After Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan finished a game of chess, servants brought back news saying Shangguan Ya had already left the prison and had someone bring word that the mission was complete and she had turned from enemy to friend with Young Master Su.
Hearing this, Li Rong couldn’t help but laugh. She looked up at Pei Wenxuan and said gently, “If Su Ronghua heard these words, he’d probably feel hurt again.”
“Miss Shangguan just has that kind of personality. Young Master Su will get used to it later.”
As he spoke, Pei Wenxuan looked at the sky and reminded her, “Your Highness, it’s time to sleep.”
“You yourself don’t sleep much, yet you meddle quite broadly in managing me.”
Li Rong complained with her mouth, but she stood up. Pei Wenxuan naturally stepped forward to help her remove her outer garments. After washing up together, they went to bed. Li Rong lay on the bed, somewhat unable to sleep.
Pei Wenxuan sensed she didn’t seem to plan on sleeping immediately, so he opened his eyes, turned to his side, and looked at Li Rong. “What is Your Highness thinking about?”
“Thinking about what will happen in the palace tonight.”
“Your Highness needn’t worry,” Pei Wenxuan comforted Li Rong. “His Majesty is suspicious by nature. Consort Rou is merely a blade in his hand. You are now a chess piece in His Majesty’s plans to deal with the aristocratic families. You’re still useful. If Consort Rou presumes to harm you, that touches His Majesty’s forbidden zone.”
“Mm.”
Li Rong responded. Pei Wenxuan thought for a moment, then suddenly said, “In a few days there will be a lantern festival among the commoners. Does Your Highness want to go see it?”
“Lantern festival?” Li Rong knew Pei Wenxuan wanted to change the subject, and she cooperated. She imitated Pei Wenxuan’s manner, turned to her side, raised her finger to rest on Pei Wenxuan’s chest, and said coquettishly, “Lord Pei, are you asking me out on a date?”
Hearing Li Rong speak this way, Pei Wenxuan couldn’t help but laugh. His laughter was very low. When he laughed, Li Rong could clearly feel beneath her fingertips the slight vibration from his chest.
Seeing him laugh, Li Rong slowly glared at him. “Still laughing? If you keep laughing, this palace won’t have time.”
“Then I won’t laugh,” Pei Wenxuan suppressed his laughter, though the curve at the corner of his mouth remained on his face. “Will Your Highness have time then?”
“You prepare first,” Li Rong said casually. “Whether I have time or not, we’ll see when the time comes.”
“Alright,” Pei Wenxuan nodded. “I’ve rented a boat. When the time comes, I’ll row for Your Highness. I’ve inquired—that evening they’ll release sky lanterns. There will be many people on shore, so I’ll take you to the center of the lake to watch.”
“If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have forgotten,” Li Rong heard Pei Wenxuan’s words and actually felt somewhat anticipatory. She raised her hand to pillow under her ear. “You can also row boats.”
“Luzhou has many waterways,” Pei Wenxuan recalled his youth and said slowly. “During those three years of mourning, I really enjoyed rowing out alone, finding some random place to stop, basking in the sun, taking a lazy nap. When I woke up, I’d row back, picking some lotus seeds along the way.”
Li Rong listened to Pei Wenxuan speak of these things—this was a world she had never experienced.
From birth, she had lived in this corner of heaven and earth called Hua Jing. She had never experienced the peaceful times Pei Wenxuan described—walking freely on the streets, having a small boat of her own, summer afternoons with vast expanses of lotus flowers.
Finding some random place to take an afternoon nap, read a book, or perhaps finding a spot to fish all afternoon—it wouldn’t matter if you caught nothing.
“Sometimes I’d bring lotus leaves back. An elderly lady taught me to wrap glutinous rice in lotus leaves, add some chicken pieces, chestnuts, and spices, steam them together. It has a special flavor.”
“Did you learn to make it?” Li Rong grew hungry from his description. Pei Wenxuan smiled. “Want to eat it?”
“I do. You’ve described it so well,” Li Rong said frankly. “Not only do I want to eat it—I want to go to Luzhou.”
“Then later, when we’re old and I retire to return home, we’ll go.”
“When I’m old, I’m afraid I won’t be able to walk,” Li Rong sighed. “My legs aren’t good.”
“That’s fine—I’ll carry you on my back.”
Pei Wenxuan raised his hand and stroked Li Rong’s hair. He looked at her as if looking at a child. “Besides, in this lifetime, I’ll take good care of you. Even when you’re old, you won’t suffer like you did in the previous life.”
As Pei Wenxuan spoke, thinking of Li Rong’s final days of illness and pain in the previous life, he couldn’t help but reach out and embrace her, sighing, “Sleep now.”
Li Rong was held by him, her head resting against his chest. She naturally became somewhat drowsy.
This was an indescribable sense of security, like a tired bird returning to its nest, a traveler coming home.
Li Rong suddenly realized that at some unknown point, she had developed this kind of security with this person.
Pei Wenxuan held Li Rong. After a long while, he heard Li Rong’s even breathing. He lowered his head to kiss her, finally closed his eyes, and also fell asleep.
The two slept until midnight when Pei Wenxuan heard urgent knocking at the door. Li Rong moved slightly, and Pei Wenxuan pressed her down, his voice steady. “I’ll go check.”
With that, Pei Wenxuan stood up, threw on some clothes, and went to the door. Opening it, he saw Tong Ye standing at the entrance. Tong Ye lowered his voice and quickly said a few sentences to Pei Wenxuan. Pei Wenxuan’s eyes turned cold as he only said, “Are you certain?”
By this time, Li Rong had also thrown on some clothes and walked to the door. She heard Tong Ye say quietly, “Certain. Consort Rou brought Master Hongde into the imperial study. That old bald fraud spoke truthfully. He only said someone from the Princess’s residence asked him to change the Crown Prince’s marriage date.”
Pei Wenxuan said nothing. Tong Ye continued, “His Majesty was originally furious and planned to immediately summon Her Highness. But the messenger had just left the palace gates when he was called back.”
“Is there more?” Pei Wenxuan asked very calmly. This matter seemed to have no impact on him whatsoever. Tong Ye was infected by the calmness in Pei Wenxuan’s words. His earlier panic slowly disappeared. Calming down, he continued, “Nothing more. His Majesty doesn’t seem to plan on investigating this matter.”
Pei Wenxuan nodded. After thinking for a moment, he said in a low voice, “Leave the city immediately tonight and go to neighboring Qingshui County. Find a laundry woman named ‘Tian Fang.’ Give her three hundred taels of silver and tell her that her husband has been found. Have her bring her mother-in-law together to Hua Jing to identify him.”
“Yes.” Tong Ye agreed. Li Rong, listening from the side, immediately understood what Pei Wenxuan was doing and said directly, “You want to find dirt on Master Hongde?”
“Yes.” Pei Wenxuan turned to look at her. “The kind where evidence can be found immediately.”
Li Rong directly turned around, returned to the table, and wrote down a list. This list contained names and specific addresses. She handed it to Tong Ye. “Follow this list to find them. Tell them directly that the charlatan who deceived them before has been found, and have them come identify him.”
Tong Ye was stunned. He hadn’t expected Li Rong to provide such a list. Seeing Tong Ye standing there dazed, Li Rong pushed the list forward and urged, “Take it.”
Only then did Tong Ye react. He quickly took the list and withdrew.
After he left, Li Rong turned to look at Pei Wenxuan, pulling her clothes closed, and said calmly, “What happened?”
“Just now, news came from the palace saying Consort Rou summoned Master Hongde into the palace for an audience.”
Li Rong’s expression didn’t change. She looked at Pei Wenxuan. “He’s entering the palace for an audience—why are you panicking?”
“After the Spring Festival, I sent someone to find him.” Pei Wenxuan spoke truthfully. Li Rong frowned. “What did you look for him for?”
“I told Your Highness before—if we want to completely resolve the issue of the Crown Prince’s marriage, having this person come out to make prophecies about the Crown Prince’s marriage is a once-and-for-all solution.”
“Didn’t I also tell you,” Li Rong restrained her emotions, “Chuan’er has already agreed to select a consort. Why are you still worrying about this?!”
Pei Wenxuan didn’t speak. Li Rong stared at him. After a brief silence, Li Rong closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then said, “Did you leave any evidence?”
“No.” Pei Wenxuan said decisively. “I had hidden guards look for him. I didn’t tell him who I was, nor did I directly inform him about the Crown Prince’s matter. I only had someone probe once. Finding this person too cowardly, I didn’t continue.”
“Then why is he entering the palace now?” Li Rong quickly inquired.
If Pei Wenxuan had only probed once back then and hadn’t taken any actual action, how did Consort Rou find this person and get him to enter the palace?
“That’s also what I want to know.”
Pei Wenxuan spoke coldly. “The palace informants said that after this old fraud entered the palace, he accused you, saying people from the Princess’s residence asked him to postpone the Crown Prince’s marriage date to five years later.”
Li Rong looked at Pei Wenxuan in shock. Pei Wenxuan continued, “I wasn’t rash in looking for this fraud. This matter shouldn’t have been known by a second person.”
Li Rong said nothing. Seeing her expression, Pei Wenxuan unconsciously clenched his fists.
He had some words he wanted to say, but looking at Li Rong’s expression, he didn’t dare speak.
He didn’t want her to know about this matter. In fact, if possible, he hoped to conceal it for a lifetime.
He was confident he could win against Su Rongqing in this lifetime, but what about Su Rongqing who had accompanied Li Rong for more than twenty years?
He didn’t dare compare.
In this lifetime, he and Li Rong had only just begun. He didn’t want to take any risks at this time.
After her brief shock, Li Rong quickly controlled her emotions and only said, “What do we do now?”
“His Majesty hasn’t summoned Your Highness yet because he’s wary of the Constabulary Bureau in Your Highness’s hands,” Pei Wenxuan analyzed. “But now that His Majesty has made up his mind, he will inevitably be suspicious of Your Highness. What we can do now is minimize the impact of this matter as much as possible.”
“How do we minimize it?”
“In a couple of days, Your Highness should go to Huguo Temple to arrest someone.” Pei Wenxuan looked at Li Rong, analyzing, “Right now His Majesty won’t release him from the palace temporarily. If you go to Huguo Temple to arrest someone, expose this Master Hongde’s background, and say you’re investigating this fraudulent monk who swindled money and harmed lives, then you can directly explain people from the Princess’s residence going to Huguo Temple as investigating a case. As for what specifically the Princess’s residence said to him, insist you never said it and don’t know.”
“Right now this evidence and testimony all need much time, but if we can handle this case properly in these two days, it will be very difficult for anyone to believe we’re investigating temporarily. If you’re not investigating temporarily, and you clearly knew Hongde was a fraudulent monk, then people from the Princess’s residence looking for Hongde earlier becomes logical. On the contrary, you looking for a charlatan to help promote the Crown Prince would be an extremely foolish move.”
“That’s all we can do.” Li Rong nodded calmly. After finishing speaking, the two fell silent again.
Actually, they both had countless things they wanted to say, but when all the words reached their lips, they couldn’t speak them.
The two seemed to simultaneously touch upon an unspeakable topic. Li Rong remained silent for a long time before finally saying, “Let’s sleep. If Father Emperor isn’t summoning me now, he probably plans to suppress this matter.”
Suppressing it outwardly without showing anything, but in secret, Li Ming probably wouldn’t leave her with so much power anymore.
With Consort Rou’s move, if Pei Wenxuan’s people in the palace weren’t deeply embedded and this kind of news hadn’t been discovered, she would probably have to swallow this loss herself.
With Consort Rou’s capabilities, she couldn’t have designed this scheme.
Setting everything else aside, just the matter of how they found Master Hongde was strange enough.
Li Rong pondered, and thoughts that had once crossed her mind resurfaced clearly again.
She couldn’t help but recall that day in this life when she married Pei Wenxuan—Su Rongqing had come to escort the bride. She suddenly remembered so clearly the tone in which he recited the parallel prose.
“Longing can chase the sun and moon, a promise for next year’s peach blossoms.”
Only then did she realize that before that elegant gentleman recited this line, he had paused so strangely, so unusually, even somewhat losing his composure for that brief moment.
Li Rong unconsciously clenched her fists. The instant she controlled her emotions and turned around, Pei Wenxuan suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her into his embrace, kissing her!
Li Rong was startled by his sudden action and almost instinctively pushed him. But the moment she pushed out, she realized something and wanted to withdraw her hand.
But Pei Wenxuan didn’t have time to notice her later emotions. He only gripped her hands tightly when she tried to push him, forcefully pressed her against a pillar, and kissed her almost like biting.
His body trembled slightly, his eyes tightly closed.
His movements were reckless yet contained some restraint, biting Li Rong until it hurt a little.
Li Rong frowned. She knew she couldn’t provoke Pei Wenxuan at this moment. She just stood quietly, enduring all the pain. Pei Wenxuan’s movements gradually slowed. After waiting a long time, Li Rong finally spoke calmly, reminding him, “Pei Wenxuan.”
Pei Wenxuan’s hands pressed on her shoulders. He pulled away, creating distance between them, breathing heavily.
“I’m sorry…”
Pei Wenxuan spoke in a low, hoarse voice. “I’m sorry, I…”
He didn’t finish. He seemed not to know what he should apologize for.
Li Rong stood quietly. After a long time, she heard Pei Wenxuan speak. “Rong Rong,” Pei Wenxuan said as he raised his head, forcing a smile, “let’s have a child, alright?”
The moment the words left his mouth, Pei Wenxuan painfully closed his eyes.
He felt somewhat disgusted with himself.
How could he be so disgusting?
How could he think of using a child to keep Li Rong?
How could he, Pei Wenxuan, live like this?
“I’m sorry, just now I…” Pei Wenxuan withdrew his hands from Li Rong’s shoulders, trying to make himself more dignified, and said slowly, “Just now I was only…”
Before he finished, Li Rong reached out and suddenly embraced him tightly.
“How many children do you want?” she said in a low voice. Pei Wenxuan was stunned, then heard the young woman leaning against his chest say with some anticipation, “Boys or girls?”
Hearing these words, Pei Wenxuan didn’t know why, but he actually felt his eyes sting a little.
His eyelashes trembled lightly. After a long time, he finally replied hoarsely.
“I want you.”
“I don’t want children,” Pei Wenxuan held Li Rong, burying his face in Li Rong’s shoulder. “I want you.”