After talking with Pei Wenxuan, Li Rong returned to the Princess Manor on her own. As she lay in bed at the Princess Manor, her entire being seemed adrift without anchor.

Without Pei Wenxuan by her side and no need to attend morning court the next day, her heart felt empty.

She opened and closed her hand in the void, looking at her slender palm. She suddenly felt that Shangguan Xu was also right.

The daughters of the Shangguan family seemed born to grasp power. Without power in her hands, she felt a confusion and emptiness as if she had lost her path forward.

She was completely different from Li Chuan. In his position as Crown Prince, Li Chuan’s every step seemed to stem from responsibility toward those around him. Because he was Crown Prince, from birth onward the lives of countless people were tied to him. He had no choice but to struggle, no choice but to move forward.

But her every step stemmed from deep within her own heart—a craving for power and influence.

She loved too much that feeling of control and choice. Deep in her bones, she also loved the passion of taking risks for these things.

So on such a peaceful night, she felt somewhat at a loss.

She tossed and turned in the night. After a long while, she got up and went to the wardrobe, pulled out one of Pei Wenxuan’s robes, and only after holding the robe in her arms did she find some sense of security and fall asleep while embracing it.

She slept until the time for morning court and woke up on schedule. Just as she was about to call someone to attend to her as she rose, she remembered she didn’t need to go to court.

Having handed over the Constabulary Bureau, the court had nothing much to do with her anymore. She only needed to remain in the shadows.

Li Rong was stunned for a moment, then buried her head under the covers and simply went back to sleep.

She slept all the way until noon before finally getting up to eat. Jing Lan attended to her as she rose, smiling and saying, “Your Highness doesn’t go to court and looks much less spirited.”

“No husband, no career,” Li Rong sighed. “Where would any spirit come from?”

Jing Mei was amused by Li Rong and pulled at Li Rong’s clothes from the side, only smiling and saying, “Since Your Highness misses your lover so much, why not go to the new residence tonight?”

Li Rong leisurely glanced at her. Jing Mei’s heart jumped, and just as she thought Li Rong was going to scold her, she heard Li Rong say, “Very much to my liking.”

After Li Rong had breakfast and rested in the courtyard for a while, Zhao Chongjiu rushed back with news from the court.

“Today His Majesty promoted Lord Pei to chief examiner for the imperial examinations, making Lord Pei fully responsible for examination matters. He also had Prince Su formally take over the Constabulary Bureau, assisted by Consort Rou, to thoroughly investigate this case of substitution in the imperial examinations.”

Li Rong nodded. After thinking for a moment, she couldn’t help but ask one more question: “What about Vice Minister Su?”

“Vice Minister Su requested to monitor this imperial examination himself.”

“Monitor?” Li Rong smiled. “He’s not restraining himself at all now. What about Cui Yulang?”

“He had this subordinate relay a message, saying that today Consort Rou commended him and even asked him to help her do a good job.”

Hearing this, Li Rong knew Consort Rou had begun to completely trust Cui Yulang.

This wasn’t surprising either.

After cooperating with Su Rongqing for so long, not only had she gained nothing, she had even been demoted from Noble Consort to the rank of Concubine. After cooperating with Cui Yulang for such a short time, not only had her consort rank been restored, she had also helped Li Cheng obtain the Constabulary Bureau. Combined with Cui Yulang’s humble clan identity, how could she not trust Cui Yulang more?

Li Rong nodded and only said, “Tell Cui Yulang to behave himself. Also have someone keep watching him, and remember to come get medicine from me at regular intervals.”

Zhao Chongjiu acknowledged. Li Rong also inquired about this year’s harvest from her fiefdom and the situation in the northwest.

“Lord Xun requests one thing of Your Highness this time.”

Li Rong raised her eyes. Zhao Chongjiu said in a low voice, “Lord Xun wants Your Highness to secretly obtain a temporary conscription order for Qin Lin.”

“Why is that?”

Li Rong lightly tapped her palm with her fan. Zhao Chongjiu raised his hands to present the letter Xun Chuan had sent. Li Rong quickly scanned it and understood Xun Chuan’s meaning.

Last year there had been warfare in the northwest, and the several cities on the front lines had almost no farming at all. By this year, with no grain in the cities, they could only rely on court relief. But when the court’s funds reached the northwest, they were divided layer by layer, and by the time they reached Qin Lin’s hands, very little remained. Military provisions were barely adequate, and disaster relief was even more difficult.

On one hand, Qin Lin couldn’t bear it. On the other hand, Qin Lin’s forces indeed lacked soldiers. So Cui Qinghe suggested that Qin Lin incorporate the common people in the cities into the military camps—nurturing war with the people.

Able-bodied men would join the army, while the remaining elderly, weak, women and children would be given land to farm. By autumn this year, warfare would probably start up again in the north, and by then they would have the strength to fight.

Naturally, this didn’t comply with regulations, but Qin Lin believed that after doing this, the major aristocratic families in the north wouldn’t need to allocate him too much in military provisions and wouldn’t have to go to the battlefield themselves. They could feed their own troops to be strong and robust, so regardless, the northwestern officials were happy to see it happen and wouldn’t expose Qin Lin. Therefore, Qin Lin had already been doing this privately.

But this was after all an unlawful matter. To put it seriously, it was privately stockpiling troops. So Xun Chuan had specially sent Li Rong a letter asking her to petition above for a conscription order for Qin Lin. Normally it wouldn’t matter, but if something truly came up, they could produce this conscription order and it would count as Qin Lin conscripting troops under orders.

Seeing this letter, Li Rong couldn’t help but gasp.

Qin Lin was talented as a general, but his biggest problem was that he was too autocratic and domineering.

Such a general was a hero in chaotic times, but also the existence that troubled monarchs most in times of peace and prosperity. If Xun Chuan hadn’t exposed this matter now, Li Rong had already immediately thought of what would happen in the future.

Those aristocratic families weren’t saying anything now because they had use for Qin Lin. But when the time came when they needed it, this would be Qin Lin’s death warrant. What was even more frightening wasn’t Qin Lin himself, but that part of Qin Lin’s current military provisions came from her side.

Qin Lin privately stockpiling troops, with her supplying military provisions, and she being the Crown Prince’s elder sister—if this crime came down, dying ten thousand times wouldn’t be enough.

Li Rong steadied her mind and knew she had to obtain this conscription order for Qin Lin.

Once she obtained the conscription order, the more troops Qin Lin had in his hands, the more stable Li Chuan’s position would be when he ascended the throne.

But how could she obtain such a thing for Qin Lin?

A conscription order was a special type of military order in Great Xia. In special periods, generals could conscript troops on the spot in garrison cities according to this order.

Monarchs gave such things very cautiously. How could she get Li Ming to secretly give a confidential conscription order to Qin Lin?

Li Rong was pondering this when she heard a commotion from outside. In less than a moment, a maid rushed in urgently from outside the courtyard, saying hurriedly, “Your Highness, Princess Huale has brought people from the Constabulary Bureau and sealed off the Princess Manor.”

Hearing this, Li Rong was stunned. After a moment, she laughed incredulously: “Huale, with the Constabulary Bureau, sealed off my residence?”

Each of these words she understood individually, but combined together, she actually found it somewhat amusing.

Before she could go out, she heard Huale’s familiar voice from outside, carrying a haughtiness not usually present: “Elder Sister Pingle.”

Li Rong looked toward the sound and saw Huale emerge from around the corner in a gold-threaded luxurious robe, with a group of former Constabulary Bureau staff behind her. Among them were some new faces, likely new people Consort Rou had added when reorganizing the Constabulary Bureau.

Li Rong raised her eyebrows as she watched Huale walk before her and perform a graceful courtesy: “This younger sister comes on Prince Su’s orders to investigate a case at elder sister’s residence.”

“Investigate a case?” Li Rong was rather intrigued. “What case do you want to investigate?”

“Elder sister, do you still remember someone named Chen Houzhao?”

“I remember,” Li Rong said. Hearing this, she knew what Huale had come to do, and she couldn’t help but smile. “Didn’t he just come to the Constabulary Bureau to file a complaint a few days ago?”

“He’s disappeared.”

Huale observed Li Rong. Li Rong looked surprised: “Disappeared?”

“Yes, on the very day he complained to elder sister, he left Hua Jing, and then his boat sank. His whereabouts are unknown.”

“I see.”

Li Rong nodded, then seemed to remember: “Then you should be looking for him. What are you looking for me for?”

“Prince Su suspects that elder sister killed this person. So please cooperate with us, elder sister, and make a trip to the Constabulary Bureau.”

Li Rong said nothing. She smiled as she looked at Huale.

Seeing that Li Rong’s expression didn’t change upon hearing these words, Huale didn’t know why, but she felt somewhat faint-hearted. She forced herself to hold up, meeting Li Rong’s gaze, and only said, “Is elder sister still going to resist arrest?”

“I’m not resisting arrest, I just want to ask younger sister a few questions.”

Li Rong tapped her palm with her small fan. “I am the current dynasty’s princess, an imperial relative. If you want to arrest me, does this case have evidence?”

“How can there be evidence without interrogating you?” Huale frowned. “You used to handle cases at the Constabulary Bureau—aren’t you clear about that yourself?”

“When I handled cases, I always required evidence. Those below my rank could be invited to the Constabulary Bureau. But for those above my rank, one must ask whether they’re willing. Younger sister, this is your first time handling court affairs, so you’re probably unfamiliar with court regulations. Jing Lan.”

Li Rong turned her head and instructed Jing Lan: “Go inside and bring out the Constabulary Bureau’s rules and regulations for Princess Huale to take back and study well.”

Jing Lan smiled with pressed lips and went to fetch the Constabulary Bureau regulations.

Being rebuffed by Li Rong like this, anger surged within Huale. She couldn’t help but raise her voice, calling out loudly: “Enough nonsense! When the Constabulary Bureau investigates a case, you’re under suspicion. If you don’t come with me for interrogation and keep making excuses, isn’t that a guilty conscience?!”

Hearing Huale raise her voice, Li Rong’s gaze turned slightly cold, but her face still bore a smile as she only said, “Younger sister, I’m afraid that having gone to court, you’ve forgotten palace hierarchies. I am your elder sister. When you speak to me, is this how disrespectful you are?”

“Right now I’m helping Prince Su investigate a case…”

“I know Constabulary Bureau matters better than you!” Li Rong suddenly raised her voice. “Without evidence, get out!”

“Li Rong, you…”

“Throw her out!”

Li Rong waved her small fan and turned to leave. Huale grew anxious and quickly brought people forward wanting to seize Li Rong. The Princess Manor guards immediately rushed forward, and the two groups blocked each other completely. Huale cursed aloud: “Pingle, don’t leave!”

Li Rong ascended the steps. Hearing Huale’s cursing, she turned her head back.

Her phoenix eyes lifted slightly, leisurely sweeping a glance at Huale, who was cursing among the crowd and ordering Constabulary Bureau soldiers to arrest her. She smiled. Just as she was about to say something mocking, she suddenly realized something—

The conscription order—she had it.