After the founding ceremony, the Inspection Department officially began to operate.

That winter was the most turbulent winter in the court of Daxia. Li Rong started with the Qin case and then the military pay case. He investigated nearly seventy officials in succession.

When Li Rong was involved in two cases, the distribution of military power in the northwest finally came to a conclusion. As compensation to the Qin family, Qin Feng was promoted to General Zhongwu and Qin Lin to Deputy General. Concubine Rou's brother Xiao Su became the Grand Marshal of the Northwest, guarding Chenzhou and commanding all the armies in the northwest.

Things were moving fast and everyone was busy. Li Rong was busy investigating the case, arresting people, and organizing evidence.

Pei Wenxuan was busy cooperating in submitting memorials, arguing with those who opposed Li Rong, and trying to smooth over private relationships.

There were numerous memorials insulting Li Rong in the court, and Pei Wenxuan responded with ten of them at once. He would accuse anyone who impeached Li Rong, and he would insult anyone who insulted Li Rong. By the end of the year, he alone had received more memorials than all the people in the entire Imperial Secretariat combined.

After debating with many people in the court, Pei Wenxuan didn't even want to say a word when he came back. Sometimes, after finally taking a rest, he would wait for Li Rong. After Li Rong came back and took a shower, she would fall asleep on the bed. He would say a few more words and then fall asleep.

Without time to spend together, nothing can be done. Fortunately, Pei Wenxuan is not in a hurry. The busy life will always end. And if there is no time to do big things, then start with small things.

So Pei Wenxuan got up early every day to dress her, and in the afternoon he asked someone to bring her some snacks and sweet soup, as well as a letter of affectionate poetry. He paid careful attention to every detail of her life, trying to permeate her life silently.

By the time before the Spring Festival, the matter was finally dealt with. The officials in the court were tired, knowing that no matter how much they reported Li Rong, Li Rong had not committed any major mistakes. She was determined to investigate the case, the emperor was determined to protect her, the Shangguan family pretended to be dead and kept silent, and the prince could not persuade Li Rong. Unless they raised an army and directly overthrew the court, they could not stop Li Rong from arresting people.

In addition, the New Year was approaching, and the court officials had lost their patience and were unwilling to quarrel anymore, so Pei Wenxuan finally had some free time. After the morning court session, he calculated that Li Rong should be free today, so he came back from the office and waited in the house.

He had someone prepare Li Rong's favorite meals in advance, mixed some soothing incense himself, and dressed herself up nicely.

It was already the coldest time of winter, but he still wore a white shirt with a deep blue satin cloak with white plum blossoms on the outside.

When he chose this suit, Tong Ye was startled and couldn't help but remind him: "Sir, it's very cold today."

Pei Wenxuan adjusted his collar. After a moment, he pointed to the cabinet and said, "Bring me a thicker coat."

Pei Wenxuan had the charcoal fire in the house burn brighter, and he wrapped himself in a long coat and read a book in the house. When it was time for dinner, he finally heard the sound of Li Rong returning home from outside. He took off his long coat, stuffed it into Tong Ye's pocket and said, "Hide it quickly."

Tong Ye looked confused. He saw Pei Wenxuan adjusting his clothes in front of the mirror, then he quickly stood up and went to greet him.

Pei Wenxuan hurried to the door. As soon as he reached the front yard, he heard Li Rong talking to someone from a distance: "Things like robbing and killing people cannot be vague. This is a serious crime. His father can't do it. You take some chronic poison from the palace and have someone feed it to him. Treat him as if he is seriously ill. After that, you go find his father and persuade him that his son is dead anyway, so don't cause trouble. Someone from the Shangguan family will go privately to apologize to the family and compensate the money. In this way, when they investigate in the future, they can say that he committed suicide because he felt guilty, and it won't be traced back."

As Li Rong was speaking, Pei Wenxuan saw her and Shangguan Ya walk in together.

The winter was getting colder, but Li Rong did not wear a thick jacket like others. Her clothes were just a little thicker, and she put on a white fox fur coat on the outside. She looked furry and cute.

Pei Wenxuan was waiting for her in the corridor with a smile. Li Rong was still talking seriously to Shangguan Ya. The two girls acted as if they didn't see her at all. Shangguan Ya whispered, "I understand. I will clean up the Shangguan family before His Majesty officially takes action against the Crown Prince."

"Do they listen to you?" Li Rong frowned. Shangguan Ya smiled. "I investigate cases and promote some bastards who were not valued in the past to help. Your Highness helps recommend people. They know that those who obey me will get benefits, and those who don't will be troubled by me. So far, they are quite cooperative. After all, the most they can do is resign. It's okay if no one's life is lost."

"Then you better be careful with your hands and feet." Li Rong instructed, and Shangguan Ya nodded.

The two men walked past Pei Wenxuan while talking, and Pei Wenxuan followed them quietly. The two men didn't notice that there was an extra person following them, and just continued to discuss business.

"Have those people from the noble families come to look for your father?"

"They did," Shangguan Ya laughed, "How could they not? They wanted to find someone to persuade you. I heard that the Queen Mother in the palace had already gone to tell her. I went to the Queen Mother and the Empress to say hello in advance. Now the Queen Mother has disappeared behind closed doors. Don't worry."

"That's good."

Li Rong was talking to Shangguan Ya, and she hesitated for a moment: "Then they only have one way to go."

Shangguan Ya nodded. She understood what Li Rong meant and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, please take care of yourself."

"Yeah." Li Rong thought for a moment, "You too."

As they talked, Shangguan Ya sat down and told them many details. When Shangguan Ya and Li Rong finished their discussion, it was already night. Shangguan Ya said goodbye and stood up. She realized Pei Wenxuan was standing here. She was stunned for a moment, then smiled at Pei Wenxuan and said, "I'm sorry for the trouble. Please don't be offended, Prince Consort."

Pei Wenxuan smiled and raised his hand: "Miss Shangguan, take care."

Shangguan Ya hurried out the door. Li Rong breathed a sigh of relief, drank a sip of tea, raised her head wearily, and said slowly, "I heard that you were planning to be promoted to the Ministry of Personnel?"

"Your Majesty intends to hold a special examination this year."

Pei Wenxuan walked behind Li Rong, raised his hand and placed it on Li Rong's forehead, and said calmly: "Now that you have appointed so many people, the court does not have enough people. His Majesty plans to hold the imperial examination in advance to select a group of people. I am now transferred to the Ministry of Personnel, and I can just have a group of students."

Daxia's method of selecting talents is, first, relying on family background, and secondly, imperial examinations. Most discerning people know that the imperial examinations were originally a means for the emperor to suppress aristocratic families, but nowadays, most of the people who have passed the imperial examinations are children of aristocratic families. Even if there are occasional people from humble families who pass the examinations, they are placed in irrelevant positions.

For example, last year's top scholar Cui Yulang was placed in the Ministry of Rites as a fifth-rank official. It sounds good, but it has nothing to do with the cause and he has no real power.

So, as for the imperial examination, if you say it is important, the powerful ministers in the court do not care much about it and are too lazy to compete for the position of examiner; if you say it is not important, after all, it is a time to select people and make money, so there will be some people who want to take a bite.

Pei Wenxuan and Li Rong both knew that the most important thing for becoming an imperial examination examiner was never to make a fortune from the children of poor families, but that those officials who passed through his hands and eventually entered the officialdom would naturally have a bond with this examiner. If this examiner was capable of managing things, these people would even regard the examiner as a "teachers" in the court, and fellow students would promote and care for each other.

This was one of the sources of Pei Wenxuan's large number of supporters back then. Li Rong was not surprised at all that Pei Wenxuan was going to manage Ke Ju.

Especially when she cuts out a lot of space.

"It's probably not easy for you to go directly through Zushitai." Li Rong thought for a moment, "There are many people who are bothering you now."

"Thanks to Your Highness," Pei Wenxuan smiled. He gently pressed Li Rong's temples and whispered, "But it doesn't matter. I'm already working on it."

Li Rong responded, Pei Wenxuan rubbed her acupuncture points, she smelled the incense on Pei Wenxuan's sleeves, which made her feel so peaceful. She didn't know why, but she didn't want to think about the affairs of the court. She didn't say anything, Pei Wenxuan looked at her expression and whispered: "Your Highness, let's have dinner together?"

Li Rong nodded, Pei Wenxuan helped her up, and then his hand slid down and held her gently.

The cold winter made the warmth of his hands feel nostalgic. Li Rong was too tired to think. Pei Wenxuan felt a little uneasy when he saw that she didn't say anything or resist. He glanced at her, carefully observing her expression, and coughed softly, "Your Highness, are you going to eat in the bedroom or in the dining room?"

"You decide."

Li Rong came back to her senses after hearing what he said, and spoke softly. Pei Wenxuan immediately said, "Let's go to the bedroom."

Li Rong couldn't help but feel a little suspicious when she saw him reply so quickly. Only then did she look at him carefully and realized that in this cold winter, Pei Wenxuan was still wearing such thin clothes, a jade crown and a gorgeous gown, as if it was still the height of spring.

But I have to say that Pei Wenxuan is very handsome. The way he pulled her forward made him look like a romantic young man taking his lover for an outing. There was a hint of silent youthfulness in his tender pulse. If she were a little girl, she would probably look up for the rest of her life.

Li Rong's eyes fell on his face and she let him lead her into the house. When the door was opened, Li Rong saw the small table decorated with flowers, her new favorite Hanmei, and the specially prepared incense. She knew what was going on.

She didn't show it on her face, but just glanced at the serious Pei Wenxuan with her peripheral vision, pretending that she didn't notice anything, and went into the house, saying slowly: "It seems to be a little colder today than usual."

Pei Wenxuan responded, raised his hand to close the door, and walked into the house and said, "Indeed, I asked someone to add charcoal to the fire. Your Highness, do you still feel cold?"

"I'm not cold," Li Rong looked up at him, half-smiled, "but I see you're wearing so little, aren't you cold?"

"I'm in good health and don't spend much time outdoors," Pei Wenxuan said as he walked into the house and sat opposite Li Rong. "This is enough for me."

Li Rong nodded, but she was already laughing to her heart's content.

Pei Wenxuan was a civil official, and she knew his abilities, but he wanted to show off, so she didn't say anything and just said, "Let's eat."

Having said that, Li Rong raised her hand and put down her chopsticks.

It was obvious that much thought had been put into the preparation of this meal, but she had not noticed it in the past. Today, Li Rong took it to heart and took a closer look, only to discover that not only were all the dishes she liked to eat, but they were also a proper mix of meat and vegetables to suit her habits. There was no cilantro, the meat slices were thin, and there were more chopped green onions.

Li Rong looked at it, not knowing whether to be surprised or relieved.

During the years Pei Wenxuan lived with her, he got to know her habits thoroughly.

Knowing her so well, it would not be difficult to poison her. Fortunately, he did not have the intention to do so, otherwise she would have died long ago.

Li Rong couldn't help but feel a little scared when she thought about this, and she looked up at Pei Wenxuan.

The look was too complicated, and Pei Wenxuan felt a little uneasy. He couldn't help but ask, "Why are you looking at me, Your Highness?"

"I want to persuade you to eat more."

As Li Rong was talking, she casually asked Pei Wenxuan some serious questions. Pei Wenxuan answered them one by one. While answering, he did not forget to ask Li Rong some trivial questions: "Your Highness, did you receive the preserved fruit yesterday?"

"received."

“How does it taste?”

"I didn't get to eat it. My subordinates shared it all."

Pei Wenxuan was stunned by this answer, and for a moment he felt that the braised pork in his mouth no longer had any flavor.

So he couldn't help asking again: "Your Highness, have you received the poem I wrote?"

"received."

Li Rong thought of the sour poems he wrote every day, and felt a little sad. Pei Wenxuan saw her response and asked with some anticipation: "What do you think, Your Highness?"

Li Rong looked up at him and saw that Pei Wenxuan seemed to be planning to write poems for her every day from now on. She quickly said, "Write less of these things."

Li Rong advised him earnestly in the tone of an elder: "You have great talent for governing the world, but you are always obsessed with these elegant ways. I am afraid that it will affect your mind. If others see you, they will think you are a poet. They will inevitably think that you only know how to compose poetry and don't know politics. How many politicians who do their job well write these romantic poems?"

Pei Wenxuan was upset by Li Rong's scolding. He couldn't help but said, "I only wrote it for His Highness to read."

"I understand," Li Rong nodded, pretending not to understand what he meant, and said, "You don't dare to write to others. I know you know your limits."

Pei Wenxuan was speechless. Li Rong finished her meal, put down her chopsticks, and said calmly, "I'll go read a few more memorials to help digestion. You go ahead and do your work."

Having said that, Li Rong stood up and walked out. Pei Wenxuan sat alone at the dining table, feeling a little annoyed.

A meal like this really has no fun at all.

Li Rong took two steps and turned around to see Pei Wenxuan still sitting there. He looked a little disappointed, which made Li Rong feel a little pity for him. She couldn't help but laugh and reminded him, "You should wear more clothes."

Pei Wenxuan didn't say anything. Li Rong watched him stand up, walk to the side skillfully, open the cabinet, take out a thick coat, put it on skillfully, and said expressionlessly, "Don't worry, Your Highness. I won't be cold."

Having said that, Pei Wenxuan returned to the dining table wearing his long jacket, picked up his chopsticks and started eating.

Seeing how skillfully he put on his jacket, Li Rong was almost certain that he would not be left out in the cold.

Li Rong went back to look at a few memorials. After half an hour, she felt tired, went to the bathroom to take a shower, and walked back leisurely.

When they got into the house, Pei Wenxuan had already fallen asleep. He had been tired recently and had not slept well, so Li Rong was not surprised.

Li Rong didn't turn on the light, she groped her way into the house and fell asleep quietly.

Not long after she fell asleep, she felt the person next to her turned over. Li Rong ignored him and continued to sleep with her eyes closed.

After a while, the man turned over again, seeming a little unhappy.

Li Rong pretended to be sleeping soundly and didn't intend to pay attention to him.

No one knew what he was thinking about and was angry about. She had offended him a lot, so he should just think about it more.

Pei Wenxuan tossed and turned, seeming a little angry. After waiting for a long time, Li Rong was in a daze when she felt the person next to her suddenly stand up and approach her.

He came at her with great force, and before Li Rong could react, the man stopped.

Pei Wenxuan was hanging above her. Li Rong held her breath, not knowing whether she should open her eyes to defend something, or keep her eyes closed to avoid embarrassment.

The two of them were in a stalemate for a moment, Pei Wenxuan frowned, and after a long time, Li Rong felt this person lower his head and kiss her forehead lightly and tenderly.

He seemed to be afraid that she would wake up, so he kissed her very carefully.

People are very strange. If Pei Wenxuan kissed her on the lips, or even put his tongue in to have some desire, she wouldn't feel anything. She wouldn't be afraid of a head-on confrontation.

But he kissed her forehead so restrained and carefully, then chuckled and left with satisfaction. She felt that the man was not kissing her forehead, but kissing her heart.

It's like a wave of autumn water blown by the wind, with ripples forming layer by layer.

Li Rong didn't know why, but her face turned red in the night. She couldn't help but turned over and faced away from Pei Wenxuan.

Pei Wenxuan saw her turn over. He lay on his side on the bed, supporting his head with his hands. His eyes fell on her back. He lowered his head and chuckled.

The author has something to say: [Small Theater]

Li Rong: "Are you cold?"

Pei Wenxuan: "I'm in good health, I'm not cold."

Li Rong: "I just like you young people. You can say anything just to show off."