Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 276 The Blossoming of Love
The carriage curtains swayed slightly.

The wind in the wilderness carries the unique scent of grass and trees...

Xue Sui subconsciously reached for the Buddhist prayer beads on his wrist, but found nothing.

The air was stagnant for a moment.

Xue Sui lowered his eyelashes slightly, his gaze falling on his left arm.

On the sleeve of his shirt, where the hidden weapon had just grazed the fabric, there was a small patch of unusual deep red.

A slight tingling sensation spread from the wound...

On the dirt road outside the car window, the figures of more than ten black-armored soldiers were clearly lined up.

Xue Sui recognized him; the one leading the group was Yuan Cang, a close guard of Li Zhao.

At this moment, he stood solemnly with his hand on his sword, his eyes fixed on the carriage.

“Miss…” Jinshu also noticed the Eastern Palace guards and exchanged a glance with her.

Xue Sui raised his hand to stop her from speaking.

"Please lead the way, Father-in-law."

Her voice was very soft, with an almost deliberate calmness.

Outside the car window, Lai Fu's smiling face remained unchanged. He bowed slightly upon hearing the voice, adopting an extremely humble posture.

"Master Miaozhen, please."
-
Green tiles and white walls, winding paths leading to secluded spots.

Xue Sui looked at the three gilded black characters "Youhuangju" on the lintel, his brows furrowing slightly. He thought of his decision to knock on the door late at night in the snow, and his feet froze, unable to move.

"Master Miaozhen, please come with me."

Lai Fu led Xue Sui and his servant into a refined and spacious guest room.

The interior furnishings were simple and spotless, with an ebony table and several pear wood stools.

The incense burner emitted a very faint scent of agarwood, which could not dispel the invisible oppression.

"Tonight, the palace is hosting a welcome banquet for Your Highness. Your Highness must first go to the Zichen Hall to meet the Emperor and then entertain the officials. You will be unable to leave for the time being and will arrive later." Lai Fu stood with his hands at his sides, his face full of smiles.

"Master Miaozhen, please don't worry. Stay here for a while. If you need anything, just tell your servants, and they will take good care of you..."

Xue Sui clasped his hands together and lowered his eyelids slightly.

"Thank you, father-in-law."

Tea is served, its fragrance wafting gently.

The living room was eerily quiet.

The figures of the guards could be vaguely seen outside, but they were like stone sculptures, and not a single breath could be heard.

Li Zhao's actions were aimed at settling both old and new scores.

From the moment that cold gaze fell upon her from the Imperial Street, there was no intention to let her leave easily.

In any case, he will definitely give her a hard time.

Jinshu was extremely worried. She helped her remove her outer garment and, seeing the bluish-purple discoloration of the wound, whispered anxiously, "This servant will find a way to send a message out so that the eldest son and the seventh son know..."

"No need," Xue Sui said calmly as he accepted the wound medicine.

"If Li Zhao wanted to take my life, he could have stood by and watched from the sidelines on the Imperial Street. Why wait until now?"

Jinshu's lips twitched slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end it turned into a sigh.

The girl has her own judgment, and most of the time she doesn't need to interrupt.

But the current situation was really making her uneasy.

The pressure from the Eastern Palace was everywhere, and the Crown Prince was no longer the same Crown Prince who was trapped by the love potion.

What if he becomes so consumed by hatred because of the Love Silk Gu that he truly intends to kill him?

Jinshu's palms were sweating. She exchanged a glance with Xiao Zhao, who was standing on the other side, and prepared for the worst.

Xue Sui remained completely calm, slowly picking up the powder and flicking it onto the wound with his fingertips, his movements unhurried and deliberate.

"Since we're here, let's make the best of it and see how things develop."

Her voice was calm, as if she were in a meditation room at Shuiyue Nunnery.

Only the slight furrowing of his brow betrayed the discomfort caused by the wound.

Around noon, after we had eaten a vegetarian meal, the rain started to fall.

At first, there were only a few scattered raindrops, but soon they connected into thin lines, weaving a gray curtain of rain that washed the verdant bamboo forest, making it appear even more desolate and cold...

Xue Sui sat by the window.

Suddenly I noticed this window, which faces the corner of the other courtyard.

In that quiet corner, the three "love flowers" she planted herself have grown strong and healthy. At this time of year, when plants are gradually withering, they are growing against the trend, blooming in full glory...

It turns out it really does bloom.

Flowers never seen before in the old mausoleum marshland have quietly bloomed in the autumn at the Prince's villa...

She stood up in a daze.
-
The Duke of Zheng's mansion, once glorious for a century, collapsed in a single day.

Crown Prince Li Zhao, in front of the people on the Imperial Street, swiftly and decisively arrested Guo Zhaohuai, the eldest grandson of the Duke of Zheng, and ordered the Duke of Zheng, Guo Pi, to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors. This action was tantamount to dropping a thunderbolt into the seemingly peaceful capital city.

The news spread like wildfire, instantly reaching every corner of the capital. Inside the Zichen Palace, Wang Chengxi removed the chilled ginseng soup from the imperial desk, his movements so light they were almost silent, and he dared not look at the emperor's somber face.

"The Crown Prince has quite the audacity to punish Guo Pi in the street." Emperor Chongzhao pushed the memorial on his desk aside and tapped the edge of the desk lightly with his knuckles, making a tapping sound.

"The Guo family is a piece of rotten wood, and it's rotting at just the right time."

He looked up at Wang Chengxi and said, "Issue an imperial decree ordering the patrolling spies to closely monitor the movements in the capital from this day forward. Regardless of whether they are true or false, big or small, they must report any rumors they hear to the Emperor for his perusal..."

"Your Majesty," Wang Chengxi replied, bowing his head and adding meekly.

"Lord Xiao is waiting outside the hall, saying he has important matters to report..."

Emperor Chongzhao didn't even lift his eyelids, but picked up the vermilion brush on his desk and casually sketched on the memorial.

"I know what he's going to say. It's nothing more than a sense of shared misfortune, a plea for justice for the Guo family, and a request for me to preserve the Guo family's reputation. Hmph, let him wait and see."

outside the temple.

Xiao Song, dressed in court robes, stood at the foot of the white marble steps, his face anxious.

"Prime Minister," the eunuch pushed open the door and advised in a low voice, "His Majesty is currently in a bad mood, and he will be meeting with His Highness the Crown Prince soon... Prime Minister, you might as well return to your residence and wait for the opportunity to meet with the Emperor, so as not to offend His Majesty's wrath."

Xiao Song sighed and retreated dejectedly.

Beside him followed an elderly advisor with white hair and beard who hurried a few steps and whispered, "The Crown Prince's swift and decisive actions this time are probably aimed at the Xiao family. With the Zheng family down, we're likely next... His Majesty's attitude is also unclear; he's probably using the Guo family as a warning to others..."

"Shut up!" Xiao Song interrupted sharply, sweeping his sleeves. "His Majesty relies on the Xiao family as his pillars of support. What kind of favor is this? Do not make wild guesses."

Even so, the thought of what happened on the Imperial Street sent chills down his spine.

He suddenly stopped and turned to his trusted advisor, lowering his voice.

"Two days ago, a head maid from Consort Xiao's palace brought word that the gilded bronze crane enshrined in the Empress Dowager's side hall has had its gilding peel off due to the base sinking, and a layer of verdigris has appeared on its neck, which looks rather ominous. Is this true?"

The aide bowed. "That is indeed true. Consort Xiuyi is very considerate. She said she was afraid it might harm the Empress Dowager's health and wanted to do her filial duty to the Empress Dowager..."

A glint of light flashed in Xiao Song's cloudy old eyes.

"Quickly find skilled craftsmen and make sure to find a piece of fine brass to recast a replica and send it to Cixi Palace."
-
Dusk crept onto the glazed roof ornaments on the eaves.

The gilded bronze crane in Cixi Hall has indeed sunk a little, with the gold layer peeling off to reveal the bronze body.

Empress Dowager Chengqing was a firm believer in feng shui omens, and she would stare at them with unease, wondering if they were auspicious or inauspicious.

"The Crown Prince has indeed made progress since his return from the Western Frontier."

"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager is right." Xiao Qing'er, dressed in a beautiful palace gown, stepped forward and offered a cup of hot tea.

"But this method is a bit too cruel. After all, the Duke of Zheng is a veteran of two reigns, and the Duchess of Zheng is from the Empress Dowager's maternal family..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but the unspoken meaning was already clear.

The Empress Dowager accepted the teacup without turning her head, her well-maintained face revealing neither joy nor anger.

"What do you know?"

Having cultivated her skills for a thousand years, how could Empress Dowager Chengqing not know what Xiao Qing'er was plotting? Her daily, attentive service and morning and evening greetings were nothing more than a ploy to secure the Xiao family's prosperity. Her words at this moment were clearly intended to sow discord.

However, she already harbored resentment towards the Crown Prince because of the matter concerning the Prince of Wei.

His gaze darkened, and he took a small sip of tea.

"The Guo family put their own necks under the knife, so they can't blame others for being quick with their blades."

"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager." Xiao Qing'er stepped closer, poking at the incense ash in the incense burner with a silver hairpin, her gaze cautiously sweeping over the exquisitely made-up face of Empress Dowager Chengqing.

"His Highness the Crown Prince is so ruthless, trampling the Guo family's reputation underfoot. He clearly doesn't respect the Empress Dowager..."

Empress Dowager Chengqing put down her teacup, glanced at her, and said nothing more.

At this moment, a palace maid lifted the curtain and entered from outside the door, approaching quietly.

"Your Majesty, Eunuch Zhang from Zichen Palace just came to say that His Majesty is hosting a banquet for the Crown Prince tonight in Linde Palace to celebrate his victory. All the ladies of the palace are to attend the banquet, and he cordially requests that Your Majesty move to the palace..."

"I'll speak then," Xiao Qing'er said, her face betraying her jealousy and resentment, her voice both sweet and sharp.

"His Highness the Crown Prince has returned with such great merit; he's most likely using this opportunity to establish his authority..."

Empress Dowager Chengqing pushed the teacup to the side of the table, her wrinkles twitching slightly as if she were talking to herself.

Do you know who panicked the most when the Duke of Zheng's mansion fell?

Xiao Qing'er was stunned and subconsciously tightened her handkerchief.

"Yes, it's my maternal family..."

"It is Your Majesty." The Empress Dowager's voice suddenly lowered, carrying a knowing smile.

"The Crown Prince has gone mad with bloodshed in the Western Frontier, wielding the Imperial Sword and supported by the Six Armies. His prestige is at its peak. He just returned to the capital and his first act was to deal with the Duke of Zheng. If we allow him to overthrow the Xiao family, the Crown Prince's power will become too absolute, and His Majesty is well aware of this..."

She paused, then took out a jade pendant with a broken tail from her sleeve—

The jade carving is unique, with a gecko climbing on it, its tail broken off in the middle.

“When the late emperor was alive, I had just entered the palace and was often ostracized and made difficult by the concubines. Seeing that I was always frowning, the late emperor bestowed this jade upon me.”

The Empress Dowager handed the jade pendant to the old nanny standing beside her.

"Tell the Emperor that after seeing this jade pendant, I thought of the late Emperor, and my heart aches terribly. I'm afraid I won't be able to attend the Crown Prince's welcoming banquet tonight... Please, Your Majesty, have some understanding of this old woman's condition..."

(End of this chapter)