The Princess Royal

"Тhis..." Li Rоng kерt him in suspensе, thеn smilеd. "Yоu'll knоw when the time соmes."

"You'rе keeрing this frоm mе tоо?"

Li Сhuan loоked rather disdainful. Li Rong sighed. "То tell уou thе truth, I'm nоt kееping it frоm уоu."

Аs shе spоke, Li Rong turned hеr hеad tо look out thе carriаge window аnd sаid саlmlу, "I simрlу don't know mуsеlf."

Aftеr аll, mаrriagе wasn't sоmеthing decidеd bу her аlone.

If Pеi Wenxuan didn't sреаk up, shе wouldn't either.

Shе didn't think mаrrуing a rеbоrn Реi Wеnхuan wаs а goоd thing. Thеre was tоo muсh еntаnglemеnt bеtwееn them, and being tоgether again would оnly mean mutuаl torment.

Рei Wеnхuan hаd his Qin Zhenzhen. With his capabilities, even if he didn't become the Imperial Son-in-Law, there might still be other possibilities. In this lifetime, he could choose another path to try—even if it was more difficult, perhaps it would still be better than marrying her.

As for her...

Li Rong slowly closed her eyes. There was no road she couldn't pave. Whether Pei Wenxuan was willing to help her or not, she had her own path to walk.

The carriage rocked gently as Li Rong dozed lightly inside. After what felt like a long time, she heard a eunuch's voice from outside, respectfully saying, "Greetings, Crown Prince, Your Highness."

Hearing this, Li Rong slowly opened her eyes. Li Chuan stepped forward to lift the curtain, revealing a beaming face.

The man wore the attire of a senior palace eunuch, appearing to be under forty years old. His large eyes and round face made him look particularly amiable. Li Rong recognized him—this was Shande, the chief eunuch serving her mother, the Empress.

Seeing Shande, Li Chuan asked curiously, "Eunuch Shande? Why are you waiting here?"

"Her Majesty the Empress heard that the Crown Prince was returning with the Princess, so she ordered this old servant to wait here specifically. Her Majesty said that since the Crown Prince was exhausted from traveling last night, he should rest first. This old servant is to escort Her Highness the Princess," Shande said, bowing to Li Rong, then turning to look at the carriage behind, "and Young Master Pei to Weiyang Palace to see Her Majesty."

"Pei Wenxuan?"

Li Chuan was surprised. "Mother wants to see him?"

Shande nodded with a smile. "Indeed, Her Majesty wishes to see Young Master Pei."

As he spoke, Shande stepped aside, revealing two sedan chairs. He addressed Li Rong, "The sedan chairs are ready, Your Highness. You may proceed."

Hearing this, Li Chuan glanced back at Li Rong. She nodded and extended her hand, placing it in Li Chuan's. Li Chuan helped Li Rong rise, and she was then assisted out of the carriage and onto the sedan chair.

Once seated, she looked back and saw Pei Wenxuan also boarding a sedan chair. She nodded to Li Chuan, and the sedan chairs were lifted. Li Rong held her golden fan, closed her eyes, and rested.

Not long after, the sedan chairs arrived at the entrance of Weiyang Palace. Shande lifted the curtain and said respectfully, "Your Highness, we have arrived."

Li Rong opened her eyes, extended her hand, and was helped out of the sedan chair. Then she looked up and saw the steps of Weiyang Palace.

Pei Wenxuan walked up behind her. Led by Shande, the two of them ascended the steps one after the other. Li Rong lowered her voice and whispered to Pei Wenxuan, "Lord Pei, have you thought some things through?"

Pei Wenxuan's eyelashes trembled slightly as he replied softly, "Not yet."

Li Rong chuckled lightly. "Then there isn't much time left for Lord Pei to think."As they spoke, the two arrived at the entrance of Weiyang Palace. Shande went inside to announce their arrival, while Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan stood one behind the other at the door, with palace attendants scattered around them. Li Rong spoke softly, "To be honest, I can't quite figure it out myself. Logically, pursuing profit should be enough, yet there’s always a sense of unwillingness in my heart."

For the two of them to marry again would naturally be the best outcome, the most beneficial for both sides.

But the moment they learned the other was also reborn, their calculations seemed to be bound by an invisible restraint, leaving them hesitant and uneasy.

Pei Wenxuan understood this feeling. He lowered his gaze and did not respond.

After a short while, Shande returned and respectfully said, "Your Highness, please."

"Come with me," Li Rong instructed Pei Wenxuan. Pei Wenxuan gave a soft "Mm," and the two entered the main hall together. When they reached the entrance to the inner chamber, Li Rong pointed with her golden fan and whispered, "Wait here. I’ll summon you when it’s time."

Pei Wenxuan respectfully acknowledged with a "Yes," and Li Rong walked inside.

Upon entering the inner chamber, Li Rong first saw a woman dressed in embroidered red phoenix silk robes, wearing golden nail guards, reclining on a small couch as if in a light slumber.

Li Rong approached and knelt respectfully, her voice gentle as she said, "Your daughter pays respects to Mother Empress. May Mother Empress live a thousand years, ten thousand years."

The Empress did not speak. Li Rong remained kneeling in silence. After a long while, the Empress slowly spoke, "I heard you were with Pei Wenxuan last night."

"Yes."

Li Rong answered without hesitation. The Empress opened her eyes and looked at Li Rong, her gaze scrutinizing as she said calmly, "What do you plan to do about your marriage?"

Li Rong smiled faintly, raising her eyes to meet the Empress’s gaze as she replied gently, "May I ask what Mother Empress thinks your daughter should do?"

"You have your own ideas."

The Empress stated firmly, but Li Rong countered, "Does Mother Empress not have any?"

The Empress fell silent. In this brief exchange, she keenly sensed a difference in Li Rong compared to before.

Although Li Rong had always been clever in the past, she had never spoken like this—like a court official who had long been engaged in political maneuvering, evading the main topic with each exchange.

The Empress pondered for a moment, then decided not to beat around the bush and spoke directly, "I intend to marry you to Yang Quan."

Li Rong did not respond. She had considered this possibility. Since the Yang family had visited two palaces last night, it was unlikely they had taken no action. After a moment of thought, she asked, "What did the Yang family promise you?"

The Empress was taken aback by Li Rong’s composure, finding it somewhat unfamiliar. But this was just as well—it saved her a great deal of trouble. She replied calmly, "Military authority."

"The Yang family still has military authority?"

Li Rong spoke mockingly, "Does Mother Empress not know what the late Emperor did to the Yang family?"

"I know," the Empress said coldly. "That’s why they are in a state of panic now. They came to the palace last night and said that if you marry Yang Quan, he will become the head of the Yang family and take over the main lineage..."

"How much of their main lineage is left after being wiped out on the battlefield!"

"We can rebuild it."

The Empress raised her voice, cutting off Li Rong’s words, and continued, "We have the people and the soldiers. As long as the Yang family remains in the northwest, their position is secure. With military provisions supplied, they can expand quickly. What’s the problem?"

"Mother Empress," Li Rong looked at the Empress in disbelief, lowering her voice to remind her, "You are pushing Chuan'er to his death!"

"It is your father who is pushing us to our deaths!"The Empress suddenly raised her voice, "Do you know why he's dismantling the Yang family? It's to put Li Chang's uncle in the position of the Northwestern Prince! He wants to give Li Chang military power! He's only ten years old! He's already been enfeoffed as a prince, and now he wants to give this mere child military power!"

Hearing this, Li Rong showed no surprise. Later, Consort Rou's brother, Zhao Ziguang, indeed became the Northwestern Zhenbei General. Li Ming would not dismantle the Yang family without reason.

He dismantled the Yang family for two reasons: first, because the Yang family had become too powerful and arrogant, overshadowing the emperor; second, because he needed to clear the position for someone he wanted to promote.

However, the downfall of the Yang family was inevitable sooner or later. Back then, the Yang family was thoroughly purged. Li Ming acted with swift and decisive measures, and the Empress had no idea how many pawns he had planted to bring down the Yang family.

Li Rong looked at the Empress calmly and said, "Mother, please calm down. I don't know what you've heard, but for now, Chuan'er is the Crown Prince. As long as we don't give His Majesty any grounds to fault him, His Majesty won't be able to touch him for the time being. If you make me marry Yang Quan, given that His Majesty has long targeted the Yang family, he has likely already gathered ample evidence. When the time comes, all these faults will fall on Chuan'er."

"So what?" the Empress said coldly, staring at her. "As long as we can secure military power, what does it matter if Chuan'er makes mistakes?"

Li Rong raised her eyes and fixed her gaze on the Empress.

The Empress stared back at her. Between mother and daughter, it felt as though a silent battlefield had already been drawn.

Li Rong knew that when Li Chang was enfeoffed as a prince earlier, it had already been a great humiliation to the Empress. Now, with Li Ming intending to grant Li Chang military power, it posed a direct threat to Li Chuan.

In fact, in the past, Li Chuan had nearly been deposed precisely because of the issue of military power.

In her previous life, she had married Pei Wenxuan. At the time of the arranged marriage, the Empress had not been involved and only learned of it after the arrangement was made. In that life, the Yang family did not know they had the possibility of forming a marriage alliance and had not been pushed to the brink, willing to hand over all their military power to the Empress. Without such a great temptation, the Empress had asked her to endure and marry Pei Wenxuan.

When she told her to marry Pei Wenxuan, she said that a woman must have power. So, at that time, Li Rong thought it wasn't that her mother had abandoned her to her fate but that she had been powerless.

In this life, her marriage was entangled with the Yang family's military power, and the Empress had the opportunity to intervene. Thus, she immediately decided to have her marry Yang Quan.

Li Rong quietly looked at the Empress. Somehow, she suddenly asked, "Has Mother ever thought of me?"

Hearing this, the Empress was taken aback.

Having asked the question, Li Rong felt no regret. She knelt on the ground, straightened her back, and gazed calmly at the woman in splendid robes and a golden crown seated high above. "Mother has been talking about military power and the Crown Prince's position. May I ask, in this marriage arrangement, has Mother ever thought of her daughter, even for a moment?"

Hearing Li Rong's accusation, the Empress snapped back to reality. Her lips trembled, and she opened her mouth, finally saying, "We have no choice."

"Aren't we choosing right now?" Li Rong said earnestly. "I've already spent a night with Pei Wenxuan. Mother knows I do have a choice."

"So you want to choose that pretty boy who can give you nothing, is that it?!"

"It's not that he can give me nothing," Li Rong said clearly. "His status can give me stability. He just can't give Your Majesty military power like the Yang family can."She did not call her "Mother Empress," she called her "Your Majesty." The Empress clenched her fists, listening as Li Rong looked at her calmly and said, "In Your Majesty's heart, my marriage is merely a bargaining chip, and I am just a pawn. There is no need to care about the pawn's joys or sorrows, whom she likes or dislikes, nor whether she lives well or not. Since Mother Empress thinks this way," Li Rong looked at the Empress and couldn't help but laugh, "why not make it clear earlier? Your daughter is not a daughter—she is merely a sharp blade in the hands of Empress..."

Before she could finish, a loud slap resounded across Li Rong's face.

The sound was so sharp that it suddenly struck Pei Wenxuan's heart.

Pei Wenxuan stood outside the door. The two inside seemed to have completely forgotten his presence. He clearly heard their conversation—this was a Li Rong he had never seen before.

In his memory, Li Rong was always lofty, surrounded by admirers, untouchable by anyone in the world, forever arrogant and domineering.

He despised her arrogance and disliked her fierceness. Yet at this moment, when he heard that sudden slap, it felt as though it had struck his own heart.

His hands tucked into his sleeves, he listened as the Empress's voice trembled with tears: "How can you say such things? How have I treated you before? Do you have no heart? Just because I ask you for help once, you speak to me like this?"

No, not just once.

Pei Wenxuan closed his eyes. He knew all too well what Li Rong cared about at this moment.

In Li Rong's heart, a relationship must be pure, clear, and unmistakable—she must know exactly what she possesses.

It wasn't that she couldn't tolerate ambiguity; it was that she couldn't tolerate impurities.

Just like back then, when she asked him, "Why didn't you say it earlier?" It wasn't that she couldn't tolerate Qin Zhenzhen—it was that she couldn't tolerate the fact that she thought they were husband and wife, yet he had gone and provoked Qin Zhenzhen.

He felt a tightness in his chest. Then he heard Li Rong say calmly, "Mother Empress, then I ask you this one thing."

With that, Li Rong stood up: "Whatever difficulties you have, tell me, and I will resolve them. But this time, you must be my mother, not the Empress."

The Empress stared blankly at Li Rong. As Li Rong stood, she was already as tall as her. Li Rong looked at her quietly: "You are blinded by jealousy now. In time, you will understand—the Yang family must not be involved. Chuan'er should have military power, but not from the Yangs. I will arrange it later. As for my marriage, it can be a bargaining chip, but it should hold greater value."

"I don't need you to do anything, Mother Empress. You are not suited to be a politician. Leave these matters to me and Chuan'er. You only need to do one thing."

She stared at the Empress, her expression shifting slightly. The Empress looked at her blankly. Li Rong gazed at this woman who already showed signs of aging and spoke in a low, hoarse voice: "Just be a good mother."

With that, she turned and walked toward the palace exit.

The Empress stared blankly at Li Rong. As she reached the door, the Empress suddenly laughed: "Am I not a good mother?"

"I taught you, I accompanied you, I gave you and Chuan'er more love than any other consort in this harem! Now I just want to survive—Chuan'er must survive!"

Li Rong, with her back turned, said coldly, "What are the Yangs threatening you with?"

"They plan to rebel..." The Empress closed her eyes in pain. "If they rebel, they will claim Chuan'er is the mastermind.""Your father has been searching for Chuan'er's weaknesses. If the Yang family names Chuan'er as the mastermind behind the rebellion, His Majesty will not pass up this opportunity!"

Li Rong remained silent, standing quietly for a moment before saying, "Don't worry, I'll handle it. If you wish to summon Pei Wenxuan, go ahead. I'll go find Chuan'er first."

With that, Li Rong walked out.

As she reached the doorway, she saw Pei Wenxuan, who had been standing there for quite some time.

Pei Wenxuan stood with his hands tucked into his sleeves, gazing calmly at her. His clear, handsome eyes held an indescribable emotion.

Looking at Li Rong before him, he felt she was both familiar and distant.

The person before him was still the same proud phoenix from his memories of their previous life—always composed, always calm, always steady. Even if Mount Tai were to collapse before her eyes, her expression would not change.

Yet he also sensed something different about her. He faintly glimpsed a trace of softness and tenderness deep within her heart, and he vaguely touched upon that innocence within her that had not faded even after fifty years of trials.

At this moment, she was like a butterfly caught in a spider's web, struggling fiercely, revealing a breathtaking beauty in her desperate fluttering.

Both of them were like solitary cranes forced into a desperate situation, their feet mired in mud, straining to lift their heads and gaze at the azure sky.

They looked at each other in silence. In that instant, fifty years seemed to intertwine in their eyes. After a long while, Pei Wenxuan chuckled softly.

"Does Your Highness think we should go through with this marriage once more?"

Hearing Pei Wenxuan's question, Li Rong knew he had come to understand. She couldn't help but smile. "Is Lord Pei pitying me?"

"Your Highness's predicament has its own solutions. There is no need for me to pity you," Pei Wenxuan said calmly. "It's just that I suddenly feel the person before me may be quite different from the one I knew. Starting over as if meeting anew might not be such a bad thing."

"Lord Pei speaks wisely," Li Rong said, looking into his clear, handsome eyes. The sincerity and steadiness in his gaze gradually calmed her anxious heart. She nodded. "Then let's proceed."

"In that case, I cannot tolerate Your Highness's 'guest advisors,'" Pei Wenxuan said with a smile, as if joking. Li Rong raised an eyebrow. "And do you think I can tolerate Lord Pei's beloved?"

The two looked at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter.

Pei Wenxuan brushed his sleeves and said calmly, "It seems Your Highness and I have reached an agreement. For now, let us settle this marriage and endure each other for a while. In a couple of years, once we hold great power, we can divorce. Then we can settle old scores and grievances. What does the Princess think?"

"Very well," Li Rong said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear with a sigh. "We'll make do for now. However, to marry me," she turned and glanced at the Empress, who was still standing dazed in the inner chamber, a faint smile on her lips, "depends on Lord Pei's abilities. If Lord Pei lacks the capability, this Princess will not stoop to marry."

Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan smiled calmly, clasped his hands before him, and bowed to Li Rong. "Rest assured, Princess. I, Pei, will bring Yang Quan's head as a betrothal gift," he said, lifting his head with a serious expression. "To welcome the Princess's phoenix carriage."

Author's Note: 【Mini Theater 1】

Yang Quan: A scholar would rather die than be humiliated! Pei Wenxuan, you scoundrel, you can't use me to curry favor with your wife!!

Pei Wenxuan: In my heart, there isn't much difference between you and a wild goose.

【Mini Theater 2】Onlookers: Pei Wenxuan is poor, powerless, and has no martial arts skills—just a low-ranking eighth-grade official. I want to see how he plans to kill Yang Quan!

Pei Wenxuan: Time to show what real skill looks like.

【Mini Theater 3】

Li Rong: I never thought you were this handsome before. How did you suddenly become so cool?

Pei Wenxuan: That’s one of my strengths.

Li Rong: What strength?

Pei Wenxuan: I don’t unleash my charm on anyone except my wife.

Li Rong: So…

Pei Wenxuan: You’ll soon be Mrs. Pei. Please go home and get ready. I’ll bring Yang Quan’s head over right away—oh, wait, I mean, I’ll bring the betrothal geese.