Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan were still asleep when they heard footsteps outside. Jinglan stood at the door and said respectfully, "Your Highness, Miss Shangguan is here."

Li Rong was not surprised when she heard the voice. She closed her eyes and said in a hoarse voice, "Let her wait a moment."

After Li Rong finished speaking, she slowed down a little.

It was approaching winter and the weather was getting much colder. She didn't get enough sleep last night and was suddenly woken up. It took some courage for her to get out of bed.

Li Rong heard Pei Wenxuan stand up and then turned on the light. She squinted in the light, raised her hand and rubbed her eyes. When she was about to prop herself up, she felt someone draped her body with clothes.

The clothes were warm. Li Rong adjusted herself to the light and saw Pei Wenxuan wearing a coat and holding her clothes, helping her put them on.

Li Rong felt a little sleepy when she looked at Pei Wenxuan. She leaned her head on his shoulder and let him help her raise her hands, stuff her clothes into her sleeves, and tie the belt for her. She leaned against him and said with her eyes closed, "It's so cold. I don't even want to go to court."

"If you are really not allowed to attend court, you will probably be unhappy."

Pei Wenxuan smiled and put a furry fox fur cloak on her.

After putting on her clothes, Li Rong no longer felt cold and had more courage to get out of bed. Pei Wenxuan saw her leaning on his shoulder, raised his hand to hold her, and said with a smile: "Shangguan Ya is here, are you up?"

"I know," Li Rong sighed, and Pei Wenxuan helped her get off the bed. She called Jinglan and others in, and helped her wash up. While washing up, she said, "I roughly guessed what she was going to say. It's not an urgent matter."

"Maybe Shangguan Xu has reached an agreement with her."

Pei Wenxuan wiped his face and analyzed: "In this way, Your Highness has finally got what he wanted."

Li Rong responded, and after washing up, she went out with Pei Wenxuan.

The two of them walked out of the door together. Pei Wenxuan took Li Rong's hand and whispered, "Your Highness, be careful."

Li Rong's body stiffened.

In the past, when Pei Wenxuan pulled her so casually, she would have thought that he was unintentional, absent-minded, and didn't notice it. But now that he pulled her so naturally, she could no longer think that he was unintentional.

But she couldn't just shake off his hand. She felt that if she responded too vigorously, it would be like tearing a layer of paper. After that, she didn't dare to think about what she would face.

So she looked at Pei Wenxuan unconsciously. Pei Wenxuan noticed her gaze, turned his head and smiled slightly: "Your Highness, why are you looking at me?"

Li Rong was brought back to her senses by his question. She abruptly turned her gaze away and looked forward, saying, "Nothing. I was just distracted."

"I'm afraid I didn't get enough sleep."

Pei Wenxuan said gently: "I will urge Your Highness to go to bed early tonight."

"Um."

Li Rong didn't want to argue with him on this issue any further. She just casually pulled her hand back, touched her own hand and said, "I forgot to apply the ointment today."

"Then I'll have someone take it and clean it for you in the carriage."

Pei Wenxuan responded immediately, and before Li Rong could say no, he smiled and said, "And don't worry, Your Highness. Even if you didn't apply the ointment today, your hands are still as soft and tender as usual. You don't need to add anything extra."

When Li Rong heard him say these words with a smile on his face, she always felt that he seemed to have seen through her hiding and was deliberately teasing her in a serious manner.

She coughed lightly and said, "The Prince Consort is becoming more and more fond of flattering people."

Pei Wenxuan did not respond. He smiled and came forward, holding Li Rong's hand again. He said in a calm tone but not to be refused: "It's cold, and you haven't applied the ointment yet. Let me shield your Highness from the wind to prevent you from getting sores."

Li Rong saw that Pei Wenxuan was very tough and persistent about this matter. In her heart, she actually liked the feeling of him holding her. After all, the weather was cold and everyone liked warm things. So she was too lazy to argue anymore and followed her heart, pretending not to know, and walked to the lobby with him.

When they arrived at the lobby, Shangguan Ya was already waiting there. She seemed to be sleepy and dozed off with her head propped up. Li Rong led Pei Wenxuan in and asked with a smile, "Why, didn't you sleep all night?"

Shangguan Ya was startled by Li Rong's words. She shuddered. After realizing who was coming, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and said with some complaints, "Your Highness, could you not speak so suddenly and scare me?"

Li Rong smiled but didn't respond. She sat opposite Shangguan Ya. Pei Wenxuan sat next to her and started to make tea. Shangguan Ya glanced at Pei Wenxuan and said with a smile, "Is the Prince Consort back? It looks like he had a smooth journey."

"If things don't go smoothly," Pei Wenxuan said with a smile as he put the tea leaves into the purple clay pot, "Miss Shangguan won't be able to sit here."

"That's right." Shangguan Ya nodded and turned to look at Li Rong. "The princess has a good eye. Getting a prince consort is like adding wings to a tiger. It will be easy for you to do things."

"Just tell me the result."

Li Rong said calmly, "It's almost time for the morning court. I'm waiting for your father's reply. I should have asked my mother to convey what I should say. What does your father think?"

"Since I'm here, it must have been negotiated."

Shangguan Ya smiled: "My father means that everything should be done according to Your Highness's wishes. From today on, the Shangguan family will clean up and inspect itself, and from now on, we will fully assist Your Highness."

"How do you plan to check yourselves?" Li Rong lowered her eyes and asked as she heard the water boiling beside her. Pei Wenxuan poured the water into the purple clay pot, and after the first run of water, splashed it onto the tea tray.

Shangguan Ya had already prepared a plan, and said calmly: "I will be in charge of this matter. Tonight, the Shangguan family will hold a clan meeting in the ancestral hall. I will convey the princess's intention, and then I will privately investigate the past events one by one. The crimes of the Shangguan family are divided into three categories. The first category involves serious crimes involving life and death, which will implicate the prince. I will report them to the princess, and the princess will punish them and make them the achievements of the Inspection Department."

"The second category, although it is a serious crime, is mostly about money and the amount is huge, so I will try to persuade them."

"The third category is those who don't have much money. This category is just a warning to warn them not to make the same mistake again."

After Shangguan Ya sorted them out, she looked up at Li Rong and said with a smile, "What do you think, Your Highness?"

Li Rong looked into Shangguan Ya's eyes and remained silent.

Pei Wenxuan pushed the poured tea in front of the two girls, then reached out and held Li Rong's hand, held the tea himself and sipped it quietly.

The warmth of Pei Wenxuan's hands soothed Li Rong's confused mind and allowed her to think more calmly.

In fact, she knew clearly that her answer at this moment would determine Shangguan Ya's final position.

Shangguan Ya cooperated with her for her own power in the Shangguan family, and more importantly, she wanted to protect the Shangguan family. If she went too far and pushed the Shangguan family too hard, Shangguan Ya would probably think of another way.

And she really couldn't completely destroy the Shangguan family. She just wanted to control the Shangguan family, not destroy it.

But if she punished too lightly, it would be unfair to the Qin family and would easily make them feel disheartened. Moreover, the Shangguan family might even treat her as an easy target and bully her like they did Li Chuan.

Li Rong thought for a moment, took a sip of tea, and said slowly: "Then I wonder what kind of situation uncle thinks this military pay case belongs to?"

"The military pay case has shaken the foundation of the country," Shangguan Ya said calmly, "For a case like this, it is natural for His Highness to make the decision."

"What about the Qin case?"

Li Rong continued to ask, and Shangguan Ya was silent for a moment before slowly saying, "Your Highness, the Qin family is still alive."

The Qin family is still alive. This case was handled by Shangguan Xu. If we investigate further up, we might have to involve Shangguan Xu's cronies.

Shangguan Ya knelt down and continued, "In this case, my father did not intend to kill the Qin family at first, but just wanted to find a reason to warn the Qin family. However, in order to please my father, the people in the Ministry of War tore up the marching diary and reported it to Yu Shitai and the Ministry of Justice. Yu Shitai and the people in the Ministry of Justice did not know that the marching diary was torn up, and speculated that the Qin family was colluding with the enemy, so they fabricated evidence. My father was wrong in this matter, but it was definitely not what Your Highness thought, that he could kill an entire family for his own selfish reasons."

It's just that everyone pushes it a little bit, and in the end it becomes a big case.

The Ministry of War received a message and was going to investigate the Qin family's stains. The Qin family had no stains and could not handle the task, so they tore up the marching log and found a stain.

When Yu Shitai and the Ministry of Justice saw this stain, they concluded that there must be something wrong. If there was no evidence, they would fabricate evidence. In their eyes, there must be something wrong with this matter, but there was no evidence. They did not wrongly accuse the Qin family.

By the time the news reached Shangguan Xu, the situation had completely changed. Even though he knew there might be some mistakes, he guessed they would not be too big. The Qin family deserved to die, and it would be even better if someone could threaten Li Ming and Xiao Su with the death of the Qin family.

Li Rong listened to Shangguan Ya's words, paused for a moment, and nodded: "I understand what you want. But, after all, so many people died."

Li Rong raised her eyes and looked at Shangguan Ya: "If you insist on saying that it was dereliction of duty, I'm afraid it's not convincing. In the Qin case, blood must be shed."

Shangguan Ya pursed her lips, and Li Rong said calmly: "I know it's difficult for you. If you help me to touch my uncle's people, I'm afraid my uncle will have no one to use in the future. Give me the list."

Shangguan Ya was stunned for a moment, and Li Rong turned to look at her: "Who killed the witness?"

Shangguan Ya got Li Rong's words and reacted.

The Qin case cannot be investigated openly. If it is investigated further, it will lead to the Empress. Then, he will be shooting himself in the foot and it will affect Li Chuan's position as the Crown Prince.

But whether it was deceiving the superiors in order to please Shangguan Xu, framing the Qin family, or later killing people to cover up the crimes, these things cannot be let go.

It can only be dealt with privately as a warning.

Shangguan Ya saluted calmly and bowed, saying, "I will go get the list..."

Li Rong nodded, turned to look at the sky outside, and said calmly: "You can go back. I have to go to court too."

Shangguan Ya saluted in response. When she stood up, she glanced at the two people and raised her eyebrows: "By the way, Your Highness, is it very cold today?"

Li Rong was a little surprised: "Huh?"

Pei Wenxuan held her with one hand and held the teacup with the other, drinking tea calmly. Shangguan Ya smiled: "The Prince Consort has been holding you, and the relationship is good."

Hearing this, Li Rong's face suddenly became hot for no reason.

She hadn't had such an experience in many years and felt a little embarrassed for a moment. Pei Wenxuan smiled and said, "Miss Shangguan, you should go back and get some sleep, and then go to the casino to play a few rounds of mahjong. Otherwise, Master Su will lose a few pounds today and become exhausted because of her."

Shangguan Ya heard Pei Wenxuan quietly squeeze her and waved her hand, "I can't afford to offend you. I'm leaving."

After she finished speaking, she walked out of the room. After she left, Li Rong breathed a sigh of relief, stood up, and finally got a reason to pull her hand out of Pei Wenxuan's hand. She said unhappily, "You've got nothing to do but keep pulling me. If outsiders see this, how will we be laughed at?"

When Pei Wenxuan heard this, he lowered his head and chuckled, then stood up and walked out with Li Rong.

Li Rong saw him laughing at her and frowned: "What are you laughing at?"

It was still dark at this time, and the two of them were walking on the corridor, one in front of the other. Pei Wenxuan was only half a step away from her. His warmth mixed with the cold breeze of the early morning blew across her back, causing Li Rong to look at him.

The lantern painted with Chang'e holding the moon swayed gently in the wind, and the soft light illuminated the young man in black official uniform. Pei Wenxuan smiled with the light, and said slowly: "If I tell you why I am laughing, Your Highness will be annoyed with me."

"Tell me now." Li Rong tapped her palm with her fan and added, "If you don't, I'll be mad at you."

"Since Your Highness has said so, I can only tell the truth."

Pei Wenxuan sighed, as if helpless, and then he came forward casually, walked beside Li Rong, holding a tablet, put his lips close to Li Rong's ear, lowered his voice, and whispered: "I know what the rouge Your Highness used today is called."

His breath was like an invisible hand gently caressing her earlobe, and his hoarse and smiling voice penetrated into her heart. Without waiting for her to respond, he spoke out: "Chunxia."

Li Rong didn't say anything. She turned her head to look at Pei Wenxuan. This person was very close to her, like a peach blossom that crossed the corridor and slanted in front of her, with its branches drooping gracefully, posing as if waiting to be picked. She was beautiful and alluring.

Pei Wenxuan like this was very much like the gentle and elegant young man in her childhood memories, but compared to the ignorant Pei Wenxuan at the age of twenty, the current man was a little more calm and measured. He tentatively grasped the scale, approached cautiously, showed goodwill, and gave reminders.

It passed by silently, and hurried back to the border before anyone noticed.

If she was still 18 years old, she would be worried about Pei Wenxuan's actions, wondering if he liked her, and afraid that she would get the wrong idea. She was uneasy and anxious about his actions, but she had to restrain herself, fearing that her embarrassing emotions would be known to him.

But now she is already an old fox in her fifties. She has seen a lot of things between men and women. It was ok that she couldn't see clearly before because she was blinded by Pei Wenxuan. But now she has reacted and realized that he was deliberately teasing her.

She was already somewhat unwilling to be so passive, and now he was still trying to make her blush by smiling in a pretentious manner. She couldn't help but become even more angry, and also wanted Pei Wenxuan to test her mood.

So she smiled slightly and said, "Then I also know what kind of incense the prince consort used today."

Pei Wenxuan raised his eyebrows. Li Rong stood on tiptoe and whispered to his ear. She opened her small fan to block the sound. As if afraid of being overheard, she whispered, "Sandalwood?"

Pei Wenxuan was slightly stunned and was about to refute, but then he realized something. He stared at Li Rong blankly, and saw Li Rong pursing her lips and laughing softly, then turned around, fanning herself and twisting her waist, and walked away gracefully.

"When can I borrow the east wind to bring my lover to my pillow?" (Note 1)

"The embroidered bed leans against the girl, chewing the rotten red fur and spitting it at her lover with a smile." (Note 2)

…

These poems suddenly flashed through Pei Wenxuan's mind, and his face turned red instantly.

Li Rong walked a few steps and saw Pei Wenxuan didn't follow. She turned around and saw Pei Wenxuan standing in the corridor in a daze. She didn't know what he was thinking about. His face was red all the way to his ears. Li Rong laughed and stood at the edge of the corridor: "Pei Wenxuan, let's go."

Pei Wenxuan reacted like a pet, and followed Li Rong with a red face.

This time he didn't say anything, holding the tablet, and quietly followed Li Rong. Li Rong saw that his momentum had subsided and he put his hands behind his back, which made her much happier. She pursed her lips and was quite happy along the way. Pei Wenxuan's emotions slowly calmed down, and he looked up at the girl in front of him who was walking forward with her hands behind her back.

He couldn't help but smile.

This was the first time in her life that she responded to him so intimately.

Even though it was in such a roundabout and joking way, and she herself didn't even realize it, she still hinted at him in the end.

He is her lover.

The author has something to say: [Small Theater]

Li Rong: "Hahaha, are you talking nonsense? You can't beat me."

Pei Wenxuan: "Your Highness is right. If Your Highness says a few more words, you will have a better chance of winning."

Li Rong: “…”

I always feel like I lost somewhere else.

【Small Theater 2】

Shangguan Ya: I am just a civet, always at the forefront of eating melons.

【Note 1】From "Jin Ping Mei"

【Note 2】From "A Hectare of Pearls"