Li Rоng sеnt thе swоrd tо Pei Wеnхuаn аnd thеn had someоnе carrу her arоund thе раlасe for а stroll. She hadn’t been walking in thе imрeriаl gardеn fоr lоng whеn she squаttеd dоwn tо fiddlе with a nеwly bloomеd сrabаpple flоwer. Just then, thе persоn shе hаd аssignеd tо Рei Wenхuаn hurried bасk, lеd befоre hеr, аnd respесtfully sаid, “Your Highness, thе matter is settlеd.”
Li Rоng nоdded, tоok a handkеrсhiеf from Jing Lаn, аnd rерliеd, “Yаng Quan rеаlly сouldn’t hоld back.”
If hе had асtеd a littlе lаtеr, hе might have lived а few more days. Вut Pei Wenхuan was thе kind of реrson whо, if he didn’t say something, he wouldn’t, but once he said it, he would definitely do it. Since he had said he would take Yang Quan’s life, he wouldn’t leave him with even a breath.
Thinking back to what the Yang family had done in her previous life, Li Rong also felt that keeping such people around was indeed a disaster.
In her previous life, the Yang family had desperately stirred up trouble at the border for a long time, causing Great Xia to lose five cities in a row. It wasn’t until five years after Li Chuan ascended the throne and launched a campaign against the Rong that the five cities were reclaimed.
Now, being able to quiet the Yang family earlier was a good thing.
She roughly guessed what Pei Wenxuan had done but was still curious about the specifics of how he had handled it. She wiped her hands clean with the handkerchief, stood up, and said to Jing Mei, “Go and announce first. I plan to go to the imperial study to speak with Father.”
Jing Mei acknowledged, and Li Rong, supported by Jing Lan, leisurely made her way to the imperial study.
When she arrived at the entrance of the imperial study, she saw Fulai waiting for her at the door, smiling as he said, “Your Highness, His Majesty is currently discussing matters with several ministers. Please wait here for a moment.”
Li Rong lightly tapped her palm with a small fan, nodded, and replied, “No matter. I’ll wait here for a while.”
“Shall this servant fetch a chair for Your Highness?” Fulai knew this princess was always favored and hurried to offer his services. Li Rong nodded and simply replied, “Good.”
Fulai called someone over to bring a stool for Li Rong, along with a small table set with tea and pastries. Li Rong had someone fetch a book, and she basked in the sun, sipping tea while waiting for Li Ming to summon her.
Not long after, a eunuch hurried over, leaned close to Fulai’s ear, and whispered something. Fulai’s expression changed drastically. After a moment of contemplation, he whispered, “Bring the person in first. I’ll go and report to His Majesty.”
After saying this, Fulai turned back into the imperial study. Li Rong pretended not to have heard anything and calmly turned a page of her book.
After some time, Li Rong saw Pei Wenxuan being led over. Pei Wenxuan kept his head down, seemingly somewhat flustered. The hem of his robe was stained with blood, making him look quite disheveled. The eunuch led him up the steps, and upon seeing her, Pei Wenxuan respectfully said, “Greetings, Your Highness.”
Hearing this, Li Rong looked up at him, gave him a once-over, and smiled. “I just saw Lord Pei leaving the palace. Why have you returned?” As she spoke, she half-opened her folding fan, covering half her face, and whispered, “Could it be that you missed me?”
Pei Wenxuan kept his head down, seemingly a little embarrassed by Li Rong’s words, but he remained composed as he said, “Your Highness, please don’t jest. This humble official wouldn’t dare to harbor such thoughts. It’s just that something happened on the way, so I hurried back to inform His Majesty.”
“Tsk.”Seeing Pei Wenxuan's demeanor, Li Rong couldn't help but show an expression of disdain. Having dealt with her for many years, Pei Wenxuan had long become immune to her sharp tongue. Not to mention a casual joke like this—even if she cracked a risqué joke right in front of him, Pei Wenxuan would likely remain unfazed and either respond in kind or, like one of those enlightened monks in a monastery, sternly admonish her with a "Preposterous!"
Of course, she understood Pei Wenxuan. After all, his life wasn't much different from that of a monk.
But now, Pei Wenxuan was putting on an act—not only pretending to be young but also feigning innocence—which truly disgusted her. She raised her fan to cover her face and ordered, "His Majesty is still in a meeting. Find him a stool to sit and wait."
After saying this, she put away her fan, picked up a book, and began reading on her own.
Pei Wenxuan glanced at the book she was reading—another one of those nonsensical storybooks. This hobby of hers had remained unchanged from youth till now.
She was indeed nostalgic.
A servant nearby served him tea, and the two sat as if strangers. Pei Wenxuan had just taken his seat when, moments later, Fulai emerged from inside and, looking at Pei Wenxuan, said, "Lord Pei, His Majesty summons you."
"Wait," Li Rong interrupted Fulai, "I've been sitting here for ages. Why is Father summoning him before me?"
"Your Highness," Fulai smiled bitterly, "Lord Pei has urgent matters."
"What urgent matters could he possibly have?" Li Rong looked surprised. "His... his affairs are all..."
Li Rong pointed at herself, leaving the words unspoken, but she stared at Fulai as if she wouldn't relent unless allowed inside.
Fulai wore a pained expression and was about to speak further when Li Ming's voice came from inside: "Summon them both in."
Fulai breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly invited both of them inside.
Li Rong glanced at Pei Wenxuan with a triumphant look, while Pei Wenxuan raised an eyebrow and let out a silent chuckle.
After entering the room and paying their respects to Li Ming, they realized that a group of important ministers was seated nearby. Li Ming seemed to be discussing something significant, with both the Left and Right Chancellors, the seven Ministers of the Six Ministries, and several influential figures from the Department of State Affairs all present. Seeing them, Li Rong immediately looked embarrassed and awkwardly said, "Father, perhaps I should return first?"
Hearing Li Rong's words, Li Ming couldn't help but laugh. "Weren't you quite bold when you arrived? Now that you're here, why leave? Rise," Li Ming gestured with his chin toward the side, "stand behind me."
Li Rong stood up somewhat sheepishly and obediently positioned herself behind Li Ming. Li Ming turned to Pei Wenxuan and said calmly, "Didn't you just leave the palace? Why have you returned?"
"Your Majesty," Pei Wenxuan's voice trembled slightly, "as soon as I left the palace, I was ambushed by Second Young Master Yang. In self-defense, I accidentally... I accidentally..."
With that, Pei Wenxuan kowtowed, the sound of his forehead hitting the floor echoing through the room, making Li Rong's scalp tingle just imagining the pain. Then, they heard Pei Wenxuan say, "Killed him!"
These words shocked everyone present. Left Chancellor Shangguan Xu exclaimed in alarm, "What did you say?! Whom did you kill?!"
"Yang..." Pei Wenxuan's voice trembled, as if his emotions were still unsettled, and he struggled to speak. "Yang...""Lord Shangguan," Right Chancellor Su Minzhi, seated nearby, leisurely spoke up, "this young gentleman is still quite young and has just suffered a great calamity. How can you frighten him like this and expect him to explain clearly? Young Master Pei," Su Minzhi turned to him, offering reassurance, "do not be afraid. Speak clearly—who did you kill?"
Pei Wenxuan did not answer. After a long while, he took a deep breath, looked up at Li Ming, and said, "Your Majesty, this humble official has killed the second son of the Yang family, Yang Quan."
The entire hall fell into silence. This time, Pei Wenxuan seemed to have resolved himself to die, recounting the entire incident fluently—from how he rescued the princess and clashed with Yang Quan, to his conversation with Yang Quan in front of the imperial study today, Yang Quan's threat to kill him, and then being ambushed by Yang Quan and his men on his way home, and finally how he killed Yang Quan.
After finishing his account, Pei Wenxuan lowered his voice and said, "This humble official knows full well that I am guilty today. Although it was Second Young Master Yang who first ambushed me, the Yang family has rendered great service to Great Xia, and with the war at hand, even if Second Young Master Yang sought my life, for the sake of the state, I should not have retaliated. But at the time, I had no time to think deeply and only sought a way to survive. Now that I have committed this heinous crime, Your Majesty..."
Pei Wenxuan choked up and bowed his head. "This humble official deserves to be cut into a thousand pieces, and death would not be enough to atone for my sins. I only beg Your Majesty to learn of this sooner, lest it lead to greater disaster."
Every word Pei Wenxuan spoke fell upon the ears of those present, filling them with dread.
Although Pei Wenxuan claimed he deserved to be cut into a thousand pieces, every word he uttered was a piercing accusation. Yang Quan was merely a son of the Yang family, yet he dared to abduct the princess and, out of jealousy, ambush and attempt to kill an official of the court. Any one of these charges was a capital offense.
However, Pei Wenxuan was right about one thing: the Yang family had long held military power at the border, accumulating immense prestige. Even if they had committed such acts, any punishment would require careful consideration.
Especially now, with the border in a critical state, if the Yang family were provoked and something went wrong, no one would dare take responsibility.
Thus, everyone present remained silent, not uttering a word. Li Ming appeared calm. He picked up his cup, took a sip of tea, and after a moment, said slowly, "What are you afraid of?"
Pei Wenxuan bowed his head, not daring to speak. Li Ming raised his cup and slammed it down, shouting angrily, "You are an official of the Great Xia court! If Yang Quan dared to assassinate you in broad daylight, you killed him, and that's that! What are you afraid of?!"
"Your Majesty..." Pei Wenxuan trembled as he spoke, "the border..."
"Does the Yang family dare to rebel?!" Li Ming roared in fury, then looked around at the assembled ministers. "I have already told you all that in this invasion by the Rong Kingdom, the Yang family's performance was utterly disgraceful, bringing shame upon Great Xia! Fifty thousand defenders couldn't hold off twenty thousand enemy troops! And now they dare to abduct the princess and assassinate officials in Huajing? Does the Yang family think I am dead?!"
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger."
Seeing Li Ming so enraged, everyone hurriedly knelt. Shangguan Xu quickly spoke up, attempting to placate him. "Your Majesty, victory and defeat are common in war. The Rong Kingdom's invasion was sudden, and the Yang family was caught off guard. The Yang family is still at the front lines. Handling this matter should—"
"Silence!"Li Ming picked up a book and hurled it, striking Shangguan Xu squarely in the face. Li Rong wore a flustered expression, glancing at Shangguan Xu, then at Li Ming, wanting to say something but not daring to speak. Li Ming panted heavily, glaring at those present. "This case, I am determined to see it through. The Yang family has insulted the imperial family to this extent. I will investigate them, thoroughly! Who will take charge of this case?!"
No one present dared to speak, each lost in their own calculations.
A centipede dies but never stiffens. Shangguan Xu speaking up for the Yang family was enough to show that the Shangguan Clan might still ally with the Yangs. In such a situation, the great noble families were unwilling to involve themselves in such a conflict.
Li Ming nodded. "Good, very good. You're all afraid of him. Pei Wenxuan," he turned and stared at Pei Wenxuan, "since you dared to kill the man, I ask you: if I entrust this case to you to investigate, do you dare?"
"Your Majesty!" Upon hearing this, the Minister of Works, Pei Liwen, who had remained silent until now, looked up anxiously. "Wenxuan is still young and inexperienced, he cannot handle—"
"Did I ask you?" Li Ming roared, silencing Pei Liwen. Beside him, the Chief Secretary of the Department of State Affairs, Pei Lixian, who had been kneeling all along, gave Pei Liwen a look and shook his head.
Pei Liwen dared not speak further. Li Ming fixed his gaze on Pei Wenxuan. "Speak."
Pei Wenxuan took a deep breath and straightened up. "Your servant is willing to share Your Majesty's burden!"
"Good," Li Ming said directly. "From today onward, you will go to the Censorate and serve as Supervisory Censor, working with the Ministry of Justice to specially investigate this case involving the Yang family."
"Your Majesty," Shangguan Xu could not help but interject, "Pei Wenxuan claims to be a victim in this matter. Having him lead the investigation may be inappropriate."
"Then will Lord Shangguan investigate?"
Li Ming retorted. Shangguan Xu fell silent for a moment, about to speak, when Li Rong's voice rang out. "How about this case being presided over by me, with Lord Pei assisting? What do you think?"
At these words, everyone looked over. Li Rong cleared her throat and spoke seriously. "This matter also originated with me. As a princess, investigating the Yang family is not inappropriate in terms of rank. Since none of you have a suitable candidate, I will oversee the investigation while Lord Pei handles the case. What do you all think?"
Once Li Rong spoke, everyone fell silent. Li Ming frowned, and Shangguan Xu also pondered.
Su Minzhi hesitated. "But the princess is also a victim in this case—"
"Then let Vice Minister Su oversee it?" Li Rong looked at Su Minzhi, who was taken aback. Li Rong continued directly, "I have long heard that Vice Minister Su is fair and upright. If the Left Minister is still uneasy, why not have Vice Minister Su preside over the case?"
"Your Highness jests," Su Minzhi hurriedly replied. "My son is young and cannot handle such a major case."
"So he will oversee it," Li Rong cut off Su Minzhi's words and looked directly at Shangguan Xu. "What does Uncle think?"
Shangguan Xu pursed his lips. He glanced at Li Rong, hesitated for a moment, and finally said, "Your servant believes what the princess says is not without reason."
Li Rong turned to Li Ming and blinked. "Father?"
Li Ming glanced at Shangguan Xu, knowing that if this continued, Shangguan Xu would likely recommend someone from his own side to investigate the case. Now that he was certain of the connection between the Shangguan family and the Yangs, it might become difficult to handle.
So Li Ming nodded and agreed. "There is no other way for now. Let it be as you say."
Then he straightened his expression. "Don't act recklessly.""Father, rest assured," Li Rong said with a smile, "I know what I'm doing."
Li Ming gradually calmed down. He glanced around the room, then comforted Shangguan Xu with a few words before dismissing everyone, leaving only Li Rong in the chamber.
After a long silence between father and daughter, Li Ming finally spoke: "What brings you to see your father so suddenly today?"
Li Rong lowered her gaze and said softly, "After being abducted last night, I should have come to you first to report the situation. Coming only now is already late."
Li Ming remained silent, noticing Li Rong's weary expression, as if burdened with many thoughts.
Li Ming could never quite grasp his daughter's stance. He had always doted on Li Rong, but her younger brother was the Crown Prince. Now that he and Li Chuan were at odds, he wasn't clear on how Li Rong truly felt.
Li Rong was clever, yet deeply sentimental. Li Ming had cherished her in the palm of his hand for many years, and genuine affection had grown. Unless it involved power struggles, he wished for this child's well-being.
He remained silent for a long while, ultimately refraining from asking directly and instead circling around: "You've met four candidates. Which one caught your eye?"
Li Rong said nothing. Li Ming hesitated, then slowly asked, "What do you think of Pei Wenxuan?"
Li Rong kept her head bowed, offering no reply. Li Ming looked up, somewhat impatient: "Answer me."
"Your daughter thinks he is a good person."
A good person—meaning everything else was lacking. Li Ming pondered briefly, then said slowly, "You only need to consider whether you like this person. Don't worry about the rest."
Upon hearing this, Li Rong's tears began to fall, pattering down as if she had suffered a grievous wrong.
Seeing her tears, Li Ming quickly asked, "Why are you crying?"
"Father," Li Rong sobbed, "I just feel... why can't our family simply get along..."
Li Ming understood her meaning, assuming the Empress had pressured Li Rong to speak favorably of Yang Quan. Though he and the Empress had many disputes, they had never involved this daughter. Now, with the marriage arrangement, a contest was unavoidable. Seeing Li Rong weeping so pitifully, his heart ached, and he finally said, "This matter... your mother and I are at fault. You needn't dwell on it. Just act as if you know nothing. Choose someone you like. Your father will always support you. You and Pei Wenxuan spent a night alone together. By convention, you are practically his now. He's a fine young man, handsome too. Marrying him won't do you any harm."
Li Rong nodded in agreement. Li Ming sighed: "Don't cry anymore. Compose yourself and think carefully about what I've said. Once Yang Quan's case is settled, I will arrange your marriage."
"Yes."
Li Rong steadied her voice, looked up, and said, "Your daughter will obey your wishes."
Li Ming comforted Li Rong for a while, then had her rise and called for Fulai to escort her out. Upon hearing Li Ming's order, Fulai smiled and said, "Where would this servant be needed for that? Lord Pei has been waiting outside for the princess for quite some time."
Hearing this, both Li Ming and Li Rong showed surprise. After a moment, Li Ming laughed: "That boy, daring to court my daughter right under my nose."
Despite his words, Li Ming urged, "Alright, go on now. Don't let this old man delay you young people."
Li Rong blushed with embarrassment, bowed, and withdrew.She made her way out of the Imperial Study and onto the long corridor, where she saw Pei Wenxuan waiting for her by the railing. He wore a deep blue robe with wide sleeves, embroidered with silver thread in swirling cloud patterns, and held a palace lantern in his hand as he gazed up at the bright moon in the sky.
Pei Wenxuan’s appearance had always carried an air of unapproachable elegance, but now, with the lantern in hand and the moonlight above, the wind gently lifting his robes, he seemed like an immortal descending from the moon palace, as if he might take flight with the breeze at any moment.
Fulai escorted Li Rong to the entrance and said respectfully, “Your Highness, this old servant will take his leave here. For the rest of the journey, may Minister Pei accompany you.”
Li Rong nodded lightly and said, “You may go.”
Fulai acknowledged and retreated. Hearing the sound, Pei Wenxuan turned around, giving her a once-over before lifting the lantern and walking toward her, stopping in front of her.
Tall and slender, he lowered his head to look at her carefully.
Seeing him scrutinize her so intently, Li Rong felt an inexplicable awkwardness and turned her face away, murmuring softly, “What are you looking at?”
“You’ve been crying.”
Pei Wenxuan nodded, stating his conclusion with a sigh. “Your Highness is still more sincere than this humble official.”
Hearing this, Li Rong felt a surge of irritation and sneered, “How could I compare to Minister Pei, who bends without breaking, wise and brave in equal measure?”
Killing one moment and weeping the next—such two-faced behavior, yet Pei Wenxuan navigated it with ease.
As they spoke, the attendants behind them dared not follow too closely, so the two walked side by side, half a step apart within the imperial palace. Pei Wenxuan spoke as they walked, “Let’s keep it brief.”
He then succinctly recounted his conversation with Li Ming and concluded, “Once Yang Quan’s matter is settled, His Majesty will shift the affairs of the northwest to the Crown Prince. If His Highness can handle this well, he need no longer worry about military authority.”
“And if he fails?” Li Rong tapped her small fan against her palm and said lightly, “Then he’ll be directly deposed, and being demoted to a commoner would be considered leniency. Pei Wenxuan,” she glanced at him sideways, a half-smile on her lips, “you dare to gamble on this? Your courage is truly remarkable.”
“If I weren’t bold,” Pei Wenxuan replied calmly to Li Rong’s words, “would I dare to marry you?”
“That’s true,” Li Rong nodded. “Marrying me is no easy feat—it’s quite perilous.”
“Marrying you isn’t the perilous part,” Pei Wenxuan retorted seriously. “It’s you—too fierce, too dangerous.”
“And yet you begged to marry me,” Li Rong glared at him before quickening her pace and walking ahead.
Pei Wenxuan sensed she was genuinely angry and, fearing she might lose her composure and do something reckless, refrained from retorting. He rubbed his nose and hurried after her, continuing, “Yes, yes, I begged to marry Your Highness. However, Your Highness,” the amusement in his voice faded, replaced by a touch of seriousness, “this humble official has a question I’d like to ask.”
“Speak!”
Li Rong spoke coldly. Pei Wenxuan chuckled softly, his gaze carrying a hint of scrutiny as he looked at her. “This humble official wishes to ask, what did Your Highness mean earlier in the Imperial Study when you requested Su Rongqing to oversee this case?”
Li Rong halted her steps. Pei Wenxuan, holding the palace lantern, turned to look at her. “How does Your Highness intend to oversee it? Will Minister Su be summoned to investigate the case day and night, following it closely, or will he be invited daily for discussions, meeting face-to-face each day to review the progress?”"Also," Pei Wenxuan seemed to recall something, pondering seriously, "does Your Highness think it might be somewhat inappropriate for me to be present during the investigation of this case? Perhaps it would be better if Your Highness and Minister Su handled it together?"
Li Rong remained silent. She lifted her gaze to Pei Wenxuan, who wore a faint smile. With an expressionless face, Li Rong spoke, "Pei Wenxuan."
"Hmm?" Pei Wenxuan raised an eyebrow. Li Rong said coldly, "Could you be any more pretentious?"
Pei Wenxuan's expression stiffened. Li Rong raised her hand, pinching a tiny space between her thumb and forefinger, and brought it close to his face. With utmost seriousness, she declared, "Take a good look. What is this?"
"What?" Pei Wenxuan frowned.
Li Rong, with a grave expression, spoke emphatically, "Your pettiness!"
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