Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 335 Moon-Gazing Platform

Xue Sui gazed calmly at the city walls blurred by the mist and rain, remaining silent.

A night breeze swept by, and only her wide sleeves fluttered in the wind.

"Why are you silent?" Li Zhao stared at her, keenly catching the fleeting worry on her face.

“I thought Your Highness would ask?” Xue Sui said.

Li Zhao raised an eyebrow, a faint smile playing on his lips. "But when you went to the palace today, did your mother say something unpleasant that put you in a difficult position?"

Xue Sui couldn't help but chuckle, "Why is Your Highness so worried about the Empress?"

Li Zhao remained silent, his brows furrowed.

Xue Sui knew that he had survived in the cracks of power since childhood, and that people in the palace were unpredictable; even between a biological mother and son, affection could easily become distant...

So she avoided the topic and only talked about serious matters.

"Princess Wenjia being confined to her quarters was to be expected. She is of a strong character, and although her remonstrance with her life failed to save the Lu family, it made His Majesty hesitate in his rage, which clearly touched him... Such courage is not entirely useless."

After saying that, he blinked casually, a faint smile on his face.

"It was Xiao Qing'er who took the bait very easily."

“Oh? Xiao Qing’er has always been arrogant and suspicious…” Li Zhao glanced at her, moved slightly closer to her, and his interest intensified.

How did you persuade her?

“Fear of death is human nature.” Xue Sui met his gaze calmly and recounted the scene of meeting Xiao Qing’er in the Cold Palace that day.

"She has a history of evil deeds and a guilty conscience. When she administered the aphrodisiac to His Majesty, she must have 'tested the poison' to prove her innocence and clear her name. Although the drug has no aphrodisiac effect on women, it is a harsh and pungent substance that is most harmful to the liver and kidneys. I observed the dark circles under her eyes and the bulging blood vessels, which suggests that there is a buildup of drug toxicity, which led me to this conclusion—"

She paused, then smiled again.

“If someone points it out, she will definitely be afraid. At the critical moment of life and death, she will not have the option to disbelieve.”

Li Zhao chuckled softly upon hearing this, a hint of helplessness and self-mockery in his eyes.

"You little liar! Back then, you said that the Love Silk Needle required blood to be exchanged and yin and yang to be balanced in order to detoxify me, and tricked me into drinking the Blood Tea and accidentally being poisoned by the Love Silk Gu... Then you tricked me into spending a huge sum of money to buy Love Silk Flower seeds, and I took care of you day and night, as if you were an idiot... Now, you're trying to fool Xiao Qing'er with some antidote for the Yang-inducing Powder. You really can deceive anyone you see, and you can do it with ease."

Xue Sui slightly raised his eyelashes.

"Those love flowers are blooming so beautifully, Your Highness. Do you not find them attractive? Or...does Your Highness regret drinking that bowl of blood tea?"

She tilted her head slightly, her tone innocent.

The candlelight on the Moon-Viewing Platform flickered in her eyes.

In a moment of distraction, a rare agility and cunning appeared on his face.

She was so charming, like rouge spreading in an inkstone, inadvertently staining the edge of the paper.

Li Zhao's heart suddenly skipped a beat, as if a feather had gently brushed against it...

A tingling sensation spread along my spine; how could I possibly harbor any resentment?

Let alone the Love-Thread Gu, even the Intestinal-Piercing Poison, if she offered it to them, they would probably gladly accept it...

“Peace…” Li Zhao’s breath hitched slightly, and his Adam’s apple bobbed.

He suddenly stepped forward, took her slightly cool wrist, and ran his fingertips over the healed scab. His voice lowered, carrying a barely perceptible tenderness.

"The palace is fraught with danger, and you need to take good care of the Empress Dowager. It's been too much for you... I don't want you to be in any more danger..."

"Your Highness's journey to the Western Frontier is truly a den of dragons and tigers," Xue Sui said softly. "In the capital, Xiao Song still needs to maintain a facade of politeness, but in the Western Frontier, far from the emperor's reach, Xiao Yan holds considerable military power and will only act more recklessly."

"This isn't the first time I've ventured into a dragon's den or a tiger's lair." Li Zhao's eyes flashed sharply as he looked towards the dark clouds looming over the city in the west.

"However, Li Huan is probably hoping that I will leave the capital and go to the western frontier in person. But I refuse to grant his wish..."

Isn't he going?

Xue Sui's mind raced, and the corners of his lips curved into a smile.

"So, in the Zichen Palace, you deliberately provoked Xiao Song to question your relationship with Lu Youan, forcing His Majesty to have doubts and reject your request to personally go to the Western Frontier?"

Li Zhao smiled enigmatically, "Even an old fox can fall for new tricks."

Xue Sui nodded, his tone conveying a sense of understanding.

“Only by remaining detached can one gain a comprehensive understanding of the situation. Although Your Highness has anticipated the opportunity, getting involved will inevitably expose flaws and arouse His Majesty's suspicion. It is still a bit risky…”

Li Zhao: "If I don't reveal the slightest flaw, how can I lure the snake out of its hole and expose their true colors?"

He paused for a moment, then couldn't resist reaching out and pinching her pretty face, a smile playing on his lips.

"Just watch as I lay a trap to uproot them completely..."

Xue Sui was stunned.

It wasn't because of what he said.

It was because of his warm hands and ambiguous temperature.

Their breaths mingled close together, and even the rain and mist seemed to solidify into threads of affection.

The darkness of night and the lingering rain obscured the unspoken understanding.

Xue Sui coughed lightly, a hint of mockery in his voice, to conceal the fleeting ripples in his heart.

"Your Highness is cunning and shrewd; when it comes to deceiving people, he's just as adept. One scheme after another..."

“It’s all thanks to Ping An’s excellent teaching.” Li Zhao’s smile deepened as he gently stroked her wrist with his fingertips, the pressure tender yet allowing no escape. “Even if I could deceive the whole world, I would never deceive you. If anyone dares to cheat you out of a single hair, I will make their entire family pay with their lives, grind their bones to dust.”

Xue Sui: "This humble nun has already shaved her head and has no hair to harm."

"Xue Ping'an. You really are..."

This sudden turn of events left Li Zhao's tender feelings stuck in his throat.

Looking at the woman's serious expression, he felt both annoyed and amused, and reached out to pull down her hood.

"I'd like to see what tricks you're up to, little nun..."

On the Moon-Viewing Platform, the two pushed each other back and forth, their shadows overlapping in the lamplight, the soft rustling of their clothes audible...

They were so close that they could see the moisture on each other's eyelashes...

The air was so thick it seemed impossible to dissolve.

Li Zhao suddenly lowered his head and moved closer, trapping the person in his arms.

His broad chest shielded her from the chill of the night wind, and his scent, carrying the crisp fragrance of orchids and a faint hint of ambergris, instantly enveloped her.

"Safety."

He pulled his arm back, the force carrying an irresistible sense of cherishing.

"Once I have cleared the court, I will return you to the mortal world."

The night wind howled, causing his clothes to flutter.

Xue Sui did not break free from his grip, letting him hold her hand. She raised her other hand and gently brushed away a strand of black hair from his cold, handsome face. The movement was natural, carrying a sense of comfort, as if she were brushing away a heavy burden from his shoulders.

"Rest assured, Your Highness, I will stand with you through thick and thin."

"The mountains and rivers are our bond, life and death are our curse." Li Zhao whispered, nudging her hood with the tip of his nose to reveal her smooth forehead. He gently kissed it, his fingertips tracing the outline of her brow bone. Finally, he buried his chin deeply in her forehead, as if soothing an uneasy young animal.

"Is it alright?" he asked.

Xue Sui did not answer.

Their eyes met in the night, and without a word, they understood each other.

In this life-or-death power struggle, they are each other's only solid support, the only ones who can entrust their backs to each other amidst the clash of swords.
-
In the princess's mansion.

Wen Jia stood by the window, gazing at the drizzling spring rain, her eyes red and swollen, her face as pale as paper.

"Princess, you haven't eaten all day, please have something," Dongxu said worriedly, holding a bowl of congee.

Wen Jia shook her head.

After a moment of silence, he suddenly turned around and looked at me with a firm gaze.

"Dongxu, I have something to tell you. But this matter is difficult, and I fear it may cost you your life. Do you dare to go?"

Dongxu felt a chill run down her spine, and without hesitation, she put down the bowl of porridge, knelt down on the ground, and stroked her skirt.

"This servant's life was given to her by the princess; she would gladly face any danger, even death! Please give your orders, princess."

Wen Jia hesitated for a moment, bit her lower lip, and a resolute look flashed in her eyes.

"Come with me—"

She went into the inner room, pulled open a hidden compartment in the most secret corner of the wardrobe, took out an object wrapped in silk, and whispered:
"Take this and find a way to get out of the manor and deliver it to Shuiyue Nunnery. Remember, you must hand it over to Master Miaozhen yourself; you must not entrust it to anyone else."

When Dongxu saw the outline of the object clearly, he was shocked and almost lost his voice.

“Princess, isn’t this the wolf bone talisman that the High Priest gave us before he left the capital? This… this… if it’s discovered, it’s a capital offense…”

"I know."

Wen Jia's expression was sorrowful yet incredibly resolute.

She sat down at the desk and began to write rapidly on the blank paper.

His face appeared calm, but his fingertips were trembling slightly.

"To repay General Lu's kindness, it would be worth sacrificing my life."

"Princess, please reconsider..."

Dongxu's tears flowed freely.

"Her secret affair with the High Priest is already controversial, and now the princess has angered the Emperor... If this matter is exposed, His Majesty might really be determined to kill her. Perhaps... we should think of another way, instead of risking our lives..."

“My mind is made up.” Wen Jia clenched the letter he had just written, his fingertips turning white. “Master Miaozhen is someone I trust, and she is my last hope for rescuing General Lu. Please tell her for me that Wen Jia is willing to entrust her life to her, only asking to save Zhongliang. Every word in this letter comes from the bottom of my heart.”

Looking at the resolute look in the princess's eyes, Dongxu nodded heavily, tears streaming down his face.

"Princess, rest assured, even if it costs me my life, I will deliver it to Master Miaozhen."

Wenjia wrapped the items up and handed them to her.

"Go ahead, and be careful in everything you do."

Dongxu bowed deeply, then turned and sewed the wolf bone talisman and the letter together into the lining of his undergarment. He then turned and left, groping his way through the bamboo grove in the backyard in the dark...

　Li Zhao: It's too plain. What do you think, readers?
　　Xue Sui: This humble nun has become a nun. She can only eat vegetarian food…

　　Li Zhao: Forget it, I'll just take some Love Silk Essence.

　　(End of this chapter)