Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 321 Unease
Xue Yueying deliberately glanced at Xue Sui's monk's robe, her face filled with undisguised sarcasm.

"Ninth Sister is truly blessed to have remarried. Please, nun, come and perform the blessing and chanting of sutras..."

She deliberately dragged out her tone, her gaze sweeping over Xue Sui.

"Those who know say it's because Sixth Sister is thinking of family ties and her worldly ties are not yet severed. Those who don't know, seeing her sitting here with that 'ethereal' aura, would think she's at a nunnery for a wedding. Tsk tsk, isn't she more eye-catching than the bride herself?"

These words were barbed and extremely sarcastic.

It satirized Xue Sui's inappropriate status and subtly belittled Xue Yue'e, who was about to get married, bringing the old grudges that everyone knew about to come to light.

Madam Qian's face darkened, and she was about to reprimand him.

Xue Sui slowly put down his teacup and raised his eyes.

"Mrs. Gu."

Her gaze was calm and still, like a deep pool.

There was no anger at being offended, nor the slightest embarrassment; his voice was clear and melodious, like shattered jade striking ice.

"The child is crying, perhaps because there are too many people and the air is too noisy here, and he has been disturbed. Today is a warm spring day, and the flowers and trees in the garden are in full bloom. If Madam Gu has some free time, why not take the young master for a walk in the garden to get some fresh air? That might calm him down and stop his crying?"

Every word she uttered was full of concern for the children, and her tone was so gentle that there was nothing wrong with it.

But to Xue Yueying, every word sounded like she was being unreasonable, disregarding her child's health, and causing trouble.

Xue Yueying's face instantly darkened.

Just as she was about to retort, young Gu Yu seemed to sense his mother's emotions, and his crying grew louder. He opened his mouth wide, his little face turned red, and he let out a heart-wrenching wail.

"Fourth Miss." Madam Qian promptly displayed the authority of the matriarch.

“Yu’er is crying like this, why don’t you, as his mother, take him down and comfort him? Sixth Sister is right, the child is small and delicate, he can’t stand too many people and noise.”

Then she turned her head and instructed, "Take the Fourth Miss to the West Wing to rest, and bring some warm milk porridge to calm the boy down. Sigh, there are still many days before the Ninth Miss gets married. The mansion is in a mess, so there's no need to rush. Just take good care of the child."

Her tone was soft yet firm, which was quite embarrassing.

Xue Yueying lost face in front of Qian Shi, and seeing her son crying and making a fuss, she also lost her composure.

But she's thick-skinned now and doesn't care about these things anymore.

"Thank you for your concern, Auntie."

After saying that, he gave a cold laugh, glared at Xue Sui, bent down to pick up the crying child, and turned to leave.

A brief silence fell over the hall.

Madam Qian clutched her chest, spat under her breath, and cursed:

"What a shallow-minded woman. Just because she gave birth to a prince's illegitimate child, she thinks she's something special. Doesn't she ever think about her husband, who hasn't come home for half a year, avoiding her like the plague? Bah, wearing a golden crown with a naked bottom—shameful and pretentious, pretending to be comfortable while living a widow's life..."

She stopped mid-sentence, seemingly realizing it was inappropriate, and swallowed her words.

Xue Sui glanced sideways and suddenly asked, "It's been a long time since I've heard any news about Gu Wulang?"

Madam Qian was taken aback, then looked nervously at Xue Sui and lowered her voice to say:
"My dear little aunt, you don't still...have feelings for him, do you?"

"What are you thinking about, Third Aunt?" Xue Sui smiled gently, picked up the teacup again, and spoke in a voice so soft it sounded like a sigh.

"I just felt that he was unusually quiet."

The page belonging to Gu Jie in that burned picture book has been reduced to ashes.

However, she still had doubts. Gu Jie had been completely silent lately. Was he lying low, or had he truly lost his spirit?
Seeing her frowning and silent, Madam Qian assumed she was reminiscing about the past, and felt both admiration and heartache.

"Only you can put up with her like this. Never mind, let's not talk about her, it'll only bring bad luck. Come on, let's go to the old lady's room. It's time for her medicine, I have to keep an eye on it, lest something goes wrong again and your third uncle comes to nag me..."
-
The air inside Shou'an Temple was filled with the aroma of medicine.

The originally quiet atmosphere became more lively than usual due to Xue Sui's arrival.

Upon hearing that Xue Sui had returned, Xue Yuelou brought Mingge'er to join in the fun. He pulled her aside to ask about her life, mentioning the hardships of life in the nunnery and the upcoming marriage of Xue Yue'e. For a while, the atmosphere was lively and bustling.

Grandma Cui leaned against the pillow, looking much better than she had a few days ago.

He looked at the children with a kind and gentle expression, a rare smile appearing in his cloudy eyes.

"Grandma, Grandma...Great news, wonderful news..."

A errand boy rushed to the entrance of Shou'an Hall, panting, his face beaming with uncontainable joy. He disregarded etiquette and started shouting through the door, his voice distorted.

"My lord! My lord has been reinstated... The official document from the Ministry of Personnel just arrived at your residence. My lord sent me here immediately to deliver the good news to the old lady..."

The room filled with laughter and chatter instantly fell silent.

The crowd looked at each other, seemingly incredulous.

Xue Qingzhi has been suspended from his post and is under investigation. He has been unemployed at home for several months, and the entire Xue family is shrouded in this dark cloud.

The sudden reinstatement was like the sun breaking through the clouds...

After a moment of eerie silence, an even greater burst of joy erupted in the room. Qian clasped her hands together and chanted Amitabha Buddha.

The ailing old lady, Mrs. Cui, sat up straight, her lips trembling, and said repeatedly, "Okay, okay! Quick! Help me up..."

Xue Yuelou forgot her composure, excitedly grabbing Xue Sui's hand, her eyes reddening, her voice choked with sobs.

"Sixth Sister, did you hear that? Father has been reinstated!"

Xue Qingzhi's reinstatement signifies that the Xue family has regained its foothold in the imperial court.

This is a true resurrection.

Xue Sui slowly raised his eyes, a perfectly timed smile on his face.

"That's right... It's a very happy occasion."

Her joy was veiled by a thin layer of gauze, calm and restrained.

Upon seeing this, Madam Qian's heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously recalled what Madam Qian had just said in the main hall.

The sixth girl's reaction was excessively calm...

As if she already knew?
The thought flashed through her mind so quickly that she couldn't quite grasp it, yet it inexplicably tightened her chest.

"In the end... we survived this ordeal." Old Mrs. Cui was helped up and leaned against her maid, only then realizing that she was covered in a cold sweat.

She repeatedly touched her chest, tears welling up in her eyes.

"The military supplies scandal was such a huge scandal, how many heads were lost in the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue, how many families were raided? It's a miracle that our family survived unscathed. We owe it all to our ancestors' blessings, and also to our second son, who risked his life to earn this respectable reputation for the family..."

"Grandma, please don't say that, it'll only upset you."

Madam Qian hurriedly stepped forward to comfort him, but her gaze involuntarily drifted towards Xue Sui again.

"If you ask me, it's our sixth young lady who is blessed with good fortune. Look, as soon as she returned, the whole manor was filled with joy. What else could she be but a lucky star?"

Xue Sui's eyelashes drooped slightly.

"Father's reinstatement is due to His Majesty's wisdom and Second Uncle's merits. I have never contributed anything. Third Aunt, please don't say such things, it's too kind of me."

Seeing that she was unwilling to accept it, Qian smiled awkwardly and said no more.

Mrs. Cui was so caught up in the joy of her son's reinstatement that she didn't notice the subtlety in her words.

"Sixth daughter is certainly a blessed person. Of all my granddaughters, she's the most sensible. It's a pity that she had to cut her hair and become a nun at such a young age..."

She still harbored resentment over Xue Sui's choice.

Xue Sui didn't speak, but her lips curled up slightly, almost imperceptibly.

Li Huan was forced to release the prisoners, Xiao Qing'er completely lost power, and the Xiao family was pushed to the forefront of public opinion. The military supplies case burned away many of Li Huan's henchmen and also burned away the Xiao family's wings.

The deceased Master Xue was the victim of the case who died a loyal and courageous death in the line of duty.

Xue Qingzhi had served in the Ministry of Justice for many years. Although he was affiliated with Prince Duan, he was at most a marginal figure in this case. No concrete evidence was found, making him a rare "clean" and "hardworking" official.

Moreover, he was Li Huan's father-in-law.

At this critical juncture, Prince Duan's faction, in order to consolidate their own power and demonstrate their strength when the Xiao family was in decline, seized the opportunity to reinstate him to his original position, which was a very shrewd move.

As expected, there were no surprises whatsoever.

Such great joy suddenly arrived, and everyone's voices became louder.

Outside the window in the courtyard, several late-blooming magnolias unfurled their large, pure white blossoms in the afternoon spring sunshine, their rich fragrance drifting in on the breeze.

A scene full of vitality.

however……

Before the festive atmosphere inside the house had fully subsided, someone from Shouan-in came to report again.

"Madam, the Duke of Zheng's mansion, the third young lady of the Duke of Zheng's mansion has arrived. She did not enter the mansion, but her carriage stopped outside the gate, and she specifically asked to see the sixth young lady."

The Duke of Zheng's Mansion?

They were the first noble family to fall from grace in the military supplies case.

It was only because His Majesty remembered the past merits of the Guo family ancestors and Guo Zhaohuai took responsibility for his crimes before his death that he was able to retain his title.

What is Guo San Guniang doing here at this moment?
He even specifically asked to see the Sixth Sister?

Xue Sui paused slightly on the teacup, smiled calmly, his eyes still displaying the same serene expression.

"Please invite Miss Guo to the flower hall for tea. Tell her I will be there shortly."

　Goodnight, sisters, see you tomorrow.

　　P.S.: Please vote! Please vote!
　　(End of this chapter)