Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 219 Warning
After the Mid-Autumn Festival, even the bluestone slabs in the capital city were covered with a thin layer of frost.

On the eaves of the East Palace, several glass lanterns swayed and rattled in the north wind, making strange, creaking noises.

Inside the warm pavilion, Li Zhaozheng was tossing the copied scriptures one by one into the incense burner.

The moment the flames licked the corner of the paper, he saw his own scarlet eyes reflected in the bronze mirror, cold and scorching like a beast.

"Your Highness." Night Owl pushed open the door to the chamber and stood in the shadows with his hands at his sides.

"Speak," Li Zhao said without turning his head.

"A message has arrived from the palace: His Majesty has ordered the Imperial Astronomical Bureau to analyze the horoscopes and select an auspicious day to bestow a marriage upon His Highness upon the third daughter of the Duke of Zheng's family..."

Seeing Li Zhao's cold expression and silent demeanor, Night Owl's voice gradually lowered.

"Prince Duan's plan this time is meticulous and every move is deadly. Your Highness must not lose your composure and fall into Prince Duan's trap..."

Li Zhao stared at the flickering candlelight on the desk and let out a cold laugh.

He knew very well what Li Huan was up to.

Li Huan's inquiry about the Love Silk Gu with Manager Qiu indicates he has some suspicions.

In this way, imprisoning Xue Sui and urging the emperor to bestow a marriage upon him were all intended to force him into a dilemma...

If he were to go against the emperor's will, he would be branded as a criminal for disobeying imperial orders and disregarding moral principles, and he would be left with countless pretexts for criticism. How could he possibly secure his position as the Crown Prince?

If we don't save him, Xue Sui will die, and the Love Silk Gu will also kill him, or make his life worse than death.

This method is intricately linked and truly vicious.

Li Zhao slowly turned around, his gaze darkening.

"Guan Ya, go and tell Liu, the Director of the Imperial Observatory, that I dreamt last night of Xuanwu holding a candle, which is an ominous sign for the wedding."

Guan Ya withdrew in response.

Laifu watched as his master crumpled half of the scripture into a ball, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, but he dared not say a word.

Since the death of Consort Xiao, the court and the public have been like a frozen lake, seemingly calm, but with undercurrents surging beneath the surface.

At this critical juncture, countless people are watching the Crown Prince's every move. Every word and action of His Highness is scrutinized, and the slightest misstep could lead to utter ruin...

"Laifu," Li Zhao suddenly spoke, "help me change my clothes..."

Lai Fu was startled and dared not ask any questions, only bowing his head in agreement.

Li Zhao left the East Palace and went straight to the Jiaofang Palace.

Empress Xie fell ill on the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival palace banquet and was feeling unwell, so she was resting on the heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed).

Upon hearing that her son had come to see her, she quickly asked Aunt Yu to help her up. She then applied a little more rouge in front of the bronze mirror and whispered, "If the Crown Prince asks about it later, just say that I just caught a cold and it's nothing serious."

Aunt Yu knew that the Empress was afraid that the Crown Prince would worry, so she sighed inwardly and gently agreed.

"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty." Li Zhao strode in and bowed.

When Empress Xie saw him, she sat up slightly and asked with a smile, "What brings the Crown Prince to visit his mother today?"

Li Zhao stepped forward and sat down beside her bed. "I heard that Your Majesty is unwell, and I was very worried, so I came to visit you..."

Empress Xie smiled and said, "You're very kind. As long as everything goes well for you, I'll be happy."

Li Zhao: "Your son is unfilial and has caused your mother great worry."

Empress Xie sighed.

Knowing Li Zhao's temperament, she told him about Emperor Chongzhao's intention to bestow a marriage upon a woman from the Guo family before he could even ask.

As expected, Li Zhao showed no surprise. He frowned slightly and said, "Your Majesty, please understand. I have been preoccupied with the Qinghui Palace case lately and have had no time to attend to the marriage."

Empress Xie frowned slightly and said, "Since ancient times, marriage has always been a matter of parental arrangement and matchmaker's words. You are not young anymore, and it is an honor for Father Emperor to choose a consort; it is not appropriate for your mother to interfere..."

After saying that, she winked at Aunt Yu.

"Wait outside the hall."

"Here!"

After all the palace servants had left, Empress Xie's voice suddenly lowered.

"Tell the Empress Dowager the truth, what exactly happened between you and Consort Xue?"

Li Zhao's throat bobbed, and his hand, hidden under his sleeve, tightened slightly.

"It's a long story..."

Empress Xie gently raised her chin and slowly picked up the tea.

"Tell me how long it is, I'll listen."

Li Zhao:......

His affair with Xue Liu was complicated, involving the secrets of the Love Silk Gu, which of course could not be known to Empress Xie.

Otherwise, given her fierce protectiveness of her son, would she have easily forgiven Xue Sui?

He pondered for a moment, "It is I who have feelings for her, but she has never had any feelings for me."

Empress Xie's face darkened, and she raised a finger to tap his forehead, her expression full of anxiety. "You are truly foolish! How can you ruin your future for your own selfish feelings?"

Li Zhao felt a pang of sorrow in his heart, and suddenly lifted his robe, knelt down, and kowtowed.

"Mother, my heart is truly with her. Now that she has been unjustly imprisoned, I cannot abandon her. I beg you, Mother, to have mercy on my sincere heart and do me a favor before Father..."

"Zhou Xuan? In full view of everyone, Prince Duan personally testified that your father has already determined that the Xue family is a spy for Xizi, and the Xiao family is still relentlessly pursuing the matter, making a big fuss in the court..."

Before Empress Xie could finish speaking, she saw his brows furrowing more and more tightly, and she felt a pang of pity.

He let go of her hand and let out a deep sigh.

"If you truly wish to save people, there is only one way—obey the imperial decree, marry Miss Guo, and make the Guo family your allies. Use this to counterbalance Prince Duan and the Xiao family, and then slowly overturn the Xue family's case..."

Li Zhao's pupils contracted.

"Mother!"
-
Xue Mansion.

Outside the side room, several rough-working women whispered among themselves under the guise of washing clothes.

The autumn rain pattered outside the window, but it couldn't extinguish the fire burning in their eyes.

"I heard that our sixth young lady is a spy from Xiz, and that she used underhanded methods to have the nobles completely under her thumb..."

"No wonder she's so resourceful; she must be up to no good..."

As Madam Qian was passing by the covered walkway with her youngest daughter, she heard these words and trembled with anger.

"Those gossiping lackeys, each of them shall be slapped fifty times!"

Little Shi had never heard her mother lose her temper like that before. Seeing her mother's face turn red with anger and her hands on her hips, she clung tightly to her mother's clothes, too frightened to utter a sound.

Several old women knelt down with a thud, kowtowing and begging for mercy.

"Third Madam, please spare me! This old servant only heard it from others and was confused for a moment, so I said a few words. I will never dare to do it again..."

Madam Qian sneered, "You heard it from others? You dare to make up stories about your master without any evidence? You unruly brats! If we don't teach you a lesson today, will you be allowed to cause trouble in the Xue family in the future?!"

After saying that, she gestured to the maid beside her to do it.

The maidservant steeled herself and stepped forward, slapping the faces of the old women.

The sounds of slapping and the old woman's cries, amplified by the autumn rain, created a particularly cacophony.

Inside Shou'an Courtyard, Old Mrs. Cui's eyes were closed, and she was muttering incantations as she rapidly twirled the prayer beads in her hands...

Xue Yueying stood in front of her, clutching her handkerchief and sneering.

"They said she was a jinx, but my grandmother treated her like a treasure. Now look what's happened, she's ruined the Xue family's century-old reputation and is even being branded a traitor..."

Xue Yueman's pent-up jealousy and resentment finally had a chance to erupt.

“Grandmother, Fourth Sister is right. If Sixth Sister really colluded with Xiz, our entire household will be implicated! We'd better sever ties with her as soon as possible to avoid ruining our reputation…”

Xue Yue'e, still harboring resentment towards Xue Yueying and the Prince of Wei, retorted sarcastically upon hearing this.

"Even though Fourth Sister committed such a disgraceful act, it didn't tarnish the Xue family's century-old reputation..."

"How can that be the same?" Xue Yueying sneered, her eyebrows raised sharply. "Poisoning Consort Xiao is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of her family..."

"Shut up!" Xue Yuelou led Mingge'er in.

"Sixth Sister's life hangs in the balance in prison, and you're all here kicking her while she's down. What kind of sisters are you! Have you all lost your conscience?"

"Second Sister is putting on airs," Xue Yueying said with a casual smile. "Who are you trying to fool with this act? If you're so capable, why don't you go to the Imperial Palace and plead for Sixth Sister?"

Xue Yuelou was so angry that her eyes were spitting fire: "Haven't you done enough shameful things yourself? Unmarried sex without a matchmaker, having an affair with the Prince of Wei, raising an illegitimate child, which one of these is not a disgraceful act?"

Xue Yueying gave a cold snort, deliberately swaying her waist as she moved closer, displaying a flippant and reckless attitude.

"Second sister, are you so anxious and agitated because you're afraid that if sixth sister falls, you'll have no one to rely on, right?"

Ever since being publicly humiliated by Gu Jie, and the scandal spreading like wildfire throughout the city, Xue Yueying has become a completely different person. She has torn away her former gentle and refined facade and no longer cares about the dignity of a noble lady.

Amidst the shouting and cursing, the atmosphere inside Shou'an Hall was chaotic and smoky, like that of a shrew in the marketplace.

"Shut up, all of you!"

Grandma Cui suddenly slammed her cane heavily on the ground.

"Are you all trying to force this old woman to her death?"

Xue Yuelou quickly stepped forward and helped the old lady sit down.

Only then did Madam Qian come in carrying a box of pastries, suppressing her anger and forcing a sarcastic smile.

"What a lively scene! If outsiders heard this, they would think that all the girls in our Xue family grew up in the den of street thugs, and that they are only capable of killing each other..."

"Third Aunt, you can't say that." Xue Yueying raised her head, her eyes full of mockery.

"Back then, Gu Wulang beat me so badly that my head was bleeding, and I suffered all kinds of cold treatment in my husband's family. Did any of you care about me? Did anyone say a single good word for me?"

"Enough!" Old Mrs. Cui said, heartbroken and glaring at her.

"If you still don't know how to restrain yourself, then get back to the Marquis of Jingyuan's residence and stop embarrassing yourself in your family!"