Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 443 Remnant Red
Xiao Song was executed by slow slicing, and his head was hung on the Tonghua Gate tower.

Coincidentally, that was the very place where Princess Ping Le fell from the building.

The wind and snow, carrying the stench of blood from the execution ground, drifted far away...

The Grand Princess's carriages waited for a full hour in front of the palace gates until the young eunuch returned with the imperial pardon. Only then did the old nanny dare to help the Grand Princess down from the carriage.

"Tonghua Gate... how is it?" the Grand Princess asked in a hoarse voice.

The young eunuch lowered his head, not daring to look at her hopeful face. "Reporting to the Grand Ancestor, Lord Xiao... has been executed... Princess Ping Le... is also gone."

The Grand Princess's eyelashes trembled.

As if he hadn't heard clearly, yet also as if he had, he murmured and repeated.

"It's gone...it's all gone...gone..."

Before the sound could even fade, the Grand Princess swayed, couldn't catch her breath, and fainted again.

The old woman was so anxious that tears streamed down her face. She hurriedly told the coachman to return to the mansion as soon as possible and ask the imperial physician to save her life.

The news spread like wildfire.

Upon hearing the devastating news of his aunt's fainting and his daughter's tragic death, Emperor Chongzhao immediately began coughing uncontrollably, vomiting up several mouthfuls of bloody foam. The head of the Imperial Medical Academy, after taking his pulse, shook his head and sighed, saying that His Majesty's condition had worsened and the situation was dire...

Several high-ranking officials and relatives rushed to the Zichen Hall upon hearing the news to attend to the emperor's sickbed...

Li Zhao was the last to arrive.

The vermilion gate was wide open, and Wang Chengxi strode out to greet them, his face solemn.

"Your Highness, you've finally arrived... His Majesty is furious inside, so you must... be careful what you say."

Li Zhao nodded slightly, brushed the snow off his shoulders, and stepped inside.

"...I raised her like a precious jewel for over twenty years. Even if she had a thousand faults, how could she... have ended up like this..."

As soon as they entered the warm pavilion, they heard the emperor's complaints.

Li Zhao glanced at the figures kneeling before his bed—Prince Duan Li Huan, Prince Chun Li Qian, and several important officials including Lu Jing and Grand Tutor Lu, all kneeling respectfully.

The atmosphere in the warm room was oppressive and suffocating.

He walked to the imperial bed and bowed, saying, "Your subject greets Your Majesty."

Emperor Chongzhao leaned against a soft pillow, his face ashen from prolonged illness, and even the glowing embers of the charcoal fire could not dispel the chill in his brow.

"You've arrived. Have a seat."

He slightly raised his eyelids, gesturing for Wang Chengxi to move the embroidered stool.

Li Zhao did not move, maintaining his bowing posture. "Your subject dares not... I heard that Your Majesty is unwell, so your subject has come to apologize."

"You'll admit your guilt?" The emperor snorted heavily, his voice suddenly rising. "You colluded with outsiders to force your elder sister to her death... The Crown Prince, that was your own sister! You... you could be so heartless... cough cough..."

The father grieved the loss of his beloved daughter, and the emperor's authority was challenged.

All the anger in Emperor Chongzhao's heart was contained in this sentence.

There was silence in the hall.

Li Zhao slowly lifted the hem of his robe and knelt down properly.

“Your Majesty, you are wise. The deposed Princess Li Yushu kidnapped her own daughter, openly disrupted the execution ground, and defied the laws of the court. My actions at the time were solely to save her; I did not lay a single weapon on her…”

Li Zhao raised his eyes, his gaze calm.

"Moreover, Li Yushu committed suicide."

His words were clear and distinct, striking deep into Emperor Chongzhao's heart.

“Your Highness is absolutely right!” Lu Jing immediately kowtowed, his voice heavy with sorrow yet firm. “Princess Ping Le has taken my granddaughter hostage and acted recklessly… We were hesitant to act rashly for fear of inadvertently harming her. The princess did indeed… leap from the city wall herself.”

“Your Majesty, I can also testify,” Luke Fu echoed. “The situation was critical, witnessed by countless people. His Highness the Crown Prince handled the situation appropriately, prioritizing the child's life; he has already done everything in his power…”

"Yes, Your Majesty, Princess Ping Le has severed herself from the world; it is not the Crown Prince's fault."

Several ministers seconded the motion.

Emperor Chongzhao's chest rose and fell slightly, and the veins on the back of his clenched hands bulged.

The emperor wasn't afraid of his ministers arguing; what he feared most was when they all spoke with one voice, forming an unbreakable bond...

He was furious at his daughter's tragic death, but even more furious at the challenge to his imperial power. Seeing that the crown prince had grown strong enough to rival him, he had intended to use the opportunity to punish a few "incompetent" officials and consolidate his power. Unfortunately, at his deathbed, not a single person spoke up for him…

"Well... well, what a brilliant move to isolate oneself from the world!"

Emperor Chongzhao coughed again, his gaze sweeping over Li Huan and Li Qian. Seeing them with their heads bowed and eyes lowered, motionless, he coughed even more, his face turning purple and swollen...

Wang Chengxi rushed forward to help him catch his breath, but was pushed away.

"Go away!"

“Ping Le is my daughter, a princess of the Great Liang. If you hadn’t pressed her so relentlessly, how could she have ended up like this? Cough cough… Blood is thicker than water… Are you all so heartless? How do you expect me to explain this to the Grand Princess?”

This statement is not only unreasonable but also borders on tyranny.

But the emperor is always right; it can only be someone else who is wrong.

No one said anything.

Li Zhao met his gaze without flinching. "Father, the one who drove Li Yushu to this desperate situation was not someone else, but the blood debt she herself had committed, and her insatiable greed and desires. Today's events are her own fault, and have nothing to do with anyone else. If we must get to the root of the problem, who allowed her to go this far?"

Emperor Chongzhao choked on his words.

He was breathing heavily, his gaze fixed on Li Zhao's face.

"You...Crown Prince, are you criticizing the Emperor and Father?"

“Father, I have no such subject.” Li Zhao bowed his head.

Emperor Chongzhao grabbed the medicine bowl from beside his pillow and threw it at him, but he didn't even have the strength. The bowl shattered on the ground with a crash, and the medicine splashed onto the bright yellow curtains.

The hall fell into a deathly silence.

Li Huan knelt upright, his expression obscured.

Li Qianze shrank back in fear, not daring to breathe.

Li Zhao looked at the broken porcelain shards, clasped his hands together, and spoke in a frighteningly calm tone.

"Father, please take care of your health and do not get angry, lest you damage your health."
-
The heavy snow continued to fall intermittently for two more days.

A patch of crimson remnants soaked the frozen earth; all the sins and resentments were quietly buried by the merciless wind and snow. Only the cries of the crows circling above the city walls added a final touch of desolation to this bleak scene.

Inside the secluded bamboo grove, the snow had been swept away, and the room was filled with fragrance.

Li Zhao hadn't come for a while. Today, he received a message from Xue Sui, so he put aside his official duties and urged his horse to come.

Laifu had been keeping watch at the door for a while. When he saw him, he quickly went to greet him, took his cloak with deft hands and feet, carefully shook off the snowflakes, and smiled broadly.

"Your Highness, the Sixth Miss is waiting for you in the warm pavilion. She came over early this morning and personally cooked. She was busy for a long time, tending the stove to simmer ginseng soup, baking sesame seed cakes, and steaming your favorite crab roe xiaolongbao. The crab meat was freshly shredded, and there wasn't a trace of fishiness... She also said that it's snowing heavily outside, and you must have caught a chill coming here. You should eat it while it's hot to warm yourself up..."

Li Zhao waved his hand, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"You're talking more and more."

Lai Fu chuckled and lowered his voice, "Your Highness, please forgive me. I was just happy to see the Sixth Miss here. She may not say it, but she's been looking forward to seeing you... She even gave me some money to buy your favorite plum wine..."

"I'll have someone sew your mouth shut sooner or later," Li Zhao scolded, but there was no anger on his face, and his steps were lighter than usual.

(End of this chapter)