“This…” Li Rong kept him in suspense, then smiled. “You’ll find out when the time comes.”
“You’re keeping this from me too?”
Li Chuan looked rather disdainful. Li Rong sighed, “Let me tell you the truth—I’m not keeping it from you.”
As she spoke, Li Rong turned her head to look out the carriage window and said flatly, “I simply don’t know the answer myself.”
After all, marriage was not something decided by her alone.
If Pei Wenxuan didn’t speak up, she wouldn’t either.
She didn’t think marrying a reborn Pei Wenxuan was a good thing. They had too much entanglement between them—putting them together again would only lead to mutual torment.
Pei Wenxuan had his Qin Zhenzhen. With his capabilities, even without becoming a prince consort, he surely had other possibilities. In this lifetime, he could very well choose another path to try. Even if it was more difficult, perhaps it would be better than marrying her.
As for herself…
Li Rong slowly closed her eyes. There was no path she couldn’t overcome. Whether Pei Wenxuan was willing to help her or not, she had her own way forward.
The carriage swayed and rocked. Li Rong dozed lightly for a while. After some time, she heard a eunuch’s voice from outside, speaking respectfully: “This servant greets Your Highness the Crown Prince and Your Highness the Princess.”
Hearing this voice, Li Rong slowly opened her eyes. Li Chuan went forward to lift the curtain, revealing a face full of smiles.
The man wore the attire of a chief palace eunuch. He appeared to be under forty years old, with large eyes and a round face that seemed particularly agreeable. Li Rong recognized him—this was Shande, the chief eunuch serving her mother the Empress.
Seeing Shande, Li Chuan asked with some surprise, “Eunuch Shande? Why are you waiting here?”
“The Empress heard that Your Highness the Crown Prince was returning with the Princess, so she specially sent this old servant to wait here. Her Majesty the Empress says that Your Highness the Crown Prince toiled through the night and should go rest first. This old servant will lead Your Highness the Princess,” as he spoke, Shande bowed to Li Rong, then turned to look at the carriage behind them, “along with Young Master Pei to Weiyang Palace to see Her Majesty.”
“Pei Wenxuan?”
Li Chuan was somewhat astonished. “Mother wants to see him?”
Shande nodded with a smile. “Indeed, Her Majesty wishes to meet Young Master Pei.”
As he spoke, Shande stepped aside, revealing two sedan chairs. He said to Li Rong, “The sedan chairs have been prepared. Your Highness may board.”
Hearing this, Li Chuan looked back at Li Rong. Li Rong nodded and raised her hand, placing it in Li Chuan’s palm. Li Chuan supported Li Rong as she stood, and with help from attendants, Li Rong descended from the carriage and moved onto the sedan chair.
After sitting in the sedan chair, she looked back and saw that Pei Wenxuan had also boarded his sedan chair. She nodded to Li Chuan, and the sedan chairs were lifted. Li Rong held her golden fan and closed her eyes to rest.
Before long, the sedan chairs arrived at the entrance of Weiyang Palace. Shande lifted the curtain and said respectfully, “Your Highness, we have arrived.”
Li Rong opened her eyes and extended her hand, accepting help as she stepped out of the sedan chair. Then she raised her head and saw the steps of Weiyang Palace.
Pei Wenxuan walked up behind her. The two of them, led by Shande, ascended the steps one after another. Li Rong lowered her voice and said quietly to Pei Wenxuan, “Lord Pei, have you thought things through?”
Pei Wenxuan’s eyelashes trembled slightly. He said in a low voice, “Not yet.”
Li Rong laughed softly. “Then there isn’t much time left for Lord Pei to think.”
As she spoke, they reached the entrance to Weiyang Palace. Shande went inside to announce them. Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan stood one behind the other at the entrance, with palace servants scattered around. Li Rong said slowly, “Actually, this palace doesn’t have clarity either. Obviously I should simply pursue advantage, yet my heart always holds some unwillingness.”
For them to marry again would naturally be best—most advantageous for both of them.
But once they knew the other was reborn, all interests seemed to be subject to some invisible constraint, making them hesitant and uneasy.
Pei Wenxuan understood this feeling. He lowered his eyes and made no response.
After a moment, Shande returned and said respectfully, “Your Highness, please enter.”
“Together,” Li Rong instructed Pei Wenxuan. Pei Wenxuan acknowledged with a sound, and the two entered the great hall together. Upon reaching the entrance to the inner chamber, Li Rong pointed with her golden fan and said quietly, “Wait here. When you’re summoned, then enter.”
Pei Wenxuan respectfully replied, “Yes.” Li Rong then walked inside.
As Li Rong stepped into the inner chamber, she first saw a woman dressed in phoenix-embroidered red silk robes, wearing golden finger guards on her hands, reclining on a small couch as if napping lightly.
Li Rong walked forward, knelt respectfully, and said softly, “Your daughter-subject greets Mother Empress. May Mother Empress live a thousand years, a thousand thousand years.”
The Empress did not speak. Li Rong knelt on the ground without making a sound. After a long while, the Empress slowly spoke: “I heard that last night you and Pei Wenxuan were together.”
“Yes.”
Li Rong answered without hesitation. The Empress opened her eyes and looked at Li Rong, her gaze carrying scrutiny as she said calmly, “Your marriage—what do you plan to do about it?”
Li Rong smiled. She raised her eyes to look at the Empress and said gently, “May I ask what Mother Empress thinks my daughter should do?”
“You have an idea.”
The Empress stated this with certainty, but Li Rong said, “Surely Mother Empress has one as well?”
The Empress said nothing. In these few exchanges, the Empress instinctively sensed that Li Rong was different from before.
Though Li Rong had always been clever in the past, she would never speak like this—as if she were those court officials who had dealt with her for many years, pushing and deflecting on a topic, never getting to the point.
The Empress pondered for a moment. She decided not to circle around with Li Rong and said directly, “This palace intends to marry you to Yang Quan.”
Li Rong said nothing. She had considered this possibility. Since the Yang family had visited two palaces last night, they couldn’t have made no moves. After thinking for a moment, she asked, “What did the Yang family promise Mother Empress?”
The Empress hadn’t expected Li Rong to be so composed. She felt somewhat unaccustomed to it, but this was actually better—it saved her much trouble. So she replied calmly, “Military power.”
“The Yang family still has military power?”
Li Rong spoke mockingly. “Does Mother Empress not know what Father Emperor did to the Yang family in the previous court session?”
“I know,” the Empress said coldly. “That’s why they’re extremely panicked now. When they entered the palace last night, they already said that if you marry Yang Quan, Yang Quan will become the Yang family head and inherit the Yang family’s direct lineage…”
“How much is left of their direct lineage after they were all killed off on the battlefield!”