Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 94: No Love

There was a hint of smile on Li Zhao's lips.

"This is a secret letter that was intercepted from a spy in Jingzhao Prefecture two years ago. Take a closer look. Is the handwriting on this letter the same as the previous ones?"

Mei Ruhui's brows suddenly furrowed.

He leaned forward, looked carefully for a moment, and then looked up again.

"Your Highness, may I have your hand so that I can look closely at it in the light?"

Li Zhao nodded slightly to show his agreement.

Mei Ruhui then carefully smoothed down his wide sleeves, stretched out his hands, picked up the paper very carefully, squinted his eyes towards the sunlight coming in from the hall, and looked at it again and again with full concentration.

After a while, he sat down again, gently put the note back on the table, met Li Zhao's scrutinizing gaze, and shook his head firmly.

"Your Highness, in my humble opinion, these were not done by the same person."

Li Zhao narrowed his eyes: "Are you sure?"

Mei Ruhui straightened his back and said solemnly, "I have been immersed in calligraphy for many years, so I will not be wrong. The stroke direction, ink color, and writing force are all very different——"

As he spoke, he pointed to the words written by Xue Liu.
"These characters are graceful and beautiful, and the strokes are graceful. You can tell at a glance that they were written by a woman. However, the handwriting of this emissary is strong and powerful, and the brushwork is vigorous and majestic. There is a sense of heroism between the lines. It must have been written by a man."

The envoy to Jiuling Swamp was a man.

After a moment's silence, Li Zhao breathed a sigh of relief unconsciously.

"Not her? Whatever!"

Li Zhao looked back, stood up and walked out without saying a word.

Half an hour later, Lingyu flew back to Tanqiuyuan.

Brought back a letter from Li Zhao.

It's a poem, just four words if you cut off the beginning and the end.

"Where is the imperial envoy?"
-
Xue Sui raised her arm and watched Ling Yu move from her arm to her shoulder. She grumbled, feeling uneasy for a moment.

This letter really surprised her.

She had guessed when Li Zhaoshun took away the note and the pigeon that day.

But she didn't stop.

The prince comes from an imperial family and is equally suspicious.

It would be better if you don't stop him, but if you do, he might become more suspicious.

At the moment, I don’t know how much information Li Zhao has mastered about the Old Mausoleum Swamp. Instead of passively defending, it is better to take the initiative to explore.

She asked Xiao Zhao to feed Lingyu some food, and waited for it to eat and rest for a while before writing a reply letter.

"We've only heard his voice, but never seen him. If you can find him, your reward will be doubled."
-
Li Zhao was not the only one looking for the imperial envoy.

Princess Pingle also sent people to inquire about the news everywhere.

She wanted to find a safe way to deal with the Eastern Palace.

After much thought, the only place that can avoid the court's eyes and do things cleanly and efficiently is Jiulingzhai.

However, Xue Liu had been in the Old Mausoleum Swamp for so many years, so it was inevitable that he would be familiar with those people, or know some middlemen from all walks of life. If he was implicated, it would be bad...

So she had to find someone in the Old Mausoleum Swamp who had the power to make the decision.

Xue Liu could never achieve the status of an imperial envoy.

As long as she can use the imperial envoy, she can crush Xue Liu to death and make her unable to turn over in her life. She can also use the power of the old mausoleum to do things that are inconvenient for her to do, and she will never be criticized again...
-
Prince Duan Li Huan was also looking for the imperial envoy from Jiuling Swamp.

When Xue Sui left the Old Mausoleum Swamp, she handed over the imperial edict. The only people who knew about this were the three elders who guarded the corpses at the Old Mausoleum Swamp, as well as her senior brothers and sisters and other upper-level disciples. Even within the Old Mausoleum Swamp, there were only a few people who knew Xue Sui's true identity and the whole story.

Li Huan had always wanted to get in touch with the imperial envoy.

In order to utilize the power of the Old Mausoleum Swamp, it is very important to establish contact with the imperial envoy.

He asked people to search everywhere and finally found an antique dealer who had been doing business with Jiulingzhai for many years.

At this moment, in an elegant teahouse in Changxingfang, Li Huan, wearing an ordinary merchant's indigo round-necked robe and holding a teacup in his hand, was chatting happily with the antique dealer.

"You have a wide network of contacts. Would you be so kind as to introduce me to someone else?"

The antique dealer had a thin face and looked shrewd and cunning.

"Easy to say, easy to say..."

Li Huan did not tell the other party his true identity. He claimed that he was going to Jiulingzhao to do some salt and iron business. That kind of business was not open to the public, and it was reasonable for him to want to get in touch with the imperial envoy, which would not make people notice anything unusual.

A coin of silver was handed over -

The antique dealer stroked his beard and said with a smile:

"To be honest with you, Manager Huang, the envoy is a mysterious person who is elusive and keeps a low profile. He rarely meets people. The rules in Jiuling Marsh are also very strict. If you want to do business there, I'm afraid..."

The antique dealer shook his head.

At the same time, he spread out his five fingers.

Li Huan raised his chin with a pleasant expression.

The eunuch Chengfu pushed five more silver ingots onto the table.

Li Huan smiled and said, "After the matter is completed, Huang will definitely reward you handsomely..."

As soon as the antique dealer saw the money, his face was filled with smiles.

"Manager Huang is generous, so I won't be polite."

The antique dealer took the money and said, "The previous imperial envoy violated the ban and has been expelled from the Old Mausoleum Swamp. The current imperial envoy of the Old Mausoleum Swamp has not yet taken over... I really can't recommend anyone right now."

Everyone's expressions changed.

Isn't this nonsense?
The antique dealer continued, "But if Shopkeeper Huang wants to do business in Jiuling Marsh, I still have some connections and can help him get through the links. But let me make it clear in advance that the salt and iron business has huge profits and strict control. I will have to take a big risk. Shopkeeper Huang, don't be reluctant to spend money to avoid disaster when the time comes..."

"As it should be."

Li Huan smiled calmly, "I hope you can give me more advice then."

"Okay, okay. I'll take care of it. Shopkeeper Huang, just rest assured."

It was not until the antique dealer left the private room and disappeared that Cheng Fu's face darkened.

The two guards were so angry that they wanted to draw their swords and kill people.

They are looking for the imperial envoy.

It’s not like I’m really going to sell salt and iron.

"This guy looks like a liar!"

Li Huan frowned slightly. "He took money from people and helped them get rid of disasters. He has already told us the information we want. As long as he didn't lie, it's not considered cheating, and you can't blame others."

Cheng Fu was quite annoyed, "He is clearly trying to fool Your Highness."

Li Huan: “No problem.”

After saying that, he glanced at the guard and said, "Follow him!"

Guard Xiangyang received the order, his face straightened, and he followed him out.
-
When Li Huan returned home from Changxingfang, a servant came to report.

"The princess said that there were many incidents in the palace on the birthday because she didn't make good arrangements and failed to make His Highness feel comfortable and satisfied. The princess felt very guilty and prepared a light meal today to apologize to His Highness..."

Prince Duan frowned.

The servant immediately bowed.

"I understand. I will go and reject the princess..." "Wait a minute." Li Huan hesitated for a moment. "The princess is interested. I will go and take a look."

Muyueju.

This is where Xue Yuechen lived after she married into the palace.

Li Huan had not come often in recent years, and it seemed to have become a habit to come once a month for one night. He fulfilled his responsibilities as a husband, but was not close enough to her, never crossing the clear gap between them, and keeping a clear line between them.

Xue Yuechen cannot integrate into his world, and Li Huan will not have too much attachment to her life.

Xue Yuechen was not sure whether Li Huan would come today.

Xue Sui comforted her calmly.

"Don't worry, sister. You can't eat hot tofu in a hurry. We have plenty of time to plan."

As soon as the voice fell, Feicui hurriedly lifted the curtain and came in, with a happy look on her face.

"Princess, Lady, the prince is coming to Muyueju..."

Xue Sui smiled at Xue Yuechen, wiped his hands, and took her arm.

"Sister, it's up to you now."

She gave Xue Yuechen acupuncture for three days and took her medicine for three days. Then she calculated that these days were the best time for Xue Yuechen to conceive, so she asked her to prepare fine wine and delicious food, and think of a way to lure Li Huan over...

Xue Yuechen lowered his head slightly, a little shy.

"Thank you, sister, for taking care of it."

Xue Sui smiled and said, "This is what we call sisters being of one mind."

Xue Yuechen looked up at her and nodded slightly.

If this could really be accomplished, it would naturally be the result that Xue Yuechen would like to see.

It is always better for sisters to live a good life together than for them to share the same husband.

Xue Sui left from the back door, and Xue Yuechen took out the sachet left by Xue Sui.

Sixth sister said that the herbs in the sachet are harmless to the human body and are not the filthy things used by Pingle. But smelling them makes people feel comfortable and feel good...

She put it to her nose and sniffed it gently.

The fragrance was so fragrant that it made her feel relaxed and at peace, and it slowly seeped into her heart...

It's a wonderful feeling.

Xue Yuechen gently stuffed the sachet under the pillow and then went out to greet him.

Li Huan followed Xue Yuechen all the way to the dining hall. When he saw the table full of delicious food, his eyes darkened.

The pink and white pastry, served on a delicate white porcelain plate, is made from pickled peach petals, honey and almonds, and has a rich floral aroma.

He remembered that the cake was called "Taoyao", one of the Nine Treasures Cakes.

The rest of the dishes, although not delicacies from land and sea, all look very homely, yet they show ingenious efforts made, with fresh ingredients and exquisite presentation, which makes people's mouths water.

Xue Yuechen said, "Last time I saw that the prince liked the peach of the Nine Treasures Cake, I asked Sixth Sister for advice, and then I figured it out myself. Today I tried it. Your Highness, try it, is it the same flavor?"

It was obvious that his princess had put a lot of thought into trying to please him.

Li Huan thought that Xue Yuechen wanted him to consummate his marriage with Xue Liu as soon as possible, so he nodded and sat down.

"Princess, you have lost some weight recently. Don't work too hard and take care of yourself."

Xue Yuechen felt relieved when she heard his gentle tone. She stepped forward and massaged his shoulders, saying softly, "I should do anything for the prince. But my sixth sister has been in the mansion for a few days, and the prince has not visited her once, so it is inevitable that people will gossip..."

Li Huan frowned slightly.

When mentioning Xue Liu, his eyes looked slightly strange, with an indescribable complexity in his expression.

"I'll go see her when I'm free."

Xue Yuechen lowered her head and stared into his eyes.

"Your Majesty hasn't stayed at Muyue Residence for a long time."

Li Huan grabbed her hand.

Xue Yuechen's heart just moved.

Li Huan had already taken her hand from her shoulder and then let go.

"There are spies from Xizi operating in Shangjing. I am in charge of Jingzhao now, so I cannot relax at all. My father has repeatedly told me to keep a close eye on it and eliminate hidden dangers to ensure the stability of the capital. I cannot let the Xizi people take advantage of any loopholes... I have been very busy recently, and I hope the princess will understand!"

Xue Yuechen smiled slightly.

"How could I blame Your Highness... I just..."

She bit her lower lip.

He followed Xue Liu's instructions and lowered his head in disappointment.

"Yesterday, I saw a very famous doctor, who is known as a gynecologist. She said that a woman's pregnancy depends on the weather. These few days are good days..."

She felt very uneasy when she talked about this in person.

The princess has always been dignified and reserved, and is also conservative and restrained in her room.

She still felt uneasy about talking about this in front of her husband.

Li Huan glanced at her and said, "Let's go, let's rest early."

Xue Yuechen's heart was beating like a deer. He ordered the servants to prepare water, and personally waited for Li Huan to take a bath. He also put on a new nightgown for him. He saw him leaning against the bedside reading a book. His face was gentle and dignified under the warm yellow candlelight, his eyebrows and eyes were picturesque, and he was born with a strong and noble temperament. He couldn't help but feel confused...

We have been married for ten years!
Whenever she was with Li Huan, she was still shy and nervous.

Just like when we first met.

Xue Yuechen went to the bathroom with a passionate heart.

Unexpectedly, when she came out of the bathroom, Li Huan was already asleep on the couch.

Xue Yue stood quietly for a moment, walked over, and gently took the book from his hand.

Over the years, Li Huan's power in the court has grown, but his sleep has become worse and worse. Therefore, apart from dutifully coming to Muyueju to accompany the princess once a month, he never stayed overnight in the room of any concubine or concubine.

Because once there are people around him, he can't sleep well...

Li Huan slept so soundly that he didn't wake up even after taking away the book. Xue Yuechen didn't want to disturb him anymore. He sighed, gently put a quilt on him, and sat alone beside the couch for a long time...

Xue Liu's method is indeed useful.

The prince's heart is not in the back house.

No matter how hard she tries, it's useless.

But tonight Li Huan stayed at her Muyue Residence, and the ones who couldn't sleep well were Yuan and Zhang...

Thinking of this, Xue Yuechen became happy again.

Just as Xue Liu said, if you want to capture a man's heart, you can't be impatient.

She wanted to take it slow, from his stomach to his body and then to his heart, to make Li Huan feel comfortable with her first, instead of feeling that she was pressing him and being annoying.

That way he will come often...

Xue Yuechen covered the night light with the lampshade and tiptoed onto the bed.

The night is as quiet as water...

She closed her eyes, as if fate had opened a new window for her.

I didn't wait for dinner today, so I had dinner early~~
Li Zhao: What to eat? I haven’t eaten anything.
Dear readers: Didn’t you say that dates are delicious?