Chapter 197: Autumn Dew Dampens the Robes
Xue Sui smiled faintly, while Li Huan’s face showed a hint of impatience.
“Why has the County Princess come to see this Prince?”
Rui He performed a less-than-proper curtsy, clutching her handkerchief, her expression full of unease. “I heard my second brother is unwell, so Rui He specially brought some snow clam paste to visit…”
Li Huan pulled his wide sleeves to cover the rash on his body, sat upright, and spoke in a flat, emotionless voice.
“As the County Princess can see, this Prince is not gravely ill. Please return.”
Rui He bit her lip, gazing deeply at Li Huan’s stern and handsome face, her eyes slightly reddening. Though she agreed with a “Yes,” her feet shuffled, clearly unwilling to leave.
How could Xue Sui miss such an opportunity?
She gently pushed Li Huan’s hand away and called out, “County Princess.” As Rui He turned her head, Xue Sui held up the ointment in her hand and said softly, “The Prince originally wanted me to stay and apply the medicine for him. Since the County Princess is here, I shall trouble you…”
Having said that, she looked at Li Huan and clutched her abdomen.
“This concubine suddenly feels a sharp pain in her stomach. I beg the Prince’s permission to leave temporarily.”
When nature calls, one cannot refuse, even if unwilling.
Before Li Huan could speak, Xue Sui had already hurried out the door, leaving the flustered and uneasy Rui He to face him alone.
Li Huan: …
After a moment of silence, Rui He timidly called out, her voice gentle and tinged with a hint of caution, “Second brother, did I perhaps come at an inconvenient time…”
Li Huan’s expression was cold, and he retorted, “What do you think?”
Rui He’s eyes suddenly reddened.
She felt as if a large hole had been dug in her chest, a surge of bitterness overwhelming her, making it almost impossible to breathe.
“Do you truly like that Madam Ping’an?”
Li Huan looked up. “Yes.”
“Then what about me?” Rui He asked, tears streaming down her face, her voice trembling. “Back then, when I accompanied the Princess to study in the palace, we went everywhere together and talked about everything. You personally said… you would protect me.”
Li Huan’s expression did not change much, but the emotion in his eyes became more genuine. “Rui He, you were young then, with no one to rely on. I merely pitied you for not having your parents by your side and for your difficult fate.”
Seeing Rui He’s lips gradually lose their color, Li Huan’s tone grew even deeper.
“In my heart, you have always been just a sister. Do not forget, we both share the surname Li. We are of the same clan, governed by law, and gentlemen act according to propriety. If you overstep like this and confuse personal feelings, where will you place Li Huan’s reputation?”
“Second brother…” Rui He’s tears fell like rain.
Her throat choked with each breath, her shoulders trembled, and she was beyond words in her sorrow.
Li Huan’s brows furrowed slightly, his demeanor so cold it chilled the heart.
“This is the last time. If you act so foolishly again, do not blame me for being impolite.”
“Second brother…”
“Withdraw!” Li Huan said coldly.
Rui He looked at the man before her, whose words were gentle but whose heart was as hard as iron and whose attitude was resolute. She choked back a sob and shook her head.
She was certain that the innocent affection of their childhood was not just her own illusion. She firmly believed that Li Huan had once had feelings for her, but had to suppress them due to their status.
Now, it was likely for another woman that he had changed his mind…
“You can ignore me, even despise me. But I love you. This is my fate, my just deserts. Even if the sky falls or mountains of knives appear, my feelings will never change in this lifetime…”
Rui He sobbed, and after speaking, she tearfully bowed and fled.
An incense stick later, a hidden guard glided in from the corridor and reported with cupped fists.
“Your Highness, County Princess Rui He has gone to Princess Ping Le’s Mansion. Should we send someone to keep an eye on her?”
“Let her go,” Li Huan’s voice carried on the autumn wind, chilling to the bone. “She is but a woman. The priority now is to find the Imperial Envoy.”
He paused, then gave another order.
“The ten-day agreement with Mister Qiu is up. Send someone to inquire about the results. Remember, do not alert the enemy…”
“Your subordinate obeys!”
–
In Tan Qiu Courtyard, Xue Sui gazed at the glazed urn on the wooden rack, soaking green plums, and tapped the edge of the table with her fingertips.
“Bring down the largest jar and add two spoonfuls of honey…”
Ru Yi, holding a porcelain bowl, smiled with her eyes curved. “The other day, Young Lady said she wanted to eat green plum wine-soaked glutinous rice balls. This servant went to learn the skill from Old Madam Liu and will go now! I will definitely make it for Young Lady myself…”
Xiao Zhao watched the amber-colored wine soak the plums and swallowed, her tongue feeling sour.
“Speaking of which, the honey-preserved green plums made by the Eldest Young Master are still the most delicious. That year, when Young Lady had a high fever in the Old Mausoleum Swamp, it was the Eldest Young Master who trekked through mountains and valleys to find the honey…”
Xue Sui was slightly taken aback, and the corners of her lips moved almost imperceptibly.
“I wonder when Senior Disciple Brother will return, and Senior Sister Yuheng…”
Mentioning Tianshu and Yuheng, Xue Sui couldn’t help but drift into thought.
Immediately after, she rubbed her forehead and instructed Ru Yi.
“Leave it. I won’t eat it today. Let it soak for a few more days…”
Ru Yi was very confused.
Hadn’t Young Lady been longing for this very dish?
She clearly liked it, so why did she suddenly give it up? And why had she been abstaining from alcohol recently?
She quietly acknowledged and put it down, only to hear an announcement from outside the door.
“Madam, Consort Zhang requests an audience.”
Xue Sui glanced at Xiao Zhao, signaling them to tidy things up.
“Please invite her in quickly.”
Consort Zhang emerged gracefully from behind the gilded bead curtain, followed by two maids carrying a yellow poplar wooden box. On top of it were an enamel inlay with a bamboo motif and two jade objects, exuding an air of nobility.
“Please convey my greetings to Sister Ping’an. Sister has come uninvited; I wonder if Sister Ping’an is free to talk…”
“Consort, please come in and sit.”
“Thanks to Sister Ping’an’s miraculous touch, this rash of mine feels much better after applying the ointment; it’s no longer so itchy and unbearable…”
After speaking, she winked at Cui Zhi, signaling her to present the gifts.
“A small token of my appreciation. I hope Sister will not find it too meager.”
Seeing the display, Xue Sui quickly declined.
“These are just some folk remedies. It is my fortune that they are pleasing to the eyes of a noble person. It just happened to be effective… I cannot accept such a grand gesture from the Consort…”
Her words were sincere, but Consort Zhang’s eyes reddened. She leaned in to sit, her tone full of worry.
“To be frank, Sister Ping’an, I have my own selfish reasons for coming this time…”
Xue Sui smiled faintly, feigning ignorance. “Consort, you are too kind. Please speak freely if you have something to say.”
Consort Zhang covered her lips with her handkerchief, her tear-filled eyes already glistening.
“My father is advanced in age, and my elder brother is a foolish man. Seeing the Zhang family’s reputation falter, I, as a married daughter, am truly powerless and can neither eat nor sleep peacefully… That is why I have shamelessly come to beg Sister Ping’an for your compassion and to speak a few kind words for me to the Prince…”
It seemed Li Huan’s pretense of favor was quite effective.
The favor he deliberately created led everyone inside and outside the Prince’s Mansion to believe she was the Prince Duan’s most beloved woman…
But who knew that to this day, Li Huan had never shown her a kind face in private, and they had never even consummated their marriage…
Xue Sui’s eyes flickered slightly, and she said softly, “Consort’s concern for her father and brother is only natural. However, I am of humble status and do not have that much influence with the Prince…”
Upon hearing this, Consort Zhang’s tears welled up again.
“Sister, are you unwilling to help your elder sister…”
Xue Sui shook her head and sighed softly. “Women are confined to the inner chambers; like the Consort, I am not free to act as I please. However, if the Consort wishes to save her father and brother, I do have an idea…”
“Please tell me quickly…”
Xue Sui pondered for a moment before speaking. “Instead of asking me, it would be better to ask His Majesty. The current Emperor is most sentimental. Your father served Duke Zheng in the northern campaigns and defended the border for three years, achieving great military merits. Who in the court and country does not admire him? As long as your father petitions, explains the entire situation truthfully, admits guilt where due, and provides all necessary explanations, His Majesty will surely impose a lighter sentence and will not implicate the clan…”
Seeing Consort Zhang hesitate, Xue Sui gently held her hand and softened her tone.
“Consort, please discuss this with your father and make a decision soon.”
Consort Zhang repeatedly agreed, thanked her profusely, and then departed.
Xue Sui watched her graceful retreating figure, secretly marveling at Li Huan’s good fortune. Then, feeling weary, she lay down lazily…
She knew that given the Zhang family’s status in the imperial court, they would absolutely not dare to cause such a colossal blunder.
Behind the Zhang family stood Duke Zheng.
What she wanted to bring down was not a mere Riverway Inspector like Zhang Huaiyi, but the Heir Apparent of Duke Zheng’s Mansion—also Guo Zhaohuai’s father, Guo Hong, a sinister and deeply cunning old fox.
To destroy the son, one must first eliminate the father.
Without his father Guo Hong’s support, Guo Zhaohuai could not possibly rise so rapidly from an Attendant Official in the Court of Diplomatic Relations to hold a position as Assistant Director of the Treasury Department in the Ministry of War.
In recent years, Duke Zheng Guo Pi had been old and sickly, and the Guo family’s situation was not as prosperous as before. But their sudden resurgence must have involved unsavory dealings of climbing and collusion…
Emperor Chong Zhao, outwardly benevolent and magnanimous, was in reality skilled at maintaining balance.
Since the chessboard was clear, she would simply go with the flow.
–
The next day, outside Xuanzheng Hall.
Li Huan, clad in a Prince’s python robe, ascended the steps, a tube of anti-itch cream from Xue Sui tucked in his embrace. From afar, he saw Li Zhao standing by the white marble railing, gazing into the distance. His black cloak was lifted by the autumn wind, revealing a dark jade belt with a xiezhi pattern, its gold inlay glinting coldly, as if ready to devour.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince, I hope you are well.” Li Huan walked closer with a smile, his gaze falling on Li Zhao’s left sleeve. He cupped his hands in a perfunctory greeting.
Li Zhao turned sideways, raising an eyebrow, his expression distant.
“I heard my Imperial Brother was ill. You look well today; I presume you have recovered?”
“Thank you for your concern, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
Li Huan’s polite greetings were laced with veiled barbs.
“Thanks to the anti-itch cream Ping’an concocted, it was miraculously effective. Otherwise, these red bumps all over me might have festered into sores, and I wouldn’t have dared to enter the palace to see His Majesty.”
Upon hearing this, Li Zhao felt a sudden itch in his arrow wound.
He had been injured twice for that ungrateful wretch. The arrow wound on his arm had not yet healed, yet she hadn’t sent any medicine or even inquired about his well-being, but was so solicitous towards Li Huan…
Li Huan’s gaze fell on his arm.
“Is Your Highness the Crown Prince’s arm alright?”
Li Zhao’s heart skipped a beat. He recalled the cold arrow in the rainy night at Pu Ji Temple, feeling as if thorns were pricking his back, yet his face remained impassive.
“Imperial Brother must be mistaken. I was injured in the shoulder. It has already healed and is nothing to mention…”
“Is that so?” Li Huan met his gaze and smiled slightly. He suddenly stepped forward, grabbed his arm, and squeezed it, examining it with feigned concern.
“When the autumn hunt arrives, why don’t we brothers find an opportunity to spar?”
“Certainly.”
Li Zhao instinctively clasped his hand in return. Unexpectedly, a pine-smoke colored handkerchief, emitting a faint fragrance, slipped from his sleeve onto the bluestone pavement…
Li Huan’s eyes flashed, and he bent down to pick it up.
The embroidered pattern of two fish playing in water gleamed with a gentle luster in the morning light. He traced the pattern with his fingertip and suddenly laughed, “This handkerchief looks very familiar… When did Your Highness the Crown Prince start liking these feminine trinkets?”
Li Zhao’s face turned cold, and he reached out to snatch the handkerchief. “Imperial Brother worries too much. This is what I call scholarly elegance.”
The two engaged in a silent contest, their fingertips turning white from the force, yet they maintained smiles on their faces.
The bluestones under their feet made faint crunching sounds as their boots scuffed them.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince…”
“Your Highness Prince Duan…”
Wang Chengxi approached with a fly whisk, his gaze sweeping over their clasped arms, his eyelids twitching slightly.
“Your Highnesses, His Majesty summons you for an audience…”
“Imperial Brother, please,” Li Zhao said, casting a glance at Li Huan. He tucked the handkerchief into his embrace, flicked his sleeves, and turned to enter the hall.
The sleeve brushed against Li Huan’s hand, like autumn dew clinging to clothes, causing a chill and an itch…
Li Huan watched his retreating back and curled his lips into a faint smile.
Li Zhao （ angrily rubbed his arrow-wounded arm and stomped his foot at the air ）
I gave him medicine, but he didn’t give me any. What a heartless thing!
Xue Sui: ????? What is a conscience? Can it be eaten?
