Episode 2 recap: The Spring Banquet Turned into a Battleground as Old Acquaintances Reunited.
On the day of the Spring Banquet, apart from the four potential imperial sons-in-law handpicked by the Emperor, various young ladies from prestigious families arrived one after another, in luxurious carriages and extravagant attire, attended by a retinue of servants. The procession was an impressive sight, with the Su family's carriage particularly eye-catching. Leading the group was Su Rong Qing, dressed in a white brocade robe, his jade hairpin accentuating his noble bearing, making him the center of attention. In comparison, Pei Wen Xuan appeared rather unremarkable.
Recalling that in the previous life, Su Rong Qing had interfered in the budding relationship between Li Rong and himself, Pei Wen Xuan's hatred for him had become almost instinctual. However, upon hearing Su Rong Qing's name, Li Rong eagerly got up, groomed himself, and went to seek him out. Su Rong Qing greeted him with a warm smile and a slight bow.
Though they were the same people and said the same words, the different time periods gave them a completely different feel. Now, Su Rong Qing was in his prime, with the Su family at the height of its power. As the eldest son, he enjoyed imperial favor, and even in the presence of the Princess, he carried himself with confidence. It was precisely because of this that the Emperor would never allow Li Rong to marry into such a prestigious clan.
Pei Wen Xuan, observing the two converse amiably, saw the yearning in Li Rong's eyes as he gazed at Su Rong Qing, and felt uneasy. Ever since Pei Wen Xuan's resurrection, everything had been evolving in an unknown direction. There had been no Spring Banquet in the past, let alone the possibility of Li Rong and Su Rong Qing's encounter. If Li Rong were to take a liking to Su Rong Qing and insist on marrying into the Su family, the consequences would be unimaginable.
After a moment of contemplation, Pei Wen Xuan stepped forward to greet them, only to be completely ignored by Li Rong. Even Su Rong Qing, sensing the tension, pretended not to notice and followed Li Rong to the courtyard. As they walked side by side, Su Rong Qing's mastery of the arts, from music to calligraphy, deeply impressed Li Rong, who felt as if she was back in the Princess' residence, yet was grateful to have encountered him in this lifetime.
As the Spring Banquet officially began, Li Rong, in her formal attire, joined the festivities as the Crown Princess, testing the talents of the hereditary princes and generals, including Lu Yu, Yang Quan, and the ever-attentive Su Rong Qing, while completely overlooking the eager Pei Wen Xuan.
Among the young scions, Lu Yu was naturally simple-minded, lacking in cunning; Yang Quan, having grown up in the military camp, was violent and ruthless; and although Cui Yu Lang was not a bad person, he was a libertine who frequented brothels. Therefore, Su Rong Qing stood out as the most exceptional among the young lords, with his exceptional archery skills earning Li Rong's favor, and she directly awarded him a fine inkstone as a prize.
Princess Hua, upon hearing of Lu Yu's egg-eating performance, joked with her mother Empress Xiao Rou, delighted by the mishaps of the Spring Banquet. Ning Fei Yang Wan, aware that her father urgently needed military funds, knew that her only hope for the Yang family's resurgence was to have her brother Yang Quan chosen as the imperial son-in-law. She tried to bribe the eunuchs to intercede with the Emperor, but her request was ultimately rejected.
The lotus-shaped cup in front of Pei Wen Xuan suddenly fell as Li Rong interrupted, citing fatigue as a reason to leave first, showing no interest in Pei Wen Xuan's performance. After she left, Jing Lan was ordered to take Su Rong Qing to the library, hinting that if he was willing to enter the princess's residence, he would enjoy boundless glory and wealth in the future.
Li Rong was in a good mood after seeing Pei Wen Xuan's embarrassment, but Pei Wen Xuan sent someone to convey a message to Li Rong, that if she insisted on choosing Su Rong Qing, there would only be two paths: either marry into a distant kingdom or be sentenced to death. The 18-year-old Li Rong still had some naivety and kindness, but the current Li Rong was more thoughtful, and had to admit that Pei Wen Xuan indeed had foresight.
The suspicion and struggle of the previous life had made the relationship between Pei Wen Xuan and Li Rong increasingly distant, and now he felt more a sense of responsibility towards Li Rong than love, more regret than longing, and was more concerned about Li Rong's safety. To prevent Li Rong from making the wrong choice, Pei Wen Xuan secretly spilled wine on Yang Quan's seat and took a jade pendant from a drunken person, deliberately dropping it under Yang Quan's table, thus provoking a dispute between the two parties.
As expected, when Li Rong was summoning Lu Yu privately, she heard the commotion in the front courtyard and had to go in person to quell it. Yang Quan publicly proposed to Li Rong, only to be rebuked by her, and Pei Wen Xuan took the opportunity to have Lu's servants make up an excuse to send Lu Yu away, disrupting Li Rong's plan to choose another man as her husband.
However, Li Rong had already seen through Pei Wen Xuan's scheme, and openly exposed and scolded him, ordering the servants to throw him into the water. Seeing Pei Wen Xuan's disheveled state, Li Rong had vented her anger, and then realized that he was now just over twenty years old, and bullying him was no different from bullying a child, so she had him pulled back out.
Turning to see Su Rong Qing, Li Rong recalled some past events and confirmed whether he was willing to be her husband, but was politely refused by Su Rong Qing. After Su Rong Qing left, Pei Wen Xuan changed into clean clothes and sat in front of Li Rong.
Looking at the familiar face, Li Rong remembered his connection with Qin Zhen Zhen, and became so angry that her eyes turned red. She immediately ordered someone to bring him some oranges, to which he was allergic, and forced him to eat them. Pei Wen Xuan found it difficult to swallow, and lied that he had just eaten and had no appetite. Li Rong was not in a hurry, and personally set up a chessboard to play with him.
Seeing Li Rong's preferred opening move, Pei Wen Xuan let out a helpless laugh. In the back-and-forth of the game, they were both shocked to find that their chess styles and strategies were no different from when they were in their thirties and forties, the only explanation being that both of them had memories from their previous lives.
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