Li Rоng аnd Реi Wenxuаn wаlkеd оut оf the palасe togеther when Li Rоng suddеnlу rеmеmbеred, “Arеn’t you going to the govеrnmеnt offiсe tоdау?”
“I оriginallу hаd sоmе mаtters tо discuss with you,” Реi Wenхuan exрlained. “Whеn I heard уоu wеrе in thе раlacе, I сamе dirесtly.”
“Оh?” Li Rong wаs sоmewhat surрrisеd. “What mаtter brought yоu here in such а hurrу?”
“Тodаy, the cоurt rесeivеd nеws оf а grеаt victоrу on thе front linеs,” Pei Wеnxuаn sаid. Li Rоng raisеd аn еуebrow, then listеned as he continuеd, “There’s а dispute оver thе list оf genеrals Xiao Su submitted for rewards.”
Li Rong processed this and immediately understood.
Xiao Su was Consort Rou’s elder brother. Originally from a humble background, he had studied for a few years and was promoted through Consort Rou’s connections.
This time, Li Ming had taken down the Yang family and sent Li Chuan to the battlefield. By manipulating Li Chuan, he forced the aristocratic families to contribute significant effort to stabilize the situation in the northwest. However, just before the victory, Li Ming recalled Li Chuan and forcibly replaced him with Xiao Su as the commander-in-chief. This move likely still weighed heavily on the hearts of the Shangguan family.
The Shangguan family was a prestigious clan with a century-old legacy, having many marital ties within the court. In this confrontation with the Yang family, the major aristocratic families in the court had likely contributed considerable effort.
Xiao Su, coming from a humble background, was a blade Li Ming specifically wielded to suppress these aristocratic families. The list of generals he submitted for rewards, even if not entirely composed of his own people, would certainly not include members of the aristocratic families. Having expended so much effort earlier, how could the aristocratic families possibly relent without reclaiming some of their investment?
Thus, now that the front lines had achieved a great victory, as soon as this list was submitted, the aristocratic families would immediately clash with Li Ming.
“So, what are they saying?”
Li Rong twirled a small fan in her hand, pondering. “They can’t touch Xiao Su—Consort Rou is currently highly favored. If they could have moved against him, they would have done so long ago. They can only pick on the easier targets.”
As she spoke, Li Rong remembered and asked, “Which generals did Xiao Su list?”
“Seventeen generals in total,” Pei Wenxuan replied, analyzing the situation. “Mostly from the imperial examination system, humble backgrounds, or second-tier aristocratic families.”
“Is Qin Lin among them?”
Li Rong pressed immediately. Pei Wenxuan shook his head. “He isn’t, but Qin Feng is. From the battle reports I heard, Xiao Su likely feared Qin Lin’s qualifications were too shallow, so he credited his achievements to his uncle. But since they’re from the same family, it doesn’t matter much.”
Li Rong acknowledged this. Qin Lin was still too young, and rising too early would indeed be unwise. However, as long as the Qin family could establish a firm foothold in the northwest, Qin Lin’s rise was only a matter of time.
“Then,” Li Rong lightly tapped the table, “the aristocratic families will likely target these ordinary generals to cause trouble. His Majesty won’t just stand by and watch.”
“Correct,” Pei Wenxuan responded. “After court, His Majesty summoned my second uncle.”
Starting with Pei Lizhi, the Pei family had been the core force Li Ming specifically cultivated to counter the aristocratic families. After Pei Lizhi’s death from illness, Pei Lixian continued his path. Though not as talented as Pei Lizhi, he still occupied the position of Imperial Advisor in the Chancellery.
Although this position did not hold the same executive authority over the six ministries as Pei Lizhi’s former role as Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs, it still held the power to review and reject proposals, keeping him extremely close to the emperor.
Li Ming summoning Pei Lixian was likely to discuss how to contend with the aristocratic families over the significant gains in the northwest border region.
Li Rong fell silent. Pei Wenxuan sat beside her, waiting for a moment before asking, “What are Your Highness’s thoughts?”
“Today, I had a disagreement with my mother.”Li Rong said calmly, "She is determined to have Chuan'er marry someone from the Shangguan Clan, especially Shangguan Ya. She was furious about what happened at the palace banquet yesterday and reprimanded both Chuan'er and me."
"What did Your Highness say?"
Knowing that Li Rong would not simply yield to Shangguan Yue, Pei Wenxuan directly asked about her response. Li Rong replied slowly, "I explained the pros and cons to Her Majesty. There is no need for Chuan'er to marry Shangguan Ya—it would only invite trouble. But she didn’t seem to take it to heart."
"Her Majesty could not possibly take it to heart."
Pei Wenxuan took a light sip of tea and said, "After all, Her Majesty is a daughter of the Shangguan Clan, inseparable from them. With the recent turmoil on the northwest border, the noble families in the court have paid a heavy price. If the Crown Princess position is not used as a reward to appease the noble families, the Shangguan Clan will likely feel discontented, and Her Majesty would face immense pressure."
Li Rong remained silent. Pei Wenxuan knew she was deep in thought. After waiting for a moment, he couldn’t help but chuckle softly. "Why is Your Highness worried?"
Li Rong was somewhat puzzled. She looked up at Pei Wenxuan, whose expression held a hint of curiosity. "What?"
"Actually, this matter has little to do with Your Highness," Pei Wenxuan analyzed. "Let the noble families and His Majesty contend. If the noble families win, they already support the Crown Prince, so there’s no harm. If His Majesty wins, among the candidates recommended by Xiao Su, some are our people, and we can find other ways for the rest. So why is Your Highness worried?"
Li Rong pondered for a long time before speaking slowly, "Do you truly believe that once the noble families place their people on the northwest border, those people will become ours?"
Pei Wenxuan smiled without answering, lowering his head to pour tea. Seeing that he had no intention of responding, Li Rong couldn’t help but ask, "Why aren’t you speaking?"
"Your Highness, you should ask yourself, not me."
"What do you mean?"
"In Your Highness’s previous life," Pei Wenxuan looked up, his expression calm, "weren’t you part of the noble families?"
From the moment Li Rong became the Princess and Li Chuan ascended the throne, they were no longer on the same path.
"Was the power in Your Highness’s hands in your previous life truly equivalent to the Crown Prince’s power?"
Li Rong was speechless.
Pei Wenxuan tucked his hands into his sleeves and smiled faintly. "Only while I am alive, when Your Highness has someone to defeat and constantly needs the Crown Prince’s help, will you stand together with him. If one day I am gone, and the court is dominated solely by the Princess, the Princess’s blade might very well point toward the Crown Prince."
Li Rong looked up at Pei Wenxuan, her gaze steady. After a long while, she finally said, "Then, does your power belong to me?"
"The future is uncertain. But at least at this moment," Pei Wenxuan answered sincerely, "even Pei Wenxuan himself belongs to Your Highness."
Li Rong was slightly taken aback. She looked into Pei Wenxuan’s clear eyes, knowing he was speaking of political matters, yet she couldn’t help but feel her heart skip a beat.
She forced herself to avert her gaze, looking out the window, tracing the patterns on her golden fan as she continued, "Coordinate with Qin Lin. Provide him with whatever assistance he needs. On the court’s side, I will have Tuoba Yan discreetly assist the Qin family, but no one else must know of this. The further the Qin family appears from me and the Crown Prince, the better."
"Understood."After Pei Wenxuan finished speaking, the two fell silent. After a while, Li Rong turned her head and gave Pei Wenxuan a thorough once-over. After staring for a long time, she sighed, shook her head, and turned away.
Pei Wenxuan was left bewildered by her gaze and couldn’t help asking, “What does Your Highness mean by that?”
“Pei Wenxuan,” Li Rong said with some exasperation, “how come your promotions are so slow?”
Hearing this provoking remark, Pei Wenxuan glanced at Li Rong lightly and replied as if nothing were amiss, “Your Highness, it seems you are still not favored enough. Otherwise, I should have been promoted quickly.”
“Look at that mouth of yours,” Li Rong tapped Pei Wenxuan’s hand lightly with her fan. “It’s truly annoying.”
Pei Wenxuan chuckled but didn’t engage further. He picked up a memorial and lowered his head, saying nothing more.
In the following days, Li Rong had people closely monitor the movements of all parties. The court was embroiled in endless debates over the rewards for the generals stationed at the border. The core issue wasn’t about money but about positions.
One position, one candidate. If one person was promoted, another couldn’t be. With the Yang family’s downfall, the vast territory of the northwest was a juicy piece of meat, and everyone wanted a share. Thus, every day, the court was filled with verbal battles. The aristocratic families attacked the candidates recommended by Xiao Su. Whenever Li Ming tried to grant a reward, they would claim the candidate had issues. If Li Ming insisted, the Secretariat would refuse to issue the order. Even if the Secretariat reluctantly issued it, the Chancellery would reject it, citing problems as well.
Li Ming was so furious that he smashed things in the palace all night. When the aristocratic families finally submitted a list of proposed rewards, Li Ming tore it up without even bothering to reject it.
The two sides remained deadlocked for several days, arguing incessantly in court.
Pei Wenxuan, though not a high-ranking official in the Censorate, was Li Ming’s core combatant in this battle. After all, when it came to arguing, Pei Wenxuan could take on ten opponents without breaking a sweat. As a result, he returned exhausted every day, collapsing onto the bed and falling asleep immediately.
Li Rong didn’t want to disturb him, but every time she returned to bed, she would hear Pei Wenxuan ask groggily, “You’re back?”
“What did you do today?”
Li Rong wasn’t sure if he was fully awake, but she answered whenever he asked. She slept well every day and was full of energy, so she had plenty of strength to respond to Pei Wenxuan’s questions.
Her days were far more leisurely than Pei Wenxuan’s. Her main activities were visiting various places, reconnecting with acquaintances, attending scholarly gatherings at teahouses, and looking for talented individuals she could approach.
Perhaps her life was too uneventful, as she only needed to say a few words before Pei Wenxuan fell asleep.
Li Rong couldn’t help but find it amusing, wondering what kind of habit this was—Pei Wenxuan insisted on exchanging a few words with her before he could drift off.
After five or six days of arguing, Li Rong called Shangguan Ya out and discreetly gathered information from her. She estimated that the aristocratic families would likely stop arguing and start taking real action.
Unable to deal with Xiao Su or Li Ming, they would pick one of the officials slated for rewards to make an example of, hoping to intimidate the others into backing down.
To choose someone to frighten, they would naturally pick the toughest among the soft targets—the one occupying the most advantageous position.
Li Rong scanned the list and speculated that the person the aristocratic families intended to target was likely the Jiang family of Shannan, whom Xiao Su valued most. If not them, it would be someone else closely aligned with Xiao Su.The aristocratic families had moved against Xiao Su's people, which was equivalent to moving against Li Ming's people. Li Ming would certainly not let it go and was likely to retaliate fiercely. With this back-and-forth, once they were exhausted, Li Rong could step in to secretly mediate between the aristocratic families and Li Ming, selecting a group of unrelated second-tier families to fill the positions.
Li Rong's plan was well-calculated. She had even prepared a list of candidates. However, on the eighth night, as she was sleeping, hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from outside.
That night, heavy rain drowned out the sounds outside. Li Rong only faintly heard the mingling of voices and rain. Still half-asleep, she felt someone cover her eyes with a hand and heard a reminder: "The lights are being lit."
Li Rong slowly came to her senses. Pei Wenxuan gradually removed his hand, allowing her eyes to adjust to the light, and rose, saying, "I'll go out and see."
With that, Pei Wenxuan threw on his clothes and walked out.
Seeing Jing Lan enter to light the lamps, Li Rong knew something must have happened. She remained calm, got up, and dressed. Just as she finished putting on her outer robe, Pei Wenxuan returned.
His expression was extremely grim. Clutching a note in his hand, he said coldly, "The Ministry of Justice has sealed off the Qin family."
Hearing this, Li Rong looked up sharply. "What?!"
"Yesterday afternoon, a memorial submitted by the Censorate accused the Qin family of involvement in the Yang case, colluding with the Yang family to conspire with the Rong state, committing treason and selling out the country. The Ministry of Justice handled it overnight, issuing a search warrant jointly with the Censorate and the Court of Judicial Review—the Three Judicial Departments. They have already mobilized troops from the southern city garrison to surround the Qin residence."
"What are you still standing here for?!"
Li Rong shouted, heading straight for the door. "Go to the palace immediately and report to His Majesty. I'll take people there right now."
"What are you going to do there?" Pei Wenxuan grabbed her urgently. "If you go, the relationship between the Qin family, you, and the Crown Prince will be exposed!"
"If I don't go, once they finish searching, they'll have all the evidence they need! What does exposure matter then?!"
Li Rong pushed him away and, without even taking an umbrella, shouted orders to mobilize her people and rushed out.
Pei Wenxuan gritted his teeth, finally deciding to take a horse and, with his token, charge straight into the palace.
Li Rong led her people all the way to the Qin residence. Upon arrival, she found the place filled with cries and wails. Soldiers had tightly surrounded the Qin estate. Not daring to act rashly, Li Rong stood in the shadows, observing the situation and contemplating her next move.
The heavy rain blurred the entire world into a misty haze, making it impossible to see clearly. Standing in the rain, Li Rong felt both shock and fury.
Why had these people targeted the Qin family?
She had already secretly instructed Tuoba Yan to manage the people within the aristocratic families. Moreover, the Qin family was nothing like the prominent families such as the Jiang clan of Shannan. By all accounts, the aristocratic families shouldn't have started with the Qin family.
Li Rong took a deep breath and decided to set aside other considerations for now, focusing first on buying time. But just as she was about to move, a hand suddenly reached out and grabbed the hem of her skirt. Li Rong turned sharply and saw a hand emerging from a bamboo basket nearby.
Li Rong overturned the basket and found a teenage girl crouching inside, trembling all over, her face deathly pale. Li Rong instantly recognized her as Qin Zhenzhen's maid. She crouched down and calmly said, "I know Qin Lin and am here to save you. Where is your young lady?"
The girl's lips trembled as she lifted a hand, pointing north, and stammered, "Ran... ran..."Li Rong immediately understood the girl's meaning. She stood up and led her people in pursuit along the direction she had pointed.
Based on her understanding of Qin Zhenzhen, although Qin Zhenzhen was upright to the point of naivety, she was not foolish. If she had risked her life to run out like this, she must have known what was happening and was carrying something away with her.
After chasing for a while, Li Rong spotted sword marks on the walls of the alley. She followed the trail of marks and soon came across blood. The rain quickly diluted the blood, and in the darkness, Li Rong strained to distinguish the traces of rainwater, blood, sword marks, and various signs of struggle.
These traces extended all the way to the end of the narrow alley. The end of the alley seemed to be a place where ordinary people stored miscellaneous items, piled up to half the height of the wall. Everyone instinctively rushed toward the area behind the wall.
Li Rong did not move. After scanning her surroundings, she fixed her gaze on a wooden crate in the center of the clutter.
She hurried forward and lifted the lid of the crate. At that very moment, a cold glint cut through the night rain as a bloodstained sword pressed directly against Li Rong’s neck.
Li Rong looked at Qin Zhenzhen, who was covered in blood and pale-faced. It seemed she had suffered severe injuries. She was breathing heavily, her face mere inches away from Li Rong’s.
Qin Zhenzhen scrutinized Li Rong, her grip on the sword steady and unwavering.
Li Rong looked down at the girl before her, who resembled a cornered beast, her expression calm. After a long moment, she spoke evenly, "Lower your sword."
"I came to save you."
"How can I trust you?"
Qin Zhenzhen’s voice was hoarse. Li Rong gazed at her calmly, without a hint of panic. "If you don’t believe me, just kill me."
Qin Zhenzhen remained silent. She tightened her grip on the sword, and after a long while, she withdrew it, struggling to lift herself out of the wooden crate.
Li Rong quickly supported her. Qin Zhenzhen’s wounds began to bleed as soon as she moved. Pressing a hand to her injuries, she gasped, "Let’s go."
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