Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 139: Love on a Rainy Night
The heavy rain came suddenly, pouring down all over us. In a blink of an eye, the yellow mud road was washed out with gullies and trenches...

Xue Sui's torn skirt had long been soaked with blood and rain. The moment Li Zhao pushed her into the carriage, the cloud dragon pattern on her shoulder flashed blood in the lightning, which hurt her eyes.

"Xiao Zhao! Protect your girl!"

Li Zhao did not look back. He drew his sword, turned around, and with a nimble posture, he led the East Palace Guards to press towards the masked assassin like a cheetah pouncing on its prey.

He was wearing a dark brocade robe and a black jade belt around his waist. He was like a ghost, as bright as lightning, appearing and disappearing in the melee crowd, like a dormant black dragon tearing through the rain and fog, killing with great pleasure.

Xiao Zhao was stunned and his eyes were wide open.

"His Royal Highness is killing like crazy. Girl, my hands are numb from watching him."

The sharp sound of the sword breaking through the air reached my ears, and the rain made the curtains crackle.

Xue Sui snatched the sword from Xiao Zhao's tightly grasped hand.

Upon closer inspection, I saw that there was indeed a cut as wide as the little finger.

"Your hands are used to kill people and numb people."

Xue Sui put down the broken sword, opened the medicine box, grabbed some Panax notoginseng powder and pressed it on Xiao Zhao's palm, then took out a roll of clean gauze and bandaged her hand in circles.

Xiao Zhao didn't care: "I haven't held a knife for a long time, so it's okay if the skin is a little scratched."

Xue Sui: "The wound will fester and leave scars, which will make it difficult for you to get married in the future."

Xiao Zhao was so scared that she was trembling. "Please don't curse me, young lady. I would rather stay with you forever than marry a filthy man!"

Xue Sui smiled slightly and said nothing more.

Xiao Zhao lifted the curtain and looked out again, still watching Li Zhao killing people.

The ruthlessness and fierce style frightened her, but also made her admire him.

"Hey, young lady, it seems that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is also injured?"

Not only was he injured, the bone-piercing nail also had a barb.

Xue Sui glanced at him calmly, lowered her eyes and sorted out the medicine box...

"Let him go crazy."

In the noble cage of the East Palace, Li Zhao was not a very obedient and docile crown prince, and was criticized everywhere. But in fact, he had tried his best to restrain his edge. Now that the trapped beast was out of the cage, he could not help but indulge his temper. What else was he waiting for?
The sounds of fighting outside the carriage gradually faded, and the guards of the Eastern Palace moved towards the carriage in a fan shape.

The horses were frightened by the heavy rain and let out shrill roars.

Li Zhao stabbed his sword into the chest of a masked man with his backhand, and the rain flowed down his brow and into his collar.

"Yu Qianshan."

"The general is here!"

A middle-aged man who looked like a general quickly approached and saluted.

"What are your orders, Your Highness?"

Li Zhao drew back his sword, and even the raindrops as big as beans could not extinguish the bloodshot anger in his eyes.

"Search them! Bury the dead on the spot, and tie up the living ones and take them back to me..."

"Here!"

The rain is falling and the war is over.

The secrets hidden behind this massacre cannot be covered up by the rainstorm.

"Your Highness——" Xue Sui's voice came from the carriage.

Li Zhao's bloodstained fingertips paused slightly, and he looked sideways, only to see Xue Sui lifting the curtain of the carriage, revealing a plain face.

"Wan Zhaoyi has not yet regained consciousness. I am afraid that her cold symptoms may flare up. We need to leave immediately."

Li Zhao held the bloody sword and walked slowly towards the carriage, the rain dripping down his raven eyelashes and hitting his face. Seeing this, the palace maid of the escort team hurriedly held up a paper umbrella, but he gently brushed it away.

"It's raining heavily and the roads are slippery, so let's go to the Xishan Palace together."

This place is much closer to the Xishan Palace than returning to Beijing...

Xue Sui thought for a moment and nodded slightly.

Wen Jia bowed with gratitude, "Thank you, Your Highness, for rescuing me. My mother and I really don't know how to repay you..."

"You're too polite, sister." Li Zhao glanced at Xue Sui with a calm expression, "It's just cause and effect."

Wen Jia didn't expect him to say that. He was slightly stunned and then remained silent.

Although they are half-siblings, their status is very different. They didn't get along close enough in the past, so Wen Jia didn't dare to overstep the line in front of Li Zhao, and followed etiquette in every move.

After a few people tidied themselves up a bit, they were ready to set off.

Lu Youan's wound had been properly treated by the imperial physician who had hurried back. However, it was pouring rain at this moment, and he was in an awkward situation.

"The bandits have been eliminated, and it's time for me to go back."

He saluted each one in turn.

"Everyone, farewell!"

Wen Jia twisted the silk handkerchief tightly between his fingertips.

Seeing Lu Youan going to lead the horse, his arm was torn two inches long, revealing his blood-soaked shirt, but he didn't care at all, and he couldn't help but tremble slightly.

"Mr. Lu, why don't you stay for a while and go to the palace to recuperate, and then return to the capital after the rain stops?"

Before she could finish her words, she was drowned out by the thunder.

Lu Youan's back paused slightly in the mud. He covered his injured arm and turned back slowly. "Thank you for your kindness, Princess. But I have something important to do, so I can't stay for long."

After saying this, he picked up the horse with difficulty and insisted on leaving.

Wen Jia couldn't think of any reason to keep him.

But Li Zhao suddenly snorted, with a sarcastic arc at the corner of his lips.

"I need to interrogate the assassin at night in the Xishan Palace, and I need to ask Master Lu for confirmation..."

His tone was cold and businesslike.

Lu Youan looked back at Wen Jia, and felt that this was an excuse Li Zhao made for him. But he had never had any contact with Li Zhao, and because of Pingle, Li Zhao had never treated him well before, so there was really no need to take care of him like this.

Then he thought of the antidote he stole from Pingle Mansion and sighed inwardly.

"Since Your Highness has given the order, I dare not disobey and will do my best to assist you."

Xue Sui looked at everyone and spoke at the right time.

"I heard that there is a hot spring in the back hall of the West Mountain Palace, which is perfect for recuperating. Imperial Physician Zhou has also bought a lot of medicinal herbs, which is just right for preparing a medicinal bath for Concubine Wan to help her recover her vitality."

Li Zhao glanced at her.

"Move to the Xishan Palace."
-
The Xishan Palace was the imperial family’s closest summer resort to the capital.

When the team arrived, it was raining even harder.

The thunder rumbled over the glazed tiles, and the candlelight in the room flickered.

Concubine Wan lay weakly on the brocade couch, her breathing faint, like a gossamer thread.

Amon Rah stood in front of the couch, his old palm covering the wolf tooth pendant on his chest, muttering to himself:

"O sacred eagle of the Holy Mountain of Ulan, come and lead the lost lambs..."

"Please use the snow water from Wulan Mountain to cleanse your sins, and use the tail of the red fox to sweep away your illnesses..."

Xizi's ancient prayers, mixed with the sound of rain, echoed slowly in the room.

Amon Rah suddenly drew out his scimitar, cut his palm, and let the blood drop into the bowl of water beside him. Then the high priest of Siz personally used cinnabar mixed with blood to press on the center of Wan Zhaoyi's eyebrows and drew a flame-like pattern.

“Princess Senna, the eagle of Chishui City should not be trapped in the cage of Zhongzhou! The high priest predicted the auspicious sign of purple star and auspicious cloud, the princess should not die…”

Wen Jia clenched his palms slightly, "Ms. Xue Liu said that if I take the antidote, there should be no problem. But my mother has always been weak, and her qi and blood are deficient. It will take some time for her to recover."

Alim's eyes were red as he looked at Wen Jia and said, "The high priest prayed for the princess devoutly and asked the ancestors of the holy mountain to bless her...Princess Senna will definitely get better."

Wen Jia suddenly remembered her mother's gentle whisper in her ear when she was a child, "Yin'er, can you hear the echo of the Holy Wulan Mountain? That's the ancestor blowing the wolf bone flute, calling back her child..."

Wen Jia sniffed and held back his tears.

"Yes, it will definitely happen."

Alim said angrily: "I never thought that Concubine Xiao actually had the secret medicine of Xizi. She wants to put the princess to death and make me, Xizi, suffer injustice..."

Wen Jia had not sorted out the interests and calculations involved before...

Now that I know everything, my hatred is even greater.

Concubine Xiao wanted to kill her mother, but she never treated her and her mother as human beings. They were just ants that could be trampled on at will, and a tool to frame Empress Xie...

"How vicious!"

Amid the sound of thunder and rain, Concubine Wan opened her eyes to the low chanting of the high priest.

"Yin'er, this is..."

"Alim?"

"Amon Rach?"

She recognized the old friend in front of her and burst into tears. Wen Jia hurried forward and comforted her softly, "Mother, they came here specially to see you. Mother, don't cry... Miss Xue Liu said that crying is harmful to your health."

The two Sitz men saluted her together.

"Princess Senna!"

Wan Zhaoyi suddenly leaned forward and grabbed the wolf-tooth pendant in front of Alim. Her hand was shaking as she cried and laughed.

"Senna dare not forget the oath she made to the Holy Fire when she was fourteen years old - to exchange my life's blessings for the peace of the people of Xizi... Senna did not do it, and she does not deserve to be treated like this by you, and does not deserve to be called a princess..."

"Princess, you have done your best..."

Wan Zhaoyi smiled bitterly, stroked the white hair on her temples, and tears fell.

"It's been more than 20 years. How are my father and mother now? Are they in good health?"

Alim glanced at Amon Rah.

Senna, who was imprisoned in the cold palace, didn't know what had happened to Xizi, and they didn't know where to start.

Twenty years is too long and too many things have happened.

After a long while, Amon Rah sighed, "The great king has passed away. The current King of Siz is the princess's elder brother Ashina. The Queen also followed the great king two years ago..."

Upon hearing this, Concubine Wan suddenly leaned on the edge of the couch and tried to stand up, but her body was too weak. Her vision went dark and she fell back.

"Father... Mother..."

She stretched out her hand tremblingly, lowered her head to her chest, and prayed to herself...

Wen Jia looked at her trembling body and stroked her shoulders with heartache.

"Mother, I'm still here. You still have me, and Niuniu..."

Amon Rah looked at the thunder that struck near the window, his eyes gloomily looking up at the night sky, and his voice sounded like a curse.

"Just wait. When the gods on the Holy Mountain of Wulan open their eyes, they will fill the tents of those evildoers with Xizi's soul-calling banners..."

Candle tears flow down from the lampstand...

The heavy rain made a crackling sound on the glazed tiles.

Everyone talked for a while.

It was getting late, and Alim and Amon Rah knew they couldn't stay any longer. They put on their cloaks and raincoats just like they had when they came, and disappeared quietly in the rainy night.

Wen Jia helped Concubine Wan to lie down, carefully instructed Dong Xu to take good care of her, and then went out with the medicine jar.

As soon as she walked onto the corridor, she looked up and saw Lu Youan standing in the corridor. His injured arm was wrapped in gauze. His eyes met hers under the night light, and a hint of worry immediately appeared in his eyes.

"The emperor is wary of princesses, and Wan Zhaoyi is the Princess of Xizi... If someone with ulterior motives finds out, it will bring disaster."

Wen Jia knew that with his wisdom, he had already guessed something.

"There is no one else who has ulterior motives, only you. Will Master Lu tell this matter to others?"

Lu Youan shook his head.

Before he could speak, Wen Jia slowly walked towards him. Lu Youan subconsciously slowly backed away until she forced him to the corner.

"You have always been kind-hearted. You never betrayed Pingle even though she did so many evil things. You wouldn't be so cruel to me, would you?"

Lu Youan was stunned and speechless.

Wen Jia used to be gentle and reserved, as docile as a lamb. But tonight her tone was colder and more resolute than ever before.

But in the final analysis, all this was his fault, and it was irrefutable.

Lu Youan lowered his head, his usually straight waist seemed to bend down, he pressed his injured arm with his palm, and whispered: "I have failed you, no matter how the princess scolds me or blames me, it is all right."

Wen Jia was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

"I just heard a proverb from Xizi, which I think makes a lot of sense. Mr. Lu, would you like to listen to it?"

Lu Youan: "I'm all ears."

Wen Jia continued, "If the men of the grasslands admire the bright moon, they will chase it to the horizon even if there is a sea of ​​sand between them! What about you——"

"Mr. Lu...is not worthy." Lu Youan looked gloomy.

The rain curtain under the eaves broke into strings of crystal water droplets in his eyes, and the sound became deeper and deeper.

"I rejected the marriage proposal myself back then. Now I have accomplished nothing and have a pair of children. I am in such a state of destitution. How dare I use my muddy body to shackle the beautiful phoenix?"

The thunder roared, shaking people's hearts.

Wen Jia stared at him for a long time and smiled bitterly again.

"I understand. Wen Jia doesn't blame me. I hope that Master Lu will spread his wings like a roc and soar thousands of miles in the future!"

After saying that, she slowly walked out of the moon cave door holding the medicine jar.

Lu Youan stayed where he was, staring at the rain in a daze.

The sound of the pottery jar breaking when it fell to the ground startled Lu Youan and he turned around suddenly, but he only saw Wen Jia holding up the hem of her skirt and running into the rain...

The wind blew the rain through the hall.

The candle flame crackled and exploded——

Xue Sui's fingertips holding the scissors paused slightly.

"Your Highness, are you afraid of pain or death, as you keep moving around like this?"

Li Zhao's wound was on his left shoulder. The bone-piercing nail was still deeply embedded in the flesh, and blood had already soaked through his clothes.

Being scolded by Xue Sui, Li Zhao smiled softly.

"I see this injury is somewhat similar to Lu Youan's? One risked his life to steal medicine to save a beauty, and the other stood up to protect her..."

Pooh!
shameless.

Xue Sui had a sullen face and a cold voice.

"His bone-piercing nail went through his arm, but it didn't take much effort to remove it. It was much easier than your Highness."

After she finished speaking, she lowered her head and tried to cut open his clothes that were stuck with blood.

The scissors bit the cloth, and tiny beads of blood oozed out of the wound.

The bone-penetrating nails have barbs and are extremely difficult to remove. The clothing is also stuck to the flesh, so it hurts if you pull it.

Xue Sui lowered his eyes: "Your Highness, please bear with it."

Li Zhao remained silent. The lines of his shoulders and neck were tense in the candlelight, revealing a sharp arc. Sweat beads meandered down his concave spine and slid deep into his underwear...

Xue Sui's hand holding the scissors tightened unconsciously, and his knuckles turned white.

"do not move--"

The sound was still lingering on the tip of his tongue when Li Zhao suddenly tilted his head and bit the blood-stained cloth with his teeth. There was a wolf-like light flashing in his pupils with a bit of mischief. He pulled hard and tore it open.

"Can't bear to do it? Doctor Xue, are you soft-hearted?"

Xue Sui looked at his red and smiling black eyes and frowned slightly.

"Doesn't it hurt?"

"I am not afraid...hiss..."

Xue Sui suddenly took action and forcefully tore his blood-soaked lapel.

A drop of cold sweat slid down, like melted resin flowing over the spine of a sword forged from black iron. The candlelight gave him a layer of glaze, and his muscles were clearly defined. He did not look as exaggerated as a wild bull, but had smooth and tight lines, showing the charming demeanor of a handsome young man.

Xue Sui lowered his eyes, and gently smeared the ointment on his fingertips around his wound, with gentle movements, as if to awaken the love Gu in his blood...

Li Zhao's Adam's apple rolled from time to time with her movements.

There are blazing flames, leaping up along the touching skin——

"Xue Ping'an."

Li Zhao's breathing suddenly became rapid, and the sound that escaped from his throat was charming.

"You might as well give me a quick death..."

Xue Sui's eyes darkened, and he suddenly clamped his shoulders, grabbed the bone-piercing nail, and exerted force suddenly.

"!!" Li Zhao glared slightly, and his neck tilted back to form an alluring arc.

Xue Sui let out a breath, looked at the hidden weapon with barbs, and felt a slight tremor under his palm.

However, the imagined roar did not sound. Li Zhao's pain seemed to be blocked in his throat. His handsome face turned red, his forehead was soaked with cold sweat, and his eyes were staring at her like molten gold, like a beast about to devour people.

"Okay, just take out the bone nail."

Xue Sui comforted him and was about to stop when a masculine scent mixed with blood hit his face.

Li Zhao grabbed her waist and suddenly pulled her close. His hot lips gently brushed her earlobe and asked in a low voice:

"I'm not in pain, I'm just feeling uncomfortable because of the love poison. Xue Ping'an... tell me what to do?"

This chapter is long...

see you tomorrow!
Li Zhao: Stuck here? Huh? Huh? You don’t let me go to bed, right?
Xue Sui: Good job! I'll deal with him tomorrow!