Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 108 Lotus Seed Heart

The sound of rain hitting the bamboo forest is slow.

Xue Sui stood under the eaves, fanning himself lightly, and looked across the water at the dim lights in Tingyu Pavilion where the Crown Prince and Prince Duan were playing chess on the other side of the river...

Jinshu tiptoed and draped a cloud satin cloak over her shoulders, whispering softly.

"The young lady embarrassed the fourth young lady in public. I heard that she was very angry and fainted in front of the princess. The princess hurriedly summoned someone from the clinic, saying that the fetus was unstable..."

Xue Sui stretched out his hand and caught the raindrops falling from the eaves.

The coolness seeps into the palm of your hand.

She said slowly, "I used to pity the innocent baby in her belly and never made things difficult for her. But she didn't take the baby seriously and flaunted it everywhere. So I can only help her a little bit."

Jinshu's lips moved slightly, and he wanted to say something, but swallowed it back.

The copper bells on the eaves rang softly in the wind.

Jinshu said, "It's windy outside, let's go back to the house and talk."

Without waiting for Xue Sui to nod, she lowered her voice and said, "Prince Duan has arranged a lot of secret sentries near our courtyard."

Xue Sui walked through the corridor without looking around, and heard Jin Shu say, "There is a nine-curve corridor in the backyard of Liu Shang Yangui, which leads directly to Haitang Fengheng. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is staying in that courtyard tonight..."

Xue Sui raised the corner of his mouth and revealed a faint smile.

When he turned around, he saw Mei Ruhui holding an umbrella, hurriedly passing by the path outside the yard.

This guest of the prince is usually the most cautious.

Running in the rain like this, I'm afraid...

Xue Sui's eyes flickered slightly, and he called out, "Master Mei."

Mei Ruhui stood far away, holding his umbrella, and bowed slightly to her.

"Meet Madam Ping An."

Xue Sui smiled and said, "It's raining heavily, why don't you go inside and take shelter for a while, Master Mei?"

Mei Ruhui looked up at the sky and said with a smile, "I'm afraid the rain will never stop. I'm in a hurry to bring an umbrella to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. If I don't go now, I'm afraid the rain will get heavier and I'll miss something important."

Xue Sui smiled slightly.

"Then Master Mei, please be careful. The road is slippery when it rains. Be careful not to fall."
-
Listen to Yuxuan.

Li Zhao slowly leaned back against the soft pillow and lazily picked up the black pieces.

On the copper carved stove beside me, a pot of smooth and sweet lotus heart tea was brewing, with a lingering fragrance wafting away...

The black and white chess pieces fell alternately, making crisp sounds on the chessboard.

Li Zhao smiled, "My brother's chess skills have improved greatly."

Li Huan's voice seemed a little vague amid the sound of raindrops.

"The prince's chess moves remind me of the game you and I played in the palace ten years ago when the Xingluo envoys came to the capital. The prince was only ten years old, but he had already shown his talent, and his chess style was very fierce..."

"Your Majesty, you are too kind." Li Zhao chuckled. "At that time, I was young and frivolous. In order to get the ivory jade chess pieces, I disregarded the dignity of the royal family and challenged the emperor in public..."

Li Huan's heart skipped a beat and his brows furrowed.

"The prince loves ivory jade chess pieces, why did he give them to me?"

Li Zhao raised his eyebrows and said, "My father scolded me, so I have to give it to him."

He spoke so calmly, but Li Huan suddenly remembered how Eunuch Lai Fu looked when he brought the chess pieces. He looked reserved and walked in a hurry. He also specifically told him to keep them well and not to let His Majesty down.

"If I had known this, I shouldn't have accepted such a generous gift..."

Li Zhao waved his hand disapprovingly, his tone indifferent.

"I was just a kid back then. I'm a grown-up now, why would I care about a chess piece?"

Because nowadays we want more?

Li Huan pondered secretly in his heart with a gentle smile on his face.

"Excellent move! Really brilliant." He changed the subject, looked at the situation on the chessboard, and said with a faint smile: "The prince used this move of Double Flying Swallows extremely skillfully."

The bamboo curtain rolled up slightly, letting in a cool breeze.

Li Zhao stroked the teacup with his fingertips and tapped the chessboard with the black piece.

"What if I didn't try to survive by attacking the corners, but went straight to the center?"

Li Huan held the white piece's hand and paused in mid-air, frowning slightly.

The room was silent.

A line of incense ash leaked out of the gilded Suan Ni censer.

The wind and rain grew stronger, and the copper bells on the eaves made a soft, crisp sound.

Aji's low voice came from behind the screen.

"Your Highness, the princess said that she has prepared midnight snacks in Tingyu Pavilion and invited Madam Ping'an to come over to chat and eat, but Madam Ping'an said that she was not feeling well and would not come. The princess asked Your Highness if you would like to share some with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. She also said that she has set up a piano table in the pavilion to entertain the two Your Highnesses..."

"it is good."

The chess piece fell into the chess box with a "pop".

Li Huan looked at the faint light in Li Zhao's eyes and chuckled.

"I admit defeat in this round."

Li Zhao suddenly chuckled: "Brother, when you mentioned the past, do you still remember the Yin-Yang Jade Chain that the late emperor gave me when he was still alive?"

Li Huan saw the undisguised sarcasm in his eyes, and his heart sank slightly.

Of course he remembers.

The pair of yin-yang jade rings, one inside the other, were fine items presented as tribute by the Xingluo Kingdom.

At that time, the late emperor tested several of his grandchildren, asking which one could solve the puzzle. It turned out that Li Zhao, who was only four years old, solved it.

The late emperor bestowed the jade chain on him, praising him endlessly, full of expectations for the legitimate grandson of the emperor...

When Li Zhao was nine years old, the Xingluo envoys came to the capital again and mentioned the old things. Emperor Chongzhao asked Li Zhao to bring the jade chain to the palace for display.

Later, when Li Huan took the jade chain back from the envoy, he accidentally dropped it, causing the ring to break...

Li Zhao was young at that time and was furious, so he cursed on the spot.

He said that it was left to him by the Emperor, and he always cherished it...

Li Huan apologized again and again, but the prince still refused to give in, causing embarrassment to the ministers and envoys.

Afterwards, the emperor punished the prince to go to Puji Temple to reflect on his mistakes.

Li Huan thought about the past and was silent for a long time before he said with a guilty look on his face: "It seems that the relationship between my brother and the prince is like the jade chain, with too many knots that cannot be untied. This has led to constant rumors outside, saying that you and I are not getting along..."

Li Zhao said: "After Grandpa Huang passed away, I no longer wanted to resolve those knots."

After a pause, he smiled and raised his eyebrows again, "Thinking carefully, my brother's approach is correct."

Li Huan: "Why do you say that, Prince?"

Li Zhao said: "If the jade chain cannot be untied, can't it be untied by smashing it? Why bother with so much trouble?"

Li Huan sighed heavily: "This is a wrong step for me. Over the years, there have been many misunderstandings between me and the Crown Prince. Fortunately, we have come to this day. You and I should open our hearts and be honest with each other, so as to eliminate the estrangement and make Father and Mother feel at ease..."

Li Zhao said: "I have never misunderstood my brother."

Li Huan smiled gently and poured him a cup of lotus heart tea.

"Seeing that the prince likes lotus seeds, I asked someone to make a pot of tea. Lotus seed tea can clear the heart and remove heat, and it tastes sweet. It is most suitable for drinking on this rainy day. You and I can chat while drinking..."

Li Zhao seemed not to hear his words and looked at the chess board.

"My brother lost this round because he was too impatient."

He suddenly threw the chess piece into the teacup, and the chess piece rolled in the boiling water.

"Just like these lotus seeds, my royal brother thought I only wanted to eat the sweet flesh, but he didn't know that what I like... is the bitter core."

Li Zhao was a reckless, willful and arrogant person.

Never give anyone any face.

The carefully brewed lotus heart tea was ruined by a chess piece.

Li Zhao did not give Li Huan time to react, nor did he appreciate Princess Duan's hospitality. He stood up, waved his sleeves, and left.

"I am tired now. I will take my leave now. Please do as you please, my brother..."

The bamboo curtains rolled up, bringing in the chill.

Li Huan looked at the back with a cold expression. After the footsteps faded away, he slowly poured himself another cup of tea, lowered his head to blew on the scalding water surface, and drank it slowly.

"Isn't it bitter enough?"
-
Xue Sui sat in the inner room for a while, then led Xiao Zhao out quietly from the backyard.

Walking around the winding corridor, she "accidentally" left her handkerchief by the pool.

The old woman who was watching in secret hurriedly picked it up.

The two pretended not to notice and only stopped after they had walked a long way.

Xue Sui looked back for a moment and smiled gently.

Xiao Zhao pulled her sleeve, "Girl..."

She turned around and saw Gu Ruoyi walking towards her with an umbrella, with tiny raindrops on her hair.

"Sister Xue, it's you."

Gu Ruoyi's tone was very brisk.

As she got closer, she bowed and said, "It was so rainy and foggy that I almost didn't recognize you..."

Xue Sui asked: "Where is Miss Gu San going?"

Gu Ruoyi said, "I copied the calligraphy of the poem that Mr. Zhao wrote at the Liushang Feast today. My sister-in-law said it was well written. She also said that Mr. Zhao wrote good poems and good calligraphy... Let me go and ask him for advice..."

The girl's cheeks flushed. Xue Sui still remembered that Zhao Hong had composed a poem "Poem of Lotus to Express Feelings" at the banquet today.

That is a rare masterpiece and deserves to be the winner.

Xue Sui asked with a smile: "Where is your sister-in-law? Why isn't she with you?"

Gu Ruoyi blushed and lowered her head slightly. "Sister-in-law was not feeling well and went to bed early. Sister Xue, it was wrong for sister-in-law to say that to you at the banquet today. She has been acting inappropriately since she became pregnant. I apologize to you on behalf of her and my fifth brother..."

The girl bowed slightly, and Xue Sui quickly supported her arm.

"I also admire the talented scholars who are full of knowledge. Why don't I go with Miss Gu San?"

Gu Ruoyi heard the hidden meaning in her words.

Although it was legitimate for me to go find Zhao Hong, it was dark and it was inconvenient for men and women to meet each other.

If Sister Xue is with me, I will no longer be afraid of anything.

"Thank you, Sister Xue."
-
Xue Sui and Gu Ruoyi went to Qixia Pavilion, where Zhao Hong lived, and the figures of the palace guards flashed in the dark.

She deliberately stopped at the corner of the corridor so that the lantern in Xiao Zhao's hand could reflect half of her profile.

"I forgot to bring my manuscript. Miss Gu, please wait a moment. I will be back soon."

She heard the sound of a window being pushed open from the direction of Qixia Pavilion and someone leaning over to look at her, then she slipped into a secluded garden surrounded by bamboo forests.

An arm reached out from the darkness and pulled her into the rockery cave in the garden.

Li Zhao seemed to be walking on the night dew, with moisture from grass and trees emanating from his body. The jade pendant under his black cloak shone with a warm light, just like his handsome smiling face.

"Madam, how do you plan to play this game of chess?"

Xue Sui spread a jade pendant in the palm of his hand.

Li Zhao looked down and asked, "What is this?"

Xue Sui pressed the jade pendant into his hand and asked, "Your Highness, are you willing to be the guest who doesn't remove the core?"

Li Zhao smiled slightly, "Didn't Madam say that whether or not the lotus seeds should be cored depends entirely on the diners' wishes?"

Xue Sui replied: "That depends on how miserable it is."

After saying this, she stood on tiptoe, leaned over, and whispered to Li Zhao.

Li Zhao glanced at her sideways.

Looking at a beauty on a rainy night is like a thin mist covering the green mountains, which adds to the charm.

Her black hair was tied up in a loose bun, with a few strands of hair playfully hanging around her fair neck. She wore no flowers in her hair and no ornaments, just like a peony blooming freely, extremely lazy and charming.

A face washed clean of makeup, the skin faded away from the makeup Xiao Zhao had applied, like a flower petal moistened by spring rain, delicate and smooth, the slender jade neck went all the way down, the collarbone was faintly visible...

She had lost all the coldness and indifference that Mrs. Ping'an had during the day. At this moment, she was smiling, and she looked very charming. She was so real in front of him that he could almost touch her with his hand, which made him daydream...

Li Zhao's Adam's apple slid involuntarily and his voice became hoarse.

"Madam, this trick of using a knife to kill someone is even more vicious than I thought."

"Not even half as good as the Crown Prince." Xue Sui said softly, looking at him quietly, "The Crown Prince deliberately gave me lotus seeds at the Liushang Banquet, wasn't it to provoke Prince Duan to take action?"

Their eyes met, and they both understood.

After a while, Li Zhao chuckled, suddenly grabbed her waist and pulled her into his arms, his eyes filled with a heat that was difficult to conceal.

"My brother's guards will take action in about two quarters of an hour. Is that enough time for me to change my clothes?"

"Crown Prince!" Xue Sui exclaimed in a low voice, "The villa is full of secret sentries, Prince Duan will be here at any time..."

"It has nothing to do with me. It was Madam Ping An who forced me to do it."

The rain fell on the rockery.

The wet bodies pressed tightly against each other, as if being roasted by fire.

Maybe it was because Jinshu had just added some clothes for her, so she was wearing too thick clothes. Xue Sui could only feel a thin layer of sweat seeping out of her body...

She looked into Li Zhao's eyes, feeling the burning warmth in the man's palm, and vaguely remembered what Senior Sister Yuheng said when she left.

"Thirteen, this love thread is a life-saving talisman, but also a death-threatening curse."
-
The night was as dark as ink and the rain was pouring down.

In the small courtyard of "Jade Steps" in Prince Duan's villa, Xue Yueying sent Gu Ruoyi away and sat in front of the window, staring in a daze at the water-logged stone steps in the courtyard.

Her face was pale and her eyes were red, she had just cried.

Qinghong entered tremblingly and brought the medicine bowl: "Madam, it's time to take the pregnancy-maintaining medicine..."

"To keep the baby safe?" Xue Yueying stroked her bulging belly and laughed bitterly, "He doesn't care about me, what's the point of keeping the baby safe? What use do I have for him?"

Xue Yueying suddenly pulled out the golden hairpin on her head and stabbed it fiercely into the embroidered screen in front of her.

A beautiful lotus flower was instantly pierced by the hairpin and torn apart with a loud noise.

Qinghong was so scared that she took a half step back——

Xue Yueying was crying and laughing at the same time, and suddenly she caught a glimpse of her own distorted face in the bronze mirror. It was surprisingly similar to her biological mother's who was forced by the eldest lady to drink poison. They both looked equally desperate and helpless.

"Will he come?"

"Will you come?"

"Who will pity me..."

"Who will pity me..."

Qinghong had no idea what the young lady was saying.

The poem written by the young lady at the banquet today made people feel sad. Now seeing her crying, Qingzhu also felt heartbroken.

Could it be that Madam is too sad and confused?
She said, "Although Fifth Master has become a little more impatient after being released from prison, he still loves Young Madam very much and is not indifferent to her. Young Madam, please relax and take care of yourself..."

Xue Yueying shed tears silently and shook her head, "You all go down."

This small courtyard is the farthest from the water and is also the most secluded place in the royal palace.

Unlike the residence that the elder sister arranged for Xue Liu, the courtyard there was spacious and the scenery was beautiful, which was completely different from the loneliness here.

She felt so wronged now, and felt inferior to others in everything. It was all Xue Liu's fault...

"Knock Knock Knock-"

A gentle knock on the window broke the silence of the night.

Xue Yueying's heart trembled, and her fingers unconsciously twisted the corner of her clothes.

"who?"

Only the man's voice came in a low voice: "I."

She knew who was coming.

With my heart pounding, I slowly opened the window and tears began to fall.

"You... finally decided to come here. Aren't you afraid of getting tainted by my bad luck?"

Her voice was hoarse and weak, and she tried to remain calm, but she couldn't erase the grievance.

The man smiled slightly, climbed in through the window, and took off his dripping hat.

He didn't bring an umbrella, and his hair and clothes were soaked. He had obviously come in the rain. His whole body exuded the damp and cool scent of the rain, which made his face look even more handsome.

If it’s not King Wei Li Yan, then who could it be?
"The clear water reflects my reflection but no one cares for me. I am left alone guarding the secluded pond complaining about the long night. Madam Gu wrote that poem because she wanted me to come, didn't she?"

Xue Yueying burst into tears.

"You understand my suffering, but you don't care whether I live or die. You have such a cruel heart..."

Li Yan smiled, looking very frivolous. "I am cruel and vicious, but how can I compare to you? Didn't you say that you were pregnant with my child, but you hurriedly married Gu Jie?"

Xue Yueying sobbed in grievance, "Your Majesty, what else did you say? Isn't it all because you don't want to marry me? If I don't marry Gu Wulang, who else can I marry?"

Li Yan didn't say anything and hugged her in his arms.

His body temperature was transmitted to Xue Yueying through the wet clothes, making her feel uncomfortable and shiver.

Li Yan lowered his head and looked at her bulging belly, his tone full of concern.

"Don't you like it?"

Xue Yueying wiped her tears with a handkerchief, gently pushed him away, and straightened her clothes.

"Go away. I can't serve you in this state..."

"Am I the kind of person who only wants sex?"

"You are. You have always been like this. Go away quickly. If someone sees you, no one will dare to tell the prince, but I will be even more embarrassed..."

Li Yan listened to her complaints and couldn't help but chuckled, "Don't worry, I have sent all the guards around. Now it's just you and me, and no one will know if we talk privately..."

Xue Yueying lowered her head, touched her face, and didn't look at him.

She knew she must look very ugly at the moment - her eyes were swollen from crying, her hair was messy, her makeup was mottled, and she looked haggard. She was no longer the pretty girl she was that day...

So a trace of suspicion arose in my heart.

She asked, "You didn't even bother to care for me that day... Why did you come to see me again tonight?"

A complex emotion flashed in Li Yan's eyes. Hearing her trembling voice and the look in her eyes full of uneasiness, he sighed slightly and hugged her in his arms again.

"It is I who have let you down..."

"I am in a difficult situation now. It is really hard. I beg Your Majesty to have mercy on me..."

Xue Yueying's tone was so light that it was almost inaudible.

Li Yan hugged her gently without answering. He brushed aside her tangled hair and lowered his head to kiss her.

Xue Yueying choked up softly, her body weakened, and she fell into his arms...

Do you feel that the Chinese New Year is busier than usual? Day after day, it feels like you are busy from morning till night, and there is no end to your work...

Li Zhao: I also want to celebrate the New Year and wish everyone peace.

Xue Sui: Go away!