Chapter 80: Matters Of Emotion Are Beyond This Servant’s Understanding Or Interest

At the moment this thought came up, Pei Wenxuan calmed down instead.

This is too big a matter. If he were to say this sentence lightly at this time, it would seem too insincere. Even if he said it, Li Rong wouldn’t take it to heart.

More importantly, he wanted to say such words to Li Rong at the most beautiful moment, so that Li Rong would be happy and remember it for a lifetime.

Whether Li Rong accepted or not, at least she would remember that moment and Pei Wenxuan forever.

Pei Wenxuan pondered how to say these words. Seeing him holding her without speaking, Li Rong raised her hand and patted his hand, calmly saying, “Alright, sleep. Doesn’t your hand hurt holding me like this?”

“It hurts,” Pei Wenxuan leaned his head against Li Rong’s back and whispered, “It doesn’t hurt when I’m holding Your Highness.”

“Nonsense.” Li Rong chuckled and gently pushed his hand away, closing her eyes and saying, “Sleep.”

Both closed their eyes. After a while, Li Rong suddenly remembered: “In a few days, I plan to leave the capital for a trip. Do you want to go?”

Hearing Li Rong’s words, Pei Wenxuan became somewhat spirited: “Leave the capital?”

“Yes,” Li Rong closed her eyes, “Find a place to stroll around, just as a trip.”

Listening to Li Rong’s words, Pei Wenxuan had some plans in mind and pondered: “Has Your Highness decided where to go?”

“Let me see.”

Li Rong pondered; she had to find a place easy for an ambush.

Both fell asleep with different thoughts in mind. The next day before dawn, Pei Wenxuan woke up early. Li Rong felt rustling sounds beside her and thought Pei Wenxuan had gotten up. Then she noticed a cloth gently placed over her eyes, followed by light shining through. Moments later, Pei Wenxuan returned and gently shook her, softly saying: “Your Highness, it’s time to get up.”

Usually, Pei Wenxuan wouldn’t wake her up. He would let her sleep while he changed her clothes. Only when it was time to get out of bed would he call her.

Li Rong was somewhat puzzled and opened her eyes to see Pei Wenxuan’s bandaged hand. She remembered that his hand was injured and it was difficult for him to support her with one hand.

Li Rong groggily opened her eyes and saw Pei Wenxuan waiting beside her: “Your Highness, please sit up first.”

“It’s alright.”

Li Rong shook her head and crawled out of the bed. Pei Wenxuan hurriedly draped clothes over her. Li Rong pulled the clothes herself and then said: “I can dress myself.”

Saying this, Li Rong put on the clothes. She turned around and saw Pei Wenxuan still wearing only his undershirt: “Aren’t you cold?”

“I’ll dress soon.”

Pei Wenxuan smiled and went to pick up his clothes. Seeing him struggling with one hand, Li Rong yawned and walked over to the bed to pick up his clothes and drape them over him: “Let me help you.”

Pei Wenxuan was stunned for a moment. Li Rong didn’t notice anything unusual. She helped him put his hands into the sleeves and fastened the inner buttons.

She had never done this before and appeared somewhat clumsy, standing in front of him like a child learning to do things.

Seeing Li Rong like this made Pei Wenxuan feel an indescribable emotion.

The most captivating thing wasn’t someone openly displaying countless charms but rather someone lowering their head like a little girl in front of you, revealing their slender and graceful jade neck while learning to fasten a button for you. Raising their hand from behind as if embracing you yet not quite doing so, fingertips lightly sliding across your waist as if nothing happened before tying the belt tightly in front.

Pei Wenxuan looked at the girl in front of him and tried hard to suppress all his impulses while maintaining his usual gentle demeanor until Li Rong raised her hand to straighten his hemline. He hurriedly grabbed her hand and spoke hoarsely: “Your Highness, that’s enough.”

Li Rong was still a bit sleepy and didn’t notice anything unusual. She looked up at him and said, “Why is your voice hoarse? Did you catch a cold?”

“Maybe a little.” Pei Wenxuan quickly adjusted his voice to cover up the oddity. Li Rong raised her hand to touch his forehead and instructed, “You’re injured now. If you get a fever, it would be serious. Take good care of yourself and don’t worry about other things. Leave everything to me.”

“Your Highness…” Pei Wenxuan couldn’t help but laugh, “Why do you always steal my lines?”

Li Rong smiled softly and said, “If you can’t sleep, just read a book. I’ve excused you from the morning court session. You should rest.”

With that, Li Rong called someone in to help them wash up. Then she put on her clothes and went to court. Pei Wenxuan escorted her to the main gate. He wanted to attend the court session too, but Li Rong forcibly kept him back and had someone stop him from leaving the house.

After Li Rong went to court, she reported the assassination attempt on Pei Wenxuan. Li Ming ordered a thorough investigation, and Li Rong took on the task. When she returned to the Inspectorate, she found that someone had thrown feces at the entrance. Li Rong was so angry that she laughed. She turned to Su Ronghua, who had followed her, and pointed at him, saying, “Lord Su, aren’t you going to investigate this?”

Su Ronghua smiled wryly, “Your Highness, this is obviously the work of some unruly villagers. Even if we find out who did it, there’s not much we can do.”

“Why not?” Li Rong said coldly, “If we really can’t do anything, I’ll have someone throw feces at your Su residence tomorrow!”

Su Ronghua’s face stiffened. He seemed to envision the scene of feces being thrown at the Su family’s gate. He immediately changed his tune and said, “Rest assured, Your Highness, I will handle it right away.”

Li Rong didn’t bother to say more and led Shangguan Ya inside. Shangguan Ya whispered, “Why let him handle this, Your Highness?”

“Do you want to handle it?”

Li Rong raised an eyebrow, and Shangguan Ya immediately replied, “Lord Su is indeed suitable.”

The two entered the Inspectorate. Li Rong whispered, “Any leads on yesterday’s assassination attempt?”

“Not yet.”

“Then go check the outskirts for suitable ambush spots,” Li Rong pondered, “If we can’t find any clues in seven days, we’ll have to take the initiative. We need to settle everything before the New Year.”

Li Rong smiled, “So I can have a good New Year.”

“You’re right, Your Highness.”

Shangguan Ya was someone who, if she agreed to something, would do it thoroughly. Li Rong felt much more at ease hearing her response. She led her people into the prison to review all the testimonies and evidence one last time.

Now, all the evidence was almost complete. Only the final conviction remained. Once the conviction was decided, the report would be sent up for the emperor’s approval. The Ministry of Justice would review it, and if there were no major issues, it would be finalized.

At times like this, things only got busier. In the morning, someone threw feces at the Inspectorate’s entrance. In the evening, someone brought silver to the princess’s residence.

Li Rong had them stopped outside and returned to the princess’s residence. After seven days, things were mostly settled, and Shangguan Ya had found some leads.

“It was Chen Guang’s family. They went to great lengths to hire assassins.”

Shangguan Ya followed Li Rong out of the prison. Li Rong wiped her hands with a handkerchief and listened to Shangguan Ya, “Chen Guang holds a high position in the Chen family. He is the only son of the Chen family’s matriarch. If he dies, the Chen family will completely fall. There are likely many powerful families supporting the Chen family, but Your Highness has offended too many people, so it’s unclear who exactly is supporting them.”

“Is there any evidence?”

Li Rong asked softly. Shangguan Ya shook her head, “No, they were very thorough. This conclusion is just a deduction without solid evidence.”

“Has Chen Guang’s crime been decided?”

“It has,” Shangguan Ya said softly, “According to Your Highness’s instructions, he has been sentenced to beheading.”

Li Rong acknowledged and thought for a moment before asking softly, “Have you found a suitable ambush spot in the outskirts?”

“I found it,” Shangguan Ya said as she and Li Rong walked to the main hall. She took out a map and pointed to a location, saying, “Here, Butterfly Gorge. There are cliffs on both sides. At this location, we can find a suitable hiding place for Your Highness in advance. You just need to lure them over and then hide in a safe spot. We can catch them like fish in a barrel.”

Li Rong nodded and replied, “Let’s settle on this place. Five days from now,” Li Rong looked up, “I’ll take Pei Wenxuan out for a trip. If they want to make a move, this would be the perfect time.”

“Your Highness wants to take the consort?” Shangguan Ya was a bit puzzled, “Why take him?”

“If I go out alone, it would be too obvious. They might become suspicious,” Li Rong pondered, “Taking Pei Wenxuan out will serve as a decoy.”

“Won’t you tell him?”

“If I tell him, will he let me go?”

Li Rong retorted directly. Shangguan Ya paused for a moment and then sighed, “Your Highness, with your temperament, good luck to you.”

Li Rong ignored her and said, “Since they dare to make a move, they must be fully prepared. You need to finalize the ambush plan at Butterfly Gorge. Is there water there?”

“Yes,” Shangguan Ya replied, “It’s originally a stream. I went to check it out. The water flow isn’t too rapid, and there are many caves nearby. The stream connects to small caves. If Your Highness encounters an emergency, you can jump into the water.”

“Prepare some gunpowder,” Li Rong pondered, “If the worst happens, jump into the water and ignite the fuse. But if it comes to that,” Li Rong looked up and sneered, “You better think about how to punish yourself.”

“Rest assured,” Shangguan Ya immediately said, “I’ll arrange everything properly.”

After finalizing the plan, Shangguan Ya and Li Rong parted ways and returned home.

When Li Rong returned to the princess’s residence, she saw Pei Wenxuan reading a book. She walked behind him and, after a while, noticed he was reading some folk tales.

“You must be really bored at home,” Li Rong laughed, taking the book from his hand and flipping through the title. She looked up at him, “Lord Pei is reading this kind of thing now.”

Pei Wenxuan stood up with Li Rong, and they skillfully walked to the dining hall. Pei Wenxuan glanced at Li Rong and tentatively said, “I was just reading casually, but the more I read, the more I found interesting things that even I couldn’t understand.”

“Oh?” Li Rong, who had read many folk tales, was intrigued by Pei Wenxuan’s interest in such things. She asked, “Like what?”

“I was just reading about a scholar confessing to the woman he admired. I thought liking someone was just a matter of saying a few words, but the scholar kept preparing. Why is that?”

Li Rong couldn’t help but laugh at Pei Wenxuan’s question, “Pei Wenxuan, I didn’t expect you to be so unromantic.”

“I don’t understand,” Pei Wenxuan said humbly as they entered the dining hall and sat down, “Please enlighten me, Your Highness.”

“Indeed, liking someone is just a matter of saying a few words. But if a man says these words to a woman, what is he actually trying to do?”

Pei Wenxuan looked puzzled. Li Rong laughed, “What he wants to do is establish a relationship. From that moment on, they belong to each other. Such an important matter, if done without any ceremony, wouldn’t it make the girl feel unappreciated?”

Pei Wenxuan listened and showed a look of sudden realization, “Your Highness is absolutely right. I am enlightened.”

Li Rong sighed, “You have never courted a girl properly, never genuinely told someone you liked them, so you don’t understand.”

Saying this, Li Rong habitually served the soup. Since Pei Wenxuan injured his hand recently, Li Rong had been feeding him soup. Pei Wenxuan watched Li Rong blow on the soup, hiding his smile behind his lips, and curiously said, “I don’t understand. Seeing how knowledgeable Your Highness is, you must have encountered many such situations, right?”

Li Rong’s movements stiffened for a moment. She then put down the bowl and turned to say, “Come and serve the consort his soup.”

Seeing Li Rong angry, Pei Wenxuan quickly said, “I was just asking casually, Your Highness. I think a woman like you, with your beauty, intelligence, grace, and noble birth, must have countless admirers. That’s why I asked.”

“Pei Wenxuan, I find you always have a knack for bringing up the most awkward topics,” Li Rong looked at him and sneered, “I don’t have any, do you?”

“I…”

Pei Wenxuan was initially ready to refute, thinking that as an outstanding man, he should have had a few girls confess to him in his lifetime.

However, as he opened his mouth, he realized he hadn’t.

Before marriage, during his time in Luzhou, some girls would throw flowers at him, but that didn’t count as a confession.

Later in Huajing, at first, the girls there didn’t think much of him. Soon, he became Li Rong’s consort. Li Rong spent most of her life in the clouds, holding great power and having a strong personality. The girls in Huajing were terrified of her and would avoid him.

So his rebuttal was stuck in his throat. Seeing Pei Wenxuan’s embarrassment, Li Rong laughed, “So Lord Pei has never had anyone properly confess their feelings to you?”

Pei Wenxuan listened and used a smile to hide his embarrassment, “Your Highness is the same, isn’t it?”

“I’m different from Lord Pei,” Li Rong blinked, “Many people have confessed their feelings to me.”

“Who?!”

Pei Wenxuan instinctively asked loudly, his mind racing.

Su Rongqing might count as one.

But Li Rong said many?

Before marriage, Li Rong was in the palace and didn’t interact much with outside men, so there shouldn’t be many. Later in the court, she was already married. Did someone dare to seduce her behind his back?!

Pei Wenxuan’s face turned ugly. Li Rong observed him, smiling as she watched. Pei Wenxuan quickly asked the names of several people who were close to Li Rong in court. The more Li Rong saw his urgency, the more she wanted to laugh. Finally, she raised her fan and patted Pei Wenxuan’s hand, “Don’t guess blindly. They were all insignificant characters who thought they were good-looking and offered themselves, hoping for a path to success.”

“Aren’t they afraid of dying?”

Pei Wenxuan was somewhat shocked. Li Rong thought for a moment, “Maybe my conduct wasn’t very good?”

Compared to ordinary women, she indeed appeared less reserved at that time.

Pei Wenxuan heard this and felt a wave of emotions.

He didn’t know that men in this world could be so shameless yet so courageous, willing to offer themselves for a path to success, not fearing him.

He had underestimated these men. He didn’t guard well in his past life; he must be more vigilant in this life.

Pei Wenxuan steadied his thoughts and remembered his original purpose, changing the topic, “How did they say these things to Your Highness?”

“Just… casually mentioned it.” Li Rong seemed to find it unseemly and didn’t want to elaborate, asking back, “Why do you keep asking about this?”

Pei Wenxuan smiled, “I was just reading about a scholar confessing his feelings in a folk tale. He chose a special place, which seemed too grand. I wanted to ask Your Highness if others are really like this scholar?”

“It depends on their intentions.”

Li Rong saw that Pei Wenxuan seemed to be genuinely asking questions rather than implying something, so she casually said, “Those who are sincere can do even better than what’s written in books. Those who are insincere might not even say ‘I like you.’”

Pei Wenxuan: “…”

He felt that Li Rong was hinting at something, but looking at her expression, he thought he might be overthinking. He continued, “Your Highness, what do you think counts as sincerity?”

“Sincerity is about being attentive. Do I need to define it?” Li Rong found it somewhat strange. Pei Wenxuan continued, “What does being attentive involve?”

“At least knowing what the other person likes, dislikes, and desires the most,” Li Rong pondered and said softly, “In this regard, you could learn from Su Rongqing.”

Hearing this name, Pei Wenxuan smiled. Li Rong realized her words might be inappropriate. She glanced at Pei Wenxuan, whose smile remained unchanged, feeling a bit guilty. Pei Wenxuan said gently, “Your Highness, why did you say that?”

“I… I didn’t mean to imply you’re inferior to Su Rongqing,” Li Rong quickly explained. Pei Wenxuan laughed, “Your Highness, am I that petty?”

Indeed.

Li Rong didn’t dare say this out loud, but seeing Pei Wenxuan’s calm expression, she thought he had let go of his grudge against Su Rongqing. She continued, “Do you remember that every winter, there are peonies in the princess’s residence?”

“Yes, I remember.” Pei Wenxuan nodded. Li Rong smiled, her eyes showing a hint of nostalgia, “Su Rongqing knew I liked peonies and disliked plum blossoms, so every year, he would specially cultivate peonies in the greenhouse. The peonies in the princess’s residence during winter were all grown by him for me.”

“At that time, I thought this was probably what being attentive meant.”

Pei Wenxuan listened, his expression unchanged. He picked up his tea and took a sip. Li Rong looked up, feeling somewhat uneasy, “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“I was just feeling sentimental, didn’t expect Lord Su to be so good to Your Highness back then.”

Li Rong felt the atmosphere was strange as Pei Wenxuan said this. She reluctantly nodded, “Indeed.”

“But I remember, Your Highness actually likes peonies the most.”

Li Rong was stunned for a moment, then she laughed, “You even know that.”

“Peonies aren’t as elegant,” Li Rong said softly, “And my mother taught me from a young age not to let people easily know what you like, even if it’s just a flower.”

Pei Wenxuan listened to Li Rong’s words and nodded after a moment, “I understand.”

“Oh, by the way, make some time in a few days.”

Li Rong said, suddenly remembering, “I want to take you to Butterfly Gorge. I’ve heard the scenery there is beautiful.”

Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan smiled, “It would be my honor to travel with Your Highness.”

As he spoke, he mentally mapped out Butterfly Gorge.

It is indeed a beautiful place, with streams and hills. Setting up a place for a romantic moment there would be perfect.

Meanwhile, Li Rong sipped her tea and also mentally mapped out Butterfly Gorge.

Surrounded by mountains and lush vegetation, it would be perfect for setting up an ambush.

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