Uроn hearing this, еvеrуоnе exchаngеd glancеs. Seizing the mоmеnt оf silеnсе, Li Ming deсlared directly, "Thеn it's sеttled. Frоm todау оnwаrd, Ping Lе shаll bе thе hеad оf the Supervisоrу Deрartment. Thе Supervisоry Deраrtmеnt will rероrt аll matters dirесtly tо mе, bуpаssing the Тhrеe Deраrtments. Рing Le may рersonallу аssеmble thе internal staff оf thе Suрervisоrу Dераrtmеnt. Thе Мingsheng Drill Grоund in the nоrthern citу shall bе аllоcаtеd аs thе official hеadquarters of the Suрervisory Dеpartmеnt. Thе Мinistry оf Revenue shall prepare a budget for the establishment of the Supervisory Department and submit it to Ping Le."
Zheng Ran, the Minister of Revenue, listened respectfully and was about to respond when Li Ming added, "No less than thirty thousand taels per year."
"Your Majesty," Zheng Ran frowned, "isn't this too much? Funds are needed everywhere now, and Your Highness still requires such a large sum..."
"Can't even thirty thousand taels be spared?" Li Ming expressed dissatisfaction. "With annual taxes amounting to tens of millions of taels, you can't even manage thirty thousand? How are you handling affairs?"
"Your Majesty, I am wronged," Zheng Ran quickly knelt on the ground and began to argue with Li Ming. "Great Xia's annual national taxes, in good years, amount to several hundred million taels of silver, and in poor years, no less than eighty million taels. It may sound like a lot, but the expenditures are also substantial. Consider this: since the beginning of this year, the war on the northwestern border in early spring has already consumed more than half of the national treasury. In June, the flood season brought disasters to the south, requiring both disaster relief and dike repairs. Then..."
"Enough, enough," Li Ming interrupted Zheng Ran, unwilling to listen further. He decisively stated, "Don't calculate anymore. Return and draft a memorial for me, detailing exactly how much can be allocated. Regardless of whether the amount is large or small, the Supervisory Department is officially established as of today."
"Your Majesty," someone from the Ministry of War stepped forward anxiously, "the drill ground in the northern city originally belonged to the Northern City Army. Now that it is allocated to the princess..."
"Don't try to deceive me about the affairs of the Northern City Army," Li Ming raised his eyes, displeased. "Three years ago, when the Northern City Army expanded, they found this drill ground too small and specifically requested a new, larger plot of land from me to build a bigger drill ground. The Mingsheng Drill Ground has long been abandoned. I went to inspect it just a few days ago—it's overgrown with weeds, completely deserted. If you continue spouting nonsense, I will charge you with deceiving the sovereign!"
After reprimanding the Ministry of War official, Li Ming turned to Li Rong and smiled, "Ping Le, I have invested heavily in you. In the future, you must work diligently to share your father's burdens."
Hearing this, Li Rong remained expressionless and replied respectfully, "Yes."
After a moment of hesitation, Li Rong spoke up, "Father, what about the Qin Shi case and the military provisions case..."
"You handled them exceptionally well," Li Ming set aside the memorial, his tone indifferent. "As for the follow-up matters, don't concern yourself with them anymore. Hand them over to the Ministry of Justice for disposal."
Upon hearing this, Li Rong abruptly looked up and stared at Li Ming.
Her gaze was too sharp, startling Li Ming. Fortunately, he quickly regained his composure, though he felt a surge of anger at his momentary unease. He wanted to reprimand Li Rong but felt that, at this moment, with the Supervisory Department just established, he should show her respect. Suppressing his emotions, he raised his hand and said, "Rise."
Li Rong remained kneeling, unmoving. The surrounding officials breathed a sigh of relief, and many who had intended to oppose the establishment of the Supervisory Department settled down, no longer planning to step forward and object.
Seeing Li Rong motionless, Li Ming felt somewhat uneasy but maintained a smile on his face. "Ping Le, why haven't you risen?"Pei Wenxuan glanced at Li Ming's expression and knew he was already angry. He immediately stepped forward, went up to support Li Rong, and said with some urgency, "Your Majesty, Her Highness has been overworked lately and is prone to dizziness. She is likely unwell at the moment. I beg Your Majesty to allow me to take Her Highness back to rest."
Hearing Pei Wenxuan step in to dissuade Li Rong, Li Ming's expression softened slightly. He sighed and said, "Ping Le must take more care to rest. Take her down."
Pei Wenxuan acknowledged the order and reached out to support Li Rong. When Li Rong tried to struggle, Pei Wenxuan exerted force, gripping her shoulder tightly as he helped her stand. He whispered, "Your Highness, I will escort you out. If there is anything to discuss, we can speak outside."
Pei Wenxuan firmly supported Li Rong, forcing her to rise, and then led her out of the hall.
As soon as they left the main hall, Li Rong swung her hand back and slapped toward him. Pei Wenxuan did not move. As her hand neared his face, she saw him smiling, prepared to take the blow, and her hand paused, unable to strike.
Seeing Li Rong hesitate, Pei Wenxuan raised his hand to hold hers and said gently, "Your Highness may strike. Once you have vented your anger, you will feel better. I will not feel any pain."
"Who cares whether you feel pain or not!"
Li Rong turned and strode straight toward the imperial garden, her face flushed with anger. Pei Wenxuan followed closely behind. After walking a distance and seeing Pei Wenxuan sticking to her every step, she turned around and shouted angrily, "Get lost!"
Pei Wenxuan smiled. "I cannot get lost. I fear Your Highness might become distraught and throw herself into the lake."
"I'd sooner throw you into the lake than throw myself in!"
Hearing Pei Wenxuan's words, Li Rong was furious and shouted, "Get away from me!"
With that, she continued toward the imperial garden. Pei Wenxuan kept following. Li Rong walked swiftly until they entered the garden and found a secluded spot. There, she vented her anger by violently striking a pile of branches.
Pei Wenxuan watched quietly from the side. When Li Rong had exhausted herself and her breathing had calmed slightly, he approached, gently lifted her hand, and carefully checked for any injuries. He said softly, "Your Highness need not be so angry. His Majesty has his own considerations."
"Is this consideration?" Li Rong lowered her voice and leaned closer to Pei Wenxuan. As he watched her approach, his thoughts drifted momentarily. Unaware of his distraction, Li Rong continued angrily, "He is afraid! I know he dared not act according to the memorial, but to be so fearful as to directly transfer it to the Ministry of Justice? If he transfers it there, what was the point of everything I did before? How will my Supervisory Department establish itself in the court from now on?"
"Your Highness," Pei Wenxuan did not shy away from Li Rong's closeness. Instead, he shifted his gaze to the lake beside them, where broken ice had formed, and said quietly, "His Majesty is using these two cases to appease the ministers and allow your Supervisory Department to be established. For the Supervisory Department to establish its authority, there is still a long road ahead. Your Highness need not be so impatient."
Li Rong tightened her grip on her fan and fell silent. Pei Wenxuan turned to look at her and said gently, "We can wait a little longer, can't we?"
Li Rong lowered her eyes. Pei Wenxuan sighed, reached out to hold her hand, and said with some helplessness, "You are too strong-willed, unable to accept defeat in anything. It is cold outside. Let us return for now."
"It is not that I cannot accept defeat."Li Rong lowered her voice, standing still in place. Pei Wenxuan turned to look at her and heard Li Rong lower her head, speaking with apparent difficulty: "I can wait, but what about the Qin family? What about Xun Chuan?"
Pei Wenxuan was taken aback. Li Rong raised her head, looking earnestly at Pei Wenxuan: "The dead witnesses, the loyal and righteous who were slandered, the soldiers who died on the frontier, and Xun Chuan who abandoned her identity and changed her appearance. If I didn’t investigate, that would be one thing, but since I have investigated, and I clearly know that I am only one step away from punishing the murderer," Li Rong stared at Pei Wenxuan, "how can you ask me to give up? How could I be willing?"
Pei Wenxuan didn’t speak; he looked at Li Rong.
In truth, he knew that deep down, Li Rong always had a certain innocence unlike that of Huajing. That was why, in her previous life, when she believed the Su family had been wronged, she fought desperately to save them; when she saw Ning Fei’s blood staining the court, she draped a coat over her.
But this was the first time he had seen such a Li Rong, so clearly appearing before him.
Pei Wenxuan looked at Li Rong and couldn’t help but smile.
Seeing Pei Wenxuan’s smile, Li Rong felt her words were somewhat childish. As if embarrassed, she turned away and whispered, "And most importantly, they have insulted me so much, trying to seize my fief and expel me from Huajing. If I don’t show them a little color, they’ll truly think I’m easy to bully."
"Your Highness is quite right to consider this."
Pei Wenxuan responded with a smile. Li Rong continued, "Nowadays, the noble families are too powerful. Since His Majesty wants to balance them, he must have some courage. The way he is now, the noble families won’t restrain themselves! He’s too timid and cautious. To retreat at this point, after coming this far, is too spineless!"
"Your Highness is correct."
"He needs someone to push him." Li Rong’s voice turned cold. This time, Pei Wenxuan didn’t respond. Li Rong turned and said, "Have someone investigate who made His Majesty decide to transfer this case to the Ministry of Justice. I’ll go find Chuan’er."
After saying this, Li Rong hurried toward the Eastern Palace.
Unable to stop Li Rong, Pei Wenxuan could only follow her and wait at the Eastern Palace. As soon as Li Chuan returned from court, he heard that Li Rong was waiting for him at the Eastern Palace and hurried back, somewhat surprised: "Sister, why have you come?"
"The Qin family’s case cannot be transferred to the Ministry of Justice," Li Rong said directly to Li Chuan as soon as she saw him. "Do you have anyone trustworthy in your hands?"
"Tell me, sister."
Li Rong pursed her lips, thought for a moment, and said, "I’ll first investigate the reason His Majesty transferred the case, but I suspect it’s nothing more than the noble families pressuring him yesterday. He’s feeling weak."
Listening to this, Li Chuan picked up a cup and drank tea: "I heard that yesterday, the Minister of Justice, the head of the Censorate, and the chief of the Dali Temple entered the palace together. In the evening, His Majesty went to Consort Mei’s place, and it seems she also argued with His Majesty."
Consort Mei was the daughter of Jiang Zheng, the chief of the Dali Temple. If Consort Mei argued, it was likely on her father’s instructions.
"If it was them," Pei Wenxuan analyzed, "then they were likely discussing the matter of the Supervisory Department. So, His Majesty exchanged these two cases for the Three Judicial Departments’ tacit approval of the establishment of the Supervisory Department."
"Since when do they have a say in whether I establish the Supervisory Department or not?!"
Li Rong took a deep breath, opened her mouth to curse, then held back. After a long pause, she only said, "On one hand, he wants to trouble the noble families; on the other, he retreats as soon as he’s intimidated. Even if he doesn’t intend to handle it firmly, he still shouldn’t hand it over to the Ministry of Justice!""Sister, don't be angry," Li Chuan handed tea to Li Rong, speaking softly. "Father is a cautious person. Look at the Mingsheng Drill Ground—he planned it for three years. That should tell you something."
Hearing Li Chuan's words, Li Rong calmed down considerably.
Back when the Northern City Army was relocated to a new drill ground, many people disagreed. But at that time, Li Ming had just survived an assassination attempt, and the Northern City Army had rendered meritorious service by protecting him. Using this as justification, Li Ming moved the Northern City Army to a large drill ground.
Many saw this as a great favor back then. Later, because the Northern City Army's drill ground was remote, its interactions with Huajing decreased. Gradually, the Northern City Army drifted out of the sphere of the nobility. Children from prominent families were unwilling to join, so the army came to consist mostly of commoners and ordinary people. Over time, it fell almost entirely under Li Ming's control.
And now, looking at this abandoned Mingsheng Drill Ground, it seems Li Ming had long planned to establish another small army within Huajing. As for the Supervisory Department, he had likely been scheming for more than three years.
It was precisely because he had prepared so thoroughly that Li Ming was being cautious, afraid that one wrong move would ruin the Supervisory Department.
But Li Ming overestimated the courage of the noble families. Having dealt with them for so many years, Li Rong knew clearly that these scions of noble houses would absolutely avoid resorting to force if they could. As long as the Supervisory Department's investigations didn't lead to deaths, it would remain within the tolerance of these families.
Even if there were deaths, it would depend on who died. This was a contest of strength. Although the Supervisory Department had been established, the noble families had already seen through its limitations from the start.
Li Rong took a sip of tea. After a long while, she said calmly, "Forget it. I won't argue with him. Do we have anyone close to His Majesty?"
Li Rong turned to look at Pei Wenxuan, who nodded. "Yes."
Li Rong acknowledged with a sound. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Make arrangements. I'll write two memorials. One will be submitted normally, but it probably won't reach His Majesty. The other will be delivered by a eunuch, who will say he stole it after it was intercepted."
Only if her memorials could be intercepted would Li Ming feel a sense of crisis, stirring his fear of the noble families' power.
"Sister, what do you plan to write in this memorial?" Li Chuan asked, puzzled. "Even if you try to persuade him now, Father won't listen to you."
"I'm not going to persuade him."
Li Rong said lightly, "I'm going to resign."
Li Chuan was stunned, but Pei Wenxuan understood and explained, "Her Highness means, first, to explain to His Majesty that if the Supervisory Department isn't different from the other Three Judicial Departments, then there's no need to establish it. Second, this is also a way to pressure His Majesty. Right now, Her Highness is the most suitable person to establish the Supervisory Department. If she resigns, the establishment of the Supervisory Department will likely be delayed again. But since His Majesty has already revealed his intention to establish it, any further delay will make it difficult to restart. Third, this also gives His Majesty a way out. He can shift all the blame onto Her Highness, saying she forced his hand, thereby diverting the pressure from himself and making it easier for him to decide."
"If he still refuses to agree then," Li Rong said calmly, "I'll kneel outside his door and make a scene. If he fears those noble families, does he not fear me?"
"Given Father's temperament, he would indeed listen to you, Sister."
Li Chuan thought for a moment, then asked, puzzled, "Then why not just give the memorial directly to Father? Why go through someone else first?""Your Highness doesn't understand," Pei Wenxuan smiled. "First, using the incident of the memorial being withheld to provoke His Majesty will greatly increase the likelihood of your words being accepted. Second," Pei Wenxuan poured tea for Li Rong, glancing at her, "Your Highness intends to kill two birds with one stone. The memorial sent through the Chancellery isn't for His Majesty to see."
"Then who is it for?"
"Uncle."
Li Rong directly picked up her teacup and said calmly, "Once he reads the memorial, he'll understand I won't let go of this case. Then, when Aya fans the flames, I'll wait for him to come to me."
"And then?" Li Chuan frowned. "Uncle... probably won't be so easy to persuade, right?"
"Chuan'er, do you think Uncle was the one who framed the Qin family?"
Li Rong looked at Li Chuan, who was momentarily stunned. After hesitating briefly, he slowly shook his head: "Neither Mother nor Uncle are such wicked people."
"Most scions of noble families, raised reading the classics of sages, are incapable of deliberately framing others," Li Rong spoke slowly. "When they act, they always believe they are right. It's just that one thing leads to another, and no one expected such a tragic outcome. Once the result emerges, no one can speak anymore."
Li Chuan listened quietly. Li Rong raised her eyes to look out the window: "Uncle must have wanted to clean up these people too, but he couldn't do it. If he took action, he would chill the hearts of those who work for him. So now, we're just giving Uncle a knife. If Uncle intends to grasp this knife, then the Shangguan family will have a way out. Otherwise, a family with rotten roots," Li Rong paused briefly, then smiled bitterly, "you, or someone else, will eventually destroy it one day."
Listening to these words, Li Chuan felt as if his inner thoughts had been seen through. He lowered his gaze and said nothing.
Li Rong knew these words were somewhat sharp when spoken directly, so she didn't press further. She stood up, patted Li Chuan's shoulder, and said gently, "Don't worry, Elder Sister doesn't think you did wrong. What Elder Sister did today is precisely to hope we don't reach that point."
With that, Li Rong said, "You should rest now, we're leaving. Someone will probably come later to ask what I said to you. Just tell them I came to beg you, that we argued, and that I even hit you."
"Elder Sister..."
Li Chuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Li Rong waved her hand: "We're leaving."
With that, Li Rong turned and left with Pei Wenxuan.
Once they exited the main gate, a cold wind swept over them. Pei Wenxuan timely stepped in front of Li Rong to shield her. Li Rong couldn't help but glance at him, then after a moment, she smiled: "You don't always have to block the wind for me. Can't I handle it myself?"
"I know Your Highness can," Pei Wenxuan chuckled softly. "But Your Highness has already endured enough wind and frost. When I'm here, being able to shield you a little brings me much comfort."
Li Rong looked at Pei Wenxuan. Seeing her remain silent for a long time, Pei Wenxuan looked up and asked, "Your Highness?"
"It's nothing," Li Rong smiled, walking forward. "I just think you're a good person. It would be nice if we could stay like this forever."
"Your Highness can rest assured," Pei Wenxuan couldn't help but smile at these words. "I will accompany Your Highness for a lifetime."
Hearing this, Li Rong didn't respond, only lowering her head with a slight smile before saying, "Let's go."
Then she walked out the main gate and stepped into the cold wind.Pei Wenxuan followed behind her, his gaze lifting to the young woman ahead. Her silhouette seemed no different from that of her eighteen-year-old self in his previous life.
He suddenly realized, in a daze, that by following her like this, he had already trailed after her for two lifetimes.
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