Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 405 Reunion after a long absence

The mountain road winds its way through the snow, which is gradually deepening.

The cold wind swirled the snowflakes, making a strange howling sound.

"Girl, turn left at the fork in the road ahead. After you cross that high slope, you'll see the lights of the Shili Slope camp..."

Before Qin Feng could finish speaking, a sudden burst of rapid hoofbeats rang out from his side.

A cold glint flashed in Xiao Zhao's eyes, and her short sword was already silently drawn, but Xue Sui stopped her.

She focused intently on the direction from which the sound of horses' hooves was coming, signaling to Xiao Zhao.

"Turn out the lights."

The dim lantern on the donkey cart went out.

Qin Feng and his two companions reined in the oxcart, held their breath, and waited for the approaching cavalry.

"We'll see how things go later..."

The sound of hooves grew clearer as it approached, and judging from the noise, there were more than ten riders heading straight for the donkey cart...

"Who's up ahead? What are you doing traveling in the dead of night?" The shout was as loud as thunder.

The man at the front was burly, his armor gleaming coldly in the snowy night. Beneath his helmet, his face was sharply defined, his eyes piercing, exuding a chilling aura...

Qin Feng stepped forward, his back hunched, deliberately trembling slightly, "Reporting to the general, I am from Zhao Family Village at the foot of the mountain... My daughter is seriously ill, and I was rushing to Yongding to get medicine, so I took a shortcut... I offended the general, I deserve to die..."

"Nonsense! This is a heavily guarded military area. What right do random people have to trespass at night? Your behavior seems suspicious..."

The man snorted coldly and waved his hand, ordering his men to step forward and investigate.

"Please forgive me, Your Honor, please forgive me..."

Qin Feng forced a frightened yet humble smile and hurriedly took out some silver as a "tribute".

Suddenly, a clear, melodious female voice came from the dilapidated oxcart.

"Don't panic, they're one of our own."

Qin Feng's hand froze in mid-air before he quietly released it.

The man frowned and his gaze suddenly turned to the oxcart. "Who's speaking?"

The dry grass rustled as Xue Sui emerged from behind the curtain, brushed the grass clippings off her clothes, and met the scrutinizing eyes without flinching.

"Guard Guan, how have you been?"

The visitor was none other than Guan Ya.

He looked at the woman in front of him, who was wearing a headscarf and a coarse cloth jacket, and almost couldn't recognize her.

"Sixth Miss Xue?"

"Guard Guan has a good eye." Xue Sui pulled off his headscarf, a half-smile on his face.

Guan Ya stared in shock at the familiar figure in the wind and snow, dismounted, clasped his hands in a deep bow, and spoke with an incredulous excitement.

"Greetings, Sixth Miss. His Highness the Crown Prince has instructed that if we encounter you on the road, you should be escorted to the camp immediately... Please come with me!"

A huge weight was lifted from Xue Sui's heart.

As expected, Tian Shu and Li Zhao had long been exchanging information.

Not only did she have Qin Feng meet her, but she even informed Li Zhao of her whereabouts in advance.

She asked, "How is Your Highness's injury?"

Guan Ya's face was somewhat complicated. Avoiding Xue Sui's gaze, he said in a low voice, "This matter... should wait until Miss sees His Highness, and let His Highness tell you personally."

This hesitant attitude made Xue Sui's heart pound again.

Guan Ya was Li Zhao's trusted attendant, yet he spoke so vaguely, suggesting that Li Zhao's situation was even more perilous than the few words that had reached the capital...

She didn't ask any more questions, but just gave Qin Feng a wink.

Qin Feng understood and immediately bowed, saying, "Since a soldier has come to fetch the young lady, then this humble one shall take his leave."

After saying that, he led his two men and the creaking oxcart away on the dirt road they had come from.

Guan Ya glanced at them and casually asked, "Who are these people?"

Xue Sui said, "He's a hired clerk from the carriage shop."

Guan Ya was slightly surprised: "He seems alert and composed."

Xue Sui smiled faintly, said nothing more, led Xiao Zhao to mount their horses, and followed Guan Ya toward the Shili Slope camp.
-
The Shilipo camp stretches out along the steep mountainside, forming a continuous expanse.

The campfire burned stubbornly in the wind and snow, casting shadowy images of the barracks, while banners fluttered in the north wind...

The closer they got to the gate, the more somber the atmosphere became.

Deep trenches, towering antlers, and vigilant figures on watchtowers—the defenses were tight.

On the drill ground, soldiers trained diligently in the cold wind, their ranks perfectly aligned. The patrolling troops, their armor gleaming, moved with steady steps. In the wounded soldiers' camp, occasional intermittent groans could be heard, but the overall order remained intact, showing no sign of dejection.

"Sixth Miss, please come in." Guan Ya stopped outside a large tent, bowed, and gestured for her to enter.

Xue Sui glanced at the sparse guards outside the tent and felt a chill run down his spine.

"Guard Guan, is His Highness the Crown Prince inside?"

“Exactly,” Guan Ya replied, head bowed.

Xue Sui glanced at him, then reached out to lift the heavy curtain.

The moment their fingertips touched the rough felt, the tent flap was pulled open from the inside, and a tall figure, exuding an oppressive chill, rushed out...

"Be careful, young lady!" Xiao Zhao stepped forward to protect her. Xue Sui reacted quickly, turning to dodge. Unexpectedly, the man seemed to have anticipated this, grabbing her wrist with his hot, powerful hand like an iron clamp, and dragging her into the tent without a word.

"You audacious thief! How dare you touch my young lady..."

A flash of cold light appeared on Xiao Zhao's hand, and she rushed inside—

The light inside the tent was much brighter than outside.

Several tallow lamps illuminated the man's figure clearly.

Dressed in casual clothes, tall and straight, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, the light in his eyes was so intense it almost burned through people—who else could it be but Li Zhao?

"Your Highness!" Xiao Zhao cried out in disbelief.

"Go down." Li Zhao chuckled softly, then stretched out his arm and pulled Xue Sui into a tight embrace. The scent, a mixture of faint medicinal fragrance and pine needle ink, instantly enveloped her completely...

Xiao Zhao blushed deeply with embarrassment, covered her eyes with her hands, and ran out as if fleeing.

The felt curtain slammed shut with a "whoosh".

Guan Ya and Yuan Cang, holding their swords, stood with their eyes downcast, like two door gods.

Xiao Zhao could only blush and stand there like a wooden stake.

Inside and outside the tent, the air seemed frozen.

The sounds of wind and snow, and the distant sounds of drills, seemed to be shut out in a suffocating silence.

“Peace…” Li Zhao’s voice was terribly hoarse, his hot breath spraying onto her cold earlobe, carrying the joy of a reunion after a disaster.

"Why are you here? Don't tell me... you missed me?"

The cold fabric clung to Xue Sui's cheeks, and the powerful beating of his heart in his chest felt so real that it brought tears to her eyes.

"Your Highness still asks me?"

Xue Sui was being held too tightly by him, so he raised his hand and delivered a powerful punch.

"Didn't they say you were hit by a stray arrow and were in critical condition?"

Li Zhao groaned as he was hit, but instead of being angry, he chuckled softly, his chin brushing against her cool hair, his warm lips unexpectedly landing on her smooth forehead.

"Are you worried about me?"

"You're being presumptuous!" Xue Sui's ears burned. She glared at him, forcing a cold expression. "It's all over the capital that they say His Highness has an arrow in his lung and won't survive the winter. If I hadn't come, I might not have even seen His Highness one last time... And if His Majesty were to punish me, wouldn't that implicate my mother and me..."

"You're always so stubborn..." Li Zhao's smile deepened, his gaze lingering on her, almost melting her into his eyes.

"Where are you injured?" Xue Sui couldn't break free, so she simply gave up.

"A minor injury, nothing to mention..."

He spoke casually, slowly tightening his arms to hold her firmly in his embrace. He looked down at her travel-worn face, his fingertips gently brushing away the soot from her cheek.

"You've come all this way, covered in dust, just to see if I'm dead?"

"That is……"

Before Xue Sui could finish speaking, Li Zhao suddenly lowered his head and, under her reproachful gaze, forcefully pressed his lips against hers, which were slightly parted in surprise, and began to take hers...

"Hmm..." All the complaints and questions were abruptly interrupted.

Cold and hot, raw and domineering... completely different sensations collided violently, suppressed breaths intertwined with heartbeats, making the empty tent scorching hot.

After an unknown amount of time, Li Zhao finally stepped back slightly, his forehead still pressed against hers, their noses rubbing against each other, their hot breaths mingling together.

"Silly girl..." His voice was hoarse with emotion, every word filled with doting affection, "That was a plan."

"Xiao Yan is a cunning man with multiple burrows. He still has tens of thousands of remnants of his army hiding deep in the Yunling Mountains, waiting for an opportunity to counterattack. I deliberately spread the news that I was seriously injured and dying, just to lure him out."

Xue Sui's breathing was slightly disordered, and his cheeks were as red as ripe fruit.

That kiss almost drained her of all her strength.

Upon hearing this, she abruptly looked up, her eyes brimming with tears and a hint of anger. Suddenly, she bent her knee and thrust it into his lower abdomen...

"fraud!"

"Hiss!" Caught off guard, Li Zhao gasped in pain, arched his back, gritted his teeth, and squeezed out the sound from between his teeth.

"Xue Ping'an! You're trying to murder your husband?"

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Xue Sui broke free from his embrace, took two steps back, and glared at him coldly, "Didn't Your Highness say that minor injuries are nothing to worry about?"

"You..." Li Zhao looked at the woman who was like a cat with its fur standing on end, feeling both annoyed and amused. "I wasn't hurt here..."

After the pain subsided, he took her slightly cool hand in his again and led her into the inner room, his tone softening: "That day, I led my troops to circle around and cut off Xiao Yan's retreat. I knew he would be desperate and send someone to attack... so I was prepared."

"Then how did you escape danger?" Xue Sui pressed.

Li Zhao smiled, pulled her to sit down, and slowly uttered two words.

"The Wise King".

Prince Xian, Li Shao?

The prince who had been biding his time and acting cautiously in Dianzhou for many years finally sent troops to help. Was it because Prime Minister Lu had enough influence, or because the wise prince had clearly seen the pros and cons?
Xue Sui paused, "What exactly happened?"

Li Zhao smiled and pinched her cheek: "You'll know when you see the person."

　Li Zhao: After waiting so long, I'm finally here... Are there any readers who like me? Raise your hand...

　　Xue Sui: You liar, how dare you try to fool my readers?
　　Li Zhao: It's all yours, and I'm yours too.

　　(End of this chapter)