Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 197 Autumn Dew on Clothes
Xue Sui smiled faintly, while Li Huan's face revealed a hint of impatience.

"What brings the princess to see me?"

Ruihe performed a somewhat awkward curtsy, clutching his handkerchief with an uneasy expression. "Hearing that my second brother is unwell, Ruihe specially brought a prescription for snow frog ointment to visit him..."

Li Huan pulled his wide sleeves to cover the red rashes on his body, sat upright, and spoke in a flat and emotionless voice.

"Your Highness has seen it. I am unharmed. Please return, Your Highness."

Ruihe bit her lip, gazing intently at Li Huan's cold and handsome face. Her eyes reddened slightly, and although she answered "yes" with her lips, she lingered on her feet, clearly unwilling to leave.

How could Xue Sui let such an opportunity slip by?
She gently pushed Li Huan's hand away, called out "Princess," and when Ruihe turned around, she held up the ointment in her hand and said softly, "His Highness originally wanted me to stay and apply the ointment for him, but since the Princess is here, then I will trouble the Princess..."

After saying that, she looked at Li Huan and clutched her lower abdomen.

"I suddenly feel a sharp pain in my abdomen. I beg Your Highness to grant me permission to leave temporarily."

People have three urgent needs, and even if they don't want to, it's not appropriate to stop them.

Before Li Huan could speak, Xue Sui had already strode out of the house, leaving only the uneasy Ruihe standing there facing him.

Li Huan: ...

After a moment of silence, Ruihe called out timidly, her voice gentle yet tinged with caution: "Second brother, have I perhaps come at the wrong time..."

Li Huan's expression remained cold as he retorted, "What do you think?"

Ruihe's eyes suddenly reddened.

I felt as if a huge hole had been dug into my chest, and a surge of bitterness washed over me, making it almost impossible to breathe.

"Do you really like that Madam Ping An?"

Li Huan raised his eyes. "Yes."

"And what about me?" Ruihe asked in a trembling voice, tears streaming down her face. "Back then, I studied with the princess in the palace. We were inseparable, and we talked about everything. You said yourself that you would protect me."

Li Huan's expression didn't change much, but the emotion in his eyes became more genuine. "Ruihe, you were still young then, all alone. I only felt sorry for you because your parents weren't around and your life was full of hardships."

As Ruihe's lips gradually lost their color, Li Huan's tone grew increasingly somber.

“In my heart, you have always been just my younger sister. Don’t forget, we both share the surname Li. We are of the same clan and should abide by the law, and gentlemen should follow the proper etiquette. Your overstepping of boundaries and mixing personal feelings with reality, where do you intend to place the reputation of Li Huan?”

"Second brother..." Ruihe burst into tears.

He choked on his breath, his shoulders trembled, and he was heartbroken beyond words.

Li Huan's brows furrowed slightly, his expression and demeanor chillingly cold.

"This is the last time. If you act like this again, don't blame me for being impolite."

"Second brother..."

"Step back!" Li Huan said coldly.

Looking at the man before her, whose words were gentle but whose heart was as hard as iron and whose attitude was resolute, Ruihe choked back tears and shook her head.

She was certain that the innocent flutter in her heart when they were young was not just her imagination. She firmly believed that Li Huan had once had feelings for her, but he had to suppress those feelings because of his status.

Now, it's probably for another woman that he's changed his mind...

"You can ignore me, even despise me. But I love you, it's my fate, it's what I deserve. Even if the sky falls and the earth collapses, even if I face mountains of knives and seas of fire, I will never change my mind in this lifetime..."

Ruihe choked up, finished speaking, bowed with tears in his eyes, and ran away crying.

After an incense stick had burned a while, a guard rushed in from under the corridor, cupped his hands, and reported.

"Your Highness, Princess Ruihe has gone to Princess Pingle's residence. Should we send someone to keep a close eye on her?"

"Let her go." Li Huan's voice was carried by the autumn wind, cool and biting. "She's just a woman. The most urgent thing is to find the imperial envoy."

He paused for a moment, then gave another instruction.

"The ten-day appointment with Mr. Qiu has arrived. Send someone to inquire about the result. Remember, do not alert him..."

"Subordinates take orders!"
-
In Tanqiu Courtyard, Xue Sui gazed at the glass urn containing green plums on the wooden shelf and gently tapped the edge of the table with her fingertips.

"Bring down the biggest jar and add two spoonfuls of honey..."

Holding the porcelain bowl, Ruyi smiled and said, "The other day, Miss said she wanted to eat plum wine and glutinous rice ball soup, so I went to Aunt Liu to learn how to make it. I'll go right now! I'll definitely make it for Miss myself..."

Xiao Zhao stared at the amber-colored wine soaking into the plums, swallowed hard, and felt a sour taste on her tongue.

"To be honest, the best candied plums are still made by the eldest son. That year, when the young lady had a high fever in the Old Mausoleum Marsh, it was the eldest son who went over mountains and valleys to find the honey..."

Xue Sui paused slightly, and the corner of his lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

"I wonder when Senior Brother will be back, and what about Senior Sister Yuheng..."

When Tian Shu and Yu Heng were mentioned, Xue Sui couldn't help but drift into a daze.

Immediately, she rubbed her forehead and gave instructions to Ruyi.

"Just leave it there. We won't eat it today; let it sit for a few more days..."

Ruyi was very confused.

Isn't this the taste that the girl has been longing for?

Why did you suddenly give up alcohol when you clearly liked it? And recently you haven't touched a drop.

She quietly agreed and put it down, when suddenly she heard a voice outside the door announcing something.

"Madam, Consort Zhang requests an audience."

Xue Sui glanced at Xiao Zhao, signaling them to tidy up their things.

"Please come in quickly."

Zhang emerged gracefully from behind the gilded and beaded curtain, followed by two maids carrying a box made of boxwood, upon which rested an inlaid enamel bamboo-patterned ornament and two jade pieces, exuding an air of nobility.

"Greetings to my sister Ping An. I've come uninvited. Is it convenient for you to speak with me, Ping An...?"

"Please come inside, Concubine."

"Thanks to Sister Ping An's miraculous healing skills, my rash has become much better after applying the medicine, and it's not so itchy anymore..."

After saying that, she winked at Cuizhi, signaling her to bring the things over.

"This is just a small gift, nothing more than a token of my gratitude. I hope my sister won't find it offensive."

Upon seeing this display of hospitality, Xue Sui quickly declined. "These are just some rustic remedies from the countryside; it's my good fortune that they've caught the eye of such a noble person. They just happen to be the right remedy... I can't possibly accept such a grand gesture from a concubine..."

She spoke sincerely, but Zhang's eyes reddened, she leaned forward slightly, and her voice was full of sorrow.

"To be honest, Sister Ping An, I have my own selfish reasons for coming here this time..."

Xue Sui smiled faintly, pretending not to know, "You're too kind, Consort. Please feel free to ask if you need anything."

Zhang covered her lips with a handkerchief, her red eyes already brimming with tears.

“My father is old and my elder brother is senile. Seeing the Zhang family on the verge of collapse, I, as a married daughter, am truly powerless to help and cannot sleep or eat in peace… That is why I have swallowed my pride and come here to beg Sister Ping’an to have pity on me and put in a good word for me with the Prince…”

It seems that Li Huan's charade was quite effective.

The favor he deliberately cultivated led everyone inside and outside the Prince's residence to believe that she was the Prince's most beloved woman...

But who knew that Li Huan had never given her a kind look in private, and the two had never even consummated their marriage...

Xue Sui's eyes flickered slightly, and he said gently, "It's only natural for a concubine to care about her father and brothers, but I am of lowly status and don't have much influence in front of the Prince..."

Upon hearing this, tears welled up in Zhang's eyes again.

"The younger sister is unwilling to protect her older sister..."

Xue Sui shook his head and sighed softly, "Women are confined to the inner quarters, and I, like the concubine, am powerless to change my fate. However, if the concubine is willing to rescue her father and brothers, I have an idea..."

"Sister, tell me quickly..."

Xue Sui pondered for a moment before speaking, “Instead of begging me, you should beg His Majesty. His Majesty is most fond of remembering the past. Your father followed the Duke of Zheng in the northern campaigns, guarding the pass for three years and making outstanding contributions. Who in the court and the public does not admire him? As long as your father pleads his case, tells the whole story honestly, admits his guilt, and confesses what he should, His Majesty will surely deal with him leniently and will not implicate his clan…”

Seeing Zhang hesitate and remain silent, Xue Sui gently grasped her hand and softened her tone.

"The concubine can discuss this with your father and make a decision as soon as possible."

Ms. Zhang repeatedly agreed and thanked them before leaving.

Xue Sui gazed at her graceful back, secretly marveling at Li Huan's good fortune, and then, feeling utterly exhausted, lazily lay down...

She knew that, given the Zhang family's position in the court, they would never dare to cause such a huge mess.

Behind the Zhang family is the Duke of Zheng.

The person she wanted to bring down was not Zhang Huaiyi, the river inspector, but Guo Hong, the heir of the Duke of Zheng's mansion and also Guo Zhaohuai's biological father, a sinister and cunning old fox.

To kill a son, first eliminate his father.

Without the protection of his biological father, Guo Hong, Guo Zhaohuai would not have been able to rise so quickly, from the position of Director of the Court of State Ceremonial to the position of Assistant Director of the Treasury in the Ministry of War.

In recent years, Duke Guo Pi of Zheng has grown old and ailing, and the Guo family's fortunes have declined considerably. But now, with this sudden resurgence, there must be some unsavory dealings of currying favor and collusion involved…

Emperor Chongzhao appeared benevolent and lenient, but in reality, he was adept at maintaining balances of power.

Now that the game is clear, let's take advantage of the situation.
-
The next day, outside the Xuanzheng Hall.

Li Huan, dressed in a prince's python robe, ascended the steps, carrying the anti-itch ointment given to him by Xue Sui in his pocket. From afar, he saw Li Zhao standing in front of the white marble railing, gazing into the distance. The autumn wind lifted a corner of his black cloak, revealing a black jade belt with a xiezhi pattern, its gold-inlaid cold light gleaming as if it were about to devour someone.

"Your Highness, is your health well?" Li Huan approached with a smile, his gaze falling on Li Zhao's left sleeve, and he gave a perfunctory bow.

Li Zhao turned to the side, raised an eyebrow, and looked aloof.

"I heard that Your Majesty was ill, but you look quite well today. You must have recovered?"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness."

Li Huan's seemingly ambiguous greetings were laced with hidden sarcasm, each word concealing a sharp edge.

"Thanks to the anti-itch cream that Ping An prepared, it worked like a miracle. Otherwise, my body covered in red bumps would have turned into a festering sore. How could I dare to enter the palace to meet the Emperor?"

Upon hearing this, Li Zhao felt a sudden tingling sensation in the arrow wound on his arm.

He was wounded twice for that heartless bastard, and the arrow wound in his arm has not yet healed. Not only did she not send him medicine, but she also did not offer any concern. However, she was very caring towards Li Huan...

Li Huan's gaze fell on his arm.

"Is His Highness's arm alright?"

Li Zhao was slightly taken aback, thinking of the cold arrow he had received on that rainy night at Puji Temple. It felt like a thorn in his back, but his face remained calm.

"Your Majesty must be mistaken. My injury was to my shoulder, but it has already healed and is nothing to worry about..."

"Is that so?" Li Huan met his gaze, smiled slightly, and suddenly stepped forward, grabbed his arm, squeezed it tightly, and looked him up and down as if he were concerned.

"When the autumn hunt comes, we brothers might as well find an opportunity to have a match?"

"Okay."

Li Zhao instinctively reached back to clench his fist, but unexpectedly, a pine-smoky handkerchief with a faint fragrance slipped from his sleeve and fell onto the blue bricks...

Li Huan's eyes flashed, and he bent down to pick it up.

The embroidered pattern of two fish playing in the water shone with a warm luster in the morning light. He ran his fingertips along the pattern and suddenly smiled, "This handkerchief looks very familiar... When did Your Highness take a liking to these boudoir cosmetics?"

Li Zhao, with a cold face, reached out to snatch the handkerchief, "Your Majesty is too kind. I call this a refined scholar's hobby."

The two were secretly competing, silently confronting each other, their fingertips turning white from the force, yet they still maintained smiles on their faces.

The blue bricks underfoot made a soft, crunching sound as the soles of my boots rubbed against them.

"His Royal Highness..."

"His Royal Highness Duan Wang..."

Wang Chengxi approached with a whisk in hand, his gaze sweeping over their clasped arms, his eyelids twitching slightly.

"Your Highnesses, His Majesty has summoned you for an audience..."

"Please, Your Majesty." Li Zhao said, glancing at Li Huan, stuffing the handkerchief into his robes, flicking his sleeves, and turning to enter the hall.

A breeze swept across Li Huan's hand, like autumn dew clinging to his clothes, bringing a chill and an itch...

Li Huan watched his retreating figure, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

Li Zhao (rubbing his wounded arm angrily and stomping his foot at the air)

They deliver medicine to other people but not to me. You heartless bastard!

Xue Sui: ? ? ? What is conscience? Can you eat it?