Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 467 Imperial Edict Delivered to the Capital
The imperial edict granting the marriage was announced to the entire nation the very next day.

Princess Xizmayila was conferred the title of Crown Princess, and the Imperial Astronomical Bureau set the wedding date for February 18th. The wedding ceremony was simple and without extravagance.

The news spread like wildfire, reaching all of Beijing in just one morning.

Some said the Crown Prince was foolish, choosing a troublesome woman over so many noble daughters. Others criticized Xue Sui for her cunning, managing to secure the position of Crown Princess despite being a second wife. But regardless of what outsiders said, the Eastern Palace did not hesitate for a moment, and the Ministry of Rites acted swiftly and decisively.

At the same time, the Zhaoxue Division officially opened for business.

The government office was located next to the Dali Temple.

The place was not spacious. There were two large red-lacquered drums at the entrance, and the plaque above it read "Plainly Appealing Injustices," which was written by Li Zhao himself.

On the first day of its reopening, the government office was packed with people, even more so than a market.

Most of those who came were elderly people, women and children, holding petitions, and waiting in long lines under the guidance of the constables to enter and register their complaints.

When Xue Sui went there, he did not disturb anyone.

She changed into a simple indigo robe, her half-length hair loosely tied up and tucked into her hood. She stood quietly across the street under an old locust tree that had lost its leaves, watching.

A somber atmosphere of grief and anticipation filled the air...

Suddenly, Xue Sui caught a glimpse of a familiar figure outside the surging crowd.

He was dressed in a plain white brocade robe, thin and aloof, standing out from the surrounding noise.

It is Tian Shu.

He didn't queue up, but stood quietly outside the crowd, his gaze fixed on the newly hung plaque of the Zhaoxue Division, his face expressionless, as if he were an outsider.

But Xue Sui knew that he wasn't.

His closest relatives are buried in the old cemetery.

Just as she was about to step forward, Tian Shu seemed to sense something and suddenly turned his head, his cold gaze catching her.

Eyes facing each other.

A deep, fleeting pain flashed across his eyes.

Soon, the pool of water returned to its bottomless depths, and it slowly walked towards Xue Sui.

The white-clad figure brushed silently through the snow.

"Thirteen." His voice was low. "Master wants to see you. Come with me to Sangliu Courtyard."

Xue Sui's heart sank slightly.

"Has Master received news of the Emperor's bestowal of a marriage?"

Tian Shu paused for a moment, then didn't answer directly: "You'll know when you get there."

Xue Sui nodded. "Okay."

"Miss?" Xiao Zhao tugged at her sleeve anxiously.

In the old mausoleum, Jing Shan was always strict with the inner disciples, and Xiao Zhao was somewhat afraid of her.

"It's nothing." Xue Sui gathered his thoughts. "Let's go."
-
The Sangliu Courtyard remained quiet as usual.

As soon as she and Tian Shu stepped into the courtyard, Yu Heng hurried over to greet them, shaking his head slightly with a solemn expression.

"Master is in the inner courtyard. Let your junior sister go in."

Xue Sui turned his head and instructed Xiao Zhao and Jin Shu.

"You guys wait for me here."

Xiao Zhao and Jin Shu exchanged a glance and nodded nervously in agreement.

Xue Sui glanced at Yu Heng and said, "I'll trouble you to lead the way, Senior Sister."

Yuheng lowered her eyes and whispered, "Thirteen, no matter what Master says later, don't be impulsive or talk back..."

Xue Sui nodded, straightened his sleeves, and followed Yu Heng inside, a sense of unease slowly rising in his heart like a tide.

Inside the stone pavilion in the inner courtyard, a charcoal brazier was burning brightly, and a pot of tea was warming on the stone table, with wisps of steam rising upwards.

Jing Shan sat on the stone bench in the middle, still wearing that worn-out gray-blue cotton robe, her eyes lowered and her ebony cane resting beside her knees.

Yao Guang remained as nonchalant as ever, sitting to the side. When Xue Sui entered, she gave her a rare serious wink.

"Thirteen's here, come over and warm yourself by the fire..."

Xue Sui walked to the pavilion and bowed respectfully. "Disciple greets Grand Master."

Jing Shan slowly raised her head, her gray eyes moving in her direction.

Although he is blind, he seems to be able to see into people's hearts.

"The emperor has issued an imperial decree to grant the marriage?"

"Yes."

"The wedding is in ten days?"

"Yes."

"It seems that I have no choice but to agree to this marriage?"

Xue Sui frowned slightly, bowed and cupped her hands, her voice soft yet firm, "He has done so much for me. This disciple... also sincerely wishes to marry him, and hopes that Master will grant my request."

"Grant your favor?" Jing Shan suddenly laughed, her voice flat but carrying an imposing aura.

"Would you be willing to do something for me?"

Xue Sui had a vague premonition of something bad, but still replied, "Master, please speak. I will do whatever I can."

Jing Shan didn't let Xue Sui get up, her voice even colder than before.

“Kill him before Li Zhao ascends the throne.”

Each word was clear and cold.

It resounded in Xue Sui's ears like a thunderclap.

She almost thought she had misheard, and after a moment of stunned silence, she asked, "Master, what did you say?"

"Kill Li Zhao," Jing Shan repeated, her tone resolute.

“He is a descendant of the Li family, with the filthy blood of the Li clan flowing through his veins—he is unworthy to be a ruler.”

Xue Sui suddenly knelt down, his knees making a muffled thud on the stone ground, his voice slightly urgent.

“Master, Li Zhao is different from his father. In order to overturn the verdict against Jiulingzhao, he did not hesitate to force the emperor to imprison his father and bear the infamy of being unfilial. He also went against the opinions of the public and made the Zhaoxue Division make a fair judgment and conduct a public trial. He has done so much for Jiulingzhao and is also sincere to me. How can I bring myself to kill him?”

"Foolish child, the most useless thing in this world is a man's sincerity." Jing Shan sneered, her voice full of mockery. "He does all this to win over the people and consolidate his position as heir apparent. Do you really think he's doing this for the Old Mausoleum? Thirteen, you're too naive!"

“No, Master,” Xue Sui said urgently. “He promised his disciple, and yesterday he swore an oath in front of the entire city at Chengtian Gate that he would posthumously honor the soldiers of the old mausoleum, erect monuments for them, move their memorial tablets to the Martyrs’ Shrine, and provide their families with sufficient compensation—all of this is true.”

"So what?" Jing Shan's voice grew even colder. "His compromise today is nothing more than a temporary measure. When he sits on the throne in the future, do you think he'll still remember these promises? Haven't you seen enough examples of 'the rabbit is killed after the hunt'?"

She was emotional, her chest heaving.

Upon seeing this, Yuheng quickly stepped forward to help her catch her breath.

Yao Guang couldn't help but speak up: "Thirteen, your master is doing this for your own good. What kind of good place is the Eastern Palace? You don't understand men at all. Listen to your senior brother, Li Zhao is only nice to you now because you're useful and you're good-looking enough to please him. Once he ascends the throne, with his three palaces and six courtyards, what will you do? Spend your life fighting with those women in the deep palace?"

"Seventh Senior Brother, I'm not saying all this because of any romantic feelings,"

Xue Sui spoke with a firm tone and a strained yet powerful voice.

“Hatred cannot solve everything. If I kill Li Zhao, it will only destabilize the Liang Dynasty and even trigger war, causing more innocent people to die—this is not the outcome I want. Master, believe me. Li Zhao will be a good emperor; he can bring peace to the world and ensure that the people live in tranquility.”

Jing Shan let out a cold sigh.

"You are truly beyond redemption."

“Master, you taught me for ten years, taught me how to kill, taught me how to survive. But you never taught me to repay kindness with enmity.”

She knelt down and kowtowed three times to Jing Shan.

“I remember Master’s kindness in raising me. I will never forget the grudge from the Old Mausoleum. But Li Zhao—I cannot kill him.”

"Enough!" Jing Shan steadied her breathing, her voice suddenly dropping, carrying a chilling coldness.

"Do you think our feud with the Li family is just about the 200,000 lives lost in the Old Mausoleum? Do you know why I must have him dead?"

“Master, I don’t understand…” Xue Sui said.

Jing Shan said, "If he doesn't die, you will. Or... you will both die."

Xue Sui froze: "Master, what makes you say that?"

Jing Shan turned her head to face Yu Heng: "Yu Heng, you speak."

(End of this chapter)