Having known Pei Wenxuan for so many years, Li Rong was well aware of Pei Wenxuan's capabilities.
When he went against you, he could make you so angry that you fainted. However, when he deliberately tried to curry favor with someone, his ability to flatter others was far beyond the reach of ordinary people.
After all, Pei Wenxuan was the legitimate son of an aristocratic family. He was extraordinarily intelligent. It was said that when he was in the academy, he was almost the best. He was proficient in the Six Arts of Gentlemen. It was a piece of cake for him to coax a girl.
Li Rong was in a good mood when he saw his words. After a while, Pei Wenxuan saw a stone wrapped in a piece of paper being thrown from next door. Pei Wenxuan was stunned. He didn't expect Li Rong to reply. He hurriedly picked up the stone and squatted on the ground to open it. It was Li Rong's graceful handwriting.
If you know how to speak, speak more.
When Pei Wenxuan saw these words, he almost imagined Li Rong raising his eyebrows and smiling when he said these words. He didn't know why, but he actually found Li Rong's arrogant and arrogant appearance to be somewhat cute.
He was like a cat with his tail raised. He was so proud that it made people want to love him tenderly.
Pei Wenxuan suddenly had the urge to tease him. After a while, Li Rong received a reply. Pei Wenxuan's hand was long, so he directly handed the piece of paper over. Li Rong hurriedly took it. When he opened it, he found that it was still a painting. This time, it was much simpler. With just a few strokes, it outlined a jar with the words "peony" written on it and "aged peony" written next to it.
When Li Rong saw these words, he immediately crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it out. He didn't care about this dog anymore.
When Pei Wenxuan saw Li Rong throw the paper, he knew that Li Rong was angry. He hurriedly said, "Hey, hey, hey, Your Highness, don't be angry. It's just a joke."
"Humans don't talk to dogs," Li Rong said coldly. "Stop barking!"
Pei Wenxuan was choked by Li Rong's words, but he also knew that Li Rong was angry. He hurriedly wrote a few hymns for Li Rong, handed them over, and whispered, "Princess, Princess, take a look."
Li Rong was too lazy to pay attention to him. She continued to read the novel while munching on melon seeds. Pei Wenxuan's hand was sore, so he switched to the other hand and continued to wave the paper in his hand. "Princess, I was wrong. I apologize to you. I won't tease you anymore. Why don't you take a look? "
Li Rong raised her eyes to look at the white paper that was swaying outside, and then lowered her head to look at her script. Pei Wenxuan changed his tone and called out to her, "Princess? Your Highness? Li Rong … "
Before he could finish, the sound of people talking and some footsteps could be heard outside. Pei Wenxuan immediately stood up and leaned against the wall. Just as he finished tidying his clothes, he saw a young man wearing a scarlet official's robe walk out from the long path.
He must have come in a hurry because there was a little sweat on his forehead. As soon as he entered the cell, his eyes fell on Li Rong. When he saw that Li Rong was still safe, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief and bowed respectfully to Li Rong. "Your Highness."
Li Rong was quite surprised. She looked at the person who came and asked in confusion, "Lord Su?"
Su Yongqing bowed, straightened up, and nodded at Pei Wenxuan. "Lord Pei."
Pei Wenxuan nodded indifferently. Li Rong saw that Su Yongqing was sweating and she couldn't help but laugh. "Lord Su, why did you come in such a hurry? Wipe away your sweat first. "
As she spoke, she handed over a handkerchief. When Su Yongqing saw the handkerchief that Li Rong handed over, he hesitated for a moment. However, before Li Rong could react, he immediately reached out respectfully and took the handkerchief that Li Rong handed over with both hands. "Thank you, Your Highness."
Su Yongqing took the handkerchief and gently wiped his forehead. Pei Wenxuan leaned against the wall and watched quietly. The rolled up paper in his hand tapped his shoulder intermittently.
Su Yongqing wiped his forehead and slowed his breathing. Then he said, "I came in a hurry on the way. Your Highness, please don't laugh at me."
"Why did you come in such a hurry?"
Li Rong chuckled. Su Yongqing respectfully said, "When I heard that something happened to Your Highness, I wanted to rush over. However, I was summoned by His Majesty and was only able to escape from the palace now. I was afraid that Your Highness would be troubled in prison, so I rushed over."
Su Yongqing's voice had always been very steady, unlike Pei Wenxuan's cadence. His every move seemed to be measured by a ruler at all times. Even his voice was the same. Li Rong heard his words and asked, "What happened in the morning court today?"
"In the morning court today, there was news from the border." Su Yongqing's expression became serious. "Two days ago, the Rong Kingdom attacked the city. The city's defending general, Zhao Yi, died at the frontline. Now, all the soldiers have retreated to Fen City. The Yang Family has submitted their resignation."
"Resignation?"
Li Rong laughed. "What did they say?"
Su Yongqing's expression was not very good, but he still repeated, "Yang Ming said that Yang Quan committed a terrible crime and offended the Princess. The Yang Family is too ashamed to face the imperial family. Therefore, they asked to retire and return to their hometown. They said that they will take the children of the Yang Family to live in seclusion in the mountains. They hope that Your Highness will let them live."
"What heart-wrenching words."
Pei Wenxuan said softly. Li Rong tapped his fan on his palm.
If the Yang Family had submitted their resignation under normal circumstances, the imperial court would not have been so flustered. However, now that the main general of the battlefield had died and the Rong Kingdom was about to attack, the Yang Family's resignation was a threat.
"What did the others say?"
Li Rong asked calmly.
"Your Highness should know that most of the aristocratic families stand with the Yang Family," Su Yongqing answered smoothly. "The aristocratic families do not like to change. The Yang Family guards the border. No matter what, they have guarded it for so long. Unless the interests of the aristocratic families are threatened, the aristocratic families will not change their stance. Now that the Yang Family has forced them, the imperial court is shaken. All the civil and military officials in the imperial court have asked His Majesty to imprison Your Highness to calm the soldiers at the border. "
"I understand."
Li Rong nodded. Su Yongqing looked up at Li Rong. "What does this humble subject need to do?"
"No need." Li Rong shook his head. "You just need to take care of your own matters."
Su Yongqing pursed his lips, as if he was not reconciled. He continued, "Your Highness, what I said before …"
"I know."
Li Rong cut him off and said seriously, "But what I said to you was also sincere. I did not reject you because I am wary of you or because I look down on you. It is because the Lord Su really does not need to get involved in these matters. What I promised the Lord Su was not a joke. "
Su Yongqing did not speak. Li Rong saw that he seemed to be disappointed. He smiled and said, "If the Lord Su wants to do something, why not bring something for me the next time you come?"
"What does the Princess want?"
Su Yongqing heard this and finally reacted. Li Rong thought for a moment. "Bring a few books. I like to read novels. You read a lot of books. Recommend a few."
Su Yongqing respectfully complied. Li Rong asked about the details of the morning court. After that, the two fell silent. After a moment, Su Yongqing respectfully said, "If there is nothing else, this humble subject will take his leave."
Li Rong nodded and said, "Go. Don't come in such a hurry next time. Nothing will happen to me in Huajing."
Su Yongqing bowed and retreated. When he walked out, Pei Wenxuan's voice leisurely sounded, "Your Highness, I read a lot of books. Can I recommend a few to you?"
"No need," Li Rong replied, "I am tired of reading the books recommended by the Lord Pei. I want to read another book."
Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan subconsciously wanted to refute. However, the moment before he spoke, he suddenly paused.
He suddenly remembered that he shouldn't continue to live like this. He shouldn't always quarrel with Li Rong, even if it was for Su Yongqing.
Li Rong was actually right. A person always hoped that their enemy was bad. In essence, it was because of their inner inferiority complex.
He didn't like Su Yongqing and always said that he wasn't good. In fact, he was just venting his anger on Su Yongqing because of his inferiority complex and anger.
However, a lifetime had passed. He had to start over. Li Rong was a good girl. He didn't want to always quarrel with Li Rong.
Therefore, he restrained himself and didn't speak.
Li Rong saw that Pei Wenxuan didn't speak and couldn't help but feel a little strange. In the past, when it came to Su Yongqing, he almost exploded at the slightest provocation. How could he remain silent for so long?
She carefully said, "Pei Wenxuan?"
Pei Wenxuan didn't speak. Li Rong couldn't help but have some bad guesses. "Pei Wenxuan, why aren't you saying anything? Did something happen to you? "
"No."
Pei Wenxuan calmed down. He changed his posture and leaned against the wall. He adjusted his voice and pretended to be calm. "I'm just thinking about what Su Yongqing said to you before. What did you refuse him?"
Li Rong was a little surprised. She thought that Pei Wenxuan would continue to quarrel with her. She didn't expect Pei Wenxuan to be so open-minded.
Seeing that she didn't speak, Pei Wenxuan couldn't help but say, "Why aren't you saying anything? Is it inconvenient to say? "
"No." Li Rong came back to her senses. "Pei Wenxuan, you've changed too much. I'm scared. You … Do you want to scold me a few more times? "
Pei Wenxuan: "…"
"I say," Pei Wenxuan held his breath. "You can't get over it if you don't quarrel with me, right?"
"That's right." Li Rong nodded. "That makes me feel better."
Pei Wenxuan: "…"
"Su Yongqing said that he wanted to rely on the Crown Prince, but I didn't agree." Li Rong saw that Pei Wenxuan had returned to normal, so she replied to Pei Wenxuan's question.
"Why didn't you agree?" Pei Wenxuan frowned. If Su Yongqing stood on Li Chuan's side, it wouldn't be a bad thing.
"I don't think he's the kind of person who should do these things." Li Rong said calmly. "In my previous life, the Su Family's disaster was mainly caused by Su Ronghua. In this life, it's better to keep Su Ronghua away from Prince Su. He doesn't need to follow the Chuan'er so early. He can be the assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice. If he does his job well, the Chuan'er won't make things difficult for him. "
"You're afraid that getting involved too early will dirty his heart, aren't you?"
Pei Wenxuan asked directly. Li Rong didn't say anything, so Pei Wenxuan took it as her silent agreement. He had a grudge in his heart, so he couldn't go up or down.
"You're very good to him." Pei Wenxuan's voice was calm. "You're not afraid of dragging me down and dirtying my heart."
"What's there to dirty about your heart?" Li Rong didn't understand Pei Wenxuan's hypocrisy and said disdainfully, "You're already so old, yet you still want to compare yourself with other young people. Shameless."
"Then what about you?" Pei Wenxuan immediately retorted. "You're already so old, yet you still want to compare yourself with other young people. Shameless."
Li Rong didn't say anything, and Pei Wenxuan suddenly felt that her words were too harsh.
Li Rong and Su Yongqing had feelings for each other. He knew in his heart that even if Su Yongqing killed her, the ending between them wasn't because they didn't have a good relationship. It was just that their positions were different. Li Rong came back and wanted to change Su Yongqing's position and treat him better. It wasn't a big deal.
However, he still felt a little uncomfortable in his heart. He couldn't help but say, "When I was young, you never advised me to stay away from these things."
Li Rong felt that Su Yongqing was an elegant gentleman who didn't want him to be involved in politics. However, what about Pei Wenxuan back then?
Didn't he have a deep heart and pretend to be calm?
"Back then, did we have a choice?" Li Rong said calmly. Pei Wenxuan suppressed his heart. "We didn't have a choice, but you never thought about it, did you?"
Li Rong was silent. Pei Wenxuan took a deep breath. "In the end, your feelings for Su Yongqing and me are different."
"You know that, so what's the point of comparing?"
Li Rong said calmly. Pei Wenxuan froze. Li Rong said calmly, "I've been with him for 25 years, and I've been with you for less than a year. If you compare, aren't you looking for trouble? Moreover, what's the point of comparing now? You said it yourself that you're starting all over again in this life. You're planning to start all over again. "
Pei Wenxuan didn't say anything. Li Rong leaned against the wall and gently rested his fan on his shoulder.
The two of them were only separated by a wall. Back to back, they both looked down at the ground.
"You're right." Pei Wenxuan chuckled. "Starting all over again, I shouldn't be worried about these things. I'll change slowly. Please don't be calculative with me in the future. "
Li Rong didn't say anything. Pei Wenxuan straightened up and said, "I'm going to rest. You should rest early."
His tone was calm, but Li Rong didn't know why, but she could hear a bit of disappointment and embarrassment in his voice.
She knew that Pei Wenxuan had an indescribable sense of inferiority when facing Su Yongqing.
Although Pei Wenxuan was from a large family, the Su Family had been a famous family for hundreds of years. Pei Wenxuan, on the other hand, was originally only a second-rate aristocrat. However, thanks to the efforts of his father, he was able to squeeze into a first-rate aristocrat family.
Pei Wenxuan was very intelligent and handsome at a young age. He and Su Yongqing were the leaders of the two top academies in Huajing. As a result, they were compared year after year. If it was only about individuals, Pei Wenxuan naturally wouldn't lose. However, there were some things that required hundreds of years of accumulation and inheritance to be able to afford. Therefore, when people mentioned Pei Wenxuan, they would always say, "What a pity …"
When he was young, he lost to Su Yongqing because of his family background. Later, when it came to matters of love, even though Su Yongqing was castrated, he still lost to Su Yongqing.
For Pei Wenxuan, this wasn't something that he could let go of just by saying, "Start over."
If it was a normal dispute, Li Rong wouldn't have cared about his feelings. However, now that Pei Wenxuan's attitude had improved, she couldn't bear to see him like this.
She thought for a moment and finally said, "Pei Wenxuan."
Pei Wenxuan pretended to be asleep and didn't say anything. Li Rong slowly said, "I told him to stay away from these things because he's only in his twenties. I'm already considered an elder and I have some feelings for him. It's impossible for us to start over. He's the twenty-year-old Su Yongqing, and I'm the fifty-year-old Li Rong. I'm old. "
"If you didn't start over and I met the twenty-year-old you," Li Rong paused and finally said, "As long as you don't cause trouble, I'll help you if I can."
When Pei Wenxuan heard Li Rong's words, he didn't know why, but he felt a little sad.
This kind of sadness was different from the bitterness he felt before. Previously, he felt sad because he was thinking about himself.
But now, he was thinking about how Li Rong could speak in such a tone.
She was used to being arrogant and never cared about others. Now that she suddenly said these words, Pei Wenxuan felt even worse than when she scolded him.
"Don't always say that you're old," Pei Wenxuan said in a muffled voice, "We're both twenty years old. We're very young."
Li Rong smiled gently and didn't say much. Pei Wenxuan felt depressed for a while. He got up and went to the corner. He called out to Li Rong, "Your Highness, come here for a moment."
Li Rong was a little confused, but she still went to the corner and squatted down. She asked in confusion, "What are you doing?"
"Your Highness, give me your hand."
Pei Wenxuan stretched out his hand. Although Li Rong didn't know what he wanted to do, she still reached out her hand. The two couldn't see each other, but they could see each other's hands. Pei Wenxuan grabbed her hand, and Li Rong couldn't help but tremble.
Pei Wenxuan's hand was very thin, with distinct joints. His skin was hot and warm, with a little roughness unique to men.
Li Rong's hand was slender and soft. Her skin was delicate and smooth, and her nails were dyed red. Pei Wenxuan grabbed her hand and held it in his.
An indescribable feeling of numbness came over them. In an instant, it reminded them of some absurd times when they were young. But now that they hurriedly let go, it would seem inappropriate, so they pretended to be calm, as if they didn't feel anything.
Li Rong said indifferently, "What are you doing? If you can't give a reason, you'll be offending your superiors. "
Pei Wenxuan's face was very red, but he forced himself to be calm. He was glad that they couldn't see each other now. He gently put something into Li Rong's palm, then calmly let go. He said, "Your Highness, I'll give you something good. Try it."
Li Rong was a little confused. She retracted her hand and opened it. She saw a small round pill. She couldn't help but be a little vigilant. "What is this?"
"Your Highness, you'll know after you try it."
"What if it's poison?"
"Do you think I need to poison you now? You even ate my fish before. "
Li Rong: "… …"
What he said made sense. Li Rong thought for a moment, then put the pill into her mouth.
The sweet taste of plum blossoms spread in her mouth. Li Rong was a little confused. Then she heard Pei Wenxuan ask, "Is it sweet?"
"Sweet … …"
Li Rong was puzzled. "What did you give me?"
"It's a sugar pill." Pei Wenxuan laughed. "Didn't you like to eat sweet things when you were young? You thought it was sweet when you were 18, and you still think it's sweet when you're 50. Li Rong, don't worry too much about age. As long as you don't think you're old, you'll always be a little girl. "
Li Rong didn't say anything. She and Pei Wenxuan squatted together. She held the sugar pill in her mouth and hugged her knees. She pressed her face against her arms and said with a smile, "What else do you have to say? Tell me more."
Pei Wenxuan heard the smile in her words and felt his heart was at ease. He stood up and returned to the bed. "I don't want to say anymore. I'm not in the mood. If you want to hear more, come back tomorrow. I'll tell you a few more things when I'm in a good mood. "
Hearing his words, Li Rong spat at him, drew the curtain, got up and went back to the bed.
Li Rong slept until dawn. When she woke up the next day, the Jing Lan brought people over. They led people to serve Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan. After they finished washing up, they began to clean the prison. Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan stood in the courtyard with nothing to do, so they started to practice Tai Chi.
When they were young, they suffered a lot. When they were old, they loved to maintain their health. Later on, both of them suffered from illness, so they paid more attention to their health.
When Li Chuan arrived, he saw the two of them practicing Tai Chi. He stood behind Li Rong, who was practicing Tai Chi, and asked in confusion, "Sister, when did you start practicing Tai Chi?"
"I can also practice the Five Animal Frolics." Li Rong's reply was incongruous. Li Chuan choked for a moment, then said, "No, I'm asking you when you started doing this kind of thing that the Empress Dowager likes to do."
Pei Wenxuan was unhappy when he heard this. He had just advised Li Rong last night. He was afraid that Li Chuan would take things too hard. He immediately said, "It's never too late to maintain your health. Your Highness, you should also practice early."
Li Chuan felt that these two people were crazy.
However, he didn't have time to bicker with them. He directly said, "Sister, the imperial edict has been issued today."
"You're going?" Li Rong knew that Li Chuan was referring to the northwest. The Yang Family had submitted their resignation letter, and Li Ming had to send people to the northwest to resolve the war. Now, they had already planned to send Li Chuan out.
"I'm going to supervise the army." Li Chuan replied. Li Rong nodded. "Is that person going?"
Li Rong was asking Qin Lin. Li Chuan nodded and said, "Yes, he's going. He'll go in two groups. I'll give him an identity first and make arrangements secretly."
"Okay." Li Rong said calmly, "After you go there, get the account book as soon as possible."
"I understand." Li Chuan replied. Li Rong beat around the bush and said, "Go, I'll be here."
Li Chuan heard this. He looked at Li Rong, then looked at Pei Wenxuan. After a while, he called out to Pei Wenxuan, "Hey."
Pei Wenxuan pretended not to hear him and continued to beat around the bush. Li Chuan knew that he was ignoring him. Although he was a little angry, he didn't have time to argue. He only said, "Take good care of my sister while I'm away."
"I don't need him to take care of me." Li Rong immediately said, "Hurry up and go."
"I won't see you out." Pei Wenxuan beat around the bush. Li Chuan was choked by these two people. After a long time, he finally said, "Forget it, I'm leaving."
After that, he swung his sleeves and walked out of the corridor. After a few steps, he suddenly called out, "Sister."
Li Rong turned around and saw Li Chuan suddenly running back and hugging her.
His body trembled slightly as he whispered, "Sister, if I didn't come back …"
"Sister is here." Li Rong raised her hand and gently stroked Li Chuan's back. She said calmly, "You'll be safe. No matter what happens, sister will protect you. "
Hearing Li Rong's words, Li Chuan felt an inexplicable sense of peace in his heart. He suddenly felt a lot of courage. He felt as if someone had spread their wings and quietly protected him all the way.
"Sister," Li Chuan whispered, "I'll come back safe and sound. Don't be afraid."
"I'm back. I'll protect you."
Li Rong couldn't help but laugh when she heard Li Chuan's words.
Li Chuan let go of her. This time, he didn't look back and jogged all the way out.
Pei Wenxuan stood behind Li Rong. He looked at Li Rong's expression. That kind of peaceful, calm, and hopeful expression was something he hadn't seen in decades.
"Li Rong." He couldn't help but call out to her. Li Rong turned around and was a little puzzled. "Yes?"
Pei Wenxuan quietly looked at Li Rong who turned around to look at him. He saw his own reflection in the girl's clear eyes. He saw the peach blossoms at the end of spring fluttering down. He looked at Li Rong at this moment.
He suddenly had an inexplicable impulse.
He hoped that Li Rong could live with this kind of expression and this kind of smile for the rest of his life.
If Li Rong could live like this for the rest of his life …
It wasn't impossible for him to feel wronged and treat her better.
"Pei Wenxuan?" Li Rong saw that Pei Wenxuan didn't speak and couldn't help but call out to him. Pei Wenxuan came back to his senses. He smiled gently and raised his hand to brush the top of her head.
"The flower fell on your head."
He whispered, "I'll brush it away for you."
I'm willing to brush away the snow for you. I'm willing to run around for you for the rest of my life.
But at that moment, Pei Wenxuan didn't know that there were so many things he could do for Li Rong.
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