Chapter 36: Meeting in the Carriage
Xue Sui did not refuse Xue Yuechen’s arrangement.
Although she found it utterly ridiculous.
A man’s affection never depended on whether he liked to eat cloud slice cake, nor whether a woman was “dignified and prudent” or “seductive and charming.”
How could Prince Duan, who was entirely focused on the Imperial Court, care about trivial matters in the inner chambers?
Xue Yuechen was too fixated on minor details, wholeheartedly trying to capture a man’s heart, only to trap herself within this narrow, confined space and lock away her own heart.
Before leaving, she saw the Prince’s Mansion guards escorting Daoist Ling Xu and his two disciples towards Hui Xian Hall, and she chuckled softly.
Fei Cui found the smile peculiar and couldn’t help but ask:
“What is Sixth Miss smiling about?”
Xue Sui’s lips curved slightly, and she replied calmly, “I’ve never seen such a spectacle before. It’s quite novel.”
Fei Cui glanced at her, snorted softly through her nose, and the unspoken words “country bumpkin” remained unsaid.
–
The main street of Yongxing Ward was bustling with activity, with people coming and going, and the clamor was incessant. Cries of vendors and laughter intertwined between the vermilion pavilions and emerald trees, like a pot of boiling hot porridge.
Turning down another alley, one could see the renowned Zhen Bao Pavilion.
Xue Sui, accompanied by Xiao Zhao and Ru Yi, with Fei Cui following, walked along the street. The small stall owners selling groceries greeted passersby with beaming smiles, none paying attention to the carriage parked quietly nearby.
The carriage body was as black as ink.
The curtains were made of heavy brocade, dense in texture.
They blocked out the light and also the people inside.
Xue Sui, as before, walked past with her head down.
Just then, a deep chant suddenly sounded from behind.
“Vowing for a thousand autumns, why does that old friend not come to meet me?”
It was Guan Ya’s voice.
Mixed with the noisy crowd, it pierced directly into Xue Sui’s ears.
Others might not have understood, but Xue Sui’s heart pounded.
This was on the main street!
In broad daylight, in full view of everyone. Was Li Zhao insane?
He wouldn’t hesitate to expose their secrets in front of the Prince Duan’s Mansion servants?
She didn’t believe he would dare.
Xue Sui subconsciously quickened her pace by two steps, then suddenly heard a low bird call.
A familiar and clear bird call came from behind the curtain, varying in length, indicating annoyance at being provoked.
Xue Sui’s expression changed instantly; she wished she could wring Li Zhao’s head off.
This morning, she had sent Ling Yu to deliver a message to Yaoguang. Why had it fallen into Li Zhao’s hands?
“Hey, that bird call is so strange…” Fei Cui said, about to turn back to look, but Guan Ya had already lifted the curtain.
In her haste, Xue Sui reached up to her hair, seemingly tidying it casually, but in reality, she flicked her hand subtly. The mule laden with goods not far away suddenly became startled, let out a cry, and bolted forward.
Xue Sui and Xiao Zhao exchanged a glance. With agile movements, they pulled Ru Yi aside, narrowly avoiding the stampede.
The mule charged directly at Fei Cui.
“Ah!” Fei Cui, caught off guard, fell to the ground with a cry.
Xiao Zhao quickly stepped forward to help her up, cursed the innocent mule a few times, and asked with concern:
“Aunt Fei Cui, are you alright?”
Fei Cui gritted her teeth, her face contorted in pain, but she couldn’t straighten up.
“I… my waist… I’ve sprained my waist…”
Xue Sui said, “Ru Yi, help Aunt Fei Cui to Ji An Hall ahead and find a doctor. Be careful not to injure her bones or tendons, and don’t delay her recovery.”
Fei Cui froze, her face showing hesitation.
“How can I do that? I haven’t finished the task my mistress assigned…”
Xue Sui smiled gently, coaxing softly, “Don’t worry, Auntie. I can handle this small matter. If I delay the important business, I will explain to the Princess Consort when we return.”
Fei Cui was very reluctant to delegate, but her body was in too much pain, and she needed support to walk. With no other option, she reluctantly allowed Ru Yi to help her, hobbling along step by step as she left.
Only then did Xue Sui unhurriedly walk back to the alley entrance and look at the parked carriage.
“What are the old friend’s intentions?”
Li Zhao had observed her series of reactions and seemed greatly pleased. A low chuckle came from within the curtain.
“Come up.”
His voice was gentle, with a hint of a smile.
But as the curtain opened a crack, and she met those eyes hidden in the darkness, they were as cold as ice, capable of freezing a person instantly.
People were coming and going on the street, and even if no one recognized this as the Eastern Palace’s carriage, Xue Sui did not want to court trouble.
She got into the carriage without a word, bowed slightly, and sat down uninvited.
The interior of the carriage was spacious, covered with a thick brocade mattress, furnished with exquisite tea sets and an incense burner. Wisps of incense smoke permeated the air, faint and ethereal, like something from a celestial realm, luxuriously unlike the mortal world.
Xue Sui looked directly at Li Zhao, her gaze as calm as still water.
“Your Highness, if you have something to say, please speak plainly.”
Li Zhao smiled and asked, “This chess piece of mine, is it still useful?”
His tone was as if he were discussing an insignificant matter, casual and relaxed.
But Xue Sui understood that before her lay a bottomless abyss.
A single misstep could lead to utter destruction.
“Why does Your Highness belittle yourself? You are the one playing the game, and I am merely a chess piece. Or is it that the dignified Crown Prince intends to go back on his word?”
The smile on Li Zhao’s face vanished abruptly.
It was replaced by a pair of unfathomable black eyes, as deep as an abyss.
“On that day, Sixth Miss Xue approached me willingly, but I did not agree.”
Xue Sui’s lips curved upwards, her smile widening slightly.
“Then that’s strange. Since Your Highness did not agree, why did you cooperate with me in the Qiong Tower case, kill You Zhimu, attack Lao Jun Mountain, clear out bandits, secretly support Hongfu Gambling House, and even suppress Xue Qingzhi and impeach Prince Duan?”
Li Zhao: “I wanted to see how you would become stronger.”
Was it like a child who, out of novelty, picked up a sharp knife, played with it, found the blade too sharp, and might accidentally injure their hand, thus wanting to put it away?
Xue Sui’s gaze fixed on Li Zhao’s handsome face, a faint smile appearing on her lips: “But I am not a kite in Your Highness’s hand. You can let me go when you wish, and reel me back in when you please…”
Li Zhao: “So, you’re saying I can’t control you anymore?”
Xue Sui paused: “If Your Highness wishes to think so, I can’t help it.”
These few words were as hard as a wall.
Li Zhao pressed his temples, letting out a cold laugh.
“Sixth Miss Xue, you have quite the audacity!”
Xue Sui had no intention of provoking him. She calmed her expression, bowed slightly, and said respectfully, “Your Highness, please calm your anger. Sixth Miss has no intention of offending you. From beginning to end, my original intention has not changed; I have always followed Your Highness’s lead.”
“Following my lead, does that mean becoming Li Huan’s concubine, secondary consort, or consort? Or perhaps waiting to become Princess Consort Duan, or even Empress, the Mother of the World?”
Xue Sui was stunned.
Then she began to laugh.
“Your Highness is being unreasonable.”
She smiled slightly, looking steadily at Li Zhao.
“I am helping you. Sixth Miss and Your Highness are on the same side.”
Li Zhao’s eyes were cold: “I have not fallen so low as to rely on a woman.”
Xue Sui corrected him: “Not rely, but cooperate.”
Li Zhao: “Sixth Miss Xue, what is it you truly want?”
Xue Sui never hid her desire for revenge. After a moment of thought, she replied with a serious expression, “Your Highness knows why I returned to the capital. Prince Duan is closer to Princess Ping Le, and it will also cause Princess Ping Le more pain. As for what I want…”
She hesitated for a moment, then added, “I want to use my own hands to restore order, cleanse the filth of this world, and bring a bright and clear future to the common people. Will Your Highness laugh at me if I say this?”
Li Zhao’s lips twitched.
Indeed, he smiled.
Unfortunately, it was a cold smile.
“Sixth Miss Xue, some things don’t need to be said explicitly.”
Xue Sui sighed softly, “Your Highness, Sixth Miss does not understand.”
Li Zhao smiled, his wolf-like eyes scanning her unreservedly, down to her fluttering eyelashes. There was no tenderness, only coldness in his words.
“Li Huan is your chess piece, am I not?”
Xue Sui met his gaze and smiled casually.
“When a chess piece is in a dangerous position, it is best to be useful. Sixth Miss has never wavered. Whether I am a chess piece or a player, why does Your Highness need to distinguish so clearly?”
She thought Li Zhao suspected her of playing both sides and profiting from it. Although that was the truth, it was not yet time to fall out with Li Zhao, so she offered a feigned defense.
Li Zhao actually smiled after hearing this.
“Using Monk Jingkong’s mouth to subtly control Princess Consort Duan. Then orchestrating the bizarre deaths of You Zhimu and the wet nurse, cleverly laying the groundwork to gain a legitimate identity to return to the capital, advancing step by step, alienating and dividing, stirring up conflict, and arranging for Xue Qingxiu’s feigned death, causing the Xue family members to reveal their weaknesses in their haste…”
“When the time is ripe, Xue Qingxiu ‘resurrects’ and subtly exposes the First Madam’s collusion with the Daoist and her scheme to elevate her own daughter to Prince Duan, clearing his name from ten years ago. Using the Lao Jun Mountain case, he elevates the Third Branch, suppresses the First Branch, alienates Prince Duan from the Xue family, gains the Old Madam’s favor, completely reshapes the Xue family’s structure, manipulates the precarious position of the Princess Consort Duan, and controls various forces. This plan is flawless…”
He looked at Xue Sui and spoke slowly, his tone unhurried, yet like a heavy hammer, exuding an undeniable pressure.
“Such methods, Sixth Miss Xue, have opened my eyes.”
Xue Sui placed her hands flat on her knees, sitting upright and composed, her expression serene.
“Your Highness is no less capable. You not only manipulate people’s hearts but also pigeons, forcing them to comply.”
She retorted without blushing or faltering, showing no fear.
Li Zhao asked indifferently, “The Xue Mansion and Prince Duan’s Mansion are stepping stones, what is the Eastern Palace to you? How will Sixth Miss Xue’s ambition be satisfied? One day, this Imperial City, the Li family’s empire, what will it be to you?”
He was the Crown Prince.
He was the Crown Prince of the Li family’s empire.
He protected the interests of the Li family.
In this regard, he was no different from Prince Duan or Ping Le.
Li Zhao could tolerate her causing trouble for Prince Duan’s faction under his nose, but he would not allow her to harm the Li family’s empire and cause him trouble.
Once he harbored suspicion, he would surely strike first.
“No,” Xue Sui said clearly, her heart as clear as a mirror, with a slight smile.
“Before returning to the capital, I told Your Highness that I am only seeking revenge. With Sixth Miss here, it is only beneficial to the Crown Prince, with no disadvantages. If the Crown Prince is not at ease, let us wait and see.”
Li Zhao picked up Ling Yu from a nearby rack and toyed with it.
“I like this bird.”
Xue Sui: “I will not give it to you.”
Li Zhao was taken aback, then laughed in exasperation.
This Sixth Miss had a remarkable ability to provoke his anger.
He hooked his finger, and Ling Yu perched on his slender, jade-like finger, offering it to Xue Sui.
“If you utter a single false word, I will pluck this pigeon and make soup.”
Dear readers, this book will be entering VIP tomorrow. I still remember the confident flag I set when I first started writing, promising to write more and save more drafts. Alas, fate did not go as planned. In the past half month, life has played a small joke on me. First, I was diagnosed with another illness, and before I could recover, I suffered a sudden onset of deafness, which greatly distressed Er Jin’s draft storage. Treatment, treatment, treatment, until today, I don’t know when I will recover…
I really wish I could pull a divine doctor out of a novel to perform a miracle…
The advantage of this illness is that it is not fatal, it can prevent wasting time watching videos, allowing focus on studying and reading. The disadvantage is that it is not easily cured, prone to recurrence, and I cannot tolerate any sound （ including keyboard typing ）. It is harsh and uncomfortable, accompanied by tinnitus and noise. Therefore, I now prefer to type on my phone, which inevitably affects my speed…
But please don’t worry about me. Writing itself is not a burden, but a dream. I have many stories I want to share with everyone. Perhaps only by experiencing the myriad aspects of life can a creator gain deeper insights and craft better words. Without enduring the frost and cold, one cannot know the fragrance of plum blossoms. Whether good or bad, it is a gift from fate. It is just that when I occasionally recall my healthy days, I can’t help but sigh.
At the time, I thought it was ordinary; looking back, my hair has already turned white.
Please readers, cherish your health and love yourselves.
Finally, I sincerely thank you for accompanying me on this journey through 《 Ask the Nine Ministers 》. For me, it has been so extraordinary. The road ahead is long, let us continue to set forth…
