Chapter 5: Keep Someone

“Who will she talk to first, and who will she keep?”

【Author: Option 1 was chosen the most, Option 1: respond to Su Rongqing, chat with Su Rongqing】

The same person and similar words, yet spoken at different times will have a different feeling to them. When Su Rongqing said these words back then, it was always respectful, cautious and harbored vague intentions that she could never put her finger on. However, now that Su Rongqing said this in a frank, magnanimous and gentlemanly manner, he was only greeting her according to etiquette and had no other intentions.

This was the best point in time for Su Rongqing. The Su family was still at the height of power and prestige. Su Rongqing was a legitimate son of the Su family and also particularly favored. Even when facing a princess, he had the confidence to be neither humble nor overbearing.

Seeing Su Rongqing like this, Li Rong couldn’t help but laugh. She had never spoken to Su Rongqing at this point in time, so she couldn’t resist praising: “It is said that Su daren is the most outstanding gongzi of Huajing. Now that I have seen for myself, it is indeed a well-deserved reputation.”

“It is only a result of everyone’s praise,” Su Rongqing lowered his head and chuckled, seemingly embarrassed, “It is just a matter of joking around.”

“Just joking around?” Li Rong couldn’t help but lower her voice. “When I saw gongzi, I felt that gongzi was extraordinary. If gongzi does not dare to be the most outstanding, then I’m afraid no one in Huajing would dare claim to be the most outstanding.”

“This humble official, Pei Wenxuan,” After Li Rong had spoken, a clear voice interrupted and calmly said, “Greets Your Imperial Highness.”

Hearing Pei Wenxuan’s voice, Li Rong turned her head.

Pei Wenxuan quietly looked at her, but his heartbeat was unexpectedly fast.

He had not seen the eighteen year old Li Rong in many years.

He didn’t know when the Li Rong in his memory began to wear heavy makeup and looked older than her age. She always smelled of wine, and every time he saw her, she was either listening to songs or watching dance performances. She seemed to be a body without bones, sticking to Su Rongqing all day.

He didn’t like Li Rong like this, but that Li Rong had already become the Li Rong in his memories. That was, until he suddenly saw the eighteen year old Li Rong, dressed in red palace brocade robes with golden phoenix embroidery and a golden hairpin in her hair, swaying with her every step. Her bright facial features were only touched with a hint of pink on her lips. She carried herself with a charming and graceful posture and an innocent smile. When her eyes shifted over to him, her eyes appeared to have been drawn with meticulous brush strokes, capable of capturing people’s hearts.

Of course, his heart won’t be captured, but this did not keep him from appreciating Li Rong’s beauty.

He was only taken aback for a moment. When he reacted, Li Rong had already started talking to Su Rongqing.

Li Rong praised Su Rongqing without a single pause, and Pei Wenxuan instantly realized that something was wrong.

There was no such spring banquet back then. Li Rong seemed to have never met Su Rongqing back then either. Now that she met Su Rongqing, would she want to marry him?

If it was the clever, calculating Li Rong of the future, then he still had some certainty, but with eighteen year old Li Rong, whether she would be willing to use her marriage for a purpose or not was completely beyond him.

What if she was a little dumb and fell in love with Su Rongqing at first sight and refused to marry anyone but him?

Then Li Rong was as good as dead.

Pei Wenxuan quickly examined the current situation and finally decided to take the initiative to draw Li Rong’s attention.

He remembered that if there was one thing about his wife from when she was young to the day she died, it was that she was particularly fond of beautiful people. It just so happened that his greatest advantage is his handsome face.

If he hadn’t taken the initiative to tell her that he had Qin Zhenzhen in his heart, Su Rongqing might not have had a chance.

So he plucked up great courage and abruptly asserted “Greeting Your Imperial Highness” in between Li Rong and Su Rongqing’s conversation.

He thought that Li Rong would at least say a few words to him when she saw his face. Who would have expected that after he had spoken up, Li Rong went silent for a moment and then just said: “Oh, don’t be courteous.”

Then she turned her head and looked at Su Rongqing with a bright smile. Her voice suddenly softened a bit: “Su gongzi, please come in.”

Su Rongqing noticed that the atmosphere was a bit strange, but he pretended not to know and calmly followed Li Rong and gently said, “Princess, please.”

After saying that, the two of them walked side by side into the courtyard. Pei Wenxuan lifted his head and looked at the backs of the two people, side by side. He pressed his lips together and said nothing.

Seeing his young master’s expression, Tong Ye couldn’t help but feel a little worried: “Young Master?”

Pei Wenxuan took a deep breath, then said, “It’s nothing.”

Having said that, he joined everyone else and went in.

Li Rong and Su Rongqing walked at a leisurely pace. Su Rongqing was a considerate person. Seeing that Li Rong was walking slowly, he also deliberately reduced his pace, always staying a step behind Li Rong.

In the past, Li Rong would have taken this person’s hand by now and chatted coquettishly. However, Li Rong kept his current identity in mind and only chatted with Su Rongqing about some interesting things.

Su Rongqing came from a prominent family, and there was not one of the four arts he did not excel in be it zither, Go, calligraphy or painting.1 No matter what Li Rong talked about, Su Rongqing could add to the conversation immediately, so their conversation went smoothly. Li Rong couldn’t help feeling happy. This was the first time she was able to relax like this after being reborn.

For a moment, she felt as if she was still in the Princess’s mansion back then with Su Rongqing behind her. Those beautiful years had passed, but this person was always with her.

Actually, she didn’t know how to define her relationship with Su Rongqing.

Su Rongqing never told her he liked her, and she just vaguely said to him on one rainy night: “Rongqing, if you’re not happy, I can reconcile with Pei Wenxuan.”2

[1] Four Arts — playing the zither, strategy game of Go, calligraphy, and painting have aristocratic connotations of a well-educated person

[2] Reconcile — restore friendly relations, euphemism for divorce

Su Rongqing did not speak. After a while, he took a step back and knelt in front of her and only said in a low voice: “The Princess is like a golden branch with jade leaves, Rongqing does not dare to climb high. Rongqing only wishes to serve for a whole lifetime, live together and die, and hope to be buried beside the Princess in death and accompany the Princess until bones turn to dust. It is this humble official’s greatest fortune. As for other things, this humble official does not dare to think about them.”

“Also, Left Prime Minister Pei is a powerful arm for the Princess. On the basis of reputation, reason and self-interests, Your Highness should not do so. Please reconsider, Princess.”

For Li Rong, this was a cleverly worded rejection.

She did not dare to give too much love to someone who had rejected her, but it was impossible to spend over twenty years together without a little affection.

Sometimes she felt that she was just used to Su Rongqing’s presence. After all, in this life, there was no one who was as good or as suitable for her.

But sometimes, she also wondered if she had ever truly liked anyone in this life?

She couldn’t understand it, and then she didn’t want to think about it anymore. After all, when people are old, many things are no longer important. It was enough for that person to be by her side.

Regardless of whether she liked Su Rongqing or not, this person was still different from others in her heart.

She gently tapped her golden fan in the palm of her hand and chatted with Su Rongqing with a smile, feeling a little regretful in her heart.

It was a pity that she couldn’t marry Su Rongqing.

If she dared to tell Li Ming that she wanted to marry Su Rongqing, then maybe the next day, she would receive a marriage edict, and Li Ming would send her to some barren land, and she would unexpectedly die on the way there.

Thinking of this, Li Rong calmed down. She smiled and entered the courtyard with Su Rongqing and walked away as if this was indeed an ordinary social encounter.

Pei Wenxuan was behind them, silently watching them. He sat down and did not move his eyes away.

Tong Ye poured tea for him and crouched down beside him and mumbled: “Young Master, that is a princess. Now matter how beautiful she is, it’s best to stop looking. You will be punished if someone finds out.”

“Shut up.”

Pei Wenxuan scolded in a low voice.

Tong Ye shrank back. At this time, Li Rong and Su Rongqing finally saluted one another, and Pei Wenxuan finally dropped his gaze. He held the cup of tea and said in a steadfast and righteous manner: “I wasn’t looking at the Princess.”

Tong Ye: “…”

The Young Master has been becoming increasingly excessive as of late, and his mind seems to be getting increasingly worse.

Pei Wenxuan drank tea by himself for a while. Everyone was almost here. After Li Rong announced that the spring banquet had begun from a high place, she retreated to the private courtyard in the back.

If a princess is willing to join everyone in the fun at the spring banquet, then it is considered sharing joy with the people. If she retired and announced that she would be seeing someone in private, then this was perfectly normal.

As soon as Li Rong retired from the banquet, Pei Wenxuan’s heart settled down.

He vaguely guessed Li Rong’s purpose for hosting the spring banquet. Although he was not too sure himself, he was almost certain.

He waited quietly at his position at the banquet. After a while, a young eunuch leaned over and whispered: “The Princess has summoned Pei gongzi, please follow this servant this way.”

Hearing this, Tong Ye suddenly became a little flustered. He looked up at Pei Wenxuan. Pei Wenxuan put down his cup of tea and said: “Wait for me here. Don’t run around and cause trouble.”

After he said that, he stood up and followed the young eunuch out of the crowd.

He didn’t ask anything along the way. The young eunuch couldn’t help feeling a little surprised, but that also saved him a lot of trouble, so he had more good feelings towards Pei Wenxuan. He led Pei Wenxuan out the back and said with a smile: “Please rest assured, Pei gongzi. It’s not a bad thing that the Princess summoned gongzi.”

“To be summoned by the Princess is a great honor.”

Pei Wenxuan calmly said: “Gonggong,2 please rest assured, Wenxuan understands.”

The young eunuch laughed and only said: “Gongzi is a wise man.”

[3] gonggong — honorific for eunuch of high status.

Pei Wenxuan was led to the rear courtyard. As soon as he entered the rear courtyard, he felt that this courtyard was isolated from the noise outside.

Li Rong’s mansion was built near a peach blossom forest. The rear courtyard was built at the edge of the peach blossom forest and separated from the outside. The farther you go into the peach blossom forest, the more peach blossom trees there are. Peach blossom petals fell on the long wooden corridor, offering a scene of tranquil beauty.

The eunuch led Pei Wenxuan into a room. As soon as Pei Wenxuan entered, he saw three people kneeling on the ground and waiting. Hearing Pei Wenxuan enter through the door, the three people turned their heads, and their eyes fell on Pei Wenxuan. Confusion, thoughtfulness, amusement in watching a good play, the room merged into a grand stage for a moment, waiting for spectators to sit down and beat the gongs and drums to commence the grand show.

With just a glance, Pei Wenxuan knew who was kneeling on the ground.

He felt a little uneasy but didn’t know what he was uneasy about. He felt that this life was too absurd. Li Rong had directly decided her marriage in the Palace. Why make him compete with these people?

The anger in his heart was not visible on his face. Led by the attendants, he knelt down beside Cui Yulang.

Cui Yulang waved his fan and said with a smile: “I wasn’t expecting Pei daren to be here too, does Pei daren know why the Princess summoned us?”

“Don’t know.”

Pei Wenxuan spoke coldly. Cui Yulang let out a low laugh and seemed amused: “Pei daren really doesn’t know?”

“Don’t know.”

“This humble Cui heard a rumor,” Cui Yulang lowered his voice and whispered, “Heard that His Majesty is going to choose a husband for the Princess. Say, the Princess called us here…”

Before he finished speaking, the eunuch outside announced in a loud voice: “The Princess arrives—”

A young woman waving a small golden fan dressed in an off-shoulder, golden phoenix embroidered palace robes with wide sleeves appeared beyond the door.

Pei Wenxuan was the first to bow his head in accordance with the rules of etiquette and prostrated low on the ground, waiting for Li Rong to enter the room. The other saw Pei Wenxuan and prostrated on the ground one by one. Only Cui Yulang was still upright with his back straight, craning his neck to look outside. Then, he whispered: “A beauty like the Princess, it’s a shame to rarely see…”

Before he could finish, Pei Wenxuan grabbed his head and slammed him to the ground.

Cui Yulang cried out in pain. At this time, Li Rong also arrived at the door.

She passed in front of Pei Wenxuan. Pei Wenxuan could only see the long train of her dress on the ground and the red, phoenix embroidered shoes faintly peeking from under her long dress.

When she passed by, a fragrant breeze swept past. The scent was quite elegant like a spring breeze carrying the fragrance of flowers, lingering at the tip of the nose.

Then Li Rong sat down behind the beaded curtain and lazily leaned back against the chair. There was a natural hint of softness in the crystal clear voice as she softly said, “Please get up.”

The four people slowly raised their heads. Li Rong propped her chin up and looked at the four men kneeling below.

Lu Yu knelt off to the side closest to her, kneeling upright in white robes, yet bowing his head as not to look at her. He was not as handsome as the others, but he was a bit cute and had a bit of innocence that ordinary people would not, as if he was still ignorant of the world around him.

Next to him, Yang Quan was dressed in black with his hair tied up behind him with a cold expression. He simply knelt like a sword out of its sheath with an unspeakable coldness emanating from it. His face was quite handsome, but that coldness made it a beautiful sight that could only be admired from afar.

Cui Yulang was a little more lively. He wore a light green brocade robe with dark green bamboo patterns on it and a jade coronet on his head. He had a paper fan in his hand and was holding his forehead with a slight frown. He had the appearance of carved white jade and did not disappoint his reputation as “Yulang”4 of Huajing.

[4] The characters for his name mean “Jade Youth.”

Pei Wenxuan knelt by the door, quietly observing her. His blue robes were embroidered with cranes. His expression was calm like a lonely crane and amidst his arrogance was an indescribable loneliness.

The four of them quietly looked at her. Li Rong propped up her chin and looked around, lightly tapping on the armrest.

She must keep someone behind today.

After all, she had talked to Su Rongqing for so long today. If there was no clear indication made today, she feared Li Ming would panic.

Then, who will she talk to first, and who will she keep?

The author has something to say:

Come on, continue to choose. The one with the most votes will be the opening of the next chapter.

If you are Li Rong——

1. Talk to Lu Yu first

2. Talk to Yang Quan first

3. Talk to Cui Yulang first

4. Talk to Pei Wenxuan first

【Mini Theater】

Pei Wenxuan: If there is no drama, I must insert myself into it to add drama!! Princess, this humble official, Pei Wenxuan…

Li Rong: Ai～～ Drag him down, drag him down.

[Author]

Anyone who is familiar with my works will know that the male protagonist is generally in the growth department. You will gradually come to like Pei Wenxuan. His merits are that of a mortal person, optimistic with hopes and desires in reality but somewhat lifeless and aloof on paper.

On the other hand, Su Rongqing’s merits are on paper, everything is good, except there is a loss of authenticity of human nature in reality.

But everyone has their own merits. People might like Su Rongqing at first and then like Pei Wenxuan in the later stages. There is not too much abuse in this story. It will definitely have a happy ending.