Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 232 Under the Candlelight

Xue Sui lowered his eyes and waited quietly for what was to come, without uttering a sound.

Xiao Zhao's eyes lit up, and she asked impatiently, "Who died? How did they die? Tell me quickly!"

The way she leaned forward to ask questions was as eager as a cat that had just stolen some fish, making Jinshu both amused and helpless.

“One is Su Jin, the third-ranked scholar in the tenth year of Chongzhao, and the other is his personal servant, A Gui…” Jinshu lowered her voice, “When the bodies were retrieved, they were unrecognizable, and it’s unknown how long they’ve been dead…”

Xue Sui understood.

It must have been Ping Le who killed Lu Xi to cover up the fact that he had coerced Lu Xi into poisoning him.

"Ping Le's methods are insidious, and he has become increasingly decisive in his actions lately. That Su Tanhua aided and abetted evil, and his current predicament is well-deserved. After this incident, Gu Wulang should be more clear-headed. I don't need to say more about how to deal with things from now on..."

The wick crackled and sparked.

The reflection shows the mottled mold spots on the stone wall.

Jinshu looked at the sickly look on Xue Sui's face, then suddenly placed her palm on Xue Sui's knee, her Adam's apple bobbing twice, but she made no sound.

Xue Sui: "Aunt, please speak freely."

“Miss…” Jinshu knelt on the damp straw, her tone slightly flustered and complicated, “Miss, His Highness the Crown Prince has agreed to the marriage with Miss Guo. His Majesty has ordered the Imperial Observatory to select an auspicious day. After the mourning period for Consort Xiao is over, the marriage will be announced to the world and the three letters and six rites will be performed…”

The light of the oil lamp suddenly dimmed.

Xue Sui chuckled, his voice like a blade dipped in frost.

"His Highness's wedding is a joyous occasion. Why is Aunt looking so worried?"

Seeing that she was eating lotus leaf pastries with a normal expression and without losing her composure, Jinshu felt a little relieved.

"His Highness also sent a message..." She glanced around warily, then grasped her cold hand, "The Empress Dowager has suddenly summoned the imperial physician Wang Bo'an, who has been away from home for many years, to the palace..."

Before he could finish speaking, a fawning laugh suddenly came from the passageway.
“Sir, please do us a favor… This jar of twenty-year-old Shaoxing wine was specially reserved for you. We’ll leave as soon as the young lady finishes eating, so as not to delay your night patrol…”

The footsteps grew louder as the night guard, his face stern, strode over to investigate.

Jinshu hurriedly presented the steaming ginger tea to Xue Sui.

"Young lady, you should at least eat something to warm yourself up..."

Xiao Zhao, her eyes also red-rimmed, stepped forward, choking back tears, "The dungeon is so damp, and your cough has gotten worse these past two days. If you don't take good care of yourself, how will you survive..."

Xue Sui clutched the front of his prison uniform, shook his head slightly, and coughed incessantly.

Only after the night watchman left did she sit up straight, gaze at the swaying reflection in the ginger tea, and whisper her instructions.

"Send a message to the Crown Prince..."

Jinshu leaned in to listen, but then she suddenly started coughing violently again. This time it didn't seem fake; her knuckles were gripping the straw so tightly they turned white.

It took him a long time to calm down before he uttered four words with a cold expression.

"Don't be impatient."
-
The lights were still on in the study of Prince Duan's mansion until midnight.

Xue Yuechen, supporting her pregnant belly, stood under the corridor, gazing at the light emanating from the study, her fingertips clenching the silk handkerchief in her hand.

Since Xue Sui was imprisoned, Li Huan has never set foot in her Yingyue Residence again. He goes out at dawn every day and only returns when he is covered in frost and dew...

As the principal wife, she hadn't seen her husband for several days...

Emerald supported her, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping herself.

"Your Highness, it's late and the dew is heavy. Your health is precious; you should go back and rest early. Tonight, the Prince... will probably be spending the night in his study again..."

Xue Yuechen's eyes instantly reddened, and she clutched her handkerchief tightly, saying sadly, "Could it be because I haven't visited my sixth sister that the prince resents me for being cold-hearted?"

Jade gently comforted her, "Your Highness, please don't worry. The prince in your womb is the most important thing. Just focus on your pregnancy and take care of yourself..."

Xue Yuechen bit her lower lip, lifted her skirt, and walked through the corridor.

In the study, the candlelight flickered.

Li Huan stared at the neatly stacked files on the desk, and the image of Xue Sui tearing her clothes that night in Qinghui Palace flashed before his eyes. The peony painting on her lower back made the old scar look like a ball of fire, burning his temples with a throbbing pain.

"Your Highness, the Nine Treasures Cake that the Princess Consort sent is getting cold..."

Aji stepped forward cautiously, not daring to look directly at his face.

Li Huan looked up and saw nine kinds of pastries neatly arranged in a lacquered box, piled into an exquisite tower shape and decorated with icing sugar. These were the pastries that Xue Sui had shown off with a smile on her face on the day they first met at the Xue residence...

good smell.

very familiar.

The princess is very thoughtful.

His fingertips hovered above the pastry—

He paused, then withdrew his hand.

Aji caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye and lowered his head even further. "The Princess Consort has been suffering from severe morning sickness lately, vomiting everything she eats and having no appetite. Your Highness, would you like to visit Yingyue Residence tonight?"

Li Huan frowned slightly as he looked at the flickering candlelight.

"Instruct Physician Chen to take the pulse carefully and treat the patient properly."

He paused, rubbed his temples, and patiently gave instructions.

“Send all the blood swallows that the Imperial Concubine bestowed upon us before her death to Yingyue Residence to help the Princess have a safe pregnancy.”

Aji acknowledged and withdrew, but then caught a glimpse of Xue Yuechen leaning against the doorframe, seemingly lost in thought.

He was startled and bowed respectfully.

"I've met the princess."

Xue Yuechen gave him a forced smile and slowly stepped into the study.

Seeing Li Huan leaning back in the wooden chair, his pale face shrouded in the shadows of the candlelight, his dark circles under his eyes like they were soaked in thick black ink, a sudden pang of pain shot through my heart... Was it lovesickness that had driven him to such despair for a woman?
Or is it that I hate her for trampling on my sincerity, and I can't get over it?
Xue Yuechen couldn't see through him. After ten years of marriage, the person beside her pillow was like an abyss.

"Why is the Princess Consort here?" Li Huan looked up, closed the case file on the table, and his fingers unconsciously tightened. "Didn't I tell you to take good care of yourself during your pregnancy?"

"I heard that Your Highness is having trouble sleeping again, and I am really worried about you..." Xue Yuechen said softly, and then pushed the Nine Treasures Cake on the table in front of him.

"Your Highness has worked so hard on this case, you must take good care of yourself. If you ruin your health, I'm afraid Sixth Sister won't be able to rest easy in prison..."

Li Huan stared at the porcelain dish and suddenly sneered.

Why would Xue Liu care whether he lives or dies?

That day in the Dali Temple courtroom, she publicly tore open her sleeve, revealing her virginity mark, and uttered those ruthless words that left no room for compromise. It was tantamount to personally stabbing a sharp knife into his heart...

From beginning to end, she had no intention of doing this.

He was the same, of course.

So similar, both possessing an inherent, unyielding spirit. Meeting Xue Sui was like meeting a worthy opponent; the emotions fueled by their competitive drive surged like an undercurrent, something he himself found difficult to understand and was unwilling to discuss further.

"Does Your Highness resent me?" Seeing his cold expression, Xue Yuechen suddenly knelt down.

"If I had noticed my sixth sister's predicament earlier and advised her not to be easily swayed by treacherous people, perhaps she wouldn't be in this predicament today..."

"Get up quickly." Li Huan interrupted her, bent down and helped her into his arms, his voice deep and hoarse.

"This has nothing to do with you. Just focus on your pregnancy and don't overthink it."

Xue Yuechen looked at his knuckles, which had turned white from clenching his fists so tightly, and her nose stung with tears that rolled down her cheeks.

Li Huan looked slightly taken aback: "Why are you crying?"

“In Your Highness’s eyes, I am like an outsider…” Xue Yuechen sobbed, her body trembling uncontrollably. In her desperation, she could not suppress her grievances and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist.

"Your Highness has an iceberg in your heart, and I have tried to warm it up for ten years, but I still haven't been able to."

Li Huan's Adam's apple bobbed. After a moment, he untied her arms that were wrapped around him, looked down at her tear-streaked face, and what came to mind was Xue Sui's cold and aloof appearance in the dungeon.

"Your health is delicate, don't overwork yourself."

He turned his head again, his face darkening.

"Someone, help the Princess back to Yingyue Residence and make sure she rests well."
-
The night was deep, but I had no idea what time it was.

Xue Sui curled up on the straw mat, listening to Xiao Zhao's even breathing.

She kept the chill of the dungeon at bay, leaving only the remaining warmth for herself, yet she couldn't sleep, repeatedly pondering the words Jinshu had left behind...

"Miss, do you think His Highness really wants to marry Miss Guo?" Xiao Zhao suddenly turned over, her voice filled with indignation. "You've taken so many risks for him, and he just wants to marry you like that! He completely ignores you, leaving you to suffer in prison..."

"Silly girl, you're not asleep?"

"It was a maid's act," Xiao Zhao muttered. "The maid thought she could lull the young lady to sleep."

Xue Sui: "..."

Xiao Zhao said, "Miss, His Highness's feelings for you are clearly genuine..."

Xue Sui chuckled softly, "What true feelings do royal family members have?"

She gazed at the faint light on the stone wall, recalling the fierce rage in Li Zhao's eyes when he grabbed the imperial guard's arm in Qinghui Palace to stand up for her, and her throat suddenly tightened.

Born into an imperial family, one often finds oneself unable to control one's own destiny.

She gently patted Xiao Zhao, her voice soft yet firm.

"Go to sleep. The future is uncertain, and there are even more pressing matters to deal with tomorrow..."
-
The musty smell of the Ministry of Justice prison, mixed with the rustling of rats and ants, kept Xue Sui awake all night, and his cough seemed even worse the next day.

Fortunately, the jailer had received a favor from Qian and got her a bowl of ginger soup and half a packet of mugwort.

Xue Sui took a sip from the broken bowl, the spiciness shooting straight to her throat, causing her to cough incessantly while lying on the pile of straw...

Xiao Zhao rushed forward, frantically shaking the wooden fence with both hands, "Officer, please have mercy and find a doctor for our girl..."

"You little devil! What are you yelling about? Don't you want to die?"

The jailer raised his foot to kick him, but Xue Sui stopped him.

"Sir, please calm down! This girl doesn't know her place, please don't take it to heart."

The jailer left cursing, and Xue Sui chewed mugwort with cold water, wrapped himself tightly in his cotton robe, leaned against the corner of the wall, and took a pill that Jinshu had brought. He didn't close his eyes until the oil lamp burned out and fell into a deep sleep.

In a daze, I heard light footsteps outside the door again.

Unlike his usual heavy movements, this person walked very lightly, as nimbly as a cat's paw, carrying a faint medicinal fragrance that drifted into the nostrils...

If Xue Sui hadn't had such keen senses, he would have barely been able to detect his presence.

She opened her eyes and looked up, and saw an old man in a blue robe walking towards her with a cane, led by two jailers. His long beard swayed gently in the wind, and his wrinkles were full of vicissitudes.

"Is Madam Xue well?" The old man clasped his hands in greeting, his voice like a rusty copper bell.

"I have been ordered to come and take your pulse."

Xue Sui stared at the antique silver ring on his thumb and coughed softly.

"Thank you, Doctor."

Wang Bo'an placed his camphor wood medicine box and wooden cane on the ground, his aged voice tinged with weariness.

"May I ask that you extend your hand, madam, so that I may examine your pulse?"

Xue Sui drooped her eyelids and obediently extended her wrist, letting the other person's fingers rest on her wrist...

Xiao Zhao: The heartless crown prince, should we kill him?

Xue Sui: Let him queue up first...

Li Zhao: Queue up? What are we queuing for? I heard the Crown Prince gets a 20% discount?