Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 293 Brothers are fighting against each other
Li Huan was startled by the sudden knock on the door and trembled all over.

He lifted his robe and knelt down, his forehead hitting the ground.

"Your Majesty, please bear witness! I swear to Heaven that I have no intention of seeking personal gain... I have only had official dealings with Prince Ma and Prince Ma, and we have no personal relationship. However... this case involves a wide range of people, including countless relatives and nobles. I was afraid that acting too hastily would cause turmoil in the court, so I was hesitant and cautious at every step... but unexpectedly, this gave the villains an opportunity..."

Emperor Chongzhao stared at his prostrate figure.

After a long while, the terrifying pressure subsided slightly and slowly turned towards Li Zhao, who was standing silently to the side.

"Your Highness, what are your thoughts on this?"

Upon hearing the sound, Li Zhao stepped forward and bowed, his brocade robe remaining perfectly still.

"Your Majesty, I report to Your Majesty."

His voice was not loud, but every word was clear.

"Your Majesty has already had people investigate. The assassinations of Wang Qinian and Ma Yuankui, as well as yesterday's attempted kidnapping of General Lu's children in front of the Lu residence, were all committed by the same group of thugs..."

Emperor Chongzhao gave a soft "oh," his cloudy eyes fixed on him.

"The same group? Who is the mastermind?"

"The deposed commoner, Li Shi." Li Zhao met the emperor's gaze and uttered the name clearly and coldly.

"Ping Le?" Emperor Chongzhao's pupils contracted slightly.

Clearly, they were surprised by this answer, and even considered it absurd.

"Ping Le was imprisoned in Shuozhou, and went mad and lost his mind. How could he have ordered his assassins to commit murder?"

"Father, you are wise." Li Zhao raised his hand.

He took out another document from his sleeve and presented it along with a bone-piercing nail wrapped in white silk.

"It's true that Li is imprisoned in the abandoned garden of Shuozhou; her madness and loss of mind are a pretense. She has harbored evil intentions for many years, and her henchmen are spread throughout the capital region. This assassination of Xue, Zhang, Ma, and Wang was intended to silence them and obstruct the investigation into the embezzlement of military supplies... Abducting her and General Lu's two children is an attempt to hold their flesh and blood hostage, a desperate attempt to seize leverage for a comeback, and to advocate for her..."

Emperor Chongzhao nodded in acknowledgment.

Wang Chengxi stepped forward, took the documents and evidence, and placed them before the emperor.

Li Zhaodao said, "The hidden weapon used by the assassin, the arrowhead with three edges and barbs, is exactly the same as the one used by the assassins that Ping Le ordered to assassinate Consort Wan and Wen Jia at the Xishan Palace. Ma Yuankui is seriously injured and on his deathbed, but he is still conscious. He personally identified that the assassin shouted when he committed the crime... that he wanted to die for Princess Ping Le..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Li Huan kneeling on the ground, and added:
"This is irrefutable evidence. I wonder why, with Prince Duan acting as the Minister of Justice, there has been no progress to date?"

Li Huan's shoulders trembled violently, and he abruptly turned his head to look at him.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I have investigated for many days, and although I have not found any concrete evidence, I have discovered many anomalies in the case. It does not seem to be the work of Ping Le, but rather that the old imperial tombs are using the name of Ping Le's remaining followers to try to confuse the public..."

Emperor Chongzhao swept his gaze across his face, his eyes suddenly turning icy.

You can hear a needle drop in the hall.

“The old mausoleum marshland…” Emperor Chongzhao murmured.

These three words seemed to carry a chilling, bloody aura, causing him to subconsciously pull his clothes tighter.

"She's still not giving up? She still wants to stir up trouble?"

The word "he" startled both princes.

I wonder what the emperor's attitude is...

"Prince Duan—"

The emperor's voice suddenly rose, and his gaze returned to Li Huan.

His voice returned to its coldness, but it lacked some of the previous rage and loss of composure.

"Immediately mobilize the Jingzhao Prefecture and the Five City Garrison Commands to conduct a city-wide search for the perpetrators... Any suspicious individuals should be apprehended rather than released..."

Li Huan bowed and accepted the order, then prostrated himself and kowtowed.

"Your subject will certainly not fail Your Majesty's grace!"

Emperor Chongzhao waved wearily.

"Rise. I will give you three more days! Within three days, I want to see these demons and monsters brought to justice, and the truth revealed. If there are any further mishaps, or if I discover that you have concealed even the slightest secret..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but his cold gaze said it all.

Falling out of favor, losing power, or even being imprisoned are all within the emperor's control.

Li Huan prostrated himself deeply in gratitude, then bowed and withdrew.

As we walked out of the Zichen Palace, the clouds on the horizon grew even darker.

A cold wind rushed into his collar, and he couldn't help but shiver, discovering that his back was already soaked with cold sweat.

"Your Majesty, please wait."

Li Zhao emerged at some point and stood tall and straight beneath the dragon pillar.

Li Huan stopped, turned around, and bowed.

"What advice does the Crown Prince have for me?"

"I dare not accept such praise." Li Zhao looked up at the sky. "I just saw that my brother was leaving in a hurry, so I wanted to remind him—the palace road is windy and slippery."

The two brothers stood a few steps apart on the high steps, their eyes briefly meeting.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness."

"We're brothers, no need for formalities. Please."

"Your Highness, please."

There was no tension, no confrontation.

Calm and gentle.

Only an invisible contest permeated the cold air.

Then, with a smile in his eyes, he turned and left.

One lowered his eyes, quickened his pace, and hurriedly disappeared behind the palace walls and city gates.
-
Cining Hall.

The warm room was filled with a rich, pleasant fragrance that made one feel drowsy.

Empress Dowager Chengqing, dressed in a crimson purple robe with a longevity character pattern, was leisurely pruning a pot of white jade hairpins that were in full bloom.

"The Emperor raged in the Zichen Palace, reprimanding Prince Duan for his incompetence and...suspecting that the Crown Prince was behind it all..."

The Empress Dowager's voice was devoid of emotion, as if she were discussing the newly arrived charcoal this winter.

Xiao Qing'er stood to the side, dressed in a beautiful begonia-red palace dress, but she couldn't hide the nervousness in her heart.

She forced herself to remain calm and handed the hand warmer to the Empress Dowager. "His Highness Prince Duan was indeed negligent this time. As for the Crown Prince, he has been far too outspoken. We never dared to mention the words 'Old Mausoleum Swamp' before, but he recklessly brought them up... Isn't he afraid of getting burned?"

"Once your wings have grown strong, you naturally want to fly higher..."

The Empress Dowager looked up and glanced at her.

With a "snip," the silver shears severed the excess branch, leaving only a short cut.

"He's using his military achievements in the Western Frontier to rub salt into the wound that His Majesty has been keeping hidden in his heart. The Old Mausoleum Marsh... two hundred thousand men..."

Empress Dowager Chengqing's voice lowered, carrying a complex sigh.

"Once this old case is uncovered, how many heads will be chopped off? Will the political situation in the Great Liang Dynasty ever remain stable...?"

Xiao Qing'er was terrified and dared not reply.

Was the Empress Dowager testing the Xiao family's stance by so frankly dissecting the taboo with her?
Or is he trying to give her a warning?
Empress Dowager Chengqing seemed to see through her thoughts. With a slight glance from her wrinkled eyes, she handed the scissors to the old nanny beside her, took the handkerchief to wipe her fingers, and suddenly changed the subject.

"However... speaking of your cousin Xiao Yan, he really got a great deal in Longxi this time."

Xiao Qing'er was taken aback.

Li Zhao was forcibly summoned back to the capital by the emperor, and the military power in the western frontier naturally fell into the hands of Xiao Yan.

What is the Empress Dowager trying to remind him of?
"What Your Majesty the Empress Dowager says is true..." Xiao Qing'er's heart pounded wildly, "but this humble servant is shallow and does not understand those intricacies..."

The Empress Dowager picked up the teacup beside her, gently stirred the foam, and smiled.

“Your uncle has a deep-rooted foundation, so the Xiao family’s reputation will be more secure than before.”

She looked directly at Xiao Qing'er and said, "A woman's true confidence in the harem never comes from the emperor's favor, but from the solid support of her family. With such a family background, even His Majesty... will think twice."

The Empress Dowager paused, her tone becoming even more meaningful, "Why do you have to be so patient and restrained in everything, wasting this great asset and letting others look down on you?"

Xiao Qing'er's heart pounded wildly, and she instantly understood the Empress Dowager's meaning.

Yesterday, Ritua bumped into her in the Imperial Garden. Although His Majesty verbally reprimanded her, he privately indulged her quite a bit...

She was displeased, but at this critical juncture, it was inappropriate to compete for the emperor's favor with a woman from another race...

The Empress Dowager was instructing her to use the Xiao family's influence in the court, as well as her own influence as a favored concubine, to have the Emperor check and balance the Crown Prince. If all else failed, changing the heir apparent was also an option...

She quickly bowed deeply.

"Your Majesty, I am foolish and ignorant. Thank you for your wise words, Your Majesty. I will certainly remember them..."
-
The turmoil in the imperial court has not subsided, and undercurrents are surging.

Amidst the rumors and anxieties, various factions engaged in open and covert struggles.

In the blink of an eye, frost has covered the tiles again, and winter is growing stronger.

The 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month is the Little New Year.

The firecrackers used for the Kitchen God Festival startled the sparrows.

The cold wind howled, sweeping through the bamboo grove outside the temple with a mournful cry.

In the vegetable patch, the radish greens, battered by frost, drooped listlessly, their withered yellow hue stubbornly exposed in the winter twilight.

Xue Sui, wrapped in a faded fine cloth robe with the cuffs rolled up to reveal her thin, frail wrists, dug the last few frozen radishes out of the cold soil, shook off the clods of dirt, and then carried them back to the nunnery in a basket.

The meditation room was quiet.

She washed her hands, entered the room, lowered the curtain, and closed her eyes to rest.

I don't know how much time had passed, I just drifted off to sleep...

A creaking sound came from beside my ear!
The old wooden window of the meditation room, facing the back mountain, was suddenly pushed open with great force, slamming against the wall and groaning under its strain.

The biting cold wind pierced the warm room like a knife.

Embers swirled in the charcoal brazier...

A tall, imposing figure in black nimbly climbed through the window and entered.

It is Li Zhao.

His handsome eyebrows furrowed slightly, his cloak was soaked with night dew, and the soles of his boots were covered with a layer of half-frozen mud.

They had clearly come at high speed, traversing treacherous mountain paths.

"Your Highness?" Xue Sui asked in surprise.

Li Zhao remained silent, then turned and closed the window, shutting out the howling cold wind.

Eyes facing each other.

The room suddenly fell silent.

The lingering scent of charcoal ash intertwined with his crisp yet dangerous aura.

Xue Sui slowly got up, lit the lamp wick, and stood in the lamplight, watching the eagle that had suddenly attacked in the dark.

The crown prince's face was dark and unreadable, and in his deep, pool-like eyes, emotions surged like a raging torrent...

His murderous and violent nature is hidden and not revealed.

There was also a heavy, almost shattering obsession.

"Your Highness, have you come at this hour with important matters to instruct me on?"

Li Zhao approached step by step, his boots making a solid sound as they stepped on the cold blue brick floor.

His tall figure brought an invisible sense of oppression, completely enveloping her in his aura.

The two were only a step apart.

They were so close that they could almost see each other's clear reflections in their pupils.

"I have come to ask you something."

　Li Zhao: Now it's my turn... to show off my power, isn't it?
　　Xue Sui: ? ? ? What do you want?

　　Li Zhao: I dare... I don't dare... I dare... I don't dare...

　　(End of this chapter)