Li Rоng hаdn't ехрectеd Li Сhuаn tо сome in pеrsоn. She frownеd, lowering hеr vоiсе, "Whаt аre yоu doing here? Is this a plaсе yоu should bе?!"
"Lеt's nоt tаlk abоut thаt nоw," Реi Wenхuan stepреd forwаrd from behind, pоsitioning himself bеtween thе siblings аnd glаnсing аrоund. "Тhere аrе toо mаnу eуes аnd еars herе. Lеt's go insidе first."
Li Rong knew Pеi Wenxuan wаs right. Shе turnеd and wаlked aheаd, whisреring, "Let's gо in."
Тhе grоuр еnterеd thе prisоn direсtly. A sеrvant lеd thе wаy in frоnt, nоt dаring tо look baсk, seemingly awarе of who had аrrived. Hе resреctfullу escorted them to the cell, then whispered to Li Rong, "Your Highness, you can't stay too long. The guards change shifts in two quarters of an hour. Please make it quick."
With that, the servant retreated. Li Rong looked up at the prisoner inside. After a brief moment of panic, the old man recognized the visitors and exclaimed urgently, "Your Highness! Is it Princess Pingle and the Crown Prince?"
"Lord Qin."
Li Rong stepped forward and bowed. She looked at the man gripping the prison bars with both hands. The old man's prison uniform was stained with blood, his clothes tattered from torture. Li Rong felt a pang of pity but maintained a calm expression. "I am now in charge of investigating the Qin family's case. Are you aware of this?"
Qin Lang was taken aback for a moment before replying slowly, "Did Zhenzhen come to you?"
Li Rong pursed her lips and nodded. The old man sighed, "It's good she got out. Otherwise, how could I face Shan'er in the underworld or Lin'er on the battlefield?"
Qin Shan was the father of Qin Lin and Qin Zhenzhen. He and his wife had passed away early, leaving Qin Lang, as his father, to take on the responsibility of raising his two grandchildren. As Qin Lang spoke, he suddenly remembered, "Your Highness, is Zhenzhen doing well now?"
Hearing this, Li Rong instinctively glanced at Xun Chuan beside her.
Xun Chuan wore a mask, quietly watching the old man before her, her eyes filled with a hint of pity.
But she said nothing, so Li Rong remained silent as well, whispering, "We don't have much time, Lord Qin. Please recount the entire case from beginning to end."
"Where should I start, Your Highness?"
The old man smiled bitterly.
Li Rong replied calmly, "Huangping County."
Xun Chuan fetched a chair from the side and placed it behind Li Rong, then took another chair and set it behind Li Chuan.
Pei Wenxuan stood behind Li Rong, while Xun Chuan stood behind Li Chuan.
Li Rong lightly tapped her fan, speaking slowly, "This case began when Wen Ping of the Censorate received an anonymous letter accusing you of accepting bribes from the Yang family, ordering Qin Feng to deliberately abandon Huangping County during the battle there. Luo Juan's testimony was used as evidence to confirm this, along with gold found in your courtyard and letters from Yang Lie as supplementary proof. I originally intended to find Luo Juan to ask about the entire incident, but now he's dead."
Qin Lang stood frozen in place, disbelief in his voice, "Luo Juan is dead?"
"Yes," Li Rong replied calmly. "All the generals who participated in the Battle of Huangping County are now dead."
Qin Lang's face instantly turned deathly pale. He swayed unsteadily, but Pei Wenxuan stepped forward first, reaching into the cell to support Qin Lang, urging, "Uncle, don't worry. Her Highness is still investigating the case, and there's still a chance to turn things around. You just need to recount exactly what happened back then, truthfully and in detail."
"Truthfully and in detail..." Qin Lang's lips trembled. "But... but what's the use? The matter of Huangping County... they won't let us overturn that case.""Just say it," Li Rong spoke directly. "Both the Crown Prince and I are sitting here. Don't waste time."
"Uncle," Pei Wenxuan stared at Qin Lang. "You still have a family to care for. You must seize any chance to survive."
"You're right." Qin Lang took a deep breath and said slowly, "During the Battle of Huangping County, we had three thousand city guards, while the enemy had three thousand troops attacking the city. My son, Qin Feng, was the main commander. Yang Lie originally intended for us to hold the city for five days, but we were defeated and unable to resist. We could only evacuate the civilians first and then abandon the city."
"You were defending the city, they were attacking. With equal numbers, you shouldn't have lost," Li Rong reminded him directly. "Why did you lose?"
Hearing these words, Qin Lang fell silent for a moment before letting out a bitter laugh. "I told Feng to leave."
"Why?"
Li Rong pressed further. Qin Lang pursed his lips tightly. After a long while, he raised his eyes and looked calmly at Li Rong. "Because there were no people left."
Li Rong was somewhat taken aback, not quite understanding. She could only repeat, "No people?"
"Yes," Qin Lang took a deep breath. "For three months before the battle, provisions and pay were consistently insufficient. The food supplies for three thousand soldiers arrived mostly mixed with sand. The soldiers had nothing to eat and could only separate the rice from the sand each day to cook porridge. Much of that rice was old grain. By the time the battle began, though we claimed to have three thousand soldiers, many had already fallen ill. Those capable of fighting numbered less than two thousand. Coupled with the delayed military pay, if we had held on any longer, we truly would have had no food left at all."
"How could there be a food shortage?" Li Chuan frowned. "Didn't you report this to Yang Lie?"
"I did," Qin Lang said bitterly. "But what use was it? The court allocated only so much military provisions. After being divided layer by layer, priority went to the first-tier noble families, and only then to ordinary families like ours. Of the sixteen cities in the northwest, who dared to reach out for food?"
"But Huangping County was on the front line!"
Li Chuan grew angry. "Didn't Yang Lie even have that much sense?"
Qin Lang remained silent. Li Rong spoke directly, "Did you report this?"
"I later wrote an explanation, which should have been attached to the campaign logs."
"I've checked the Ministry of War's campaign logs," Li Rong frowned. "There was no such record."
Qin Lang chuckled softly. "Your Highness," his voice was hoarse, "how could there be?"
"That," Qin Lang's voice choked slightly, "is the Ministry of War of the noble families."
No one spoke. After a moment, Li Rong said, "Give me a list of all those involved back then."
As she spoke, Pei Wenxuan handed paper and brush to Qin Lang. Qin Lang's hands trembled as he wrote down the names stroke by stroke.
This man had grown old. He had fought on battlefields his entire life, never bowing his head, yet here in the Great Xia prison, his back had hunched.
Li Chuan unconsciously clenched his fists. Just then, he felt something wet fall on his shoulder. Surprised, he turned around and saw the person standing behind him, staring intently at Qin Lang in the cell, tears falling silently.
Li Chuan was stunned. The young man before him seemed vaguely familiar, yet he couldn't recall where he had seen him before. He watched quietly for a while until he heard Qin Lang say, "Your Highness, it's done."
Li Rong took the list detailing the events of that year from Qin Lang's hands. She glanced at the names on it and remained silent.Qin Lang sat cross-legged in his cell and sighed, "Your Highness, you are still young. Please return first."
Li Rong held the list in her hand, gazing at the elderly man in the prison cell who, despite having endured torture, still retained a certain dignity.
She watched him for a long time before raising her hands and bowing deeply to the man inside.
Footsteps echoed from outside, and Pei Wenxuan said, "Someone must be coming."
Li Rong nodded. Li Chuan put his hat back on, concealing his face.
A servant carrying a lantern whispered, "Your Highnesses must leave now."
Li Rong acknowledged him and instructed, "Keep a close watch on him. There must be no mishaps."
The servant complied. Just as Li Rong was about to leave, Qin Lang called out to her, "Your Highness."
Li Rong turned around and saw the old man hesitantly ask, "How... how is Zhenzhen?"
Li Rong remained silent. She looked into the old man's worried yet hopeful eyes and, after a long pause, finally spoke, "She is living well. You need not worry."
Qin Lang felt relieved and bowed his head to Li Rong. Li Rong turned away expressionlessly and led the others out.
Once outside the gate, Li Rong immediately said to Xun Chuan, "Mobilize some men. No matter what, have the Qin family transferred directly from the Ministry of Justice tonight. If there are any issues, tell them to come to me."
Xun Chuan responded respectfully, then turned to fetch his horse and galloped into the night.
After Xun Chuan left, Li Chuan finally withdrew his gaze and frowned, "That person just now... I felt a strange familiarity. Is he a new subordinate of yours, sister?"
Li Rong paused briefly before replying, "You should return to the palace now. Don’t let anyone discover your involvement."
"Sister..."
Li Chuan hesitated, but Li Rong immediately understood his meaning. She raised her eyes and said calmly, "This is my responsibility. I know my limits."
Li Chuan fell silent. After a moment, he bowed and said, "I shall take my leave."
With that, Li Chuan followed the servant back to the carriage. Before leaving, he paused and finally added, "Sister, the Qin family must survive."
"I know."
Li Rong said coldly, "Go."
Li Chuan nodded and finally departed.
After Li Chuan left, Pei Wenxuan stood behind Li Rong and asked softly, "Your Highness, shall we return to the residence?"
Li Rong did not answer. She quietly gazed down the long street. After a while, she said slowly, "I thought I had grown old."
Pei Wenxuan stood behind her, silent. Li Rong smiled, "But now I realize that no matter how old one gets, there are always some hurdles in the heart that cannot be overcome."
"What does Your Highness intend to do?"
Li Rong did not answer. She placed her hands in front of her and slowly closed her eyes.
After a long time, she spoke, "Pei Wenxuan."
"Your Highness, please command."
Pei Wenxuan bowed respectfully. Li Rong whispered, "Take the Supervisory Department and my token, follow the route of the military provisions to Huangping Town from that year, and copy all the grain and fodder records from the county offices at the time the provisions passed through."
"I will be waiting for you."
Li Rong looked up and gazed at him calmly.
Pei Wenxuan stared into Li Rong's eyes. At that moment, he suddenly felt as though this person had entrusted her life and death to him.
"They will not be unaware that I interrogated Qin Lang tonight. Qin Lang has written the list, and I fear the worst. I have ordered Xun Chuan to protect the Qin family. Tomorrow in court, I will request to be confined to my residence."
"In twenty days, the Qin family will be executed. You must retrieve this list before then."
"Can you do it?"Pei Wenxuan did not speak. He looked at Li Rong and chuckled softly, "To serve Your Highness, I would not hesitate even if it meant death ten thousand times."
"The journey may not be peaceful."
Li Rong smiled lightly. "Be careful."
Pei Wenxuan knew what Li Rong meant by "not peaceful." If he left Huajing and still intended to investigate the grain depot accounts along the way, it was more than just perilous—it was a sure path to death.
Yet Pei Wenxuan remained composed. With a sweep of his wide sleeves, he clasped his hands before him and bowed. "This humble official will depart at once."
Li Rong acknowledged with a sound. As Pei Wenxuan turned away, she watched his receding figure and suddenly called out, "Pei Wenxuan."
Pei Wenxuan tucked his hands into his sleeves and turned his head to look back. The young man in blue robes and white attire, his eyes usually as still as an ancient well, now reflected the glow of lanterns and stars.
Li Rong gazed at him for a long while before finally smiling.
"I'll wait for your return."
OpenNovel