Chapter 93: Exploiting Loopholes
sat on the young lady’s wedding bed.
Li Zhao was truly without any scruples.
Fortunately, Xue Sui didn’t mind these things.
She looked at Li Zhao with an exceptionally calm gaze, as if she were looking at a lifeless object, or a pig, or a dog, her expression so indifferent that it stirred a fierce aura within Li Zhao.
Xue Sui sat on the brocade stool opposite him and said softly, “Your Highness, if you have something to say, please speak directly?”
The wedding chamber was perfumed, and the light was dim and ambiguous.
The bright red candlelight flickered and danced, as if joyful spirits were leaping non-stop…
Li Zhao’s eyelids lifted slightly, his gaze very cold.
“I ask, you answer?”
Xue Sui observed his expression and nodded.
Li Zhao asked, “Can Princess Ping Le’s illness not be cured?”
Xue Sui smiled at him, “Your Highness comes in the middle of the night just to ask this?”
Li Zhao: “Otherwise? Am I here to disrupt the wedding night?”
Before Xue Sui could reply, she saw a familiar mockery resurface in his deep dark eyes. He lightly stroked the neatly folded bright red wedding quilt, his long fingers like a piece of water-soaked mutton-fat jade moving across the vibrant red brocade.
“Or, to consummate the marriage for my Imperial Brother?”
A hint of ambiguous atmosphere inexplicably filled the air.
But Xue Sui didn’t find it funny, nor did she think Li Zhao was teasing her.
There seemed to be a natural barrier between them; when their eyes met, hostility was evident.
Xue Sui glanced sideways.
“If Your Highness has no important matters, please leave—”
She gestured towards the window.
Not the door.
If he wanted to leave, he could only climb out the window.
Li Zhao withdrew his hand from the wedding quilt and placed it on his knees. His eyes flickered upwards, his icy gaze as cold as frost.
“Having made Ping Le this way, what do you plan to do next?”
If Princess Ping Le’s “strange illness” could not be cured, and she became estranged from her Imperial Son-in-law, and her reputation was damaged due to the Fan Bing incident. Given her temperament, she might cause some trouble.
But Xue Sui felt it wasn’t miserable enough.
She also understood that Li Zhao’s position was different from hers.
So she smiled, “We’ll take it one step at a time.”
Li Zhao’s face was grim.
How could such a woman exist in this world?
He sat on her wedding bed, lifted her wedding quilt, and even ate her wedding dates.
She sat there, quietly, even more serene than the flower window with the wedding character pasted behind her.
So Li Zhao ate another date.
“Sixth Miss Xue is not that kind of person.”
Xue Sui retorted, “What kind of person am I?”
Li Zhao ate another date.
“A ruthless person, a calculating ruthless person, who wouldn’t enter the mansion rashly without thinking things through…”
His tone was certain, his dark eyes as deep as a knife, as if to dissect her entirely and examine her closely.
This was originally a terrifying thing.
The Li Zhao of this moment was exactly the same as the Crown Prince who had tried to kill her at You Huang Ju.
Exceptionally ruthless.
Yet, because he was controlled by the Love Silk Gu, he showed a hint of helplessness before her, like a tamed fierce beast, tall and majestic, lying at her feet and gently licking its fur.
This thought and image almost made Xue Sui laugh out loud. She lowered her eyelids to respond calmly.
“Your Highness thinks too highly of me. I don’t have three heads and six arms; I only have one life, and I cherish it dearly.”
Li Zhao narrowed his eyes and looked at her.
His dark eyes were cold and deep, like stars scattered across the vast sea.
The woman before him had changed out of her wedding dress and was wearing a simple and elegant autumn-yellow nightgown. Her hair was loosely tied up, her expression serene, her figure slender and graceful, her waist as slender as a willow, barely able to be held in one hand. She was like a secluded orchid blooming in a deserted valley, completely out of place with the surrounding bright red wedding colors, as indifferent as an outsider who had stumbled into the wedding chamber.
“Sixth Miss Xue.”
Li Zhao spoke, “Why hasn’t the Love Silk Flower you planted sprouted yet?”
The sudden shift in topic almost caught Xue Sui off guard.
Li Zhao stared at her, casually picked up the teacup she had just drunk from, and took a sip as if he were at home, then smiled at her.
“What, can’t a bad seed sprout?”
Who was he calling a bad seed?
Xue Sui curved her lips and smiled slightly.
“How long has it been planted? Why is Your Highness in such a hurry?”
Li Zhao’s face turned cold, and he placed the celadon teacup down heavily.
Some water splashed out from the cup, wetting the wedding character placed on the desk. Ling Yu flapped its wings and landed on it, its claws smearing a patch of red, then it lightly hopped onto Li Zhao’s shoulder, leaving red claw prints…
Li Zhao was very clean, and his scalp tightened.
Just as he was about to raise his hand, the pigeon flew to the windowsill and tilted its head to look at him.
Li Zhao couldn’t possibly argue with a pigeon, so he continued, “The other flower seeds I scattered in my garden have already broken through the soil and sprouted, some have even grown buds. The gardener said that spring is the season when all things revive, and it’s the best time for seeds to break through the soil…”
Xue Sui listened quietly and nodded.
“But the Love Silk Flower is not an ordinary plant. It originally came from the Western Regions and grows in harsh, cold places. It is extremely picky about its environment and light. If Your Highness is concerned, watering it with water from a rootless source would be most suitable… but not too much, any more will cause it to wither, and any less will be insufficient…”
Lies came out of her mouth effortlessly.
Li Zhao asked, “Isn’t that just like you?”
Xue Sui’s eyelids twitched slightly.
She was speaking seriously; he shouldn’t be able to see through her, should he?
“What does Your Highness mean?”
Li Zhao raised his eyebrows slightly.
He glanced at her with a half-smile.
“If there’s a single word of falsehood, I’ll rip your head off.”
Xue Sui smiled slightly, “Your Highness should cherish your life.”
The Love Silk Gu were twins, and they were also twins in life.
Cherishing her life was also cherishing his own life.
A flicker of anger flashed in Li Zhao’s eyes.
“Enough, you may curtsy.”
Xue Sui was amused by him.
“Your Highness, this is my room.”
Li Zhao’s face darkened. He stood up, flicked his robe, and swung his sleeves, clasping his hands behind his back as he walked in front of her. He stood tall like a pine or cypress, gazing down at her.
“Xue Ping An, are you sure I can’t do anything to you?”
Wasn’t that obvious?
If he had a way, her head would have been gone long ago.
Xue Sui smiled, looking at the man with a cold face before her.
“Your Highness, please—”
Li Zhao looked at her silently, snorted lightly, and strode towards the windowsill. With a sweep of his sleeve, he suddenly grabbed Ling Yu and pulled it in.
Xue Sui’s pupils contracted. Before she could react, the person and the pigeon had already disappeared into the vast night outside the window…
Xue Sui: …
The Crown Prince held grudges.
Would he stew Ling Yu into soup?
–
The room was dark.
It was pitch black all around, and the sky was heavy.
At this moment, on the high eaves and black tiles of the side room in Tan Qiu Courtyard, two scouts had their necks stretched so sore they could barely stand it.
They had just played “rock-paper-scissors” to decide who would go down to investigate the details. When that person returned, they had a blank face, nodded, and then lay on the rooftop, looking at the stars in the sky, wishing they could cry.
“Your Highness…”
“Alas…”
“Why is he like this, why is he like this!”
“You say, is the Crown Prince too easily seduced?”
“Brother, the Crown Prince isn’t being seduced, he’s attempting to seduce someone unsuccessfully…”
A moment of silence.
The two rested their foreheads on the roof ridge, looking into the distance.
“We know too much, will we…”
“Be silenced?”
The two looked at each other, their bodies chilling.
“Bah, bah, bah! Don’t say such unlucky things.”
“The Crown Prince doesn’t like to kill innocent people; he only kills those who deserve to die.”
“Do we deserve to die?”
“We didn’t see anything, so we don’t deserve to die!”
“Smart! Yes, we didn’t see anything…”
“Remember, what happened tonight, heaven knows, earth knows, you know, I know… no one can speak of it outside, not even your mother or wife at home, not even in your dreams at midnight…”
The two nodded at each other.
After a while, one scout became confused again.
“Then tonight, the night after, and the night after that… will the Crown Prince still come?”
The two looked at each other, on the verge of tears.
They couldn’t possibly see him come every night, could they?
Wouldn’t that still be dereliction of duty?
“How should we report tomorrow?”
“Just say that the Crown Prince, I saw you go to someone’s bridal chamber in the middle of the night?”
“Ah! No!”
“Are we going to die soon?”
“I haven’t lived enough!”
–
The news that the Princess had a private meeting with Imperial Son-in-law Fan Bing at Prince Duan’s Mansion spread like wildfire. In the streets and alleys, tea houses and taverns of Shangjing, it stirred up a thousand waves.
At first, some people refused to believe it.
Ping Le was naturally beautiful, the most beautiful princess of the Daliang Dynasty, while Fan Bing was plain-looking, lacking both talent and virtue. How could he compare to Ping Le’s Imperial Son-in-law Lu You’an? How could Princess Ping Le possibly fancy him?
But as Princess Wen Jia rushed to Pu Ji Temple with her young daughter, saying she wanted to become a vegetarian and practice Buddhism to cultivate her mind, the rumors in the marketplace became even more outrageous.
Some said that the Imperial Son-in-law was inadequate and could not satisfy the Princess, which led the Princess to develop other intentions.
Others said that the Princess had forced the marriage in the first place, and the couple was not as affectionate as rumored. The Imperial Son-in-law no longer shared a room with the Princess, leaving her to sleep alone in her chamber, overcome with loneliness, which is why she was deceived by Fan Bing’s sweet talk.
Even more said that Fan Bing had taken advantage of the situation, using aphrodisiacs to harm the Princess, which led the Princess to do such an improper thing, even having an affair with him at Prince Duan’s birthday banquet, and being caught in the act…
In this storm of rumors, Sixth Miss Xue was the most tragically slandered.
“Doesn’t this Sixth Miss Xue carry bad luck by nature?”
“Wherever she goes, such dirty affairs happen.”
“It is said that Prince Duan disliked her for bringing ill fortune and affecting his luck. He kept her in his mansion for three days, but never even stepped into her room, let alone consummated the marriage with her.”
“Pity this young lady, who was taken by kidnappers for ten years and suffered for ten years. She thought that marrying into a Prince’s Mansion would bring her a good future, but she never expected such a situation…”
Chongwen Hall.
The Crown Prince listened to all the news brought by the scouts, and an uncontrollable smile appeared on his face.
The officials of the Eastern Palace discussing matters with him felt a chill in their hearts.
A half-smile was never a good omen!
After the discussion, the Crown Prince waved his hand, and the officials breathed a sigh of relief. They tidied their robes, composed their expressions, bowed respectfully, and filed out.
Li Zhao sat firmly in the main seat, his expression calm. He suddenly called out to Mei Ruhui.
“Mister, please stay.”
Mei Ruhui saw that everyone else had left and his heart suddenly tightened. He looked up and saw the Crown Prince’s sharp eyes looking at him coldly, and the hairs on his body involuntarily stood on end.
In a short moment, Mei Ruhui’s mind raced, reviewing all his recent actions one by one.
Thinking that he hadn’t done anything to betray his conscience, he finally calmed himself, put on a smile, and bowed deeply to the seat of honor.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Li Zhao leaned slightly to the side and said to Lai Fu, “Bring the things here.”
Lai Fu acknowledged the order and quickly retreated.
Mei Ruhui stood alone, feeling a chill in the hall today, with the breeze constantly seeping into his bones.
After a long while, the Crown Prince finally beckoned him over.
Mei Ruhui put on a respectful expression, walked forward with small steps, knelt steadily on the cushion behind the desk, and cupped his hands to ask:
“May I ask what Your Highness wishes to instruct this humble minister to do?”
Li Zhao’s face showed no emotion, and he said indifferently:
“Please trouble Mister to help me identify these.”
Mei Ruhui had profound attainments in calligraphy and painting. Before becoming a guest of the Crown Prince, he was already renowned in the capital, and his ability to appraise calligraphy was highly praised. Even the current Emperor Chong Zhao had invited him to authenticate rare ancient pieces.
Mei Ruhui looked at the notes, feeling slightly puzzled.
“Your Highness, are you… asking me to compare the handwriting?”
“Precisely,” Li Zhao said. “Mister, please examine them carefully. Are the handwriting samples from the same person?”
Among the notes, two had been delivered by Ling Yu before, containing poems. Looking at them alone, their meanings were obscure, and others could not comprehend them.
The other one was taken by Li Zhao from the desk in Xue Sui’s wedding chamber.
Looking at the handwriting alone, they were different.
The handwriting of a person when writing a letter often differs significantly from their usual practice writing. However, for someone familiar with writing habits and handwriting identification, it is not difficult to distinguish.
Mei Ruhui examined them for a moment and nodded.
“Indeed, these handwriting samples are from the same person.”
Li Zhao raised his eyebrows slightly, then suddenly took out another old, yellowed piece of paper from his sleeve and placed it on the table in front of Mei Ruhui.
“Take a look at this one too.”
Mei Ruhui’s eyelids twitched slightly.
He saw that the paper was stamped with a strange small seal, which was a pattern of a small skull with a knife.
At the bottom of the page, there was also a seal of “Imperial Decree Order.”
He was startled.
He immediately realized that the note came from the mysterious and unfathomable Old Mausoleum Swamp.
And it was from the hand of an Imperial Envoy.
