The moment this thought surfaced, Pei Wenxuan instead became calm.

This was too significant a matter. If he casually said these words at this time, it would seem too lacking in solemnity. Even if he said them, Li Rong wouldn’t take them to heart.

More importantly, he wanted to say such words to Li Rong at the most beautiful moment, making Li Rong happy, something she could remember for a lifetime.

Whether Li Rong accepted or didn’t accept, at least she would remember that moment, remember Pei Wenxuan, forever in her heart.

As Pei Wenxuan pondered how to say these words, Li Rong, feeling him holding her without speaking, raised her hand and patted his hand, saying calmly: “All right, let’s sleep. Holding me like this—doesn’t your hand hurt?”

“It hurts,” Pei Wenxuan rested his head on Li Rong’s back and said in a low voice: “But holding Your Highness, it doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“Nonsense.” Li Rong scoffed, gently pushing away the hand he had draped over her, and closed her eyes: “Sleep.”

The two closed their eyes. After Li Rong calmed down for a while, she suddenly remembered: “In a few days, I plan to leave the capital for a trip. Do you want to come?”

Hearing Li Rong’s words, Pei Wenxuan became somewhat alert: “Leave the capital?”

“Mm,” Li Rong closed her eyes. “Find a place to wander around. Consider it a pleasure trip.”

Listening to Li Rong’s words, Pei Wenxuan formed some plans in his mind and pondered: “Has Your Highness decided where to go?”

“Let me think about it.”

Li Rong contemplated—she needed to find a place suitable for an ambush.

The two fell asleep, each harboring different thoughts. The next day, before dawn, Pei Wenxuan woke early. Li Rong heard rustling sounds beside her, thinking Pei Wenxuan had risen. Then she felt a cloth being gently placed over her eyes. Light appeared, and after a moment, Pei Wenxuan walked back and gently shook her, saying softly: “Your Highness, time to get up.”

Usually Pei Wenxuan wouldn’t wake her. He would generally let her sleep, changing her clothes for her, only waking her when it was time to get out of bed.

Li Rong felt somewhat puzzled. Opening her eyes, she saw Pei Wenxuan’s bandaged hand and remembered his injury—supporting her with one hand would be difficult.

Li Rong opened her eyes groggily, seeing Pei Wenxuan waiting at the side: “Your Highness, please sit up first.”

“It’s fine.”

Li Rong shook her head and crawled out from under the covers. Pei Wenxuan hurriedly draped clothes over her. Li Rong pulled the garment on herself, then said: “I can dress myself.”

With that, Li Rong put on her clothes. She turned her head to look at Pei Wenxuan, still wearing only his undershirt: “Aren’t you cold?”

“I’ll dress right away.”

Pei Wenxuan smiled and went to get his clothes. Li Rong saw his one hand was inconvenient. Yawning, she walked over, picked up his clothes, and draped them over him: “Let me help you.”

Pei Wenxuan was stunned. Li Rong didn’t notice anything amiss. She had Pei Wenxuan put his arms through the sleeves and raised her hands to fasten the inner buttons for him.

She had never done such things before, so she appeared somewhat clumsy, head lowered as she stood before him like a child just learning to do tasks.

Watching this Li Rong, Pei Wenxuan felt an indescribable stirring of emotion.

What was most alluring wasn’t someone boldly speaking countless flirtations, but rather her being like a young maiden, lowering her head before you, exposing her slender, graceful jade neck, learning to fasten a button for you, raising her hands to reach around from behind as if embracing you yet also not, fingertips lightly gliding past the waist as if nothing happened, then raising hands before her to tighten and knot the sash.

Pei Wenxuan watched the young woman before him, striving to restrain all his impulses, keeping his expression maintaining its usual gentleness, until Li Rong raised her hands to straighten his hem. Only then did he hastily grasp her hands. When he spoke, his voice carried some hoarseness: “Your Highness, no need.”

Li Rong was still somewhat sleepy and didn’t notice anything wrong. She looked up at him, only saying: “Why is your voice hoarse? Did you catch a chill?”

“Perhaps a bit.” Pei Wenxuan hurriedly adjusted his voice, concealing that bit of strangeness. Li Rong raised her hand to touch his forehead, instructing: “You’re injured now. If you develop a fever, that would be terrible. Rest well, don’t worry about other matters. Leave everything to me.”

“Your Highness…” Pei Wenxuan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Why do you keep stealing my lines?”

Li Rong smiled and said softly: “If you can’t sleep, read some books. I’ve excused you from morning court. Rest first.”

With that, Li Rong summoned people to attend to their washing. Then she put on her clothes and went to court. Pei Wenxuan saw her all the way to the main gate. He had also wanted to attend court but was forcibly kept by Li Rong, who had people block him inside the room.

After Li Rong went to court, she reported the matter of Pei Wenxuan’s assassination. Li Ming ordered a strict investigation, and Li Rong took charge of the matter along the way. When she returned to the Constabulary Bureau and reached the entrance, she discovered someone had splashed excrement at the Constabulary Bureau gates. Li Rong laughed in anger. She turned to look at Su Ronghua, who had followed her over, and pointed at him: “Lord Su, you’re not investigating such matters?”

Su Ronghua smiled bitterly: “Your Highness, such matters are clearly just village women and unruly commoners causing trouble. Even if we catch them, what can be done?”

“How can nothing be done?” Li Rong said coldly. “If truly nothing can be done, tomorrow I’ll have people splash it at your Su residence!”

Su Ronghua’s expression stiffened. He seemed to see the scene of the Su family’s main gate being splashed with excrement. He immediately changed his tune: “Your Highness, rest assured. I’ll handle it right away.”

Li Rong couldn’t be bothered to say more. Leading Shangguan Ya, she walked inside. Shangguan Ya said in a low voice: “Why did Your Highness have him handle this?”

“Otherwise, you’ll handle it?”

Li Rong raised an eyebrow. Shangguan Ya immediately replied: “Lord Su is indeed suitable.”

As the two spoke these words and entered the Constabulary Bureau, Li Rong said in a low voice: “Any leads on yesterday’s assassination?”

“Not yet.”

“Then go look at which places in the outskirts are suitable for ambush,” Li Rong pondered. “If we still can’t find clues after seven days, we’ll have to take the initiative. Let’s settle everything before the new year.”

Li Rong smiled: “Then I can celebrate the new year properly.”

“Your Highness is right.”

Shangguan Ya was someone who, when opposing, opposed with all her might, but once she agreed, would handle matters cleanly. Hearing her agree, Li Rong felt much more at ease. She led her people into the prison to make final arrangements of all confessions and evidence.

Now all evidence was mostly complete. Only final sentencing remained. Once crimes were determined and the memorial sent up, they would await the Emperor’s approval and the Chancellery’s review. Without major issues, it would be settled.

The closer to this time, the more incidents occurred. In the morning, excrement was splashed at the Constabulary Bureau entrance. In the evening, someone came to the Princess’s residence entrance holding silver to offer bribes.

Li Rong had them directly blocked outside and stepped back into the Princess’s residence. Seven days passed in succession. Matters were mostly handled, and Shangguan Ya had roughly uncovered some leads.

“It’s Chen Guang’s family who went to great lengths to hire assassins.”

Shangguan Ya followed Li Rong out of the prison. Li Rong wiped her hands with a cloth, listening as Shangguan Ya said: “Chen Guang holds quite a high position in the Chen family. He’s the only son of Old Madam Chen. If he dies, the Chen family will completely decline. Behind the Chen family, there should be many great clans supporting them. However, Your Highness has offended too many people now. It’s unclear exactly which people are secretly supporting the Chen family.”

“Is there evidence?”

Li Rong inquired in a low voice. Shangguan Ya shook her head: “None. They acted very swiftly. This conclusion is also just deduced—there’s no solid proof.”

“Has Chen Guang’s crime been determined?”

“Determined,” Shangguan Ya said in a low voice. “According to Your Highness’s instructions, sentenced to beheading.”

Li Rong acknowledged. She thought about it and said in a low voice: “Did you find a position in the outskirts suitable for ambush?”

“Found it,” Shangguan Ya walked with Li Rong to the main hall. She took out a map and pointed to a location: “Right here—Butterfly Gorge. Both sides here are mountain cliffs. At this position, we can find Your Highness a suitable place to hide in advance. As long as Your Highness lures people over, then hides in a safe place, we can catch them in the jar.”

Li Rong nodded and responded: “Then let’s set it here. In five days,” Li Rong looked up, “in five days I’ll take Pei Wenxuan on an outing to the outskirts. If they want to make a move, this timing couldn’t be more suitable.”

“Your Highness wants to bring the Prince Consort?” Shangguan Ya was somewhat puzzled. “What for?”

“If I go out alone, it would seem too deliberate. I’m afraid they’d become vigilant,” Li Rong pondered. “Taking Pei Wenxuan out serves as a cover.”

“Then you’re not telling him?”

“If I tell him, would he let me go?”

Li Rong asked directly. Shangguan Ya paused. After a moment, she sighed: “Your Highness, with this temperament of yours, you’re on your own.”

Li Rong couldn’t be bothered with her, only saying: “Since they dare make a move, I’m afraid they’ll make complete preparations. Your ambush at Butterfly Gorge needs a final contingency plan. Isn’t there water there?”

“Yes,” Shangguan Ya responded. “There’s originally a stream there. I went to look—the current isn’t too rapid. There are many caves nearby. The water flow connects to small caves on the side. If Your Highness encounters an unavoidable situation, you can jump into the water.”

“Prepare some gunpowder.” Li Rong pondered. “If we encounter the worst situation, jump into the water, then light the fuse. However, if it comes to this step,” Li Rong raised her head with a cold laugh, “think about how you’ll be punished.”

“Rest assured,” Shangguan Ya immediately said. “I’ll definitely arrange everything.”

After Shangguan Ya finished speaking with Li Rong and confirmed the plan, the two parted ways and returned to their respective homes.

When Li Rong returned to the Princess’s residence, she saw Pei Wenxuan reading. She walked behind Pei Wenxuan. After watching for a while, she discovered he was actually reading some folk story books.

“Truly too idle at home,” Li Rong smiled. She pulled the book from his hands, looked at the title, and looked up at him. “Lord Pei has started reading such things.”

Pei Wenxuan rose together with Li Rong. The two skillfully walked toward the dining hall. Pei Wenxuan observed Li Rong, probing: “This minister had nothing to do and casually looked at it. But after reading a while longer, I found there were many interesting matters inside that even I don’t understand.”

“Oh?” Li Rong had read many story books in the past. Hearing Pei Wenxuan was actually interested in such matters, she couldn’t help saying: “Such as?”

“I was just reading where the scholar confesses to the woman he admires. I was thinking—liking someone is just a matter of one sentence, yet that scholar prepared repeatedly. Why is that?”

Hearing Pei Wenxuan ask this, Li Rong couldn’t help laughing: “Pei Wenxuan, I didn’t expect you to be such an unromantic person.”

“This minister doesn’t understand,” Pei Wenxuan entered the dining hall with Li Rong and sat down with a modest, courteous attitude. “Please enlighten this minister, Your Highness.”

“Liking someone is indeed one sentence, but what is a man actually doing when he says this to a woman?”

Pei Wenxuan showed a puzzled expression. Li Rong smiled: “What he wants to do is establish a relationship. From this moment forward, they mutually belong to each other. Such a significant matter—without some ceremony, wouldn’t it show that the young lady isn’t valued?”

Listening, Pei Wenxuan showed an expression of sudden understanding: “Your Highness is absolutely right. This minister is enlightened.”

Li Rong sighed: “You’ve just never pursued a young lady, never properly told someone you like them, so you don’t understand these things.”

With that, Li Rong habitually took the soup. Recently, after Pei Wenxuan’s hand was injured, Li Rong had been feeding him soup. Pei Wenxuan watched Li Rong blow on the soup, pressing his lips to conceal the smile in his eyes, as if curious: “I don’t understand. Seeing Your Highness understands so well, you must have encountered many such scenes?”

Li Rong’s movements stiffened. After a moment, she put down the bowl and turned: “Come attend to the Prince Consort’s soup.”

Seeing Li Rong angry, Pei Wenxuan hurriedly said: “I just asked casually. Your Highness, I imagine that a woman like you—born with beauty that would shame fish and geese, intelligent and endearing, dignified and generous, of noble birth—the men who like Your Highness must be countless, hence my question.”

“Pei Wenxuan, I’ve discovered you always have this ability to bring up whatever shouldn’t be mentioned,” Li Rong looked at him and scoffed. “I don’t have any. Do you?”

“I…”

Pei Wenxuan, confronted by Li Rong like this, instinctively wanted to refute. After all, such an excellent man as himself, having lived an entire lifetime, should naturally have had a few young ladies confess to him.

However, the instant he opened his mouth, he discovered he didn’t have any either.

Before marriage, during his time in Luzhou, some young ladies would toss him flowers, but that couldn’t count as confessions.

Later in Hua Jing, at first the Hua Jing ladies all looked down on him. Soon he became Li Rong’s prince consort. Li Rong spent almost her entire life at the pinnacle, wielding great power with a strong personality. The Hua Jing ladies all feared death and kept far away from him upon sight.

Thus, the rebuttal stuck in his throat. Seeing Pei Wenxuan’s embarrassment, Li Rong smiled: “So Lord Pei has never had anyone properly tell you they like you in his entire life?”

Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan used a smile to mask his embarrassment: “Isn’t Your Highness the same?”

“I’m not the same as Lord Pei,” Li Rong blinked. “Many people have told me they like me.”

“Who?!”

Pei Wenxuan instinctively demanded. His mind spun rapidly.

Su Rongqing might count as one.

But Li Rong said many?

Before marriage, Li Rong was in the palace and hadn’t contacted many men from outside. There shouldn’t be many. Later at court, she was already married—there were people who dared seduce her behind his back?!

Pei Wenxuan’s expression became ugly. Li Rong observed him, smiling as she watched. Pei Wenxuan rapidly asked several names of people who had been close to Li Rong at court back then. Li Rong watched him ask urgently—the more she watched, the more she wanted to laugh. Finally, she raised her fan and patted Pei Wenxuan’s hand: “Don’t guess wildly. They were all insignificant characters who thought themselves handsome and volunteered themselves, hoping to gain a path to success.”

“They weren’t afraid of death?”

Pei Wenxuan was somewhat shocked. Li Rong thought about it: “Perhaps my conduct wasn’t very proper?”

After all, compared to ordinary women, she at that time did indeed appear insufficiently restrained to the outside world.

Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan’s heart rippled.

He hadn’t known—it turned out men in this world could be so lacking in backbone yet so courageous. To seek a path to success, they actually weren’t afraid of him and dared volunteer themselves.

He had underestimated these men. In the previous life, he hadn’t guarded well. This life, he needed to be more vigilant.

Pei Wenxuan steadied the various thoughts growing in his mind, then remembered his original purpose and awkwardly changed the subject: “Then how did they tell Your Highness these things?”

“Just… casually said it.” Li Rong also seemed to feel it wasn’t very dignified and didn’t want to elaborate. She asked in return: “Why do you keep asking about this?”

Pei Wenxuan smiled: “I was just reading the story book where the scholar says he likes someone and has to specially pick a place—I felt it was too grand. I wanted to ask Your Highness if other people truly are like that scholar?”

“Depends on whether they’re sincere or not.”

Seeing Pei Wenxuan seemed truly asking questions rather than implying something, Li Rong said carelessly: “Sincere people can do even better than in books. Insincere people might not even say the word ‘like.'”

Pei Wenxuan: “…”

He kept feeling Li Rong was hinting at something, but looking at Li Rong’s expression, he felt he was overthinking. He continued: “What does Your Highness think counts as being sincere?”

“Sincerity is a matter of being attentive. Does it need my opinion?”

Li Rong found it rather strange. Pei Wenxuan continued: “What does being attentive require one to do?”

“At least knowing what the other person likes, dislikes, wants most,” Li Rong pondered and said slowly: “On this point, you actually could learn from Su Rongqing.”

Hearing this name, Pei Wenxuan smiled. Having spoken the words, Li Rong also felt something was wrong. She observed Pei Wenxuan and saw his smile remained unchanged. Feeling somewhat guilty, Pei Wenxuan said warmly: “Your Highness, please continue?”

“I… I didn’t mean you’re inferior to Su Rongqing.”

Li Rong hurriedly explained. Pei Wenxuan smiled: “Your Highness, am I such a petty person?”

You really are.

Li Rong didn’t dare say this aloud, but seeing Pei Wenxuan’s expression was fine, she figured Pei Wenxuan had let go of his grievances with Su Rongqing and thought things through. So she continued: “Do you remember? Every winter, there were peonies in the Princess’s residence?”

“Mm, I remember.” Pei Wenxuan nodded. Li Rong smiled, her eyes carrying some nostalgia: “Su Rongqing knew I liked peonies and disliked plum blossoms, so every year he would specially cultivate peonies in a greenhouse. The winter peonies in the Princess’s residence were all grown by him for me.”

“Back then I thought, this was probably what being attentive meant.”

Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan’s expression didn’t change. He picked up tea and took a sip. Li Rong looked up, somewhat uneasy: “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“This minister is just somewhat moved. I didn’t expect Young Master Su treated Your Highness so well back then.”

Li Rong kept feeling Pei Wenxuan saying these things created a very strange atmosphere. She reluctantly nodded and responded: “Indeed.”

“But I remember, what Your Highness actually likes most should be herbaceous peonies.”

Li Rong was stunned. After a moment, she smiled: “You actually knew this.”

“Herbaceous peonies aren’t grand enough,” Li Rong said slowly. “Moreover, from childhood, Mother taught me not to let people easily know what you like, even if it’s just a flower.”

Listening to Li Rong’s words, after a moment, Pei Wenxuan nodded: “This minister understands.”

“Oh, speaking of which, make some time in a few days.”

Li Rong spoke, suddenly remembering, and said to Pei Wenxuan: “I want to take you to see Butterfly Gorge. I heard the scenery there is beautiful and lovely.”

Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan smiled: “Being able to travel with Your Highness is this minister’s fortune.”

As he spoke, his mind had already outlined Butterfly Gorge once.

Indeed, it was a beautiful place—gurgling streams, mixed hills and banks. Arranging a place there to pledge their love couldn’t be more suitable.

Meanwhile, Li Rong drank her tea, also outlining Butterfly Gorge’s appearance in her mind.

Mountains on both sides, flourishing vegetation—setting an ambush there couldn’t be more suitable.