Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 185 Peace and Unease
This storage room is only a few feet away from the wooden door of the meditation room.

If Li Huan had arrived just a little later...

In just a short while, Xue Sui will be able to return to his house safely.

But at this moment, she could neither advance nor retreat...

The sound of Li Huan's black boots splashing through the puddles grew closer and closer...

Li Zhao looked down at Xue Sui, his gaze cold and distant.

Rainwater meandered down the dilapidated window frame, leaving dark watermarks on Li Zhao's black brocade robe.

Xue Sui's back was pressed tightly against his violently heaving chest, and through their soaked clothes, they could clearly count each other's erratic heartbeats...

"Safety……"

With a soft call, Li Huan suddenly stopped.

Their intertwined breaths suddenly stopped.

If Li Huan simply pushes open that dilapidated wooden door and takes a closer look, he will discover them hiding inside...

At that time, everything will be exposed to the light of day, and there will be no turning back.

All plans and schemes will ultimately fail.

Do not!
Xue Sui's breath hitched, and he looked at Li Zhao, shaking his head.

Under no circumstances should we be exposed under such circumstances.

She had to get back to the meditation room before Li Huan.

"You distract him for me," Xue Sui whispered to Li Zhao.

Li Zhao raised his eyebrows slightly, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes. He tightened his arms and shook his head.

"He has become suspicious, and I'm afraid it will backfire."

The two exchanged glances.

Xue Sui understood his meaning perfectly and looked up.

This place is used to store miscellaneous items, not only because it's cramped, but also because there's a large hole in the roof that hasn't been repaired yet.

"There's no other way..."

Xue Sui nodded firmly, squeezed Li Zhao's arm hard, then turned to face him and used the momentum to climb upwards...

A sudden, metallic taste rose in Li Zhao's throat, and the skin close to hers felt like it was being burned by a branding iron—

Damn love potion!

This insidious creature is most vulnerable to arousal, yet the sight of the person in his arms, with their flowing black hair like a feather fan brushing against his neck, was more alluring than the finest wine…

Li Zhao stiffly tightened his embrace.

The high and mighty Crown Prince never imagined that one day, amidst the pattering rain, he would be hiding in this pile of junk, sneaking around like a thief...

What he never expected was that the woman's casual approach, without even deliberately provoking him, could arouse all his desire...

"Behave yourself..."

Li Zhao lowered his right knee slightly, supported her foot with his left palm, lifted Xue Sui's leg, and placed it on his knee.

"I entrust you to go up."

You can climb over the pile of clutter onto the roof and sneak into the meditation room.

“Okay,” Xue Sui replied without hesitation.

The rustling of clothes and the creaking of old wooden boxes and bamboo baskets in the storage room created strange noises.

Li Zhao's entire body, taut with tension, was bursting with an unbearable itch... His muscles and bones seemed to be tingling and numb from the friction of her warm body.

Xue Sui was moving very slowly, and it looked like he was about to successfully climb onto the roof.

At the critical moment, Li Huan, who had already walked past, suddenly stopped and turned back.

"Who's there?" Li Huan demanded.

The birds perched on the eaves were startled and took flight.

Xue Sui lost her balance and stumbled into Li Zhao's arms, her forehead hitting his shoulder with a dull thud.

"Shh—" Li Zhao's lips almost touched her earlobe, his warm breath gently brushing against her stiff neck. "Don't panic."

"come out!"

The sound of Li Huan pushing open the door came from outside.

Xue Sui felt as if the world had turned upside down, and the next moment he was shrouded in the shadows of Li Zhao, which were filled with miscellaneous items.

Their breaths mingled, and the man's warm fingertips pinched her waist, as if afraid she would make a sound, or as if offering some kind of silent comfort.

In the silence...

The sound of rain was like a death knell.

Li Huan did not leave, but pushed twice more, applying a little more force.

"Who's inside? Come out!"

The two of them held their breath.

The wooden door was dilapidated. Xue Sui looked out through the crack and saw Li Huan's black boots standing in front of the door, his robe still dripping water.

My nerves were taut, like a string about to snap...

There was dead silence all around.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed through the rain-soaked corridor.

"Your Majesty!"

A young novice monk stepped forward and clasped his hands together in prayer.

"Lady Ping'an's meditation room is in the one over there, Your Highness..."

Before he could finish speaking, Li Huan raised his hand to stop him.

"Young master, who lives in this house?"

"Your Highness, no one lives here. This room is small and dilapidated, and has been neglected for many years. It has always been used to store miscellaneous items from the temple, and it is quite full..." the young novice said.

All eyes turned to the storage room...

Xue Sui's back was pressed against the damp wall, his chest close to Li Zhao's burning chest cavity, his violent heartbeats felt as if they were about to shatter his ribs.

She had experienced countless dangerous moments in her life, but none were as thrilling as this one.

Li Huan is inherently suspicious, so it will be difficult to convince him.

"Yeah?!"

Li Huan's voice was soft.

"search……"

"Yes!" the guard replied.

The light and shadow flickered and swayed.

Just a door away, the man's brocade robe and lotus-root-colored skirt intertwined, like an ambiguous vortex threatening to engulf the entire world...

The rain intensified, masking the chaotic breathing coming from inside the storage room.

Xue Sui could clearly feel the vibration in Li Zhao's chest. Her forearm was exposed from the torn sleeve when she climbed over the wall, and it was now being tightly held by the man's hot palm, pressed against the blue bricks. The rough brick texture made her feel painful.

A silent torment, mixed with the subtle burning of the Love Silk Curse, enveloped the two in this perilous net, scalding, unbearable, airtight, and seemingly endless...

The banging on the door grew louder and louder.

Li Zhao leaned against the door, supporting Xue Sui's waist with one hand.

"Safety……"

He didn't utter a sound, but Xue Sui clearly heard his own name coming from his mouth.

Xue Sui grabbed his hand behind his back, looked at him with a firm gaze, and nodded.

The worst case scenario is that the fish will die and the net will fall apart.

For her, it was just that the path to revenge was a little more complicated...

But for Li Zhao, the impact was fatal.

His path to the throne may be cut short here.

Xue Sui thought Li Zhao would be worried about the consequences of being discovered, but Li Zhao seemed to have seen through her thoughts. He put one arm around her waist, shook his head at her, slowly leaned closer, and whispered something in her ear.

"If you are fearless, I am also fearless."

His dark eyes shone with a resolute determination, like a general donning armor and going into battle, ready to live or die with his comrades...

Xue Sui met his gaze and was captivated by his deep, unfathomable eyes. She felt her blood boiling and her breathing becoming rapid.

"Your Highness..."

"Trust me." The last syllable melted between the man's cool lips and teeth. Li Zhao smiled at her, a tenderness flashing in his unfathomable eyes.

Feelings overflow in my heart.

Xue Sui raised his arm, wanting to stop him—

Li Zhao, however, was very determined. With a solemn expression, he touched the old door latch, about to pull it open...

Bang! The door to the meditation room next door was opened first.

Wen Jia's face showed a hint of surprise as he asked in astonishment, "Brother, what are you doing there?"

Li Huan frowned: "It's you?"

Wen Jia blinked in confusion: "Who does Your Majesty think it is?"

Li Huan slowly walked towards the meditation room. "Where is Ping An?"

Wen Jia shivered at his cold gaze. "Madam Ping An is copying scriptures in the inner room."

"Oh?" Li Huan clearly didn't believe it.

"Are you hiding something from me?"

"How could this be?" Wen Jia placed her arms across the doorway of the meditation room, trying to remain calm and hold him back. "Ping An suddenly had a stomachache while copying the sutra and is changing her clothes... There are many taboos surrounding matters between women, so why don't you wait a moment, Your Majesty?"

After saying that, she changed the subject, talking about something else entirely.

"How is Doctor Fu? Is it true that a Xiz spy has infiltrated the temple?"

Li Huan stared at her and let out a heavy snort.

There must be something sinister behind these repeated attempts to obstruct us.

The more Wen Jia tried to stop him from going in, the more impatient he became.

"Get out of the way!" Li Huan said sternly.

Wenjia stared at him, and tears suddenly streamed down her face.

"Brother..." Wen Jia sobbed, then suddenly opened her arms and hugged Li Huan tightly. "You're so suspicious and testing me. Don't you have any brotherly or sisterly affection for me? You don't trust me at all?"

Li Huan froze.

Wenjia and he were not very close since childhood. The siblings rarely even spoke to each other, let alone hugged so intimately.

Wen Jia's unusual behavior further fueled Li Huan's suspicions.

He desperately tried to break free, but Wenjia seemed to have gone mad, tightly binding him and completely disregarding the proper boundaries between men and women, leaving him helpless and unable to pry her off.

After a long while, Li Huan finally lost his temper, untied Wen Jia's hands, threw him aside, and shouted angrily.

"You'd better not be doing anything shady."

Having said that, he no longer hesitated, avoided Wenjia, and strode into the meditation room...

The room was completely silent.

Apart from a few maids who were terrified, there was no one else around.

Li Huan coldly swept his gaze over the crowd and forcefully kicked open the tightly closed door to the inner room.

"Boom-"

The door was wide open, and Li Huan stepped in, braving the wind and rain.

But Xue Sui was sitting alone at her desk, holding a brush in her slender hand, her brows and eyes calm and serene.

"Your Highness has arrived at the perfect time; this last scroll of scripture has just been copied." She raised her eyes and smiled lightly, her fingertips tracing the still-wet ink on the scroll. The hairpin in her hair reflected the candlelight, resembling a drop of water about to fall.

"Why did Your Highness rush in so hastily? What happened?"

A damp smell of decaying wood mixed with years of incense ash fermented in my nostrils, and the flickering candlelight cast Xue Sui's shadow—the folds of her skirt looked particularly messy.

Li Huan walked closer to her without stopping.

His gaze finally fell on the slightly messy stray hairs at her temples.

"Hmph!" He leaned forward, bracing himself against the table, his voice low and deep.

"While you were copying the sutra peacefully, didn't you hear any noise outside?"

Xue Sui slowly put down his brush.

"I heard."

The tassel on the pen swept across the desk, bringing a slight chuckle.

"I heard Princess Ruihe making a scene outside, and I also heard the Prince's questioning and suspicion. What? Does he suspect me of murder, or does he suspect me of harboring spies?"

Li Huan looked her up and down with a cold expression.

What...smells like on you?

Xue Sui's eyes flickered slightly, his smile undiminished: "Your Highness doesn't remember? Su Xin Lan Xiang. I personally blended all the incense in Tan Qiu Courtyard; you and your sister have some in your rooms..."

"Oh." Li Huan's eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a cold and austere light.

"Do you think I'm a fool?"
-
A sudden clap of thunder sounded outside the door!
Before Xue Sui could speak, Ruihe burst in.

"Second brother..."

She rushed over to see Xue Sui make a fool of herself, only to find Li Huan holding Xue Sui in his arms in an extremely ambiguous position.

"You, you guys..."

Li Huan didn't turn around, and coldly said, "Get out."

Princess Ruihe's eyes flashed with bloodlust as she raised her voice, "Second brother, she wasn't in the room just now. I received word that she secretly slipped out of the temple to meet a man, so I deliberately spread the rumor that there were spies in the temple, just to catch her red-handed..."

"Snapped!"

A hard slap landed on her face.

It was Xue Sui who struck, and the force was extremely heavy.

"The princess went to such lengths to smear my reputation? To this end, she even went so far as to bring in the Xiz assassins and disrupt the tranquility of the Buddhist temple?"

"You hit me? How dare you hit me?" Ruihe stared at him in disbelief, then turned to Li Huan, "Second brother, she hit me."

Li Huan's eyes held an unyielding chill.

"Ruihe, you have overstepped your bounds."

Ruihe steadied himself against the doorframe, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his lips, his smile chilling.

"You've abandoned even the dignity of the royal family to protect her? She wasn't even in the room, and Princess Wenjia repeatedly tried to stop her, just to buy her time. Why won't you believe me? Second brother, you promised back then that you would always protect me."

"Princess Ruihe!" Li Huan interrupted her, his words sharp as knives, "Don't forget your place!"

One was the widow of a general from Longyou, and the other was a prince of the current dynasty. They were cousins ​​with the same surname, and by no means could they be considered lovers.

"Please, Your Highness, be mindful of your place."

After saying this, Li Huan gave Xue Sui a cold glance and turned away.

His damp hem brushed against Ruihe's face, startling Ruihe so much that his fingertips trembled and a metallic taste rose in his throat.

"Second brother..."

Li Huan strode away without looking back.

Only after reaching the outside of the meditation room did he issue a stern command.

"Search for me! Don't let a single suspicious person escape..."

In the meditation room, Xue Sui slowly straightened his clothes and looked at Ruihe, who was silently weeping.

"Princess, if the line is too long, you won't catch any fish, and it might even get tangled around your neck."

Ruihe gritted his teeth, "Is Madam Ping An feeling quite smug now? Just because no one has any leverage over her, she thinks nothing happened?"

Xue Sui chuckled and shook his head lazily.

"Princess, you're really ridiculous. You're being used like a knife, which is a huge loss for you. You're even disliked by your second brother. What are you trying to gain? I've never seen anyone more stupid than you."

Ruihe was trembling all over, but he was too angry to utter a complete sentence.

"Xiao Zhao." Xue Sui turned her back and casually arranged the scriptures.

"see a visitor out!"

Xiao Zhao responded and walked over to pull Ruihe.

"Get out of my way! I can walk by myself!"

Ruihe slammed the door and left.

The inner room of the meditation room became quiet again.

Xue Sui stood there for a moment, then put down the scriptures, took a long breath, slumped down on the prayer mat, and remained silent for a long time.

Li Huan clearly had suspicions, and even had the answer in his heart, but instead of exposing her in front of Ruihe, he gave her a way out and turned away.

Is he doing this to play the long game and catch a big fish?
Seeing that she remained silent, Ruyi embellished the story of what had just happened.

"Fu Qingsong died at just the right time, otherwise the prince would have discovered my imposter just now... I wonder which kind person did it, coming to my rescue in a time of crisis..."

At this point, she noticed Xue Sui's solemn expression and suddenly stopped.

"Girl, it can't be...it's you..."

Xue Sui shook his head, sat up, and slowly took off his outer robe, changing out of the damp inner garment underneath.

She was definitely not the one who killed Fu Qingsong...

It is Li Zhao.

If Li Zhao hadn't been quick-witted enough to send men to intercept and kill Fu Qingsong in the Sutra Pavilion and lure Li Huan away, she wouldn't have been able to get back in time, no matter how fast she was...

I wonder if he has escaped unharmed by now?

What was Li Huan planning by letting her pass so easily?
Two chapters in one.

If there are any errors, Erjin will correct them when he returns to Chengdu tomorrow. Thank you for reading!