Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 366: The struggle between the various parties
Tian Shu's brow twitched, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

Why did Ping An suddenly ask about this person?

Xue Sui said, "The Alim and Xiz delegation practically turned the capital upside down, but they found nothing. This princess seems to have vanished into thin air. Alim has privately inquired with me several times, and I just agreed to help him find out more..."

Tian Shu remained silent.

As if searching for something in his memory, he finally shook his head slowly.

"On this journey to the Western Frontier, affairs were numerous and complicated. All I saw and heard were battles, provisions, and Xiao Yan's movements. I didn't pay attention to this long-standing secret. However..."

He then changed the subject, saying, "If this person is still alive... he will leave some traces. I will give orders to my men to investigate further."

Xue Sui's eyes flickered slightly, and he gave a thoughtful "hmm".

"This matter is not urgent. I will trouble you to keep an eye on it, Senior Brother."
-
Prince Duan's Mansion.

As dusk settled, the lamps in the study were lit early on.

Li Huan stood with his back to the door, hands clasped behind his back, in front of a landscape painting in the misty rain. His posture was upright, and his face seemed calm, but his taut shoulders betrayed his inner anxiety.

"Your Highness, there's still no news from the palace."

The voice of Liu Yin, a trusted advisor, rang out in the silence, tinged with caution.

"How could His Highness Prince Wei have gotten himself into such a mess? He's practically... courting death!"

Li Huan turned around, the candlelight casting flickering shadows on his face, his tone remaining relatively calm.

"Li Yan is all bark and no bite, greedy and afraid of death; he would never dare to commit such a treasonous act. There must be a mastermind behind this, whose methods are extremely insidious... They've even schemed against him, and even against me..."

Li Yan's act of splitting open the screen in public was clearly an attempt to frame the Crown Prince under the guise of the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet. However, he was instantly slapped in the face by Li Zhao. Not only did he fail to bring down Li Yan, but he also implicated Xiao Song, and almost dragged him down with him...

The most troublesome thing is that the Emperor vomited blood and fainted in public, his life hanging in the balance...

The situation suddenly spiraled out of control.

It caught everyone off guard.

On the contrary, Li Zhao seemed to have been prepared in advance and seized the initiative.

Liu Yin stroked his beard, his eyes gleaming.

"His Majesty is unconscious, so the Crown Prince has the pretext of acting as regent. Now, with the nine gates sealed off and the palace under strict control, it's clear they intend to use the investigation of Xiao Song as an opportunity to purge the court and eliminate dissidents. The most urgent matter is that Your Highness must not lose your composure..."

Li Huan suppressed his unease, his eyes turning frighteningly sinister.

"He's just trying to drag me into this mess, but I'm not falling for it. Better to stay calm than to act rashly. The more turbulent the situation, the more I need to remain steadfast."

“Your Highness is absolutely right,” Liu Yin quickly echoed, then cautiously added, “However… with Prime Minister Xiao imprisoned, his followers, former associates, and students are bound to be in a state of panic… If there is no leader, Your Highness must step in to unite the people. Otherwise, the court will be in turmoil, and unforeseen changes may occur.”

A glint of light flashed in Li Huan's eyes.

Liu Yin's words were not without merit.

However, the Xiao family's influence was deeply entrenched, extending throughout the imperial court and military.

Even without Xiao Song, there is Xiao Yan, and the reclusive yet highly prestigious Grand Princess—

In other words, Xiao Song is just a symbol.

The Xiao family's foundation remains intact, and the hearts of its people have not been scattered, so it will not collapse in an instant.

Li Zhao's plan to swallow this tough nut whole and uproot the entire Xiao family will not be so easy.

Li Huan walked to the desk, sat down, and remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"Prepare a generous gift and send the Princess Consort to the Jiaofang Palace to help the Empress calm her pregnancy and relieve her anxiety. Also... in my name, prepare a generous gift for the Crown Prince's Palace, saying that I am worried about my father's health and have been burning incense and praying day and night. If there is anything I need, please feel free to do so, and I will gladly die for you..."

Show weakness, make a statement, test the waters, and stabilize the Crown Prince's position.

This is the only viable option he can currently take.

Liu Yin understood immediately and bowed, saying, "Your subordinate understands and will take care of it immediately."

He was about to leave.

"Wait a minute," Li Huan suddenly called out to him.

Liu Yin turned around, cupped his hands, and asked, "Does Your Highness have any further instructions?"

Li Huan's gaze was deep, and he tapped his finger on the table, slowly saying, "Send someone to keep an eye on the Prince of Wei's residence and see what that idiot Li Yan is up to."

On that day at Linde Hall, Li Yan's actions puzzled him.

There must be something fishy going on here.
-
Not long after Liu Yin left, Xue Yuechen arrived with her daughter.

After Ruihe caused a ruckus in the mansion and was subsequently placed under house arrest, she seemed to have finally grasped the true meaning of being a mother and became much closer to her daughter. Perhaps it was this gentleness that soothed people's hearts, as Li Huan also became less distant from her than before, and would occasionally visit Yingyue Residence to spend half a day playing with her and her daughter.

"Your Highness." Xue Yuechen curtsied, her plain skirt swaying gently with the movement, a smile on her face.

"I just heard Mr. Liu say that His Highness wanted to see me?"

"Sit down." Li Huan gestured to the pear wood chair opposite him, his tone gentler than usual, though the melancholy between his brows remained.

Xue Yuechen sat down as instructed, then gently led A-Ning towards Li Huan, saying softly:
"Ah Ning, weren't you just saying you missed your father?"

The little girl, dressed in a light red dress and wearing a rabbit-patterned hat, clutched her mother's clothes with her tiny hands. Her bright eyes darted around, glancing at her mother, then timidly looking at her father. After receiving an encouraging smile from Xue Yuechen, she finally took her short legs and rushed to Li Huan's side, calling out in her childish voice:

"Daddy!"

Li Huan bent down, scooped his daughter up and sat her on his lap. He touched the small pearl pendant on her hat with his fingers, and his expression darkened slightly.

"This hat..."

Xue Yuechen looked at the father and daughter and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

“It was sent by Princess Ruihe a few days ago. I thought this rabbit hat was unique and interesting, so I put it on. It’s just something a child would wear to play with.”

Her tone was calm, and she seemed completely unconcerned.

This is the demeanor that Princess Duan should have.

Li Huan was about to say something when A Ning giggled and snuggled into his arms, wrapping her little arms around his neck and pressing her warm little face against him... His tense jawline softened, making his daughter laugh out loud, before he slowly opened his mouth.

"Sweetie, go play outside with your wet nurse. Your father and mother need to talk..."

The wet nurse quickly came up and gently carried A-Ning away.

Xue Yuechen picked up the teacup on the table, skimmed off the foam with the lid, and glanced at the dark circles under his eyes.

"Your Highness has been working hard these past few days; please take care of yourself. Last night, the old woman on night duty said that Your Highness didn't rest until 3 AM again?"

Seeing that Li Huan did not answer, she sighed and naturally steered the conversation toward the palace.

"Alas, I wonder how His Majesty's health is. There's no news from the palace, not even a summons for the Prince to attend to him. I'm really worried and uneasy."

Li Huan answered casually, looking up at her.

"Tomorrow, take A-Ning to the Jiaofang Palace to pay your respects to the Empress Dowager. Just say... just say that I am worried about the Emperor's health and cannot rest day or night. Please take good care of yourself, Mother."

Xue Yuechen paused slightly, then looked up and stared directly at him.

The candlelight fell on his handsome face, revealing a hint of weariness, but also adding a touch of warmth typical of ordinary families.

Life in the Prince Duan's mansion is like this cup of tea: the first taste is bitter, but as you savor it slowly, you can taste a hint of sweetness. However, no one can say for sure how much scheming and manipulation lies hidden beneath that sweetness.

But she is no longer the naive and innocent young girl she once was.

"Is Your Highness worried that... the Crown Prince might use the pretext of purging the Xiao faction to implicate the Prince Duan's residence?"

"Just go and pay your respects; there's no need to ask anything else."

"I understand," Xue Yuechen replied softly, concealing the fleeting worry in her eyes. She said gently, "It's getting late. I'll take Aning back to Yingyue Residence to rest. Your Highness should also make some arrangements."

Li Huan nodded and had the wet nurse bring A Ning in. After they played together for a while, he gently told them to leave.

"If there is any movement in the palace, write it down carefully and come back to tell me."

"Yes." Xue Yuechen gave a slight curtsy and gently closed the study door as she left.

Inside the door, the candlelight flickered, illuminating Li Huan's solitary figure.

Outside the door, Xue Yuechen stood under the eaves, gazing at the cold, clear moon in the sky, and sighed softly.

Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching.
-
Ci'an Hall.

Empress Dowager Chengqing leaned against the phoenix couch, her eyes half-closed. The brocade quilt covering her was embroidered with intricate phoenix patterns, which made her face look ashen and her eyes vacant.

"Your Majesty's health, is there any improvement...?"

Fuquan bowed deeply as he stepped forward, almost prostrating himself before the bed, his voice trembling with sobs, "I just... I just went to check outside the Zichen Palace again, but His Majesty... His Majesty still hasn't woken up... The imperial physicians are taking turns watching over him, administering acupuncture and medicine..."

"Did you bring the peace charm I requested to His Majesty...?"

"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince controls the Zichen Palace, and that old dog Wang Chengxi... his mouth is as tight as an iron barrel... I... I can't even get a glimpse of His Majesty! Apart from the Empress, the other concubines aren't allowed to attend to him, and nobody knows what's going on inside..."

"What a crown prince, what a filial grandson—I have truly underestimated him." Empress Dowager Chengqing's cloudy old eyes flashed with a cold light, completely devoid of her usual kindness.

Fu Quan was so frightened that he kept trying to comfort her, his voice even changing tone.

"Grand Ancestor, Grand Ancestor, please take good care of your health. Don't upset yourself. At this critical juncture, if anything happens to you..."

"What could possibly happen to an old woman like me, with her neck almost buried in the earth?" Empress Dowager Chengqing suddenly sat up straight, her cloudy old eyes fixed on Fuquan, and asked, "Where is Prince Wei? How is Prince Wei?"

"After the Third Prince was taken away by the Imperial Clan Court, he was... confined to the Jingsi Hall behind Chonghua Hall. I heard... all the windows were boarded up, leaving only a small hole to let in food... it was practically house arrest..."

He swallowed hard, glanced at the Empress Dowager's expression, and spoke even more cautiously.

"It's not just Chonghua Hall; now, every palace and courtyard... has received additional staff from the Eastern Palace... and outside Cixi Hall, there are also... quite a few unfamiliar faces..."

"Hmph! The emperor hasn't even breathed his last, and the crown prince already wants to control everything. The nine gates are locked, isolating the inside from the outside... I can tell he's impatient and wants to seize power..."

Empress Dowager Chengqing became more and more agitated as she spoke, clutching the brocade quilt tightly, her chest heaving with anger.

“Fuquan…” Her gaze was sharp, piercing Fuquan.

"Grand Ancestor, I am here..."

"Prepare the carriage, we're going to the Zichen Palace! Today I want to see if the Crown Prince dares to stop the Empress Dowager!"

Empress Dowager Chengqing's voice trembled, filled with suppressed anger.

Fuquan grabbed her arm, sweating profusely, "Grandmother, please calm down, please calm down! Going there would mean a direct confrontation, we absolutely mustn't do that..."

"How dare you!" Empress Dowager Chengqing abruptly shook off his hand.

Just then, the curtain swayed slightly, and Lady Choi entered with hurried steps.

"Your Majesty..." She glanced at the Empress Dowager's expression before leaning close to her ear and reporting in a very low voice.

“Grand Ancestor, Princess Ping Le… has sent you a secret letter through a messenger.”

Empress Dowager Chengqing suddenly choked.

Immediately, a look of resentment flashed across her face.

"You're asking for it!"

She spat out a sentence through gritted teeth, filled with deep dissatisfaction, without even glancing at the letter that Lady Choi had handed her.

"Tell her to get out! Tell her I don't want to see her, and I don't want to be implicated by her... Tell her to get back to Shuozhou right now... Otherwise, don't blame me for not showing any kinship..."

　Li Zhao: Peace, am I awesome or not?

　　Yao Guang: I just got scolded for bragging.

　　Xue Sui: He's awesome, you're awesome.

　　The two: ? ? ? Which one is more powerful?

　　(End of this chapter)