Pei Wenxuan had only been arresting people for a few days when Consort Rou received a secret letter from Su Rongqing. She glanced through Su Rongqing’s secret letter and frowned.
Cui Yulang was at the side teaching Prince Su how to paint. Seeing that Consort Rou seemed troubled, he couldn’t help but inquire aloud: “Your Ladyship, have you encountered some troubling matter?”
“Tell me,” Consort Rou hesitated and asked Cui Yulang, “can we trust Pei Wenxuan to handle affairs?”
Upon hearing this, Cui Yulang quickly glanced at the letter in Consort Rou’s hand and roughly guessed the situation. Someone must have informed Consort Rou that Pei Wenxuan’s actions were improper. He smiled and simply said: “Whether to trust him or not, just look at the results, won’t you? As long as Pei Wenxuan is used well, what does Your Ladyship have to worry about?”
Consort Rou said nothing. Cui Yulang took the boiled water from the side, poured it into the teapot, and said leisurely: “In any case, Pei Wenxuan is in Your Ladyship’s hands. If he does well, Your Ladyship will use him. If he doesn’t do well, just send this person away—after all, he’s not someone from the Constabulary Bureau. Anyway, everyone in court has their own position. Now that Your Ladyship is moving against the aristocratic families,” Cui Yulang poured the tea into small tea bowls one by one, looked up at Consort Rou, and smiled gently, “someone will inevitably be unable to restrain themselves.”
Hearing Cui Yulang’s words, Consort Rou pondered them herself.
Pei Wenxuan had countless connections with Pingle—she couldn’t trust him. But Su Rongqing came from an aristocratic family background, and the current reform of the imperial examination system was clearly meant to weaken the aristocratic families. Could Su Rongqing be trusted either?
“Go back and reply to Lord Su,” Consort Rou looked up at the messenger and said indifferently, “this palace has its own considerations. Thank the lord for his reminder.”
The messenger, having received his instructions, immediately transmitted the message back to the Su estate.
Su Rongqing was drinking tea in the courtyard when he heard the message Consort Rou had sent back. His expression remained unchanged as he gazed at the tea in his bowl.
Su Zhizhu, the attendant beside him, couldn’t help but frown: “Young Master, if Consort Rou refuses to listen to advice like this, then…”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Su Rongqing raised his hand to stop Su Zhizhu’s words, picked up his teacup, and simply asked: “Has everything been arranged in the northwest?”
“It’s been arranged.”
Su Zhizhu’s voice was steady: “Everything is proceeding according to your instructions, my lord.”
“Mm.” Su Rongqing nodded, his expression calm. “Then there’s no need to worry about it.”
“But Consort Rou…”
“If she wants to die,” Su Rongqing turned to look at Su Zhizhu, “isn’t that better?”
Su Zhizhu was stunned. Su Rongqing changed the question: “Who is the advisor at her side today?”
Hearing the question, Su Zhizhu came to his senses and simply said: “It’s Cui Yulang.”
“Have someone keep an eye on him.” Su Rongqing took a sip of tea. “As for other matters, there’s no need to do anything more.”
With Su Rongqing not interfering, Pei Wenxuan enjoyed some leisure. After he helped Consort Rou send all the Shangguan family members into the Constabulary Bureau, Consort Rou’s reputation in Hua Jing soared to unprecedented heights.
This noble consort of common birth showed no fear of the powerful and pleaded for the people. For a time, Consort Rou and Prince Su’s names rose like magpies, and supporters of Prince Su began to emerge faintly even in the countryside.
Having gained prestige, Consort Rou also began to pull back. After all, she had only wanted to eliminate her rivals—she didn’t truly intend to plead for the people.
During that period, people from various aristocratic families streamed endlessly to Prince Su’s estate. Those aristocratic family members who normally looked down on her all bowed and scraped before her, speaking kind words, with gold, silver, and treasures flowing in like water. Although Consort Rou and Huale didn’t show it on their faces, they had some difficulty maintaining control in their hearts.
When they were in good spirits, they couldn’t help but think about Pei Wenxuan, feeling that this person was indeed quite good.
Consort Rou calculated how to secure Pei Wenxuan firmly on her side. Huale thought for a moment and couldn’t help but say: “Why not marry Sister Wei to him?”
Hearing this, Consort Rou turned her head, revealing some surprise on her face.
Huale immediately felt she had said something wrong and quickly said: “I was joking. Mother, please don’t punish me.”
“Punish you for what?” Consort Rou thought about it and couldn’t help but laugh. “I think your idea is good.”
As Consort Rou spoke, she pondered: “If she can’t marry the Crown Prince, she should at least be of some use.”
The arrogance of Consort Rou and her daughter reached Li Rong’s ears to some extent. Li Rong was confined at home and listened to these matters as entertainment.
Having gained favor, Consort Rou told Li Ming she was fatigued, and thus was exempted from the morning greeting ritual. Not greeting the Empress was one thing, but she didn’t even greet the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager said nothing openly but sent Consort Rou a ruler, specifically having the messenger maid ask her: “Does Your Ladyship know propriety?”
Being disrespectful to the Shangguan clan members was one thing, but she also liked to show off. At the most recent palace banquet, she said in front of everyone that the grapes the Empress had prepared were of poor quality, and on the spot produced the freshest grapes from the Western Regions to distribute to everyone.
In her conversations she loved to discuss state affairs and criticize current events, making everyone in the rear palace feel vexed.
Li Rong felt happy listening to these things every day. Jing Lan followed Li Rong every day listening to matters about Consort Rou, and after just a month or two, she felt as if Consort Rou had become a different person.
She couldn’t help but feel puzzled: “Your Highness, Consort Rou isn’t a fool either. Her reputation in the palace over these years hasn’t been bad. How could she…”
Jing Lan couldn’t continue. Li Rong laughed. She took some freshly washed grapes from the plate beside her and said leisurely: “Do you know what the most terrifying thing about power and authority is?”
As she spoke, Li Rong looked up at her and smiled: “It’s that when it corrodes people’s hearts, the person who’s been corroded almost to the point of rotting has absolutely no awareness of it.”
“Many people, at some point in their lives, will suddenly have a little power—become a minor official, earn some money, have their name on the golden list, or even take first place in a private school. All of these will suddenly plunge them into a kind of illusion. In this illusion, they indulge their behavior and speech, thinking everything can be accepted.”
“So, the simplest way to destroy a person is to suddenly let them obtain something far beyond what they should be able to get.”
Li Rong used her finger to push the grape into her lips. She looked at the butterflies dancing in the distance, her face bearing a smile: “You don’t need to act—she’ll bring about her own destruction.”
Listening to Li Rong’s words, Jing Lan didn’t speak. Li Rong swallowed the grape in her mouth and was just about to lie back down when she heard someone announcing at the door: “Your Highness, Lord Pei’s mother, Wen Shi, requests an audience.”
Hearing this, Li Rong couldn’t help but frown.
Why was Wen Shi coming to see her now? Could it be that she was still chasing after her from the Pei estate to scold her?
Although Li Rong was currently in a state of house arrest, the guards all knew this was just for show. Therefore, while Li Rong couldn’t go out, others could freely enter.
Li Rong was silent for a while. Jing Lan carefully asked: “Your Highness, shall we announce her?”
This was Pei Wenxuan’s mother, so naturally she couldn’t be left waiting outside. Li Rong nodded and simply said: “Then announce her.”
With that, Li Rong stood up and went to the main hall.
After arriving at the main hall, she saw that Wen Shi was already sitting there.
Upon seeing Li Rong, she was like a mouse seeing a cat, sitting constrained to one side, wanting to display some of an elder’s composed posture, yet feeling somewhat lacking in confidence.
When Li Rong entered, she carefully and secretly adjusted her sitting posture three times, finally finding one she felt was satisfactory, and sat up straight. After both parties had seen each other and performed their courtesies, Li Rong sat down and said with a smile: “Old Madam, what brings you here today?”
“Your Highness,” Wen Shi revealed a distressed expression, “I shouldn’t be disturbing you, but there are some matters I must come and clarify.”
Wen Shi raised her head, revealing a very serious expression. Li Rong nodded and said casually: “Please speak.”
“Wenxuan actually doesn’t want to divorce you.”
Wen Shi opened with this statement. Li Rong smiled bitterly but said nothing more, lowering her head to pour tea.
Wen Shi took Li Rong’s silence as surrender and immediately said: “This child Wenxuan hasn’t particularly liked anything since he was small. Only with you, Your Highness, have I seen what it looks like when he truly likes someone. Your Highness, he actually can’t bear to part with you.”
“Mm.” Li Rong looked up and said perfunctorily, “I know all this. Does the Old Madam have other matters?”
“I must also apologize on behalf of my son.”
Wen Shi spoke with some difficulty: “My son has recently been bewitched by a vixen and hid a woman in his room.”
Li Rong’s hand trembled. Wen Shi continued through gritted teeth: “Fortunately I discovered it early. I had a fierce quarrel with that woman and admonished Wenxuan to turn back from his mistaken path, sending that woman away early. It’s just that this woman is truly too shameless—even after being driven out, she still pines for my son, idling about outside the Pei estate when she has nothing to do. Now she’s gone even further!”
Wen Shi spoke indignantly and with a “swoosh” pulled out a sheet of paper from her sleeve: “She actually dares to directly write a calling card and send it into the estate, inviting my son to meet her at the lake pavilion! Tell me, how shameless can she be!”
Hearing this, Li Rong found it somewhat strange.
The woman living in the estate was her. So who was this woman who kept hovering outside and sent a calling card into the estate?
“Old Madam, may I have a look at the calling card?”
Li Rong reached out her hand, wanting to understand the situation. Seeing that Li Rong wanted to get involved, Wen Shi quickly handed over the calling card: “Have a look. It’s this vixen.”
Li Rong took the calling card from Wen Shi’s hand and quickly scanned it.
This calling card was written in proper form, but what stood out was the beautiful calligraphy. Li Rong casually finished reading the card and saw at the end, there was a single character: “Hua.”
Li Rong’s movements paused.
At this moment, Pei Wenxuan, who was secretly discussing the next steps with Li Chuan, couldn’t help but sneeze violently.
Seeing Pei Wenxuan suddenly sneeze, Li Chuan couldn’t help but say: “Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”
Pei Wenxuan waved his hand: “It’s nothing. Continue.”
With that, Pei Wenxuan continued Li Chuan’s line of thought to deduce further: “Next, Consort Rou will probably abandon another portion of the students. She’s already taken those people’s money—she can’t possibly arrest them as well. To appease these students, she should make some promises.”
“When that time comes, she won’t make you go negotiate with the students, will she?” Li Chuan frowned, feeling somewhat uneasy.
Pei Wenxuan smiled: “She of course wants me to go negotiate, but I’ve done so many things—I should rest a bit.”
“How do you plan to rest then?”
Li Chuan was somewhat puzzled. Pei Wenxuan smiled as he looked toward outside the estate: “Naturally, I’ll go rest somewhere she has no way to order me around.”