The next day, Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan rose together. Pei Wenxuan got up first as usual. The two acted as if nothing had happened. Pei Wenxuan attended to Li Rong as she dressed, then went to court together with her.

After the two sat down in the carriage, Pei Wenxuan said meaningfully: “Did Your Highness sleep well last night?”

Li Rong looked at her memorials without raising her head and asked in return: “Why do you ask? Did the Prince Consort not sleep well?”

Seeing Li Rong so composed, Pei Wenxuan couldn’t tell whether she had truly been asleep or pretending last night.

Seeing him stumped for words, Li Rong felt amused inside. She directly changed the subject, only asking: “Who among the Censorate is still impeaching me recently?”

“Only those people from the Chen family are left.”

Seeing Li Rong ask about serious matters, Pei Wenxuan didn’t dare not answer. He could only follow her topic change and say: “Those are the family members of Chen Guang from the Ministry of Revenue.”

“He’s going to die.”

Li Rong spoke lightly: “He was involved in both the Qin family case and the military provisions case simultaneously. The military provisions case was orchestrated by him alone. As for the Qin family case, others could claim it was unintentional, but he harbored the intent to drive the Qin family to death. Looking at it now, he was probably worried the military provisions case would be uncovered, so he wanted to take the opportunity to completely silence the Qin family. Then there would be no witnesses left after their deaths.”

“The Chen family actually knows they can’t save him,” Pei Wenxuan said calmly. “But Chen Guang’s branch refuses to give up. Chen Guang’s mother has come to the Censorate several times, crying and making scenes before Censor Chen Hui. Chen Hui is probably unable to withstand his aunt’s pleas, so although he wrote the memorial, it’s nothing major. Leave it to me to handle.”

Li Rong acknowledged. She thought about it and smiled: “Once this case is concluded, we can celebrate the new year. The court will have seven days off. Have you thought about how to spend them?”

Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan hadn’t expected Li Rong to say something so domestic. Feeling somewhat warm inside, he replied: “If Your Highness has any ideas, you can tell this minister. I’ll arrange everything.”

“Can’t go far,” Li Rong said with some regret. “After handling these two major cases, I’m afraid many people want me dead. I won’t leave Hua Jing.”

“Your Highness’s consideration is wise.”

Li Rong thought about it and sighed: “Speaking of which, I haven’t seen flowers in so long. This winter is truly too prolonged.”

“Does Your Highness wish to view plum blossoms?” Pei Wenxuan pondered. Li Rong smiled: “Where can’t you see plum blossoms? The palace has them.”

“Speaking of which,” Pei Wenxuan placed his hand on the table and leaned closer to Li Rong, “having known Your Highness for so many years, I only know you love peonies most, but I don’t know what other flowers and plants Your Highness might favor?”

“I like quite a few—peach blossoms, pear blossoms, orchids—all quite nice. But my favorites are still the more flamboyant ones—peonies, herbaceous peonies, roses—I like them all.”

Li Rong answered casually, then remembered to ask: “Why are you asking about this?”

As she spoke, she became vigilant: “You absolutely must not send me these. It’s a waste of money, and now is exactly when we need to spend silver.”

Feeling somewhat guilty, Pei Wenxuan turned his gaze away and picked up his tea, instinctively saying: “Your Highness is overthinking. This minister is reluctant to spend so much money sending Your Highness such things.”

As soon as the words fell, Pei Wenxuan immediately felt his mouth had betrayed him. He hurriedly turned back to add: “If the price is appropriate, I would still send them.”

Li Rong said nothing, her eyes full of disdain. Swept by this gaze, Pei Wenxuan wanted to say something to counter her but forcibly restrained himself and turned his head away.

Li Rong watched as his facial expressions changed repeatedly. She couldn’t help laughing and poked him with her fan: “If you want to scold me, don’t hold it in.”

“Your Highness jests,” Pei Wenxuan raised his head with a smile. “Your Highness is this minister’s precious darling. How could I bear to scold Your Highness?”

Hearing this, Li Rong showed displeasure: “Look at you—when you speak, you speak, so why must you also curse people?”

Seeing Li Rong ridicule him, Pei Wenxuan scoffed and said no more, going to read his memorials himself.

After looking at the memorials for a moment, Pei Wenxuan remembered what he had originally wanted to say. He had intended to discuss last night’s matter and ask about Li Rong’s feelings, but now with this interruption, the earlier atmosphere had dissipated. To ask again would feel awkward.

Pei Wenxuan couldn’t help feeling somewhat regretful. He glanced at Li Rong across from him, seeing her drinking tea and reading memorials with a smile on her lips. Thinking back on their earlier conversation, he became certain Li Rong had definitely been awake last night.

Precisely because she was awake, she didn’t want to discuss it and deliberately diverted the topic.

Thinking of how Li Rong seemed shy when she turned away last night, and how she deliberately changed topics today, Pei Wenxuan began to taste something in this.

He suddenly discovered that with Li Rong, direct confrontation didn’t work, but gently and softly reminding her like this seemed to have some effect.

Actually, Li Rong had always had this temperament—it was just more obvious when she was younger. Back then, if he dared forcibly kiss her once, she dared hold his face and kiss him ten times back, maintaining her momentum, never showing cowardice, always with that arrogant attitude as if she could keep ten male favorites—quite adorable.

Now that she was older, her temperament appeared more restrained. She wouldn’t do things like kissing back ten times after being kissed once, but in her bones, she hadn’t changed one bit.

If he dared force a kiss on her, she could treat him like a male favorite. What truly left her helpless was precisely the kind of intimacy where emotion exceeded desire.

When kissing her, she could still pull his hand away to refuse.

Secretly kissing her forehead, she blushed and didn’t dare look at him, not even mentioning it.

Realizing this, Pei Wenxuan couldn’t help smiling. He stopped pressing the question, only lowering his head to casually read the memorial in his hand, but the smile wouldn’t leave his face.

Li Rong secretly glanced at Pei Wenxuan, seeing him lower his head smiling without speaking. Under the candlelight, the young man’s face was pale and clean, his expression gentle. His slender hand holding the brush turned the page, silently painting an indescribable handsomeness.

Li Rong’s heart jumped. She hurriedly shifted her gaze.

She didn’t even dare open her mouth to ask why he was smiling.

The two went to court together. After court ended, Li Rong separated from Pei Wenxuan and headed straight for the Constabulary Bureau.

The Constabulary Bureau was established on the city outskirts. Currently there were two Vice Directors—one was Su Ronghua, imposed by the court; the other was Shangguan Ya, appointed by Li Rong.

Li Rong had just come down from court and entered the Constabulary Bureau courtyard when she heard Shangguan Ya’s voice coming from inside: “I’ve said it already—I didn’t hit him. That wound was self-inflicted, and this confession was his own admission.”

“Miss Shangguan jests. Who would be perfectly fine yet inflict whip wounds on themselves?”

Su Ronghua’s voice sounded. Li Rong stepped into the main hall. Seeing Li Rong arrive, Shangguan Ya’s face showed some delight as she said happily: “Your Highness.”

“I heard you arguing,” Li Rong smiled as she walked to the desk and looked down at the papers on it. Li Rong picked up the papers and glanced at them. “Lord Su seems to say this confession cannot be used?”

“In response to Your Highness,” Su Ronghua bowed and smiled, “According to the Great Xia Code, punishments do not extend to aristocratic families. Today when I went to visit Minister Chen, he had whip wounds on his body. This confession was likely obtained through torture.”

“Torture with just one whip?” Shangguan Ya laughed coldly. “Is Lord Su coaxing a child?”

“One whip wound is still a whip wound,” Li Rong spoke gently. “Since Lord Su feels this confession is inappropriate, then let’s interrogate him again. I’ll do it personally.”

With that, Li Rong put down the confession and led Shangguan Ya toward the prison, saying calmly: “Let’s go.”

Hearing this, Shangguan Ya coldly swept her eyes at Su Ronghua: “Lord Su, come along. Otherwise you’ll say we beat Minister Chen again, extracted the confession through torture, and it can’t be used.”

Su Ronghua smiled, bowed, and raised his hand: “Please.”

The three went together to the prison. Li Rong had them drag out this “Minister Chen.”

Li Rong laughed as soon as she saw him—it was precisely Chen Guang whom she had discussed with Pei Wenxuan this morning.

This man was from a prominent Jiangnan family and was a Supervisor in the Revenue Bureau’s Granary Department.

The Granary Supervisor managed storage—having stayed in such a sensitive position for ten years, he was an old hand.

Li Rong looked at his confession and had Shangguan Ya invite him to sit.

After Chen Guang sat down, Li Rong put down the confession and smiled: “Minister Chen.”

“Your Highness.”

Chen Guang cupped his fists and smiled: “Your Highness comes at just the right time. This minister has matters to report to Your Highness.”

“Minister Chen wishes to accuse Lord Shangguan of abusing private punishment on you.” Li Rong spoke directly. “Is that so?”

“Oh my,” Chen Guang showed a surprised expression. “Your Highness already knows?”

Li Rong nodded: “I heard about it. I heard Minister Chen received a whipping in prison.”

“Yes,” Chen Guang opened his clothing and hurriedly said: “Your Highness, look—this wound is quite deep.”

“I wonder when and where Minister Chen received this whipping?”

“Just last night,” Chen Guang immediately said. “When she interrogated me. Look at this wound mark—so fresh.”

“Call a physician over to examine Minister Chen’s wound.”

Li Rong raised her hand to summon someone nearby, then turned her head with an excellent temper: “Then Minister Chen, I’m afraid this confession of yours cannot be used. Let’s record a new one.”

Chen Guang smiled and raised his hand: “Your Highness, please. With Your Highness present, this minister can certainly tell the truth.”

“Minister Chen,” Li Rong nodded, touching the confession, and said slowly, “speaking of which, you’re also a veteran of the Ministry of Revenue. You should know a few things.”

“What things does Your Highness refer to?”

“The first thing is, according to the Great Ming Code, officials who confess will have their punishments reduced, while officials who conceal and don’t confess will have their crimes increased by one degree.”

“I know that.” Chen Guang nodded. “And then?”

“The second thing is, your crimes added together currently amount to only losing your office, but if increased by one degree, that would mean losing your life.”

“Your Highness speaks too seriously,” Chen Guang smiled. “Setting aside that this minister is completely innocent, even if guilty, surely the crime doesn’t warrant this? In the past, many ministers with crimes heavier than mine, yet…”

“But they were tried at the Ministry of Justice,” Li Rong looked up and suddenly slammed the table, shouting: “This is the Constabulary Bureau! Do you still think I’m playing games with you?! I tell you, with your crimes, if you confess today, I can let you return home to enjoy your retirement. If you don’t confess, I guarantee your head won’t even roll to your feet at the marketplace!”

Chen Guang’s face changed drastically. Li Rong raised her hand and grabbed a stack of confessions: “Do you think I want you to confess for what? It’s only out of respect for your family that I’m giving you a way to live. Otherwise,” Li Rong looked up with a cold laugh, “Minister Chen, think about Minister Wang who was claimed by a vengeful ghost.”

Chen Guang stopped speaking. Su Ronghua cleared his throat: “Your Highness, Minister Chen is getting on in years after all. He…”

“Is it your turn to speak here?”

Li Rong looked up and said coldly: “I’m not dead yet. If I don’t let you open your mouth, what are you saying?”

“If you offend Your Highness again,” Shangguan Ya smiled, “you’ll get your mouth slapped.”

Su Ronghua gave Shangguan Ya a cold look. Shangguan Ya scoffed and looked away.

Li Rong waited a while, quickly flipped through the confession once, then casually said: “Back when you were managing the Granary Department, how much grain did you send to Huangping County?”

Before Chen Guang could speak, Li Rong answered the number herself: “Three thousand dan.”

Chen Guang’s expression didn’t look good. Li Rong frowned, flipped through a few more pages, raised her hand to toss the confession aside, stood up and said: “Haven’t all the others already confessed? Su Lin has already been implicated. Why must we still need Minister Chen’s confession? This is simply absurd!”

Hearing this, Chen Guang hurriedly looked toward Su Ronghua. Just as Su Ronghua was about to say something, Shangguan Ya blocked Chen Guang’s line of sight and smiled: “Lord Su talks a lot today, doesn’t he?”

Su Ronghua’s face looked somewhat unpleasant. Li Rong led her people out. Halfway there, Chen Guang suddenly called out: “Wait, Your Highness.”

Li Rong stopped and turned around. Chen Guang’s face was deathly pale as he said urgently: “Your Highness, if I confess, can Your Highness leave me a way to live?”

“That depends on what you confess. If what you confess has no new content…”

Li Rong smiled: “I don’t like people who waste my time.”

“I have solid evidence.” Chen Guang spoke urgently. “Your Highness, what you have now is all confessions, right? I have evidence!”

Li Rong returned and sat down: “Speak.”

Then Li Rong turned her head to look at Su Ronghua: “Lord Su, since this involves aristocratic family children, why don’t you excuse yourself?”

Su Ronghua said nothing. He stared intently at Chen Guang. Chen Guang didn’t dare look at him. Shangguan Ya raised her hand: “Lord Su, please.”

Chen Guang indeed had solid evidence. Su Lin of the Su family was actually a distant relation—the connection wasn’t significant, but the Su family’s status was lofty. Anyone who emerged from it casually was no small figure.

This Su Lin was in the Ministry of War. It was really just a matter of opening a travel permit, but if investigated, demotion was inevitable.

Li Rong quietly listened as he confessed everything, signed and sealed the document, then she stood up. Chen Guang said urgently: “Your Highness, my crime…”

“Wait for judgment.” Li Rong’s voice was flat. “However the law is written, I won’t show favoritism.”

Chen Guang’s expression didn’t look good, but he lowered his voice and continued pleading: “Your Highness, you’re young and have just entered the court. You don’t know the dangers within. Everyone investigated turns out to be relatives. You can’t really put me to death…”

“Why not?” Li Rong looked up at him with a light laugh. “Does Minister Chen think I won’t?”

“Your Highness,” Chen Guang frowned, “if you truly kill me, how will you explain to the aristocratic families?”

“When you people did these things,” Li Rong said coldly, “did you think about giving an explanation to the generals who died in battle at the border?”

“They were too greedy!” Chen Guang spoke angrily, seeming extremely dissatisfied. Li Rong swept him with a cold glance and only said: “You all tell me the same thing. Isn’t it tiresome?”

With that, Li Rong walked out. After a few steps, Chen Guang lost control of his emotions somewhat: “Your Highness, you’re courting death!”

Li Rong stopped. She turned around with a cold laugh: “I’m afraid you’re the one courting death!”

After speaking, she walked out the door. At the entrance, Shangguan Ya came up to her. Li Rong glanced around and, not seeing Su Ronghua, couldn’t help saying: “Where is he?”

“Gone to tip them off, obviously.”

As Shangguan Ya spoke, she took the confession from Li Rong’s hand and praised: “Your Highness, I truly admire you. Not only did you know he sent out three thousand dan of grain from the warehouse, you even knew he implicated Su Lin? How did you know?”

“The three thousand dan was the result Pei Wenxuan calculated after statistics gathered along the route. As for Su Lin…”

Li Rong didn’t continue.

That was from her previous life—Su Rongqing had once told her.

Su Lin had once been involved in a Northwest military provisions case. The Su family later handled him internally.

With Su Ronghua present, Chen Guang couldn’t possibly believe he’d been implicated by others unless given details exceeding normal knowledge. By revealing Su Lin and the three thousand dan, Chen Guang would guess he’d been sold out, and that Su Ronghua had been deceiving him all along, only hoping he wouldn’t implicate Su Lin.

Once Chen Guang became suspicious of Su Ronghua, he would easily break down.

Thinking of what Su Rongqing had told her in her previous life, Li Rong felt somewhat weary. She said no more. After pausing for a moment, she instructed: “Go check who was on duty last night. His whip wound couldn’t have been self-inflicted. Find the person. Tell them it’s either more whippings or whip themselves. After the whipping, dismiss them from their post and kick them out.”

Shangguan Ya acknowledged. Li Rong looked at the confession in her hand: “Who’s left now?”

Shangguan Ya reported several names. Li Rong nodded directly: “Let’s go over together.”

Li Rong and Shangguan Ya busied themselves handling the remaining prisoners who hadn’t yet confessed. In the afternoon, a guard suddenly rushed in urgently from outside, saying anxiously: “Your Highness, there’s something.”

Li Rong sat in her chair holding tea, shifting her gaze to what the guard held in his hands.

The guard held a kite. On the kite was written in blood-red a single character: “Stop.”

Seeing this kite, Shangguan Ya’s expression changed. She said coldly: “Who did this?”

“Unknown,” the guard knelt and said. “This kite suddenly fell into the courtyard just now. Your subordinate has already sent people to catch the perpetrator, but we truly cannot catch them.”

Shangguan Ya’s face was cold as she remained silent. She seemed to want to scold someone but knew such matters were truly difficult to investigate. She turned back to look at Li Rong. Li Rong held her tea, thought for a moment, then laughed: “Desperate straits lead to ghostly tricks. Take more people when returning. Let them be.”

After Li Rong finished speaking, she sipped her tea, placed the cup on the table, turned to look at the official being interrogated, and continued working.

She had never feared such assassination attempts. Having lived an entire lifetime like this in her previous life, she had long grown accustomed to it.

Shangguan Ya was after all just encountering such matters for the first time. She paused for a moment to steady her mind before finally relaxing.

The two worked straight through to midnight. Pei Wenxuan also finally finished his own matters, exited the palace, boarded his carriage, and headed toward the Princess’s residence.

Pei Wenxuan was somewhat weary. He leaned against the carriage wall with his eyes closed to rest. He had little rest time and had to seize every opportunity to rest.

The carriage had traveled halfway when it suddenly stopped. Pei Wenxuan folded his hands in his sleeves and slowly opened his eyes. Tong Ye lifted the curtain and said in a low voice: “My lord, someone is blocking the street to submit an imperial petition.”

Pei Wenxuan frowned. As a censor, receiving imperial petitions was indeed common. He nodded wearily: “Bring the petition up.”

Tong Ye responded and jumped down from the carriage, walking toward the child blocking the street with a petition.

However, at precisely that moment, an arrow flew from the crowd, directly entering Pei Wenxuan’s carriage through the window. Pei Wenxuan’s hands were faster—he raised his hand and closed the window.

At the same time, a silver sword swept through the curtain and thrust directly inside. Pei Wenxuan coldly watched the long sword reach before him. He raised his hand to grab the sword hidden beneath his seat. As the opponent’s blade reached his body, he bent down, took a step forward, and drove his sword through the person’s abdomen. That person desperately swung down at him. Pei Wenxuan struggled to push him out, but the blade still cut across his arm. Blood instantly spread.

Although Pei Wenxuan usually appeared to only bring Tong Ye with him, in fact his people were secretly everywhere. As soon as the opponents made their move, Pei Wenxuan’s people rushed forward. Except for this one who slipped through the net, all others were blocked outside. In moments, the assassins were subdued.

Tong Ye urgently lifted the curtain and entered, holding his sword: “Young Master, are you all right?”

Pei Wenxuan covered the wound on his arm. Without much talk, he stepped down from the carriage. All the others were already dead—only the child who had initially petitioned remained. He walked directly to that child. However, when the child saw Pei Wenxuan approach, he gritted his teeth and struggled. He actually broke free from the guard’s control and lunged at Pei Wenxuan. Fortunately, the guard reacted extremely quickly—a sword pursued and pierced through him.

Pei Wenxuan cried out in alarm: “Wait—”

Before he finished speaking, the child was already dead. The guard crouched down and very quickly checked his oral cavity, then looked up: “My lord, it’s a dwarf.”

Jianghu assassins greatly favored using trained dwarfs as killers. These people appeared to be children, making it extremely easy for others to lower their guard, but in strength and movement, they were genuine adults.

Pei Wenxuan’s expression was somewhat ugly. He stared at the assassin for a moment, then could only say: “Investigate. Send more men to protect Her Highness.”

“Yes.”

The guard responded and immediately rushed to inform Li Rong.

However, Li Rong’s informant had already gone to the Constabulary Bureau one step ahead. Li Rong had just walked out of the Constabulary Bureau, wiping her hands with a hot cloth while discussing follow-up matters with Shangguan Ya.

The two had just walked out of the main hall when they heard Jing Lan walk in urgently: “Your Highness, this is bad.”

Li Rong looked up. Jing Lan said in a panic: “The Prince Consort has been assassinated.”

Hearing this, Li Rong’s eyes flew open.

Shangguan Ya also showed alarm. Then she immediately reacted and said hurriedly: “Your Highness, don’t panic. You should return to the residence first to check on the Prince Consort. I’ll investigate.”

Li Rong came to her senses, directly rushed out, pulled herself onto a horse, and shouted loudly: “Dig those people out for me. I’m going to slaughter them!”

Author’s Note:

Mini Theater

Pei family people: “Pei Wenxuan, we’re going to bully you.”

Pei Wenxuan: “I have a wife.”

Superiors: “Pei Wenxuan, official life isn’t easy. Please sigh.”

Pei Wenxuan: “I have a wife.”

Assassins: “Pei Wenxuan, we’re going to take your dog life.”

Pei Wenxuan: “I have a wife.”

Everyone: “Can you say anything other than this phrase?”

Pei Wenxuan: “You’d better run. My wife is coming.”