Hearing this, Li Rong laughed softly. She opened her small golden fan to cover half her face, her eyes curved in a smile as she said, “Then this palace shall await Lord Pei’s good news.”
Pei Wenxuan bowed his head in salute, respectfully seeing Li Rong off.
Li Rong closed her fan and walked out.
When she reached the outer door, she saw palace servants waiting outside. Li Rong’s expression turned cold as she instructed those beside her, “Prepare the carriage. We’re going to the Eastern Palace.”
Not long after Li Rong left, the Empress slowly came back to her senses. She tidied her appearance for a moment, then raised her voice toward the outside, “Shande.”
Hearing the summons from the outer hall, Shande hurried inside and knelt before the Empress. “Your Majesty.”
The Empress sat on her golden throne, somewhat weary as she said, “Summon Pei Wenxuan inside.”
Receiving this order, Shande was initially stunned, then realized that the Empress probably didn’t know Pei Wenxuan was just outside the door. But he didn’t say anything extra, only responded quietly, then turned to the doorway and called out loudly, “Summon Pei Wenxuan for an audience—”
Pei Wenxuan bowed to Shande, then walked out from the doorway. The Empress sat on her golden throne, supporting her forehead with her hand. Seeing him enter, the Empress raised her eyes and quietly gazed at this young man.
Pei Wenxuan entered the great hall with a composed expression and knelt to pay his respects. The Empress watched him. After a moment, she spoke slowly, “Were you outside the hall just now?”
If he had entered from the outer door, he shouldn’t have appeared before her this quickly.
Kneeling on the ground, Pei Wenxuan said calmly, “Just now, the Princess instructed this subject to wait outside the hall for Your Majesty’s summons.”
The Empress nodded. Shande tactfully withdrew to wait outside. The Empress straightened her body and said in a low, hoarse voice, “Then you heard my conversation with the Princess just now.”
Pei Wenxuan said nothing, and the Empress knew he was tacitly agreeing. She was silent for a moment, then said slowly, “Your father passed away early. You have no elders at home to plan for your future. Becoming rashly involved in palace affairs would bring you no benefit. Don’t mention last night’s events to anyone. After you return, I will assign you another official position and arrange a suitable marriage for you. You needn’t worry.”
Pei Wenxuan remained silent. The Empress seemed to have a headache and supported her forehead. “Do you have some dissatisfaction?”
“This subject thanks Your Majesty for considering this subject’s difficulties and planning for this subject’s future. But this subject has one matter he doesn’t understand.”
“What matter?”
“If this subject retreats,” Pei Wenxuan raised his head to meet the Empress’s gaze, “what should Her Highness the Princess do?”
“That’s not for you to consider.”
The Empress spoke coldly. Pei Wenxuan looked at the Empress and said calmly, “What if this subject wishes to consider it?”
“What do you mean?”
The Empress frowned. Pei Wenxuan said coolly, “Your Majesty, last night Consort Ning entered Weiyang Palace to threaten and entice, wanting to bind the Yang family and the Crown Prince together. But afterward she went to Consort Rou’s palace. Has Your Majesty not wondered what she went to Consort Rou’s palace for?”
The Empress’s voice went rigid. “Speak.”
“Right now the Yang family is singlemindedly trying to attach themselves to the Princess. Consort Rou is in great favor. For Consort Ning to go to Consort Rou, she must be seeking Consort Rou’s help for the Yang family to marry the Princess. But Consort Rou and the Empress and Crown Prince are mortal enemies. If a marriage alliance between the Yang family and the Princess were truly a good thing, why would she help? Clearly, a marriage between the Yang family and the Princess must have hidden dangers. This subject hopes Your Majesty will think thrice.”
The Empress said nothing. She remained silent. Pei Wenxuan continued, “The Yang family promised Your Majesty military power. But this military power—if the Yang family still has the strength to resist, then allying with the Crown Prince would be complementary. However, if the Yang family is already a fish out of water, fighting desperately in their death throes, then allying with the Crown Prince would be dragging the Crown Prince into the quagmire. The Crown Prince holds no actual military power in his hands. His only military support relies on Your Majesty’s maternal clan, the Shangguan family. What His Majesty fears most right now is simply that the Crown Prince is the legitimate eldest son—if he were to depose him, he fears the officials would be enraged and the foundations of the state would be shaken. But if the Crown Prince now provides grounds for error himself, does Your Majesty think that with the Yang and Shangguan families joining forces, they can suppress the officials and suppress His Majesty?”
“Then in your opinion,” the Empress said hesitantly, “what should be done now?”
“Your Majesty needn’t do anything,” Pei Wenxuan said calmly. “All these people have their own plans. Right now, Your Majesty and the Crown Prince only need to do two things. First, immediately after I leave Weiyang Palace, Your Majesty should seal all news that I entered the palace and that the Princess spent last night with me.”
“This palace has already done this.” The Empress was somewhat puzzled. “Why do you want this palace to do these things?”
“With His Majesty’s eyes and ears in the palace, what Your Majesty has done cannot be hidden,” Pei Wenxuan said lightly. “Only if Your Majesty targets this subject can this subject gain His Majesty’s trust. Therefore, what the Crown Prince must do next is prepare a memorial impeaching the Yang family. Once the Yang family falls into difficulty,” Pei Wenxuan raised his eyes seriously, “the Crown Prince should immediately submit the impeachment, and then promptly provide an alternative candidate for the position of Zhenbei General.”
“Why is this?”
“In the future, Your Majesty will naturally know.”
Pei Wenxuan looked at the Empress. “The only question is whether Your Majesty trusts this subject now.”
The Empress looked at Pei Wenxuan. This person appeared to be only in his early twenties, yet he spoke with clear logic and meticulous thinking. Even facing someone of high position like herself, he remained utterly composed, not at all like a young person.
He gazed quietly at the Empress. After a long while, the Empress finally said, “What do you seek?”
As she spoke, she stood up. “You’re merely an eighth-rank minor official. Why involve yourself in palace disputes?”
“If one harbors no lofty ambitions, why not hang up one’s official cap and return home?” Pei Wenxuan said lightly. “Don’t all those in this court seek the same thing?”
“Then why choose the Crown Prince?”
The Empress stared at Pei Wenxuan. Pei Wenxuan pondered for a moment, then spoke truthfully.
“This subject cannot bear to see Her Highness the Princess suffer humiliation.”
“You’re fond of my daughter?” The Empress showed some dawning realization. Pei Wenxuan said nothing.
After a moment, he bowed respectfully, only saying, “I wish to plant a parasol tree in the courtyard to attract the phoenix’s carriage home.”
The Empress scrutinized Pei Wenxuan. She remained silent, watching for a long time before finally saying, “You may go.”
“This subject takes his leave.”
Pei Wenxuan bowed, then rose calmly.
He slowly walked out the main door. A eunuch came out and led him to a sedan chair.
After he boarded the sedan chair, it wasn’t long before he felt it heading in the wrong direction.
Having entered and exited the palace for many years in his previous life, Pei Wenxuan had long become familiar with the palace. He lifted the curtain slightly to look, and immediately knew the sedan chair had turned toward the direction of the Imperial Study.
After a moment’s thought, he understood that Li Ming had received news from Weiyang Palace and was probably summoning him.
Pei Wenxuan’s heart settled slightly. He pretended to doze lightly. When the sedan chair stopped, he heard a voice calling, “Lord Pei?”
He pretended to wake from sleep, opening his eyes in confusion to see the smiling eunuch before him. He looked rather dazed. “This lord is…”
“This slave is Fulai, who serves at His Majesty’s side. His Majesty summons Lord Pei. Please come with me, Lord Pei.”
Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan feigned shock, then hastily descended from the sedan chair and followed Fulai into the Imperial Study courtyard.
He appeared anxious and nervous, following behind Fulai while inquiring, “Eunuch, do you know why His Majesty summons me?”
Fulai smiled. “My lord should know in his heart.”
Pei Wenxuan’s expression changed, but he said nothing. When they reached the entrance, he saw Yang Quan already standing there. Pei Wenxuan walked over and exchanged bows with Yang Quan. Fulai instructed them both to wait here, then went inside.
After Fulai entered, Pei Wenxuan glanced at Yang Quan and smiled. “What brings Lord Yang here today?”
Yang Quan looked at Pei Wenxuan coldly and said flatly, “To request a marriage.”
“Then my lord may be disappointed,” Pei Wenxuan clasped his hands before him and stood up straight, saying quietly, “This matter, I fear, is already settled.”
“What do you mean?”
Yang Quan raised his eyes to look at Pei Wenxuan. Pei Wenxuan smiled. “Does my lord know why I turned back last night?”
Hearing this, Yang Quan’s expression immediately changed drastically.
Others might not understand, but Yang Quan clearly knew that last night’s ambush should have been known to no one. Yet Pei Wenxuan not only knew about it but returned, even rescued the Princess, and spent the night alone with her.
“His Majesty is a wise and sagacious ruler,” Pei Wenxuan said in a low voice. “If Lord Yang has any unwillingness, you’d best return to the Northwest. The sangge flowers there are quite beautiful.”
Sangge flowers were flowers scattered on coffins during Northwest funerals. Most people in Hua Jing wouldn’t understand this reference, but Yang Quan was certain of Pei Wenxuan’s meaning.
Pei Wenxuan was the already-designated prince consort. Something had gone wrong yesterday, yet the Emperor still had him come over, using Yang Quan as a foil to pave the way for Pei Wenxuan and the Princess.
And the Yang family was also destined for a dead end. Not only did the Emperor know all this, he had even told this ignorant fool Pei Wenxuan, allowing him to show off brazenly before him.
Seeing Yang Quan’s extreme anger, Pei Wenxuan smiled and said nothing. Just then, the Emperor’s summons came from inside the hall.
The two entered the hall together. Li Ming was reading memorials. After they paid their respects, Li Ming remained unmoved above.
Li Ming leisurely took a sip of tea before raising his eyes. “You’ve arrived?”
Then Li Ming looked at Pei Wenxuan and said first, “Beloved Minister Pei, rise.”
Pei Wenxuan immediately responded joyfully and stood to the side. Yang Quan knelt on the ground, clenching his fists.
Li Ming glanced at him and said flatly, “What are you here for?”
“This subject has come specially today to request a marriage from Your Majesty.”
Yang Quan spoke respectfully. Li Ming raised an eyebrow. “Request a marriage? Whom do you wish to marry?”
“This subject admires Princess Pingle,” Yang Quan said stiffly. “I beg Your Majesty to decree our marriage.”
“I see,” Li Ming nodded, but said, “This matter—we must think about it further. Beloved Minister Pei,” Li Ming turned to look at Pei Wenxuan and stood up, “walk with us in the garden.”
Pei Wenxuan agreed and hurried forward to support Li Ming, walking past Yang Quan. When they reached the doorway, Pei Wenxuan suddenly remembered, “Your Majesty, Lord Yang is still kneeling.”
“Oh.” Li Ming acted as if he had suddenly remembered, turned to glance at Yang Quan, and said lightly, “Rise. If there’s nothing else, you may return.”
Having said this, Li Ming led Pei Wenxuan slowly toward the Imperial Garden.
When they reached a place with fewer people, the attendants around them had somehow failed to keep up. Pei Wenxuan supported Li Ming and heard him say slowly, “We heard that last night you saved Pingle.”
Pei Wenxuan said nothing. Li Ming raised his eyes. “Why don’t you speak?”
Pei Wenxuan stopped walking. After a long while, he took a deep breath, as if making some momentous decision. He walked around to Li Ming’s front and knelt before him.
“This subject implores Your Majesty,” he bowed deeply, his tone mournful, “save this subject’s life!”