Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 291 Panic
"Niu Niu." Xue Sui bent down and opened her arms.

Niu Niu nestled into her arms like a swallow, rubbing her little face against her cotton robe.

"Auntie, Niu Niu misses you so much, so much, so much..."

Hearing the three consecutive "think"s, Xue Sui beamed with joy.

"Okay, let's go inside. It's windy outside, don't get cold."

Niu Niu tilted her little face and nodded, "Okay, Guan Chen and Tong Tong too... We've all come to play with Auntie..."

Xue Sui smiled slightly and also gave a friendly smile to the two children.

Unlike Niu Niu's familiarity, Tong Tong and Guan Chen seemed a little shy, their big eyes filled with curiosity as they quietly nestled beside their wet nurse, observing Xue Sui and the quiet vegetable garden.

Xue Sui did not force the child, and turned to greet Wen Jia.

"It's freezing cold outside, my hands and feet are freezing, why did the princess come up the mountain..."

Wen Jia had a gentle smile on her face.

She looked rosy and much more energetic than the last time we met, and the gloom between her brows had also dissipated considerably.

"I heard you went back to the nunnery to recuperate, so I came to see you."

Her voice was gentle and warm. She handed over the basket and lifted the lid.

"Take a look. Do you like it?"

The basket contained steamed custard and osmanthus cake, which were not yet cooled and emitted a sweet aroma.

"You never come empty-handed, making me feel bad for accepting gifts for no reason..."

“We’re sisters, why are you talking like that?” Wenjia patted her hand lightly. “Try it while it’s hot.”

Xue Sui nodded with a smile, washed his hands under the eaves, and welcomed them into the simple and clean meditation room. He then had Ruyi light a small charcoal brazier, brew some tea, and took out some homemade pine nut candy, walnut shortbread, and other snacks, distributing them to the children.

The charcoal crackled softly.

The warm light illuminated everyone's faces.

The small meditation room was instantly filled with warmth and vitality.

"Life in the nunnery is austere, and you've gotten noticeably thinner. Even if you sincerely want to become a nun, you should at least try to get your body stronger..."

Wen Jia sat down on the prayer mat, took Xue Sui's slightly cool hand, and carefully examined her complexion.

"Your body wasn't feeling well to begin with, and then you suffered this injury and all this pain. Are you all better now?"

Xue Sui lowered her eyelashes and smiled, "Much better. Thank you for your concern, Princess."

Wen Jia knew something about the conflict between her and Li Zhao, and her eyes darkened, then turned to worry.

"The Crown Prince...didn't make things difficult for you, did he?"

Xue Sui shook his head, his smile gentle.

"That's quite polite. The Crown Prince is kind-hearted by nature."

Goodness?

Wenjia suspected that she was being sarcastic.

I breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi - mixed feelings of relief and emotion).

"The Crown Prince... he's becoming more and more steady and experienced in his work these days. Lately, the court has been in an uproar over the military supplies case and the corruption scandal, and opinions about him are mixed. The other day when I went to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager, she subtly probed my intentions, revealing considerable dissatisfaction..."

She only touched on the subject briefly, without going into details.

"The intricacies of this palace are always intertwined with the previous dynasty. You're getting close to him, so you should be aware of that..."

Tensions are high between North Korea and China.

The Duke of Zheng's mansion is on the verge of collapse, the Xiao family is on tenterhooks, and Prince Duan, who is in charge of the Ministry of Justice, is deeply involved in the military supplies case.

Nobles and relatives in the court were all caught up in this sudden storm...

Xue Sui listened quietly, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"Thank you for your guidance, Princess..."

After saying that, he turned his gaze to Tongtong and Guanchen, who were playing outside the curtain.

"Why are these two children...coming with their older sister today?"

Wen Jia's fair neck flushed slightly, and she shyly smoothed the stray hairs at her temples.

"After winter set in, Old Madam Lu caught a cold and I heard that she was coughing badly. She had taken a lot of medicine, but she hadn't gotten much better. I thought... General Lu is far away in the western frontier, and there's no one to take care of the elderly and young at home. Since I have received the kindness of General Lu, it is only right and proper for me to go and see her."

She gave a wry smile as she said this.

“Ping Le used to dislike and hate me. But for some reason, her two children are very close to me. Su Li always insists on coming to my house to play with Niu Niu. Sometimes, when Old Master Lu can't refuse, he has the wet nurse bring them over. Today is no exception…”

Seeing the knowing smile in Xue Sui's eyes, Wen Jia's cheeks flushed even more, and her voice lowered.

“I saw the children were lonely and I couldn’t bear to disappoint them.”

Xue Sui looked at the tenderness that unconsciously flowed in her eyes, and the corners of his lips lifted slightly.

"General Lu should also know about the princess's feelings."

Wen Jia paused slightly, then lowered her head, her tone carrying an imperceptible sense of loneliness and self-restraint.

"Him? He has his own future to look forward to. I am a widow, and I dare not have any improper thoughts."

Xue Sui looked at her and said, "The princess's wishes are the best future. General Lu is a wise man; how could he not understand?" Wen Jia's cheeks flushed, and she didn't know how to respond for a moment. She just lowered her head and took a sip of tea.

The meditation room fell silent for a moment, with only the soft laughter of children behind the curtain.

Xue Sui broke into a smile first, easing her embarrassment.

"It's been a long time since I've had a casual chat with the princess. I wonder if anything interesting has happened in the capital lately?"

Wen Jia suddenly thought of something, raised her head, and looked at Xue Sui.

"It was quite a scene... After Zhang Minda, the secretary of the Ministry of Revenue's Department of Finance, died suddenly, Wang, the secretary of the Ministry of Works, and Ma, the secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, actually started arguing in front of the emperor."

"Oh?" Xue Sui smiled enigmatically.

"Ping An, you may not know this, but these two were both Jinshi graduates in the same year and had a very close personal relationship. Back then, one was in charge of the allocation of funds and grain, and the other was in charge of the manufacture of military equipment. They worked together seamlessly... I heard that Lord Ma's concubine was once a courtesan in Lord Wang's household. They could share beautiful concubines, but suddenly they tore each other apart over a trivial matter, grabbing each other's official robes and cursing at each other on the spot..."

"It even implicated the names of several retired officials who held high positions of power in their youth..."

"In any case, it's all a mess, a complete disaster. But the Zheng State Duke's mansion, being pragmatic, the old Duke, despite his illness, submitted a memorial of apology, his words earnest. He said that his eldest grandson, Guo Zhaohuai, was young and impetuous, misled and manipulated by cunning and treacherous subordinates, and that his second son, Guo Mingyuan, embezzled military supplies also due to being misled… The Guo family has been noble for generations, and the Zheng State Duke himself served the court in guarding the western frontier for over ten years, making great contributions. Now, he is old and ill, nearing his end… His Majesty, remembering past favors, will surely… show leniency beyond the law, allowing the Guo family to continue their lineage…"

Wen Jia spoke these words as if they were casual conversation.

Xue Sui understood perfectly how precisely and ruthlessly Li Zhaona executed the orders "King Ma should be killed" and "He should be dealt with quickly"—

This is exactly the effect she wanted.

Let these vermin tear each other apart, uprooting the deep-seated evil.

Jiulingmarsh——

This taboo name, sealed for many years and bearing the blood and tears of 200,000 wronged souls, will eventually be torn open in the court in a bloody manner. No matter how the Liang Dynasty and Emperor Chongzhao try to cover it up, it will inevitably be exposed to the light of day...

"Cause and effect will always come back to haunt you."

Xue Sui gazed at the gray sky outside the window and murmured softly.

The nightmare of ten years will eventually come to an end.
-
Wen Jia, along with several children, ate a simple vegetarian meal at Shuiyue Nunnery and chatted with Xue Sui for a while. Seeing that it was getting late and the mountain breeze was turning cool, they got up to take their leave.

Xue Sui, wearing an outer robe, personally escorted her to the stone steps outside the nunnery gate.

"The mountain road is slippery, Princess, you must be careful with your child."

"I understand," Wen Jia replied with a smile. She then had Niu Niu, Tong Tong, and Guan Chen bow and say goodbye to Xue Sui before boarding the carriage, surrounded by her wet nurse and maids.

The carriage rolled over the fallen leaves.

We stumbled and swayed our way away along the winding mountain path.

Xue Sui watched them disappear at the end of the winding mountain road, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.

"Xiao Zhao."
-
The streets were much less crowded than usual, and the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive.

Occasionally, small groups of soldiers clad in iron armor would hurry past, mostly silent and taciturn, as if they had just returned from the battlefield, still bearing the indelible marks of gunpowder and weariness...

When Niu Niu saw the soldier, she looked up at him and asked:

"Mommy, when will Uncle Lu come back? Niu Niu misses him."

Wen Jia forced a reassuring smile, cupped her daughter's cold little hand in her palm, and spoke with a slight soreness in her voice.

"Uncle Lu...he still has military duties to attend to, he won't be back until later..."

"I know! My dad did a great service on the front lines!" Guan Chen puffed out his little chest, his voice filled with boyish pride. "My dad said he'd bring me a little wooden horse when he comes back..."

Guan Chen is a boy who tries very hard to make his younger sister, Tong Tong, and Niu Niu happy.

Tongtong pouted, her eyes quickly filling with tears.

"But we've been waiting for so long. Does Father not like Tongtong and her brother? Does he not want to come back...?"

As she spoke, her head drooped, and tiny teardrops clung to her long eyelashes.

Wen Jia felt a pang of sadness and quickly pulled Tong Tong into her arms, gently comforting her.

"No, your father must miss Tongtong and her brother very much too. He'll come back after we win the battle. The great hero always makes his grand entrance last..."

"Princess," the maid said softly, looking at the gloomy weather, "it looks like it's going to rain, and the wind is picking up. We need to hurry so the children don't get cold. If we're late, the old lady might worry."

In the sky, a few withered leaves swirled in the cold wind...

Wenjia nodded and tucked the children's coats in tightly.

"Tell the driver to hurry up."

The carriage rumbled along, arriving at the street where the Lu residence was located as raindrops began to fall intermittently.

The vermilion gates of the Lu residence were tightly shut, and the stone lions in front of the gate looked particularly heavy in the twilight.

As soon as the car came to a stop, Wenjia led the children out of the car.

The wet nurse stepped forward, preparing to knock on the door knocker.

Right now!

A deep, fierce shout came from behind.

"Get 'em!"

　See you tomorrow, sisters…

　　(End of this chapter)