Chapter 71: He Has Followed Her Like This, And Just Like That, It Has Been Two Lifetimes

Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged glances. Seizing the silence, Li Ming directly said, “Let’s settle this. From today, Pingle will be the head of the Inspection Bureau. The Bureau will report directly to me, bypassing the three provinces. Pingle can establish her own internal staff for the Bureau, and we’ll allocate the Ming Sheng training grounds in the North City for the Bureau’s office. The Ministry of Revenue will prepare a budget for the Bureau’s establishment and report it to Pingle.”

Zheng Ran, the Minister of Revenue, listened respectfully, preparing to respond, but Li Ming interrupted, saying, “No less than thirty thousand taels annually.”

“Your Majesty,” Zheng Ran frowned, “Isn’t that a bit too much? Money is tight everywhere these days, and His Highness needs so much…”

“Can’t you even come up with thirty thousand taels?” Li Ming said with some dissatisfaction. “The national tax is in the tens of millions of taels each year, and now you can’t even manage thirty thousand? What are you doing?”

“Your Majesty, I am wronged!” Zheng Ran quickly knelt down, trying to reason with Li Ming. “The national tax of the Great Xia Empire, in the best years, amounts to several hundred million taels of silver, and even in bad years, it’s only around eighty million taels. There’s a lot of expenditure. Since the beginning of this year, the war on the northwest border took up half of the national treasury; during the June floods in the south, we had to provide disaster relief and repair dikes. And then…”

“Enough, enough,” Li Ming interrupted Zheng Ran, not wanting to hear more. He decisively said, “Stop calculating. Go back and draft a memorial with how much money we can allocate. But no matter whether it’s more or less, from today onward, the Inspection Bureau is officially established.”

“Your Majesty,” someone from the Ministry of War stood up anxiously, “The training grounds in the North City originally belonged to the North City Army. Now, you’ve allocated it to the Princess…”

“Don’t try to confuse me about the North City Army,” Li Ming raised his eyes, displeased. “Three years ago, when the North City Army expanded, they found this training ground too small and asked me for land to build a bigger one. They abandoned the Ming Sheng training grounds long ago. I went to check it a few days ago; it was overgrown with weeds, and there wasn’t a soul in sight. If you keep spouting nonsense, I’ll charge you with treason!”

After scolding the Ministry of War officials, Li Ming turned to look at Li Rong, smiling. “Pingle, I’ve given you the funds. You must work hard to help your father.”

Li Rong’s face remained impassive as she respectfully replied, “Yes.”

After a pause, Li Rong hesitated and spoke up, “Father, what about the Qin case and the military pay case…?”

“You’ve handled it very well,” Li Ming set aside the memorial, his voice calm. “Don’t worry about the follow-up. Leave it to the Ministry of Justice.”

Upon hearing this, Li Rong suddenly looked up and stared at Li Ming.

Her gaze was so sharp that it startled Li Ming. He quickly regained his composure but was somewhat annoyed. His momentary unease made him want to reprimand Li Rong, but he felt that, since the Inspection Bureau had just been established, he should show her some respect. So, he kept his face neutral and raised his hand, saying, “Get up.”

Li Rong remained kneeling, not listening. The others nearby sighed in relief, and many ministers who were preparing to oppose the establishment of the Inspection Bureau relaxed, no longer planning to intervene.

Li Ming, seeing Li Rong’s lack of movement, felt a bit uneasy but still smiled and said, “Pingle, why aren’t you getting up?”

Pei Wenxuan, noticing Li Ming’s expression, understood that Li Ming was already angry. He immediately stepped forward and said anxiously, “Your Majesty, the Princess has been very fatigued recently and might faint. She may be feeling unwell now. Please allow me to take her back to rest.”

Hearing this, Li Ming’s expression softened a little. He sighed and said, “Pingle needs to rest more. Take her back.”

Pei Wenxuan agreed and reached out to help Li Rong. Li Rong tried to resist, but Pei Wenxuan applied force, firmly gripping her shoulder. He helped her stand and whispered, “Your Highness, I’ll take you back. If there’s anything, we can speak outside.”

Pei Wenxuan firmly supported Li Rong, forcing her to stand up, and then led her out.

As soon as the two of them left the hall, Li Rong immediately slapped Pei Wenxuan across the face. Pei Wenxuan did not move, and when Li Rong’s hand reached his face, seeing the look on Pei Wenxuan’s face as if he was prepared for the slap, she paused and couldn’t bring herself to strike.

Seeing that Li Rong wasn’t hitting him, Pei Wenxuan gently held her hand and said, “Your Highness, go ahead and strike. Once you’ve finished, you’ll feel better, and I won’t be in pain.”

“Who cares whether you’re in pain or not!”

Li Rong turned and walked straight toward the imperial garden, her face filled with anger. Pei Wenxuan followed closely behind her. After walking a little way, when Li Rong noticed he was still following her closely, she turned around and shouted angrily, “Get away!”

Pei Wenxuan smiled and said, “I can’t leave, I’m afraid Your Highness might throw yourself into the lake.”

“I would never throw myself into the lake even if you did throw me in!”

Hearing Pei Wenxuan speak like this made Li Rong even angrier, and she shouted, “Get far away from me!”

After that, Li Rong continued walking toward the imperial garden. Pei Wenxuan continued to follow. Li Rong walked faster, and once they reached a secluded area in the garden, she began angrily striking a pile of branches.

Pei Wenxuan stood quietly nearby, waiting. Once Li Rong had vented her anger, panting and calming down slightly, Pei Wenxuan stepped forward, gently lifting her hand to check if she had injured herself. He said softly, “Your Highness, there’s no need to be so angry. His Majesty has his own considerations.”

“Is that consideration?” Li Rong lowered her voice and leaned in close to Pei Wenxuan. Seeing him lost in thought, she grew even angrier. “He’s just afraid! I know he doesn’t dare to act on the memorial, but he’s so afraid that he directly handed it over to the Ministry of Justice? If he hands it to the Ministry of Justice, what does my effort count for? How will my Inspection Bureau stand on the court in the future?”

“Your Highness,” Pei Wenxuan did not move away from Li Rong. He turned his gaze to the frozen lake nearby and whispered, “His Majesty is using these two cases to calm the ministers and establish your Inspection Bureau. The Bureau needs to establish its authority, and there is still a long road ahead. There’s no need to be so anxious.”

Li Rong tightened her grip on her fan, remaining silent. Pei Wenxuan turned to look at her and said gently, “Actually, we can wait a little longer, can’t we?”

Li Rong lowered her eyes. Pei Wenxuan sighed, then reached out and took her hand. With some helplessness, he said, “You’re just too determined and unwilling to lose. It’s cold outside, let’s go back.”

“I’m not unwilling to lose.”

Li Rong’s voice dropped, and she remained still. Pei Wenxuan turned to look at her, and she, with her head lowered, seemed to struggle before saying, “I can wait, but what about the Qin family? What about Xun Chuan?”

Pei Wenxuan was stunned. Li Rong raised her head and looked at him seriously. “The dead witnesses, the loyal officials slandered, the soldiers who died on the border, and Xun Chuan who discarded his identity. If I don’t investigate, that’s fine, but since I’ve already started, I know I’m just one step away from punishing the murderer.” Li Rong stared at Pei Wenxuan, “How can you ask me to give up? How can I be willing?”

Pei Wenxuan remained silent, just watching Li Rong.

In truth, he knew that deep inside Li Rong, there was always a kind of innocence that was different from the people of Huajing. In her previous life, when she believed the Su family had been wronged, she would go to great lengths to save them. When she saw Empress Ning bleeding on the court, she would cover her with a cloak.

But now, for the first time, he saw this side of Li Rong so clearly standing before him.

Pei Wenxuan couldn’t help but smile.

Li Rong saw Pei Wenxuan smile and felt that her words sounded childish. Embarrassed, she turned her head and softly said, “And the most important thing is, they have humiliated me like this, trying to take my fief and drive me out of Huajing. If I don’t show them a lesson, they’ll really think I’m easy to bully.”

“Your Highness, your thoughts are well-founded.”

Pei Wenxuan smiled in response, and Li Rong continued, “Now the aristocratic families are too powerful. Since Father Emperor wants to balance the aristocrats, he needs to have some resolve. With his current behavior, the aristocratic families won’t restrain themselves! He’s too timid and cautious. Now that we’ve come this far, to retreat is too lacking in backbone!”

“Your Highness is right.”

“He needs someone to push him,” Li Rong’s tone turned cold. Pei Wenxuan didn’t respond this time. Li Rong turned to him and said, “Have someone investigate who made Father Emperor decide to hand over this case to the Ministry of Justice. I’ll go find Chuan’er.”

After finishing her words, Li Rong headed straight to the East Palace.

Pei Wenxuan couldn’t stop her and had to follow, waiting in the East Palace. As soon as Li Chuan finished court, he heard that Li Rong was waiting for him in the East Palace, so he quickly returned, a little surprised, “Sister, why are you here?”

“The Qin family’s case cannot be handed over to the Ministry of Justice,” Li Rong said directly to Li Chuan, “Do you have anyone you trust?”

“Whatever you say, sister.”

Li Rong pursed her lips, thought for a moment, and then said, “I’ll first investigate why His Majesty handed over the case, but I suspect that it’s because some aristocratic families pressured him yesterday, and he got nervous.”

Li Chuan listened, picked up his cup, and sipped some tea, saying, “I heard that yesterday, the Minister of Justice, the Grand Procurator, and the Minister of the Court all entered the palace, and that night, His Majesty went to see Consort Mei. It seems there was a conflict with Father Emperor.”

Consort Mei was the daughter of Jiang Zheng, the Minister of the Court. If there was a conflict with Consort Mei, it must have been under the Minister of the Court’s suggestion.

“If it was them,” Pei Wenxuan analyzed, “Then it should have been a discussion about the Inspection Bureau. His Majesty used these two cases to get the three departments to tacitly approve the establishment of the Inspection Bureau.”

“Who are they to decide whether I should establish the Inspection Bureau?!”

Li Rong took a deep breath, about to curse, but then stopped herself. After holding it in for a long time, she finally said, “On one hand, he wants to trouble the aristocratic families, and on the other hand, he gets scared and retreats. Even if he doesn’t plan to deal with them harshly, he shouldn’t have handed it over to the Ministry of Justice!”

“Sister, don’t be angry,” Li Chuan handed Li Rong some tea and said in a calm voice, “Father Emperor is a cautious person. Just look at how he planned the relocation of the Ming Sheng training ground three years ago, and you’ll understand.”

Li Rong listened to Li Chuan’s words and calmed down significantly.

The North City Army’s relocation of the training ground had been controversial at the time, but after Emperor Li Ming survived an assassination attempt and the North City Army helped save him, Li Ming took advantage of the situation to grant the army a larger training ground.

At the time, many people thought this was a sign of great favor. Later, because the new training ground was far from Huajing, the North City Army became more isolated and didn’t have much interaction with the capital. The army gradually distanced itself from the powerful families, and aristocratic young men were unwilling to join. Over time, the North City Army became mostly made up of commoners and poor families, and it was almost entirely under Li Ming’s control.

This abandoned Ming Sheng training ground, in retrospect, seemed to be a preparation for the creation of a small army in Huajing. The Inspection Bureau was something Li Ming had been planning for at least three years.

It was precisely because of the extensive preparations that Li Ming was so cautious, afraid that one wrong step could ruin the Bureau.

But Li Ming had overestimated the courage of the aristocratic families. Li Rong, who had dealt with the aristocratic families for many years, knew very well that these young aristocrats, as long as they didn’t have to resort to violence, would absolutely avoid it. As long as the Inspection Bureau didn’t get involved in killing, the aristocratic families would tolerate it within certain limits.

Even if there are deaths, it depends on who dies. This has always been a contest. Now, the Inspection Bureau has been established, but it has already been seen through by the aristocratic families from the beginning.

Li Rong took a sip of tea. After a long while, she said calmly, “Forget it, I won’t argue with him. Do we have people by His Majesty’s side?”

Li Rong turned her head to look at Pei Wenxuan, who nodded slightly. “We do.”

Li Rong acknowledged, then after thinking for a moment, said, “Arrange it. I’ll write two memorials. One will be a normal petition, but it probably won’t reach His Majesty. The other will be delivered by the eunuchs, and they’ll say this memorial was smuggled out by them.”

By holding back her memorials, Li Ming would feel a sense of crisis, igniting fear of the power of the aristocratic families.

“What will you write in this memorial?” Li Chuan asked, confused. “Even if you persuade him now, Father Emperor still won’t listen to you.”

“I won’t persuade him.”

Li Rong said calmly, “I’ll resign.”

Li Chuan was stunned, but Pei Wenxuan quickly understood and explained, “What Her Highness means is, first, to explain to His Majesty that if the Inspection Bureau is no different from the other three departments, then there is no need for it to be established. Second, it’s also a way to pressure His Majesty. The most suitable person to establish the Inspection Bureau right now is Her Highness. If she resigns, the Bureau will probably be delayed again. But since His Majesty has revealed the intention to establish it, if he delays it now, it will be difficult to build the Bureau again. Third, it’s also giving His Majesty a way out. He can shift the responsibility entirely to Her Highness, saying that she forced him into this, thereby transferring the pressure from His Majesty and making it easier for him to make a decision.”

“If he still doesn’t agree then,” Li Rong said, “I’ll kneel outside his door and make a scene. If he’s afraid of those aristocratic families, won’t he be afraid of me?”

“With Father Emperor’s temperament, he will indeed listen to you.”

Li Chuan thought for a moment, but still had doubts: “Then why doesn’t Sister just give the memorial directly to Father Emperor? Why go through other people?”

“Your Highness doesn’t understand,” Pei Wenxuan smiled. “First, using the issue of the memorial being detained will stimulate His Majesty, increasing the chances that your words will be accepted. Second,” Pei Wenxuan poured tea for Li Rong, then glanced at her, “Her Highness wants to kill two birds with one stone. The memorial that’s passed through the eunuchs isn’t meant for His Majesty.”

“Who is it for?”

“Uncle.”

Li Rong immediately took the tea cup and said, “Once he reads the memorial, he’ll understand that I won’t let go of this case. When things stir up again, I’ll wait for him to come find me.”

“And then?” Li Chuan furrowed his brows. “Uncle… may not be so easy to talk to, right?”

“Chuan’er, do you think Uncle would have framed the Qin family for this?” Li Rong asked, looking at Li Chuan.

Li Chuan froze, then after a moment of hesitation, slowly shook his head. “Mother or Uncle… they aren’t people capable of such great evil.”

“Most of the aristocratic youths who were raised on Confucian classics wouldn’t intentionally frame someone,” Li Rong spoke softly. “When they do things, they always believe they are right. It’s just a series of events, and no one expected it to end so tragically. Once the result comes out, no one can speak.”

Li Chuan listened quietly, and Li Rong looked out of the window. “Uncle must have thought about cleaning up these people, but he can’t do it. If he acts, he’ll freeze the hearts of those working for him. So, now, we’re just giving Uncle a knife. If he decides to wield it, the Shangguan family will have a way out. Otherwise, if the official family rots at its roots,” Li Rong paused and then bitterly smiled, “You, or others, will eventually destroy it.”

Li Chuan listened to these words, feeling as if his innermost thoughts had been seen through. He lowered his eyes and fell silent.

Li Rong knew that saying these words directly might be too sharp, but she didn’t dwell on it. She stood up, patted Li Chuan’s shoulder gently, and said, “Don’t worry, I don’t think you’ve done anything wrong. What I did today was just to make sure that everyone doesn’t have to reach this point.”

Then Li Rong added, “You should rest now. We’ll be leaving. Soon, someone will come to ask what I said to you. Just tell them that I came to ask you for help, we had an argument, and I even hit you.”

“Elder Sister…”

Li Chuan was both amused and helpless. Li Rong waved her hand. “Let’s go.”

With that, Li Rong turned around and left with Pei Wenxuan.

As they exited the main gate, the cold wind hit them. Pei Wenxuan subtly stepped in front of Li Rong, shielding her from the wind. Li Rong glanced at him and, after a moment, smiled. “You don’t always have to block the wind for me. Can’t I handle it myself?”

“I know Your Highness can,” Pei Wenxuan replied with a light smile, “But Your Highness has already endured enough hardships. When I’m here, if I can block the wind for you, it brings me comfort.”

Li Rong looked at him, and when Pei Wenxuan saw that she hadn’t spoken for a while, he looked up and asked, “Your Highness?”

“It’s nothing.” Li Rong smiled, then walked ahead. “I just think you’re a good person. If we stay like this, it will be enough for a lifetime.”

“Your Highness, don’t worry,” Pei Wenxuan, hearing this, couldn’t help but smile, “I will accompany Your Highness for a lifetime.”

Li Rong didn’t respond to this but smiled faintly, lowering her head. Then she said, “Let’s go.”

With that, she walked out the gate, stepping into the cold wind.

Pei Wenxuan took a step forward and followed her. He looked up at the back of the young woman ahead of him. Her figure, compared to when she was eighteen in the previous life, seemed no different.

In that moment, he vaguely realized that, by following her like this, it had already been two lifetimes.

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