Li Сhuаn wаs nоt оld, nоr was he аs tаll аs Реi Wenxuan, but hаving рractiсed swordsmаnshiр sinсе сhildhоod, he рossessed considerаblе strength. With оne рunсh, hе сaught Реi Wеnхuаn cоmpletelу оff guard, sеnding him stumbling backward.
Sеeing Pеi Wenxuаn fаll, Li Сhuаn wаs still unsаtisfiеd. He rushеd fоrward, kiсking аnd рunching wildlу. Su Rongqing hurriеdlу stepреd in to rеstrain Li Chuan, urgеntly pleаding, "Yоur Нighness, сalm down! Plеаsе, staу соmроsеd. This is аn imрeriаl offiсial—yоu cаnnоt dо this!"
"Let gо оf mе! I'm gоing to beat this sсoundrel to death! Lеt go! Bring me а sword! I'll kill him! Thаt bastаrd, thаt worthlеss piece of trash..."
Li Chuan flailed his fists and legs in the air as Su Rongqing and the guards held him back tightly. After being dazed by the blow, Pei Wenxuan slowly regained his senses. He took a sharp breath and quickly said, "Your Highness, please allow me to explain..."
"I'm going to beat him to death! Let me go! Let go..."
"Chuan'er."
Li Rong finally snapped out of her shock. Seeing Pei Wenxuan being beaten, especially by Li Chuan, and watching Li Chuan fiercely defend her, she felt a surge of affection. She thought to herself, He truly is my brother—even the way he curses sounds just like mine. But she had to maintain a composed facade, hiding the slight secret delight in her heart. She cleared her throat lightly and said, "You are the Crown Prince. Act with more dignity."
Hearing Li Rong's reprimand, Li Chuan froze. Su Rongqing and the others cautiously released him, only to see Li Chuan clenching his fists, glaring fiercely at Pei Wenxuan.
Pei Wenxuan was helped to his feet, his expression calm. He bowed to Li Chuan and was about to explain when Li Chuan cut him off: "I don't want to hear your explanations. Save your words for Father and Mother!"
Pei Wenxuan choked back his words, then could only reply, "As you command."
"Return to the palace!"
Li Chuan shouted loudly, turned around, and led his entourage away. Pei Wenxuan thought for a moment, then walked over to Li Rong and began, "Princess..."
Before he could finish, Li Chuan suddenly turned back, stepping protectively in front of Li Rong, and warned sharply, "Stay away from my sister, you scoundrel!"
Pei Wenxuan: "..."
With that, Li Chuan grabbed Li Rong's hand and stormed toward his chestnut-red horse. He helped Li Rong onto the saddle and said, "Sister, ride my horse."
Li Rong smiled, took the reins, and replied gently, "Alright."
With Li Rong riding Li Chuan's horse, Li Chuan commandeered Su Rongqing's horse. Thus, Su Rongqing and Pei Wenxuan led the servants, following behind Li Rong and Li Chuan.
Li Rong and Li Chuan rode side by side, moving quickly and gradually distancing themselves from the others. Li Chuan spoke softly to Li Rong, asking a few questions about her well-being before inquiring about the previous night's events: "Did you see who those people were last night?"
"I did," she replied, then realized something was amiss. "You didn't catch them?"
"How could we catch them?" Li Chuan said angrily. "They ran incredibly fast! They vanished in the blink of an eye."
"No evidence left behind either?"
"None."
"Hmm," Li Rong wasn't entirely surprised. The Yang family wouldn't act recklessly in such matters; they must have planned everything meticulously in advance. She nodded and said, "I see. That's a bit disappointing."
"What do you think," Li Chuan asked curiously, "is Yang Quan trying to achieve with all this?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Li Rong chuckled lightly. "He wants to marry me. Once he marries me, wouldn't he be tied to you, my precious brother?""Why would they want to tie themselves to me?" Li Chuan frowned. "Everyone knows Father doesn't like me these days—he's constantly looking for opportunities to depose me. If it weren't for the rule that the crown prince can't be removed without cause, he'd have issued the edict long ago. Yet now they're leaning toward my side? Are the Yang family out of their minds?"
"Where exactly are the Yang family out of their minds?"
Li Rong reminded Li Chuan, "They're quite clever. You're not favored by Father, but they're even more disliked by him. Remember the incident a few years back when they leveraged their achievements to demand rewards? Father was forced by them to award three hundred thousand taels of silver to the border regions. With Father's temperament, could that matter be settled? Recently, the Yang family suffered a defeat in battle, and their main lineage was nearly wiped out on the battlefield. Only now have they come to realize that Father intends to deal with them, so they're trying to cling to your coattails."
"Then they should at least show some respect," Li Chuan immediately said. "Coming to abduct you directly—are they out of their minds?"
"Perhaps they didn't intend to abduct me," Li Rong said leisurely. "The best scenario would have been to scare me, then stage a heroic rescue. Who knew I was too clever? So they could only ruin my reputation and force me into marriage. Once I'm married to him, could I divorce? And if I have a child, could you ignore me?"
"Despicable!" Li Chuan immediately exclaimed. Li Rong nodded in agreement, "Indeed, despicable! Worse than dogs."
"Right," Li Chuan nodded. "Even worse than that Pei Wenxuan."
As he spoke, Li Chuan suddenly remembered and looked at Li Rong, hesitating as he said, "Um, sister..."
"Hmm?"
"Pei Wenxuan..." Li Chuan pursed his lips, struggling to ask, "Did he...?"
"Hmm?"
"Did he... bully you?"
"You mean..." Li Rong saw Li Chuan's conflicted and cautious expression. Li Chuan, somewhat embarrassed, continued, "Did he... kiss you?"
Li Rong: "..."
She had thought he meant some other kind of bullying.
She cleared her throat lightly and said, "Well, Pei Wenxuan is a talented man. He wouldn't do such a thing. If you treat him well, perhaps he could be useful in the future?"
She wasn't trying to speak well of Pei Wenxuan, but he truly was a sharp blade for Li Chuan, and she didn't want any misunderstandings between Li Chuan and Pei Wenxuan. However, hearing this, Li Chuan didn't change his attitude. Instead, he lowered his head and fell silent, seeming dejected.
Li Rong couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"
"Sigh, Mother said, 'A married-off sister is like spilled water.' You're not even married yet, and you're already speaking up for another man."
"Of course," Li Rong immediately said upon hearing Li Chuan's words, "If you really can't stand that dog, I fully support beating him to death!"
"That's more like it," Li Chuan raised an eyebrow and leaned in, whispering, "Sister, you have to promise me one thing."
"Go on." Li Rong was quite pleased to see Li Chuan's ingratiating manner. Li Chuan smiled, revealing his somewhat adorable canine teeth. "Even after you get married, I must still be the most important man in your heart!"
Hearing this, Li Rong couldn't help but chuckle. Seeing her laugh at him, Li Chuan felt a bit displeased, but he thought showing that displeasure would seem too childish, so he put on a stern face and said nothing. Noticing his unhappiness, Li Rong quickly said, "Alright, alright, don't worry." Li Rong reassured him, "You will definitely be the most important man in my heart, okay?"Li Chuan sighed, putting on a proper air as he said, "I know you’re just trying to placate me, but hearing these words, I am quite satisfied nonetheless."
Li Rong couldn’t stop laughing at Li Chuan’s affected manner of speaking.
Pei Wenxuan and Su Rongqing followed behind, watching from a distance as Li Rong laughed uncontrollably up ahead. Su Rongqing remarked gently, "The Crown Prince and the Princess truly share a deep bond as siblings. Even among noble families, such affection is rare."
"They grew up together since childhood," Pei Wenxuan said calmly. "The Princess is someone who values relationships deeply."
"Lord Pei seems to know the Princess quite well," Su Rongqing nodded, as if recalling something. "However, are you aware that last night, Ning Fei visited both Mingle Palace and Weiyang Palace?"
Ning Fei was a noble consort from the Yang family, while Mingle Palace and Weiyang Palace were the residences of Consort Rou and the Empress, respectively.
Consort Rou was currently enjoying the emperor’s favor. Her son, Li Chang, was only ten years old, exceptionally intelligent, and deeply cherished by the emperor. At such a young age, he had already been granted the title of prince, making him the youngest prince in the dynasty’s history.
Last night, members of the Yang family visited both places. Though their exact purpose remained unknown, it was undoubtedly intricately connected to Li Rong.
By mentioning this, Su Rongqing was offering a reminder. After a moment of contemplation, Pei Wenxuan inquired, "Does Her Highness know about this?"
"I have already reported it to Her Highness," Su Rongqing nodded. "But I thought Lord Pei should also be aware."
Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan looked up at Su Rongqing, who met his gaze with a faint, ambiguous smile.
"Why is Lord Su going out of his way to help me?" Pei Wenxuan asked earnestly.
Su Rongqing remained silent for a moment, holding a folding fan in his hand as he strolled leisurely through the woods. After a long pause, he spoke slowly, "If the Princess must choose between Yang Quan and Lord Pei, I would place my bet on you."
With that, Su Rongqing turned to Pei Wenxuan, his beautiful eyes carrying a hint of solemnity. "May I ask, Lord Pei, how confident are you?"
Pei Wenxuan listened quietly, his gaze fixed intently on Su Rongqing, not missing a single expression on his face. Yet Su Rongqing remained as composed as ever, his smile unwavering, his eyes revealing no trace of emotion.
After a moment of silence, Pei Wenxuan bowed to Su Rongqing and said, "I thank Lord Su for your regard. However, the matter of the Princess’s marriage should be decided by Her Highness herself. As a minor official of the eighth rank, I dare not entertain such presumptuous thoughts."
"Lord Pei speaks wisely," Su Rongqing nodded casually. "We were merely chatting idly. Please do not take it to heart."
As the group conversed, they emerged from the woods and saw a long procession occupying the official road. In the center was the Crown Prince’s exclusive carriage, flanked by guards from the Eastern Palace. At the forefront, the black banner of the Eastern Palace fluttered high in the air, presenting an imposing sight.
Li Chuan and Li Rong boarded the Crown Prince’s carriage, while Su Rongqing and Pei Wenxuan rode separately at the front.
Once inside the carriage, attendants served tea and pastries. Li Chuan dismissed them, and after everyone had left, the carriage slowly began to move. Only then did Li Chuan look up and say, "There’s something I need to tell you."
"What did the Yang family do last night?"
Li Rong leaned lazily against the side of the carriage, her tone casual. Li Chuan was momentarily taken aback before breaking into a smile. "You truly are clever, Sister."After speaking, Li Chuan adopted a solemn expression: "Last night, Ning Fei visited Mother Empress and then went to Ming Le Palace. After she left, Mother Empress looked extremely upset. She didn’t tell me what Ning Fei said, but I suspect the Yang family might have come to propose a marriage."
Li Rong nodded. Li Chuan pondered for a moment and sighed, "The Yang family is too impatient."
"It’s Father Emperor who is pushing too hard."
Li Rong spoke calmly, "I heard that some time ago, Father Emperor withheld one-third of the Yang family’s military provisions."
"Father Emperor shouldn’t have done that," Li Chuan shook his head. "Even if he wants to weaken the Yang family, he should do it step by step—gradually strip them of power and then demote them to commoners. Acting so rashly will likely cause chaos in the Yang family."
Listening to Li Chuan’s words, Li Rong unconsciously rubbed the prayer beads in her hand.
Seeing that Li Rong remained silent for a long time, Li Chuan couldn’t help but ask, "Does Elder Sister think I’m wrong?"
"Not exactly," Li Rong smiled. She turned to look at Li Chuan and said gently, "It’s just that Chuan’er, your kindness is probably what Father Emperor is dissatisfied with about you."
"Let him be dissatisfied," Li Chuan showed a hint of disgust at the mention of Li Ming. "If he has the guts, let him depose me."
"Don’t talk nonsense," Li Rong smiled helplessly, but she didn’t directly tell Li Chuan that their father might actually be thinking just that.
At sixteen, Li Chuan still held hope for Li Ming, just as Li Rong had in her youth.
They knew the ruthlessness of royal struggles, but deep down, they still held some hope for their parents. It was because of this hope that they dared to rebel. Saying "if he has the guts, let him depose me," they still believed in their hearts that he was their father.
Because of this hope, when the merciless blade finally fell, they truly experienced despair.
In her previous life, Li Chuan had almost been deposed.
If not for Pei Wenxuan and her turning the tide, the grass on Li Chuan’s grave would have grown tall long ago.
But Li Rong didn’t point this out, because she knew that no matter how skillfully Li Chuan discussed political matters now, he was still just a sixteen-year-old child. If she spoke too bluntly, Li Chuan might think her cold-hearted and overly scheming.
She didn’t want her relationship with Li Chuan to end up as it had in her previous life—siblings bound by blood but separated by deep barriers.
She looked at Li Chuan, lightly tapping her palm with her small golden fan. Li Chuan ate longan and turned to her, asking, "Elder Sister, when we see Mother Empress in the palace later, what do you plan to say?"
"Say about what?"
Li Rong turned to look at Li Chuan. Li Chuan spat out a longan seed and quickly added, "About your marriage. Who are you going to marry?"
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