“A huge, heartfelt THANK YOU to Zalina, Arie, Hui Yen, Alketa, Julie, Piotr, Catherine, Mandy, Lia, Kara, Jan Loise, Maria, Laura, Vesna, Aileene, Jenifer, Tatjana, Ivy, Justine, Felicity, Chloe, Arsenia, Zobayda, Ashley, Olena, and Dung Hanh for your incredible support! ?✨ Many of you have been here time and time again, and I can’t even put into words how much that means to me. Thanks a million for sticking around and being part of this journey—you’re the best! ???”

Chapter 68: Willing To Offer The Joys Of The Mortal World In Return For Your Grace

Li Rong was held in his embrace, and gradually, her heart settled.

The people around them smiled as they waited. After a moment, Li Rong noticed that Pei Wenxuan still hadn’t let go. She gave a light cough and softly reminded him, “It’s time to go back.”

Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan tightened his hold on her for a brief moment before slowly releasing her. Then, he said to Li Rong, “I was rude just now, Your Highness. I hope you will forgive me.”

“There’s no need for such formality between us,” Li Rong said as she gave him a once-over. Then, with a playful smile, she added, “Hurry back and clean up. You stink.”

Pei Wenxuan’s ears burned at her words. In the past, he wouldn’t have thought much of Li Rong teasing him. But now, hearing her say this made him feel self-conscious. He suddenly wished he could scrub himself spotless, roll in scented powder, and present himself before her without a single flaw.

Instinctively, Pei Wenxuan put some distance between them and replied with forced composure, “Mm, let’s head back first.”

Thanks to Li Ming sending word in advance, Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan were able to leave the palace smoothly without any obstacles.

On the way, Li Rong casually inquired about Pei Wenxuan’s experiences on the road. He answered each question one by one. Li Rong nodded, her expression unreadable. It wasn’t until the end that she finally asked, “You didn’t get hurt, did you?”

Pei Wenxuan smiled upon hearing this. Even his voice softened unconsciously. “No, don’t worry. Everything went smoothly for me.”

“That’s true,” Li Rong mused as she considered what lay ahead. Then, in a calm voice, she added, “You’ve always been clever.”

As they conversed, Pei Wenxuan escorted Li Rong to her carriage. Once she was inside, she noticed he had no intention of joining her. Lifting the curtain, she looked at the young man standing outside and asked, “Why aren’t you getting in?”

“My appearance is unseemly. I’ll take the carriage behind,” Pei Wenxuan replied with a smile. “Wouldn’t want to suffocate Your Highness with the smell.”

Li Rong raised an eyebrow. “I thought you were dying to suffocate me.”

“Your Highness jests.” Pei Wenxuan felt a twinge of embarrassment, thinking that Li Rong’s words were rather sharp.

Li Rong chuckled. “Just get in. If I don’t mind, why should you? Besides, I still have many things to ask you.”

Since Li Rong had spoken, Pei Wenxuan couldn’t insist any further. He had no choice but to step into the carriage, though he deliberately sat at a distance from her.

Seeing him sit so far away, Li Rong sighed in mild exasperation and ordered, “Sit closer.”

“Your Highness…”

“Or I’ll move over.”

Pei Wenxuan hesitated, momentarily at a loss for words. After a brief pause, he finally shifted to sit beside her.

He feigned composure, but Li Rong could see his unease. She couldn’t help but tease, “You went out for a trip and got scared out of your wits? Why are you acting so timid in front of me?”

“I’m not timid,” Pei Wenxuan instinctively replied. “I just think…”

“You stink, right?”

Li Rong cut him off. She kept bringing it up, which annoyed Pei Wenxuan a little. Unable to hold back, he retorted, “You don’t stink? Try rushing on the road for twenty days straight and see for yourself.”

Li Rong laughed and poked him with her fan. “Not a chance. That’s your job.”

Seeing her laugh, Pei Wenxuan’s heart softened a little. Then, he heard her say in a quiet voice, “After all we’ve been through together, what’s the point in pretending?”

“I just always hope…” Pei Wenxuan lowered his eyes. “That Your Highness can always see me at my best.”

Li Rong paused slightly in her movements. She looked up at Pei Wenxuan and saw him gazing at the teacup in his hands, his expression calm and unreadable. The words he had just spoken seemed casual, devoid of any hint of flirtation.

She had to admit, Pei Wenxuan had a talent for this—saying the kind of words that could stir a person’s heart while keeping an air of perfect propriety. She could never tell whether he was simply outspoken or if he actually meant something more.

If she were a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old girl, hearing these subtle hints day after day, she might have long since taken them the wrong way.

Fortunately, Li Rong had always been a pragmatic person. She never allowed herself to indulge in such thoughts.

After all, one of the greatest delusions in life was believing that someone liked you.

Pei Wenxuan had never been one to measure his words in such matters, so Li Rong paid no mind to it. Instead, she simply changed the subject, “Now that you’ve returned with evidence, the aristocratic families must be in a panic.”

“Mm.” Pei Wenxuan followed her lead. “This is our chance to divide them. Before long, Lord Shangguan will likely come to see Your Highness.”

“I already had my mother pass on my stance to him. In fact, my uncle should be well aware of my position by now. All we need to do is continue investigating the military funds case and ignore everything else. As for the Shangguan family’s intentions…” Li Rong lightly tapped her palm with her fan. “That will depend on Ah Ya’s abilities.”

Pei Wenxuan responded with a simple acknowledgment. Silence settled between them, each lost in their own thoughts. Their business discussion was over, and in truth, they had much else they could talk about. Yet, with so many things on their minds, neither knew how to begin.

In the end, Li Rong simply let it go and said, “You must be exhausted. Rest for a bit. Once we’re back, I have other matters to take care of. You should sleep first.”

For some reason, hearing this made Pei Wenxuan feel a little disappointed.

He didn’t show it on his face, though. Instead, he quietly acknowledged her words, took a blanket from the side, and leaned against the small table, drifting off to sleep.

From Huajing to the northwest, he had spent twenty days traveling back and forth, investigating accounts and recording testimonies along the way. There had been barely a moment of rest.

He leaned against the table, and no matter how much was on his mind, sleep eventually claimed him.

As the steady sound of his breathing filled the carriage, Li Rong finally turned her gaze toward him. Once she did, she found it difficult to look away.

He had lost a significant amount of weight, and stubble now shadowed his face—a stark contrast to the refined nobleman he had once been in Huajing.

She watched him in silence for a while, and time slipped away unnoticed. Before she knew it, they had arrived at the princess’s residence.

Li Rong reached out to shake Pei Wenxuan awake. He roused groggily, and she reminded him, “Go get some rest first. I need to check on the Qin family.”

“I’ll go with you—” Pei Wenxuan started, but then seemed to reconsider. After a brief pause, he simply said, “I’ll go rest, then.”

Li Rong knew exactly what was on his mind, which amused her somewhat. But she also genuinely believed he needed rest, so she waved him off. “Go on.”

They stepped down from the carriage together. As Li Rong headed toward the Qin family’s quarters, Pei Wenxuan followed the attendants toward the back courtyard.

After taking a few steps, however, he suddenly couldn’t resist turning around and calling out, “Your Highness.”

Li Rong stopped and turned back, seeing him standing at the end of the corridor. He pressed his lips together before asking, “Aren’t you going to ask me anything?”

She blinked, momentarily caught off guard.

Seeing her lack of response, Pei Wenxuan gave a small wave of his hand and said, “Never mind, Your Highness should take care of business first. I’ll go rest.”

Without waiting for her reply, he turned and left.

Li Rong stood there, slightly bewildered by his reaction.

After a moment, her attendant Jinglan gently reminded her, “Your Highness, the Qin family has been settled.”

Snapping back to the present, Li Rong nodded and pushed aside her lingering thoughts, making her way toward the courtyard.

Upon arriving at the quarters where the Qin family was housed, she heard the sounds of women weeping, mixed with soft words of comfort, even before stepping through the door.

Inside the courtyard, Xun Chuan stepped forward to greet her. She bowed respectfully and said, “Your Highness.”

“Are you alright?”

Li Rong studied her briefly. Seeing that Xun Chuan’s expression remained steady, she smiled. “I heard you stormed the execution grounds today.”

“The overseeing official ordered the beheadings ahead of schedule,” Xun Chuan said, pressing her lips together. “I just—”

“Well done.”

Li Rong clapped a hand on her shoulder, cutting off any self-recrimination. With a bright smile, she added, “We need more people like you—those with the courage to stand against the aristocratic families.”

“Your Highness…” Xun Chuan said, a hint of unease in her voice. Li Rong withdrew her hand and reassured her, “I mean it. Don’t worry, I’m not saying anything against you.”

She knew Xun Chuan might not fully understand, but her words seemed to calm her slightly.

Li Rong then entered with Xun Chuan and quietly asked, “How is your family?”

“They are all well,” Xun Chuan replied softly. “When they heard that the Prince Consort cleared the Qin family’s name in court today, the entire Qin family was deeply grateful to Your Highness and the Prince Consort.”

As they spoke, they entered the main hall, where Qin Lang eagerly approached them. He was about to kneel, but Li Rong quickly stepped forward to steady him. “Lord Qin,” she said, “You’re injured. Please, rest first.”

“Your Highness,” Qin Lang said, his voice choking with emotion, “The entire Qin family owes their lives to Your Highness. Your kindness to us is as if we’ve been reborn. Old man…”

Before he could continue, Xun Chuan stepped forward, gently helping him to sit down and speaking in a deliberately hoarse voice, “Lord Qin, please sit and speak.”

Qin Lang nodded and sat down, and Li Rong joined him, chatting with him for a while.

The Qin family members who had survived the calamity were all very emotional, trying to kneel to express their gratitude to Li Rong. However, Qin Lin stood quietly to one side, observing them. When he noticed that Li Rong seemed a little tired, he stepped forward and said, “Your Highness, now that the Qin family is safe, if you’re weary, you may leave for now. I’ll bring my family another time to express our gratitude to you.”

Li Rong had come primarily to check on the Qin family’s condition. Now that she confirmed everything was fine, she followed Qin Lin’s suggestion and stood, saying, “Then please rest well. I will take my leave now.”

Qin Lin nodded and personally escorted her out.

On their way, Qin Lin remained silent, and Li Rong, curious, couldn’t help but smile. “I thought, after such a big event, Lord Qin would at least offer some words of thanks.”

“Gratitude has never held much meaning,” Qin Lin said, stopping in his tracks. Li Rong turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow. Qin Lin’s expression was calm as he continued, “What I can give back to Your Highness is only the power of the northwest.”

Li Rong didn’t respond immediately. She quietly studied Qin Lin. He then met her gaze and added, “This is what Your Highness wants the most, isn’t it?”

“General Qin is quite confident in his own abilities.”

“It’s not that I’m confident in myself, but that Your Highness has confidence in me. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have pressured the Crown Prince to come to the Nine Yao Mountains and invite me.”

Qin Lin glanced at the sky, raised his hand, and said, “Your Highness should go. There will likely be many more matters to attend to, and you shouldn’t delay.”

After a brief bow, Qin Lin turned and walked away.

Li Rong stood still for a moment, then let out a soft laugh before turning and leaving.

After checking on the Qin family, Li Rong went directly to find Shangguan Ya in the afternoon. Shangguan Ya and Xun Chuan handed over the testimonies they had gathered over the past few days and explained all the tasks they had been working on. After Li Rong reviewed all the information, she discussed the next steps with Shangguan Ya.

“Your father will likely come looking for me soon, but the military funds case is something I must investigate to the end. You need to find a way to persuade him to use this opportunity to reform the Shangguan family. If he has to handle the matter himself, it will be inconvenient. At that point, you can volunteer to handle it and initiate an internal investigation of the Shangguan family.”

“Then, within the Shangguan family, I’ll become the person with the voice,” Shangguan Ya said, laughing. “I could even negotiate with my father, and be the spokesperson of the Shangguan family when dealing with Your Highness.”

“That’s right,” Li Rong agreed, and they continued discussing the details of their plan. Once they finished, Li Rong glanced at the sky and said, “I should head back now.”

“So early?” Shangguan Ya asked, surprised. “How about we have a meal together?”

“There’s no need,” Li Rong waved her hand. “Pei Wenxuan just returned today. I need to go back early; I have some things to discuss.”

“I see.” Shangguan Ya nodded. “Alright, we’ll meet another day.”

Li Rong nodded and walked out. Xun Chuan still had some details to confirm with Shangguan Ya, and after Li Rong left, Shangguan Ya continued to look in the direction Li Rong had gone, deep in thought. Xun Chuan couldn’t help but ask, “What are you thinking?”

“It’s not that,” Shangguan Ya turned around and replied. “I was just thinking, do you think Her Highness prefers Lord Su or the Prince Consort more?”

Xun Chuan furrowed her brows. “Is that something you should be thinking about?”

“All you ever think about is serious stuff, it’s giving me a headache,” Shangguan Ya sighed. “It’s much more interesting to watch Her Highness’s antics.”

Xun Chuan was momentarily speechless, then replied, “Just focus on your own business.”

She then reminded her, “Hurry up and finish your work, so you don’t accidentally run into Su Ronghua again.”

Shangguan Ya shivered at the mention of Su Ronghua. She didn’t know why, but it seemed like wherever she went, she’d ‘accidentally’ run into him. The mere thought made her nervous, and she couldn’t help but say, “Xun Chuan, can you do me a favor?”

“No,” Xun Chuan decisively refused, but Shangguan Ya persisted, “Can you at least beat him up for me?”

“If you don’t focus on the real work, I’ll beat you up instead,” Xun Chuan said, flipping through some papers on the table with a serious expression.

Shangguan Ya sighed and slapped her own forehead. “Ah, ‘friends should be like brothers,’ the ancients were right to deceive me.”

After bidding farewell to Shangguan Ya, Li Rong returned home. By the time she arrived, Pei Wenxuan had just woken up.

He had slept the entire day and was feeling much better. He had just changed his clothes when he heard the sound of Li Rong returning to the house.

He was a little surprised that Li Rong had come back so early but still stood up and went to the door to greet her.

When Li Rong saw Pei Wenxuan standing at the door, she smiled. “Didn’t you sleep a little longer?”

“I slept for a whole day,” Pei Wenxuan said, smiling. He walked with Li Rong to the dining room.

Li Rong noticed that his smile didn’t reach his eyes, so she said, “You don’t look well. I’m afraid you didn’t sleep enough.”

“I slept enough, just haven’t fully recovered yet,” Pei Wenxuan replied.

Pei Wenxuan sat down with Li Rong, and she nodded, watching the servants lay out the dishes. As she picked up her chopsticks, she began to tell Pei Wenxuan about the day’s events, recounting her conversation with Shangguan Ya and sharing the plans for tomorrow.

Pei Wenxuan listened quietly, his expression unreadable, responding appropriately to what Li Rong said.

The atmosphere felt a little awkward to Li Rong. After they finished their meal, Pei Wenxuan didn’t stay; after saying his goodbyes, he left first and went to his study.

Pei Wenxuan had taken more than twenty days off due to illness, and now, with a mountain of official work piling up, he plunged into his study and didn’t come out. Li Rong waited for a while in her room, but when he didn’t return, she got up and began reviewing some documents.

Both of them were silent, each in their own room, handling their work.

By midnight, Jinglan and Jingmei began to get a little anxious. Jingmei, lowering her voice, said to Jinglan, “It’s strange. They finally got to meet after such a long time, so why has it become like this?”

Jinglan didn’t respond immediately. After a while, she sighed and said, “I’ll go ask the Prince Consort.”

With that, Jinglan went to the door of Pei Wenxuan’s study. Tong Ye was guarding the door, nodding off, nearly falling asleep. Jinglan approached and woke him up, speaking softly, “Hasn’t the Prince Consort gone to sleep yet?”

Tong Ye shook his head, yawning. “The Prince Consort probably won’t sleep tonight. Why are you here, Sister Jinglan? Did Her Highness send you?”

Jinglan didn’t speak at first. After thinking for a moment, she quietly said, “Go and tell the Prince Consort that Her Highness hasn’t slept yet and is not feeling well. Ask her to persuade him.”

Tong Ye was startled, his eyes wide open as he woke up. “Please wait, I’ll go tell the Prince Consort. He cares about Her Highness the most.”

Tong Ye hurried to the study, knelt down, and said, “Master, it’s not good. You should go persuade Her Highness.”

Pei Wenxuan looked up, furrowing his brows. “Persuade her to do what?”

“Her Highness isn’t sleeping,” Tong Ye sighed. “I heard Her Highness isn’t feeling well, and today she’s been busy with official duties. You should go check on her.”

Upon hearing this, Pei Wenxuan immediately stood up. The frustration he had been holding in all day found its outlet. He slammed the pen down on the desk, his voice rising in anger, “Ridiculous!”

Without another word, he quickly headed back toward the room.

Li Rong was focused on reviewing the reports from the supervision office. She had just finished looking at one document when she heard the door suddenly burst open, and a cold breeze swept in from outside. She looked up in surprise and saw Pei Wenxuan stride in. Without saying a word, he snatched the document from her hand and tossed her pen aside.

Li Rong stared at him, bewildered. Pei Wenxuan crossed his arms, his face cold, and looked down at her, saying in a stern tone, “Go to bed.”

Jinglan hurriedly closed the door, and Li Rong glanced at the quickly retreating servants and then at Pei Wenxuan, whose fury was evident. After a moment of hesitation, she slowly said, “Then… should I sleep?”

Pei Wenxuan didn’t say anything. He turned around to begin removing his outer robe. Li Rong stood by, watching him lose his temper, and after a while, she couldn’t hold back a laugh.

Pei Wenxuan froze, his back to her, and coldly said, “What are you laughing at?”

“I’ve been holding it in all day, and finally, I found a reason to argue with you,” Li Rong said, laughing as she leaned against a nearby pillar, watching Pei Wenxuan stiffen in place. “Didn’t that frustrate you, Magistrate Pei?”

Pei Wenxuan didn’t respond. He hung up his clothes and turned to make the bed.

Li Rong walked up behind him, observing his angry demeanor, and suddenly felt the conversation was easier to have. Softening her tone, she said, “I heard what you said today. Are you upset because I didn’t show enough concern for you? It’s not that I don’t care about you, it’s just that I trust you. I know you’re capable, and I never thought you’d be in danger. But when I heard something happened to you, I was worried too, even though I didn’t show it.”

Pei Wenxuan finished spreading the bed sheets and opened the quilt. He stood up to wash his face.

Li Rong followed him, continuing, “You’re angry, so you’re giving me the cold shoulder. I can’t exactly soften my words now. Sigh, Pei Wenxuan, think about it. I’m a princess. Didn’t anyone teach you the rules in the palace before we got married? Why do you have such a bad temper?”

Pei Wenxuan didn’t answer and opened the door to throw the water out, then slammed it shut.

Everyone was startled by the sound, and Li Rong swallowed nervously. Considering Pei Wenxuan’s achievements, she decided not to argue further. She cleared her throat and said, “Forget it, forget it. I’ll admit my mistake. But seriously, what’s bothering you? You could just tell me.”

Pei Wenxuan remained silent, his back still to Li Rong. After a while, he said, “Is there something you haven’t told me?”

Li Rong responded plainly, “There are so many things I haven’t told you. I don’t even know where to begin.”

She paused, then added, “But if you want to know anything, I’ll tell you.”

Pei Wenxuan listened to her words, and for some reason, he suddenly felt drained, as though all his energy had vanished.

He realized he had been acting out of line, making a fuss over nothing.

The truth was, Li Rong hadn’t done anything wrong. His restlessness came from his own insecurities. It was because he cared too much about Su Rongqing’s words that every small detail from Li Rong seemed exaggerated in his mind.

But these were things he couldn’t say. He didn’t want Li Rong to see the vulnerability he felt when facing Su Rongqing.

He took a deep breath, shook his head, and said, “It’s my fault. Go to sleep.”

He then added, “You go to bed first, Your Highness. I’ll turn off the lights.”

Li Rong responded, removing her outer robe and heading to the bed.

Pei Wenxuan turned off the lights and returned to the outer side of the bed.

Both of them lay awake in the darkness, unable to sleep. After a while, Li Rong’s voice broke the silence, “When you weren’t here, everyone thought you were dead.”

Pei Wenxuan didn’t respond, and Li Rong continued, “But I knew you weren’t.”

“You’ve always had faith in me.”

Pei Wenxuan responded coldly, “Thank you for trusting me, Your Highness.”

“It’s more than just trust,” Li Rong whispered, the darkness emboldening her.

She turned her body slightly, gazing at the young man lying across from her.

He had finished washing up and had returned to his usual refined appearance, like the noble young man from the capital, Hua Jing.

Li Rong quietly gazed at him and softly spoke, “It’s because I’m still afraid.”

Pei Wenxuan was startled when he heard this and turned to look at her. He saw the girl resting her hand under her head, lying sideways, smiling at him. She said, “If you really died, I wouldn’t know what to do. So, whether you believe it or not, I have to treat you as though you’re still alive.”

As Li Rong spoke these words and saw the stunned expression on Pei Wenxuan’s face, she felt a little embarrassed and laughed. “You see, it’s awkward saying these things, so I don’t like to say them.”

Pei Wenxuan didn’t speak. He just looked at Li Rong, his gaze so direct it felt like fire, burning her.

Li Rong didn’t know why, but her face began to heat up. She shifted her gaze away and turned over, facing her back to him. She softly said, “Don’t look at me like that, it’s embarrassing.”

Hearing her words, Pei Wenxuan let out a soft laugh. The laugh was somewhat husky, blending with his clear, melodious voice like a spring water hitting jade, which made Li Rong’s ears flush.

Pei Wenxuan reached out to pull her closer, speaking softly, “Let me have a look.”

Li Rong pushed him away, not wanting to turn around. Pei Wenxuan then applied more pressure and leaned in, his voice gentle. “Your Highness, let me have a look.”

Li Rong knew her face was red. Even though it was night, she felt inexplicably self-conscious. She started pushing against him again, but Pei Wenxuan managed to flip her over. Li Rong immediately raised her hand to cover her face, lightly kicking at him.

Pei Wenxuan pinned her down, then reached up to tickle her underarms. Unable to resist, Li Rong burst out laughing. He seized the opportunity to hold her arms to her sides, forcing her to expose her face.

Throughout, Pei Wenxuan was careful not to hurt her, controlling his strength, so when he finally subdued Li Rong, he had exerted quite a bit of effort.

Both of them were panting heavily. Pei Wenxuan was on top of her, his hair scattered to either side, gently brushing against her face, creating a slight itch.

Li Rong looked at the handsome young man, who remained still, staring at her. His eyes seemed almost tangible, silently evoking memories of past entanglements from another life.

Some things, if they hadn’t happened, wouldn’t matter.

But once they had, they always seemed to resurface with the slightest reminder.

Li Rong involuntarily quickened her breathing, and Pei Wenxuan clearly noticed the change. His gaze darkened, and he raised his hand, his well-defined knuckles gently touching her face, then gliding softly over her cheek.

His hand was cool, and the touch created an indescribable tingling sensation that spread up her skin and exploded in her mind.

“Your Highness,” he called her name softly, his voice now carrying an unusual huskiness. “You have me in your heart, and I am very pleased.”

Li Rong didn’t speak. Her heart was racing, and then she saw Pei Wenxuan slowly lean in.

“Willing to offer joy in this world,” his lips brushed against hers, his fingers intertwining with hers. Then, with sweetness and heat, their kiss overwhelmed them, the sound blurred as he whispered, “To repay the favor of the king.”

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