Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 258 Bloody Light

It was at this time that Xue Sui returned from releasing animals in the backyard.

I had just passed through the corridor of the Buddhist temple when I was called over.

Upon seeing Guo Yunrong, she calmly straightened her robes, lowered her eyes, and clasped her hands in a gesture of respect.

"The county lady is well."

Guo Yunrong looked up, her gaze sweeping over the woman's slender figure, her tone carrying a hint of inquiry.

"It's been a long time, Sister Xue, you've gotten so thin!"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness." Xue Sui said calmly, "Life in the nunnery is peaceful, but the simple food and drink are not nourishing."

Guo Yunrong raised her hand to touch the pearl flower at her temple, her eyelashes trembling slightly, her tone carrying just the right amount of warmth.

"I've heard that there's a kind of plum blossom fermented rice in the nunnery, made by Sister Xue's skillful hands. I wonder if you could teach Yunrong a thing or two? If I can learn it, I can serve it to Her Majesty the Empress one day, which would be a way to fulfill my filial duty."

Sometimes, the emotions between people don't need to be explicitly stated.

As Xue Sui watched her stroke the jade bracelet on her wrist, he almost instinctively sensed that Guo Yunrong was acting unusually today.

That bracelet was a gift from the Empress herself.

A single glance was enough to convey unspoken words through their eyes and brows.

"Your Highness is too kind to this humble nun." She clasped her hands together, lowered her eyes, and spoke softly.

"It's simply taking three pecks of fresh snow, filtering out impurities with a bamboo sieve, and soaking glutinous rice. At midday when the sun is at its strongest, pick half-opened plum blossoms and marinate them, then soak them in warm wine until they expand, knead them evenly with the glutinous rice, sprinkle in yeast, and ferment until the plum fragrance permeates the air. Before putting it into the jar, first coat the inner wall with a layer of honey, use plum branches as a frame at the bottom of the jar, press it down, cover it with three layers of cotton wadding, and then seal it with clay..."

Guo Yunrong listened attentively, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the jade bracelet on her wrist.

"This cooking is exquisite. I wonder if Yunrong would have the honor of trying a bowl today?"

Xue Sui: "The plum blossom fermented rice is ready-made; it can be eaten after a short simmer. Please wait a moment, Your Highness; this humble nun will be right back."
-
The kitchen was steaming, and the steam made the wooden pot lid rattle.

Ruyi squatted in front of the stove, adding firewood and watching the sparks crackle and pop among the dry branches.

“Miss, Princess Minghui seems a bit strange today. I think the way she looks at you is odd…”

Even Ruyi noticed?

Xue Sui chuckled softly, rolled up his sleeves to scoop up the fermented rice from the earthenware jar, and then kneaded the raw glutinous rice balls in the porcelain bowl.

"She's a very outspoken person and can't keep secrets."

"Could it be that she heard some rumors and came to cause trouble for the young lady?" Ruyi pursed her lips and lowered her voice: "This servant saw her come in with the princess, but I don't know what the princess said to her."

"Don't talk too much, or you'll get into trouble," Xue Sui whispered, tapping the rim of the jar with a wooden spoon.

He then pursed his lips.

"Go get the dried tangerine peel from the windowsill, and slice some ginger."

Ruyi let out a "oh" and ran off happily.

The master and servant were busy at work, and the steam carrying the fragrance of plum blossoms wafted over the beams and pillars of the kitchen. Just as the "tangerine peel and fermented rice soup with glutinous rice balls" was about to be taken out of the pot, Guo Yunrong lifted the bamboo curtain and came in.

She walked alone to the stove without her maid, her expression seemingly frozen with frost.

Xue Sui was slightly taken aback and put down the wooden ladle.

"This kitchen is filled with smoke and fumes. How can a lady of noble birth endure such smoky and foul air? Please return to the guest room and have a seat. This humble nun will escort you there now..."

In ancient times, the wives and daughters of noble families were very particular about etiquette, and this behavior was truly unbecoming of their status.

Guo Yunrong forced a smile and stared as she slowly approached.

"Sister Xue, have you heard? To refuse my marriage proposal, His Highness the Crown Prince went to the Shuiyue Nunnery and mingled with a young nun. He was punished by His Majesty and flogged..."

Her voice was as soft as falling plum blossoms, and she seemed unwilling to hear Xue Sui's reply, speaking to herself:
"The Empress said he was worried about the war in the Western Frontier, which is why he stepped forward to face the danger and show his patriotism—I simply don't believe it. Willing to endure the whipping and insisting on going to the front lines to die, if there were no other choice, why would a dignified Crown Prince do such a thing?"

At this point, she suddenly raised her eyes, her gaze like that of a wounded fawn, staring intently at Xue Sui.

"Sister Xue, do you think His Highness the Crown Prince is acting so strangely because someone has exploited his weakness?"

The porcelain bowl made a dull clattering sound on the cutting board.

Xue Sui rubbed the Buddhist beads on his wrist, then poured the piping hot sweet fermented rice balls into a porcelain bowl, his expression remaining as calm as still water.

"Perhaps the county princess is overthinking it. Her Majesty the Empress is right. His Highness the Crown Prince bears the weight of the nation's fate and naturally desires to bring peace and stability to the country..."

"Even the weight of national responsibility cannot outweigh the tender feelings of one's children."

Guo Yunrong suddenly cut her off and pressed her embroidered handkerchief to the corner of her eye.

“If there is no deep-seated obsession, why gamble everything? Sister Xue, you lashed him twenty-eight times, each lash drawing blood. His Highness lay in bed for three days before he could barely get up. As soon as he could move a little, he came straight to the Water Moon Nunnery…”

The fermented rice on the stove was steaming, and Xue Sui tightened his grip on the wooden spoon. He remembered the sight of blood seeping from Li Zhao's shoulder and back that night, and his throat tightened inexplicably.

After the Love Poison was removed, she shouldn't be so preoccupied, but the surging heat in her heart was even more unbearable than when the poison was acting up.

She sighed inwardly and looked directly at Guo Yunrong.

"Princess, why don't you speak frankly?"

"Yunrong wants to ask Sister Xue, is Yunrong really that unbearable?" Guo Yunrong suddenly grabbed her hand and pressed the embroidered handkerchief deep into her palm.

Her skin was warm to the touch, but her eyes held a moist, stubborn glint in them.

"It's unbearable that His Highness the Crown Prince would rather suffer whipping and be ridiculed by the world than marry me. It's unbearable that Yunrong treats my sister with sincerity, yet my sister won't even tell her the truth..."

Xue Sui's fingertips stiffened slightly.

After gazing into her reddened eyes for a long time, I finally let go of my aloofness.

"The county princess is intelligent and kind-hearted, gentle and virtuous, she is good in every way, a thousand times, ten thousand times better than Xue Liu..."

Guo Yunrong: "But he just happens to like you, not me, right?"

Xue Sui remained silent.

Actually, she liked Guo Yunrong's personality.

If you have any complaints, you should express them on the spot.

Xue Sui greatly appreciated that she came to question her personally instead of sabotaging her behind her back.

“This matter was originally my fault.” She brought over the bowl of fermented rice wine, stirred it in the bowl with a spoon for a moment, and handed it to Guo Yunrong. “Shuiyue Nunnery enshrines the Buddhas of the three worlds, and the ever-burning lamp illuminates one’s true heart. Today, Xue Liu can swear to the Buddha that he has never had the intention to compete with the county princess. He was sincere at the time and hoped that the county princess and His Highness would be a harmonious couple, forever united in heart, and become a couple in this world.”

Guo Yunrong clutched her embroidered handkerchief tightly, her eyes brimming with tears.

She hated, she felt resentment, yet she didn't know who to blame...

When Xue Yuechen told her the truth, the humiliation that surged within her felt like an ice pick piercing her bones, chilling her to the bone. She felt an urge to destroy the world and grind the person who hurt her to dust...

But when she saw Xue Sui, her heart softened unconsciously.

On second thought...

When they first met at the Persian embroidery shop, she fell in love with the prince, but he never gave her a second glance, nor did he make any promises to her. He abandoned her after taking advantage of her.

From the very beginning, it was all wishful thinking on her part...

The crown prince was forced into it.

As the crown prince, he was unable to stay with the woman he loved, and was even subjected to twenty-eight severe lashes. On such a snowy day, he was sent to the border, his fate uncertain...

He is also pitiful.

As for Xue Sui...

He suffered hardship and displacement from a young age, receiving no love from his family. Upon returning to the capital, he was imprisoned, barely surviving, and ended up with a full head of white hair…

Forced to shave her head and become a nun, she spends her days with only the ancient Buddha and the flickering lamp...

She's pitiful too.

In that sense, she, born into wealth and luxury, pampered by her family from a young age, and even granted the title of county princess, is the luckiest...

She already enjoys so much favor and privilege, how could she be so demanding and covet things that don't belong to her?

“Sister Xue…” Guo Yunrong suddenly lowered her head, wrinkling her nose and wiping away tears.

"Why didn't you let me know sooner... If I had known the truth earlier, I wouldn't have forced you like this. I would have taken the initiative to request annulment of the engagement, so he wouldn't have suffered so much beating, and I wouldn't have put you in such a difficult position..."

Xue Sui felt a sudden tightness in his chest.

Meeting those clear eyes, she choked up.

Even when she was imprisoned, she wasn't completely unaware of what was happening outside.

She knew that Guo Yunrong had gone to great lengths to save her...

But she also knew that her heart, filled with hatred, would find it difficult to respond to such pure affection.

Since we're destined to be disappointed, let's just wish her well from afar...

She sighed softly, "That's why I say the county princess is a thousand times, ten thousand times better than me. Missing out on the county princess would be His Highness's loss. As for me, I am neither a virtuous person nor a worthy person to entrust my life to..."

"You're a good person, Yunrong believes you!" Guo Yunrong pouted and took the fermented rice wine.

"A forced relationship is never sweet. He doesn't like me anyway. It's a relationship that can't be forced, so it's better to let it go."

After saying that, she pouted, both dissatisfied and aggrieved.

"I'll accept this bowl of plum blossom fermented rice wine as your apology to me. I'm magnanimous and will forgive you for what you did."

Xue Sui: ...

Li Zhao really missed out on such a wonderful girl.

As they were talking, a commotion suddenly broke out outside.

Xue Sui exchanged a glance with her, frowned, and walked out of the kitchen. Just as he reached the corner of the corridor, he saw Xue Yuechen, supported by Emerald's hand, walking slowly with her large pregnant belly and the help of a servant.

She wore a smoky purple cloak embroidered with gold, which made her face appear even paler.

"What's wrong with Your Highness?" Guo Yunrong asked hurriedly, "Should we summon a doctor?"

Xue Yuechen placed her hand on her waist, her breathing unsteady.

"I feel a bit weak, my lower abdomen feels like it's weighed down by a heavy stone, and my lower back aches. I'd like to go inside and lie down for a bit. Please make yourself at home, Your Highness..."

Seeing her pale face, Xue Sui frowned: "Could it be that you've had a miscarriage?"

Xue Yue, panting, forced a smile: "There's still more than a month until my due date... Perhaps I walked too fast just now..."

As she spoke, she clutched her stomach, her brows furrowed, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

Xue Sui had someone help her to sit down in the meditation room. He reached out and felt her pulse, and found that it was slippery, rapid, and swift, with a strong and forceful pulse at the cun position. His heart tightened involuntarily.

"Quickly, help the Princess to the inner room to lie down..."

He then turned to the jade and said:
"Quickly fetch a midwife; the princess is about to give birth!"

Upon hearing this, Xue Yuechen was greatly shocked and completely lost her composure.

"What should we do? This is a sacred Buddhist place. If bloodshed occurs, and the impurities offend the Bodhisattvas, we may suffer divine retribution..."

Jade also said, "Yes, it's true that you shouldn't give birth in a temple, and temples don't deliver babies... That's unacceptable..."

Xue Yuechen clutched her lower back, wincing in pain.

"Jade, quickly send someone to prepare a sedan chair; we must return to the manor immediately..."

Xue Sui sneered, "Human life is of paramount importance, why care about taboos? It's been snowing heavily in the mountains for days, and the princess is about to give birth. How can she withstand such a bumpy ride? Besides, a Bodhisattva saves all sentient beings, how could he punish someone for bloodshed?"

The people in the meditation room were all somewhat flustered and uneasy.

Guo Yunrong composed herself and nodded.

“I will go and talk to the nun. She is compassionate and I think she won’t blame me.”

Xue Sui's gaze swept over the panicked crowd, then fell upon Xue Yuechen's unbearable pain. After a moment's contemplation, he let out a deep breath and murmured, "Amitabha..."

"Boil water, prepare soft cloths, close the doors and windows, and then get clean quilts..."

After calmly giving instructions to the servants, she raised her voice and called for Emerald.

"Why haven't you sent someone to invite His Highness Prince Duan yet?"

　Li Zhao: I will not appear today, but the twenty-eight whips are still in effect. Fellow readers, won't you show your support for my bravery?
　　Xue Sui: ? ? ? ...!!
　　Li Zhao: What does that mean? Can you all help me interpret it?

　　(End of this chapter)