The Grand Princess

TGP Chapter 43.2: Double Seventh Festival

“Time has not only changed the Crown Prince, but you and I as well.”
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The two stayed home for a few days. Pei Wenxuan and Li Rong were drinking tea and playing Go, going on walks to just about anywhere, and their honeymoon soon came to an end.

When Pei Wenxuan began to go to the morning court, Li Rong went to various teahouses to listen in on scholars’ seminars to see if she could meet a few people they could use. Otherwise, she would pay a visit to her other paternal aunts who lived outside the palace, getting back in touch in order to cultivate feelings.

In the blink of an eye, it was the seventh day of July. The Empress held a banquet in the palace and invited the young men and women of suitable age from the families of court officials to come join the celebration of the Double Seventh Festival in the palace. Li Rong had long waited for this day to come. She had already made preparations beforehand and headed off to the palace with Pei Wenxuan ahead of time. After arriving in the palace, Li Rong would have to start figuring out who in the palace were considered her people, so she looked up at Pei Wenxuan: “I gave you so much money, you must have something useful to show for it, right?”

Pei Wenxuan had no choice but to give her two names: “These two will both be serving in the banquet today. You can find them if anything comes up.”

Li Rong nodded, then she also asked: “Have you heard if there is anything special happening at the banquet today?”

“Everything else seems normal, but I did hear something.” Pei Wenxuan leaned against the table and looked at the memorial to the throne in his hand, then he slowly said, “There were many incense burners prepared for the palace banquet this time, all of which were exactly the same, and lots of incense ingredients were brought in as well.

“Huh?”

Li Rong thought for a moment, then she said: “They plan to make incense during the banquet?”

“If you want to ask for a marriage decree, you must naturally find some reasons.”

Pei Wenxuan bluntly said: “I heard that Consort Rou wants to recommend a young lady who is skilled in perfumery.”

Li Rong understood, then she let out a laugh: “It seems that it will be very interesting tonight.”

Pei Wenxuan responded with a hum of acknowledgement and didn’t say much. Li Rong leaned over to take a look at the memorial he was reading and discovered that it contained information on all the people involved.

In the previous life, Pei Wenxuan also rose from the Imperial Censorate, and this could be said to be his old line of work. Li Rong propped her chin up with her hand and said: “You must have been very busy.”

“There will be three fires when a new official takes office,”[1] Pei Wenxuan laughed, “His Majesty intends to use me as a knife, so naturally I must let him see some blood. How can I be promoted if I don’t work hard? Move over a bit,” Pei Wenxuan brought his hand up to lift the curtain up a little and gave Li Rong a look of disdain, “You’re blocking my light.”

[1] Describes how new officials often start by cleaning house and a few old problems to show their talents and determination when they take office, but everything stays the same after that.

Li Rong shrugged her shoulders. She moved over to the side a bit and took out a novel. After reading for a while, she felt bored again. As soon as she thought about the palace banquet again, she felt her heart growing restless, so she turned to Pei Wenxuan and said: “Speaking of which, don’t you have anything else in mind?”

“Have what in mind?” Pei Wenxuan looked at the official document without the slightest ripple in his expression. Li Rong prodded him with her fan: “You get to see your Zhen meimei today though.”