Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 301 Coming
Princess Wenjia entered and was slightly taken aback to see Xiao Qing'er there as well. She then bowed.

"Wenjia pays respects to the Empress Dowager and Consort Li..."

Empress Dowager Chengqing smiled and raised her hand.

"Wenjia is here. Quickly, sit down. My newly acquired Mengding Ganlu tea is just what you, a connoisseur of tea, should try..."

Xiao Qing'er smiled gently, but her words were laced with hidden sarcasm.

"How come the Princess Protector of the Nation has time to come to the palace today? She always says she wants to raise her children at home, but today is quite a rare occasion."

This was a veiled criticism of her for not being attentive enough to the Empress Dowager...

Wen Jia curled her fingertips slightly and replied with her eyes lowered, "I came to offer my congratulations after hearing that Consort Li is pregnant."

Empress Dowager Chengqing seemed oblivious to the subtle tension between the two women. She pointed to the embroidered stool beside her, glanced at Xiao Qing'er, and smiled, "Now that Consort Li is pregnant, she needs someone to keep her company. You are calm and collected, so it would be good for you to spend more time with her."

"Wen Jia respectfully obeys the Empress Dowager's decree."

Wen Jia bowed slightly, lowered her head and sat down to the Empress Dowager's left, accepting the teacup offered by the palace maid with both hands.

Xiao Qing'er covered her lips and wiped them lightly, smiling as if it were unintentional.

"Speaking of which, I've been hearing a lot of gossip lately. It's said that Consort Jing of Hanzhang Palace often locks herself in a dark room, chanting incantations in a foreign language that no one else can understand. It's quite frightening. Since the princess is on good terms with her, you should keep a close eye on her..."

The Empress Dowager glanced at her and gave a soft "oh".

"Is that so? Consort Jing is proud and thoughtful, and she rarely interacts with others. Could it be that she has encountered some difficulties? She has left her homeland and married into the capital. She has no relatives or friends in the palace. She should be taken care of more."

Xiao Qing'er protected her belly and smiled warmly.

"Who can argue with that? Now that there's a joyous occasion in the palace, it's hard not to be moved by the sight..."

Wen Jia nodded in agreement.

While sipping tea with their heads down, they avoided being stared at.

A chill ran through me...

Why did Xiao Qing'er rush to suppress Tu Ya as soon as she became pregnant, and why did she choose this time to launch her attack?
My late mother once said that the methods of women in the imperial harem are sometimes more ruthless than those in the imperial court. With the Xiao family as her backer, who knows what tricks she might play...

Wen Jia was filled with unease, but for the moment she pretended not to understand. She feigned concern for the prayer ceremony at Baohua Hall, sat for a few more moments, and then got up to take her leave...

The Empress Dowager's smile remained unchanged as she instructed the palace servants to see her off.

As soon as Wen Jia left, Xiao Qing'er pouted.

"This Wenjia used to seem honest, never uttering a sound when beaten. Now, relying on the Empress Dowager's kindness, she has received the title of Princess Protector of the Nation, and has become increasingly arrogant, not even putting the Empress Dowager in her eyes."

"One should not speak carelessly." The Empress Dowager picked up her teacup and smiled faintly. "Wenjia is still a filial child..."

Xiao Qing'er pouted slightly, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager..."

"You! What future can she have as a widow?" The Empress Dowager waved her hand. "You just focus on your pregnancy, that will be a great achievement."

"But it's the Empress Dowager..."

"I know what I'm doing," the Empress Dowager interrupted her, glancing at the shadows outside the window. "It would be better if the snow fell even heavier..."

When Wenjia walked out of Baohua Hall, the snow had indeed fallen even heavier.

The palace was shrouded in a white mist, as if even people's hearts were being obscured.

She wrapped her fox fur coat tighter around herself and walked out of the Cining Palace, keeping her head down and walking slowly until she sat in the carriage waiting at the palace gate. Only then did her seemingly calm eyes reveal a turbulent sea of ​​fear...

The back of his clothes was soaked with sweat from the tension.

Her fingertips trembled slightly...

A crazy idea was surging in her mind.

Tuya has always been aloof and reserved, and that hasn't changed. Her daily devout chanting of scriptures in the Hanzhang Palace, and her reverence for Mount Wulan, are all permitted by His Majesty and not arbitrary.

Xiao Qing'er brought it up at this particular moment, clearly with ulterior motives.

Regardless of who this spearhead is aimed at...

This matter is not simple.

She clenched her handkerchief tightly and whispered instructions to Dongzhi.

"Immediately send someone to Shuiyue Nunnery to deliver a message to Master Miaozhen."
-
Winter at Shuiyue Nunnery always carries a sense of austere Zen.

Early in the morning, after finishing his morning prayers, Xue Sui returned to his room, put on a Zen robe, and sat by the window copying scriptures.

The ink in the inkstone had frozen into a thin layer of ice, making her hands a little cold as she held the wolf-hair brush. She rubbed her fingertips together and placed her palms on the charcoal brazier.

Sparks crackled and exploded, illuminating her slender profile. She was serene, yet seemed to harbor secret thoughts, flickering on the window paper...

Even with a solitary lamp and ancient Buddha statue, peace is hard to find.

"Miss, the young master has sent some newly made medicine and also personally made a jar of loquat candy so that it will taste better to you..."

Jinshu held up a small, plain ceramic jar and placed it on the table. She then gently stirred the ash in the charcoal brazier.

"The young master instructed that the young lady's lungs still need conditioning; she should take the medicine on time and rest well..."

Xue Sui put down his wolf-hair brush, his fingertips tracing the cold pages, and smiled slightly: "Senior Brother is always so thoughtful."

He took the small jar and sniffed it. The jar smelled sweet of loquat and honey.

"Actually, I'm much better now. After the snow, I didn't cough much at night."

Jinshu glanced at her expression.
Still pale, but with a slight sheen.

Since that night, when Prince Zhao braved the rain to come and talked with the girl in her room until late into the night...

The girl's complexion improved significantly, and she seemed more energetic.

Nothing particularly different, but she just felt different.

Jinshu didn't know whether to be happy for the girl or to worry.

"Does the eldest son have any further instructions?" Xue Sui asked again when he saw her hesitate.

Jinshu snapped out of her reverie and reported, "The old lady of the Xue family took the eldest son's medicine, and her breathing is gradually stabilizing. She even swallowed half a bowl of millet porridge during the night..."

"But as the Xue family fell into ruin, each branch of the household secretly plotted and schemed against each other, especially the second branch. With the death of the second master of the Xue family, the land and property accounts were in complete disarray..."

“Even a skilled cook can’t cook without rice. Managing the household affairs is proving difficult for the Third Madam. Her share of the kitchen’s allowance has been reduced by 20%. She can’t show favoritism to Xue Ji, so she’s been given extra attention…”

"It's not easy being the Third Madam, don't make things too difficult for her."

Xue Sui gave a soft "hmm," and said, "Have someone send more silver charcoal, cloth, and medicine to Xue Ji, so as not to make things difficult for the Third Madam, and to help her out a little..."

“That’s exactly right,” Jinshu said. “With the New Year approaching, and the Xue family in such a state, Xueji’s status is also awkward. She can’t just bypass others; otherwise, she’ll inevitably suffer some setbacks…”

"Well, you can't blame anyone else; she did it on her own."

Xue Sui picked up the copied scripture scroll and carefully rolled it up.

"We should also prepare some festive items here, just to be on the right track."

Jinshu smiled and replied, "There are established rules in the nunnery; the person in charge will take care of it..."

Xue Sui said, "I'll have Xiao Zhao go to the market to buy some New Year's goods later... and then find Wang Laoshi at the foot of the mountain to buy some preserved meats, as well as some persimmon cakes, chestnuts, sugar cakes, snacks and fruits, so that you can all have a treat."

Jinshu laughed, "You spoil them, young lady. Ordinary people live simple lives, eating plain food and scrimping and saving, isn't that how they all get by? They don't have any meat or snacks to eat..."

Xue Sui smiled slightly: "During the New Year, we also want to enjoy the warmth and excitement, don't we?"

Jinshu was about to leave when she was stopped by her: "Oh, right, put the miscellaneous books that the Crown Prince sent into the inner room. Also, change to a brighter lamp for me; it's hard on my eyes to read at night."

Jinshu couldn't help but chuckle.

"Yes, whatever you say, young lady."

Inside the elmwood cabinet in the inner room, among the miscellaneous books, lay a layer of old mausoleum documents wrapped in oilcloth, lying quietly.

After Li Zhao left, Xue Sui specially found a moisture-proof camphor wood box for storage and also took measures to dry and prevent insects.

At that moment, she opened the book by the light of the lamp, and the eight large vermilion characters, "The Tragedy of the Lingzhao, the Traitors Who Misled the Country," stung her eyes.

"Take it, and for the sake of two hundred thousand heroic souls, tear open this corrupt imperial court..."

She recalled Li Zhao's words and the cold light burning like embers in his eyes...

Their path of revenge has led them to this point; their fates are intertwined, their lives bound together. No one can remain unscathed any longer…

Now, the rumor that "when the crape myrtle falls, the celestial being appears" has spread throughout the court and the country. Li Zhao is in the eye of the storm, with the emperor above him restraining him, political enemies below attacking him, powerful enemies knocking on his door from the outside, and the imperial power decaying within...

He's caught in a whirlpool, fighting with his back against the wall; the outcome is uncertain...

All she could do was remain still and wait for the right opportunity.

Suddenly a gust of wind arose, accompanied by light footsteps, and the window paper rustled.

Xue Sui placed his hand on the paperweight and turned his head to ask a question.

Xiao Zhao pushed open the door and entered, covered in snow, and breathed on her hands.

"Miss, Princess Wenjia sent word that she will be bringing Niu Niu to the nunnery to offer incense this afternoon, and specifically instructed you to wait for her..."

After saying that, he took another step closer and whispered, "Judging from the way he's delivering the message, it must be something important."

"Prepare fresh tea, fruit, and snacks." Xue Sui closed the file, his eyes now devoid of any emotion.

When Princess Wenjia arrived, she was led directly to the east wing.

She walked to the window and pushed open a door.

The cold wind, carrying snowflakes, rushed in, causing her robe to flutter wildly.

The distant mountains are covered in white snow, resembling a simple and elegant ink painting.

But she knew that beneath this calm surface lurked hidden dangers...

　Li Zhao: Xue Pingan missed me today, it's true.

　　Xue Sui: The New Year is almost here, I'm wondering if I should burn some incense for you...

　　Li Zhao:......

　　(End of this chapter)