Chapter 287: Tacit Understanding, United Hearts
Guo Yunrong trembled all over.
“Sister Xue means…”
Xue Sui’s eyelids lifted slightly, her gaze unfathomable.
“So much grain and provisions went missing, did it all truly end up in your elder brother’s and uncle’s pockets? Was there no one higher up, no deeper hand pulling the strings?”
She paused, observing Guo Yunrong’s uncertain expression, her voice growing softer.
“If the key figures involved in this case, especially those in high positions who still hold sway in the Imperial Court, can have their actions… meticulously investigated, one by one… it would not only prove the Guo family was merely coerced and not the main culprit, but also help the court identify the true scourges. At that point, even if the sky were to fall, there would be taller individuals to bear it. His Majesty, for the sake of stability, would have to consider whether it was worth shaking the foundations and involving all the nobles in a storm…”
Guo Yunrong understood.
To drag more influential figures into it, to muddy the waters further; rather than stand and be beaten, it was better to break the cauldrons and sink the boats, pulling everyone involved into the same pot.
“But… where would the Guo family find any evidence?”
Xue Sui smiled faintly.
“I can only say so much. How to choose is the Guo family’s own fortune. The only method I can think of for self-preservation… as for your Grandfather, the Duke of Zheng…”
She cast a meaningful glance at Guo Yunrong.
“He has weathered many storms, and I imagine he understands better than us juniors the principle of ‘preserving the green hills’.”
Guo Yunrong seemed enlightened, yet also conflicted, biting her lower lip without a sound.
Xue Sui suddenly exchanged a look with Jinshu.
Soon, Jinshu produced a paper slip from her sleeve, on which was a prescription annotated with cinnabar.
“I’ve heard about your Grandfather’s illness, a stubborn case of wind-dampness, likely caused by old chronic illness blocking the lung meridians. I have an ancient prescription found in the Old Mausoleum Swamp. Have him procure the herbs and take it for half a month… If it can stabilize his qi and blood and clear the meridians, it might extend his life for some time…”
Guo Yunrong’s face was filled with emotion as she stood up, her hands trembling as she accepted the prescription. She bowed deeply to Xue Sui.
“If Sister Xue can save my Grandfather’s life, she will be the savior of my entire Guo family… Yunrong offers you a deep bow…”
Xue Sui quickly helped her up.
“Hurry back and make arrangements. Your Grandfather’s illness cannot wait. You must also make plans for the Duke of Zheng’s Mansion, do not hesitate.”
Guo Yunrong nodded, her eyes a mixture of fear and unease, but she was far more resolute than when she arrived.
“Thank you for your guidance, Sister. Yunrong will return now… and will certainly relay your words…”
The curtain rustled.
Then, silence returned.
Jinshu pulled open the window and looked out. After Guo Yunrong’s slender figure disappeared from view, she quickly stepped forward, supported Xue Sui, and asked in a low voice:
“Can you still manage, Young Lady?”
“Am I that delicate? Come, help me to the inner room to rest.” Xue Sui patted her hand.
Jinshu breathed a sigh of relief, then frowned. “Young Lady, if the Guo family truly unearths those old accounts, it will inevitably involve the blood debt of the Old Mausoleum Swamp… If it escalates, it will no longer be just the Duke of Zheng’s Mansion’s affair… I fear it will lead to a catastrophic disaster that will shake the heavens…”
Xue Sui held her arm, smiling to mask a hint of fatigue in her eyes.
“But this is indeed the only way to save the Guo family. I did not lie to her. Only when facing death can one find new life.”
Jinshu nodded, her throat catching slightly.
“The vengeful spirits of the Old Mausoleum Swamp have been buried for too long. Those names that were erased should finally see the sun…”
Xue Sui looked out the window. The Love Silk Flowers in the courtyard swayed gently in the cool breeze, their red color glaring.
“Someone has to play this game. We merely gave it a push.”
Jinshu looked at her with concern.
“Eldest Young Master always says that you act with great prudence, your mind as clear as a mirror. This maidservant knows that with your judgment, there is no mistake… but I still worry. Will stirring up the Old Mausoleum Swamp now, bringing it to the forefront, cause great trouble…”
Xue Sui walked into the inner room, a barely perceptible curve at the corner of her lips.
“Do not fear the high winds and rough waves; fear only that… the waves are not high enough to stir this old case…”
As soon as she finished speaking, hurried footsteps were heard from outside the door.
The two stopped talking.
A moment later, Ru Yi entered again, holding a medicine tray with a bowl of freshly brewed, steaming medicine.
“Young Lady, it’s time for your medicine again.”
The word “again” spoke volumes of the suffering of being confined to a sickbed…
In the past, she endured all sorts of hardship, even swallowing bitter herbs and bile; now, she had become somewhat pampered, resisting even taking medicine.
Xue Sui’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
“Young Lady, close your eyes and drink it. If you close your eyes, you won’t see it. If you don’t see it, it won’t be bitter… Be good…”
Ru Yi said softly, her heart aching as if coaxing a child, speaking in a gentle, tender voice…
Xue Sui was amused by her, couldn’t help but smile, and obediently closed her eyes, picking up the medicine bowl.
The thick, bitter medicine slid down her throat, her tongue felt numb with bitterness, and her stomach churned…
She suppressed her discomfort and drank it all in one go.
Before she could even open her eyes, a clear, candied plum, with a cool, sweet fragrance, was unceremoniously placed into her slightly parted lips.
“Ru Yi…”
The sweet and sour juice diluted the bitterness. Xue Sui instinctively held it, her tongue pressing against the plump plum flesh, and paused slightly.
This taste…
It wasn’t what Ru Yi usually prepared.
She suddenly opened her eyes.
At some point, Li Zhao had appeared before her.
Dressed in casual clothes of moon-white with subtle patterns, his jade belt cinched tightly, his tall figure almost blocked the light from the doorway. His handsome face had sharp angles, and he was as refined as clear water…
Ru Yi and Jinshu retreated to the side, lowering their heads in resignation.
“The craftsmanship of the Liu Ji old shop.” Li Zhao’s gaze fell on her lips, which held the plum. Those lips, moistened by the medicine and colored by the plum, surprisingly showed a hint of color.
That touch of red looked somewhat… appetizing.
It was just that she was too thin.
Wrapped in a loose cotton robe, she looked as if a gust of wind could blow her away.
Li Zhao’s heart fluttered, and he cleared his throat.
“I heard Liu Ji’s candied plums are the most authentic, capable of masking bitterness. Try it, does it suit your taste?”
Heard, heard from whom?
Who asked him to prepare these snacks?
Xue Sui looked at him quietly, not answering immediately. She merely used her tongue to slowly push the plum to the side of her cheek, holding it gently. The way her cheeks bulged made her look like a child who had just received candy, a rare softness and innocence.
“Why aren’t you swallowing?” Li Zhao’s fingertips seemed to brush her lips inadvertently, leaving a cool touch.
“The plums were bought by me, not stolen… Or are you afraid I’d poison you?”
Xue Sui’s eyelashes fluttered, and she suppressed a smile.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince is wise and intelligent, how could you do something as childish as poisoning…”
“Then are you a child?”
When she poisoned, she was ruthless.
When she spoke, her words were not soft either, only smiling at him.
“I am a woman, a woman who has been ill for a long time.”
Li Zhao’s eyebrows rose slightly, his tone carrying his usual sarcasm.
“All the schemes in your mind are used to plot against others. Your spirit and energy are all consumed by this, no wonder your health is poor.”
Xue Sui couldn’t be bothered with his taunts. She lowered her gaze, her fingertips tracing a dark brown water stain left by the medicine bowl on the smooth sandalwood low table.
“Your Highness brought Third Miss Guo today, do you already have a plan in mind? Do you intend to… show leniency to the Guo family?”
Li Zhao: “I brought her because she wanted to see you. Considering your existing friendship, I gave her a ride.”
He immediately distanced himself from Guo Yunrong, sounding almost eager to explain…
Xue Sui looked at him with clear eyes, and suddenly the corner of her lips curved slightly.
There was a hint of playfulness in that smile, but she said nothing.
Li Zhao’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he poked her forehead heavily.
“What are you scheming about again? Don’t think in the wrong direction!”
Xue Sui chuckled lightly, then extended her finger, dipped it in the residual stain on the bowl’s rim, and clearly wrote a few words on the smooth tabletop—
“Ma and Wang must be executed.”
The handwriting was rough, conveying a cold, resolute determination.
Li Zhao’s gaze suddenly froze.
The cold glint in his eyes made his usual languor vanish, replaced by an intense scrutiny of her.
They stared at each other for several breaths before the aura around him slowly relaxed.
“It aligns with my intentions.”
He extended his hand.
Not to take a brush, but to directly pick up the remaining medicine from Xue Sui’s bowl. He dipped his fingertip into the dark medicine and, directly below where Xue Sui had written, steadily and powerfully wrote a line—
“Must be acted upon swiftly.”
The medicine dripped, each word like a knife.
Carrying a tense and intense killing intent…
Ma Yuankui and Wang Qinian, these two were not only Prince Duan Li Huan’s money bag and capable right-hand men, but also the greedy rats in the Western Frontier military supplies case, and the crucial pivot for uncovering the Old Mausoleum Swamp case…
The two were Li Huan’s pillars, mutually restraining each other, and were very critical in the entire corruption chain.
Eliminating them would not only sever Li Huan’s wings but also force them to betray each other in despair, tearing open a larger rift…
To unearth the entire sealed case of the Old Mausoleum Swamp, and shock the world…
Their eyes met, and invisible sparks seemed to collide in the air…
Outside the window, the wind rustled the bamboo shadows.
Making the silence in the room profound.
They didn’t need words; their tacit understanding was already reached.
They were co-conspirators, and even more like confidantes.
“Xue Ping’an.”
Li Zhao took another candied plum and slowly offered it to Xue Sui’s lips, gesturing for her to open her mouth.
Xue Sui pursed her lips, remaining silent, looking at him.
The sunlight filtering through the carved window lattice made her small face appear even more pale and translucent, a fragile porcelain in its coldness.
Li Zhao leaned closer, his tall figure casting a heavy shadow over her head, almost enveloping her entirely.
His scrutinizing gaze held a strange, almost sighing helplessness, firmly locking onto her misty, hazy eyes.
“How can there be a woman in this world who… understands my heart so well? You make it so difficult for me…”
Reader: What’s so difficult? Kiss her!
Xue Sui: Which side are you on?
Li Zhao: Everyone here is on my side!
Reader: Bah… Rebellious son!
