Just аnts, аftеr аll.
Тhе cold wind blеw in, аnd Хun Сhuаn stood frozеn, listеning to the wоrds from inside. Shе stаrеd blаnklу аt Li Rong's baсk—straight and unyielding, lockеd in а standоff with Shangguаn Хu.
А nеarbу аttеndаnt whisрerеd, "My ladу?"
Хun Chuаn snappеd back tо realitу, lоwеring hеr hеаd аs if embarrаssеd. "I suddenlу rеmеmberеd somеthing. Dоn't tell Hеr Нighness I wаs here. I'm leаving."
With that, Xun Chuаn hurriеd оut the dоor.
As if she hаd nеvеr beеn thеrе аt аll.
Unаwarе оf this visitor's briеf prеsencе, Li Rong listеnеd tо Shangguаn Хu's wоrds аnd looked аt him, saying only, "You аre the Primе Minister, аnd I am thе Рrincеss."
"We have the power to change the rules, but you are unwilling. You are determined to maintain the current situation, unwilling to break this balance, hoping that His Majesty and you will continue to play this game, while watching the Shangguan family rot day by day without taking action."
"But is that possible?"
"Great Xia has been established for nearly a hundred years, spanning four generations of rulers since its founding. With conflicts in the northwest and frequent natural disasters internally, it is no longer a fledgling dynasty. It cannot withstand your meddling. Any ruler would find such a Shangguan family intolerable. You say the Shangguan family is Chuan'er's foundation, but look—if today the Supervisory Department were not in my hands but in Consort Rou's, and His Majesty were determined to trouble Chuan'er, tell me: would such a Shangguan family be Chuan'er's foundation or his downfall?"
Shangguan Xu fell silent. Li Rong took a deep breath. "This Princess has never intended to engage in mutual destruction with the Shangguan family. There is only one thing I want."
Shangguan Xu looked up. Li Rong tapped her fan on the table and said earnestly, "I want a clean Shangguan family, one whose head is not a puppet of the noble houses, one that will not hinder Chuan'er in the future or overstep its bounds. Do you understand, Lord Shangguan?!"
A cold wind swept through the open door, carrying withered leaves and passing between them. After a long pause, Shangguan Xu finally said, "Your Highness, this old minister understands, but I am powerless."
"If you cannot do it, then let someone else!"
Li Rong stared at him. "I ask you just one thing, Uncle: Are you willing to take complete control of the Shangguan family?"
Shangguan Xu remained silent. Li Rong turned to Shangguan Ya. "Cousin Aya, are you willing?"
"This commoner will follow Your Highness's orders."
Shangguan Ya bowed respectfully. Shangguan Xu glanced at her, then at Li Rong. After a moment, he smiled bitterly. "Your Highness, does this old minister have a choice?"
Li Rong said nothing. Shangguan Xu continued slowly, "No matter what I choose, Your Highness's purge of the Shangguan family is inevitable. I cannot stop you. Either I ally with the noble houses to depose you, or I watch as you turn your blade against our clan. But if I depose you, the Crown Prince and the Empress will turn against me, and even my daughter..."
Shangguan Xu paused, then said quietly, "The Shangguan family is the Crown Prince's foundation, and the Crown Prince is the future and foundation of the Shangguan family. Your Highness has forced my hand by using the Crown Prince as leverage. You have not given me a choice. In the future, I will not stand in your way, whatever you do." Shangguan Xu sighed and bowed. "I only hope Your Highness will show mercy to our clansmen and spare their lives.""Whether lives can be spared does not depend on me," Li Rong looked at Shangguan Xu calmly, "but on the Shangguan Clan themselves. The Supervisory Department will not show favoritism. If the Supervisory Department cannot find evidence, that is one matter. But if evidence is uncovered, we will only act according to the law. Uncle, you spent half your life revising the Great Xia Code, establishing a legal foundation for Great Xia. If the Great Xia Code cannot be enforced, would you not feel regret?"
Shangguan Xu fell silent. Shangguan Ya respectfully said, "Your Highness need not worry. The Shangguan Clan will not force the Supervisory Department to intervene. After returning today, this humble woman will conduct an internal investigation of the Shangguan Clan. From Huajing to Youzhou, the entire clan will conduct a self-examination. Ya'er is a daughter," Shangguan Ya looked at Shangguan Xu, "if this self-examination proceeds smoothly, the Crown Prince will have no future troubles. If it does not go well, Father can deal with this daughter as a gesture to the clan members. Father will remain the head of the Shangguan Clan, and Brother will be largely unaffected."
"What does Father think?"
Shangguan Ya looked at Shangguan Xu.
They had already laid out all the paths. If Shangguan Xu disagreed and Li Rong's Supervisory Department intervened, it would be a fight to the death between them and the Shangguan Clan. If Shangguan Xu agreed and let Shangguan Ya take action, the Shangguan Clan might lose or win, but Shangguan Xu would have a way out.
Anyone who wasn't a fool would choose to accept Shangguan Ya's self-examination of the Shangguan Clan.
And agreeing to let Shangguan Ya conduct the self-examination also meant agreeing to transfer a portion of the Shangguan Clan's power into the hands of this unmarried young woman.
Shangguan Xu remained silent for a long time before suddenly letting out a light laugh, his expression tinged with bitterness. "Truly worthy of a daughter of the Shangguan Clan."
"Power," Shangguan Xu pushed himself up, sighing with a hint of amusement, "is truly written in your blood and bones."
"The future belongs to you young people. This old minister is truly growing old."
As he spoke, he raised his hand in salute to Li Rong and said wearily, "Everything shall be arranged according to Your Highness's wishes. This old minister will take his leave now."
Li Rong stood up in response, intending to see Shangguan Xu out, but he waved his hand. "There is no need to trouble Your Highness. This old minister can leave on his own. Your Highness has grown up now, with your own thoughts and plans. This old minister is greatly comforted, but there is one thing I must still say to Your Highness."
Li Rong looked up at Shangguan Xu. His gaze fell upon Pei Wenxuan. After glancing at Pei Wenxuan, he turned back and said earnestly, "Your Highness will always carry half the blood of the Shangguan Clan, but marriage may not be forever. In the past, Your Highness stayed away from political affairs. After marriage, you have become prominent in the court. Your Highness," Shangguan Xu advised, "you must still be cautious."
"Uncle need not worry," Li Rong replied, "Rong'er understands."
Shangguan Xu gave a bitter smile and said no more. After bidding farewell to Li Rong, he led Shangguan Ya away.
Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan saw Shangguan Xu out together. After Shangguan Xu had left, Pei Wenxuan tucked his hands into his sleeves and said gently, "With the Shangguan Clan beginning their self-examination, Your Highness's heart must be much more at ease."
"Yes."
"With the support of the Shangguan and Pei clans in the court, once the Qin Shi case is concluded, the Qin family is certain to receive significant rewards and stabilize in the northwest. Xiao Su has no foundation in the northwest. With Qin Lin's abilities and the Qin family's prestige there, the military power in the northwest will eventually fall into Qin Lin's hands. When the imperial examinations open next year, Your Highness can arrange personnel to enter the court. By then, Your Highness will have no more worries."Li Rong listened to Pei Wenxuan's words and responded with a faint acknowledgment. After a while, as if remembering something, she smiled and said, "Earlier, when I asked you to leave, why did you stubbornly stay in the room? Was it because you thought my uncle wasn’t annoyed enough with you, or were you afraid I’d hide something from you?"
"Not exactly," Pei Wenxuan replied, completely missing the implication in Li Rong’s question. He chuckled and said, "By forcing myself to stay here, Shangguan Xu will be even more convinced that I am manipulating Your Highness. They’ll all think I’m the one inciting you. From now on, no matter what happens, they’ll believe that as long as I’m removed, Your Highness will no longer oppose them. This way, Your Highness will be much safer."
Hearing this, Li Rong raised an eyebrow. "Aren’t you afraid of death?"
Pei Wenxuan tucked his hands into his sleeves, his voice calm. "For a commoner like me trying to climb up, if I feared death, I wouldn’t have thought of rising in the first place."
"Pei Wenxuan," Li Rong couldn’t help but feel puzzled by his words. "Why are you so desperate to force your way into the court? Do you crave power that much?"
"Your Highness is mistaken," Pei Wenxuan shook his head. "I didn’t force my way in willingly. In my previous life, I had no choice—I became your Imperial Son-in-Law in a daze, and then got dragged into court affairs without realizing it. By the time I wanted to step back, it was already too late."
"And in this life?"
"In this life," Pei Wenxuan said, his hands still tucked in his sleeves as he walked slowly ahead, a gentle smile on his face, "having been to the heights, I know the splendid view there, and I can’t bear to give it up."
Li Rong fell silent. As she listened to Pei Wenxuan’s words, an indescribable sense of calm spread within her.
They didn’t speak another word. Pei Wenxuan walked ahead of her, quietly shielding her from the wind. He didn’t look back, knowing Li Rong was following behind him.
Not too close, not too far—just there.
After seeing off the Shangguan family, Xun Chuan sat alone in her room.
She didn’t know what to do.
Begging Li Rong was out of the question—Li Rong had already done enough, and she couldn’t trouble her further.
Li Rong owed nothing to the Qin family. As a princess, she had already done more than enough.
But what else could she do besides begging Li Rong?
So many people had died, all the witnesses buried in the outskirts. The Qin family had been wronged for no reason, suffering humiliation in prison.
Should she just let it go?
Hand it over to the Ministry of Justice? But what could they possibly do?
A sudden surge of indescribable hatred welled up inside her—hatred for her own incompetence, her ignorance, and her inability to strategize and plan like Shangguan Ya or Li Rong.
All she could do was hide in this dark place, watching helplessly as the sword of injustice hung over her head.
She sat quietly for a long time until urgent shouts suddenly came from outside: "Lord Xun, something has happened to the Qin family!"
Xun Chuan had specifically instructed her subordinates to keep a close watch on the Qin family. Hearing this, she rushed out the door and asked anxiously, "What happened?"
"Young Master Qin got into a conflict with Vice Minister Cui of the Ministry of Justice on the street. You should go and see quickly."
Upon hearing this, Xun Chuan hurried out. Riding her horse swiftly, she arrived at the street to see her younger brother, clearly beaten, surrounded by fallen guards, and Qin Lin standing by a carriage, his expression cold and stern.Cui Shuyun lay on the ground, breathing heavily as he stared at Qin Lin. "Qin Lin, don't you dare be so insolent. Assaulting a court official—just you wait until tomorrow."
Qin Lin looked at Cui Shuyun calmly and said, "Fine, I'll wait."
With that, Qin Lin turned to leave with his younger brother, saying only, "Qin Yun, let's go."
"You tell us to wait? You're the one who should wait," Qin Yun wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes reddening. "You killed my sister, you killed so many people. My sister's spirit in heaven won't let you off—just you wait!"
"You're talking nonsense!" Cui Shuyun shouted. Qin Lin said calmly, "Qin Yun."
Qin Yun turned away, wiped his tears, and followed Qin Lin. Cui Shuyun was helped up by his attendants. Watching the retreating figures of Qin Lin and Qin Yun, he gritted his teeth and raised his voice, "She killed herself by crashing into the gate!"
Qin Lin stopped in his tracks. Cui Shuyun laughed. "I didn't lay a hand on her. She crashed to her death at the entrance of the Princess's Manor. The Qin family's case will soon be transferred to the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry of Justice will deliver justice for the Qin family, so rest assured, Lord Qin."
Qin Lin remained silent, clenching his fists. Qin Yun turned around, ready to attack again, but before he could act, Xun Chuan stepped forward first, kicked Cui Shuyun aside, and approached Qin Lin, bowing respectfully. "Lord Qin, the Princess requests your presence."
Cui Shuyun was helped up again. He had intended to order his men to act, but upon hearing the word "Princess," he paused and then said quietly, "Let's go."
After Cui Shuyun and his men had left, Qin Lin turned to Xun Chuan. He looked at Xun Chuan quietly for a long time before saying respectfully, "Thank you, Lord Xun, for intervening."
"Is the young master alright?"
Xun Chuan looked at Qin Yun, who lowered his head and said hoarsely, "I'm fine. Thank you for your concern, Lord Xun."
"It's getting late," Xun Chuan said softly. "Allow me to escort both of you back."
Qin Lin acknowledged with a sound and walked with Xun Chuan toward the Qin residence.
For a long time, no one spoke. Finally, Qin Yun couldn't hold back and asked, "Lord Xun, is the case really being transferred to the Ministry of Justice?"
"I have not yet heard any definitive news."
"Please beg the Princess," Qin Yun pleaded urgently. "Ask her to intervene, won't you? If the case goes to the Ministry of Justice, what difference does it make from letting them go free? My sister is dead, Uncle Luo is dead, so many people are dead. Our Qin family is in prison, my uncle has endured so much torture and suffering... Are we just going to let it go like this?"
"Qin Yun," Qin Lin said coldly, "don't cause trouble."
Then, Qin Lin looked at Xun Chuan and said calmly, "Her Highness is someone who handles great matters. For people like His Majesty and Her Highness, the Qin family's case is merely a move on the chessboard. Her Highness has already done all she can for the Qin family—she has shown utmost benevolence. There is no need for Lord Xun to discuss this further with Her Highness. The Qin family's case involves too many entanglements; there can be no resolution. Even if punishment is meted out, at most it will be dismissal from office and exile—and even that is the greatest punishment Her Highness could secure for the Qin family."
"This isn't fair..." Qin Yun clenched his fists upon hearing this. "They killed so many people. My uncle was already in poor health, and now he has endured such torment, lying gravely ill in bed... Why should they remain unscathed?"
Xun Chuan remained silent. Qin Lin's voice turned cold as he said, "Because they are from powerful families. Even His Majesty cannot touch them. Do you understand?""This isn't fair!" Qin Yun raised his voice. Qin Lin shot him a cold glare. "What fairness exists in this world? Can fairness be summoned just because you shout for it? You're old enough to know better—have you no sense of propriety? Get back inside!"
Qin Yun fell silent after Qin Lin's furious scolding, his eyes reddening as he said nothing more. Xun Chuan escorted Qin Lin and Qin Yun to the Qin residence. Qin Lin had Qin Yun enter first, then bowed to Xun Chuan. "You may leave us here. Farewell, Xun."
Xun Chuan watched Qin Lin quietly for a moment. Suddenly, commotion erupted from the Qin household. Qin Yun rushed back out, urgently saying, "Elder brother, Uncle is coughing up blood again. You must come quickly..."
Qin Lin's expression changed. He hurriedly said, "Xun, I must go inside. I cannot accompany you further."
Xun Chuan nodded, watching as Qin Lin and Qin Yun hastened back into the residence.
She stood at the gate, gazing at the Qin family estate she had known for many years, watching snowflakes drift slowly from the sky.
Suddenly, she felt that she truly had no place to return to.
The world owed the Qin family justice. Since the world would not give it, she would deliver it herself.
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