TGP Chapter 31.2: The Curtain Falls

“Why is it so difficult to marry a wife?”

---

Li Rong came up behind Pei Wenxuan and quietly asked, “What’s the point in asking a dying person this?”

“A dying person,” Pei Wenxuan said in a mild tone, “Can tell you why he is going to die. Then, you will know how to avoid dying because of that and not let others end up dying that way.”

“Did you not understand what he said just now?” Li Rong softly chuckled, “You’ve lived for fifty years, did you live those years in vain?”

Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan also laughed: “To be honest with Your Highness the Princess, while I have lived for fifty years, I still don’t fully understand his words.”

“Lies.” Li Rong immediately retorted, “If you had failed to understand this, then why did you fight with me over the successor to the throne? When you were young, you also said that you wanted the common people to live a little better, but didn’t you ultimately end up competing with me to protect your own interests?”

Pei Wenxuan fell silent when he heard this and said nothing. He wanted to give a bit of an explanation, but he knew that his explanation was unsuitable for Li Rong to hear.

Li Rong could never understand his ambitions, aspirations and almost naive ways of thinking.

That was because Li Rong was born in a high place. She had never experienced the same things he did—never walked through the open fields, looked out at the mountains and rivers, made friends from all walks of life, and seen the hardships of the common people like him.

Maintaining orthodoxy and stability was what Li Rong believed in, but he knew very well that if such beliefs persisted, then the end of Great Xia would not be too far away.

But these words—he could not say them, and Li Rong could not understand them either.

Li Rong saw that he was not saying anything and thought that she had just poked at his weak spot. She felt that these words were too heavy. As she walked with him, she tapped the fan against the palm of her and deftly changed the subject, “But isn’t everyone like this? Didn’t we have these thoughts too when we were young? You were even afraid I would see blood today, but I have seen many…”

“Li Rong,” Pei Wenxuan suddenly interrupted her. There was no joy or anger in his expression. Li Rong turned to look at him as he said, “Every time you see blood, your left hand will slightly shake.”

Li Rong’s expressions slowly faded, and Pei Wenxuan continued to say, “You always tell me that people like you and Su Rongqing have no sincerity, and you also say that everything you do, you do for yourself and your own interests, but not everyone is willing to take the risk to put a piece of clothing over a dead person in the imperial court, simply because they could not bear it in their heart.”

“Not everything that is said and done, is necessarily the truth,” The two of them had arrived at the palace gates. Pei Wenxuan came to a stop and turned to look at her, “And though some words are spoken in jest, it doesn’t mean that they are necessarily false.”

“Such as?”

Li Rong asked directly. Pei Wenxuan only looked at her. After a while, he unexpectedly said, “After leaving the palace this time, I’m afraid it will be difficult to see each other again before we get married. In this brief period of time, I plan to rebuild the secret intelligence network like before, and I need some money.”

Li Rong: “……”

“I really want to know,” Li Rong looked at Pei Wenxuan with a face full of admiration, “How can you ask a woman for money just like that?”

“Because the money you give me today will be doubled back in the future,” Pei Wenxuan let out a leisurely laugh, “Would you like to proceed with this business deal?”

In the previous life, Pei Wenxuan’s secret intelligence network surpassed even Li Chuan’s. He had a system that he had personally set up in the secret intelligence network in order to see to its efficiency. Much of Li Rong’s information came from his sources, along with the various big name shops that were part of the secret intelligence network. For that reason, Li Rong spent the rest of her life without worry about food and clothing. One could say that most of her fortune came from the money she invested in Pei Wenxuan in the early days.

When it comes to the kind of business that was guaranteed to be profitable, anyone who refuses to do business is a fool.

Li Rong was no fool, so she took out her Imperial token and handed it to Pei Wenxuan: “Go to the Princess’s mansion and find the steward if you need anything, but I will tell you now—I don’t have much money at the moment. I only have so much in terms of assets, so don’t go overboard.”

“It seems there is not much to gain from honoring a princess as a wife,”^[1] Pei Wenxuan took the Imperial token, revealing a disdainful expression, “I wonder if the other princesses happen to have more money…”

“You give it back to me!”

Li Rong reached out to grab the Imperial token, but Pei Wenxuan lifted it up out of reach and hid it behind his back while holding out his other hand to stop Li Rong. “Please pay attention to your manners, Your Highness. I know I am a charming beauty, but you must not act improperly towards me.”

“Pei Wenxuan,” Li Rong was so quickly angered that she wanted to laugh, “You have no shame or dignity!”

Pei Wenxuan raised his eyebrows at her and smiled. There was an expression of contentment and satisfaction on his face. He turned his head and clasped his hands behind his back as he walked towards the palace gates and said: “The Princess can see this humble official off up until here. This humble official will retire now.”

“Who is seeing you off! If you use even a single one of my copper coins, you better be writing it down in the account books! I’ll be checking the accounts!” Li Rong was itching to tear him apart, but there were people all around, so she couldn’t say too much. After a scream of outrage, she slightly suppressed her anger. As she was turning around to leave, she heard Pei Wenxuan suddenly call out to her: “One more thing…”

Li Rong turned to look at the young man standing in front of the palace gates. He had come to a stop and turned back to look at her. He suddenly arched his eyebrows and smiled: “If there really is a next time, I would still cover your eyes.”

Li Rong was slightly taken aback.

“For a young lady of her boudoir,” Pei Wenxuan’s eyes harbored traces of a gentle tenderness that could not be put to words like a warm breeze in the summertime, gently wrapping itself around people. He lowered his voice and softly said, “It’s always good to have someone’s protection.”

After Pei Wenxuan said this, he really didn’t look back and walked out of the palace gates.

Li Rong silently looked at his retreating back. For a moment, she felt that even though she had known him for over thirty years, it seems she never truly understood who Pei Wenxuan was as a person.

She was in a daze for a moment before she heard Jing Lan beside her say: “Your Highness, His Majesty appears to have left the morning court.”

After hearing these words, Li Rong returned to her senses. She sorted out her thoughts and turned around, “Let’s go find His Majesty.”

Li Rong sent someone to inform Li Ming and then rushed over to share a meal with Li Ming.

Li Ming had just arrived at the Hall of Supreme Harmony after leaving the morning court. After changing into his usual clothes, he was wiping off his hands with a handkerchief after washing when he heard someone announce that Li Rong had arrived. He smiled and had people call Li Rong in. After Li Rong saluted him, Li Ming took a look at Li Rong from head to toe, then his eyes curved up with his smile, “You got thinner.”

“That place just isn’t a place that people can live in,” Li Rong said unhappily. “How could I not get thinner?”

“Is that so?” Li Ming threw the warm handkerchief back into the basin before going over to the dining table, “Blaming Zhen now?”

“Not at all,” Li Rong sighed as she spoke, “It was their Yang family that willfully took advantage of others. Father Emperor, you must have your difficulties, and I know that too.”

“You can understand all of this?” Li Ming laughed and beckoned her to sit down, “You have grown up.”

“What’s so hard to understand about this?” Li Rong sat down, “I understood once Pei Wenxuan said it.”

When Li Ming heard Li Rong mention Pei Wenxuan, he couldn’t help but give her a second glance: “Zhen heard that you were with him when you were imprisoned?”

“Yes, of course,” Li Rong picked up her chopsticks and spoke in a casual manner, “Otherwise, it would have been very scary if I was there all by myself with no one to accompany me at night.”

“You also spent a lot of time together.” Li Ming picked up a fish that an eunuch had just picked the bones out of and slowly began, “How do you feel about him?”

“Ah?” Li Rong unexpectedly stiffened for a moment when she heard this. A bit of an unnatural expression flashed across her face as she said in a small voice, “Just…okay.”

“What do you mean by that?” Just by looking at Li Rong, Li Ming figured it out and let out a laugh, “Zhen gave you four people to choose from, but Yang Quan is gone now, so you must choose one, right?”

“Just…” Li Rong blushed, “Just that… He’s very good.”

Li Ming rarely saw Li Rong shyly squirming like this and could not hold back his laughter, “Since when has our Ping Le had such trouble speaking? Is it because that boy from the Pei family isn’t good enough? If that’s the case, you can just choose between Cui Yulang and the Heir of Ning.”

“Ah, I didn’t say that he wasn’t good enough.”

Anxious, Li Rong was quick to say, “Pei gongzi is very good.”

“So you’re finally willing to tell the truth.”

Li Ming lifted his chopsticks to pick up bits of the dish and smiled as he said: “No one has managed to get you under control all these years. This young man from the Pei family seems to have some skill. What did he say to you to make you not even cry or scold Zhen for locking you up?”

“He told me that Father Emperor loves me very much and that Father Emperor would definitely help if it was within his ability. You must have your difficulties, otherwise, you wouldn’t do this to me. Father and daughter should be of the same mind. As long as I turn to Father Emperor, I will always be Father Emperor’s precious little girl.”

“He isn’t wrong about this.” Li Ming sighed as he spoke, “You have grown up a lot since you went to prison this time. What about your Mother Empress? Has she gone to see you?”

Upon hearing Li Ming’s words, Li Rong’s face suddenly fell: “She…must also have her difficulties.”

Li Ming sneered: “She truly does have her difficulties, doesn’t she? She didn’t even seem to remember that you were in prison in the slightest. She came to quarrel with Zhen about Chuan’er every day and yet didn’t even mention half a word about you.”

As she listened, the rims of Li Rong’s eyes reddened. Li Ming paused in the middle of his meal. After a moment, he slowly said: “Father Emperor will still be here no matter what. Don’t feel too sad. Zhen did not bestow a marriage for you and Pei Wenxuan in the palace hall earlier today because Zhen didn’t think it would be too good to do so after seeing blood. I will have someone send an imperial marriage edict to the Pei residence in a bit. Once you are married, you will live in the Princess’s mansion from then onwards, so you won’t have to worry about the affairs of the palace anymore.”

“Someday, I won’t be able to live in the palace anymore?”

Li Rong raised her head and looked at Li Ming with reddened eyes. Li Ming let out a helpless laugh: “How can there be a princess that lives in the palace forever? Once you are married, you can peacefully spend your days with Pei Wenxuan.”

Li Rong lowered her head. She looked a bit sad again. Li Ming paused and set down his chopsticks before saying, “Ai, don’t bitterly weep during a meal. Let’s not talk about this anymore. Cheer up, and let’s discuss your marriage for a bit. Zhen intends to hold the wedding on the third of the next month. What do you think?”

“I will follow Father Emperor’s arrangements.”

Li Rong sniffled, “Hasn’t this marriage been discussed a long time ago? Is the Ministry of Rites ignoring it after it was delayed by two months because of the Yang family?”

“You shouldn’t mistakenly blame them.” Li Ming laughed. “The Ministry of Rites has not only taken care of this, they have also prepared two sets of wedding robes so that you can choose one.”

“Really?”

Li Rong’s eyes lit up with the mention of clothing. Li Ming saw that she was just like a child and couldn’t help but laugh: “What a child, why would Zhen trick you?”

Li Rong cheered up and talked to Li Ming about the process of the marriage ceremony. Looking at her now, she genuinely looked like an ordinary eighteen year old girl, clinging to her father and chatting about the little things in life. After the meal, father and daughter were in better spirits. Li Rong saw Li Ming off to the Imperial Study, but before Li Ming left, he suddenly remembered: “Why did Rong’er put clothes over a person like Consort Ning today? Weren’t you afraid after seeing blood?”

“How could I not be afraid?” Li Rong let out a laugh, “But erchen is a princess and cannot let people laugh at what they are seeing. Consort Ning… Has also had some exchanges with me in the past,” Li Rong sighed as she said, “I can’t bear to see that kind of thing.”

“Oh, you,” Li Ming lifted his finger and pointed at her, somewhat hating iron for not having become steel, “You’re too soft-hearted. Very well, head back now. Fu Lai,” Li Ming turned to look at the eunuch by his side and said, “Have the Ministry of the Rites send both sets of wedding robes to the Princess’s mansion for the princess to choose. If the princess has any requests, have the Ministry of Rites add onto them. Zhen’s Princess Ping Le’s grand wedding,” Li Ming patted Fu Lai on the shoulder, “Is not be taken lightly.”

Fu Lai heeded the order before bowing and seeing Li Ming off to the Imperial Study, then he turned to look at Li Rong and smiled: “Your Highness, you can see how much His Majesty cares for you.”

“That’s because…” Li Rong said with a smile, quite proud, “I am Father Emperor’s most beloved daughter.”

Having said that, Li Rong waved her hand: “Bengong will be heading back first. No need for send off, Fu Lai gonggong.”

“Respectfully seeing Your Highness off.”

Fu Lai bowed at the waist and respectfully saluted.

Having discussed the wedding in detail, Li Rong and Li Ming returned to their respective palaces with a yawn. At the same time, Pei Wenxuan also arrived at his family’s residence.

As soon as he was released from prison early this morning, he passed the word on to Tong Ye. After leaving the morning court, he avoided the carriages of the other Pei family elders and waited until Tong Ye came to pick him up.

Tong Ye arrived on a dilapidated carriage and lamented: “Young Master, please don’t mind this shabby carriage. The carriage we took from the courtyard last time hasn’t been returned, so the old lady in charge of the carriages will look for me everyday to demand money. It’s been so long since you’ve returned to the residence, and I didn’t have the money to pay her back either, so she said that she wouldn’t give us another carriage to use if we don’t pay for the damages. It’s already good enough to be able to borrow one this time.”

Pei Wenxuan was sitting in the carriage with his eyes closed to let his mind rest. He was too lazy to bother with such trivial matters. Tong Ye sighed when he saw that Pei Wenxuan wasn’t saying anything, “This old wicked servant is simply bullying us. Look at those spoiled young masters in the Second and Third Old Masters’ courtyards, how could any of them receive this much trouble over a carriage? But Young Master, when will you receive your monthly salary? The carriage needs to be paid for soon. Otherwise, you won’t be able to attend the morning court tomorrow.”

“I’m going to change first, then get money.”

After changing his clothes, he went to the Princess’s mansion to get money. With Li Rong’s money, he could buy himself a carriage, but he couldn’t buy an expensive one. If Li Rong found out, she would scold him for squandering away her money, so he decided to buy one at random, then switch to a better carriage later on when he had the money.

Pei Wenxuan gave the matter serious consideration. Tong Ye was quite worried when he heard Pei Wenxuan’s words. He always felt that Pei Wenxuan might have suffered some sort of emotional blow when he was in prison.

Pei Wenxuan arrived at the Pei residence and came through the doors with Tong Ye. Having passed through the winding corridors to head back to his courtyard, as soon as he reached the doors, he noticed that something was wrong. He could vaguely see that his courtyard was full of people from afar. He had a bad feeling and began to analyze the situation at once, thinking about who could be in his courtyard at this moment.

There were only two categories of people in the Pei residence who could bring people over and have them wait for him in the courtyard like this. It could only be his mother or his Second and Third Uncles.

No matter which category these people fell into, he feared that they wanted to stop him from marrying Li Rong. His mother had always disliked the matter of honoring a princess as a wife but had to accept it because there was nothing that could be done about it back then. At the present, since the marriage decree had not been issued yet, it was quite possible for his mother to come and “save the situation.”

If it was his Second Uncle or Third Uncle, they would also hope that he will not be able to honor a princess as a wife because once he has honored the princess as his wife, he will have a backer and escape the Pei family’s control.

He felt irritated at the thought of these people coming here to interfere with his marriage.

Although the matter of marrying Li Rong had been forced on by their circumstances, it had indeed become his ultimate goal. In order to marry Li Rong, he killed Yang Quan and eliminated the entire Yang family, and now there’s someone who wants to stand in his way?

He became restless as he thought about it. He flung his sleeves out and rushed straight into the courtyard, angrily muttering, “Why is it so difficult to marry a wife?”

Tong Ye was a bit confused as he watched Pei Wenxuan tighten his grip on the hu tablet in his hands and step into the small courtyard with a cold face. He eyed the servants that were sitting in the small courtyard, waiting for him, and coldly said: “What are you all doing here? Who allowed you to enter?”

Pei Wenxuan had already made all preparations, so whoever dared to interfere with his marriage… He must kill the chickens to threaten the monkeys today to let these servants know their place.

Who would have expected a plump woman to come forward and bow to Pei Wenxuan before respectfully saying: “Eldest Young Master, this servant has spent almost two months waiting for the Eldest Young Master. Having heard that the Eldest Young Master would be coming back today, this old servant came here with the intention of waiting for the Young Master.”

“Waiting for me? What for?” Pei Wenxuan frowned, realizing that something wasn’t right.

The woman gently laughed: “You have not settled the money for the carriage that was borrowed two months ago. One carriage is not worth much, but it is family property after all. There are rules that must be followed, so don’t think that this old servant is just making trouble for you. Do you think you can settle the tab or return the carriage?”

Pei Wenxuan: “…”

Pei Wenxuan was silent for a moment. He straightened out his emotions and calmly asked: “How much is it?”

The woman raised two fingers: “Two hundred taels.”

He deducted the cost of living expenses consisting of food, silk and cloth in a month from his monthly salary. He would only be left with two taels in his possession. He certainly—

Cannot afford it.

---

The author has something to say:

Pei Wenxuan: “If I had known this early on, I wouldn’t have dismantled the carriage back then and simply thought of another way…”

Tong Ye: “Don’t feel too sad about this, Young Master. You can work to pay off those two hundred taels in another ten years.”

Pei Wenxuan: “No, I still have other ways!”

(On a dark, moonless and stormy night, Pei Wenxuan knocked on Li Rong’s door)

Li Rong: “What are you doing here so late at night?”

Pei Wenxuan (aggrieved): “Your Highness, I don’t want to work hard anymore.”

Li Rong: “…”

A moment later.

Li Rong: “You don’t want to work hard anymore, so then what do you want to do?”

Pei Wenxuan: “I want to buy a carriage.”

Li Rong: “What kind of carriage?”

Pei Wenxuan: “…”

A moment later.

Pei Wenxuan: “As distinguished as you.”

Li Rong: “As showy as you.”

---

Autumn: I have a confession… I originally translated 尚公主 (shàng gōngzhǔ) as just “marrying a princess,” so it would be easy to understand, but I recently came across an online post called “What it means to marry a princess in the ancient times and why it is called shàng gōngzhǔ.”

I discovered that the phrasing makes a world of difference because of its many implications. I’ve also realized that this might provide some insight on Li Rong’s character and relationship dynamics with Pei Wenxuan. I apologize for not having done better research and adding this in the first place (>_<)) I added a tentative preliminary note (which was initially flagged as Ch 2 due to a copying-and-pasting mishap).

---

“[To] honor a princess [as a wife]” would be a more accurate interpretation of shàng gōngzhǔ. As for the implications…

1) Not just anyone can marry an imperial princess, a daughter of the Emperor, so it was actually not called “marrying a princess” but “honoring a princess” as a wife in name.

2) The princess was not a wife in the conventional sense. She is the master of the household, and they live in her Princess’s mansion afterwards. There was also no such thing as serving a mother-in-law and husband or concubines unless the princess allowed it.

3) Keep in mind that these were feudal times. As daughters of the Emperor, imperial princesses represented the imperial family and dynastic rule. The relationship between a princess and her prince consort was that of monarch and minister. In no way were they considered equals. Not ever.

---

More Trivia

When Pei Wenxuan says he wants to buy a carriage in the mini theater…

The word he uses is more like a vehicle since the horse-drawn part is not specified, so it coincides with the word for car. In a way, you can read it like a crack humor segment:

Pei Wenxuan: “I want to buy a car.”

Li Rong: “What kind of car?”

Pei Wenxuan: “…”

Pei Wenxuan calls himself a soul-stirring beauty…

When Pei Wenxuan was teasing Li Rong, he used the phrase “charming beauty,” which is usually used to describe a woman’s soul-stirring beauty. This man knows he’s beautiful, along the lines of: “I know I’m beautiful, but please refrain from touching me, Your Highness.”

---

Previous

Chapters

Next

---

Support with Ko-Fi