Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 468 Warm Soup, Cold Feelings
Yuheng stiffened for a moment, then slowly stepped forward, his expression somewhat solemn.

"Thirteen... the Love Silk Gu, there is actually no cure. This Gu is extremely lustful, consisting of a male and female Gu, which are mutually reinforcing and restraining, yet also... fighting and devouring each other. If the passion becomes too deep, the two Gu will invade each other's heart meridians, eventually causing the host to die from exhaustion of their life force. Unless... unless one of the hosts dies first, leaving the Gu without a mate, the other will gradually die..."

The rosy complexion on Xue Sui's face gradually faded, and his heart felt as if it were being squeezed tightly by a merciless hand, making even breathing difficult...

She recalled that day in the Zichen Palace, when Li Zhao's Gu poison flared up and he was tossing and turning in agony, and the sudden pang of pain in her heart.

It turns out that wasn't an illusion.

"Senior sister must have a solution, right? You can definitely cure this curse."

Yuheng shook his head, his tone resolute: "No. The Love Silk Gu is a secret technique of the Gu sect from the previous dynasty. Once planted, there is no way to break it. Only if one party dies early can the other survive..."

She paused, her voice even lower.

"Thirteen, your master asked you to kill him for your own good, to save your life..."

Xue Sui felt a chill run down his spine as he listened, his eyes fixed on Yuheng.

"So it was my senior sister who lied to me? You've been lying to me all along?"

Yuheng lowered his head, not daring to look into her eyes.

Jing Shan said expressionlessly, "I made her do it."

Xue Sui felt a pain in his chest, but his face remained as calm as still water.

"So... all the years of nurturing and meticulous instruction from my master were just... to sharpen the sharpest blade, to use me to dismantle the Li dynasty, and then take Li Zhao's life?"

"It doesn't necessarily have to be Li Zhao; it could also be Li Huan."

Jing Shan answered calmly, her voice as cold as ice, "Thirteen, I saved your life and trained you for ten years, imparting all my knowledge to you, not so that you could fall in love with the son of my enemy and have children with him."

"Master—" Xue Sui wanted to say something more...

Jing Shan suddenly stood up, slamming her ebony staff heavily on the ground with a dull thud.

"If you approach him, fall in love with him, or even marry him, I will grant your request. As long as you can kill him and reclaim everything that rightfully belongs to us..."

"Everything we have?" Xue Sui asked, speechless. "Master, I don't understand... Who are we? What do we really want? Isn't it enough to slaughter our enemies and clear the name of the old mausoleum?"

"Of course not enough!"

Jing Shan slightly lowered her breath and said coldly, "The Li royal family usurped the throne and slaughtered 120,000 soldiers in the Old Mausoleum Swamp—this hatred is irreconcilable."

"Master, every grievance has its perpetrator, and every debt its debtor; hatred should not continue to perpetuate itself like this..."

“You are truly stubborn.” Jing Shan closed her eyes, her voice full of exhaustion. “Thirteen, you have disappointed your teacher greatly.”

Xue Sui remained silent.

The stone pavilion fell silent instantly.

Yao Guang looked at Jing Shan, then at Xue Sui, with a helpless expression.

Tian Shu stood quietly under the pillar, the shadow covering his handsome face, making it impossible to see his expression.

"I'll say it again—if he doesn't die, you will." Jing Shan's voice came through, carrying a cruel calm.

"Either you kill him, or you both die. You choose."

Xue Sui felt a chill run through his body, as if his very bones had been chilled to the bone.

She recalled the restlessness and palpitations caused by the resonance of the Love Silk Gu in the Zichen Palace, the burning warmth of Li Zhao's body when he held her, and the unwavering determination in his voice, "You are the only one in my life"—

Looking up again at my master's cold face and the silent senior brothers and sisters, I suddenly felt utterly unfamiliar...

It turns out that the so-called deep bond between master and disciple, and the camaraderie among fellow disciples, all concealed such a bloody scheme...

She is just a knife.

A meticulously crafted knife, meant for revenge.

"Master..."

She slowly stood up, her voice terribly hoarse.

"If I... refuse to kill him, will you kill me?"

Jing Shan gripped the ebony staff tightly, her gray eyes slowly rising, her weathered face devoid of any warmth.

"Yes," she answered without hesitation.

"Anyone who stands in my way shall die. Including you, Xue Ping'an."
-
When I left the Sangliu Courtyard, the snow was falling even harder.

Xue Sui stood at the foot of the steps, looking up at the still dense snow that fell after the beginning of spring, and suddenly felt extremely ironic—her identity, her hatred, her love, all seemed like a grand play without applause, all absurd.

Happiness seemed so close, almost within her grasp, yet it was also about to shatter into nothingness...

"Miss." Jinshu emerged from the shadows, holding a cloak, and gently draped it over her shoulders. "Are you alright?"

Xue Sui shook his head. "I don't want to take a carriage. I want to walk along the riverbank."

"Girl, the snow is getting heavier..."

"It doesn't matter."

Jinshu reluctantly agreed and had to let Xiao Zhao lead the horse, while she held up an umbrella and followed behind Xue Sui.

As soon as I reached the alley entrance, I saw Tian Shu standing under the old archway.

The snow fell on his white robe, like a layer of frost.

He looked at Xue Sui with a complicated expression.

Xue Sui stopped and stood a few steps away from him.

"I presume you already knew about the Love Silk Gu?"

Tian Shu remained silent for a moment, then said in a calm tone, "Yes."

Xue Sui suddenly laughed, a soft laugh that carried an indescribable sorrow. "It turns out I was the only one kept in the dark, like a fool. I was called an imperial envoy, but in reality, I was just a pawn."

Tian Shu's Adam's apple bobbed, his voice hoarse, "These past few days, I've searched through medical books, traveled far and wide, even ventured to the Miao region, all in search of a cure for the Gu poison... Unfortunately, all my efforts have been in vain. Ping An, give me some more time..."

Xue Sui closed his eyes, not looking at him.

"Senior brother, there's no need to worry. It's all fate."

Tian Shu took two steps forward, raised his arm slightly, and then lowered it. "Back then, none of us expected that you would fall so deeply in love with Li Zhao..." His throat tightened, and his curled fingertips trembled slightly in the wind.

“Master did this because she had her reasons. Ping’an, Master still loves you, so don’t hate her.”

“I don’t hate him,” Xue Sui said. “My master raised me for ten years and taught me how to survive. If it weren’t for my master, I would have died in the mass grave ten years ago. My life was given to me by my master, and I should return it to her.”

Tian Shu's eyes were churning with emotion, and his throat felt tight with unease.

In the end, he only said, "I'll take you back."

"No need, I can manage on my own."

Xue Sui politely declined and turned to continue walking forward.

Tian Shu watched her slender figure recede into the distance, his fingers curling and relaxing, but in the end, he didn't chase after her...
-
It was already late at night when Xue Sui returned to Yiyuan. As soon as Xue Sui entered the courtyard, he saw Li Zhao playing with the dog.

Blackie circled around him excitedly, wagging its tail rapidly. The man and the dog were having a great time, their bodies covered in snow, clearly having waited a long time.

"You're finally back." Li Zhao stepped forward, reached out to brush the snow off her shoulders, and frowned when his fingertips touched her cold hand.

"Why is it so cold?"

He untied his cloak and wrapped it around her without saying a word.

"How many times have I told you? You need to wear more clothes when you go out in this cold weather, but you never listen."

Xue Sui looked at him, her eyes reddening slightly.

She wanted to say something, but didn't know how—she couldn't tell Master Li Zhao what he had said, nor could she tell him the truth about the Love Silk Gu. A thousand words were stuck in her throat, and suddenly she felt a pang of sadness. She threw herself into his arms and hugged his waist tightly.

"Your Highness..."

Li Zhao was taken aback, then chuckled softly, gently patting her back with his palm as if coaxing a child, his affection for her was indescribable.

"What's wrong? Who upset my Crown Princess?"

"No." Xue Sui lowered her head, avoiding Li Zhao's gaze. "It's just that I've been in the Zhaoxue Division for too long and have seen too many sad things."

Li Zhao looked down at her for a moment, smiled, took her hand, and walked into the warm pavilion.

"I asked the kitchen to cook your favorite mutton soup. Come in and have a bowl to warm yourself up."

Inside, the charcoal fire was burning brightly, and the aroma of mutton soup filled the air.

It's rich and mellow, just like the one I had at Qing Shi Yi in Xinjiang.

"You've improved the chef's skills at Yiyuan Restaurant."

Xue Sui listened to Li Zhao's praise without saying a word or moving. Her thoughts were in a daze, and she suddenly had wild thoughts—if she and Li Zhao had stayed at Qing Shi Post Station and lived as an ordinary couple, would they not have these troubles?

Li Zhao personally ladled a bowl of soup and handed it to her.

"Drink it quickly, it won't taste good when it gets cold."

Beside him, Laifu secretly smiled as he watched his master being so considerate, then quickly lowered his head.

It's true that one thing brings down another thing.

His master has been pampered since childhood and has never been involved in worldly affairs. He has never served others like this before.

The warm soup slid down my throat, and the warmth spread little by little.

Xue Sui looked at Li Zhao and suddenly spoke.

"How has Your Highness been lately?"

Li Zhao raised an eyebrow: "Strong and sturdy like an ox..."

He smiled and leaned closer to her, teasingly whispering, "What, are you worried your husband is too overworked and won't be able to perform well on your wedding night? Don't worry..."

He teased her on purpose.

Xue Sui, however, could not laugh.

"Your Highness... will you always believe in me?"

Li Zhao stroked her increasingly dark hair: "Of course."

Xue Sui looked up and stared straight at him, "Even if I do something to betray you in the future?"

Li Zhao was stunned for a moment, then cupped her face and looked intently into her eyes, "What could you possibly do to betray me? Unless you run off with another man."

Xue Sui lowered his head and remained silent.

"What's wrong?" Li Zhao noticed something was off and took her hand. "Is there something you're hiding from me?"

Xue Sui shook her head and forced a smile: "No. It's just that seeing so many surviving family members at the Old Mausoleum today made me feel sad and a little tired..."

Li Zhao didn't ask any further questions, but simply pulled her into his arms.

"If you're tired, take a rest. The wedding date was set in a hurry, and there are still many things to prepare. You need to take care of your health."

Xue Sui leaned on his shoulder without saying a word.

Li Zhao noticed her low spirits, paused, and then deliberately teased her, "What's wrong? Don't tell me you've changed your mind and don't want to get married anymore?"

Xue Sui shook his head, "It just feels...like a dream."

Li Zhao chuckled softly, lowered his eyes and lightly kissed her lips: "Then don't wake up."

He put his arm around her shoulder, told Laifu to prepare some snacks to put in the carriage, and then pulled her closer to him, his voice becoming even softer.

"The Zhaoxue Division received over three hundred lawsuits today. Prime Minister Lu was so busy he didn't even have time to drink tea, and I haven't had a break either... I only had time to interrogate Xuanji Zi tonight. Ping An, would you like to go and take a look?"

Xue Sui closed his eyes and softly hummed in agreement.

She knew she didn't have much time left—the love potion was clashing, and she couldn't disobey her master's orders.

No matter what she chooses, it will hurt.

　Li Zhao: Author, is the wedding night alright? Is the wedding ceremony happening?
　　Erjin: Yes, yes, yes.

　　Xue Sui: What if I asked you to give your life in exchange?
　　Li Zhao: We'll talk about it in the bridal chamber—

　　(End of this chapter)