"Longing fоr уоu unsееn, I аwаit beneаth thе реаch blossoms."
Реi Wenxuаn glancеd uр аt thе wоrds аbove, thеn looked down at his teасup with а light chuсklе. "During оur sоuthern tоur in оur рrеviоus life, Su Rоngqing wrote yоu thаt lovе poem. Аre yоu still praсtiсing уоur саlligrаphy with it?"
Реi Wenхuаn wаs sharр-eуеd, instantly rесognizing whiсh lines were trulу written by Li Rong. Li Rоng сlеarеd her throat lightlу, mаintаining a саlm ехрrеssion. "Just sсribbling сasuаlly. I’vе written down аny роеms I remеmbеr."
Аs shе spoke, Li Rоng quickly added, "I’ve writtеn yours toо."
Pei Wеnxuаn gаve hеr a faint glance but didn’t press further. Instead, he remarked, "The original title of 'Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River' was 'Ode to Grieving for Zhen.' Many say Cao Zhi wrote it to mourn the death of Lady Zhen, with the goddess of the Luo River secretly referring to her. Now that you’re about to marry, in the eyes of others, you might well be that goddess."
"A tryst by the waterside pavilion, yet the goddess remains elusive," Pei Wenxuan smiled mockingly. "It’s fortunate you hid it well. Otherwise, even if you jumped into this lake today, you wouldn’t be able to wash away the gossip."
"That’s why I’m careful," Li Rong knew Pei Wenxuan was annoyed by her boldness and fanned herself lightly. "Didn’t I ask you to leave me a letter earlier? The methods of the inner palace are limited—either poisoning or catching someone in adultery. Don’t worry, nothing major will happen."
"Do you remember how you died?" Pei Wenxuan couldn’t help but remind her, seeing her nonchalant attitude. Li Rong smiled softly. "That’s why I’ve learned my lesson and focused on cleaning up the people around me."
Pei Wenxuan fell silent. Li Rong leaned forward to pick up her cup, raising the small teacup to her lips, when Pei Wenxuan suddenly asked, "Why do you think Su Rongqing came?"
Li Rong didn’t answer. She sipped her tea as Pei Wenxuan continued, "With his intelligence, why would he risk coming deep into the palace?"
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
Li Rong set down her cup, her smile tinged with helplessness. Pei Wenxuan looked at her and said, "Have you ever considered..."
"No."
Li Rong cut him off, meeting his gaze seriously. "I know what you’re going to say. You want to say Su Rongqing likes me. But whether in our previous life or this one, at this moment, whether he likes me or not is irrelevant."
"Because you’re marrying me."
Pei Wenxuan watched her calmly. Li Rong grew impatient and fanned herself more vigorously. "Yes, that’s already a fact. So, Pei Wenxuan, I’d appreciate it if you’d dunk that clever little head of yours in water and rinse it out. Stop overthinking things. Even if Su Rongqing did like me—which he doesn’t—his feelings would remain locked in his heart. He would never do anything to harm his family. Understood?"
Pei Wenxuan remained silent. Li Rong raised a hand to her forehead. "If you have nothing else to say, you should leave. Looking at you gives me a headache. And," she lifted her head, staring at him, "we can argue all we want, but don’t go back and spend money recklessly."
Other things didn’t worry her, but Li Rong was particularly concerned about her finances.
Although she had a fief, it wasn’t particularly generous. She had to support the many people in the Princess’s Manor, and now she also had to fund Pei Wenxuan’s covert network and shadow guards—all costly endeavors.
Pei Wenxuan said nothing, standing up and preparing to leave with a bow.
At the doorway, he suddenly paused. With his back to Li Rong, he gazed beyond the corridor and asked quietly, "Li Rong, do you think you’re always right?"Li Rong was taken aback for a moment. Pei Wenxuan simply said, "If Su Rongqing were truly the person you think he is, he wouldn’t have entered the palace today. Do you really know what Su Rongqing was like at twenty?"
"What he was like," Li Rong’s voice turned cold, "has nothing to do with me. If you mention the name Su one more time, I’ll have someone throw you into the lake today!"
"Su Rongqing, Su Rongqing, Su Rongqing."
Pei Wenxuan quickly uttered the name three times, then turned to look at her. "You can have someone come and throw me in now."
Li Rong: "..."
"Pei Wenxuan," Li Rong laughed, gripping her fan tightly. "If you have the guts, don’t marry me. Once you step into my Princess’s Manor..."
"I’ll jump into the Tranquil Heart Lake myself."
Pei Wenxuan turned and walked away, adding calmly, "Every single day."
The Tranquil Heart Lake was the pond in the backyard of the Princess’s Manor. Hearing this, Li Rong was so furious she felt dizzy. She propped herself up, wanting to chase after Pei Wenxuan and curse him. But as she stood, she regained some clarity—she was in the imperial gardens, not some shrew. Why lower herself to his level?
Li Rong fanned herself rapidly, trying to cool her temper with the breeze. Jing Lan walked in and, seeing Li Rong’s state, couldn’t help but laugh. "Did Lord Pei upset you again?"
"Troublemaker."
Li Rong shook her head. "This princess cannot stoop to the level of a troublemaker."
The troublemaker Pei Wenxuan walked out of the waterside pavilion and onto the forest path. Suddenly, he paused and glanced back at the pavilion, where Li Rong was now chatting and laughing with others as she emerged. A pang of regret struck him.
That morning, he had intended to ask her which wedding gown she had chosen. But when they met, they ended up arguing about Su Rongqing, and he had completely forgotten.
He had felt somewhat pleased thinking about it earlier, but for some reason, he now found himself unwilling to dwell on it any longer.
The wedding gown he had chosen was the one she wore in their previous life.
In their past life, they had married two months earlier, and the Ministry of Rites had prepared only one set. This time, with more preparation time, they had made an additional set. He preferred familiar things, so he chose the familiar one. He didn’t know which one Li Rong had selected, but no matter what she chose, it somehow felt unimportant to him now.
He knew clearly that no matter what Li Rong wore when she married him, they would ultimately part ways.
This was not a wedding but a transaction.
In this transaction, all Li Rong wanted was power and protection. Everything else was irrelevant.
Pei Wenxuan took a deep breath and pushed the thoughts aside. Returning to his office, he busied himself reviewing his memorials repeatedly.
After arguing with Pei Wenxuan, Li Rong returned to her palace, her anger still simmering. She summoned everyone, had them report the day’s events one by one, then rewarded some and punished others. She had Qiu Feng dragged out and beaten with a plank. After less than an afternoon of interrogation, Qiu Feng confessed.
It turned out that Changle (formerly Mingle, now Changle) had secretly bribed Qiu Feng, instructing her not to report Consort Rou’s orders to Li Rong and to steal Li Rong’s unfinished drafts that she hadn’t burned.
Li Rong found the situation both laughable and exasperating. She didn’t know whether to call Qiu Feng lucky or unlucky—she had happened to steal the very draft about Su Rongqing. If she had stolen any other, perhaps Pei Wenxuan wouldn’t have been so furious, and Li Rong’s day would have been easier.Li Rong felt rather helpless, having someone take Qiu Feng away. After resting for a while and listening to the weeping sounds in the courtyard, Jing Lan approached and offered her a bowl of sweet soup, tentatively asking, “Your Highness, after dealing with the people from the palace, is there anything else to be done?”
Although Changle was under house arrest, Li Rong had already made it clear earlier that this matter was undoubtedly linked to Consort Rou.
Li Rong thought for a moment and said slowly, “Changle caused trouble today, so His Majesty must be in a bad mood. Is His Majesty still going to Consort Rou’s place today?”
“Yes,” Jing Lan replied softly. “Whenever His Majesty is troubled, he always goes to Consort Rou.”
“Take the copy of the Classic of Filial Piety that Hua Le personally transcribed and have it framed,” Li Rong immediately instructed. “Later, send it to the Empress Dowager. Say that I heard Her Majesty hasn’t been feeling well lately, and since His Majesty once mentioned that Princess Hua Le’s transcribed scriptures carry spiritual energy, I’m sending her a copy.”
“What does Your Highness mean by this?”
“Consort Rou sent me such a gift,” Li Rong chuckled lightly. “I must give her a warning to remind her. If you act like a rabbit for too long, others will think you can’t bite.”
Jing Lan acknowledged the order and, following Li Rong’s instructions, had the Classic of Filial Piety framed and sent to the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager merely glanced at it before directly bestowing the Classic of Filial Piety upon Consort Rou. That very night, news arrived that Li Ming had placed Changle under house arrest and ordered her to transcribe the scriptures a hundred times.
Li Rong received this news while soaking her feet, listening to Jing Mei’s vivid description: “When His Majesty entered and saw the Classic of Filial Piety on the wall, his expression was still quite pleasant. But when he saw Changle’s name inscribed as the transcriber, he immediately flew into a rage. He scolded, ‘None of you are learning properly—you can’t even transcribe a scripture without having someone else do it for you!’ Changle burst into tears on the spot.”
“What a trivial matter,” Jing Lan sighed as she listened nearby. “Changle is just too delicate.”
“Isn’t she?” Jing Mei said bluntly. “Spoiled rotten.”
As soon as the words were spoken, both of them quickly glanced at Li Rong, only to see her resting her head on her hand, humming a tune with evident satisfaction.
Seeing that Li Rong was not displeased, they finally relaxed.
Having thoroughly dealt with everyone in a single day, Li Rong felt immensely content, eating and sleeping well every day. Pei Wenxuan, however, was somewhat troubled.
During the day, while handling official duties, he managed well enough. But when night fell and all was quiet, his thoughts would wander.
For two consecutive nights, he dreamed of his past life. He dreamed of hearing the news of Li Rong’s punishment and rushing over. Each time, he ran as fast as he could. In the dream, he didn’t know what was happening, but he knew he had to hurry. Yet, every time he frantically ran over, he would see two people—one kneeling, one standing.
The two stood together, as if no one else existed around them.
He was like a wandering ghost lingering by their side, drifting through half a lifetime in an instant.
Sometimes he would see them drinking in the long corridor, sometimes playing chess, and sometimes he would see heavy rain, with Su Rongqing holding an umbrella as Li Rong hurried over, squeezing beside him and linking her arm through his.
The dreams were never long, so he would always wake up in the middle of the night. Upon waking, he would find himself in an empty room, with moonlight streaming in—exactly like countless nights in his previous life.
In this solitude, he would feel fear and shame. As the wedding date drew nearer, this shame grew increasingly pronounced.
He vaguely understood what was bothering him, yet he was somewhat unwilling to face it.He felt like a thief, as if he had stolen something.
The Li Rong of his previous life was actually different from him.
He had grown increasingly narrow-minded until his rebirth, when he saw the clouds and moon, the mountain sparrows, heard the gentle breeze of youth, and in a dreamlike chase within the Tuoba residence, suddenly realized the misguided path he had taken.
But the Li Rong of his previous life, in terms of her state of mind, was far more open than he had ever been.
Except for the moment before her death, Li Rong’s later years were likely happy.
He had seen Su Rongqing care for Li Rong, seen them in love.
Li Rong said she would not be with Su Rongqing in this life because she was old and could not love a twenty-year-old Su Rongqing.
But in truth, Pei Wenxuan knew that deep down, Li Rong might harbor a fundamental fear.
She feared repeating past mistakes; in her imagination, Su Rongqing was so calm as to be devoid of emotion.
Yet Pei Wenxuan knew that this prejudice was, at its core, nothing more than Li Rong’s extreme self-protection.
A Su Rongqing who could be unsettled by a letter—how could he be the cold-blooded tool Li Rong believed him to be, possessing nothing but his family?
Su Rongqing was good.
Better than Li Rong imagined.
It was just that Li Rong dared not imagine it, and he, Pei Wenxuan, had merely seized this opening to obtain an imperial marriage decree. His marriage itself was built upon Li Rong’s misfortune.
And in the face of Li Rong’s misfortune, how could he sleep peacefully and turn a blind eye?
Pei Wenxuan grew more awake the longer he thought at night, forcing himself to work during the day. Everyone he met congratulated him, and Pei Wenxuan remained expressionless, smiling and accepting it all. Following the customs of Great Xia, he distributed money to everyone who came to offer blessings.
He never expected that as he distributed the money to the last person, he would encounter Su Rongqing.
When he saw Su Rongqing, he couldn’t help but freeze. Su Rongqing smiled, spreading his hands and saying, “Does Lord Pei not wish to give me this celebratory money?”
“Of course not,” Pei Wenxuan quickly snapped back to reality, hurriedly replying, “I just didn’t expect Minister Su to be here. Aren’t you supposed to be working?”
“I was passing by and saw everyone gathered here, so I thought I’d join the excitement.”
Pei Wenxuan listened and handed the celebratory money to Su Rongqing. Su Rongqing looked at the silver in his hand and said earnestly, “May you have a harmonious union for a hundred years.”
“Thank you.”
“Now that you’re married,” Su Rongqing joked lightly, “you must draw clear boundaries with other young ladies. Be careful not to offend the princess.”
Pei Wenxuan was stunned. He stared blankly at Su Rongqing, who, seeing his dazed expression, quickly added, “Just a joke, don’t take it seriously.”
Though spoken in jest, it was indeed the beginning of his past rift with Li Rong.
Su Rongqing bowed and turned to leave the crowd, but Pei Wenxuan suddenly called out to him, “Minister Su.”
Su Rongqing turned back and heard Pei Wenxuan ask seriously, “If your wife were to clash with your family, what would you do?”
Su Rongqing didn’t expect Pei Wenxuan to suddenly ask such a question. Someone nearby chimed in, “Is Lord Pei seeking advice? If the princess clashes with your family, it’s best to endure it.”
With this interruption, Pei Wenxuan’s question didn’t seem odd. Pei Wenxuan watched Su Rongqing intently. Su Rongqing thought for a moment and finally said, “I would stand with whoever is right.”
“Shouldn’t family be given more weight?” Pei Wenxuan pressed urgently.
“Isn’t a wife also family?”
Su Rongqing countered.Pei Wenxuan remained silent. Su Rongqing smiled, bowed, and walked out.
"Lord Pei," someone nearby nudged him, "hurry, may you have a son early."
Pei Wenxuan laughed, somewhat helpless, and began handing out money again.
By the time he finished distributing the money, it was almost nightfall. As Pei Wenxuan left the government office, he saw the steward of the Princess's Manor standing at the entrance. The sight of the steward made his heart skip a beat.
Normally, seeing him wouldn’t have been a big deal, but today, it made him feel uneasy.
Nevertheless, he forced himself to remain calm, walked forward, and bowed to the other man. "What brings you here, sir?"
"Tomorrow, you will marry the princess. I thought you might be busy today, and it would be inconvenient for you to come to the Princess's Manor, so I came instead."
The other man smiled. "The princess has a message for you."
With that, he handed a letter to Pei Wenxuan.
The letter contained Li Rong’s admonitions, essentially saying that with the wedding approaching and nothing to do, she felt somewhat restless. She hoped he would perform well during the ceremony tomorrow and not embarrass her. Otherwise, instead of making him jump into the lake, she would directly sink him in it.
Reading Li Rong’s letter, Pei Wenxuan couldn’t help but smile.
The steward of the Princess's Manor watched from the side and couldn’t resist asking, "Did Her Highness say something amusing?"
"Not at all," Pei Wenxuan replied, putting the letter away. "She scolded me."
"Her Highness has always had this temper," the other man said understandingly. "She only scolds those she values. If she doesn’t like someone, she simply ignores them."
"Then I should thank Her Highness for her appreciation."
"Her Highness is a wonderful young lady," the steward suddenly shifted his tone, speaking gently like an elder. "Although she is a princess, she is neither arrogant nor unreasonable. Even without her royal status, she would make an excellent wife. While she may seem to scold you often, she has also frequently instructed us, saying that Lord Pei has a weak stomach and that we should prepare soft foods. The tea you drank when you visited was also specially chosen by Her Highness, as she said it was the kind you always enjoy."
Pei Wenxuan listened quietly to these trivial matters. After a moment, he chuckled softly. "She always scolds me, so I thought she disliked me."
"Lord Pei, you jest," the steward shook his head. "Her Highness once said that you treat her well now, and she hopes you will have a good life in this lifetime."
Pei Wenxuan fell silent. To an ordinary person, hearing "have a good life in this lifetime" might sound like a casual remark.
But Pei Wenxuan knew clearly that when Li Rong said this, she genuinely wished him a good life.
In their previous life, neither of them had been happy, and he, in particular, had been alone and isolated.
Li Rong was someone who met strength with strength. If you treated her poorly, she would confront you head-on.
But if you showed her even a little kindness, she would respond with boundless tenderness.
Pei Wenxuan felt a pang of sadness. Something seemed stuck in his chest, impossible to spit out or swallow. After a long while, he finally spoke in a low, hoarse voice, "Me too."
"I hope Her Highness will have a good life in this lifetime."
"If both of you think this way," the steward chuckled, "then I am relieved."
With that, he looked up at the sky and said, "If there is nothing else, you should return and prepare, my lord."
"Sir," Pei Wenxuan called out to stop him, "could I trouble you to deliver a message to the princess for me?"
"Hmm?""Just say," Pei Wenxuan smiled, "I have a gift she's probably been looking forward to for a long time. I'll give it to her tomorrow. When she sees it," Pei Wenxuan's voice softened, "tell her not to be too grateful."
Author's Note: Pei Wenxuan's current condition is also known as: pre-wedding jitters.
【Mini Theater 1】
Li Rong: "If you dare mention the surname Su one more time, I'll have you thrown into the lake."
Pei Wenxuan: "Su Rongqing, Su Rongqing, Su Rongqing, nya nya nya."
Pei Wenxuan is thrown into the lake. The end.
【Mini Theater 2】
Su Rongqing: "May you have a long and happy marriage. Treat the princess well."
Pei Wenxuan: "Wishing you happiness as well. You too."
Princess: "???? What are you two doing? Harmonious sisterhood and a happy reunion? Wake up, this is a certain green website in the web novel world known for its chaste and devoted male leads, okay!!"
【Mini Theater 3】
Pei Wenxuan: "I know you like Su Rongqing. I'll push your heads together, don't be afraid."
Li Rong: "What? Who? I like Su Rongqing? Since when? Don't touch me! Don't touch my head!!"
【Mini Theater 4】
Pei Wenxuan: "Your Highness, I have a gift for you. When you see it, don't be too grateful."
Li Rong: "Guards, drag him out and throw him into the lake."
Jing Lan: "Your Highness, why?"
Li Rong: "His brain usually doesn't sync with mine. If he says not to be too grateful, it means he's done something worthy of being thrown into the lake."
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