Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 206 City Palace
Early morning the next day.

Emperor Chongzhao leaned on his desk, tapping a memorial with his knuckles, his gaze sweeping across the assembled officials below with sharp intensity, finally settling on Li Zhao, who was lost in thought with his eyes lowered.

The atmosphere in the hall was solemn.

All the ministers held their breath and lowered their heads.

"Does the Crown Prince know his crime?"

Li Zhao, dressed in a python robe and jade belt, stood at the foot of the steps, straightening his back upon hearing the voice.

"Your subject is foolish and ignorant, and does not know where he has committed his crime?"

The emperor threw out a roll of yellow silk, which drew a semi-circle on the gold brick.

"You handed over gunpowder to Ashina, yet you couldn't even bring back a child! Are you going to give away the entire Liang kingdom as well!"

The memorial fell heavily to the ground.

Li Zhao remained calm and composed, lifting his robe and kneeling on the ground, his spine as straight as a pine tree.
“Your Majesty, I have never given gunpowder to Ashina.”

He picked up the yellow silk from the ground, without looking to see who had played it, and raised his hands above his head without showing the slightest fear.

"That batch of gunpowder has already been transported to Chishui Pass by General Lu. As for the daughter of the Princess Protector of the Nation—"

He smiled, his gaze sweeping over the silent Li Huan, his fingertips lightly tapping the jade belt.

"Your subject and General Lu staged a 'sparrow slaying the mantis, the cicada shedding its shell' scenario. On the surface, we used yellow sand as gunpowder to lure the enemy, while secretly sending the Crown Prince's guards disguised as Xiz assassins to lie in wait. At the same time, we buried fire bombs under the yellow sand and took advantage of the chaos to abduct the child. The child is now being escorted by the secret guards and is on his way back to the capital."

The whole hall was in an uproar.

A faint gasp could be heard.

Emperor Chongzhao was also surprised, "Is this really true?"

Li Zhao remained silent, raising his eyes to look directly at the emperor, his gaze resolute.

At this moment, the palace guards officer knelt in, holding a box sealed with wax and a yellow silk ribbon, and spoke in a loud voice.

"Your Majesty, Wang Xiong, the garrison commander of Zhenwu Pass, has sent an urgent report from eight hundred li away: the General Who Conquers the West has transported one hundred barrels of gunpowder and has already passed Zhenwu Pass..."

Everyone looked at Li Zhao with puzzled expressions.

Li Zhao then bowed deeply and transferred the "defeating the enemy plan" he had conspired with Xue Sui to Lu Youan, revealing it to the emperor and all the court officials.

Emperor Chongzhao's eyes darkened slightly: "Why wasn't this reported earlier?"

"If the play isn't convincing, how can it fool King Sidzi?"

Li Zhao raised his eyes, the cold glint in them turning into a smile.

“If I reveal this beforehand, the Siz people will definitely become suspicious. Only by making them think that victory is assured will they reveal their weaknesses.”

"What a brilliant move, like a sparrow slaying a mantis and a cicada shedding its shell."

Upon hearing this, the ministers whispered among themselves, their faces showing astonishment and admiration.

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the Crown Prince was no longer the unruly and unrestrained youth he once was…

He knew how to be patient and had developed a deep understanding of human nature.

He understood the proper boundaries of being the crown prince.

He gave Emperor Chongzhao the dignity he desired.

"The success of this plan is entirely due to Father Emperor's usual teachings to me: to use deception to create a balance between reality and illusion, and that all warfare is based on deception. I dare not take credit for it."

The officials in the hall stood calmly and composed.

Emperor Chongzhao stroked his beard, gazing at his son who always surprised him, and suddenly recalled how Li Zhao had run around in the imperial garden as a child. Back then, he was not even as tall as the imperial desk, yet he dared to clutch the dragon robe and say he wanted to pick the reddest peony for his mother.

"Rise," the emperor said, waving his sleeve and softening his tone. "Although this time was dangerous, it can be considered that we have made amends. In the future, we must be more cautious in our actions."

After doing so much, all I got was a chance to make amends.

Li Zhao smiled faintly and kowtowed to express his gratitude.
-
When the court session ended, Li Zhao was left behind alone and followed the eunuchs into the imperial study.

He stood quietly by the window for a long time before Emperor Chongzhao slowly walked over with his hands behind his back.

Only the father and son were inside the house.

Emperor Chongzhao spoke more casually, but he also possessed a more dignified fatherly presence.

"What exactly is the conflict between you and the third brother?"

Li Zhao looked up and smiled: "What did Third Brother say?"

Emperor Chongzhao frowned. "I'm asking you a question."

Li Zhaoxin knew that Li Yan had filed a complaint with the emperor, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"My third brother was drunk and behaved inappropriately at Prince Duan's wedding banquet. He even had the nerve to go to Father and spread rumors. If it weren't for the dignity of the royal family, I would have exposed all his filth on the spot and let the world see what a debauched scoundrel he is!"

Emperor Chongzhao's face darkened.

He knew very well what kind of person the Prince of Wei was. However, Li Zhao's actions were far too ruthless. He beat his elder brother black and blue, and then forced him into the pool to humiliate him.

He harbored resentment, but ultimately it was King Wei's drunkenness, moral failings, and absurd words and actions that had preceded him—

Emperor Chongzhao spoke of moral principles and harmony within the imperial clan, without being overly critical. He sighed, rubbed his forehead, and impatiently gestured for Li Zhao to leave.

Unexpectedly, Li Zhao did not leave, but instead took out a secret letter from his sleeve.

"Father, last night I received a report from a scout..."

Emperor Chongzhao looked at his solemn expression and his heart stirred slightly. "What is it?"

Li Zhao presented the secret letter with both hands and gently placed it in front of him.

"The assassins who robbed and killed the Princess Protector at the Earth God Temple in the west of the city confessed after being captured that they were acting under orders and received three thousand taels of silver. Your son's investigation revealed that the person who acted as their liaison had frequently visited the women's guild in Ping Le Fang..."

Emperor Chongzhao asked, "Is there any concrete evidence?"

Li Zhao frowned slightly.

It must be said that Ping Le was much more cautious this time than before. The clues were carefully concealed, and even if they had suspicions, they couldn't find direct witnesses or physical evidence.

Even if the assassin from the Seaz Society confesses, without other evidence, it will be difficult to convict her.

In front of her beloved father, she could have easily insisted that the Xiz people had framed her... Li Zhao lowered his eyes: "It is only by following the clues that I have made a bold guess."

The emperor fiddled with the jade paperweight on his desk, slowly pressing the secret letter under it.

"Why didn't you report the truth in court just now?"

Li Zhao lowered his eyes, his smile was indifferent, but his voice was very soft.

"Your Majesty knows the depth of your love for your children. If we were to expose the family's shame in front of the court, what would become of Your Majesty's reputation, and what would become of the imperial dignity?"

Emperor Chongzhao paused, his fingertips pausing.

The boy's features bear a striking resemblance to my own when I was young.

However, he was too stubborn, with an unyielding spirit, and would never yield to him or say a word of comfort. Even though he had followed the late emperor's wishes and appointed him as crown prince, he accepted the title indifferently, as if this vast land was nothing more than a handful of yellow earth in the mountains.

Now he's actually willing to endure for the sake of the royal family?
Emperor Chongzhao noticed something amiss and glanced at the celadon vase left over from the previous dynasty on the antique shelf—the vase had a crack on its body, repaired with gold lacquer, much like the long-standing estrangement between the emperor and his son.

He had no idea when his son's temperament had changed...

The emperor sighed deeply.

"You don't resent my favoritism?"

Li Zhao looked up, his gaze clear and bright like autumn water.

"Everyone has their own preferences, and I only hope that my father will be at ease."

Everyone has their own preferences.

Whatever you hold dear in your heart is right...

At that moment, Emperor Chongzhao felt a tenderness in Li Zhao's eyes—a clarity of human understanding gained only through loneliness.

If his praise of Li Zhao in the palace was based on imperial discretion, then at this moment, looking at his son, a long-lost fatherly warmth welled up in his eyes.

After a long silence, the emperor finally nodded and spoke.

"The position of Crown Prince is not easy to hold; proceed with caution and do not fail my expectations."

Li Zhao kowtowed.

He caught a glimpse of the white hair at the emperor's temples out of the corner of his eye and was momentarily stunned.
-
That afternoon, Li Zhaogang arrived at the Chongwen Hall of the Eastern Palace and, together with several officials of the Eastern Palace, deduced military strategies from the scrolls. Then, an imperial edict was issued.

A group of people hurriedly straightened their hats and clothes and rushed out to receive the imperial decree.

"Crown Prince Li Zhao is talented and experienced, well-versed in military strategy. He is hereby appointed as the Supervising Censor of the Divine Martial Army, overseeing the disbursement of provisions and military discipline. He is authorized to thoroughly investigate any malpractices within the troops, using the seal of the Crown Prince's Office. In case of urgent matters, he may handle them directly without waiting for a report. Upon completion of the matter, he shall submit a written report. This is the imperial decree."

Li Zhao bowed and thanked the emperor, saying, "Your subject accepts the decree."

Wang Chengxi gently placed the bright yellow imperial edict into Li Zhao's hand.

"Congratulations to Your Highness the Crown Prince."
-
The morning glow spread over the Prince's Mansion, turning its eaves a honey-colored hue.

The sky was clear and the weather was fine.

Wen Jia led Niu Niu into the Prince Duan's mansion.

Xue Sui sat under the eaves sifting osmanthus blossoms, golden stamens falling on her light green skirt. Hearing the noise, she hurriedly led several maids out with smiles.

When the little girl saw her, she broke free from her mother's hand and buried herself in Xue Sui's arms.

"Auntie, Niu Niu misses Auntie!"

Wen Jia smiled helplessly, "This child is getting more and more unruly."

"It doesn't matter."

The faint scent of milk emanating from the child, mixed with the sweet fragrance of osmanthus, is soothing and comforting.

Xue Sui chuckled softly and affectionately reached out to pinch Niu Niu's little face.

The child's eyelids were swollen, and there were red marks on his wrists from the rope, indicating that he had suffered a lot.

However, as long as he returns to his mother's side, he can slowly recover and forget those nightmares.

"Good girl. Come in quickly, Auntie has prepared some food for you."

She invited Wenjia and her daughter into the house.

Wenjia was afraid that Niu Niu would pester her, so she beckoned her over. But Niu Niu acted coquettishly and said in a childish voice, "Auntie smells of medicine, which is better than the jasmine powder that Mommy uses!"

Wen Jia was both amused and exasperated.

The girls covered their mouths and chuckled softly.

Xue Sui couldn't help but chuckle, lifting Niu Niu onto her lap and having Xiao Zhao fetch a small, gold-embroidered sachet. "Do you like this? It's filled with dried mint and mugwort. If you carry it with you, you'll smell Auntie's scent..."

"Thank you, Auntie!" Niu Niu's eyes lit up. She hugged Xue Sui's neck and rubbed against her shoulder. Suddenly, she pointed to a skull incense holder on Xue Sui's desk.

"This little skull is the same as the one on Uncle Lu's sword tassel!"

Wen Jia's fingertips trembled, and the embroidered handkerchief almost slipped off.

"Uncle Lu? Which Uncle Lu..."

Niu Niu nuzzled Xue Sui with her little head and looked at her mother, "Uncle Lu is the Uncle Lu who saved me! In the dark carriage, Uncle Lu gave Niu Niu sweet cakes and said he would take me to find my mother. Uncle Lu also said..."

The little girl suddenly pursed her lips, her dark, grape-like eyes darting around.

"He said he's going to fight a war. When he comes back, he'll bring Niu Niu some delicious food."

Wen Jia and Xue Sui exchanged a glance.

The latter lowered his head to tie the knot of the sachet for Niu Niu, pretending not to hear.

Yao Guang was incredibly meticulous in his work, leaving no room for error.

This time, Lu Youan did indeed send his trusted bodyguards to find Niu Niu and support Li Zhao's plan to defeat the enemy, so he deserves the credit.

Wenjia clutched her handkerchief tightly, looking at her daughter's still timid face after surviving the ordeal, and suddenly felt her eyes sting with tears.

“I had no idea… he took such a risk.”

Lu Youan set off for Chishui Pass, still thinking about rescuing Niu Niu...

How is she supposed to repay this debt of gratitude?