Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 183 Returning Together
The autumn chill lingers...

The distant sound of the bell from Puji Temple startled countless birds into flight.

Incense smoke curled and candlelight illuminated the main hall. Dozens of monks in grey robes were chanting sutras, their voices deep and resonant.

Xue Sui and Wen Jia knelt on the prayer mat for about half a cup of tea's time until the morning bell rang, at which point the morning lessons finally ended.

"Peace." Wen Jia gently lifted himself up, his voice tinged with weariness.

"Do you think the Empress Dowager will really believe that the painting is Ye Sheng's original work and start treating me and my mother differently from now on?"

She felt uneasy about the sudden favor bestowed upon her.

Xue Sui gazed at the lotus lamp on the offering table, the flames dancing in her eyes.

The Empress Dowager had spent half her life manipulating events in the palace, and had long since hardened her heart to the bone, but she was not the kind of person who could easily abandon her conscience...

"The Empress Dowager doesn't believe in paintings, medicine books, or so-called divine will," she said softly. "It's because she feels guilty... The death of Consort Xue, the misfortune of Consort Wan, which one wasn't related to her? The birthday gift you brought can just remove the shackles from her heart, freeing her from the burden of sin and sleepless nights."

Wen Jia nodded, her gaze falling on the jade bracelet on her wrist—a gift from the Empress Dowager yesterday.

"Having been a princess for so many years, I've finally tasted the favor of the imperial family. A golden branch and jade leaf, truly prestigious. No wonder Ping Le is so arrogant and domineering. If I had been pampered and spoiled since childhood, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to resist being willful and reckless..."

She gave a self-deprecating laugh and sighed, then suddenly stopped speaking, her expression darkening.

"Ping Le was sent back to the Princess's residence, which temporarily put an end to the turmoil. No one expected that His Majesty would favor her so much... and spare her again."

What a profound fatherly love this is.

Not only Wenjia couldn't understand it...

Xue Sui was the same.

I wonder if there are truly fathers in the world who love their children so much. But Emperor Chongzhao, as an emperor with many children, doted on Ping Le the most. Such deep paternal affection is inconceivable in an imperial family…

Xue Sui couldn't help but recall seeing Li Zhao's gloomy face and tense back when he passed by Zhuque Street this morning, and smiled faintly.

"The cycle of karma is predetermined; it's just a matter of time. Some people will eventually pay the price for their actions."

She stood up and looked at the morning mist gradually dissipating outside the palace. "Princess, it's getting late. Let's go have our vegetarian meal."

Wen Jia stood up in response, straightened his clothes, and left the main hall with her.

Several maids followed closely behind.

Just as I turned the corner of the hall, I saw a young novice monk hurrying over, his steps quick.

“Esteemed benefactors, a vegetarian meal has been prepared in the meditation room on the east side. Please follow me.”

Several exquisite vegetarian dishes were already laid out in the meditation room. Tofu was steaming with thin white vapor, and the aroma of mushrooms mingled with the fragrance of bamboo shoots.

Wenjia was starving, so he washed his hands and sat down.

"I've been waiting for this day! The vegetarian food at Puji Temple is excellent... Last time I came here for a few days of meditation, my stomach became quite picky, and I've been craving it for a long time..."

She smiled and began to serve the dishes, but Xue Sui had no appetite.

Just now, the young novice monk slipped a wax pill into her palm as he brushed past her while serving food.

She avoided people, crushed the sealing wax with her fingertips, and saw a few words on the note.

"The bamboo forest path behind the mountain".

Xue Sui calmly tossed the note into the incense burner. Just as the embers licked the corner of the paper, footsteps sounded outside the door.

"Madam, Princess Duan has sent someone to inquire when you will return to the manor."

Wen Jia paused slightly in his chopsticks and looked towards Xue Sui.

Xue Sui's expression was calm, and his tone was detached yet considerate. "Judging from the sky, there might be a sudden downpour soon. By the time we finish copying the scriptures, it will be quite late. I will stay with the princess at Puji Temple for the night. Please inform the princess that I will return before noon tomorrow."

The man acknowledged and withdrew.

Xue Sui sat down, grasped Wen Jia's hand tightly, and said earnestly, "Please trouble the princess to cover for me for two hours. I will definitely return by the time dusk..."

Wen Jia nodded and gently squeezed her fingertips. "Go ahead. If anyone asks, just say that you and I were bathing and burning incense in the clean room, quietly copying scriptures, and no one is allowed to disturb us—we will not give ourselves away."

Xue Sui thanked her, called Ruyi over, gave her a few instructions, then hurriedly changed clothes with her, opened the window, and quietly climbed out through the side gate of the backyard.

Ruyi then put on her outer robe and sat down with Wenjia at the table, copying the scriptures stroke by stroke...
-
Prince Duan's Mansion.

In the flower hall of Yingyue Residence, the incense burner emitted wisps of smoke, and the faint fragrance made people drowsy.

"This pure orchid fragrance is truly exquisite..."

Princess Ruihe personally poured tea and pushed it in front of Xue Yuechen. The white jade bracelet on her wrist clinked against the celadon, and her soft, sweet voice sounded lazy and rather charming.

"Tea and incense are best enjoyed in slow conversation."

Xue Yuechen frowned slightly. "Thank you for your trouble, Princess. However, I have been feeling unwell lately and have not been enjoying tea."

Princess Ruihe noticed her defensiveness and aloofness, and raised an eyebrow slightly, revealing a hint of resentment.

"Your Highness is so fortunate, favored by the Prince and blessed with a son. It's truly enviable. Unlike me, ever since I returned to the capital, I've been plagued by nightmares every night, unable to find peace..."

As she said this, she seemed to have mustered up her courage.

"I heard that Lady Ping An once made a calming sachet for the Prince, which was quite effective. Ever since he got this sachet, my second brother has neglected the beauties in the inner quarters and has been doting on the Princess and her sisters..."

Xue Yuechen felt a chill run down her spine.

This matter was known to no one except the inner quarters of the Prince's residence.

How did she, an outsider, hear that?

Prince?

A chill suddenly ran down Xue Yuechen's spine, and her expression turned cold, showing some displeasure.

"They are just ordinary items for young ladies, please forgive my rudeness, Princess."

Princess Ruihe suddenly covered her lips with a handkerchief, her eyes glistening with what seemed like tears. "I feel a connection with the Princess, so I won't stand on ceremony. I've heard that the sachet can ward off inner demons. I wonder if the Princess would be willing to part with a few? It would allow me to sleep peacefully and find a good match soon..."

Xue Yuechen lowered her eyes, gently sniffed the tea, and calmly put it down, a smile spreading across her eyes.

“If the princess likes it, I should deliver it to her personally. However, this calming sachet was specially prepared by my sister for the prince, and he treasures it dearly. If I were to make this decision on my own, I fear the prince would blame me…”

She slightly raised her eyes, a faint smile on her face.

"The princess and the prince are both from the same imperial family and have a brother-sister relationship. The prince would certainly not refuse the princess's request. Perhaps... the princess could ask the prince for it?"

Ruihe was speechless.

What a wonderful Princess Consort Duan!

Everyone said she was gentle and delicate, but little did they know she was quite formidable.

If Li Huan was willing to see her, would she need to come to the Duan Prince's mansion to try and get close to his princess?

"Princess!" A little maid rushed in, glanced at Xue Yuechen, and whispered a few words in Ruihe's ear.

Princess Ruihe's expression changed, and she hurriedly got up to take her leave.

"Your Highness, I have troubled you greatly today. I will come again another day to pay my respects to Your Highness."

Xue Yuechen politely got up and escorted her to the entrance of the Prince's Mansion.

"Jade." Watching the carriage disappear into the distance, she asked softly, "Don't you think the princess's behavior today was rather strange?"

Jade couldn't stand Princess Ruihe visiting every few days, using the pretense of friendship to deliberately get close to the prince.

Hearing this, she curled her lip, "What could be so strange about her? She's just trying to curry favor with the prince."

"Not necessarily." Xue Yuechen shook her head, gazing at the churning dark clouds in the sky. "I think she seems to be hiding something. Could she be planning something?"

As she spoke, she seemed to remember something and suddenly stopped.

"What do you think about Sixth Sister? Will she be alright?" The prince ordered her to keep an eye on Xue Liu, but she let him go alone. If something happened to her at Puji Temple, she wouldn't know how to explain it to Li Huan...

Jade disagreed and helped her walk inside, saying, "Your Highness, don't overthink it. Just take care of yourself and don't worry about these trivial matters."

Xue Yuechen nodded helplessly, feeling very uneasy.
-
Xue Sui wandered around the bamboo forest behind Puji Temple. After about a quarter of an hour, he descended the mountain via the bamboo path and took a detour to Youhuang Residence.

The sky was overcast and grew darker and darker.

Layer upon layer of dark clouds piled up, and before they were even halfway there, the dense rain, like fine, gleaming silver needles, began to fall in a flurry...

Laifu braved the rain, carrying a copper kettle, intending to refill his master's water.

The tea on the table, still steaming, remained untouched.

His Highness the Crown Prince sat at the desk, wiping his sword, exuding an aura that kept strangers at bay.

"Your Highness..."

The soft creaking of the window frame interrupted Laifu's words.

He glanced over warily, about to ask a question, when Li Zhao coldly said, "Go down."

"Yes."

"Close the door properly."

Lai Fu dared not linger any longer and retreated in response.

The door had just closed when the window creaked open in the wind.

Forced by circumstances, Xue Sui also tried climbing through the window. She came in amidst the rain and dampness, with a wisp of grass still clinging to her hair. Despite this, she looked quite pretty, with bright eyes and a more lively and charming demeanor than usual.

Li Zhao raised his eyes and sneered.

"Madam seems quite leisurely. Have you finished copying the scriptures at Puji Temple?"

"It is not as much trouble as Your Highness has gone through." Xue Sui brushed the grass off his head, glanced at the gold-plated medicine bottle on the table, smelled the medicine in the air, and then looked at Li Zhao's shoulder.

"Your Highness's shoulder injury hasn't healed yet? I didn't notice it when I looked at you during the day..."

Li Zhao's eyes were cold and sharp. "You know the answer already, why are you pretending to be so high and mighty?"

Once Xue Sui became acquainted with him, she became less formal. Seeing him sitting upright with a sullen face, silently wiping his sword and ignoring her completely, she knew he was angry because he hadn't come to Youhuang Residence that night.

She smiled, unperturbed, and slowly sat down, then peered at the official documents on his desk.

"Didn't they say the Love Silk Flower had sprouted? I've come to take a look..."

Li Zhao reached out and snatched a secret letter from in front of her, then casually tossed it into the brazier.

The flickering firelight illuminated his somber face, which appeared icy cold.

A sudden gust of cool wind outside the window caused the firelight to flicker violently, almost extinguishing it.

There was a deathly silence all around.

Xue Sui's hand missed its target. She casually rolled up her sleeves, poured herself a cup of cool tea, drank it without ceremony, and then slowly smiled at him.

"Your Highness is being so cautious, does he not consider me one of his own? How can we work together to break this deadlock if he keeps things hidden?"

Li Zhao lowered his eyes and fiddled with the tassel of his sword, still ignoring him.

Xue Sui raised his eyes, "It's just a matter of verifying the equipment of the Divine Arm Battalion. Just because Your Highness won't let me see it, does that mean I don't know?"

“Madam knows far too much.” Li Zhao’s expression turned cold. Suddenly, he flicked his wrist, and the gleaming sword drew a cold line, firmly pressing against her throat.

The movements were swift, yet the force was as gentle as a lover's touch.

"Aren't you afraid of being silenced?"

Xue Sui's eyelids twitched slightly.

The man's clean scent mingled with the lingering fragrance of incense burning in the room, wafting into the air.

The silk ribbon she used to tie Li Zhaoyong that night is now tied around his wrist, like a silent bond, stirring up secret and alluring memories...

Xue Sui advanced instead of retreating, her crimson lips almost touching his chin.

"Isn't King Xiz's wolfish ambition more worthy of our fear than mine?"

A warm and familiar scent was right next to him, and a raging fire seemed to tear at his chest and abdomen, causing an inexplicable restlessness to surge rapidly. Li Zhao's body stiffened, as if he had turned to stone.

He took a moment to come to his senses and abruptly pushed her away.

"What do you want?"

Xue Sui straightened his clothes and said slowly, "I need Your Highness's help to find out the henchmen of the King of Xiz in Shangjing."

Li Zhao sneered, "What makes you think I would help you?"

"Your Highness also wants to secure your position as Crown Prince and doesn't want Ashina's conspiracy to succeed and destroy the Li family's empire."

Xue Sui stared intently into his eyes.

Li Zhao was silent for a moment, then suddenly called her name, "Xue Ping'an".

Xue Sui nodded obediently, lowered his eyes and tucked his sleeves.

"Does Your Highness have any instructions?"

Li Zhao stared at her silently, his sharp gaze like two blazing flames, threatening to set the stray hairs at her temples ablaze and tear a hole in her heart, to see right through her.

"You went to great lengths to meddle in this mess, just to help me achieve my grand ambition?"

Xue Sui: "Of course not."

Seeing the undercurrents surging in his eyes, she glanced at him and slightly turned the beaded bracelet on her wrist.

"We are in the same boat, sharing both good and bad fortune, and each of us will get what we need."

Li Zhao stared at her with a complicated look in his eyes, his voice slightly hoarse: "Knowing that our fates are different and we will never be able to meet, why bother going through this ordeal?"

Xue Sui was taken aback.

Even His Highness the Crown Prince sometimes falls for someone else's feelings.
Did he think she got involved in the court intrigue in order to be with him, and blindly believed that the two of them would never be able to stay together?
funny!

The Love Curse is truly harmful; look how worried he is...

Xue Sui raised his head and met Li Zhao's dejected gaze.

"Why worry about whether the future will be smooth or rough? If Heaven has eyes, it will have pity on us. Fate has bound us together. Let's go as far as we can, one step at a time..."

Li Zhao's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he looked at her for a long time. "How confident are you?"

"Seventy percent." Xue Sui knew he was asking about the purge of the Xiz assassins, so he held up a finger to indicate, "As long as Your Highness does as I say."

As the two were talking, they suddenly heard footsteps outside.

Li Zhao frowned. "What's going on?"

A guard rushed in and knelt on one knee. "Your Highness, Princess Ruihe has gone to Puji Temple for some reason, saying that Xiz's spy is hidden in Lady Ping'an's room..."

Princess Ruihe?

Xue Sui was slightly startled and exchanged a glance with Li Zhao.

"I have to go."

Li Zhao suddenly grabbed her wrist, the candlelight casting a fiery glow on his pupils.

"Don't panic, I'll go with you."

Two chapters combined. Goodnight, readers!