Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 340 Springtime Feelings

On the Moon-Viewing Platform, the moonlight, like a gentle radiance, streamed down, elongating the shadows of the two people standing side by side.

Suddenly the wind picked up, the bamboo rustled, lifting the hem of Xue Sui's robe and ruffling a loose strand of black hair at Li Zhao's temple...

"cough……"

Xue Sui coughed lightly.

His withdrawal was swift and decisive, as if the intertwining of their fingers had been merely his illusion.

"It's getting late, I really should go back..."

"So you're just going to leave like this?" Li Zhao raised an eyebrow.

Her slightest struggle was completely enveloped in his warm, dry palm, which he then gently squeezed.

"I won't make a wasted trip."

Xue Sui swept his hand over his well-defined knuckles and suddenly smiled.

"At worst, I'll cover His Highness's travel expenses..."

After saying that, she deftly flipped her wrist and quickly placed the egg-sized natural magnet into Li Zhao's palm.

"If Your Highness doesn't mind, please keep it as a memento."

Li Zhao followed her gaze and looked down.

The magnet looked dark and heavy in the moonlight, with an invisible force seemingly flowing within it...

He ran his fingertips along the stone surface, his gaze intense, with a hint of a smile.

Is the magnet tainted with worldly dust? Can I touch it or not?

Xue Sui looked up at him, her lips curving into a smile, as if she had long been accustomed to his persistent pestering.

"Your Highness is the Crown Prince, how can I not touch you? It's just that the rules of Buddhism are very strict. If my hands are stained with Your Highness's worldly affairs, I'm afraid I'll have to recite a few more scriptures when I get back."

"Oh?" Li Zhao took half a step closer to her and looked down at her.

Only a thin layer of clothing separated the two, and their faint fragrances quietly mingled.

"How about I accompany you in chanting scriptures? A wondrous method of dual cultivation? Guiding you through your confusion?"

He was too close; his warm breath brushed against her cheek, carrying a forceful urgency.

Xue Sui could clearly feel the rise and fall of his chest, her heart pounding so fast it was almost erratic, as if she were being pulled closer by an irresistible magnet—

Like that magnet and the pointer.

"Your Highness is a descendant of the dragon and the phoenix..." Her voice was clear and cold, like a mountain stream striking a rock, with a hint of evasion, "You are protected by the Heavenly Dao, why do you need the guidance of mortals?"

Li Zhao chuckled softly, "Peace is my destiny."

Xue Sui's ears felt slightly hot, and she glared at him.

"If Your Highness continues to pester us like this, it may go on until dawn."

“Then don’t go back.” Li Zhao answered confidently, but his fingertips gently caressed the back of her hand, like a feather brushing against it, with a hint of teasing.

“Youhuang Residence is spacious, so Ping’an will stay here tonight. I will have a quiet courtyard prepared so that no one will disturb her.”

Xue Sui was amused by his shameless behavior and distanced herself from him.

"Your Highness has a thick skin."

"You flatter me—" Li Zhao's eyes still held the smile from before. Before she turned to leave, he quickly stuffed the object in his hand into her palm.

The movements were fluid and seamless.

"You should keep it." His voice lowered, yet carried an undeniable intimacy.

"Ping An, you are the strong magnet, while I... am the pointer that is being pulled."

These words coincided with what Xue Sui had just thought, only from a different perspective.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she remained silent for a moment.

Li Zhao paused, then turned his gaze towards the distant palace. "The strong magnet is in your hands; no matter where you are, I will always find my way. But there's one thing..."

His unfathomable eyes held both a turbulent undercurrent and an undisguised burning passion.

"Don't stray too far from me!"

This almost blatant dependence and trust easily tore away the veil of unspoken understanding between the two.

It felt like a silent promise, heavy and comforting...

Xue Sui's eyes narrowed slightly.

My heart felt like it was being violently tugged by an invisible magnet, a mix of soreness and throbbing, stirring up a long-dormant impulse...

"It's late." Li Zhao looked at her intently, with so many unspoken words, but in the end, he only said, "I'll see you off."

Xue Sui put the lodestone back into the hidden pocket in his sleeve. His fingertips touched the smooth stone surface and felt its cool touch, and he softly replied, "Okay."

She glanced at him again, a hint of mischievousness in her eyes. "The mountain road is long and arduous; does Your Highness intend for me to travel like this?"

Li Zhao then realized what was happening and called out loudly to the people below the Moon-Viewing Platform, "Guan Ya, prepare the carriage."

From within the bamboo forest, Guan Ya's steady voice rang out.

Li Zhao took two steps, then turned back to Xue Sui. Seeing her standing motionless on the platform, he couldn't help but laugh.

"What, do you expect me to drive for you?"

Xue Sui smiled slightly, standing against the wind, "How could this humble nun have such an honor?"

“Of course.” Li Zhao’s gaze flashed intensely, his deep voice carrying a dangerous allure, “But the driver has worked hard, and I need to make sure he pays his fare…”

Before the words were even finished, the kiss had already landed.

Unlike his usual restraint, this time the Crown Prince leaned in, his palm pressed against her waist sash, and with a slight pull, he pressed her into his embrace, capturing her lips with his own, as if drinking from a sweet spring, with an unyielding domineering force. He forced open her teeth, leaving no room for argument, and stole all her breath…

Xue Sui's eyelids twitched slightly. She tried to push him away, but he grabbed her hand and pinned her to the railing.

Her delicate collarbone was faintly visible in the moonlight...

He kissed behind her ear, his teeth gently biting her sensitive earlobe, hearing her let out a soft moan. His fingertips then slid to her waist, and he lifted her up in his arms.

Xue Sui exclaimed in surprise.

Instinctively, she grasped the jade belt at his waist, her fingertips touching the firm texture of his muscles beneath the brocade, then withdrew them.

Then, silently, I felt the warmth of the hot breath brushing against my skin, letting the itch spread down my spine...

"Li Zhao..." she called his name breathlessly, her eyelashes glistening with tears.

Li Zhao paused, looked down at her reddened eyes, and suddenly chuckled, pressing his forehead against hers.

"That sounds good, say it again."

Air temperature is rising.

He supported her knees, pulling her completely into his arms, and strode down the stone steps.

Guan Ya and the other guards, having already wised up, retreated to the depths of the bamboo forest.

Laifu drove the carriage to the end of the courtyard, keeping his eyes down and head bowed as he silently retreated, afraid of disturbing anything...

The courtyard was dimly lit.

Li Zhao picked her up in his arms, lifted the curtain, and placed her on the soft cushion, straightening her slightly disheveled clothes and hood.

"Hold on tight. The Crown Prince is personally traveling here; this is a once-in-a-lifetime event."

Xue Sui remained silent.

The enchanting atmosphere had intensified due to the intimacy they had just shared.

Li Zhao's fingertips lingered briefly on her slightly swollen lips. His throat bobbed, and in the end, he only leaned down to lightly peck the tip of her nose before restraining himself and leaping to sit in front of her, his voice still hoarse.

"Master Miaozhen, please be at ease. I will take my leave now."

Xue Sui glared at him and snorted coldly, "No need to disgrace His Highness..."

Li Zhao chuckled softly, his tongue lightly licking the corner of their lips that had just touched, as if savoring something. Then he whipped his horse and shouted "Giddy up!" with a strong and powerful voice.

“Serving as a coachman for Master Miaozhen is not an insult.”

The mountain road back to Shuiyue Temple was winding and tortuous, but Li Zhao drove very steadily.

Xue Sui did not sit in the carriage, but instead lifted the curtain and sat down next to him in front of the carriage.

The night was as dark as ink, and the white gauze lanterns swayed in front of the car.

In the gentle breeze, the flickering lamplight cut his tall figure into a silhouette of light and shadow, and also outlined her serene profile, with a faint smile reflected beneath her long, lowered eyelashes.

The lights flickered, and the two figures stood silently side by side, gazing at each other without a word.

When the car arrived at the mountain gate, all was quiet.

The nuns in the temple were all asleep.

The world was so quiet that it seemed as if only the two of them remained.

Xue Sui lowered his eyebrows. "Your Highness, it's late and the dew is heavy. You should go back soon."

"No rush." ​​Li Zhao reined in the horse, his gaze sweeping over her smooth forehead and landing on the secluded path leading to the temple within the mountain gate. His throat bobbed slightly, and he gently pulled her, who was about to get off the carriage, into his arms, his breath slightly ragged.

"I will escort you to your room."

"The area inside the mountain gate is a place for quiet cultivation, and there are many inconveniences there," Xue Sui subconsciously refused.

"Rules and regulations are meant to restrain those outside the secular world. I am but a mortal, and it is only natural for me to send my beloved home." Li Zhao's lips curled slightly, his tone authoritative yet strangely gentle.

"If the main road is inconvenient, take the side road; if the side road is inconvenient, climb over the wall. It's not like I haven't climbed over walls before, so what's there to be afraid of?"

(End of this chapter)