The moment Li Rong left the palace, Consort Rou hurriedly knelt down and said urgently, “Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please forgive me. I truly didn’t know that Hongde…”

“Enough,” Li Ming was somewhat weary. “You’ve already been punished as you should. Go back and rest properly. Don’t meddle too much.”

“Your Majesty…” Consort Rou’s voice was anxious, as if hesitating whether she should speak. Li Ming looked up at her and said indifferently, “Is there something else?”

“Your Majesty, I know I shouldn’t speak much at this time, but I’m worried for Your Majesty and can’t help but want to say a few more words.”

Consort Rou looked up at Li Ming and said slowly, “Does Your Majesty know what kind of talisman Master Hongde produced today?”

“This is a Three Lives Marriage Talisman.” Pei Wenxuan and Li Rong sat in the carriage. The palace gates weren’t a place for conversation, so Pei Wenxuan quickly took Li Rong onto the carriage.

Hearing Pei Wenxuan’s words, Li Rong’s heart sank. She could only confirm once more, “You didn’t write it?”

“No.” Pei Wenxuan touched the handwriting on the paper and said slowly, “These characters look like mine, but they definitely weren’t written by me. The other party simply had someone forge my handwriting, then placed Your Highness in a scenario for negotiation, making Your Highness focus on Master Hongde’s matter and lose judgment about everything else.”

“So tonight, they had already abandoned Master Hongde from the start. In fact, Consort Rou had long prepared to be suppressed by me. The purpose was to make me admit this talisman was indeed ours.”

Li Rong immediately understood. She took a deep breath. “What exactly is this talisman for?”

“It’s special talisman paper made by a high monk at the Yuelao Temple in the east of the city. To request this talisman, one must bathe and fast, chant sutras for forty-nine days, before making a wish. The meaning of this talisman is that the two people on it,” Pei Wenxuan looked up at Li Rong, “will have marriage bonds across three lifetimes, never abandoning each other in life or death.”

“Marriage bonds across three lifetimes, never abandoning each other in life or death.”

Consort Rou knelt on the ground, explaining the meaning of this talisman paper to Li Ming. “This talisman paper bears the Prince Consort’s own handwriting, meaning it was the Prince Consort who requested this talisman. In this world, how many men could have such feelings for their wives? One lifetime isn’t enough—never abandoning in life or death, and requiring marriage bonds across three lifetimes, meeting life after life. I remember Your Majesty once said that Pei Wenxuan comes from a humble family and is a blade Your Majesty uses to balance the aristocratic families. Although he and Her Highness appear very loving, it’s actually just a means for him to manipulate Princess Pingle.”

“But Your Majesty,” Consort Rou looked up at Li Ming, “now tell me, is it Pingle manipulating Pei Wenxuan, or Pei Wenxuan manipulating Pingle?”

“What if Pei Wenxuan’s heart belongs to Pingle?” Li Ming asked quite indifferently, but Consort Rou knew that Li Ming actually already had an answer in his heart—he just wanted her to say it aloud. She smiled and said gently, “Then the Prince Consort and Princess are husband and wife as one body. When in the future the Prince Consort is promoted to Vice Minister of Personnel, and the Princess is Director of the Constabulary Bureau—one responsible for arrests, one managing promotions—in this court, they’ll be the ones calling the shots.”

“Such great power, if it were entirely at Your Majesty’s disposal, that would be fine. But what if the Princess’s heart leans toward the Crown Prince?”

“Then what do you think should be done?”

“Your Majesty,” Consort Rou bowed and kowtowed. “Nurturing a tiger invites disaster. Since the Prince Consort’s heart already belongs to Princess Pingle, he should just properly be a Prince Consort. If in the future Princess Pingle truly becomes a tiger,” Consort Rou looked up and spoke calmly, “Your Majesty will have the ability to slay her.”

Consort Rou’s voice was cold. Her usually gentle tone carried an uncommon resoluteness, like the night wind of early spring that made one’s back turn cold.

Li Rong listened to Pei Wenxuan’s explanation, feeling the night wind blowing through the window in waves. They stared at each other quietly. She instantly understood Consort Rou’s intention, and even the intention of the person behind Consort Rou.

She unconsciously clenched her fists, restraining all her thoughts, trying to calm herself down as much as possible. “I was careless.”

Pei Wenxuan said nothing. He rubbed the handwriting on the talisman paper.

He wasn’t surprised Li Rong would make a mistake. After all, no one could guard against deliberate schemes from someone once closest to them working from the shadows.

He felt an indescribable anger churning. Among all the schemes he’d encountered, never had there been one that made him feel so disgusted, so malicious, so enraged.

But the more it was like this, the more his expression showed nothing. He even hoped Li Rong wouldn’t be too clever—that she could attribute everything to Consort Rou and discover nothing.

That way, at least Li Rong wouldn’t be hurt.

Pei Wenxuan pondered the whole matter from beginning to end. Li Rong waited beside him for a while. Seeing him silent, she said slowly, “Don’t… don’t be angry. I’ll be more careful in the future.”

“Hm?” Pei Wenxuan smiled. He raised his head and said gently, “Your Highness jests. How could I be angry?”

As Pei Wenxuan spoke, looking at Li Rong’s expression full of doubt, he hesitated for a moment before finally reaching out to embrace Li Rong.

The moment Li Rong’s warmth pressed against him, Pei Wenxuan felt the irritability in his heart slowly washed over by a clear spring. He held this person without saying anything. Li Rong sensed his emotions but didn’t know what to say for a moment. After composing herself for a while, she finally said, “Now that things have come to this point, after Father Emperor saw this talisman you requested, he probably won’t believe your previous words anymore. If we don’t do something, before Chuan’er ascends the throne, it will be over.”

Li Rong closed her eyes and leaned against Pei Wenxuan. “Have you made your decision?”

Pei Wenxuan didn’t respond.

Su Rongqing’s move was too ruthless—removing the firewood from under the pot, completely undermining his foundation.

This move would be simple to resolve.

After all, Li Ming didn’t have many people he could use now. He’d played this chess piece for so long—discarding it directly would be a pity. As long as he displayed sufficient loyalty to Li Ming, it would be fine.

If Su Rongqing had made this move earlier, he could have been unscrupulous.

If Li Ming feared he was controlled by Li Rong, he could directly divorce and demonstrate his determination to Li Ming.

He and Li Rong were just allies—the form didn’t matter.

But now it was different.

He couldn’t use emotions to pave his official career.

His wife, his love, his Li Rong—these were things in his heart that shouldn’t be tainted by even a speck of dust.

He kept his head lowered, unable to speak.

Li Rong waited quietly for a long time before finally saying, “You’re Father Emperor’s most useful blade. Right now, all the evidence can only make Father Emperor suspicious. Given his nature, he’ll probably test you once more.”

Li Rong lowered her head, touching her forehead to his as if coaxing him. “When that time comes, just follow his intentions. Show loyalty however you need to show loyalty, alright?”

Li Rong didn’t directly say those two words, but Pei Wenxuan completely understood.

He kept his head lowered, an indescribable sense of powerlessness rising within him.

“Your Highness,” Pei Wenxuan said hoarsely, “don’t hold me while saying these things to me.”

Li Rong’s movements paused. She composed herself for a moment and sat up straight.

Distance opened between them. Pei Wenxuan looked up at her. He seemed to be strenuously restraining his emotions as he said calmly, “Your Highness means that if it comes to it, I can divorce Your Highness, correct?”

“Yes.” Li Rong answered decisively. “But this divorce would be fake. After everything succeeds in the future, we’ll remarry.”

“Has Your Highness not considered,” Pei Wenxuan spoke calmly, “after you and I divorce, if my heart belongs to someone else, what will Your Highness do?”

Li Rong was stunned. After a moment, she forced a smile. “If… if your heart belongs to someone else, just tell me.”

Li Rong gripped her fan, restraining her emotions. “I’m not an unreasonable person. No one should be bound to anyone for a lifetime. If your heart belongs to someone else… then… then just don’t come back.”

Pei Wenxuan said nothing. He stared quietly at Li Rong. Li Rong thought for a moment and said slowly, “I know this matter might be difficult for you to accept, but it’s the simplest method. If you have something to say, feel free to speak. We can discuss it properly.”

“There’s nothing to discuss.”

Pei Wenxuan spoke decisively. He stared at Li Rong, his words resolute. “Your Highness, I will not divorce.”

“Then what do you suggest?”

Li Rong looked at Pei Wenxuan. “Do you have another solution? Don’t you want the position of Vice Minister of Personnel?”

“Yes!”

Li Rong’s words angered Pei Wenxuan. He shouted coldly, “I don’t want it.”

“Not just Vice Minister of Personnel,” Li Rong said coldly and quickly, “you may never sit in a position of real power again. Even this Supervisory Censor position, you won’t be able to keep.”

“So what?” Pei Wenxuan clenched his fists. “Can’t I just stop being an official?!”

“And then?” Li Rong looked up, staring at him coldly. “You don’t become an official, you have no real power—do you still want me to support you?”

“Will you just live miserably like this your whole life, go back to your Luzhou to row boats and pick lotus seeds? Pei Wenxuan, you need to understand clearly,” Li Rong controlled her tone, but still couldn’t help slapping her fan on the table. “Having romantic feelings requires qualifications. What are you right now? An eighth-rank Supervisory Censor—do you even have a choice?!”

“You come from a humble family. You entered the court so late. If you had Su Rongqing’s background, you could be willful today. But do you? What right do you have to tell me you won’t divorce?”

Pei Wenxuan said nothing. He felt Li Rong’s words slash across his heart like blades.

Everything she said was true. Every sentence accused his incompetence, his lowliness, his inadequacy.

“Your and Chuan’er’s biggest problem,” Li Rong looked at his expression, her heart bearing some reluctance but still having to speak, “is that you always desire things you shouldn’t desire when you don’t have the ability.”

“So,” Pei Wenxuan smiled, “hoping our feelings could be a bit further from this court, hoping not to make my feelings yield to power and position, hoping my wife and I would be the same—not so easily abandoning our marriage—these are also things I shouldn’t desire, correct?”

Li Rong’s movements stiffened. Pei Wenxuan seemed to find it absurd. He turned his head away, looking somewhat disheveled at the cobblestone street outside the carriage. “Li Rong, if you had hesitated even for a moment today, I would have felt you had me in your heart.”

Li Rong’s eyelashes trembled lightly. Pei Wenxuan didn’t look at her. He lowered his eyes. “But right now I’m only thinking about one thing.”

“If you want a divorce,” Pei Wenxuan’s voice trembled, but he still spoke through clenched teeth, “I don’t care either.”

“I don’t want a wife who can use feelings as a weapon at any time.”

Pei Wenxuan’s eyes reddened. He didn’t look at Li Rong, his teeth lightly chattering as he clenched his fists. “You can mock me for being naive, mock me for being immature, mock me for being incompetent.”

“But you shouldn’t mock my sincerity.”

“My unwillingness to divorce is because I care about these feelings. Even if it means yielding a bit to power and position, I still can’t bear to let go. But you didn’t hesitate for even half a moment, didn’t even consider other solutions. You told me before that if there are genuine feelings, they deserve respect. But when it comes to such choices, Li Rong, you’ve always chosen power and position without any hesitation.”

Hearing these words, Li Rong felt as if Pei Wenxuan was pressing her into water.

Everything around her slowly quieted. Her entire body was soaked in water, struggling desperately, unable to breathe.

She listened to Pei Wenxuan’s words, like in the last ten years of the previous life when he cursed her repeatedly: “Li Rong, you’re truly black-hearted and rotten-livered, with the heart of a snake and scorpion.”

And Li Chuan would occasionally ask her after drinking, holding his wine cup with seeming nonchalance: “Princess, do you think if I weren’t the Emperor, would I still be your brother?”

Before, she didn’t care. She could argue with him freely, even tell him directly and openly—yes, I’m exactly this kind of venomous woman with a black heart and rotten liver. So what?

She could smile at Li Chuan, as if not understanding, changing the topic, only saying, “Your Highness jests.”

She thought she was used to it.

But after this life began anew, when she interacted with Pei Wenxuan as a completely new Li Rong, when she received Li Chuan’s sincere “Elder Sister,” when she received Pei Wenxuan’s solemn “I’ll wait for you,” she felt her life finally had light. The light washed over her muddy body, allowing her to raise her head and begin longing for those thoughts that had long been drowned by this palace—those thoughts she shouldn’t possess.

Because she had looked up and seen sunlight, when someone pressed her into water again, she felt a pain she’d never experienced before surging up.

She listened quietly to Pei Wenxuan’s words.

He said, “The Li Rong I want, the Li Rong worth my waiting, shouldn’t be like this.”

Li Rong heard this and smiled. She didn’t respond, didn’t answer.

She picked up a chess piece, as if nothing had happened, only saying, “I was just making a suggestion. If you’re willing to accept it, accept it. If you don’t want to be an official anymore and want to go die, want to be trampled on the ground by Su Rongqing, I don’t care either.”

“Do you think I care about you that much?” Li Rong placed the chess piece on the board, her voice low and hoarse. “If you’re useless, whether you go die or not has nothing to do with me.”

Hearing these words, Pei Wenxuan knew they were Li Rong’s words of anger.

When Li Rong became angry, she could say the cruelest things. He clearly knew this, but he still felt pain.

Perhaps they’d gotten along peacefully for too long—he’d forgotten how much it hurt when this person dug into hearts.

Fortunately, the carriage arrived at the Princess’s residence. The moment the carriage stopped, Pei Wenxuan couldn’t bear it for even a moment. He jumped directly off the carriage and strode straight into the Princess’s residence.

“I’m not coming back tonight.” Li Rong continued playing chess, speaking calmly. “Think it over carefully, Lord Pei. I advise you—”

“Romantic feelings are useless; prospects are important. I don’t care anyway,” Li Rong said indifferently. “You weigh it yourself.”

After finishing, Li Rong directly ordered the driver, “Go.”

Pei Wenxuan listened to Li Rong’s mockery, his back to her, eyes closed.

He told himself not to argue with Li Rong, but every sentence Li Rong said scraped back and forth across his heart. When he heard Li Rong’s carriage leaving, Pei Wenxuan finally couldn’t bear it.

He thought he was driven mad by her. He turned around and toward the direction the carriage was going, shouting loudly, “Li Rong, don’t you dare come back! If you don’t come back today, I’ll immediately write divorce papers.”

“Write them!” Hearing the words “divorce papers,” Li Rong was so angry her hands trembled. She yanked open the carriage curtain and despite the driver’s attempts to stop her, stuck her head out. Looking at Pei Wenxuan standing furiously at the Princess’s residence entrance, she laughed coldly and called out, “I’m going drinking on a pleasure boat right now to find eight or ten handsome men. If you don’t divorce me tomorrow, you’re a coward!”

After Li Rong finished speaking, she lowered the curtain with a “swoosh,” then raised her hand to cover her forehead and leaned against the table.

“Your Highness,” the driver asked anxiously, “where are we going?”

Li Rong composed herself for a moment and said hoarsely, “Go to the lakeside. Find a boat. Go to Nanfeng Pavilion to find some young gentlemen skilled in the arts. The better they can play instruments and sing, the better.”

Li Rong sniffed and raised her head. “I don’t believe anyone can’t live without anyone else.”

Hearing Li Rong’s words, the driver didn’t dare say more and could only make arrangements according to Li Rong’s instructions.

Li Rong closed her eyes and headed all the way to the lakeside.

Pei Wenxuan returned to the Princess’s residence alone. He first took out memorials, lowering his head wanting to review memorials to calm down a bit.

He couldn’t fight with Li Rong.

There had to be a solution. There was always a solution.

His mind was a complete mess. Before long, Tong Ye rushed in urgently. “Young master, this is bad! Her Highness went to the lakeside, rented a pleasure boat, and called many young gentlemen from Nanfeng Pavilion over.”

“It’s fine.” Pei Wenxuan gripped his brush tightly, feigning calm. “With many people, nothing bad can happen.”

“No,” Tong Ye knelt down, shocked. “Young master, what’s wrong with you? Even if nothing bad can happen, you can’t just watch the Princess act recklessly! If it happens once, it’ll happen again. Today there are many people, but what about tomorrow when there are fewer?”

“Get out.”

Pei Wenxuan spoke coldly. Tong Ye said anxiously, “Young master!”

“Get out!” Pei Wenxuan shouted loudly. Tong Ye looked at Pei Wenxuan in shock. After a long time, he finally bowed and withdrew.

After no one else remained in the room, Pei Wenxuan gripped his brush. After a long while, he couldn’t help but overturn the table with one motion.

He could no longer restrain his emotions. He turned and pulled the sword hanging on the pillar beside him, then began wildly slashing at things in the room.

Every sentence Li Rong said was in his heart.

What right did he have?

He was lowly, he was useless, he was incompetent—what right did he have to want a relationship?

She didn’t care about him. If it weren’t for Pei Wenxuan having some talent, would she even have married him?

Why should he be trapped here? Why should he guard someone who repeatedly hurt him?

Why not resign from office and return to Luzhou? Why stay in this muddy mess of Hua Jing, struggling bitterly alongside her?

She was simply certain he couldn’t bear to leave her. But what right did she have to make him unable to bear leaving her?!

The sword fiercely struck the bookshelf. The box on the bookshelf was cut in half. A pile of papers scattered from the locked box, slowly floating down to the ground.

The handwriting on the papers fell into Pei Wenxuan’s eyes.

“Pei Wenxuan, are you well? I’m waiting in the palace for you to return. If you don’t come back, although I’d also feel it doesn’t matter, I’d still be afraid. Forget it, actually this letter can’t be sent out anyway. Let me tell you the truth. If you don’t come back, how could it not matter to me?”

“Pei Wenxuan, actually I kind of regret letting you leave Hua Jing. The Constabulary Bureau doesn’t matter—I can do without it. But if you don’t come back, where would I find you?”

“Pei Wenxuan, they all say you died. I don’t believe it. They don’t know what kind of person you are—how capable, how clever. Those born in the clouds, how could they know how amazing the life force of tender grass breaking through stone is? Besides, I’m still in Hua Jing.”

“Pei Wenxuan, I miss you. Why haven’t you come back yet?”

…

Those papers, though they had no signature or date, Pei Wenxuan still recognized at a glance—these should have been written by Li Rong when she was confined in Beiyan Tower.

He stared blankly at the papers, looking at Li Rong’s elegant handwriting on them.

At some unknown point, Li Rong’s handwriting had become somewhat like his.

She seemed to truly like his handwriting. In secret, she’d found copybooks and painstakingly traced over his characters stroke by stroke.

Why stay here? Why still like this person?

Because this person, besides saying such cold words and hurting him like that, could also be hurt by him, would hide her feelings and secretly like him, would quietly write him letters, would copy his handwriting.

He cared too much about their relationship, cared too much about her demonstrated gains and losses. He’d forgotten that the person he liked was someone who hid all her feelings in her heart, who only protected herself by stabbing her own wounds with sharp blades—a young girl.

Pei Wenxuan stared blankly at the letters scattered all over the floor. After a long time, he suddenly reacted, grabbed his sword, and rushed out.

When Jing Lan returned to the room to find Pei Wenxuan, before she even reached the door, she saw Jing Mei rush forward urgently and say in a panic, “Sister, this is bad.”

“Where’s the Prince Consort?” Seeing Jing Mei’s appearance, Jing Lan knew something was wrong and raised her voice. “Where is he?”

“The Prince Consort, the Prince Consort,” Jing Mei gasped for breath, “just now grabbed a sword and rushed out!”