Chapter 26: Long Time No See, Brother Pei

Li Rong remained silent, gazing quietly at Su Rongqing.

Su Rongqing continued to be assessed by her without uttering a word.

After a long time, Li Rong spoke slowly, “I remember, the Su family has always been loyal to the emperor.”

“Yes,” Su Rongqing said steadily, “So I am just Su Rongqing, not representing the Su family.”

Li Rong understood Su Rongqing’s implication. She lightly tapped the small table, and outside, the noise of the street could be heard. Su Rongqing patiently awaited Li Rong’s response.

“Why choose to support the crown prince at this time?” Li Rong spoke slowly. Su Rongqing lowered his gaze, calmly and steadily saying, “The current emperor is in his prime and inclined towards war, causing great hardship to the people of Daxia. Now, favoring powerful ministers only exacerbates the people’s suffering. The crown prince is benevolent, advocating for external Confucianism and internal Daoism, focusing on preserving life. I am willing to see the world under such a ruler, hence I follow His Highness.”

“Why not speak directly to the crown prince?” Li Rong poured tea and asked, “Why tell me all this?”

“The crown prince is straightforward and cannot hide things. In my current position, I should not let the crown prince know.”

Li Rong understood.

Even though Su Rongqing represented himself, as a member of the Su family, if Li Ming found out that he had sided with the crown prince, Li Ming’s suspicions of the crown prince might deepen. Now that he had found an opportunity to express his stance to her, in the future, she could at least use Su Rongqing when planning for Li Chuan.

Li Rong listened without saying a word. Su Rongqing looked up in confusion, and he couldn’t help but ask, “Your Highness?”

“You don’t need to do all this,” Li Rong came back to her senses and said calmly, “The Su family has always been loyal throughout generations, and the emperor trusts you for this loyalty. You don’t have to pick sides. Just do your own job well. If something happens to the crown prince in the future, you can protect yourselves. If the crown prince ascends to the throne,” she looked at him, saying, “As long as you continue to do your job as you are now, as long as I am still here, the Su family will always be the Su family.”

Su Rongqing remained silent, seemingly deep in thought.

Seeing his apparent unease, Li Rong comforted him, “I say this not to reject your allegiance, but I feel,” she hesitated for a moment before speaking slowly, “Young master Su is a refined gentleman; it’s better not to get involved in these matters.”

Although she truly got to know Su Rongqing after his downfall, the Su Rongqing she knew and saw is the current political figure. However, she still remembers the faintly soft light in Su Rongqing’s eyes when he mentioned their youth.

She and Pei Wenxuan have returned, and people have not aged; that’s an inevitable fact. But watching the still youthful Su Rongqing in front of her, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of protectiveness.

When Su Rongqing received her words, he was momentarily lost in thought. Li Rong turned her hand, coughed lightly, and changed the topic, “Lord Su, please tell me about the situation of the Ministry of War’s account books.”

Upon hearing this, Su Rongqing came back to his senses, respectfully agreed, and recounted the current status of the Ministry of War’s accounts.

The two entered the Ministry of War one after the other. Su Rongqing had already arranged officials properly. When Li Rong entered the room where the accounts were kept, she pulled out all the relevant accounts for the northwest border and began to go through them with her team.

These accounts were numerous, and Li Rong stayed in the Ministry of War for two days. After two days, having completed the accounts, she immediately issued orders through the Ministry of Justice to collectively interrogate all relevant individuals.

At the same time, Li Rong also instructed Jinglan to arrange all personnel in the princess’s mansion and keep a close eye on any unusual activities in Taibai Yan’s mansion. She also asked Li Chuan daily about the situation of going to Jiulu Mountain.

She knew that in at most five days, there would definitely be news from the border. And these five days were the time she arranged everything.

Her actions were not too conspicuous. Checking accounts and interrogating officials were not fatal blows to the Yang family. Their official accounts on the surface could not have any problems. In the eyes of consort Ning, Li Rong’s actions might even seem to be heading in the wrong direction, and she was happy to see Li Rong acting like a headless fly.

As for Li Rong’s investigation into Taibai Yan, it was carried out quietly. Even Su Rongqing, who followed her daily in checking accounts, didn’t know that she was still holding onto Taibai Yan.

After four days of handling the case, Li Rong had almost cleared the entire process and amount of military funds allocated by the Yang family through the Ministry of War. Satisfied, holding the confessions, when she walked out of the Ministry of War, it was already midnight. Just as she left the main gate, Jinglan approached her and whispered, “Your Highness, Taibai Yan has been found.”

Hearing this, Li Rong smiled. She knew that Taibai Yan wouldn’t die so easily. Suppressing her emotions, she led the way forward and whispered as she walked, “Where is he?”

“He’s on the outskirts of the city, still being pursued.”

“I’ll go there immediately.”

With that, Li Rong arranged her people. One group pretended to escort her back to the princess’s mansion, while another group followed her in plain clothes, riding lightly and leaving the city directly.

After arriving at the outskirts of the city, there were people waiting there. Seeing Li Rong approaching, someone whispered, “Your Highness, we’ve captured him.”

Li Rong nodded and followed the group to a dilapidated house. The room was filled with covert guards, and in the middle, a big man was tied to a chair. He was soaked, covered in injuries, and looked very exhausted.

Li Rong walked up to the man, smiling, “Long time no see, sixth master.”

Taibai Yan, upon hearing the voice, lifted his head with difficulty, staring at Li Rong for a moment. Hoarsely, he said, “It’s you.”

“It’s me,” Li Rong nodded. “Sixth master, these days haven’t been easy for you, I presume. I thought you would have left Hua Jing, so why are you still lingering around here?”

“Who are you?”

Taibai Yan stared at Li Rong and asked directly, “What do you want?”

“You probably already know who I am,” Li Rong chuckled. “Now, I just want sixth master to help me out. Your account book alone isn’t enough. Sixth master, take a look, can it serve as personal evidence?”

“This is against the rules.”

Taibai Yan whispered, “Since the princess could find me here, she should know that our group can die, but we can’t violate the rules.”

“Sixth master, it was they who wanted to kill you first,” Li Rong spoke softly. “They tried to kill you, and you fought back. Can that be considered breaking the rules?”

Li Rong squatted down, smiling at Taibai Yan, “Sixth master, I know your rules. You can’t disclose anything about your guests. But if you have no intention of fighting back, why are you hiding these account books?”

“It’s just a threat,” Taibai Yan calmly said. “Once the threat is used, it’s no longer a threat.”

“You’re afraid that if you bring out the account books to supply the Yang family, those from other families who you have evidence against will kill you. But, sixth master, only if you have life, you have the chance to be killed.”

“Then, kill me.”

Taibai Yan spoke coldly, “In your hands, I never planned to live.”

“Sixth master, you’re joking. How could I kill you?” Li Rong spoke gently, “What you fear are the methods of the trading company, but do you think,” Li Rong’s hand gently rested on Taibai Yan’s shoulder, “the princess is not familiar with those?”

“Let me tell you a little secret, the matter of torture,” Li Rong leaned against Taibai Yan’s side, her voice soft, “the princess has studied it much more than your trading company. Come here.”

Li Rong stood up straight, saying lightly, “First, pull out his nails for me!”

With that, Li Rong walked to a chair that had already been cleaned, took a cup of tea from the side, and said with a smiling expression, “Sixth master, it’s almost dawn now. The trading company’s thirty-nine tortures may not be needed until tomorrow night. How about I add a few more for you?”

As soon as she finished speaking, Taibai Yan screamed in pain, and fresh blood fell on Li Rong’s skirt. Li Rong lowered her eyes, sipped her tea, and maintained a calm expression.

Beside them, Jinglan’s face turned pale. Li Rong said indifferently, “If you’re uncomfortable, you can leave.”

Taking her cue, Jinglan covered her mouth and hurriedly left. Li Rong held the tea cup and said calmly, “Sixth master, one cannot always live strictly by the rules. One must learn to adapt to the situation. If you go out now, you’ll die. Staying by my side, you still have a chance at survival. You may be tough today, enduring the thirty-nine tortures, but do you think dying will solve everything? Your wife is working as an embroiderer in Lushui Town, Lu Prefecture. Your son is at the age to enter school, and I heard you arranged a position for him. Next year, he wants to enroll in Fengshan Academy. There are many things to consider. Don’t be too stubborn. Think about it,” Li Rong lifted her eyes and smiled lightly, “think about it.”

After finishing her words, Li Rong turned and ordered, “Apply honey to him.”

As the voice fell, the sound of Taibai Yan came: “I surrender!”

Everyone froze, and Li Rong looked up at him. This person stared at her with bloodshot eyes and gritted his teeth: “I’ll give you a confession, but you must guarantee one thing.”

“Your wife will come to my side, and the child will enter the prestigious Fengshan Academy.” Li Rong knew what he wanted to say and said directly, “As long as you work in the princess’s residence honestly,” Li Rong stared at him, “I won’t mistreat my own people.”

Taibai Yan remained silent, breathing heavily, staring at Li Rong. After a long time, Li Rong raised her chin slightly: “Give him paper and pen.”

A servant nearby handed over paper and pen, Taibai Yan untied the ropes, and with trembling hands, he began to write a confession.

He wrote with great difficulty, and after finishing, handed it to Li Rong. After reading it once to confirm that the confession was in order, Li Rong instructed the people around to arrange Taibai Yan with Li Chuan. Only then did she get on the carriage, leading the way back to the princess’s residence.

She hadn’t slept all night, sitting in the carriage with her eyes closed, contemplating the current arrangements.

The evidence of the Yang family embezzling military funds on this side of Hua Jing was basically complete, with the military department’s accounts, Taibai Yan’s confession, and the private ledger. She had also obtained the confessions of all relevant parties. Now, all she needed was the border accounts.

As she was contemplating, suddenly the sound of horse hooves came from outside. Then her carriage abruptly stopped, and someone said, “Is this the carriage of princess Rong?”

Li Rong signaled to Jinglan, who lifted the curtain, and outside stood officials from the Ministry of Punishments. Jinglan frowned, “Who are you?”

“I am Wang Qing from the Supervisory Office. I bring an imperial edict. In recent days, princess Rong has abused her authority, acted arbitrarily under the pretext of investigating a case, oppressed loyal officials, and colluded with the suspect Pei Wenxuan. She is suspected of plotting harm to others. She is sentenced to one month of house arrest and is to be handed over to the Ministry of Punishments for further investigation into the case of Taibai Yan’s murder.”

Upon hearing this, Jinglan was stunned. She turned to look at Li Rong, who had lifted the curtain, not knowing how to speak.

Taibai Yan was in their hands. As long as they handed him over, Li Rong would not be able to enter the Ministry of Punishments, and Pei Wenxuan would be released. However, Li Rong remained silent, and Jinglan dared not say more. Looking at the man in front of her, Li Rong smiled gently and asked, “Does this princess need to be escorted over?”

Wang Qing respectfully stepped aside and said, “I will accompany Your Highness.”

Li Rong nodded and then commanded Jingmei inside the carriage, “You lead the way with the men, go over first, and clean up the prison cells.”

Jingmei respectfully responded and quickly left the carriage, leading her subordinates ahead. Li Rong returned to the carriage, closed her eyes, and remained silent.

Shortly after, she arrived at the prison cells of the Ministry of Punishments. Wang Qing walked ahead, showing great respect. Everyone understood that Li Rong’s visit to the Ministry of Punishments was merely a formality as long as Li Chuan remained in power.

“Wang Qing,” Li Rong spoke gently, “Can I choose where to stay in this cell?”

“Certainly,” Wang Qing, feeling nervous in Li Rong’s presence, eagerly replied, “Which room would Your Highness prefer?”

“May I stay in the room next to lord Pei?”

Li Rong smiled, “Having a familiar face nearby can help alleviate unnecessary anxiety.”

“Indeed, Your Highness,” Wang Qing flattered, “Princess and lord Pei are both implicated in the same case, so it’s appropriate for you to stay together.”

With that, Wang Qing led Li Rong to the end of the prison cells.

The cells at the end were specially arranged for high-ranking individuals, with a separate section and a few scattered cells. Besides Pei Wenxuan, lying inside and reading a book, there was no one else.

Pei Wenxuan, upon seeing Li Rong enter, stood up, placed the book on a small table, leaned against the wall, and grinned at Li Rong.

Observing him, Li Rong chose the cell next to Pei Wenxuan. After instructing someone to arrange it, she approached Pei Wenxuan. Pei Wenxuan scrutinized her from head to toe and joked, “Your Highness arrived so promptly. Could it be that you missed this humble servant?”

Li Rong burst into laughter, using her fan to cover half of her face. “It seems your sense of humor has improved during your time in the cell, lord Pei.”

“Fortunately,” Pei Wenxuan nodded seriously, “Your Highness initially promised to visit this humble servant daily. However, after waiting for these days without a trace of Your Highness, this humble servant has been daydreaming and unable to sleep well. Now that I see Your Highness, with thousands of words in my heart, it’s too turbulent. I might have offended you with my excessive emotions. I hope Your Highness forgives me.”

Li Rong was amused by Pei Wenxuan’s playfulness, continuing to laugh behind her fan.

Pei Wenxuan, seeing Li Rong’s joyful expression, understood that everything outside was under control. He whispered, “Is everything settled?”

“Two matters resolved, one to go.”

Li Rong spoke and glanced around, then whispered, “Let’s talk later.”

Jinglan and Jinglei brought things, cleaned up the entire prison cell, lit incense, prepared curtains, and covered the prison cell entrance. In less than a quarter of an hour, the entire cell looked similar to Li Rong’s usual bedroom. After everything was arranged, Jinglan and Li Rong agreed on a daily visitation time. Li Rong moved into the prison cell, and everyone else left.

Moments ago, the place was bustling with activity, but in an instant, only Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan remained. They were separated by a wall, and Pei Wenxuan leaned against it, asking, “Which matter is resolved?”

No one answered, and Pei Wenxuan found it strange. Just as he was about to ask again, a hand with red-painted nails extended a note toward him. Pei Wenxuan bent down to take the note, opened it, and saw Li Rong’s handwriting, saying, “Gathering evidence.”

“That’s not important,” Pei Wenxuan shook his head, looking to the side. Although he couldn’t see Li Rong, this action brought him some reassurance. “Where is he? Has His Highness arrived?”

“He’s still on the way.” Li Rong, seeing that Pei Wenxuan made no effort to conceal anything, knew that this place was safe. She didn’t bother with notes and spoke directly, “Is he someone who is easy to invite down from the mountain?”

“Not as expected.” Pei Wenxuan tore up the note, frowning as he asked Li Rong, “How do you think he was persuaded to come down in our previous lives? I remember it wasn’t this difficult.”

In the previous life, although Qin Lin also has been pursued by Quan, it didn’t feel so excessive. Now, Li Chuan has been inviting for four days, but there’s still no response. 

When Li Rong heard Pei Wenxuan asking this way, she also felt uneasy. She couldn’t help but say, “Could it be that we affected things by announcing it in advance?”

Just like when she organized a spring banquet and stirred up trouble with Yang Quan, now they had invited Qin Lin in advance…

“It shouldn’t be impossible to invite him, right?” Li Rong couldn’t help but doubt.

Pei Wenxuan hurriedly said, “Don’t jinx it.”

“What if we can’t invite him?” Li Rong completely ignored Pei Wenxuan’s restraint, frowned, and Pei Wenxuan, seeing that Li Rong was not listening to him at all, could only say, “What can we do? Accept it and move on.”

“Pei Wenxuan,” Li Rong, while listening to Pei Wenxuan’s indifferent words, tapped her hand with a fan and said slowly, “If Qin Lin doesn’t come down, I’ll send you to the northwest. Either bring the northwest back for me, or I’ll bury you there.”

Li Rong’s voice was very calm, but when she said the word “bury,” Pei Wenxuan sensed a hint of fierceness.

Pei Wenxuan felt a little chill in his heart, but he was not the kind of person who could be scared by such things. He cleared his throat and, somewhat embarrassed, said, “It’s mainly because you mind. If you don’t mind, I still have a way.”

“Such as?”

“After all, he is really…” Pei Wenxuan didn’t finish his sentence, and Li Rong interrupted, “Really what?”

Pei Wenxuan changed the topic, using a different title, “Miss Qin’er.”

“So what?”

While fanning herself, Li Rong’s voice carried a smile, but Pei Wenxuan always sensed a difficult-to-express chill. Pei Wenxuan didn’t know why, but he felt a bit panicked. Still, he forced himself to continue, “I think, I might still have some face?”

“Haha,” Li Rong couldn’t help but laugh, “What face does a man who’s been dumped have? Are you still concerned about your reputation?”

“The matter of me being dumped, she must have been forced to do it.”

“Pei Wenxuan, I’ve noticed that when it comes to personal matters, your abilities are mediocre, but your self-deception is exceptionally strong.” Li Rong couldn’t stand it anymore, tapping the ground with her fan. “Her feelings for Chuan are clear as day. What business do you have in this? Honestly, if it weren’t for her being wholeheartedly devoted to Chuan without any room for you, in the previous life, she dared to hide things from me because you helped her. If she dared to respond to you even a bit, I would have ruined her!”

“Your logic is flawed,” Pei Wenxuan listened to Li Rong seriously and said, “Her liking for His Highness happened later. When she broke off our engagement, I was still in mourning, and she hadn’t even met His Highness. She definitely broke off our engagement under family pressure.”

Listening to Pei Wenxuan’s words, Li Rong almost spat out blood. The key was, when did Qin Zhenzhen like Li Chuan? She didn’t like him at all! Breaking off the engagement was entirely voluntary, self-initiated, and a declaration of her own stance!

She took a deep breath, restraining her emotions. “Pei Wenxuan, you should be grateful that we’re both in prison now.”

“What if not?” Pei Wenxuan didn’t understand Li Rong’s words. He was still thinking about Qin Lin’s matter when he heard Li Rong’s threatening tone, “If these wooden bars weren’t separating us, I would have gouged out your eyes by now!”

Pei Wenxuan: “…”

He felt that Li Rong was unusually irritable. After a moment of silence, he cautiously said, “You are a princess, pay attention to your status. It’s not good to resort to violence.”

“It’s not good for me to resort to violence,” Li Rong sneered, “I’ll have someone else do it.”

“A girl should avoid getting involved in fights and violence,” Pei Wenxuan casually added, “Have a cup of tea, cool down, and we can continue our conversation.”

“I have nothing to talk to you about.”

Li Rong stood up, saying coldly, “I’m going to talk to Zhenzhen.”

“Why is your temper so bad today? I thought we’ve argued enough on this topic,” Pei Wenxuan sighed, then thought for a moment. “Have you been interrogating people lately?”

Li Rong’s movements paused, and when she didn’t reply, Pei Wenxuan understood.

Li Rong was accustomed to this. She easily lost control when she saw blood.

It was the same in the previous life. At that time, although she and he were allies, they still had their own considerations. Li Rong didn’t trust him, and many things wouldn’t pass through his hands, so he couldn’t help her.

Fortunately, this life is different. At least now, they are definitely standing on the same side.

Pei Wenxuan remained silent for a while, then spoke slowly, “I’ll handle this in the future. You don’t need to get involved.”

“No need,” Li Rong replied coldly, “It’s none of your business.”

“Consider it me treating you,” Pei Wenxuan sighed. He knew Li Rong was upset. He spoke gently, “Since we’re going to live together in the future, don’t always be so irritable. You interrogate people, make yourself uncomfortable, and when you come back, I become the target of your frustration. Isn’t that unfair to me?”

“I’m begging you, my princess,” Pei Wenxuan emphasized, “Give your humble servant a way out. Let me handle these things for you, okay?”

Li Rong sneered without answering. She walked to the bed, ready to lie down, when she heard voices outside.

Shortly after, Li Chuan entered with someone. Li Chuan was still wearing civilian clothes, clearly not coming directly from the palace. He hurried to the entrance of Li Rong’s cell and said, “Sister, I heard you were in trouble, so I rushed back from Jiulu Mountain. Are you okay?”

“Fine,” Li Rong nodded, “As expected, no need to worry. Did Qin Lin come to visit?”

“Not yet,” Li Chuan shook his head, then seemed to remember something and said, “But he should be here soon.”

Li Rong acknowledged with a sound, and then she heard footsteps from the side.

The person Li Chuan brought was dressed in a black cloak, with features hidden beneath it, making it impossible to see the face. As she entered, Li Rong noticed her, initially guessing her identity. However, when she saw the person walk in front of Pei Wenxuan’s cell, she had a pretty good idea.

Pei Wenxuan likely guessed the identity of the newcomer as well, but he remained silent, just watching quietly.

The person didn’t speak. She simply raised her delicate hand, removing the large hat, revealing her exquisite and elegant facial features.

She is not considered beautiful, but she gives people extreme comfort. In her plainness, there is a hint of tranquility. What is most rare is that ethereal aura—clearly existing in the mundane world, yet seemingly transcending the worldly matters.

Pei Wenxuan quietly watched her, as if unexpectedly, and yet as if he had long been aware.

The woman smiled gently, “Long time no see,” she spoke calmly, “Big brother Pei.”

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