Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 446 For One Person

"Your Majesty!" Wang Chengxi screamed in terror, his knees buckled, and he knelt down, grabbing the edge of the bed for support.

Li Zhao immediately stood up and shouted sternly, "Summon the imperial physician!"

He then turned to Wang Chengxi, his voice filled with urgency, "Go and fetch Doctor Shu."

The hall suddenly fell into chaos.

The palace maids and eunuchs were so flustered that they rushed forward to serve them.

The officials knelt on the ground in fear, not daring to utter a sound.

Tian Shu was quickly summoned to the palace. After taking Li Zhao's pulse, he walked to Li Zhao's side and whispered:
"Your Majesty is deeply troubled and has become angry, causing your blood and qi to flow in the wrong direction and damaging your lungs and internal organs... If your emotions continue to fluctuate like this, I'm afraid... your health will be in danger, and you won't be able to hold on for long."

Li Zhao stood there, looking at Emperor Chongzhao's pale face and the glaring blood, his expression complex beyond words.

"Thank you for your hard work, Dr. Shu."

He nodded slightly, walked to the bedside, and softened his voice.

"Father, please rest assured and recuperate. I will discuss all matters of state with the ministers and officials and will not allow the administration of state to be neglected."

Emperor Chongzhao struggled to open his eyelids, his cloudy eyes fixed on him, his lips moving but only emitting faint whispers...

Li Zhao sent Tian Shu and the imperial physician to prepare the prescription and decoction, while he walked alone to the corridor outside the palace.

The wind in the Zichen Palace had never been so cold and bone-chilling.

He knew that once he took this step, there was no turning back.

Before the dragon throne, there is no more kinship. It's either life or death.

Even the imperial family's flesh and blood could not ultimately withstand the power of the emperor and the empire.

Outside the palace, the snow began to fall again, swirling and swirling, covering the palace's vermilion walls, as if foreshadowing the harshest winter's chill that was about to arrive...
-
Laifu carefully approached, carrying a food box, and whispered, "Your Highness, I am here to bring you some snacks and a warming soup."

Li Zhao took the food box, opened it, and saw that inside were several light snacks that he usually liked to eat, as well as a bowl of steaming mutton soup.

He suddenly remembered Qing Shi Yi in the western frontier.

On a street corner in that small town, the bowl of piping hot mutton soup he shared with Xue Sui had the same aroma.

He picked up the soup bowl and took a sip; the warmth slid down his throat, feeling extremely comforting.

"Where is the girl?" he asked.

“When I entered the palace, Miss took Black Eighteen back to Yiyuan,” Laifu replied with a smile. “She also said… she wanted to make a new tassel for His Highness.”

Does making new knotted cords mean you're not embroidering sachets?

Li Zhao's lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile as he asked, "Does Miss already know about the news from the palace?"

"Understood. The young lady said... that Your Highness should not be angry with His Majesty, and that taking care of your health is the most important thing."

Li Zhao nodded, a warm feeling spreading through his heart.

The world sees him as domineering and powerful, his influence growing daily. Some curse him for driving his sister to her death, while others praise his ruthless methods. But who knows the difficulty he faced walking on a knife's edge every step of the way?
Only Xue Ping'an knew how difficult it was for him. He knew the helplessness and struggle he faced as a son under the oppressive power of his father, and understood the grievances and helplessness behind his struggle for power.

He silently finished his soup and handed the food box to Laifu.

"Go back first and tell the girl that I will go and see her brocade when I have some free time."

Lai Fu should step down.

Li Zhao stood there for a moment, then turned around and went back into the Zichen Palace.

By this time, Emperor Chongzhao had calmed down, changed into clean undergarments, covered himself with a thick brocade quilt, and leaned weakly against a soft pillow. He stared blankly at the bright yellow curtains, lost in thought.

“Father.” Li Zhao walked over and bowed.

Emperor Chongzhao slowly turned to look at him, his eyes no longer filled with the rage and resentment of before, but only with endless weariness and aging.

"You're pressing me so hard, are you... impatient to sit on my dragon throne?"

His voice was hoarse, yet eerily calm.

Every word is a barb, probing his true intentions.

"If you truly desire it, I will grant it to you. This empire will be yours sooner or later... Tell me the truth, and I will issue the decree immediately..."

Li Zhao felt a chill run down his spine and knelt down again, lifting his robe.

"Your subject was made Crown Prince at the age of five and Crown Prince at the age of six. Having learned etiquette and politics, and now that he has been designated as the heir apparent, how could he possibly covet Your Majesty's throne? All your actions are solely for the stability of the nation and the upholding of the law. I beg Your Majesty to understand!"

Emperor Chongzhao coughed softly, then let out a long sigh.

"If you still acknowledge me as your sovereign and father, then the matter of the old mausoleum must not be investigated anymore. At least... it cannot be investigated while I am alive." His voice lowered, filled with helplessness and compromise.

He no longer mentioned Ping Le's funeral, and instead sought only to preserve the last vestiges of dignity for the royal family.

"Some lids must not be lifted. If they are, it won't just be the Xiao family that collapses... but the very foundation of the Great Liang Dynasty, the very foundation of the Li family. Do you... understand? I am the Emperor, you are the Crown Prince. As descendants of the Li family, our primary responsibility is to protect the ancestral temples and the state, and not to bring shame upon the Li imperial family..."

Li Zhao looked up, his eyes clear and bright.

"Your Majesty, I understand your concerns. But it is precisely because of this that we must investigate thoroughly. If the festering sore is not squeezed and the rotten flesh is not removed, how can new life grow? Your Majesty, covering up may bring temporary peace, but it will sow the seeds of greater disaster. The case of the Old Mausoleum Marsh concerns the integrity of the nation and the hearts of the people. Your Majesty, I will handle it with utmost care, preserve the dignity of the royal family, and restore justice to the world..." "Justice?" Emperor Chongzhao coughed and glared at him as if he had heard something extremely amusing.

"Where in this world can you find truly clear-cut justice? The greatest justice is to safeguard the stability of the country and ensure that the people live and work in peace and contentment!"

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, his chest heaving violently, and he started coughing again.

Seeing Tian Shu slightly shake his head outside the curtain, Li Zhao stopped talking.

"Father, please calm your anger. Your health is of utmost importance. I will attend to state affairs now and return tomorrow."

Li Zhao bowed respectfully, slowly stepped back a few paces, and then turned and left the hall.

Behind him, Emperor Chongzhao could barely suppress his coughs, and Wang Chengxi anxiously tried to comfort him…
-
Night fell, and the wind and snow intensified.

After finishing his official duties, Li Zhao walked through the snow-covered path to Yiyuan Garden.

Xue Sui seemed to know he would come, so he had people guarding the side gate early on, and he also left lights on in the courtyard. The firelight made the snow turn red, and the charcoal fire inside the house was burning brightly, making it warm and cozy.

She didn't fall asleep either, sitting under the lamp, her fingers deftly weaving a few strands of silk thread.

The plum blossom-shaped tassel has taken shape, exquisite and delicate, with a few small white jade beads adorning the bottom, swaying gently on my fingertips...

Black Eighteen came bounding out of the warm pavilion and affectionately pounced on Li Zhao, wagging its tail so hard it almost flew up, howling and barking, full of familiarity and intimacy.

"Your Highness has arrived." Xue Sui looked up, put down his work, and stood up to greet him.

"The wind and snow were so heavy last night, you must be freezing! I had the kitchen warm up some plum wine for you to drink later to warm yourself up."

As she spoke, her gaze swept over his tired face, and her fingertips gently touched his reddened earlobes.

"Have things in the palace been keeping you up again? Look at your face now, you look like you've been beaten up..."

"Everything is settled, no need to worry." Li Zhao took off his cloak and handed it to Lai Fu, gesturing for them to leave. Then he sat down on the soft chair Xue Sui had just been on and picked up the tassel to examine it.

"You've made such a fine knot, so I suppose we can't count on that sachet?" His voice was low and deep, with a hint of lazy teasing, but his gaze was like a hook, firmly locked on her face.

Xue Sui chuckled and pushed the hot tea in front of him.

"Does Your Highness think the gift is too small?"

Li Zhao didn't touch the teacup. Instead, he leaned forward, took her hand without a word, and gave her a meaningful smile.

"I only hope that the affection for peace can be even stronger..."

Xue Sui glared at him, trying to pull her hand away, but he gripped it even tighter, so she couldn't help but scold him.

“The sachet is troublesome, while the tassel is simple. If Your Highness dislikes it, then you don’t need it.”

"How could I possibly dislike it?" Li Zhao quickly replied with a smile, taking advantage of the situation to slip his fingers between hers and intertwine them. "As long as it's made by Ping An, even if it's just a straw rope, I'll treasure it and keep it."

Xue Sui lowered her head, smiled slightly, and appeared even more gentle and serene.

Looking at a beautiful woman under the lamplight, one can see the delicate features of a young woman...

Li Zhao felt as if something had suddenly struck him, leaving him feeling soft and swollen. His body felt as if it were on fire, the heat spreading rapidly, making the air feel hot and dry...

Unable to suppress the flutter in his heart, he simply stood up, gently wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled her closer to him, and looked down carefully at her features.

"Were you frightened today?"

"What do I have to be afraid of?" Xue Sui let him hug her gently, her tone smiling. "But Your Highness, this incident at Zichen Palace... I'm afraid you'll have to bear a lot of bad reputation again."

"Haven't I borne enough infamy?" Li Zhao chuckled softly, a slight tremor running through his chest, but his gaze calmed down. "Father... he's been ill for a long time, he's become confused, and his heart has become more biased. Some things have to be done by someone. I can bear this infamy."

His voice was even hoarser than before.

Their breaths mingled and intertwined.

Xue Sui remained silent for a moment, then slowly raised his arm, wrapped it around his neck, and dug his fingers into the slightly stiff hair at the back of his neck, pulling him closer and looking intently into his eyes.

"Your Highness did all this for me."

A single, casual remark was enough to dispel the pent-up frustration in Li Zhao's heart.

He didn't need to say anything; she understood everything.

Despite his constant claims of justice and fairness, as Emperor Chongzhao said, where in this world is there absolute justice? In which dynasty has the change of power not been accompanied by rivers of blood, corpses strewn across the fields, and people climbing over piles of bones?

The case of the Old Mausoleum Swamp involves royal secrets and concerns the face of the late emperor. Emperor Chongzhao was unwilling to dredge up old grievances. As the crown prince of Liang, Li Zhao had no reason to risk being branded as an unfilial son if it weren't for her desire to rightfully overturn the verdict and clear the name of the Old Mausoleum Swamp.

"Your Highness, this battle didn't have to be fought so difficultly; it's my fault for dragging you down with me..."

She gently clutched Li Zhao's clothes, her eyes softening.

Their bodies were pressed tightly together, and they could clearly feel each other's heartbeats quickening and their growing affection...

Li Zhao's Adam's apple bobbed, his heart filled with even more tenderness. He lowered his gaze and gently kissed her forehead, then her cheek and earlobe. He tightened his arms around her, pulling her closer to him.

"Peace, my peace..."

　Happy first day of September, everyone! Happy reading! May everything go smoothly! Good luck to those who see this, hahaha!

　　(End of this chapter)