Cui Yulang came at night.

His arrival was quite circuitous. He took several detours and changed his clothes. After making sure that no one was following him, he was led by Zhao Chongjiu to climb over the wall in the backyard of the princess's mansion and entered Li Rong's house almost without making any sound.

Li Rong had checked with Zhao Chongjiu early on and knew that Cui Yulang was coming, so she did not go to bed. She just took off her hair, lit a light and waited in the room.

At night, footsteps were heard outside. Li Rong was lying on the couch. She looked up and saw Cui Yulang pushing the door open. He knew it was inappropriate to meet Li Rong privately at night, so he lost his usual nonchalant attitude and knelt on the ground to salute respectfully without raising his eyes. He whispered, "Your Highness, I am your humble servant."

"I asked you to come here because of something urgent."

Li Rong's voice was very calm. Cui Yulang did not say anything. Li Rong said slowly, "I need to speed up the process of handing over the Inspection Office to Concubine Rou."

"Your Highness said so, but what has happened?"

"You should do it first, preferably within three days."

Cui Yulang thought for a moment and said in a low voice, "I understand."

Cui Yulang and Li Rong had already prepared for this. The next morning, Li Rong arrived at the Inspection Office. As soon as she reached the door, she saw Shangguan Ya rushing to greet her. She whispered, "Today, a scholar came to the Inspection Office. He said that his quota for the imperial examination in Beijing was replaced by someone else. I kept him here."

Li Rong nodded and walked into the Inspection Office with Shangguan Ya. Shangguan Ya said in a low voice: "I don't know what this scholar is thinking. He didn't kneel in Shuntian Prefecture or the Ministry of Justice, but he knelt at the door of the Inspection Office. His case is not easy to investigate. I'm afraid he will have to leave Huajing..."

"No problem."

Li Rong raised her hand to stop Shangguan Ya from speaking, and went into the house with her.

The scholar was drinking tea with great trepidation. When he saw Li Rong coming, he quickly stood up, knelt on the ground and said, "Hello, Your Highness."

"Are you Sun Wen?"

Li Rong spoke directly, this is the name of Cui Yulang’s good friend.

The other party quickly said: "Yes, it is me."

"Have you got the petition?"

“It’s already been written.”

"All right."

Li Rong nodded, asked Shangguan Ya to collect his complaint, and said directly: "Give him five taels of silver, and leave Huajing first. There is an old man named Sanye on the moat of Huajing. You get on his boat and let him take you away. When you are close to Zhangxian, the boat will sink. You follow Sanye to swim to the shore, and someone will pick you up. You hide for a while and then listen to the instructions."

Sun Wen had already received Cui Yulang's arrangements, and after paying his respects, he was led away.

As soon as Sun Wen left, Shangguan Ya came up to him and asked, "What are you trying to say?"

Li Rong took Sun Wen's petition and read it carefully, then replied slowly, "You will be changing employers soon, so be prepared."

After hearing this, Shangguan Ya thought about it and understood: "Inspector General, do you want to let it go for a while?"

"Su Rongqing recently opened an inn and let all candidates who came to Beijing to take the imperial examination live there. He also deliberately found the candidate who came to complain. What do you think he wants?"

Shangguan Ya frowned, she was a little confused.

The imperial examination was not a big deal, it was just a formality. Children from ordinary families took the examination and entered the court just to find some people to help them with their work.

There are always some dirty and tiring jobs in the court that no one wants to do, and the role of the imperial examination is just here. For Shangguan Ya, who is born into a noble family, it is really hard to understand the meaning of Su Rongqing's fussing over this matter.

Li Rong looked at her and knew that she didn't understand.

If she had not witnessed the impact of the imperial examination system after the rise of the poor families, and had not known about the turmoil that the so-called Dragon and Tiger List of this year would have caused in the court later, she probably would not have understood it.

But she knew, so she naturally understood the key point of the dispute between Pei Wenxuan and Su Rongqing.

"The first thing Su Rongqing needs to do is to win people's hearts."

"That's what Su would do."

After all, it was the Su family that started the business of distributing porridge, and other big families followed suit when they saw the good reputation.

"Next," Li Rong looked at the complaint and lowered her voice, "Su Rongqing will not let go of the last incident."

Shangguan Ya paused, raised her head and looked at Li Rong. Li Rong said calmly: "Your Majesty took away his position as Minister of Justice, and gave me and Pei Wenxuan a divorce. Even if no one wants to believe it, Your Majesty will definitely make the next move. Su Rongqing's goal is to seize Chuan'er's foundation. This time he found so many scholars who complained. What do you think he is going to do?"

Shangguan Ya didn't say anything. Li Rong smiled and gave her the answer: "He wants to sue this case."

"What's the purpose?" Shangguan Ya frowned. Li Rong tapped her hand on the table. "Who do you think His Majesty would want to handle this case if it came to light?"

Shangguan Ya understood immediately. She looked up at Li Rong and said, "Crown Prince?"

Once Li Chuan handles this case, although the case of the imperial examination is not big, what is confronted is the interests of the aristocratic families.

Li Chuan already had a rift with the aristocratic families because of Li Rong's Inspection Department. If he personally took the lead on behalf of the Han clan, his relationship with the aristocratic families would be further severed.

The Han clan has not yet formed a climate. If Li Chuan really breaks away from the aristocratic family and Li Ming does not give Li Chuan enough trust, then Li Chuan's political capital will only be left with the Shangguan family.

But if Li Chuan does not take the case, or even if the case does not receive a fair trial because of Li Chuan's refusal to take the case, then Li Chuan's wisdom as the prince will be greatly reduced in the eyes of the people.

"Then there are only two options left."

Shangguan Ya said quickly: "Or, let's just not bring this case to justice."

"Or," Li Rong continued, "we have to let this case fall into the hands of someone else."

The only government offices that can handle this case now are the Historic Office, the Ministry of Justice, the Dali Temple, and the Supervisory Office.

The director of Yu Shi Tai is Shangguan Minzhi, and in the eyes of the aristocratic families, when Yu Shi Tai takes a case, it means that Li Chuan has taken the case.

The Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple are both under the control of the aristocratic families, and they will not take the initiative to investigate this hot potato.

The last thing left was her Inspectorate.

Shangguan Ya understood what Li Rong meant. After hesitating for a moment, she said slowly, "But, isn't it too much of a price to pay to hand over the Inspection Department just for a case?"

Li Rong didn't say anything. She wanted to tell Shangguan Ya, but she didn't say much. After thinking for a while, she just said, "My position is dangerous. Father wants me and the family to die together, but I can't go this far. Although I'm leaving temporarily, our people are still here. Everyone knows what to do and what not to do."

Shangguan Ya responded. Li Rong saw that she looked worried, smiled, patted her on the shoulder and said, "Hurry up and do your work. You can go out for a drink and gamble when you're done."

Shangguan Ya laughed when she heard this and said, "Okay."

After that, Shangguan Ya came up to her and whispered, "How do you feel about your recent divorce?"

Li Rong raised her eyebrows. Shangguan Ya looked around and leaned forward: "Are you going to meet your lover at night to have something exciting?"

Li Rong smiled and took out a note from the side, slapped Shangguan Ya on the body, and said, "Get lost."

Shangguan Ya stood up with a smile and waved, "Let's go."

After saying that, she went back to her room. After Shangguan Ya left, Li Rong picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea.

In fact, Shangguan Ya's concerns were not wrong. It was indeed risky to hand over the Inspection Office for the sake of a criminal case.

It was Pei Wenxuan’s suggestion to hand it over to the Inspection Department in the first place.

And now it has been determined to be handed over to the Inspection Department...

Li Rong looked at the tea leaves floating in the tea bowl with a somewhat cold look.

——It was because Pei Wenxuan’s people were mixed in with those scholars who filed complaints.

What Su Rongqing wants to do is to remove the fuel from Li Chuan's stove, while what Pei Wenxuan wants to do is probably to dismantle the stove.

If Pei Wenxuan intends to be here, then no matter what, she cannot be drawn into this vortex.

Li Rong stayed in the Inspection Office for a day, and only got up to go back to the Princess's Mansion at night. When she walked out of the door, she saw Shangguan Ya changed into men's clothes, swinging her wallet, and happily going out. She walked very briskly, and it seemed that she was about to jump up. Li Rong was waiting for her at the gate of the inner courtyard. Seeing her humming a little tune, she called her: "Where are you going? You look so happy?"

When Li Rong spoke, Shangguan Ya realized she was there. She was startled and asked hurriedly, "Your Highness, you haven't left yet?"

"You didn't leave either?"

The two of them walked out of the yard together. Shangguan Ya coughed lightly: "Aren't I leaving now? It's too obvious in the daytime."

"How long do you plan to play? If it's too late, your father will probably scold you."

"Father knows my temper." Shangguan Ya said to her confidently, "I told you so long ago."

Li Rong smiled but said nothing. When she walked with Shangguan Ya, she felt like she was a teenager in one moment, and then she could clearly notice the difference between them. She felt like she was looking at a child when she looked at Shangguan Ya.

"Is Su Ronghua waiting for you?"

Li Rong spoke directly, Shangguan Ya's face froze. Li Rong lowered her head and chuckled, "You usually don't get so happy when you just go out to drink and have fun."

"Neither am I..."

"When did you get so close?"

Li Rong knew that she was embarrassed, and did not give her a chance to explain, and treated her with care like an elder. Shangguan Ya did not hide it, and said directly: "When I was in the Inspection Department, we often made plans to go to the casino after work. On the night when you and Su Rongqing were making trouble in the palace, I heard that he went to the palace, and I knew something was wrong, so I went to the palace gate to pick him up, took him to climb a mountain, and comforted him. Later, our relationship was pretty good, and now he has nothing to do, he is free, so he comes to me every day."

"Have fun," Li Rong warned, "but don't let it interfere with your work."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Shangguan Ya said as they walked out of the Inspection Office. As soon as they walked out, they saw Su Ronghua sitting at the door, fanning himself. Hearing the voice behind him, Su Ronghua turned around and smiled: "Hey, you're out?"

As he spoke, Su Ronghua stood up and saluted towards Li Rong.

Li Rong raised her hand to stop him: "Are you here to pick up Aya for no reason?"

"Yes." Su Ronghua admitted frankly. Shangguan Ya felt that the conversation between the two was a little awkward, so she turned around and waved to Li Rong, saying directly, "Your Highness, let's go."

As she spoke, Shangguan Ya walked up to him, grabbed Su Ronghua's sleeve, and pulled him toward the street.

The two chatted and laughed all the way. Li Rong stood at the door, watching them walk away. Seeing people coming and going on the street, she inexplicably felt a little empty in her heart.

It was like the last few years of her old age in her previous life, when she often stared blankly at the hustle and bustle.

She was in a daze when she saw a little beggar running up to her. He held up a chipped bowl and said in a tender voice, "Madam, can you give me a copper coin?"

Li Rong lowered her eyes and saw a note in the beggar's bowl. She didn't know why, but she seemed to know who gave her the note.

She took two copper coins from her purse and put them in the bowl, while silently holding the paper in her hand.

The little beggar ran away. Li Rong opened the paper in the dark with her fingers and saw Pei Wenxuan's handwriting.

"I am here."

Li Rong raised her head subconsciously and looked around, then she saw a young man with two beards standing not far away.

He smiled and met Li Rong's gaze. Li Rong couldn't help but pursed her lips. She hid the note in her palm, walked down the stairs with her hand, and said, "Let's go back."

The coachman and the attendants were a little surprised, but they didn't say much. They just watched Li Rong walk forward and into the crowd.

After she turned around, a young man in blue followed her into the crowd.

They never talked to each other. They walked one after the other, each on the side of the road, as if they were two people who had no contact with each other at all.

But every time Li Rong walked past a stall, the young man would walk past and buy something that Li Rong had seen.

Li Rong also noticed Pei Wenxuan's actions, so she walked over to a lantern guessing game stall and reached out to touch the most beautiful lantern on the stall, the one with the image of Chang'e flying to the moon.

She stood in front of the lantern stall for a while, and the young man stopped behind her, casually looking through the combs on the stall opposite.

After Li Rong left, the young man followed her.

Li Rong felt tired after walking out of the busiest street. She called a carriage and got on it while yawning. Before she got on the carriage, she saw a young man standing not far away, looking at her with a smile. Li Rong pursed her lips and chuckled. Suddenly, she felt like playing something and threw the handkerchief in her sleeve.

The wind blew the silk handkerchief lightly along the street. The light shone through the soft gauze. The young man hurriedly stepped forward. The soft gauze brushed against his face, leaving a lingering fragrance in his nose.

The young man raised his hand and grabbed the floating handkerchief.

When I turned around, the carriage had already gone away like the woman in my dream.

Pei Wenxuan stared blankly at the carriage going away. After a long time, he lowered his head and chuckled. He folded his handkerchief carefully and placed it on his chest before returning to the stall where he had guessed the lantern riddle before.

When Li Rong returned to the princess's residence, she had just rested and was reading a book while soaking her feet when she heard Jinglan say, "Your Highness, Lord Zhao wants to see you."

Li Rong raised her eyes and said, "Let him come in."

Zhao Chongjiu got permission and walked in.

As soon as he came in, Li Rong saw that he was holding a dozen lanterns in his hands.

Li Rong almost laughed out loud when she saw the lanterns. Zhao Chongjiu put the lanterns on the ground with a dark face, then picked up the one with Chang'e flying to the moon and put it in front of Li Rong: "Just now, Lord Pei came to me urgently and gave me so many lanterns. He specifically told me that this one should be handed over to Your Highness personally."

"He said he won that stall."

After hearing this, Li Rong finally couldn't help laughing.

She took the lamp that Pei Wenxuan won, looked at Chang'e on the lamp, and smiled for a long time.

She suddenly felt that some things, even if two people were not in harmony, were not unforgivable.

One's life is all about living a good life. With this lamp here, she wants to go on even if there are some frictions.

She suddenly discovered that perhaps the biggest difference between herself and when she was young was this.

When she was young, she always wanted to throw away anything bad she encountered.

Nowadays, whenever she encounters something bad, she will think of repairing it.

She didn't know whether this was a retreat and compromise, or a maturity and perfection, it just seemed like an inevitable path in life.

If it was not good, she would just think of throwing it away. Pei Wenxuan and her should have ended long ago.

She is not perfect, and Pei Wenxuan is not flawless either.

But Pei Wenxuan never thought of giving up. After going around in circles and being forced to persist, she finally discovered.

This feeling is worth it after all.

After Pei Wenxuan delivered the lantern, he walked along the long street with his hands behind his back. He could not help laughing as he imagined Li Rong accepting the lantern.

Tong Ye yawned and muttered behind him, "Sir, you are too idle. Is it because the Ministry of Personnel doesn't have enough work to do, or is it because you have too much energy? You have waited for so long in disguise, and finally sent His Highness back, but you are still guessing lantern riddles. You are a top scholar, and you are guessing lantern riddles to win the lantern. Isn't this bullying? People will laugh at you if you hear about it."

Pei Wenxuan knew that Tong Ye was acting so presumptuous because he assumed that he was in a good mood.

He did not respond to Tong Ye, but just looked up and smiled at the bright moon in the sky.

Thinking that Li Rong was also under the moonlight with him, his eyes couldn't help but soften a little.

"Laugh if you want to," Pei Wenxuan's voice was full of laughter, "As long as Madam is happy, that's enough. If you have learned all these talents but can't make Madam happy, what's the point?"

Anyway, he had seen the scenery of climbing to the top of the mountain, and what he envied most was this world of fireworks.