The Princess Royal

Li Rоng fеll intо a cоntеmрlаtivе silence.

Хiаo Wen wаs Xiaо Su’s sоn. Li Мing hаd summоnеd Xiaо Wen into the palaсе at this timе, and shоrtlу аftеr Xiао Wеn lеft thе pаlace, sоmеonе departеd from Huаjing. It was highly likеlу thаt Li Мing hаd соntactеd Хiaо Su thrоugh аn uncоnventiоnаl channеl.

Undеr what сircumstancеs would an emреrоr resоrt to such a tightlу guаrdеd, leаst еrrоr-рrоnе chаnnеl, byрassing lаyers оf surveillаnсе to соntасt a frontier gеneral?

Both Li Rong аnd Pei Wenхuan understоod this аll tоo wеll.

Military coups were not something they were experiencing for the first time.

Whether it was the deposing of Li Chuan back then, the noble families purging the court to depose Li Ming, or the subsequent attempts by the noble families to stage palace coups and rebellions, in the thirty years of political turmoil, this was not something that could easily unsettle them.

Still, this was a significant matter, and so both of them remained silent.

Seeing the somber atmosphere, Shangguan Ya tactfully bowed and excused herself, turning to leave the room.

When only Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan remained in the room, Pei Wenxuan finally spoke: "We must make a decision soon."

"So urgently?" Li Rong’s voice was soft as she pondered. "What is Father thinking?"

In her previous life, when Li Ming had moved against Li Chuan, it hadn’t been this early.

Li Rong found it somewhat absurd and couldn’t help but curl her lips into a faint smile. "Could it be that Father is truly so enraged for the sake of a beauty that he must save Consort Rou at all costs?"

"I’ve heard that His Majesty’s illness has grown increasingly severe lately."

Li Rong paused in her movements. Pei Wenxuan sat down opposite her and said calmly, "It’s understandable that His Majesty wants to secure Prince Su’s position sooner rather than later."

After all, since the Shangguan Clan had conducted its internal purge, its influence in the court had diminished significantly. Currently, the noble families and Li Rong had only just formed an alliance. From the perspective of court power, Li Rong and the noble families held the upper hand, but if it came to launching a military coup, the outcome was far from certain.

Li Ming had Xiao Su’s army in the northwest and his own long-cultivated core forces of the Li Clan, totaling nearly a hundred thousand troops. He feared no single noble family on its own.

What he feared was the noble families uniting and consolidating a new army under Li Chuan’s leadership.

But now, the noble families were in disarray. Although they appeared united in punishing Consort Rou after the establishment of the Supervisory Department, they were actually harboring their own divergent agendas.

If Li Chuan lacked sufficient military strength, launching a coup at this time would indeed give Li Ming a significant advantage.

"His Majesty commands nearly a hundred thousand troops in total—fifty thousand under Xiao Su, ten thousand in the capital, and another forty thousand scattered across Huajing and its surrounding areas," Pei Wenxuan explained as he retrieved a map from beneath the table, spreading it across the surface. He pointed to the northwestern corner of the map and traced a line toward Huajing. "If His Majesty begins mobilizing troops from the northwest now, even if Xiao Su prepares and marches here with all haste, traveling day and night, it would take at least a month."

"But between the northwest and Huajing lie the Su Clan and the Xie Clan," Li Rong mused. "If they offer even slight resistance, it could take over two months."

"But will they?" Pei Wenxuan countered. Li Rong paused, lifting her gaze to meet his. Pei Wenxuan reminded her earnestly, "We are not the only ones who know the future."

If Su Rongqing had already returned, he would not sit idly by.Since Xie Lanqing's exile, the Xie family had remained silent, but they had likely long since turned against Li Chuan. Between the northwest lay the Su and Xie clans, so the worst outcome of Xiao Su's passage might be him bringing the armies of both the Su and Xie clans to Huajing.

"Su Rongqing..."

Li Rong lightly tapped the table, unable to help but murmur Su Rongqing's name. Pei Wenxuan listened to her muttering, raised his hand to drink tea, and said casually, "What, missing him?"

"Exactly," Li Rong sighed. "I still underestimated him. He must have been planning Xie Lanqing's exile long ago."

Looking back now, when Xie Lanqing, as Minister of Justice, had targeted her at every turn, she had initially thought it was due to conflicts of interest between the Supervisory Department and the Ministry of Justice. But now it seemed likely that Su Rongqing had been pulling strings behind the scenes.

By forcing her to depose Xie Lanqing early on, Su Rongqing had severed the path for both the Xie clan and Li Chuan—unless Li Chuan truly decided to abandon her, his elder sister.

But Li Chuan would never do that.

The discord between the Xie clan and Li Chuan might not have mattered on ordinary days, but today, it had become crucial.

If Xiao Su could march straight into Huajing without any obstacles, then no matter where she mobilized troops from, she could not possibly arrive before him.

Once Xiao Su's army reached the capital, Li Chuan would have no way out.

If Li Chuan died, the noble families would lose their leader. Unless they elected another leader to rebel, they would be scattered like loose sand. Given the nature of the noble families, they would likely retreat to protect themselves. At that point, if Li Ming combined rewards and punishments to uproot the Shangguan Clan, no one would dare say anything more.

Li Rong gently closed her eyes and raised her hand to massage the acupoint between her eyebrows. "First, have Zhao Chongjiu immediately send word to the northwest and have Qin Lin keep an eye on Xiao Su. If Xiao Su's army heads toward Huajing..."

Li Rong hesitated for a moment, feeling uneasy.

Taking military action now was indeed too early for them. Moreover, if Qin Lin directly intercepted Xiao Su's army, it would be an act of rebellion no matter how you looked at it.

"Then we must stop him."

Pei Wenxuan saw her hesitation and said decisively, "Your Highness, it's time to use Lin Feibai. Recall him to the capital."

"Return to the capital for what?"

Li Rong frowned. Pei Wenxuan lightly tapped the map with his hand. "To return to his roots."

Li Rong immediately understood. Even though Lin Feibai was a criminal and had personally testified against Xie Lanqing, he was still Xie Lanqing's son. Once the legitimate sons of the Xie family were gone, he would have the opportunity to inherit the Xie family.

In the past, even if all of Xie Lanqing's sons died, it would never have been the turn of Lin Feibai, an illegitimate son. But now Lin Feibai had military power.

With military power and the identity of Xie Lanqing's son, it would only take a little maneuvering for Lin Feibai to inherit the Xie family.

"Although the Xie family has conflicts with Your Highness, the matter of taxation concerns all the noble families. The Xie family cannot be a monolithic block. Now that Lin Feibai has military power, as long as Xie Chunhe, the head of the Xie family, dies, it will only take a little maneuvering for Lin Feibai to become the new head of the Xie family."

"So the first thing we need to do is kill Xie Chunhe."

Hearing this, Li Rong looked up at Pei Wenxuan. "Then why not just kill Li Cheng directly?"

If Li Cheng died and Li Ming then killed Li Chuan, the Li family would truly fall into the hands of others."In the past, when Li Cheng was killed, Father likely thought he could still have another son and took the opportunity to quickly depose Chuan'er. But now, he probably no longer has the ability or time to father another son."

Li Rong's voice was calm: "If I take action, he probably won't spare me. But since he has already made plans to summon Xiao Su from the northwest, it's clear he doesn't intend to spare me or Chuan'er either. There's no real need to keep Li Cheng alive."

"If Your Highness has made such a decision," Pei Wenxuan's voice was soft, "it is not entirely unreasonable."

"By killing Li Cheng and Xie Chunhe," Pei Wenxuan's hand traced lightly over the map, "if Su Rongqing still doesn't want Chuan'er to ascend the throne, rebellion would be his only path. Su Minzhi would never agree."

"Thus," Pei Wenxuan concluded firmly, "even if Xiao Su enters the capital, he would lose all purpose. However, the only risk in this plan is," Pei Wenxuan looked up at Li Rong, "the Emperor, in his rage, might kill you and the Empress."

Li Rong remained silent. Pei Wenxuan watched her: "If we only target Xie Chunhe, the Emperor might not realize our true intentions. His focus is on the Crown Prince; he wouldn't risk alerting us by moving against you over Xie Chunhe alone. But if we eliminate Li Cheng, while it would solve the problem permanently, Your Highness," Pei Wenxuan's voice grew even softer, "at that point, the Crown Prince would be the Emperor's only heir. To minimize the influence of the Shangguan family on the Crown Prince, the Emperor would inevitably resort to extreme measures. Whether out of personal vendetta or concern for the Crown Prince's future, the Emperor would spare no cost to kill you and the Empress. Whether you are willing to go this far for the Crown Prince," Pei Wenxuan said earnestly, "you should think it over carefully."

"Are you trying to dissuade me?" Li Rong asked directly after listening to Pei Wenxuan's analysis.

Pei Wenxuan chuckled softly: "How could I ever dissuade you?"

He slowly raised his head, his gaze filled with acceptance: "I'm merely here to accompany you."

While Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan were conversing, Hua Le, clutching the token Consort Rou had given her, suppressed her trembling and hurried back to the Xiao residence.

She kept reassuring herself.

She must not panic, not at this moment.

She had to remain composed, not let anyone see her falter and think that with Consort Rou gone, she had become weak and easy to bully.

By the time Hua Le arrived at the Xiao residence, she had steadied herself. Clutching the token Consort Rou had given her, she stepped down from the carriage.

After years of careful cultivation, the Xiao family had only two reliable uncles in positions of power.

One was her eldest uncle, Xiao Su, stationed in the northwest, and the other was her third uncle, Xiao Ming, serving in the Imperial Guards.

Upon entering the room and seeing Xiao Ming, Hua Le nearly collapsed, but she forced herself to stand firm. With reddened eyes, she bowed: "Third Uncle."

"Don't panic just yet," Xiao Ming gestured for someone to help Hua Le sit down. He picked up a teacup, his brow deeply furrowed, and asked, "Did your mother leave any message?"

"Yes, she did."

Hua Le quickly nodded. She took out the token in her hand and handed it to Xiao Ming, wiping away her tears as she urgently said: "Mother told me to give this token to you and to kill Li Chuan. It would be even better if I could kill Li Rong."

"Kill the Crown Prince?!"Xiao Ming looked utterly shocked. Hua Le nodded, then, fearing he might not dare, added, "Uncle, Mother can no longer be saved. Our only way out now is to quickly kill Li Chuan. That way, only Cheng'er will remain among the imperial sons, making him the sole heir. Father is already on his last legs—once he dies, Cheng'er can ascend the throne. Then you'll be the emperor's uncle, and I'll be the eldest princess. Look at how glorious the Shangguan Clan is now—isn't it all because they're Father's maternal family?"

Xiao Ming remained silent. Hua Le grew anxious and urged, "Uncle, this is the only way to save Mother and my brother. If Li Chuan ascends the throne, do you think he and Li Rong will spare us? The Shangguan Clan has long despised us. Are you just going to sit back and wait for disaster? You—"

"Hua Le," Xiao Ming interrupted her slowly, "this matter is too grave. Let me think it over. You should go back for now."

"Uncle?" Hua Le stared at him in disbelief. "Are you just going to watch my mother die?"

"Even if we kill Li Chuan, it won't save your mother," Xiao Ming sighed. "It's not that I won't help you, but I need to think of a foolproof plan. Go back and rest for now, and I'll consider it further. It's just that time is too tight," he murmured, "I don't know if we can wait until this year's Winter Hunt—that would be a good opportunity."

Hearing this, Hua Le's eyes brightened slightly.

Xiao Ming glanced at her and then had someone escort Hua Le out.

After Hua Le left, the steward approached Xiao Ming, poured him tea, and said quietly, "Her Ladyship is really something, sending Princess Hua Le to assassinate the Crown Prince—isn't that just playing around? If His Highness the Crown Prince were so easy to assassinate, would he have survived until today?"

"Assassinating one person isn't easy, but it's not without opportunities. Opportunities are made by people—it's just that the cost is feared."

Xiao Ming gently touched the rim of his teacup. "My sister didn't get to where she is today by being a fool. Do you really think she's counting on Hua Le to assassinate Li Chuan?"

Xiao Ming sneered. "She's just finding a scapegoat for those with ulterior motives. Many people want Li Chuan dead now. As long as Hua Le is willing to take the blame if something goes wrong, everyone will be happy to lend a hand."

"Then..." the steward frowned, "is Her Ladyship planning to abandon Princess Hua Le?"

"Trading a daughter for a son's throne," Xiao Ming picked up his teacup, "isn't a loss in Her Ladyship's eyes. When Prince Su ascends the throne in the future, posthumously honoring Princess Hua Le will be some consolation. This family—there isn't a single decent person among them. Look at Hua Le, talking about being the eldest princess at every turn. Do you think she truly cares about her mother?"

Xiao Ming's eyes held a hint of mockery. "A daughter wants her mother to die so she can become the eldest princess; a mother wants her daughter to die so she can become the empress dowager. How interesting."

"Then, Master, are you just going to watch?"

The steward hesitated. "Her Ladyship and the Xiao Clan share both glory and disgrace."

"Of course not. Quickly send someone to deliver a message to His Majesty in the palace, saying that Hua Le is emotionally agitated and wants to assassinate Li Chuan. Oh, and remember," Xiao Ming held the teacup and instructed, "only His Majesty must know. Don't let the eunuchs around him overhear—who knows what kind of demons lurk by his side?"

"Yes."

The steward replied respectfully.

That very night, news of Hua Le's plot to assassinate Li Chuan reached Li Ming's ears.Li Ming pondered alone in the grand hall for half the night. The next day, when court convened, he set the date for the Winter Hunt.

The Winter Hunt was a tradition of Great Xia. Though called a hunt, it was actually an annual military exercise and competition among the forces within Huajing.

Huajing had six armies in total: the Imperial Guard under the emperor’s command, the Feather Forest Guard under the crown prince, and the remaining four armies guarding the east, west, south, and north city gates.

The commanders of these four armies came from the Shangguan Clan, the Su Clan, the Pei Clan, and Li Ming’s trusted ally, Prince Ning.

Every year during the Winter Hunt, these six armies would conduct drills in the forest to prevent them from growing lax.

Upon hearing Li Ming set the date for the Winter Hunt, Li Rong began to form her plans. After court adjourned, Pei Wenxuan walked to her side, and they strolled side by side, gazing ahead.

"The Winter Hunt is scheduled for ten days from now. Has Your Highness made a decision?"

"How much longer until Lin Feibai returns?"

"Traveling alone and pushing his horse hard, he can make it in three days."

"First, prepare to eliminate Xie Chunhe."

"That’s a minor matter."

Pei Wenxuan chuckled softly. "I’ll arrange the Winter Hunt affairs."

Li Rong acknowledged with a hum. As they exited the palace gates together, Pei Wenxuan bowed respectfully. "Your Highness, I shall take my leave now."

Li Rong nodded. Pei Wenxuan couldn’t help but glance at her once more. Seeing that she didn’t ask him to stay, he felt a twinge of regret.

Currently, their relationship appeared to the outside world as Li Rong clinging to him. Although Li Ming might harbor suspicions about him after the incident with Consort Rou, appearances still had to be maintained. Perhaps Li Ming wasn’t as clever as he seemed?

Thus, since Li Rong didn’t ask him to stay, he couldn’t linger. After bowing, he feigned indifference and returned to his carriage.

But just as he boarded the carriage and sat down, he turned and saw Li Rong clambering up into the carriage.

Pei Wenxuan was momentarily stunned. Li Rong sat down beside him, raising an eyebrow with a playful smile. "What? Can’t I sit here?"

Pei Wenxuan regained his composure, suppressing a smile as he patted his thigh. "Come, sit here."

Li Rong gracefully pivoted and settled onto Pei Wenxuan’s lap, wrapping an arm around his neck. She called out to the driver, "Let’s go. I’ll escort Lord Pei for a while."

Pei Wenxuan sat upright and proper, while Li Rong seemed boneless. The driver dared not look inside, hesitating as he asked, "My lord?"

"Proceed," Pei Wenxuan’s voice came from within the carriage, tinged with coolness. "Obey Her Highness."

The driver assumed Pei Wenxuan was helpless, casting a somewhat pitying glance his way before driving the carriage toward the Pei residence.

As the carriage creaked into motion, Pei Wenxuan wrapped an arm around Li Rong’s waist and whispered, "I thought Your Highness was returning to your residence."

"You’re my precious darling," Li Rong leaned against Pei Wenxuan’s chest. "How could I bear to part with you?"

Pei Wenxuan smiled without replying, listening to Li Rong’s nonsense. After leaning against him for a while, Li Rong heard Pei Wenxuan ask, "Your Highness still hasn’t decided?"

"Pei Wenxuan."

Li Rong spoke softly. "If I kill Li Cheng and Father truly intends to execute me, Huajing will inevitably erupt in a military revolt. Chuan’er commands five thousand Feather Forest Guards. I have one thousand men from the Supervisory Department. The Shangguan Clan and you have four thousand. That’s only ten thousand in total. But Father’s Imperial Guard alone exceeds ten thousand. If Su Rongqing and Prince Ning join forces, do you think Chuan’er would be willing to protect me and confront Father?"

Pei Wenxuan remained silent, gently stroking Li Rong’s back.

"If he isn’t willing to risk his life for me, I will die."Li Rong lifted her head and looked at Pei Wenxuan. "I will die for a prince's throne, just like Consort Rou."

"Your Highness does not trust the Crown Prince."

Pei Wenxuan stated firmly. After a moment of thought, he spoke calmly, "If Your Highness wishes to kill Li Cheng, the Pei family has two thousand troops in the city, along with a thousand of our own household guards. I also have my private personnel spread throughout Huajing. If the Crown Prince abandons you, I will escort you out of the city. You can flee all the way to Qingzhou, where you have stationed troops. At that time, the struggle for the throne in Huajing will take precedence, and no one will pursue your whereabouts. If the Crown Prince wins, you can return. If he loses, abandon Qingzhou and cross the sea to Japan. That will ensure your safety."

Li Rong remained silent. Pei Wenxuan paused the hand that was stroking her back, then couldn't help but chuckle softly. "You don't trust me either."

"Pei Wenxuan," Li Rong's voice was slightly hoarse as she nestled in his embrace, "I'm sorry."

Pei Wenxuan took a deep breath, raised his hand, and held her tightly for a moment.

"It's not your fault. It's just that this world never taught you how to trust someone. It's alright," Pei Wenxuan kissed her gently. "If you're afraid, start by killing Xie Chunhe. Once Lin Feibai gains control of the Xie family, they can block Xiao Su from entering the capital. Qin Lin will pursue Xiao Su from behind, and you can join forces with the Shangguan Clan's army to enter Huajing. We'll proceed step by step."

"The cost is too great."

Li Rong closed her eyes. "Besides, if Su Rongqing joins forces with Father, and anything goes wrong in the northwest, we're finished."

"We must kill Li Cheng."

Li Rong's voice was calm. "But whenever I close my eyes, I think of my past life."

"In my past life, the last time I met Chuan'er, he invited me to play chess. He didn't say anything about me, nor did he ask how I was. He only mentioned that he had obtained a new elixir that could grant immortality. He asked me about the succession, about Li Ping."

"There was nothing in his eyes but chess pieces."

Li Rong opened her eyes, dazed. "Wenxuan, even though I hate Chuan'er and Mother—they are my family—deep down, I've always been afraid."

Li Rong's expression was calm, but Pei Wenxuan could see, beneath that composure, the pain she had hidden for years—unspoken, deceiving herself and others, a pain that made her tremble ever so slightly.

"They didn't love me that much, and I didn't love them that much either."

"My mother would let me die for Chuan'er."

"Everything I did for Chuan'er was for him, but also for myself."

"And Chuan'er..."

For a moment, confusion flickered in Li Rong's eyes. "If the him from my past life were to return, after I kill Li Cheng..."

"He would let me die."

Exchanging a sister and a mother for the stability of the grand scheme, for an agreement with his father, for the throne, for absolute control over the realm.

If the Li Chuan from her past life stood before her now—

Li Rong felt a chill in her heart—

He would let her die.

As this thought surfaced, Li Rong's hands and feet turned cold.

Pei Wenxuan quietly watched Li Rong. She forced a faint smile. "I'm sorry for letting you see such ugliness."

A family that was no family, a nation that was no nation.

Every person in this palace seemed like a monstrous beast, trapped in this arena.

"Your Highness," Pei Wenxuan held Li Rong's hand, "let's try."Li Rong looked up blankly at Pei Wenxuan. "What you fear is being betrayed. But if you never give anyone a chance to prove themselves, you will never know that there are people in this world who can give you trust."

"Try once," Pei Wenxuan said, looking at her with tenderness in his eyes. "I promise, nothing will happen to you."

He did not know what choice Li Chuan would make.

But as long as he lived.

Even if he had to use his body as a bridge and his bones as wheels, he would see her safely out of Huajing.

"We have already lived one lifetime, Rongrong," Pei Wenxuan pulled her into his embrace. "I don’t want you to live another life filled with despair, like the last one."