Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 35 Everyone has their own agenda
Xue Yuechen has been married to Li Huan for many years, but it is rare for the couple to return to her parents' home together.

There was such a big commotion outside, and the man who "came back to life" was at home crying with his mother in his arms. It was ridiculous no matter how you looked at it.

On the way here, Xue Yuechen was still immersed in the grief of his third uncle's death. Now when he saw this, he couldn't even breathe.

"Father, what on earth is going on?"

Xue Qingzhi looked at her and smiled, "It's a long story. Your third uncle just came back and was a little frightened. Go and accompany your grandmother and sisters at home and talk..."

Xue Yuechen frowned, then looked at Li Huan's calm face and understood.

No wonder the prince would accompany her back...

I think he got the news in advance.

But she was kept in the dark.

Li Huan looked calm: "Go ahead. I have something to say to my father-in-law."

Xue Yuechen responded with a smile, feeling compassionate in his heart.

Li Huan is a calm and reserved person. At first glance, he looks like a modest gentleman, with a smile on his face and a gentle expression. But when he stands there with his broad shoulders and tall body, the atmosphere in the whole yard seems to be shrouded by a layer of frost and becomes solemn in an instant.

The prince naturally has an aura of his own.

Besides, everyone in the capital knew that the emperor had five sons, and Prince Duan was the first.

This person is the apple of the emperor's eye. When everyone sees her, they will surely be in awe of her.

Xue Qingzhi stepped forward and bowed: "Your Majesty, please move to Huixian Hall."

Li Huanping raised his hand and said, "Minister Xue, please."

"please."

The family members were very tactful and stepped aside.

Xue Sui held the old lady's arm, blended into the crowd, and lowered his eyes slightly.

However, when Li Huan walked in front of her, he paused.

When he didn't move, the world became quiet.

Everyone looked over, and Li Huan's eyes fell on her face.

Xue Sui could feel the scrutiny from above him, as well as the pressure in that person's eyes. But Li Huan didn't say anything, and the others also held their breath, not daring to speak rashly.

After all, everyone knew that Xue Liu was to be carried into Prince Duan's mansion and the people who would serve this gentleman were his people.

For a few moments, there was no sound.

Xue Yuechen stood next to Li Huan, feeling as if the pain was being cut by a knife and every day felt like a year.

She forced herself to remain calm and glanced at Xue Sui calmly, "Your Highness, what's wrong?"

Li Huan calmly withdrew his gaze with an indifferent expression.

"nothing."

He walked in front with his hands behind his back, his posture upright and his sleeves fluttering.

Xue Yuechen looked at him deeply, turned around and called Feicui to his side, lowered his voice and explained carefully:

"Take the Sixth Miss to the Treasure Pavilion in Yongxingfang to buy some cakes that the prince likes. If the prince stays for dinner later, let her serve them to him as a token of her appreciation."

Jade kneels down and responds.

Just as she was about to leave, Xue Yuechen hurriedly called her back.

"slow."

Emerald paused, waiting.

It took a long while before Xue Yuechen let out a deep sigh.

"Tell the Sixth Miss to dress cleanly and elegantly, and never dress up gaudily. His Highness likes to be dignified and serious, not flirtatious and vulgar. Since we are meeting for the first time, please do not be impolite and annoy His Highness."

Feicui knew that her master was feeling awkward.

On the one hand, he wanted his sister to ward off disaster and give birth to the prince's child for her.

On the other hand, she was unwilling to let her sister get too close to her husband and was unwilling to give her husband to someone else easily, which was really difficult for her.
-
Huixian Hall is the reception hall of Xue Mansion.

Due to the visit of His Royal Highness Prince Duan, the place is busy at the moment.

A dozen well-trained maids were in charge. They were dressed in uniform lotus-green clothes and had their hair combed into neat buns. They were waiting at the door early to greet people with their heads bowed.

Xue Qingzhi invited Prince Duan in, and they filed in, quickly serving tea and snacks to the hall, and then quietly withdrew without making any sound. After dismissing the servants, the room was quiet for a moment.

Li Huan lowered his head and drank tea slowly, his posture elegant and leisurely.

Xue Qingzhi secretly observed the expressions on the side and seemed a little embarrassed.

"Today, your Highness has made a fool of myself by exposing my family's shame."

Li Huan then slowly put down the teacup, gently stroking the edge of the teacup with his fingertips, a smile flashed in his eyes.

"This pre-rain tea has a very astringent taste."

Seeing that he did not mention Xue Qingxiu's resurrection, Xue Qingzhi thought that he had already received the news before coming. He was afraid that he would misunderstand that he knew the news but did not report it, and beads of sweat quietly appeared on his forehead.

"My second brother asked someone to bring back some new tea from Jiangzhou. I think the rain this spring was not abundant, so the tea has lost some of its spirit and is not pleasing to Your Highness. If there is a good product next time, I will present it to Your Highness for tasting."

Li Huan pretended not to hear it, and suddenly raised his lips, revealing a barely noticeable smile.

"Have you ever heard of the Seven Gates of the Big Dipper in the Old Mausoleum Marsh, Lord Shangshu?"

Xue Qingzhi didn't know why he asked this and was stunned.

"I have heard a little bit about it, but that place is mysterious and the people who guard the corpses do not interact with the outside world. No one can explain the ins and outs and secrets. There are many people who spread rumors, so it is hard to tell which is true and which is false..."

Li Huan sat still, his eyes seemed to be able to penetrate people's hearts.

"I have heard some rumors recently. The Seven Gates of the Big Dipper are acting under the orders of the imperial edict. This person's whereabouts are mysterious. It is said that he has peerless skills and extraordinary wisdom. If he gets it, he will be able to maneuver freely."

Xue Qingzhi's heart skipped a beat, and he felt that this matter was difficult, but he remained calm, "I am ignorant, why did Your Highness mention this person?"

Li Huan: "If I can use this person..."

The words are not yet finished, but they are full of deep meaning.

Xue Qingzhi hurriedly bowed and said, "Forgive me for speaking frankly. The Old Mausoleum Swamp was a place that was strictly banned by the late emperor. No one, whether officials or royal family members, can have anything to do with it..."

Li Huan smiled: "As long as you have a will, everything can be turned around. Minister Xue can let Taoist Lingxu see through the secrets of heaven. The king is also in line with the general trend by taking appropriate measures."

Xue Qingzhi was a little unsure of the temper of this nobleman. He just felt a chill on his back. He smiled guiltily and did not respond.

Li Huan just looked at him quietly.

"Minister Xue, do you think that Taoist priest has anything to do with the Qionglou case?"

Xue Qingzhi felt cold all over. "According to what I have seen, there should be... there should be no involvement."

Li Huan glanced sideways: "What about the Laojun Mountain incident? I heard that your brother made great contributions?"

Xue Qingzhi smiled awkwardly, unable to say a word or complain.

The bandits in Laojun Mountain tried to assassinate the prince twice, but the place was defended by natural barriers, and there were numerous secret passages and traps. Not only could outsiders not figure out the truth, but the government also failed to wipe them out despite repeated attempts.

Before today, Xue Qingzhi would at most smile faintly when hearing these things.

Even if Li Huan never told him the truth, he could probably guess that the group of fierce bandits who had been entrenched in Laojun Mountain for many years were most likely connected with Prince Duan, otherwise the situation would not have developed so quickly.

It is possible that this is the force that was secretly cultivated by this person.

Unexpectedly, Laojun Mountain was razed to the ground overnight.

Or was it his younger brother who led the group up the mountain...

Based on Xue Qingzhi's understanding of his younger brother, he had absolutely no ability to accomplish such a great thing.

But the facts are right in front of us, and the third brother is so proud of taking credit for it. Judging from Prince Duan's expression, it doesn't seem like he is faking it, so he has to acknowledge this "credit" whether he wants to or not.

It all depends on how Li Huan thinks.

Xue Qingzhi thought for a moment and said, "Your Highness, can you trust me?"

Li Huan smiled and said, "If I can't even trust my father-in-law, who else can I trust?"

Xue Qingzhi's frown relaxed a lot. "In my opinion, the Eastern Palace must have intervened in this matter. Seeing that the power of the court is gradually falling into the hands of others and many ministers are vying to curry favor with the prince, how can he sleep peacefully? If he does not try to check and balance, I am afraid that those who are attached to him will sooner or later become alienated. He must compete with the prince to see who is better and who is better, so that he can stabilize his position..."

Li Huan chuckled, his eyes became much sharper.

"Bring the old Taoist priest here, I will interrogate him personally."

　Xue Sui: See you tomorrow, my fellow readers. I feel uneasy because I didn’t see the warm little hands. Is it because my story is not interesting?

　　Li Zhao: If I don’t show up, who will care about you?

　　
　　(End of this chapter)