Chapter 77: He Did Not Kiss Her Forehead; He Kissed Her Heart

After the establishment of the Supervisory Department, it began to operate formally.

That winter was the most turbulent winter in the Great Xia court. Li Rong started with the Qin case and, along with the military pay case, handled it vigorously, investigating nearly seventy officials in total.

When Li Rong brought out the two cases, the distribution of positions in the Northwest military was finally settled. As compensation to the Qin family, Qin Feng was promoted to Loyal General, and Qin Lin became the deputy general. Meanwhile, Princess Rou’s brother, Xiao Su, became the Grand Marshal of the Northwest, guarding Chenzhou and overseeing the Northwest armies.

Things progressed quickly, and everyone was busy. Li Rong was busy investigating cases, arresting people, and organizing evidence.

Pei Wenxuan was busy cooperating with submitting memorials, arguing with those who opposed Li Rong, and trying to smooth out private relationships.

The court was flooded with memorials criticizing Li Rong, and Pei Wenxuan responded tenfold, criticizing whoever criticized Li Rong. By the end of the year, he had submitted more memorials than the entire Censorate combined.

After battling on the court, Pei Wenxuan didn’t even want to talk when he returned home. Sometimes, after finally resting and waiting for Li Rong, she would come back, take a bath, and fall asleep as soon as she lay down.

With no time to spend together, they couldn’t do much. Fortunately, Pei Wenxuan wasn’t in a hurry. Busy times would eventually end, and if there was no time for big things, he would start with small things.

So Pei Wenxuan got up early every day to dress her, ordered someone to send her snacks and sweet soup in the afternoon, and sent a letter with affectionate poetry, carefully attending to her various life details, trying to subtly integrate into her life.

As the days before the Spring Festival approached, things were finally almost settled. The court officials were tired, knowing that no matter how much they criticized Li Rong, she hadn’t actually committed any major mistakes. She was determined to handle the cases, the emperor was determined to protect her, the Shangguan family pretended to be dead, and the crown prince couldn’t persuade Li Rong. Unless they raised an army to overthrow the court directly, they couldn’t stop Li Rong from arresting people.

With the New Year approaching, the court officials lost patience and didn’t want to argue anymore. So Pei Wenxuan finally had some leisure time. After the morning court session, he calculated that Li Rong should be free today and specially returned from the office to wait in the house.

He had someone prepare Li Rong’s favorite dishes in advance, personally mixed calming incense, and dressed carefully.

It was already the coldest time of winter, but he still wore a white single shirt with a blue brocade cloak with white plum blossoms.

When he chose this outfit, Tong Ye shivered and couldn’t help but remind him, “Young master, it’s very cold today.”

Pei Wenxuan adjusted his collar and, after a moment, pointed to the cabinet and said, “Bring a thicker coat.”

Pei Wenxuan had the fire in the house burning more vigorously, wrapped in a thick coat, reading in the house. When it was time for dinner, he finally heard the sound of Li Rong returning to the mansion outside. He took off the coat and handed it to Tong Ye, saying, “Hide it quickly.”

Tong Ye looked confused, watching Pei Wenxuan tidy his clothes in front of the mirror and quickly get up to greet her.

Pei Wenxuan hurried to the door, and as he reached the front yard, he heard Li Rong talking to someone from afar: “You can’t be vague about land grabbing and murder. It’s a serious crime. If his father can’t do it, get some slow-acting poison from the palace and have someone feed it to him. Just treat it as a serious illness and deal with it. After dealing with it, go to his father and persuade him that since his son is dead, don’t cause trouble. The Shangguan family should privately apologize to the family and compensate them with money. This way, if investigated later, it can be said that he felt guilty and committed suicide, and it won’t be traced back.”

As Li Rong spoke, Pei Wenxuan saw her walking in with Shangguan Ya.

The winter was getting colder, but Li Rong didn’t wear a thick coat like others. Her clothes looked slightly thicker, and she wore a white fox fur coat outside, making her look fluffy and somewhat cute.

Pei Wenxuan smiled and waited for her in the corridor. Li Rong was still talking seriously with Shangguan Ya, and the two girls didn’t notice him at all. Shangguan Ya whispered, “I understand. I will clean up the Shangguan family before His Majesty formally acts against the crown prince.”

“Do they listen to you?” Li Rong frowned. Shangguan Ya smiled, “I investigate cases and promote some neglected sons to help. His Highness recommends them. They see that those who follow me get benefits, and those who don’t get trouble from me. They are cooperating for now. After all, it’s just resignation, not taking lives, so it’s still okay.”

“Make sure to be discreet,” Li Rong instructed, and Shangguan Ya nodded.

As they talked, they walked past Pei Wenxuan, who silently followed them. The two were completely unaware of the extra person behind them and continued discussing official matters.

“Did those noble families approach your father?”

“They did,” Shangguan Ya laughed, “How could they not? They wanted someone to persuade you. I heard even the Empress Dowager tried to intervene. I went to the Empress Dowager and the Empress in advance to inform them. The Empress Dowager is now refusing to see anyone. Don’t worry.”

“That’s good.”

Li Rong and Shangguan Ya continued talking. After a moment of contemplation, Li Rong said, “Then they only have one path left.”

Shangguan Ya nodded, understanding Li Rong’s meaning, and said solemnly, “Your Highness, take care.”

“Yes,” Li Rong pondered, “You too.”

As they talked, Shangguan Ya sat down and discussed many details. By the time they finished, it was already night. Shangguan Ya stood up to leave and only then noticed Pei Wenxuan standing there. She was startled, then smiled at Pei Wenxuan and bowed, “Sorry for the disturbance, Prince Consort.”

Pei Wenxuan raised his hand with a smile, “Miss Shangguan, take care.”

Shangguan Ya quickly left, and Li Rong took a breath, drank some tea, and tiredly looked up, saying softly, “I heard you plan to move to the Ministry of Personnel?”

“His Majesty plans to hold a special examination this year.”

Pei Wenxuan walked behind Li Rong, placing his hand on her forehead, and said calmly, “You’ve handled so many people, the court is short of officials. His Majesty plans to hold the examination early to select a batch of people. I’m moving to the Ministry of Personnel, just in time to have a group of students.”

The Great Xia’s method of selecting talents relied on family background and the imperial examination. Most people knew that the imperial examination was the emperor’s way to suppress noble families. However, most of the people who passed the examination were from noble families. Even if some commoners passed, they were placed in insignificant positions.

For example, last year’s top scholar, Cui Yulang, was placed in the Ministry of Rites as a fifth-rank official. It sounded prestigious but was insignificant and had no real power.

So, the imperial examination was important, but powerful ministers didn’t care much about the examiner position. However, it was still a chance to select people and gain benefits, so some people wanted to take a bite.

Pei Wenxuan and Li Rong knew that being an examiner was not about gaining benefits from commoner students but about the officials who would enter the court and naturally form a bond with the examiner. If the examiner managed well, these people would even consider the examiner as their “teacher” in the court, supporting each other.

This was one of the sources of Pei Wenxuan’s supporters. Li Rong was not surprised that Pei Wenxuan wanted to manage the examination.

Especially after she had cleared many positions.

“Moving directly from the Censorate won’t be easy,” Li Rong thought, “Many people are annoyed with you now.”

“Thanks to Your Highness,” Pei Wenxuan smiled, gently pressing Li Rong’s temples, “But it’s not a problem. I’ve already started working on it.”

Li Rong responded, and Pei Wenxuan massaged her temples. The scent from Pei Wenxuan’s sleeves brought her rare peace. She didn’t know why, but she didn’t want to think about court affairs. She remained silent, and Pei Wenxuan observed her expression, softly saying, “Your Highness, shall we have dinner together?”

Li Rong nodded, and Pei Wenxuan helped her up, his hand sliding down to gently hold hers.

The warmth from his hand in the cold winter was comforting. Li Rong was too tired to think, and Pei Wenxuan, seeing her silence and lack of resistance, felt uneasy. He glanced at her cautiously and asked, “Your Highness, shall we dine in the bedroom or the dining hall?”

“You decide.”

Li Rong listened to him, came back to her senses, and softly spoke. Pei Wenxuan immediately said, “Let’s go to the bedroom.”

Li Rong was a bit suspicious of his quick response. She then focused on him and realized that despite the cold winter, Pei Wenxuan was dressed lightly, wearing elegant attire as if it were spring.

But she had to admit, Pei Wenxuan looked quite handsome, leading her forward like a romantic young man taking his lover on a spring outing. His gentle demeanor carried a silent youthful charm that, if she were a young girl, she might gaze at him forever.

Li Rong’s gaze fell on his face as he led her into the room. When the door opened, she saw the small table set up inside, the newly arranged winter plum, and the specially mixed incense. She understood his intentions.

She didn’t show it on her face, but she glanced at the serious-looking Pei Wenxuan with the corner of her eye, pretending not to notice anything, and entered the room, saying softly, “It seems colder today than usual.”

Pei Wenxuan responded, closed the door, and said, “Indeed, I had the fire increased. Does Your Highness still feel cold?”

“I’m not cold,” Li Rong looked at him, half-smiling, “but you seem to be dressed lightly. Aren’t you cold?”

“I’m quite robust and don’t spend much time outdoors,” Pei Wenxuan said, walking into the room and sitting opposite Li Rong, “This is enough for me.”

Li Rong nodded, but inside she was laughing.

Pei Wenxuan was a civil official, and she knew his capabilities well. But if he wanted to show off, she wouldn’t say anything, only saying, “Let’s eat.”

With that, Li Rong picked up her chopsticks.

The meal was clearly prepared with care. She hadn’t noticed before, but today she paid attention and realized that the dishes were not only her favorites but also well-balanced, matching her habits—no cilantro, thinly sliced meat, and plenty of green onions.

Li Rong didn’t know whether to be surprised or pleased.

Pei Wenxuan had lived with her for years and knew her habits thoroughly.

Knowing her so well, poisoning her wouldn’t be difficult. Fortunately, he never had such intentions, or she might have been dead long ago.

Thinking of this, Li Rong felt a bit scared and glanced at Pei Wenxuan.

Her gaze was too complex, making Pei Wenxuan uneasy. He couldn’t help but ask, “Why is Your Highness looking at me?”

“I want to persuade you to eat more.”

Li Rong said, then casually asked Pei Wenxuan about some official matters, which he answered one by one. While answering, he didn’t forget to ask Li Rong about some trivial matters, “Your Highness, did you receive the candied fruit yesterday?”

“I did.”

“How was the taste?”

“I didn’t get to eat it; my subordinates took it all.”

Pei Wenxuan was a bit taken aback by this answer, making the braised pork in his mouth lose its flavor.

He couldn’t help but ask, “Your Highness, did you receive the poem I wrote?”

“I did.”

Li Rong thought of the sentimental poems he wrote daily, feeling a bit toothache. Seeing her response, Pei Wenxuan eagerly asked, “How does Your Highness feel about it?”

Li Rong looked up at him, seeing that he intended to write poems for her every day, she quickly said, “Write fewer of those things.”

Li Rong, adopting the earnest tone of an elder, advised him seriously: “You possess the talent to govern the world, yet you’re always indulging in these refined pursuits. I fear it might cloud your resolve. If others see this, they might think you’re merely a poet, assuming you only know verses and lack political acumen. Look at the capable politicians—how many of them write these romantic poems?”

Pei Wenxuan felt stifled by Li Rong’s lecture. Unable to hold back, he said, “I only write them for Your Highness to see.”

“I understand,” Li Rong nodded, pretending to miss his meaning and interpreting it her own way. “You wouldn’t dare show them to anyone else. I know you have a sense of propriety.”

Pei Wenxuan was speechless. Having finished her meal, Li Rong set down her chopsticks and said calmly, “I’m going to review a few memorials to aid digestion. You carry on.”

With that, she stood and walked out. Pei Wenxuan remained at the dining table, feeling a bit irritated.

A meal like this—truly devoid of any charm.

After taking a few steps, Li Rong glanced back and saw Pei Wenxuan still seated, his silhouette tinged with a hint of dejection. It stirred a trace of fondness in her, and she couldn’t help but smile. She called out, “You should wear more layers.”

Pei Wenxuan didn’t respond. Instead, he stood, walked to a cabinet with practiced ease, pulled out a thick overcoat, and draped it over himself. With a blank expression, he said, “Your Highness, rest assured, I won’t catch a chill.

Then, wrapped in the coat, he returned to the table, picked up his chopsticks, and resumed eating.

Watching how naturally he donned the coat, Li Rong was convinced—he really wouldn’t get cold.

She returned to her room and reviewed a few memorials. After about half an hour, feeling tired, she took a bath and leisurely made her way back.

When she entered the room, Pei Wenxuan was already asleep. He’d been exhausted lately and hadn’t rested well, so Li Rong wasn’t surprised.

Without lighting a lamp, she groped her way into the room and quietly slipped into bed.

Not long after she drifted off, she felt the person beside her turn over. Assuming it was unintentional, she kept her eyes closed and continued sleeping.

A while later, he turned again, as if somewhat displeased.

Li Rong pretended to sleep soundly, unwilling to indulge him.

Who knew what had upset him this time? She’d offended him plenty before—let him sort it out himself.

Pei Wenxuan tossed and turned, seemingly unable to let go of his frustration. After a long while, as Li Rong dozed hazily, she suddenly felt him sit up and lean toward her abruptly.

His approach was forceful, but before Li Rong could react, he stopped.

Pei Wenxuan hovered above her. Li Rong held her breath, unsure whether to open her eyes and assert herself or keep them closed to avoid awkwardness.

They remained frozen for a moment, Pei Wenxuan’s brows tightly knit. After what felt like an eternity, Li Rong felt him lean down and place a soft, gentle kiss on her forehead.

He seemed cautious, as if afraid of waking her, kissing her with utmost care.

People are strange creatures. If Pei Wenxuan had kissed her lips, or even ventured further with a passionate tangle, Li Rong wouldn’t have batted an eye. A direct confrontation like that—she’d meet it head-on without fear.

But this restrained, delicate kiss on her forehead, followed by a low chuckle as he retreated contentedly, made her feel as though the kiss hadn’t landed on her forehead but in her heart.

It was like a breeze rippling across autumn waters, stirring wave after wave.

For reasons she couldn’t fathom, Li Rong’s face flushed in the darkness. Unable to help herself, she turned over, facing away from Pei Wenxuan.

Seeing her turn, Pei Wenxuan lay on his side, propping his head up with one hand. His gaze settled on her back, and he let out a soft laugh.

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