Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 322 The Game Changer

When Xue Sui stepped into the flower hall, Guo Yunrong was sitting nervously with her knees together, visibly restrained, completely unlike her usual proud self.

Hearing footsteps, she suddenly looked up. Her face had become thinner, her eyes were sunken, but her eyes shone with an alarming brightness.

"Sister Xue." She tugged at the corners of her mouth, trying to force a smile, but it looked worse than crying.

"Third Miss Guo." Xue Sui returned the greeting with his palms together, his gaze calmly sweeping over her plain silk dress and the only plain silver hairpin in her hair.

The entire piece is devoid of any jewels or jade ornaments.

Although the Duke of Zheng's family retained its title, it was no longer what it used to be.

Guo Yunrong's attire maintained the dignity of a noblewoman while also conveying a deliberate sense of modesty.

"Sister Xue, shall we find a quiet place to talk?"

Guo Yunrong's voice was a little hoarse as she looked around.

He seemed somewhat distrustful of the servants and maids here.

Xue Sui smiled slightly and led her to a small pavilion by the water in the mansion.

The magnolias in the courtyard are in full bloom.

A gentle breeze rustles through the petals, which are six parts pink and four parts white, carrying a sweet fragrance.

The pavilion was simply furnished with only a stone table and a few stone benches, creating a tranquil atmosphere.

"Please sit down, Miss Guo," Xue Sui said, gesturing for her to sit.

Jinshu served tea and quietly withdrew.

Xiao Zhao stood a few feet outside the pavilion.

Only two people remained.

The bamboo curtain swayed gently in the wind, adding to the tranquility.

Xue Sui said, "Third Miss Guo, would you like to try some of the newly brewed tea from this spring?"

Guo Yunrong did not touch the teacup.

Her hands were clasped tightly on her knees, and her thin face looked ashen in the sunlight.

“My brother…” she choked up, as if saying that name to her had taken a great deal of effort.

"I would never commit suicide."

Xue Sui lowered his eyes, looking at the tea leaves floating in the celadon cup, without looking at Guo Yunrong's reddened eyes.

In my mind, I saw Guo Zhaohuai weeping bitterly and begging for mercy before his death.

That's how he wanted to live.

But he had to die.

"That day, before my elder brother left, he was still laughing and saying that he would bring me the new rouge from Babaozhai... He joked that I usually dressed plainly and the colors weren't bright enough, and that I was afraid I was going to become a nun..."

Guo Yunrong unconsciously rubbed her knee with her fingertips, her voice so soft it was as if she were afraid of startling something.

"Who knew... news came a few hours later that my elder brother had been imprisoned."

Xue Sui picked up his teacup, took a sip, and did not reply.

Guo Yunrong's voice was filled with suppressed grief.

“The day before he got into trouble, I visited him in prison… He kept talking about his parents back home, and he also told me not to embroider at night and hurt my eyes. He was looking forward to reuniting with his wife and children after he got out of prison. He even said that after things were settled, our family would go back to our village in our hometown to relax…”

He raised his eyes again, his gaze unfocused as he stared at Xue Sui.

“My elder brother is stupid, but he's not stupid enough to dare touch the life-saving rations of the soldiers in the Western Frontier… He also doesn't have the guts to commit suicide. I suspect someone told him to shut up; he didn't do it willingly…”

"Please accept my condolences, Miss Guo." Xue Sui put down her teacup, her voice calm.

“Your brother took the blame and preserved the title of Duke of Zheng. Now, Miss Guo can still sit and drink with dignity instead of struggling to survive in the brothel. That is his last value. You should understand.”

Guo Yunrong's shoulders trembled violently, and her forced composure crumbled inch by inch.

"That's why my heart is pounding—"

Xue Sui's words felt like a knife stuck in his heart.

Guo Yunrong's face drained of color, her lips trembled, and after a long while she let out a sob that sounded like a mix of crying and laughing...

Then she lowered her head again and covered her face tightly with a handkerchief.

“I knew it all along… It was Grandfather, it must have been Grandfather. To save the lives of the entire Guo family and this vacant title, he persuaded him to confess his crimes… to let him die…”

Suppressed sobs escaped from between her fingers...

Her shoulders shrugged, and a few strands of her carefully styled hair fell loose in a disheveled state.

“My parents and uncles all know the truth, they just kept me in the dark…”

Xue Sui pursed her lips slightly, the steam from the teacup obscuring the emotions in her eyes.

"It is already a great fortune that the Guo family was able to retain their titles."

“Sister Xue, I know… but I can’t live with myself and find peace on the back of my brother’s sacrifice…”

At that time, the Censorate jointly impeached Duke Zheng and his son for treason, embezzlement, and disregard for human life—all crimes punishable by the extermination of their families. Between the entire Guo family and Guo Zhaohuai alone, which was more serious? Guo Yunrong knew the answer clearly.

After Guo Zhaohuai's death, the whole family seemed to accept the outcome, remaining silent and tacitly avoiding mentioning the obviously suspicious cause of Guo Zhaohuai's death.

She guessed the cruelty behind it all.

She understood her grandfather's choice, but it still caused her pain.

The Duke of Zheng's mansion gained a brief respite, and she could continue to live under the title of "Third Miss of the Duke's Mansion".

She pretended to be confused, refusing to reopen the bloody wound, and maintained a facade of calm.

But in the dead of night, her elder brother's dying words always haunted her, preventing her from finding peace...

“My father fell seriously ill and never recovered. My mother wept every day. The whole household lived in fear and trembling. Even going out to buy a piece of tofu required us to be mindful of others’ attitudes. The gate of the Duke of Zheng’s mansion is still there, but the inside is already empty… The slightly decent things in the storeroom have been used to fill the holes left by my second uncle and eldest brother. My mother’s dowry, which was kept at the bottom of her trunk, has been secretly pawned… The Guo family is now just struggling in the mire, relying on a little bit of ancestral wealth…” “Third Miss Guo.” Xue Sui’s voice was very soft.

After a long silence, he spoke in a low voice.

Did your brother ever mention Xianlin Mountain Horse Ranch before he passed away?

Guo Yunrong's pupils contracted slightly.

"Sister Xue...how did you know that my brother owns a horse farm?"

Xue Sui gently stroked the teacup, speaking softly as if he were talking about something ordinary.

"Two autumns ago, the ambitious King Ashina of Xizi launched a surprise attack on Chishui Pass. Within the capital, Xizi's elite assassins were active, working in concert with the king. At that time, the border markets of Daliang were closed due to the war, and the salt and iron trade was prohibited. However, a batch of high-quality ring-pommel swords and fine iron arrowheads appeared in the hands of Ashina's personal guards. How many Daliang soldiers perished at the Battle of Chishui Pass because of these weapons? Do you know where the final clue in the military supplies case, when the Crown Prince traced the source, lay?"

She paused briefly, then continued, "It's... your brother's private property, the Xianlin Mountain Horse Ranch."

Guo Yunrong trembled violently, her lips quivering, but she couldn't utter a single syllable.

Xianlin Mountain Horse Ranch.

That was a secret her older brother had been running behind their parents' backs, a secret she had only recently learned about.

"Impossible..." she murmured, as if trying to convince herself.

"My brother... he doesn't have the guts to smuggle weapons out of the country, let alone the ability to pull strings..."

"Perhaps he doesn't." Xue Sui's eyes were smiling as she pierced her last shred of hope with a single sentence.

“But the manager of his horse farm, the person who instructed him behind the scenes and ultimately pinned all the blame on him, was more capable and had more audacity.”

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a chilling insight.

Guo Yunrong stared at her blankly.

Like a puppet whose strength has been drained.

He slumped onto the stone bench, stunned for a long time, before realizing that tears were streaming down his face.

It turns out my brother really did commit a capital crime...

It turns out there's so much more to this case than meets the eye...

She took out a handkerchief and wiped her face haphazardly.

When he looked up again, all that remained in his eyes was a ruthless, lone wolf-like glint.

"Who is it?" she asked in a hoarse voice. "Prince Duan? Or...the Xiao family? Or someone else?"

Xue Sui did not answer.

She stood up, walked to the pavilion, tiptoed slightly, and gently plucked a budding flower from a magnolia tree in full bloom.

A warm spring breeze stirred the hem of her plain-colored Zen robe...

She remained silent for a moment, then slowly walked towards Guo Yunrong.

He placed the magnolia flower, still glistening with dew, in Guo Yunrong's hair.

“Your elder brother is right. Miss Guo is dressed too plainly. She should wear some color. That would look better.”

She had her back to Guo Yunrong, her voice carried on the wind.

Guo Yunrong looked up, large tears falling onto the stone table. "You knew all along, didn't you? Sister Xue, tell me... I don't want my brother to die without knowing why, I don't want to see my mother crying every night..."

“Third Miss Guo.” Xue Sui’s voice carried a barely perceptible sigh.

"Instead of dwelling on the dead, think about how to prevent the living from repeating the same mistakes. The Guo family's title is a shield, but also a sword hanging over your heads. The Ministry of Justice's files are all there, and His Majesty's judgment has been issued. Only by avoiding further trouble can you protect yourselves. Bringing up old matters will only bring more disaster."

The petals fell silently onto the stone table.

Guo Yunrong let out a short, bitter laugh.

The family's decline and the bleak future were all transformed into two torrents of clear tears in this unique comfort...

The dignity of noble families was ultimately shattered.

Finally, Guo Yunrong slowly stood up, raised her red and swollen eyes, and bowed deeply to Xue Sui.

"Thank you so much, Sister Xue, for your guidance that day, which saved the Guo family. Yunrong is extremely grateful to you."

This gesture was solemn and sincere.

Xue Sui turned slightly to the side, not accepting the full greeting.

"What are your plans for the future, Miss Guo?"

Guo Yunrong gazed at her for a long time, then suddenly smiled very softly, with a weariness and understanding that came after everything had settled.

"All that I did before was wishful thinking. Now... I only hope my parents are healthy and the Guo family is safe. Once this storm has passed, I'll find a family of similar social standing and simple-minded people, and live out the rest of my life in peace."

She paused, tidied her slightly disheveled hair, and put on the magnolia flower that Xue Sui had taken from her hairpin.

"His Highness the Crown Prince... treats my sister very well. Yunrong sincerely wishes you both well and hopes that your wishes will be fulfilled. Farewell."

The last few words were as light as falling magnolia petals.

She clearly hadn't let go of her girlish feelings for Li Zhao, yet she also knew perfectly well that those feelings were now a thing of the past...

Xue Sui nodded and returned the greeting.

"Third Miss Guo, take care on your journey. Jinshu, see you out of the mansion."

Guo Yunrong didn't look back. She straightened her back and walked out of the pavilion step by step.

Xue Sui stood in the pavilion for a long time.

Looking at the untouched cup of pre-rain Longjing tea in front of Guo Yunrong.

Only after that slender figure was swallowed up by the festive decorations of the Xue mansion did he slowly turn around.

(End of this chapter)