Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 242 White Hair Peeks into the Heart
Li Huan gripped Xue Sui's hand tightly and looked up directly at the emperor's face.

"Your Majesty, I dare to say that human life is of utmost importance and cannot be taken lightly—besides, she is not a criminal, but my concubine. How can I stand by and watch her... die innocently in Ping Le's place?"

Li Zhao glanced at the unconscious woman in Li Huan's arms, and felt a pang of pain in his heart at her striking white hair.

"Your subject seconds the motion." He lifted his robe and knelt beside Li Huan, no more than three inches away from him.

"If the law cannot protect people's safety, how can we talk about securing the country and maintaining peace? I implore my father to clearly distinguish between good and evil, and to make clear judgments on right and wrong, so as to demonstrate the justice of the imperial court and reassure the hearts of all people!"

Righteous words and strict words.

The Empress Dowager's summoning of Wang Bo'an was clearly pre-arranged.

Without the emperor's intervention, no one could open the door to the Cixi Palace.

Emperor Chongzhao suddenly narrowed his eyes, "What if I don't allow it?"

The candle flame crackled and sparked...

While Xue Sui was unconscious, a streak of blood suddenly oozed from the corner of his lips, a shocking sight.

The mourning clothes were tinged with dark red, like white plum blossoms withering in the winter snow, so poignantly beautiful that it took one's breath away...

Li Huan whispered "Ping An" and pulled her even closer to him.

"Father, have mercy!"

Li Zhao's heart tightened. He wanted to reach out, but he held back. His nails dug deep into his sleeve. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her long, snow-white hair falling on his brother's arm, and he felt a bitter taste rise in his throat.

"Father Emperor—" He knelt half a step forward and cupped his hands.

"When I arrived, I sent someone to Cixi Palace to convey the Emperor's decree, summoning Prince Bo'an to come and seek medical advice!"

Emperor Chongzhao's cold face twitched with anger.

"What an audacious and rebellious son! How dare he falsely convey the imperial edict?"

Li Zhao kowtowed deeply, "Your subject knows his crime and is willing to accept punishment. However, a ruler's word is law, and the emperor's authority and virtue cannot be easily disregarded..."

"Are you trying to blackmail me?"

Emperor Chongzhao grabbed a memorial from the table and threw it at Li Zhao, who turned his head to dodge it.

Seeing this, the emperor became even angrier. He pointed at his two sons, trembling with anger, and Wang Chengxi quickly stepped forward to help him up.

"Good, good, very good. You two are all going to cause trouble..."

"Imperial Physician Wang has arrived!" came the announcement from outside the palace.

Emperor Chongzhao pointed at the two of them lightly with his finger, snorted, flicked his sleeve, and turned to sit down on the gilded rosewood chair.

Wang Bo'an hunched over as he entered the hall. Seeing the prince kneeling on the ground and the mess all around, he didn't have time to pay his respects before his medicine box fell to the ground with a clatter.

He saw Xue Sui's white hair and couldn't believe it.

These are symptoms of snow fungus...

But he had clearly followed Li Zhao's instructions and switched the medicine long ago...

"Isn't Physician Wang the most skilled in treating rare diseases? Why is he so surprised?" Li Zhao sneered, his gaze falling on Xue Sui's bloodless face. "Could it be that you don't recognize this poison?"

Wang Bo'an knelt down with a thud, his forehead hitting the gold brick.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me! I am late."

Wang Bo'an wiped his sweat, stepped forward with trembling hands, and placed three fingers on Xue Sui's cun-guan-chi (a traditional Chinese medical term).

Li Zhao rubbed the ring, staring at him menacingly. Its eerie green luster resembled a venomous snake's tongue, as if it could take his life at any moment.

"The pulse is deep, thready, and hesitant, like a light knife scraping bamboo. This indicates that cold toxins have entered the meridians and are obstructing the heart vessels... It's almost like the poison of dried snow cabbage..."

After speaking softly, Wang Bo'an bowed deeply to the ground and clasped his hands in greeting.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty will first use a three-edged needle to prick and release the heat and toxins, protecting the Consort's heart meridian, before prescribing the medicine..."

The moment the silver needle pierced the Baihui acupoint, Xue Sui awoke in excruciating pain.

The heat rising from the room was like the burning coals in front of a rack...

The warmth of Li Huan's embrace scorched his very being.

She caught sight of Li Zhao's presence out of the corner of her eye, raised her wrist slightly, and then let it fall limply back down.

The rain outside the hall grew heavier and heavier, as dense as drumbeats. Wang Bo'an nervously performed acupuncture, moxibustion on Baihui and Fengfu, and needling Renying and Lianquan... He then lit the moxa stick, his hands already soaked with sweat.

Li Huan asked in a deep voice, "Imperial Physician Wang, how is the concubine?"

Wang Bo'an avoided his eyes and said in a trembling voice, "Your Highness, I have considerable knowledge of this poison. I will now prescribe a formula and prepare the medicine. It only requires seven days of continuous use to detoxify, but..."

"Just what..."

Wang Bo'an wiped his sweat with his sleeve, his gaze meeting Li Zhao's.

He took a half step back and spoke tremblingly.

"The poison has entered the marrow and damaged the heart. Although life can be saved, all five internal organs will be damaged, the vital energy will be greatly depleted, and medicine will be needed all year round. It may be difficult to reproduce... Moreover, the kidneys will be deficient and the liver will be dry, and the hair will not be nourished, so there is no cure."

Li Huan's pupils constricted sharply. "What did you say?"

Wang Bo'an clasped his hands in a respectful bow, looking at Xue Sui's full head of white hair, "The kidneys store essence, which manifests in the hair; the liver stores blood, and hair is the surplus of blood. When kidney essence is depleted and liver blood is exhausted, the hair turns as white as frost... It seems that the concubine's white hair will never turn black again..."

Li Huan felt as if struck by lightning, his fingertips trembling slightly.

Li Zhao's Adam's apple bobbed as he struggled to speak, then he suddenly let out a cold laugh.

Emperor Chongzhao unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.

With a full head of white hair and unable to bear children, this femme fatale no longer holds any attraction for men.

In the deathly silence of the hall, Xue Sui suddenly opened his eyes.

"This humble woman has been disrespectful..."

She pushed Li Huan's arm away, slowly straightened up, then suddenly coughed up a mouthful of black blood and slumped to the ground.

Her white hair cascaded down to her waist like a waterfall, making the bloodstains splattered on the collar of her prison uniform even more glaring.

"Your Majesty, I have disturbed Your Majesty's presence; I deserve ten thousand deaths to atone for it..."

Li Zhao stared intently at it.

She tilted her head slightly, her eyes filled with unfamiliarity, so unfamiliar that it reminded him of the snowy night at Puji Temple, where she huddled shivering under the artificial hill, her eyes also holding that same coldness that kept people at a distance.

She looked at the emperor calmly, as if she had never known him.

"Your Majesty... I beg Your Majesty to do justice for me..."

The hall fell silent, all eyes fixed on her.

Emperor Chongzhao's face was gloomy, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrest, a cold glint in his eyes. Li Huan and Li Zhao, these two sworn enemies, though their political views were opposed, stood together to defend her innocence, defending her in court. Furthermore, censors and officials impeached her one after another, listing Ping Le's many serious crimes.

Now that things have come to this, it is no longer possible to forcibly pursue Xue's guilt.

The Emperor pondered for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Lady Xue, Prince Duan has already pleaded for you. I am aware of the injustice in your case. Tell me, how do you want me to seek justice for you?"

Xue Sui kowtowed, "Your Majesty, I am filled with fear and trepidation. Because of me, this has caused turmoil in the court and troubled Your Majesty. I am aware of my faults and dare not hold a grudge..."

Before she could finish speaking, she coughed violently, a sickly flush rising to her pale cheeks.

"Your Majesty, I have only one request, and I humbly beg your permission."

Li Huan's heart skipped a beat for no reason, and an ominous premonition welled up in his heart.

The next moment, Xue Sui slowly said:
"I married into the Prince Duan's household to bring good fortune to my elder sister. Now that the Princess is pregnant, it is a blessing from heaven. I, a humble woman, am as insignificant as dust and as worthless as grass. Now that my appearance is ruined, I am even more ashamed. I humbly beg Your Majesty to grant me permission to leave this marriage and become a nun to pray for the royal family and His Highness Prince Duan, so as to atone for my sin of disrupting the royal family..."

Li Huan's body trembled, his eyes filled with shock.

He opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say...

Li Zhao took a half-step forward, then suddenly stopped, staring intently at her back, the veins on his forehead throbbing...

Emperor Chongzhao met her eyes, his knuckles unconsciously stroking the dragon throne, a storm raging in his eyes, which vanished in an instant.

He had never met a woman so clear-headed and insightful.

After everything that's happened, for her to still want to live peacefully as Prince Duan's concubine is an impossible dream. Even if he spares her, the Empress Dowager and the Xiao family probably won't tolerate her...

Now, she doesn't mention the bitterness of being framed, doesn't accuse others as a victim, and takes the initiative to plead guilty...

This is a smart way out.

If the emperor allows her to become a nun and spares her life, it can help him project an image of a wise and virtuous emperor.

If the emperor refused, he would appear harsh and ungrateful, especially after Prince Duan and Li Zhao jointly petitioned for permission. He needed to weigh the father-son relationship against the proper etiquette between ruler and subject, lest he alienate his son...

What a remarkable Xue woman!

Every move they made hit his weak spot.

After a moment of silence, a complex smile flashed across Emperor Chongzhao's face.

"With your clear understanding of your own mind and nature, how could I possibly refuse?"

After saying this, he stroked his beard and pondered for a moment before speaking in a deep voice.

"Considering your sincerity, I hereby bestow upon you one hundred taels of gold to repair the meditation rooms at Shuiyue Nunnery. You may move in with your maidservant, and you may return to the capital on the first and fifteenth of each month to pay your respects to your parents..."

The hall was dead silent.

The emperor gave the two princes a deep look.

"However, you are currently suffering from severe blood and qi deficiency, and it is not advisable for you to leave the palace rashly. In my opinion, you should first go to Hanzhang Palace to recuperate, and then resume your cultivation after you have recovered. The Holy Maiden of Hanzhang Palace has always been fond of Buddhism and is also knowledgeable in the secret arts of Xiz. If she has a way to turn your white hair back to black, it would be a good deed..."

That was said exceptionally well.

But everyone could tell.

The emperor's benevolence concealed oppression.

It was ostensibly to protect her, but it was also a form of house arrest under the pretext of recuperating from illness.

Ultimately, she wanted to use a palace wall to separate her from her two sons...

Of course, Xue Sui couldn't have asked for it more.

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."

She bowed slightly, her white hair was lifted by the wind, and her face was as cold as a dead person's.

Li Huan opened his mouth, but said nothing.

Li Zhao turned his face away, his entire arm trembling slightly from clenching his fist, a metallic taste rising in his throat...

The most ruthless chess player is never the one who calculates every move, but the one who makes their opponent willingly use their own flesh and blood to pave the way for their victory.

She had a firm grasp on people's hearts...

In this game of chess where men prey on women, dangerous fish are caught one by one.

The emperor's discretion became her shield.

The prince's obsession became her weapon.

Only she remained the one playing the game, severing all ties of love and affection.

Perhaps, this is their fate—

She crawled out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood, intending to use her own body as a weapon in a game of life and death. And in this game, he met her, and from then on, there was no turning back.

It's still raining.

A sedan chair with a blue satin curtain carried Xue Sui to Hanzhang Palace, accompanied by Wang Bo'an and Xiao Zhao.

The sedan curtain was like an insurmountable chasm; white hair slipped through the gaps in the curtain, but she did not turn around.

A lone crane with white hair gazes through the curtain, trying to understand the heart.

The curtain hooks were whipped around wildly by the wind, sounding like a string of choked sobs.

It was more like a long farewell, burying the spring and autumn, and also the winter and summer...

Li Zhao and Li Huan stood side by side under the eaves, their shadows shattered in the rain.

"In this round, she won people's hearts but lost true feelings."

"She shouldn't have gotten involved."

"You're the one who pushed him into this dead end."

"You're the one who harbored murderous intent!"

"You used her as a knife, but now you complain that the blade is too sharp?"

"Bullshit!" Li Zhao swung his fist hard at the pillar, his knuckles bleeding, but it was still burning hot, like a red-hot iron, searing his whole body with dull pain, almost suffocating him.

When did he ever use her as a weapon?

He has always been the knife in her hand!

It is a pawn on her chessboard.

Li Zhao: I am her chess piece, her pawn!
Reader: You don't want to? Let Prince Duan do it...

Li Huan: I'm even worse off, I'm in her pot.

Xue Sui: ...Could you please vote for me?