Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 347 Meeting You

Two days later, Wenjia sent the news.

Xue Sui was instructed to go to the Shaquan Hermitage in the south of the city the following afternoon to meet Alimu.

The teahouse was surrounded by water and willows, and was frequented by foreigners; it was very secluded.

Xue Sui understood, and only took Xiao Zhao with him.

Upon arriving at the agreed location, guards were already waiting at the back door of the teahouse.

She gestured for Xiao Zhao to wait outside, then quietly entered the room, walking alone through the shadows cast by the willow trees on the bluestone path.

The courtyard was quiet, and there was no one around.

She walked steadily, glanced at the half-open wooden door, frowned, and pushed it open...

As I stepped inside, a faint, cool breeze swept across the back of my neck...

Without stopping, she instinctively reached out to grab the man's wrist, but heard a low laugh above her head, and the man slipped away like a fish.

"Master Miaozhen has come here alone. Is it to discuss Zen with a foreign merchant? Or... to deliberately follow me?"

This sound...

Xue Sui paused, then suddenly turned around.

Li Zhao stood there, the slanting sunlight streaming over his shoulders, reflecting the coldness in his eyes.

He wasn't wearing the Crown Prince's usual attire, but rather a dark cloud-patterned brocade robe, tightly bound with a jade belt, which made his waist appear even narrower...

Compared to usual, it has a more crisp and aloof feel.

"Princess Wenjia asked me to bring some scriptures to Lord Alimu..." Xue Sui gently placed the brocade box in her arms on the table, looked up to meet his gaze, and gave a proper bow.

"The Buddha's teachings are boundless, and their salvation transcends national boundaries. But what brings Your Highness, the Crown Prince, here?"

Li Zhao lowered his head and looked at her with a smile. "I recently acquired several baskets of fine old tea cakes. I heard that Alimu is an expert in tea ceremony, so I brought them along for him to taste."

Back then in the Zichen Palace, Alimu testified that Ping Le had framed him, which could be considered as helping Li Zhao.

That explanation is plausible.

But how could Xue Sui easily believe in coincidence?

"Your Highness is courteous to the virtuous and considerate of guests from afar; this is truly a sign of benevolence."

A pleased smile curved Li Zhao's lips, as if he could see right through her little scheme.

"There are no outsiders here, why bother with these polite words?"

No outsiders? Who's "insider" to him?
Xue Sui's breath hitched slightly, and the tips of his ears grew warm: "May I ask, Your Highness, which eye saw me following you?"

"Quick-witted." Li Zhao's gaze fell on her slightly pursed lips, and he leaned forward slightly. "I don't like you meeting other men alone. Not even that fat foreigner."

"..." Xue Sui was speechless for a moment.

"You once said that a Zen mind is not made of iron or stone, but can feel warmth and cold. I came here specifically to see you, and I felt no joy whatsoever?"

"Is that so? I don't remember..."

"I have always had a good memory."

As Li Zhao spoke, he reached out to brush the dust from her shoulder, his throat tightening, "Ping An, Gu..."

Suddenly he heard footsteps at the door. He slowly withdrew his hand, sat back down, picked up the teacup that had been poured on the table, and took a sip.

"The Empress Dowager is in good health, all thanks to Master's skillful treatment..."

Xue Sui turned slightly to the side, lowering her eyelids to conceal the fleeting ripples in her eyes.

"Your Highness is too kind. This is merely my duty. Her Majesty the Empress is blessed with good fortune and auspicious signs; how could I dare to claim credit for her..."

Before he could finish speaking, Alimu had already lifted the curtain and entered.

I happened to see the two of them talking, one sitting and one standing.

He rolled his eyes slightly, placed his right hand on his chest and bowed to Li Zhao, then put on a warm smile and looked at Xue Sui.

"Master Miaozhen, you are a rare guest. Please, have a seat..."

After saying this, he personally took the teapot and poured a steaming cup of fragrant tea for each of them. However, he did not explain why he had invited Xue Sui and Li Zhao into the house. Instead, he smiled broadly and tried to smooth things over.

"It is truly a double joy that two distinguished guests have visited at the same time. I am deeply honored..."

On the low table were dried meat, preserved fruit, and piping hot milk wine.

Alimu laughed heartily, slowly and methodically slicing off pieces of dried mutton with a sharp knife, and eagerly offering them to the two men.

"Try the flavors of our Siz, it's best paired with milk wine."

Xue Sui respectfully clasped her hands together, her voice sounding somewhat ethereal through the light veil of her veiled hat.

"I apologize for disturbing you, Master Alimu. I am a vegetarian and abstain from meat."

"Hahaha, it was my oversight. My apologies." Alimu suddenly realized, and casually put the slice of meat into his mouth, then turned to Li Zhao and raised his glass in invitation.

"Your Highness, would you like to try it?"

Li Zhao's gaze was indifferent: "I have already dined at the front."

The atmosphere suddenly became awkward and polite.

The sunlight streamed in at an angle, illuminating the faces of the three people, each lost in their own thoughts.

Li Zhao casually fiddled with his teacup, inquiring about the local customs and culture of Xizi, seemingly paying no attention to Xue Sui.

Alim then launched into a long, detailed account of the exotic landscapes, the hardships of camel caravans, and the mystique of Mount Ulan…

Xue Sui sat quietly to one side, his eyes focused on his nose and his mind on his heart. He was dressed in a simple gray robe, extremely plain.

Occasionally, when Li Zhao's gaze swept over her, she would nod slightly in agreement, like a quiet listener.

The conversation veered from the fine horses of Xiz to the weather in the capital, then from the newly tribute spices to the Cuju (ancient Chinese football) matches arranged by the Honglu Temple...

These are trivial, inconsequential remarks, yet they can be discussed for half an hour.

Alimu's smile remained unchanged, but his eyes gradually revealed anxiety.

Looking at the couple, one smiled calmly, the other looked down demurely, as if they could really drag out this awkward chatter forever.

Finally, Li Zhao put down his teacup and gently tapped his knee with his fingertips.

"It's getting late, and I have other matters to attend to, so I must take my leave. Please continue your conversation..."

Alimu, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, quickly bowed and saw him off.

"Your Highness is busy with official duties, I dare not stay any longer..."

Li Zhao stood up, and a cool breeze stirred up the corner of his robe.

As he passed by Xue Sui, his gaze swept over her, deep and calm, revealing nothing about him.

“Master Miaozhen, I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you to take care of things in the Empress Dowager’s palace.”

"Yes," Xue Sui bowed slightly and replied in a low voice.

Until Li Zhao disappeared into the shade of the willows outside the door.

The tense atmosphere in the room slowly began to ease...

Alimu escorted Li Zhao to the door before returning, closing the door behind him, sitting opposite Xue Sui, taking a big gulp of milk wine, and letting out a satisfied sigh.

"Master Miaozhen and His Highness the Crown Prince have a close relationship." "His Highness is just being considerate of his subordinates." Xue Sui said calmly, changing the subject of the ambiguous topic.

"This humble nun has come today to discuss a business deal with Master Alimu..."

Alimu stroked his beard and smiled meaningfully.

“Master Miaozhen, please speak frankly. Princess Wenjia said that you are a close friend of the Xiz people and a person we can trust…”

Xue Sui's expression remained unchanged, and he asked in a calm tone, "I heard that Lord Alimu is searching for an old friend in the capital?"

Alimu's smile froze slightly, then returned to normal: "I am merely a profit-driven businessman; what old acquaintances could I possibly have to find..."

“Ayinur.” Xue Sui interrupted him directly, his voice clear as the clash of jade stones.

Alimu suddenly stood up, his smile vanishing instantly, his eyes becoming incredibly sharp. The two Siz guards behind him also tensed up, their hands on their sword hilts, their gazes locked on Xue Sui.

“Master Miaozhen…” Alimu’s voice trailed off, “Where did you hear this name?”

“Master Alimu, there’s no need to be nervous.” Xue Sui said in a normal tone, “This humble nun knows this name because the Princess Ayinur you are looking for is currently in the capital.”

Alimu's pupils constricted slightly.

He stared into Xue Sui's eyes, trying to find a trace of deception or probing, but the woman's dark eyes were cool and clear, containing only a bottomless calm.

"Master, is what you say true? Where... is the princess?"

Xue Sui did not answer directly.

Under the watchful eyes of Alimu and the guards, she calmly took out an object wrapped in cotton cloth from her sleeve pocket.

The cloth bundle was peeled back layer by layer.

The dark-colored wolf bone talisman was exposed in the dim light.

"Wolf Bone Talisman!" Alimu exclaimed.

"This is a token bestowed upon the royal family by Mount Ulan. Had it not met with misfortune and its soul returned to the sacred mountain, it would never have been given to anyone else. How could it... be in Master's hands..."

"Everything has its own destiny, and it's not convenient to go into details." Xue Sui raised his eyes, taking in the surprise and doubt in Alimu's eyes, and slowly said, "Most importantly, I know where Ayinur is."

Alimu understood what she meant.

"Master Miaozhen's request... isn't that simple, is it?"

"nature."

Xue Sui didn't mince words and asked directly, "Lord Alimu, can the elite wolf guards under the High Priest be put to my service?"

This almost arrogant request made the guards behind Alimu turn pale and draw their swords.

Alimu raised his hand to stop him.

He stared at the wolf bone talisman, then looked into Xue Sui's deep, dark eyes.

"Master Miaozhen, what a boastful tone! Do you know that if I do as you say, it would be tantamount to betrayal..."

“This is not betrayal,” Xue Sui interrupted him, a faint smile playing on her lips.

“What Amenlah wants is to welcome back his princess, fulfilling the old King Xiz's last wish and settling his long-standing grievances. What your new king wants is peace on the border and the recognition of the Liang court. As for me…”

She slightly raised her eyes; her plain face carried an invisible pressure.

"I want Xiao Yan's life."

Alimu suddenly tightened his grip on the wine cup.

Xue Sui's gaze sharpened as he fixed on him: "Your help to me is your help to yourselves. It's a win-win situation, so why not? Or is it that Lord Alim would rather see Xiz continue to sink deeper into the mire, or even... have the flames of war reignite because of the ambitions of some people..."

Her last sentence was pointed.

Alimu's face instantly turned even more unpleasant.

The delicate balance of power between King Turgutai and Priest Amenlah, the unstable situation within the Siz, and the distant Longxi military governor Xiao Yan and the Longyou army in the western frontier...

Xue Sui's threat was not unfounded.

He clenched his fists tightly.

There was a visible struggle on his face.

Finally, Alimu seemed to have exhausted his strength, and his shoulders relaxed slightly.

"Xiao Yan is a vicious wolf entrenched in the Western Frontier. Killing him... how easy is that?"

"Taking his life isn't urgent," Xue Sui said with a slight smile, seeing that he was softening. "Right now, all I need is evidence of Xiao Yan's past private dealings with Xiz. I believe that Ashina's former royal court retains many valuable items..."

Alimu remained silent.

default.

Xue Sui looked directly into his eyes.

"Furthermore, General Lu is currently in a perilous situation. If anyone is to come to his aid, we must ask the High Priest for assistance to help him escape danger... These two matters demonstrate our sincerity in cooperating."

Alimu pondered for a moment: "Then the person we're looking for..."

“When the time comes, I will naturally tell you where it is.” Seeing his hesitation, Xue Sui smiled and stood up, saying, “If Lord Alimu feels that this is too risky, then just pretend that this humble nun never came today…”

"Master Miaozhen," Alimu called out to her.

"This is a matter of great importance, and I cannot make a decision on my own. I must inform Lord Amonlah so that he can make the final decision."

Xue Sui nodded: "Of course, this humble nun awaits good news."

Alimu's voice was grave: "How can you prove that what you say is true? That you really know the princess's whereabouts..."

Xue Sui lowered her eyes in thought, without giving a direct answer.

After a moment, she suddenly hummed a few lines in a mumbled Siz language...

The melody is desolate and melancholic...

It was very light, yet it struck like a thunderbolt, making Alimu's whole body tremble.

Time seems to be frozen.

Alimu stared at Xue Sui with a complicated expression for a long time before finally bowing in respect.

"If we can find Princess Ayinur, the Xiz Royal Court will forever remember our master's great kindness..."

The deal went exceptionally smoothly.

Xue Sui retrieved the wolf bone talisman and rose to take his leave.

Alimu personally escorted her to the back door, and as he watched her slender figure disappear around the corner, the smile on his face vanished instantly.

Behind him, a trusted guard asked in a low voice:
"Why is the master so accommodating to a mere nun? Why not..."

The guard made a grabbing gesture.

Alimu scoffed, "Did you see the way that Crown Prince looked at you? He's protecting you like the apple of his eye. We can't afford to offend him right now."

The guard looked bewildered: "I don't understand. Wasn't His Highness the Crown Prince here to bring tea to the master?"

Alimu raised his hand and tapped him on the head.

"I told you to use your eyes more and think less, but you wouldn't listen. What kind of status does His Highness the Crown Prince have? Why would he conveniently bring me tea on his way? He's clearly afraid his beloved wife will suffer because of me. Wow. This trip to the capital has truly opened my eyes..."

(End of this chapter)