Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 416 Heartfelt Matters

It’s sunny after snow.

The bluestone pavement seemed to be plated with a thin layer of gold.

Li Zhao led Xue Sui, walking side by side through the streets of the small town. The wind was still a bit chilly, feeling like tiny knives scraping against their faces, but it couldn't block the warmth brought by the sunlight.

"Can you smell it?" Xue Sui suddenly stopped, her nose twitching slightly.

White steam rises from the food stalls on the street corner.

An old man was pounding dough with a wooden mallet, making a loud thumping sound.

Li Zhao followed her gaze and saw that the stall had two iron pots, one frying golden-brown oil cakes and the other pan-frying potstickers. Neatly arranged raw dough pieces with various fillings were stacked in a bamboo basket beside it.

"Want some?" he raised an eyebrow.

Xue Sui didn't speak, his eyes glancing at the oil pan.

Having suffered countless humiliations in the Xue family since childhood and eaten too much coarse food, she developed an inexplicable craving for these street snacks. Even though she had just eaten, the aroma wafting over would make her stomach churn...

Seeing her like this, Li Zhao couldn't help but laugh and walked over to the stall.

"Ten of each type of filling, freshly cooked."

Xue Sui was slightly surprised, "How could you possibly eat so much?"

"If we come all this way to town, how can we keep those greedy creatures from eating anything if we don't bring some back with us?"

Xue Sui hadn't expected Li Zhao to consider such trivial matters for his subordinates, so he swallowed back the words he was about to say and just stood silently to the side.

The old man looked up and saw the young man before him, handsome and dashing, with an imposing air of nobility. He hurriedly responded.

"Please wait a moment, sir, we'll fry it fresh for you right away..."

Xue Sui and the others remained where they were, watching Li Zhao patiently waiting in front of the stall. His back was straight and his shoulders were strong. A child in a padded jacket ran past him, holding a windmill in his hand. The child almost bumped into him. Xue Sui reached out and gently steadied him, whispering, "Slow down," his voice as kind as a kind older brother next door...

Seeing this, Xue Sui's heart suddenly softened.

"Young lady, your husband is so considerate." An old woman selling groceries nearby, sewing shoe soles in her hands, said casually, "These potstickers are only fragrant when they're freshly fried, and they have to be eaten while they're hot. Once they're cold, they get hard and you can't chew them."

Xue Sui said softly, "He is not my husband..."

"Really?" The old woman looked her up and down, then at the handsome young man, her face crinkling with laughter. "They do look like a couple. Don't worry, anyone who's willing to put in the effort for you is the one who cherishes you dearly. Not now, but sooner or later..."

Xue Sui's face flushed slightly. Just as she was about to speak, she saw Li Zhao turn around.

He seemed to have heard something, a smile playing on his lips. He waited until the old man wrapped the potstickers in oil paper before coming over and handing one to her.

"Why am I not your husband?"

The oil-paper package was steaming hot, and Xue Sui lowered his head to take a bite.

Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, the crispy aroma explodes on the tongue, and the meat juice mixed with the caramelized crust warms the heart.

She ate while blowing on the food, constantly exhaling, like a cat stealing food.

Li Zhao smiled and reached out to wipe the corner of her mouth.

"Eat slowly, no one will take it from you."

"Delicious." Xue Sui smiled and picked up another one, stuffing it into his mouth without saying a word.

"You should try some too..."

Li Zhao froze for a moment.

He was born into nobility and had never experienced eating on the street before...

The potstickers were hot on his tongue, and he was a little resistant, but when he saw Xue Sui's bright eyes, his resistance vanished instantly.

He imitated Xue Sui, swallowing it whole, his brows furrowing slightly from the heat, but then relaxing, savoring a touch of the boisterous pleasure of the marketplace.

"Mmm, it tastes very good."
-
The two strolled slowly along the street, enjoying the lively atmosphere of this small town in the western border region.

The dye shop's signboard swayed in the wind, and bolts of cloth hung on bamboo poles, blue as the sky and red as fire, vibrant and unfurling. An old farmer selling vegetables squatted against the wall, his basket of radishes covered in mud, his calls drawn out long and drawn out.

"These days are truly wonderful," Xue Sui sighed softly.

Having carried hatred for so many years, and having witnessed countless conspiracies, intrigues, and sword fights, I've come to realize that the simple pleasures of life—a wisp of smoke rising from a chimney or the cry of a vendor—are the true peace and stability of this ordinary alleyway.

Li Zhao hummed in agreement, his gaze falling on her face.

Gentle and tranquil.

A surge of emotion welled up within him, and he couldn't help but speak, "Once the war is over, we'll find a place like this..."

He paused and said no more.

Xue Sui smiled but remained silent.

They all knew he couldn't do it, couldn't make such a promise. This kind of life was rare, like a sunny day after a snowfall—brief and precious.

Xue Sui pretended not to care and turned his gaze away, looking at the mountain products, medicinal herbs, pottery jars and earthenware pots on the roadside stalls, and occasionally glancing at the needles, thread and colorful silk threads.

At the stall, she picked up a bundle of silk thread and examined it against the light.

The stall owner smiled and said, "Madam, you have a good eye. This is newly arrived dyed thread. It's very strong and suitable for embroidery and knotting."

Xue Sui asked the price, but didn't haggle, and put it back. "Do you like these?" Li Zhao asked in a low voice.

"Yes." Xue Sui nodded.

"If you like it, buy it."

"I don't have that much free time to tinker with it," Xue Sui said softly.

Sometimes, she would have some unrealistic thoughts, like embroidering a handkerchief or weaving a net under the window, or sewing a dress for herself by hand... But being in this vortex, she had too many things to worry about, and she couldn't spend her time quietly embroidering like an ordinary young lady.

“Go ahead and buy it. There’s always time,” Li Zhao said.

He didn't understand these things for women, so he simply said to the stall owner, "Please, wrap up some of all kinds of silk threads."

The stall owner was overjoyed and quickly packed the packages, thanking them profusely.

Happiness comes so easily to ordinary people.

Xue Sui reluctantly accepted the heavy package, and finally smiled. "Take it back and make a knot for Mother. Mother's mind is like a child's now, and she is very curious about everything. If we prepare some bright colors for her, it will surely make her happy."

Li Zhao's eyes softened: "That's how it should be. You can also do something else."

Xue Sui looked up at him: "For example?"

Li Zhao raised an eyebrow, "For example, embroider a purse or sew a sachet for your husband? I really liked the ones you made for my elder brother before..."

Seeing his expression, Xue Sui couldn't help but chuckle.

"Does Your Highness mind this?"

"Yes, but I'm also easy to coax."

After Li Zhao finished speaking confidently, his gaze drifted elsewhere, concealing the embarrassment that appeared on his face.

There was a small stall selling wooden combs and hairpins by the roadside.

He slowly walked forward.

The stall mostly sold common items made of peach wood, boxwood, and ox horn, with no rare or precious materials. But he took a fancy to a boxwood hairpin, its surface polished smooth and oily, the head of which was simply carved into a plum blossom.

The petals are spread out, which is quite elegant.

He picked up the wooden hairpin and stroked it for a moment, then turned to look at Xue Sui: "Do you like it?"

Xue Sui was slightly taken aback.

Her short hair was far too short to be styled with a hairpin.

Li Zhao seemed to see through her thoughts, handing her the hairpin with a bright smile: "Keep it for now. When your hair grows long, I'll tie it up for you."

"Hmm." Xue Sui met those deep, dark eyes with a soft reply, his palms slightly clasped together as he carefully tucked the wooden hairpin, still warm from his body, into the depths of his sleeve.

Li Zhao's smile deepened as he took out a piece of silver and handed it to the stall owner.

The stall owner, holding the silver, smiled broadly and said repeatedly, "Please wait a moment, sir, I'll go find someone to exchange it. This is a large sum of silver, and I don't have change right now..."

Li Zhao had already turned around and casually waved his hand.

"keep the change."

"Thank you so much, you are truly kind-hearted." The stall owner bowed repeatedly from behind.

Xue Sui followed Li Zhao's footsteps, her eyebrows and eyes full of smiles. "Young Master Li's casual and generous manner today will surely shock many people when the news gets back to the capital."

Li Zhao: "A thousand pieces of gold cannot buy what the heart desires. I am content."

Xue Sui's heart stirred slightly.

Yuan Cang and Lai Fu, who were following behind, exchanged a glance.

It's unclear whether this "favorite" refers to the hairpin or the person in front of him.
-
The two brought back a lot of food that day.

Back at the camp, Laifu was instructed to distribute the supplies.

Xiao Zhao ate the potstickers with relish, asking indistinctly, "Girl, is town fun? Is it different from the towns around Beijing?"

“The atmosphere of small towns all over the world is always similar.” Xue Sui poured her a cup of hot tea, gesturing for her to be careful not to choke. “You should go and have a look sometime.”

Xiao Zhao nodded repeatedly, too busy to speak.

Xue Sui paused, then asked, "How is Guard Guan doing?"

"Still the same, but the pulse is a bit more stable than yesterday..." Xiao Zhao sighed, her joy fading slightly. "The physician said that it's already a miracle that she's alive... Whether she can pull through depends on these next two days."

Xue Sui nodded.

Guan Ya has been by Li Zhao's side for many years. If anything were to happen to him, he would definitely be heartbroken.

She said, "Please take good care of them. If you need my help, just let me know."

Xiao Zhao put down the potstickers, her expression somewhat somber. "To be honest, it's my fault. If I hadn't been so sleepy, the young lady and Guard Guan wouldn't have been in danger."

Xue Sui's heart stirred slightly as he looked at her remorseful and self-reproachful expression.

This girl is an orphan. She used to be as hard-hearted as iron, never showing any mercy, as if she wanted to stab someone in the back at any moment. But now she is gradually showing some of the emotions of a young woman, and has learned to feel guilt and worry.

(End of this chapter)