Chapter 66: This Humble Subject Wishes To Marry Your Highness—May I Know If Your Highness Would Consent?

“You’re saying,” Li Rong looked at Shangguan Yue, unable to help but laugh in disbelief, “he’s dead?”

“Yes,” Shangguan Yue’s voice was cold. “I came to tell you this. Reflect on your actions.”

After saying this, Shangguan Yue turned to leave, but Li Rong stopped her, her tone calm. “Did you do it?”

Shangguan Yue paused, and after a long moment, she said slowly, “We didn’t need to do anything. Others would have acted.”

“Was it you?” Li Rong insisted.

Shangguan Yue remained silent for a while before finally saying, “No.”

“Rong’er,” Shangguan Yue seemed to be struggling to hold herself together, her voice weary, “your mother isn’t as… as you think…”

“Mother,” Li Rong picked up a cup and poured tea, speaking gently, “I understand your position. From the moment you married into the palace, you represented the Shangguan family. If something happens to the Shangguan family, it means something happens to you. Your ties to the Shangguan family are far stronger than mine or Chuan’s.”

“That’s your stance. You can never stand against the Shangguan family.”

“And aren’t you the same?” Shangguan Yue suddenly turned around, her gaze fixed on Li Rong. She stood at the tall doorway, the wind causing the golden hairpins in her hair and her wide sleeves to sway gently. The bronze bells around them tinkled softly. She looked at Li Rong and lowered her voice. “Do you think I don’t know what you and Chuan are planning? But are you even qualified?! Suppressing the aristocratic families, dividing the court—those are matters for the sovereign! What are you and Chuan now? You’re not the emperor. You are the aristocratic families! You can only reach the throne by relying on the aristocratic families, and that throne belongs to Chuan. What are you doing?”

Shangguan Yue stepped closer, her presence overwhelming as she stared at Li Rong. “You’re a princess. Today, to Li Ming, you are part of the aristocratic families. Tomorrow, to Li Chuan, you will also be part of the aristocratic families. Can you stand against the Shangguan family?”

“You’re just like me. You can’t. If the Shangguan family falls, you’ll have nothing.”

Li Rong didn’t respond. She sipped her tea.

After a long silence, she suddenly said, “This North Yan Pagoda was built for you by Father.”

Shangguan Yue was momentarily stunned. Li Rong poured herself more tea and continued softly, “You used to be close, but later, you became solely focused on the Shangguan family, while Father became obsessed with his own power. You grew further apart, even forgetting the origin of this pagoda.”

“I used to think like you, Mother,” Li Rong poured tea for Shangguan Yue and gestured for her to sit. Her calm demeanor made Shangguan Yue seem like the younger one. Shangguan Yue watched her daughter as Li Rong spoke slowly. “Tie myself to the aristocratic families, stabilize the situation, steadily support Chuan to become emperor, and then, together with the aristocratic families, assist Chuan.”

“With me here, and if Ah Ya also marries Chuan, both his sister and his wife will be from the Shangguan family. No matter what, Chuan would never turn against his maternal family. In the future, we will work together, and Chuan will be a great emperor.”

“Isn’t that good?” Shangguan Yue frowned, her voice tinged with anger. “The Shangguan family is your maternal family. Do you even doubt your own family?”

Li Rong replied calmly, “But this is what we imagine.”

“In our imagination, everyone in the family would be like us—knowing their limits and understanding when to advance or retreat. But in reality, when a family grows too large, there will be many unexpected branches and offshoots. The more prosperous the Shangguan family becomes, the more stable its foundation, and the more those branches will grow wildly in places you can’t see.”

“They won’t tell you, and when something goes wrong, you’ll have no choice but to help. Like this time, do you know what really happened behind the Qin case? Does Uncle know? And at this point, can you afford to deal with those who support you? If you punish anyone who supports you now, no matter the reason, both you and Uncle will be devoured by these people.”

Shangguan Yue didn’t respond. For a moment, she didn’t dare to answer.

Li Rong didn’t press her. She shifted her gaze and said softly, “Today, the emperor is Father. Tomorrow, it will be Chuan. If we continue down the path you’ve described, in the future, Ah Ya and I will be in your position, and Chuan will be in Father’s. Such a future,” Li Rong smiled bitterly, “isn’t it tragic?”

“Grand ideals are often discussed in court—serving the country and the people. Everyone knows this. But in the end, a person’s life is first and foremost about living well and ensuring their family is safe. After that, some principles and morals come into play.”

“But Mother,” Li Rong looked up at Shangguan Yue, “are you living well?”

Shangguan Yue didn’t answer. She tried to remain composed, to maintain her usual cold and aloof demeanor, but when she met Li Rong’s gentle and calm gaze, she froze. Li Rong sighed and said slowly, “Mother, the Shangguan family needs a scabbard. Otherwise, one day, it will either harm Chuan or be broken by him.”

“What I’m doing today isn’t about opposing the aristocratic families or siding with Father to hurt you and Uncle,” Li Rong’s voice was warm and sincere. “On the contrary, I just want my family to live well.”

“I want Chuan to be able to choose the person he loves and the life he wants. As long as he fulfills his duties as the Crown Prince and as a ruler, he should be able to live like a human being.”

“I want Uncle, Ah Ya, and the rest of our family to live peacefully and pass away without turmoil in the years I can see.”

“I want the people of Great Xia to live stable lives, and I want our country to prosper steadily.”

“I even hope that one day, you and Father can return to this North Yan Pagoda, look at the stars together, and speak from the heart.”

As Li Rong spoke, she couldn’t help but smile. “I know my hopes are extravagant, but this is what I want to achieve in my lifetime. And the first step toward achieving these things,” Li Rong looked at Shangguan Yue seriously, “is to ensure that the power of the Shangguan family doesn’t become a blade that harms me or Chuan. You said it yourself—it’s our maternal family. The Shangguan family needs the power that Chuan brings. Since we give them this power, we must control it.”

“Is this why Chuan refuses to marry Ah Ya?” Shangguan Yue frowned, as if finally understanding. Li Rong replied calmly, “This is a litmus test. Marriage may not seem like a major matter in the court, but if Chuan can’t even control this, then it becomes a significant issue.”

“Moreover, if Chuan marries Ah Ya, he will absolutely lose any chance of inheriting the throne in Father’s eyes.”

“Mother,” Li Rong said, feeling somewhat weary, “you don’t need to involve yourself in the matters between me and Uncle. Just know that in my heart,” Li Rong reached out and awkwardly took Shangguan Yue’s hand.

Since she had grown up, she had rarely made such childlike, affectionate gestures. Shangguan Yue trembled slightly as Li Rong continued, “Mother and family have always been important to me. That’s all.”

Shangguan Yue didn’t respond. She lowered her head, and after a long while, she looked up with a bitter smile. “You and your father are too much alike.”

Li Rong looked up in confusion. Shangguan Yue said hoarsely, “You always mix emotions and power together. Most of the time, I can’t tell if what you’re saying is true or false.”

“In court, you said you were doing this for the sake of Great Xia. Now, you tell me it’s for the sake of family. Your words are so mixed with truth and lies that I don’t dare believe them anymore.”

Li Rong didn’t respond. Shangguan Yue stood up and said in a low voice, “I won’t say more. I’ll head back now. Don’t grieve too much over Pei Wenxuan’s death. We’ll find you another suitable husband in the future.”

Li Rong lowered her eyes and didn’t say anything. Shangguan Yue seemed to want to say more but ultimately didn’t. She turned and walked out.

Li Rong sat alone for a while. Jinglan approached hesitantly and said, “Your Highness, since something has happened to the imperial son-in-law, should we…”

“Find some plain mourning clothes,” Li Rong said calmly. “Change into them.”

“But we haven’t even seen the body yet,” Jinglan urged. “We should focus on finding him first. Your Highness, don’t be too overcome with grief…”

“He’s not dead.”

Li Rong spoke with certainty. Jinglan was stunned, seeing the absolute confidence in Li Rong’s expression. “You don’t know what kind of person he is. How could he possibly die?”

Jingmei, hearing this, became flustered. She didn’t dare speak and looked to Jinglan for guidance. Jinglan hesitated for a moment before finally saying, “Your Highness, he hasn’t returned yet. Let’s go look for him.”

Li Rong nodded but didn’t say more. After a moment, she said, “You all may leave. I need some time alone.”

The others assumed she was overwhelmed with grief and quietly withdrew.

Once everyone had left, Li Rong sat in silence for a long time before finally getting up and moving to her desk.

She took out a piece of paper, unsure of what to write. She began writing aimlessly, and when she finally came back to herself, she saw that the page was densely covered with Pei Wenxuan’s name.

Li Rong stared at the name for a long, long time.

She suddenly realized that there were so many things she wanted to say to him.

She wanted to talk to him about her mother, and she also wanted to talk to him about her father.

There were so many things she kept buried in her heart, and the only person in the world she could confide in was Pei Wenxuan.

Because no one else would understand, and she couldn’t bring herself to say it to anyone else.

Only Pei Wenxuan. She felt that as long as she spoke, he would understand.

He would definitely know that every word she said was true.

But he wasn’t here.

Li Rong thought this as she raised her head and looked out the window at the bronze bell hanging from the eaves.

It rang crisply in the wind, as if calling for a soul to return.

“Pei Wenxuan…”

She whispered softly.

That night, it rained again in Huajing.

The drizzle was continuous, and at that moment, a figure in green robes, wearing a bamboo hat, galloped through the muddy roads in the rain. Just before dawn, he arrived at the gates of the first city between Huajing and Huangping County and knocked loudly.

The soldiers on the walls peered out and saw the man holding up a token. He called out loudly from below the gate, “Censor Pei Wenxuan, here by order of the Crown Prince to investigate the grain reserves!”

Hearing this, the guards quickly opened the gate. After verifying Pei Wenxuan’s identity and documents, they hurriedly led him to the county magistrate’s office.

The magistrate, upon hearing of the envoy’s arrival, hastily got up. After Pei Wenxuan explained his purpose for investigating the accounts, the magistrate hesitated for a moment and said softly, “Censor Pei, it’s not that I don’t trust you, but since you say this is on the Crown Prince’s orders, may I ask if you have any proof?”

The magistrate was a member of an aristocratic family that supported the Crown Prince. If this were truly Li Chuan’s order, he wouldn’t refuse. Pei Wenxuan lowered his voice and said, “This matter is being handled privately by the Crown Prince. As a member of the Censorate, I need to gather some evidence.”

Pei Wenxuan hinted that he was working for the Crown Prince within the Censorate and needed evidence to bring down certain individuals.

“This matter shouldn’t be made public. I can’t carry the Crown Prince’s token, but as for Princess Rong’s token,” Pei Wenxuan said, showing the magistrate Li Rong’s token, “surely you recognize this, don’t you?”

The magistrate hesitated. Pei Wenxuan smiled and said, “Princess Rong is the Crown Prince’s elder sister. Surely you don’t think she would harm the Crown Prince, do you?”

“Of course not,” the magistrate said. After a moment of thought, he realized that Pei Wenxuan, as Li Rong’s husband, was essentially the Crown Prince’s brother-in-law. Connecting the dots, he bowed his head and said, “Please follow me, prince consort.”

Pei Wenxuan spent only half an hour reviewing the records before copying down the details of the grain shipments to and from Huangping County during that period. He then quickly left for the next destination.

By this time, the sky had already brightened. Shangguan Ya, sitting in a carriage, fanned herself with a round silk fan as she stepped gracefully into the Juxian Teahouse. As soon as she pushed open the door to the private room, she saw a masked young man sitting inside. He was seated behind a small table and looked up at her as she entered.

Shangguan Ya smiled behind her fan, closed the door softly, and said gently, “I knew Her Highness would send you to find me.”

With that, she walked over to the table and sat down elegantly. She looked up and said, “Go ahead, tell me what you need me to do.”

“This list was written by Qin Lang. The defeat at Huangping County was due to insufficient grain supplies at the frontlines. These are the officials involved at the time. Her Highness wants their testimonies.”

Shangguan Ya twirled her fan, scanning the names on the list one by one. She said slowly, “We can’t touch the high-ranking officials on this list. We’ll have to pick a few smaller ones.”

As she spoke, she pointed to a few names with her finger. “Let’s start with these.”

“Her Highness told me to follow your lead,” Xun Chuan said calmly.

Shangguan Ya chuckled. “She really knows how to delegate.”

After a moment of thought, Shangguan Ya continued, “Let’s start with this Tian Zhong. He’s just a minor seventh-rank official in charge of overseeing accounts in the Ministry of War. He’s naturally timid.”

Shangguan Ya smiled as she spoke. “Find a time to grab him, knock him out, and tie him up. Then find a random girl, dress her up as if she’s been killed, and place her on the bed.”

“You’re going to frame him?” Xun Chuan frowned.

Shangguan Ya laughed softly. “Just a scare tactic. I’ll go with you, and we’ll record his testimony on the spot. Then we’ll promise to cover up the ‘murder.’ With this as leverage, it’ll be easier to handle him in the future.”

“What about the others?”

“Everyone has their weaknesses,” Shangguan Ya said, her finger tracing the names on the list, her eyes cold. “We have nineteen days. We’ll deal with them one by one.”

While turmoil brewed in Huajing, Li Rong found rare tranquility in the North Yan Pagoda.

Rumors of Pei Wenxuan’s accident spread, but she made no response. She simply inquired about Pei Wenxuan’s whereabouts, then had someone request leave on his behalf and sent people to search the area where he had supposedly fallen off the cliff. She also dressed in plain mourning clothes.

Everyone assumed she was deeply affected by Pei Wenxuan’s death. Li Chuan came specifically to comfort her, but she had him turned away at the door. She shut herself in her room, ignoring everything except the messages from Shangguan Ya and Xun Chuan, and quietly copied scriptures.

In her life, she had rarely experienced such leisurely moments, where she didn’t need to do anything but copy scriptures over and over. As she copied, Jingmei suddenly remarked with surprise, “Your Highness, your handwriting… it looks so much like the prince consort’s.”

Li Rong paused. Jingmei quickly knelt and said, “This servant has spoken out of turn. Please punish me.”

“What did you say wrong?” Li Rong smiled gently. “You may leave.”

Jingmei remained kneeling for a while, then hesitantly said, “Your Highness, the prince consort is gone. You don’t have to…”

“He’s not dead,” Li Rong interrupted her. Jingmei gathered her courage and said, “Your Highness, it’s been ten days.”

“I said,” Li Rong spoke firmly, “he’s not dead.”

“If you dare say he’s dead again,” Li Rong looked at the kneeling servant, her expression calm, “go and punish yourself.”

Jingmei bit her lip and finally kowtowed. “Yes.”

After that, Jingmei withdrew.

Li Rong sat alone at the table for a long time. Eventually, she pulled out a fresh sheet of paper and wrote Pei Wenxuan’s name.

Then she began to write a letter.

This was a habit she had recently developed.

She had grown accustomed to chatting with Pei Wenxuan every day. Now that he wasn’t by her side, she had lost her confidant and had started writing letters to him instead.

This was the ninth letter, and she still had so much to say.

“Pei Wenxuan, I hope this letter finds you well.

Today, they told me again that you’re dead.

I know this is absolutely impossible. With your intelligence, you must have started preparing as soon as you left the city. This is likely your plan, as a ‘dead’ person is the safest.

But it’s strange. Every time they tell me this, my heart tightens.

I can’t help but think how fortunate it is that we walked this path together.

If I had to walk it alone after you, it wouldn’t be a good life.

As long as you’re alive, it’s never too lonely.”

The Buddhist scriptures had been copied 107 times.

The letters had reached the nineteenth one, and finally, it was the night before the Qin family’s execution. On this night, Qin Lin and Qin Feng, who had been brought from the borderlands, were escorted into the capital. As soon as they arrived in Huajing, Xun Chuan went to receive them and brought them to the princess’s residence.

Before Qin Lin was locked in his room, he suddenly asked Xun Chuan, “May I ask, do you know how my younger sister, Qin Zhenzhen, is doing?”

Xun Chuan paused for a moment, then said slowly, “She’s fine. You don’t need to worry.”

Hearing this, Qin Lin finally felt relieved.

No one could sleep that night. The great families of Huajing kept their lights burning late into the night, and in the North Yan Pagoda, Li Rong also stayed awake until dawn.

Everyone was waiting for an outcome.

Waiting for the fate of the Qin family, and waiting for Li Rong’s fate as well.

At the break of dawn the next day, the Ministry of Justice arrived at the princess’s residence with their men, and Su Rongqing also came to the North Yan Pagoda.

His arrival surprised everyone. He spread his sleeves and bowed, then said respectfully, “This humble official, Su Rongqing, requests an audience with Her Highness.”

There was no response for a long time. Finally, the door slowly opened, and Jinglan stood behind it, bowing. “Young Master, please.”

Su Rongqing followed Jinglan up the stairs to the top of the pagoda, where he saw Li Rong copying scriptures inside.

She was wearing a long robe of white gauze with blue borders, painted with white plum blossoms. Her long hair was loose, and she looked unusually plain, almost ethereal, as if she had transcended the mundane world.

Su Rongqing stood at the doorway, gazing at her for a moment, then raised his hand and bowed. “Your Highness.”

“Today is the Qin family’s execution. Shouldn’t you be there to witness it? What brings you here?”

“I heard that Your Highness is preparing to leave the capital today,” Su Rongqing said calmly. “I came specifically to see you.”

Li Rong paused. She looked up at Su Rongqing, who stood at the door with his usual calm expression. After a moment, she set down her brush and instructed, “Since you’re here, bring out the chessboard. Let’s have some tea.”

Jinglan acknowledged the order. Li Rong stood up and led Su Rongqing to the chess table.

Once they were seated, Li Rong said slowly, “I didn’t expect Minister Su to come so early to see me off. I wonder where you got the news,” she looked at Su Rongqing with a smile, “that convinced you I would definitely lose?”

“That person is already dead,” Su Rongqing said evenly. “The evidence Your Highness’s people collected cannot be presented.”

“Why not?”

Li Rong chuckled softly. Su Rongqing took the lead by placing a chess piece on the board and said slowly, “Because Your Highness doesn’t dare. There are too many names on that list. If Your Highness were to present it, I’m afraid you wouldn’t even be able to leave Huajing.”

Li Rong’s expression remained calm. After a long pause, she said slowly, “You know who’s on that list.”

“I do.”

“I thought,” Li Rong pondered for a moment, then smiled, “that Minister Su wouldn’t tolerate such a thing.”

“Embezzling military funds—whether it’s me, my father, or even Minister Shangguan—none of us can tolerate it,” Su Rongqing said slowly. Li Rong lowered her gaze, watching him move his chess piece as he continued in an emotionless voice, “But this matter shouldn’t be handled by Your Highness. It should be dealt with internally. If Your Highness were to handle it, it would be like handing us another blade to hold against ourselves. So we cannot give this power to you.”

“You’re telling me this so plainly,” Li Rong placed a chess piece, her tone tinged with confusion, “aren’t you afraid I’ll be angry?”

“If I didn’t say it, would Your Highness not know?” Su Rongqing replied quickly.

Li Rong thought for a moment, then laughed. “Fair point.”

“So then,” Li Rong looked at him with a half-smile, “has Minister Su come today to gloat? I’ve lost to you, the Inspectorate won’t be established, and His Majesty will have no reason to create a second one. Are you satisfied?”

Su Rongqing paused for a long time, then slowly looked up at the woman sitting across from him, her ink-black hair cascading over her shoulders, her brows filled with mockery.

He gazed at her, his eyes swirling with countless emotions before finally settling into calmness.

“This humble official has a question, and I hope Your Highness can answer it.”

“Go ahead.”

“Your Highness opposes the aristocratic families,” Su Rongqing softened his voice, “is it for Pei Wenxuan’s sake?”

Li Rong was momentarily stunned by his question.

At that moment, the Qin family members were being led one by one to the execution ground, forced to kneel.

Outside the execution ground, Xun Chuan stood among the crowd, a long sword in hand, quietly watching the scene.

A young man in green robes rode through the city gates, galloping down the long streets and charging into the palace.

“Why does Minister Su ask such a question?”

Li Rong took a moment to process his words, feeling somewhat puzzled. Su Rongqing looked at her and said, “Because I want to discuss something with Your Highness.”

“Minister Su, speak plainly.”

“At present, the aristocratic families in the court are furious with Your Highness and want to expel you from Huajing. I have a solution that can spare Your Highness from this hardship.”

“Oh?”

Li Rong was intrigued. Su Rongqing lowered his gaze and said calmly, “I am willing to propose marriage to Your Highness.”

Li Rong was stunned. Su Rongqing looked up and asked, “May I know if Your Highness would agree?”

Su Rongqing’s expression was calm, but the moment he spoke, Li Rong could clearly sense an indescribable, restrained, yet intensely surging emotion emanating from him.

Li Rong couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was. She simply stared at him in shock. Su Rongqing met her gaze, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. Then, hurried footsteps echoed from outside.

“Your Highness,” Jinglan, usually composed, rushed in breathlessly, “the prince consort… the prince consort has returned to the capital!”

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