Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 241 Questioning the Heart

Zhuque Avenue, shrouded in rain and mist, resembled a long, pale ink scroll.

Horse hooves pounded puddles, carriages rolled over palace eaves...

The white marble steps of the Zichen Hall gleamed after being washed by the rain.

Li Huan knelt under the eaves of the Zichen Palace, holding Xue Sui, who was wrapped in a cloak. The long, snow-white hair of the person in his arms spread across his arms, gleaming with a cold, eerie light in the night.

"Father! Your Majesty, I have important matters to report—"

His voice sounded as if it had been soaked in snow water, carrying a hint of hoarseness and urgency.

The night was like ink poured onto an inkstone, thick and oppressive.

Xiao Zhao knelt silently behind him, clenching her fists tightly, her whole body tense. Looking at Xue Sui's bloodless face, she felt her heart pounding like a drum, about to burst out of her chest.

wait……

The waiting time was long and agonizing; the surroundings were so quiet that you could hear the raindrops hitting the glazed tiles.

The entire palace fell into slumber.

She didn't know what lay ahead, nor did she know whether the girl, who had meticulously planned this scheme, would ultimately fail miserably...
-
The candlelight inside the hall was dim, and Emperor Chongzhao had already gone to sleep.

The eunuch on night duty hunched over and paced back and forth in the corridor for a long time. After listening to Prince Duan kowtow loudly again and again, he finally gritted his teeth and went in tremblingly to report.

If Li Zhao had done what happened today, no one would have found it strange.

But this was none other than the usually calm and experienced Prince Duan, who was usually composed and never showed his emotions, always acting with composure and rarely even frowning. Yet tonight, he had acted so absurdly.

Emperor Chongzhao had been overwhelmed with worry lately, and he would count the night watchmen's time until the third watch before finally falling asleep, and his sleep was not very restful.

Hearing the commotion, he sat up abruptly. "Who dares to trespass into the Forbidden City?"

His voice carried a hint of anger.

Wang Chengxi carefully moved closer and placed a soft cushion behind his lower back.

"Your Majesty, Prince Duan is requesting an audience outside the palace, saying he has something extremely urgent to discuss..."

Emperor Chongzhao coughed twice, slowly rubbed his temples, and then slowly spoke.

"Help me change my clothes."
-
As Li Huan stepped into the hall, water droplets dripped from his robes, wetting the edges of the bright yellow carpet.

"I beg Your Majesty to have mercy and save my concubine's life."

Emperor Chongzhao looked at his disheveled appearance, his pupils contracted slightly, and he could hardly recognize him.

"You broke into the palace in the dead of night, disturbing the Emperor's presence, all for this woman?"

He pointed at Xue Sui, who was tightly embraced by Li Huan, his face showing a mixture of anger and disbelief.

Li Huan knelt and kowtowed, his Adam's apple bobbing violently with the effort.

"Your subject is confused, but if Lady Xue dies, your subject will not have peace for the rest of his life!"

Emperor Chongzhao frowned.

That day, the Empress Dowager had consulted with him about having Lady Xue die quietly in prison. This would both quell Consort Xiao's case and prevent more people from being implicated, which was originally the best course of action...

He acquiesced.

Compared to royal dignity and the stability of the nation, the life of a woman is utterly insignificant.

But he never expected Li Huan to act so impulsively.

"It was you who presented the evidence in the Qinghui Palace and imprisoned him; it was you who broke him out in the dead of night, risking your own reputation..." Emperor Chongzhao slammed his fist on the table, angrily questioning:

"So you expect me to clean up your mess now?"

"Your subject has deceived the emperor." Li Huan's forehead slammed heavily against the gold brick, and a red mark instantly appeared on his temple.

"The broken jade pendant in Qinghui Palace was hidden by your son. The Xue family has never colluded with the enemy..."

Emperor Chongzhao was furious, his gaze as sharp as a knife as he glared at Li Huan.

"Prince Duan, do you know what you're saying?"

"Your subject says that the jade pendant in Qinghui Palace was placed into Xue's purse by your own hand. As for Mother Consort's case, it was I who deliberately framed Xue to protect Ping Le... I have wronged Xue and have also violated the law..."

Then, he briefly recounted Lu Xi's death and Ping Le's poisoning of the Empress, his tone filled with remorse.

"Your Majesty, I once wrote the 'Twenty-Eight Memorials on Reforming Criminal Law,' with the sole aim of rectifying the law, governing the country with benevolence, and upholding justice. However, due to blood ties, I misjudged right and wrong, aided and abetted the wicked, and have failed my ancestors and been unworthy of being a subject." His knuckles turned white from gripping Xue Sui tightly, and his voice trembled with a deep, heart-wrenching pain.

"Your subject's sins are unforgivable!"

Emperor Chongzhao's face turned ashen, and he angrily flicked his sleeve.

"Ridiculous! Such baseless accusations? How can I believe you?"

After saying that, he suddenly sneered, raised his chin, and his eyes were piercing.

"Even if Ping Le has made a grave mistake, it's not right for you, as the elder brother, to betray your own family. At this critical juncture, you're stirring up trouble for your own family; are you trying to distance yourself? Hmph! Throwing Ping Le away to save yourself?"

Ping Le is currently being impeached, and the evidence against him is overwhelming.

It also had a significant impact on the voice and foundation of the Prince Duan's mansion.

Li Huan sensed the emperor's doubt and spoke in a heavy, restrained tone.

"Your Majesty, I have irrefutable evidence, which I will present to you tomorrow. I am guilty and dare not shirk my responsibility."

He paused for a moment, then spoke firmly again.

“At first, it was out of brotherly affection for Ping Le that I wholeheartedly protected her. But she really shouldn’t have colluded with the Xiz assassins and wreaked havoc on the court. If I don’t stop her and continue to indulge her, the Great Liang will be destroyed in her hands.”

Emperor Chongzhao sneered.

"This is utter nonsense! Do you know what punishment you deserve for what you said tonight?"

"Your subject knows his crime, and your subject is willing to plead guilty."

Li Huan's forehead slammed heavily against the gold brick, his voice muffled in his chest. He looked down at the unconscious Xue Sui, steadied himself, and said, "But before punishing your son, I beg Your Majesty to have mercy and order Imperial Physician Wang Bo'an to treat Xue Sui..."

Emperor Chongzhao made him so angry he laughed.

"Do you think the imperial family is a charity?"

"Your Majesty, you are wise!" Li Huan emphasized, "The Empress Dowager has suffered a headache and urgently summoned Imperial Physician Wang Bo'an to the Cining Palace to attend to her, but he has not returned yet. Only Imperial Physician Wang can cure Consort Xue's illness..."

He did not say it explicitly.

But the meaning is clear enough.

The Empress Dowager was the instigator of this incident, and Wang Bo'an was involved.

Even the emperor himself was an accomplice who knew about it.

Emperor Chongzhao was so angry that he was breathing heavily, and his tone was full of disappointment.

"Prince Duan, do you still have any respect for your sovereign and father?"

"Your subject dares not, your subject's only thought is to save people..."

"Insolence!" Emperor Chongzhao roared in anger, sweeping the teacup off the dragon table with his sleeve, and smashing it to pieces on the ground.

"Guards, escort Prince Duan out of the palace. If he dares to disobey the imperial decree again, he will be severely punished!"

“Why should Father Emperor be angry…” A clear and melodious voice came from outside the palace.

Before he finished speaking, Li Zhao, shrouded in the mist of rain, stepped across the threshold. Water droplets from his black cloak spread out tiny watermarks on the gold bricks.

He raised his eyes, his brows and eyes cold and stern, clear as a frozen pool.

"Human life is at stake, and my brother only resorted to this desperate measure."

After saying that, he took off his dripping cloak and threw it to Laifu. When his gaze swept over the figure curled up in Li Huan's arms, the corners of his lips pursed slightly.

He stepped forward and bowed respectfully to Emperor Chongzhao.

"Your son pays his respects to Your Majesty. I hope Your Majesty will consider that my elder brother's offense is new and show leniency!"

Emperor Chongzhao looked at the bloodshot eyes of Li Zhao, then glanced at Li Huan kneeling on the ground, and slowly rose to his feet, supporting Wang Chengxi's wrist, and walked to them.

The two sons have been locked in a fierce rivalry for many years, their relationship as sworn enemies.

Now they kneel together before the emperor, a rare display of unity...

Unfortunately, it wasn't for the sake of the Liang Dynasty, but for the sake of a femme fatale...

Emperor Chongzhao's anger intensified, and he felt even more strongly that Xue Sui deserved to die.

"You two disregard all decorum and challenge the sovereign in the dead of night, just to stand up for a sinful woman?"