Chapter 64: Petition To Strip Princess Pingle Of Her Fief And Severely Punish Her

Pei Wenxuan was slightly taken aback. As he looked at the young woman in red palace attire before him, he somehow sensed an indescribable tenderness in her gaze.  

This tenderness was something the young Li Rong had never possessed. The Li Rong standing before him now carried the mellowness of years gone by. Even in her moments of softness, there was a steadfastness and composure that a younger person could hardly match.  

Pei Wenxuan felt a subtle stir in his heart. He smiled lightly and said, “Now that I’m back, will Your Highness reward me?”  

“At a time like this, you’re still asking for rewards?”  

“Your Highness knows,” Pei Wenxuan lowered his eyes and spoke gently, “that I’ve never been one to settle for losses.”  

“Fine,” Li Rong also smiled. “If you handle this well, there will be a reward.”  

“Thank you, Your Highness.”  

Pei Wenxuan raised his hand in a salute, then lifted his gaze to look at Li Rong. After a long while, just as Li Rong was about to urge him, he took a few quick steps forward and pulled her into an embrace.  

“Take care of yourself. Don’t worry about me.”  

“You old fox,” Li Rong rested her head on his shoulder as he held her. “Why would I worry about you?”  

“That’s good,” Pei Wenxuan released her and straightened her clothes. His eyes carefully scanned her brows, eyes, nose, and lips, not missing a single detail. Finally, he said, “Then I’ll be going.”  

After saying this, he finally let go. This time, he seemed to dare not look back and hurriedly left.  

It was only long after Pei Wenxuan had left that Li Rong came back to her senses. She felt as though winter was approaching; the night wind had grown much colder.  

She took a deep breath before turning around and boarding her carriage.  

Late that night, Xun Chuan brought the Qin family back to the princess’s residence. Li Rong had the Qin family settled in, then recalled all the personnel from the Inspectorate and the princess’s guards to stand watch at the entrance of the residence.  

The Qin family had suffered numerous tortures in prison, especially Qin Lang, who had been tormented to the brink of death. The family was examined one by one by physicians, and it took a long time to tend to their injuries.  

The entire princess’s residence remained brightly lit throughout the night, and Li Rong did not sleep either. After pondering for a while in her study, she summoned Xun Chuan.  

Xun Chuan had just finished overseeing the physician’s examination of Qin Lang’s condition. Beneath her mask, her expression showed signs of exhaustion. She entered the room and bowed to Li Rong. Li Rong, while reading through some intelligence reports, gestured for her to sit without looking up. “How is Minister Qin?” she asked.

“He’s fine,” Xun Chuan replied as she sat down, her voice slightly hoarse. “His life is out of danger, but he’ll need time to recover. After all, he’s not young anymore.”  

“You were raised by him, weren’t you?” Li Rong set down the intelligence report in her hand and looked up at Xun Chuan. “Have you thought about telling him about your situation?”  

“Not for now,” Xun Chuan said softly. “If I tell him, he won’t let me continue working outside. As long as he knows I’m alive and doesn’t have to worry, that’s enough.”  

Li Rong pondered for a moment, then nodded without pressing further. She handed Xun Chuan the list written by Qin Lang and said in a low voice, “Take this list. After tomorrow, I might be confined in the palace. At that time, you’ll have two tasks. First, protect the Qin family. Do not let anyone take them away from the princess’s residence under any circumstances.”  

“Understood.”  

“Second, find Shangguan Ya and identify suitable candidates from the list. Obtain witness testimonies regarding the embezzlement of military funds in Huangping County back then.”  

“Understood.”  

“That’s all,” Li Rong said, glancing outside where a light rain had begun to fall. She sounded weary. “Is it almost dawn?”  

Before she could finish her sentence, the sound of troops and horses echoed from outside.  

Xun Chuan instinctively reached for her sword, but Li Rong pressed her hand down calmly. “Don’t panic. Someone will come.”  

Xun Chuan heeded Li Rong’s words and gradually calmed down. Li Rong withdrew her hand and gazed at the lanterns swaying in the wind along the corridor. “Pour some tea,” she said.  

Xun Chuan steadied herself and began to pour tea for Li Rong.  

As the sound of tea pouring filled the room, Li Rong listened to the chaos outside. Moments later, Jinglan entered the room and reported coldly, “Your Highness, Su Rongqing, the Vice Minister of Justice, has led troops to surround the residence. He’s here to demand the handover of the imperial fugitives.”  

Li Rong didn’t respond immediately. She picked up the teacup beside her and took a sip with composure. Then she looked at Xun Chuan and said, “If you die, remember to pour the cremation powder on your face.”  

Xun Chuan understood Li Rong’s meaning. As someone who was supposed to be “dead,” if her body were to appear elsewhere, it would cause trouble for Li Rong.  

She replied respectfully, “Understood.”  

After a moment of silence, Li Rong added, “And don’t think about disfiguring your face in advance. If you do that, you won’t be fit to stay in the Inspectorate.”  

Xun Chuan stiffened but finally said, “Understood.”  

Li Rong said no more. She changed into a grand red palace robe embroidered with golden peonies and adorned herself with a golden hairpin. Then, leading her attendants, she walked out through the corridor.  

As the gates opened, a cold wind mixed with rain swept in. Outside the gates, Su Rongqing stood in plain clothes, holding a paper umbrella. He was accompanied by a group of soldiers, all stationed outside, watching Li Rong calmly.

The two stood facing each other, one inside the gates and the other outside. The cold wind caused the lanterns at the entrance to sway back and forth. Li Rong chuckled softly, “Vice Minister Su, what an imposing display of authority. Leading so many people to the princess’s residence before dawn—have I violated some law? Shouldn’t this be a matter for the Dali Temple? I wonder what reason Vice Minister Su has come here for?”

“Your Highness,” Su Rongqing’s voice was steady, “hand over the Qin family now, and I’ll pretend the prison break never happened.”

“Prison break?” Li Rong laughed. “The Qin case is one being investigated by my Inspectorate. I felt that the individuals I needed were in mortal danger, so I took them into custody for questioning. What’s wrong with that?”

“Even if Your Highness wishes to interrogate prisoners, it should be done in accordance with the law, with approval from the relevant officials.”

Su Rongqing’s voice grew colder. “Your Highness, you should hand them over. You need to think carefully—” Su Rongqing raised his eyes. Raindrops fell like a curtain from the umbrella, blurring his face behind it.

Li Rong had never seen him look at her like this before. His tone carried a warning as he spoke, “The Inspectorate hasn’t been fully established yet.”

The Inspectorate had no notable achievements to its name, and no one was convinced of its authority. No matter how much Li Ming supported her, her path was fraught with difficulties. Now, with such a major misstep, Li Ming was likely to be utterly furious.

Li Rong looked at him for a long time, then suddenly laughed. “You’re threatening me.”

Su Rongqing remained silent, simply watching her. Li Rong, for some reason, repeated with a smile, “You’re actually threatening me?”

Su Rongqing pressed his lips together and spoke slowly, “Your Highness, I’m doing this for your own good.”

“You’re not doing this for my good,” Li Rong said softly but firmly. “You’re doing this for the Su family behind you, for the power of the aristocratic families you represent. Su Rongqing, it’s fine for people to have selfish motives. There’s no need to dress it up so grandly.”

With that, Li Rong stepped forward. Jinglan immediately raised an umbrella to shield her as she walked toward the carriage at the gate.

Li Rong walked with her head held high, speaking slowly, “Vice Minister Su, there’s no need to threaten me. If you want to lodge a complaint, go ahead. The morning court session is about to begin. I’ll be waiting for you in the grand hall.”

As she spoke, she brushed past Su Rongqing.

Su Rongqing unconsciously clenched his fists. Just before she left, he suddenly spoke, “Why can’t you believe it?”

Li Rong turned her head to look at Su Rongqing, who stood not far away. His body trembled slightly, as if he were struggling to control his emotions. With great difficulty, he said, “Your Highness, why must you always interpret everyone’s goodwill as malice? What you’re doing now brings no benefit and only harm. What are you seeking?”

“I don’t know either,” Li Rong replied with a bitter smile. “Perhaps I’m just seeking peace of mind.”

Su Rongqing was momentarily stunned. Li Rong walked up to him, and as he held the umbrella, she stood before him. The heavy rain cascaded down the umbrella, creating a small, isolated world for the two of them.

Li Rong looked up at him, and in that moment, time seemed to lose its boundaries. The past and present intertwined, and Su Rongqing’s gaze became momentarily distant. Li Rong smiled and said, “Minister Su, I once thought that we were the same kind of people. But after thinking about it for many years, I realized that we’re not.”

“You can abandon everything for the sake of your family—your conscience, your principles, your life. One day, you might become someone like Yang Lie. He, too, was once a passionate young man, but in the end, he betrayed his country for the prosperity of his family.”

“But I can’t do that.”

“If I did, I would never find peace here,” Li Rong raised her hand and placed it over her heart, her voice calm. “I can’t betray my principles. Today, I can’t stand by and watch the Qin family fall because of political strife. And if one day, your Su family faces injustice,” Li Rong looked at Su Rongqing’s increasingly shocked expression and smiled slowly, “I won’t stand idly by either.”

“You’re right. If it were just about power, what I’m doing today doesn’t bring much benefit. I should align myself with the aristocratic families, not establish the Inspectorate, and not investigate the Qin case. But I seek power not just because I want to rise above others.”

“I also want to live in the world I desire.”

Su Rongqing stared at her in disbelief. Li Rong knew he couldn’t understand. She reached out and gently brushed a withered leaf from his shoulder, whispering, “So, Minister Su, there’s no need to persuade me or stop me. You can’t persuade me, and you can’t stop me. The Crown Prince and I are not on the same path. You can focus on assisting him without worry. I’ll walk my own path. If Minister Su disagrees,” Li Rong looked up and smiled, “feel free to come at me with everything you’ve got.”

With that, Li Rong turned and quickly boarded her carriage.

Once inside, she closed her eyes to rest.

Meanwhile, Pei Wenxuan had already led his men out of the city.

Carrying the Inspectorate’s token and the princess’s token, he had taken a group of elite guards and set off at a rapid pace. Not long after leaving the city, one of the guards approached him and said, “Sir, we’re being followed.”

Pei Wenxuan glanced around and thought for a moment. Then he said in a low voice, “Find an inn. We’ll stop and rest for now.”

“Rest?” The guard was surprised. Pei Wenxuan nodded. “Yes, go ahead.”

Pei Wenxuan made his decision, and everyone had no choice but to follow. The group found an inn to rest. As soon as they entered the room, Pei Wenxuan found a guard whose build was similar to his own. He then instructed another person to prepare a rope tied to a large tree near a cliff in the area.

Once everything was ready, the sky began to lighten. The clouds parted, and the sun rose as the night rain finally ceased. Pei Wenxuan’s team set off again, this time with a different carriage. Pei Wenxuan sat inside the carriage as it moved toward the distance.

Meanwhile, in the palace, as the call of “Enter the hall!” echoed, the officials, all dressed in black robes with red trim and holding their ceremonial tablets, filed into the grand hall in an orderly manner.

Li Rong walked at the forefront, with the officials behind her sneaking glances at her. After entering the hall, Li Rong gracefully took her place beside Li Ming. As soon as the court session began, Li Ming directly called her name: “Rong.”

Li Rong stepped forward, and then she heard Li Ming’s voice, heavy with suppressed anger: “Last night, I received a report saying that you stormed into the Ministry of Justice and abducted the entire Qin family?”

Upon hearing Li Ming’s words, Li Rong knelt down. Li Ming immediately grabbed a memorial from beside him and hurled it at her, furious. “What, have you developed a habit of causing trouble at the Ministry of Justice?! Just because I didn’t punish you last time, do you think I’ll tolerate such lawless and reckless behavior?! I assigned you to investigate the case, not to throw your weight around. Give me a reason—why did you abduct the Qin family in the middle of the night?!”

“Your Majesty,” Li Rong kowtowed and replied respectfully, “since the Qin case falls under my jurisdiction, the Qin family should naturally be under my supervision. Previously, I couldn’t even meet with the Qin family, let alone interrogate them. To uncover the truth of the case, I had no choice but to resort to such drastic measures.”

“Then why didn’t you return them afterward?”

Li Ming frowned. Li Rong calmly replied, “Based on Minister Qin’s testimony, I dare not return them now.”

“What does Your Highness mean by this?”

Xie Lanqing, the Minister of Justice, spoke with a hint of mockery. “Are you suggesting that the Ministry of Justice intends to harm Minister Qin?”

“That is my concern.”

Li Rong responded directly. Xie Lanqing laughed in exasperation. “Good, very good. Since we’ve come to this point, Your Majesty, I must speak my mind.”

Li Ming’s brow furrowed deeply, and he said slowly, “Minister Xie, Rong is young and speaks without thinking. Please do not take her words to heart.”

“Your Majesty,” Xie Lanqing’s expression turned sorrowful, “since you are aware of Her Highness’s youth, how can you treat the court as a playground and entrust such a critical matter as the Qin case to Princess Rong?!”

“Minister Xie…”

“Your Majesty, your love for your daughter is understandable, but granting such immense power to Princess Rong is akin to giving a sharp blade to a child—it will cause harm. Look at the absurdities Princess Rong has committed since she began investigating the Qin case. She stormed into the Ministry of Justice, assaulted its officials, forced her way into a minister’s residence, beat the servants, and now she has even abducted prisoners. This is a blatant disregard for the law and the authority of the court! Not only does Princess Rong show no remorse, but her misconduct continues to escalate. Your Majesty, if this is not stopped and punished, a grave mistake will surely follow!”

As he spoke, Xie Lanqing knelt down, and the entire court echoed his sentiments, kneeling one after another and calling for Li Rong to be “stripped of her fiefdom and severely punished.”

The court was in an uproar. Xie Lanqing, overcome with emotion, declared loudly, “Your Majesty, if you insist on favoring Princess Rong, this old minister will resign today to avoid witnessing her future misdeeds in the court. Please grant me this request!”

With that, Xie Lanqing removed his official cap and placed it beside him.

The ministers around him followed suit, removing their caps and placing them on the ground in imitation of Xie Lanqing.

Li Ming looked up at his daughter, who had remained silent throughout. After a long pause, he finally said, “Rong, you’ve heard them. You’ve caused such a disaster. Have you found anything of value in your investigation?”

“Not yet.”

Li Rong kowtowed to the ground and replied calmly, “After investigating, I discovered that all the witnesses have been killed, and most of the evidence has been destroyed. I am still pursuing leads. Please grant me some more time.”

“All the witnesses are dead?”

Li Ming exclaimed in shock, repeating, “They’re all dead?!”

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