The Princess Royal

Неаring Li Rоng's wоrds, Jing Lаn hеsitated: "Yоur Нighnеss, уоur foot is still injured..."

"Тhаt's why I askеd you tо рrераrе the cаrriage."

Li Rong gave her а рush, urging quicklу: "Go nоw."

Sееing Li Rоng's firm resоlvе, Jing Lаn nо lоnger hеsitated and quiсklу had sоmeone рrepаre the саrriаgе. Li Rоng thеn hurriеdly left thе rеsidenсе with hеr through thе baсk gаte.

Onсе inside thе carriagе, Li Rong pondеrеd hоw she wоuld explаin this mаttеr to Реi Wеnхuаn аfter rеsсuing Su Rongqing lаter.

Shе no longеr wantеd tо hеlp Li Сhuаn.

In truth, whаt Su Rоngqing said wasn't wrong. Givеn Li Chuan's temperаment, no mattеr how manу times thеу tried, аs long as he became emperor, conflicts between them were inevitable. Sooner or later, it would come down to life and death. Why should she risk her life for him now?

Rather than supporting Li Chuan, it would be better to prop up that fake thing, Li Cheng. Li Chuan owed her a life, and in this lifetime, he should repay her.

In her previous life, she had been a fool who toiled for him her entire life. In this life, aside from Pei Wenxuan, she didn't want to trust anyone.

She was mentally rehearsing her explanations when, before the carriage had traveled far, she heard the coachman urgently call out "Whoa!" and forcefully bring the carriage to a halt.

Li Rong stumbled forward but was steadied by Jing Mei. Regaining her composure, she lowered her voice: "What happened?"

"Your Highness," the coachman's tone carried hesitation, "it's... Lord Pei."

Hearing this, Li Rong was quite surprised. Moments later, Pei Wenxuan's steady voice came from outside the carriage: "Your Highness, the night is cold and the dew heavy. It is not suitable for travel. Please return."

His tone was gentle, no different from usual.

Yet this very gentleness made Li Rong suddenly realize that Pei Wenxuan knew everything.

When he said he was going out, perhaps he had been waiting here for her all along.

She sat in the carriage, silent for a long time before speaking slowly: "Have your people bring him. I have words to say to him."

This "him" needed no explanation; both knew who it referred to.

"The Su Clan has already dispatched men," Pei Wenxuan replied respectfully. "My men informed me upon noticing Your Highness's people nearby, and I have already ordered them all to return. You need not worry about his life or death."

"I am not worried about his life or death," Li Rong knew Pei Wenxuan was trying to stop her and explained coldly. "I want to see him."

Pei Wenxuan remained silent for a long time. Just as Li Rong almost thought he would relent, he suddenly spoke: "Go back."

As soon as the words fell, Li Rong heard the sound of swords being drawn outside. She never imagined Pei Wenxuan's men would dare draw blades against her. Sitting inside the carriage, she let out a low laugh: "Pei Wenxuan, what do you mean by this?"

"Your Highness will not see Su Rongqing today," Pei Wenxuan's voice was faint. "And you will not see Su Rongqing until the Crown Prince ascends the throne."

"The Crown Prince ascends the throne?"

Hearing this, Li Rong felt as if she had heard a huge joke.

"Fine," she responded. "Let's go back. I suppose Lord Pei has many questions for me and many things to say to me."

They had not even traveled half the length of an alley, so returning was easy.

Once the two entered the room, Li Rong couldn't wait and immediately turned to ask: "What do you want?"

"It should be me asking, what does Your Highness want?"

Pei Wenxuan stood guard by the double doors, his hands tucked into his sleeves.

No lamps were lit in the room. Only the faint, dappled light filtering through the window allowed a glimpse of Pei Wenxuan's face in the darkness.His expression was cold, reminiscent of the countless arguments they had in their previous life over that Prime Minister Pei. Seeing Pei Wenxuan like this made Li Rong's heart ache.

She turned away, sat down in her seat, and tilted her head to pour herself tea, masking all her emotions. "I know you're Chuan'er's close friend, and you've always supported him. So today, let's speak openly and honestly." Li Rong filled her teacup, and the room fell into silence. After a long while, she finally spoke, "I don't want to help Li Chuan anymore."

Pei Wenxuan remained silent. Li Rong relayed Su Rongqing's words to him.

"Cui Qinghe is Su Rongqing's man. He’s likely already met with misfortune. Qin Lin’s fifty thousand troops can’t be relied upon, which means the total forces we can use amount to no more than sixty thousand at most."

"Su Rongqing has raised a double for Li Cheng. Whether the real Li Cheng is dead or alive, Prince Su will live on. If we ally with Su Rongqing and help a fake Prince Su ascend the throne, to protect his secret, this Li Cheng will inevitably cede much of his power to us. In time, we’ll kill him and select another young emperor."

"This way, we’d essentially turn from allies to enemies with Father and Su Rongqing. The Shangguan Clan is only after power and benefits, so they’re not beyond being won over. The only sacrifice in the end..."

"...would be the Crown Prince."

Pei Wenxuan finished Li Rong’s sentence. Standing in the darkness, he watched her intently. Li Rong couldn’t bring herself to speak of Li Chuan’s death; her throat tightened painfully. After a long pause, she forced herself to sound calm. "Chuan'er is a capable child with his own ideas. If he ascends the throne, he might be difficult to control."

"Did Su Rongqing tell you this?"

Pei Wenxuan’s voice was low. Li Rong nodded. "Yes. In reality, betting on Li Chuan now is less advantageous than betting on Li Cheng. Li Cheng needs to rely on others, but Li Chuan is different. As long as he’s willing to abandon me and Mother, abandon the Shangguan Clan, he can gain the support of other noble families and Father, smoothly ascending the throne."

"Wenxuan," Li Rong looked up at him, a faint smile on her face, "right now, both Li Chuan and I are making choices. He’s choosing whether to abandon me, and I’m choosing whether to abandon him."

"And you chose to abandon him," Pei Wenxuan stated calmly, emphasizing, "before he abandoned you."

There was no particular tone in his voice.

Yet, for some reason, Li Rong felt as if she had been slapped hard across the face.

If anyone else had said this, she might not have cared. After all, those people had long since abandoned her.

Her father, mother, brother, friends, lovers—when it came to power or her, none of them had ever chosen her.

And Pei Wenxuan was the only one who had persisted to the end, the one who had always believed in her.

Yet he was telling her she was wrong.

She stared at the figure in the shadows, her tone tinged with mockery. "You blame me too?"

His words made Pei Wenxuan’s breath catch. To Li Rong, that pause felt like a heavy hammer crashing down, pounding relentlessly against her heart.

She couldn’t help but stand up, glaring fiercely at Pei Wenxuan. "You also think I shouldn’t have done this?"

"I shouldn’t strive for the power I want?" She raised a hand to her chest. "I shouldn’t abandon Li Chuan? I should throw myself into fire and water for him, sacrifice my life for him, give everything for him, and not ask for anything in return—is that it?"Her voice grew hoarse by the end, nearly breaking. Pei Wenxuan watched Li Rong before him, so utterly distraught, staring at him as if accusing fairness, accusing the heavens.

"But why should I!"

"I already married you, a man from a humble background, for his sake back then! I exhausted myself for him for thirty years! I gave him my entire life—can't I live for myself this time?"

Pei Wenxuan remained silent.

He stood there for a long while before asking in a raspy voice, "So, marrying me was a disgrace?"

Li Rong did not answer. She clenched her fists, holding back tears.

Pei Wenxuan stood in the shadows like a divine statue—aloof, transcendent, his every question resembling a heavenly inquisition.

"Exhausting yourself for him for thirty years, becoming the Regent Princess for him—was that suffering?"

"In your heart, the life you gave for us—was it worthless, is that it?"

Hearing Pei Wenxuan's questions, Li Rong laughed.

"Yes."

She answered without hesitation, but before Pei Wenxuan could speak, she added, "But it's not that the life given for you was worthless—it's that the life given for them was worthless."

"But what has the Crown Prince done to wrong you?" Pei Wenxuan's tone betrayed no emotion. "Just because he can't give you power now? Because in the previous life, he killed Su Rongqing's entire family?"

"But he didn't just kill Su Rongqing's family!"

"Then who else did he kill?" Pei Wenxuan blurted out, but as soon as the words left his mouth, he froze.

A flash of lightning streaked across the night sky, instantly illuminating the entire room and allowing him to see Li Rong's face, already drenched in tears.

"And me."

Li Rong's voice was soft, mingling with the rumbling thunder. Pei Wenxuan's eyes widened in shock. Seeing his expression, Li Rong couldn't help but laugh. "And me—his own elder sister, the Regent Princess, Li Rong."

"Are you happy now? Is that enough?"

"I misjudged people, invited wolves into my home, was betrayed by all."

"Everyone I gave my all to betrayed me. Everyone I loved hated me. I lived my whole life like a joke. Now I'm telling you—you see, you know, are you satisfied?"

Pei Wenxuan was speechless. Li Rong was like a hedgehog completely skinned alive, trembling in pain yet still baring her fangs to drive away anyone who approached.

Li Rong looked at Pei Wenxuan, still in shock, and turned away in shame.

She knew she had lost her composure. She took a deep breath.

"Pei Wenxuan, I thought you were the only one I could trust to the very end."

Her tone carried a hint of irrepressible disappointment. "It seems now, it's nothing more than this."

"If you think Li Chuan is more suitable to be emperor, go help him. But I won't help him again in this life."

"I've helped enough."

With that, Li Rong turned and walked toward the bed. Watching her retreating figure, Pei Wenxuan finally snapped back to reality and hurriedly said, "I don't want to help him—I'm afraid you'll regret it."

Li Rong stopped in her tracks, her back still turned to him.

"I have no regrets. I've thought it through very clearly."

Tears continued to stream down her face, but she stubbornly spoke, "In the previous life, he owed me a life. He killed me for power. Now it's time for him to repay it."

"What about Shangguan Ya?" Pei Wenxuan couldn't help but ask urgently. "The Shangguan family won't abandon the Crown Prince. If you oppose Li Chuan, you'll be opposing her—and your mother.""So what? My mother only cares about the Shangguan family and Chuan'er. Shangguan Ya could watch me die for power. Not taking action is already my mercy—what more do you want from me?"

Listening to Li Rong's words, Pei Wenxuan suddenly had a terrifying conjecture. He couldn't help but lower his voice, testing the waters: "So, in your previous life, who exactly killed you?"

After these words were spoken, a deathly silence seemed to hang between the two of them.

As if waiting for centuries, Pei Wenxuan finally heard Li Rong's voice drifting through the room.

"Li Chuan," Li Rong said hoarsely, "feared I would pose a threat to him and the new emperor, so he poisoned the chess pieces we played with."

"Shangguan Ya," Li Rong closed her eyes, "had an affair with Su Ronghua and bore his child. Afraid I would find out, she colluded with Su Rongqing to keep me from discovering I was poisoned."

"Su Rongqing," Li Rong laughed, "personally handed me that bowl of poison and watched me drink it."

Hearing Li Rong's words, Pei Wenxuan instantly understood the source of her breakdown.

No matter one's age or how many storms they've weathered, when a person's familial love, friendship, romantic love—almost all emotions and all efforts—are utterly betrayed, no one can remain rational and elegant.

She had already done very well.

She hadn't let anyone see her vulnerability, her suffering. She had silently licked her wounds alone, just like in the carriage when she bit her hand in his embrace, refusing to cry out.

Pei Wenxuan looked at Li Rong not far away. She seemed utterly exhausted, her back appearing unusually slender, like a phantom in a dream that would scatter like smoke with a gust of wind.

"Pei Wenxuan," her tone calmed, "no one believes a princess cares about emotions. No one believes I would leave them a way out, so all of them together..."

Li Rong felt the words were too difficult to say, but the harder the path, the more she would walk it; the more self-wounding the words, the more she would speak them.

"Killed me."

"You don't need to say anything more to me," Li Rong wiped her tears and strode forward. "I have no family, no friends, and I can do without you too. All I need is to hold power in my hands. I don't care about anything else."

As she spoke, she climbed onto the bed and drew the bed curtains.

"Go find Li Chuan."

The bed curtains completely separated the two. Pei Wenxuan couldn't see the person inside, only hearing her muffled voice: "I don't want to see you. Leave."

Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan stood for a while, then after a moment, he walked to the bedside.

He hesitated before the bed for a while, then finally lifted the curtain.

Behind the curtain was Li Rong, sitting inside. She leaned against the wall, knees bent, holding herself like a child.

Sensing light filtering in, she looked up at him, her eyes cold as knives: "What else do you want?"

Pei Wenxuan gazed at Li Rong, then after a while, he suddenly smiled: "This humble official understands."

"Understand what?"

"This humble official should apologize to Your Highness."

"Unnecessary. Leave."

Li Rong clenched her fists, as if restraining herself. Pei Wenxuan pondered for a moment, then spoke softly: "This humble official did not mean to offend. I merely thought... Your Highness wished for me to stay."

"I don't."

Li Rong said decisively: "Go.""Then I wish to stay by Your Highness's side," Pei Wenxuan smiled helplessly. "I can't bear to be apart from you, is that acceptable?"

Li Rong fell silent. Pei Wenxuan raised his hand to tie back the bed curtains, elegantly removed his outer robe, and climbed into bed.

With Li Rong's tacit consent, he moved closer to her. After a long silence, Li Rong spoke softly, "You don't need to humble yourself. Just do what you need to do. It was my loss of composure, not your fault."

"How could it not be my fault?" Pei Wenxuan reached out and drew her into his arms, his voice gentle. "I was wrong today, blaming you without understanding the reasons. Please forgive me, my lady."

Hearing this, Li Rong felt inexplicably wronged, hugging herself without speaking. Pei Wenxuan chuckled softly, "But you can't blame me entirely. I thought my wife was about to run off with someone else—it was only natural for me to panic."

"Don't try to brush me off with irrelevant excuses," Li Rong wiped away her tears. "You just want me and Li Chuan to remain bound together so you won't be put in a difficult position."

"You're wronging me there. I haven't even given Li Chuan a second thought."

"Then why did you argue with me?" Li Rong shot him a cold glance, reminding him, "You even ordered your men to draw swords against mine."

"I..." Pei Wenxuan choked momentarily but sensed the softening in Li R\ong's tone. After a moment's thought, he spoke honestly, "I thought you had reached some agreement with Su Rongqing and were planning to leave with him."

Li Rong's expression turned mocking, clearly disbelieving. He straightened his expression and said, "Actually, when I smelled Xie Chunhe's sachet at the Drill Ground, I knew Su Rongqing wasn't the one who tried to kill you. But I didn't have time to tell you before you both fell off the cliff."

"What does that matter?" Li Rong didn't understand.

"Su Rongqing isn't the culprit, and he cares deeply for you. When you jumped, he followed without hesitation. You spent the night together in the cave, and ever since you emerged, I've been waiting for you to give me an explanation."

"But you said nothing. You cried alone, made decisions alone—as if I, your husband, didn't exist at all."

Listening to his words, Li Rong couldn't help but be taken aback.

Pei Wenxuan turned his head and smiled faintly. "I was bothered, but I didn't know what to do. Rongrong," his voice grew slightly hoarse, "I'm human too."

Being human means having joys and sorrows, losing composure due to emotions, and becoming unlike oneself out of fear.

Li Rong listened in silence. Thinking she didn't wish to continue, Pei Wenxuan was about to change the subject when he heard her speak. "I'm sorry." Li Rong lowered her voice. "I didn't consider enough."

"Not at all," Pei Wenxuan pursed his lips. "You've done more than enough. It's me who hasn't been considerate enough."

Hearing this, Li Rong couldn't help but laugh. She looked up at him. "What are we doing? A husband and wife self-reflection session?"

"What reflection?" Pei Wenxuan also laughed, looking at her with a touch of seriousness. "I'm apologizing to Your Highness."

"This isn't your fault either..."

"Not taking good care of you," Pei Wenxuan interrupted her, "is my fault."

"You're really too much," Li Rong's tone carried a hint of disdain.

"In our previous life, I didn't have the chance to stay by your side. In this life, I want to walk every path with you. If you're unwilling to rely on me, it means I haven't done well enough—I haven't made you feel secure."

"Li Rong," Pei Wenxuan turned to look at her, "don't always be alone anymore, all right?"

Li Rong said nothing.She didn't know why, but hearing these words made her feel as if all the accumulated pain within her had finally found a riverbed, a place to flow.

Suddenly, she understood those married couples she never comprehended before—why they bickered and quarreled yet always stayed together. Because a life walked hand in hand, compared to a life walked alone, held an entirely different understanding of storms.

Li Rong lowered her head and smiled, her voice low and hoarse: "Why not? Just don’t find me annoying."

"Then I also hope Your Highness won’t find me annoying."

"That won’t happen."

Seeing Li Rong’s expression improve, Pei Wenxuan didn’t linger further and went straight to the point: "Enough, let’s talk business. Tell me everything Su Rongqing said to you. Let me see if he deceived you."

Hearing this, Li Rong knew Pei Wenxuan was aware of many things she didn’t know. She couldn’t help but smile: "Whether he deceived me or not, I don’t know. But that you deceived me—that I do know."

Pei Wenxuan felt momentarily awkward. Seeing him at a loss, Li Rong laughed and gently leaned her head against his shoulder. After gathering her thoughts for a while, she recounted everything Su Rongqing had told her to Pei Wenxuan.

When she first heard these words, they had brought her pain and disgust. Perhaps because she had recalled them many times, or perhaps because Pei Wenxuan was with her, speaking of them now didn’t evoke such extreme emotions. There was just a slight heaviness in her heart, a touch of bitterness, and an indescribable sorrow.

"So, Your Highness, do you think they were wrong and want revenge?"

After listening to her, Pei Wenxuan spoke calmly. Li Rong remained silent for a long time before smiling: "No."

"It’s not them who were wrong. It’s me."

"It was me, as the eldest princess, who didn’t do well enough. In the palace, everyone has their own desires. Since I had already stepped into the court, yet still acted like a child, thinking only of emotions in everything—that was my mistake."

"I should have realized long ago: which emperor could tolerate an eldest princess who could depose his son at any moment? I should have understood long ago that in the face of power, all emotions are insignificant. They weren’t wrong. I was."

"Where did Your Highness go wrong?"

Li Rong didn’t speak. After a long while, she smiled: "Since childhood, the Empress has told me: born into the royal family, one must prioritize power, not fantasize about emotions. Learn to restrain desires, not love anyone, not expect to be loved by anyone. Interests never betray; rules are what endure. Only this way can one survive and live well. I’ve always said this, always thought I acted this way. But in truth, among all of them, I was the most indecisive, the one who most longed for emotions."

"Wanting power yet unable to let go of emotions—that was my mistake."

"So in this lifetime," Pei Wenxuan gazed at Li Rong, and she looked steadily back at him, "I will live for myself. I won’t lose again."

Pei Wenxuan thought for a moment, then lowered his head and laughed.

"What are you laughing at?"

Li Rong frowned. Pei Wenxuan thought for a while, then looked up at her: "I was just thinking—does the kind of person the Empress described, who cares only about power, truly exist?"

"Others may not," Li Rong pursed her lips, "but I can."

"Your Highness," Pei Wenxuan sighed, "why don’t I tell you the story of our previous life?"

Li Rong turned to look at him. Pei Wenxuan smiled lightly: "Perhaps you’ll have a different perspective."While Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan were conversing in the Princess's Manor, distant thunder rumbled.

Su Rongqing listened to the thunder, slowly opening his eyes in the dark night.

He remembered being pursued relentlessly, leaping into a river, and later encountering Su Ronghua leading a group. Just as Su Ronghua had come to his aid, he had collapsed from exhaustion halfway.

Now he lay on a soft bed, likely having already returned to the Su residence.

He was deep in thought when a creaking sound came from the door beside him. Turning his head, he heard a familiar voice from the doorway: "Awake?"

Su Rongqing looked up to see a young man in jade-colored robes gracefully entering. He observed him, his usual frivolity gone, replaced by a gaze that was serious yet inquisitive.

"Elder Brother."

Su Rongqing's voice was hoarse. Su Ronghua walked to the table, poured a cup of water, and brought it over, offering it to him.

"Have a drink," Su Ronghua said calmly. "After you finish, I have a few questions for you."

Su Rongqing stared at the cup before him. After a long while, he finally reached out, took the cup in his hand, and drank the tea as if nothing had happened.

Su Ronghua sat nearby, watching him intently, and spoke slowly: "Was this assassination planned by you in collaboration with Hua Le and Consort Rou?"

"Yes," Su Rongqing replied, finishing the water and placing the cup on the table beside him. Su Ronghua continued, "When did you join forces with Consort Rou?"

Hearing this, Su Rongqing fell silent for a long time. He was not surprised that Su Ronghua knew these details, nor did he intend to hide anything. So he answered honestly: "When Princess Pingle established the Supervisory Department."

Upon hearing this, Su Ronghua closed his eyes. He took a moment to compose himself before finally speaking: "Do you still remember the family precepts?"

"I do."

"What is the first one?"

"Members of the Su Clan shall not involve themselves in the struggle for the throne."

Each word felt heavy as Su Rongqing uttered them. Su Ronghua slowly opened his eyes: "You colluded with Consort Rou. Do I need to tell you what should be done?"

Su Rongqing remained silent. Su Ronghua stood up: "I will report this matter to Father. Await the outcome."

"Elder Brother," Su Rongqing called out to stop him, "won't you ask me why?"

"What Consort Rou has done is far beyond what our Su Clan can resolve. Whatever your reasons, you have already implicated the family. In the Hongde case, I protected you, but now, I can no longer do so."

"I have my reasons."

"Who among those who err does not have reasons?"

Su Ronghua lowered his gaze: "Rest well."

As Su Ronghua reached out to open the door, Su Rongqing called out again: "Elder Brother, let me tell you a story."

Su Ronghua paused by the door. After a long silence, Su Rongqing spoke softly: "I had a dream. It is the future of the Su Clan, and your future as well. Won't you listen?"

Hearing this, Su Ronghua turned back in shock, his gaze fixed on Su Rongqing. Su Rongqing stood up, walked calmly to the tea table, and knelt down.

He lit the charcoal in the small stove on the table, fetched water and poured it into a small pot, placing it over the fire. Then he looked up. Behind the sandalwood table, his hair was half-tied, dark locks cascading down his back. Dressed in white, he appeared as slender and upright as bamboo, kneeling with perfect posture.

He raised his hand, gesturing in an invitation, and spoke in a calm, elegant voice: "Elder Brother, please take a seat. Hear this story before making your decision."