“But I’ve already saved you.” The rain grew heavier. Thunder rumbled outside. Li Rong looked at the refined young man before her, half-joking but somewhat serious: “Can you return that life to me?”

Su Rongqing didn’t speak. He met Li Rong’s gaze. They confronted, interrogated, and fought each other with their eyes through the air.

Neither yielding an inch.

After a long time, Su Rongqing smiled: “Fine.”

He seemed to have made a major decision: “Once I send Your Highness to higher ground, I’ll return that life to Your Highness.”

“You think I’ll believe you?”

Li Rong’s face showed mockery. Su Rongqing raised his hand to take wood and stoke the fire: “Whether Your Highness believes or not isn’t important. Now Your Highness only needs to give me one answer.”

With that, Su Rongqing raised his head, his gaze falling on Li Rong’s face: “Will Your Highness help that Li Chuan who killed you and oppose me to the end, or are you willing to withdraw from the dispute and wait for an outcome, or join forces with me,” Su Rongqing spoke blandly, “to put Li Cheng on the throne, then depose Consort Rou, kill Li Cheng, support a young emperor, control the sovereign to command the nobles, and let Your Highness become the true ruler of the nation?”

“But Li Cheng is about to die.” Li Rong smiled.

“He will never die.”

Su Rongqing responded decisively. Li Rong immediately understood the meaning in Su Rongqing’s words.

If Su Rongqing had placed his bet on Li Cheng, he would certainly make many preparations. Preparing a substitute for Li Cheng was commonplace.

Once Li Cheng died before everyone’s eyes, then Li Cheng would never die.

Hearing Su Rongqing calmly speak such shocking words, Li Rong wasn’t surprised. She smiled and only said: “You truly dare to dream.”

“Does Your Highness not dare?”

Su Rongqing only asked in return: “Or does Your Highness not want to?”

Su Rongqing’s words were like a curse: “No matter who ascends, as long as Your Highness still covets power, Your Highness will be a thorn in their eye, a nail in their flesh. This has nothing to do with how much Your Highness has sacrificed. Since ancient times, monarchs and generals have mostly been like ‘when the cunning hare dies, the hunting dog is cooked.’ If Your Highness cannot let go of power, why not seize it?”

“Li Chuan will ultimately ascend. Shangguan Ya is no benevolent person either. Your Highness mistakenly trusted them in the previous life. Will you trust them a second time?”

“Then can I trust you?”

Li Rong found these words coming from Su Rongqing’s mouth too laughable: “They’ll betray me, but you won’t?”

“So I don’t need Your Highness’s trust. This is simply Your Highness’s most profitable transaction.”

“Profitable?”

“Your Highness,” Su Rongqing’s voice was steady, “Cui Qinghe has long been my person.”

Hearing this, the mockery on Li Rong’s face finally changed. She turned cold, staring fixedly at Su Rongqing, hearing Su Rongqing speak calmly: “Qin Lin should already be dead by now.”

“Without Qin Lin, relying only on the Shangguan clan, Pei clan, and your Qingzhou troops, you have roughly sixty thousand at most. Not to mention the troops in the Su clan’s and His Majesty’s hands—Xiao Su alone has fifty thousand soldiers. If formal warfare breaks out, you have no chance of victory. Moreover, would Your Highness truly be willing to wage war for private gain?”

Li Rong didn’t speak. She clenched her fist, her gaze cold as ice.

“Besides this, I’ve long been laying plans in Hua Jing and have prepared early,” Su Rongqing pretended not to notice her hostility. “Let me remind Your Highness—the military checkpoint closest to Hua Jing outside the capital, the general’s surname is Su.”

“The chess game is thus,” Su Rongqing seemed to cast everything aside, raising his eyes to look at Li Rong. “Li Chuan is already in a fatal situation. Does Your Highness still need to choose?”

“This is your,” Li Rong seemed to understand something, “final plan.”

“So Your Highness,” Su Rongqing lowered his eyes: “How do you choose?”

After Su Rongqing finished speaking, both fell silent.

Outside, the voices calling Li Rong’s name drew near. Su Rongqing knew Li Rong couldn’t make a decision immediately. He stood up to retrieve his clothes drying by the fire and put them on: “Your Highness can think slowly. Whatever Your Highness decides, whether leaving or staying, find someone at the Su clan’s incense shop to notify this subject. This subject,” Su Rongqing raised his hand forward and performed a great bow, “awaits Your Highness’s decision.”

Li Rong said nothing. She stared fixedly at Su Rongqing. Su Rongqing glanced outside: “Pei Wenxuan has arrived. He and this subject have conflicts. This subject will leave first.”

After speaking, he walked toward the cave exit. Li Rong listened to his footsteps. Kneeling on the ground, she asked one final question: “Since victory is assured, why still give me a choice?”

Su Rongqing stopped. He saw below the cave, in the dense forest, Pei Wenxuan looking up and spotting him standing at the cave entrance.

The instant he saw Su Rongqing, Pei Wenxuan realized Li Rong was nearby and frantically ran up toward the cave.

Su Rongqing watched the person drawing nearer, knowing the moment of parting had arrived. His voice was hoarse: “Having come to this point, what meaning is there in asking?”

To answer would only add to the sadness.

Not to answer felt unwilling.

Like countless times looking back, countless times watching Li Rong walk away with open eyes, countless nights in dreams, remembering that meeting at the spring banquet, remembering the day of her wedding when he watched her sit in wedding attire holding a fan, playing chess with her on the Northern Swallow Tower, and in the previous life, that moment when she asked softly: “Rongqing, should I divorce Pei Wenxuan?”

He had also repeatedly thought in time—if he could cut off all the restraints binding him and take one step forward, if he could let go of the previous life and let go of everything, would he perhaps also have had a chance to possess Li Rong once?

But having already reached this point, no one could turn back.

Nor did he want to say more to add right and wrong for both sides.

“Your Highness, think carefully,” Su Rongqing nodded gently. “Farewell.”

After Su Rongqing finished speaking, he turned toward the depths of the dense forest.

Pei Wenxuan ran to the cave entrance. Having no time to worry about Su Rongqing’s departure, he urgently rushed into the cave. Just as he entered, he stopped in his tracks.

Li Rong was ahead.

She sat by the fire, looking up at the pitch-black cave ceiling, not knowing what she was thinking. Everything seemed fine, but somehow, she inexplicably generated a distance that kept people a thousand miles away.

As if an invisible barrier had been added, isolating everyone outside her world.

“Rongrong…”

Pei Wenxuan couldn’t help but soften his voice. Standing at the cave entrance, not daring to go forward, Li Rong heard his voice, turned her head, and looked at Pei Wenxuan at the entrance.

Actually, it had only been one night, but she felt as if decades had passed.

She had just experienced hell. As a result, when she opened her eyes and looked back, what she saw was the twenty-year-old Pei Wenxuan—the best Pei Wenxuan in her heart.

She smiled gently. Afraid Pei Wenxuan would notice something amiss, she forcibly suppressed her emotions and said softly: “Let’s go back.”

Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan didn’t move either.

He seemed to have many questions to ask. However, after struggling for a long time, he finally remained silent. He walked forward, half-crouched down, first checked Li Rong’s entire body, and after confirming there were no problems, raised his head to smile at her. As if coaxing a child, he spoke gently: “Your Highness, the carriage is outside the cliff. Is it alright if I carry you out on my back?”

“What kind of tone is that?” Hearing the carefulness in his words, Li Rong couldn’t help but laugh. “Are you treating me like a child?”

“Afraid Your Highness will be stubborn with me,” Pei Wenxuan explained in detail, “insisting on showing off your capability.”

“I’m not stupid. If I can order you around, why would I trouble myself?”

At these words, Pei Wenxuan didn’t respond. He quietly gazed at Li Rong. Li Rong was somewhat stunned by his gaze. Then she saw him raise his hand and place it beside her cheek, smiling gently: “Then you must remember these words in your heart. Don’t just know how to placate me.”

Li Rong understood his meaning.

How could someone as clever as Pei Wenxuan not know that something major must have happened last night? He was just waiting for her to speak up. But she couldn’t open this mouth.

She didn’t want people to know Li Chuan had killed her, nor did she want people to know Shangguan Ya and Su Rongqing had fanned the flames together.

This seemed like a huge joke in her life. She didn’t want to display such wretchedness for others to see.

Just like when she was eighteen years old, she didn’t want to tell anyone about her separation from Pei Wenxuan.

She didn’t dare meet his eyes and could only lower her gaze. Pei Wenxuan laughed lightly, pinched her cheek, and as if nothing had happened, called out lowly: “Little liar.”

With that, he turned his back to her and half-crouched: “Come up. I’ll carry you out.”

This tone was completely different from the earlier carefulness, which made Li Rong relax considerably. She climbed onto Pei Wenxuan’s back, hugging his neck. Pei Wenxuan stood up carrying her and led her out of the cave.

He had left markers on the road when he came. Zhao Chongjiu quickly found them and joined up with Pei Wenxuan. Seeing Li Rong on his back, he hurriedly said: “Is Your Highness alright?”

Li Rong didn’t want to speak. She was somewhat tired and pretended to doze on Pei Wenxuan’s back. Pei Wenxuan turned to glance at Li Rong, who seemed to have fallen asleep, and frowned: “She sustained some foot injuries. She appears to be fine otherwise.”

“That’s good then.” Zhao Chongjiu nodded. “I’ll immediately notify the others.”

“Wait.” Pei Wenxuan stopped him. “I just encountered Su Rongqing.” Pei Wenxuan gestured with his chin toward the direction Su Rongqing had escaped. “Chase him. When you get a chance…”

“Understood.” Zhao Chongjiu immediately knew Pei Wenxuan’s meaning. He pointed in a direction: “I trouble Lord Pei to take Her Highness along the riverbank. The carriage is ahead. This subordinate will go find Su Rongqing now.”

Li Rong heard all this clearly, but she pretended to be deeply asleep and unaware. Pei Wenxuan turned to look at her, hesitated a moment, but still said nothing and carried her out.

By dawn, they gradually saw people who had entered the cliff to search for them. Pei Wenxuan carried her to the valley entrance and placed her in the carriage. She closed her eyes, appearing very tired. Pei Wenxuan bandaged her wounds, changed her clothes, then left her side.

Li Rong heard rustling sounds behind her. With her back to Pei Wenxuan, she didn’t know what he was doing. Just as she was about to secretly turn around to look, she happened to see Pei Wenxuan had changed clothes with his gaze falling on her, catching her peeking red-handed.

As their eyes met, Pei Wenxuan looked at the dazed Li Rong and suddenly smiled. He lifted the covers and came in, planted a heavy kiss on Li Rong’s face, then hugged her from behind. As if knowing nothing, with some amusement: “I’ll sleep with you.”

Li Rong said nothing. She looked at Pei Wenxuan. Pei Wenxuan smiled: “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Li Rong withdrew her gaze and lay back down. Pei Wenxuan looked at Li Rong’s back. He couldn’t help but hold her tighter.

Li Rong lay in the carriage. Even though she had barely slept all night, she didn’t feel tired.

Her mind repeatedly replayed events from the previous life, as if trapped in a nightmare she couldn’t wake from. No matter how she tried to escape, she would return to the starting point.

She meticulously traced every detail of the previous life, thinking about every fragment of her interactions with Shangguan Ya, every matter Li Chuan had done with her, every detail Su Rongqing had mentioned last night.

In the final two years of her life, Li Chuan stayed in the Dao Palace, almost never concerning himself with worldly affairs. He often invited her over. The two would play chess and drink tea, like the most intimate siblings.

But who would have thought?

“You went to the palace once every seven days to play chess with him. On the chess pieces was Xiang Meiren.”

Thinking of this, Li Rong closed her eyes and tears flowed out.

Her sorrows and joys were all silent. These things shouldn’t have been displayed, but perhaps because Pei Wenxuan was there, in his embrace, she finally seemed able to rest for a moment.

But she still didn’t want anyone to know about such wretchedness, even Pei Wenxuan.

So she bit her hand to keep herself from making sounds. Pei Wenxuan seemed to be deeply asleep. His faint snoring allowed her to breathe. She couldn’t help but tremble her shoulders in small movements, or swallow some uncontrollable sob.

Her movements were very small, very careful. Pei Wenxuan never woke.

After she finished crying, she wiped away her tears and calmed herself for a long time.

She couldn’t live this lifetime like this, she thought.

Even if Li Chuan hadn’t harmed her, she couldn’t plan everything for him.

She had to plan for herself.

Having made this decision, Li Rong took a deep breath, then turned around and reached out to embrace Pei Wenxuan.

Pei Wenxuan seemed completely unaware of everything. When she embraced him and buried her face in his chest, Pei Wenxuan naturally reached out his hand and drew her entire being into his embrace. His wide sleeves draped over her back, leaving no possibility for wind and rain to intrude.

He murmured “Rongrong” in his sleep, then gently stroked her back, his voice carrying its usual gentleness with a child-coaxing tone: “Sleep. I’m here.”

Li Rong, tired from crying, finally fell asleep breathing in Pei Wenxuan’s scent. Once she was deeply asleep, Pei Wenxuan heard the voices outside the carriage gradually growing livelier and slowly opened his eyes.

Li Rong didn’t sleep deeply. Not long after, they arrived at the Princess Manor. Pei Wenxuan carried her into the manor. Just as they entered, Shangguan Ya led people to meet them, quite anxious: “How is it? How is Her Highness?”

“Call the physician first.”

Pei Wenxuan turned to instruct Jing Lan, who was following beside them.

In Pei Wenxuan’s arms, Li Rong raised her eyes to glance at Shangguan Ya beside them, whose face showed anxiety. When Pei Wenxuan carried her into the bedroom and sat down, the physician also rushed in.

Li Rong had just returned. Most important was her condition. Everyone waited for the physician to examine Li Rong. Several imperial physicians from the Princess Manor took turns feeling her pulse. After a while, the lead Physician Zhao came forward and requested Li Rong’s permission: “Your Highness, I and the other physicians will go to the side room to discuss the results.”

Li Rong nodded. Shangguan Ya grew anxious: “Is Her Highness…”

“Miss Shangguan need not worry,” Physician Zhao said respectfully. “Her Highness is fine. It’s just that regarding the prescription, this subject and the other physicians need to consult.”

Hearing this, everyone relaxed. Pei Wenxuan personally opened the door for the physicians, saying respectfully: “Please, gentlemen.”

Several physicians thanked Pei Wenxuan and filed out of the room one after another. After they all left, Shangguan Ya immediately dismissed the people beside them and said hurriedly: “Your Highness, the Crown Prince is fine. Please don’t worry.”

Hearing this, Li Rong’s movements paused. After a moment, she returned to normal and nodded.

Shangguan Ya didn’t notice anything unusual in Li Rong’s attitude and only asked: “Your Highness, last night Su Rongqing fell down with you. How is he?”

“I don’t know.”

Li Rong shook her head: “He saved me, then ran away afterward.”

Shangguan Ya pressed her lips together. Seeing Shangguan Ya’s expression wasn’t good, Li Rong couldn’t help but say: “Is there some matter?”

“It’s not much related to Su Rongqing,” Shangguan Ya pressed her lips together tightly. “Yesterday Li Cheng didn’t die. He’s currently hanging onto life in Prince Su’s manor.”

“Didn’t die?”

Li Rong’s tone was very calm, as if she already knew. Shangguan Ya was thinking about matters on her mind and didn’t notice the strangeness in Li Rong’s tone at all. Pei Wenxuan raised his head to glance at Li Rong, then quickly withdrew his gaze and made tea for the two of them.

Shangguan Ya nodded, quite worried: “He didn’t die at the time. Huale said Prince Su kept calling for Consort Rou. His Majesty, heartbroken for Prince Su, brought Consort Rou out of the prison to care for Prince Su. Now Prince Su’s manor is controlled by Consort Rou. No one can enter.”

Li Rong didn’t speak. Pei Wenxuan brought Li Rong tea. Li Rong nodded lightly in acknowledgment. She held the warm tea in her hands, her voice very light: “What are you worried about?”

“Your Highness,” Shangguan Ya pressed her lips, “tell me—if Li Cheng lives… His Majesty he…”

“This is the best reason for His Majesty to eliminate the Crown Prince.”

Li Rong took over the conversation. She understood Shangguan Ya’s meaning. Hearing Li Rong speak so directly, Shangguan Ya bit her teeth and said bluntly: “Right. Now Xiao Su’s thirty thousand troops are already on the road. With Li Cheng now as justification, Your Highness, isn’t it clear what His Majesty will do next?”

“So?”

Li Rong rubbed the teacup’s edge, her face showing neither grief nor joy: “What exactly do you want to say?”

“Your Highness,” Shangguan Ya took a deep breath and got straight to the point, meeting Li Rong’s gaze. “Currently in Hua Jing, those with military authority are His Majesty’s Imperial Forest Army, the Crown Prince’s Yulin Guard, the four city garrison armies with generals from the Shangguan clan, Pei clan, Su clan, and Prince Ning, and also Your Highness’s Princess Manor plus the Constabulary Bureau.”

Hearing about the Constabulary Bureau, Li Rong couldn’t help but smile. Shangguan Ya felt Li Rong’s smile carried some mockery. She assumed her current anxiety prevented her from understanding Li Rong’s meaning and ignored it, continuing: “Aya feels we have complete fighting strength. Rather than sitting and waiting for death, we should take the initiative.”

“Take the initiative?” Li Rong held the warm tea with a half-smile.

Shangguan Ya’s heart trembled, but she still had to continue: “If His Majesty first moves against the Shangguan clan or the Crown Prince, the Shangguan clan is willing to join forces fully with Your Highness and the Prince Consort, hiding not a single soldier, to assist the Crown Prince’s ascension!”

After these words, there was a long silence.

Shangguan Ya waited for Li Rong’s response, her heart beating rapidly.

Just then, Jing Lan’s announcement came from outside: “Your Highness, Young Master Cui Yulang, Lord Cui, requests an audience.”