Chapter 39: The Pei Family Receives Guests
The two of them went directly from the palace to the Pei residence.
Normally, according to the customs, a newlywed bride should serve tea to her in-laws on the morning of the second day. However, as Li Rong was a princess, and Li Ming wanted to show his favor towards her, the meeting with the Pei family was postponed to the afternoon, as Li Ming hosted a court banquet in the morning.
After discussing matters in the carriage on their way from the court, they intended to take a short nap. Unexpectedly, they arrived directly at the Pei residence. As Pei Wenxuan helped Li Rong down from the carriage and stepped through the gate, he couldn’t help but whisper, “Do you remember my family?”
“I remember,” Li Rong replied quickly, “Your second uncle, Pei Lixian, is a smiling tiger. Your third uncle, Pei Liwen, is a bit of a simpleton. You have three male cousins, one extremely jealous, one lacking morals, and one called Rabbit Lord. Your mother…”
“That’s enough.” Pei Wenxuan was afraid she would continue to criticize his whole family, so he quickly stopped her, “I know you remember very clearly. I won’t introduce them anymore, except for my mother, feel free.”
Li Rong looked up at him, and Pei Wenxuan, trying to please her, quickly smiled, “I’ll give you a shoulder massage when we go back.”
“In that case, I’ll give master Pei this face.” Li Rong laughed upon hearing Pei Wenxuan’s offer.
Led by servants, the two entered the main hall. Upon entering, Li Rong saw a group of people standing up. Led by Pei Liwen, they all paid their respects to Li Rong. Li Rong nodded and gestured for everyone to sit. She was then guided to the main seat in the first row on the left side.
Pei Wenxuan sat next to Li Rong, Pei Lixian sat opposite her, and Pei Wenxuan’s mother, Wen Shi, and Pei Wenxuan’s grandfather sat on the upper side, on the left and right, respectively. madam Wen’s chair was slightly lower to distinguish her status from Pei Wenxuan’s grandfather, Pei Xuanqing.
In such a formal setting, Li Rong seemed somewhat uncomfortable. Sitting beside madam Wen, although Li Rong didn’t do anything out of the ordinary, madam Wen felt an intangible sense of pressure. She looked to Pei Wenxuan for help, and he quickly said, “Mother, this is princess Li Rong. Don’t be restrained. Today is a family banquet. Just chat with Her Highness.”
Madam Wen nodded with a forced smile, trying to ease the tension. Li Rong noticed the discomfort and decided to break the ice, “Madam Wen, you have a splendid residence. It’s a pleasure to be here.”
Madam Wen, feeling a bit more at ease with Li Rong’s friendly words, replied, “Thank you, Your Highness. We are honored to have you here. If there’s anything you need, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
The atmosphere gradually eased, and the family banquet continued, with everyone engaging in polite conversation and enjoying the feast.
When Wen Shi heard this, he relaxed a bit. Li Rong smiled without saying a word, quietly observing everyone’s scrutiny.
These glances were something she was accustomed to, but the Pei family was a bit exaggerated this time. People from all walks of life, even the maids and servants from the inner courtyard, crowded into every gap to sneak a peek at Li Rong.
Pei Wenxuan felt a bit awkward. In the previous life, the situation was almost the same. He remembered that at that time, Li Rong had made some jokes about him. He quickly turned his head to look outside and whispered, “Clear the yard. How come anyone can just come over?”
The servants nearby, catching his words, subconsciously glanced at Pei Lixian. Pei Lixian cleared his throat lightly, and only then did the steward go out to clear the people.
Li Rong glanced at Pei Wenxuan and then turned to Pei Lixian, saying, “It seems that Master Pei is in charge at home.”
“My older brother is not here,” Pei Lixian respectfully replied. “Madam is usually in good health, so I assist in managing things.”
“I see,” Li Rong nodded. “That’s hard work then.”
Pei Lixian remained composed and respectfully said, “It’s what should be done.”
As they discussed this topic, everyone present felt a bit uneasy, afraid that Li Rong, being unaware of the situation, would propose the idea of Pei Wenxuan being in charge, causing conflicts. It was impossible for Pei Wenxuan to manage, but Li Rong, being a princess, might create some conflict.
Pei Xuanqing also noticed this trend and cleared his throat, looking at Li Rong. “How has the princess been today? Were you tired yesterday?”
Pei Xuanqing was no longer in the court now, but he had once held the position of a high-ranking official. Although not comparable to Pei Lixian, he had experienced government affairs. Additionally, due to his old age, he took the initiative to set aside Li Rong’s princess identity, treating her as part of the family during the banquet.
Li Rong smiled and nodded slightly, saying, “Unfortunately.”
The conversation became concise, making it a bit difficult for others to continue. Everyone realized that Li Rong was not an easy person to deal with, not a docile one. Feeling a bit at a loss, Pei Lixian smiled and suggested, “How about we serve tea first? You must have been exhausted yesterday with the wedding, and today there’s a banquet in the palace. Your Highness must be tired. Wenxuan, you should be more considerate and take care of the princess.”
Pei Lixian’s words pleased Li Rong quite a bit. She glanced at Pei Wenxuan, who smiled and stood up, leading Li Rong forward to serve tea to Pei Xuanqing and Wen Shi.
Li Rong didn’t need to kneel while serving tea. Just presenting it was enough. However, in the previous life, fearing that her status might make the Pei family uncomfortable, and wanting to avoid any conflict in the future with Pei Wenxuan, she had chosen to kneel to Wen Shi and Pei Xuanqing following the customs of a regular newlywed. Looking back now, she found her youthful and naive behavior quite ridiculous.
In a family like the Pei’s, showing any signs of weakness would only invite trouble. Being in a higher position, there was no need to lower oneself; having power and not asserting it would be foolish.
After Li Rong finished serving tea, Wen Shi and Pei Xuanqing handed her red envelopes. Then, Pei Wenxuan led Li Rong on a tour, introducing each person one by one.
Li Rong’s imposing presence made the Pei family members speechless. They hastily handed over red envelopes and uttered a few auspicious words before urging Li Rong to move on.
The entire process went by quickly. After the tour, the atmosphere became silent. No one dared to chat. Li Rong took a sip of tea, turned to Pei Wenxuan, and asked, “Is there anything else?”
Pei Wenxuan looked at Pei Lixian and asked, “Uncle, are there any other formalities?”
“Not anymore.”
“Then let’s go.” Li Rong lazily said, “This princess is tired.”
Her words sounded as casual as if she were planning to visit any other household for a meal. The Pei family members’ faces didn’t look good. Pei Wenxuan remained composed, helped Li Rong up, then turned to Pei Xuanqing, saying, “Grandfather,” and looked at Wen Shi, “mother, I’ll take my leave.”
Pei Xuanqing’s expression wasn’t pleasant, Wen Shi was stunned for a moment, and Li Rong nodded slightly towards everyone before walking out.
Wen Shi then realized and hurriedly stood up, saying, “Don’t… aren’t you staying here for the night?”
According to Wen Shi’s expectation, even if they were welcoming a princess, after the formalities, Li Rong should spend a night in the Pei residence as a guest. After all, although Pei Wenxuan was marrying a princess, even it wasn’t a marriage of the princess entering the family; there should be some dignity to uphold.
Originally, Wen Shi didn’t have the courage to say such things. It was the wives of the second and third households who influenced her, making her feel that if the two of them just left like this, it would be a bit embarrassing. So now, seeing Li Rong leading Pei Wenxuan away, Wen Shi couldn’t help but speak up.
Li Rong stopped in her tracks and looked at Pei Wenxuan.
Knowing Wen Shi’s temperament, Li Rong understood that she cared about face. She had promised Pei Wenxuan to give face to Wen Shi, so she didn’t directly refuse. Instead, she looked at Pei Wenxuan, then glanced at Wen Shi, and smiled, “It’s not impossible. I’ll listen to Wenxuan.”
Hearing this, Wen Shi instantly felt relieved and looked at Pei Wenxuan, saying, “Wenxuan, then…”
“Mother,” Pei Wenxuan knew how Li Rong had phrased it. If he dared to stay, she would surely scold him. So, Pei Wenxuan smiled and said, “There are still many matters to arrange in the princess’s residence. I will come back to accompany you another day. When things settle down a bit, the princess and I will visit you together.”
Wen Shi’s expression stiffened a bit, but with the conversation reaching this point, she couldn’t say much. She could only stutter, “Then… then you two go ahead and be busy.”
Pei Wenxuan and the others bowed, then left together with Li Rong.
Once on the carriage, Li Rong yawned and said, “Finally, we can rest.”
Looking at Pei Wenxuan, who was lost in thought on the opposite side, she asked, “What are you thinking? Are you feeling like I embarrassed you?”
“No,” Pei Wenxuan snapped out of his thoughts, laughing, “Isn’t that what should be done?”
“Oh?” Li Rong became curious, propping her chin up and asking, “Don’t you feel embarrassed?”
“You have your own life,” Pei Wenxuan poured tea, calmly saying, “You shouldn’t feel wronged just because you married me. Live your life the way you want; they can’t do anything to you.”
“About your mother…”
“I’ll handle it myself. You married me, not her.”
“I suddenly realized,” as Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan talked, Li Rong pondered and said, “Actually, marrying you is quite comfortable. If I were to marry into those noble families like Lu Yusheng, they have so many rules. Even if my husband accepts me, their elders won’t. Tomorrow, they might just submit a petition to the emperor…”
Before she could finish, Li Rong suddenly remembered, “Wait, Pei Lixian won’t submit a petition tomorrow, right?”
“What petition?” Pei Wenxuan smiled, “Are you saying because you left right after drinking tea?”
“Well, yes.”
Li Rong nodded, “I gave them face, but they couldn’t handle it themselves.”
As they spoke, the two couldn’t help but laugh. Just thinking about Li Rong standing in front of those relatives, scaring them to want her to leave, made them quite happy.
Li Rong fanned herself and cheerfully said, “Today finally had something pleasant. But about the Pei family,” Li Rong glanced at him, “when do you plan to take it back?”
“When it’s time to take it back,” Pei Wenxuan picked up his teacup and sipped, calmly saying, “then I’ll take it back.”
Li Rong acknowledged with a sound.
The two chatted all the way back to the princess’s residence, then returned to their room together. They instructed the servants not to disturb them, planning to have a good night’s sleep.
Pei Wenxuan originally thought of sleeping on the floor, but there was only one extra mattress in the room. When he asked for another, the servant looked puzzled and said, “Is the son-in-law feeling cold? Why so many mattresses?”
Pei Wenxuan was momentarily speechless, so he didn’t ask for more and went back to the room directly.
As he entered the room, he saw that Li Rong had already removed her makeup, taken off her outer clothes, and was about to crawl into bed. Li Rong was sleeping on the inner side, and on the outer side of the bed was the blanket he had brought over last night, neatly folded and placed aside.
Seeing him come in, Li Rong raised her head and glanced at him, “What, didn’t get a mattress?”
“They asked if I was cold.”
Pei Wenxuan felt somewhat helpless, walked to the basin to wash his hands, and said, “I’m not good at answering, so I came back.”
“Then just go to sleep,” Li Rong lay tersely, supporting her head, lifting her hand gently on her hip, and said softly, “Anyway, I believe lord Pei is a righteous and virtuous man. Even if he’s the reincarnation of Liu Xiaohui, I don’t mind. What does lord Pei mind?”
“You are…” Pei Wenxuan felt somewhat helpless, “Can you please…”
“Can I be more reserved?” Li Rong turned over, elongated her voice, “Can’t you phrase it differently? Whether I am reserved or not, don’t you know?”
“Li Rong!”
Pei Wenxuan sternly called her name, and Li Rong stopped playing around. She lay on the bed and said, “Alright, there will be many days ahead. Can you sleep on the floor every day? Changing the beddings every day, sending them out for cleaning, and tidying up the blankets every morning. Isn’t that tiring for you?”
Pei Wenxuan hesitated for a moment, and Li Rong closed her eyes, saying, “Alright, let’s sleep. We’ve slept together before. Lord Pei, don’t create problems for yourself.”
After Li Rong finished speaking, she closed her eyes and fell asleep. Pei Wenxuan hesitated for a moment, then took off his outer garment and walked over. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he hesitated for a moment, then lay down on the bed. After thinking for a while, he said, “You can rest assured, I’m not interested in you.”
Li Rong turned her back to him and chuckled. Pei Wenxuan furrowed his brows, “What are you laughing at?”
Li Rong turned her head, each with their own blanket, hands cushioned under their faces, and said with a smile, “You’re not interested in me, but what if I’m interested in you?”
“Nonsense.” Pei Wenxuan blushed instantly, turned over, and said, “You’re not teasing me seriously.”
“Pei Wenxuan,” Li Rong propped up her head and looked at him, “I’ve found that you, in this lifetime, easily get embarrassed.”
“Who is like you,” Pei Wenxuan closed his eyes, “no shame or embarrassment.”
“People have desires, why should I be ashamed?” Li Rong spoke openly. Pei Wenxuan covered his ears and urged her, “Let’s go to sleep, let’s go to sleep.”
Li Rong laughed as she looked at him. Seeing him with his back turned, she chuckled for a while. Somehow, she found teasing Pei Wenxuan like this extremely amusing.
After watching for a while, she also felt tired. She closed her eyes and lay down. Pei Wenxuan slowly opened his eyes, looking ahead, reminding himself repeatedly.
Li Rong is a playful person; one shouldn’t take things seriously.
Chapter 40: The Casino
Both of them were exhausted, and when they woke up, it was already early the next morning. Having slept for a long time, they woke up hungry. After Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan woke up and freshened up, they immediately had breakfast.
Most of the people in the princess’s residence were familiar to Li Rong, and Pei Wenxuan had known them from his previous life. However, starting anew in this life, even though he was aware in his heart, on the surface, he had to pretend to meet them for the first time.
After breakfast, the two spent the morning getting familiar with the personnel in the princess’s residence. Only then did they have some time alone.
Pei Wenxuan’s marriage leave was a total of nine days. He would return to his normal court duties after nine days. Having met the people they needed to see, with some time left, Li Rong thought for a moment and said to Pei Wenxuan, “Shall we go visit Shangguan Ya first?”
Currently, Li Rong was most concerned about Li Chuan’s wedding. Pei Wenxuan didn’t object and immediately called for a carriage. Together, they headed towards the Shangguan residence.
On the way, Pei Wenxuan wrote some notes. While writing, he couldn’t help but ask, “How did you know she’s here?”
“I had people keep tabs on her since before the wedding,” Li Rong lazily replied, sitting on the side, reading a book. “She arrived before the wedding, but I was busy at that time and didn’t have time to bother about her.”
Speaking of which, she looked up at Pei Wenxuan, “Is the note ready? Let me see when it’s done.”
Pei Wenxuan smiled, “It’s just a greeting card. Nothing special to see.”
“Ah Ya is particular. If your note isn’t well-written, she might not bother to meet you,” Li Rong said casually.
“You can rest assured about that,” Pei Wenxuan handed over the completed note. “She might dare not see me, but she definitely wouldn’t dare not to see you.”
Li Rong was pleased to hear this, but she still took a look at Pei Wenxuan’s note. Pei Wenxuan had written it beautifully, even if you only considered the characters. Li Rong couldn’t help but praise, “You, beautiful both inside and out. Handsome and with beautiful handwriting.”
“Your words,” Pei Wenxuan laughed and sighed, “are you making fun of me or yourself?”
“How am I making fun of myself?” Li Rong raised her eyebrows in confusion. Pei Wenxuan took the letter back from her hand, moved a bit farther away, and chuckled, “After all, your handwriting isn’t that good.”
Upon hearing this, Li Rong tapped her fan on her palm, “Do you think this carriage is so big that it can provide you protection?”
“But,” Pei Wenxuan changed the topic immediately, saying, “Her Highness’s is not only outwardly beautiful but also inwardly excellent, perfect in every way.”
Li Rong burst into laughter, and they didn’t continue teasing each other. Pei Wenxuan thought for a moment and expressed some concern, “If we go directly like this, what if miss Shangguan is not at home?”
“If she’s not at home, she must be at some tea gathering or poetry event. She has only a few places she used to go before entering the palace. We have plenty of time; it’s easy to find her.”
Li Rong said confidently, and Pei Wenxuan nodded, not worrying too much.
The two arrived at the Shangguan residence, presented their invitation, and after a while, the steward of the Shangguan family came out personally, respectfully saying, “Your Highness, I apologize. Today, our young lady was invited by the Literary and Poetry Society to attend a tea gathering. If you don’t mind, you can return to the princess’s residence first. When our young lady returns, I will have her personally visit the princess’s residence to apologize.”
“It was our boldness to come without notice,” Li Rong smiled, “There’s no need to blame the young lady. Since she’s at the Literary and Poetry Society, I’ll go there.”
In the noble circles of Hua Jing, it was common for aristocratic youths to establish poetry societies. They often gathered in teahouses for tea parties, composing poetry and engaging in refined conversations, making it an elegant social activity.
However, such events had high entry barriers in terms of status, and participants were expected to possess considerable knowledge. Shangguan Ya’s ability to receive an invitation from the Literary and Poetry Society within a few days of arriving in the capital demonstrated her extraordinary talents.
Li Rong wasn’t surprised. Sitting in the carriage, she laughed with Pei Wenxuan, “I told you she would either be at home or at the poetry society. Do you believe me now?”
Pei Wenxuan nodded, “You do understand her.”
“After all, I’ve known her for so many years.” Li Rong, thinking about meeting Shangguan Ya soon, couldn’t help but feel happy. The fan in her hand twirled as she reminisced about the first time she met Shangguan Ya, “Speaking of which, it’s regrettable that we didn’t meet her this early back then. Although she’s a woman, she embodies the elegance of a noble family, conversing with her is both dignified and humorous, delighting people. The only regret is,” Li Rong sighed, “she’s too formal.”
Pei Wenxuan listened quietly, sipping tea without much comment as Li Rong casually shared amusing stories about Shangguan Ya from the past. They arrived at the Literary and Poetry Society.
The Literary and Poetry Society was the most prestigious and wealthy poetry society in Hua Jing, with its own tea house dedicated to discussions and tea gatherings.
Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan got off the carriage, and after stating Pei Wenxuan’s name, they entered. As they stepped into the tea house, attendants approached and inquired about the group they were there to meet. Li Rong smiled and directly said to the receptionist, “I heard miss Shangguan Ya is here today. Could you kindly inform her?”
“Miss Shangguan?” The person from the poetry society seemed puzzled. “Miss Shangguan is not here today.”
Upon hearing this, Li Rong stopped in her tracks, turned around with a hint of surprise, and asked, “She didn’t come?”
“No, she didn’t,” the receptionist said with a smile. “Miss Shangguan only visited our place once since she arrived in Hua Jing.”
Li Rong immediately sensed something was wrong. Pei Wenxuan, standing beside her, cleared his throat and chuckled, looking at Li Rong. “I told you she must be somewhere else. Young man,” Pei Wenxuan turned to the attendant, “do you happen to know the places Miss Shangguan usually frequents?”
“Well, I…” Before the attendant could finish, Pei Wenxuan revealed a silver coin from his sleeve. He nodded, and the attendant hesitated for a moment before saying, “We don’t know miss Shangguan’s whereabouts. However, I’ve heard someone mention that they saw miss Shangguan with a pass to the Jucai Inn. Maybe you can check there?”
Upon hearing this, Li Rong showed a shocked expression, but Pei Wenxuan wasn’t too surprised. He handed the silver coin to the attendant and then pulled the incredulous Li Rong out.
Once outside, Pei Wenxuan instructed a servant to borrow a pass to the Jucai Inn from a friend. He then took Li Rong onto a carriage heading towards the Pavilion.
It took Li Rong a while to recover from her surprise in the carriage. She immediately exclaimed, “Are you really going to the Jucai Inn?!”
The Jucai Inn was the most famous gambling den in Hua Jing, and once Li Rong regained her composure, she found the idea dubious. She immediately said, “That person is definitely talking nonsense. Don’t waste time going to such places.”
“Since we’re already here,” Pei Wenxuan lifted his tea cup, glanced at Li Rong with a smile, and said, “Why not go and see? There might be a pleasant surprise.”
“Impossible.” Li Rong, noticing Pei Wenxuan’s amused expression, became displeased. She sneered, “Don’t waste your time. I know you have some opinions about Ah Ya…”
“Stop, stop, stop,” Pei Wenxuan interrupted Li Rong, raising his hand. “I have no opinions about miss Shangguan. Don’t talk nonsense.”
“So, in the past, if I praised her, you criticized her,” Li Rong sneered, “and now this? What’s this?”
“I genuinely have no opinions about her,” Pei Wenxuan took a sip of tea, casually pointing the tea bowl lid in Li Rong’s direction. “My opinions are about you.”
Li Rong: “…”
For a moment, she actually felt like there might be some truth in his words.
“I’m just curious,” Pei Wenxuan chuckled, “living for a lifetime, wouldn’t it be interesting to see some different scenery?”
“It might be different,” Li Rong asserted confidently, “but definitely not this kind of thing.”
“How about a bet, Your Highness?” Pei Wenxuan raised his hand to the window sill, smiling. “If miss Shangguan is at the Jucai Inn today, what would you do?”
“If Ah Ya is at the Jucai Inn,” Li Rong, feeling bold, declared, “I’ll immediately buy you a carriage.”
“Your Highness,” Pei Wenxuan waved his fan, “I have entered the princess’s residence now. Do you think I still care about a carriage? Are you looking down on me, or are you looking down on yourself?”
Pei Wenxuan’s words made sense, and Li Rong nodded, saying, “You make a valid point. What do you propose then?”
Pei Wenxuan thought for a moment, not sure what he wanted.
He had gambled with Li Rong before, but now it was out of the question. Pei Wenxuan pondered for a moment and then said, “I can’t think of anything for now. How about we make a bigger bet? The princess promises to do something for me. It will be something personal and unrelated to court matters, maintaining the princess’s integrity. For example, doing laundry, cooking, fetching water, or dressing up,” Pei Wenxuan said with a smile, unable to hold back his laughter, “serving me like a little maidservant wouldn’t be bad.”
“You dare to think about that,” Li Rong sneered, “What if she’s not here?”
“Well,” Pei Wenxuan thought, “Your Highness, what do you suggest?”
“After your secret guards are established, assign the Falcon Squad inside to serve as my guards,” Li Rong made a bold request, leaving Pei Wenxuan helpless, feeling that this person lacked a sense of humor.
His secret guards were divided into four teams: Falcon, Tiger, Wolf, and Fox. Li Rong asked for the entire elite Falcon Squad. Pei Wenxuan sighed and, thinking Li Rong believed he wouldn’t agree to the bet, was about to make a sarcastic remark. However, Pei Wenxuan raised two fingers, “Twenty members of the Falcon Squad, how about that?”
“The Heavenly Character Squad members?”
“Sure.” Pei Wenxuan nodded, and Li Rong immediately smiled, as if she had gained some advantage, “I thank master Pei in advance.”
Pei Wenxuan chuckled without saying a word. The carriage soon arrived at the entrance of the Jucai Inn. Both dismounted, and the guard who had previously gone to borrow the pass was already waiting at the entrance. He handed the pass to Pei Wenxuan, who nodded. Leading Li Rong, they entered the inn together.
The two didn’t want to attract too much attention, so they had the guards wait at the door. Walking towards the Jucai Inn together, a gatekeeper stood at the entrance. As they reached the entrance, the gatekeeper loudly shouted, “The Jucai Inn is open to all. Whether you have money or not, come on in. Are you two rich or not?”
Listening to the coded message, Pei Wenxuan handed over the pass and smiled, “We are rich.”
Taking the pass, the gatekeeper carefully examined it and then turned to say, “Esteemed guests, please—”
After the gatekeeper’s call, a middle-aged man came from inside, inviting Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan to enter. The middle-aged man guided them through the inn, introducing various areas along the way. Both were distracted, and when they entered the main hall, Pei Wenxuan nodded, “You don’t need to attend to us. We’ll explore on our own for a while.”
The middle-aged man smiled and agreed, then walked away.
Strolling through the crowd, the place was lively, with people bustling about, showing great excitement regardless of gender.
Pei Wenxuan, concerned about people bumping into Li Rong, had to raise his hand to shield her in the middle, creating a clear path for her. As he protected her and moved forward, he said, “I’m doing this for your sake. Don’t read too much into it.”
Li Rong glanced faintly at Pei Wenxuan, “The more someone says not to think too much, the more they’re thinking.”
Pei Wenxuan: “…”
There was some truth in her words.
They wandered through the crowd, and Li Rong’s tension gradually eased. She couldn’t help but say, “What I said earlier, how could Ah Ya possibly come to a place like this, master Pei…”
Before she could finish her sentence, they both faintly heard a familiar voice in the crowd, excitedly shouting, “Big! Big! Big!”
The moment Li Rong heard that voice, it felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Both turned around and saw a figure in the crowd that resembled Shangguan Ya, leaning over a gambling table, vigorously banging on the table’s “big” character. Her eyes were fixed on the dice cup about to be revealed, shining with excitement.
But the person was wearing men’s clothing, and Li Rong couldn’t see the face clearly. She couldn’t be sure if she had misheard the voice or…
Before she could react, the table started cheering and lamenting as they opened the screening cups. The short girl shouted, “I concede, I concede,” while picking up the money in front of her.
However, halfway through collecting the money, she seemed to realize something. She stood up, exchanged a few words with the people nearby, and walked towards a small door on the side.
Li Rong immediately realized and said, “Catch up with her.”
She had to make sure if this was really Shangguan Ya. If it wasn’t Shangguan Ya, that’s fine. But if it was Shangguan Ya…
Did Shangguan Ya deceive her in her past life?!
Li Rong was shocked internally, urgently chasing after the girl. Pei Wenxuan quickly followed, pushing through the crowd.
The girl was quite clever; she noticed that Li Rong had caught up with her and accelerated, running towards the outside.
Li Rong, forgetting about etiquette for a moment, ran after the girl, urging Pei Wenxuan, “Chase her! Can’t you even catch a girl?!”
Pei Wenxuan, helpless, increased his speed to catch up with the girl.
Shangguan Ya, running ahead, realized that Pei Wenxuan was getting closer. Knowing that she would be caught if she continued like this, she quickly surveyed the surroundings, raised her hand, pushed against a nearby window, and jumped through the small circular window.
The window was too small for Pei Wenxuan to pass through. He froze in place for a moment. Li Rong, seeing this from a distance, muttered, “Is she a monkey?”
Then, without hesitation, she directly crossed over Pei Wenxuan, somewhat clumsily supporting herself, and jumped through the circular window.
Pei Wenxuan widened his eyes, as if he had seen a ghost. Then he heard Li Rong shout loudly, “Go around, you fool!”
Pei Wenxuan realized that Li Rong was determined not to give up on catching Shangguan Ya. He quickly assessed the route and hurriedly circled around the wall, continuing to chase after the two. Li Rong relentlessly pursued Shangguan Ya, maintaining distance but showing great tenacity.
In order to shake off Li Rong, Shangguan Ya quickly sneaked into a small building in the backyard dedicated to resting. Li Rong quickly followed, and when Pei Wenxuan entered the courtyard, he happened to see the two girls going up the stairs. After a brief thought, he decided to pass through the first floor directly. Shangguan Ya couldn’t stay on the top floor all the time; she would definitely find a way to come out of the building and escape from the Jucai Inn.
Shangguan Ya indeed had this plan. Once she went up, she found a route on the second floor. The small building had a relatively low window on the second floor. After jumping down and climbing a tree to cross a wall, she could leave the Jucai Inn. As long as she wasn’t caught red-handed, she would have room for argument.
Shangguan Ya’s plan was well thought out, but Li Rong closely pursued her. She quickly distanced herself from Li Rong, rushed towards the window, intending to climb down slowly. However, before reaching the window, she heard Li Rong shout loudly, “Shangguan Ya, stop right there!”
Startled, Shangguan Ya slipped, trembled, and directly fell from the window.
The headscarf she used to tie her hair had already come off, and when she fell, a nearby branch hooked onto her, causing her dark hair to scatter instantly.
Shangguan Ya let out a soft “ya,” feeling a sense of weightlessness, and panic surged in her heart.
In that moment, the young man below, who had been leaning against a tree with his eyes closed, opened his eyes. He saw a girl falling from the sky and instinctively raised his hand to catch her, pulling her into his arms.
The summer sunlight illuminated the young man, giving him a radiant glow. With a slight smile, he said, “I was just taking a nap and unexpectedly a beauty falls from the sky.”
Shangguan Ya instantly reacted, gave him a slap, and then jumped out of his arms, turning to run. The young man was momentarily stunned, then quickly reacted, grabbing her.
Shangguan Ya angrily shouted, “Let go!”
The young man smiled slightly, saying, “Running away? Let me help you.”
Shangguan Ya was stunned for a moment. He then stuffed her into a pile of grass nearby and quickly covered her with an overturned bamboo basket.
Just as he finished covering the basket, Li Rong arrived at the window. She looked down and saw the young man standing below.
She was slightly surprised, then exclaimed, “Young Master Su?”
Su Ronghua turned around with a smile upon hearing his name. When he saw Li Rong, he appeared somewhat surprised. His gaze quickly swept to the overturned bamboo basket beside him and swiftly looked away, saying, “How could Your Highness be here?”
“Did the young master see a girl dressed in men’s clothing?”
“I did,” Su Ronghua pointed with his fan outside the courtyard, “She ran away.”
Li Rong pursed her lips, glanced at the distance between the window and the ground, and made a quick decision, “Would the young master mind helping out?”
“Your Highness, please speak.”
“I’m jumping down now, catch me.”
Su Ronghua was stunned for a moment. After a while, she reacted and said, “Oh, okay.”
With that, Su Ronghua reached out, and Li Rong, holding her skirt, stepped onto the window. Before she could react, she heard a loud shout from Pei Wenxuan beside her, “Li Rong!”
Li Rong was scared and threw herself down. Su Ronghua hadn’t moved yet when she saw someone rushing over and caught the suddenly falling Li Rong in his arms. Pei Wenxuan came too fast and too urgently. Li Rong was completely bewildered.
He looked visibly angry, and Li Rong lay in his arms, staring blankly at the inexplicably angry Pei Wenxuan.
Pei Wenxuan didn’t speak. He put her on the ground and asked, “Are you okay?”
“No…” Li Rong rarely encountered such a situation and felt a bit uneasy. “I’m fine.”
Pei Wenxuan nodded, not saying much to her. Su Ronghua, unaware of what had happened, stood behind Pei Wenxuan and smiled, “The girl just now…”
Before she could finish her sentence, Pei Wenxuan turned around and slapped him across the face. The slap stunned Su Ronghua.
Covering her face in shock, Su Ronghua turned to Pei Wenxuan and asked, “Why did you hit me?”
After a moment, he thought of another question, “If you want to hit me, why a slap?”
Anger came late, and Su Ronghua raised her voice, “Are you even a man?!”
Chapter 41: Folding Flowers
Chapter 41: Folding Flowers
Upon hearing these words, Pei Wenxuan remained composed, coldly staring at Su Ronghua. The contrast between Su Ronghua and Pei Wenxuan was stark; Su Ronghua wasn’t careful, and he could’ve really caused harm to Li Rong. On the other hand, from start to finish, except for hiding the help to Qin Zhenzhen from Li Rong, Pei Wenxuan had not caused any harm to Li Rong. If Li Rong gave him one point, he would reciprocate with one point; if she gave him ten points, he would return ten points. He said, “What was Lord Su doing just now? Lord Su should be well aware, isn’t this slap undeserved?”
Su Ronghua, seeing Pei Wenxuan asking with righteousness, felt bewildered. “What did I do?”
“The princess, with her noble status, was actually enticed by Lord Su to jump from such a high place. What if she had fallen?!”
“Well,” Li Rong heard the anger in Pei Wenxuan’s words and pulled him from the side. “This was something I wanted to do.”
“And he didn’t stop her?” Pei Wenxuan, seeing Li Rong still speaking up for Su Ronghua, became even angrier. “You are the ruler, and he is a subject. If you act recklessly, does he have to follow suit?”
“You also said,” Su Ronghua immediately picked up, “she is the ruler, and I am the subject. If she wants to jump, should I not follow her words?”
“You…”
“Don’t argue,” Li Rong, seeing the two about to quarrel, quickly interrupted them and said to Pei Wenxuan, “Finding people is crucial; let’s go first.”
Saying that, Li Rong grabbed Pei Wenxuan’s hand and dragged him out. Pei Wenxuan initially wanted to confront Su Ronghua, but seeing Li Rong glaring at him, his emotions calmed a bit. He felt it was not dignified to quarrel like this, so he followed Li Rong out. Just as they reached the door, Pei Wenxuan suddenly stopped. He lowered his head to look down, then turned back.
Following his gaze, Li Rong discovered the issue. On the grassy path they had just walked, there was a section with only their footprints, obviously untouched by anyone else. Looking up at Su Ronghua, they noticed a grass frame inverted, conspicuous in the grass pile. Next to the grass pile, there were broken branches, indicating that someone had stepped on them just now.
Li Rong immediately walked towards Su Ronghua, and Su Ronghua smiled, “Why did Your Highness come back again?”
Li Rong ignored him, walked towards the grass frame, and Su Ronghua raised his hand to stop her. Pei Wenxuan quickly stopped Su Ronghua, “Brother Su, let me apologize to you.”
Before the words were finished, Li Rong had already grabbed the edge of the grass frame. She raised her hand to pull it up, but the grass frame remained firmly on the ground, unmoved.
Li Rong narrowed her eyes, “Shangguan Ya, let go.”
From inside came Shangguan Ya’s deliberately altered voice, “What is this little lady doing? Why is she pulling my grass frame?”
“Shangguan Ya,” Li Rong confirmed that it was indeed Shangguan Ya inside. She stood up, kicked the grass frame, and said, “I have something to discuss with you. Come out and talk.”
There was silence for a moment inside. Pei Wenxuan guessed Shangguan Ya’s concern and quickly said, “Miss Shangguan, rest assured, we are not here to arrest you on behalf of the Shangguan mansion.”
Upon hearing this, Shangguan Ya decisively lifted the grass frame, stood up, and said, “Why did you chase me for so long? You should have said earlier.”
With that, she turned to Li Rong, raised her hand with a respectful and somewhat charming gesture, and said, “Greetings, Your Highness.”
Li Rong looked at the radiant girl in front of her, feeling a bit complicated. Shangguan Ya was very beautiful, dressed in a male servant’s outfit, hair scattered. She stood confidently in front of Li Rong, exuding a unique charm.
Seeing Li Rong in a daze, Pei Wenxuan walked behind her, cleared his throat, and then said to Shangguan Ya, “Shall we talk somewhere else?”
Shangguan Ya nodded, raised her hand, and said, “Please.”
With that, Shangguan Ya turned around, bowed to Su Ronghua, “Thank you, master Su. We’ll meet again another day. However…”
Shangguan Ya gestured with her eyes to Su Ronghua, and Su Ronghua smiled, “Don’t worry, I will keep it confidential.”
He smiled at Shangguan Ya and bowed, “We’ll meet again another day.”
Shangguan Ya nodded, picked up the headscarf that fell on the ground, tied her hair, and then led Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan to a tea room.
The “Jucai Inn” was favored by high-ranking officials and nobles not only because of its strict management but also because, despite being a gambling den, it had everything one could need, making it very convenient.
The three of them sat down in the tea room, with Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan on one side and Shangguan Ya alone on the other.
Li Rong used a fan to look at her palm, while Shangguan Ya raised her hand to tidy up her hair. Seeing the two girls not speaking, Pei Wenxuan poured tea and chatted, “Miss Shangguan, how long have you been in the capital?”
“Two days before the wedding.”
Shangguan Ya smiled and looked at Li Rong, “Considering that I and Your Highness are probably distant relatives, I came to the capital specifically to witness the ceremony. I regret not being able to personally congratulate Your Highness, but I didn’t expect to meet today.”
Shangguan Ya was still as assertive as Li Rong remembered, getting straight to the point, “I don’t know why Your Highness is so anxious to find me. Do you want to talk about something?”
“Sister Ya should be seventeen this year, right?” Pei Wenxuan handed a teacup to Li Rong and another to Shangguan Ya.
Shangguan Ya nodded, “Just turned seventeen a month ago.”
“After I got married, mother became concerned about Chuan’s marriage. I wonder what miss Shangguan thinks about this matter?”
Upon hearing these words, Shangguan Ya’s movements paused. She pondered for a moment and then smiled, “So, Your Highness came for this matter. Are you here to discuss the marriage of the crown prince?”
“Yes,” Li Rong didn’t beat around the bush. She directly said, “I heard that the candidate for the crown prince’s consort in the Shangguan family is you.”
“In that case, why did Your Highness come today?” Shangguan Ya raised one hand, picked up the teacup, and looked at Li Rong, “Are you dissatisfied with something?”
“I…”
“But it’s okay,” Shangguan Ya put down the cup, smiled lightly, “The Shangguan family has plenty of girls. If Your Highness is not satisfied with Ah Ya, just tell my father. There is also another sister, Ah Wen, who came to Hua Jing this time. As long as she is from the Shangguan family,” Shangguan Ya turned her head, her eyes showing a hint of mockery, “you are free to choose.”
Li Rong frowned. She sensed the dissatisfaction in Shangguan Ya’s tone. After a pause, she slowly said, “It’s not that I think you’re not suitable. It’s just that the Shangguan family has been the crown prince’s consort for three generations.”
Li Rong looked at Shangguan Ya and said seriously, “Aren’t you afraid, sister?”
Shangguan Ya turned to look at Li Rong, putting away her smile, “What do you mean?”
“I and Chuan’er both come from the Shangguan family. Naturally, we will unconditionally support the Shangguan family. But if you marry Chuan’er, how do you think the emperor will feel?”
“Your Highness, your words are interesting,” Shangguan Ya’s eyes carried a coldness, “The crown prince is from the Shangguan family. Isn’t the current emperor also?”
“But Chuan’er governs with benevolence and virtue, seeking only stability. Is the current emperor the same?”
Li Rong knew that Shangguan Ya was not ignorant of court affairs. Li Rong reminded Shangguan Ya, “Why do you think the Yang family fell?”
Shangguan Ya didn’t speak. She sipped her tea and remained silent. Li Rong continued, “The Shangguan family and Chuan’er are already close. There is no need for you to enter the palace to solidify this relationship. Marrying now would be too ostentatious for the emperor.”
“So, are you suggesting,” Shangguan Ya looked at Li Rong solemnly, “that the emperor wants to make a move against the crown prince?”
Li Rong remained silent. Shangguan Ya continued, “Your words are interesting, but telling me all this won’t make a difference. I can’t decide on this matter. I can only live happily each day before they make a decision. Your Highness,” Shangguan Ya raised her hand, using tea instead of wine, “if that’s all, this humble woman will take her leave.”
Saying that, Shangguan Ya finished her tea, placed it on the table, and then stood up to leave.
As she walked out, she suddenly leaned back halfway, a bit nervous, “Your Highness, what happened today, you must not tell anyone else.”
Li Rong felt a headache coming on hearing this and waved her hand, urging her to leave.
After Shangguan Ya left, Pei Wenxuan sat beside Li Rong. He took a sip of tea and smiled, “It seems trying to intervene through Shangguan Ya didn’t work.”
“Not necessarily.”
Li Rong stood up, walked outside, and said calmly, “She will consider it.”
If she recognizes that Shangguan Ya, her old acquiantance, is in trouble, Shangguan Ya will probably find a way to deal with it. As long as Shangguan Ya starts to take action, helping her is a possibility.
While thinking about this, Li Rong walked out with Pei Wenxuan. Pei Wenxuan noticed that Li Rong’s expression was heavy and couldn’t help but ask, “You seem not very happy?”
“Not really,” Li Rong smiled, somewhat helpless. “Just suddenly realized that many things from the previous life don’t seem clear.”
“Such as Shangguan Ya?” Pei Wenxuan’s expression showed some understanding.
Li Rong didn’t speak, thinking of the Shangguan Ya from the previous life.
In the previous life, when she saw this person, Shangguan Ya was already the crown princess. She wore rich palace attire every day, covering her eyebrows and eyes. She spoke with rules, had a broad view, elegant taste, and graceful demeanor. Only occasionally in private, there would be moments of wilfulness.
She always thought that Shangguan Ya was a flower naturally grown in the palace. But today, when she saw Shangguan Ya’s bright eyes, she suddenly understood that the Shangguan Ya of the previous life seemed like a person who had stepped into a coffin with one foot, pressing herself tightly inside from the moment she entered the palace gates.
Thinking of Shangguan Ya’s bright eyes just now, she couldn’t help but turn around. “By the way,” she suddenly remembered, “you seem to know her temperament?”
“I don’t know if she has this temperament,” Pei Wenxuan looked at her with a hint of understanding, “but I know she is definitely not a simple lady. Whatever she does, I’m not surprised.”
“Oh?” Li Rong was curious. “Did you have any interaction with her in the previous life?”
“I had no interaction with her, but I had with you,” Pei Wenxuan said directly. “Your friend can’t be just an ordinary lady.”
Li Rong was stunned for a moment. Then she raised her hand and used the fan to tap him. “What do you mean?”
Pei Wenxuan saw the fan coming and quickly dodged. Li Rong saw him avoiding and, for some reason, couldn’t help but feel a bit itchy in her hands. She chased after him and pinched him.
Pei Wenxuan dodged and retreated, muttering, “A gentleman uses his mouth, not his hands. Talk with some manners. Oh, oh, don’t pinch the waist… Oh, I’m dying, dying.”
Li Rong, seeing Pei Wenxuan pretending to be in pain and leaning against a pillar, couldn’t help but laugh. She stopped and said, “Why are you so childish?”
“Do you have the nerve to ask me that?” Pei Wenxuan leaned against the pillar, smiling. “You’re eighteen this year, a reincarnation of a monkey spirit, right?”
Li Rong stiffened. With Pei Wenxuan’s words, she suddenly remembered the chase with Shangguan Ya today. She felt a bit embarrassed. She didn’t know what was wrong with her. After coming back for a while, especially seeing old friends, her mentality seemed to become more like that of a young girl.
Seeing Li Rong’s embarrassment, Pei Wenxuan laughed lightly. He teased, “What’s the matter? Feeling awkward?”
“How can you ask me that?”
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