After a passionate and satisfying encounter, both of them lay on the bed catching their breath without moving. Pei Wenxuan wanted to hold her, but Li Rong pushed him away with some disdain, saying, “You’re sweaty.”

Pei Wenxuan chuckled and didn’t move. Li Rong then realized her attitude might have been too harsh, so she turned on her side and gently rested her head against Pei Wenxuan’s shoulder. Pei Wenxuan raised his hand to pillow behind his head and asked her, “Does it hurt?”

“No,” Li Rong closed her eyes to rest. But her body felt sticky, making it hard to sleep yet tiring to get up. Seeing her restless, Pei Wenxuan understood the reason. He put on his clothes, went out, and had someone bring water back to clean her body.

Li Rong lazily accepted his service and finally fell asleep contentedly.

The two slept through the afternoon. When they woke up, the imperial edict for their divorce still hadn’t arrived. Li Rong couldn’t help but poke Pei Wenxuan with her elbow. “Father Emperor still hasn’t issued the order. You didn’t lie to me, did you?”

“Would I lie to you about this?”

Pei Wenxuan laughed once. He thought for a moment, “He probably has other considerations.”

“Then what should we do?”

Pei Wenxuan didn’t speak. He remained silent for a while, then slowly said, “First, I’ll have someone forge a confession from Hongde. In a bit, you’ll go to the Constabulary Bureau and meet with Hongde once. After you go, dismiss everyone and stay alone with Hongde inside. When you come out, take the confession with you and say you obtained it. After bringing the confession back, write a memorial, put the confession and memorial together, and submit them both.”

“But a forged confession is ultimately fake,” Li Rong frowned. “Even if we submit it, it’ll be exposed upon verification.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Pei Wenxuan smiled. “I have my arrangements. You just need to do one thing.”

“What?”

“Absolutely believe that this confession is real.”

Li Rong thought about it, hesitated for a moment, then nodded. Although she didn’t know what Pei Wenxuan planned, she was willing to trust him this once.

From her experience, when the two of them worked together, one person had to take the lead. If each pursued their own methods, things would fall apart.

Seeing Li Rong agree so readily, Pei Wenxuan couldn’t help but feel pleased. “Your Highness won’t ask more questions?”

“You have your plans.”

Li Rong waved her hand. Hearing Li Rong say this, Pei Wenxuan lowered his head and kissed her, “So obedient.”

With that, Pei Wenxuan got up to dress. As he dressed, he said, “Time is of the essence. I’ll go make arrangements now. Your Highness, rest a while longer. Once I obtain the confession, I’ll come find you.”

“Mm.”

Li Rong nodded. Pei Wenxuan put on his clothes and saw her lying on the bed in a daze, not knowing what she was thinking. He couldn’t help but instruct again, “Don’t just sleep in bed, hurry up and eat.”

“I know.”

Li Rong responded lazily, finding this man rather naggy.

“Also, recently avoid cold things, and don’t get near things pregnant women shouldn’t approach. Although the chance isn’t high, just to be safe.”

“You think too highly of yourself,” Li Rong scoffed. “You think you can succeed in one try?”

Being mocked by her, Pei Wenxuan felt somewhat embarrassed. He grabbed his outer coat, walked to the bedside, lowered his head to kiss Li Rong who was lying on the bed, and said gently, “I’m leaving now.”

Li Rong was getting irritated by his prolonged farewells, but she still restrained herself, “Mm.”

Pei Wenxuan got up and walked toward the door. Reaching the doorway, feeling somewhat cold, he couldn’t help but turn back, “When you go out, wear more layers. It’s getting…”

“Get out!”

Li Rong finally couldn’t restrain herself and spoke impatiently. Hearing her voice, Pei Wenxuan knew she was annoyed. Thinking he was indeed being overly fussy, he stopped delaying and turned to leave.

Hongde had drawn talismans and written incantations for many people, so his handwriting couldn’t be obtained. They found a master who specialized in copying calligraphy to forge one. Though it couldn’t withstand scrutiny, at first glance it looked passable.

By nightfall, Pei Wenxuan brought back a confession. He handed it to Li Rong. Scanning through it, Li Rong discovered that Hongde’s entire testimony stated that Su Rongqing had personally gone to Huguo Temple and used his power and influence to force him to deceive Consort Rou and give false testimony to frame Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan.

This confession completely cleared Consort Rou, making it easier for Li Ming to act.

Li Rong quietly looked at the confession. Seeing her silence, Pei Wenxuan’s eyes grew colder, though his facial expression remained as warm and gentle as spring breeze, showing no trace of gloom. He only said softly, “If Your Highness finds it inappropriate, this humble subject can prepare another confession Your Highness deems suitable?”

Li Rong’s movements paused. After a moment, she gently shook her head, “No, there’s nothing inappropriate.”

With that, she placed the confession in her sleeve and asked again, “Is there anything else you need to instruct?”

“Nothing else, everything is arranged.” Pei Wenxuan smiled lightly. “Just go and return quickly.”

Li Rong nodded and got up to leave. She hurried to the Constabulary Bureau and had Hongde brought out.

After several days of imprisonment, Hongde had long lost his previous appearance as an eminent monk, looking haggard and pitiful. Seeing Li Rong, he quickly knelt down, kowtowing and saying, “Your Highness, I was also deceived by others, Your Highness. Please spare this commoner.”

Li Rong had everyone withdraw. She sat in a chair, her expression calm, gently waving her fan and saying, “You say someone deceived you. Then who deceived you?”

Hearing this, Hongde couldn’t help but freeze. Li Rong personally poured him tea and comforted him, “Come, speak slowly.”

Hongde fell silent. After a long while, he slowly said, “This commoner… this commoner doesn’t know either.”

“You say someone deceived you, yet you say you don’t know?” Li Rong smiled. “Do you take me for a fool?”

“No, Your Highness,” Hongde quickly said. “This commoner truly doesn’t know. This commoner only knows that one night, a young master came to Huguo Temple and summoned this commoner back. This commoner has no idea who that young master was. This commoner didn’t even see his guards’ faces. But he kidnapped this commoner’s son, so this commoner had no choice.”

“You have a son?” Li Rong was somewhat surprised, then immediately understood. Given Hongde’s nature, wandering around all these years, keeping a woman and having a son wasn’t strange.

She just hadn’t known about this, but the other party did.

Though thinking about it, many matters back then were handled by him, so knowing more details than her was normal.

But thinking this way made a nauseating pain surge up together. Li Rong lowered her eyes, stroking the small golden fan in her hand, slowly asking, “And then?”

“He tied this commoner up, put me in a carriage, and told me to expose Your Highness’s attempt to postpone the Crown Prince’s wedding date. This commoner… this commoner wasn’t really lying, was I?”

“That is a lie.”

Li Rong looked at him coldly. “I never did such a thing.”

Hongde froze, then quickly said, “Yes, yes, yes. Your Highness never had anyone look for this commoner. Regardless, Your Highness, this commoner truly had no choice in this matter. Please, Your Highness, be magnanimous and forgive this commoner.”

“I can be magnanimous, yes,” Li Rong nodded. “If you’re willing to do as I say.”

Hongde looked up at Li Rong. Li Rong smiled, “Identify Su Rongqing as the one who made you do all this.”

“Su Rongqing?” Hongde reacted. “The eldest young master of the Su family?”

Li Rong nodded. Hongde smiled, “Your Highness, what difference is there between this and asking me to die?”

“So you’re unwilling?”

Hongde didn’t speak. Li Rong understood. Hongde obeyed Su Rongqing because his son was in Su Rongqing’s hands. Now she had nothing to coerce him with, only his life. Given his status, as soon as he accused Su Rongqing, the Su family wouldn’t spare him. Since death was inevitable either way, he probably didn’t want to cause trouble.

After all, he didn’t know whose hands his child was truly in.

Seeing Hongde’s fearlessness, Li Rong smiled lightly and simply sat down to chat casually with Hongde.

Hongde cautiously responded to Li Rong’s words. Having served many officials and nobles over the years, he conversed with Li Rong for a while.

Li Rong knew him inside and out, especially the dirty deeds he’d done. Hongde never truly intended to harm anyone; he simply loved money and lied countless times to swindle it.

Li Rong inquired how he deceived people. Hongde, with a respectful expression, knew his life might not last much longer, and since Li Rong knew his background anyway, he began to boast.

After carefully listening to his past, Li Rong couldn’t help but frown, “You deceived so many people, harmed so many people. Don’t you feel guilty?”

Hongde’s tea-drinking motion paused. After a moment, he suddenly smiled, “Then Your Highness, don’t you feel guilty?”

“What should I feel guilty about?”

Li Rong frowned. Hongde took a sip of tea. “Later, after becoming a monk and having money, I read many books and learned a saying: when clothing and food are sufficient, one knows honor and shame. There are many people like me in this world, especially among the lowborn. I’m actually one of the better ones.”

“You haven’t seen those who kill for two taels of silver,” Hongde smiled mockingly. “That’s what truly defies heaven and harms principle. You say if people like me were just occasional individuals, you could say we’re inherently evil. But if there are so many… are there really that many bad people in this world?”

“You always ask us why we do evil. Why don’t you ask yourselves why you do good?”

Hearing these words, Li Rong’s expression didn’t change. If this were her youth, she would probably scoff, believing good people remain good even in the mud, and bad people are always bad. But now she didn’t think that way. Emerging from mud unstained—that’s a sage, but how many sages exist in this world?

She didn’t say much more. Looking outside at the sky and seeing it was late, she stood up, instructed people to leave him tea and water, then walked out.

After returning to the Princess’s mansion, Pei Wenxuan wasn’t in the room. Li Rong couldn’t help but feel puzzled. Watching Jing Lan making the bed, she turned to ask Jing Mei, who was washing her feet, “Where’s the Prince Consort?”

“The Prince Consort moved out of the inner courtyard.”

Jing Mei looked up, somewhat worried. “He said you understand the reason, Your Highness. This servant didn’t dare ask more. Your Highness, are you two quarreling again?”

The conflicts between the Prince Consort and Princess in this mansion occurred every few days; the servants were tired of it.

Li Rong thought about it and understood Pei Wenxuan’s meaning. Since Pei Wenxuan had requested divorce from Li Ming, even if Li Ming didn’t issue the edict now, he had to put on an act. Who knew how many informants were in the Princess’s mansion. The inner courtyard was all their trusted people, so that could be secured, but if the two of them continued getting along well and word got out, it might make Li Ming suspicious again.

So Li Rong nodded without saying more. That evening, she carefully wrote the memorial word by word, put the memorial and confession together, and waited until the next morning when Pei Wenxuan and Li Rong met. Pei Wenxuan wore a cold expression while Li Rong smiled. As they walked out side by side, Pei Wenxuan said in a low voice, “Have you finished writing the memorial?”

“Finished.”

Li Rong responded, “Don’t worry.”

That very day, Li Rong submitted the memorial.

According to procedure, unless under special circumstances, memorials generally went through the Memorial Office, where officials would review them, sort them according to urgency and type, then submit them to the Emperor for approval.

Li Rong’s memorial entered the Memorial Office. She hadn’t marked it with the red characters for “urgent,” so it had to wait along with ordinary memorials for these officials to review.

During Li Rong’s waiting period, Pei Wenxuan and Li Rong lived separately.

Pei Wenxuan lived in the outer courtyard, Li Rong in the inner courtyard. Except for going to morning court together to pretend they were still husband and wife, they seemed to have truly fallen out.

This news reached Li Ming’s ears. Li Ming listened without speaking. After a long while, he sighed and only said, “Let them be.”

Hearing Li Ming’s tone, Fulai carefully inquired, “What about the edict Your Majesty mentioned before?”

“We’ll see,” Li Ming contemplated. “A good woman doesn’t marry twice. If we don’t have to break up a marriage, there’s no need…”

As he spoke, Li Ming thought, “We’ll see.”

Knowing this news eased Li Ming’s worries considerably, but it was hard on Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan.

The two had just been newlyweds. In their previous life, they’d only been happy for less than a year. In this life, they’d finally made up for it, only to be stuck here again. So both tossed and turned sleeplessly at night. Only in the carriage could they have a bit of private time, but fearing they’d ignite a fire they couldn’t extinguish, they could only drink water along the way while discussing serious matters.

After two days of torment, Li Rong finally adapted somewhat. She ate dinner alone and returned to her room feeling bored. But as soon as she pushed open the door, someone pressed a hand over her mouth and pinned her against the door.

Li Rong smelled Pei Wenxuan’s usual fragrance. Without needing to look up, she knew who it was.

For some reason, her heartbeat quickened. She couldn’t help but swallow.

She guessed that Pei Wenxuan probably couldn’t resist and came to find her.

She didn’t know whether she should be more reserved, more excited and cooperative, or scold him for taking risks for such matters.

As she hesitated, she heard Pei Wenxuan lower his voice urgently, “Your memorial at the Memorial Office has been taken by someone. Before they can react, quickly enter the palace.”

“The game has begun.”