Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 323 Lament of a Young Woman

After Guo Yunrong left, Xue Sui informed Qian Shi and returned to Lixiang Courtyard to tidy up.

Pear Fragrance Courtyard has been renovated. The three main rooms are bright and clean, with simple and elegant furnishings. Although the utensils are not luxurious, they are all made of good quality wood that is neither new nor old.

It's clear that Ms. Qian carefully selected and cleaned the items.

It suits Xue Sui's status as a monk, while also maintaining dignity and comfort.

Jinshu and Ruyi quickly and efficiently packed up the simple luggage they had brought.

Jinshu stroked the bed covered with brocade quilts and sighed, "The Third Madam treats the young lady with genuine kindness. This room is so clean..."

Xiao Zhao wandered around, cautiously checking the doors and windows.

Ruyi's hands were constantly moving, and she wouldn't hold back with her words either.

"It's just that this place is too remote... Fourth Miss suffered a setback today, and I'm afraid she won't let it go easily. And that Ninth Miss..." She pursed her lips, "Back in the manor, she always helped Eighth Miss and the others trip up the young lady. Now that she's going to be the Princess Consort of Wei, won't she be strutting around like crazy?"

Xue Sui walked to the window, pushed open half of the window frame, and looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar flowering trees in the courtyard. His voice was calm.

"The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease. We have returned not to seek tranquility, but to face whatever comes our way."
-
When people get busy, time flies by.

Xue Sui helped Qian Shi with the household affairs for a few days. These were just small tasks that didn't require her to show her face, such as checking the gift list, arranging guests' courtyards, and inspecting purchased items. She gradually felt her health deteriorating.

Although the wrist injury has healed, the damage caused by the previous injury remains.

Even the slightest exertion will leave one with a deep-seated fatigue and weakness, like a lamp that has run out of oil.

"It seems this frail body will need some time to recover."

She spoke lightly of herself, but Jinshu and Xiaozhao felt sorry for her.

Privately, he advised her to rest more, but Xue Sui just shook her head: "I'm used to the quiet in the nunnery. Suddenly being in the noise is a bit unsettling. It's good to find something to do to distract yourself."

Yukihime was also trying to persuade her.

"Miss doesn't look too well. Why don't you go back to your room and rest for a while? There's a stewardess watching over there, and the Third Madam has also sent some capable people. Nothing serious will happen."

Xue Sui rubbed his temples and said, "It's alright. I promised Third Aunt I would help her, so I can't go back on my word. She's pregnant, so she's having a harder time than me. I'll help her out as much as I can."

After saying that, he led Xiao Zhao and Ruyi to Xue Yue'e's Nongyu Pavilion.

Before even stepping into the courtyard, one could hear a deliberately exaggerated, coquettish laugh coming from inside the house, mixed with the crying of children and the sharp rebukes of women.

"Oh my little darling, that's the wedding dress that Ninth Miss will wear the day after tomorrow... It's so precious, I wouldn't dare put my drool on it. Oh dear, why am I getting more and more excited as I talk about it..."

This was the voice of Xue Yueying's wet nurse, filled with extreme impatience.

“Good boy Yu, come to your mother…” Xue Yueying’s voice rang out lazily, with a deliberate indulgence.

"It's just a dress. So what if it gets dirty? The Prince of Wei's mansion is incredibly wealthy. Does it really need another wedding dress? Ninth Sister, don't you think so?"

Upon hearing the sound, Xue Sui paused and gestured for Ruyi to stop outside the courtyard.

Inside the room, Madam Qian, with her slightly protruding belly, was frantically directing several stewardesses to count the dowry chests tied with red silk ribbons, her forehead beaded with sweat.

Xue Yue'e stared at her wedding dress with a livid face, her eyes red-rimmed...

The large, wet, glistening drool stain made her feel uncomfortable.

"Fourth Sister! Why don't you control Yu-ge'er?" Xue Yue'e's voice trembled with anger. She turned her head sharply, glared at Xue Yueying's wet nurse, and made veiled accusations.

"And you... you traitors! Do you even respect me, your mistress who is about to be married? With so many people guarding this place, you can't even keep an eye on a baby? Get out of here and stop bringing me bad luck."

Xue Yueying sat leisurely on the rose chair beside her, holding the squirming Gu Yu in her arms, and said lightly:
"What does a two-year-old know? He just likes the bright colors of the wedding dress. Why are you, as his aunt, arguing with a baby? It's beneath your dignity."

"You—is this nitpicking? Fourth sister, this is my wedding dress." Xue Yue'e gritted her teeth, suppressing her anger and maintaining the dignity of a bride.

"It's just clothes, what's the big deal? We'll have someone wash and iron them carefully later. Do you expect my Yu-ge'er to kowtow and apologize to you?"

Xue Yueying raised an eyebrow, her nail-painted fingers gently patting her son's back, her tone chilling and increasingly sarcastic.

“That’s true. Even if she’s a second wife, she’ll be the Princess Consort of Wei, a phoenix rising to the top. Unlike us, mother and son, we have no title or status, living under someone else’s roof. Naturally, we’re not worthy of anyone’s attention… Yu-ge’er, come on, let’s not be a nuisance here!”

As she spoke, she made a move to get up. Seeing that his mother was about to leave, Gu Yu twisted his body and reached out towards the bright red, his small body darting towards her. Xue Yue'e cried out "Ouch!" and staggered from the impact, her elbow "accidentally" knocking over a rouge box on the rosewood high table.

bang-

The rouge box was open, and as it rolled down, the bright red rouge splattered directly onto the wedding dress...

The glaring red stain blurred the exquisite gold-threaded peony pattern, like a malicious mockery, even more glaring than a spit mark.

"Ah—my wedding dress!"

Xue Yue'e was so angry that she screamed and could no longer hold back, bursting into tears and cursing.

"Xue Yueying! You...you did this on purpose. You gave birth to a bastard child without a father, without a name or status, unable to see the light of day, and you were unhappy about it, so you deliberately tried to ruin my wedding..."

She cursed recklessly, displaying absolutely no decorum befitting a lady of high birth.

Everyone in the room was stunned.

For a moment, no one stepped forward to stop them.

Xue Yueying pushed her away forcefully, her face showing an innocent expression.

"Oh dear! It's all my fault, it's all my fault for not watching Yu-ge'er properly... Ninth Sister, I'm so sorry, so sorry... Fourth Sister didn't mean it..."

She apologized, but her hands frantically tried to wipe the rouge off her wedding dress.

As a result, when she pulled her sleeve over the stain, she ended up covering the spilled rouge with it, making the red smudge spread even further...

"What are you doing? Are you deliberately trying to annoy me?"

When Madam Qian rushed in from the outer room and saw this scene, her temples throbbed, and she pointed at Xue Yueying and started cursing.

"You wretch who wears human skin but does no human deeds... You deserve to be cursed! The day after tomorrow is your wedding day, how can you face anyone with your wedding dress in such a state? If you can't wash it clean, how will you fix it?"

She turned and scolded Xue Yue'e, who was sobbing uncontrollably.

"And you too. How old are you? Why are you getting so worked up over a child? What kind of behavior is this..."

"Third Aunt, why are you scolding me? It's clearly Fourth Sister who was jealous and instructed Yu-ge'er to deliberately ruin my plans..."

Xue Yueying looked at Qian Shi's ashen face, but her voice became even more aggrieved.

"Third Aunt is right. I shouldn't have brought the child here and caused trouble... But now... this wedding dress is stained with saliva and rouge. Isn't that unlucky? The bride's things should be festive and clean. If they get dirty, and it happens to offend His Highness Prince Wei, then... that would be terrible."

"Shut up! You, you..."

Ms. Qian was so angry that her stomach tightened, and she clutched her waist, her face turning pale, clearly indicating that she had threatened miscarriage.

"Third Aunt, don't worry..."

Just then, a clear, cold voice came in.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Xue Sui standing by the door, dressed in a gray monk's robe, with a calm expression.

She quickly stepped forward, firmly supporting Qian's arm, her gaze sweeping over the glaring stain of rouge, and gestured to Chunxing.

"Bring a basin of cold water, freshly drawn well water, the cooler the better. Also, get some clean, fine white cotton cloth and the best soap paste."

"Yes." The clever little maidservant quickly responded and ran out.

Xue Yueying felt as if she had been choked; her fake smile crumbled, and she stared at Xue Sui with displeasure.

"Sixth Sister, what kind of magic are you trying to show off? This is exquisite brocade, worth its weight in gold. Once it's stained with rouge and oil, even a god couldn't save it. Do you think you can make these stains fly away by chanting a few sutras?"

She deliberately raised her voice, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Xue Sui ignored her and walked straight to the stain, examining it carefully.

Soon, the young maidservant had nimbly brought over a basin of cool water that had just been drawn from the well, and everything was ready.

"Sixth Miss, the water has been brought."

(End of this chapter)