Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 262: Relieving Heat
The wind and snow at Chishui Pass raged for months, turning the area inside and outside the pass into a vast, desolate snowfield.

The old plum tree at Shuiyue Temple had shed its last petal in the spring chill, revealing its gnarled branches, like an old monk who had shed all worldly adornments, silently guarding the temple gate...

New bamboo shoots have sprouted in the bamboo grove, their tips breaking through the damp soil, carrying the moisture of spring, and even the air is filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees.

Xue Suili stood by the window of the meditation room, watching Xiao Zhao climb the wooden ladder and tiptoe to pick the honeysuckle vines hanging on the wall.

"These honeysuckle flowers are in full bloom. They can be dried and used to make flower tea, which is the best way to cool down in the summer."

Xiao Zhao was agile and nimble. Her blue cloth skirt swept across the bamboo shadows as she lightly leaped down the ladder, her nose glistening with sweat and her smile bright.

"Miss, Ruyi has prepared bamboo shoots and cured pork stew in the kitchen. Would you like to try some? The pork was bought from a peddler down the mountain yesterday; it's perfectly marbled with fat and lean meat, and it smells wonderful!"

Xue Sui gave her a reproachful look.

"He's secretly buying meat again; the nun will catch a whiff of it..."

"Don't worry, Ruyi is wrapped in lotus leaves, and the doors and windows are tightly closed..." Xiao Zhao winked, quickly tidying up the bamboo ladder, a playful smile on her lips.

“Young lady, you are quite frail and should eat some nourishing food. Aunt Jinshu said yesterday that you coughed again last night?”

Xue Sui turned around, bent down to pick up the small porcelain cup that was warming by the charcoal stove, and gently drank a mouthful of the refreshing loquat syrup.

"The air in the mountains is damp, so a few coughs won't hurt."

Even so, the slight itch in my throat felt like a feather gently scratching me, making my heart itch but leaving me with no way to scratch it.

Since the love curse was lifted, the restlessness in my body has subsided somewhat, but my old ailment seems to be recurring, especially on days with continuous spring rain, when I always feel a soreness and chill in my muscles and bones.

She stroked the Buddhist prayer beads on her wrist, her gaze gradually fading...

Since parting ways with Meilin, battle reports from Chishui Pass have been flying into the capital like snowflakes.

Li Zhao's name frequently appeared in the reports, sometimes for night raids on enemy camps, sometimes for repairing supply lines. The reports were filled with a sense of iron-blooded ruthlessness. The once aloof and cold-hearted Crown Prince had become known as the "Eagle of the Snow Mountains" among the border soldiers. Even those literati who used to mock him now praised his bravery.

However, following the good news came a series of severe snowstorms, food supplies ran low, and the army was trapped on a remote mountain for more than a month...

The entire court thought Li Zhao would suffer a crushing defeat, but unexpectedly, he led his remaining troops to repeatedly repel Ashina's elite forces, stubbornly driving a wedge into the desperate situation of Heifeng Pass, preventing the enemy from advancing an inch...

Xue Sui obtained this information from Tian Shu's channels.

Since Li Zhao rode off to Shuiyue Temple, he hadn't sent her a single word. Once he went to the Western Frontier, it was as if he had vanished into thin air…

Of course, this is understandable.

Once the love potion is gone, it's already magnanimous of Li Zhao not to hate her. How could he possibly still be as obsessed and madly infatuated with her as before...

Xue Sui could even imagine that when he was freed from the poison of love and recalled all the entanglements and schemes of the past, he would probably want to grind her to dust.

“Miss, someone has delivered something from down the mountain. They say it’s from the Duke of Zheng’s mansion.”

Jinshu lifted the curtain and came in, carrying a heavy basket in her hands, looking somewhat troubled.

"It was sent by Princess Minghui, who said it was a gift for the Shangsi Festival."

Xue Sui recalled Guo Yunrong's clear yet stubborn eyes and finally shook his head.

"Didn't I ask you to return the things from last time? Tell her again that Buddhist temples are pure and we dare not accept such a generous gift."

Jinshu sighed softly: "I heard from the capital the other day that the county princess has recently rejected several marriage proposals. Her Majesty the Empress is anxious and has personally met with several noble sons, but the county princess said she wanted to serve her grandmother for another two years and politely declined..."

Xue Sui felt a sudden, inexplicable pause in his heart.

Could it be that Miss Guo's feelings for Li Zhao haven't faded and she's still thinking about him?

Li Zhao's previous refusal to marry was due to the influence of the Love Curse. Once he returns alive and regains his senses to see his true self, his marriage with Guo Yunrong may take a turn for the better.

Now, she needs to distance herself from Miss Guo San to avoid causing her further trouble in the future...

Just as he was pondering this, the clear sound of jade pendants came from the courtyard.

Is Master Liaochen here?

Xue Sui was slightly taken aback.

Shuiyue Nunnery is located on a high mountain with steep paths, and very few people come to visit her.

Jinshu went out to check, and a moment later she returned with a smile, leading the person in.

"Look, young lady, who's here?"

The curtain was lifted slightly, and a woman leading a child stepped in.

If it wasn't Princess Wenjia, then who was it?
"Peace!" Wen Jia was dressed in an elegant lilac-colored spring dress, with a lotus-colored feather gauze cloak over it, and a silver butterfly hairpin in her hair. Her smile was bright.

Niu Niu, standing beside her, had big, bright eyes and was exquisitely beautiful.

"Auntie..." Niu Niu called out timidly, then grabbed her mother's skirt, revealing only half of her face as she looked at Xue Sui.

“Look at my Niu Niu, she’s grown quite a bit taller, and she’s become more shy than before, getting bashful when she sees people…” Wen Jia smiled and gently pushed Niu Niu forward, handing her to Xue Sui, before sitting down on the futon opposite her.

“It’s truly the water and rice from these mountains that nourish people.” Wen Jia carefully examined Xue Sui, a genuine smile in his eyes.

"Ping An looks even healthier than he did in the capital. And with this gray-blue robe, he really does look quite dignified..."

She joked, her voice low, carrying a sense of relaxation and weariness born of experience.

Since Ping Le was demoted, Wen Jia has become increasingly cautious in his actions, fearing that he might make a mistake and give others a handle to use against him.

Xue Sui nodded slightly, signaling Ruyi to serve hot tea and vegetarian snacks, and asked her with a faint smile.

"What brings the princess to the mountain today?"

“Father has been worried about the war in the western frontier lately, and Mother is not in good health either, always complaining of dizziness and palpitations. The palace is shrouded in gloom, and everyone is on edge… I thought it had been a long time since I’d been up the mountain, so I brought Niu Niu out for some fresh air and to see you.”

Xue Sui clasped his hands in greeting, lowered his eyes, and bowed slightly.

The freshly picked spring tea leaves unfurled in the coarse earthenware cup, rippling with light green hues.

Niu Niu sat quietly on a small stool, munching on a piece of rice cake that Ruyi had given her.

Wenjia was silent for a moment, then took another peach blossom pastry from the plate and handed it to the child, before asking Ruyi to take her out to play.

After Niu Niu stepped out of the door, he continued, "Ping An, have you heard? Miss Xue has been married into the Zheng Guogong Mansion for less than three months, and she's already caused chaos in the mansion. She and that Fourth Young Master Guo have a big fight every three days and a small fight every two days. She and her mother-in-law are completely at odds, to the point that they're considering living separately..."

Xue Sui paused slightly in the tea-holding hand, then quickly regained his composure.

"Jinshu did mention it once, but I didn't pay much attention to it."

On that day, the Xue family sent someone to deliver a wedding invitation up the mountain, and the old lady also sent a letter, asking her to return to attend the ceremony.

Xue Sui politely declined, citing that it was inappropriate for a monk to be tainted by worldly habits.

Afterwards, the old lady of the Xue family had Qian take the child up the mountain and gave her a long lecture.

"The wedding banquet was extremely simple," Wen Jia continued. "The corruption case involving military supplies uncovered a whole host of other corrupt officials—these parasites were truly utterly depraved, falsifying losses and lining their own pockets; the amounts involved were shockingly large—"

She picked up her teacup and took a small sip, her throat seemed constricted, and her voice was deep.

"The second master of the Zheng State Duke's mansion is in charge of the granaries. With this incident, his position as Minister of Agriculture is essentially over... At this critical juncture, the Zheng State Duke is afraid that someone will seize on his family's extravagance, so he naturally wants to simplify everything and act expediently. Miss Xue was already full of grievances, and the simplified wedding banquet only fueled her resentment. I heard that she threw her veil on her wedding night, causing Fourth Young Master Guo to lose face..."

As Wen Jia recounted the story, Xue Sui simply smiled.

When Xue Yueman and Guo Zhaoxuan had an affair, the Duke of Zheng's mansion sent people to examine her body and verify her innocence before proposing marriage. This already made the proud Xue Yueman feel deeply humiliated. Now, this situation is simply a matter of settling old scores with new ones.

One is resentful, the other is frustrated; neither can find peace with the other.

Wen Jia sighed softly, "Miss Xue is also foolish. Right now, the second master of the Guo family is imprisoned, and the Duke of Zheng is in a state of great distress in order to protect his family. If she makes such a scene, won't she only make her husband's family despise her even more and cut off her own way out?"

Xue Sui remained silent, his gaze falling on the vegetable patch outside the window, where the soil had just been turned over.

"She chose this path herself."

This marriage was a gamble by the Xue family, hoping to use it to climb the social ladder. However, they did not expect that a family as powerful as the Duke of Zheng's mansion would also be mired in corruption and unable to extricate itself.

"No one from the Xue family is bothering you anymore, right?" Wen Jia pressed.

Xue Sui ran his fingertips along the edge of the teacup, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Don't worry, they wouldn't dare."

Looking at her slender profile, Wen Jia suddenly leaned forward and took her hand.

"Ping An, why are you doing this? It's not easy for a woman to stand on her own in this world. It's good to have a family to rely on. Do you really intend to spend the rest of your life in this nunnery?"

“Princess.” Xue Sui gently patted the back of her hand, his voice calm and even.

“My master gave me the Dharma name Liaochen, which means my worldly ties are severed.”

Wen Jia hesitated for a moment, then finally sighed, "Forget it, let's not talk about these troublesome things. Do you know anything about Chishui Pass?"

Xue Sui raised his eyes, a subtle ripple flashing in them.

Seeing this, Wen Jia put down his teacup and stared intently at her.

"In the first month of the lunar calendar, the Ashina tribe launched a surprise attack during a snowstorm. His Highness the Crown Prince led his troops to cover the retreat but was besieged at Black Wind Pass, where their food supplies were completely cut off. What was even more critical was that—following the snowstorm came a plague that spread throughout the army and among the common people… The Ashina troops, like wolves that have smelled blood, took advantage of the Liang army's hunger, cold, and disease to launch repeated attacks on Black Wind Pass…"

Wen Jia lowered her voice, filled with deep worry.
"Snowstorms and epidemics have struck simultaneously, and I've heard of tragic incidents of people exchanging their own children to eat... Tens of thousands of refugees are flocking to the capital... The people in the capital are in a state of panic, grain prices are rising three times a day, and everyone says that the Chishui Army can't hold out..."

She paused, her tone becoming even more somber.

"They also said that General Lu suffered a major defeat, leaving the western border wide open, and His Highness the Crown Prince is likely to be in grave danger as well."

(End of this chapter)