The Princess Royal

"Sir, реrhарs уоu shоuld rest for а mоmеnt."

Lightning flаshеd across thе skу, acсompаniеd bу hеаvу rain, illuminating twо figures clinging to the cliff faсе.

Zhaо Chоngjiu аnd Реi Wenхuаn wеrе аlreаdy soakеd thrоugh by thе downpour. Вoth werе tied with hemр rореs аnd саrried pасks on thеir bасks cоntaining еssеntial lifesаving hеrbs, bandаges, fire startеrs, and other suррliеs.

Aftеr arranging all nесеssarу mаttеrs аnd оrdеring pеоplе to еnter the mоuntains frоm оutsidе to rеасh thе bottom of thе cliff, Pei Wenxuаn had someоne prеpаrе hemр ropes and insisted on descending the cliff himself.

Taking the stable route around the perimeter from the Drill Ground to the bottom of the cliff would require at least a full night. However, if they climbed directly down the cliff face without stopping, they could reach the bottom in less than two hours. But because there were no ropes long enough, they had to tie multiple ropes together to lower themselves down. This method was extremely dangerous—if anything went wrong with the ropes, or if the climber slipped and fell beyond the rope's capacity, disaster would strike.

Yet Pei Wenxuan did not trust anyone else to descend the cliff. He feared they might not be diligent enough, not alert enough, or that there might be traitors among them. At this critical moment of life and death, Pei Wenxuan could not entrust Li Rong's safety to anyone else.

Thus, accompanied by Zhao Chongjiu, he began his descent.

They climbed down from the cliff top. Though the bottom was invisible in the darkness, as Pei Wenxuan's hands gripped the rocks and his feet found purchase on the cliff face, feeling the night wind howl past and hearing the sound of falling stones disappearing into the abyss, he felt an inexplicable sense of calm.

He was walking the path Li Rong had taken. If Li Rong had reached the end of her life, then he too was walking this same desperate road.

He had started his descent after nightfall, maintaining a steady and controlled pace. From beginning to end, he did not utter a single word, as if he had stripped away all emotion, meticulously calculating each step—where to place his foot next, when to release his grip.

Halfway down, his hands were already covered in wounds from the sharp stones, the skin long since broken.

But his expression remained unchanged. Though Zhao Chongjiu could see nothing amiss in his demeanor, he could not help but remind him, "Sir, you could rest for a moment."

"I am fine," Pei Wenxuan repeated. "I am unharmed. Continue."

With that, he lowered his foot to the next rock.

Just as he stepped onto it, the rock gave way under his weight, crumbling apart. His body slid straight down the cliff face, sharp stones tearing through his clothes and scraping fiery wounds into his skin. The rope rapidly descended, startling the men above, who quickly grabbed hold of it together. Zhao Chongjiu could not help but shout, "Sir!"

Pei Wenxuan said nothing. As he fell swiftly, he observed the entire cliff face like a wolf, then suddenly reached out and seized a protruding point he had already noted, steadying himself. Once stable, he calmly looked up, his composure utterly unlike that of a first-time climber. "I am unharmed. Continue."

He would not die here.

With Li Rong's fate unknown, he absolutely would not die here.

As Pei Wenxuan continued his descent along the cliff, inside the cave, the flash of lightning illuminated Su Rongqing's face.

Li Rong looked at him. She said nothing, her expression unchanged, as if this were something she had long accepted, understood, and acknowledged—an utterly ordinary matter.

"What is the reason?"

Li Rong spoke, her voice hoarse. "Chuan'er... should not have killed me."

She had supported Li Chuan his entire life.She was his sister, the closest person to him by blood after their parents had passed away.

Even if he feared her power had grown too great, he should not have directly resorted to such a ruthless killing.

"In the twenty-fifth year of Dexu, Your Highness was traveling abroad and happened to meet an alchemist rumored to possess extraordinary skills. After numerous inquiries and repeated visits to the mountain to extend invitations, Your Highness finally persuaded the alchemist to descend and recommended him to His Majesty."

Su Rongqing spoke softly, and Li Rong slowly widened her eyes.

"In the twenty-eighth year of Dexu, His Majesty began to frequently feel unwell and launched a thorough investigation of the palace, which ultimately came to nothing. Not long after, the alchemist Your Highness had recommended died from falling into a lake while drunk."

"Was that alchemist problematic?"

"That alchemist," Su Rongqing pressed his lips together, "was carefully selected by the noble families, orchestrated entirely by Shangguan Ya, and deliberately guided so that Your Highness would encounter him by chance."

"So, Chuan'er thought I wanted to kill him?"

Li Rong found it somewhat laughable: "Why didn't he just ask me? Ask..."

"If that alchemist had truly been deliberately placed by Your Highness beside His Majesty, would Your Highness have admitted it?"

Su Rongqing countered, leaving Li Rong speechless.

Su Rongqing was right.

Whether she truly intended to kill Li Chuan or not, Li Chuan could never have gotten the truth from her. If he couldn't get an answer, why bother asking?

"What happened next?"

Li Rong controlled her emotions: "Since it was discovered at the time, why didn't he directly investigate and punish me? If the person I sent was problematic and he wanted to hold me accountable, he could have taken action."

"How could he have taken action?"

Su Rongqing retorted directly: "At that time, you were the Princess Regent representing the noble families, the Princess Regent holding significant power. If he had wanted to move against you openly, how much confidence did he have?"

"So?"

"So he chose to poison you. You visited the palace every seven days to play chess with him, and the chess pieces were coated with Fragrant Beauty. Over time, it seeped deep into your bones and organs. That is why, after the twenty-eighth year of Dexu, your health has always been poor."

"From that time on, you knew." Li Rong looked at Su Rongqing. "You knew I was poisoned."

"Yes," Su Rongqing lowered his eyes. "I placed the antidote in sachets and had everyone wear them to slow the effects of the poison."

"Why didn't you save me?"

The question hung in the air as if it could not be answered, followed by a long silence.

"Speak."

Li Rong clenched her fist: "At this point, what else is there that cannot be said?"

"It was Shangguan Ya and I who made the decision together."

Su Rongqing's voice trembled slightly as he spoke: "In truth, we both knew that in your heart, the noble families were never the most important. Once conflict arose between us and Li Chuan, you would immediately switch sides. So we decided to wait and see. With the antidote to Fragrant Beauty in hand, we could detoxify you at any time, and killing you would have been just as easy."

"What happened next? Who ultimately decided to kill me?"

"Later, Li Chuan's illness grew increasingly severe. On the morning of the day you died, Li Chuan vomited blood incessantly in the palace and summoned Pei Wenxuan to draft his final edict. After Pei Wenxuan received the edict, Li Chuan asked him a question."

"He asked Pei Wenxuan what he would do if, after his death, you were to rebel."

"Pei Wenxuan told him that you were his sister and would never do such a thing."

As these words were spoken, Li Rong stared fixedly at him, tears finally rolling down her cheeks.

Su Rongqing paused, and Li Rong only said, "Continue.""Thus, Li Chuan knew that Pei Wenxuan would never kill you. Because in his heart, you would never betray."

"After Pei Wenxuan left, Li Chuan fell into a coma. Before losing consciousness, he issued a death order demanding your poisoning. Upon learning of his coma, Shangguan Ya immediately sealed the palace, preventing anyone from entering or leaving, and then informed me that this was the best opportunity."

"What opportunity?" Li Rong couldn't help but laugh.

Su Rongqing also smiled: "The opportunity to seize control of the Princess's Manor."

"So, Pei Wenxuan came to me because he had obtained the imperial edict and wanted to speak with me one last time. At that time, you still didn't know about the palace lockdown. As before, worried that Pei Wenxuan might be used by Li Chuan, you carried the antidote for the Fragrant Beauty poison and gave him the scented pouch. Later, when you received Shangguan Ya's message, you could have neutralized the poison Li Chuan gave me, but instead chose to stand by and do nothing."

"Yes."

Su Rongqing did not deny it. Li Rong nodded, showing understanding: "But I still don't understand why Li Chuan waited until the last moment to kill me. He could have done it earlier. Why delay until the end?"

"Because in His Majesty's heart, the entire court and imperial court were merely a game of chess. His greatest responsibility in life was to maintain the balance of the board."

"In those years, when the noble families were flourishing, His Majesty used ruthless tactics, executing over half of the Shangguan clan, even ordering the death of his own maternal uncle with his own words. He also exterminated the entire Su Clan to intimidate the hundred families. In truth, at that time, the noble families had already secretly formed alliances with the intent to rebel. It was only when His Majesty suddenly announced his retreat to the palace to cultivate immortality and seek enlightenment, and Your Highness became the Regent Princess, that the noble families were appeased and decided to endure. This was actually His Majesty's method of maintaining balance."

"Later, His Majesty secretly elevated Pei Wenxuan. With Pei Wenxuan and Qin Lin, one civil and one military, supporting the commoner faction, they formed a counterbalance against Your Highness. So, Your Highness, think: if His Majesty were to die, would this balance still exist?"

"Why wouldn't it?" Li Rong did not understand. "Pei Wenxuan, as the leader of the commoner faction..."

"But what if you wanted to kill him?"

Su Rongqing interrupted Li Rong. She looked bewildered, and Su Rongqing smiled bitterly: "Your Highness, after thirty years, what were Pei Wenxuan's feelings for you? Wasn't it clear when he told His Majesty, 'You are His Majesty's elder sister, you would never rebel'? He has been your political opponent for so many years, yet in the end, he never once thought you would betray."

"Pei Wenxuan would not kill you, and behind you, there is me and Shangguan Ya. If you wanted to kill him, it would be all too easy."

"In Li Chuan's mind, the one balancing you was never Pei Wenxuan—it was himself. If he died and you remained alive, the game would become unbalanced."

"Leaving Pei Wenxuan and Qin Lin to assist Li Ping in opposing the noble families led by the Crown Prince, only after a bloody struggle would the board regain balance. The next ruler would then not face the same constraints from any faction upon ascending the throne as he did."

"If you lived, as long as you took action to kill Pei Wenxuan, the commoner faction would lose all ability to resist. And you, as the Regent Princess, with power reaching such heights, the new ruler would not tolerate you, nor would you tolerate a new ruler who would restrain you."

"So, Your Highness," Su Rongqing's eyes held pity, "in truth, whether that alchemist existed or not, you and Li Chuan were destined for a fatal outcome. It was only a matter of sooner or later."

Li Rong was speechless.

Every word Su Rongqing said was, in fact, correct.Blinded by greed, she had tolerated Li Chuan back then because he was her brother. If it had been Li Ping or Li Xin who ascended the throne and defied her like Li Chuan did, she didn’t know how long she could have endured.

Li Chuan hadn’t misjudged her either. If he died, taking her away to prevent her from obstructing the next new ruler was the right decision.

Accustomed to high positions, with nothing else to hold onto, she could only cling tightly to power.

Looking back now, others had changed beyond recognition, but was she any different?

The alchemist was the trigger for Li Chuan’s distrust of her, but if Li Chuan were still the seventeen-year-old Li Chuan, he would have stormed to her doorstep long ago to demand an explanation.

But the forty-eight-year-old Li Chuan was already a monarch who trusted no one and was willing to sacrifice anyone.

Understanding this, Li Rong couldn’t help but laugh. She lowered her head and asked, “So, is everything you’re doing now for revenge?”

“Your Highness,” Su Rongqing smiled bitterly, “the events of the previous life—starting over in a new lifetime, what is there to talk about revenge for? Rongqing simply feels that even if given another chance, Li Chuan would repeat the same mistakes.”

“Li Chuan is grandiose, reckless, and stubborn. He cannot tolerate the noble families, nor can he tolerate Your Highness in the future. Your Highness is not a woman content to be confined to the inner palace. A nation cannot have two rulers. Once Li Chuan ascends the throne, the day will inevitably come when you two will turn against each other with swords drawn.”

“I know Your Highness believes that if we do better in this life, we can change something. But how can we do better? In the previous life, were we not good to Li Chuan? After he was deposed by Li Ming and became a fallen crown prince, it was the noble families who rallied the military forces of a hundred clans to place him on the throne. And what happened afterward?”

“As soon as he ascended, he insisted on the Northern Campaign. The ministers opposed it, but he stubbornly proceeded. The campaign failed, the treasury was depleted, and when floods struck the south, there was no silver for disaster relief, leading to corpses littering the land and widespread suffering among the people.”

“He blamed the noble families for this, pushing reforms without regard for reality, which sparked uprisings everywhere and plunged the land into war.”

“Later, to elevate the common-born officials, he exclusively favored Consort Qin in the harem, suppressed ministers from noble families in the court, killed his uncle, imprisoned his mother, confined the Empress Dowager to a detached palace, and fabricated false charges to frame my Su Clan. In the end, for the sake of power, he didn’t even spare you.”

“Your Highness, what more can you change?”

Su Rongqing stared at her, questioning, “He is not inherently cruel, merely naive, incompetent, and autocratic. When he becomes emperor, will you accompany him in the Northern Campaign or in his reforms? Great Xia has been plagued by accumulated problems for a century. Whether it’s rashly launching the Northern Campaign or hastily implementing reforms, both are reckless actions. If Your Highness does not indulge his folly and tries to dissuade him, you couldn’t persuade him in the previous life—how could you succeed in this one?”

“In the end, it will be the same as the previous life,” Su Rongqing asserted firmly. “He will resent you for restraining him at every turn, and eventually, siblings will turn their swords against each other.”

“Since this outcome is inevitable, how can I stand by and watch him ascend the throne?”

“So,” Li Rong tried to push aside everything Su Rongqing had criticized. She didn’t want to hear it, didn’t want to think about it. Restraining her emotions, she continued to ask, “From the very beginning, when you returned, you had already made up your mind to depose him.”"Yes." Having spoken this far, Su Rongqing made no attempt to conceal anything. "From the very beginning, I intended to depose him. My original plan was to do nothing, just like in the previous life—wait until His Majesty deposed Li Chuan, then prevent the noble families from accepting Pei Wenxuan's persuasion, convince my father to accept Li Cheng's ascension to the throne. Li Cheng is only eleven now, Xiao Su is weak and incompetent, and Consort Rou is greedy and shortsighted. Once Li Cheng takes the throne, we can strip him of power and use him as a puppet. When he has an heir, we can kill him and install the young emperor. By then, I will be in control and welcome Your Highness back to the capital."

"Then why did you approach me and pretend to side with the Crown Prince?"

"Firstly, to get close to Your Highness. In this life, Your Highness has changed too much and needs to be observed. Secondly, if necessary, I am willing to act as an insider to help bring down Li Chuan."

"If Li Chuan was the one who ordered my death in the previous life, and you are also his enemy, why didn't you tell me earlier? Why did you admit it when I asked if you were the murderer?"

Su Rongqing remained silent. Li Rong smiled mockingly. "Could it be you were afraid I would be heartbroken?"

"In Your Highness's life, Li Chuan is your only family. Whether I tell you or not, Your Highness would never raise a hand against him. So why say more?"

"If I succeed, let Your Highness hate me. If I fail, it will not damage the bond between you and your brother."

After hearing this, Li Rong was not surprised. She fell silent. Faint voices could be heard from outside. Su Rongqing looked toward the cave entrance and spoke calmly, "Does Your Highness have any more questions?"

Li Rong remained silent. She sat on the ground, quietly watching the flickering flames before her.

She seemed calm, as if nothing she had just heard had reached her ears. But Su Rongqing knew that beneath such extreme composure lay profound pain.

After staring at the flames for a long time, Li Rong finally spoke softly, "Chuan'er doesn't trust me. He believes I would kill him and his child for power. But why don't you and Aya trust me either?" As she spoke, she turned her gaze to him, examining him calmly. "To watch me die with your own eyes and then seize power?"

"Does Your Highness truly wish to know the answer to this question?"

Su Rongqing leaned against the wall, watching as the fire crackled with a soft pop, sending sparks upward.

They faintly heard calls in the distance, as if from another world, crossing mountains and rivers to reach them.

Hearing Su Rongqing's response, Li Rong answered hoarsely, "Tell me."

"Because," Su Rongqing spoke with difficulty, "Li Xin is not Li Chuan's child."

At these words, Li Rong froze in disbelief, staring at Su Rongqing. Su Rongqing lowered his gaze, looking at the pure black shadow on the ground.

"Shangguan Ya was once in love with my elder brother, but her family forbade it and forced her into the palace to become the Crown Princess. My elder brother decided never to marry for her sake. Later, Li Chuan fell in love with Qin Zhenzhen. He disliked Shangguan Ya, so he discussed with her that they would only maintain a facade of marriage. But Shangguan Ya entered the palace for the sake of the Shangguan family. Becoming Empress was to secure the Crown Prince's position. She could remain a widow for life, but she could not allow herself to be childless while doing so."

"So?" Li Rong felt her stomach churning.

"So Shangguan Ya sought out my elder brother and conceived Li Xin in time."

Li Rong said nothing.

She felt as if someone had plunged her head into water, waves of nausea, disgust, and dread surging up within her.Everything now had its reason.

Why did Su Ronghua go to kill Qin Zhenzhen? Because Su Ronghua wanted to protect his child and Shangguan Ya.

Why did Li Chuan ultimately humiliate the Su Clan with castration? Because he had long known about the affair between Su Ronghua and Shangguan Ya.

Why did Su Rongqing finally ally with Shangguan Ya, and why did he decide to watch her die even when Li Chuan was on the brink of death, when she stood on the side of the noble families, and when he still loved her—because he wanted to preserve the last bloodline of his elder brother.

With her dead and Pei Wenxuan dead, given the methods of Su Rongqing and Shangguan Ya, the throne was almost within Li Xin’s grasp.

It was too disgusting.

Too vile.

These ugly human hearts and interests intertwined, turning the previous life into a foul-smelling spiderweb that ensnared everyone tightly.

Fathers were not fathers, siblings were not siblings, husbands and wives were not husbands and wives, friends were not friends.

Everything in the previous life was a thoroughly rotten swamp, filled with disgusting pus. At first, it seemed to contain only decaying leaves and branches, but when the accumulated filth on the surface was cleared away, it revealed even more hideous human bones beneath. The flesh and blood had boiled into a thick slurry, bubbling and reeking of foulness.

Li Rong felt countless memories flash before her eyes, drowning her in them. She could hardly breathe, almost unable to move.

She couldn’t help but close her eyes and laugh. She wanted to say something, but in the end, she could say nothing. She could only shake her head with a light laugh and point at Su Rongqing.

"Good," she praised sincerely. "Very good."

As she spoke, Li Rong’s laughter grew louder. "A ruler without affection for kin, a queen without loyalty to human ethics, a minister who rebels against authority and betrays righteousness, treating human lives as pawns and oneself as a chess piece—Su Rongqing," Li Rong clapped her hands with a laugh, "you truly have the audacity. You are a step ahead in this game. I admire you."

Su Rongqing knelt before Li Rong. Hearing her mockery, his face paled slightly, but he maintained his usual calm demeanor, his voice hoarse as he continued, "These words should not have been spoken to Your Highness. Now that they have been laid bare, I dare to ask—"

"You have already wasted one lifetime for Li Chuan. Must you waste this one as well?"

Su Rongqing scrutinized Li Rong. "Huajing has no room for Your Highness’s sentiment. Why not choose a different path? Either join forces with me to support Li Cheng’s ascension to the throne, then control the emperor to command the nobles; or leave with Pei Wenxuan? Whatever you choose, as long as Your Highness does not fight desperately for Li Chuan, you will enjoy wealth and honor, a life free from worry. Why wade into this muddy water?"

"Wealth and honor, a life free from worry?" Li Rong found these words amusing. She smiled as she studied Su Rongqing. "Actually, you deliberately withheld this from me until now, revealing the truth only to drive a wedge between me and Li Chuan, didn’t you?"

Su Rongqing listened to her words, his gaze fixed on her. He seemed to want to explain, but in the end, he only parted his lips slightly and said nothing.Li Rong lifted her head and took a deep breath, then looked up at the phantom image on the cave wall. Patting her own thigh, she sighed with emotion: "You watched me seize power and did so much to plan for Li Chuan. To accompany me in this act, Li Chuan offended many noble families. You never told me, all to wait until I was in power before revealing it, creating a rift between me and Li Chuan. That would, in effect, strip Li Chuan of his greatest support." Li Rong turned her gaze to Su Rongqing, her expression filled with admiration as she cupped her hands in salute. "Minister Su’s foresight and extraordinary intellect are beyond ordinary people’s reach."

Su Rongqing did not speak. His eyes held a trace of pain as he looked at Li Rong, yet he still asked hoarsely, "If Your Highness wishes to think of it that way, so be it. May I ask what Your Highness decides?"

Li Rong remained silent, staring at Su Rongqing without blinking.

At this moment, she wished she could tear him apart, wished he had stayed forever in her twenty-ninth year, died in prison.

"You should have died," she said softly. "Back then, I should never have saved you."

Hearing this, Su Rongqing gave a soft laugh.

"Your Highness is right," he said sincerely, his eyes tinged with sorrow. "Back then, you should not have saved me."