Li Rong listened to Pei Wenxuan’s words and looked over with a beaming smile: “Why is Minister Pei so anxious?”
Seeing Li Rong’s unhurried manner, Shangguan Ya still couldn’t hold her composure. Even though she guessed Li Rong might have prepared in advance, she couldn’t help but advise: “Your Highness, preparations must be made early. The Xie family has now captured Lin Feibai alive—he’ll likely confess and implicate Your Highness.”
“You told him to assassinate Xie Lanqing?”
Pei Wenxuan turned back in shock. Li Rong ignored Pei Wenxuan, spinning her fan in her hand as she instructed Shangguan Ya: “Go prepare all the evidence from their previous assassination attempt on me. Is Lin Feibai’s earlier confession still available?”
“Still available.” Shangguan Ya frowned. “But currently the only evidence that can point to Xie Lanqing is Lin Feibai’s confession. For the Butterfly Gorge assassination, all the killers were hired by the Chen family—from the flow of money to the contact person, all were Chen family people. If Lin Feibai recants his testimony, I’m afraid…”
“Afraid of what?” Li Rong smiled. “Whatever evidence we have, prepare that evidence. You just need to pin down the Chen family—you don’t need to worry about anything else.”
Having received these words, Shangguan Ya hesitated for a long time before finally acknowledging and withdrawing.
As soon as Shangguan Ya left, Pei Wenxuan spoke directly: “What are you planning?”
“Hm?” Li Rong turned to look at Pei Wenxuan, seeing him frown as he said: “How could you have Lin Feibai go assassinate Xie Lanqing? Xie Lanqing is the Minister of Justice—is he so easy to assassinate? Now that Lin Feibai has been captured alive and he implicates you, with all the other matters piled on you, I’m afraid even His Majesty wanting to protect you couldn’t!”
After Pei Wenxuan finished speaking, he felt his words had been too harsh. Li Rong shouldn’t be this foolish.
Thinking left and right, he analyzed: “Seven Star Hall’s headquarters is built in an area where the Xie family clan resides, with countless connections to the Xie family. You want to kill Xie Lanqing because these were people he sent out?”
Li Rong said nothing. She searched the room for all the case files to hand over to Pei Wenxuan. Pei Wenxuan followed behind her, continuing: “Seven Star Hall is famous for keeping their mouths shut—they would die rather than reveal their employer. How did you get Lin Feibai to implicate Xie Lanqing and even leave a confession?”
Speaking thus, without waiting for Li Rong to respond, Pei Wenxuan immediately said: “You threatened him with knowledge of their hideout location? But that doesn’t make sense. Lin Feibai should know the power of prestigious families in local areas. Even if you immediately sent troops, with the Xie family’s help they could all escape in time. Lin Feibai isn’t a fool—he wouldn’t succumb to such threats. Yet he still implicated Xie Lanqing…”
“He took me for a fool,” Li Rong smiled as she turned around, handing a case file into Pei Wenxuan’s hands. “Together with Xie Lanqing, they’re scheming against me.”
“There are many possible motives for the assassination,” Li Rong continued pulling case files from the wall and placing them in Pei Wenxuan’s hands. Pei Wenxuan held the files, following Li Rong as he listened to her say: “With an old fox like Xie Lanqing’s way of thinking, he couldn’t possibly not prepare a backup plan for failure. Lin Feibai confessed so easily precisely because he was prepared in advance. According to Xie Lanqing’s thinking, after Lin Feibai confessed, I would most likely pursue his responsibility. But I can’t find any evidence besides Lin Feibai’s confession. So if I accuse him in court, Lin Feibai temporarily recants, claiming I extracted his confession through torture—combined with the Chen Guang torture matter, these two big hats of false accusation and torture to extract confessions would be firmly placed on my head.”
“Since you know this, what’s the point of letting him out to assassinate Xie Lanqing? Are you serving yourself up on a platter?”
“So yes, I have two choices: believe his words and fall completely into their trap, or don’t adopt Lin Feibai’s words and I can’t catch this old wolf Xie Lanqing. So if they want to set a trap for me, I’ll go along with their plan—not only jumping in but jumping in even deeper. I had Lin Feibai go assassinate Xie Lanqing. Tomorrow Xie Lanqing will surely accuse me in court. By exposing himself from the shadows, I’ll have a chance to bite him to death.”
Hearing Li Rong calculate so clearly, Pei Wenxuan’s heart settled somewhat. Holding the case files, he said respectfully: “Then where are Your Highness’s fangs?”
Li Rong turned around and beckoned to him. Pei Wenxuan, carrying the files, lowered his head and leaned his ear close. He heard Li Rong whisper a few sentences.
Pei Wenxuan raised his head in shock, only saying: “Is it true?”
Li Rong lowered her voice: “Absolutely true. Back then this case was investigated by Su Rongqing. Since this matter isn’t exactly something good, he only reported it to me, but this was confirmed by three parties.”
“Does Lin Feibai know?”
Pei Wenxuan frowned. Li Rong shook her head: “He only found out before he died.”
“What about Xie Lanqing?”
“At least he doesn’t know now.”
Pei Wenxuan said nothing more. He thought for a long time before saying slowly: “If it’s truly as Your Highness says, then Xie Lanqing this time has truly tried to steal a chicken only to lose the rice.”
“So don’t worry,” Li Rong raised her hand and patted Pei Wenxuan’s shoulder. “Think about who would be good to replace the Minister of Justice once he’s gone.”
With that, Li Rong leaned close to Pei Wenxuan and said quietly: “I can’t repay you for the peonies, so how about I repay you with a Minister of Justice position?”
“Those peonies are truly valuable then.” Pei Wenxuan smiled. He carried the files to the table and pondered: “But with my qualifications, it wouldn’t be easy for Your Highness to push me up there, would it?”
“Just pick someone from your family.” Li Rong followed him to the table and leaned against its edge, gently tapping her shoulder with her small fan, saying mildly: “You’ve taken back some of the money from your second uncle’s hands. As for power—he should return that too, shouldn’t he?”
Pei Wenxuan’s movement paused. After a moment, he slowly raised his head and looked at Li Rong’s suggestive gaze. He smiled lightly: “It seems Your Highness looks down on what this humble minister currently has in hand.”
“Hey, I never said that.” Li Rong raised her hand to point at Pei Wenxuan, quickly saying: “Don’t throw dirty water on me.”
“I’m not throwing dirty water on Your Highness—I’m pledging loyalty.” As Pei Wenxuan spoke, he placed both hands on the table and leaned toward Li Rong: “Rest assured, Your Highness. I belong to Your Highness, and the Pei family also belongs to Your Highness.”
“The eldest young master of the Pei family doesn’t make losing deals,” Li Rong said, sitting on the table with her hands folded in front of her, smiling. “When the eldest young master of Pei makes such a generous promise, what does he want me to repay?”
“Your Highness, guess?”
“Glory and wealth?” Li Rong raised her eyebrows, deliberately guessing in the wrong direction. Pei Wenxuan knew she was being mischievous and continued: “What else?”
“High position and generous salary?”
“Isn’t that the same as before? It seems Your Highness has nothing else to give this humble minister.”
Li Rong sat on the table, slightly taller than the standing Pei Wenxuan. She looked at Pei Wenxuan with a beaming smile, feeling as if the gaze of the person before her had substance. His eyes interlocked with Li Rong’s. Both wore the same smiles as usual on their faces, yet a kind of silent confrontation spread between them.
This confrontation was like intertwining vines—killing each other while spreading and entangling, mutually wrapping the other tight, strangling.
Neither would yield a step, but it was precisely this intense sense of refusal to yield that made Li Rong feel an indescribable sensation rising within her.
Her heartbeat quickened and her palms grew sweaty. This person Pei Wenxuan, especially at times like these, filled one with a certain unspeakable desire.
It was seduction, yet within this seduction carried a trace of teasing, as if waiting for Li Rong to lower her head.
If she took this person’s bait, she would lose.
In matters between men and women, the most stirring moment isn’t directly covering oneself with blankets for intimate pleasures, but rather this kind of wanting to speak yet holding back, welcoming yet refusing, mutually attracted yet unable to advance.
She couldn’t lose, therefore she couldn’t touch this person.
Yet she clearly knew this perfectly blooming delicate flower had already extended beyond the wall, swaying gracefully in the wind, stirring thoughts of plucking it.
All she could do was the same as this person—make this person fall at her feet and actively seek her out.
Li Rong then also lowered herself forward, drawing close to Pei Wenxuan, softening her voice. Her usually cool voice carried a touch of charm: “Then what exactly does Minister Pei want?”
Receiving these words, Pei Wenxuan felt half his bones go soft. He sucked in a breath of cool air and straightened up: “I won’t discuss this with Your Highness anymore. I’m going to find my uncle. Have someone send the case files back to the Princess Manor—I’ll look at them tonight.”
With that, Pei Wenxuan hurriedly stepped forward. Though he walked steadily, his retreating figure carried a flavor of fleeing in panic.
Li Rong sat on the table, leisurely picking up her tea, smiling as she watched Pei Wenxuan’s distant figure.
Shangguan Ya led people carrying case files from outside. Entering, she saw Li Rong holding tea while sitting on the table, her expression extremely pleased, like a well-fed cat lazily licking its paws.
Shangguan Ya froze, instinctively saying: “You two are having quite a good time, aren’t you?”
Li Rong’s movement paused. Then she looked over with cold, raised eyebrows: “What kinds of things have you been reading lately?”
“Since Your Highness knows, we must be kindred spirits.”
Shangguan Ya cupped her hands seriously: “Pleasure to meet you.”
“A whole day of nonsense before even being married off,” Li Rong grabbed a book from beside her and threw it. Shangguan Ya laughingly dodged to the side as she heard Li Rong scold: “Let’s see who will marry you.”
“That needn’t trouble Your Highness,” Shangguan Ya smiled as she came to Li Rong’s side, having people place all the previously verified confessions on the table before Li Rong. Leaning against the table edge beside her, she said: “I told my father I want to grow old in the Shangguan family and become an old maiden aunt.”
“An old maiden aunt?” Li Rong smiled. “Your father is willing too?”
“That’s naturally a joke,” Shangguan Ya became serious. “My father naturally wouldn’t allow me to grow old in the Shangguan family. But if I truly became the head of the Shangguan family,” Shangguan Ya raised her eyes to look at Li Rong, “it wouldn’t be up to him.”
“But these next two years he still needs me,” Shangguan Ya leaned against the table, saying slowly. “I can still drag things out for a few more years.”
“Are you that afraid of marriage?”
Li Rong was somewhat curious. She remembered that in her previous life, Shangguan Ya was actually an extremely proper aristocratic family woman who did everything by the rules—cold, restrained, self-disciplined, and disciplining others.
Even when the Shangguan family was being cut down by Li Chuan until almost nothing remained, no one could find a single fault with her. She even maintained her position as Empress when Li Chuan so detested aristocratic families.
She gazed at Shangguan Ya. Shangguan Ya thought for a moment and only said: “Your Highness, if you had a choice, before knowing the Prince Consort, would you choose to marry?”
Li Rong was momentarily stumped by Shangguan Ya’s question. Shangguan Ya said slowly: “What’s good about marriage? If I don’t marry, I’m the eldest young lady of the Shangguan family—no one can bully me. I’m my father’s precious pearl. If I want to study, I study. If I want to work, I work. I can even get a position from Your Highness, keep some pocket money, and have gambling houses for entertainment.”
“After marriage?”
Shangguan Ya’s expression was calm: “Marrying into an ordinary family, with in-laws above and a husband beside me—rules at every moment. Making a mistake means losing face for the Shangguan family. If the husband is decent, perhaps we can treat each other with respect. But if he likes visiting brothels, or worse yet, raises his hand against me, what can I do?”
“With all my abilities,” Shangguan Ya sighed, smiling bitterly, “once married, I’m no longer a person. Not to mention anything else—if my husband says I can’t return to my maiden home, I lose control of the Shangguan family. If he doesn’t let me come work for Your Highness, I can’t protect all I’ve worked for.”
“You’re not someone who would be so obedient, are you?”
Li Rong raised her eyebrows. Shangguan Ya smiled slightly: “Of course not. If I really encountered such a husband, I’d find a wild man outside, get pregnant with his child, poison my husband to death, then use that child’s name to become the mistress of the household. Wouldn’t that be fine?”
Li Rong’s heart went cold. She said carefully: “What if you had to marry into the palace?”
“Marrying into the palace,” Shangguan Ya’s expression was calm, “then I wouldn’t be marrying just a man, but a throne. And I wouldn’t only be Shangguan Ya, but the honor and disgrace of the Shangguan clan.”
Li Rong wanted to continue questioning, but when the words reached her lips, she suddenly felt it meaningless. What was the point of asking so much about the previous life?
It would only hurt their relationship.
Li Rong fell silent. Shangguan Ya smiled: “Your Highness, why are you suddenly asking about these things?”
“I just wanted to understand you better.” Li Rong got down from the table and placed her hand on Shangguan Ya’s shoulder. “We’re good sisters—let’s have more heart-to-heart talks.”
With that, Li Rong led Shangguan Ya to sit down, propping her chin up as she flipped through case files: “Tell me the specific situation once more.”
While Li Rong and Shangguan Ya discussed how to deal with Xie Lanqing in court tomorrow, Pei Wenxuan rode a carriage all the way to the Pei Manor.
He first went to see Lady Wen, then went to pay respects to Pei Xuanqing. Pei Xuanqing’s health wasn’t good—he had long since resigned from office and was recuperating at home. On ordinary days, his children and grandchildren were busy with affairs and rarely came to see him.
When Pei Wenxuan saw Pei Xuanqing, Pei Xuanqing was having someone brew tea while he played chess by himself. Pei Wenxuan came forward and said respectfully: “Grandfather.”
“I’ve heard you’re quite the popular figure now and must be very busy,” Pei Xuanqing said mildly. “Why did you come to see this old man today? Is there something you need help with?”
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, and I had some free time today,” Pei Wenxuan knelt and sat across from Pei Xuanqing, smiling. “So I came to see family.”
Hearing this, Pei Xuanqing raised his head and looked at Pei Wenxuan.
Pei Wenxuan resembled his father greatly. Pei Xuanqing’s gaze lingered on Pei Wenxuan’s face for a moment before he chuckled quietly: “You’re like your father—in personality too.”
With that, Pei Xuanqing raised his hand and pointed to the chess pieces beside him: “Playing chess alone is boring. Join me.”
Pei Wenxuan respectfully agreed and played chess with Pei Xuanqing for a while. Throughout the process, he never mentioned serious matters. Instead, Pei Xuanqing asked a few questions about Pei Wenxuan and Li Rong’s marriage.
This comfortable atmosphere relaxed Pei Xuanqing. He smiled and said: “You’re twenty-one now—it’s time to have a child. Don’t always be busy with official business and neglect the Princess. Bring back a baby soon so I can have a great-grandchild—that would make me happy.”
“This isn’t something that can be rushed.” Pei Wenxuan responded with a smile. “Her Highness is currently busy with affairs—it’s not the right time for a child.”
Hearing Pei Wenxuan’s tone suggesting he didn’t want to continue the topic of children, Pei Xuanqing didn’t press further. The two peacefully finished a game of chess. Pei Wenxuan glanced at the sky and said mildly: “It’s getting late, Grandfather. Your grandson will take his leave now.”
Pei Xuanqing nodded. Pei Wenxuan stood up and bowed to Pei Xuanqing before preparing to withdraw. Seeing Pei Wenxuan walking out, Pei Xuanqing frowned: “You truly have no business?”
“Grandfather,” Pei Wenxuan sighed. “I came simply because I’m a member of the Pei family. We’re family, after all.”
With that, Pei Wenxuan bowed. Pei Xuanqing quietly watched him as Pei Wenxuan withdrew.
A servant came forward and poured tea for Pei Xuanqing, saying respectfully: “The eldest young master brought your favorite tea. Among all the young masters, only he knows this. The eldest young master is still quite filial to you, Master.”
Pei Xuanqing remained silent. He glanced at the tea, and after a long while, he responded softly with an “mm.”
After visiting Pei Xuanqing, Pei Wenxuan thought for a moment and turned back toward the Constabulary Bureau.
When Pei Wenxuan arrived at the Constabulary Bureau, Li Rong hadn’t finished yet. She was confirming the killers’ confessions with Shangguan Ya along with the flow of funds from the Chen family’s account ledgers, then began confirming matters regarding the Shangguan family’s self-investigation that Shangguan Ya was overseeing.
Li Rong’s thinking was to clean up the Shangguan family before Li Ming took action, to prevent Li Chuan from being implicated by a pile of Shangguan family troubles like in the previous life.
Li Chuan was an exceedingly steady Crown Prince. In terms of being Crown Prince, there was almost no fault to be found with him. Deposing and establishing a Crown Prince was a major matter—as long as Li Chuan made no mistakes, it would be very difficult for Li Ming to move against him.
Cleaning up the Shangguan family meant resolving Li Chuan’s future worries in advance.
Pei Wenxuan arrived at the Constabulary Bureau and heard Li Rong was still busy. He said nothing more, had someone bring tea, sat in the front hall, took an idle book, and began reading.
He hadn’t read for long when he saw a guard rush in urgently. Pei Wenxuan looked up and heard the guard say urgently: “Your Highness, this is bad, Your Highness.”
Hearing this in the inner room, Li Rong exchanged glances with Shangguan Ya, then straightened up and walked out. Seeing Li Rong emerge, the guard knelt on the ground and said urgently: “Your Highness, Xie Lanqing has entered the palace to appeal to His Majesty. His Majesty is urgently summoning Your Highness to the palace now.”
“So eager to rush to his death?”
Li Rong laughed aloud. The guard didn’t dare respond. Pei Wenxuan stood up and walked behind Li Rong, saying quietly: “I’ll accompany Your Highness into the palace.”
“Your Highness,” Shangguan Ya frowned. “Xie Lanqing’s intentions are surely malicious.”
“Don’t worry,” Li Rong smiled. “I’m going to send him on his way now.”
With that, Li Rong turned around, swept her wide sleeves behind her, and led everyone forward happily: “Let’s go.”
Li Rong led everyone out of the Constabulary Bureau and headed straight for the palace. Upon reaching the imperial study, Li Rong saw Xie Lanqing covering his stomach, his body weak as he reclined in a chair.
Li Rong smiled as she entered, respectfully saying: “This daughter pays respects to Father Emperor.”
Pei Wenxuan also followed Li Rong in kowtowing: “This humble minister pays respects to Your Majesty.”
Many people stood in the room—Su Minzhi, Shangguan Xu, Su Rongqing and others were all present. Xie Lanqing’s chair was placed to one side, with the battered Lin Feibai kneeling at his feet.
Li Ming looked at Li Rong, seemingly somewhat weary. After raising his hand to let Li Rong stand, he said directly: “Pingle, Minister Xie says you ordered this assassin to kill him. Do you plead guilty?”
Hearing this, Li Rong looked at Lin Feibai with a half-smile: “I ordered this gentleman to kill Minister Xie?”
With that, Li Rong walked to Lin Feibai’s side, knelt on one knee as she crouched down, placing both hands on the knee of her raised leg, and smiled: “I’d like to ask this gentleman—how did I come to know you, and how did I order you?”
“This commoner is a jianghu assassin. Half a month ago, Your Highness had someone find me and wanted me to kill someone. At that time, Your Highness wore a veil—though I couldn’t see Your Highness’s face, I remembered Your Highness’s voice.”
“Your hearing is quite good then.” Li Rong nodded. “And then?”
“Why does Your Highness ask so much?” Xie Lanqing directly interrupted Li Rong. “Could it be Your Highness has a guilty conscience and wants to first confirm whether the witness’s testimony has any content you can use to quibble?”
“Minister Xie, watch your words,” Pei Wenxuan’s cold gaze swept over. He said flatly: “The matter hasn’t been clarified yet, and you’re saying Her Highness is quibbling. What—does Minister Xie treat this place like the Ministry of Justice, where you’ve already decided the case yourself?”
“Minister Pei’s silver tongue is truly impressive,” Xie Lanqing laughed coldly. “Everyone present understands my meaning. Minister Pei needn’t split hairs like this.”
“And then?” Li Rong stared at Lin Feibai. Lin Feibai said nothing. Li Ming said coldly: “Master Lin, speak.”
“Then, following the employer’s requirements, I came to Butterfly Gorge to assassinate the person in the painting. Afterward, I was ambushed, captured, and imprisoned in the Constabulary Bureau. After arriving at the Constabulary Bureau, I met the Princess face to face. As soon as the Princess spoke, I knew—this was the employer who had previously hired me to assassinate the Princess. The Princess recognized my abilities and told me to directly kill Minister Xie, or else she would execute me under the charge of assassinating the Princess!”
Though Lin Feibai’s tone was cold, combined with his composed appearance tinged with indignation, it somehow made people trust him more.
Li Rong smiled as she listened to Lin Feibai finish speaking, then continued: “So then you went to assassinate Minister Xie?”
Lin Feibai ignored her, kneeling on the ground with his back straight.
Seeing he had finished speaking, Li Rong stood up. Li Ming, seeing her confident composure, only said: “Is what he said true?”
“Father Emperor,” Li Rong smiled as she turned around, saying directly: “His story is full of holes—like poor commoners discussing whether the Emperor should use a golden carrying pole or a silver one to haul dirt. This matter of emperors using carrying poles to haul earth—could it possibly be true?”
As these words emerged, Xie Lanqing’s expression immediately became unpleasant: “Whether it is or isn’t, Your Highness should explain clearly. No need for all this irrelevant talk.”
“Fine. Minister Xie has experienced an assassination and his brain isn’t working too well—I can understand. Then I’ll sort through the holes in his story for you. First, he says I was his employer. So please tell me—do I have no one under my command, or did I admire Master Lin’s reputation so much that I had to meet him in person? Why would a dignified princess not use reliable people to hire an assassin, but personally go herself?”
“Your Highness speaks correctly.” Pei Wenxuan added: “This humble minister also wouldn’t want Your Highness to meet with strange men privately like this.”
Li Rong secretly glare