Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 87: Bustling Palace
The front hall of Prince Duan’s Mansion.

Li Huan had just received the news about the Auspicious Beast Bridge from the guards when he heard a shout coming from outside the door.

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived——"

A hint of coldness flashed across Li Huan's eyes, but it disappeared in an instant.

Then he straightened the corner of his robe, smiled gently, quickened his pace and went to meet him.

At this time, Li Zhao's carriage stopped steadily at the main gate, just as Xue Sui arrived...

The open corner gate is for welcoming new brides into the palace.

But today, Prince Duan's Mansion is open to welcome guests, and the Crown Prince has arrived, so he must enter through the main gate...

The difference between the positive and the negative is like heaven and earth.

Li Zhao glanced in Xue Sui's direction without leaving a trace.

Xue Sui seemed to sense something and paused slightly, but did not turn back.

Whether it is the main gate or the corner gate, it is just a door.

Noble or humble.

To her, it was just a different path to the same destination.
-
"The prince has arrived. I am sorry for not welcoming you in person! Please forgive me!"

"Come on, please come in, please come in..."

Li Huan had a warm smile on his face and looked very hospitable. His eyes passed over the figure of the crown prince getting off the sedan chair, and then he looked towards the corner gate intentionally or unintentionally. He only saw a corner of a bright rouge-red skirt and the happy faces of the wedding procession.

Li Zhao glanced at him, lifted the corner of his robe and walked up the stairs.

"My brother is very happy today, I came here specially to ask for a glass of wedding wine. If I disturbed your mood, please forgive me."

Li Huan withdrew his gaze unnoticeably, his expression calm and composed.

He raised his hand and gently welcomed Li Zhao in.

"It is an honor for me as your brother that His Royal Highness can come. I am so happy that I cannot even wait to disturb you."

After saying this, he smiled and sighed, "Before you turn thirty, your birthday is not a big day. The princess is kind enough to take care of the wedding for me, but I am sorry to make His Royal Highness the Crown Prince laugh at me."

The two walked side by side, chatting and laughing all the way.

All the guests in the room stood up to greet him, and were a little reserved at first.

The two of them were seen talking and laughing. At first glance, they looked like brothers in a friendly and harmonious atmosphere, so the originally tense nerves gradually relaxed...

harmony.

Brothers live in harmony.

In a peaceful laughter.

Jade trotted over, panting.

"Your Highness, Your Highness..."

After shouting twice, he saw the prince beside him and was stunned for a moment, wanting to say something but stopping himself.

Li Huan frowned, "The prince is not an outsider, just tell me if you have something to say."

Feicui has been with Xue Yuechen for many years and is well versed in the ins and outs of matters in the rear quarters.

In fact, she had already arrived nearby and waited until the prince was welcomed into the palace before she showed up at the right moment.

"Your Highness, Princess Pingle just sent you a great gift. The princess didn't know how to arrange it, so she asked me to come and ask for your advice..."

Li Huan casually responded, "It's up to her."

Jade lowered her head slightly and bit her lip.

"But, but Your Highness, the gift is six beautiful ladies..."

Li Huan hated the intrigues and jealousies in the inner house, so he was naturally unhappy about Princess Pingle's interference.

But he has always been gentle to others, so it is not easy for him to lose his temper on the spot.

Especially the other party is Pingle.

"I think she's getting more and more ridiculous!"

Li Zhao raised his lips and said, "Congratulations, my brother, for having a new beauty."

As soon as he smiled, Li Huan felt as if someone was pricking his back with a needle, and it was extremely uncomfortable.

"Don't you know what kind of personality Pingle has? She is just fooling around!"

Li Huan sighed helplessly and shook his head, then signaled Cheng Fu, the eunuch beside him.

"Go tell the princess that she can handle the affairs of the harem, and she doesn't need to report to me."

"Little understands."

Cheng Fu bowed his head and accepted the order, then left in a hurry.

Li Huan then slowly relaxed his tense expression, and when he looked at Li Zhao, his smile became gentle again, as if what had just happened had not happened.

"Prince, please come inside."

Li Zhao also looked calm: "Please."

一
On the other side, Xue Sui had already walked into the bridal chamber of Tan Qiu Courtyard.

It can be seen that Xue Yuechen put a lot of thought into the arrangement.

The bridal chamber was covered with brocade and had an exquisite dressing table with everything you need, it was so exquisite that it was breathtaking.

There were more than a dozen maids and servants serving in the house. They had clear division of labor and each performed their duties, arranging the affairs inside and outside the house in an orderly manner.

As soon as Jinshu came in, she took out the box that had been prepared long ago and distributed wedding money and candies to the servants in Tanqiuyuan one by one.

"Mrs. Xue, please have some wedding candy."

"Thank you for your generous reward, my lady."

"Don't think it's too little, it's just a token of my appreciation."

One advantage of using money to pave the way for you is that you can get a smiling face wherever you go.

Before these servants met Xue Sui, they had already heard a lot of gossip and anecdotes about Miss Xue Liu. Regardless of what they had been thinking before, they were naturally happy the moment they received the money. Even if they had no good impression of her originally, they felt a little more happy at this moment.

A maid said, "Today is the prince's birthday, and the princess is in the hall chatting with the ladies. Let Ruren rest first, and I will serve tea to the princess tomorrow."

Jinshu smiled and replied, "Yes."

As a few people were chatting and greeting each other, a woman came up to Jinshu and showed her goodwill.

"Aunt, I have something to say but I don't know whether I should say it or not."

Jinshu's face was full of smiles. "Our lady has an easy-going personality. If you have any problems in Tanqiuyuan in the future, you can speak up. I won't blame you."

The woman wanted to please him, so she looked around and pulled Jinshu aside.

"Mrs. Xue has just come in, so she probably doesn't know anything yet. Today, Princess Pingle has sent six beauties to His Royal Highness Prince Duan. They are all very pretty. Our mistress has just arrived, so even if she has the support of the princess, I'm afraid she will still suffer some grievances..."

Jinshu understood what she meant and sighed.

"The prince is in his prime, and it is normal for him to have many beauties. As servants, we cannot make decisions for the prince, so we can only take care of Ruren first and act according to circumstances."

The woman couldn't tell what was happening in her mood, so she laughed too.

"That's right, that's right, my aunt is open-minded and has insight in what she says and does."

Jinshu asked with a smile, "What's your name, sister-in-law?"

The old woman bowed and said, "Don't mention your surname Zeng. My husband is guarding the storehouse for the prince. Everyone in the mansion calls me Wang Shunjia. You can also call me aunt..." Jinshu smiled, "You are devoted to Ruren, and Ruren will not treat you unfairly."

After saying that, he handed over a heavy wedding envelope.

"Tell the girls and women to go down and have some fun. The lady has come all the way here and is a little tired. She wants to rest quietly for a while."

Wang Shunjia took the money happily and called everyone out.

Only Xiao Zhao and Ruyi were left in the bridal chamber. Jinshu finally breathed a sigh of relief, poured a cup of hot tea and handed it to Xue Sui.

"Girl, have some tea and calm yourself down."

Ruyi squatted down, looked up at Xue Sui, and said distressedly: "Miss, you are exhausted, right? Let me massage your legs."

Xue Sui smiled and said, "I'm not tired."

What’s a big deal about walking three or five miles?
A person who has seen the strong winds and waves of the sea will no longer be afraid of a small ditch.

Jin Shu said: "The prince did a good thing today and saved the girl's face."

Xiao Zhao and Ruyi nodded in agreement.

Obviously, they all had a good impression of the handsome and upright Crown Prince. It was just like when Jinshu gave money to the servants just now. After receiving benefits from others, they naturally felt that the other person was a good person.

The current crown prince is surrounded by thousands of officials, and his outstanding figure is as tall as the bright moon.

He actually married off the girl from their family...

If not a good person, then what is?
Xue Sui curled his lips slightly.

The look Li Zhao gave her when they just stepped into the corner gate appeared in her mind.

He's not that kind.

"Aunt Jinshu."

Xue Sui suddenly spoke.

"Go do a few things for me."

Jinshu's expression immediately straightened up, "Miss, please give me your orders."

Xue Sui said: "First, prepare generous gifts for Concubine Yuan, Concubine Zhang, and several concubines and servants. We have just arrived, and we hope they will take good care of us in the future."

Jinshu nodded in agreement.

Giving gifts to each hospital and actively showing goodwill can not only show a friendly and approachable attitude, but also win people's hearts and reduce potential hostility. The girl should do so.

Xue Sui added, "Secondly, collect information about the power and relationships of each branch of the palace as soon as possible, as well as the backgrounds and past experiences of the maids and guards who came with the dowry. Find out all the intricacies, including whether these people have had any dealings with officials in the court. Pay special attention to those who have close dealings with Princess Pingle, and report them to me carefully without missing a word."

Jinshu nodded solemnly again.

Know yourself and the enemy, a hundred battles will never end.

The relationships between people are intricately linked. If you understand them in advance, you can take precautions early to avoid falling into traps.

Xue Sui said: "Third, spread the news that I am quite proficient in pharmacology, especially good at treating women's diseases. Just like what happened to Miss Xue Er last time, she almost lost her life, and finally recovered after taking my pills..."

Jinshu hesitated for a moment and nodded.

Understanding pharmacology can deter those who have bad intentions and intend to poison others.

She is good at treating women's diseases, and maybe she can make the women in the mansion who have secrets and are unable to find a doctor take the initiative to make friends with the girl.

Jinshu then asked again: "Miss, do you want me to arrange more people from the old mausoleum pond to come to your house, and then ask the eldest son to come forward..."

Xue Sui shook his head decisively and said with a smile: "Why use a butcher knife to kill a chicken?"

It's not like she really wants to cure them.

Jin Shu said, "Yes, I will go down and arrange it now."

Jinshu knew clearly that every time the girl asked Jiulingzhao to do something for her, she was very generous and paid for the work according to the agreed terms.

The girl tried her best to pick out the old mausoleum swamp.

But on some matters, she couldn't completely listen to the girl.

You also have to listen to Dalangjun's arrangements.

The girl doesn't want to do it, but the young man wants to do it.

How could the young master be willing to let the girl take risks alone?

Jinshu was about to leave when Xue Sui suddenly spoke.

"Wait a minute—"

Jinshu quickly turned around and saw a strange light flash in the girl's eyes.

"Find a way to get someone to go to the front hall and tell the prince..."

Before Xue Sui entered the mansion, Jinshu, according to Tianshu's arrangement, placed as many people as possible in Prince Duan's mansion, just to protect the young lady.

It is not difficult to accomplish this.

She nodded in agreement and asked, "Miss, what do you want to say to the prince?"

Xue Sui glanced at Ruyi and Xiaozhao, then waved to Jinshu.

When Jinshu came closer, she whispered a few words in Jinshu's ear.

Jinshu's expression froze for a moment, and after a moment, a smile broke out on his face.

"Young lady, you have a good idea. I will do it right away."

Ruyi and Xiaozhao looked at each other, their hearts full of confusion.

Is there anything they can't listen to?
Are they no longer the girl's most trusted confidants?
-
The banquet at Prince Duan’s Mansion is still going on in a lively manner.

In Huashang Hall, Pingle lightly held the wine cup, pursed her cherry lips, lightly touched her lips with the wine, and did not swallow it. Then she lightly pressed her forehead with her hand, as if she could not bear the alcohol, and sighed softly.

"What's wrong with me? Am I drunk?"

Several ladies stood beside her, seeing her flushed cheeks and confused eyes, and smiled in a flattering manner.

"Shall I accompany the princess for a walk to get rid of the smell of alcohol?"

Pingle leaned on the desk, his fingers trembling slightly. He managed to control them with great effort and made his voice sound calm.

"No need, my brother's wine is really strong. I'll just go to the side room and rest for a while."

She brought her children to the banquet today, so it was not convenient for her to leave in the middle of it. However, she had just been feeling upset because of her anger, and after drinking a glass of sake, she felt even more unable to control herself. She felt hot all over, and her clothes were soaked with sweat.

She had to go down and take a bath, take some pills, and suppress her illness...

Damn love poison!

Damn Xue Liu!
"Hong Xing, you stay here and help the nurse take care of Guan Chen and Tong Tong."

It should be red apricot.

Pingle stood up feeling dizzy and cursed in his heart. Then he held Lulian's hand and staggered out.

As soon as she walked through the corridor, a young man hurriedly followed her footsteps around the corner.

This man is Fan Bing, the son of Jingzhao Canjun, the current imperial concubine, and the husband of Princess Wenjia Li Fuyin.

He had just heard people talking at the banquet that Prince Duan kept a colorful parrot in his garden that was very good at speaking human language. Not only could it imitate all kinds of sounds, it could even recite poems. The parrot was very precious and was not usually allowed to be seen by others.

Fan Bing, who has always been fascinated by rare and exotic animals, felt itchy after hearing what he heard. Taking advantage of the alcohol, he couldn't help but sneak over to find out what was going on.

Second watch, dinner time, huh~~~