The Princess Royal

Li Rоng grаduаlly cаlmеd dоwn in his еmbrаce.

Thе рeoрle arоund thеm wаitеd with smilеs. Аfter a mоment, seeing that Pei Wеnхuan still hаdn’t let gо, Li Rоng gаvе a light соugh аnd rеmindеd him softlу, “It’s time to go bасk.”

Hеaring this, Pei Wеnxuan hеld her tightly fоr а mоmеnt bеfоrе slowly rеlеasing hеr. Тhеn he sаid to Li Rоng, “I wаs presumрtuоus just now, Yоur Highness. I hoрe you will fоrgivе mе.”

“Why stаnd on cerеmоnу betwееn us?” Li Rоng sаid, lооking him up аnd dоwn befоre smiling. “Lеt’s hurry baсk. You smеll аwful.”

Аt thesе wоrds, Реi Wenxuan’s еars grew warm. In the pаst, when Li Rong teаsed him like this, hе hadn’t mindеd muсh. But nоw, when she did, he couldn’t help feeling a bit self-conscious. He wished he could scrub himself clean immediately, roll in incense, and appear before Li Rong flawlessly and with dignity.

Unconsciously, Pei Wenxuan moved a little farther away from Li Rong, pretending to be composed as he said, “Mm, let’s go back first.”

Li Ming had sent word ahead, so Li Rong followed Pei Wenxuan out of the palace without any obstacles.

Li Rong asked briefly about Pei Wenxuan’s journey, and he answered each question in turn. Li Rong nodded, her expression unreadable. Only at the end did she finally ask, “You weren’t injured yourself, were you?”

Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan smiled, his tone softening involuntarily. “No, don’t worry. Everything went smoothly.”

“That’s true,” Li Rong said thoughtfully, considering what came next. “You’ve always been clever.”

As they spoke, Pei Wenxuan escorted Li Rong to her carriage. Once she was inside, seeing that he didn’t intend to join her, she lifted the curtain and looked at the young man outside. “Why aren’t you coming up?”

“This humble official is not presentable. I’ll take the carriage behind,” Pei Wenxuan said with a smile. “I wouldn’t want to offend Your Highness with the smell.”

Li Rong raised an eyebrow at this. “I thought you’d want to suffocate me with it.”

“Your Highness jokes,” Pei Wenxuan said, somewhat embarrassed, thinking her words too sharp. Li Rong laughed. “Come up. If I don’t mind, why should you? There’s still much to discuss.”

With Li Rong’s permission, Pei Wenxuan could no longer hold back. He boarded the carriage but deliberately sat farther away from her.

Seeing him sit so far, Li Rong sighed in exasperation and ordered, “Come sit here.”

“Your Highness…”

“Otherwise, I’ll come sit by you.”

Pei Wenxuan fell silent. After a moment’s hesitation, he finally moved to sit beside Li Rong.

He pretended to be composed, but Li Rong could see his unease. She couldn’t help saying, “Did your trip scare you so much that you’re this timid around me now?”

“It’s not timidity,” Pei Wenxuan blurted out. “It’s just that I feel…”

“Smelly, right?”

Li Rong cut him off. She kept bringing it up, and Pei Wenxuan grew a little annoyed. Unable to hold back, he said directly, “You wouldn’t smell any better if you’d traveled for twenty days straight. Try it yourself.”

Li Rong laughed and poked him with her fan. “I won’t. That’s your job.”

Seeing her smile, Pei Wenxuan’s heart softened again. Then he heard Li Rong say gently, “Haven’t we seen each other at our worst? Why pretend now?”

“I just hope,” Pei Wenxuan lowered his eyes, “that Your Highness would see more of the best in me.”Li Rong paused her movements, raising her eyes to look at Pei Wenxuan. She saw him with his gaze lowered, staring at the teacup in his hand. His clear and upright face showed no trace of emotion, and his earlier words had been spoken with such nonchalance that there was not a hint of ambiguity.

Li Rong thought Pei Wenxuan had quite the skill—he always managed to say things that stirred one’s heart in such a proper and neutral tone that it was impossible to tell whether he was simply being careless with his words or if there was some deeper intention behind them.

If it were a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl, hearing such subtle hints from him day after day, she would likely have already misinterpreted them.

Fortunately, Li Rong considered herself a person of great self-awareness and never allowed herself to think too optimistically about such matters.

After all, one of life’s greatest illusions was the belief that someone liked you.

And since Pei Wenxuan had always lacked a sense of propriety in such matters, Li Rong paid it no mind. She simply said, "Now that you’ve returned with evidence, the aristocratic families must be growing anxious."

"Mm," Pei Wenxuan followed her lead. "This is our chance to divide them. Before long, Lord Shangguan will likely come looking for Your Highness."

"I’ve already had my mother convey my stance to him. In truth, my uncle must already be clear about my position. For now, all we need to do is continue investigating the military provisions case and leave everything else aside. As for the Shangguan family’s intentions," Li Rong tapped her small fan against her palm, "that will depend on Aya’s abilities."

Pei Wenxuan acknowledged with a sound. The two fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts. With the serious matters discussed, there were actually many other things they could have talked about. Yet, with so much to say, the words seemed to get stuck, and neither knew how to begin. In the end, Li Rong simply gave up and said, "You must be tired. Rest for a while. When we return to the manor, I’ll handle some other matters. You should get some sleep first."

Hearing Li Rong’s words, Pei Wenxuan felt an inexplicable sense of disappointment.

He didn’t show it on his face, merely responding with a sound before retrieving a blanket from the side, leaning against the small table, and falling asleep.

From Huajing to the northwest and back, he had spent twenty days on the road, all while investigating accounts and recording testimonies along the way, with almost no time to rest.

Once he leaned against the table, no matter how much he wanted to think, he couldn’t help but drift off.

When his steady breathing finally echoed in the carriage, Li Rong finally turned her gaze toward him. Once she did, she found it hard to look away.

He had grown much thinner, and stubble now covered his face—a stark contrast to the refined nobleman he had been in Huajing.

She watched him quietly for a while, and time seemed to fly by. Before she knew it, they had arrived at the Princess’s Manor.

Li Rong nudged Pei Wenxuan awake. Groggily, he stirred, and she reminded him, "Go back and rest first. I need to check on the Qin family."

"I’ll go with you…" Pei Wenxuan began, then seemed to remember something and felt it might be inappropriate. He simply said, "Then I’ll go back and rest first."

Li Rong knew what Pei Wenxuan was concerned about. She found it somewhat amusing, but she also genuinely believed he needed rest. "Go on," she said.

Pei Wenxuan stepped out of the carriage with her. Li Rong went straight to find the Qin family, while Pei Wenxuan followed a servant toward the rear courtyard. After a few steps, he couldn’t help but turn back and call out to Li Rong, "Your Highness."

Li Rong turned to see Pei Wenxuan standing at the end of the corridor. He pursed his lips and said, "Won’t Your Highness ask a few more questions?"Li Rong was momentarily stunned. Seeing her slow reaction, Pei Wenxuan waved his hand and said, "Your Highness, please attend to your matters first. I shall go rest."

Without waiting for Li Rong's reply, he turned and left. His reaction left Li Rong somewhat bewildered. She stood in place for a moment until Jing Lan reminded her from the side, "Your Highness, the Qin family has been settled."

Only then did she snap back to attention. Nodding, she composed herself and headed toward the courtyard.

She arrived at the courtyard where the Qin family was staying. The family had gathered in the main hall, and as she approached the entrance, she could hear the sound of women weeping intertwined with voices of comfort.

Li Rong entered the courtyard. Xun Chuan stepped forward and bowed to her first, saying, "Your Highness."

"Are you alright?"

Li Rong observed her for a moment and, seeing her expression unchanged, smiled. "I heard you stormed the execution grounds today."

"The supervising official ordered the execution ahead of schedule today," Xun Chuan pursed her lips. "That’s why I…"

"Well done." Li Rong raised her hand and patted Xun Chuan’s shoulder, cutting off her self-reproach. "We need people like you—bold enough to stand up to the noble families."

"Your Highness…" Xun Chuan seemed uneasy. Li Rong withdrew her hand and reassured her, "I mean it. Don’t worry. I don’t speak in reverse with you."

She knew Xun Chuan wouldn’t fully understand.

Xun Chuan relaxed slightly. Li Rong walked in with her and asked quietly, "How is your family?"

"All are well," Xun Chuan replied softly. "Upon hearing that the Imperial Son-in-Law cleared Qin Shi’s name in court today, the entire Qin family is deeply grateful to Your Highness and the Imperial Son-in-Law."

As they spoke, they entered the main hall. Upon seeing Li Rong, Qin Lin stepped forward excitedly and was about to kneel. "Your Highness…"

"Qin," Li Rong quickly reached out to support him. "You are injured. Please rest first."

"Your Highness, the entire Qin family owes our lives to you. Your kindness is akin to rebirth. This old man…" Qin Lin’s voice choked with emotion. Li Rong glanced at Xun Chuan, who stepped forward to help Qin Lin sit down, using a deliberately altered, hoarse voice. "Qin, please sit and speak."

Qin Lin nodded and took his seat. Li Rong sat beside him and chatted for a while.

The Qin family members, having narrowly escaped death, were all emotional. They came forward one after another to kneel before Li Rong. Only Qin Lin remained quietly standing to the side. Finally, sensing Li Rong’s weariness, he stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, the Qin family is now safe and settled. If you are tired, you may make other arrangements. On another day, I will bring the entire family to formally express our gratitude."

Li Rong had only come to check on the Qin family’s situation. Once assured they were safe, she took Qin Lin’s cue to excuse herself. Rising, she said, "Rest well, then. I shall take my leave."

Qin Lin acknowledged her words and personally escorted Li Rong out.

Along the way, Qin Lin remained silent. Li Rong found it rather odd and couldn’t help but smile. "I thought for such a significant matter, Qin would at least offer me a word of thanks."

"Words of gratitude have never held much meaning," Qin Lin stopped walking. Li Rong turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow in surprise. Qin Lin’s expression remained calm. "What I can repay Your Highness with is only the power of the northwest."

Li Rong said nothing, quietly observing Qin Lin. He lifted his gaze to meet hers. "That is what Your Highness desires most, is it not?"

"General Qin seems quite confident in his own abilities.""It's not that I have confidence in myself, but that Your Highness has confidence in me. Otherwise, you wouldn't have forced the Crown Prince to visit me three times at Nine Serenity Mountain back then to invite me."

As Qin Lin spoke, he glanced at the sky and raised his hand, saying, "Your Highness, please go ahead. There are likely many matters to attend to later, so don't delay."

After saying this, Qin Lin bowed and turned to leave.

Li Rong stood in place for a moment, let out a light laugh, and then turned to leave.

After attending to the Qin family, Li Rong went straight to find Shangguan Ya in the afternoon. Shangguan Ya and Xun Chuan handed over the testimonies they had collected during this time and recounted everything they had done recently. Once Li Rong had all the information, she discussed the next steps with Shangguan Ya: "Your father will likely come looking for me soon, but I am determined to investigate the military pay case thoroughly. You need to find a way to persuade him to use this opportunity to clean up the Shangguan family. Since he will be the one to step forward and handle it, it might be inconvenient for him. At that time, you can volunteer to lead an internal investigation within the Shangguan family."

"That way, I will become the voice of the Shangguan family," Shangguan Ya said with a smile. "I could even discuss it with my father and have me act as the family's representative to negotiate with Your Highness."

"Exactly," Li Rong agreed. She then discussed the details with Shangguan Ya. After finishing their discussion, Li Rong glanced at the sky and said, "I should head back now."

"So early?" Shangguan Ya was surprised. "How about having a meal together?"

"No need," Li Rong waved her hand. "Pei Wenxuan just returned today, so I should go back early. There are still matters to discuss."

"I see," Shangguan Ya nodded. "Alright, let's meet another day then."

Li Rong nodded and walked out. Xun Chuan still had some details to confirm with Shangguan Ya. After Li Rong left, Shangguan Ya remained deep in thought, staring in the direction Li Rong had gone. Xun Chuan couldn't help but ask, "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing much," Shangguan Ya turned back. "I was just wondering, who do you think Her Highness likes more—Minister Su or the Imperial Son-in-Law?"

Xun Chuan frowned. "Is that something you should be thinking about?"

"Thinking about serious matters all day gives me a headache," Shangguan Ya sighed. "Watching Her Highness's drama is much more entertaining."

Xun Chuan was momentarily speechless and could only say, "Just focus on yourself."

Then she reminded her, "Hurry up and finish your work so you don't accidentally run into Su Ronghua again."

At the mention of this name, Shangguan Ya took a sharp breath. For some reason, she always seemed to "coincidentally" run into Su Ronghua everywhere. The thought alone made her uneasy, and she couldn't help but say, "Xun Chuan, could you do me a favor?"

"No," Xun Chuan refused outright. But Shangguan Ya persisted, "Could you beat him up for me?"

"If you don't focus on your work, I'll beat you up instead," Xun Chuan said seriously, flipping through the papers on the table. Shangguan Ya sighed and slapped her forehead. "Ah, they say friends should support each other through thick and thin, but the ancients truly deceived us."

After bidding farewell to Shangguan Ya, Li Rong returned home to find Pei Wenxuan had just woken up.

He had slept all day and was much more refreshed. Just as he finished changing clothes, he heard Li Rong returning to the residence.

He was surprised she had returned so early but still got up to greet her at the door.

Seeing Pei Wenxuan standing at the entrance, Li Rong smiled and asked, "Didn't you sleep a little longer?"

"I've slept all day."Pei Wenxuan smiled as he accompanied Li Rong to the dining hall.

Li Rong noticed that his smile didn’t reach his eyes and couldn’t help remarking, “You don’t look well. I suppose you haven’t slept enough?”

“I’ve slept enough, just haven’t fully recovered yet.”

As he spoke, Pei Wenxuan sat down with Li Rong. She nodded, watching the servants serve the dishes. Picking up her chopsticks, she began discussing the day’s schedule with Pei Wenxuan, sharing the information she had exchanged with Shangguan Ya and outlining her plans for the following day.

Pei Wenxuan listened quietly, his expression revealing neither joy nor anger. He simply responded steadily to Li Rong’s words.

This atmosphere made Li Rong feel somewhat awkward. After they finished their meal, Pei Wenxuan didn’t linger. After bidding farewell to Li Rong, he left first and headed to his study.

Pei Wenxuan had taken over twenty days of sick leave, and official duties had piled up like a mountain. Once he buried himself in his study, he didn’t emerge. Li Rong waited in her room for a while, but when he didn’t return, she also got up and brought over some memorials to review.

Neither of them spoke, each working separately in their own rooms.

By midnight, Jing Lan and Jing Mei couldn’t help but grow anxious. Jing Mei lowered her voice and said to Jing Lan, “Isn’t it strange? They finally meet after so long, yet they’re acting like this.”

Jing Lan remained silent for a moment before sighing. “I’ll go invite the Imperial Son-in-Law.”

With that, Jing Lan went to the door of Pei Wenxuan’s study. Tong Ye was guarding the entrance, dozing off and nearly asleep. Jing Lan approached, woke Tong Ye, and whispered, “Isn’t the Imperial Son-in-Law going to sleep yet?”

Tong Ye shook his head, yawning. “I’m afraid the Imperial Son-in-Law won’t sleep tonight. What brings you here, Sister Jing Lan? Does Her Highness have any instructions?”

Jing Lan didn’t answer. After a moment’s thought, she whispered, “Go tell the Imperial Son-in-Law that Her Highness hasn’t been well lately and still hasn’t slept. Ask him to persuade her.”

Tong Ye exclaimed in surprise, suddenly alert. “Wait here, I’ll go tell the Imperial Son-in-Law. He cares about Her Highness more than anyone.”

With that, Tong Ye hurried into the room, knelt on the floor, and said, “Young Master, something’s wrong. Please go and persuade her.”

Pei Wenxuan looked up, frowning. “Persuade her about what?”

“Her Highness isn’t sleeping,” Tong Ye sighed. “I heard she hasn’t been well lately, and today she’s been busy with official duties. Please go check on her.”

Upon hearing this, Pei Wenxuan immediately stood up. The frustration he had bottled up all day finally found an outlet. He flung the brush in his hand aside and angrily exclaimed, “This is absurd!”

With that, Pei Wenxuan strode swiftly back to the room.

Li Rong was intently reviewing the day’s duty reports from the Supervisory Department. Just as she finished one, the door was abruptly pushed open, letting in a gust of cold wind. Startled, Li Rong looked up to see Pei Wenxuan striding in. Without a word, he snatched the memorial from her hands and tossed her brush aside.

Li Rong looked up at him in confusion. Pei Wenxuan stood with his hands tucked into his sleeves, glaring down at her coldly. “Go to sleep.”

Jing Lan quickly closed the door. Li Rong glanced at the servants who had fled in haste, then at the furious Pei Wenxuan. After a moment’s hesitation, she slowly said, “Well… shall we sleep, then?”Pei Wenxuan said nothing, turning around to begin removing his outer robe. Li Rong stood to the side watching him vent his anger. After observing for a moment, she couldn’t hold back a laugh.

Pei Wenxuan’s movements froze. With his back to Li Rong, he said coldly, “What are you laughing at?”

“You’ve been holding it in all day, and finally found a reason to pick a fight.” Li Rong leaned against a nearby pillar, smiling as she looked at Pei Wenxuan, who had stiffened in place. “Has it been hard on you, Censor Pei?”

Pei Wenxuan didn’t speak. He hung up his clothes and turned to make the bed.

Li Rong walked up behind him. Seeing his angry expression, she felt it was easier to speak now. Softening her tone, she said, “I heard what you said today. Are you angry because I don’t care enough about you? It’s because I trust you. I know how capable you are—how could you easily fall into a trap? That’s why I didn’t ask more. It’s not that I wasn’t worried. You don’t know, but when I heard something had happened to you, I was uneasy too.”

Pei Wenxuan smoothed the bedsheet, spread out the quilt, then stood up to wash his face.

Li Rong followed him, continuing, “You get angry first, you give me the cold shoulder first, and then even if I want to say something gentle, it’s hard to speak. Ah, Pei Wenxuan, think about it clearly—I am a princess. Before the wedding, didn’t the palace send someone to teach you the rules? Why do you have such a temper?”

Pei Wenxuan remained silent. He opened the door to toss out the water, then slammed it shut with a loud “bang.”

Everyone was startled. Li Rong swallowed, but considering Pei Wenxuan’s great achievements, she decided not to argue with him. Clearing her throat lightly, she said, “Alright, alright, today I’ll yield. What exactly are you angry about? Why don’t you tell me?”

Pei Wenxuan fell silent again. With his back to Li Rong, after a while, he finally said, “Is there something you haven’t told me?”

“There are too many things I haven’t told you. I don’t even know which one to mention.”

Li Rong said candidly, “But if there’s something you want to know, I can tell you.”

Hearing Li Rong’s words, Pei Wenxuan suddenly felt all his strength drain away.

He suddenly realized he had lost his composure and was being unreasonable.

In truth, Li Rong hadn’t done anything wrong. It was he who was uneasy, he who cared about Su Rongqing’s words.

He had a knot in his heart, so every little detail about Li Rong was magnified endlessly.

But he couldn’t say these things. He didn’t want Li Rong to see his wretchedness in the face of Su Rongqing.

He took a deep breath and shook his head. “It is this humble official’s own problem. Let’s sleep.”

With that, he said to Li Rong, “Your Highness, please go to bed first. This humble official will extinguish the lights.”

Li Rong acknowledged, removed her outer robe, and went to bed.

Pei Wenxuan extinguished the lights and returned, sleeping on the outer side.

Both lay awake in the darkness, unable to sleep. After a while, Li Rong spoke softly, “While you were gone, everyone thought you were dead.”

Pei Wenxuan didn’t respond. Li Rong continued, “But I knew you weren’t.”

“Your Highness has always trusted me.”

Pei Wenxuan said calmly, “Thank you for your trust, Your Highness.”

“It’s not just trust.”

The darkness nurtured courage. Li Rong turned on her side, looking at the young man lying flat across from her.

He had already washed up, restored to his usual appearance as a noble young master in Huajing.

Li Rong gazed at him quietly and whispered, “It’s because I was still afraid.”Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan turned in surprise and saw the young lady resting her head on her hand, lying on her side as she looked at him. She smiled and said, "If you really died, I wouldn't know what to do. So, whether I believe you or not, I have to act as if you're alive."

As Li Rong spoke these words, she noticed Pei Wenxuan's stunned expression and felt a bit embarrassed. She laughed softly, "See, saying such things is awkward. That's why I don't like to talk about them."

Pei Wenxuan remained silent, his gaze fixed intently on Li Rong. His stare was too direct, burning her like fire.

Li Rong didn't know why, but she felt her face grow warm. She averted her gaze, turned over with her back to Pei Wenxuan, and whispered, "Don't look at me like that. It's embarrassing."

Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan let out a soft chuckle. The sound carried a hint of hoarseness, mingling with his usual clear, jade-like voice, making Li Rong's ears burn.

Pei Wenxuan reached out to pull her closer, his voice gentle. "Let me see."

Li Rong pushed him away, unwilling to turn around. Pei Wenxuan increased his strength slightly, leaning closer as he murmured softly, "Your Highness, let me see."

Li Rong knew her face was flushed. Though it was nighttime, she felt inexplicably guilty. She struggled against Pei Wenxuan, who turned her over. Li Rong immediately covered her face with her hands and lightly kicked him.

Pei Wenxuan pinned her down, reaching out to tickle her sides. Li Rong couldn't help but laugh, and Pei Wenxuan seized the opportunity to press her hands to her sides, revealing her face.

Throughout the struggle, Pei Wenxuan had to control his strength to avoid hurting her, so by the time he fully subdued Li Rong, he had expended considerable effort himself.

Both of them were panting heavily. Pei Wenxuan pressed down on her, his hair falling loosely on either side, gently brushing against her face and causing a slight itch.

Li Rong gazed at the handsome man before her. He remained motionless, his eyes fixed intently on her as if they held tangible weight. In that silent moment, memories of their entangled past life flooded her mind.

Some things, if they had never happened, might not matter. But once they had occurred, they would always resurface in an instant with the slightest reminder.

Li Rong's breathing involuntarily quickened. Pei Wenxuan clearly noticed the change in her. His eyes darkened as he raised his slender, well-defined hand and lightly rested it on her face, then gently brushed the back of his hand across her cheek.

His hand was slightly cool, and the touch of their skin sent an indescribable tingling sensation coursing through her, exploding in Li Rong's mind.

"Your Highness," he called her name softly, his voice carrying a rare hoarseness, "Your heart holds a place for this humble subject. I am deeply pleased."

Li Rong said nothing. Her heartbeat quickened, and then she saw Pei Wenxuan lean down gently.

"May I offer the joys of this world," his lips met hers, his fingers intertwining with hers, as sweetness and heat surged between them, his muffled response carrying a promise, "to repay your grace."