Chapter 19: Pei Wenxuan, Can You Be Any More Pretentious?

Li Rong handed the sword to Pei Wenxuan and had someone lead her around the palace. After walking in the Imperial Garden for a while, she saw the person sent to Pei Wenxuan returning. Led to her, the person respectfully said, “Your Highness, the matter is settled.”

Li Rong nodded, took a square handkerchief from Jinglan, and responded, “Yang Quan couldn’t control his temper, it seems.”

If they had waited a bit longer to take action, perhaps Yang Quan could have lived a few more days. However, Pei Wenxuan was the kind of person who, once he said something, would follow through. Since he declared his intention to take Yang Quan’s life, he wouldn’t spare him.

Reflecting on the actions of the Yang family in the previous life, Li Rong also felt that keeping such a person could indeed be a disaster.

In the last lifetime, the Yang family struggled for a long time on the border, causing the empire to lose five cities. It wasn’t until five years into Li Chuan’s reign that he raised an army and reclaimed those five cities.

Now, allowing the Yang family to quiet down sooner could be considered a good thing.

Li Rong roughly guessed what Pei Wenxuan had done but was curious about the specifics. After cleaning her hands with the handkerchief, she stood up and said to Jingmei, “Go inform them; I plan to have a conversation with father in the study.”

Jingmei acknowledged, and with Jinglan’s support, Li Rong leisurely headed towards the study.

At the entrance of the study, she saw Fulai waiting for her. He smiled and said, “Your Highness, His Majesty is currently discussing matters with several important officials. Please wait here for a moment.”

Li Rong lightly tapped her fan against her palm, nodded, and replied, “No problem. I’ll wait here for a while.”

“Shall this servant bring a chair for Your Highness?” Fulai knew that this princess was accustomed to being pampered, so he tried to please her. Li Rong nodded in agreement, saying, “Very well.”

Fulai called someone to bring a chair for Li Rong and set up a small table. Tea and snacks were also placed on the table. Li Rong had someone fetch a book for her. Basking in the sun, sipping tea, and waiting for Li Ming’s summons.

After a while, a eunuch hurried over and whispered something to Fulai. Fulai’s expression changed, and after a moment of contemplation, he whispered, “Please have the person come in first; I will report to His Majesty.”

After saying that, Fulai turned back to the study, and Li Rong, pretending not to have heard anything, continued leisurely flipping through her book.

After some time passed, Li Rong saw Pei Wenxuan being led over by someone. Pei Wenxuan kept his head down, seeming somewhat flustered. There were bloodstains on the hem of his clothes, giving him a disheveled appearance. The eunuch led him up the steps, and upon seeing Li Rong, Pei Wenxuan respectfully said, “Greetings, princess.”

Li Rong raised her eyes to look at him, sizing him up, and then smiled, “I just saw Lord Pei leaving the palace a moment ago. Why have you returned?” With that, Li Rong half-covered her face with the folding fan and whispered, “Could it be that you missed me?”

Pei Wenxuan kept his head down, seemingly feeling a bit embarrassed by Li Rong’s words. Nevertheless, he remained composed and said, “Your Highness, please don’t jest. This humble servant dares not have improper thoughts about Your Highness. I encountered a minor incident on the way back and hurried to inform His Majesty.”

“Tsk.”

Seeing Pei Wenxuan’s appearance, Li Rong couldn’t help but show a disdainful expression. Pei Wenxuan had dealt with her for many years and was immune to her sharp tongue. Not to mention, even if she cracked a crude joke in front of him or told a vulgar story, Pei Wenxuan would probably accept it without changing his expression. Or he might respond with a serious reprimand like a monk scolding someone, “Absurd.”

Of course, she understood Pei Wenxuan. After all, the way he lived his life was not much different from that of a monk.

But now, Pei Wenxuan was pretending, not only pretending to be young but also trying to act innocent. This truly disgusted her. She raised her hand to cover her face with the fan and instructed, “Father is still in a meeting. Find him a chair and let him wait.”

After saying that, she put away her fan, took out a book, and started reading.

Pei Wenxuan glanced at the book she was reading, another miscellaneous and chaotic book. Her taste hadn’t changed from her youth until now.

It was also a sign of her nostalgia.

As the servants brought tea, the two of them sat there as if they were strangers. Pei Wenxuan had just taken a seat when, after a moment, Fulai walked out and looked at Pei Wenxuan, saying, “Lord Pei, His Majesty summons you inside.”

“Wait a moment,” Li Rong interrupted Fulai, “I’ve been sitting here for quite some time. Why did father summon him first and not me?”

“Princess,” Fulai smiled wryly, “Lord Pei has urgent matters.”

“What urgent matters could he have?” Li Rong looked surprised, “His… his matters are not all…”

Li Rong pointed at herself, didn’t say anything, just stared at Fulai, as if determined not to give in if she wasn’t allowed in.

Fulai looked bitter, about to speak when they heard the voice of Li Ming from inside: “Bring them all in.”

Fulai breathed a sigh of relief and quickly invited the two inside.

Li Rong looked triumphant, similar to Pei Wenxuan, who had a smirking expression. Pei Wenxuan raised an eyebrow, chuckling silently.

After entering and paying respects to Li Ming, they noticed several important ministers seated nearby. It seemed that Li Ming was discussing something crucial. The current left and right chancellors, along with several influential figures from the secretariat, were all present. Seeing them, Li Rong’s expression suddenly became solemn and awkward. She said, “Father, should I go back first?”

Li Ming laughed at Li Rong’s words, “Weren’t you quite arrogant when you came? Since you’re here, why leave? Stand up, come and stand behind me,” he gestured with his chin to the space behind him.

Li Rong stood up somewhat embarrassed and obediently positioned herself behind Li Ming. Li Ming then turned to Pei Wenxuan and asked casually, “Weren’t you just leaving the palace? Why are you back?”

“Your Majesty,” Pei Wenxuan’s voice trembled, “Your humble servant had just left the palace and encountered a trap set by Young master Yang. In self-defense, your humble servant accidentally… dealt with Young master Yang.”

As Pei Wenxuan spoke, he kowtowed loudly, the sound echoing through the room, making Li Rong’s scalp tingle just thinking about it. Then Pei Wenxuan said, “He is dead!”

The shocking statement stunned everyone present. Prime minister Shangguan Xu exclaimed, “What did you say?! Whom did you kill?!”

“Yang…” Pei Wenxuan’s voice trembled, seemingly unable to calm his emotions. After several attempts, he finally managed to say, “Yang…”

“Lord Xu,” the right chancellor Su Minzhi, sitting on the side, calmly spoke, “This young man is still quite young, and after a great calamity, frightening him like this may hinder his ability to speak clearly. Young master Pei,” Su Minzhi turned his head and comforted, “Don’t be afraid. Explain clearly. Whom did you kill?”

Pei Wenxuan did not answer immediately. After a long while, he took a deep breath, looked up at Li Ming, and said, “Reporting to Your Majesty, your humble servant killed Yang Quan, the second son of the Yang family.”

The entire room fell into silence. This time, Pei Wenxuan seemed to have made up his mind to accept the consequences. He narrated the entire story fluently, from saving the princess, the conflict with Yang Quan, to the conversation with Yang Quan in front of the imperial study, and the ambush on the way home, and finally, how he killed Yang Quan himself.

As Pei Wenxuan finished speaking, he whispered, “Your humble servant knows he is guilty today. Although young master Yang set an ambush against your humble servant, the Yang family has made significant contributions to the Great Xia, and with the ongoing war, young master Yang wanted to take my life. Considering the state’s interests, your humble servant should have refrained from retaliating against young master Yang. However, at that moment, there was no time for deeper consideration, only seeking a way to survive. Now that I have committed this heinous crime, Your Majesty…”

Pei Wenxuan choked up and lowered his head, “Your humble servant deserves a thousand deaths. I only hope Your Majesty can know this sooner to prevent a catastrophe.”

Pei Wenxuan’s words fell into the ears of the crowd, leaving everyone shocked and frightened.

Although Pei Wenxuan spoke of himself deserving to be torn apart, every word he uttered was damning. Yang Quan, despite being just a son of the Yang family, dared to abduct a princess and murder a current official out of jealousy. Each accusation carried the weight of a heinous crime punishable by death.

However, Pei Wenxuan was right about one thing. The Yang family had accumulated significant military power on the border, and even with their wrongdoing, any punishment had to be carefully considered. Especially now, with the border situation being tense, provoking the Yang family could lead to dire consequences that no one wanted to bear responsibility for.

In the silence that followed, Li Ming remained composed. He lifted his cup, took a sip of tea, and after a moment, he spoke calmly, “What are you afraid of?”

Pei Wenxuan lowered his head, too afraid to speak. Li Ming raised his cup, smashed it down, and shouted, “You are an official of the Great Xia court! Yang Quan dared to assassinate you on the street. If you killed him, what are you afraid of?”

“Your Majesty…” Pei Wenxuan trembled, “The border…”

“Is the Yang family going to rebel?!” Li Ming angrily exclaimed, then turned to the surrounding ministers, “As I mentioned earlier, the invasion by the enemy nation, and the weakness displayed by the Yang family, have humiliated the dignity of our Great Xia! They can’t even withstand the attack of twenty thousand troops with their fifty thousand troops garrison! Now, they dare to abduct a princess and assassinate officials in the capital. Does the Yang family think I’m dead?!”

“Your Majesty, please calm down.”

Seeing Li Ming’s intense anger, everyone quickly knelt down. Prime minister Shangguan Xu hurriedly spoke to calm him, “Your Majesty, victories and defeats are common in the art of war. The sudden invasion by the enemy nation caught the Yang family off guard. As they are still at the frontlines, perhaps handling this matter with some caution…”

“Shut up!”

Li Ming grabbed a book and threw it at Shangguan Xu. It hit him square in the face. Li Rong showed a panicked expression, glancing at Xu and then Li Ming, wanting to say something but hesitating. Li Ming panted, staring at the people present, and declared, “I will handle this case myself. The Yang family’s insult to the royal family has gone too far. I will investigate thoroughly! Who will handle this case?!”

No one dared to speak. Each person calculated their own interests in the situation.

The centipede may die but not stiffen; Shangguan Xu speaks for the Yang family, indicating that the Shangguan family may join forces with the Yang family. In such a situation, prestigious families are reluctant to get involved in such a struggle.

Li Ming nodded, “Good, very good. Each of you fears him. Pei Wenxuan,” Li Ming turned his head and stared at Pei Wenxuan, “Since you dare to kill a person, I ask you, can you take charge of this case?”

“Your Majesty!” Hearing this, the minister of justice, Pei Liwen, who had been silent, raised his head urgently and said, “Wenxuan is still young and may not handle it…”

“I asked you, did I?” Li Ming shouted, silencing Pei Liwen. The assistant minister of personnel, Pei Lixian, who had been kneeling beside him, gave Pei Liwen a look and shook his head.

Pei Liwen dared not speak, and Li Ming stared at Pei Wenxuan, “Speak.”

Pei Wenxuan took a deep breath and stood up straight, “I am willing to share the worries for Your Majesty!”

“Good.” Li Ming said directly, “From today onwards, you will go to the Imperial Censorate, serve as a censor, and investigate the Yang family’s case along with the special investigation of the Ministry of Punishments.”

“Your Majesty,” Shangguan Xu couldn’t help but speak, “Pei Wenxuan claims to be a victim and suggests that he investigate the case himself. This might be inappropriate.”

“Then, lord Shangguan, will you investigate?” Li Ming asked. Shangguan Xu remained silent for a moment, about to speak, when Li Rong’s voice interrupted, “How about this? I’ll preside over the case, and lord Pei can assist. What do you think?”

Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look. Li Rong cleared her throat and said, “This matter originated from me, as I am a princess. Investigating the Yang family is within my jurisdiction. Since none of you have a suitable candidate, I’ll oversee it, with lord Pei’s assistance. What do you all think?”

Li Rong proposed, and the room fell silent. Li Ming frowned, Shangguan Xu pondered, and Su Minzhi hesitated, saying, “But the princess is also a victim in this case.”

“Then let Su Rongqing oversee it?” Li Rong looked at Su Minzhi, who was stunned. Li Rong continued, “I’ve heard that Su Rongqing is known for his fairness and integrity. If the prime minister is still uneasy, why not let Su Rongqing preside over the case?”

“The princess is joking,” Su Minzhi hurriedly said, “The young one is too inexperienced to handle such a major case.”

“So, let him oversee the investigation,” Li Rong interrupted Su Minzhi and turned to Shangguan Xu, “Uncle, what do you think?”

Shangguan Xu pursed his lips, glanced at Li Rong, hesitated for a moment, and finally said, “This official thinks what the princess said is not unreasonable.”

Li Rong turned to Li Ming and blinked, “Father?”

Li Ming glanced at Shangguan Xu and understood that if they continued, Shangguan Xu might recommend someone from their side to investigate the case. Now that he had confirmed the connection between the Shangguan family and the Yang family, it might not be ideal.

So, Li Ming nodded and said, “Since there’s no other way, let’s go with what you said.”

With that, Li Ming’s expression turned stern, “But don’t mess around.”

“Father, rest assured,” Li Rong smiled, “I have a plan.”

The emotions of Li Ming gradually eased. After looking around, he reassured Shangguan Xu and let everyone else leave, leaving Li Rong alone in the room.

Father and daughter remained silent for a long time before Li Ming finally asked, “Why did you suddenly decide to come and see me today?”

Li Rong lowered her eyes and whispered, “Daughter was attacked last night. It was proper to come to father first and report the situation. Coming now is a bit late.”

Li Ming remained silent. He could see that Li Rong looked exhausted, with many thoughts on her mind.

Li Ming couldn’t fathom his daughter’s position. He had always indulged Li Rong, but her younger brother was the crown prince. Now, with conflicts arising between him and Li Chuan, he wasn’t sure about Li Rong’s intentions.

Li Rong was intelligent but emotional. Li Ming had cherished her for many years, and his affection for her had deepened. If not for the involvement of power and politics, he genuinely wished for her well-being.

After a long silence, Li Ming didn’t directly ask. Instead, he approached the topic indirectly, “After observing four individuals, which one caught your eye?”

Li Rong remained silent. Li Ming hesitated and slowly asked, “What do you think of Pei Wenxuan?”

With her head lowered, Li Rong didn’t respond. Li Ming raised his eyes and grew impatient, “Answer.”

“The child thinks he is a good person.”

“A good person, but there might be other issues,” Li Ming pondered for a moment and then said, “You only need to consider whether you like this person. Don’t worry about the rest.”

Upon hearing this, tears welled up in Li Rong’s eyes, as if she had suffered a great injustice.

Seeing his daughter in tears, Li Ming hurriedly said, “Why are you crying?”

“Father,” Li Rong sobbed, “Daughter just feels that as a family, why can’t we get along well…”

Understanding Li Rong’s words, thinking it might be pressure from the empress to speak favorably about Yang Quan, Li Ming, who had never involved his daughter in the disputes between him and the empress, now had to navigate a confrontation in the matter of her marriage. Seeing Li Rong in distress, he felt a pang of heartache and finally said, “This matter is my fault and that of your mother. Don’t think too much about it. Choose someone you like, and I will always support you. You and Pei Wenxuan spent a night together. According to conventions, you can consider yourself promised to him. He’s a good man, looks decent. If you marry him, you won’t be at a loss.”

Li Rong nodded in response, and Li Ming sighed, “Stop crying, tidy up, and think about my words. After Yang Quan’s case is resolved, I will arrange your marriage.”

“Yes.”

Li Rong controlled her voice and lifted her head, saying, “Your daughter will listen to father’s instructions.”

Li Ming comforted Li Rong for a while, then asked her to stand up. He called for Fulai to escort her out. Fulai, upon hearing Li Ming’s words, chuckled, “How can a servant have the honor to escort? Lord Pei is waiting outside for the princess, he has been waiting for a while.”

Upon hearing this, both Li Ming and Li Rong looked surprised. After a moment, Li Ming laughed, “This boy, taking advantage of me and courting my daughter right in front of me.”

Although he spoke in jest, Li Ming urged, “Alright, go ahead. Don’t let this old man delay you young people.”

Li Rong blushed, bowed, and then retreated.

She walked out of the study and onto the corridor, where she saw Pei Wenxuan waiting by the railing. He wore a deep blue wide-sleeved robe adorned with silver-threaded cloud patterns. Holding a palace lantern, he gazed at the bright moon in the sky.

Pei Wenxuan’s appearance naturally carried a hint of ethereal charm, as if he were a celestial being descended to the mortal realm, ready to soar away at any moment.

Fulai accompanied Li Rong to the door, respectfully saying, “Your Highness, this old servant will escort you up to this point. The rest of the way, please let Lord Pei accompany you.”

Li Rong nodded and said, “You may leave.”

Fulai responded and withdrew. Pei Wenxuan heard the movement and turned around, giving her a thorough look from head to toe. Then, holding the lantern, he approached and stopped in front of her.

He was tall, and when he looked at her, he lowered his head to carefully examine her.

Feeling a bit awkward under his scrutiny, Li Rong turned her head away and whispered, “What are you looking at?”

“You cried.”

Pei Wenxuan nodded and stated his conclusion, sighing, “Your Highness is still more sensitive than this humble minister.”

Upon hearing this, Li Rong showed some irritation and mocked with a smile, “How can this princess compare to master Pei? Adaptable and intelligent, possessing both wisdom and courage.”

Killing on the front foot and weeping miserably on the back foot, with such a two-faced demeanor, Pei Wenxuan seemed to handle it with ease.

As they conversed, the attendants behind them dared not get too close. Thus, the two walked side by side, half-stepping through the imperial city. Pei Wenxuan walked and said, “Cutting to the chase.”

Pei Wenxuan briefly recounted his conversation with Li Ming, concluding, “After the Yang Quan matter is resolved, the emperor will delegate the affairs of the northwest to the crown prince. If the crown prince handles it well, he won’t need to worry about military power anymore.”

“What if he doesn’t handle it well?” Li Rong tapped her fan against her palm, casually saying, “Then he’ll be directly deposed, demoted to a commoner, which is already merciful. Pei Wenxuan,” Li Rong glanced at him sideways, half-smiling, “You dare to bet on this; your courage is truly remarkable.”

“If my courage weren’t great,” Pei Wenxuan responded calmly to Li Rong’s words, “would I dare to marry you?”

“Well, that’s true,” Li Rong nodded, “Marrying me is not an easy task, quite perilous.”

“Marrying you is not perilous,” Pei Wenxuan retorted seriously, “It’s you, as a person, who is too fierce and dangerous.”

“That’s why you begged to marry me?” Li Rong glared at him, then quickened her pace, walking ahead.

Pei Wenxuan sensed that she was genuinely angry and didn’t retort further, touched his nose, quickly caught up, and continued, “Yes, yes, yes, I begged to marry Your Highness. However, Your Highness,” the playfulness in his voice faded, replaced by seriousness, “this humble minister has a matter to consult Your Highness about.”

“Speak!”

Li Rong coldly responded, and Pei Wenxuan chuckled lightly, looking at her with a hint of scrutiny, “I want to ask, when Your Highness called for Su Rongqing to oversee this case in the study earlier, what did you mean by that?”

Li Rong stopped in her tracks, and Pei Wenxuan held the palace lamp, turning to look at her, “Your Highness, how do you intend to oversee it? Do you plan to thoroughly investigate the case, summoning lord Su every day to follow up, or would you prefer to have lord Su come over for consultation every day, discussing the matter face to face?”

“Also,” Pei Wenxuan seemed to recall something, pondering seriously, “Princess, do you think it might be inappropriate for me to handle this case alone? How about princess and lord Su investigating together?”

Li Rong remained silent, lifting her eyes to look at Pei Wenxuan. He wore a smile on his face, while Li Rong spoke expressionlessly, “Pei Wenxuan.”

“Yes?” Pei Wenxuan raised an eyebrow, and Li Rong said in a cold tone, “Can you be any more insincere?”

Pei Wenxuan’s expression froze, and Li Rong lifted her hand, pinching a small section between her index finger and thumb. She brought it close to him and said seriously, “Take a good look, what is this?”

“What?” Pei Wenxuan furrowed his brows.

Li Rong, with a serious expression, said forcefully, “Your cunning mind!”

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