Оn thе еvе of the wеdding, thе еntirе рalacе wаs bustling with activitу, and no оnе соuld slееp well. Оnly Li Rong slept soundly until dаwn, full оf vitalitу and rаdiаnt.
Shе hаd nothing tо wоrrу аbоut; her оnly slight conсеrn was thе message frоm the Prinсess's Mаnоr thе рrеviоus night, sаying that Реi Wenхuаn hаd a gift fоr her аnd thаt she neеd nоt thank him.
Нearing this madе her a bit uneаsу, аs she аlways felt Реi Wеnxuаn wаs сараble оf dоing somеthing unreliаble.
Hоwevеr, sinсе it had соmе tо this, she decidеd to acceрt it calmly аnd didn’t dwell on it furthеr.
In the mоrning, shе begаn her preparations according to the schedule, then went to pay respects to the Grand Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and the Empress. After the midday meal, she changed into her wedding dress and waited for the auspicious hour.
All of this was not much different from her previous life, except that in her past life, she hadn’t known whom she was marrying. She had felt anxious, hopeful, and somewhat fearful of the future.
Back then, she had constantly asked those around her what kind of person Pei Wenxuan was, whether he was truly as handsome as in the portraits, what his family was like, and so on...
Thinking of her past self, Li Rong couldn’t help but laugh. At that moment, the sound of the ceremonial officials outside reciting auspicious words reached her ears. Jing Lan walked in and said with a smile, "Princess, the time has come. Please rise."
Li Rong acknowledged and raised a golden round fan embroidered with peonies to cover her face.
The fan blocked all her vision. Li Rong lowered her eyes and felt someone supporting her from both sides as she stood up. She moved forward, her magnificent attire heavy and cumbersome. For an ordinary person, it might have been overwhelming, but Li Rong moved with ease, her posture as graceful as a slender bamboo, her steps like blooming lotuses, dignified and elegant, exuding a nobility few could match.
The imperial family, the prestigious clans of centuries, and the common gentry—though their differences might not be apparent in daily life, the moment they donned such splendid attire, the subtle distinctions became clear. It was like brewing tea with spring water: the origin of the water and the landscape it came from could be discerned with a single sip.
Guided by others, Li Rong moved forward. She felt the soft red carpet beneath her feet, sensed petals falling upon her, and heard the ceremonial officials standing on both sides reciting blessings as she passed by. In the distance, joyful yet faint music drifted over.
She walked for a long time, unsure where she had stopped, when Jing Lan reminded her softly, "Your Highness, we have reached the palace gate."
Li Rong acknowledged, and soon the ceremonial officials called for her to bow in gratitude to the Emperor and the Empress.
Supported by her attendants, Li Rong turned toward the splendidly dressed Li Ming and Shangguan Yue. Then, with assistance, she slowly knelt and bowed to them.
Her movements were steady; even as she lowered her head and bent her waist, the ornaments on her attire remained perfectly still. Li Ming watched Li Rong bow, his voice hoarse as he recited the prepared blessings.
Then the ceremonial officials called for her to pay respects to Shangguan Yue, and Li Rong bowed once more in her direction.
Shangguan Yue’s eyes reddened as she looked at Li Rong, but she maintained her composure, reciting the blessings for her daughter with a choked voice.
After the ceremonial officials finished their recitations, the attendants helped Li Rong to her feet. Just as she stood up and was about to turn and leave with her maids, she felt someone step forward and suddenly grasp her hand.
"Rong’er," Shangguan Yue’s voice trembled with emotion, "you must live well. Promise your mother, you must live well."Upon hearing these words, a surge of sourness welled up uncontrollably within Li Rong. Restraining her emotions, she spoke gently, "Do not worry, Mother. In the future, I can return daily to visit you, just as before. Please do not grieve too deeply and lose your composure."
Only after listening to Li Rong's comforting words did Shangguan Yue slowly release her hand.
Li Rong turned around and, supported by attendants, made her way to the horse. She then felt a pair of steady hands reach out to assist her, accompanied by the words, "Elder Sister, I will clear the way for your carriage."
The wedding banquet was to be held at the Princess's Manor, and Pei Wenxuan would arrive early with the Pei family to make arrangements.
According to the customs of Great Xia, commoners would block the road as she traveled from the palace to the Princess's Manor. The palace would specially assign someone to scatter coins ahead to clear the path for these commoners, a practice known as "clearing the way." Li Rong had assumed a ritual official would be arranged for this task, never expecting the Crown Prince himself would personally clear the way.
Li Rong did not know what had come over her. She felt that after living so many years, she should not be so easily swayed by emotions. Yet, the moment she heard Li Ming's hoarse voice, felt Shangguan Yue grasp her hand, and was assisted into the carriage by Li Chuan, she suddenly felt as if she had returned to the age of eighteen.
She had thought herself the recipient of boundless affection, still capable of joy and sorrow from a few words of her family.
Seated in the carriage, as the palace gates creaked open with the weight of time, she struggled to restrain her emotions, forcing herself to think of things that would calm and uplift her.
For instance, once the palace gates opened, Pei Wenxuan would be standing there waiting for her.
That scoundrel Pei Wenxuan would soon say something sweet to her.
Actually, the task of welcoming the bride should have been handled by Pei Wenxuan's brothers. Pei Wenxuan only needed to kneel with the Pei family at the entrance of the Princess's Manor to greet her.
But in her previous life, none of Pei Wenxuan's brothers were reliable. Perhaps Pei Wenxuan dared not entrust such an important matter to them, or perhaps no brother was willing to take it on. Thus, Pei Wenxuan came himself and composed the widely circulated "Ode to Welcoming the Phoenix," which he recited as a blessing before the palace gates. The gist was that marrying her was a blessing bestowed by heaven, and he dared not betray such fortune, so he wished to personally come and receive her.
At the time, she had not pondered it deeply, but now, looking back, what kind of absurd logic was that?
Back then, seated in the bridal sedan, listening to him recite the poem, she felt a mix of shyness and joy, never giving it much thought.
Had she thought more deeply then, she would have realized how difficult things were for Pei Wenxuan at that time.
If he had not been utterly alone and without support, why would he resort to such ostentation?
As these thoughts crossed Li Rong's mind, she suddenly felt a pang of pity for Pei Wenxuan. This emotion slightly diluted her sorrow. Taking a deep breath, she heard the sound of the curtain ahead being lifted, followed by a familiar voice from directly in front: "Your humble servant, Su Rongqing, on behalf of my sworn brother Pei Wenxuan, welcomes Princess Ping Le."
Hearing this, Li Rong's eyes widened in shock. She froze in place, and then listened as Su Rongqing began to recite the words of praise penned by Pei Wenxuan.
With Su Rongqing present, Pei Wenxuan naturally would not, as in her previous life, compose the "Ode to Welcoming the Phoenix." Instead, a proper piece of parallel prose was quietly recited by Su Rongqing ahead.
Quickly calming down from her initial surprise, Li Rong listened as Su Rongqing recited the praises in her honor. Finally, she heard Su Rongqing's voice falter briefly, but he swiftly continued: "Longing that may chase the sun and moon, vows pledged till next year's peach blossoms bloom."This was Pei Wenxuan incorporating the love poems Su Rongqing had written for her in their previous life into this parallel prose.
Though the parallel prose was not written by Su Rongqing, it carried his shadow.
Li Rong couldn’t quite describe the feeling in her heart—regret, bitterness, mixed with an indescribable helplessness, and, faintly, an unspoken sense of completion.
In her previous life, she had spent twenty-five years with Su Rongqing, yet she couldn’t clearly define what kind of relationship it was.
But occasionally, in fleeting moments, there was indeed a trace of regret.
She felt that perhaps she should have given Su Rongqing a proper status.
Yet this regret, at this moment, seemed to be filled in an intangible way, like a farewell.
The emotions were too complex, layered upon the feelings from before, making her unusually unsettled.
Fortunately, she didn’t need to do much. She simply held a round fan in her hand, sitting quietly in the carriage, listening as the ritual official and Su Rongqing followed the ceremonial dialogue. Then, the carriage curtain in front of her was lowered.
Before the curtain fell, she subtly lowered her fan a little and caught sight of Su Rongqing not far away.
He was just as she remembered, dressed in white with a jade crown, quietly watching her carriage.
He seemed to notice her stealing a glance, and Li Rong quickly resumed her posture, feeling a bit flustered.
Fortunately, the carriage began to move forward slowly, leaving her no time to dwell on her unease. The cheers of the surrounding commoners rose, loudly calling her name. She kept her gaze straight ahead, only hearing Li Chuan ahead, seemingly delighted, scattering coins and speaking auspicious words, asking the people to make way.
By dusk, she finally arrived at the entrance of the Princess’s Manor. Sitting in the carriage, she heard Pei Wenxuan’s familiar voice: “Your humble servant, Pei Wenxuan, greets Your Highness.”
Following his words, she heard the sound of a crowd kneeling in unison.
Li Rong remained still as the curtain in front of her was drawn aside. Maids stepped forward, supporting her on either side as she descended from the carriage. Then, Pei Wenxuan approached, placing a red silk ribbon in her hand. He led the way in front, while the maids supported her on both sides, guiding her across the brazier and into the main hall.
Standing side by side, each holding a red silk ribbon, Pei Wenxuan lowered his voice and whispered, “Do you like the gift I gave you?”
“We’ll talk about it later.”
Hearing the hint of pride in his tone, Li Rong felt anger rise within her. Restraining her emotions, she coldly warned him.
Pei Wenxuan’s heart sank, sensing an ominous premonition. But after thinking it over carefully, he concluded that Li Rong was likely just momentarily upset. This was something he needed to clarify, and it was normal for her to blame him now. Once they talked it out, she would understand.
He sighed silently as the ritual official announced the ceremony. Just like in their previous life, he and Li Rong bowed to heaven and earth, the sovereign, and their ancestors, then bowed to each other.
Pei Wenxuan clearly remembered that in their previous life, Li Rong’s phoenix crown had pricked his head during the mutual bow. This time, he was prepared and kept a slight distance from her.
Meanwhile, Li Rong, wanting to vent her anger, bent further than usual, trying to make her phoenix crown poke forward a little, hoping to prick him as she had in their previous life, forcing him to endure it.
Pei Wenxuan sensed her intention as she bent down and thought of taking a small step back. Li Rong immediately lowered her voice and hissed, “Dare you?!”
Knowing he couldn’t move in front of the crowd, Pei Wenxuan braced himself and endured the strike from Li Rong’s phoenix crown.Li Rong knew she had pricked him, and her heart lightened a bit. After rising, she was supported by her maids to the rear courtyard. Only then was Pei Wenxuan released to accompany the guests in drinking. Unconsciously, Pei Wenxuan raised his hand to cover the spot on his forehead where he had been pricked. Li Chuan walked up behind him, glanced at him, and said, “Why are you covering your head? Has your brain gone bad?”
Pei Wenxuan: “…”
These siblings truly shared the same knack for sarcasm—no wonder they came from the same womb.
“Your Highness jests,” Pei Wenxuan lowered his hand. “Your Highness, please take your seat first. This humble official will join you shortly to entertain.”
“Entertain what?” Li Chuan rolled up his sleeves. “Come on, today I’ll help you entertain them. Control yourself—don’t you dare get drunk before seeing my sister.”
With that, Li Chuan pulled Pei Wenxuan along and, together with Su Rongqing who had already been mingling with others, ushered everyone to their seats.
Nearly all civil and military officials of the court had come today. Su Rongqing was the groomsman Pei Wenxuan had invited. Familiar with everyone in the court, and with Li Chuan by his side, for a while no one dared to give Pei Wenxuan a hard time or deliberately force too much drink on him. But they couldn’t withstand the sheer number of guests. Su Rongqing and Li Chuan were the first to drink themselves under the table, leaving Pei Wenxuan alone to toast the final table, one by one.
At first, he paced himself, but once Su Rongqing and Li Chuan were gone and no one was there to hold him back, whenever he heard someone toast to him and Li Rong, for some reason, he would drain his cup without the slightest hesitation.
Whether drunk or not, it never showed on him. His face remained smiling, his expression composed, looking as if nothing were amiss. After completing the round of toasts, everyone marveled at Pei Wenxuan’s capacity for alcohol. Pei Wenxuan knew he was somewhat drunk, but it shouldn’t be a serious matter. After mingling with everyone, he went to see Li Chuan and Su Rongqing, who were resting nearby. Su Rongqing had recovered somewhat, while Li Chuan still held his head, feeling unwell. Pei Wenxuan looked at the two and couldn’t help saying, “You two rest a while longer. I’ll head back first.”
Su Rongqing nodded, waving his hand without speaking. Pei Wenxuan hesitated for a moment, then bowed. “Thank you, Brother Su, for today.”
“Go on.”
Su Rongqing finally spoke, saying only, “Just don’t let down the beauty, that’s all.”
Pei Wenxuan laughed. “It’s not as if I’m the one who would let her down.”
Hearing this, Su Rongqing looked up, somewhat bewildered. Pei Wenxuan bowed, then turned to Li Chuan. “Your Highness, this humble official takes his leave.”
“Treat my sister well,” Li Chuan said hoarsely. “I only have one sister. Treat her well, understand?”
Hearing this, even though Pei Wenxuan knew Li Chuan was speaking drunken words, he still raised his hands before him and bowed solemnly. “This humble official obeys the decree.”
Li Chuan felt unwell. He turned his head away and waved his hand, signaling Pei Wenxuan to leave quickly.
Pei Wenxuan was led to the rear courtyard by servants holding lanterns. In truth, he was very familiar with this Princess’s Manor, but everyone treated him as if it were his first time, carefully guiding him, which he found somewhat novel.
When he reached the door, he saw Jing Lan and Jing Mei guarding the entrance. Looking up as he approached, both of them pursed their lips and smiled. That scene instantly overlapped with his previous life, and Pei Wenxuan couldn’t help but freeze.
A maid beside him softly called, “Imperial Son-in-Law?”
Only then did Pei Wenxuan snap out of his daze. He nodded and said, “Announce me.”
“Your Highness,” Jing Lan turned toward the interior, “the Imperial Son-in-Law has arrived.”
“Come in.”
Li Rong’s voice came from inside. For some reason, upon hearing Li Rong’s voice, Pei Wenxuan suddenly felt a bit nervous.Jing Lan pushed open the door and led Pei Wenxuan inside. Then a group of people entered, carrying many trays, and stood one by one along the side.
Pei Wenxuan was led before Li Rong. He looked at the girl before him—she was wearing a wedding dress different from the one in their previous life. The original peonies had been replaced with phoenixes. This change made him feel, for a moment, that this wedding was not a mere reenactment but seemed to be a brand-new, different ceremony. Because it was both similar and dissimilar to Pei Wenxuan’s memories, he suddenly felt a flicker of anticipation. As he gazed at Li Rong, he couldn’t help but become somewhat lost in thought.
Everyone exchanged smiling glances. A maid brought over the first tray, which held brush, ink, and paper, and presented it to Pei Wenxuan.
“Imperial Son-in-Law,” Jing Lan said respectfully, “please compose a poem to lower the fan.”
Only upon hearing this did Pei Wenxuan snap back to reality. Li Rong held up her fan and said lightly, “Write well. If it’s not good, I’ll make you regret it.”
At these words, the young women in the room burst into laughter. Pei Wenxuan felt somewhat helpless. He picked up the brush, hesitated for a moment, and then began to write.
*Half awake, half drunk, half a lifetime’s dream,
The bright moon, the clear heart, this moment gleams.
If the fair one grants but half a glance,
While the green hills stand, I’ll never part from this chance.*
Pei Wenxuan had originally intended to write something casual, but once he started, he found it hard to control his emotions. After finishing, a maid came to take the paper, but Pei Wenxuan couldn’t help pressing his hand down on it. The maid looked up in confusion. “Imperial Son-in-Law?”
Pei Wenxuan froze, not moving. He felt somewhat embarrassed, as if his inner thoughts had been exposed, and his current action only added to the awkwardness.
He remained still, and the maid dared not move either. Hearing no movement beside her, Li Rong spoke directly, “Is the poem finished?”
“Reporting to Your Highness, it is finished.”
As she spoke, the maid glanced up at Pei Wenxuan and said cautiously, “Imperial Son-in-Law?”
Pei Wenxuan withdrew his hand, feeling rather flustered. Since Li Rong already knew he had finished, rewriting it now would seem too deliberate.
However, fan-lowering poems were usually meant to praise the bride’s beauty. He felt that starting with such grand vows of eternal love was somewhat awkward.
Especially with the line “half awake, half drunk, half a lifetime’s dream”—would Li Rong interpret it as a hint about their past life?
The more Pei Wenxuan thought about it, the more uneasy he became. He didn’t dare dwell on it and pretended to remain calm as he waited for Li Rong to take the poem. Li Rong held the fan in one hand and read the poem with the other. Pei Wenxuan rarely wrote such poems, and this one differed from his usual standard. Yet, for some reason, when she read it, she felt an indescribable stirring in her heart.
Perhaps it was the line “half awake, half drunk, half a lifetime’s dream” that resonated with her.
Or perhaps it was the line “while the green hills stand, I’ll never part from this chance” that stirred a faint longing within her.
Li Rong composed herself and smiled. “It truly is quite good.”
With that, she slowly lowered her fan.
First revealed were her eyes—lively and beautiful, like phoenix eyes drawn with ink, carrying a hint of amusement.
That amusement was different from their previous life. In their past life, when she looked at him at this moment, there was shyness mixed with joy. Now, she looked at him as if he were an old acquaintance, with a faint trace of teasing.
Then came her tall, straight nose, her lightly tinted thin lips, and the contours of her entire face—beautiful yet noble, leaving Pei Wenxuan momentarily stunned.
The maids nearby wanted to laugh but didn’t dare. Seeing Pei Wenxuan remain silent for so long, Li Rong couldn’t help but chuckle. “Is the Imperial Son-in-Law satisfied?”
“Satisfied,” Pei Wenxuan instinctively replied, snapping back to reality.The people around them burst into laughter. Li Rong grabbed a handful of peanuts from the bed and threw them at him, laughing, "How bold of you to speak to me like that."
Hearing the amusement in Li Rong's voice, Pei Wenxuan slowly snapped back to reality and hurriedly said, "My mistake." With that, he smiled and bowed. "I beg Your Highness for forgiveness."
"Can't be bothered to argue with you."
Li Rong shot him a mock glare and stood up. A maid brought over a tray, and Li Rong picked up a wine cup, tilting her chin toward Pei Wenxuan. Pei Wenxuan lowered his head with a soft chuckle and walked over, also taking a cup. In front of everyone, they linked arms and raised their cups to their lips.
Pei Wenxuan glanced up at Li Rong, who was now mere inches away. Seeing him look at her, Li Rong raised an eyebrow. "Why are you staring at me?"
"A beauty offering wine," Pei Wenxuan replied with a light smile. "How could I not gaze upon her?"
"Then how about a few more cups?" Li Rong teased further. "Shall I offer you a whole jar?"
"No, no," Pei Wenxuan quickly declined. "One cup is enough."
With that, they both drained their cups in one go.
Afterward, they followed the customary rituals, exchanging auspicious words until the entire ceremony was finally complete, and everyone withdrew.
As soon as the crowd left, both of them slumped in exhaustion. Li Rong went completely limp, sitting on the edge of the bed and leaning against the bedpost with a sigh. "So tired."
Pei Wenxuan sat down beside her, leaning against the other side, and sighed. "Me too."
They sat in silence for a while before Li Rong couldn't help but ask, "Why didn't they help me take off the phoenix crown and change out of these clothes so I could sleep?"
"That's probably the husband's job."
Pei Wenxuan blurted it out without thinking. Hearing this, Li Rong couldn't help but turn to look at him.
Sensing her gaze, Pei Wenxuan turned to meet her eyes. In that moment of eye contact, he felt an ominous premonition. "What are you thinking?"
"Do you know how heavy my phoenix crown is?"
"Do you know," Pei Wenxuan pointed to his own headpiece, "how heavy this thing on my head is?"
"Is it heavier than mine?"
After Li Rong asked, Pei Wenxuan fell silent. Li Rong leaned against the bedpost and beckoned. "Come on, hurry up and take it off."
"Oh, heavens."
Pei Wenxuan groaned in agony, but he resigned himself to the task. After all, neither of them wanted to call anyone back in to help remove their crowns and clothes.
Summoning his last ounce of energy, Pei Wenxuan first took off his own headpiece and heavy outer robe. Then he climbed onto the bed, knelt behind Li Rong, and began to carefully dismantle her phoenix crown.
It wasn't his first time doing this—he had done it once before and vaguely remembered the steps. He worked while stifling yawns.
Feeling him struggle with the crown behind her, Li Rong mustered her last shred of consciousness and asked with difficulty, "Pei Wenxuan."
"Hmm?"
"Why did you send Su Rongqing to fetch me?"
"Can we discuss that tomorrow?"
Pei Wenxuan finally removed Li Rong's phoenix crown, along with the various hairpins holding it in place, and carried them off the bed to place on the table.
Li Rong leaned against the bed, watching the utterly exhausted Pei Wenxuan walk back, and spoke again. "Pei Wenxuan."
Before he could even sit on the bed, Pei Wenxuan responded, "Hmm?"
"I still have my clothes on."
"You want me to take those off too?" Pei Wenxuan turned back with a pained expression. "Can't you do it yourself?"
"I'm so exhausted."
Li Rong turned her head to look at him. "Besides, you said it—this is the husband's job."Pei Wenxuan choked up. Li Rong watched him, her gaze tinged with pity. Pei Wenxuan sighed and could only say, "Stand up."
Li Rong propped herself up to stand, and Pei Wenxuan helped her remove her belt first, then gathered all her clothes into a bundle and stripped them off, leaving only a single undergarment inside.
Li Rong felt instantly liberated and collapsed directly onto the bed.
Pei Wenxuan clutched the pile of clothes, watching as Li Rong had already crawled onto the bed on her own. He felt a weariness he had never experienced before and couldn’t help but say, “You’re taking the bed. Where am I supposed to sleep?”
“Sleep wherever you like.”
Li Rong burrowed into the covers. “This princess needs to rest.”
He wanted to rest too!!
The thought of having to lay out a bedroll on the floor at this moment filled Pei Wenxuan with despair.
He took a deep breath, trying not to let his frustration get the better of him. After putting away Li Rong’s clothes, he turned to rummage through the cabinet. Hearing the sound of Pei Wenxuan searching through the cabinet, Li Rong thought for a moment, poked her head out, and looked at him. “Why don’t you just sleep here too?”
Pei Wenxuan froze, stammering, “Th-that wouldn’t be appropriate, would it?”
Li Rong thought it over. She didn’t mind such things, but Pei Wenxuan was always very cautious about matters like this. Now that they had agreed to be allies, Pei Wenxuan was surely determined to preserve his purity to the end. Although her idea was simply to share the bed with him, Pei Wenxuan might even consider sharing the same bed as a violation of his chastity.
So Li Rong decided to respect him and said, “Oh, then I’ll rest first.”
With that, Li Rong closed her eyes and fell asleep. She was truly too exhausted.
Pei Wenxuan, with his back to Li Rong, was somewhat surprised. Was that it?
Wasn’t Li Rong going to try to persuade him a little more?
Actually, he… he… really wanted to sleep on the bed too.
He was so tired right now, and he didn’t want to lay out a bedroll on the floor at all. He could guarantee he wouldn’t lay a finger on Li Rong, absolutely no crossing the line.
Li Rong’s steady breathing soon reached his ears. After hesitating for a moment, Pei Wenxuan made a major decision.
He decided to sleep on the bed.
Even if Li Rong kicked him off, he was going to sleep on the bed.
Once he made this decision, he felt much lighter at heart. He grabbed his quilt and happily returned to the bed.
The bed was large. Li Rong curled up at the very edge, wrapped entirely in her quilt, a small figure who, without her usual flamboyant and proud demeanor, appeared pitiful and endearing.
An intangible softness slowly spread through Pei Wenxuan’s heart. He laid out his quilt at the very edge and slipped under the covers.
There was a great distance between them. He lay on the outermost side, as if shielding her from all storms, encircling a small world just for her.
For a fleeting moment, he suddenly felt a sweet, proud, indescribable sensation—one he hadn’t even realized himself.
He felt he was protecting her.
His Eldest Princess.
Author’s Note: 【Mini Theater】
Q: What are your thoughts on this story?
Li Rong: Helplessness, sorrow, a spider’s web—everyone is stuck on it, unable to move.
Su Rongqing: Schemes and plots, a sea of blood and vengeance.
Pei Wenxuan: ??? I… I thought this was a sweet story? Aren’t we here to fall in love?
Everyone in the entire story casts shocked glances.
Pei Wenxuan: …Sorry, my mistake.
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