Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 179 Warning
The candlelight flickered inside the antique shop.

Cold sweat rolled down Mr. Qiu's forehead, wetting his neck.

Li Zhao's fingers tapped the rim of the teacup intermittently, the crisp sound of the celadon striking each other like a death warrant from the King of Hell. Mr. Qiu's knees buckled, and he knelt down.

"Your Highness, spare your life!"

He trembled violently, and when he caught a glimpse of the python pattern embroidered exclusively for the Eastern Palace on Li Zhao's sleeve, his voice trembled even more.

"Just now, when Prince Duan asked about the Love Silk Gu, I really didn't say anything..."

Li Zhao smiled casually, his aura icy.

"So, you know about the Love Silk Curse..."

Mr. Qiu was visibly shaken and hurriedly waved his hands in denial.

"No, no, no, I know nothing about it. I've only heard snippets of talk about it, and I've never been involved in witchcraft..."

Li Zhao raised his eyebrows slightly, and the black jade thumb ring on his finger gleamed with a cold light.

"The Prince of Duan will come after you. Does that mean you have connections with the Seven Gates of the Big Dipper?"

Mr. Qiu's smile suddenly froze.

The four characters "Beidou Qimen" struck my heart like a heavy hammer.

How can I say this so that I can die a good death?

Mr. Qiu glanced at Li Zhao, his voice so low it was almost inaudible.

"I, I am but a humble man, doing small business in the Old Mausoleum Swamp. Occasionally, when an opportunity arises, I act as a go-between, running errands and gathering information in the Old Mausoleum Swamp to earn a meager living... I have truly never had any dealings with the Seven Gates of the Big Dipper..."

Li Zhao chuckled lightly, "You're very tight-lipped."

Suddenly, he turned his head and looked at Guanya with a cold expression.

"Since he refuses to tell the truth, keeping his tongue is of no use..."

Guan Yagong responded respectfully.

Mr. Qiu looked at the tall man, who seemed like a demon god, pressing down on him. He was so frightened that his heart pounded and he almost fainted.

"Your Highness, spare me! Your Highness, please spare me! I truly didn't know anything..."

Suddenly, the copper bell under the eaves rang.

A gentle breeze swept by, carrying with it a faint, almost imperceptible sound of a flute.

He felt a chill and suddenly looked up.

A moment later, the sound of the flute stopped outside the door.

A pale white figure gracefully arrived, its wide sleeves brushing against the lintel, creating a soft rustling sound in the wind.

The man seemed like an otherworldly immortal, dressed as a wandering knight-errant, more like a free-spirited scholar. He wore a light veiled hat, concealing his handsome face, but even so, his refined and otherworldly demeanor still commanded respect.

"His Highness the Crown Prince is quite interested in matters of the martial world."

Tian Shu held the Ling Qiong Xiao flute in his hand, with one hand behind his back.

A cool and elegant voice echoed softly in the quiet antique shop.

Li Zhao's fingertips paused on the wooden table, his eyes slightly narrowed, a nonchalant smile playing on his lips.

"Are you the legendary envoy from the Old Mausoleum Marsh?"

Tian Shu remained silent.

There is neither confession nor denial.

He simply walked steadily closer, took out a silver needle from his sleeve, and gently pressed it on Mr. Qiu's acupoint where he was unconscious.

The old shopkeeper swayed and fell to the ground with a thud.

Tian Shu then sat down unhurriedly.

"His Highness the Crown Prince's visit suggests he's more interested in the Love Silk Gu..."

"You seem quite aware of my private affairs," Li Zhao chuckled, a hint of coldness playing on his lips, his handsome face as frosty as the dead of winter. "The debt of two hundred thousand wronged souls from the Old Mausoleum Swamp, are you planning to pin it on me?"

"Your Highness, you misunderstand. The past of the Old Mausoleum Swamp has long since vanished like smoke with the fall of the previous dynasty. For many years, we have lived in seclusion in the city and wandered the world, simply trying to survive and make a living."

Li Zhao: "Then what brings you here to see me, Your Excellency?" Tian Shu pursed his lips slightly, paused for a moment, and asked: "Your Highness's visit to Mr. Qiu is not to remove the Gu poison from his body? I am willing to do so."

Li Zhao snorted coldly.

"Compared to unraveling the curse, I am more interested in the Old Mausoleum Swamp."

He seemed to have known everything all along, and gave a confident, cold laugh.

"Princess Wenjia's painting 'Fairy Maidens Offering Longevity' must have come from the Old Mausoleum, right? I never imagined that the Old Mausoleum's influence had already reached into the deep palace..."

Tian Shu remained calm and spoke softly.

"Your Highness is the Crown Prince, of noble status, and has no grudge against the Old Mausoleum. Why are you being so aggressive? The Old Mausoleum is a place of martial arts, and never interferes in court affairs... However, if Your Highness has any requests, the Old Mausoleum will open its doors for business..."

As he spoke, Tian Shu gently pointed his finger at the gold in front of Li Zhao.

“As long as someone is willing to pay, Old Tomb Swamp will make a move.”

His meaning was crystal clear: whether it was breaking the Love Silk Curse or helping Li Zhao overthrow Prince Duan, it could all be achieved through monetary transactions.

Everything the old mausoleum did was for business, and had nothing to do with personal grudges or affections.

But in Li Zhao's view, the more they try to distance themselves, the more they only make things worse.

Li Zhao smiled slightly, poured a cup of tea, and placed it in front of Tian Shu.

The tea soup rippled slightly.

He looked up, his eyes reflecting the shimmering light of the tea.

"I have no desire to meddle in matters of the martial world, nor should I concern myself with matters of the imperial court."

Tian Shu met his cold, sharp gaze with composure, letting the tense atmosphere permeate his vision, his tone clear and melodious.

"The old mausoleum has never intended to offend Your Highness."

Li Zhao's smile deepened: "Since the envoy is so frank, then I'll lay my words out here. To think you can control me with poison is a pipe dream. If you only want to protect Xue Ping'an, you'd better not overstep your bounds. Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Suddenly, a night owl cried out outside the window.

Li Zhao tossed the gold ingot he had been playing with back in front of Tian Shu, then calmly got up and strode away without a ripple of emotion.

"Farewell."

Tian Shu remained seated, not rising to see him off, watching Li Zhaoguang's sleeves flutter, the jade pendant at his waist drawing a dazzling silver arc, his dark eyes calm as still water.

"Your Highness, please proceed with caution."
-
The following morning, the main gate of the Xue residence was opened wide.

As Xue Sui helped Xue Yuechen out of the carriage, they just saw the carriage from the Prince of Wei's residence drive away from the alley entrance.

As the carriage curtains fluttered, the ashen face of the Chief Secretary of the King of Wei could be vaguely seen.

Xue Qingzhi stood on the stone steps outside the ceremonial gate, his back ramrod straight. The faint sobbing of Ninth Sister Xue Yue'e drifted from behind the hanging flower gate.

"Father, are you well?" Xue Yuechen bowed with impeccable manners.

"What's going on?"

Xue Sui followed suit and bowed, but when he caught a glimpse of Xue Qingzhi's expression, he understood the situation.

"Sister, let's go inside and talk."

In the inner room of the main house, Old Madam Cui sat upright on the daybed, her hands moving rapidly through the prayer beads.

Seeing Xue Yuechen and Xue Sui enter, he quickly waved for them to come closer, ordered someone to bring over brocade stools for them to sit on, and sighed repeatedly.

"Eldest sister, sixth sister, and your ninth sister hanged herself this morning!"

Xue Yuechen's fingertips trembled: "Was the person saved?"

"She was saved..." The old lady closed her eyes listlessly, her expression full of worry.

"But she was hanging from the roof beam in her undergarments when she was spotted by the Chief Secretary of the Prince of Wei... The Chief Secretary was just coming to deliver her betrothal letter. If this got out, it would inevitably cause gossip, saying that she would rather die than become a second wife... This time, she has probably offended the Prince of Wei's mansion."

Xue Yuechen frowned slightly.

This is unlike Xue Yue'e's personality.

If she didn't hurry up and show off her status as a princess, where would she get the courage to commit suicide?