Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 235 Beauty
"Please, Your Highness, show me the way."

A suppressed whimper escaped Gu Jie's throat, much like a trapped beast driven to the brink of despair.

"I am willing to do anything for Your Highness as long as it makes the King of Wei pay the price."

Ping Le stepped barefoot onto the velvet carpet, approaching him amidst the warm fragrance, and leaned down to lift Gu Jie's chin.

"Lord Gu looks much more pleasing to the eye than his usual aloofness when he's like a stray dog."

The hibiscus-scented curtains are warm, and the incense burner emits fragrant smoke.

Her fingertips traced his taut Adam's apple, casually like a cat toying with a mouse, and the strange fragrance that suddenly wafted into his nostrils made Gu Jie's pupils shrink...

"Your Highness..."

Before he could finish speaking, Ping Le pulled him up.

The gauze curtains swayed gently, and the gilded curtain hooks struck the carved frame with a soft, tinkling sound.

Gu Jie watched as Ping Le slowly and deliberately took off her nightgown, revealing her fair collarbone that shone brightly in the warm fragrance...

"Weren't you supposed to be pledging your loyalty?"

She bit open his collar, her hair brushing against his neck, bringing a chill like a viper's tongue.

"I'm giving you this opportunity, so you'd better satisfy me..."

A sudden gust of wind rose outside the window, and a shower of raindrops pounded on the glazed tiles, like a hundred ghosts knocking on the door.

Gu Jie's body trembled violently as he stared at the incense ball slowly rotating on the top of the tent, a bitter taste rising in his throat.

"Your Highness, please don't worry..."

He gripped Ping Le's wrist, his voice like a trapped beast banging against its cage.

"I have a plan..."

"Shh, we'll talk about it later." Ping Le pressed her fingertips to his lips, a half-smile on her face. "Let me test whether your loyalty is real or not."

"Your Highness..." Gu Jie's breathing suddenly became heavy, and in a daze, he felt Ping Le's sharp nails digging into his shoulder blade.

Pain and pleasure washed over my mind like a tidal wave.

Inside the tent, crimson waves surged, and the brocade quilt became tangled, creating an atmosphere that was both dangerous and alluring…

Gu Jie tensed up slightly, then suddenly grabbed Ping Le by the back of her neck and breathed heavily in her ear.

"Your Highness, are you aware that Xue Liu is terminally ill in prison and may not last much longer?"

Ping Le raised an eyebrow, shoved Gu Jie with her backhand, and sneered.

"It would be better if she died, saving me the trouble. What, Lord Gu, are you feeling sorry for her?"

"Xue Liu deserves to die, but Your Highness wouldn't want her to die so cleanly, would you?" Gu Jie slowly tightened his grip on her waist, his hot fingertips rubbing against her delicate skin.

"Both the Crown Prince and Prince Duan are keeping a close eye on Xue Liu. If she dies in prison, Your Highness will be suspected of murdering her to cover it up. Now, the Lu family and the Lu family have joined forces with the Censorate... to relentlessly pursue Your Highness. At that time, you will not only face impeachment from court officials, but even His Majesty may suspect you..."

These words struck Ping Le right where it hurt.

Since her mother's sudden death, her father has become infatuated with that vixen Tuya, and his attitude towards her has inexplicably become much more distant...

If she doesn't clear herself of any wrongdoing soon, her position in her father's heart will be in grave danger.

Ping Le raised an eyebrow slightly, twisted her fingertips around the end of Gu Jie's hair, and gently tugged.

"Speak, what good plan does Lord Gu have?"

Gu Jie took a deep breath, "That day, Xue Yueying inadvertently let slip that she had witnessed Li Zhao and Xue Liu having a secret rendezvous at night in the Pear Fragrance Courtyard of the Xue family mansion..."

"Really?" Ping Le sat up abruptly, his cheeks flushed red with anger.

"That two-faced Xue Si! He concealed such a big matter!"

"Her surname is Xue, and she has the wolfish ambition of the Xue family in her bones."

Gu Jie's forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat. He took a breath before continuing, "I have dealt with the Xiz people before. As far as I know, the blueprints for the Shenbi Battalion crossbows in their possession most likely came from the Old Mausoleum Swamp."

"Just say what you want to say, stop beating around the bush!" Ping Le snapped impatiently.

Gu Jie lowered his voice, "The Crown Prince and Xue Liu were secretly colluding. It was through the Old Mausoleum Marsh that the Crown Prince was able to intercept the Xiz merchant caravan's gunpowder on the Yongding River and rescue Princess Wenjia's daughter..."

He paused, then leaned closer, giving a sly smile.

“Princess, the two of them have been in cahoots for a long time—if we can prove that the blueprints were made by Xue Liu, we can not only confirm Xue Liu’s crimes, but also bring down the Crown Prince and help the princess get out of her current predicament. It’s a triple win!”

Ping Le stroked the back of his neck with her fingertips, her eyes sharp.

"You want me to fabricate evidence of Xue Liu's treason?"

“No.” Gu Jie quickly explained, “If the Xiz people have it, that would be even better. If they don’t, they will forge it themselves… In that case, the princess only needs to set a trap and catch them red-handed—with such irrefutable evidence, even His Highness the Crown Prince will be unable to defend himself…”

Ping Le narrowed her eyes slightly, "Why would the Xiz people obey my orders?"

Gu Jie's Adam's apple bobbed, and he snorted coldly: "Currently, Xiz is in turmoil. Ashina and Amenglahe are vying for power and purging dissidents. Those Xiz assassins who have fled to Daliang are unable to return home and are wanted by the Daliang court. They are struggling to survive. They need money, they need a lot of money..."

snort!
Ping Le's lips curled into a contemptuous smile.

"The thing I have in abundance is money."

Seeing this, Gu Jie pressed his advantage: "As long as Your Highness offers them a large sum of money and promises to find them a place to stay, they will definitely obey like dogs." Ping Le's eyes were cold as she looked Gu Jie up and down.

His eyes were bloodshot, revealing a trapped beast's struggle and madness.

Having been pointed at and gossiped about in court, losing all face, and with his relationship with Xue Yueying irretrievably strained and their marriage nearly destroyed, Gu Wulang was now at his wit's end. The despair in his eyes was so clear…

Such a person has no choice; he can only rely on himself to have a chance to turn his life around...

Ping Le smiled, lazily stretched her body, and casually ran her fingertips across his cheek.

"Explain in detail, how exactly should we proceed?"

Gu Jie's breath hitched. He flipped over and pressed Ping Le down onto the brocade couch. He whispered in her ear, his voice soft but carrying an undeniable ruthlessness.

"As the ancients said, 'If you want to take something, you must first give something.' This time, I'm afraid Her Highness will have to personally intervene to gain the trust of the Xiz people..."
-
Inside the princess's residence, there were fragrant jade and soft red mandarin duck curtains.

Inside the Ministry of Justice prison, however, it was dark, damp, and had a pungent musty smell.

Xue Sui leaned against the damp stone wall, coughing incessantly.

"Consort Xue, someone is visiting you in prison." The jailer gruffly pushed open the cell door.

Upon hearing the sound, Xue Sui struggled to sit up and glanced to the side.

"Third Miss Guo, what brings you here?"

Guo Yunrong stood in front of the prison gate, carrying a food box. A blade of grass clung to the hem of her lotus-colored skirt, and her embroidered wide sleeves were also stained, yet she looked quite beautiful, like a magnolia blossom trembling on an early spring branch, completely out of place in the prison environment.

"Consort Xue, are you feeling any better?"

Her eyes were slightly red and filled with worry.

As he spoke, he stepped through the prison door, carrying a food box inside. He squatted down and looked at Xue Sui's chapped lips, feeling a pang of sorrow in his heart.

"The concubine is so ill, hasn't anyone called a doctor to take a look?"

Xue Sui gently tugged at the corners of her mouth and gave a weak smile.

"Thank you for your concern, Miss Guo. The doctor has come to see me; it's just that my body is weak and I haven't gotten better..."

Guo Yunrong pursed her lips, carefully took out the earthenware pot containing ginseng soup from the food box, ladled out a bowl, and presented it to Xue Sui with both hands.

"This is a prescription my mother found in Jiangnan. She said it can dispel cold toxins, strengthen muscles and bones, and is most effective in treating weakness and deficiency..."

Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly choked up again—

The woman sitting on the straw was ashen-faced, her eyes so sunken they seemed to hold stagnant water, and her bulging shoulder blades beneath her prison clothes were almost piercing the fabric. She was terribly thin...

The prison is so harsh; how can a bowl of ginseng soup possibly make up for it?

"Sister Xue, is there really no way to clear your name?"

Xue Sui struggled to sit up, the iron chains on her wrists clanging crisply, making her voice sound particularly hoarse.

Why did Miss Guo have to get involved in this mess?

After she finished speaking, she glanced at the twin lotus flower pattern on the food box and suddenly chuckled.

"At this time, the young lady should be staying at home, embroidering a festive and elegant wedding dress, and preparing for her lifelong event..."

Upon hearing this, Guo Yunrong blushed and hurriedly covered her face with her handkerchief to hide her embarrassment.

"The Three Letters and Six Rites haven't even been established yet, why are you in such a hurry..."

"It'll be soon." Xue Sui coughed twice and said with a smile, "While I'm in prison, I must congratulate Miss Guo in advance on finding a good man as she has fulfilled her wish."

Guo Yunrong's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she pursed her lips shyly and emotionally. Suddenly, she grabbed Xue Sui's cold hand, and a glistening tear appeared in her almond-shaped eyes.

"If it weren't for the concubine's righteous help at my coming-of-age banquet, I would have been schemed against and become a laughingstock. I would probably have been discarded in a family marriage, and I wouldn't have this opportunity now..."

She added earnestly, "The concubine helped me. I can't just stand by and watch you be wronged... But I've pleaded with my father and mother, and they both say this case involves many people, and no one dares to get involved easily..."

Xue Sui gave a bitter smile, "I appreciate the Third Miss's kindness. But once I'm in prison, it's hard to clear my name, and I can't force it..."

“Wait for me…” Guo Yunrong bit her lip and shook her head. “Tomorrow I will go and beg His Highness Prince Duan. If that doesn’t work, I will go and beg His Highness the Crown Prince. As long as they are willing to lend a helping hand, they will surely be able to clear your name!”

As Xue Sui gazed at the flickering flame in the girl's eyes, he couldn't help but recall the red smartweed blooming on the wasteland of the old mausoleum.

Sincere and passionate, making it impossible to let them down.

Unfortunately, it was destined to be let down in the end...

This is no ordinary case; the intricate web of interests involved is far beyond what her simple mind could comprehend.

Xue Sui silently drank the soup, forcing himself to stay awake until Guo Yunrong left with a worried expression. Only then did he lean against the wall and coldly ask Xiao Zhao.

"What day is it?"

Xiao Zhao looked at the messy, crisscrossing scratches on the stone wall and leaned closer with a serious expression.

“Miss, it has been eight days since I was imprisoned…”

Xue Sui narrowed his eyes slightly and coughed lightly twice.

"it's time……"

(End of this chapter)