Chapter 291: Panic
“Niu Niu.” Xue Sui bent down and opened her arms.
Niu Niu, like a swallow, threw herself into her embrace, her little face rubbing against Xue Sui’s cotton robe.
“Auntie, Niu Niu missed you so much, so much, so much…”
The three consecutive “missed”s made Xue Sui beam.
“Alright, let’s go inside. It’s windy out here, don’t catch a chill.”
Niu Niu tilted her small face and nodded, “Okay, and Guan Chen and Tong Tong too… We all came to play with Auntie…”
Xue Sui smiled slightly, also offering a friendly smile to the two children.
Unlike Niu Niu’s familiarity, Tong Tong and Guan Chen seemed a little shy. Their big eyes held curiosity as they quietly nestled beside their wet nurse, observing Xue Sui and the quiet vegetable garden.
Xue Sui didn’t force the children and turned to welcome Wen Jia.
“On such a chilly day, with hands and feet freezing, why has the Princess come up the mountain…”
Wen Jia’s face held a gentle smile.
Her complexion was rosy, and she seemed much more energetic than the last time they met. The gloom in her eyes had also dissipated considerably.
“I heard you were back at the nunnery to recuperate, so I came specifically to see you.”
Her voice was soft and warm. She handed over a basket and lifted the lid.
“Take a look. Do you like it?”
Inside the basket were steamed milk curd and osmanthus cakes. They were still warm, emitting a sweet fragrance.
“You, you never come empty-handed. You always bring gifts, making me feel undeserving…”
“We are like sisters, no need for such formalities.” Wen Jia lightly patted her hand, “Quick, try them while they’re warm.”
Xue Sui nodded with a smile. She washed her hands by the eaves and welcomed them into the simple and clean monastic room. She then asked Ru Yi to light a small brazier, brew some clear tea, and brought out homemade pine nut candies, walnut cookies, and other snacks, distributing them to the children.
The charcoal crackled softly.
The warm light reddened everyone’s cheeks.
The small monastic room was instantly filled with warmth and vitality.
“Life at the nunnery is simple and austere. You look thinner. Even if you are sincerely becoming a nun, you should at least take care of your health…”
Wen Jia sat on a cushion, holding Xue Sui’s slightly cool hand, carefully examining her complexion.
“Your health was never good to begin with, and after being injured and going through all that, are you much better now?”
Xue Sui lowered her gaze and smiled, “Much better. Thank you for your concern, Princess.”
Wen Jia knew a little about the entanglement between her and Li Zhao. Her eyes darkened for a moment before turning to worry.
“The Crown Prince… he didn’t make things difficult for you, did he?”
Xue Sui shook her head, her smile gentle.
“He was quite polite. The Crown Prince is inherently kind.”
Kind?
Wen Jia suspected she was being sarcastic.
She let out a sigh of relief, then spoke with emotion.
“The Crown Prince… he is becoming more steady and experienced in his actions. Recently, the Imperial Court has been in an uproar over the military supplies case and the complaint box, and opinions about him are divided. The other day, I went to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager, and she subtly probed my thoughts, expressing considerable dissatisfaction…”
She stopped there, not elaborating further.
“The intricate dealings within the palace always involve the court. Since you are close to him, it’s good to be aware of these things…”
The situation in the Imperial Court was tense.
The Duke of Zheng’s Mansion was on the verge of collapse, the Xiao Family was on pins and needles, and Prince Duan, overseeing the Ministry of Justice, was deeply embroiled in the military supplies case.
The nobles and imperial relatives in the court were all swept up in this sudden storm…
Xue Sui listened quietly, a faint smile on her lips.
“Thank you for your guidance, Princess…”
After speaking, her gaze shifted to Tong Tong and Guan Chen playing outside the curtain.
“These two children… why did they come with you today?”
Wen Jia’s fair neck flushed slightly, and she somewhat bashfully smoothed a stray strand of hair by her temple.
“After winter set in, Old Madam Lu caught a cold and has been coughing severely. She’s been taking a lot of medicinal soup, but hasn’t recovered much. I thought… General Lu is far away in the Western Frontier, and there’s no one to look after the elderly and young at home. Since I owe General Lu a favor, it’s only right and proper that I visit.”
She gave a wry smile at this point.
“Ping Le used to resent and hate me. But her two children, for some reason, are very fond of me. They always clamor to come to my mansion to play with Niu Niu. Sometimes, when Old Master Lu can’t refuse, he lets the wet nurse bring them over. It’s the same today…”
Seeing the understanding smile in Xue Sui’s eyes, Wen Jia’s cheeks grew redder, and her voice lowered.
“I see the children are lonely, and I can’t bear to refuse their wishes.”
Xue Sui looked at the unconscious tenderness in her eyes and her lips curved slightly.
“This kindness of yours, Princess, should be known to General Lu as well.”
Wen Jia paused slightly, then lowered her head, her tone carrying a barely perceptible loneliness and self-restraint.
“Him? He has his own future. I am a widow; I dare not harbor any improper thoughts.”
Xue Sui looked at her, “The Princess’s feelings are the best future. General Lu is an intelligent man; how could he not understand.”
Wen Jia’s cheeks flushed, and she didn’t know how to respond for a moment, only lowering her head to take a sip of clear tea.
The monastic room fell silent for a moment, with only the faint laughter of the children from behind the curtain.
Xue Sui broke the silence with a laugh, easing her embarrassment.
“It’s been a while since we’ve had a casual chat, Princess. Are there any interesting new things happening in the capital recently?”
Wen Jia suddenly thought of something and looked up at Xue Sui.
“It’s quite lively… After Zhang Minda, the Director of the Ministry of Revenue’s Department of Finance, died suddenly, Director Wang of the Ministry of Works and Director Ma of the Ministry of Revenue actually argued before His Majesty.”
“Oh?” Xue Sui said with a half-smile.
“Ping Le, you might not know, these two were classmates in the imperial examinations and were very close friends. Back then, one managed the allocation of funds and grain, and the other oversaw the manufacturing of military equipment. They worked seamlessly together… It’s said that Minister Ma’s concubine was once a courtesan in Minister Wang’s household. They could even share a beautiful concubine, yet they suddenly fell out over a trivial matter, grabbing each other’s official robes and shouting insults…”
“It even involved the names of several retired but once powerful old ministers…”
“In short, it was a chaotic mess, a complete shambles. However, the Duke of Zheng’s Mansion, being pragmatic, had the old Duke, despite his illness, submit a memorial of apology. His words were earnest, stating that his eldest grandson, Guo Zhaohuai, was young and impetuous, misled and used by cunning subordinates, and his second son, Guo Mingyuan, embezzled military supplies under manipulation… The Guo family has been nobles for generations, and the Duke of Zheng himself once guarded the Western Frontier for the court for over a decade, rendering great service. Now, old and gravely ill, on the verge of death… His Majesty, remembering past favors, will likely… show mercy beyond the law, preserving a trace of the Guo family’s lineage…”
Wen Jia spoke these words as if recounting everyday gossip.
Xue Sui, however, understood how precisely and ruthlessly Li Zhao had executed the command: “Minister Ma and Minister Wang must be executed,” and “They must be dealt with swiftly.”
This was precisely the effect she desired.
To let these scourges tear each other apart, and to uproot the buried evils.
The Old Mausoleum Swamp—
This forbidden name, sealed for many years, carrying the blood and tears of two hundred thousand vengeful spirits, would finally be brutally exposed in the Imperial Court. No matter how the Daliang Dynasty and Emperor Chong Zhao tried to conceal it, it would inevitably be revealed in broad daylight…
“Karma cycles, retribution is inevitable.”
Xue Sui gazed at the gray sky outside the window and murmured softly.
The nightmare of ten years would finally see its day of reckoning.
–
Wen Jia, with the children, had a simple vegetarian meal at Shui Yue Nunnery and chatted with Xue Sui for a while. Seeing that the sky was getting dark and the mountain wind was turning cold, she rose to take her leave.
Xue Sui, wearing an outer coat, personally escorted her to the stone steps outside the nunnery gate.
“The mountain road is slippery. Princess, please be careful with the children.”
“I understand.” Wen Jia replied with a smile, then had Niu Niu, Tong Tong, and Guan Chen bow to Xue Sui in farewell. She then boarded the carriage, surrounded by the wet nurse and maidservants.
The carriage rolled over fallen leaves.
It swayed along the winding mountain path as it departed.
Xue Sui watched them disappear at the end of the winding mountain road, her brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
“Xiao Zhao.”
–
On the street, there were far fewer pedestrians than usual, and the atmosphere felt somewhat oppressive.
Occasionally, soldiers in iron armor hurried past in twos and threes, mostly silent, as if they had just returned from the battlefield, still carrying the indelible scent of gunpowder and fatigue…
Seeing the soldiers, Niu Niu tilted her small face and asked:
“Mother, when will Uncle Lu be back? Niu Niu misses him.”
Wen Jia forced a comforting smile, cupped her daughter’s cold little hand in her own, her voice tinged with a hint of bitterness.
“Uncle Lu… he still has military duties. He’ll be back a little later…”
“I know! My father is performing great deeds on the front lines!” Guan Chen puffed out his small chest with boyish pride, “My father said when he comes back, he’s going to bring me a small wooden horse…”
Guan Chen, being a boy, tried hard to cheer up his sister and Tong Tong and Niu Niu.
Tong Tong, however, pouted, her eyes quickly filling with tears.
“But we’ve waited so long. Doesn’t Daddy like Tong Tong and brother and not want to come back…”
As she spoke, her little head drooped, and tiny tear drops clung to her long eyelashes.
Wen Jia’s heart ached, and she quickly pulled Tong Tong into her arms, comforting her softly.
“No, your daddy must miss Tong Tong and brother very, very much too. When the victory is won, Daddy will be back. Great heroes always make their entrance last…”
“Princess.” The maid looked at the gloomy weather and said softly, “It looks like it’s going to rain, and the wind is picking up. We should hurry, so the children don’t get cold, and so we’re not late, lest Old Madam worries.”
In the sky, a few withered leaves swirled in the cold wind…
Wen Jia nodded and tucked the children’s jackets tighter.
“Tell the coachman to hurry.”
The carriage rumbled forward, and as raindrops began to fall sporadically, it arrived at the streets and alleys where the Lu Mansion was located.
The vermilion gates of the Lu Mansion were tightly shut, and the stone lions in front of the gate seemed particularly imposing in the twilight.
As soon as the carriage stopped, Wen Jia alighted with the children.
The wet nurse stepped forward, preparing to knock on the door knocker.
At that moment!
A low, fierce shout came from behind.
“Seize them!”
See you tomorrow, sisters…
