Chapter 34.2: Goddess of the Luo River

“Yearning yet unable to meet,

A promise in the season of peach blossoms,

To meet by the waterside pavilion,

Lest be like the Goddess of the Luo River.”

Li Rong looked up and saw Chang Le leading Li Ming and a group of people over while rushing towards her with fervor. Li Rong feigned surprise and approached Li Ming to pay her respects: “Father Emperor…”

“Jiejie, how could you do something like this?!”

Chang Le emotionally cried out: “You’re about to marry Pei daren. No matter how good Su daren is, you can’t just meet in private like this…”

“Mind your words!”

Li Rong coldly looked at Chang Le: “You are a stately and proper princess, and yet using words as if this was a marketplace, have you forgotten the rules and etiquette you learned a few days ago?!”

“Don’t you have any shame talking to me about rules and etiquette?” Chang Le turned her head and looked towards Li Ming, “Father Emperor, look at her…”

“Ping Le,” Li Ming frowned as he looked at Li Rong, “What are you and Su Rongqing doing here?”

“Father Emperor,” Li Rong replied as she saluted, “Su daren was entrusted to deliver a message to erchen, that’s all.”

“Deliver a message to you? Why not just find the people from your palace and pass it on?”

Li Ming was quite dissatisfied. Li Rong was about to speak when Su Rongqing knelt down and respectfully said: “Your Majesty, this humble official is to blame. This is only because this humble official gives lectures in the waterside pavilion in the afternoon and often comes here in advance, so this humble official learned that the princess meets in the waterside pavilion to play with the other princesses in the morning. Therefore, this humble official was a bit lazy and decided to just hand the letter to the princess. The other princesses are usually here though…”

“Su daren really doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Chang Le interrupted him, “Yesterday, Consort Rou niangniang suspended classes for everyone to let jiejie fully prepare for her wedding. How could there still be any classes today?”

“Well, would he know?” Li Rong looked straight at Chang Le and mockingly asked: “It’s not as if Consort Rou niangniang had gone and given Su daren prior notice that I wouldn’t be coming today, right?”

Chang Le choked up but immediately reacted: “So what are you doing here?”

“What? Am I not allowed to come to the Imperial Garden? I will miss the everyday moments shared between us sisters, but now that I am about to be married, my heart is heavy and full of sorrow, so I decided to come here and walk around. I happened to come across Su daren in a public place with many people around with a maid as well and only exchanged a few words, and yet that is also considered a crime?”

Li Rong spoke in an open and unwavering manner. Chang Le’s face alternated between shades of white and red and then again. Chang Le really couldn’t understand it. She and Li Rong were like fire and water, how could she say such nauseating words out loud?

Li Rong looked at Chang Le with a face full of smiles, then she scanned the surrounding area: “But I just don’t understand… I ran into Su daren just now. How did everyone all come here as if they were going to arrest someone? And why did Father Emperor come too?”

When Li Ming heard this, he looked over at Chang Le. Chang Le quickly reacted and anxiously said: “I saw one of your people handing a note to Su Rongqing, inviting him to privately see you! I don’t believe you, search him!”

“Search him?” Li Rong smiled, “Su daren is the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, a minister of the imperial court, and yet you actually want to publically search him over this kind of thing?!”

With this kind of reminder from Li Rong, Li Ming’s expressions changed. He spoke up and said: “Chang Le, don’t be rude.”

“But…”

Chang Le was anxious to say something, but Su Rongqing had knelt down off to the side before she could and said: “Your Majesty, Pei daren entrusted this humble official to deliver a letter to Her Highness. Pei daren is not permitted to enter the inner palace, so he had to send it through this humble official. This humble official was momentarily negligent and caused such a misunderstanding. The princess’s reputation is of utmost importance, so this humble official will Your Highness and also agree to be searched in public to prove her innocence.”

With that said, Su Rongqing looked over at Li Rong: “Your Highness, please bring out Pei daren’s letter.”

Li Rong sighed, leaning forward as she said, “Su daren has been implicated.”

“The deceitful are behind such evil deeds,” Su Rongqing said in an upright and polite manner. He had a magnanimous expression as he said, “The princess is not to blame.”

Hearing this, Chang Le looked to Li Ming and anxiously urged: “Father Emperor, see he’s even willing to be searched!”

Li Ming glanced at Chang Le with an expression that one would have when gazing upon a fool and finally said: “Dear official Su is willing to prove his innocence, so go ahead, Fu Lai.”

With that said, Fu Lai came forward and searched Su Rongqing in front of everybody, and Li Rong handed Pei Wenxuan’s letter over.

Everyone had their eyes on this letter. Even Chang Le was in utter disbelief. The most taboo thing about this matter was likely for it to be passed onto Pei Wenxuan’s ears. Even if the princess is an esteemed, noble daughter, it was still a private meeting with an unknown man before marriage. Even if others believed that it was a chance encounter, there was a chance that a knot would form in Pei Wenxuan’s heart too, but if this letter was indeed from Pei Wenxuan, then not one person under these skies would believe that Su Rongqing and Li Rong were secretly seeing one another.

After all, there is not a single man in this world who could tolerate it to such an extent.

Li Ming dubiously accepted the letter and glanced at it. Before he could finish reading, he saw an eunuch rush over and inform Li Rong in a low voice: “Your Highness, Pei daren is waiting to see you in the outer palace.”

Pei Wenxuan had been promoted to a supervisory imperial censor because of the Yang family’s case. Although this wasn’t a particularly high-ranking position, it was in fact an official post with real authority. Li Ming also bestowed him a goldfish etched token, granting him rights to come and go in certain situations, so he was now considered a favorite of the Holy One.

Li Rong’s expression slightly changed when she heard Pei Wenxuan’s name. Chang Le was a little surprised, but soon after, she heard Li Ming say: “Bring him in here.”

Not long after, Pei Wenxuan followed the eunuch in. As he walked towards the waterside pavilion, he saw Su Rongqing and Li Rong from a distance, one kneeling and the other standing. The two of them were calm and composed, and when they stood in the same place, they seemed to be a part of a painting and did not fit in with their surroundings.

Pei Wenxuan’s pace slightly slowed down. In an instant, he felt as if time had turned back, and a rather familiar scene from many years ago came rushing back to him.

At this moment, Li Ming turned around to see that Pei Wenxuan had arrived and called out: “Dear official Pei.”

Pei Wenxuan immediately reacted and quickly came forward to salute Li Ming, Li Rong and the others before straightening up.

At the same time, Su Rongqing had also been fully searched. Fu Lai turned around and said to Li Ming: “Your Majesty, nothing was found.”

“Impossible,” Chang Le was nervous, “I obviously…”

“Dear official Pei,” Li Ming lifted his gaze to meet Pei Wenxuan’s eyes, “Why have you come?”

“Responding to Your Majesty,” Pei Wenxuan respectfully said, “I had something I wish to discuss with Her Highness today, so I asked Su daren to help deliver a letter to the princess for me, letting the princess know to meet in front of Xuanwen Pavilion to talk. This humble official waited there for a while but did not see Her Highness come, so this humble official suspected something might have happened to Her Highness and hence rushed over.”

Li Ming raised his head and looked over at the place that Pei Wenxuan proposed as the agreed meeting place in his letter. He thought about it for a moment, then he turned to look at Chang Le: “Chang Le, when and where exactly did you see someone from Ping Le’s side bring a letter to Vice Minister Su? Did you recognize the person who brought the letter over?”

“I…” Chang Le stammered for a moment. Li Rong began to gently say, “Yes, little sister. Why don’t you go ahead and tell us? After taking our time looking into it, won’t we find out who is so foolish as to instigate and frame my little sister?”

Chang Le froze.

The more lies you tell, the harder it is to cover up for those lies. Chang Le was faced with a stalemate for a long time, but in an instant, she said: “But even if it wasn’t Su gongzi and had been Pei gongzi instead, you shouldn’t be exchanging things in private either…”

“What nonsense are you saying now!”

Li Ming couldn’t listen to it anymore. Besides, secretly meeting with Su Rongqing and secretly meeting with Pei Wenxuan were two entirely different things in itself.

Although it was somewhat improper to meet after being engaged, it was not considered taboo. Xuanwen Pavilion was not a private place to meet either, so the place that Pei Wenxuan had chosen to meet was not considered improper.

Moreover, Su Rongqing was not the person that Li Ming wanted to protect. Pei Wenxuan was different though, and Li Ming would not be happy if Pei Wenxuan’s promotion was affected by this sort of thing.

In addition to that, Li Ming had already picked up on the fact that Chang Le probably planned this incident in order to frame Li Rong. No one would look good after an in-depth investigation, so he did not further complicate the mess and promptly made a decision: “You are a princess, yet you listened to some lowlife slander and made such an accusation about your eldest sister, just to act willfully and make a scene. It’s just that you are still young, but what about the people around you? Send the servants at her side to the Bureau of Garments[1] and have Consort Mei come over,” Li Ming turned to look at Fu Lai. “Take Chang Le back and forbid her from going out for a full month, so that Consort Mei can properly teach her about rules and etiquette!”

[1] Bureau of Garment — also known as Bureau of Apparel (origin: Ming dynasty); responsible for laundry and where servants are often sent to as punishment.

“No, Father Emperor…” Chang Le anxiously began to say. Li Ming coldly glanced over, and Chang Le could sense Li Ming’s anger and no longer dared to say anything. She stepped back and quietly said, “Yes…”

Li Ming irritably waved a hand and had people take Chang Le away.

After Chang Le left, Li Ming looked at the three young people in front of him. He lifted his hand and poked Pei Wenxuan’s head, having some resentment towards iron for not becoming steel: “You’re about to get married any day now. Why are you in such a rush?”

Pei Wenxuan quickly knelt down and said: “Please calm down, Your Majesty. This humble official also had some details on the Yang clan’s long standing case, some of which are unclear and need to be confirmed with the princess…”

“Details?” Li Ming looked at Li Rong, then at Pei Wenxuan before finally saying: “Zhen trusts you. Zhen isn’t a conservative old fogey either. Your marriage has been decided, so it’s not as if it’s forbidden to meet one another. You are meeting in an open manner, why would Zhen be against it?”

These words from Li Ming gave Pei Wenxuan a way out of this situation. Pei Wenxuan hurriedly said: “It was this humble official who was short-sighted. Your Majesty is a magnanimous ruler with a father-like compassion for the subjects. It was this humble official who failed to live up to the Holy One’s wishes. May Your Majesty punish this one.”

Pei Wenxuan’s round of flattery soothed Li Ming’s mind, and Li Rong got goosebumps all over. Li Ming waved his hand and gave instructions to people, saying: “Very well. Rongqing and Zhen will leave first. Dear official Su has suffered because of this matter, so you two must properly thank him.”

“That is naturally the case,” Pei Wenxuan saluted Su Rongqing, “Many thanks this time, Brother Su.”

Su Rongqing calmly returned his salute. Li Ming cast a glance at Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan, who were both still standing there. He hesitated for a moment before saying: “Forget it. Both of you just say what you want, and bring more people to keep others from gossiping.”

“Yes. Respectfully sending Your Majesty/Father Emperor off.” Pei Wenxuan and Li Rong saluted in unison. Li Ming waved his hand and left with Su Rongqing.

After everyone else left, Pei Wenxuan turned and looked at Li Rong. He hesitated for a moment, then he finally said: “Shall we just walk around or sit in the waterside pavilion?”

“Sit in the waterside pavilion. I’m also tired from being troubled like this.” Li Rong looked tired. Pei Wenxuan nodded and maintained half a meter’s distance between them as he lifted his hand and said: “Your Highness, this way please.”

Li Rong followed him back to the waterside pavilion. It was almost noon now, and the cool breeze passing through the waterside pavilion was gentle. It was unclear if it was the breeze or the company that made Li Rong feel much more at ease. Pei Wenxuan had someone prepare a tea set and began to brew tea for her as he sat down opposite of Li Rong.

Pei Wenxuan did not wear his official robes today, just blue silk robes with white plum blossom embroidery. Half of his hair had been put up in a topknot with a wooden hairpin through a coronet while the rest of his hair was left down. He was born with an upright and dignified appearance, so the way he came and sat down behind the tea table was all according to etiquette. His eyes were downcast, fixated on his hands as he prepared tea. He had a calm and composed expression and a posture of such elegance and grace. Combined with the aroma of tea and the faintly rising tendrils of steam, there was a sort of ethereal beauty like that of a vague dream.

Li Rong propped her head up and stared at Pei Wenxuan. After having rested for a bit, she said, “Pei daren appears to be quite favored these days. My Father Emperor is even willing to break the rules for you. I must say I am a little jealous.”

“Xiao Ping has smoothly assumed the position of the General of the Northwest Garrison, and he was just victorious in battle.” Pei Wenxuan gave Li Rong some tea, his tone of voice flat: “You act as if you are pleased with me and follow my every word, and it may look as if I follow the Crown Prince on the surface when in reality, I stand with His Majesty. He is giving me some face while remaining indifferent to the Crown Prince and sharpening his blade, which would be me,” Pei Wenxuan blew on the hot tea, “If you like it so much, why not do it yourself?”

“The most important part of it is Pei daren’s art of flattery. Having lived for over half a lifetime, it has reached greater heights indeed. It’s no wonder Chuan’er got closer to you later on.”

Pei Wenxuan paused for a moment upon hearing these words. After a moment, he calmly said: “His Majesty is not actually close with me because I say nice things but because I understand His Majesty. Moreover, His Majesty isn’t aware of the relationship between you and me, so he is only treating me a bit better for your sake, that’s all.”

Li Rong heard Pei Wenxuan’s serious response and suddenly became a little irritated. She dismissively waved her hand: “Forget it, forget it. Don’t speak so seriously. What’s with you today?” Li Rong leaned over and carefully eyed him before she said: “Looking like a sullen child.”

Pei Wenxuan’s movements stiffened. After a few moments, he raised his head and smiled: “Perhaps I’m just a little tired, having to deal with His Majesty during the day these days and having to go find old subordinates at night, recruit them one by one, and I’m also busy with your marriage.”

“Isn’t the Ministry of Rites in charge of the wedding? What would you be busy with?”

“Of course I am busy,” Pei Wenxuan gently said, “The Palace will send people to teach some palace rules and give some instructions on how to take care of you. The Imperial Physician has also come several times, and while it won’t take much time to learn, it is also another matter itself.”

Hearing this, Li Rong covered the lower half of her face with her fan and softly laughed: “It’s not easy to be a Prince Consort, is it?”

Seeing Li Rong laughing in such a lively manner, Pei Wenxuan’s expression softened: “Fortunately, I have experience. Speaking of today’s affairs,” Pei Wenxuan lowered his head, “Was Chang Le causing trouble for you again?”

“These little underhanded tricks aren’t worth mentioning, though they seem to have been picked up from Consort Rou. I originally didn’t want to bother with it. I figured I would just think of it as a way to sort out the people around me and teach Chang Le a lesson along the way.”

“Why did Su Rongqing come?”

Pei Wenxuan took a sip of tea. Li Rong also found it a bit odd: “You’re right, I was also surprised. Chang Le said that she saw one of my people giving him a letter, so someone must have been pretending to give him the letter under my order. He’s such a clever and prudent individual, so why couldn’t he see that it was a trap? Why was he rushing to see me?”

“And the letter?”

“Here.” Li Rong opened her fan, a bit proud as she said, “Didn’t expect that, right?”

“Look inside.”

Pei Wenxuan lifted his chin. Li Rong moved the sliding mechanism on the fan and pulled out a flattened slip of paper.

Once it was taken out, it was clear that it was indeed Li Rong’s handwriting and written on there was a neat and straightforward verse:

Yearning yet unable to meet, a promise in the season of peach blossoms.

The other verse that followed was forged handwriting and slightly scribbled on:

To meet by the waterside pavilion, lest be like the Goddess of the Luo River.

The author has something to say:

【Mini Theater 1】

Li Rong: “Explain why you’ve been spending so much money recently.”

Pei Wenxuan: “I saw you and Su Rongqing together at the waterside pavilion, so I’m in somewhat of a bad mood!”

Li Rong: “So then you maxed out my card?!”

Pei Wenxuan: “That’s right!!”

【Mini Theater 2】

Pei Wenxuan: “You have to take responsibility for me.”

Li Rong (surprised): “For what?!”

Pei Wenxuan: “You were the one who teased me.”

Li Rong: “I…I haven’t even started teasing yet, but you’ve already reached the stage of being fully teased? Aren’t you getting ahead of yourself here?”

Pei Wenxuan: “…”

Incoherently muttered to himself for a moment.

Pei Wenxuan: “No, Your Highness. You can take your time. I can hold out until the day you start teasing me and go through the stage of being fully teased.”

Li Rong: “I don’t think you can hold out…”

Pei Wenxuan: “Have some confidence in me, I’m your best friend.”

Su Rongqing: “Hello, jiejie.”[2]

Pei Wenxuan: “Scram!”