Li Rong was shocked when she heard the news. She asked coldly, "Where is Lord Xun?"
"At the pavilion on the outskirts of the city."
"I'll go there immediately."
Li Rong ordered. She then ordered the carriage to change direction and sat back in the carriage.
She seemed to be angry. She clenched her fan tightly and her expression was ugly. Pei Wenxuan poured her a cup of tea and comforted her, "Luo Juan hasn't seen anyone for a long time. It's not surprising. Your Highness, please calm down."
"They are simply impudent!"
Li Rong shouted angrily, "They knew that I was investigating this matter and still dared to kill people. Do they think I'm a vegetarian?"
"They knew that you were investigating this matter."
Pei Wenxuan said calmly, "That's why they had to kill people."
Li Rong didn't say anything. She looked at Pei Wenxuan. Pei Wenxuan's expression was terrifyingly calm, "If your Inspectorate is successfully established, it will be a great threat to the aristocratic families. They will do whatever it takes to force you to retreat. If you win this battle, the position of the Inspectorate will be stable in the future. If you lose, it will be difficult for His Highness the Crown Prince or His Majesty to build a team to contend with the aristocratic families. "
"Of course," Pei Wenxuan said slowly, "Your Highness and my future is also over."
Pei Wenxuan said it very calmly, as if he was talking about something unimportant. Li Rong slowly calmed down. This kind of confrontation was not new. She had experienced it countless times in her previous life. However, she hadn't been tied to Pei Wenxuan in life and death for many years.
She couldn't help but look at Pei Wenxuan, sizing up the young man in his early twenties. Pei Wenxuan leaned against the table, looking at the people coming and going outside the window. He seemed to be thinking about something. He noticed Li Rong's gaze and turned to look at Li Rong. Seeing Li Rong staring at him, he couldn't help but smile. "Your Highness, why are you looking at me?"
"I just remembered." Li Rong laughed. "This seems to be the first time we've done something like this."
"In the first year of our marriage, our relationship was quite good." Li Rong tapped his fan against his palm and turned to look out the window with some nostalgia. "But at that time, we were still young and ignorant of the matters of the imperial court. We had never encountered such a major event."
"After that, something happened. You and I were already constantly arguing. The only time I was touched by you was also in prison. At that time, I thought you would give up on me and Chuan'er and seek refuge with Consort Rou. "
As Li Rong spoke, he couldn't help but look over. He smiled and said, "Why didn't you run away at that time?"
Pei Wenxuan was silent. Li Rong didn't seem to mind and continued, "After that, our relationship couldn't be said to be good. On one hand, we guarded against each other, and on the other, we helped each other. We've never been as harmonious as we are now. "
"What if I told you that I've never thought of giving up on you?"
Pei Wenxuan suddenly spoke. Li Rong looked up in surprise and saw Pei Wenxuan looking at her calmly. "In my previous life, I've never violated our alliance."
That year, when Li Chuan deposed the Crown Prince and Li Rong went to prison, he had never thought of seeking refuge with others despite his high position.
Subconsciously, even though he had been arguing with Li Rong for many years, he chose to go to prison without hesitation. He made a promise to that person and asked her to wait for his return.
Li Rong was speechless. Her eyelashes trembled slightly. Pei Wenxuan smiled. "We've been through so many trials. Isn't it natural for you to trust me in this life?"
"After all, other than me," Pei Wenxuan said seriously. "No one can guarantee that, no matter the situation, I won't betray Your Highness in this life."
Hearing these words, Li Rong chuckled. She said gently, "I don't believe in promises."
"I know." Pei Wenxuan also smiled. "I just said it casually."
"Then don't say it in the future." Li Rong sighed. "If you say it, I want to take it seriously, but I know in my heart that these words can't be taken seriously. It's uncomfortable to think about it. It's better to never hear it."
"I don't know how to speak." Pei Wenxuan apologized quickly. "I've troubled Your Highness."
The two chatted casually until they reached the outskirts of the city. As soon as the carriage stopped, Li Rong immediately jumped down. There were several people standing by the pavilion. Li Rong led Pei Wenxuan over and asked hurriedly, "Where is she?"
"Your Highness, please follow us."
The person responded and led her into the forest. Li Rong followed the person for a while. Soon after, she saw a group of people standing around a place. Xun Chuan stood at the side with a mask on and clenched his fists.
Li Rong walked forward and asked coldly, "What's going on?"
As soon as she got close, she smelled a stench. Before she could turn around, Pei Wenxuan stepped forward and blocked Li Rong's view. "Your Highness, you don't need to look."
"Get out of the way!"
Li Rong pushed Pei Wenxuan aside and saw more than ten corpses that had been dug out.
Li Rong looked at the corpses on the ground and turned to Xun Chuan. "Have you examined the corpses?"
"Yes," Xun Chuan said in a hoarse voice. "I've also confirmed their identities. They're all the witnesses involved in the case."
"They're all dead?"
Li Rong asked in disbelief. Xun Chuan nodded. "They're all dead. Not a single one was left. These days, I've investigated them one by one and found that they all left the capital on the same day. Before they left, they left a large sum of money for their families, saying that they were going to return to the northwest. I followed them along the way and found that they didn't stay at any relay stations or teahouses on the way. I carefully asked around the place where they were last seen and narrowed down the area. Finally, I found this place. "
Li Rong didn't speak. She was silent for a moment and said, "Clean up the corpses and put them in the memorial hall. How did you find this place? "
"There was a scholar at a pavilion not far away. He happened to be seeing off a friend at the pavilion that day when he saw a group of people driving another group of people into the forest. They were acting suspiciously. I asked the owner of the teahouse about the whereabouts of the guests and found this scholar."
"Where is he?"
"We've already taken care of him."
Li Rong was relieved to hear this. She thought for a moment and said, "Have someone continue to investigate based on the scholar's confession. Then go to His Highness the Crown Prince." Li Rong pursed her lips. "Ask him to find someone for me and find a way to get me into the Ministry of Justice to meet Lord Qin."
Xun Chuan froze when he heard this. He looked up at Li Rong. Although he didn't say anything, Li Rong understood what he meant.
"You can come with me, but …"
Before Li Rong could finish, Xun Chuan interrupted her, "I understand. Your Highness, you don't have to worry."
Qin Zhenzhen had already killed himself in front of the princess' residence. No one could bear the responsibility of deceiving the emperor and bending the law.
Li Rong nodded and Xun Chuan sent someone to make the arrangements.
Li Rong stood on the side for a while and looked at the corpses quietly. After a while, she turned and said, "Let's go."
Pei Wenxuan accompanied her and followed her into the carriage.
After getting into the carriage, Li Rong closed her eyes. After a while, she smelled a fragrance lingering at the tip of her nose. She realized that Pei Wenxuan had taken out an incense burner from the drawer and lit the incense.
Li Rong laughed. "You're still in the mood for this?"
"You're used to these things." Pei Wenxuan's voice was calm. "This incense soothes the nerves."
Pei Wenxuan covered the incense burner and sat beside Li Rong. Before Li Rong could react, he had already rolled up his sleeves and put his hand behind her neck. He put his hand on her shoulder and pressed her head against his shoulder with his other hand.
This position seemed to have completely isolated her from the outside world. Her nose only smelled the scent of the incense mixed with the faint fragrance of his body. These scents and his temperature isolated her from everything else, creating an unusually warm and peaceful world for her.
"Close your eyes." Pei Wenxuan said gently, "Don't think about anything. I'll be here with you."
"Pei Wenxuan." Li Rong did as he said and closed her eyes. However, she still said, "It's not the first time I've seen a corpse. You don't have to take care of me like this."
"I remember that in the tenth year of Kangping, you and I went to the Ministry of Justice." Li Rong leaned against Pei Wenxuan and listened to him slowly talk about the past. "You were watching the prisoners being executed. I saw that your hands were trembling. In order not to be discovered, you hid your hands in your sleeves and curled them on the armrest. You maintained that position for the entire afternoon."
"I don't remember."
"Then you came out and vomited. Su Yongqing stood beside you and comforted you. He poured you tea and water."
Li Rong did not speak. She listened quietly. Then she heard Pei Wenxuan say, "When I came back that day, I kept thinking that I should hold you, light the incense, and talk to you. Maybe you'll feel better then."
"There were many things that I didn't do well in my previous life."
As Pei Wenxuan spoke, he lowered his head and looked at Li Rong. "In this life, if there's anything that I didn't do well, Your Highness, please remember to tell me."
Li Rong leaned against him quietly and listened to his heartbeat. Pei Wenxuan was puzzled. "Your Highness?"
"Very good."
She opened her mouth and did not say much.
She thought about Pei Wenxuan's words. She finally found the bits and pieces that Pei Wenxuan said from the distant memories of her previous life.
However, after she found them, she could not help but think of Su Yongqing.
She suddenly realized the difference between Su Yongqing and Pei Wenxuan. Su Yongqing treated her with all his heart, but he was also respectful and courteous. In Su Yongqing's eyes, she seemed to be born cold and strong, so he never thought that she would be afraid, nor did he think that she would need someone to occasionally support her.
Su Yongqing would always stand behind her like a shadow. He was so close when she turned around, but he was so far away.
Her feelings for Su Yongqing were different from those of Pei Wenxuan. She always thought that it was because she met Su Yongqing too late, so it was difficult for a young man to fall in love with her.
At this moment, she finally understood that it was because Pei Wenxuan treated her well without reservation and was sincere.
It was a casual kiss under the night sky. It was a smile on the bed when they talked about the future. It was a slight movement from her that allowed him to know what she really wanted.
However, Su Yongqing's kindness to her was always from afar.
They had accompanied each other for more than ten years, but he never overstepped his boundaries. Even if it was an occasional kiss, it was cold and desperate.
Li Rong closed her eyes and didn't dare to think too much. Pei Wenxuan hugged the person in his arms and slowly said, "I didn't want you to see this, but you still have to see it. Then I'll make some calming incense for you. Bring it with you at all times. If you encounter something like this, you have to bring me along. "
"It was fine in the previous life, but in this life, I'll always be by Your Highness' side. I won't let Your Highness suffer any grievances."
As Pei Wenxuan spoke, he didn't see any response from Li Rong. He lowered his head and saw that Li Rong seemed to have fallen asleep.
He saw that she was sleeping peacefully leaning on him and couldn't help but smile.
He looked at her for a while. He wanted to kiss her forehead, but he was afraid that she would wake up. In the end, he hesitated for a moment, then lowered his head and gently kissed her hair.
Li Rong leaned on him and slept all the way until they entered the city. After entering the city, the two went straight to the Ministry of Justice. When they arrived at the Ministry of Justice, it was already night time. They ate in the carriage. Not long after eating, Li Chuan's people sent a letter saying that the arrangements had been made.
Li Chuan had been in the court for many years, so he had more people than Li Rong. After Li Chuan made arrangements, Li Rong immediately got off the carriage. She led the people to the entrance of the Ministry of Justice and saw a person wearing a black robe already waiting there.
Li Rong was quite surprised. She had some guesses in her heart and hurried forward. The other party turned around, revealing his young and tender face in the night.
"Sister," Li Chuan looked at Li Rong and said seriously, "I'll go in with you."
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