Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 285 Peach Blossoms Come to the Door
The mornings at the Duke of Zheng's mansion were filled with the smell of medicine.

Guo Pi leaned against the Luohan bed covered with a thick brocade robe, his throat bobbing as he tried to cough up phlegm, but could only make muffled hoarse sounds.

The personal servant approached with a spittoon in hand. When he saw that there was blood in the phlegm he coughed up, he was so frightened that his hands trembled and the porcelain bowl almost fell to the ground.

The Duchess, sitting by the couch, had red eyes and was twisting a warm handkerchief.

"The Duke is suffering from a sudden surge of anger. The doctor said he needs to rest and must not be stressed or upset..."

Guo Pi's cloudy eyes were half-open as he gazed at the withering crabapple blossoms outside the window.

Once upon a time, the crabapple blossoms were a beautiful sight in the mansion; in spring, when they bloomed, children and grandchildren often played beneath them. Now, the fruit has fallen to the ground, unswept away, simply swept up by the wind and stuck to the bluestone slabs…

Disheveled and miserable.

The Duke of Zheng's mansion is doomed.

“Zhao Huai…” he murmured, his voice hoarse like a broken bellows, “That wretched creature… has he confessed?”

"Your Majesty, the Ministry of Justice is keeping a close watch, and the Crown Prince's men are heavily guarding the area. I've only heard that they're interrogating people every day, using torture... but they haven't revealed a single word."

As she spoke, the Duchess leaned down, close to his ear, and whispered:
"But a spy sent word... saying that the Crown Prince not only interrogated Zhao Huai severely, but also questioned several old stewards who were involved in transporting grain and military supplies back then... I'm afraid... I'm afraid he'll dig up the case from the old mausoleum marshland..."

"Old Mausoleum?"

Guo Pi suddenly opened his eyes wide, a trace of fear flashing in his cloudy eyes, his withered fingers tightly gripping the brocade quilt.

"Has the matter been investigated thoroughly? Your Majesty... has Your Majesty inquired about this matter?"

"Master, you mustn't think about these things anymore..." The Duchess patted his back anxiously. "The most important thing right now is to take good care of yourself. If anything happens to you, the Duke's mansion will truly collapse..."

Guo Pi closed his eyes and gasped for breath, his chest heaving violently.

"Li Zhao... he's going to dig three feet into the ground..."

Considering that Duke Zheng was a veteran of three reigns and related to the Empress Dowager's maternal family, he had never taken the young Crown Prince seriously before.
But now, this crown prince, who had fought his way back from the mountains of corpses and seas of blood on the western frontier, was ruthless and decisive in his actions, leaving no room for compromise, which made him feel an unprecedented chill and... fear.

"go……"

Guo Pi gasped for breath and struggled to sit up.

“Send someone… on horseback to Longxi…to deliver a letter to Xiao Yan, saying…saying that I beg him to help me out of our past relationship…to help the Guo family out of our past relationship…”

The Duchess looked troubled and shook her head with worry.

“My lord, I previously secretly submitted a petition to request an audience with the Empress Dowager and the Grand Princess, but I only gave perfunctory excuses and feigned illness. The Xiao family is currently preoccupied with its own troubles, so I'm afraid... I'm afraid it will be difficult to speak with them…”

"Hmph." Guo Pi sneered, the sound of phlegm echoing in his throat.

"Whether the Xiao family is easy to talk to depends on what I say. Xiao Song can't escape responsibility for what happened at the Old Mausoleum Swamp back then... Even a rabbit will bite when cornered. We're all in the same boat. If he refuses to help, I'll dig up all the old grievances... cough, cough cough... then none of them will get away with it..."

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside.

The butler rushed in, his face ashen.

"Sir, something terrible has happened... Someone from the Ministry of Justice has come and says... says they want to ask you a few questions..."

"Who is it from the Ministry of Justice? Xue Qingzhi?"

"No, no. I just received news that Minister Xue, exhausted by the sudden death of his younger brother, Second Master Xue, has resigned. The one currently handling the affairs of the Ministry of Justice is... His Highness Prince Duan..."

"Quickly, help me change my clothes, I have to go see... cough cough..." He coughed violently and suddenly sat up.

However, due to excessive force, everything went black before his eyes, and he fell straight backward.

A large, glaring stain spread across the brocade quilt.

"master!"

"My lord!!"

The old lady and the servant cried out in alarm and rushed forward to support him. They saw blood gushing from the corner of his mouth, and he was barely breathing.

"Quickly! Summon a doctor!"
-
The chaos in the Duke of Zheng's mansion did not cause much of a ripple in the capital.

At this moment, in the Eastern Palace, Li Zhao was facing a thick stack of documents, his brows furrowed.

On the table was the freshly delivered breakfast: a plate of crystal steamed dumplings, a plate of braised beef, and a bowl of steaming millet porridge, all emitting a wonderful aroma.

Laifu stood to the side, watching his prince staring intently at the dossier without touching his chopsticks, and couldn't help but gently remind him.

"Your Highness, please have some breakfast first, it won't taste good if it gets cold."

Li Zhao raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, clearly having not slept all night.

He waved his hand: "Leave it there. Go and bring me Xue Qinglian's confession again so I can take a look."

Lai Fu responded and pulled out a file from the documents beside him.

In this case of corruption involving military supplies, Xue Qinglian was responsible for escorting the grain transport commissioner to the capital. Due to his effective handling of the case, he was promoted by the emperor in an exceptional manner.

The eldest brother, Xue Qingzhi, was appointed Minister of Justice, and the second brother rose rapidly in rank...

Originally, the Xue family was a glorious and prosperous family...

Who would have thought that such an unexpected turn of events would occur?
A perfectly healthy person can just die like that.

Lai Fu couldn't understand the intrigues of the court, and could only watch with a puzzled expression as the Crown Prince solemnly reviewed the confessions, which filled him with apprehension.

"Your Highness, have you noticed anything amiss?"

Li Zhao's eyes turned cold, and he put down the file.

"Xue Qinglian had just handed over his nameplate, requesting an audience with me to report new leads in the Guo Mingyuan case, and then he was found dead in my study overnight?"

Lai Fu didn't understand, and stood there with his neck hunched, looking somewhat fearful and uneasy... Guan Ya cupped his hands and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, Night Owl sent people to investigate. On the night Master Xue died, the dogs in the mansion didn't bark, and the guards at the gate said they didn't see any outsiders coming in or out. So it seems like someone in the mansion committed the crime."

"Furthermore, according to the maids in the Xue household, the night before Second Master Xue died, he received an anonymous letter. After reading it, he became restless and instructed the servants to prepare a carriage, saying he was going out..."

"An anonymous letter?" Li Zhao's eyes turned cold. "Have you found out who sent it?"

"Not yet." Guan Ya shook his head. "The maid couldn't remember what the messenger looked like, only that he was dressed as an ordinary servant. But I suspect this matter is mostly related to the Duke of Zheng's mansion. Perhaps Second Master Xue found some crucial clue and was silenced..."

Li Zhao slowly picked up a steamed dumpling, but did not eat it. He just held it in his hand and examined it, his tone casual but filled with murderous intent.

"That old scoundrel Guo Pi, he really went for it. But does he think killing Xue Qinglian will cover up the truth?"

"Your Highness." Guan Ya hesitated for a moment, then bowed and cupped his hands.

"I've heard that Guo Pi is nearing his end at the Duke of Zheng's residence. Is that true...?"

"Not good enough?" Li Zhao's lips curled into a cold smile. "He certainly knows how to pick his timing. He thinks he can just die and take everything to the grave? Not so easy. Even in death, he'll dig this old case out of his belly for me..."

Guan Ya felt a chill run down his spine.

The case of the Old Mausoleum Swamp is too far-reaching. Not to mention the Duke of Zheng's mansion, even the current emperor would probably be unwilling to delve into the details and reopen the wounds of the Great Liang Dynasty...

Your Highness bringing up old matters is tantamount to provoking a major disaster.

This risky move is terrifying.

Your Highness is incredibly audacious.

"Oh, right." Li Zhao seemed to remember something and suddenly turned his head to ask, "How's it going at Youhuang Residence?"

Guan Ya was stunned for a moment before realizing that His Highness was referring to Master Miaozhen.

Since the assassination attempt on the Imperial Street, Xue Sui was injured and has been recuperating at Youhuang Residence under the care of Li Zhao.

The Crown Prince went there once that day, but never went again.

You can't usually tell what their intentions are...

He hesitated for a moment before replying, "Your Highness, Physician Zhang has been treating me every day, saying that it was a blessing in disguise. The arrow wound has forced out the remaining poison from the snow fungus, clearing away most of the toxins. However, it has damaged my blood and energy, and my foundation is weakened. I don't know how many years it will take to recover..."

Li Zhao asked, "What does she do every day?"

Guan Ya stole a glance at him and whispered, "From what I've heard, Master Miaozhen is very quiet. She just copies scriptures and takes medicine every day. It's Aunt Jinshu and Miss Xiao Zhao who occasionally go out to buy medicinal herbs and snacks."

Li Zhao nodded, picked up the teacup on the table, and took a sip.

"Have the kitchen prepare some of the finest bird's nest and send it to her. Also, tell Zhang Huaicheng to make sure she gets her health back on track; if even a single hair is lost, I will hold him responsible."

Guan Ya and Lai Fu exchanged a glance and couldn't help but click their tongues in surprise.

It seems His Highness still cares deeply for Master Miaozhen, so much so that none of his subordinates can understand whether his feelings for her are more hatred or affection...

These two are entangled in a complicated and unresolved relationship.

Lai Fu suddenly remembered a headache and quickly bowed.

"May I ask, Your Highness, what should be done with Miss Guo?"

Li Zhao, seemingly lost in thought, casually asked, "Which Miss Guo?"

Lai Fu, his chubby face contorted in a grimace, rubbed his eyebrows. "It's that Miss Guo, from the Zheng State Duke's mansion..."

Li Zhao seemed to snap out of his daze and put down his teacup.

"Just send someone to deal with it."

Lai Fu felt a pang of pity and gently advised, "Miss Guo has been waiting outside the mansion for many days, but His Highness has not come to see her... It's inevitable that people will gossip..."

Li Zhao's face darkened. "If you like to be in charge, then you can handle it."

Lai Fu hesitated for a moment, then hurriedly replied, "Yes."

Li Zhao glanced back at Guan Ya, stood up, straightened his clothes, and stepped out from behind the curtain.

"Follow me through the back gate."

Guan Ya responded and followed closely behind.

Unexpectedly, just as Li Zhao and his entourage stepped across the bluestone pavement at the back gate, a slender figure emerged from the shadows under the eaves.

"Your Highness, please wait..."

Li Zhao paused.

Guo Yunrong stumbled forward, dressed in a plain white dress, her hair slightly askew. The face that had once smiled so charmingly at the spring banquet was now as pale as paper, her eyes red and swollen like two ripe peaches.

"Your Highness... I beg you to save the Duke of Zheng's mansion..."

She stepped forward with a hoarse voice and a sob in her throat, only to be stopped by two guards, one on each side, with their swords drawn.

"I beg Your Highness to show some mercy to Yunrong..."

Guo Yunrong spoke tremblingly, looking at Li Zhao's icy face, tears involuntarily falling down her cheeks. She slowly slid down to her knees, kowtowing and bowing.

"If Your Highness is inconvenient, could you please allow Yunrong to see Sister Xue...?"

　Li Zhao: Peach blossoms come knocking, but I'm so lonely...

　　Xue Sui: Let's see what you do about it.

　　(End of this chapter)