“This…” Li Rong kept him in suspense, then smiled. “You’ll find out when the time comes.”

“You’re keeping this from me too?”

Li Chuan looked rather disdainful. Li Rong sighed, “Let me tell you the truth—I’m not keeping it from you.”

As she spoke, Li Rong turned her head to look out the carriage window and said flatly, “I simply don’t know the answer myself.”

After all, marriage was not something decided by her alone.

If Pei Wenxuan didn’t speak up, she wouldn’t either.

She didn’t think marrying a reborn Pei Wenxuan was a good thing. They had too much entanglement between them—putting them together again would only lead to mutual torment.

Pei Wenxuan had his Qin Zhenzhen. With his capabilities, even without becoming a prince consort, he surely had other possibilities. In this lifetime, he could very well choose another path to try. Even if it was more difficult, perhaps it would be better than marrying her.

As for herself…

Li Rong slowly closed her eyes. There was no path she couldn’t overcome. Whether Pei Wenxuan was willing to help her or not, she had her own way forward.

The carriage swayed and rocked. Li Rong dozed lightly for a while. After some time, she heard a eunuch’s voice from outside, speaking respectfully: “This servant greets Your Highness the Crown Prince and Your Highness the Princess.”

Hearing this voice, Li Rong slowly opened her eyes. Li Chuan went forward to lift the curtain, revealing a face full of smiles.

The man wore the attire of a chief palace eunuch. He appeared to be under forty years old, with large eyes and a round face that seemed particularly agreeable. Li Rong recognized him—this was Shande, the chief eunuch serving her mother the Empress.

Seeing Shande, Li Chuan asked with some surprise, “Eunuch Shande? Why are you waiting here?”

“The Empress heard that Your Highness the Crown Prince was returning with the Princess, so she specially sent this old servant to wait here. Her Majesty the Empress says that Your Highness the Crown Prince toiled through the night and should go rest first. This old servant will lead Your Highness the Princess,” as he spoke, Shande bowed to Li Rong, then turned to look at the carriage behind them, “along with Young Master Pei to Weiyang Palace to see Her Majesty.”

“Pei Wenxuan?”

Li Chuan was somewhat astonished. “Mother wants to see him?”

Shande nodded with a smile. “Indeed, Her Majesty wishes to meet Young Master Pei.”

As he spoke, Shande stepped aside, revealing two sedan chairs. He said to Li Rong, “The sedan chairs have been prepared. Your Highness may board.”

Hearing this, Li Chuan looked back at Li Rong. Li Rong nodded and raised her hand, placing it in Li Chuan’s palm. Li Chuan supported Li Rong as she stood, and with help from attendants, Li Rong descended from the carriage and moved onto the sedan chair.

After sitting in the sedan chair, she looked back and saw that Pei Wenxuan had also boarded his sedan chair. She nodded to Li Chuan, and the sedan chairs were lifted. Li Rong held her golden fan and closed her eyes to rest.

Before long, the sedan chairs arrived at the entrance of Weiyang Palace. Shande lifted the curtain and said respectfully, “Your Highness, we have arrived.”

Li Rong opened her eyes and extended her hand, accepting help as she stepped out of the sedan chair. Then she raised her head and saw the steps of Weiyang Palace.

Pei Wenxuan walked up behind her. The two of them, led by Shande, ascended the steps one after another. Li Rong lowered her voice and said quietly to Pei Wenxuan, “Lord Pei, have you thought things through?”

Pei Wenxuan’s eyelashes trembled slightly. He said in a low voice, “Not yet.”

Li Rong laughed softly. “Then there isn’t much time left for Lord Pei to think.”

As she spoke, they reached the entrance to Weiyang Palace. Shande went inside to announce them. Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan stood one behind the other at the entrance, with palace servants scattered around. Li Rong said slowly, “Actually, this palace doesn’t have clarity either. Obviously I should simply pursue advantage, yet my heart always holds some unwillingness.”

For them to marry again would naturally be best—most advantageous for both of them.

But once they knew the other was reborn, all interests seemed to be subject to some invisible constraint, making them hesitant and uneasy.

Pei Wenxuan understood this feeling. He lowered his eyes and made no response.

After a moment, Shande returned and said respectfully, “Your Highness, please enter.”

“Together,” Li Rong instructed Pei Wenxuan. Pei Wenxuan acknowledged with a sound, and the two entered the great hall together. Upon reaching the entrance to the inner chamber, Li Rong pointed with her golden fan and said quietly, “Wait here. When you’re summoned, then enter.”

Pei Wenxuan respectfully replied, “Yes.” Li Rong then walked inside.

As Li Rong stepped into the inner chamber, she first saw a woman dressed in phoenix-embroidered red silk robes, wearing golden finger guards on her hands, reclining on a small couch as if napping lightly.

Li Rong walked forward, knelt respectfully, and said softly, “Your daughter-subject greets Mother Empress. May Mother Empress live a thousand years, a thousand thousand years.”

The Empress did not speak. Li Rong knelt on the ground without making a sound. After a long while, the Empress slowly spoke: “I heard that last night you and Pei Wenxuan were together.”

“Yes.”

Li Rong answered without hesitation. The Empress opened her eyes and looked at Li Rong, her gaze carrying scrutiny as she said calmly, “Your marriage—what do you plan to do about it?”

Li Rong smiled. She raised her eyes to look at the Empress and said gently, “May I ask what Mother Empress thinks my daughter should do?”

“You have an idea.”

The Empress stated this with certainty, but Li Rong said, “Surely Mother Empress has one as well?”

The Empress said nothing. In these few exchanges, the Empress instinctively sensed that Li Rong was different from before.

Though Li Rong had always been clever in the past, she would never speak like this—as if she were those court officials who had dealt with her for many years, pushing and deflecting on a topic, never getting to the point.

The Empress pondered for a moment. She decided not to circle around with Li Rong and said directly, “This palace intends to marry you to Yang Quan.”

Li Rong said nothing. She had considered this possibility. Since the Yang family had visited two palaces last night, they couldn’t have made no moves. After thinking for a moment, she asked, “What did the Yang family promise Mother Empress?”

The Empress hadn’t expected Li Rong to be so composed. She felt somewhat unaccustomed to it, but this was actually better—it saved her much trouble. So she replied calmly, “Military power.”

“The Yang family still has military power?”

Li Rong spoke mockingly. “Does Mother Empress not know what Father Emperor did to the Yang family in the previous court session?”

“I know,” the Empress said coldly. “That’s why they’re extremely panicked now. When they entered the palace last night, they already said that if you marry Yang Quan, Yang Quan will become the Yang family head and inherit the Yang family’s direct lineage…”

“How much is left of their direct lineage after they were all killed off on the battlefield!”

“We can build it up.”

The Empress raised her voice, overriding Li Rong’s words, then continued, “We have people, we have soldiers. As long as the Yang family remains in the Northwest and holds that position, we can supply military provisions and quickly expand. What problem could there be?”

“Mother Empress,” Li Rong looked at the Empress incredulously, lowering her voice in warning, “you’re forcing Chuan’er to his death!”

“It’s your Father Emperor who’s forcing us to death!”

The Empress suddenly raised her voice. “Do you know why he destroyed the Yang family! It’s to promote Li Chang’s uncle to the position of Northwestern King! He wants to give Li Chang military power! He’s only ten years old! He’s already been enfeoffed as a prince, and now he wants to give that milk-fed baby military power!”

Li Rong showed no shock at these words. Later, Consort Rou’s elder brother Zhao Ziguang did indeed assume the position of Northwest Zhenbei General. Li Ming wouldn’t destroy the Yang family without reason.

He destroyed the Yang family, first because they had rendered meritorious service so great it threatened the throne and were arrogantly domineering, and second because he wanted to clear the position for someone he wished to promote.

The Yang family’s downfall was only a matter of time. Back then, the Yang family was cleaned out completely. Li Ming’s thunderous methods—the Empress had no idea how many chess pieces he had planted to bring down the Yang family.

Li Rong looked at the Empress and said calmly, “Mother Empress, please calm down. I don’t know what you’ve heard, but right now Chuan’er is the Crown Prince. As long as we don’t let His Majesty catch him making mistakes, in the short term, His Majesty has no way to deal with him. If you have me marry Yang Quan, His Majesty has been targeting the Yang family for a long time and has likely already collected much evidence. When that time comes, all these mistakes will fall on Chuan’er’s shoulders.”

“So what?” The Empress looked at her coldly. “As long as we can obtain military power, even if Chuan’er makes mistakes, so what?”

Li Rong raised her eyes and stared at the Empress.

The Empress gazed back at her. Between mother and daughter, it was as if they stood on a silent battlefield.

Li Rong knew that Li Chang’s enfeoffment as prince was already a great humiliation to the Empress, and now that Li Ming wanted to give Li Chang military power, it was a complete threat to Li Chuan’s position.

In fact, Li Chuan nearly being deposed that year was indeed due to issues with military power.

In her previous life when she married Pei Wenxuan, because the Empress hadn’t been able to participate when the marriage was decreed and only learned of it after it was arranged, and in that previous life the Yang family didn’t know marriage alliance was possible and hadn’t been pushed to the wall, they weren’t willing to completely hand over military power to the Empress. Without such enormous temptation, the Empress told her to endure and marry Pei Wenxuan.

When she told her to marry Pei Wenxuan, she said that women needed power. So at that time, Li Rong thought it wasn’t that her mother refused to save her, but that she was powerless to help.

But in this lifetime, her marriage involved the Yang family’s military power. The Empress had a chance to participate, so she immediately decided to have her marry Yang Quan.

Li Rong looked quietly at the Empress. Somehow, she suddenly asked, “Has Mother Empress thought about me?”

At these words, the Empress froze.

Having asked the question, Li Rong felt no regret. She knelt on the ground, straightened her body, and gazed at the woman in splendid robes and golden crown seated above her, saying calmly, “Mother Empress keeps speaking of military power, of the Crown Prince’s position. May I ask Mother Empress—in this marriage, has there been even a moment when you thought about your daughter?”

Hearing Li Rong’s questioning, the Empress came back to herself. Her lips trembled. She opened her mouth and finally said, “Neither you nor I have the luxury to choose.”

“But aren’t you and I choosing right now?”

Li Rong said earnestly, “I’ve already spent a night with Pei Wenxuan. Mother Empress knows—I’m not without choices.”

“So you want to choose that pretty boy who can give you nothing?!”

“It’s not that he can give me nothing,” Li Rong said clearly. “His status can give me stability. He simply cannot, like the Yang family, give Your Ladyship military power.”

She didn’t call her Mother Empress—she called her “Your Ladyship.” The Empress clenched her fists. She heard Li Rong looking at her, saying calmly, “In Your Ladyship’s heart, my marriage is merely a bargaining chip. I am merely a chess piece. There’s no need to care about the chess piece’s joy or sorrow, no need to care whom she likes or dislikes, much less whether she lives well or not. Since Mother Empress thinks this way,” Li Rong looked at the Empress and couldn’t help laughing, “why not speak plainly earlier—that your daughter is not your daughter, but merely a sharp blade in Empress Your Ladyship’s hand…”

Before she finished speaking, a resounding slap struck Li Rong’s face.

The sound was so loud it suddenly struck at Pei Wenxuan’s heart.

Standing outside the door, Pei Wenxuan felt that the two people inside seemed to have completely forgotten his existence. He clearly heard their conversation. This was a Li Rong he had never seen before.

The Li Rong in his memory was always high above, surrounded by stars and moon—no one in the world could harm her in the slightest. She was eternally arrogant.

He detested her pride and disliked her sharp temper. Yet at this moment, when he heard that slap ring out, he felt as if it had struck his own heart.

His hands clasped within his sleeves, he heard the Empress’s voice inside, trembling with tears: “How can you say such things? How have I treated you before? Do you have no heart? Just because I ask you once, you speak to me like this?”

No, not once.

Pei Wenxuan closed his eyes. He understood too clearly what Li Rong cared about at this moment.

In Li Rong’s heart, a relationship must be pure, clear, and let her know plainly and clearly what she possessed.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t tolerate murkiness—she couldn’t tolerate impurities.

Just like that year when she asked him, “Why didn’t you say so earlier?”—actually, it wasn’t that she couldn’t accept Qin Zhenzhen’s existence. She couldn’t accept that she thought they were husband and wife, yet he went to pursue Qin Zhenzhen.

He felt tightness in his chest. Then he heard Li Rong say calmly, “Mother Empress, then I also ask you this once.”

With that, Li Rong stood up. “Whatever difficulties you have, tell me. I’ll resolve them. But this time, you must be my mother, not the Empress.”

The Empress stared blankly at Li Rong. Li Rong stood up—she was now as tall as her. She looked at her quietly: “You’re blinded by jealousy right now. Later you’ll understand—the Yang family cannot be involved. Chuan’er should have military power, but it shouldn’t be the Yang clan. I’ll arrange it in the future. My marriage can be used as a bargaining chip, but it should have more value.”

“I don’t need you to do anything, Mother Empress. You’re not suited to be a politician. Leave these matters to Chuan’er and me. You only need to do one thing.”

She stared at the Empress, her expression shifting slightly. The Empress looked at her blankly. Li Rong gazed at this woman who already showed traces of age and said in a low, hoarse voice: “Be a good mother.”

Having said this, she turned and walked toward the palace exit.

The Empress stared blankly at Li Rong. Seeing her walk to the doorway, she suddenly laughed, “Am I not a good mother?”

“I taught you, I accompanied you. I gave you and Chuan’er love—far more than any other consort in this harem! I only hope to survive now, for Chuan’er to survive!”

With her back to the Empress, Li Rong said coldly, “What did the Yang family threaten you with?”

“They want to rebel…” The Empress closed her eyes in pain. “If they rebel, they’ll name Chuan’er as the mastermind.”

“Your Father Emperor has always been looking for Chuan’er’s weaknesses. If the Yang family names Chuan’er as the mastermind of treason, His Majesty won’t pass up this opportunity!”

Li Rong said nothing. She stood quietly for a moment, then said, “Don’t worry. I’ll handle it. If you want to summon Pei Wenxuan, go ahead. I’ll go find Chuan’er first.”

With that, Li Rong walked out.

When Li Rong reached the doorway, she saw Pei Wenxuan standing there, having been there for some time.

Pei Wenxuan’s hands were clasped in his sleeves as he gazed at her quietly, his clear, handsome eyes showing emotions difficult to define.

Looking at Li Rong before him, he felt she was both familiar and distant.

The person before him was still that proud phoenix from his previous life’s memories. She was forever composed, forever calm, forever steady. Even if Mount Tai collapsed before her eyes, her expression wouldn’t change.

Yet he also felt this person was somehow different. He dimly saw that little bit of softness and gentleness in her innermost heart, vaguely touching upon that bit of innocence that hadn’t faded even after fifty years of wind and rain.

At this moment, she seemed like a butterfly caught in a spider’s web—in that moment of desperate struggle, there emerged a startling beauty.

Both of them were lone cranes forced into desperate straits, their feet stepping in the mire, straining to lift their necks and gaze at the azure sky.

They looked at each other silently. In an instant, fifty years crossed through their eyes. After a long while, Pei Wenxuan smiled softly.

“Does Your Highness think this marriage should be made once more?”

Hearing Pei Wenxuan’s question, Li Rong knew he had thought things through. She couldn’t help but smile. “Is Lord Pei pitying me?”

“Your Highness has solutions to your predicament and needs no pity from this humble one,” Pei Wenxuan said calmly. “This humble one simply suddenly feels that Your Highness may be quite different from the person in my understanding. Starting over again, treating each other as newly acquainted—it might not be bad.”

“Lord Pei speaks truly,” Li Rong looked at his clear, handsome eyes. The sincerity and steadiness in those eyes gradually calmed her originally anxious heart. She nodded and said, “Then let it be done.”

“Then this humble one cannot tolerate Your Highness’s ‘guest retainers.'” Pei Wenxuan smiled as he spoke, seeming to joke. Li Rong raised an eyebrow. “Do you think I would tolerate Lord Pei’s beloved?”

The two looked at each other for a moment, then both broke into laughter.

Pei Wenxuan brushed his sleeves and said calmly, “It seems Your Highness and I have reached consensus. Let’s settle this marriage for now. We’ll tolerate each other temporarily. After a couple years, when we hold great power, you and I can divorce. When that time comes, we’ll settle grudges and grievances. What does Your Highness think?”

“Very well,” Li Rong raised her hand to tuck her hair behind her ear, sighing. “Let’s make do for now. However, to marry me,” Li Rong turned her head to look at the Empress still sitting dazed in the inner chamber, her expression between a smile and not, “depends on Lord Pei’s abilities. If Lord Pei lacks this ability, this palace will not marry down.”

Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan smiled calmly, clasped his hands before him, and bowed to Li Rong. “Your Highness may rest assured. Pei will certainly bring Yang Quan’s head as the betrothal gift,” as he spoke, Pei Wenxuan raised his head and said earnestly, “to welcome Your Highness’s phoenix carriage.”

Author’s Notes:

Mini Theater 1

Yang Quan: A warrior may be killed but not humiliated! Pei Wenxuan, you dog thief, you can’t use me to please your wife!!

Pei Wenxuan: In my heart, you’re not much different from a wild goose.

Mini Theater 2

Onlookers: Pei Wenxuan is poor, powerless, and has no martial skills—just an eighth-rank minor official. I’d like to see how he kills Yang Quan!

Pei Wenxuan: It’s time to show my true skills.

Mini Theater 3

Li Rong: I never thought you were this handsome before. When did you suddenly become so attractive?

Pei Wenxuan: This is my strong point.

Li Rong: What strong point?

Pei Wenxuan: I don’t release my charm toward anyone except my wife.

Li Rong: So…

Pei Wenxuan: You’re about to become Madam Pei. Please go home and prepare. I’ll bring the wild goose—oh no, I mean Yang Quan’s head—right away.