Chapter 36: He Is Protecting Her, His Crown Princess Highness

On the eve of the wedding, the entire palace was bustling with activity. Everyone was busy, and no one could sleep well—except for Li Rong. She slept soundly until dawn, full of vitality and radiance.

She had nothing to worry about. The only thing that slightly concerned her was the message from the princess’s mansion last night, saying that Pei Wenxuan wanted to give her a gift and asked her not to thank him too much.

Upon hearing this, she felt a bit uneasy, always suspecting that Pei Wenxuan might do something unreliable. However, she decided to go with the flow and didn’t dwell on it too much.

In the early morning, she followed the procedures for dressing and grooming. After that, she went to pay respects to the empress dowager, the emperor, and the empress. After having lunch, she changed into her wedding gown and waited for the auspicious moment.

Everything was not much different from the previous life. The only difference was that in the previous life, she didn’t actually know who she was marrying. She felt anxious, anticipatory, and somewhat fearful of the future.

So, she always asked those around her about Pei Wenxuan—what kind of person he was, whether he really looked as handsome as in the paintings, how his family was, and so on.

Thinking about her past self, Li Rong couldn’t help but laugh. At this moment, the sound of the official singing auspicious words came from outside. Jinglan walked in, smiling, and said, “Princess, the auspicious moment has arrived. Please get up.”

Li Rong responded and raised a fan embroidered with golden peonies to shield her face.

The fan covered all her sightlines, and Li Rong felt someone supporting her from both sides as she stood up. She took steps forward, dressed in luxurious and heavy attire. If an ordinary person wore such garments, they would have already felt burdened, but Li Rong moved effortlessly. Her figure was like slender bamboo, her steps graceful, and her demeanor dignified and elegant, radiating a luxurious aura beyond the reach of ordinary people.

The heavenly family’s royal lineage, a prestigious family for a hundred years, the scholarly class in an even flow. On ordinary days, one might not discern any differences, but the moment they don traditional attire, one would perceive the subtle distinctions. Like brewing tea with clear spring water, the difference lies between the lips and teeth.

Li Rong followed the guidance of others, feeling as if she was walking on a soft red carpet. Petals seemed to fall around her, and she heard the congratulatory words chanted by the officials standing on both sides as she walked by. In the distance, joyful and distant music could be heard.

She walked for a long time, unsure where she had stopped. Beside her, Jinglan reminded, “Your Highness, we have reached the palace gates.”

Li Rong acknowledged, and then the official’s voice came, instructing her to express gratitude to the emperor and empress.

Assisted by a maid, Li Rong turned to face the elegantly dressed Li Ming and Shangguan Yue. Supported by others, she slowly knelt down, bowing to Li Ming and Shangguan Yue.

Her movements were steady, even when bowing with her head lowered, her ornaments remained motionless. Li Ming watched Li Rong bowing, his voice containing a hoarse tone, speaking the pre-prepared words of blessings. Then, the official sang again for the greeting to Shangguan Yue, and Li Rong bowed in the direction of Shangguan Yue once more.

Shangguan Yue looked at Li Rong, her eyes turning red, but she maintained her composure, reciting words of blessing for her daughter with a teary voice.

After the official finished the blessings, attendants helped Li Rong stand up. Just as she was about to leave following the maid’s lead, she felt someone approaching. Suddenly, someone grabbed her hand.

“Rong’er,” Shangguan Yue’s voice choked, “you must live well. Promise your mother; you must live well.”

Hearing these words, a sour feeling welled up in Li Rong. She restrained her emotions and gently replied, “Mother, do not worry. In the future, your child can come back every day to visit. It will be no different from before. Mother, please don’t be too saddened and lose your composure.”

Listening to Li Rong’s reassurance, Shangguan Yue slowly let go.

Li Rong turned around, supported by others, and approached the horse. She felt a pair of steady hands reaching out, holding her, and said, “Sister, I’m escorting you to the carriage.”

The wedding banquet would be held at the princess’s residence, and Pei Wenxuan would take the Pei family to the princess’s residence in advance to make arrangements.

Following the customs of Daxia, on the way from the palace to the princess’s residence, common people would stop the carriage. The palace would send someone ahead to scatter money to clear the way for these people, known as “Zhangche”. Li Rong thought there would be an official arranged for this role, but to her surprise, it was the crown prince himself who personally performed the Zhangche.

Li Rong didn’t know what was happening. She had lived for so many years, and she didn’t think she would be so emotional. However, when she heard Li Ming’s hoarse voice, felt Shangguan Yue holding her hand, and was helped into the carriage by Li Chuan, she suddenly felt as if she had returned to the age of eighteen.

She thought she had experienced countless affections and would be indifferent to the joy and sorrow caused by a few words from her family. Sitting in the carriage, as the palace gate creaked open, she tried hard to control her emotions, reminding herself of things that would make her calm and happy.

For example, after the palace gate opened, Pei Wenxuan would be standing in front of it, waiting for her.

That scoundrel Pei Wenxuan would say something pleasant to her shortly.

In fact, welcoming the bride should have been the task of Pei Wenxuan’s brothers. Pei Wenxuan could have knelt at the princess’s residence gate with his family to welcome her.

However, in the previous life, Pei Wenxuan didn’t have reliable brothers. He didn’t dare to entrust such a big event to his brothers, or perhaps none of his brothers was willing to handle it. So, Pei Wenxuan did it himself. He wrote a widely circulated poem, “Yin Feng Ci,” reciting it as a congratulatory poem at the palace gate. The gist was that marrying her was a blessing from heaven, and he wouldn’t dare to waste this blessing, so he came personally to welcome her.

At that time, she didn’t think much about it. Now, looking back, it was quite absurd logic.

She was in the bridal sedan, listening to his poetry, feeling shy yet joyful, without giving it much thought.

If she had thought about it more at the time, she would have realized how difficult it was for Pei Wenxuan back then.

Without any family support, why would he seek attention in such a flamboyant way?

Thinking about this, Li Rong suddenly felt a bit sorry for Pei Wenxuan. This sentiment slightly diluted her sadness. She took a deep breath and heard the curtain in front being lifted. Then, a familiar voice came from the front, “This humble minister, Su Rongqing, on behalf of my righteous younger brother, Pei Wenxuan, welcomes princess Rong.”

Hearing this, Li Rong widened her eyes. She stood frozen in place, and then Su Rongqing began reciting the words of praise penned by Pei Wenxuan.

Su Rongqing’s arrival meant that Pei Wenxuan wouldn’t write another “Yin Feng Ci” as he did in the previous life. Instead, they followed the proper etiquette, with Su Rongqing reciting a composed piece in a calm manner.

From the initial surprise, Li Rong quickly regained her composure. She listened to Su Rongqing praising her, and at the end, she heard a pause in his voice, but he quickly continued, “Yearning, one can chase after the sun and moon; a promise made, next year under the peach blossoms.”

This was Pei Wenxuan incorporating the love poem Su Rongqing had given her in the previous life into the composed piece. Although the composed piece wasn’t written by Su Rongqing, it carried his influence.

Li Rong couldn’t quite describe her feelings—regret, bitterness, mixed with a bit of unspeakable helplessness, and faint, indescribable fulfillment.

In the previous life, she had been accompanied by Su Rongqing for twenty-five years, and she couldn’t understand the nature of their relationship. However, occasionally, there was a hint of regret.

She felt that perhaps Su Rongqing should have a proper status.

But this regret seemed to be filled, and yet, at the same time, bidding farewell in an intangible way in this moment. With these complex emotions accumulating layer by layer, she found her mind unusually restless.

Fortunately, she didn’t need to do much. She held the folding fan in her hand, sitting quietly in the carriage. After the official and Su Rongqing went through the scripted dialogue, the curtain in front of her was lowered.

Before the curtain was lowered, she quietly lowered the folding fan, then saw Su Rongqing not far away. He was just as she remembered, dressed in white with a jade crown, quietly watching her carriage. He seemed to sense her glance, and Li Rong quickly resumed her composure, feeling a bit flustered.

Fortunately, the carriage moved slowly forward, allowing her not to panic. Just as the surrounding people started making noise, loudly calling her name, she kept her eyes straight ahead. Li Chuan in the front seemed to be happy, throwing money and saying auspicious words, asking the people to make way.

By dusk, she finally arrived at the princess’s residence. Sitting in the carriage, she heard the familiar voice of Pei Wenxuan: “Pei Wenxuan, a humble official, greets Your Highness.”

As he spoke, a group of people could be heard kneeling down.

Li Rong remained still. The curtain in front was pulled open, and then maids approached, supporting her on either side as she got off the carriage. Pei Wenxuan then came forward, handing her a piece of red silk. Leading her, he walked into the hall, with maids on either side supporting her.

Then they stood side by side, each holding a piece of red silk. Pei Wenxuan lowered his voice and asked, “Do you like the gift I gave you?”

“Let’s talk about it later.”

Hearing a hint of self-congratulation in his tone, Li Rong felt anger rising but controlled her emotions, warning him in a cold voice.

Pei Wenxuan’s heart skipped a beat, sensing an ominous feeling. However, after careful consideration, he thought that Li Rong might be upset temporarily, and this was something he needed to guide her through. Blaming him now was normal, and once things were explained, she would understand.

He sighed silently, listening to the ritual official’s announcements. Just like in the previous life, they paid respects to heaven, earth, the sovereign, and parents, and then faced each other in obeisance.

Pei Wenxuan vividly remembered that in the last life, when they faced each other, Li Rong’s phoenix crown had poked his head. So, this time, he was prepared and stood a bit farther away from her.

Feeling the fiery intent in Li Rong’s heart to vent, she bent over more than usual, trying to make the phoenix crown poke him a bit, just like in the last life. However, Pei Wenxuan had to endure and didn’t dare to move in public. She even warned him in a suppressed voice when he attempted to step back slightly, “Dare you?!”

In the public eye, he couldn’t risk making any more moves, so he reluctantly took the hit from Li Rong’s phoenix crown.

Feeling satisfied after poking him, Li Rong stood up and was led to the backyard by a maid. Pei Wenxuan was finally released to accompany the guests. He couldn’t help but raise his hand to cover his forehead where the phoenix crown had poked him. Li Chuan walked up behind him and glanced at him, saying, “Why are you covering your head? Is your brain damaged?”

Pei Wenxuan: “…”

These siblings were truly adept at teasing people, no wonder they were born from the same womb.

“Your Highness is joking,” Pei Wenxuan lowered his hand, “Please take your seat first, I will come to attend to you shortly.”

“Why attend?!” Li Chuan rolled up his sleeves, “Come, today, I’ll entertain them for you. You control yourself, absolutely don’t get drunk before meeting my sister.”

Saying that, Li Chuan pulled Pei Wenxuan along. Alongside Su Rongqing, who had already been chatting with others, they invited everyone to their seats.

Today, almost all the civil and military officials were present. Su Rongqing was the assistant Pei Wenxuan invited, and with Li Chuan by his side, nobody dared to trouble Pei Wenxuan for now. However, the guests were pouring in, and Su Rongqing and Li Chuan were the first to succumb to alcohol. This left Pei Wenxuan alone, toasting at the last table.

Initially, he took it slowly, but when Su Rongqing and Li Chuan left, and with no one to advise him otherwise, he started downing the drinks one after another. Despite being intoxicated, he maintained a smiling face, looking calm as if nothing was wrong. After completing the rounds of toasts, everyone marveled at Pei Wenxuan’s remarkable drinking capacity.

Pei Wenxuan couldn’t tell if he was truly drunk or not. His face always wore a smile, and he seemed composed, giving the appearance of someone completely unaffected. After finishing the rounds, to everyone’s surprise, Pei Wenxuan seemed fine. After exchanging pleasantries with everyone, he went to see Li Chuan and Su Rongqing resting on the side. Su Rongqing had recovered a bit, but Li Chuan was still holding his head in discomfort. Pei Wenxuan looked at the two and couldn’t help but say, “You two rest for a while. I’ll be heading back.”

Su Rongqing nodded silently, waving his hand without saying anything. After a moment’s hesitation, Pei Wenxuan bowed and said, “Thank you, brother Su, for today.”

“Go on.”

Su Rongqing finally spoke, only adding, “Don’t let down the beautiful lady.”

Pei Wenxuan smiled, “I won’t consider myself letting her down.”

Hearing his words, Su Rongqing looked a bit bewildered. Pei Wenxuan bowed and turned to Li Chuan, “Your Highness, I’ll take my leave.”

“Treat my sister well,” Li Chuan’s voice was hoarse, “I only have one sister. Treat her well, understand?”

Hearing this, even if Pei Wenxuan knew Li Chuan was speaking under the influence of alcohol, he still raised his hand before him and solemnly bowed, “I will follow your command.”

Li Chuan felt uncomfortable, turning his head and waving his hand to signal Pei Wenxuan to leave quickly.

Led by a servant holding a lantern, Pei Wenxuan was guided to the backyard. Although he was familiar with the princess’s residence, everyone treated it as his first visit, carefully guiding him. It felt somewhat novel to him.

At the entrance, he saw Jinglan and Jingmei standing guard. When they noticed him, both of them smiled, lips sealed, a scene that instantly overlapped with the past life, leaving Pei Wenxuan momentarily stunned.

The maid beside him called softly, “Lord Husband?”

Pei Wenxuan snapped out of his daze, nodding, “Announce my arrival.”

“Your Highness,” Jinglan turned to the inside, “Lord Husband has arrived.”

“Come in.”

Li Rong’s voice came from inside, and for some reason, as soon as Pei Wenxuan heard her voice, he felt a bit nervous.

Jinglan pushed open the door, leading Pei Wenxuan inside. A group of people followed, carrying many plates and standing beside them.

Pei Wenxuan was led to Li Rong. Looking at the girl in front of him, she was wearing a different wedding dress than in the past life. The peonies were replaced with phoenix patterns. This change made him feel that this wedding was not a mere repetition but a completely new and different ceremony. Because it was similar yet different from Pei Wenxuan’s memory, he suddenly felt a bit excited. As he looked at Li Rong, he couldn’t help but be a little dazed.

Everyone exchanged smiles, and a maid brought the first plate, containing brushes, ink, and paper, placing it in front of Pei Wenxuan.

“Dear husband,” Li Rong respectfully said, “please compose a poem for me.”

When Pei Wenxuan heard this, he came back to his senses. Li Rong held the fan and said lightly, “Write well. If it’s not good, It’ll make you look bad.”

Upon hearing this, the girls in the room burst into laughter. Pei Wenxuan felt somewhat helpless. He took a pen, hesitated for a moment, and then began to write.

Half awake, half drunk, half a lifetime of dreams,

Bright moon, clear heart, understanding this moment.

If I could have the beauty’s half glance back,

The green mountains would not age, and I would not leave.

Pei Wenxuan originally intended to write casually, but once he started writing, he found it difficult to control himself. After finishing these lines, a maid came to take the paper. Pei Wenxuan couldn’t help but press down on the page. The maid raised an eyebrow in confusion, “Lord husband?”

Pei Wenxuan froze and didn’t move. He felt a bit embarrassed, as if someone had peeked into his inner thoughts. The current action also seemed awkward.

He remained still, and the maid dared not move. Li Rong, seeing no movement, directly asked, “Is the poem done?”

“Reporting to Your Highness, it’s done.”

The maid said and looked at Pei Wenxuan, cautiously asking, “Lord husband?”

Pei Wenxuan withdrew his hand somewhat awkwardly. Li Rong already knew he had finished writing, and rewriting would seem too deliberate.

Typically, poems praised the beauty of the girl. Pei Wenxuan felt a bit awkward starting with vows of eternal love. Especially with lines like “half awake, half drunk, half a lifetime of dreams,” Li Rong wondered if it hinted at something from their past lives.

The more Pei Wenxuan thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. He didn’t dare to think too much, pretending to be calm as he waited for Li Rong to take the poem. Li Rong, holding the fan in one hand and the poem in the other, rarely saw Pei Wenxuan write such poems. It was below his usual standard, but for some reason, when she read it, she couldn’t help but be moved.

Perhaps it was the line “half awake, half drunk, half a lifetime of dreams” that made her empathize, or maybe it was the line “The green mountains would not age, and I would not leave” that sparked a certain longing.

Li Rong suppressed her emotions, smiled, and said, “Indeed, not bad.”

Saying this, Li Rong slowly put down the fan.

The first to be revealed were her eyes, a pair of lively and beautiful eyes, seemingly phoenix-shaped, with a hint of a smile.

The smile was different from the previous life. In the last life, at this moment, she looked at him with shyness mixed with joy. Now, as she looked at him, it was as if they were old acquaintances, with a faint teasing tone.

Next was her high-bridged nose, colored thin lips, and the overall contour of her face, a combination of beauty and nobility. Pei Wenxuan couldn’t help but be somewhat stunned for a moment.

The maid beside her wanted to laugh but dared not. Li Rong, seeing Pei Wenxuan silent for a long time, couldn’t help but laugh, “Is the lord satisfied?”

“Satisfied.” Pei Wenxuan instinctively came back to his senses and blurted out.

People around burst into laughter. Li Rong picked up the peanuts from the bed and threw them at him, laughing, “Bold, daring to speak to this princess like that.”

Pei Wenxuan listened to Li Rong’s laughter, slowly coming back to his senses. He hurriedly said, “I was wrong,” and bowed with a smile, “I hope the princess forgives me.”

“Too lazy to say more to you.”

Li Rong scolded him with a glance, stood up, and a maid brought a plate over. Li Rong lifted her wine cup, raised her chin towards Pei Wenxuan, and he lowered his head, smiling softly. They walked toward each other, picked up their wine cups, and, in front of everyone, intertwined their hands, raising the cups to their lips.

Pei Wenxuan glanced at Li Rong, who was within arm’s reach, and when she saw him looking at her, she raised an eyebrow, “What are you looking at?”

“A beauty offering wine,” Pei Wenxuan smiled gently, “how can I not look at a beauty?”

“How about having a few more drinks?” Li Rong asked with a smile. “Shall I fetch you a whole jar?”

“Let’s not, let’s not,” Pei Wenxuan hurriedly said, “one cup is enough.”

After saying that, they both finished their drinks.

Following the procedure, they exchanged some auspicious words and finally completed the entire process. Everyone withdrew from the room.

As everyone withdrew, the two of them suddenly felt deflated. Li Rong’s entire body relaxed as she sat directly on the edge of the bed, leaning against the bed railing, and sighed, “So tired.”

Pei Wenxuan sat down beside her, leaning on the other side, and sighed, “Me too.”

The two remained silent for a while. After some time, Li Rong couldn’t help but say, “Why didn’t they help me take off the phoenix crown and change my clothes, so I could sleep comfortably?”

“Probably a husband’s duty.”

Pei Wenxuan blurted out, and when Li Rong heard this, she couldn’t help but look at him.

Sensing Li Rong’s gaze, Pei Wenxuan turned to look at her, and in that eye contact, he felt an ominous premonition, “What do you want to do?”

“Do you know how heavy my phoenix crown is?”

“You know,” Pei Wenxuan pointed to his own headpiece, “how heavy mine is?”

“Is it heavier than mine?”

After Li Rong asked, Pei Wenxuan fell silent. Li Rong leaned against the bed railing and beckoned, “Quick, come and take it off.”

“Lazy princess.”

Pei Wenxuan groaned in agony, but he resigned himself to it. After all, they didn’t want to call someone else to help them with undressing at this point.

Summoning the last bit of energy, Pei Wenxuan first took off his own headpiece, removed the heavy outer garment, then climbed onto the bed. Kneeling behind Li Rong, he began to dismantle the phoenix crown.

It wasn’t his first time doing this; he vaguely remembered the procedure from the last time. Yawning intermittently, he worked on dismantling the crown.

Li Rong felt him struggling with the phoenix crown behind her. Holding on to the last trace of consciousness, she asked with difficulty, “Pei Wenxuan.”

“Hmm?”

“Why did you let Su Rongqing come to pick me up?”

“Can we discuss this tomorrow?”

Pei Wenxuan took off Li Rong’s phoenix crown, along with various fixed hairpins, placing them on the table.

Li Rong leaned on the bed, watching the exhausted Pei Wenxuan return. She continued, “Pei Wenxuan.”

Pei Wenxuan hadn’t sat on the bed yet, only responding, “Hmm?”

“I still have wedding dress to take off.”

“Do I have to take off my clothes too?” Pei Wenxuan turned around with a pained expression. “Can’t you undress yourself?”

“I’m really exhausted,” Li Rong turned to look at him. “And as you said, it’s the husband who should help.”

Pei Wenxuan choked up. Li Rong stared at him, her eyes showing a somewhat pitiful look. Pei Wenxuan sighed and could only say, “Stand up.”

Li Rong stood up with his support. Pei Wenxuan helped her remove the belt first, then grabbed all the clothes and pulled them off together, leaving only a single shirt inside.

Li Rong felt instantly relieved and collapsed onto the bed.

Pei Wenxuan held a pile of clothes, looking at Li Rong who had voluntarily climbed onto the bed. He felt a fatigue he had never experienced before and couldn’t help but ask, “You sleep on the bed, where do I sleep?”

“Sleep wherever you want.”

Li Rong got into the bed, “This princess wants to rest.”

He wanted to rest too!

Pei Wenxuan, thinking that he had to sleep on the floor at this time, felt a sense of despair.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, after arranging Li Rong’s clothes, he turned to open the cabinet. Hearing Pei Wenxuan rummaging through the cabinet, Li Rong thought for a moment, stuck her head out, and looked at Pei Wenxuan, saying, “Why don’t you sleep together?”

Pei Wenxuan froze, hesitatingly said, “Isn’t that… not good?”

Li Rong thought about it. She didn’t mind, but Pei Wenxuan was still very cautious in such matters. Although they agreed to be allies, Pei Wenxuan would probably remain pure. Even though her idea was just to share a bed, Pei Wenxuan might consider sharing the same bed as a violation of his chastity.

So Li Rong decided to respect him and said, “Oh, then I’ll rest first.”

After saying that, Li Rong closed her eyes and fell asleep. She was really too tired and exhausted.

Pei Wenxuan, with his back to Li Rong, felt somewhat surprised. Is it over just like this?

Isn’t Li Rong going to persuade him further?

In fact, he really… really wanted to sleep on the bed.

He was truly exhausted now and had no desire to sleep on the floor at all. He could guarantee not to touch Li Rong even with a single finger, absolutely not crossing any boundaries. The steady sound of Li Rong’s breathing quickly reached him. After hesitating for a moment, Pei Wenxuan made a momentous decision.

He decided to sleep on the bed.

Even if Li Rong kicked him off, he was determined to sleep on the bed.

Making this decision, he suddenly felt much lighter in his heart. Hugging the blanket, he happily returned to the bed. The bed was quite large. Li Rong curled up inside, wrapping herself in the blanket, a small figure without her usual bold and proud demeanor, looking pitiful and cute.

An invisible softness slowly unfolded in Pei Wenxuan’s heart. He spread a blanket on the outer edge and then slept inside it.

There was a considerable distance between them. He was on the outer edge, seemingly shielding her from all storms, creating a small world just for her.

For a moment, he suddenly had a sweet, proud, indescribable feeling, even something he hadn’t realized about himself.

He felt like he was protecting her.

His princess, the grand princess.

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