Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 109 Catch the adulterer
The night was as dark as ink, with dark clouds rolling in, and a storm swept across Prince Duan's villa.

An old woman hurriedly stepped through the puddles and rushed to Qinghe Courtyard in a panic.

This is the residence of Princess Duan Xue Yuechen, which is very quiet during the day.

There were many distinguished guests staying at the villa today. Xue Yuechen was busy running around to show her hospitality. It was not until this moment that she had some free time. She sat down to change her clothes and remove her makeup, ready to rest...

"Is the prince still in the study?" she said as she took off her earrings and placed them gently on the dressing table.

The maid Yuzhu said, "Replying to the princess, I just ran into Aji and he said that the prince had something to do and would not come tonight, so he asked the princess to rest early."

Xue Yuechen frowned slightly, said nothing, and a barely perceptible hint of disappointment flashed across his face.

"Will he go to Liushangyangui?"

The courtyard was spacious and bright, and was personally arranged by Li Huan for Xue Liu...

Do you want to consummate your marriage with her tonight?

As she was thinking, a maid came in to report: "Princess, there is a woman who claims to be sweeping the floor at Haitang Fengheng and wants to see you for something urgent."

Xue Yue looked at Feicui carefully and said, "Let her in."

The old woman was soaked to the skin, with rain dripping down her clothes. She was panting, and before she could even stand still, she hurriedly offered a handkerchief and said with a greasy smile:
"My Lady Princess, my surname is Zhang and I work in Haitang Courtyard. This is the handkerchief I found at the foot of the wall outside the courtyard..."

Xue Yuechen sat in front of the dressing table, letting the maid comb her hair. She frowned when she heard the words, "Pick up a handkerchief, why are you so flustered?"

The old woman bowed and said tremblingly, "I saw Madam Ping'an, taking advantage of the night, going to the Begonia Courtyard at the end of the Nine-Curved Corridor, and happened to drop this handkerchief at the foot of the wall outside the Prince's Gate..."

Xue Yuechen's face suddenly darkened and he stared at her coldly.

"Don't say such suspicious words. If you dare to make such a fuss, you'll have to watch out for your skin!"

The old woman nodded repeatedly, with beads of sweat on her forehead.

"I saw Madam Ping'an hesitated and deliberately dropped her handkerchief, so I, I picked it up and reported it to the princess."

Xue Yuechen motioned to Feicui to bring the handkerchief over.

The corner of the blue satin handkerchief was embroidered with a pair of blooming lotus flowers. Under the candlelight, the dark pattern seemed to be glowing.

Bingtilian?
If it is given to the prince, it is self-evident what the intention is...

Feicui glanced at Xue Yuechen's face and paused her fingers slightly.

"This stitch looks like Sixth Miss's..."

Xue Yuechen pondered for a moment.

At the banquet today, the prince's behavior was indeed a little strange. The sixth sister was in the limelight, so the prince chose her as the leader, which clearly showed that he had other intentions.

Could it be that the two of them really have something to hide?

Xue Yuechen suddenly rubbed the handkerchief into her palm, turned to look at the old woman who was waiting to receive the reward, "You said you found it at the base of the wall where the prince lived?"

"It's absolutely true!" the old woman said, "I saw with my own eyes that Madam Ping'an went to the prince's residence, and the handkerchief fell under the bamboo bushes at the foot of the wall. If I hadn't picked it up first, it would have been picked up by the prince's guards and would have been handed over to the prince..."

Her words were like thunder from a clear sky.

Xue Yuechen felt nervous and at a loss for a moment.

Sixth sister is so smart, how could she do such a stupid thing?

No, this matter must be investigated thoroughly before the prince does.

She raised her hand slightly, motioning Jade to come closer, with a hint of coldness in her eyes.

"Take this maidservant who spreads gossip and stirs up discord to the woodshed and keep her there. Don't let her go out and gossip about other people..."

Xue Sui is a member of the palace. Regardless of whether this matter is true or false, he should not let his servants make up stories at will.

The old woman panicked, her face turned pale with fear, and her body shook like a sieve.

It shouldn't be like this.

The man who gave her the money said that Madam Ping'an was favored by the prince, and the princess was very unhappy about it. She came with a handkerchief to ask for credit, so the princess would reward her handsomely, right?
The old woman knelt down on the blue brick stone with a plop, looked up at Xue Yuechen, took two steps on her knees, and kowtowed like pounding garlic.

"Princess, I am not spreading rumors. Everything I said is true. I just happened to pick up the handkerchief..."

Xue Yuechen turned his eyes sideways and looked at her coldly.

"Put it down!"

After saying that, he asked Yuzhui to help him change his clothes, and then said to Feicui.

"Hold the lamp, follow me to the willows and the smoke returns."

Emerald responded, "Yes."
-
The smoke returns to the willows.

Jinshu was sorting clothes in boxes in the inner room. When he heard that the princess had arrived, he quickly put down the work in his hands, walked out quickly with Ruyi, and bowed respectfully.

Xue Yuechen looked stern and asked, "Where's the sixth sister?"

Jinshu hesitated slightly, "Princess, the Madam is not in the room."

Xue Yuechen snorted coldly, "Where can she go in such heavy rain?"

Jinshu said, "Madam took the manuscript and went out, saying that she would go with Miss Gu San to ask Mr. Zhao for advice on poetry..."

When Xue Yuechen heard this, his face instantly turned gloomy.

"I invited her to Tingyuxuan for supper earlier, saying she was not feeling well. Now that it's getting dark, she is in the mood to discuss poetry with someone?"

Upon hearing this, Jinshu lowered his head and said nothing.

Seeing her like this, Xue Yuechen felt even more suspicious and asked, "Are you still unwilling to tell the truth? Do you have to wait until something happens to your daughter before you are willing to speak?"

Jinshu bowed hurriedly, and said timidly: "Princess, I used to work for the old lady, so I know the difference between good and bad. When the princess sent someone to invite her to dinner, the lady was indeed feeling unwell. Later, she saw Miss Gu San alone, and was instructed by Miss Si to go find Master Zhao. The lady was worried that it would be inconvenient for her to travel at night, so she was kind enough to go with her to Qixia Pavilion..."

Xue Yuechen frowned, "You said that it was the Fourth Miss who sent the Third Miss Gu to find Mr. Zhao?"

Jinshu hesitated for a moment and stammered, "This...I can't really say. But it sounds like that."

Xue Yuechen pondered secretly.

Xue Si hated Xue Liu so much that he couldn't help but resort to some shady tricks.

Could it be that the old woman who brought the news with a handkerchief was bribed by Xue Si?

If she listened to the instigation of the old woman and rushed to the prince's residence to look for him, not only would she end up in disgrace, but she might also get into big trouble.

Originally, the relationship between Xue Liu and the prince at the last Hundred Flowers Banquet made the prince suspicious, otherwise he would not have personally arranged accommodation for the two of them, and let them live so close to each other.

If she rashly asked, no matter whether Xue Liu and the prince had anything to do with each other, rumors would spread, and the person who would be most embarrassed would be her, the princess...

Good job Xue Si.

Use her as a chess piece.

Do you really think she is stupid and will let others manipulate her?

Xue Yuechen snorted coldly and said indifferently: "This rainy night is long and I can't sleep anyway, so I will go to Qixia Pavilion and listen to them talk about poetry..."

Holding an umbrella with jade pendant and a lantern with jade pendant, she took care of Xue Yuechen in the rain and walked slowly towards Qixia Pavilion.

"boom--"

A bolt of thunder struck.

Suddenly a shout was heard amid the sound of rain.

"A thief is heading up the Jade Steps!"

"Someone come quickly, there is a thief on the jade steps!"

The roar suddenly sounded in the rainy night and quickly spread throughout the villa.

How could a thief break into Prince Duan’s villa?

When Li Huan heard the news, his face changed suddenly.

He was not sure who lived in "Yujie Qingshang" because all these affairs were arranged by his princess consort.

But he knew very well that the Jade Steps was the most secluded place in the entire villa...

Could it be that they... chose that place for their tryst?
Li Huan immediately took several personal guards and rushed up the jade steps like a gust of wind.

Before he even arrived at the place, he noticed something strange.

Along the way, there was not a single guard along the way.

How could he be an ordinary person if he could transfer the guards without anyone noticing and without anyone informing him?
Among the guests staying in the villa tonight, there are less than three people who have this ability.

The prince is one of them...

Li Huan walked out of the courtyard, raised his arm and signaled the guards to wait there.

The guards were silent, lurking in the sound of rain.

Li Huan led two confidants and quietly moved towards the closed door.

The sound of rain covered their footsteps. The people inside could not hear the noise outside. The people outside, full of doubts, suddenly pushed the door open...

"boom--"

A loud bang broke through the rainy night.

Li Huan rushed into the house with the sound of howling rain.

Just then, Xue Yueying was seen with disheveled hair, huddled in the corner of the couch with a look of fear on her face, her clothes in disarray.

And Li Yan's outer robe was hanging on the screen so glaringly.

Li Huan used the tip of his sword to lift open the bed curtain.

"Is it you?"

Xue Yueying screamed "Ah", clutching half of her bellyband, and shyly snuggled into Li Yan's arms.

Li Yanzhong's clothes were open, his expression was extremely embarrassed, and he stammered:

"Brother, this... this is a misunderstanding..."

Seeing this, Li Huan laughed out of anger.

"Good King Wei!"

"What a dignified and virtuous Madam Gu!"

He turned around, not looking at Xue Yueying's half-naked and disheveled body, and walked around the screen in a very gentlemanly manner, giving orders to his subordinates in a deep voice.

"Go, invite the princess over!"

The entire villa was brightly lit, as if it were daytime. Countless lanterns were lit, and the light swayed in the wind and rain, reflecting the faces of people who were either surprised or curious, and they all walked up the jade steps.

Raindrops fell on the bluestone slabs, splashing layers of water.

Xue Sui accompanied Gu Ruoyi and discussed poetry and philosophy with Zhao Hong in Qixia Pavilion.

Hearing the noise outside, he said goodbye to Zhao Hong.

Zhao Hong looked at Gu Ruoyi with tenderness in his eyes.

"It's stormy tonight, Madam Ping'an and Miss Gu San, please be careful on the road."

Gu Ruoyi blushed and nodded slightly.

"Thank you for your concern, Mr. Zhao."

The two of them walked out with their maid holding a lamp and an umbrella.

Gu Ruoyi turned around and looked at Zhao Hong, whose shadow was lengthened by the lights under the eaves, and said to Xue Sui, "I am so grateful to have you here tonight, Sister Xue. If you hadn't been here with me, it would have been awkward for me to come here alone to ask Mr. Zhao for advice..."

Xue Sui said, "I have to thank you very much. If it weren't for Miss Gu San, how could I have heard such brilliant insights? Mr. Zhao is talented and he and Miss Gu San are a perfect match."

Gu Ruoyi lowered her head in shame, and said softly with a shy look.

"Sister Xue, please don't embarrass me..."

The two talked and laughed as they walked along the way. They saw many people hurriedly going up the Jade Steps, saying that they had caught a thief.

Gu Ruoyi frowned in confusion and asked, "How did the thief break into my and my sister-in-law's house?"

Before Xue Sui could answer, she heard someone calling her in the rain and fog.

"Sixth sister."

Xue Sui turned back calmly and looked at Xue Yuechen under the light. Half of her skirt was wet by the rain, but her face still had a dignified and noble expression. He quickly stepped forward with an umbrella and saluted gracefully.

"I've met the princess."

Gu Ruoyi also followed suit and saluted Xue Yuechen.

Xue Yuechen nodded and asked Xue Sui: "Where did you go just now?"

Xue Sui looked calm and spoke what he had prepared beforehand.

It’s exactly the same as what Jinshu said.

Seeing Xue Yuechen's serious expression, Gu Ruoyi seemed to be unconvinced, and she also chimed in: "Princess, Sister Xue and I were in Qixia Pavilion, discussing poetry with Master Zhao. We were together and never separated..."

Xue Yuechen asked: "Did you hear anything just now?"

Xue Sui calmly replied, "I was listening to Miss Gu San and Mr. Zhao discussing poetry and prose. I was so engrossed in it that I didn't hear any unusual sounds."

Xue Yuechen looked at Xue Sui deeply, then looked at Gu Ruoyi, "Sixth sister, please ask Miss Gu San to sit in your room for a while. There's no need to rush back."

Seeing that her tone was wrong, Gu Ruoyi's face changed instantly, and she said anxiously: "Princess, I heard that the thieves entered the Jade Steps, but what happened to my sister-in-law?"

"Nothing, nothing, I'll go over and take a look..."

Xue Yuechen winked at Xue Sui, indicating that she should take Gu Ruoyi away.

After all, Xue Yueying's reputation is also related to the Xue family's reputation.

The servants who knew about it could keep their mouths shut, but how could they keep Gu Ruoyi’s mouth shut?

Once Miss Gu San knew the truth, it would be equivalent to the Jingyuan Marquis Mansion knowing the truth...

Xue Yuechen didn't want things to become too embarrassing.

Unexpectedly, Gu Ruoyi had a kind heart. When she thought of Xue Yueying, who was pregnant and frightened, her eyes immediately turned red with anxiety.

"Princess, please don't comfort me. Something must have happened to my sister-in-law, right? I came to the villa this time because my brother specifically told me to take good care of my sister-in-law. If something happened to my sister-in-law, how could I have the face to go back to see my brother? I shouldn't have left my sister-in-law alone. It's all my fault..."

Before the voice fell, the girl didn't even open her umbrella, but lifted her skirt and ran up the jade steps.

Xue Yuechen: "..."

Xue Sui pretended to be confused, "Princess, what happened?"

Xue Yuechen tightened his fingers.

Thinking of her handkerchief in his arms, his brows furrowed even more tightly.

"Fourth sister is confused. Go and persuade Third Miss Gu later. Don't make a big deal out of this. It will bring shame to our two families..."
-
There was already chaos on the jade steps.

Li Yan slowly put on his clothes behind the screen...

"Brother Emperor..."

Li Huan said coldly: "Don't call me."

Li Yan touched his nose and said awkwardly: "This is indeed my fault. I hope that my royal brother will forgive me."

Li Huan slowly turned around and asked, "What crime can I forgive you for? What you should think about is how to end this mess?"

Li Yan said: "If you don't tell me and I don't tell you, who will know..."

Li Huan looked at him and angrily rebuked him, "It's fine that you are a playboy, but you actually made trouble in my villa. If the Marquis of Jingyuan's mansion knew about this, how would you let them save face? How will the emperor explain to the Marquis of Jingyuan, and how will I explain to him?"

Li Yan looked at his livid face, then saw that he was holding a sword, soaked all over, and looked like he was out to catch someone committing adultery. He couldn't help but feel a little suspicious.

"Brother...why are you here?"

Li Huan's face darkened: "I'm asking you!"

Li Yan laughed awkwardly twice and begged for mercy again and again, "I hope my brother can help me with this matter. Even if it's not for me, it should be for the reputation of your sister-in-law..."

He didn't finish his voice.

A message came from outside.

"The prince has arrived——"

Why is he everywhere?

Li Yan secretly said "not good".

But before he could come up with a solution, Li Zhao rushed in in the rain with a group of guards.

"I heard that there were thieves in the villa, so I came to help..."

Li Yan and Li Huan looked at each other, saluted, and looked at the prince's half-smile, and their hearts sank.

The prince's arrival at this time was definitely not out of good intentions.

"What's wrong? You two brothers don't look well?"

Li Zhao's eyes slowly swept across their faces and asked meaningfully.

"Where is the thief? Where is the thief? The two royal brothers have arrived, why don't you come out to be killed?"

Li Yan opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but before he could say anything, Li Zhao had already walked in with his men.

Li Yan stretched out his hand to stop him: "Your Highness the Crown Prince..."

Li Huan stared quietly at Li Zhao's back and stopped him calmly.

In the room, Xue Yueying had no time to tidy up. She grabbed her clothes with her hands in panic, her hair was loose, and she got off the couch with a panicked look. She didn't dare to look at his face and saluted with her bare feet.

"Greetings, hello, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince..."

Li Zhao chuckled and slowly bent down to pick up a belt at the foot of the couch.

"Isn't this my brother's belt? Why is it on Madam Gu's couch?"

Xue Yueying's face was still full of charm, but she lowered her head in shame when she heard the voice.

"No, not His Royal Highness the Prince of Wei..."

"I didn't say which royal brother it was." Li Zhao smiled slightly, turned his head to look at the embarrassed Li Yan, and raised his eyebrows with a smile.

"So the thief who broke into the villa at night was His Royal Highness the Prince of Wei?"

Xue Yueying felt panicky and her whole body became stiff, as if her tongue was numb. The more she tried to explain, the less clear she became.

"I, I...we...are not, not what His Royal Highness the Crown Prince thinks..."

Li Zhao curled his lips and looked nonchalant, "Mrs. Gu wanted to say that you and my brother took off your clothes in the room just to talk about the song of a young woman's complaint at the banquet?"

He never holds back when speaking, and every word he says is extremely vicious.

Gu Ruoyi rushed into the house in the rain and heard Li Zhao's questioning.

"Sister-in-law, you...?"

The question got stuck in my throat.

Seeing the scene before you, is there anything you don’t understand?
Her voice trembled slightly and her face was full of disbelief.

"you……"

There were only these few people in the room, so it was easy to tell who the thief was.

Gu Ruoyi has a gentle and kind personality. Even if the person who was betrayed was her own brother, she would only bite her lower lip tightly and cry, unable to curse.

But Xue Yue'e is different.

She rushed over after hearing the news, only to catch her fourth sister committing adultery with the King of Wei.

My father had been racking his brains to get her to marry the King of Wei, but my fourth sister got there first.

How could she bear it?

Xue Yue'e was filled with grief and indignation. "Fourth sister, how can you be worthy of your fourth brother-in-law, how can you be worthy of me, how can you be worthy of your father? Prince, brother-in-law, you have to make the decision for me!"

Xue Yuechen came in just after her, and seeing Gu Ruoyi crying, Xue Yue'e furious and ashamed, and the shocking and embarrassing scene before him, he felt a headache.

She looked at Xue Yueying coldly.

"Fourth sister, how can you be so confused?"

When Xue Yueying saw her, she turned around abruptly and pointed at Xue Sui as if she had suddenly found a scapegoat.

"It's her! It was Xue Liubu's plan. She wanted to harm me!"

Two chapters in one, good night, good night~~

Xue Sui: It’s my turn now, is that the end?

Li Zhao: Haha, Happy New Year!