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Chapter 47: If You Don’t Believe Me, Then Just Kill Me

Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan walked out of the palace together. Li Rong suddenly remembered, “Are we not going to the government office today?”

“I had something to discuss with you,” Pei Wenxuan explained, “and when I heard you were in the palace, I came directly.”

“Oh?” Li Rong was somewhat surprised. “What’s so urgent that made you come over?”

“There’s good news from the court today—victory on the front lines,” Pei Wenxuan said. Li Rong raised her eyebrows, and then Pei Wenxuan continued, “The list of officers to be rewarded submitted by Xiao Su has caused some controversy.”

Li Rong quickly understood.

Xiao Su is the brother of consort Rou, who used to belong to a humble family. He studied for a few years and was promoted through consort Rou’s connections. This time, Li Ming manipulated the situation by using the Yang family and sending Li Chuan to the battlefield. By manipulating Li Chuan, he forced the aristocratic families to contribute, stabilizing the situation in the northwest. However, just before Li Ming could achieve success, he held back Li Chuan, allowing Xiao Su to forcibly replace him as the commander on the battlefield. This move probably left a lingering grudge in the Shangguan family’s heart. 

The Shangguan family, being a century-old prestigious family with numerous connections in the court, must have invested a lot of effort in this confrontation with the Yang family. Xiao Su, coming from a humble background, was the blade that Li Ming specifically used to suppress these aristocratic families. Even if the officers on the reward list are not directly affiliated with him, they cannot possibly be from the aristocratic families. After all the efforts expended by the aristocratic families, how could they easily let go now?

So, with the overwhelming victory on the front lines, when the reward list was sent back, the aristocratic families immediately wanted to argue with Li Ming.

“What are their arguments?”

Li Rong turned a small fan in her hand, pondering, “Xiao Su and the others can’t move. Consort Rou is in favor, if they could do anything, they would have done it already. They can only pick on the soft persimmons.”

With that, Li Rong remembered, “What generals did Xiao Su report?”

“A total of seventeen generals,” Pei Wenxuan said, analyzing, “Basically, they are either from the imperial examination, humble origins, or second-rate aristocratic families.”

“Is Qin Lin among them?”

Li Rong immediately inquired, and Pei Wenxuan shook his head, “No, but Qin Feng is. I heard from the battle report; it seems Xiao Su fears his lack of experience, so he attributed his credit to his uncle. But they are all one family, so it doesn’t matter.”

Li Rong agreed, saying Qin Lin was still too young to take the lead now; it indeed wouldn’t be good. However, as long as the Qin family could establish a foothold in the northwest, Qin Lin’s rise would be just a matter of time.

“So,” Li Rong tapped the table lightly, “the aristocracy might cause trouble with these ordinary generals. The emperor won’t just stand by.”

“Yes,” Pei Wenxuan responded, “His Majesty summoned my second uncle after the morning court.”

Since the time of Pei Lizhi, the Pei family had been specifically supported by Li Ming to counter the dominance of the warrior class. After the death of Pei Lizhi, Pei Lixian continued his path. Although his abilities were not as good as Pei Lizhi’s, he still occupied the position of the Minister of the Left in the Ministry of Personnel.

This position, unlike Pei Lizhi’s position as the Left Deputy of the Ministry of Personnel in the past, overseeing six ministries with actual executive power, still had the right to veto and review, being very close to the Emperor.

Li Ming summoned Pei Lixian; it was probably to discuss how to confront the aristocracy on the northwest border.

Li Rong remained silent, and Pei Wenxuan, sitting on the side, waited for a while before asking, “What does Your Highness think?”

“Today, I had a dispute with my mother.”

Li Rong said lightly, “She is determined to have Chuan and the people of the Shangguan family marry, especially Shangguan Ya. She was very angry about yesterday’s palace banquet and scolded both Chuan and me.”

“How did Your Highness respond?”

Pei Wenxuan knew that Li Rong would not easily yield to Shangguan Yue, so he directly asked about Li Rong’s response. Li Rong spoke slowly, “I explained the pros and cons to my mother clearly. There is no need for Chuan to marry Shangguan Ya, it will only bring trouble. But it seems she didn’t listen.”

“The empress cannot possibly listen.”

Pei Wenxuan held the tea, took a sip, and said, “After all, the empress is the daughter of the Shangguan family, inseparable from them. In the turmoil of the northwest border, many noble families in the court have shed blood. If the empress does not use the crown princess as a reward to appease the noble families, the Shangguan family might feel dissatisfied. The pressure the empress has to bear would be too great.”

Li Rong remained silent, and Pei Wenxuan knew that Li Rong was contemplating. After waiting for a while, he couldn’t help but smile, “Why is Her Highness worried?”

Li Rong was somewhat puzzled. She raised her head and looked at Pei Wenxuan with a hint of curiosity in his expression, “What?”

“In fact, this matter doesn’t have much to do with Your Highness,” Pei Wenxuan analyzed, “Let the noble families contend with the emperor. If the noble families win, they already support the crown prince, and there’s no big problem. If the emperor wins, part of the list recommended by Xiao Su belongs to us, and for the others, we can find a way. What does Your Highness have to worry about?”

Li Rong contemplated for a while, then spoke slowly after some time, “Do you really think that when the noble families arrange their people to the northwest border, their people will be our people?”

Pei Wenxuan smiled but didn’t say anything, lowered his head to pour tea. Seeing that he had no intention of answering, Li Rong couldn’t help but ask, “Why are you not speaking?”

“Your Highness, this question should be asked by you, not me.”

“What do you mean?”

“In Your Highness’s previous life,” Pei Wenxuan raised his eyes, his expression calm, “weren’t you part of a noble family?”

Since Li Rong became the grand princess and Li Chuan ascended to the throne, they had already taken different paths.

“Was the power in Your Highness’s hands equivalent to the crown prince’s power in the last life?”

Li Rong couldn’t speak.

Pei Wenxuan clasped his hands in his sleeves and smiled gently, “Only when I am alive, Your Highness has someone to defeat. I always need the help of the crown prince to stand by my side. If one day I am no longer here, when the Imperial Court is dominated by the princess’s family alone, the princess’s sharp blade may be pointing at the crown prince.”

Li Rong looked up at Pei Wenxuan. She silently watched him for a long time before finally saying, “So, does your power belong to me?”

“I don’t know about the future. But at least at this moment,” Pei Wenxuan answered sincerely, “even Pei Wenxuan belongs to Your Highness.”

Li Rong was slightly stunned. She looked at Pei Wenxuan’s clear eyes, knowing that he was talking about political matters, but her heart couldn’t help but skip a beat.

She forcibly shifted her gaze, looked out the window, traced the patterns on the golden fan, and continued, “Coordinate with Qin Lin, provide him with any assistance he needs. On the court’s side, I will have Taibai Yan secretly support the Qin family, but this matter should not be known to others. The farther the relationship between the Qin family, me, and the crown prince looks, the better.”

“Understood.”

After Pei Wenxuan finished speaking, the two didn’t exchange many words. After a while, Li Rong turned her head, appraised Pei Wenxuan for a moment, sighed, shook her head, and turned away.

Pei Wenxuan, puzzled by Li Rong’s gaze, couldn’t help asking, “What does Your Highness mean?”

“Pei Wenxuan,” Li Rong seemed helpless, “why is your promotion so slow in the officialdom?”

Hearing this somewhat choking remark, Pei Wenxuan glanced lightly at Li Rong and casually replied, “Your Highness, it seems I’m not favored enough, otherwise, my promotion should be faster.”

“Look at that little mouth of yours,” Li Rong lightly tapped Pei Wenxuan’s hand with the fan, “it’s really annoying.”

Pei Wenxuan chuckled and ignored Li Rong, taking a folder and lowering his head without speaking.

In the following days, Li Rong had people closely monitoring various developments. The court was embroiled in debates over the rewards for major military commanders on the borders. The core issue was not about money but about positions.

With one position available, if one person is promoted, another cannot be. After the downfall of the Yang family, the vast northwest became a tempting piece of meat, and everyone wanted a share. Thus, every day in the court, arguments broke out. The aristocratic families attacked the individuals selected by Xiao Su, claiming they had issues. Every time Li Ming wanted to give rewards, they would say the selected person had problems. Even if Li Ming insisted, the Ministry of Personnel would not issue the order. Finally, when the Ministry of Personnel issued the order, the Cabinet would reject it, claiming issues.

Li Ming, enraged, smashed things in the palace all night. When the aristocratic families proposed a list of rewards, Li Ming directly tore it up, not even bothering to reject it.

The two sides remained deadlocked for several days, arguing in the court daily.

Pei Wenxuan, though not holding a high official position in the Censorate, was the core force supporting Li Ming this time. After all, in the matter of arguments, Pei Wenxuan could handle ten opponents without any pressure. So, every day when Pei Wenxuan returned, he was exhausted and would immediately lie down on the bed and sleep.

Li Rong didn’t want to disturb him, but every time she returned to bed, she would hear Pei Wenxuan asking in a daze, “Back?”

“What did you do today?”

Li Rong didn’t know if he was awake or not, but she answered his questions. She slept well every day, and her spirits were high, so she had plenty of energy to respond to Pei Wenxuan’s inquiries.

Her days were much more leisurely than Pei Wenxuan’s. The most she did every day was stroll around, connect with acquaintances, go to teahouses to listen to scholars’ discussions, and see if there were any talented individuals to approach.

Perhaps her days were too boring, and with a few casual remarks, Pei Wenxuan would fall asleep.

Li Rong couldn’t help but find it amusing. She didn’t know what habit Pei Wenxuan had, but he insisted on having a conversation with her before going to sleep.

After a few days of this, Li Rong called Shangguan Ya out and secretly inquired about the situation. She speculated that the aristocratic families probably wouldn’t make noise anymore and would likely take more serious action.

Unable to deal with Xiao Su and Li Ming, they decided to find one of the rewarded officials to serve as an example, a deterrent for others to back off.

To intimidate someone, they had to choose the one among the rewarded officials who was the toughest and held the best position.

Li Rong looked at the list and guessed that the person the aristocratic families intended to target was Shannan Jiang’s family, who Xiao Su highly valued, or some other individuals closely associated with Xiao Su.

If the aristocratic families targeted Xiao Su’s people, it meant they were targeting Li Ming’s people as well. Li Ming would undoubtedly retaliate fiercely, leading to a cycle of conflict. When they got tired, Li Rong could step in and secretly negotiate with both the aristocratic families and Li Ming, selecting a bunch of second-rate aristocratic families with no involvement to fill the positions.

Li Rong’s plan was well thought out, and she even had a list of potential candidates ready. However, on the eighth night, while she was asleep, she heard hurried footsteps outside.

It was raining heavily that night, and the sound of rain drowned out the outside noise. Li Rong vaguely heard the voices mingling with the rain. Still half-asleep, someone covered her eyes with their hand, and a voice reminded her, “Light the lamp.”

As Li Rong slowly regained consciousness, Pei Wenxuan released his hand, allowing her to adjust to the light. She got up and said, “I’ll go out and take a look.”

Saying that, Pei Wenxuan put on his clothes and walked out.

Seeing Jinglan come in to light the lamp, Li Rong knew something must have happened. She wasn’t in a hurry and casually got up, putting on her clothes. Just as she finished putting on her outer garment, Pei Wenxuan returned.

His expression was extremely grim, holding a piece of paper in his hand, he said in a cold tone, “The Ministry of Justice has sealed the Qin family.” 

Upon hearing this, Li Rong suddenly raised her head, “What?!” 

“Yesterday afternoon, a memorial submitted by the Imperial Censorate accused the Qin family of being involved in the Yang case, colluding with Yang Quan, and betraying the country. The Ministry of Justice acted overnight, and a joint search warrant from the Ministry of Justice, Imperial Censorate, and Grand Court of Revision has been issued. At this moment, soldiers from the Southern Army have surrounded the Qin family,” Pei Wenxuan explained.

“Why are you still standing here?!” Li Rong shouted loudly, heading directly outside. “You need to report to the emperor immediately. I’ll go there with people.”

“Why would you go there?” Pei Wenxuan grabbed her, anxious. “If you go, the connection between the Qin family and you and the crown prince will be exposed!”

“If I don’t go, they’ll have all the evidence after searching! What does it matter if it’s exposed or not!”

Li Rong pushed him away without even bothering to take an umbrella, shouting for reinforcements. Pei Wenxuan gritted his teeth but eventually took a horse, holding a token and rushing into the palace.

Li Rong led the way towards the Qin residence. When they arrived, they found the cries in the Qin residence had become a chaotic noise. Soldiers had surrounded the Qin residence tightly. Li Rong didn’t dare to go out recklessly. She stood in the shadows, observing the situation and contemplating a strategy.

The heavy rain shrouded the entire world in a mist, making it impossible to see clearly. Li Rong stood in the rain, feeling a mix of shock and anger.

How did this group target the Qin family?

She had already secretly arranged for Taibai Yan to take care of the family members. Besides, the Qin family didn’t attract attention like the Shannan Jiang family. No matter how you looked at it, the attack on the noble families shouldn’t have started with the Qin family.

Li Rong took a deep breath, deciding to deal with the immediate situation first. However, as soon as she made a move, a hand suddenly reached out and grabbed the hem of her dress. Startled, Li Rong turned around to see a hand emerging from a nearby bamboo basket.

Li Rong overturned the bamboo basket and saw a trembling teenage girl inside. She was pale, and Li Rong instantly recognized her as Qin Zhenzhen’s maid. Li Rong squatted down, calmly saying, “I got to know Qin Lin through you. I’m here to save you all. Where is your young miss?”

The girl trembled, lifted her hand, and pointed north, stammering, “Ran… away…”

Li Rong immediately understood the girl’s meaning. She stood up, leading her group in the direction she pointed, following the girl’s lead.

Knowing Qin Zhenzhen quite well, Li Rong was aware that although Qin Zhenzhen seemed almost naive, she was not foolish. If she risked her life to run away, she must have known what happened and left with something important.

After chasing for a while, Li Rong noticed sword marks on the walls of the alley. Following these marks, she soon came across bloodstains. The rain quickly diluted the blood, but Li Rong diligently examined the rain, blood, sword marks, and various traces of the struggle in the dark night.

These traces led to the end of a narrow alley. At the end, it seemed like a place where ordinary people piled up miscellaneous items, forming a half-wall. Everyone instinctively followed behind it.

Li Rong didn’t move. After scanning the surroundings, she fixed her gaze on a wooden box in the middle of the clutter. She walked up swiftly, lifting the lid of the wooden box. In that moment, a cold light cut through the night rain, and a blood-stained sword was held directly against Li Rong’s neck.

Li Rong looked at Qin Zhenzhen, whose body was covered in blood, her face pale. It seemed like she had suffered severe injuries, and there was only a short distance between them.

Qin Zhenzhen examined Li Rong, gripping the sword in her hand steadily.

Li Rong, looking down at the girl in front of her, who seemed like a trapped beast, remained composed. After a while, she calmly spoke, “Put down the sword.”

“I came to save you.”

“How can I trust you?”

Qin Zhenzhen spoke hoarsely, and Li Rong looked at her calmly, without a hint of panic. “If you don’t trust me, just kill me directly.”

Qin Zhenzhen remained silent, clutching the sword tightly. After a long time, she sheathed the sword and struggled to stand up from the wooden box.

Li Rong supported her. Qin Zhenzhen was injured, and any movement caused her wounds to bleed. Li Rong pressed on the wound, saying, “Let’s go.”

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