Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 25 Third Uncle
The fire in Old Mrs. Cui's house was burning very brightly. As soon as I stepped into the house, I felt warm.

As soon as Xue Sui greeted the guests, a smart maid helped her take off her cloak.

Xue Qingxiu was leaning on the Hu bed beside the old lady, with a cynical smile on his fair face.

Although he was called "Third Master" by the people in the mansion, it was just based on his seniority. In fact, he was only twenty-seven years old this year. Because of his pampered life, he looked very young, as if he was an innocent young man.

Xue Qingxiu looked at his niece curiously with a playful smile on his face.

"Whose pretty girl is this? She is so pretty."

Xue Qingxiu was the youngest son of Old Lady Cui, and she loved him dearly. She was even more worried about his injured foot. Seeing that Xue Sui was still so disrespectful when he came, she couldn't bear to scold or blame him.

"This is the sixth daughter of the old family. I haven't seen you for ten years, and I see you are so lazy. As the third uncle, do you have any dignity left?"

Xue Sui was well-mannered and smiling slightly.

Seeing her behaved well, Old Lady Cui also smiled and kept on complaining about Xue Qingxiu: "Your good-for-nothing Third Uncle is always out there, just like a wild horse that has broken free from its reins, and there is no one to discipline him. Now that his foot is injured, you should behave yourself, right?"

Xue Qingxiu didn't care, "I just sprained my ankle accidentally, it's not a big deal."

Old Mrs. Cui scolded him, "When something serious happens, I wonder where you can go to complain..."

Xue Qingxiu has always been thick-skinned. He didn't care about his mother's scolding. Seeing his niece being obedient, he was happy to show his teeth.

Old Mrs. Cui waved to Xue Sui.

"Sixth girl, don't blame this rascal. He has a bad mouth but a good heart."

Xue Sui half lowered his head timidly, "I know."

She did not have a deep impression of Xue Qingxiu. During the difficult days ten years ago, Xue Qingxiu was still studying in the academy. He only had two days off every ten days. When he returned home, he usually went out to play. He was rarely seen and had little contact with Xue Sui.

But Xue Qingxiu gave her two candies.

Pine nut candy.

He snatched it from Xue Si's hand and gave it to her.

Xue Sui still remembered what Xue Qingxiu said when he pointed at the fourth, eighth and ninth brothers.

"You can eat it, why can't she?"

"Eat! Uncle San is here, let's see who dares to say no."

That was the first time she got candy. She ate one and ran to find Xue Ji with the other one as if she was offering a treasure. As a result, Xue Ji was so scared that she ran away like a frightened rabbit...

Xue Sui remembered the sweetness of the pine nut candy, and he offered the medicine with both hands, smiling at Xue Qingxiu very gently.

"This is the ointment for injuries and bruises that I brought back from the Old Mausoleum Swamp. If you don't mind, Third Uncle, why not give it a try?"

Xue Qingxiu took it with a smile and waved his hand disapprovingly, "What's the big deal about this little injury? Don't make a fuss, just forget about the formalities. I hate those sour and polite manners the most. There's no need to be so polite when we're family. Be more relaxed in front of Third Uncle from now on, do you hear me?"

Then he felt around his body, his brows furrowed.

"My niece who has been missing for many years has returned. As her uncle, I have to express my gratitude... What a pity. I lost all my money last night and even pawned my purse..."

Old Mrs. Cui snorted and glared at him fiercely with her eyes slanted.

He seemed unaware and smiled as he took off the jade pendant from his waist.

"This jade pendant is not worth much, just consider it as a token of my uncle's appreciation..."

Xue Sui looked at the old lady's face and said, "It's so valuable, my niece dare not accept it."

Xue Qingxiu's face fell, he was unhappy, "What is given to you is yours. Take it!"

He looked like he would stand up and throw a tantrum if Xue Sui didn't take it, which made Old Lady Cui very angry. She knew her youngest son was being absurd, but she had no choice but to persuade Xue Sui.

"If your Third Uncle gives it to you, just take it. If you don't take it, you don't know how he will fail in the future."

Xue Qingxiu laughed out loud, "No one knows a son better than his mother. Old Ancestor, you are indeed my real mother..."

The mother and son were joking and complaining to each other, and Xue Sui laughed along with them.

After sitting for a while, Doctor Zhang came over and she said goodbye and left.

Old Madam Cui watched the slender figure disappear at the door and sighed, "Sixth girl is sensible enough to come and see your third uncle. She has learned the rules better than the maids in the mansion. What a pity..."

Xue Qingxiu never cared about the affairs of the mansion, but he laughed when he heard the voice, "Of course not. Big brother is too partial. If I had a lovely girl like this, I would love her to the core."

Old Mrs. Cui slapped him on the back of the shoulder.

"You're just good at talking. How many times have you loved your tenth girl?"
-
Xue Qingxiu made Old Lady Cui happy, stole some silver from Shou'an Courtyard, and then limped out of the house quietly and went to Zhuque Street.

There was no curfew yet, and Zhuque Street was lined with wine shops and singing halls, as well as a wide variety of jewelry and silks. It was a bustling and lively scene.

He walked through a crowd of hawkers, crossed the long street, and went straight up to Qionglou.

Xue Qingxiu has many friends and they often eat, drink and have fun here.

As soon as he entered the room and took a look, someone asked him to sit down, and they drank more and more. As they talked, the young lady was beside them, and the laughter was endless. In less than half an hour, he was drunk, and he stood up staggeringly, bowing, as if his tongue was tied.

"Dear brothers, drink slowly. I will leave first."

His friends laughed at him, "You want to go home so early today? Is your tigress setting rules for you again?"

Xue Qingxiu waved his hands impatiently, and without saying anything, he walked crookedly. The servant hurried to help him. He pushed the person away, and then the enthusiastic young lady came up to him, but he also rejected her.

"Go, go, go, go, I have no money."

A few friends laughed at him again and then let him go.

Having been scolded by his mother at home, and Qian Shi often making trouble for him, Xue Qingxiu felt depressed even though he was surrounded by women. Especially when he thought of seeing his eldest niece whom he had not seen for a long time during the day, he could not suppress the feeling of being humiliated in his heart.

The eldest brother is the eldest son. He entered the court and became the Minister of Justice. He held a high position and everything he did was right. He had one concubine after another in the backyard. Not only did the eldest sister-in-law dare not say anything, even the mother dared not say anything to him.
Even though he was the second son born out of wedlock, he was appreciated by the prime minister because of his talent in studying. He was recommended to be a fifth-rank left secretary and sent to Jiangzhou. From then on, he was free from all constraints and lived a carefree life, living in a remote place like the emperor.

He...

Nothing goes as planned.

There is no hope for fame and fortune, no chance of a career, and even indulging in pleasures is a mess. I can't even hold my head up in front of the younger generation...

Xue Qingxiu pushed the door open and went out. When the cold wind blew, he felt as if there was a fire burning in his bones and his head hurt as if it was going to explode.

He pushed the boy away again and started cursing under the influence of alcohol.

"I said I'm not drunk! You're the one who wants to control me. Get away! I need to go to the toilet, if you keep getting in the way, I'll tear your head off..."

The servant didn't dare to follow him anymore.

Xue Qingxiu held onto the white jade railing of Qiong Tower and walked up the steps in a depressed manner, humming something.

"The wind is bleak, the moon is like a hook, but it cannot dispel all the sorrow...Qiong Tower is quiet, my heart is like a prisoner, my ambition is hard to achieve without fame..."

His mind was in a mess and he was burping when suddenly someone patted him on the shoulder.

"Master Xue San."

Before Xue Qingxiu could turn around, an arm grabbed his neck like an iron clamp.

Xue Qingxiu cursed, "Who is not afraid of death... er..."

The sharp knife was pressed against his lower back, feeling cold. His words were stuck in his throat and he was mostly sober.

"Are you looking for money... I have money..."

The man's arms were getting tighter and tighter. For a moment, he felt his breathing was short, and his face turned almost the color of liver. He wanted to call for help, but no sound came out. He could only let the two men drag him to a higher place in the dark.

The night wind is cooler and the night is deeper.

Xue Qingxiu looked at the lights across the street and listened to the teasing and laughter coming from Qionglou, and suddenly he shuddered.

He remembered——

This is the place where Sanlang from You Taichang’s family fell from the building!

The murderer! The murderer who killed You Zhimu.

They are not seeking money, but lives.

This realization made Xue Qingxiu struggle violently. He was born thin but tall, and his whole body was very slender like a bamboo pole.

The two men were at a loss as to what to do with him. They could only cover his mouth tightly, one grabbed his collar and the other lifted his leg, trying to push him off the railing.

The railings of the flying bridge in Qionglou were not very high, the lights were dim, and the light was backlit. Xue Qingxiu was exhausted and swayed on the railing, about to fall...

My life is over!

He was exhausted and frightened out of his wits.

Suddenly, the sound of a heavy punch was heard.

Bang! The sturdy man who held his neck staggered back a few steps, and the sharp knife in his hand fell to the ground with a clang.

Someone else grabbed his waist and pushed the other strong man down to restrain him.

Xue Qingxiu escaped death and sat on the ground, breathing heavily. He didn't understand what happened. He subconsciously looked at the two young rangers in front of him and said, "Thank you for your help, heroes. I..."

With a low laugh, he turned around hastily and saw a graceful and beautiful girl, draped in a bright light, standing upright on the steps, and called out softly.

"Uncle Three."

　Xue Qingxiu: I was only 0.00001 seconds away from death. My niece, you should have rescued me earlier...

　　Xue Sui: Push it down.

　　(End of this chapter)