Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 160 Rebellion against Tiangang
Li Zhao's breathing suddenly stagnated, but his wrists were tied and he could not move at all. He winked at Xue Sui, but she ignored him and did not reduce her strength at all.

"Shh...don't move!"

Li Zhao's throat choked, and he felt a tingling sensation running from his neck to his back, and his breathing suddenly became rapid.

Xue Sui glanced at the fire outside the window that was getting closer and closer, and his fingertips quickly stroked Li Zhao's Adam's apple on his neck.

Then she lowered her body into his ear and whispered in a voice as soft as a mosquito's.

"If Your Highness doesn't want to end up in a desperate situation, then just pretend to be dead."

After saying that, she hooked her finger and tore off his outer robe completely, pressed the brocade quilt on his body and spread it flat, and smashed the celadon medicine bottle on the bedside to the ground.

"Clang-"

The sound of shattering was so crisp that it startled the footsteps in the courtyard to a sudden stop.

Jinshu and Xiaozhao were already holding glass lanterns and came to the corridor, bowing in unison.

"The maid has seen the prince..."

Li Huan rested his fingertips on the belt around his waist and looked at the carved wooden door of Xue Sui's residence.

"Is Ping An all right?"

Xue Sui raised his hand to ruffle his long hair, walked around the screen barefoot, and pushed open the window frame with a slight breath, "Your Highness! Just now a wild cat jumped onto the windowsill, and Lingyu was frightened, knocked over the medicine bottle, and fluttered around in the room..."

Lingyu flapped its wings obediently and made a gurgling sound, as if it was really frightened.

Li Huan looked into the house through the window screen.

The moonlight was hazy, and the gauze curtain behind the screen swayed slightly.

Xue Sui was wearing a thin, plain light clothing and had hurriedly wrapped himself in a cherry-colored cloak. His long hair hung down on his shoulders and he looked sleepy, as if he had just woken up from a dream.

Li Huan frowned and asked, "Should we call someone in to clean up?"

Xue Sui shook his head: "Xiao Zhao and Ruyi will clean it themselves. I am really terrified to disturb Your Highness's sleep."

Li Huan pondered for a moment and took a few steps forward.

"Then I will go in and talk to you?"

"Don't worry, Your Highness." Xue Sui pinched her palm with her fingertips, her voice becoming increasingly cold, "I'm having my period, so I'm sorry for the inconvenience..."

Upon hearing this, Li Huan nodded and slowly walked back.

Xue Sui originally wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble such as searches, but when Li Zhao heard her talking about such private matters to Li Huan, his teeth clenched.

Li Huan stopped and asked, "What's wrong?"

Xue Sui rushed over and covered Li Zhao's mouth and nose, pinching his throat and saying, "This stupid thing scratched me again."

A trace of hesitation appeared between Li Huan's brows, and he smiled slowly.

"You are a very wild pigeon..."

Xue Sui noticed his footsteps approaching the window, and he covered Li Zhao's mouth and nose with force, pretending to be angry.

"That's right! Tomorrow I will pluck your feathers and weave a bird's nest for you. Let's see if you dare to be naughty again!"

Li Zhao looked at her with a sharp and cold gaze, and a dissatisfied snort escaped from his throat...

Lingyu circled twice in the room, flapping its wings and chirping.

Seeing this, Li Huan said, "Forget it, you should have a good rest."

He paused for a moment, ordered the guards to patrol more frequently, and reprimanded a few maids who had just put on their clothes and stood up, then finally turned around and left.

The footsteps gradually faded away. Xue Sui breathed a sigh of relief, turned around and lifted the quilt, only to see that Li Zhao's eyes were closed tightly, as if he was really "dead".

Did I just use too much force?

She hurriedly checked Li Zhao's breath, but unexpectedly he suddenly grabbed her wrist.

At some point, he had freed himself from the restraints on his hands.

"Xue Ping'an, who gave you the courage to murder the crown prince?"

Li Zhao pinched her waist with one hand and lightly brushed her neck with one finger. His eyes were dark and deep, full of malice.

"Hmm? Want to smother me to death?"

His slender fingers gathered tighter and tighter.

Obviously, he was really angry.

Xue Sui sighed helplessly, her face slightly dry, the moonlight filtered through the window, outlining her exquisite figure, her voice was like the chirping of an oriole, "If His Royal Highness the Crown Prince makes trouble again, and Prince Duan returns, I won't be able to save him a second time."

Li Zhao couldn't bear to hear the word "help" and laughed coldly, "What can he do to me?"

What an arrogant man!

Xue Sui cursed secretly in his heart, but put on a kindly face: "I advise Your Highness to restrain your edge and not be too extreme in everything..."

Li Zhao raised his eyebrows coldly and sneered.

"Are you lobbying for Li Huan?"

Xue Sui shook his head: "I'm talking about the Luo family. If Your Highness insists on killing them all, I'm afraid that all the old officials in the court will feel insecure and turn their spearheads against the East Palace. If the water is too clear, there will be no fish. The nobles in the court are intertwined and intertwined, which one of them doesn't have some shady dealings... Your Highness might as well leave some room for them, just as a whetstone..."

Li Zhao's eyes were deep: "Are you teaching me how to be a king?" "I dare not, I am just reminding Your Highness -" Xue Sui pursed his lips and smiled, "Although Luo Huan is greedy, he is not involved in the Xiao family's major case. If we force him to death now, the remaining bad debts of the Ministry of Revenue will be left unpaid."

The emperor didn't want to make things too ugly.

Paying money to buy a life, filling the national treasury and alleviating the crisis in the western border, everyone is happy.

Li Zhao suddenly smiled and said: "If Ping An were a man, he could be the prime minister."

Xue Sui didn't know how much he had heard, and seeing that the night was almost over, he slowly lay down, turning his sideways with his back to him.

"Your Highness, please go ahead. I'm tired."

Li Zhao was slightly stunned.

He had always been the one to chase people away, and this was the first time in his life that he was chased away by someone.

Xue Liu acted boldly, but he turned against Tian Gang...

Why is it so unpopular?

Love poison misled him!
-
The next day, as soon as Xue Sui got up, Li Huan came to Tan Qiuyuan with his hands behind his back.

She quickly changed her clothes and went out to greet him. "Your Majesty, you came so early today, but what's the important matter?"

Li Huan was smiling and looking pleasant, sitting on a rosewood chair, looking elegant and relaxed. Xue Sui could not tell from his face that he came here for the matter of the Old Mausoleum Swamp.

She bowed and said, "I wonder when the prince is free so I can arrange a meeting with Mr. Qiu?"

Li Huan smiled warmly and said, "I am taking a half-month break and will be at your service anytime."

Xue Sui pondered secretly.

Xiao Jing was seriously injured, Luo Huan was imprisoned, and Yongfeng Warehouse caught fire. The emperor probably didn't want Li Huan to be implicated in this series of difficult cases, so he let him go home to recuperate and avoid the limelight.

He is indeed the emperor’s good son.

She smiled lightly and said, "Then let me make proper arrangements and let His Majesty know when the date is agreed upon."

Li Huan sat for a cup of tea, ate some snacks, and then left with satisfaction.

At dusk on the third day, Li Huan came again.

He did not beat around the bush, but sat down leisurely, playing chess with Xue Sui and asking about the imperial envoy.

Xue Sui replied to him, saying that he had sent someone to deliver the letter to Mr. Qiu. He then nodded slightly, played two more games of chess, and left after dinner.

At dusk on the fourth day, Li Huan arrived on time again.

Xue Sui gave him accurate information this time.

"I will meet Mr. Qiu at Qingfeng Pavilion at 9:00 p.m. tomorrow."

Li Huan nodded, and played chess until late at night before returning home with great satisfaction.

As a result, within just a few days, the news that Lady Ping'an was deeply loved by Prince Duan and was the most favored woman in the harem spread like wildfire.

In Prince Duan's mansion, everyone treated her with great respect when they saw her. Everyone knew that she was Prince Duan's favorite concubine and enjoyed great glory.

On the fifth day, Xue Sui, under the envious gazes of everyone, got on Li Huan's carriage and went to Qingfeng Pavilion with him.

Mr. Qiu had been waiting in the private room on the second floor. He was wearing a grey wide robe and looked humble and respectful. He saluted with his hands and bowed deeply.

"I was blind and didn't recognize a great man. I'm sorry for offending you last time. I hope Your Majesty will be magnanimous and forgive me."

Li Huan smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Mr. Qiu, you are too kind. I was not considerate enough to explain my identity to you, so I neglected you."

Mr. Qiu was very nervous and asked to sit down and have tea. He glanced at Xue Sui again, took out the silver ingot he had received from Li Huan last time, and presented it to him with both hands.

"Please accept it, Your Majesty..."

Li Heng smiled heartily and pushed the money back to him.

"Since this is a business transaction, this is the remuneration you deserve, sir. How can you take it back?"

Mr. Qiu took the silver awkwardly, smiled apologetically, and nodded in agreement. He was different from the last time they met, as if he had become a different person.

"Your Highness, did you summon me here to do business in the Old Mausoleum Swamp?"

Li Huan did not respond directly, but said, "I have something important to discuss, and I would like to see the envoy."

Mr. Qiu twisted his beard and said, "The imperial envoy usually does not see outsiders. But it is difficult to find someone, but it is not a problem to pass on a message. If your Majesty has something to tell you, just tell me, and I will definitely pass the message to the imperial envoy..."

Li Huan raised the corner of his mouth, as if smiling: "Since you can deliver the message, why can't I meet people?"

Mr. Qiu spoke sincerely, "To be honest with you, Your Majesty, I can't see the envoy. I just do business in the old mausoleum... Hey, all kinds of people, peddlers and hawkers, everyone has their own ways. If I give the informant to Your Majesty, wouldn't it be a blow to my own reputation? How can I survive in the future?"

Li Huan nodded slightly, thought for a moment, and suddenly smiled and said, "The Royal Grandmother's birthday is coming soon. I want to find the Nine Dragons Playing with Pearls Glass Cup as a birthday gift. That item has been regarded as auspicious for decades. It is said that it was lost in the imperial tomb of the previous dynasty and was obtained by the Seven Gates of the Big Dipper. Now if I want to find it back, I am afraid that only the imperial envoy can do it..."

During the first transaction, he did not raise any privacy requirements and just made up an excuse.

Mr. Qiu knew what was going on and assured himself with a pat on his chest.

"I will take care of this matter. Whether it succeeds or not, I will report back to His Majesty in three days."

Li Huan handed over a bag of gold leaves with a smile: "Thank you."

After a few polite words, Mr. Qiu took the money bag and bowed to him as he said goodbye.