Chapter 78: I Will Slay Them All!

The next day, Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan got up together. As usual, Pei Wenxuan woke up first. The two acted as if nothing had happened, with Pei Wenxuan helping Li Rong dress before they went to court together.

Once they were seated in the carriage, Pei Wenxuan hinted, “Did Your Highness sleep well last night?”

Li Rong, without looking up from her documents, replied, “Why do you ask? Did the Prince Consort not sleep well?”

Pei Wenxuan saw Li Rong’s calm demeanor and couldn’t tell if she had truly slept or pretended to sleep last night.

Seeing him at a loss for words, Li Rong found it amusing and changed the topic, asking, “Who are the people from the Censorate still impeaching me?”

“Only the Chen family remains.”

Pei Wenxuan, seeing Li Rong ask about official matters, dared not avoid the topic and followed her lead, saying, “It’s the family of Chen Guang from the Ministry of Revenue.”

“He is doomed.”

Li Rong said casually, “He handled both the Qin family case and the military pay case. The military pay case was orchestrated by him. In the Qin family case, others might claim innocence, but he intended to force the Qin family to death. Now, it seems he is worried about the military pay case being exposed, so he wants to silence the Qin family completely, leaving no evidence in the future.”

“The Chen family knows he can’t be saved,” Pei Wenxuan said calmly, “but Chen Guang’s branch refuses to give up. His mother has come to the Censorate several times, crying and making a scene in front of Censor Chen Hui. Chen Hui probably can’t withstand his aunt’s pleas, so although the documents were written, it’s not a big deal. Just leave it to me to handle.”

Li Rong responded, then thought for a moment and smiled, “Once this case is closed, we can celebrate the New Year. The court will have a seven-day holiday. Have you thought about how to spend it?”

Pei Wenxuan, surprised by Li Rong’s casual remark, felt a warmth in his heart and replied, “If Your Highness has any ideas, please let me know, and I will arrange it.”

“We can’t go far,” Li Rong said regretfully, “After handling these two major cases, many people probably want me dead, so we won’t leave Huajing.”

“Your Highness is wise.”

Li Rong thought for a moment and sighed, “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen flowers. This winter is too long.”

“Does Your Highness want to admire plum blossoms?” Pei Wenxuan pondered, and Li Rong laughed, “Plum blossoms can be seen anywhere, even in the palace.”

“Speaking of which,” Pei Wenxuan placed his hand on the table and leaned closer to Li Rong, “I’ve known Your Highness for many years and only know that you love peonies. I don’t know about other flowers. Does Your Highness have any favorites?”

“I like many flowers, peach blossoms, pear blossoms, orchids, they’re all good. But I prefer the more flamboyant ones, like peonies and roses.”

Li Rong answered casually, then remembered, “Why are you asking?”

She became cautious, “Don’t waste money sending me these flowers. It’s time to spend money wisely.”

Pei Wenxuan felt a bit guilty, turned his gaze away, and instinctively said, “Your Highness is overthinking. I wouldn’t spend so much money on these.”

Realizing his mistake, Pei Wenxuan quickly added, “If the price is reasonable, I would still send them.”

Li Rong didn’t speak, her eyes full of disdain. Pei Wenxuan, feeling her gaze, wanted to retort but restrained himself and turned away.

Seeing his changing expressions, Li Rong couldn’t help but laugh and poked him with her fan, “If you want to scold me, don’t hold back.”

“Your Highness is joking,” Pei Wenxuan looked up with a smile, “Your Highness is my dearest treasure. How could I scold you?”

Li Rong, hearing this, showed displeasure, “You, talking like this, how do you still scold people?”

Pei Wenxuan, seeing Li Rong mock him, chuckled and said no more, returning to his documents.

After reading the documents for a while, Pei Wenxuan remembered what he initially wanted to say. He had intended to talk about last night and ask Li Rong about her feelings, but the conversation had shifted, and it felt awkward to bring it up again.

Pei Wenxuan felt a bit regretful. He glanced at Li Rong, who was smiling and drinking tea while reading the documents. Reflecting on their earlier conversation, he concluded that Li Rong must have been awake last night.

She was awake, which is why she didn’t want to talk about it and deliberately changed the topic.

Thinking about Li Rong’s shy movements last night and her deliberate topic shift today, Pei Wenxuan began to understand her better.

He realized that Li Rong was not someone who responded well to direct confrontation, but gentle reminders seemed to have an effect.

Li Rong had always been like this, more evident when she was younger. Back then, if he dared to kiss her forcefully, she would hold his face and kiss him ten times in return, maintaining her momentum and never backing down, always displaying a bold attitude as if she could have ten lovers, which was quite adorable.

Now, as she grew older, she seemed more restrained and wouldn’t do things like kissing him back ten times, but her nature hadn’t changed at all.

If he dared to kiss her forcefully, she would treat him like a lover. What truly left her helpless was intimacy driven by affection rather than desire.

When he kissed her, she could still hold his hand and refuse.

But when he secretly kissed her forehead, she blushed and couldn’t look at him, not even mentioning it.

Realizing this, Pei Wenxuan smiled and stopped pursuing the topic. He lowered his head and casually read the documents, unable to suppress his smile.

Li Rong secretly glanced at Pei Wenxuan, seeing him smile silently while reading. The candlelight illuminated his fair face, gentle expression, and slender hands turning the pages, creating an indescribable handsomeness.

Li Rong’s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly looked away.

She didn’t even dare to ask why he was smiling.

After attending court together, Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan parted ways, with Li Rong heading straight to the Supervisory Office.

The Supervisory Office was located in the suburbs, with two deputy chiefs: Su Ronghua, appointed by the court, and Shangguan Ya, appointed by Li Rong.

As Li Rong entered the courtyard of the Supervisory Office, she heard Shangguan Ya’s voice from inside, “I told you, I didn’t hit him. He inflicted that wound on himself, and this confession was made voluntarily.”

“Miss Shangguan, you’re joking. Who would inflict a whip wound on themselves?”

Su Ronghua’s voice echoed. Li Rong stepped into the main hall, and Shangguan Ya, seeing her, showed a joyful expression and greeted, “Your Highness.”

“I heard you arguing,” Li Rong smiled as she walked to the table and looked at the papers. She picked up a page and glanced at it, “It seems Lord Su thinks this confession is unusable?”

“Your Highness,” Su Ronghua bowed and smiled, “According to the laws of Daxia, corporal punishment is not applied to the nobility. Today, I visited Lord Chen, and he had whip wounds. This confession might have been obtained through torture.”

“Torture with just one whip?” Shangguan Ya sneered, “Lord Su is treating us like children?”

“A whip wound is still a wound,” Li Rong said gently, “Since Lord Su thinks this confession is inappropriate, let’s re-examine it. I will personally handle it.”

With that, Li Rong put down the confession and led Shangguan Ya towards the prison, saying, “Let’s go.”

Shangguan Ya, having received the order, gave Su Ronghua a cold glance, “Lord Su, please join us, so you won’t accuse us of torturing Lord Chen and rendering the confession unusable.”

Su Ronghua bowed with a smile and gestured, “Please.”

The three of them went to the prison, and Li Rong ordered the guards to bring out “Lord Chen.”

Li Rong laughed as soon as she saw him; it was Chen Guang, whom she had discussed with Pei Wenxuan in the morning.

Chen Guang came from a prominent family in Jiangnan and was the head of the warehouse department in the Ministry of Revenue.

Having been in this sensitive position for ten years, he was quite experienced.

Li Rong looked at his confession and asked Shangguan Ya to invite him to sit down.

Once Chen Guang was seated, Li Rong put down the confession and smiled, “Lord Chen.”

“Your Highness.”

Chen Guang cupped his hands and smiled, “Your Highness, you came at the right time. I have something to report.”

“Lord Chen wants to accuse Lord Shangguan of abusing you with private punishment,” Li Rong said directly, “Is that right?”

“Ah,” Chen Guang showed a surprised expression, “Your Highness already knows?”

Li Rong nodded, “I heard that Lord Chen received a whip in prison.”

“Yes,” Chen Guang quickly opened his clothes, “Your Highness, look, the wound is deep.”

“May I ask when and where did Lord Chen receive this whip?”

“Just last night,” Chen Guang immediately said, “when she was interrogating me. Look at this wound, it’s fresh.”

“Call a doctor to check Lord Chen’s wound.”

Li Rong raised her hand to summon someone, then turned her head and said gently, “Lord Chen, this confession may not be usable. Let’s record a new one.”

Chen Guang raised his hand with a smile, “Please, Your Highness. With you here, I will certainly tell the truth.”

“Lord Chen,” Li Rong nodded and touched the confession, speaking softly, “As a senior official in the Ministry of Revenue, you should know a few things.”

“What does Your Highness mean?”

“First, according to the laws of Daxai, officials who confess will have their punishment reduced, while those who conceal their crimes will have their punishment increased.”

“I know.” Chen Guang nodded, “And then?”

“Second, your current crime would only cost you your position, but if the punishment is increased, it will cost you your life.”

“Your Highness is exaggerating,” Chen Guang smiled, “Even if I am guilty, it is not to that extent. Many officials in the past had heavier crimes than mine, but…”

“But they were tried in the Ministry of Justice,” Li Rong raised her eyes and slammed the table, shouting, “This is the Supervisory Office! Do you think I am playing games with you?! I tell you, if you confess today, I can let you go back and enjoy your old age. If you don’t, I guarantee your head won’t roll far in the market!”

Chen Guang’s face changed dramatically. Li Rong raised her hand and grabbed a stack of confessions, “Do you think I want you to confess just to give you a way out because of your family? Otherwise,” Li Rong looked up and sneered, “Lord Chen, think about Lord Wang, who was haunted by vengeful spirits.”

Chen Guang fell silent. Su Ronghua coughed lightly, “Your Highness, Lord Chen is old, he…”

“Is it your place to speak?”

Li Rong raised her eyes and said coldly, “I am not dead yet. If I don’t let you speak, what are you saying?”

“Offend Your Highness again,” Shangguan Ya laughed, “and you’ll be slapped.”

Su Ronghua gave Shangguan Ya a cold look, and Shangguan Ya sneered and looked away.

Li Rong waited for a while, quickly flipping through the confession, then casually asked, “When you were in charge of the warehouse department, how much grain did you send to Huangping County?”

Before Chen Guang could speak, Li Rong answered herself, “Three thousand.”

Chen Guang’s expression was not pleasant. Li Rong frowned, flipped through a few more pages, then threw the confession aside and stood up, saying, “Haven’t the others already confessed? Su Lin has been brought out, so why do we still need Lord Chen’s confession? It’s simply nonsense!”

Hearing this, Chen Guang hurriedly looked at Su Ronghua. Su Ronghua was about to say something when Shangguan Ya blocked Chen Guang’s view and laughed, “Lord Su has a lot to say today?”

Su Ronghua’s face looked displeased. Li Rong led the group out, but halfway through, Chen Guang suddenly called out, “Wait, Your Highness.”

Li Rong stopped and turned around. Chen Guang’s face was pale, and he urgently said, “Your Highness, if I confess, will you spare my life?”

“That depends on what you confess. If your confession is not interesting…” Li Rong smiled, “I don’t like people wasting my time.”

“I have solid evidence,” Chen Guang hurriedly said, “Your Highness, you only have confessions now, but I have proof!”

Li Rong returned and sat down, saying, “Go ahead.”

Turning her head, Li Rong looked at Su Ronghua, “Lord Su, since this involves noble families, perhaps you should step aside?”

Su Ronghua said nothing, staring intently at Chen Guang. Chen Guang dared not look at him. Shangguan Ya raised her hand, “Lord Su, please.”

Chen Guang indeed had solid evidence. Su Lin, a distant relative of the Su family, was not closely related, but the Su family was prestigious, and even a distant member was not insignificant.

Su Lin was in the Ministry of War and had merely helped issue a pass, but upon investigation, demotion was inevitable.

Li Rong listened quietly as Chen Guang confessed everything, signed, and sealed it. Then she stood up, and Chen Guang urgently said, “Your Highness, my crime…”

“Wait for the verdict,” Li Rong said calmly, “I will not bend the law.”

Chen Guang’s face looked unpleasant, but he lowered his voice and continued to plead, “Your Highness, you are young and new to the court, unaware of the dangers. Everyone is related; you can’t really execute me…”

“Why not?” Li Rong raised her eyes and smiled, “Does Lord Chen think I won’t?”

“Your Highness,” Chen Guang frowned, “If you really kill me, how will you explain to the noble families?”

“When you were doing your deeds,” Li Rong said coldly, “did you ever think about giving an explanation to the soldiers who died at the border?”

“They were too greedy!” Chen Guang shouted angrily, clearly dissatisfied. Li Rong glanced at him coldly and said, “You all say the same thing to me. Isn’t it annoying?”

With that, Li Rong walked out. After a few steps, Chen Guang lost control of his emotions, “Your Highness, you are seeking your own death!”

Li Rong stopped, turned around, and sneered, “I think it’s you who is seeking death!”

She finished speaking and walked out the door. At the entrance, Shangguan Ya approached. Li Rong looked around and didn’t see Su Ronghua, so she asked, “Where is he?”

“He went to inform them.”

Shangguan Ya said, taking the confession from Li Rong’s hand and praising, “Your Highness, I truly admire you. You knew the grain sent from his warehouse was three thousand shi, and you even knew he was involved with Su Lin? How did you know?”

“Three thousand shi was calculated by Pei Wenxuan during his inspection. As for Su Lin…”

Li Rong didn’t finish.

It was Su Rongqing who had told her in her previous life.

Su Lin was involved in a case concerning military pay in the Northwest, and the Su family later dealt with him internally.

With Su Ronghua present, Chen Guang wouldn’t believe he was betrayed by others unless given extraordinary details. Revealing Su Lin and the three thousand shi would make Chen Guang suspect he was sold out, and Su Ronghua’s deception was merely to prevent him from exposing Su Lin.

Once Chen Guang doubted Su Ronghua, he would easily collapse.

Li Rong thought about what Su Rongqing had told her in her previous life and felt a bit tired. After a moment, she instructed, “Find out who was on duty last night. His whip wound couldn’t have been self-inflicted. Find the person and tell them to either whip more or whip themselves. Afterward, dismiss them.”

Shangguan Ya responded, and Li Rong looked at the confession in her hand, asking, “Who is left?”

Shangguan Ya listed a few names, and Li Rong nodded, saying, “Let’s go together.”

Li Rong and Shangguan Ya were busy dealing with the remaining prisoners who hadn’t confessed. In the afternoon, a guard hurriedly entered, saying, “Your Highness, there’s something.”

Li Rong sat in her chair, holding tea, and looked at the guard’s hands.

The guard held a kite with a blood-red word “stop” written on it.

Seeing the kite, Shangguan Ya’s face changed, and she asked coldly, “Who did this?”

“I don’t know,” the guard knelt and said, “The kite suddenly fell into the courtyard. I’ve sent people to catch the culprit, but they couldn’t find anyone.”

Shangguan Ya’s face was cold, seemingly wanting to scold someone but knowing it was difficult to investigate. She turned to Li Rong, who sipped her tea and laughed, “Desperate people resort to tricks. Take more people with you when you return and let them be.”

Li Rong finished speaking, drank her tea, placed the cup on the table, and turned to the officials being interrogated, continuing her work.

She was never afraid of assassination attempts, having lived through such threats in her previous life.

Shangguan Ya, encountering this for the first time, took a moment to calm down.

The two worked until midnight. Pei Wenxuan finally finished his tasks and left the palace, taking a carriage to the princess’s residence.

Pei Wenxuan was tired, leaning against the carriage wall with his eyes closed, trying to rest whenever possible.

Halfway through the journey, the carriage suddenly stopped. Pei Wenxuan folded his hands in his sleeves and slowly opened his eyes. Tong Ye rolled up the curtain and whispered, “Sir, someone is blocking the street with a petition.”

Pei Wenxuan frowned. As a censor, receiving petitions was common. He nodded tiredly, “Bring the petition.”

Tong Ye responded and jumped off the carriage, approaching the child blocking the street.

At that moment, an arrow shot from the crowd, directly into Pei Wenxuan’s carriage. Pei Wenxuan quickly closed the window.

Simultaneously, a silver sword pierced through the curtain. Pei Wenxuan coldly watched the sword approach, grabbed the hidden sword, and stepped forward, piercing the attacker’s abdomen. The attacker tried to slash him, but Pei Wenxuan pushed him out, though the blade still cut his arm, causing blood to flow.

Although Pei Wenxuan usually appeared to have only Tong Ye with him, he had people everywhere. As soon as the attacker moved, Pei Wenxuan’s men rushed in, quickly subduing the assailants except for one who slipped through.

Tong Ye hurriedly lifted the curtain and entered, holding a sword, “Sir, are you alright?”

Pei Wenxuan covered his wound and, without saying much, stepped out of the carriage. The other attackers were already dead, leaving only the child who had petitioned. As Pei Wenxuan approached, the child struggled free from the guards and lunged at him. Fortunately, the guards reacted quickly and pierced him with a sword.

Pei Wenxuan exclaimed, “Wait…”

Before he could finish, the child was already dead. The guard quickly checked the child’s mouth and then looked up, “Sir, he’s a dwarf.”

Assassins often trained dwarfs as killers. They appeared as children, easily lowering people’s guard, but had the strength and agility of adults.

Pei Wenxuan’s expression darkened as he stared at the assassin for a moment before saying, “Investigate this. Send more people to protect Her Highness.”

“Yes.”

The guard responded and immediately went to inform Li Rong.

However, Li Rong’s informants had already reached the Supervisory Office. Li Rong had just stepped out, wiping her hands with a warm cloth and discussing follow-up matters with Shangguan Ya.

As they exited the main hall, Jinglan hurriedly entered, “Your Highness, something terrible has happened.”

Li Rong looked up as Jinglan anxiously said, “The Prince Consort has been attacked.”

Li Rong’s eyes widened in shock.

Shangguan Ya also looked surprised but quickly reacted, “Your Highness, don’t panic. You should return to check on the Prince Consort while I investigate.”

Li Rong regained her composure and rushed out, mounting a horse and shouting, “Find them for me! I will kill them!”

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