Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 306 Shocking Change at the Dharma Assembly
The eighth day of the first lunar month is Grain Day.

Yesterday's light snowfall covered the palaces and pavilions in a pale silver hue.

Inside the Baohua Hall, prayer flags fluttered and golden chimes resounded.

The gilded Buddha statue lowered its eyes, looking down at the royal ladies and chanting monks and nuns below, who were holding their breath in awe.

The wives of the imperial family and the concubines of the harem sat upright according to their rank.

Amidst the rising smoke, the deep chanting of Buddhist hymns echoed throughout the hall, reverberating between the high beams and pillars...

Wearing a brand-new Zen robe, Abbess Huiming led five disciples of Shuiyue Nunnery to sit cross-legged on a prayer mat in front of the Buddha and chant sutras.

Xue Sui knelt behind Huiming, his wide monk's robe trailing to the ground. He lowered his head, revealing a clear chin and a pale, fragile neck, which appeared particularly thin and cold amidst the brocade-covered hall.

Xue Yue sat a little further back, her eyes somewhat unfocused, her mind elsewhere.

Princess Ruihe's charming figure and her daughter A Ning's smiling face kept intertwining in her mind, making her restless.

Last night, Li Huan stayed in the study again without giving a single word of explanation.

At this moment, being in the Dharma assembly, she felt as if the air was stuffy and suffocating.

She didn't even notice that Xue Sui's gaze had lingered on her for a very brief moment.

Everyone closed their eyes and concentrated on chanting the sutra.

Only today's protagonist, Xiao Qing'er, is an exception.

Xiao Qing'er sat upright at the foot of the Buddha statue, dressed in an apricot-yellow brocade palace gown with peony scrolls and a silver fox fur-trimmed cloak, exuding luxury and showing off her current favor and privilege.

She seemed to be calmly watching the nuns chanting sutras, but out of the corner of her eye, she would occasionally glance at that plain-looking figure, and the corner of her lips would twitch almost imperceptibly upwards...

Xue Liu.

She sneered inwardly.

The sound of chanting sutras hummed inside the hall.

Snow fell silently outside the palace...

No one noticed that a chilling atmosphere was quietly spreading amidst the warm fragrance.
-
The ritual was progressing smoothly.

The chanting of Sanskrit was low and melodious, reaching all the way to the dome.

Master Huiming rose and personally picked up the white jade vase filled with clear water, preparing to perform the final "sweet dew purification" ritual.

She walked steadily toward the Buddha.

All eyes in the hall were focused on the jade bottle.

Just as Master Huiming reached the foot of the Buddha statue, about to sprinkle nectar onto the lotus-shaped ritual vessel being offered—

"Ding...dong!"

A sharp, jarring sound suddenly rang out.

The chanting that filled the hall was interrupted...

That priceless white jade vase slipped from Master Huiming's hands without warning.

The bottle slammed hard onto the cold, gold-brick floor, shattering into pieces.

Water splashed out, unexpectedly splashing onto Xiao Qing'er's head, face, and body...

"what!"

A short, startled cry rang out from inside the hall.

Changes occurred suddenly.

The ladies-in-waiting, palace maids, and nuns in the hall were frozen in place, speechless, their faces drained of color...

The sacred object symbolizing royal blessings shattered unexpectedly on the spot, in full view of everyone, during the ceremony.

This is not a simple breach of etiquette; it is... a very bad omen.

It is a blatant curse upon the imperial heirs...

Time seemed to be stretched.

The eunuchs and palace maids were in a panic, and the noblewomen were terrified.

Some went to help Xiao Qing'er, who was swaying precariously and seemed on the verge of fainting, while others went to clean up the mess left on the ground...

Immediately afterwards, Consort Li, who had been sitting elegantly in her finest attire, suddenly curled up, clutching her lower abdomen tightly with both hands. Her beautiful face contorted in intense pain...

"Your Majesty!" Her trusted maid, Lü'e, rushed forward, crying and helping her up.

A suppressed groan escaped Xiao Qing'er's lips.

"Quickly...save...save my child..."

Bright red blood gushed out from beneath her skirt...

shocking.

"My child! My royal son..." Xiao Qing'er's voice was shrill and desperate, filled with sobs.

As the palace maids hurriedly helped her up, she suddenly raised her tear-streaked face and looked straight at the center of the chaos—the astonished and frozen Abbess Huiming, and Xue Sui kneeling behind her.

"It was them, the vixen nuns of Shuiyue Nunnery... They harmed my prince... That holy water, that holy water was poisoned..."

The accusation struck like a thunderbolt, hitting the nuns of Shuiyue Nunnery hard on the head.

In an instant, the air froze.

The scene was deathly silent.

Xue Sui slowly raised his head.

With hands clasped together in front of her chest, her movements were calm and composed. "Amitabha. Your Majesty, please be careful with your words, we are filled with trepidation."

Her tone was respectful and her attitude impeccable. Her clear, bright eyes stared at Xiao Qing'er, like unfathomable black jade immersed in a cold pool.

"Holy water is offered by the royal family and is an object placed before the Buddha. How can it be blasphemed with foul language?"

Xiao Qing'er screamed and struggled, pointing at Xue Sui with all her might.

"You wicked woman! My child is doomed! It's you... Xue Liu, it must be you... and you too..."

She then looked at Tuya, who was standing quietly to the side, and said, "Consort Jing spends her days in Hanzhang Palace reciting those nonsensical scriptures. If she is not engaging in witchcraft and curses, what is she doing?"

Green Calyx immediately chimed in, "Yes, I saw it clearly too. Abbess Huiming clearly made a mistake on purpose... and Master Miaozhen, her eyes were wandering when she was chanting the sutra, she must have had ulterior motives."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Qing'er burst into tears: "Xue Liu, even if we had some grudges when we were young, it shouldn't have affected our offspring. Why do you hold a grudge and harm the child in my womb..."

Xue Sui stood still.

His smooth forehead and thin, pale cheeks gave him an unusually serene expression.

“Your Majesty, you are mistaken. This humble nun has long since severed all worldly ties. What old grudge could I possibly have with Your Majesty? Shuiyue Nunnery was ordered to pray for the royal family. From the moment I entered the palace, I was subjected to a thorough search by the eunuchs and palace servants. How could I possibly commit such a treasonous act?”

"You're lying!" Green Calyx seemed furious. "Your Majesty, this servant saw with my own eyes that before the Dharma assembly began, Master Miaozhen and Consort Jingzhao whispered to each other for a long time. They must have been secretly conspiring to do something wicked..."

Xue Sui smiled.

"If you want to incriminate someone, why bother?"

She didn't look at the shards scattered on the ground. Her gaze calmly passed over the panicked crowd and the pretentious Xiao Qing'er, landing directly on Tuya in the corner.

"With Consort Jingzhao here, why doesn't Your Highness Consort Li personally ask her if this humble nun has uttered even the slightest inappropriate word with her?"

Tuya's face was still covered by a light veil, revealing only a pair of calm, deep eyes.

She stood out from the group of concubines.

Faced with Xiao Qing'er's accusations and the astonished gazes of the entire hall, she didn't even flinch, as if the sky falling down had nothing to do with her.

"When I was reciting the scriptures, I did not look to the side or pay attention to the movements of others. I had no time to speculate about the child in Consort Li's womb."

Her voice came through the veil, flat and emotionless.

Empress Xie, who was watching from the sidelines, felt a splitting headache, but she forced herself to stay awake.

"Say less! The most urgent matter is the baby in Consort Li's womb! Where is the imperial physician? Summon the imperial physician immediately!"

"Your Majesty. This matter concerns the imperial heir and cannot be taken lightly," Empress Dowager Chengqing suddenly spoke.

Her voice, with its thunderous majesty, echoed throughout the palace.

"Guards, seal the palace immediately. The entire group from Shuiyue Nunnery is suspected of plotting against the imperial heir. Arrest them and search them thoroughly. I want to see who dares to commit such an evil deed right under my nose..."

"Yes."

A group of trusted eunuchs immediately surrounded him.

The atmosphere inside the hall was tense, filled with murderous intent.

"Wait a minute."

A clear, cold voice, like a cold spring striking jade, suddenly came from the palace entrance.

Everyone stared in astonishment.

Outside the massive, half-open vermilion doors of the Baohua Hall, a tall and slender figure stood against the light.

A dark brocade robe and a black fox fur cloak.

Prince Zhao's face was covered in frost, yet his appearance was handsome.

Wherever his cold eyes fell, the clamor in the hall was instantly cut off.

"The purpose of the Dharma assembly is to ward off disasters and bring good fortune, so why does it turn into a war?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly, carrying a natural sense of authority.

Empress Dowager Chengqing frowned deeply: "The sacred object is shattered, and Consort Li is bleeding. It is suspected that Shuiyue Nunnery and Consort Jing are conspiring to harm the imperial heir. I am about to investigate this thoroughly. Crown Prince, why are you here instead of overseeing the country in the Eastern Palace?"

"Reporting to Grandmother, Father Emperor was concerned about the Dharma assembly and specially sent me to come and see it."

As Li Zhao spoke, he stepped into the hall.

His boots trod over the gold bricks, and the imposing presence of his tall figure caused several eunuchs to involuntarily step back...

“Your Highness has come at just the right time.” Xiao Qing’er’s eyes instantly reddened, and she cried out weakly and aggrievedly, “These vixen nuns… destroyed sacred objects and cursed the imperial heirs. Their hearts are despicable. Please, Your Highness, do justice for the child in my womb…”

Whispers broke out inside the hall.

"Consort Li is carrying the imperial offspring of the dragon, yet this vixen dares to..."

"How can Shuiyue Nunnery tolerate such a person harboring evil intentions?"

"They must be severely punished! Otherwise, what will become of the imperial dignity?"

The outcry grew louder, and the criticism was directed at Shuiyue Nunnery.

The Buddha statues inside the hall are solemn and dignified, their eyes seemingly carrying a cold, judgmental gaze.

Li Zhao did not express his opinion.

He looked down at the mess in the hall and at Xue Sui with a condescending gaze.

Their gazes were locked, a deep and unspoken mystery.

"Grandmother, is it too early to conclude that it was a curse and poisoning based solely on the broken jade bottle and Consort Li's abdominal pain and bleeding? Consort Li, do you have any concrete evidence to support your accusation against Shuiyue Nunnery?"

(End of this chapter)