(The previous chapter has been modified, if you can't follow it, you can read it again)

Li Rong slept in the princess's mansion for a night. The next morning, she received a summons from the palace.

She had been prepared for a long time. As soon as the people from the palace arrived, she followed the servants into the palace. She knew in her heart that she had disrupted the situation between Concubine Rou and the Queen yesterday, and this matter could not be resolved so easily.

On the way, she was thinking about how to respond to the Queen's questioning. Soon she arrived at the palace. As soon as she entered Weiyang Palace, she saw Li Chuan kneeling on the ground. The Queen sat on a high throne, holding her forehead, as if she had a headache again. Everyone in the hall had already left, leaving only the mother and son, one sitting and one kneeling in the center of the hall. After Li Rong entered, she smiled and looked at the two of them and said, "What are you doing? It was like this last time I came, and it's the same this time. Are you quarreling again?"

"How dare you say that?!" Shangguan Yue heard Li Rong's voice and shouted, "Kneel down!"

If Li Rong was younger, she would have panicked after hearing Shangguan Yue get so angry, but fortunately, she was already in her fifties, so she knelt down calmly and said with a smile, "What's wrong with mother today? Why are you so angry?"

Shangguan Yue listened to Li Rong pretending to understand nothing. She raised her head with a cold look and stared at Li Rong: "You and I are mother and son, do we still need to be so hypocritical?"

Li Rong looked at Shangguan Yue's cold expression and she put away the smile on her face.

"What did you mean last night?"

"When I asked mother about this," Li Rong said calmly, "what did mother mean?"

"My meaning is very clear!" Shangguan Yue shouted, "I want Shangguan Ya to be the Crown Princess! I have already told Chuan'er to choose Ya'er's incense, why are you messing around? He is the Crown Prince!" Shangguan Yue pointed her finger at Li Chuan, stared at Li Rong and shouted, "He is making a fuss, are you following suit?!"

"It's my fault," Li Chuan kowtowed on the ground immediately after hearing Shangguan Yue's scolding, and said hurriedly, "It has nothing to do with you, sister. I said it was you who asked you for help, please calm down, mother."

Li Rong understood that it was Li Chuan who took all the responsibility and said that he was the one who asked her to do what happened last night.

Shangguan Yue was furious. She stood up and walked back and forth on the platform, cursing as she walked: "What a good opportunity last night, you wasted it! Are you crazy or stupid? Your father has been pressuring you and Aya to get married. We were all ready last night. If you had chosen Aya's sandalwood, your uncle would have brought people out to force an imperial decree on the spot. Why did you choose your sister's? Do you know how much effort it takes to get another opportunity like this?!"

"It is my son and not yours. Please calm down, mother." Li Chuan repeated numbly, kneeling on the ground without getting up.

Li Rong watched Shangguan Yue get angry, and felt an unspeakable humiliation in her heart. Even though this person was her mother, she didn't know why, when she saw Li Chuan kneeling quietly to listen to the lecture, she felt pitiful and sad.

"What on earth are you thinking? You refuse to cooperate with the Yang family, that's enough, but now you are going to abandon the Shangguan family too?! Family marriage is such a big deal, if you don't marry Ya'er, how can your uncle trust you?"

"Will he not trust unless he marries a woman?"

Li Rong suddenly spoke up. Shangguan Yue and Li Chuan were stunned. Li Chuan raised his head and stared at Li Rong blankly. He said in surprise, "Sister?"

"What did Chuan'er do wrong?" Li Rong said calmly, looking at Shangguan Yue, "The Shangguan family has had three dynasties. Don't you know where the conflict between our father and us comes from?!"

"So we must be tied together!" Shangguan Yue leaned forward and stared at Li Rong. "Do you think Chuan'er still has a way out? He is a child of the Shangguan family, and he is destined to have no way out."

"Since they are so tightly tied together, and we have to rely on the Shangguan family, what is there for uncle to worry about? What is the value of marrying them together? What is the meaning?"

Shangguan Yue was stunned by this question. Li Rong looked at her and said calmly, "Mother, we all know that what uncle wants is not the position of Crown Princess, but the position of Empress. Every generation of the Li family has half of the blood of the Shangguan family. You are already the present of the Shangguan family. What uncle wants Chuan'er to promise is the future."

"But this is the Li family's world," Li Rong looked at Shangguan Yue seriously, "Shangguan family, it's time to withdraw."

"What did you say?" Shangguan Yue looked at Li Rong in disbelief. "Say it again?"

"I say," Li Rong raised her voice, "If the Shangguan family still wants to be well, it should withdraw!"

The whole audience fell silent. Shangguan Yue stared at Li Rong in a daze. Li Rong stood up and said calmly, "When water overflows, it will be full. When things are prosperous, they will decline."

She looked at Shangguan Yue with a calm expression: "Mother, my father will never tolerate Shangguan Ya becoming Chuan'er's Crown Princess. Once Shangguan Ya becomes Chuan'er's Crown Princess, my father will never allow Chuan'er to ascend the throne. He can't tolerate that the next emperor has a empress of the Shangguan clan."

"Let the Shangguan clan gradually withdraw from the imperial city, mother," Li Rong whispered, "this will be good for everyone."

Shangguan Yue stood on the platform in a daze. Li Rong turned to look at Li Chuan and said calmly, "Get up and let's go."

Li Chuan glanced at Shangguan Yue. Li Rong saw his hesitation and shouted, "Get up!"

Li Rong yelled at Li Chuan and he hurriedly stood up. Li Rong nodded slightly to Shangguan Yue and then said, "Mother, we will leave first."

After saying that, Li Rong led Li Chuan out.

After leaving Weiyang Palace, Li Chuan was still a little dazed. After walking for a long distance, Li Chuan suddenly reacted and said excitedly: "Sister, you were so amazing just now!"

Li Rong glared at him and hit him on the head with her fan: "You are useless."

Li Chuan was hit on the head, but he was still very happy. He chased after Li Rong. Although he tried hard to restrain himself, one could still hear the excitement in his emotions: "I really didn't expect you to say that. I always thought that my sister also felt that I was wrong and would help mother to persuade me."

Li Rong and Li Chuan strolled into the Yu Garden. She listened to Li Chuan's words with a dazed look on her face.

In fact, in the previous life, it was she who persuaded Li Chuan to marry Shangguan Ya and four concubines.

At that time she thought Li Chuan was willful, but now thinking back, she feels that she was childish.

No one is willing to help just for a marriage.

The friendship between Qin and Jin was originally just a result of their own ulterior motives. When their interests conflicted, what did a woman matter?

Whether Li Chuan marries Shangguan or not, as long as their core interests are the same, the Shangguan family will definitely be tied to Li Chuan.

Marrying Shangguan would bring all kinds of disadvantages to Li Chuan.

It was just that Shangguan took advantage of their young age and threatened them by not supporting Li Chuanxiang. At that time, she had not yet seen through the true intentions of all parties in the court, so she was controlled by others.

Her thoughts were scattered all the way, and Li Chuan was chattering about the details of last night. After talking for a while, he spoke carefully: "Sister, why are you suddenly helping me?"

"Haven't I been helping you?"

"It's not this kind of help," Li Chuan thought for a moment and described it, "It's just that you seem to suddenly know what I'm thinking. You definitely wouldn't help me with this before, you would definitely follow mother to cause trouble for me."

"I'm giving you trouble, and you accept it?"

Li Chuan didn't say anything when he heard this. Li Rong saw that he was silent, so she turned around and saw Li Chuan with his head down, looking a little guilty.

"Why aren't you talking?"

"In fact, I am indeed willful," Li Chuan smiled bitterly, "You didn't choose the person you married yourself, so why should I have this privilege? Forget it, I won't say it anymore. I'm very happy that you can help me. I'll treat you to a meal some other day."

Li Rong listened to this and smiled. They stopped in front of the waterside pavilion. Li Rong thought for a moment and said slowly, "Chuan'er, you are not willful, you are just not strong enough."

Li Chuan turned to look at Li Rong, who said calmly, "People only have the right to choose when they are strong enough. I will always support you in wanting the right to choose, but the prerequisite is that you have the ability to do so."

"So," Li Chuan looked at Li Rong, "If I have the ability to do this and not hurt people who shouldn't be hurt, then Sister won't think I'm wrong, right?"

"As long as you think you are right," Li Rong turned her gaze away from the meeting and looked at Li Chuan. She smiled, "Even if I think you are wrong, it doesn't matter. Because I am not always right."

"What if my idea is different from yours?" Li Chuan asked seriously, with a hint of fear in his eyes.

Li Rong looked at the young man in front of her. She vaguely saw some of the shadow of Li Chuan in the future in him.

She suddenly realized how lonely and desperate Li Chuan was walking on the road alone.

His father hated him, his mother used him, and his sister was on both sides of him, never supporting him, let alone understanding him.

Li Rong stared at him quietly for a long time, then she said slowly, "Even if one day you and I have different ideas, you are still my brother."

"I will never give up on you."

When Li Chuan listened to what Li Rong said, he didn't know why, but his eyes became red.

He realized that he had lost his composure, lowered his head and smiled, seeming a little embarrassed, and said in a hoarse voice: "I'm sorry, sister, I kind of... I kind of... I feel that you are too good, and I can't protect you." Li Chuan paused for a long time before he spoke, "I'm sorry."

As a young man, he was worried about Li Rong's marriage and wanted to pacify the country in the future. But before he grew up, his sister was forced to marry someone she didn't love.

Li Rong could sense the guilt in Li Chuan's words. She was stunned for a moment. After a moment, she said hesitantly, "Actually... Pei Wenxuan is also pretty good."

"You don't have to worry about me," Li Rong smiled, "I'm a good match."

Li Chuan laughed out loud: "I feel it."

Li Rong raised an eyebrow: "Hmm?"

"I think you smile more and more after you got married," Li Chuan looked up at her.

Li Rong was a little stunned. At this moment, the servant came over from the side road and said respectfully, "Your Highness, the prince consort is waiting at the door. He said he is here to pick someone up."

"Is he annoying?" Li Chuan said immediately after hearing this, "Can't I send my sister back? Get him out!"

"Your Highness," Pei Wenxuan's voice echoed from not far away, "Your Highness is busy with affairs, so I won't bother you."

"I'm busy, aren't you? Are you free? If you are free, tell me. I have plenty of things for you to do!"

Li Rong couldn't help laughing when she heard Li Chuan scolding her. Pei Wenxuan smiled without saying anything. He turned to look at Li Rong and explained, "I just got off court and heard that you were in the palace, so I thought of taking you back with me."

"Okay," Li Rong nodded, turned to Li Chuan and said, "We'll leave first, you can send us off next time."

"Then sister, when are you free, let me know," Li Chuan said quickly, "I'll treat you to a meal."

Li Rong turned her back to him and waved her hands: "Anytime."

The two people walked out of the palace together. Li Chuan looked at their backs for a long time, and he couldn't help laughing.

At this time, in Weiyang Palace, Shangguan Yue had almost finished crying.

She came to her senses, and the maid Cuiyu who was serving her whispered to her, "Don't be too sad. The princess and the prince have grown up now. They are young and energetic. Don't bother with them. They will understand your painstaking efforts in the future."

"It's fine if Rong'er is like this," Shangguan Yue cried, "After all, she's married and has little to do with the palace. But Chuan'er is like this, how can I tell my brother?"

"Don't think too much, Your Majesty. The Crown Prince has always been filial and obedient. He must have his reasons for suddenly becoming so rebellious."

This woke Shangguan Yue up, and she suddenly realized: "Why is he so opposed to marriage? Does he have someone in his heart?"

Cui Yu brought tea from the side and said respectfully, "Your Highness is already quite old, and it is normal for him to have some mixed people around him. It is not impossible for him to be deceived by them."

Shangguan Yue pondered for a moment, then said, "Have someone check if there are any suspicious women around the prince recently. Where has he been, what has he done, who has he met, have everyone around him report to me!"