ехpression сhаnged at оnce.
Не knеw Маdаm Wen’s temрer, and he was also сlеar оn Li Rong’s реrsоnаlity. Рutting thе twо оf thеm togеther would absоlutеly lеad to no gоod.
Pеi Wenxuаn hurriеdlу оrdеrеd thе driver to sреed uр, thеn sаt baсk in the саrriage аnd quеstionеd Tong Ye in dеtail. “Why would thе Оld Мadаm suddenly go tо thе innеr cоurtуаrd?”
“Тhе stеward sаid thаt Aunt Qiаn, who sеrves the Оld Mаdаm, hаpреnеd tо see Impеrial Physician Нe coming tо our manоr.”
Hеаring this, Pеi Wenxuan’s temper flared. “Didn’t I say this matter had to be handled discreetly and kept from others?!”
“Imperial Physician He came in wearing a cloak, and the area was cleared before he entered,” Tong Ye explained. “Who knew that Aunt Qian had such sharp eyes? She recognized Imperial Physician He from a great distance. The steward said that in the early years, the Old Master often invited Imperial Physician He to the manor to diagnose the Old Madam. Aunt Qian secretly admired Imperial Physician He for a time and is very familiar with him. How were we supposed to know about something like that if no one mentioned it?”
Pei Wenxuan was speechless for a moment. He choked for a bit, then waved his hand. “Forget it. Just remember to be more cautious next time.”
Pei Wenxuan mulled over how to get Madam Wen out as quickly as possible, lost in thought as he returned to the manor.
As soon as he entered, he saw Madam Wen dozing off from a distance, leaning against a small table. He walked over quickly and called out, “Mother.”
Hearing his voice, Madam Wen instantly sat up straight and looked in the direction he was approaching from, on high alert.
Pei Wenxuan stepped forward and bowed to Madam Wen, feigning confusion. “Mother, why have you come to your son’s side of the manor today? Your health is not good. If you needed something, you could have just summoned your son over…”
“Don’t you know perfectly well why I’m here?!” Madam Wen shouted. “Instead of learning good things, you’re learning to keep a mistress in a golden cage! I came today to teach you a lesson. First, you divorced Her Highness without even telling me. Fine, I’ll let that slide and treat it as a young couple’s quarrel. But what are you doing now? Bringing some disreputable woman back and even having an imperial physician come to diagnose her. Are you… are you…”
Madam Wen’s face flushed red. Pei Wenxuan knew what she meant and quickly said, “Mother, you’ve misunderstood. Your son will not be reckless when it comes to the matter of heirs.”
“Then what about that woman?” Madam Wen pressed. “Do you still want to reconcile with Her Highness or not? If Her Highness finds out you’ve done this, will she still take you back?”
At these words, everyone cast astonished gazes at Madam Wen.
The rumor all over Huajing was that Li Rong was arrogant and willful, and that Pei Wenxuan had been the one to initiate the divorce. But from Madam Wen’s words, it sounded as if Pei Wenxuan was the one pining for Li Rong to no avail.
Seeing everyone’s surprised looks, Madam Wen snapped, “What are you looking at? Do I not know my own son? I’m perfectly clear about your feelings for Her Highness. Did you really think you could divorce her for good?”
Pei Wenxuan was silent.
For the first time, he felt his mother was incredibly astute. Madam Wen waved her hand, dismissing the servants. Pei Wenxuan glanced imperceptibly at the screen, feeling a little anxious. Madam Wen began to ramble, “Wenxuan, I know everyone in Huajing likes to have three wives and four concubines, but you can’t learn their bad habits. If you want the bliss of having multiple women, you can’t have a true and sincere heart. Her Highness is a sincere girl. That time she stood up for you…”
“I understand,” Pei Wenxuan interrupted her. “Mother, how about this? I’ll send you back first. I’ll go back and explain it to you.”
“Can’t you explain it here? Stop trying to fool me. This is just a delaying tactic. You’re afraid I’ll see that girl…”
Before she could finish, a soft “Achoo!” came from behind the screen. The entire room fell silent in an instant. Madam Wen’s female intuition kicked in immediately. “There’s someone here?”
“No,” Pei Wenxuan said, his scalp tingling. “Mother, let’s go back first.”
Madam Wen ignored him, stood up straight, and started walking toward the screen.
Pei Wenxuan hurried forward to block her. “Mother,” he said urgently, “can we please go back first?”
“Is it that woman?”
Madam Wen raised her hand and pointed behind the screen. Pei Wenxuan quickly said, “Mother, there’s no woman. Please leave.”
Hearing this, Li Rong felt a little guilty. She couldn’t help but blame herself. She had held it in for a whole hour, so why couldn’t she hold back that one last sneeze?
Seeing Pei Wenxuan’s reaction, Madam Wen laughed in anger. “Do you take me for a fool? Move aside!”
“Mother…”
“You won’t move, is that it? Then don’t blame me for saying harsh things that will make everyone lose face! You vixen, listen up! A woman like you can only hide behind this screen of mine, never to see the light of day for the rest of your life. You don’t even count as a concubine!”
Hearing Madam Wen’s words, Li Rong raised an eyebrow. It was the first time she had been cursed at like this, and she found it quite novel.
“Mother, don’t say any more.”
Pei Wenxuan pushed Madam Wen toward the exit. Madam Wen shoved him back and said angrily, “Let go of me! Are you going to hit me now?! Let me see just what kind of bewitching fox she is to have muddled you like this! I must see her today!”
“Mother…”
“Fine, my lord,” Li Rong said, seeing that Pei Wenxuan really couldn’t get Madam Wen to leave. She changed her tone of voice and spoke from behind the screen, her voice sweet and delicate. “Let her look. Let her see what kind of bewitching fox I am.”
“Stop fooling around…”
Hearing Li Rong speak up as well, Pei Wenxuan felt utterly exhausted. Seeing that Li Rong dared to talk back, Madam Wen’s anger flared. “Move aside!” she roared. “Let me go teach this little hussy a lesson and show her that she can’t just waltz into the Pei family’s home whenever she pleases!”
“Oh, what’s so difficult about that?” Li Rong fanned herself, leaning against a pillar with a slow, leisurely air. “Didn’t I just waltz right in?”
“You’re shameless!” Madam Wen spat. Li Rong retorted directly, “And you are faceless.”
“Move aside, I want to see her!”
“Mother…”
“Let her come see me. We’ll see who teaches whom a lesson.”
“Madam…”
“You dare call her Madam?!”
Madam Wen instantly flew into a rage. Li Rong chuckled lightly. “Not only am I the Madam, but in the future, I’ll be the Old Madam of the Pei family, and the mother of the Pei family’s eldest legitimate son. Go on and curse. If you have the guts, curse me to my face. We’ll see who’s more of a shrew. What kind of scene haven’t I, your humble servant, seen before? Old Madam, you should save your breath. Don’t try to show off your skills in front of an expert. It’s not yet clear who will be teaching whom a lesson.”
“You… you…”
Madam Wen was breathing heavily. Li Rong was about to say a few more words to make her back down, but before she could speak, Madam Wen couldn’t catch her breath, and her eyes rolled back as she fainted.
Pei Wenxuan caught Madam Wen in his arms, crying out in panic, “Mother!”
Hearing the alarm in Pei Wenxuan’s voice, Li Rong quickly peeked out from behind the screen. Seeing Pei Wenxuan calling for help, she asked guiltily, “She fainted?”
Pei Wenxuan shot her a glare and chided in a low voice, “You’re just making a scene.”
With that, Pei Wenxuan picked up Madam Wen and carried her out, quickly summoning a physician to see to her. Li Rong hammered her own legs. Tong Ye trotted in and helped her up. “Your Highness, are you all right?”
“I’m fine.”
Li Rong waved her hand and sighed. “Let’s go back.”
After confirming that there was nothing seriously wrong with Madam Wen, Pei Wenxuan left people to care for her and went back to see Li Rong.
Li Rong was lying on the bed, reading a storybook by the light of a lamp.
Pei Wenxuan hesitated for a moment before walking into the room. Li Rong pretended not to see him and continued to turn the page.
Pei Wenxuan walked to her side and sat down. Just as he was about to say something, Li Rong put the book down and said quickly, “I didn’t do it on purpose. I didn’t expect her to faint. I just saw that she was determined to see me and wanted to anger her into leaving.”
“I’m not blaming you,” Pei Wenxuan said, finding her on-guard posture rather amusing. “Why are you so nervous?”
As he spoke, he placed a hand on her leg, his voice laced with concern. “You stood behind that screen for so long. Are your legs okay?”
Li Rong hadn’t expected Pei Wenxuan not to blame her. She felt an indescribable awkwardness and averted her gaze from his face, murmuring, “They’re fine.”
“Let me massage them for you.”
Pei Wenxuan paid no mind to her words and called for a servant. He ordered them to bring a basin of water for her feet, adding the medicinal herbs from the prescription she often used, and boiling it before pouring it into the basin.
After giving the instructions, he went to change his clothes. When the servant brought the water in, he sat down opposite the foot basin and had Li Rong place her feet in the water.
As the comfort of the warm water washed over her, Li Rong finally realized just how uncomfortable her legs had been.
Pei Wenxuan lowered his head and massaged her pressure points, saying softly, “I know you stood for a long time and were wronged. My heart aches for you. I have no intention of blaming you.”
Li Rong kept her head down and didn’t speak. Pei Wenxuan looked up at her and smiled. “Don’t worry.”
Li Rong quietly looked at the man sitting across from her. For a rare moment, she saw in him a trace of the mundane, everyday life of the common people. In that instant, she felt as if she wasn't a princess, and Pei Wenxuan wasn't some high-ranking court official.
She watched him hold her feet in his lap and dry them with a cloth, his earnest expression no different from that of a loving husband and wife among the common folk.
There was less scheming and cleverness, replaced by a reassuring and down-to-earth feeling.
She saw the exhaustion in his eyes. After he called someone in to take the water away and had her lie on her stomach on the bed so he could massage her calves, Li Rong murmured, “You should sleep.”
“I’ll sleep in a bit.”
Pei Wenxuan massaged her calves conscientiously. “You didn’t take good care of yourself in your early years. When you get older, your legs will ache.”
“If you don’t sleep early now, when you get older…” Li Rong instinctively retorted, then abruptly stopped. Pei Wenxuan chuckled. “Afraid I’ll die before you?”
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
Li Rong buried her head in her elbows. “You’re so young, what are you saying such things for?”
Pei Wenxuan didn’t reply. The massage was making Li Rong drowsy. Wanting to find something to keep herself awake, she asked hazily, “Why did Consort Rou look for you today?”
“She went to arrest people from the Shangguan Clan and was thrown out.”
Pei Wenxuan said in a low voice, “His Majesty had me assist her with the intention of using me as a vanguard to help her arrest people.”
“So what will you do?”
Li Rong wasn’t worried about this. She knew Pei Wenxuan was a slippery eel who wouldn’t get into trouble over something like this.
“Then I’ll handle it properly.”
As he spoke, an idea came to him. He leaned over Li Rong and whispered, “Your Highness, could you help me with something?”
Li Rong gave him a lazy glance. Pei Wenxuan smiled. “The list Consort Rou gave me is all people from the Shangguan Clan. I’m afraid I’ll have to ask Miss Ya to give them a heads-up. I’ll bring the people over, and I guarantee nothing will happen to them.”
“Go ahead,” Li Rong said nonchalantly. “If they really did something, then arresting them is fine. It’ll save Chuan'er from having it used against him in the future.”
“Alright.”
Listening to him, Li Rong also felt tired. Leaning against the bed, she said softly, “I should probably move back tomorrow.”
Pei Wenxuan’s movements paused. Li Rong said slowly, “Just tell your mother you drove the woman away. That will give her some closure. If she keeps cursing me out like that, I won’t be able to keep my dignity either.”
Pei Wenxuan didn’t speak. He kept his head down for a long time before finally acknowledging her with a sound.
Li Rong rolled over and propped her head up to look at him, smiling. “Just like that? You’re not going to ask me to stay?”
“I want to,” Pei Wenxuan said with a bitter smile, “but I also feel you’ve been wronged. I’m already very happy that you’re willing to lower your status for me like this. I can’t keep wronging you.”
Hearing this, Li Rong smiled gently. She patted Pei Wenxuan’s hand and said warmly, “Go to sleep.”
Knowing that Li Rong was going back the next day, Pei Wenxuan refused to let her go.
The two of them tossed and turned all night. When Li Rong got up at dawn, she had arrangements made and headed directly back to the Princess's Manor before the sky was fully lit.
She blended in with the vegetable farmers selling their produce. The guards were only there for show and weren’t very strict. She followed the farmers into the Princess's Manor, returned to her room, changed her clothes, and then had a good sleep.
Although she had left Pei Wenxuan, she continued to live according to the routine she had established at the Pei Manor.
She took her medicine when she was supposed to and continued her recuperation as planned.
Meanwhile, after receiving Consort Rou’s order, Pei Wenxuan spent the first day gathering his soldiers. In the afternoon, he went straight to the Shangguan Clan’s main gate.
Shangguan Ya had received Li Rong’s message that morning and was already prepared. When Pei Wenxuan stormed in and pushed open the doors, the Shangguan Clan put on a show of confronting him. By nightfall, the members of the Shangguan Clan were taken back to the Supervisory Department.
Consort Rou was somewhat shocked that Pei Wenxuan was so efficient, managing to bring the people in after just one day.
Pei Wenxuan, a smile on his face, gestured to the people kneeling on the ground and said, “Your Ladyship, the people have been brought here. Your Ladyship may interrogate them thoroughly. If there is anything else you require of this subordinate, please do not hesitate to ask.”
Since Pei Wenxuan had said as much, Consort Rou saw no reason not to make use of him. After praising him profusely, she gave him another list and sent him out to arrest people all over the city.
All the dirty work that would offend people was done by Pei Wenxuan. Consort Rou’s plan was to push him out to do the unpleasant tasks.
Pei Wenxuan did not disappoint her. Every day, he would gather his soldiers and lead them grandly from one end of Huajing’s streets to the other. There was almost no one in the entire capital who didn’t know that Pei Wenxuan was investigating the imperial examination case, working his heart out and forgetting to eat or sleep.
While Pei Wenxuan’s reputation among the common people soared to unprecedented heights, his name among the noble clans became increasingly notorious.
Every time he went to arrest someone, he made a huge scene, almost always having his men smash open the family’s gate. Then he would stride in with the Supervisory Department’s token, put on a stern face, and shout, “This official has come under the order of Her Ladyship Consort Rou to arrest a suspect. Bring the criminal out for this official!”
He had an imposing official air, and the noble clans found his methods utterly disgusting.
He made sure to mention Consort Rou to everyone he met. Consort Rou told him to arrest people, Consort Rou told him to do things. You’re not convinced? Then go to the imperial court and tell His Majesty that Her Ladyship Consort Rou is wrong.
At first, some people did muster the courage to impeach Consort Rou, accusing her of indulging her subordinate and being arrogant and rude.
But Pei Wenxuan had already given Li Ming a heads-up. The noble clans looked down on Consort Rou now that she was in charge and would surely speak ill of her.
Thus, the few who impeached Consort Rou walked right into a trap. Li Ming treated their accusations as slander against Consort Rou, and to protect her position, he had the men dragged out and beaten with planks.
After that, no one dared to impeach Consort Rou again.
Since these people didn’t dare to speak up, neither Consort Rou nor Li Ming had any idea of the noble clans’ private attitudes. They simply thought they had intimidated them into no longer daring to slander the consort.
Under the banner of Consort Rou, Pei Wenxuan leaped and bounded all over Huajing, arresting many people.
Although they were mostly from the Shangguan faction, others were inevitably implicated. And Pei Wenxuan had a much deeper and more accurate understanding of the relationships between the clans than Li Ming or Consort Rou.
Which young masters, though not in positions of real power, were actually doted on by their families.
Which young masters appeared glamorous but were in fact disliked by their families.
Each family had different feelings for its different scions. When arresting people from the Shangguan Clan, he followed the list Consort Rou gave him. When arresting scions from other noble clans, he was selective, specifically targeting officials who seemed unloved and powerless but were in fact extremely cherished by their families.
Consort Rou couldn’t perceive the difference. All she knew was that Pei Wenxuan had brought back every single person she wanted, and even many more than she had expected.
For a time, Consort Rou began to admire this young man.
After all, a man so young, capable, reliable, and handsome was truly rare.
She began to scheme about how to secure Pei Wenxuan firmly under her command.
And Pei Wenxuan, for his part, was scheming about when he should finally close the net.
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