Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 115 Transcendence
Qiao'er's body was salvaged by a servant and placed on a straw mat. It was dirty all over, and the swollen purple wound on her forehead had turned white due to soaking, with the rotten skin exposed. It looked particularly conspicuous and particularly desolate.

As soon as the person died, the whole villa was in an uproar and rumors spread everywhere.

Some people said that when the prince was interrogating her at night, Qiao Er told all the evil things that Madam Gu had done. Madam Gu found out and humiliated and beat her...

The girl was so depressed that she drowned herself.

There are also rumors that Madam Gu was afraid that her evil deeds would be exposed, so she secretly sent people to silence them.

Once Qiao'er died, there would be no evidence to prove the crime...

People are always more willing to believe in conspiracies.

The servants, including the maids, felt pity for Qiao'er and despised Xue Yueying.

Those men of letters, well-educated and upright people, stopped arguing with each other in poetry. They were all filled with righteous indignation and denounced Madam Gu for her vicious heart and disregard for human life.

On the contrary, the news of Xue Yueying's secret meeting with the King of Wei at night was not widely spread because the King of Duan suppressed her silence on the spot...

Xue Sui calmed himself down and went to discuss with Xue Yuechen about setting up a coffin and burying Qiao'er.

"There are many scholars in the villa. This move will greatly benefit the reputation of the princess and the prince."

Xue Yue pondered for a moment and nodded: "I will take charge of this matter. I will bury her properly and let her rest in peace..."

Xue Sui said, "We are from the same family as Xue Si, and we are all daughters of the Xue family. She did evil and brought upon herself karma, which may also affect us. Puji Temple is not far from here, so why not invite the monks in the temple to perform a ritual for Qiao'er and help her soul to rest in peace. This can also be considered as accumulating some good karma and ensuring the success of our Xue family."

As she said this, she asked Xiao Zhao to pay the money.

"Qiao'er's death was caused by me, so I should do my part."

"How can I ask my sister to pay?" Xue Yuechen pushed it back and sighed, "It's us, the Xue family, who have treated her badly. It's my sister who should take care of it..."

Xue Yuechen immediately sent people up the mountain to invite the monk.

After saying that, he pulled Xue Sui to sit down, and asked Feicui to bring the handkerchief that Mrs. Zhang had brought over on a tray.

"Sister, Mrs. Zhang picked up a handkerchief on a rainy night and said something bad. Sister didn't believe her and took her to the woodshed. But because the handkerchief was dirty, she didn't return it to you immediately..."

Xue Sui knew that she did this not only to help him, but also to maintain the family's reputation, but he still looked at her with gratitude.

"Luckily my sister took care of this matter. Otherwise, even if I had ten thousand mouths, I would not be able to clear myself of suspicion..."

Xue Yuechen smiled and held Xue Sui's hand, saying softly: "Silly sister, you and I have the same blood, we are melons on the same vine, we should help each other."

He sighed again, "It's a pity that the fourth sister is so stubborn and insists on taking that foolish path. Alas, I don't know how she can resolve her current predicament. If father and grandmother get the news, I'm afraid she will be so mad at them that they will get sick."

Xue Sui said: "You and I can only accumulate more good deeds for her."

Xue Yuechen nodded and said, "I've asked someone to wash and iron this handkerchief. Sixth sister, take it back."

Xue Sui thanked her softly, turned around with a smile, asked Feicui for a pair of scissors, and cut the handkerchief into pieces in front of Xue Yuechen.

"Sixth sister!" Xue Yuechen was speechless and asked in surprise: "What are you doing? It's a good handkerchief, why are you cutting it?"

Xue Sui raised his eyes and said, "No matter how beautifully the lotus blossoms, its roots are still rooted in the mud."

She put the shredded handkerchief back on the tray.

"It's unlucky, so I'll just throw it away. Aunt Feicui, please help me get rid of it."

Xue Yuechen opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but swallowed the words back.

"As you wish."
-
Someone soon came up the mountain.

Princess Wenjia also came with the monks from Puji Temple.

Princess Wenjia was holding her five-year-old daughter's hand. The little girl hid behind her mother obediently, opening her big watery eyes and looking around curiously.

She looks like Wenjia, which is a happy thing.

Xue Sui smiled and went over to greet him, "Princess, how are you these days?"

Wen Jia nodded, looked at Xue Sui's face, frowned, "Madam has lost some weight."

Xue Sui said: "The princess has also lost weight."

The two looked at each other and both smiled bitterly.

Xue Sui invited Li Fuyin into the house and ordered someone to serve fresh tea and snacks.

"How is your stay in the mountains, Princess? Has that scoundrel come to harass you again?"

When talking about the son-in-law Fan Bing, Wen Jia felt a complex emotion in his heart.

She asked Ruyi to take her daughter outside to play, lowered her head to take a sip of tea, and then sighed slowly.

"He is the haunting evil dog. How could he not come when he knew I was here? However, Puji Temple is a place for Buddhists to practice Buddhism, so he is not that presumptuous. He just made a scene outside the door and cursed me a few times, but he did not dare to attack me again."

"brute!"

Xue Sui rarely curses.

Wen Jia was startled, as if he realized something.

"I see that Madam looks depressed. Is there something bothering her?"

Xue Sui rubbed his forehead and said, "It's nothing serious. I haven't adapted to the climate in the mountains these past two days, and I feel a little unwell." Wen Jia knew she didn't want to say more, so he comforted her, "Madam, please take care of yourself and take good care of yourself."

"Thank you for your concern, Princess." Xue Sui pretended to be relaxed and forced a smile.

Xiao Zhao could see it, she was very sad about Qiao'er's matter, and she hated Fan Bing so much that she wanted to kill him.

So, he put the brewed tea on the table with a look of indignation on his face.

"Girl, why don't you leave it to me? Find a chance and kill him!"

Xue Sui glared at Xiao Zhao, then smiled and said to Princess Wen Jia: "This girl is just outspoken. I have spoiled her and she likes to talk nonsense. Princess, please don't be offended."

Princess Wenjia's eyes slightly reddened: "If there is really a thunderbolt that strikes him to death, or if the heaven opens its eyes and takes him away, it will not only be a blessing for us mother and daughter, but also a relief for the people."

Xue Sui and Xiao Zhao looked at each other.

"God will open his eyes."

"Evildoers will be punished by their own evildoers. Princess, just wait and see."

The last incident between Fan Bing and Princess Pingle, in order to save the face of the royal family, ended with Princess Wenjia going to Puji Temple for meditation and Princess Pingle's old illness recurred and she had to recuperate in seclusion. It was a lucky escape for that bastard Fan Bing.

But the Fan family was not a wealthy family, and this son-in-law had no dignity in front of the emperor...

Even if Fan Bing "suffers retribution", no one will hold him accountable.

Maybe the emperor can even breathe a sigh of relief.

But if he has to die, he has to die with some value. A life cannot be wasted easily.

Wen Jia came to the villa, and Xue Yuechen entertained her warmly.

At noon, they had dinner at Tingyuxuan, far away from the lotus pond. Xue Yuechen talked about Wen Jia and her husband Fan Bing. She sighed for a moment and asked when Wen Jia would return to Beijing.

Wen Jia shook his head and said, "I have lived in this mountain for a long time. I have become accustomed to the quiet days and am not used to the hustle and bustle of the world."

Xue Sui glanced at her.

She thought to herself that once her husband met with retribution, she would have a peaceful life in this world...
-
That morning, Crown Prince Li Zhao was about to set off back to Beijing.

Before leaving, he did not look for Xue Sui, but deliberately took care of the prizes for the poetry gathering.

Because those scholars despised Xue Yueying, the poem in which Xue Sui mocked her at the poetry meeting was actually regarded as a brilliant piece of writing.

After the murder in Hechi, the poetry competition was interrupted and the prince spoke again. Immediately, scholars led by Zhao Hong stepped forward and expressed their opinion that the prize for the poetry competition should go to Madam Ping'an.

Li Zhao raised his lips, "Congratulations, ma'am."

Everyone's eyes fell on the two of them.

I have some complicated emotions towards Xue Sui.

A woman wrote a poem that cursed someone, and it was valued by the prince. I don't know whether I should be jealous or envious.

There are also people who truly admire him, like Zhao Hong.

He was the first to bow and congratulate, "Madam, you are very smart and I admire you very much."

"It was just a coincidence. It happened at the right time. I'm sorry to show off my skills in front of an expert. I'm sorry to make you all laugh."

Xue Sui thanked everyone one by one, as if he didn't notice Li Zhao's increasingly furrowed brows. He bowed once before coming back and looking at the elegant prince with his hands behind his back, he smiled gracefully.

"Thank you for your appreciation, Your Highness."

She stepped forward and took the fan with both hands.

The fan has exquisite carving, gold-carved handle and apricot-yellow fan surface, and is a rare and exquisite product.

valuable!

Worth a lot of money.

As if seeing her greedy eyes, the corner of Li Zhao's lips raised involuntarily.

But when he saw Li Huan and Xue Yuechen coming over, his eyes turned cold and his face became stern.

"You're welcome. This is what Madam Ping An deserves."

The two of them looked at each other and then looked away tacitly.

Li Zhao stopped talking to people, got on his horse, and rode away with a "go!". When the horse's hooves gradually went farther and farther in the warm summer sun, a smile appeared on his face.

Li Huan left the villa with a group of scholars in the afternoon.

The talented scholars were grateful for the kindness of Prince Duan and his wife, and their compassion and concern for a maid who committed suicide by drowning, so they wrote poems and essays to praise them.

Xue Yuechen gained a good reputation because of this incident and was very happy.

So, she did not set off with Li Huan, but took Xue Sui with her to arrange Qiao'er's funeral before preparing to return.

Of course, those are all things for later.

At this moment, the situation in Shangjing City is turbulent and the storm is brewing quietly.