Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 330 The Difficulty of Ferrying People

It's been such a long time.

The once proud and aloof fifth young master of the Jingyuan Marquis's mansion seemed to have had his spirit drained away. His cheeks were sunken, his cheekbones were prominent, and his complexion was a sickly pale, as if he had never seen the sun.

His straight robe hung loosely on his body, making him appear even more emaciated.

What's most striking are his eyes—depressed, numb, and empty, all traces of their former brilliance gone…

He stood with his eyes down, a step behind Madam Chun, oblivious to the noise and bustle around him.

"We've finally found Sixth Miss!" Madam Chun saw Xue Sui as if she had seen a savior. She rushed forward and grabbed Xue Sui's wrist, her eyes immediately reddening. "Sixth Miss, please have mercy and save my Fifth Brother! If this continues, he... he will... truly be ruined."

Xue Sui did not break free, letting her hold him, and smiled slightly.

"Aunt Chun, you're exaggerating. Young Master Gu is perfectly fine here; what's the point of talking about saving him?"

Madam Chun glanced back at her son, who looked like a walking corpse.

“Look at him, look at him, he’s neither human nor ghost, what kind of person is he? He’s silent all day long, just sitting in his room facing old things… The Marquis has beaten him and scolded him, but it’s all to no avail.”

Xue Sui remained silent.

Just listen quietly.

Lady Chun herself realized she had lost her composure and looked embarrassed.

“Aunt Chun knows that Wu Lang was confused before and wronged you, Miss. But now you live in seclusion and are full of compassion. I only ask that you give him a few words of advice, even if it’s just to scold him or beat him up. I just hope that he can let go of his obsession and come to his senses.”

She was deeply moved, and tears streamed down her face.

Her despair as a mother was palpable.

"Aunt Chun." Xue Sui sighed helplessly and gently pulled her wrist out of her tight grip.

"Whether it is a blessing or a curse, it is all predestined. This humble nun's cultivation is shallow, and she cannot save him."

Her words were like ice water poured over Madam Chun's heart.

Lady Chun's face was drained of color, as if all her strength had been drained away.

"Sigh, Aunt Chun forced you to do it."

She bit her lower lip, as if she had made up her mind, and her voice suddenly became sharp, "The Marquis's mansion is in such a state now, that jinx has completely disgraced us. Rather than this... Prince Wei might as well take her in as well. Anyway, she has no shame, she can bring her son to be Prince Wei's concubine or mistress, it's all fine... so as not to drag down Fifth Brother, and so that the Marquis's mansion will be gossiped about and pointed at every day..."

These words were ruthless, tearing away the fig leaf from the Jingyuan Marquis's residence.

This also reveals her truest thought—to get rid of Xue Yueying, this burden.

Gu Jie, who had been standing frozen in place, was startled by the sound.

"Mother."

He suddenly looked up and stared at his mother.

"Why would you discuss such sordid family matters with Sixth Miss? Isn't it embarrassing enough already?"

"Wulang." Madam Chun was startled by his appearance.

"You're finally willing to talk to your mother?"

Gu Jie subconsciously looked at Xue Sui beside her.

He did not answer his mother, but instead bowed to her with his hands clasped in greeting.

"My mother misspoke. Please don't take offense, Sixth Miss. You don't need to take my mother's words to heart."

Xue Sui stared at him, then glanced at Lady Chun, who was on the verge of collapse.

“Young Master Gu,” she began, her voice calm yet clear and powerful.

“Every word your mother said was for your benefit. You have let down your family and parents, and ruined your future, but you are still alive. As long as you are alive, there is room for maneuver. If you stay trapped in the mire, you will only drown in the end. That’s all I have to say. Take care of yourself.”

After saying that, she stopped looking at Gu Jie's instantly ashen face and turned to Madam Chun, bowing with her hands clasped together.

"Take care, madam. This humble nun takes her leave."

"She's still alive..." Gu Jie stared at Xue Sui's departing figure, repeatedly pondering her words, his eyes filled with extreme complexity...

Only when the lush trees and foliage blocked out the departing figures and the faint light in Gu Jie's eyes did he slowly turn around, leaning against the stone lamp in a daze, and give a helpless, bitter smile.

Seeing her son in this state, Madam Chun was both angry and anxious, and suddenly burst into tears.

"You wretched child, if you had known this would happen, why did you do it in the first place? Was it worth it for such a lowly thing?"

Gu Jie didn't look at her and walked forward with unsteady steps.

"Mother, there's no need to say any more. Your son knows where to go and what to do..."
-
It was past midnight.

The light was still on in Aunt Zhao's room in the east wing of the Xue family mansion.

Xue Qingzhi leaned against the cushioned chaise lounge, listening to Aunt Zhao's sweet voice recounting the trivial matters of the wedding banquet during the day, his brows furrowing more and more tightly.

"This wedding banquet is like a funeral banquet, what's there to say?"

"Yes, sir." Aunt Zhao noticed his mood and pushed a plate of delicate pastries in front of him.

"Please try this walnut shortbread. It's a new recipe I learned to make, and it's very crispy." Just as Xue Qingzhi was about to speak, a maidservant suddenly announced from outside in a slightly hurried tone.

"Master, the First Madam has arrived. She says she has important business to attend to and is waiting outside the courtyard for you to come out."

Xue Qingzhi's face instantly darkened.

"Can't you see I'm resting?"

He had been living in separate rooms from Madam Fu for a long time, but Aunt Zhao's gentle embrace allowed him to temporarily forget the worries of the court and family affairs.

"Hmph, coming at this hour can't be anything good."

Aunt Zhao wisely stopped smiling and said in a low voice, "Master, shall I excuse myself?"

"No need." Xue Qingzhi brushed the crumbs off his clothes, his tone impatient. "Let her in."

As Madam Fu stepped across the threshold, her gaze swept indifferently over Aunt Zhao, whose hair was loosely tied up, her cold face revealing a serious expression.

The latter immediately lowered his head, stepped aside to stand and serve tea and water in a humble manner.

"Speak your mind, don't put on airs as the mistress of the house." Xue Qingzhi leaned back on the couch, showing no intention of getting up.

The couple had long since severed ties. If it weren't for Xue Yue'e's wedding today, and the need to maintain appearances for the household by exchanging a few words in public, they would have treated each other like strangers.

Fu ignored his coldness and got straight to the point.

"I came for the sake of the Xue family's reputation. While the master may tolerate what happened today, I feel a lump in my throat..."

She paused for a moment and then said, "It's not convenient to talk here. Please, sir, come with me to Qinglan Courtyard for a chat."

Xue Qingzhi frowned deeply, thinking that Madam Fu had come to cause trouble.

Aunt Zhao was also quite surprised.

The First Madam has been so reserved for so long, yet today she actually came to the room openly to snatch him away?
"Master...you should go with Madam..."

"What's the point of saying all this now?" Xue Qingzhi said impatiently. "She's already married into the family. What's done is done. No matter how ugly things get, can we really call off the engagement?"

Fu snorted irritably, bluntly exposing his self-deception.

"Does Master think everything will be fine once the bride marries into the family? The Prince of Wei's mansion dares to use a rooster to welcome the bride today, and tomorrow they'll dare to let a rooster ride on the heads of the Xue family. The Xue family has fallen to such a state, and Master still hasn't figured it out?"

Xue Qingzhi's expression changed slightly.

After a moment of hesitation, he waved his hand impatiently, signaling Aunt Zhao to help him change his clothes, and then followed Madam Fu to Qinglan Courtyard.

He hasn't visited the First Madam's place for a long time; it's still the same as before.

The furnishings are magnificent, but it lacks any human presence.

Fu sat down in the main seat and pointed expressionlessly to the chair below her.

"Please sit down, sir."

Xue Qingzhi sat down with a sullen face, not bothering to argue with her.

But it felt like I had thorns growing on my body, making me extremely uncomfortable...

"When did Madam start caring about the Xue family's reputation? These days, haven't you been hiding in the backyard, keeping to yourself and not caring about anything?"

"Quiet? I do want some peace and quiet, but can I ever have any?" Fu's voice suddenly rose, her resentment hard to suppress.

“If I don’t step in, your Xue family might have your graves dug up. Before the Eighth Miss got married, her virginity was verified, and the Xue family swallowed that humiliation. The Ninth Miss’s marriage was even more absurd… Now that the Second Uncle is gone, the Old Madam is ill, and the Third Brother and his wife are both clueless idiots, who knows how many more jokes they’ll make next… Master, go ask the Xue family’s ancestors if they’re still turning in their graves?”

Xue Qingzhi, feeling hurt, sat up straight and pointed at her.

"Stop spreading alarmist rumors. King Wei has already given instructions on this matter. Who could have predicted a sudden illness?"

"You actually believed it? They're just playing you for a fool. The whole capital is gossiping that your Xue family is like tofu tied with a hemp rope—it's hopeless."

"So what? Who would dare to make a fuss about the affairs of the Prince of Wei's residence in public?"

Madam Fu sneered, "It seems that the master has truly been blinded by the joy of his reinstatement and has become confused... The biggest troublemaker in and around this mansion is Xue Liu. If this root of trouble is not eliminated, neither you nor I will ever have a peaceful day, and we can forget about having a good life."

Xue Qingzhi was speechless for a moment.

Although he was dissatisfied with Xue Sui, he also knew that Fu's words were unfair.

Since Xue Sui became a nun, she has long since stopped concerning herself with the affairs of the household. This disaster was clearly a deliberate act of humiliation by the Prince of Wei's household, so how can it all be blamed on her?
"Did you receive any news from your brother-in-law, Madam?"

Seeing that he was finally willing to speak properly, Madam Fu suppressed her resentment and softened her tone.

"Master, have you ever thought about how the Xue family got to this point? It's all because of Xue Liu. The root of it all started when she returned to the manor."

Xue Qingzhi frowned.

"Even if a concubine's daughter who has left home has some cunning and tricks, how much trouble can she cause? You overestimate her."

Madam Fu curled her lips, knowing that she had never looked down on women, so she did not directly refute her.

"I've heard that she's now hooked up with the one in the Crown Prince's palace. Don't forget, sir, our Xue family is on the same boat as the Prince Duan's mansion. Hmph, just wait and see, if she causes any more trouble, the entire Xue family will suffer."

(End of this chapter)