Whеn Li Rоng's реoplе quiеtlу infiltrаtеd the Pei rеsidеnce, Рei Wenхuаn wаs stаnding bеfоre a bаsin of clear water, саlmly еxаmining his оwn rеflеctiоn.
Не hаd аctuаlly comе bаck tо life.
Looking аt his twenty-уear-оld sеlf, hе fоund it sоmеwhаt unbelievаblе. Hоwеvеr, yеars оf сourt life hаd tаught him to rеstrain his emotiоns; even if his heаrt wаs in turmоil, his faсe remainеd соmpоsеd.
Тhе аttеndant bеsidе him, Tоng Ye, wаtched him nеrvouslу аnd whisрerеd, "Yоung Маster, are уou alright?"
Since waking uр in the morning, aftеr asking him what dаy it wаs, hе had bеen lost in thought until now. Although Pei Wenxuan was usually not much of a talker, he rarely remained so silent. Tong Ye couldn't help but feel uneasy and added, "Young Master, if you're unwell, I'll go fetch a physician for you."
Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan finally looked up. After replying with a "No need," he washed his face and went straight out.
As he walked out of the courtyard, Tong Ye hurriedly followed. After holding back for a moment, he finally said, "Young Master, if something's troubling you, don't keep it to yourself. Speaking it out might make you feel better. Miss Qin came to break off the engagement, but you can't blame her. She truly cared for you, it's just..."
"No need to say more."
Seeing Tong Ye ramble on, Pei Wenxuan paused and turned to instruct him, "From now on, do not mention this matter again."
With that, he tucked his hands into his sleeves and stood outside the courtyard, gazing into the distance at the tall tower within the palace walls.
The tower soared into the clouds, painted in red lacquer with golden tiles. Copper bells hung beneath its eaves, tinkling in the wind, just as he remembered.
Back when he was in the Prime Minister's residence, whenever he encountered troubles, he liked to stand in the courtyard and look up at the distant tower. Now, this habit seemed to have remained. As he gazed at the tower, his heart gradually calmed, and he began to contemplate his current situation.
He remembered that at twenty, he had just finished observing mourning in his hometown and returned to Huajing. His second uncle controlled the Pei family, while his mother was weak and easily bullied, feigning illness all day to avoid trouble. Although he was the most legitimate heir of the Pei family, he was ostracized by his relatives. As the eldest legitimate son of the prestigious Pei family in Huajing, he could only work as a lowly prison guard in the Ministry of Justice.
The present time should be right after his engagement was broken off.
When his father was still alive, he had arranged a childhood marriage for him with Qin Zhenzhen, the daughter of their family friend, the Qin family. The engagement was made early, without any particularly formal ceremony—they simply exchanged jade pendants to seal the agreement. Thus, he and Qin Zhenzhen grew up together, and he wholeheartedly looked forward to marrying her. Who could have expected such a sudden change?
His father passed away early, and the Qin family was now on good terms with his second uncle, Pei Lixian. So, it was only natural that Qin Zhenzhen would break off this childhood engagement.
The engagement had been informal back then, and the breakup was equally simple. After returning the tokens exchanged years ago, there wasn't even a letter—just some silver left behind before she departed.
Of course, he didn't blame Qin Zhenzhen. He himself lacked capability, so there was no reason to blame the young lady.
And what happened afterward?
Pei Wenxuan tried hard to recall.
Later, it should have been his awkward status that caught the emperor's eye, leading to his betrothal to Li Rong.
Given Li Rong's current status, finding her a husband from a poor family would be too embarrassing and likely stir public discussion. Marrying her into a prestigious and powerful family would be like adding wings to a tiger, something the emperor had to fear. Someone like him—seemingly noble in status but with no future prospects—was the most suitable match for Li Rong.With the status of Imperial Son-in-Law, the Pei family began to value him once more, and he gained a true pillar of support in the court.
According to the timeline, the imperial edict bestowing the marriage should arrive soon. Even in this second chance, he still had to marry Li Rong.
At this thought, he couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
He and Li Rong were like enemies from a past life.
They had cooperated for a lifetime, yet remained suspicious of each other for a lifetime. He had thought that even if Li Rong felt no marital affection for him, she would at least treat him with the courtesy of a friend. But in the end, when faced with power, she could still strike him down without batting an eye.
However, if he died, she wouldn’t live either.
She gave him a sharp blade, and he returned the favor with a bowl of poison that tore through his insides.
There had never been any debt between them, not even in life.
Human resentment often stems from injustice, but in the thirty years they had shared, there was no injustice to speak of. His heart belonged to another, and she had someone by her side; she gifted him swords, and he offered her poison.
Thinking this way, even though she had killed him, he found he harbored little resentment. Now, given this second chance, the thought of marrying Li Rong again didn’t even stir much anger.
In fact, he couldn’t help but recall.
At eighteen, Li Rong still possessed a touch of innocence and kindness. She would occasionally blush when she saw him, and on the day she lifted her bridal veil, she looked up with a gentle gaze, her smile carrying a hint of sincerity and earnestness. Holding the wedding cup, she said to him, "Pei Wenxuan, no matter the reason we’re together, since we’ve become husband and wife, I still want to spend my whole life with you."
If, in this lifetime, he didn’t let Li Rong discover his feelings for Qin Zhenzhen, or if he simply stopped caring about Qin Zhenzhen altogether, she wouldn’t become enraged, wouldn’t separate from him, and wouldn’t meet Su Rongqing...
Perhaps they could still become an ordinary couple and grow old together.
The suspicions and struggles of his past life had already exhausted him. If possible, he too wished for an ordinary family, living a peaceful and stable life.
As for Qin Zhenzhen...
In his past life, he couldn’t have her, yet he protected her for a lifetime. Looking back, duty outweighed love, and regret overshadowed longing. Since fate had destined them not to be together, he might as well let it go.
After coming to these realizations, Pei Wenxuan calmed down. He turned to Tong Ye and said calmly, "Let’s go back."
For now, he didn’t need to do anything—just wait for the imperial marriage edict.
However, after waiting at home for several days, the marriage edict never arrived. Instead, an invitation to Princess Ping Le’s spring banquet was delivered to his residence.
Ping Le was Li Rong’s title. Looking at the gaudy invitation, Pei Wenxuan felt a flicker of unease. He frowned, unable to help but wonder—in his past life, had he ever attended a spring banquet hosted by Li Rong? Was it because he was too old and had forgotten, or had reality diverged from his memories?
While Pei Wenxuan was at home pondering the meaning of this spring banquet, Li Rong was in the palace, eagerly arranging the event.
She loved such lively occasions. When she was young, she found them noisy, but as she grew older, she realized that the elderly enjoyed watching the youth complain and make merry all at once.
It made her feel vibrant and full of life!
Besides planning the spring banquet, she had many other tasks to attend to.
First, she went to select a new wardrobe, packing away all her old black and white cold-colored clothes to the bottom of her chest. She specifically chose vibrant shades like red and gold, dressing herself in dazzling brilliance, radiant and captivating!Afterwards, she also revived all the maintenance routines from her previous life, spending each day from morning till night massaging, soaking in baths, and applying fragrant ointments, not neglecting a single detail, fully enjoying the pleasures of being a princess.
Finally, she also had to find time to listen to Jing Lan report on the activities of those four young masters.
Lu Yu stayed at home every day counting ants, having already identified two anthills and befriended the ants.
Yang Quan had recently been fighting at the training grounds, sending three colleagues to the infirmary, and then being whipped by his father until he was bedridden, where he had been crawling for two days.
Cui Yulang had recently been in high spirits at the brothel, writing thirty poems that received widespread praise.
As for Pei Wenxuan, he went to work every day, practiced calligraphy, living like a court official in retirement despite his young age. The strangest thing he did each day was always standing at his own gate, as if waiting for something.
Of course, he eventually successfully received her spring banquet invitation.
"Heaven rewards the diligent," Li Rong remarked while soaking in a petal-filled bath, listening to Jing Lan's report, and couldn't help but ask, "Was he surprised and delighted at that time? Did he ever wonder how a minor eighth-rank official like him could receive an invitation from Princess Ping Le? Was he overjoyed?"
"No," Jing Lan replied calmly. "At that time, Lord Pei didn't look too pleased. His servant named Tong Ye asked him how he received the invitation and if it had been delivered to the wrong person."
"What did he say?"
"Lord Pei said," Jing Lan recited precisely, "the invitation wasn't delivered to the wrong person. He's good-looking, so this invitation must have been sent by you."
Hearing this, Li Rong couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of water.
For the first time, she realized that Pei Wenxuan had such confidence in his own appearance.
But—Li Rong soon grew puzzled—how did Pei Wenxuan know she liked good-looking people?
This question lingered in Li Rong's mind.
Time passed quickly, and just as Li Rong felt she had adapted to life in Changle Palace, the spring banquet arrived.
The day before the banquet, she went ahead to her suburban villa, avoiding the travel plans of other noble families in the capital the next day. By the following morning, young masters and ladies from various families had arrived one after another. Outside the villa, there was a continuous stream of luxurious carriages and fine horses, each family's carriage exquisitely decorated, with servants bustling around, presenting a very dignified scene.
Before long, two jade-adorned carriages arrived one after the other. The front carriage bore a jade-carved character "Su," while the rear carriage displayed a "Pei."
The two prominent clans of Huajing arrived in succession, and everyone made way for them.
Shortly after, the carriages stopped one behind the other. From the front Su family carriage, a person emerged first. Dressed in white brocade robes, with a jade hairpin securing his crown, his features were clear and handsome, his demeanor gentle and refined, exuding an elegant and captivating aura.
As soon as he appeared, someone eagerly called out, exclaiming loudly, "Young Master Su, you've come too!"
"The princess invited me," Su Rongqing said with a smile. "How could I not come?"
With that, he stepped down from the carriage and instructed his servants to quickly make way for the carriage behind him.
As soon as Su Rongqing appeared, everyone gathered around, chatting warmly with him. When Pei Wenxuan descended, few paid him any attention.
Pei Wenxuan got down from his carriage alone and, hearing Su Rongqing's voice, couldn't help but glance up.
This was the man who would accompany Li Rong for the next twenty years. He did not like him.
His dislike for Su Rongqing had almost become instinctual.After all, even if both he and Li Rong could clearly explain themselves and live their separate lives, Su Rongqing remained a challenge to his dignity, much like Qin Zhenzhen was to Li Rong.
This aversion had nothing to do with love, but rather stemmed from that bit of pride in one's heart.
However, this was already the next life, and Pei Wenxuan felt it was somewhat irrational to dwell on matters of the past. He quickly turned away and led Tong Ye into the courtyard.
Although Su Rongqing was engaged in conversation, his steps did not pause, and he entered the courtyard right after Pei Wenxuan.
At this time, Li Rong had also woken up. After finishing her makeup, she yawned and hurried toward the courtyard where the main banquet was being held. Just as she reached the entrance, she heard a familiar voice.
The voice had changed slightly compared to later years, yet it remained etched in her heart.
She was too familiar with that voice and instinctively turned around.
Then she saw two people standing before her.
One wore white robes and a jade crown, smiling as he stood; the other was clad in blue robes with a golden crown, staring at her in a daze.
One was refined and gentle, the other handsome and upright. Standing not far apart, they made a stunning sight.
Li Rong looked at the two of them and was momentarily stunned. At that moment, Su Rongqing was the first to regain his composure. He bowed to Li Rong, and between his lips and teeth were the words he had spoken countless times in the past.
"Your humble servant, Su Rongqing, greets Her Highness the Princess."
Author's Note: Now, let's make a choice:
If you were the princess, would you:
1—Respond to Su Rongqing and strike up a conversation with him.
2—Politely respond to Su Rongqing and strike up a conversation with Pei Wenxuan.
3—Ignore both, respond politely, and leave immediately.
Come on, 1, 2, or 3? The most popular choice in the comments will decide the opening of the next chapter!
【Mini Theater】
Pei Wenxuan: I am my ex-wife's only choice. Now, all I need to do is wait for the emperor to assign me a wife. Waiting at the gate every day is my greatest effort.
First day of waiting: no wife assignment order.
Second day of waiting: no wife assignment order.
Third day of waiting...
A messenger from his wife arrives: Hello, here is your entry ticket for the Spring Banquet fiancé competition.
Pei Wenxuan: Why do I have to compete for the fiancé position?!
Li Rong: Sorry, but I have at least four backups. Get in line, compete hard, and promise me you'll do your best, okay?!
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