“If you’re going to hit me, then hit me. Why did you have to slap me too?!”
The two of them were so tired that when they closed their eyes to sleep for a bit, it was already early in the morning the next day. Since they slept for so long this time, they woke up hungry. After Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan woke up, washed up and got dressed, they immediately declared that they would be having a meal.
Li Rong was familiar with the people in the Princess’s mansion for the most part, and Pei Wenxuan had also known them in his previous life, but having been reincarnated, even though he was aware, he still had to pretend to have met them for the first time.
So after eating, the two spent another morning familiarizing themselves with the servants in the Princess’s mansion, and afterwards, the two had some time to themselves.
Pei Wenxuan’s leave of absence for his wedding spanned nine days, and after those nine days, he would have to go to court as usual. They had already paid a visit to all the people that they should have, so with the time remaining, Li Rong thought for a moment and said to Pei Wenxuan: “Shall we go look for Shangguan Ya first?”
What is on Li Rong’s mind the most at this time is Li Chuan’s marriage. Pei Wenxuan heard those words, but he didn’t object to it and immediately called for someone. A carriage was prepared, and he went with Li Rong to the Shangguan residence.
On the way there, Pei Wenxuan worked on writing a greeting card, and as he was writing, he couldn’t help but say: “How do you know that she’s back?”
“I already had people inquire and keep an eye on things before we got married,” Li Rong sat off to one side, leisurely reading a book as she lazily replied, “She was already back just before the wedding. I was just too busy at the time, so I didn’t have time to worry about her.”
Having said that, she looked up at Pei Wenxuan: “Finished with the greeting card? Show it to me when you’re done writing, I want to take a good look at it.”
Pei Wenxuan laughed: “It’s just a greeting card, what is there to see?”
“A-ya is someone who pays particular attention to these things. If your greeting card is not well-written, she might not even feel inclined to take a look at them.”
“You can rest assured,” Pei Wenxuan handed over the completed greeting card, “She may dare to refuse to meet me, but she dare not refuse to meet you.”
These words made Li Rong very happy, but she still read over Pei Wenxuan’s greeting card. Pei Wenxuan’s greeting card can be said to be quite beautiful in terms of the handwriting. Li Rong couldn’t help but give a compliment: “Oh you, gilded with gold and jade on the surface, and yet rotten and decaying on the inside.[1] Nevertheless, beautiful people have equally beautiful handwriting.”
[1] Akin to “All that glitters is not gold,” not everything is as good as they seem on the surface.
“What you said there,” Pei Wenxuan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “Are you making fun of me or making fun of yourself?”
“How am I making fun of myself?” Li Rong looked up with a strange expression. Pei Wenxuan took the greeting card back from her hands, moved a little further away and said with a big bright smile, “After all, your handwriting isn’t very pretty.”
Hearing this, Li Rong tapped her fan against the palm of her hand: “Do you think this carriage is big enough to give you some kind of protection?”
“But,” Pei Wenxuan turned the subject at hand around and immediately said: “Your Highness’s person can be seen to be as beautiful on the outside as you are beautiful on the inside, not lacking in the slightest.”
A “pfft” of laughter escaped from Li Rong, she didn’t continue bickering with Pei Wenxuan anymore. Pei Wenxuan thought about it for a while, somewhat concerned as he said: “We’re going straight to the residence, but what if Miss Shangguan isn’t there, then what?”
“If she’s not at home, then she must be at some teahouse or a poetry society. She used to frequent a few places like that before entering the palace. We have plenty of time to go looking for her.”
Li Rong spoke with great confidence. Pei Wenxuan nodded and ceased to worry about it.
The two of them went straight to the Shangguan residence, presented the greeting card, and the gatekeepers respectfully had the card sent inside the Shangguan residence. Not long after, the steward of the Shangguan family personally came out and politely said: “Apologies for disappointing Your Highness, the Young Miss of my house received an invitation to the Jiwen Poetry Society today and went to attend a tea party. You see, why don’t you return to the Princess’s mansion first? When the Young Miss of my house returns, this old servant can ask the Young Miss to go to the Princess’s mansion to apologize in person, would that be alright?”
“We were the ones who took the liberty to come here beforehand,” Li Rong laughed, “How can the Young Miss be blamed? Since she is at the Jiwen Poetry Society, I can just go there to see her.”
The children of the Huajing aristocracy have established popular poetry societies. Usually a tea party would be held at a certain teahouse, where they would write poems and have intellectual discussions. It could be regarded as the most refined and sophisticated social function in the capital of Huajing.
Such social functions not only required high status and a prestigious family background but extensive knowledge of the scholarly arts for the participants themselves as well. For Shangguan Ya to receive an invitation from the Jiwen Poetry Society within days of entering the capital, it goes to show how exceptional she was.
Li Rong did not find it surprising either. As she sat in the carriage, she smiled as she spoke to Pei Wenxuan: “I told you she would either be at home or at a poetry society. Do you believe me now?”
Pei Wenxuan nodded: “You really seem to know her.”
“It comes down to having known each other for so many years,” Li Rong couldn’t help but rejoice a little at the thought of being able to see Shangguan Ya again soon. The fan was turning in her hand, she couldn’t help but recall the first time she met Shangguan Ya earlier in the year, rather regretful as she let out a sorrowful sigh, “Speaking of which, it’s quite the pity that we didn’t get to know each other in the beginning. Although she herself is a woman, she does not lose sight of the honor and prestige of the noble families. When talking to her, her composure, politeness and wit gives one great delight. The only pity is,” Li Rong said in a lamenting tone of voice, “She’s a bit too courteous.”
Pei Wenxuan quietly listened, not saying a word. He had his head bowed while drinking tea and didn’t comment much on it.
Li Rong rambled on with some interesting stories about Shangguan Ya back in those days along the way. Not long after, they arrived at the Jiwen Poetry Society.
The Jiwen Poetry Society was the most prestigious and well-off poetry society in Huajing. This poetry society opened up a separate Jiwen Teahouse of its own and usually held tea parties there for intellectual debates.
Li Rong got out of the carriage alongside Pei Wenxuan, gave Pei Wenxuan’s name and walked right in. As soon as they entered the teahouse, an attendant came to greet them and asked from whom they had received an invitation from. Li Rong smiled and directly told the attendant: “I heard that Miss Shangguan Ya is here today, I wonder if I can trouble you to send word for us?”
“Miss Shangguan?” When the person from the poetry society heard this, he had a bit of a blank expression, “Oh, Miss Shangguan is not here today.”
Upon hearing that, Li Rong paused mid-step. She turned her head back and asked with some astonishment: “She didn’t come?”
“No, she did not.”
The attendant laughed: “Miss Shangguan only arrived in Huajing some time ago, and she only came here once.”
Li Rong immediately knew that something wasn’t right when she heard this. Pei Wenxuan was standing off to the side and discreetly coughed, he smiled and looked towards Li Rong, “I said that she must have gone somewhere else, but you still didn’t believe it. This young fellow here,” Pei Wenxuan turned to look at the attendant, “Do you happen to know where Miss Shangguan usually goes?”
“This I can’t…”
Before he could finish his sentence, the attendant saw Pei Wenxuan flash a silver ingot from under his sleeve. The young man looked up and gave Pei Wenxuan a glance. Pei Wenxuan nodded, and the young man hesitated for a moment before finally saying: “Regarding Miss Shangguan’s whereabouts, it is not something we know. However, I heard people talking and someone said that someone saw that Miss Shangguan had an entry token to the Fortune Gathering Hall. Why don’t you two go there and look for her?”
Li Rong had a look of pure shock on her face after hearing this, but Pei Wenxuan didn’t seem surprised, he gave that young attendant the silver ingot and pulled Li Rong, who still had a face full of disbelief, out of there.
Once he was out the door, he ordered the servants to find a friend to borrow a token for the Fortune Gathering Hall, then he pulled Li Rong into the carriage and headed to the Fortune Gathering Hall.
In the carriage, it took Li Rong a long time before she recollected herself, and she immediately asked: “Are you really going to the Fortune Gathering Hall?”
The Fortune Gathering Hall was the most famous gambling house in Huajing. Li Rong slowly came around and felt that it was highly improbable: “That person must have been saying absolute nonsense. Don’t go to that kind of place and waste time.”
“Since we’re already here,” Pei Wenxuan poured some tea as he smiled and glanced up at Li Rong, “There’s no harm in making a trip, who is to say there won’t be a pleasant surprise?”
“Impossible.” Li Rong saw that Pei Wenxuan had a bit of an expression like that of watching an amusing play and suddenly became a bit unhappy, sneering, “Don’t waste your time, I know you have some things to say about A-ya…”
“Stop, stop,” Pei Wenxuan held up a hand to stop Li Rong, “I don’t have the slightest opinion on Miss Shangguan, don’t talk nonsense.”
“Then what about how you were being sarcastic when I praised her,” Li Rong sneered, “What would you call that?”
“I really don’t have any opinions on her,” Pei Wenxuan took a sip of tea and casually gestured in Li Rong’s direction with the lid of the tea cup, “It’s that I have an opinion on you.”
Li Rong: “……”
For a while, she felt that there seemed to be some truth to it.
Seeing Li Rong fall silent, Pei Wenxuan hurriedly recollected himself and changed the subject with somewhat of a rather guilty conscience.
“I’m not going against you with an opposing view, I’m just curious,” Pei Wenxuan laughed, “Having once lived a lifetime, if only you could see a few things differently.”
“It may be different,” Li Rong made a solemn vow, “But there is absolutely no such thing.”
“Then why not make a bet with me, Your Highness?” Pei Wenxuan rested his hand on the window and said with a smile, “If Miss Shangguan is indeed in the Fortune Gathering Hall today, what will Your Highness do?”
“If A-ya is in the Fortune Gathering Hall,” Li Rong said with utmost confidence, “I will buy you a horse-drawn carriage at once.”
“Your Highness,” Pei Wenxuan waved his fan, “I’m in the Princess’s mansion now, do you think I’m still concerned about a carriage? Are you looking down on me or looking down on yourself now?”
What Pei Wenxuan said sounded about right, so Li Rong nodded and said: “What you said makes a lot of sense, so then what do you want?”
Pei Wenxuan thought about it for a while, but he didn’t know what to ask for.
It wasn’t that he had never made a bet like this with Li Rong before. When they were both young, he made Li Rong kiss him when she lost the bet, but it was absolutely impossible to bet on these things now.
Pei Wenxuan thought about it from every angle, then he said: “I can’t think of anything for the time being. It doesn’t have to be a big bet, the princess can just promise to do something for me. This matter would only concern the princess and would have nothing to do with the imperial court, nor go against the princess’s own principles, such as washing clothes, cooking a meal, fetching water, and helping me get dressed,” Pei Wenxuan couldn’t help but laugh mid-sentence, “Serving me like a little maid actually doesn’t sound too bad.”
“You have the audacity to even think about it.” Li Rong sneered, “What if she’s not there?”
“Well,” Pei Wenxuan thought for a moment, “What does Your Highness want?”
“After your shadow guard units have been established, give me the Eagle Squad as imperial personal guards.”
Faced with Li Rong’s roaring lion’s maw of a demand, Pei Wenxuan felt helpless for a moment. This person was so uninteresting.
His guards were divided into four squads: Eagles, Tigers, Wolves, and Foxes, and Li Rong asked for a whole team of elites. Pei Wenxuan sighed. Li Rong thought that Pei Wenxuan was reluctant to bet on it and was about to laugh at him when she saw Pei Wenxuan put up two fingers: “Twenty people from the Eagle Squad, alright?”
“People from the Tian subdivision?”[2]
[2] Unsure — it’s 天 as in sky, so maybe some Sky Eagle division or Eagles in the Sky…
“Yes.” Pei Wenxuan nodded, and Li Rong suddenly laughed as if she had conveniently profited: “Then Bengong would like to thank Pei daren in advance.”
Pei Wenxuan began to wave his folding fan in turn, only smiled and said nothing.
I’m back～ Updated the chapter title—it was translated early on without much context and doesn’t quite stay true to the historical period feel of the novel.
days
hours minutes seconds
until
Chapter 40.2: Gambling House
Autumn Pond Reflection 
Aaccck can’t wait for Su Ronghua XD. Thanks for the translation!!!!
LikeLike
Haso are we going to see that Rong’er is again doesn’t know people like she thought😉?
Thanks for the chapter
LikeLike