Реi Wеnхuаn lookеd аt Li Rоng fоr а long time without sреaking. Li Rong сouldn't helр but lаugh, "Yоu'rе аlwаys so tаlkative. Why not offer а fеw cоmments?"
Реi Wеnхuan hеld his соurt tаblеt with both hаnds, letting them hang nаturаlly in frоnt of him. He lоwered his hеad and сhuсklеd sоftlу. Li Rоng rаised an еуebrоw, "Whаt аre уou lаughing аt?"
"Your Highnеss," Рei Wеnxuan smiled аs he lookеd аt hеr, "aftеr all these уеаrs, yоu'rе still аs аdоrаble аs еver."
Li Rоng was sоmewhat bеwilderеd. Just thеn, а eunuсh's vоiсе echoеd through the great hall, аnnouncing, "Summoning Рrincess Рing Le аnd Рei Wеnxuan to enter the hall—"
Upon hearing the summons, both immediately composed themselves. After exchanging a glance, they entered the hall one after the other.
In the great hall, Ning Fei and Yang Quan's father, Yang Lie, the head of the Yang family, knelt on the ground. Li Ming sat on the high throne, watching as the two entered. Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan walked forward without glancing sideways, kneeling beside Ning Fei and paying their respects to Li Ming.
"Ping Le," Li Ming allowed the two to rise, speaking calmly, "I previously tasked you with presiding over the Yang family case. How has your investigation progressed?"
Li Rong dared not answer Li Ming's question too thoroughly. Being too thorough or clever might arouse his suspicion. So Li Rong smiled lightly and coughed, "This matter was handled with the assistance of Lord Pei. He is eloquent, while I am not. Let Lord Pei explain."
"Pei Wenxuan."
"Your servant is here."
Pei Wenxuan stepped forward. Li Ming looked at the young official who had come forth and said slowly, "Some time ago, you were accused of murdering the wealthy merchant Tuoba Yan. Recently, this Tuoba Yan has come back to life and filed a complaint at the Shuntian Prefecture, claiming that the Yang family sent people to hunt him down. Are you aware of this?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty," Pei Wenxuan replied respectfully, "please allow your servant to explain this matter in detail."
"Speak."
"Two months ago, Princess Ping Le held a spring banquet at her suburban villa. Yang Quan wished to marry Her Highness, so he arranged an ambush on her way back to the palace, intending to play the hero saving the beauty to deceive Her Highness. On my way back to my residence, I noticed Yang Quan's intentions. To save the princess, I confronted Yang Quan, and later, I was rescued by the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince brought both Her Highness and me into the palace. When I met with Your Majesty, Your Majesty, taking pity on my fright, specially sent guards to escort me back to my residence. Unexpectedly, Yang Quan, resentful that I had ruined his plans, grew bold enough to set up an ambush to assassinate me on my way back. In a moment of desperation, I accidentally killed the Second Young Master Yang."
"Upon learning of Yang Quan's audacious actions, Your Majesty specially appointed Princess Ping Le as the chief investigator, with your servant assisting and Vice Minister Su supervising, to jointly investigate the Yang family thoroughly. We accepted the order. After I established the case and began investigating, someone secretly sent me a letter exposing the Yang family's actions in the northwest, stating that for many years, the Yang family has been colluding with the enemy and betraying the nation."
"You're talking nonsense!"
Upon hearing this, Yang Lie roared at Pei Wenxuan. Pei Wenxuan remained expressionless. Li Rong stood to the side, smiling as she fanned herself, watching Pei Wenxuan continue calmly, "According to this person, Rong State is harsh and cold, and to this day, their weapons are mostly made of bronze—nothing more than a small barbarian state. It is the Yang family, to secure their own position, who made an agreement with Rong State. Every autumn, Rong State would send troops to invade. The Yang family would request troops and provisions, and after obtaining them, they would split them equally with Rong State, pretending to wage war while actually putting on a show. Over the years, all the reports of victories, big and small, were merely Rong State taking money and cooperating with the Yang family in their act..."
"You insolent brat!"Yang Lie stood up in agitation. Seeing his movement, Li Rong tightened her grip on the golden fan in her hand and sharply commanded, "Kneel!"
Her stern shout was forceful and resonant, startling Yang Lie into a moment of clarity. Gritting his teeth, he knelt back down. Pei Wenxuan glanced at him indifferently and continued, "This is merely one side of the story, but since such rumors exist, I naturally had to investigate. I heard that in Huajing, there was a foreign merchant named Tuoba Yan who had purchased numerous artifacts from the Yang family on multiple occasions. Therefore, I requested permission from the princess to investigate this Tuoba Yan. Upon arriving at his residence, I secretly obtained the account books recording his transactions with the Yang family. Over the years, the Yang family had received substantial sums of money from Tuoba Yan alone. The antiques Tuoba Yan purchased from the Yang family were sold at prices far exceeding their normal value, clearly indicating that these were not ordinary transactions. Following this lead, I cross-referenced with the Ministry of War, verifying all account records and interrogating every relevant individual."
"This matter may have reached Ning Fei's ears," Pei Wenxuan said, turning to look at Ning Fei, who knelt on the ground, her expression unchanged. He then turned back and continued, "To eliminate evidence, they killed Tuoba Yan and framed me and Princess Ping Le. Meanwhile, upon learning that his family members were being held captive, Yang Lie plotted to kill the frontline commander at the time and then submitted his resignation to threaten Your Majesty."
"Your Majesty," Pei Wenxuan raised his head, his expression solemn, "the account books from the northwestern front over the past ten years, the Ministry of War's records, and Tuoba Yan's account books have all been cross-checked. The timing and amounts of money transferred from Tuoba Yan to the Yang family align perfectly with the records from the Ministry of War and the frontline accounts. Combined with the testimonies of Tuoba Yan and others, this is sufficient proof that the Yang family has been embezzling funds at the border for years."
"How could they have amassed such wealth? Recent reports from the frontline indicate that the Rong forces wielded a large number of Great Xia's weapons during their attacks. All this evidence together confirms that the informant's claims were indeed true."
"The Yang family's actions constitute deception of the sovereign, violation of the law, harm to the nation and its people, disrespect toward the emperor, and disregard for the populace. They have colluded with the enemy to betray Great Xia. Your Majesty," Pei Wenxuan knelt and kowtowed, "such grave crimes cannot be tolerated. The Yang family must not be spared!"
After Pei Wenxuan finished speaking, the entire court was stunned. Everyone stared blankly at the kneeling Yang Lie and Ning Fei. After a long silence, Li Ming spoke, "Yang Lie, do you have anything to say?"
Yang Lie knelt on the ground, lowered his head, pondered for a moment, and then sneered, "Whatever Your Majesty says is the truth."
"Ning Fei," Li Ming turned to Ning Fei and said calmly, "what about you?"
Upon hearing Li Ming's words, Ning Fei placed her hands on her knees and stood up gracefully.
"At this point, what is the meaning of Your Majesty's questions?"
Ning Fei raised her head and looked at Li Ming. "Whatever crimes the Yang family has committed, are they not all according to Your Majesty's will? When Your Majesty needed the Yang family, they fought on the border for half their lives. Now that Your Majesty finds the Yang family an obstacle and wishes to support Prince Su, they are accused of colluding with the enemy, betraying the nation, deceiving the sovereign, and violating the law. Ha..." Ning Fei laughed, "How laughable, utterly laughable!"
"Yang Wan!"
Li Ming shouted sharply, "You are insolent!""How dare I be presumptuous?!" Consort Ning raised her hand to point at Li Ming, her voice sharp and piercing. "Your Li family has driven me to this point, and you still won't allow me to be presumptuous?! I tell you all," Consort Ning turned her head, looking toward the court officials, "what has befallen my Yang family today will be your fate tomorrow..."
"Guards," Li Ming ordered coldly, "drag this madwoman out."
As soon as he spoke, soldiers rushed forward to seize Consort Ning.
Consort Ning came from a military family and struggled fiercely, making it difficult to drag her away immediately. Pushing aside the soldiers' grasp, she lunged toward Li Rong: "Li Rong, you fool! He has long wanted to depose Li Chuan! None of the men he arranged for your marriage are any good! He wishes he could marry you off to a foreign land, let you die outside, and yet you still respect and love him... May your Li family meet a wretched end! A wretched end!"
The soldiers pulled at Consort Ning, but she seemed to fight with all her might, straining toward Li Rong.
Pei Wenxuan subtly positioned himself in front of Li Rong. Li Rong watched Consort Ning calmly, her expression as still as death. Consort Ning roared and screamed until, at the very moment she pulled a golden hairpin from her hair, Li Ming shouted, "Kill her!"
A blade suddenly pierced Consort Ning's body. In that instant, Pei Wenxuan instinctively raised his hand to shield Li Rong's eyes.
Blood splattered onto Pei Wenxuan's sleeve, which he held before Li Rong. Li Rong held a golden fan, lowered her gaze, and remained unmoved.
From her line of sight, she could see Consort Ning's blood spreading across the hall floor, seeping all the way to her feet.
Then she heard the sound of someone dragging Consort Ning away. Suddenly, she spoke: "Wait."
Everyone looked at her as she used her golden fan to lower Pei Wenxuan's hand shielding her eyes. Gazing at Consort Ning being dragged out like a pig or dog, she said calmly, "Noble families and the imperial house must not be humiliated. Bring a stretcher and white cloth, and carry her out with dignity."
With that, she removed her outer robe, walked to Consort Ning, and draped it over her body.
Shortly after, people from outside brought a stretcher, placed Consort Ning on it, covered her with white cloth, and carried her away respectfully.
Pei Wenxuan walked to Li Rong's side and looked at Yang Lie, saying simply, "General Yang, do you admit your guilt?"
Yang Lie raised his head. With clouded eyes, he gazed quietly at Li Rong for a long time before finally bowing deeply and speaking in a low, hoarse voice, "Your subject admits his guilt."
These words, "Your subject admits his guilt," announced the complete downfall of the Yang family.
After a moment of composure, Li Ming spoke wearily, "Take him away. Hand over the remaining matters to the Ministry of Justice. The entire Yang clan is to be imprisoned. In consideration of their ancestors' contributions to the court, grant them whole corpses and bestow poison."
"Your subject..." Yang Lie trembled as he spoke, "thanks Your Majesty."
After Yang Lie accepted his punishment, he was led away. Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan also withdrew. At the doorway, Yang Lie stumbled, and Pei Wenxuan reached out to steady him. Yang Lie lifted his head, gazing quietly at this young man who had brought his entire clan to ruin.
"Do you know what you are doing?" he asked hoarsely. "Young man, being a blade is not so easy."
Pei Wenxuan's expression remained calm. He looked up at Yang Lie and said, "Then does General Yang know what he himself has been doing?"
Yang Lie seemed not to fully understand. Pei Wenxuan helped him walk out and said lightly, "I have read the poems General Yang wrote in his youth. General Yang once wrote, 'On a white horse leading troops, blades point north, sweeping through the heavenly pass to repay the nation's grace.' Do you remember, General?"Yang Lie looked dazed for a moment before letting out a bitter smile. "So there are still people who know about these things."
"If you had ambitions in your youth, why not continue pursuing them?"
Pei Wenxuan raised his eyes to look at him. Yang Lie shook his head. "One person alone cannot clean out a muddy swamp."
"Officials shield one another, relationships are tangled and complex. As a young master from a noble family, you should understand these principles better than I do. Young ambitions may soar high, but in the end, you will always find that the words of elders are often right."
Yang Lie gave a light smile and reached out to pat Pei Wenxuan on the shoulder.
"Lord Pei, you may see me off here."
With that, Yang Lie turned around. His hands were bound in iron chains, yet he walked slowly and steadily.
"One day, Lord Pei will understand what this old man means."
Pei Wenxuan remained silent, his hands tucked into his sleeves as he stood atop the long steps, quietly watching Yang Lie walk away.
Li Rong stood beside Pei Wenxuan and said softly, "Why ask such questions of a man about to die?"
"It is precisely a man about to die," Pei Wenxuan replied calmly, "who will tell you why he is dying. Only then will you know how to avoid dying for the same reason and how to prevent others from dying for it as well."
"Didn't you already understand his words?" Li Rong chuckled. "Have you lived fifty years in vain?"
Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan also smiled. "To be honest with Your Highness, even after fifty years, I still haven't fully grasped his words."
"You're lying," Li Rong immediately retorted. "If you didn't understand these things, why would you compete with me for the position of crown prince? When you were young, you also said you wanted the common people to live better lives, but in the end, didn't you still fight with me for personal power?"
Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan fell silent. He wanted to explain, but he knew his explanation was something Li Rong should not know.
Li Rong would never understand his ambition, his aspirations, or his almost naive ideas.
Because Li Rong was born in a high position, she had never walked through fields, seen mountains and rivers, made friends of all kinds in Luzhou, or witnessed the hardships of the common people like he had.
Upholding orthodoxy and stability was Li Rong's faith. Yet he knew deeply that if such faith persisted, the end of Great Xia could already be foreseen.
But these words he could not speak, and Li Rong would never understand.
Seeing his silence, Li Rong thought she had struck a nerve and felt she had spoken too harshly. As they walked forward together, she tapped her palm with a fan, trying to salvage the conversation. "But people are all like this. Didn't I also think about these things when I was young? Today, you were afraid I would see blood, but I've seen plenty..."
"Li Rong," Pei Wenxuan suddenly interrupted her, his expression unreadable. Li Rong turned to look at him as he said, "Every time you see blood, your left hand trembles slightly."
Li Rong slowly composed herself. Pei Wenxuan continued, "You always tell me that you and people like Su Rongqing have no sincerity, that you are selfish and self-serving. But not everyone can, out of compassion in the court, risk covering a dead person with a garment."
"Words spoken are not always true," Pei Wenxuan said as they reached the palace gate, stopping and turning to look at her. "And some words, though spoken in jest, are not necessarily false."
"For example?"
Li Rong asked directly. Pei Wenxuan looked at her for a long time before suddenly saying, "After leaving the palace this time, we likely won't meet again before the wedding. During this short period, I plan to rebuild my previous information network. I need some money."Li Rong: "..."
"I truly wish to know," Li Rong looked at Pei Wenxuan, her face full of admiration, "how you can ask a woman for money so effortlessly?"
"Because every coin you give me today, I can repay you double in the future," Pei Wenxuan smiled calmly. "So, do you want to make this deal or not?"
In their previous life, Pei Wenxuan's covert network was even stronger than Li Chuan's. He had his own set of systems for establishing such networks, ensuring their efficiency. Many of Li Rong's information channels relied on him, and along with the covert network came various shops and businesses. A large portion of the wealth that sustained Li Rong's worry-free later life came from the money she invested in Pei Wenxuan early on.
Such a surefire, risk-free deal—only a fool would refuse.
Li Rong was no fool, so she took out her token and handed it to Pei Wenxuan. "If you need anything, go to the Princess's Manor and find the steward. But let me make this clear: I don’t have much money right now, just these few assets. Don’t go wild with them."
"It seems being a princess isn’t all that profitable," Pei Wenxuan took the token, showing a look of disdain. "I wonder if other princesses might be wealthier..."
"Give that back to me!"
Li Rong reached out to snatch the token, but Pei Wenxuan raised it and tucked it behind his back, using his other hand to block her. "Mind your manners, Your Highness. I know I’m captivating, but please don’t take liberties with me."
"Pei Wenxuan," Li Rong was almost amused by his audacity, "you have no shame!"
Pei Wenxuan raised an eyebrow, a smug look flashing in his eyes. Then he turned around, hands clasped behind his back, and walked toward the palace gate. "Your Highness need not see me off any further. This humble official takes his leave."
"Who’s seeing you off?! Every single coin you use of mine must be accounted for! I’ll be checking the books!" Li Rong felt like tearing him apart, but with others around, she couldn’t go too far. After venting her anger, she calmed down a bit and was about to turn and leave when Pei Wenxuan suddenly called out to her. "One more thing."
Li Rong turned back to look at the young man at the palace gate. He stopped and glanced back at her, suddenly breaking into a gentle smile. "If there’s a next time, I’ll still cover your eyes."
Li Rong was taken aback.
"For a young lady," Pei Wenxuan’s eyes held an indescribable tenderness, like a warm summer breeze gently wrapping around a person. He lowered his voice, speaking softly, "it’s always good to have someone looking out for you."
After saying this, Pei Wenxuan truly didn’t look back and walked out of the palace gate.
Li Rong watched his retreating figure quietly. For a moment, she felt that even after knowing him for over thirty years, she might never have truly understood what kind of person Pei Wenxuan really was.
Lost in thought, she heard Jing Lan speak up beside her. "Your Highness, His Majesty seems to have finished court."
Hearing this, Li Rong snapped back to reality, composed herself, and turned around. "Let’s go see His Majesty."
Li Rong had someone inform Li Ming and then hurried over to join him for a meal.
Li Ming had just finished court and arrived at Taihe Palace. After changing into casual attire, he was wiping his hands with a towel when he heard the announcement that Li Rong had arrived. Smiling, he ordered her to be brought in. After Li Rong paid her respects, Li Ming looked her up and down, beaming. "You’ve lost weight."
"That place is simply unbearable," Li Rong said unhappily. "How could I not lose weight?"
"What?" Li Ming tossed the warm towel back into the basin and walked to the dining table. "Are you blaming me?""Not exactly," Li Rong sighed. "It's the Yang family who went too far. I understand you have your difficulties, Father."
"You've come to understand this?" Li Ming smiled, gesturing for her to sit. "You've grown up."
"What's so hard to understand?" Li Rong sat down. "Pei Wenxuan explained it to me, and I understood right away."
Hearing Li Rong mention Pei Wenxuan, Li Ming couldn't help but give her another glance. "I heard you were locked up together?"
"Yes," Li Rong picked up her chopsticks casually. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have known anyone there. It would have been scary at night with no one to keep me company."
"You've spent quite some time together." Li Ming took a piece of fish that had been deboned by a eunuch and said slowly, "What do you think of him?"
"Huh?" Li Rong stiffened at the question, a hint of discomfort flashing across her face. She lowered her voice and said, "He's... alright."
"What does 'alright' mean?" Seeing her expression, Li Ming understood and chuckled. "I gave you four candidates. With Yang Quan gone, you still have to choose one, don't you?"
"Well..." Li Rong blushed. "He's... quite good."
It was rare for Li Ming to see Li Rong so bashful, and he couldn't help but laugh. "Since when has our Ping Le become so tongue-tied? If that Pei boy isn't suitable, you can choose between Cui Yulang and Young Master Ning."
"I didn't say he wasn't suitable."
Li Rong grew anxious and quickly added, "Young Master Pei is very good."
"Finally, the truth."
Li Ming picked up his chopsticks to take some food, smiling as he said, "No one has been able to rein you in all these years, but that Pei boy seems to have some skill. What did he say to you? I locked you up, yet you didn't come crying and cursing at me?"
"He told me that you love me dearly, Father. If you could help, you definitely would. It must be that you have difficulties, otherwise you wouldn't treat me this way. Father and daughter share the same heart—I stand by you, and I will always be your precious one."
"In that regard, he's not wrong." Li Ming sighed. "This time in prison has made you grow up a lot. What about your mother? Did she visit you?"
At Li Ming's words, Li Rong immediately looked dejected. "She... must have her difficulties too."
Li Ming scoffed. "She certainly has her difficulties. While you were in prison, she didn't spare a single thought for you. Instead, she came to argue with me every day on behalf of Chuan'er, never mentioning you once."
Hearing this, Li Rong's eyes reddened. Li Ming paused in his meal, then said slowly after a moment, "You have me for everything. Don't be sad. I didn't announce your engagement to Pei Wenxuan in court today because it didn't feel right after such a bloody affair. Later, I'll have someone deliver the imperial decree of marriage to the Pei residence. Once you're married, you'll move into the Princess's Manor, and you won't have to worry about palace matters anymore."
"I won't be able to live in the palace anymore?"
Hearing this, Li Rong looked up at Li Ming with reddened eyes. Li Ming smiled helplessly. "What princess lives in the palace forever? Once you're married, live a good life with Pei Wenxuan."
Li Rong lowered her head, looking sad again. Li Ming set down his chopsticks and said, "Ah, this meal has turned into a tearful affair. Let's not talk about these things anymore. Cheer up and discuss your wedding. I plan to set the wedding date for the third day of next month. What do you think?"
"I'll follow your arrangements, Father."Li Rong sniffled, "Hasn't my marriage been discussed for a long time? It was delayed for two months because of the Yang family incident, and now the Ministry of Rites doesn't care anymore?"
"Don't wrong them," Li Ming laughed. "The Ministry of Rites not only cares, but they've also prepared two sets of wedding dresses for you. Go and choose one."
"Really?"
Mentioning clothes, Li Rong's eyes lit up. Seeing her act like a child, Li Ming couldn't help but laugh. "So childish, would I lie to you?"
Li Rong cheered up and discussed the wedding procedures with Li Ming, truly behaving like an eighteen-year-old girl, clinging to her father and chattering about daily trivialities. By the time the meal ended, both father and daughter were in high spirits. Li Rong escorted Li Ming to the imperial study. Before leaving, Li Ming suddenly remembered something and asked, "Rong’er, why did you drape a cloak over someone like Ning Fei today? Weren’t you afraid after seeing blood?"
"How could I not be afraid?" Li Rong laughed. "But I am a princess—I can’t let others see me as a joke. Ning Fei... I’ve interacted with her before," Li Rong sighed softly. "Seeing her like that, I couldn’t bear it."
"You," Li Ming pointed at her, sounding somewhat exasperated, "are too soft-hearted. Alright, go back now. Fulai," he turned to the eunuch beside him, "have the Ministry of Rites send both wedding gowns for the princess to choose from. If the princess has any requests, have the Ministry add them. For the grand wedding of my Princess Ping Le," Li Ming patted Fulai’s shoulder, "don’t mess it up."
Upon hearing this, Fulai bowed and escorted Li Ming into the imperial study. Then he turned to Li Rong with a smile and said, "Your Highness, see how much His Majesty cares for you."
"Of course," Li Rong replied proudly, "I am Father’s most beloved daughter."
With that, she waved her hand. "This princess will return now. No need to see me off, Eunuch Fulai."
"Farewell, Your Highness."
Fulai bowed respectfully.
After discussing the wedding with Li Ming, Li Rong yawned and returned to the palace. Meanwhile, Pei Wenxuan had also arrived home.
He had just been released from prison that morning and had someone notify Tong Ye. After leaving court, he avoided the carriages of the other elders of the Pei family and waited for Tong Ye to pick him up.
Tong Ye arrived with a shabby carriage and complained, "Young Master, don’t complain about the carriage being old. Last time, we didn’t return the carriage we borrowed from the courtyard, and the old woman in charge of the carriages keeps asking me for money. You haven’t been back to the estate for so long, and I don’t have the money to compensate her. She said if we don’t pay, she won’t lend us any more carriages. It’s already good that we managed to borrow one today."
Pei Wenxuan sat inside the carriage with his eyes closed, resting. He couldn’t be bothered with such trivial matters. Seeing his silence, Tong Ye sighed and said, "These old servants are just bullying us. Look at the young masters from the households of the Second and Third Lords—who among them would be troubled over a carriage? But Young Master, when will you receive your monthly stipend? We need to repay the carriage money soon, or else you won’t have a way to go to court tomorrow."
"Once I change clothes, I’ll have money."
After changing clothes, he would go to the Princess’s Manor to get money. With Li Rong’s money, he could buy himself a carriage. He couldn’t buy an expensive one—if Li Rong found out, she would scold him for being wasteful. He’d buy a simple one for now and replace it with a better one once he had his own money.
Pei Wenxuan carefully calculated his plans. Hearing his words, Tong Ye grew worried, suspecting that Pei Wenxuan might have been traumatized in prison.
When Pei Wenxuan arrived at the Pei estate, he and Tong Ye entered and walked along the corridor back to his courtyard. As soon as they reached the entrance, he sensed something was wrong. He vaguely saw that his courtyard was filled with people, and his heart sank. He immediately began analyzing who might be waiting for him in his courtyard.
Only two groups of people could bring such a crowd to wait for him in his courtyard within the Pei estate: either his mother or his second and third uncles.And regardless of which group it was, both were likely trying to stop him from marrying Li Rong. His mother had never approved of him marrying a princess back then, though she had no choice but to accept it. Now that the imperial decree of marriage hadn’t yet been issued, it was entirely possible that his mother had come to “salvage the situation.”
If it was his second or third uncle, they would be even more opposed to him marrying a princess. Once he married a princess, he would gain a powerful backing and break free from the Pei family’s control.
The thought that these people were here to disrupt his marriage plans filled him with irritation.
Although marrying Li Rong had been a forced necessity, it had indeed become his goal. To marry Li Rong, he had killed Yang Quan and brought down the entire Yang family. And now, someone still dared to stand in his way?
The more he thought about it, the more agitated he became. He flicked his sleeve and strode forward, muttering under his breath, “Why is it so hard to marry a wife?”
Tong Ye was momentarily stunned, then watched as Pei Wenxuan grabbed his court tablet and stepped into the courtyard with a cold expression. He swept his gaze over the servants waiting for him in the yard and demanded sharply, “What are you all doing here? Who allowed you to enter?”
Pei Wenxuan was already prepared. Whoever dared to criticize his marriage plans today, he would make an example of these servants to shame their masters.
Unexpectedly, a plump woman at the front stepped forward, bowed to Pei Wenxuan, and said respectfully, “Young Master, we’ve been waiting for you for nearly two months. Hearing that you returned today, we came here specifically to greet you.”
“What do you want?” Pei Wenxuan frowned, sensing something amiss.
The woman smiled lightly. “The account for the carriage you borrowed two months ago hasn’t been settled yet. A carriage isn’t much on its own, but since it belongs to the family, rules must be followed. Please don’t think this old servant is trying to make things difficult for you. Would you prefer to settle the debt with money or return the carriage?”
Pei Wenxuan: “...”
Pei Wenxuan fell silent for a moment, composed himself, and said calmly, “How much?”
The woman held up two fingers. “Two hundred taels.”
His monthly salary, excluding additional subsidies like grain and silk, was only two taels. Perfect—he was certain:
He couldn’t afford it.
Author’s Note:
Pei Wenxuan: “Had I known it was this expensive, I wouldn’t have dismantled that carriage back then. I should’ve thought of another way...”
Tong Ye: “Young Master, don’t be too upset. You’ll have it paid off in another ten years of work.”
Pei Wenxuan: “No, I have another plan!”
(On a dark and windy night, Pei Wenxuan knocked on Li Rong’s door.)
Li Rong: “What are you doing here so late?”
Pei Wenxuan (pitifully): “Your Highness, I don’t want to work hard anymore.”
Li Rong: “...”
A moment later.
Li Rong: “If you don’t want to work hard, what do you want to do?”
Pei Wenxuan: “I want to buy a carriage.”
Li Rong: “What kind of carriage?”
Pei Wenxuan: “...”
A moment later.
Pei Wenxuan: “You’re still the best at this.”
Li Rong: “But you’re the one who started it.”
OpenNovel