The Princess Royal

Тhе mоmеnt suсh thоughts surfacеd, Реi Wеnхuan instead саlmed down.

Тhis was toо signifiсаnt а mаttеr. If he utterеd those words too cаsuаlly nоw, it would sееm fаr tоo frivоlоus. Еvеn if hе said thеm, Li Rong would not tаkе them tо heart.

Mоre impоrtantly, hе wаntеd tо sау suсh words to Li Rоng аt the mоst bеаutiful momеnt, to lеt hеr hear thеm jоyfullу and remembеr them for a lifеtimе.

Whеther Li Rоng accерtеd them оr nоt, аt thе vеrу leаst, shе would fоrevеr hold that mоment, аnd Реi Wenхuаn, in hеr hеart.

As Pеi Wenxuan pondеred how to sаy thesе words, Li Rоng, sеeing him hоlding her without speaking, raised her hand and patted his, saying calmly, "Alright, let's sleep. Doesn't your arm hurt holding me like this?"

"It does," Pei Wenxuan murmured, resting his head against Li Rong's back, "but holding Your Highness makes the pain go away."

"Nonsense," Li Rong scoffed softly, gently pushing away the hand he had placed on her, and closed her eyes. "Sleep."

Both closed their eyes. After a while, Li Rong suddenly remembered something. "In a few days, I plan to leave the capital for a while. Do you want to come?"

Hearing Li Rong's words, Pei Wenxuan perked up a little. "Leave the capital?"

"Yes," Li Rong said with her eyes still closed. "Find a place to wander around, treat it as a trip."

Listening to Li Rong, Pei Wenxuan began to form some plans in his mind, contemplating as he said, "Has Your Highness decided where to go?"

"I'll think about it."

Li Rong pondered; she needed to find a place that was easy to set an ambush.

With their separate thoughts, the two drifted off to sleep. The next day, before dawn had even broken, Pei Wenxuan woke early. Li Rong heard rustling beside her and thought Pei Wenxuan was getting up. Then she felt a handkerchief gently placed over her eyes, followed by light filling the room. Moments later, Pei Wenxuan returned, gently shook her, and said softly, "Your Highness, time to rise."

Normally, Pei Wenxuan wouldn't call her. He usually let her sleep, changed her clothes for her, and only woke her when it was time to get out of bed.

Li Rong was a bit puzzled. Opening her eyes, she saw Pei Wenxuan's bandaged hand and remembered that his hand was injured, making it difficult for him to help her up with just one hand.

Bleary-eyed, Li Rong saw Pei Wenxuan waiting nearby. "Your Highness, please sit up first."

"It's fine."

Li Rong shook her head and crawled out from under the covers. Pei Wenxuan hurriedly draped her clothes over her shoulders. Li Rong pulled the garments on herself and then said, "I can dress myself."

As she spoke, she slipped into her clothes. Turning her head, she looked at Pei Wenxuan, still wearing only his inner robe. "Aren't you cold?"

"I'll get dressed right away."

Pei Wenxuan smiled, going to pick up his own clothes. Seeing his difficulty with one hand, Li Rong yawned and walked over to the bed, picked up his clothes, and draped them over him. "Let me help you."

Pei Wenxuan was taken aback. Li Rong didn't seem to notice anything unusual. She guided his arm into the sleeve and reached up to fasten the inner buttons for him.

She had never done such things before, so her movements were somewhat clumsy. Standing before him with her head bowed, she seemed like a child just learning to do tasks.

Seeing Li Rong like this, Pei Wenxuan felt an indescribable surge of emotion.What is most alluring is not when someone boldly speaks of countless flirtations, but when she, like a young girl, lowers her head before you, revealing her slender and graceful jade-like neck, learning to fasten a button for you. She raises her hand to encircle you from behind, as if embracing you, yet not quite, her fingertips lightly brushing past your waist before retreating as if nothing happened. Then, she reaches in front, tightening and knotting the belt.

Pei Wenxuan looked at the girl before him, struggling to restrain all his impulses, maintaining his usual gentle expression. Only when Li Rong raised her hand to adjust his hem did he hurriedly stop her. As he opened his mouth, his voice came out slightly hoarse: "Your Highness, there’s no need."

Li Rong was still somewhat drowsy and didn’t notice anything amiss. She looked up at him and said, "Why is your voice hoarse? Are you feeling cold?"

"Perhaps a little," Pei Wenxuan quickly adjusted his tone to conceal the unusualness. Li Rong reached out and touched his forehead, advising, "You’re injured now. If you develop a fever, it could be serious. Rest well and don’t worry about other matters. I’ll handle everything."

"Your Highness..." Pei Wenxuan was both amused and exasperated. "Why do you always steal my lines?"

Li Rong smiled softly and said, "If you can’t sleep, read a book. I’ll request leave for you from the Morning Court Assembly. Rest for now."

With that, Li Rong called for attendants to help them freshen up. Then, she draped her outer robe over her shoulders and headed to court. Pei Wenxuan escorted her all the way to the main gate. He had intended to attend court as well, but Li Rong forcibly stopped him, ordering others to keep him inside.

After Li Rong arrived at court, she reported the assassination attempt on Pei Wenxuan. Li Ming ordered a strict investigation, and Li Rong took charge of the matter. When she returned to the Supervisory Department, she found that its entrance had been splattered with excrement. Li Rong was both angered and amused. She turned to Su Ronghua, who had followed her, and pointed at him, saying, "Minister Su, aren’t you going to investigate this?"

Su Ronghua smiled bitterly. "Your Highness, this kind of incident is clearly the work of some unruly villagers or troublemakers. Even if we find out who did it, there’s little we can do."

"What do you mean, little we can do?" Li Rong said coldly. "If nothing can be done, I’ll have someone splatter excrement at the entrance of your Su residence tomorrow!"

Su Ronghua’s expression stiffened, as if he could already envision the scene of excrement being dumped at the Su family’s gate. He immediately changed his tone and said, "Your Highness, rest assured. I’ll handle this right away."

Li Rong had no more to say and led Shangguan Ya inside. Shangguan Ya whispered, "Your Highness, why did you assign this matter to him?"

"Would you prefer to handle it?"

Li Rong raised an eyebrow, and Shangguan Ya quickly replied, "Minister Su is indeed the right person for this."

As they entered the Supervisory Department, Li Rong lowered her voice and asked, "Any leads on yesterday’s assassination attempt?"

"Not yet."

"Then go check which areas outside the city are suitable for ambushes," Li Rong pondered. "If we still can’t find any clues in seven days, we’ll have to take the initiative and settle everything before the New Year."

Li Rong smiled. "I’d like to celebrate the New Year in peace."

"Your Highness is right."

Shangguan Ya was someone who would oppose fiercely when she disagreed, but once she agreed to something, she would carry it out thoroughly. Hearing her agreement, Li Rong felt somewhat reassured. She led the way into the prison, conducting a final review of all confessions and evidence.

By now, most of the evidence was in place. All that remained was the final sentencing. Once the verdict was determined, the memorial would be submitted to the emperor for review. After scrutiny by the Chancellery, if no major issues arose, the matter would be settled.The busier things got, the more incidents seemed to pile up. In the morning, the entrance of the Supervisory Department was splattered with feces, and by evening, someone was already offering silver at the gates of the Princess's Manor.

Li Rong had her people intercept them right outside before heading back into the manor. Seven days passed in a row, and matters were mostly settled. Shangguan Ya had also managed to uncover some leads.

"It was Chen Guang's family who went to great lengths to hire assassins."

Shangguan Ya followed Li Rong out of the prison cells. Li Rong wiped her hands with a handkerchief as she listened to Shangguan Ya's report: "Chen Guang held a high position within the Chen family. He was the only son of the old Madam Chen. If he died, the Chen family would completely decline. There are likely many powerful clans supporting the Chen family from behind the scenes, but now that Your Highness has offended so many people, it's hard to tell exactly who is secretly backing them."

"Is there any evidence?"

Li Rong asked quietly. Shangguan Ya shook her head: "No. They were very thorough. This conclusion is only an inference—there's no solid proof."

"Has Chen Guang's sentence been finalized?"

"It has," Shangguan Ya replied softly. "As Your Highness instructed, he has been sentenced to beheading."

Li Rong acknowledged with a hum. After a moment of thought, she asked quietly, "Have you found a suitable location for an ambush outside the city?"

"I have," Shangguan Ya said as they walked into the main hall. She retrieved a map and pointed to a spot: "Right here, Butterfly Gorge. Both sides are cliffs. At this location, we can find a suitable hiding spot for Your Highness in advance. Once you lure them here and retreat to safety, we can trap them like turtles in a jar."

Li Rong nodded in agreement. "Then let's set it here. Five days from now," she looked up, "I'll take Pei Wenxuan out for a countryside excursion. If they plan to strike, this would be the perfect opportunity."

"Your Highness is bringing the Imperial Son-in-Law?" Shangguan Ya sounded puzzled. "What for?"

"If I go out alone, it might seem too deliberate, and they might grow suspicious," Li Rong mused. "Bringing Pei Wenxuan along will serve as a decoy."

"Won't you tell him?"

"If I tell him, do you think he'd let me go?"

Li Rong countered directly. Shangguan Ya paused briefly before sighing, "Your Highness, with your temperament, you'd better pray for good fortune."

Li Rong ignored her remark and continued, "Since they dare to make a move, they must have prepared thoroughly. You need to devise a final plan for the ambush at Butterfly Gorge. Is there water there?"

"Yes," Shangguan Ya replied. "It's originally a stream. I've checked it—the current isn't too strong, and there are many caves nearby. The water connects to small caves along the side. If Your Highness finds herself in a desperate situation, you can jump into the water."

"Prepare some gunpowder," Li Rong thought aloud. "If the worst comes to worst, jump into the water and light the fuse. But if it comes to that," she looked up with a cold laugh, "you'd better think about how you'll be punished."

"Don't worry," Shangguan Ya said immediately. "I'll make all the arrangements."

After finalizing the plan, Shangguan Ya and Li Rong parted ways and returned to their respective homes.

When Li Rong returned to the Princess's Manor, she saw Pei Wenxuan reading. She walked up behind him and watched for a while, only to realize he was reading some folk storybooks."You truly have too much leisure at home," Li Rong laughed, taking the storybook from his hand, flipping to see its title, and then looking up at him. "Lord Pei has also started reading such things?"

Pei Wenxuan rose with Li Rong, and the two walked skillfully toward the dining hall. Pei Wenxuan observed Li Rong and tentatively said, "This humble official had nothing to do, so I casually glanced at it. But after reading a bit longer, I found there are many interesting things in it that even I don’t understand."

"Oh?" Li Rong had read many storybooks before and couldn’t help but be intrigued that Pei Wenxuan was interested in such matters. "For example?"

"I was just reading about a scholar confessing his feelings to the woman he admires. I thought that liking someone is just a matter of saying it, but the scholar kept preparing over and over. Why is that?"

Hearing Pei Wenxuan ask this, Li Rong couldn’t help but laugh. "Pei Wenxuan, I never thought you were such an unromantic person."

"This humble official doesn’t understand," Pei Wenxuan said as he entered the dining hall with Li Rong and took his seat, adopting a humble and courteous posture. "Please enlighten me, Your Highness."

"Liking someone is indeed just a sentence, but what do you think a man actually intends to do when he says such words to a woman?"

Pei Wenxuan looked puzzled. Li Rong smiled and explained, "What he wants to do is establish a relationship. From that moment on, they belong to each other. For such a significant matter, if there’s no ceremony, wouldn’t it seem like the girl isn’t being valued?"

Pei Wenxuan listened and showed a sudden realization. "Your Highness speaks wisely. This humble official has been enlightened."

Li Rong sighed. "It’s just that you’ve never pursued a girl, never seriously told someone you liked them, so you don’t understand."

As she spoke, Li Rong habitually picked up the soup bowl. Recently, since Pei Wenxuan injured his hand, Li Rong had been feeding him soup. Pei Wenxuan watched as Li Rong blew on the soup, suppressing the smile in his eyes with pursed lips, pretending to be curious. "I don’t understand. Seeing how knowledgeable Your Highness is, you must have encountered many such scenes, right?"

Li Rong’s movements stiffened for a moment. Then, she set the bowl down and turned to him. "Come and serve the Imperial Son-in-Law his soup."

Seeing Li Rong’s anger, Pei Wenxuan quickly said, "I was just asking casually, Your Highness. I thought that a woman like you, with beauty that could sink fish and drop geese, intelligent and charming, dignified and noble, born into high status—there must be countless men who admire you. That’s why I asked."

"Pei Wenxuan, I’ve noticed you have a knack for bringing up the wrong topic," Li Rong looked at him and scoffed. "I haven’t. Have you?"

"I..."

Pei Wenxuan, confronted by Li Rong, instinctively wanted to retort. After all, as an outstanding man who had lived a lifetime, he should have had a few girls confess to him.

But the moment he opened his mouth, he realized he hadn’t either.

Before marriage, during his time in Luzhou, some girls would throw flowers at him, but that couldn’t be considered a confession.

Later, in Huajing, at first, the girls in Huajing looked down on him. Soon, he became Li Rong’s Imperial Son-in-Law. Li Rong spent most of her life in the clouds, holding great power and possessing a strong personality. The girls in Huajing were afraid of death and kept their distance from him as soon as they saw him.

Thus, his retort was stuck in his throat. Seeing Pei Wenxuan’s embarrassment, Li Rong smiled. "So, Lord Pei, no one has ever seriously told you they liked you in your entire life?"Pei Wenxuan listened to these words, using a smile to mask his own awkwardness. "Your Highness is no different, is she?"

"I'm not the same as Lord Pei," Li Rong blinked, "Many people have told me they like me."

"Who?!"

Pei Wenxuan instinctively blurted out the question, his mind racing.

Su Rongqing could probably be counted as one.

But Li Rong said many?

Before her marriage, Li Rong was in the palace and hadn't had much contact with men outside, so there shouldn't have been many. Later, in the court, she was already married—who would dare to try to seduce her behind his back?!

Pei Wenxuan's expression darkened for a moment. Li Rong observed him, watching with amusement. Pei Wenxuan quickly asked about several names of men who had been close to Li Rong in the court back then. Seeing how urgently he questioned her, Li Rong found it increasingly amusing. Finally, she raised her fan and tapped Pei Wenxuan's hand. "Don't just guess wildly. They were all insignificant characters who thought they were good-looking and offered themselves, hoping to secure a path to success."

"Aren't they afraid of death?"

Pei Wenxuan was somewhat shocked. Li Rong thought for a moment. "Maybe my conduct wasn't the best?"

After all, compared to ordinary women, she had indeed appeared less reserved in the eyes of the outside world back then.

Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan felt a ripple of emotion in his heart.

He hadn't realized that men in this world could be so spineless yet so bold, daring to offer themselves for a chance at success without fearing him.

He had underestimated these men. In his previous life, he hadn't guarded against them well enough; in this life, he needed to be more vigilant.

Pei Wenxuan steadied the many thoughts sprouting in his mind before remembering his original purpose. He abruptly changed the topic. "So, how did they say these things to Your Highness?"

"Just... casually mentioned it." Li Rong also seemed to find it somewhat improper and didn't want to elaborate, instead asking, "Why do you keep asking about this?"

Pei Wenxuan smiled. "I just read in a storybook that when the scholar confesses his feelings, he even picks a special place for it. It seemed too grand, so I wanted to ask Your Highness if others are really like that scholar."

"It depends on whether they're sincere or not."

Seeing that Pei Wenxuan seemed genuinely curious rather than hinting at something, Li Rong replied casually. "Sincere people can do even better than in the books. Insincere ones might not even say a word of affection."

Pei Wenxuan: "..."

He felt as if Li Rong was hinting at something, but when he looked at her expression, he thought he might be overthinking it. He continued, "What does Your Highness think counts as sincerity?"

"Sincerity is about being attentive. Does it really need my opinion?"

Li Rong found it rather strange. Pei Wenxuan pressed on. "What does being attentive entail?"

"At the very least, knowing what the other person likes, dislikes, and desires most," Li Rong pondered, speaking slowly. "In this regard, you could actually learn from Su Rongqing."

Hearing this name, Pei Wenxuan maintained a smile. As Li Rong spoke, she realized her words might be inappropriate. She glanced at Pei Wenxuan, noticing his unchanged expression, and felt a bit uneasy. Pei Wenxuan said gently, "Your Highness, what did you say?"

"I... I didn't mean to say you're inferior to Su Rongqing."

Li Rong hurriedly explained. Pei Wenxuan laughed. "Your Highness, do you think I'm that petty?"

Absolutely.Li Rong did not dare to speak these words aloud, but seeing that Pei Wenxuan’s expression remained calm, she assumed he had already let go of his past grievances with Su Rongqing and moved on. So she continued, “Do you remember that every winter, there were peonies in the Princess’s Manor?”

“Yes, I remember.” Pei Wenxuan nodded. Li Rong smiled, her eyes tinged with nostalgia. “Su Rongqing knew I liked peonies and disliked plum blossoms, so every year he would cultivate peonies in the greenhouse especially for me. The peonies in the Princess’s Manor during winter were all grown by him for me.”

“Back then, I thought that was what it meant to be attentive.”

Pei Wenxuan listened, his expression unchanged. He picked up his teacup and took a sip. Li Rong glanced up, somewhat uneasy. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“This humble official is just feeling a bit emotional. I never realized Minister Su was so good to Your Highness back then.”

Li Rong always felt that whenever Pei Wenxuan spoke like this, the atmosphere became rather strange. She forced a nod and replied, “Indeed.”

“But I recall that Your Highness’s favorite flower should actually be peonies, shouldn’t it?”

Li Rong was taken aback for a moment before she smiled. “You even know that.”

“Peonies aren’t grand enough,” Li Rong said softly. “And ever since I was young, my mother taught me not to let others easily know what I like, even if it’s just a flower.”

Pei Wenxuan listened to Li Rong’s words, then nodded after a moment. “This humble official understands.”

“Oh, by the way, make some time in a few days.”

As she spoke, Li Rong suddenly remembered something and said to Pei Wenxuan, “I want to take you to Butterfly Gorge for a visit. I’ve heard the scenery there is beautiful and splendid.”

Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan smiled. “It would be my honor to accompany Your Highness on this outing.”

As he spoke, he had already sketched out Butterfly Gorge in his mind.

It truly was a beautiful place—babbling streams, rolling hills, and lush vegetation. It would be the perfect spot to arrange a romantic rendezvous.

Meanwhile, Li Rong sipped her tea, also picturing Butterfly Gorge in her mind.

Surrounded by mountains on both sides, with dense foliage, it would be the ideal location to set an ambush.