Chapter 99: Could You Please Ask Those Friends Of Yours To Help Sign Their Names

“Your Highness is wise,” Shangguan Ya immediately praised with a bow upon hearing Li Rong’s decision. “The Prince Consort’s transfer is currently his greatest worry. If Your Highness can help him resolve it, he will surely be deeply grateful and overjoyed. He will feel Your Highness’s care for him, and in turn, open his heart and join Your Highness in a romantic union, bringing about a happy ending.”

“That last part isn’t necessary,” Li Rong coughed lightly. “As long as he’s happy. As for the rest…” Li Rong thought for a moment. “What he said might not be entirely wrong.”

“Your Highness means…?” Shangguan Ya was a bit puzzled. Li Rong clasped her hands behind her back and smiled. “I’ve never truly experienced a proper relationship. I saw a portrait and hastily got married. It was all a blur. I don’t even know what it feels like to fall in love, to be engaged, and then married.”

As she spoke, Li Rong turned to look at Shangguan Ya. The current Shangguan Ya was lively and beautiful. Li Rong looked at her for a while and slowly smiled. “You’re not that young anymore either. Don’t spend all your time matchmaking for others. You should look out for yourself too. If you see someone you like, go for it. If you can’t make a move, just call me,” Li Rong raised an eyebrow, “I’ll help you.”

“Thank you for Your Highness’s kind offer,” Shangguan Ya quickly replied. “But your matters are more important. As for my marriage, I can handle it myself.”

Li Rong nodded and didn’t press further. After all, it was Shangguan Ya’s personal matter, and she wasn’t particularly concerned with how she handled it.

She returned her focus to Pei Wenxuan’s transfer and began thinking of a solution.

Pei Wenxuan wanted to transfer to the Ministry of Personnel. First, the Censorate had to agree to release him, and second, the Ministry of Personnel had to be willing to accept him. The Censorate was under Shangguan Minzhi’s control, so that wouldn’t be too difficult. But the Ministry of Personnel was headed by Wang Houwen, and Li Rong had offended many in the Wang family before. If Wang Houwen found out Pei Wenxuan was transferring in, he would definitely block it. So the safest plan was to find someone with authority in the Ministry of Personnel to quietly place Pei Wenxuan in a minor position. Once it was finalized, even if Wang Houwen found out, it would be hard to remove him.

First, sneak into the Ministry of Personnel. Promotions could be planned later.

What Pei Wenxuan needed now was someone willing to secretly add his name to the transfer list.

Li Rong thought of the person currently in charge of personnel transfers in the Ministry and made up her mind.

“How strange.”

Just as Li Rong was thinking about Pei Wenxuan’s promotion, she heard Shangguan Ya mutter. Li Rong looked up and noticed many scholars on the street who didn’t seem to be from Huajing. Some were asking for directions, others chatting. Accents from all over the country filled the street, catching Li Rong’s attention.

Shangguan Ya noticed it too and said curiously, “There seem to be a lot more scholars from other regions lately.”

“Do you know why?”

Li Rong turned to look at her. Shangguan Ya shook her head. Though she was well-versed in the ways of the nobility, she didn’t know much about commoners.

But Li Rong was very familiar with the background of these scholars. “The imperial examination is held in March. At the beginning of February, students and provincial scholars from all over the country must arrive at the Ministry of Rites to register.”

This was a major national event in the latter part of her previous life.

“Then why are they arriving so early?”

“Of course, there are other purposes,” Li Rong explained. “The imperial examination doesn’t just test the essays written during the exam. Candidates can also submit their previous writings to the chief examiner. If the examiner likes them, even if the exam performance is average, the candidate might still be selected for the palace examination.”

“But how can ordinary students submit their previous writings to the chief examiner? Do they hand them in during the exam?” Shangguan Ya was puzzled.

Li Rong glanced to the side and noticed two scholars discussing their visit to the Su residence. She overheard a bit and explained to Shangguan Ya, “That’s why they come to Huajing early—to submit their writings to the residences of influential nobles known for appreciating poetry and essays. If they’re noticed, those nobles might recommend them to the chief examiner.”

“So in that case,” Shangguan Ya mused, “this whole imperial exam thing doesn’t seem very meaningful.”

“How so?” Li Rong asked, sensing that Shangguan Ya had realized something.

Shangguan Ya pouted. “If noble recommendations can influence the examiners, then wouldn’t all the top ranks go to the children of the elite?”

Li Rong laughed. “Why would the children of the elite even need to take the imperial exams? They benefit from their ancestors’ merits and can be directly recommended for court positions. Take Su Rongqing, for example—he was attending court with his grandfather at the age of twelve. Does he need to take the exam? So those who do take the exam are mostly from ordinary families, or proud young men who want to test their abilities. The unfairness in the exams lies in the internal competition among commoners, not interference from noble families.”

Shangguan Ya sighed upon hearing this, and Li Rong couldn’t help but smile. “Why the sigh?”

“Your Highness,” Shangguan Ya said with feeling, “thank goodness we worked hard when we were being born.”

The two chatted as they walked, and Li Rong accompanied Shangguan Ya back to her residence. After returning, Li Rong immediately instructed someone to investigate Liu Hangchun, a senior official in the Ministry of Personnel.

Once everything was handled, she heard that Pei Wenxuan had returned.

But instead of coming to see her right away, he went to the bathhouse first. Only after washing up did he come to her.

Li Rong was reviewing memorials. When she saw him enter in fresh clothes, she didn’t even look up. “Where did the Prince Consort go drinking with courtesans?”

“Your Highness wrongs me,” Pei Wenxuan replied with a smile as he sat cross-legged beside her. “With Her Highnes around, who would dare take me to such places?”

“There are plenty of bold old dogs in court,” Li Rong said, setting aside the memorial she had just finished reviewing. “Didn’t they take you before? It’s not like I don’t know.”

“Times have changed,” Pei Wenxuan leaned to the side, smiling. “Back then, if they took me to drink with courtesans, Princess Pingle might complain to His Majesty, and he’d scold me a bit. But privately, he’d probably tell Your Highness to be more virtuous as a wife. But now, if someone dares take me to such places,” he popped a peanut into his mouth, “the Inspectorate would probably show up at their door the next day to investigate. They’d be asking for trouble.”

“Women,” Pei Wenxuan sighed, “once they have money, they become fierce.”

“Oh? Was I gentle before?” Li Rong raised an eyebrow at him. Seeing the warning in her eyes, Pei Wenxuan quickly corrected himself, “You’re still gentle—very gentle.”

Li Rong was amused by his antics and didn’t bother to argue. “Did you go to discuss the transfer today?”

“Exactly,” Pei Wenxuan sighed again. “I went through all the trouble to invite the Ministry of Personnel officials one by one, and every single one of them dodged and deflected. I’ve heard their excuses so many times I could recite them.”

“Prince Consort, it’s not that we don’t want to help you,” Pei Wenxuan mimicked their tone with a sarcastic drawl. “These things must follow procedure. When the time comes, the most suitable person will be chosen. Don’t worry, Prince Consort, just follow the rules.”

After finishing, Pei Wenxuan spat lightly in disdain. “These old dogs—what rules? What they really want is money. They just don’t dare take mine.”

“Then…” Li Rong offered tentatively, “how about I handle this for you?”

“You think I can’t handle it myself?”

Pei Wenxuan turned his head and raised an eyebrow. “Your Highness,” he faced her seriously, “you can say I’m a bad person. But,” he tapped his temple, “you can’t say I’m stupid.”

“Then…” Li Rong asked cautiously, “you’ll handle it yourself?”

“I’ll handle it myself,” Pei Wenxuan said as he rolled up his sleeves. “It’s a small matter—not worth troubling Your Highness.”

“What if I want to be troubled?” Li Rong asked hesitantly.

Pei Wenxuan froze. That sentence echoed in his mind, and he instantly began analyzing all the possible meanings behind it.

What did she mean by wanting to be troubled? Did she want him to rely on her?

Why would she want that?

Could it be…

Pei Wenxuan mentally replayed all their past interactions. He suddenly realized that every time he was in trouble, Li Rong seemed to treat him just a little bit better.

He recalled something her grandmother once said to his mother: “In a marriage, you have to learn to show vulnerability. If you do everything yourself, and leave nothing for the other to do for you, no matter how good you are, they won’t hold you dear.”

In other words, if something costs nothing, it won’t be cherished.

Thinking about it this way… had he been too proud all along?

“Don’t talk nonsense.” Li Rong was displeased by his words. Pei Wenxuan smiled but didn’t say more. After a moment of thought, seeing that Li Rong was interested in talking to him, he asked, “Did you go see Lin Feibai today?”

“Mm. I’ve sent him to the southwest to serve in the military. He should make some achievements there.”

“That’s good. We can’t rely solely on Qin Lin. He’s already too exposed.” Pei Wenxuan nodded. Li Rong thought for a moment, then suddenly asked, “Pei Wenxuan, in your previous life, did you want children?”

The question caught Pei Wenxuan off guard. After a pause, he slowly replied, “Of course I did. Especially later on—every time I came home alone, it felt incredibly lonely.”

“Did you want a boy or a girl?”

Li Rong was a bit curious. Pei Wenxuan thought for a moment and answered, “It didn’t really matter. Either would’ve been fine. But now, I don’t really want any.”

“Why?” Li Rong was surprised. Pei Wenxuan gazed at her, and after a long while, gently touched his forehead to hers and said, “I’m afraid something might happen to you. So I don’t want any—don’t want to take even the slightest risk.”

Hearing this, Li Rong lowered her eyes. Pei Wenxuan looked at her expression, raised his hand to pull her into his arms, and said gently, “Go to sleep.”

Pei Wenxuan had agreed to let Li Rong handle the matter of the personnel transfer, and he truly stopped interfering after that.

With nothing to worry about on that front, Pei Wenxuan found himself with free time. He placed a wooden tube at the entrance of the princess’s residence, inscribed with the characters “Seeking Talent.”

This wooden tube was called a “Talent Tube.” In Huajing, before the imperial exams, if noble families wanted to review scholars’ writings, they would place such a tube at their gates. Scholars could submit their works into the tube with their names attached, for the nobles to read.

If a noble appreciated a scholar’s writing, they might invite them into their residence as a guest.

After Pei Wenxuan set up the Talent Tube, the residence began hosting frequent gatherings. Every day when Li Rong returned home, she could hear Pei Wenxuan discussing current affairs with a group of scholars. Besides the scholars, some aristocratic youths also came by. Before the exams, scholars often attended banquets, making this the peak season for intellectual salons.

Sometimes, Li Rong would sneak over and see a room full of scholars engaged in lively debate. Pei Wenxuan, dressed in a white robe with golden cloud patterns and a jade crown on his head, would be sitting with one leg crossed and the other bent, holding a teacup in one hand and resting the other on his knee. He looked carefree and unrestrained, with a hint of arrogance. But as he smiled and observed the others, there was also a sense of calm and restraint.

At first, Li Rong only stumbled upon these scenes by chance when she went to see Pei Wenxuan. Seeing so many people, she felt it inappropriate to enter, so she quietly left.

But later, she began to notice that every time she passed by, there always seemed to be a group of maids gathered at the door, secretly peeking inside.

One time, not only did she see the maids, but she also spotted Shangguan Ya. She kept a straight face and pretended not to notice.

Later on, she realized that it wasn’t just Shangguan Ya—many noble young ladies had started coming to the princess’s residence with her. Each time, they would report Shangguan Ya’s name at the gate, then sneak into the garden to watch Pei Wenxuan’s discussion gatherings.

This whole thing came to light when one day, on a whim, Li Rong decided to go see Pei Wenxuan. As soon as she arrived, she found a group of familiar noble ladies gathered in her courtyard with Shangguan Ya.

She confirmed that none of them had reported their names—only Shangguan Ya had. From a distance, she observed that all the girls’ eyes were fixed on the men in the discussion hall, with more than half of them staring at Pei Wenxuan.

She quietly walked over and gave Shangguan Ya a light kick from behind. Shangguan Ya turned around angrily and whispered, “What the—”

Before she could finish, she saw Li Rong looking down at her from above. Shangguan Ya stammered in fright, “Y-you…”

“Come with me.”

Li Rong grabbed Shangguan Ya by the collar and dragged her away. Once they were far enough, Li Rong crossed her arms and looked at Shangguan Ya, who stood with her head lowered, too afraid to speak.

“Impressive,” Li Rong sneered. “You’re not doing your proper duties, but you’ve brought a whole group of girls to my residence to ogle my husband?”

“Your Highness,” Shangguan Ya stammered, “it’s not entirely about your husband…”

“Oh? So I should be grateful you’re sparing him, then?”

“Your Highness,” Shangguan Ya took a deep breath, “actually, this is a strategy to win hearts and minds.”

“Using my husband’s face?”

“No!” Shangguan Ya quickly replied. “Your Highness, you have to understand—one handsome man isn’t that dangerous. But a group of handsome, talented men? That’s different. Especially when you’re secretly watching them. If you don’t believe me, come see for yourself.”

Listening to her, Li Rong was half skeptical, but allowed herself to be dragged into the crowd by Shangguan Ya.

There were so many girls there, all hiding outside. Li Rong felt a bit embarrassed—why did she have to sneak around just to see her own husband?

What bothered her most was: why were the men inside, warm and relaxed in their light robes, while they had to shiver in the cold wind?

She thought all these girls must be out of their minds. But she was still curious—how had Shangguan Ya’s mind gotten this twisted?

So she decided to follow along and experience it for herself.

Pei Wenxuan’s discussion had recently become the most popular among the noble families, so today’s gathering was especially crowded. Prestigious nobles like Su Ronghua and humble scholars like Cui Yulang were all present in the main hall.

Both Su Ronghua and Cui Yulang were well-known for their charm and talent in Huajing, yet Pei Wenxuan, dressed in plain robes and a jade crown, did not appear the least bit overshadowed. Whether sitting or standing, his demeanor was elegant and refined. He was highly skilled in poetry and debate.

Today, he and Su Ronghua were engaged in a philosophical discussion on the topic of “ritual” (礼).

The two sat across from each other on the floor. Pei Wenxuan gestured for Su Ronghua to begin. Su Ronghua nodded and asked, “Ritual is law, would you agree?”

“What is law?” Pei Wenxuan asked calmly in return.

“Rules are law.”

“And what is the law?”

“Law is rules.”

“Then what is the difference between rules and law?”

This question made Su Ronghua pause for a moment. Eventually, he replied, “Law is rules, but not all rules are law.”

“Ritual is a kind of rule, and so is law. Both are types of rules, but they are not the same. If you violate the law, the government will punish you. But if you violate ritual, you may not be punished. Therefore,” Pei Wenxuan lifted his teacup and smiled, “ritual is not law.”

That smile seemed to shine with brilliance. Li Rong, crouching in the garden watching him, felt her heart skip a beat for some reason.

She was momentarily entranced, and just then, a girl behind her, perhaps too excited, slipped and stumbled forward.

One girl pushed another, and Li Rong, who was at the very front, was shoved directly out into the open. Still caught in the daze of Pei Wenxuan’s smile, she was completely unprepared and fell forward.

She stumbled and fell to the ground, startling everyone. All eyes turned toward her.

Pei Wenxuan, still holding his teacup, looked over with a smile in his eyes. When he saw that the person who had fallen was Li Rong, he raised an eyebrow.

Being stared at by so many people, Li Rong was filled with embarrassment.

Fortunately, she had a thick skin. She tried to maintain her grace as she stood up, dusted herself off with poise, and commented, “Well said. Please, carry on.”

With that, she fanned herself elegantly and walked into the crowd. As she passed, she kicked Shangguan Ya—who had pushed her—in the leg.

Shangguan Ya gasped in pain but didn’t dare cry out. She limped after her quickly.

Everyone watched as Li Rong, in the freezing cold, sashayed away with her fan in hand. Finally, one of the scholars turned to Pei Wenxuan and asked in confusion, “Lord Pei, who was that lady just now?”

When Pei Wenxuan heard the question, he turned his head and gave an apologetic smile. “My wife is a bit unruly—please excuse her.”

He took a sip of tea, and as he recalled the dazed look in Li Rong’s eyes when she fell, his smile deepened.

After Li Rong had dragged Shangguan Ya away, she finally let her anger out. She turned around, pointed her fan at Shangguan Ya, and snapped, “Look at you—”

“Isn’t the Prince Consort really handsome?!” Shangguan Ya grabbed Li Rong’s fan mid-sentence. Li Rong was caught off guard by the question and momentarily speechless.

Shangguan Ya stared at her seriously. “Your Highness, didn’t your heart flutter? Watching a group of men like that—it hits different, right?”

Li Rong: “…”

“Did you investigate Liu Hangchun?” Li Rong decided there was no point arguing with a teenage girl. After all, Shangguan Ya was still young, and it was natural for a girl her age to be infatuated. She didn’t want to answer whether Pei Wenxuan was handsome or not, so she changed the subject.

Shangguan Ya nodded. “I did. I’ll have everything you asked for on your desk tomorrow. Speaking of which, since I’ve been working so hard for you, could you help me with a small favor?”

“Go ahead,” Li Rong said. But as soon as she spoke, she saw Shangguan Ya pull out a stack of colorful papers.

“Your Highness, could you ask the Prince Consort to hand these out and have the people whose names are on them write something? A poem, a signature—anything.”

“Are you out of your mind?” Li Rong looked utterly shocked. “You want me to ask Pei Wenxuan to do that?”

“Your Highness,” Shangguan Ya said earnestly, “my relationships with all the noble ladies depend on you.”

Li Rong didn’t respond right away. She quietly looked at the papers Shangguan Ya was holding, took them, and examined the names written on them. After a deep breath, she said, “These signatures won’t come free. Five taels of silver per sheet.”

“Deal.”

Shangguan Ya let out a cheer of delight. Li Rong stuffed the papers into her sleeve and returned to her room.

By evening, Pei Wenxuan’s discussion forum had wrapped up, and he returned to his quarters.

As soon as he entered, he saw Li Rong waiting for him inside. She heard him come in, but thinking about what had happened that afternoon, she felt a bit embarrassed and didn’t want to greet him first. Pei Wenxuan stepped inside, sat down across from her, and said with a smile, “Your Highness?”

“You’re back?” Li Rong didn’t look up, continuing to review memorials. Pei Wenxuan smiled and watched her for a while. Li Rong could feel his gaze, but pretended not to notice. She finally looked up and said, “Your discussion salon was quite well done. Did you find any promising talents?”

“Of course. This year’s Dragon-Tiger List is full of gifted individuals.”

Li Rong nodded at that. Pei Wenxuan kept smiling, clearly trying to make conversation. Li Rong felt a bit awkward under his gaze, but didn’t show it. She cleared her throat lightly and said, “Then you should keep engaging with them.”

“Naturally,” Pei Wenxuan said, picking up a peanut from her plate and slowly adding, “How long were you secretly watching, Your Highness?”

“Not long,” Li Rong replied instinctively, then realized that wasn’t the best direction for the conversation. She quickly corrected herself, “I wasn’t watching you.”

“Oh?” Pei Wenxuan replied casually.

Only then did Li Rong remember her mission for the day. She softened her tone and said, “Um, Pei Wenxuan, could I ask you for a favor?”

“Please go ahead, Your Highness,” Pei Wenxuan said, rubbing the peanut in his hand. Seeing the slightly awkward look on Li Rong’s face, he guessed that whatever she was about to ask probably wasn’t official business.

If it wasn’t official, then it was likely a personal favor. Thinking of the way Li Rong had looked at him earlier that day, and her recent efforts to help with his reassignment, he couldn’t help but wonder if this favor was also motivated by some affection.

Maybe she wanted a piece of his calligraphy to copy?

With that thought, Pei Wenxuan’s smile deepened, though he tried to restrain it. Then he heard Li Rong say, “I know you scholars all have beautiful handwriting. I was wondering if you could…”

“Of course,” Pei Wenxuan replied cheerfully, cutting her off. “Does Your Highness want to copy—”

“Look at this stack of paper,” Li Rong said, pulling out a bundle of colorful sheets, her tone a bit coaxing. “Could you hand these out according to the names on them and ask your friends to sign them?”

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