Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 79: Twins of One Life

If you make eye contact with someone, it would be inappropriate to pretend you didn't see them.

Xue Sui nodded slightly, "Your Highness."

Li Huan pulled the reins, his black brocade robe swaying gently in the wind. His handsome face beneath his sword-like brows was stained with an unspeakable fatigue, and it was obvious that he had just been through a long journey.

Looking at Xue Sui, his brows furrowed for a moment.

"Where is Miss Xue Liu from?"

We are not that familiar with each other, so just exchange simple greetings and then go our separate ways.

Xue Sui didn't expect Li Huan to ask this question suddenly, and he felt a little nervous.

So he bowed his head and said respectfully: "Recently, there has been a lot of unrest at home. My mother has been ill and can't get up. Xue Liu went to Puji Temple to fast for three days and pray for my mother to show my filial piety."

Li Huan looked over and his gaze lingered on her face.

"How is Master Jingkong from Puji Temple?"

There is no doubt that Li Huan is a smart guy.

Even if Xue Yuechen had concealed the truth from him and specifically went to find Xue Liu, he must have known his princess very well and just didn't expose it. However, he clearly didn't trust Xue Sui, and if an ordinary person asked this question, he might be exposed.

Xue Sui said: "To be honest with you, Your Highness, I did have the opportunity to meet Master Jingkong, but unfortunately the master is about to travel far away to Zixiao Temple to perform a ritual for Taoist Lingxu who died innocently many years ago. I don't have the opportunity to learn more..."

The fake Lingxu used the real Lingxu's identity to cheat, not only did he harm Xue Sui, but he also buried the real Lingxu in the weeds of the deep mountains and old forests, and his body has long been lost. Jingkong and others can only look for a few old things to make a mage's cenotaph and a tomb...

Li Huan personally interrogated Lingxu that day and knew all these things...

I also know that Xue Sui is the victim of the whole incident.

He said, "Ms. Xue Liu is filial."

Xue Sui looked at him, as if stunned, and then smiled shyly.

"Thank you for the compliment, Your Majesty."

Her voice was so low that it was almost inaudible.

Li Huan smiled, nodded slightly, turned around and rode away.

There were so many people coming and going here that it was inconvenient to say more. Even if he wanted to ask something, it would not be appropriate. Xue Sui watched the team of dozens of people slowly leave and smelled a familiar smell in the breeze...

The smell of the old mausoleum swamp.
-
After returning home, Xue Sui first went to Shou'anyuan to pay his respects to the old lady.

Before I even entered the house, I heard Xue Yueman crying in grief in the yard...

A good marriage ended up in tatters. The Eighth Girl was caught off guard and was completely confused.

The old lady had a gloomy face and did not look happy when she saw her granddaughter crying. In the past two days, she was so angry that her hair turned white again.

Xue Yueman was even more disrespectful, crying and saying:
"Please allow me to leave the house, old lady. I want to find him and find out the truth..."

Guo Zhaoxuan promised personally that he would marry no one but her in this life. Even if the elders in his family objected, he would find ways to protect her. A promise cannot be changed just like that.

The old lady's face fell.

"If you don't want to be a concubine, then give up the idea as soon as possible. Duke Zheng has said that if you want to marry into the Guo family again, you have to be a concubine."

The Xue family is also a prominent family. The Duke Zheng's Mansion has said that the girls of the Xue family are not decent and are not fit to be wives. How could they have the audacity to approach them?

"You stay in the mansion quietly. After a few days, when things have calmed down, I will ask someone to find a good man for you..."

It’s already like this, how can there be any good person?
Xue Yue knew very well that it was nothing more than finding a man with a humble family background who wanted to curry favor with the Xue family and getting rid of him.

By then, not to mention that her sisters would laugh at her, her in-laws might even look down on her...

"Grandma..." Xue Yueman knelt down and walked forward, pulling the old lady's sleeve.

"If I can't marry into the Duke's Mansion, my granddaughter will die. Now there are only two options. Either marry into the Duke Zheng's Mansion, or... I can only run into a wall and die, saving the Xue family's reputation."

The old lady jerked out her sleeves, impatient.

"Then just go ahead and kill yourself. It'll be a clean death! It won't bother me anymore..."

Before she finished speaking, she saw Jinshu standing at the door and bowing.

"Madam, the Sixth Miss is back and is waiting outside to greet you."

Mrs. Cui immediately put on a smiling face, and the cloud of anger seemed to dissipate in an instant.

"Then what are you waiting for? Why don't you let the sixth girl in quickly?"

Xue Sui came in with a smile on his face and asked Xiao Zhao and Ruyi to present a sandalwood Buddha statue that they had obtained from Puji Temple to Old Lady Cui.

"My granddaughter specially asked Master Jinghong to perform a sacral auspicious ceremony, saying that it would protect the family and grandma's health."

Ruyi smiled and said, "Old lady, this Buddha statue was not easy to come by. The Sixth Miss got up early every morning and listened to Master Jinghong's Dharma lessons for three days. When she had nothing to do, she would go to the Master to ask for advice on how to preach the sutras. The Master said that our Sixth Miss has wisdom, so he gave her this Buddha statue."

The old lady was very happy.

Let them talk about what happened in the mountain.

Listen with gusto.

"Next time we go to the mountains to worship Buddha, grandma will take you with her."

Xue Sui smiled and said, "That would be great. I can take care of my grandmother when I go there. The monks in the temple all said that my granddaughter is almost half a monk, so they asked her to find Master Jinghong and become a lay disciple..."

The old lady laughed out loud when she heard this.

"You are such a smart girl, you are popular wherever you go..."

Having said that, he glanced at Xue Yueman.

"Why don't you go out? Go back to your room. Your father said that you are not allowed to go out these days. If I know that you go out without permission again and cause any trouble, I will peel off your skin."

Xue Yueman watched this scene with his teeth clenched tightly.

She asked tearfully, "Grandma is so cruel to me, why is she so kind to my sixth sister?"

The old lady glared at her, "If you were half as obedient as the sixth girl and brought less shame to the Xue family, I would treat you the same way!"

Xue Yueman shook his head again.

wrong.

This is all wrong!
An abandoned girl, returned home in just one month, and turned the house upside down. Everyone praised her for being filial, and even the emperor gave her a plaque, and her grandmother doted on her...

Everything is upside down.

Everything is upside down.

The person kneeling here and crying should be Xue Liu.

She should be the one who is favored, praised by her grandmother, and marries well.
-
Xue Sui returned home to rest for a while and had a meal with Xue Ji. Seeing that the weather was fine in the afternoon, he took Ming Ge'er out and said he was going to see Mr. Shu for acupuncture.

This is her best excuse to enter and leave the mansion now. With the old lady's permission, no one will stop her.

She went to Sangliuyuan, but didn't see Tianshu. Instead, Yaoguang was waiting there.

Yaoguang told him, "My eldest brother has returned to the Old Mausoleum Swamp and will come back after you get married."

He pushed a few prescriptions to Xue Sui.

"Brother has already written the prescription. You know how to take it."

Xue Sui nodded, "Brother, are you going back for the sacrifice?"

Every year, the sacrifice at the Old Mausoleum Swamp was organized by the eldest brother. He had never been absent, and this year would be no exception. Yaoguang nodded.

After a brief thought, he said:
"Li Huan left Beijing this time and went to Yunlu Mountain."

Xue Sui understood after hearing this.

Li Huan actually came back from Yunlu Mountain after offering sacrifices.

She smiled slightly. "This man is scheming and ambitious, but the emperor can give him this task, which shows his trust. Humph, a prince who is deeply favored by the emperor, holding great power, and can compete with the East Palace, and a princess who is arrogant and vicious, setting up a government and appointing officials. They say that the emperor is unintentional, but it is clear that he is intentional. They say that he is intentional, but he is also unintentional..."

Yaoguang glanced at her and asked, "Why, Thirteen is worried about the East Palace?"

Xue Sui was stunned.

Smile.

"Did Senior Sister Yuheng punish you? Come and tease me."

Yaoguang narrowed his eyes slightly and smiled lazily: "The love silk Gu is born with twins. Yuheng has been looking for it for so long, but he only found a pair. I have been asking for it for a long time, but you still took advantage of me. Do you think I accept it?"

Xue Sui glanced at him and said, "Senior Sister Yuheng has more than one pair, but she doesn't want to give you one. Seventh brother, be more careful. Watch out for Senior Sister Yuheng finding you a brother-in-law one day, and then let Master marry you to the butcher's wife in Wang the Butcher's family..."

The young lady from Butcher Wang's family sells pork at Jiuling Swamp.

The girl was strong and sturdy, holding kitchen knives in both hands, and she handled them very well.

Yaoguang bowed and begged for mercy again and again.

Finally, he leaned over and asked, "Thirteen, what kind of man do you think Senior Sister Yuheng likes?"

Xue Sui thought about it and shook his head.

"The human heart is like the sea, how can you guess it? If you are sincere, treat her sincerely. If she loves you, respond. If she doesn't love you, don't get entangled. Love is the most unforgivable thing. Don't even think about the love thread Gu. Why would Senior Sister use the love thread Gu to hinder marriage?"

Yaoguang remained expressionless, but his heart was beating like a drum.

How can there be true love when you control people with love poison?

He asked: "Then why did you use the love thread Gu on the one in the East Palace?"

Xue Sui rolled his eyes: "Children shouldn't ask too many questions about adults' affairs."

Yaoguang raised his hand and pretended to knock her on the forehead.

Xue Sui moved away, and the two of them started laughing.

Xiao Zhao laughed along.

Even Mingge, who knew nothing, laughed.

Only Ruyi was amazed by the sight.

She had been with the girl for so long, and had always seen her being cautious and careful in every move she made, and her words and actions were flawless and she never made any mistakes. She had never seen the girl be so girlish, with a bright smile and sparkling eyes. At this moment, she was what a teenage girl should be like.
-
When Li Huan returned to Beijing, he did not go back to the palace, but went to the palace to report to the emperor first.

The emperor had just come back from his morning court session, and the father and son sat down in the Qianyuan Hall.

After a few pleasantries, Emperor Chongzhao, looking tired, asked Li Huan about the sacrificial ceremony. As in previous years, Li Huan did not say anything extra and reported everything to him.

The topic of the Old Mausoleum Swamp is already taboo.

Unexpectedly, Emperor Chongzhao pondered for a moment and suddenly spoke.

"Beside the ancient pavilion halfway up Yunlu Mountain, where the stream flows, there is an acacia tree. It's very tall, right?"

Li Huan was slightly startled.

In his opinion, his father had never set foot in Yunlu...

Why do you know this?
Li Huan said: "The branches are luxuriant and the leaves are luxuriant, and the canopy is towering to the sky."

Emperor Chongzhao nodded, pressed his aching temple, and coughed twice. Wang Chengxi quickly brought a spittoon and handed the emperor water and a handkerchief.

Li Huan looked at the emperor's swollen eye bags and furrowed brows.

"Father, please take care of your health."

Emperor Chongzhao wiped his hands and threw the handkerchief into Wang Chengxi's tray.

"Come with me to Huayi Palace later to see your sister..."

Li Huan said respectfully, "I was thinking the same thing. When I came back, I heard that Pingle's illness hadn't improved... I know a folk doctor who has some insights into strange diseases. Would you like to ask him to take a look?"

Emperor Chongzhao said, "The Imperial Hospital has thought of all the methods they can think of. You can try it out. It depends on her luck. Now she is taking medicine. Except for being a little weak, she is no different from an ordinary person. But she can't live without medicine. She is so young, how can she survive?"

Li Huan sighed and said no more.

The father and son came out of Qianyuan Hall and just stepped into the corridor leading to Huayi Hall, they saw the East Palace's sedan chair coming over.

Seeing the emperor and Li Huan walking, Li Zhao raised his hand to signal, then got off the sedan chair and stepped forward to pay their respects.

"I have been recuperating in the palace for a few days and am now well again. I have come to pay my respects to you, Father..."

Emperor Chongzhao raised his hand, motioning him to stand up, and said, "Your brother and I are about to go to Huayi Palace..."

Li Zhao did not wait for the emperor to finish speaking, and he bowed and responded: "I will go with you, father."

Emperor Chongzhao frowned slightly, his eyelids twitched, and he nodded.

"Brothers and sisters should live in harmony and visit each other more often."

Li Zhao asked the bearers of the sedan chair to leave on their own and walked with Emperor Chongzhao and Li Huan.

Emperor Chongzhao was in front, and he and Li Huan were behind. After walking for a while, Li Zhao's pace slowed down. Li Huan found that he had not kept up and that he was actually walking ahead of him. He stopped again and waited for Li Zhao to pass before slowing down to catch up.

He strictly observes etiquette and never oversteps the boundaries.

Li Zhao stopped and slightly spread his hands to signal, politely saying, "My Royal Highness, please."

Such deliberate actions actually make people feel very uncomfortable...

The former prince was arrogant, conceited, unruly, and incompatible with Pingle. How could he be so kind as to visit her?

Li Huan couldn't help but look at him a few more times.

"I heard that the Crown Prince was ill, and I was very worried. I wanted to come to the East Palace to see him earlier, but I was busy with official duties recently and couldn't get away..."

Li Zhao smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, my brother. I am very strong. I will be back to health after taking some medicine. But my brother... I heard that your family will take in a new person soon. My brother is in charge of state affairs, so don't forget to take care of yourself."

Li Huan's heart skipped a beat.

The last time he was reported to the Censorate was because Concubine Xiao wanted to add a new person to his palace, and she said that he was colluding with powerful officials and secretly having collusion with them.

Li Zhao didn't say it explicitly, but given his father's suspicious nature, he couldn't help but have wild thoughts.

He said, "The princess felt sorry for me for not having a child, and wanted to add a child to the palace. She chose my own sister, and I couldn't refuse, so I had to go with the flow."

Li Zhao smiled and said, "My brother is so lucky."

Emperor Chongzhao suddenly turned around and said, "That Miss Xue Liu is kind-hearted and generous. She is a good person."

Li Zhao pursed his lips slightly, as if smiling but not smiling, as if happy but not happy.

It is said that there is no father-son relationship in the royal family since ancient times. Within the red walls and yellow tiles, the balance of interests between the monarch and his subjects often overshadows the warmth of blood ties. It has been many years since the three of them walked together in such a calm manner and talked about family matters. All the way to Huayi Palace, the stone road under their feet kept winding. In this rare short journey, they were bathed in a long-lost family affection.

However, when Li Huan saw Li Zhao smiling from time to time, he felt gloomy in his heart.

There is still a truth missing about what happened at Zhulin Yage that day.

See you at dinner, sisters~