Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 16 Killed?
Xue Sui was speechless for a moment.

No wonder everyone says Li Zhao is unruly. With his annoying personality, who would like him?
She smiled and continued, "It's because the court officials believe that the Crown Prince will lose power sooner or later, and the East Palace will definitely change its owner. They are afraid that their daughters will be tarnished and their family will be affected if they marry the Crown Prince. They have high hopes for Prince Duan, and they wish they could send their daughters to his harem as soon as possible, so that he can give birth to a boy or a girl, so that Prince Duan can inherit the throne in the future, bring honor to his ancestors, and bring prosperity to his family."

"How bold!" Eunuch Lai's face changed.

What a clever girl.

How dare she speak nonsense and say such treasonous words in front of His Highness?
How dare she?

In front of her is the crown prince!

This moment seemed to be frozen.

There was no sound, and all eyes were on the man in the main seat. In a very low breath, Li Zhao finally laughed after a long time.

"Let her speak."

Xue Sui bowed and said, "Your Highness, please forgive me."

She apologized, and then said slowly, "For the prince, the current situation is a little bit difficult, but good and bad are interdependent, and it is not a bad thing. As long as you take advantage of it a little, you can turn the tide."

"Go on!"

"What Concubine Xiao chose was a concubine, but what she did was to shake the foundation of the country. The princes and ministers vied to send their daughters to Prince Duan's mansion. To put it in a good way, it was a marriage alliance, but to put it in a bad way, it was forming a clique for personal gain and giving things away privately. Although His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is unpopular, he has been in the East Palace for many years. I don't believe that the Censorate can't find two useful censors."

Li Zhao hummed: "Keep talking!"

Xue Sui said calmly, "The censors impeached Prince Duan, listing the close relationship between Prince Duan and foreign ministers, and bitterly expounding on the harm caused by Concubine Xiao's meddling in government affairs and the growing power of the Xiao family. They unraveled all of his actions, exaggerated them, and placed them under the great cause of the country... What do you think the emperor will think?"

Li Zhao was silent for a long time.

A sudden chuckle was like the sound of an ancient bell in the quiet night, its deep and magnetic tone touching every word.

"Are you thinking about me?"

Xue Sui raised his head and met his gaze. His calm heart was shaken as never before. "There are many sweet-talking people around His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, including Xue Liu. Therefore, Xue Liu only speaks the truth and never lies. Every word he says is from the heart, and he is planning for the future of the Crown Prince."

Li Zhao: "Miss Xue Liu's heart is filled with evil and treacherous people, isn't it?"

When planning for him, who is the chess piece?

Xue Sui smiled slightly.

It is very important to be tactful when dealing with Li Zhao.

It’s not good to be too true or too false, and being wrong is even more fatal.

"I thought that the people of Shangjing all praised Prince Duan's benevolence and virtue, and no one in the court could match him. This is your chance."

The emperor was suspicious.

The emperor allowed Prince Duan to take charge of the Right Guard and the Imperial Guards, and entrusted him with the affairs of Jingzhao. He was allowed to win the hearts of the people by amending the criminal law. Was it true love, or was it to support Prince Duan to control the crown prince? Was it the emperor's mindset, to balance the court, or was it because he loved the whole family? Only the emperor knew.

Without Prince Duan, the Eastern Palace would become more powerful and pose a threat to the emperor.

If Prince Duan's power is strong enough to threaten the status of the Eastern Palace, wouldn't that be a hidden worry for the emperor?

"That's all Xue Liu said. Your Highness, please consider it on your own. I'll take my leave."

Xue Sui said what he wanted to say, and without waiting for Li Zhao to order him to leave, he bowed casually, turned around and left.

The heavy wooden door opened, letting in a thin ray of light that gently shone on her. The faint hint of stubbornness made her look tall, resolute, and fearless.

Not like a woman.

Li Zhao suddenly said, "Miss Xue Liu!"

Xue Sui slowly turned around to face him, smiling faintly from a distance.

Li Zhao's eyes fell on her and he snorted and laughed. His words and actions seemed to be bored, but every word was murderous:
"I'm not afraid of snakes, and I'm not afraid of being alone. Is there anything in this world that you're afraid of?"

Xue Sui said calmly: "I'm afraid of death."

Li Zhao smiled and said, "Don't worry. If you want to die, you can only die in my hands."

A meaningless sentence.

Xue Sui smiled slightly, clasped her fists and turned around. She saw a black shadow flash before her eyes, and a bloody figure flew over and landed heavily on the steps in front of her.

He was lying on his back, his eyes were dead and empty, his eyes were bruised, and his face was distorted beyond recognition. It was obvious that he was extremely frightened. He looked like a dead person, but he was alive, living a life more painful than death...

This person was none other than Sanlang, You Zhimu, who fell from a building and became disabled in You Taichang's family.

Xue Sui looked at Li Zhao.

Li Zhao said: "Miss Xue Liu offered a suggestion, and I accepted it. This is a gift in return."

Xue Sui's heart sank.

Sure enough, Li Zhao did not go to Hongfu Casino to hang out, but was suspicious of her and the Old Mausoleum Swamp.

What would have happened to him if she hadn't spoken these words to him from the bottom of her heart?
Should I kill You Zhimu and clean up the mess, or just push her out?

Or, is this itself a temptation?
Xue Sui didn't move.

Li Zhao came over.

Xue Sui heard his footsteps and stopped behind her, so close that it seemed as if his breath was falling on her head.

"Why are you so calm when you see your former enemy?"

The prince held his sword at his side, stood tall, looked at her for a moment, and slowly handed the sword to her.

"Kill him in Youhuangju and no one will know."

Xue Sui remained motionless.

She hadn't experienced such a big test for a long time. Suddenly, two forks in the road appeared in front of her. If she made the wrong choice, she would be in danger of death at any time.

The one who killed her was the owner of the sword.

There was silence in Qionghua Hall.

With the East Palace attendants watching closely, Xue Sui could not leave Youhuangju without Li Zhao's order. She saw Xiao Zhao quietly put her left wrist on. There was a sleeve arrow specially made by Jiulingzhao, for emergencies...

Xue Sui gave Xiao Zhao a soothing look and looked down at the prince's hand holding the sword.

The hand was very white, with distinct joints, clean and beautiful, just like him, looking extremely noble. So close yet so far away. She reached out to take the sword: "Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness."

Li Zhao let go of the sword, which fell to the ground with a clang. The hilt of the sword hit Xue Sui's toes. She did not move and just looked at Li Zhao.

Eye contact.

The two looked at each other.

The contest seemed to last only a moment, yet it seemed as if a long time had passed.

Xue Sui asked: "Your Highness, what did You Sanlang say?"

Li Zhao glanced at You Sanlang, who was half dead and completely ignorant, and suddenly chuckled. He bent down, looked at her face closely, and a subtle storm appeared in the corners of his eyes.

"He said that stepping on you in the past was like playing with an ant."

The wind at the door seemed to be stronger than before, blowing away the hostility in her eyes.

Xue Sui lowered his eyes and started smiling too.

Only Li Zhao could come up with such a clever idea.

He did not go to the capital to search for suspects like Prince Duan Man, but to interrogate the victims. He severely punished the victims and beat them up, and naturally got the truth out of them. The people he had offended, or the people he wanted to know, no longer had any secrets.

This You Zhimu cannot fall into Li Huan's hands again.

Xue Sui glanced at the man lying in a pool of blood.

The past flooded into my mind like a surging tide.

You Zhimu was right. Ten years ago, You Sanlang played with her like playing with an ant. Among that group of young men, You Zhimu didn't like verbal threats, but liked to use his hands. He liked to put his knee on her heart, or to pinch her throat, making her feel that even breathing was a luxury...

Every time that happened, You Zhimu felt very proud.

A kind of lawless smugness.

He would look into her pleading eyes, laugh knowingly with the others, and then ask her arrogantly.

"Do you realize your mistake?"

"I don't know what's wrong, right?"

"You're in the wrong family!"

"There are nobles and lowly people in this world. The noble ones are like us. The lowly ones are like you. You are like an ant, so you should crawl under the feet of noble people like us. This is the will of heaven."

Xue Sui looked at You Zhimu, who was about to die. A fishy and sweet smell kept rising from his throat. The uncontrollable pain was like a cancer attached to the bone, gnawing at his blood and bones.

"He can't move." Xue Sui said, "All I want now is a quick death."

Just like the thought that often came to her mind when she was bullied by them, death is the greatest mercy.

Li Zhao raised his eyebrows, "It's also possible not to die."

Xue Sui hummed, "I have a family dinner to attend when I return home, I don't want to get stained with blood."

Li Zhao: "I can do it for you."

The voice was solemn, with a hint of lazy mockery. If this person was not Li Zhao, Xue Sui would probably think that he was considerate and amiable.

But he is Li Zhao.

Crown Prince Li Zhao.

Xue Sui looked up at him, her appearance reflected in his cold black eyes was hard to read.

"Master You San, I am Xue Liu."

The bloody man opened his mouth, as if he wanted to see her clearly.

Li Zhao half-closed his eyes in satisfaction.

Xue Sui slowly picked up the sword, made a beautiful sword flower, and flew straight out, piercing You Zhimu's chest.

Blood splattered.

Li Zhao laughed, "Mercy."

Xue Sui said nothing, bowed, and left with Xiao Zhao.

This time, no one stopped him.
-
When he returned to Xue Mansion, Xue Sui had calmed down.

The embroidery girl from Qinglan Courtyard was waiting at Lixiang Courtyard, bringing some clothes, accessories, pancreas, ointment, rouge and powder. Xue Ji looked at so many things, bowed, thanked the embroidery girl profusely, and said all kinds of nice things to her.

Xiu Gu smiled contemptuously, "If the Sixth Miss was as sensible as Xue Ji, how much less worry would the Madam have to worry about?"

Xue Ji said: "She is just a little girl, she is quick to speak and doesn't know the seriousness of the matter. Madam, please calm down and don't bother with her..."

Xiu Gu curled her lips and said, "I have already promised to marry someone else's daughter. If you don't follow the rules, people will spread gossip about you..."

Xue Sui heard this from outside the door, and asked with a smile as he stepped over the threshold, "Madame Liu is injured and bedridden, so the Madam sent you to teach me the rules?"

Xiu Gu didn't dare to confront her directly. She just bowed hastily, smiling. "We'll have dinner at Shou'an Courtyard tonight. Madam has told you, Sixth Miss, not to dress so cheaply anymore. It's embarrassing to go out. All the clothes and accessories have been sent over. Sixth Miss, please dress them up. If you need anything, just go to Qinglan Courtyard and let us know. Don't bring shame to the eldest wife."

Xue Ji was beside him, responding repeatedly and winking at Xue Sui: "I'll trouble you to say a few more nice words, auntie."

Xue Sui did not move, neither looking at Xue Ji nor the boxes, "Then do you still need to learn my rules?"

Xiu Gu's cheek twitched strangely and she smiled awkwardly.

"The old lady praised the Sixth Miss for her intelligence. How could this servant have the guts to teach the Sixth Miss some manners?"

Xue Sui nodded, asked someone to take the things, and gave Xiu Gu a copper coin.

Xiu Gu clenched the copper coin tightly, her face flushed with humiliation. She snorted secretly, flicked her sleeves and walked out of Lixiang Courtyard. She looked around and went to the Liuli Pavilion where Xue Yueying lived.

A small window in Lixiangyuan closed gently.

Xiao Zhao nodded to Xue Sui.

　Li Zeida: No one has ever disparaged me like this before, Xue Ping'an, you have successfully caught my attention...

　　Xue Ping'an: So, not being able to find the Crown Princess is something you're very proud of?

　　(End of this chapter)