After a brief moment of stunned surprise, upon hearing Su Rongqing’s voice, Li Rong finally snapped back to her senses.

The same person, similar words, but spoken at different times ultimately had a different flavor. When Su Rongqing said these words in the past, they were always accompanied by respect, caution, and meanings she couldn’t fathom—many unclear implications. But now when Su Rongqing said these words, he was open and forthright with gentlemanly bearing. It was merely a polite greeting according to etiquette, far from having as many implications as later.

This was Su Rongqing’s best time. The Su family was still at its peak. Su Rongqing was the legitimate eldest son of the Su family and deeply favored by the sage. Even when facing a princess, he possessed the confidence to be neither servile nor overbearing.

Seeing such a Su Rongqing, Li Rong couldn’t help but smile. She had never spoken with Su Rongqing at this time, so she couldn’t help but praise, “I’ve heard that Young Master Su is the foremost young master in Hua Jing. Seeing you today, you truly live up to your reputation.”

“I’m merely flattered by everyone’s affection,” Su Rongqing lowered his head with a soft laugh, seeming somewhat embarrassed. “It’s just a joke.”

“How is it a joke?” Li Rong couldn’t help but lower her voice. “Upon seeing you, Young Master, I immediately felt you were extraordinary. If you dare not claim to be first, I’m afraid no one in Hua Jing would dare claim first place.”

“This humble subject Pei Wenxuan,” just as Li Rong finished speaking, a clear voice forcibly inserted itself, saying calmly, “greets Your Highness the Princess.”

Hearing Pei Wenxuan’s voice, Li Rong turned her head.

Pei Wenxuan looked at her quietly, his heartbeat involuntarily quickening.

It had been many years since he’d seen the eighteen-year-old Li Rong.

In his memory, Li Rong—he didn’t know from when—had always worn heavy makeup and exuded a lifeless air. She always carried the smell of alcohol. Every time he saw her, she was either listening to music or watching dances, her entire body seeming boneless, constantly clinging to Su Rongqing.

He didn’t like that Li Rong, but that Li Rong had long become all his memories of her. Until now, suddenly seeing the eighteen-year-old Li Rong in a crimson palace gown embroidered with gold phoenixes and wide sleeves exposing her shoulders, golden hairpins and swaying ornaments, her bright features only lightly made up, standing gracefully with a smile in her eyes—when she turned to glance at him, her painted brows and eyes seemed to hook one’s heart.

Of course, his heart wouldn’t be hooked away, but this didn’t prevent him from appreciating Li Rong’s beauty.

However, he was only briefly stunned. By the time he reacted, Li Rong was already talking with Su Rongqing.

Li Rong had always appreciated people like Su Rongqing. Pei Wenxuan instantly realized the situation was somewhat unfavorable.

Back then there was no Spring Banquet, and Li Rong seemed to have never really met Su Rongqing. Now that she’d met Su Rongqing, would she still be willing to marry him?

If it were the later Li Rong who was skilled at scheming, he would still have some confidence. But as for the eighteen-year-old Li Rong, whether she would be willing to use her own marriage for calculations—he couldn’t quite control that.

What if she was a bit foolish and fell in love with Su Rongqing at first sight, refusing to marry to the death? What then?

Then Li Rong might truly die.

Pei Wenxuan’s mind quickly reviewed the current situation, and he finally decided to take the initiative and draw Li Rong’s attention over.

He remembered that this wife of his, from youth to death, loved beautiful appearances. And conveniently, his greatest advantage was perhaps this fairly good-looking face.

If he hadn’t actively let her discover that he had Qin Zhenzhen in his heart back then, Su Rongqing might not have had this opportunity either.

So he mustered tremendous courage and forcibly inserted himself into Li Rong and Su Rongqing’s conversation with “This subject greets Your Highness the Princess.”

He had thought that upon seeing his appearance, Li Rong would at least speak a few words with him. Who would have expected that after he spoke, Li Rong was silent for a moment, then only said, “Oh, you may dispense with courtesy.”

Then she turned her head, looking at Su Rongqing with a smile, her voice immediately softening considerably. “Young Master Su, please come inside.”

Su Rongqing sensed the atmosphere was strange, but he pretended not to notice and obligingly followed Li Rong, saying gently, “After you, Princess.”

With that, the two walked shoulder to shoulder into the courtyard. Pei Wenxuan lifted his head and looked at their backs walking forward side by side, pressing his lips tightly together without saying a word.

Seeing his young master’s expression, Tong Ye couldn’t help but feel somewhat worried. “Young Master?”

Pei Wenxuan took a deep breath, then said, “It’s nothing.”

After saying this, he followed everyone else and stepped inside.

Li Rong and Su Rongqing walked forward leisurely. Su Rongqing was a considerate person. Li Rong walked slowly, so he slowed his pace, always remaining only half a step behind Li Rong.

If this were the past, at this time Li Rong would have already taken this person’s hand and chatted coquettishly. But now Li Rong kept her identity firmly in mind and only chatted with Su Rongqing about interesting matters.

Su Rongqing came from a prestigious family and was proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Whatever Li Rong talked about, Su Rongqing could immediately pick it up. The conversation flowed so smoothly that Li Rong couldn’t help but feel pleased. Since her rebirth, this was the first time she had relaxed like this.

For a moment, she felt as if she were still in the Princess’s manor from those days, with Su Rongqing accompanying her from behind. Her youth had already passed, but this person had always remained by her side.

Actually, she couldn’t clearly define her relationship with Su Rongqing.

Su Rongqing had never told her he liked her, and she had only vaguely said to him one rainy night, “Rongqing, if you’re unhappy, I can divorce Pei Wenxuan.”

Su Rongqing said nothing. After a long while, he stepped back and knelt before her, his voice low and hoarse as he only said, “Your Highness is of noble imperial blood. Rongqing dares not aspire so high. I only wish to serve you for life, to live and die together. After death, if I could leave a cup of yellow earth beside Your Highness, scatter my bones there, and remain by your side always—that would already be great fortune. Other matters, this humble subject dares not imagine.”

“Moreover, Chancellor Pei is a great support for Your Highness. In terms of reputation, reason, and weighing of interests, it cannot be done. I hope Your Highness will think thrice.”

For Li Rong, this was considered a gentle refusal.

She dared not invest too much genuine feeling in someone who had refused her. But after twenty years together, not investing some emotion was also impossible.

Sometimes she felt she had just grown accustomed to Su Rongqing. After all, in this lifetime, there was no other person who suited her so well.

But sometimes she would also wonder—in this lifetime, had she ever truly liked anyone?

She couldn’t figure it out, and later didn’t want to think about it anymore. After all, when one grew old, many things became unimportant. As long as that person remained by her side, it was enough.

Whether or not she liked Su Rongqing, this person was ultimately different in her heart.

She tapped her golden fan, chatting and laughing with Su Rongqing, inevitably feeling somewhat regretful in her heart.

What a pity—she couldn’t marry Su Rongqing.

If she dared to tell Li Ming she wanted to marry Su Rongqing, perhaps the next day she would receive an imperial edict for a marriage alliance. Li Ming would probably send her to some barbarous land, where she would die inexplicably on the road.

Thinking of this, Li Rong collected her thoughts, entered the courtyard with Su Rongqing with a smile, then they each went their separate ways, as if it were truly just an ordinary encounter.

Pei Wenxuan had been silently staring at them from behind. Even after sitting down, his eyes hadn’t moved.

Tong Ye poured him tea and crouched beside him, muttering quietly, “Young Master, that’s the Princess. No matter how beautiful she is, don’t look anymore. If you’re discovered, you’ll be punished.”

“Shut up.”

Pei Wenxuan quietly rebuked him.

Tong Ye shrank his neck. At this time, Li Rong and Su Rongqing finally bowed to each other and separated. Only then did Pei Wenxuan finally remove his gaze. He picked up his tea cup with proper decorum and said, “I wasn’t looking at the Princess.”

Tong Ye: “…”

Young Master’s airs were getting bigger and bigger lately, and his mind was getting worse and worse.

After Pei Wenxuan drank tea alone for a while, most people had arrived. After Li Rong announced from the upper area that the Spring Banquet had begun, she withdrew to the private courtyard behind.

For something like a Spring Banquet, given the Princess’s status, if she was willing to enjoy herself with everyone, that was called enjoying festivities with the people. Withdrawing to the back and privately summoning people to meet—that was the normal operation.

As soon as Li Rong withdrew to the back, Pei Wenxuan’s heart settled down.

He vaguely guessed Li Rong’s purpose for holding the Spring Banquet. Although he wasn’t entirely certain, he had guessed about eighty or ninety percent correctly.

He waited quietly at his seat. Before long, a young eunuch came over and said in a low voice, “Young Master Pei, the Princess summons you. Please follow this servant.”

Hearing this, Tong Ye immediately became somewhat flustered. He looked up at Pei Wenxuan. Pei Wenxuan put down his cup and only said, “Wait for me here. Don’t run around causing trouble.”

After saying this, he stood up and followed the young eunuch, withdrawing from the crowd.

He asked nothing. The young eunuch couldn’t help but feel somewhat surprised, but this also saved him trouble. He couldn’t help but develop some favorable feelings toward Pei Wenxuan. Leading Pei Wenxuan toward the back, he said with a smile, “Young Master Pei need not worry. The Princess’s summons is not a bad thing.”

“To be invited by the Princess is Wenxuan’s great fortune.”

Pei Wenxuan said peacefully, “Eunuch may rest assured. Wenxuan understands.”

The young eunuch smiled and only said, “Young Master is a clever person.”

Pei Wenxuan was led into the back courtyard. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he felt the noise outside separated from the back courtyard.

Li Rong’s villa was connected to a peach blossom forest. Her back courtyard was built at the boundary between the peach blossom forest and the front courtyard. The further in one walked, the more peach blossoms there were. Peach blossom petals fell on the wooden corridor, presenting a serene beauty.

The eunuch led Pei Wenxuan into a room. As soon as Pei Wenxuan entered, he saw three people already kneeling on the floor waiting. The three people heard the sound of Pei Wenxuan entering and turned their heads one after another. Their gazes fell on Pei Wenxuan—some confused, some thoughtful, some watching a good show. For a moment, it formed a great stage, as if just waiting for the spectators to be seated before beating gongs and drums to start a grand performance.

Pei Wenxuan only needed one glance to know who was kneeling on the floor.

His heart felt stifled. For a moment he didn’t know whether he was annoyed or vexed. He felt this lifetime was far too absurd. The matter of the bestowed marriage—Li Rong could have just chosen directly in the palace. Did he really have to compete with these people?

Though he had anger in his heart, he didn’t show it on his face. Under the guidance of attendants beside him, he knelt down next to Cui Yulang.

Cui Yulang waved his fan and said with a laugh, “I didn’t expect Lord Pei would come too. Does Lord Pei know why the Princess summoned us?”

“I don’t know.”

Pei Wenxuan replied coldly. Cui Yulang laughed quietly, seeming amused. “Does Lord Pei truly not know?”

“I don’t know.”

“Cui has heard some news,” Cui Yulang lowered his voice and said softly, “I heard His Majesty plans to choose a husband for the Princess. What do you all say—the Princess summoning us here…”

Before he finished speaking, a eunuch’s loud call came from outside. “The Princess arrives—”

As he spoke, a woman holding a gold-sprinkled small fan, wearing a gold-threaded phoenix-embroidered wide-sleeved off-shoulder palace gown, came gracefully from outside the door.

Pei Wenxuan was the first to lower his head and kowtow according to protocol, kneeling on the ground waiting for Li Rong to enter the room. The others, seeing Pei Wenxuan kneel, also lowered their heads one by one and knelt on the ground. Only Cui Yulang still kept his body straight, craning his neck to look outside, saying quietly, “A beauty like the Princess—even missing one glance is a sin…”

Before he finished speaking, Pei Wenxuan grabbed his head and smashed it to the ground.

Cui Yulang cried out in pain. At this time, Li Rong had also reached the door.

She walked past Pei Wenxuan. Pei Wenxuan could only see her long skirt trailing on the ground, and the phoenix-embroidered red shoes faintly visible beneath the long skirt.

As she passed, a fragrant breeze arose. The scent was extremely elegant, like spring wind carrying flower fragrance, lingering at the tip of one’s nose.

Then Li Rong sat behind the beaded curtain, lazily leaning against the side of the chair. Her clear voice mixed with a touch of natural charm as she said softly, “Please rise.”

With that, the four men slowly raised their heads. Li Rong propped up her chin, looking at the four men kneeling below.

Lu Yu knelt furthest inside, in white robes, kneeling properly and properly, head lowered, not daring to look at her. He wasn’t as handsome as the others, but had a certain cuteness, carrying a purity and innocence that ordinary people lacked, as if still in a state of naivety, unknowing of worldly affairs.

Yang Quan beside him wore black training clothes, his hair tied high behind his head with cloth bands. His expression was cold. Just kneeling there, he seemed like an unsheathed sword, carrying an indescribable coldness. But his features were handsome, so this coldness also became a kind of attractive bearing that made people gaze from afar.

Cui Yulang was slightly more lively. He wore light green brocade robes with subtle bamboo patterns, a jade crown on his head, holding a paper fan, covering his forehead and frowning slightly. He looked as if carved from white jade, truly living up to his title as Hua Jing’s Jade Young Master.

Pei Wenxuan knelt closest to the door. He gazed at her quietly, in blue robes embroidered with cranes, his expression calm. A person standing like a lone crane, pride mixed with an indescribable loneliness.

The four men looked at her quietly. Li Rong propped up her chin and swept a glance over them, lightly tapping the armrest.

Today she had to retain one person.

After all, she had talked with Su Rongqing for so long today. If there were no clear indication today, Li Ming’s heart would probably panic.

So then—today, who should she speak with first, and who should she retain?