Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 130 Transformed into a Wolf
Arah stared at the woman in front of him, not daring to recognize her for a moment.

"Are you really His Highness Wen Jia? But the spies reported that... that..."

"But you're saying that I'm a coward and weak person, and have been bullied by my husband for many years?"

Wen Jia chuckled.

Immediately, her expression became stern, and her eyes were full of determination.

"After being a lamb for twenty years, I also want to grow fangs, try to be reborn, and transform into a wolf—"

Arach's wrinkled eyes suddenly became moist.

Her eyes were firm, her gestures were graceful, and her expression was calm and confident. She was completely different from the Princess Wen Jia in the spy's report...

"Don't I look like a princess?"

Wen Jia opened her red lips slightly, smiling.

Before she met Xue Sui, she was indeed a lamb imprisoned in a cage, at the mercy of others. She was choking from the fear and cowardice, and dared not break free from the invisible shackles, face the storms of the world, or even explore herself.

But today is different from the past.

Someone told her that she deserved a new life.
She deserves everything.

She can also transform into a phoenix that overlooks everything.

Wen Jia took off her veil, and the soft cloud-like gauze, like the haze of the past, slipped quietly from her fingertips.

"People in the palace often say that my mother and I look very similar. Please take a closer look. Are we similar?"

"Similar. Exactly like you! Your mother, Princess Senna, was about your age when she left Redwater City..." Arach's throat rolled violently under the light and shadow. His palm fell on the wolf tooth pendant on his chest and he bent down and bowed deeply.

Seeing this, several Hu merchants also bowed and saluted Wen Jia.

"Hurry up and get rid of the gift."

This was the first time in Wen Jia’s life that he saw someone from his mother’s hometown.

"You are all elders, please take a seat and let's sit down and talk slowly."

The corner lights flickered, and the light and shadows swayed.

Arah stared at Wen Jia, as if he wanted to look through his eyes and travel through the long river of time to find the smile of his beloved daughter Mu Ya.

"Princess, have you ever met Mu Ya, my daughter..."

His voice was unclear, and his beard trembled slightly. He seemed to be afraid that Wen Jia didn't know the details, and hurriedly added: "In the twelfth year of Jingyuan in Daliang, Mu Ya followed the envoy of Xizi and went to Daliang with Princess Senna to marry. Around the third year of Chongzhao, there was no news..."

"I've met Aunt Mu Ya." A trace of reminiscence flashed in Wen Jia's eyes, and he said slowly: "She is very beautiful. My mother once said that her eyes are the color of the Gobi Desert. When she smiles, it's like the rising sun shining on the sea of ​​sand..."

She used a soft voice to describe the appearance of the Sith woman.

"It's a pity that the years in the palace did not take away her smile, but she died tragically at the hands of Princess Pingle..."

Arach stood up suddenly, his eyes full of shock and grief.

"Is she really...really dead? Was it really that evil woman Pingle who did it?"

Wen Jia nodded slowly.

Arah covered his face and cried, and his whole body seemed to become more hunched over in an instant.

"When the Xizi envoys came to Daliang for marriage, the old priest divined and said it was a good omen..."

The tea in the celadon bowl ripples slightly.

Wen Jia was silent for a moment before he said, "When we arrived in Shangjing, my mother and Aunt Mu Ya were sent to Prince Ji's Mansion, which is the current emperor's residence. My mother said that Aunt Mu Ya was kind-hearted and had no defenses against others. On the seventh day of arriving at the palace, she almost lost her life because she drank poisoned wine by mistake. Later, Prince Ji severely punished the maid who poisoned her, but the rash on Aunt Mu Ya's face did not heal for a long time. Until Prince Ji ascended the throne, she was not able to sleep with him and had no status. During those years, she was always by my mother's side..."

In the deep palace, women who are not favored have a hard time surviving.

Arach murmured, "Whenever Mu Ya wrote to me, she always said that she was living a good life. She said that Shangjing was prosperous and lively, the crabapple flowers were blooming beautifully, and she had made many friends and got along well with them. She never mentioned the bitterness and grievances..."

Wen Jia was speechless.

She knew very well that if she were in his place, she would also only report good news and not bad news.

As a "gift" from the Xizi Kingdom to the Emperor of Daliang, for the safety of her people, she had no right to talk about her hardships.

She said, "After my mother gave birth to me, the imperial physician diagnosed that she could no longer have children. She had no prince, so she was much more peaceful. In those years, she and Aunt Mu Ya were very cautious. Although they were looked down upon by others, they had no worries about food and clothing. Until the Xianning Incident, the situation at the border between Xizi and Daliang became tense..."

Arach burst into tears.

Just hearing a few words was enough to make me feel extremely sad.

One can imagine how much suffering his poor daughter endured in the deep palace.

Arach asked: "Since then, I have not received any letters from Muya. What happened?"

Wen Jia said: "After the Shangsi Festival that year, the Queen Mother held a banquet in Qujiang. At the banquet, I accidentally broke Princess Pingle's newly acquired jade cup. Pingle actually ordered two maids to splash cold water on me and slap me... Aunt Mu Ya was beaten by Pingle on the bank of the Qujiang Lake for being disrespectful in order to protect me. My mother was also banished to the cold palace..."

Since then, she has started a lifelong nightmare.

Wen Jia slowly raised his wrist and lifted up the wide sleeves.

She can now face those horrific scars calmly.

But it frightened several strong men so much that their eyes instantly turned red.

As the princess of the current emperor, she still suffered such hardships. What kind of experience would Senna and Mu Ya, who married far away in the past, have?
"Too deceiving!"

The teacup between Arach's fingers broke with a "snap". "No matter how kind a hyena pretends to be, it can't hide its evil intentions. You are not punished for breaking Pingle's jade cup... It's clear that Daliang is making things difficult for you to protest to Xizi..."

In fact, when Wen Jia blamed himself for his recklessness, A Niang also said something like this.

Even if she didn't break Pingle's jade cup, she would have found other excuses to embarrass Xizi...

"Aunt Mu Ya always said that the sunset in Chishui City is more magnificent than that in Shangjing."

"Whenever the wind blows, she hangs camel bells on the eaves, saying that this way she can hear the sound of the surging tide in the sea of ​​sand in her hometown..."

Wen Jia took out a wolf bone flute from his arms and gently placed it on the table.

"Aunt Mu Ya entrusted this to me before she died."

"She told me that before she came to the capital to marry, she had a man she loved, and this wolf bone flute was given to her by that man. She can never go back to Redwater City in this lifetime. If one day, this wolf bone flute can return to her hometown, she will have no regrets..."

Before she finished her words, Alim beside her burst into tears.

"I am sorry to Mu Ya. I shouldn't care about the elders' admonitions and shouldn't be afraid of those worldly views... I should take her away!"

Wen Jia looked at him.

Suddenly I understood a lot.

In a trance, I seemed to see someone spurring a horse and whipping it. The sound of the wolf bone flute was accompanied by a girl's silver bell-like laughter, which penetrated the rustling golden leaves of the poplar forest...

All the past events of more than 20 years ago were now ground into dust in Alim's tearful eyes...

Time has passed, people are gone, and there is no looking back.

Each generation has its own misses and regrets...

Just like she and Lu Youan, they were not destined to be together and it was not up to anyone.

Arach gripped the wolf bone flute tightly, and veins bulged on the back of his hand.

"The Emperor of Daliang broke my eagle's wings, and Princess Pingle broke the pearl in my palm. One day, my Xizi's cavalry will break through the twelve gates of Daliang and enter Shangjing——"

This low shout was like thunder coming out of nowhere, breaking through walls.

Xue Sui leaned against the carved window, tapping the table with his fingertips to keep rhythm.

Outside the window, in some theater, someone was singing "Autumn in the Han Palace", and the sad and melodious sound of the hu string instrument reached my ears.

"This play is much more exciting than the one on the Lantern Festival."

Xue Sui looked at the bright lights in the distance and smiled slightly, "Isn't that right, Your Highness?"

The room was very quiet.

Li Zhao walked out steadily from the shadow of the lamp, dipped his fingertips in the tea and lightly hooked the table, seeming to disagree.

"If it's not wonderful, how can it be worthy of the Yan Luo album of peace?"

Xue Sui's eyes widened, then he smiled.

"Your Highness has checked very carefully."

The two looked at each other, and Xue Sui slowly stood up.

"The gong has rung! It's getting late. I must go."

She raised her foot to walk away, and suddenly seemed to think of something, turned her head and smiled.

"The plum wine from the East Palace is unforgettable. Your Highness, bring another jar next time."

She said she was leaving and she left without any hesitation.

Li Zhao stretched out his hand, pressed against the door panel, and suddenly leaned over, pressing his knuckles silently. His sleeves, mixed with the man's scent, gently brushed against Xue Sui's ear...

"Are you leaving like this?"

Xue Sui looked him up and down, then looked at the unfinished chess game and the already cooled tea, and the corners of his lips curled up slightly.

"What else? Do I have to pay?"

Li Zhaoli stood in front of her and looked at her coldly.

Xue Sui took his hand away, bowed and said, "Goodbye."

The figure flashed and left silently.

Li Zhao lightly touched the slightly mottled door frame with his fingertips and slowly sat back in his original position. His face, which had been calm and kind just now, suddenly became cold and his whole body seemed to be frozen.

The noisy inn and the thoughtful prince.

Lai Fu hesitated for a long time before he walked in cautiously, bending over and smiling apologetically.

"My Lord, it's getting late. We should go back to the palace."

Li Zhao stood up and straightened his clothes. He was wearing a gorgeous robe with cloud patterns and a jade belt around his waist, which made him look tall and straight and his tone seemed even more stern.

"Have someone keep an eye on the Prince's Mansion. If Xue Liu makes any mistake, have them bring his head to justice!"

Lai Fu responded and sighed quietly.

One life, two lives.

I'm afraid the prince can't break this bond.