Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 471 The Eve of the Wedding
In the following days, people from the Ministry of Rites frequently visited the Eastern Palace and Yiyuan Garden.

The six rites were simplified, but the necessary regulations and rituals were still fully implemented. The betrothal, name inquiry, auspicious date selection, gift presentation, and wedding date setting were all compressed into a few days and carried out in a tightly organized manner.

Time was of the essence, and everyone inside and outside the palace was working frantically.

In Yiyuan, the sudden grand wedding caused a minor disturbance.

Xue Qingzhi, having no sense of propriety, actually brought gifts to Xue Ji's door, ostensibly to visit her and add to her dowry, but in his words, he still wanted to act as her father and arrange her wedding.

Since Yukihime was not in her right mind, she naturally wouldn't let him see her.

Xue Sui did not invite him into the house, but set up a tea table under the corridor, his expression indifferent.

"Lord Xue, please speak here."

Xue Qingzhi had expected to be treated coldly, but he never expected Xue Liu to be so ruthless, disregarding the opinions of others and not even bothering with formalities.

“Ah Sui…you are, after all, a daughter of the Xue family. For such a momentous occasion as your marriage, it's improper for your maternal family not to handle the arrangements. If word gets out, it will become a laughingstock. I know I've wronged you in the past, but now…”

"Lord Xue's fatherly love has come too late." Xue Sui interrupted him, his gaze cold, each word like a knife.

"If you don't offer even half a cup of water when I'm thirsty, why should I pretend to be kind when I'm full?"

Xue Qingzhi's smile froze on his face.

Seeing Xue Sui's resolute attitude, he coughed twice and continued talking to himself.

"Let's not dwell on the past. Blood is thicker than water, and we are still father and daughter. This is the dowry I've prepared for you, take a look..."

As he spoke, he presented a list of dowry items.

"This is a small token of my appreciation as a father."

Xue Sui took the order and glanced at it.

"Lord Xue is too kind. But my marriage is none of your concern."

She pushed the dowry list back without any expression.

"If there is nothing else, Lord Xue, please return."

Xue Qingzhi was rebuffed and became furious.

"Don't be ungrateful. Xue Liu, I am your biological father!"

Xue Sui's gaze fell quietly on his face.

He is old.

His temples were streaked with white hair, and the wrinkles around his eyes showed signs of age.

The father who once held a high position in her eyes had long since lost his edge due to the hardships of his career.

And she was no longer that young, weak, and easily bullied little girl who longed for her father's love and pity...

"Father? Where were you when I was young and alone, being bullied in the Xue family? Where were you when they drove me out of the Xue family and called me a disgrace to the Xue family? Where were you when my mother was seriously ill and suffered all kinds of torment in the mansion? Now that I have climbed the social ladder, you come to acknowledge me as your father? Doesn't Lord Xue feel ashamed of this sycophancy?"

Xue Qingzhi was speechless, his face flushed red, and he glared at Xue Sui for a long time before finally turning away in a sorry state under Xue Sui's cold gaze.

Not long after Xue Qingzhi left, the third couple arrived.

The couple entered the house smiling, carrying a generous dowry.

"Sixth Miss, your third uncle said that your mother is unable to handle things, and you, as a young lady, have no experience with these matters, so it's inevitable that some oversights will occur. If you don't mind, could your third aunt help you with the arrangements?"

Looking at the sincere attitude of Madam Qian and the slightly awkward Xue Qingxiu beside her, Xue Sui's heart softened a little.

After a moment of silence, he finally nodded.

"Thank you for your trouble, Uncle and Aunt."

Seeing this, Xue Qingxiu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He opened the box, revealing the jewelry and ornaments inside.

“These were all carefully selected by your third aunt. Although they cannot compare to the wealth of the Crown Prince’s palace, they are still the tokens of your third uncle and your third aunt’s affection.”

Xue Sui glanced at it; the item wasn't particularly valuable, but it was clear that it had been made with care.

"Thank you, Uncle and Aunt."

With Qian's help and arrangements, Yiyuan Garden was filled with the lively atmosphere of wedding preparations. Servants bustled about, counting the dowry and putting up auspicious decorations, working in an orderly manner.

Xue Yuechen, Xue Yue'e, and some other unfamiliar noble families also sent people to deliver gifts to the family.

Princess Wenjia also came.

Ruby headdress, fine Jiangnan brocade, and a gold mandarin duck vase—each gift was a carefully selected treasure.

"Look, do you like these?"

"I like them all." Xue Sui's eyes were full of warmth. "The princess has gone to so much trouble, how could I not be satisfied?" "Huh?"

Wen Jia held Xue Sui's hand and looked her over carefully. Suddenly, she smiled and said, "Why do I feel like our fearless Sixth Miss Xue has lost some weight? What? Could it be... pre-wedding jitters?"

Xue Sui smiled and said, "Your Highness is too kind. I'm just a little tired from being busy these past few days."

Wen Jia looked her over and patted the back of her hand.

"It's normal for a woman to feel anxious before she gets married. It seems you really care about His Highness the Crown Prince."

Xue Sui looked at the large red wedding carpet spread on the ground and did not answer.

She couldn't mention the love potion to anyone else, not even her close friend Princess Wenjia...

"Don't overthink it. We've all seen how the Crown Prince treats you. He even dared to touch the Empress Dowager for your sake. You won't find another husband like him in the entire capital."

Wenjia assumed it was just pre-wedding jitters and gently comforted her.

Xue Sui raised his eyes and said in a high voice, "His Highness... originally did it for the sake of the overall situation..."

"You're just so stubborn..." Wenjia snorted, reaching out to take her hand. "After you marry him, live a good life with him, don't be so tense..."

As the two were talking, a maid came to report that the Lu family had sent congratulatory gifts.

The person who arrived was none other than Lu Youan.

Wen Jia's smile faltered slightly, then returned to normal. She stood up to say goodbye, "I should go back too, Niu Niu..."

Ruyi hurriedly said, "Niu Niu went to play with Hei Shiba in the garden. Princess, please wait a moment, I'll go find her..."

"No need, no need, I'll go take a look myself."

Wen Jia hurriedly dodged, looking flustered, which made Lu Youan, who was coming in, pause in his steps.

Their eyes met briefly before quickly looking away, exchanging greetings and nodding in acknowledgment.

One walked into the courtyard, the other walked out the gate.

Their figures intertwined, and a silent regret lingered in the air.

Xue Sui watched Wen Jia's departing figure, then looked at Lu Youan's tall but somewhat lonely figure, and couldn't help but sigh softly in his heart.

He was in love, and she was willing, but they were destined to be apart.

Just like her and Li Zhao, no one knows what their fate will be...

Lu Youan composed himself, took a few steps forward, and respectfully bowed, his voice steady as always.

"Princess, I have come on my father's orders to offer a small gift and congratulate you on your joyous occasion."

The attendant behind him presented him with a long, narrow sandalwood box.

Xue Sui gestured for Xiao Zhao to accept the tea, thanked her with a smile, and then had someone serve her tea.

"I am grateful to General Lu for making this trip. Please convey my thanks to Prime Minister Lu for his trouble. Please sit down and have a cup of tea."

Lu Youan waved his hand and bowed.

"Your Highness is too kind. I must return to report and cannot stay any longer. Now that the gifts have been delivered, I will not disturb you any further."

After he finished speaking, he paused slightly, took out a sealed letter from his pocket, and handed it over with both hands, his tone even more serious than before.

"His Highness the Crown Prince has been preoccupied with court affairs lately and is unable to come in person. He has specially entrusted me to deliver this letter to the Princess."

Xue Sui accepted it and thanked Lu Youan.

After he bowed and took his leave, and there was no one else in the room, she removed the sealing wax and took out the letter.

It is Li Zhao's handwriting, vigorous and powerful.

“Ping An, those old fogies in the Ministry of Rites are so long-winded. They say it’s not appropriate for us to meet before our marriage, which I find very annoying. However, with the wedding date approaching, I don’t want to cause any more trouble. On our wedding day, I will bring you to the palace with a ten-mile-long red procession.”

Looking at the familiar handwriting and recalling the expression on his face when he wrote those words, Xue Sui suddenly felt a slight pang in her heart, as if being gently tugged by an invisible thread...

She placed her hand on her heart.

The closer the wedding date gets, the more frequently this love potion seems to come.

She silently walked to the window and looked out...

In the courtyard, tender green buds have sprouted on the flowering trees, and a gentle breeze brings a touch of warmth.

Spring has arrived...

In the blink of an eye, it was February 18th of the sixteenth year of Chongzhao...

(End of this chapter)