【Тhе оnе with the most vоtеs is: 1. Lu Yu—Sреаk with Lu Yu first】
Li Rong observеd thе four men withоut uttering a wоrd. Веhind thе bеаded curtаin hung a thin veil, allowing Li Rong to sее their аpреаrаncеs сlеаrlу, while thеy could оnlу vaguеly make оut her pоsture. Aftеr а mоmеnt оf silеnсe, Li Rong tiltеd hеr chin tоwаrd Jing Lаn besidе her.
Undеrstаnding her meаning, Jing Lаn bowеd to the four mеn from behind the сurtаin аnd said rеspectfullу, "Неr Highnеss hаs hеаrd оf thе estееmed rеputаtions of thе four уоung mаsters in thе сарital and was сurious to meet yоu. Thus, she summonеd you hеre tо hаve а conversation. Please relax and do not be overly nervous."
The atmosphere, which hadn’t been particularly tense before, noticeably tightened upon hearing these words.
Previously uncertain about the purpose of the summons, it was now clear. What woman would summon several men for no reason? It must be related to marriage.
Yang Quan and Cui Yulang’s expressions shifted immediately, while Lu Yu seemed oblivious to what was happening, sitting quietly as if somewhat bored. Pei Wenxuan, as always, kept his emotions hidden, his gaze sweeping calmly over the other three, discerning their thoughts from their expressions.
What he perceived, Li Rong naturally noticed as well.
Holding her teacup, she quietly observed the four men.
Yang Quan’s eyes were eager, as if he wanted to speak several times but held back, deeming it inappropriate.
He wanted to marry the princess, and Li Rong could easily guess his motives.
Yang Quan had a poor reputation and was often marginalized within the Yang family. If he could marry a princess and treat her well, the misdeeds of his past might gradually be forgotten.
If he hadn’t been so eager to marry her, Li Rong might have considered speaking with him further. After all, Yang Quan would later prove to be a capable military commander, dying on the battlefield. If the rumors of his earlier madness were false, it would indeed be a pity. But seeing his ambitious demeanor now, that sense of imminent threat made Li Rong believe the rumors were likely at least partially true.
Cui Yulang appeared more cautious, as if weighing something, idly tapping his fan against his palm.
Li Rong could almost guess his thoughts. This man was truly bold—likely intrigued by her appearance but wary of her status as a princess, unwilling to get involved. In her previous life, despite his exceptional talent, he grew bored with the officialdom after a short stint and resigned to return to Yangzhou, where he spent the rest of his life writing poetry in brothels.
It wasn’t that he lacked talent—he had been a top scholar and had managed to survive in the political arena despite his temperament. He was simply born free-spirited and despised court politics.
Pei Wenxuan remained exactly as she remembered—calm and unreadable, showing no trace of emotion. Li Rong had little interest in observing him and finally turned her gaze to Lu Yu, studying him quietly for a moment.
Among the four, Lu Yu was the least striking in appearance.
Though not outstanding, he was remarkably pleasant to look at. At first glance, he seemed merely decent, but the longer one looked, though not stunning, he gave the impression of clear water flowing gently, extremely soothing.
After watching him for a while, she spoke softly, calling out, "Young Master Ning."Her voice carried the coquettish charm of a young girl, yet it was naturally tinged with a hidden huskiness. When the two qualities blended together, her words trailed off slightly at the end, creating an indescribable, tingling sensation that seemed to seep into the listener's ears—a seductive gift from heaven.
The expressions of the three people beside her varied, but only the one being called, Lu Yu, still looked somewhat bewildered. Li Rong thought for a moment, omitted a word, and called out again, "Young Master."
This time, Lu Yu understood. He looked at Li Rong and asked bluntly, "What do you want from me?"
His straightforward manner made Li Rong laugh. Softening her tone, she continued to inquire, "What did you do today, Young Master?"
Lu Yu frowned, thinking seriously before replying, "So many things! I got up in the morning and put on clothes. A-Lan changed my outfit ten times—one yellow set, one blue set, one..."
He spoke like a child, recounting every detail as if everything were fascinating.
Li Rong tapped her fan lightly, listening with great interest. Her silver-bell-like laughter frequently drifted from behind the beaded curtain.
As Li Rong chatted with Lu Yu, finding it highly amusing, the other three were left aside, feeling somewhat awkward for a moment. Pei Wenxuan glanced at the figure behind the beaded curtain, his heart fluttering with unease.
The current situation seemed increasingly different from his memories. Li Rong appeared to have no interest in him at all. Why was that?
Had something gone wrong in between, or...
Perhaps he didn’t truly understand the eighteen-year-old Li Rong?
The thought weighed heavily on him. After chatting with Lu Yu for a while, Li Rong turned to say a few words to Yang Quan, then exchanged a few words with Cui Yulang. When it was Pei Wenxuan’s turn, she asked perfunctorily about his well-being before yawning and saying, "I am tired. Please make yourselves at home."
With that, she had someone help her up and withdrew directly.
After she left, attendants escorted the four men out. Pei Wenxuan deliberately slowed his pace, surveying his surroundings, and noticed that the person leading Lu Yu away was Jing Lan.
He knew Jing Lan’s importance to Li Rong, and he was also aware of Li Rong’s current circumstances.
Li Rong’s lengthy conversation with Su Rongqing today was actually quite dangerous for her. If Li Ming thought she was interested in Su Rongqing, it would be disastrous for Li Rong. If she were clever, she would surely find a way to shift the focus, making the emperor believe she had taken a liking to one of the four men he had assigned.
Now that Jing Lan had gone to fetch Lu Yu, it seemed Li Rong had set her sights on him today.
Pei Wenxuan’s heart sank. After a moment’s thought, he hurried out and saw the attendants waiting for them at the entrance. Among them, the attendant wearing the Marquis of Ningguo’s jade pendant looked the most anxious. As soon as the eunuch emerged, the attendant rushed forward and asked urgently, "Esteemed sir, I am the personal page of the Marquis of Ningguo’s son. Have you seen my young master?"
"Oh, you’re Young Master Ning’s page," the eunuch said, looking the page up and down before smiling. "The princess took a liking to the young master and kept him for a chat. Aunt Jing Lan will send someone to fetch you shortly. There’s no need to worry."
Hearing this, the page was momentarily stunned. The eunuch then turned to bid farewell to Pei Wenxuan, saying, "Young Master Pei, I’ll take my leave here. Please make yourself at home."
"Thank you, sir."Pei Wenxuan was well-versed in etiquette. As he cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, he discreetly placed a silver ingot into the eunuch’s hand, which had been subtly raised before him as if by accident.
The eunuch beamed with delight, bowing deeply before hastily taking his leave.
Once the eunuch had departed, Pei Wenxuan turned his attention to the page standing nearby. Noticing the boy’s anxious expression, he approached and whispered, “Are you reluctant to have the young master accompany the princess?”
The page was taken aback by Pei Wenxuan’s question, then eyed him warily. “And you are?”
“Pei Wenxuan,” he replied swiftly. “I accompanied your young master to meet the princess earlier. May I ask… is your young master prone to offending her?”
Though Pei Wenxuan phrased it delicately, the page understood that he had discerned Young Master Ning’s simple-mindedness.
Lu Yu seldom ventured out, kept well-hidden by his mother. When he did, he was always closely attended by servants, a fact known to few. Hearing Pei Wenxuan’s words, the page responded directly, “Since you already understand my concerns, might you have a solution?”
“When you see your young master later, have him feign a fainting spell.”
“But won’t the princess take offense?”
The page pressed urgently, but Pei Wenxuan remained calm. “What fault can be found in illness? It is deliberate offense that invites true blame.”
The page fell silent at this. Pei Wenxuan turned away. “I’ve said what I can. The rest is up to you.”
With that, Pei Wenxuan returned to the front courtyard. Scanning the surroundings, he noted Cui Yulang seated among a group of women, including a young noblewoman whose palm he was reading.
He’s keeping his distance from Li Rong, Pei Wenxuan thought, unconcerned.
Meanwhile, Yang Quan was still speaking with a eunuch, frowning as if annoyed.
After a moment’s consideration, Pei Wenxuan took a cup of wine and, while no one was watching, spilled it over Yang Quan’s seat.
The spring banquet was in full swing, with guests enjoying themselves. Pei Wenxuan moved through the crowd, casually plucking a jade pendant from a drunken man and tossing it beneath Yang Quan’s table.
Having accomplished this, he turned and made his way back to the entrance of the rear courtyard, where he stood quietly waiting.
Before long, Yang Quan’s angry shout erupted from the crowd.
“Whose jade pendant is this?”
His outburst stirred up a commotion. The owner of the pendant, a man of no small standing, eyed the piece in Yang Quan’s hand with displeasure. “Why are you shouting when you’re holding my pendant?”
The man’s retort sparked an immediate quarrel between the two. Hearing the uproar, Pei Wenxuan smirked derisively before turning back, hands tucked into his sleeves, standing respectfully.
In the rear courtyard, Li Rong sat by the lakeside. She had requested fishing gear and prepared the plain boiled eggs that Lu Yu had mentioned liking earlier. As she peeled an egg, she waited for Lu Yu to return after changing his clothes.
Earlier, his attendant had accidentally spilled wine on him, leading him away to change. Li Rong suspected something might happen but remained unhurried. She placed the eggshells on the table and said leisurely to Jing Lan behind her, “See how well I treat him? I’ve rarely peeled eggs for anyone with my own hands.”
Just then, Jing Mei hurried over with a flustered expression. “Princess, something’s wrong. Young Master Ning has fainted.”
“If he’s fainted, summon the imperial physician,” Li Rong replied, placing the peeled egg on a small decorative vase nearby. “Why come to me?”Li Rong's detached demeanor, as if nothing mattered, silenced those around her, making them momentarily feel that Lu Yu's fainting wasn't such a big deal. After a brief pause, Jing Lan respectfully asked, "Your Highness, would you like to continue fishing yourself, or..."
Li Rong didn't answer. She brushed the eggshell crumbs from her hands, took a handkerchief from Jing Mei, and wiped her fingers as she said, "Jing Mei, go outside and bring that scoundrel waiting at the back gate in here."
Jing Mei was taken aback. After a moment, she stammered, "What if... what if there's no scoundrel at the gate?"
"Impossible," Li Rong glanced up. "Pei Wenxuan is definitely there."
Jing Mei finally understood—she was to fetch Pei Wenxuan. She hurriedly led the others out. Once everyone had left, Jing Lan knelt behind Li Rong, pouring wine for her while voicing her confusion. "Your Highness seems to dislike Pei Wenxuan. Why summon him, then?"
"Lu Yu has already fainted," Li Rong scoffed. "Do you think anyone else would dare come?"
Jing Lan looked bewildered, but Li Rong offered no further explanation. After a while, Jing Mei led Pei Wenxuan in. Pei Wenxuan knelt and bowed respectfully to Li Rong, his tone neither humble nor arrogant. "Your humble servant, Pei Wenxuan, greets Your Highness."
Li Rong remained silent, continuing to peel her egg. Pei Wenxuan knelt patiently, showing no sign of impatience.
A long while later, Li Rong finally spoke. "I've peeled an egg and want to put it into this bottle, but the opening is too small. I can't get it in." She looked up at Pei Wenxuan. "I've heard of your cleverness, Young Master Pei. Why not lend a hand? If you can't get this egg into the bottle intact, you'll be unworthy of your reputation as a clever man. You might as well jump into the lake—at least that would show some backbone."
"Your Highness means that if I fail, I must jump into the lake?"
"Exactly," Li Rong replied bluntly. "That's precisely what I mean."
"Your Highness, this is rather absurd," Pei Wenxuan protested.
Li Rong rested her chin on her hand, admiring Pei Wenxuan kneeling and negotiating with her. A secret delight stirred within her, finding the sight of him at this moment strangely pleasing, even bringing an indescribable sense of satisfaction.
Knowing full well that Pei Wenxuan was trying to reason with her, she obstinately pressed on. "Yes, it is absurd. But I'm a princess. What's wrong with being a little willful?"
"Your Highness, as a princess of noble standing, you shouldn't make things so difficult for your subjects," Pei Wenxuan continued to reason.
Li Rong plucked a grape, ate it, and continued to torment him. "Yes, I am a princess. What's wrong with making things difficult for a lowly eighth-rank official like you?"
"Your Highness, if I succeed, does that mean I won't have to jump into the lake and can instead sit and speak with you properly?"
"Exactly..." Li Rong began to reply instinctively, but before she could finish, Pei Wenxuan stood up, removed the egg from the small bottle, tore a page from a nearby book, opened the incense burner to light it, threw it into the bottle, placed the egg back on top, and then quickly retreated, kneeling respectfully once more.
His movements were fluid and seamless. By the time Li Rong realized what had happened, he was already kneeling again. Enraged, she exclaimed, "Who gave you permission to step forward and tear my book?!"
No sooner had she spoken than the egg resting on the bottle's opening suddenly fell into the bottle with a soft "thud."
Li Rong and her attendants stared wide-eyed at the egg disappearing into the bottle.Pei Wenxuan raised his head and looked at Li Rong. "May I ask, Your Highness, if I may now sit up and speak with you properly?"
Author's Note: 【Continue choosing:】
—Yes, let him sit and chat.
—Dare to tear my book? Throw him into the lake!
【Mini Theater】
Pei Wenxuan: "Am I not very clever?"
Li Rong: "I think you're looking to die."
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