Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 221 A Night of Turmoil in Prison
"I still prefer you calling me by my name."

The lamplight cast a long shadow of Li Zhao on the damp wall.

The chill seemed to seep into my very bones...

Xue Sui's eyes flickered, and his lips pursed slightly.

Speechless.

Seeing her like this, Li Zhao slowly sat down on the ground.

"You already knew about Ping Le's scheme?"

“A little earlier than Your Highness.” Xue Sui nodded gently, his eyes full of composure. “I knew it when she gave Miss Lu the agarwood bracelet.”

"So you also knew that Li Huan would take the opportunity to frame you?" Li Zhao's voice was low and slightly hoarse as his fingertips unconsciously brushed against her thin prison clothes.

Xue Sui raised her eyes to meet his gaze, shook her head, and said slowly:

"Ping Le wanted to kill two birds with one stone: kill the Empress and frame me. But I wanted to kill three birds with one stone: protect the Empress, kill Consort Xiao, and drive Ping Le insane. Li Huan wouldn't have known beforehand that Consort Xiao would die, otherwise he wouldn't have allowed me to succeed..."

Li Zhao snorted coldly, "Then why would he think of using half of the Xizi jade pendant to make a big fuss?"

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

Xue Sui smiled faintly: "This move by Prince Duan was indeed brilliant. Li Huan is an extremely ruthless opponent."

Li Zhao stared intently at Xue Sui, the corners of his mouth involuntarily turning downwards: "In the end, it's because you weren't wary of him. If you didn't let him get close, how could he have done anything..."

His voice was tinged with a sour, nasal tone, as if he was trying his best to suppress his inner resentment...

The usually aloof and dignified Crown Prince now resembled a young man whose beloved girl had been stolen away, feeling wronged and resentful.

Xue Sui lowered her eyes, "If I am too wary, how can Prince Duan trust me to maneuver in the mansion? The more he believes I am a pawn, the more likely he is to expose his flaws."

Li Zhao said nothing more and took out a small celadon bottle from his sleeve.

The aroma of medicine, mixed with the subtle fragrance of cypress seeds, wafted through the air; it was the plague-repelling powder, a secret recipe from the Imperial Medical Academy.

He crouched down, his fingertips touching her burning forehead, and slowly applied the medicine, his Adam's apple bobbing heavily in the shadows.

"Isn't he supposed to be an expert in medicine, with a thorough understanding of all kinds of illnesses? How could he still be so sick?"

Xue Sui looked at the bloodshot eyes of him and said, "People tend to let their guard down when they are sick."

After speaking, she paused, then asked softly.

"Did Jinshu convey my message?"

"Mmm," Li Zhao responded in a muffled voice, his fingertips tracing her forehead.

"Today is Consort Xiao's funeral. Has there been any movement from the Lu residence?"

"Ah."

"Wen Jia contributed a lot this time."

"Ah."

Xue Sui's gaze sharpened slightly, then she asked calmly, "Were the clothes that Miss Guo sent that day also at your behest? At your request?"

“Hmm…” Li Zhao paused, then suddenly looked up. “No.”

He hurriedly explained, "I only learned that she was coming to the Ministry of Justice prison to visit you, so I secretly had someone tamper with the letter and slip it inside. She was unaware of it."

Xue Sui nodded almost imperceptibly, without saying anything more.

Li Zhao thought she didn't believe him, so his voice unconsciously rose.

Heaven and earth bear witness. I will not trust anyone but you.

Xue Sui suddenly chuckled: "I didn't say I didn't believe you, Your Highness, why are you so nervous..."

Doesn't this imply that he has a guilty conscience?

After a moment's thought, Li Zhao felt a surge of unease. He suddenly grabbed her wrist, leaned forward, almost touching her body, and his breathing became rapid.

Do you know what they want from me?

He applied a lot of force, and Xue Sui frowned slightly, but he was completely unaware of it.

"They want me to marry Miss Guo."

“Your Highness should marry him.” Xue Sui nodded slightly, looking at him frankly, and brushed aside the straw beside her, making it rustle.

"The Duke of Zheng wields great power and has numerous cronies and protégés in the court. This marriage is entirely beneficial to His Highness the Crown Prince..."

"I've gone to great lengths for you, yet I can't get a single honest word from you?" "Your Highness!" Xue Sui looked at him steadily, sighed slightly, and spoke with sincerity and solemnity.

"These are Xue Liu's true feelings."

Li Zhao's heart clenched, and he suddenly grabbed her chin, his thumb grinding heavily against the corner of her chapped lip. "If I were to break her out of prison tonight..."

“That is exactly what Prince Duan wants.” Xue Sui pushed his hand away, tugged at the collar of his prison uniform, his gaze calm, and his words serious.

"When that time comes, the Censorate will pile up memorials accusing the Crown Prince of disregarding the law, forcibly taking his brother and sister-in-law, and colluding with Xizi. At best, he will be confined to his quarters; at worst, he will lose his position as Crown Prince. Wouldn't that be exactly what Prince Duan and Prince Ping Le want?"

The two men knew perfectly well what Li Huan was planning.

Even if Li Zhao resisted the urge to rescue, the Love Silk Gu was still a test no matter which way he looked at it.

Li Zhao said hoarsely, "I can't just stand by and watch you suffer in prison..."

Perhaps feeling that he had spoken too emotionally, he coldly turned the head away and awkwardly added a sentence.

"The Love Silk Gu is a twin entity; you may die, but I have no desire to accompany you!"

"Does Your Highness believe I am the kind of person who would easily seek death?" Xue Sui's gaze was intense as he struggled to sit up, a cold smile appearing on his pale face. "Ten years ago, I was able to crawl out of a pile of bones; now, of course, I can wait for the sun to shine through the clouds..."

She suddenly coughed violently, her thin shoulders trembling violently beneath her prison clothes, cold sweat soaking her temples, yet her words remained clear.

"Don't fall for it. Prince Duan is just hoping Your Highness will lose your composure and walk right into his trap..."

Seeing that she was coughing so badly, Li Zhao's complexion improved significantly.

He raised his hand and slowly stroked Xue Sui's back, his movements as gentle as if he were touching a fragile treasure.

"What do you want from me?"

"By marrying Guo Yunrong and leveraging the Zheng State Duke's mansion, we can win over various factions, solidify the Crown Prince's position, and then slowly eliminate the Prince Duan's faction, clearing obstacles in the court, in order to plan for the future..."

Xue Sui's voice, mixed with coughing, was unusually clear and calm.

That was exactly the same as what Empress Xie said.

Without a trace of romantic feelings...

This was normal; she always did it this way.

But at this moment, in the damp and dark dungeon, a cold analysis devoid of any emotion pierced his heart like a sharp blade, making Li Zhao's eyes burn and his throat taste bloody.

"Xue Ping'an—"

The Love Silk Gu, like ants gnawing at your veins, scurries through your meridians, burning every inch of your senses.

He suddenly leaned down, his lips brushing against her earlobe.

"If I kiss you right now, wouldn't that be like walking into a trap?"

"Your Highness, there is no need for impulsiveness. Throughout history, it is the ruthless who have achieved great things. Take Prince Duan, for example..."

The unspoken words were abruptly sealed away.

Li Zhao bit her lower lip fiercely, the smell of blood mixed with the fragrance of plum wine, filling their mouths.

In the distance, there were hurried, chaotic footsteps, gradually approaching.

Xue Sui slightly widened her eyes.

Li Zhao not only didn't stop, but instead pressed her against the stone wall and kissed her even deeper until she suffocated and lightly pounded his shoulder.

"Xue Ping'an." Li Zhao's breathing was disordered, and he pressed his forehead against hers as if panting.

"Not strangling you at Puji Temple ten years ago was the biggest mistake of my life."

Xue Sui's back, beneath his prison clothes, pressed against the cold stone wall, yet he felt the heat of Xue Sui's palms.

She steadied herself, leaned against his shoulder, listened to his pounding heartbeat, and remained expressionless.

"Your Highness, it's not too late to act now..."

A cold laugh escaped Li Zhao's throat.

What a cruel woman...

"You really have a heart of stone—"

Before the words had even finished, Guan Ya's urgent voice came from outside.

"Your Highness! Prince Duan has arrived!"