Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 239 Frosty Temples

The clouds pressed down on the city like leaden blocks, and a sudden autumn rain began to fall.

The slanting rain washed the old locust tree at the Prince Duan's Mansion, making it appear lush and verdant.

Li Huan gripped the bamboo frame of the oil-paper umbrella, his face cold and expressionless.

Xue Yuechen stood beside him, supported by Emerald's hand. Her pregnant belly was slightly protruding, and the melancholy on her face was even more desolate than the ink bamboo painted on the umbrella.

"Your Highness, Miss Guo has been waiting for half an hour, refusing to come inside to take shelter from the rain, nor will she leave..."

Aji hesitated, looking at the hem of his master's robe that was soaked with sweat.

"She was mindful of her relationship with Consort Xue and was determined to save her."

Li Huan frowned slightly and raised the umbrella a little, revealing Guo Yunrong's disheveled figure standing under the locust tree.

She wore a honey-colored ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) today, and her soft satin embroidered shoes were soaked with rainwater, making her look even more pitiful...

No one could understand why a noble lady from a duke's mansion, the crown princess, would condescend to run around for a death row inmate, standing in the rain soaked to the bone, disregarding her dignity.

What kind of supernatural abilities does Xue Liu possess that make her so devoted to him?
"Go and fetch a raincoat," Xue Yuechen suddenly said, her voice gentle.

"Then have the small kitchen simmer a bowl of ginger tea, because young ladies are most afraid of cold and dampness entering the body, lest they catch a cold."

Aji accepted the order and left.

Xue Yuechen tightened her grip on Jade's hand, then suddenly smiled:

"Your Highness, please forgive my indiscretion, but Sister Guo has braved the rain to plead her case. If we don't respond to her kind offer... it would make me, her own sister, seem cold-hearted, less affectionate than outsiders. People would gossip about me behind my back..."

Li Huan glanced sideways and met Guo Yunrong's raised eyes.

The girl hurriedly curtsied, her body trembling as if unaffected by the wind.

"Greetings, Your Highness; greetings, Your Highness..."

Just as she was about to kneel down, Emerald stepped forward and stopped her.

"Miss, our princess is pregnant and cannot accept such a grand gesture..."

Guo Yunrong looked embarrassed, her eyes filled with fear, and she felt ashamed and helpless.

"Yunrong has been abrupt and should not have disturbed the Princess's rest... However, Consort Xue is seriously ill in prison, and the jailers are making things difficult for her at every turn. Yunrong has no other choice but to swallow her pride and come to your door... Please forgive her..."

The girl's cheeks were flushed, and her voice, barely audible, was muffled by the autumn rain.

Li Huan remained silent.

Xue Yuechen reached out to support him gently.

"Good sister, it's rare to find someone so kind and considerate, remembering my sixth sister. I'm so grateful, how could I possibly blame you..."

She glanced at Li Huan, then gestured for Emerald to drape the raincoat over her shoulders.

"To be honest, the prince and I are trying to find a way to help her."

Guo Yunrong's eyes suddenly lit up, and even her breathing became a little more cheerful.

"Heaven has eyes! Consort Xue will surely escape danger and be saved!"

Xue Yuechen nodded reassuringly at her.

"Don't worry! I'm her sister, how could I abandon her..."

"Thank you for your compassionate heart, Your Highness, and for your magnanimity... I will remember your kindness today and pray for your well-being for the rest of my life..."

"Aji—" Li Huan looked at her incessant chatter and expectant expression, and suddenly became impatient.

"Prepare a carriage immediately and send Miss Guo back to her residence!"

Guo Yunrong walked away anxiously, looking back every now and then, her breathing extremely soft, as if afraid they might change their minds.

As Xue Yuechen gazed at her slender back, she suddenly felt a sharp pain digging into the Buddhist prayer beads on her wrist…

This was specially sent by the Fu family this morning. They said it was obtained from Puji Temple and had been offered to the Buddha for 49 days. It is believed to protect the fetus, calm the mind, and avert disasters.

But right now, she can't settle down at all.

Li Zhao launched a surprise attack on the West Market last night and captured Ping Le, causing shock throughout the court and the country.

Everyone knew that Li Huan and she were born of the same mother, and the Prince Duan's residence instantly became the center of attention. If Ping Le's crimes were proven true, Li Huan's situation would be even more difficult than those ministers deeply involved in Ping Le's case...

If Pingluo is implicated, the struggle for the crown prince and the political situation in the court will be completely overturned, and may even rewrite the entire landscape...

The baby in her belly...

Even as the eldest son, his future is uncertain.

The Xue family's immense wealth and glory, and her bright future, suddenly became uncertain...

The Xiao family has been frequently visiting Li Huan in secret these past two days, and their words are all hinting that they want to take advantage of the situation to solidify the case of Li Zhao and Xue Liu murdering the concubine, so as to completely cut off the Crown Prince's wings.

Xue Yuechen gently stroked her lower abdomen, her brows furrowed with worry.

"Your Highness, let's go see Sixth Sister. She's been suffering in prison all this time; she must have endured a lot of hardship. If anything were to happen to her, it would be a disgrace to the Prince's Mansion..."

Li Huan remained silent, letting the rain drip down the umbrella ribs onto his shoulders as if he were unaware.
-
As night fell, the rain still hadn't stopped.

Li Zhao sat in the carriage in the rain and mist, watching the guards carry a three-inch-thick cypress coffin onto the cargo ship, his eyes filled with coldness.

The coffins were stacked neatly, covered with freshly cut straw, which was quickly soaked by the rain...

Guan Ya brought over a coarse cloth short jacket, which he glanced at and then casually tossed aside.

"What time is it?"

"Hai Chu Carving."

"How is it in prison?"

Yuan Cang lifted half of the curtain and reported in a low voice.

"Your Highness, the female prisoner wore a specially made human skin mask, and she bore a striking resemblance to Miss Xue Liu..."

Li Zhao nodded with a cold expression.

Mei Ruhui sat opposite him, glancing warily around.

"Remember, at midnight, the oxcarts carrying swill must pass the outer wall of the Bingzi Prison. As soon as the gong sounds, they must move out..."

Yuan Cang nodded.

Mei Ruhui gazed at the lanterns swaying on the canal boat, his heart heavy with worry.

"Although Chen Gui has made all the necessary arrangements, the Empress Dowager suddenly summoned Wang Bo'an to the palace tonight. I wonder what her intentions are..."

"It's been seven days. She's more anxious than we are about the effects of the Snowdrop Poison." Li Zhao wrapped the Xuan Tie Sword with hemp cloth, his face grim.

“It’s unusual that she didn’t summon Wang Bo’an to the palace at this time…” Before he could finish speaking, a soft creak came from the wooden planks of the cabin.

Li Zhao's eyes suddenly turned cold, and he was about to draw his sword...

Then a black cat emerged, its head sticking out wet.

"This is weird!" Mei Ruhui cursed under his breath, feeling a cold sweat trickle down his back.

Before setting off, he consulted a fortune teller, and the result was unfavorable.

Even though the arrangements were meticulously planned, he still felt inexplicably uneasy, much like the cat that had suddenly appeared—it exuded an inexplicable eeriness…

“A black cat brings wealth, an auspicious sign.” Li Zhao smiled, took out a piece of cheese from the carriage, broke it into pieces, placed it in his palm, and personally fed the cat.

Mei Ruhui: "..."

The ruthless crown prince and Li Zhao, who shares snacks with stray cats.

Yes, it's the same person.

Raindrops pattered and formed puddles, reflecting the shadows of a person and a cat.

The night was cool and still.
-
The night at Prince Duan's mansion was so quiet that you could hear the candle wick popping.

Xue Yuechen stared at her swollen eyelids in the bronze mirror, her eyes suddenly reddening, and she threw the comb hard to the ground.

"Your Highness, please calm down..." Emerald hurriedly went to pick it up.

Perhaps it's because she's pregnant and become more delicate, but the princess has become increasingly sensitive, suspicious, irritable, and easily angered in recent days. Even her close servants, like Emerald, have to be careful around her.

Xue Yuechen touched her temples, her face full of sorrow.

"Have I become ugly?"

"How could that be? Thanks to the young prince, the princess's complexion is rosy, and she looks even more noble than before."

"Noble airs?" Xue Yuechen smiled bitterly. "What use are these noble airs if even my own husband doesn't want to see me?"

After saying that, he suddenly turned his head and asked about jade.

"Where is the prince?"

The prince has been busy from morning till night and hasn't visited Yingyue Residence for many days.

Jade was a little embarrassed and quickly lowered her head to cover it up.

"I asked Aji first, and he said he was in the study looking at files..."

"He's clearly avoiding me. If he won't come looking for me, then I'll go looking for him."

Xue Yuechen, wrapped in a thick cloak, rushed into the rain, holding an umbrella. However, the study was empty; the stove was cold and the teacups were cold.

Her expression changed drastically, and she rushed down the steps in the rain, chasing after him—

Just then, I saw Li Huan's carriage disappear through the gate of the mansion...

A gust of cold wind swept over her, and she swayed.

"Prepare the car!"

No sooner had Li Huan left than Xue Yuechen followed him.

The carriage sped past in the rainy night, and when it came to a stop, she realized that she was in front of the Ministry of Justice prison.

She gripped the sweat-dampened handkerchief tightly, her fingertips turning white from the force.

"Your Highness, let's go back," Emerald advised. "This place is so ominous..."

"No. I have to go see my sixth sister too."

Xue Yuechen stubbornly pushed away Emerald's hand, flicked her sleeve, and stepped onto the stool.

"Your Highness, watch your step!" Emerald quickly helped her up. Before her feet even touched the ground, they suddenly saw lights cutting through the rain ahead.

Bathed in the glow of the lanterns cast by the guards, Li Huan stood with his hands behind his back, his expression seemingly shrouded in a thin layer of frost.

Xue Yuechen stood there, stunned, her fingers unconsciously touching her lower abdomen, her face showing unease.

"Your Highness, I was worried about Sixth Sister's health, and in my haste, I followed you..."

Seeing him staring intently at her with a cold expression, and her eyes welling up with tears, she lowered her head in grievance.

"I shouldn't have acted so willfully and disturbed Your Highness's official duties..."

"Let's go." Li Huan took off his cloak and draped it over her shoulders, then reached out his hand.

Xue Yuechen looked up in surprise, lifted her wet and heavy skirt, and followed with small steps.

The musty smell of the dungeon mixed with the stench of blood almost made Xue Yuechen vomit.

The prison passage was so narrow it seemed endless. The oil lamps on the stone walls flickered, casting distorted shadows that looked like ghostly faces. From behind the wooden bars on either side, a few groans occasionally drifted out, their trembling sounds chilling, as if one were walking on the road to the underworld—an indescribably eerie sound…

She was terrified and followed cautiously...

We finally reached the deepest part of the tunnel.

She saw it...

The person in jail.

woman.

Is it Xue Liu?
She was wrapped in straw, her body clad in tattered prison clothes, her back against the moldy stone wall. Her collar was loose, revealing a hideous old scar on her collarbone. Her face, which always held a smile, was now as pale as paper, and dried scabs covered her lips...

Even more horrifying was that her once jet-black hair, as black as lacquer, now shone with an eerie frosty white hue, as if moonlight were pouring down, in the eerie glow of the hellfire…

His once dark blue hair had turned white...

Suddenly, all her vitality was drained away.

"How could this be... how could this happen?" Xue Yuechen's exclamation caught in her throat.

She threw Li Huan aside, staggered to the wooden fence, banging the iron lock against it with a clanging sound, and tears streamed down her face.

"Your Highness, how did Sixth Sister become so ill?"

Li Huan did not answer. With a flick of his sleeve, he drew his sword like a gust of wind, severing the iron lock, and then slipped inside...

His voice trembled as his boots crunched over the scattered dregs of medicine on the straw mat.

"What did you eat? Tell me, what exactly did you eat?"

Xue Sui: Dear readers, don't be afraid, it's not cruel...

Li Zhao: ? ? ? ? So, only torturing me is considered not torturing me?