Chapter 99: A Sinking Ship
Li Zhao raised an eyebrow slightly and leaned down to stare at Xue Sui.
“Sixth Miss Xue is absolutely right.”
On this midsummer night, the garden was still fragrant, as if the scent of flowers was carried in from outside the window, or perhaps it was a faint fragrance from Li Zhao himself, leisurely diffusing in the air…
“I’ve boarded your pirate ship, and there’s no getting off now.”
At this moment, Li Zhao was nothing like the ruthless Crown Prince from the rumors. His eyes were smiling, as gentle as if light shone from his dark pupils, with a hint of a different, deeper affection.
Xue Sui’s lips curved slightly, her smile perfectly measured.
“In that case, Your Highness and I shall walk hand in hand and achieve great things together.”
Li Zhao: “The prerequisite for walking hand in hand is fairness. Having boarded this pirate ship, I must at least collect some debt…”
Before his voice faded, he hooked his arm around her, firmly encircling her waist, and pulled her forward with force.
Xue Sui hadn’t expected Li Zhao to make such a sudden move. In the blink of an eye, she was crashing into his chest. Li Zhao cupped the back of her head, then lowered his head and, without hesitation, bit down on her lower lip.
He bit down hard.
His breathing grew rapid.
His strength was immense…
As if he wanted to tear her apart completely, to merge her into his very bones and blood.
In an instant, a rusty, metallic scent of blood filled their mouths.
Xue Sui’s brows furrowed tightly, but she didn’t struggle or push him away, like a puppet…
However, the moment Li Zhao released her, she backhanded grabbed his collar, yanked him forward, and then bit him back fiercely.
Her movements were clean and decisive, without any hesitation. Her face showed no emotion, cold, like a beast, like a demon.
She was even quite impolite, sliding down to his neck and leaving a faint pink bite mark…
“Hiss—”
Li Zhao gasped, his fingers slowly reaching for his lips.
Looking at his fingertips, he saw a trace of crimson blood.
Both of them tensed, and in their eyes, an unspeakable beast seemed to be fiercely entwined, tearing at them…
Their gazes met, and Li Zhao suddenly let out a low laugh.
“Xue Ping’an.”
His laughter echoed softly in the silent room.
It was evident that the Crown Prince was genuinely pleased, and his expression had softened somewhat.
“You truly are vengeful, unwilling to suffer even the slightest loss.”
Xue Sui hummed in agreement, “Likewise.”
Li Zhao’s long fingers gently tapped her lips, his fingertip stained with his own blood, covering the place on her lip that he had bitten open.
As they mingled, it became impossible to tell whose blood it was.
“I like your spirit, but don’t think you can play both sides.”
Xue Sui: “I have never deceived Your Highness, so why should Your Highness be vexed?”
Seeing her still restless at this moment, Li Zhao’s gaze turned cold, suddenly exuding a chilling aura.
“The day you tricked me into drinking the Love Silk Gu, you should have anticipated the consequences.”
As he spoke, his thumb slowly moved, deliberately and casually caressing her earlobe.
The touch was warm, as if igniting a chain of unknown wild fires. His voice also became deep and hoarse, like rough wood sanded by sandpaper, carrying a frantic, lustful agitation.
“Xue Ping’an, I cannot have anyone else, and neither can you!”
After a pause, Li Zhao chuckled softly.
“Zhang Huaicheng found a Gu Master from the southern border. He said that once the Gu worm recognizes its master, as long as our blood mingles, the Gu worm will coexist within our bodies. From now on, whether it’s the poison of the Love Silk Lure or something else, what I have, you will have too. We will share it. You are poisoned, and so am I. From now on, we will fight poison with poison…”
Xue Sui was secretly startled.
Was the Love Silk Lure truly that miraculous?
Why hadn’t Senior Sister Yuheng mentioned that Li Zhao would develop such possessiveness?
She lowered her eyes, her expression remaining impassive.
“There are many charlatans in the martial world, Your Highness should be cautious.”
Li Zhao stared at her coldly and slowly withdrew his hand.
“If you dare to flirt with Li Huan behind my back, to be intimate with him, I will lead my troops to raze the Old Mausoleum Swamp and uproot it completely, leaving nothing behind. At that time, the Old Mausoleum Swamp will be littered with corpses, and rivers of blood will flow… Xue Ping’an, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
Xue Sui looked at him as if he were a monster.
Did the Crown Prince even know where he stood?
Did he know whose Ru Ren she was?
Li Zhao was laughable!
But Xue Sui didn’t want to provoke him at this moment.
The fire outside had just been extinguished; she didn’t want another one in Tan Qiu Courtyard.
Xue Sui frowned slightly and pondered before asking him.
“What benefit would leveling the Old Mausoleum Swamp bring to the Crown Prince?”
Li Zhao smiled faintly, extending an arm to tease a Spirit Feather that was pacing back and forth. His phoenix eyes, beautiful and sharp, looked down at her and said.
“You are not benevolent, so I will be unjust.”
Xue Sui said, “I am no longer from the Old Mausoleum Swamp. I haven’t been since the day I returned to the capital.”
Li Zhao raised an eyebrow, “So what? It matters to you. I will make you hurt.”
Xue Sui’s lips pressed together tightly, her face calm.
However, her heart was like a stormy sea, surging violently.
For decades, the Old Mausoleum Swamp had managed to survive in the cracks, largely relying on the late Emperor’s decree. However, no matter how vast a civilian force was, it was as insignificant as an ant before the overwhelming might of the imperial army, unable to resist.
Especially Li Zhao, whom others described as merely an arrogant Crown Prince, disliked by the Emperor, who relied on his legitimate birth status for all his advantages, acting recklessly and cruelly, yet ultimately being incompetent.
But Xue Sui feared him the most.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have risked going to You Huang Ju before returning to the capital.
Li Zhao was far more difficult to deal with than Li Huan.
He was decisive and dared to do what others wouldn’t.
Without Li Zhao’s permission beforehand, her path to revenge in Shangjing would be extremely difficult.
Because her actions would be hard to perfectly evade Li Zhao’s surveillance.
It was possible that her revenge would end before it even began…
And Emperor Chong Zhao might not even dare to raze the Old Mausoleum Swamp…
But if Li Zhao went mad, no one could stop him.
Moreover, no one knew what Emperor Chong Zhao’s intentions were regarding the Old Mausoleum Swamp.
If Li Zhao truly led troops to clear out the Old Mausoleum Swamp, it might be exactly what the Emperor wanted – letting the Crown Prince bear the blame for defying the late Emperor’s decree, allowing the Emperor to gain a good reputation and eliminate the hidden threat of the Old Mausoleum Swamp.
Xue Sui didn’t believe in any Gu Master from the southern border.
But she knew that Li Zhao’s last statement was by no means empty.
If he wanted to do something, he could.
“Alright.”
Xue Sui calmly wiped her lips, her voice clear and cold.
“Until the Gu poison is resolved, neither of us will betray the other. I will absolutely not have any private affairs with anyone else.”
She agreed readily.
Her gaze was calm and unruffled, like stagnant water.
Li Zhao smiled, “Not private affairs, but purity.”
The interpretation of private affairs was too broad and could lead to complications.
Purity was different; being pure meant being spotless and untainted.
Xue Sui smiled slightly, “Alright. Purity.”
Seeing her smile, Li Zhao’s expression couldn’t help but stiffen.
Despite achieving his desire, he felt no joy in his heart.
He shouldn’t have indulged her and let her marry into the Prince’s Mansion back then.
At that time, he wanted to see what waves she could stir up and didn’t care about anything else.
He hadn’t expected that upon learning she was to be presented to the Emperor, the Gu worm within him would become restless, refusing to be still. The pain was as if his heart and liver were being gouged out…
He could no longer remain an outsider, watching coldly.
He was angry!
He hated her so much he wanted to kill her!
Zhang Huaicheng had indeed found a Gu Master from the southern border.
Li Zhao did not meet him in his capacity as Crown Prince, but he offered a substantial reward.
After examining his condition, the other party stated that the person who cast the spell was highly skilled, and the Gu technique was mysterious and unfathomable. With his cultivation and abilities, let alone deciphering or breaking it, he couldn’t even cope. In the end, he didn’t dare to accept the money and left…
Li Zhao hated her even more.
Xue Sui.
Xue Ping’an.
Using Gu to control him, and yet she still harbored thoughts of being with Li Huan!
It was simply wishful thinking!
–
Shu Yu Pavilion suddenly caught fire, and the flames that night illuminated half of the Prince’s Mansion.
Afterward, Li Huan punished a steward and two nannies from Shu Yu Pavilion.
Those two nannies were lazy that night and were roasting chestnuts on the stove. Without extinguishing the embers, they left, which ignited the nearby firewood. The fire spread rapidly, quickly reaching the wooden cabinets, nearly causing a major disaster.
Logically, the matter should have ended there, but rumors began to spread throughout the Prince’s Mansion.
Some people privately discussed how that Sixth Miss Xue was extremely ominous.
Wherever she was in the Xue Mansion, the Xue Mansion was in turmoil.
Now that she was at Prince Duan’s Mansion, the mansion inexplicably caught fire.
Thus, the notion of her being a “Seven Malignant Stars” was brought up again. Even though Ling Xu was proven to be a fake Taoist, it couldn’t stop the spread of these rumors.
Spreading rumors was like a strong wind, while refuting them was like swimming against the current, making it incredibly difficult.
However, Xue Sui never refuted them, as if all of this had nothing to do with her.
Yuan Qingzhu watched coldly for two days. Seeing Xue Sui calm and unperturbed, she became even more infuriated…
“Someone, help me change my clothes. I need to enter the palace to see my aunt!”
–
The Imperial Palace.
In Rui Jin Hall.
Consort Xiao had just sent some rare medicinal materials to Princess Ping Le’s Mansion when she heard that Consort Yuan requested an audience.
Lately, Consort Xiao had been worried and agitated about Princess Ping Le’s illness.
Upon hearing this, she couldn’t help but frown.
“Let her in.”
Yuan Qingzhu’s mother was Consort Xiao’s cousin, establishing a maternal relative relationship. Furthermore, Yuan Qingzhu’s father held a position in the Ministry of Personnel, making them part of Prince Duan’s faction and a capable support in the Imperial Court.
Therefore, Consort Xiao had always treated her kindly.
Yuan Qingzhu was also more casual in front of her than others.
Led by an inner attendant, Yuan Qingzhu entered the hall with graceful steps, offered a polite bow, and then began to complain tearfully.
“Aunt, Shu Yu Pavilion inexplicably caught fire, which greatly frightened my Ci’er. She is now ill in bed and cannot accompany me to visit you in the palace today…”
Consort Xiao patiently comforted her a few words, but Yuan Qingzhu became more agitated as she spoke, her tears falling like priceless pearls.
“Before, others said that Sixth Miss Xue was ominous, and I didn’t believe it. Now I finally understand…”
Under Consort Xiao’s probing gaze, Yuan Qingzhu embellished the story and recounted the recent events at Prince Duan’s Mansion.
“The Prince is like he’s possessed. He doesn’t go anywhere in the inner chambers, focusing all his attention on doting on those two sisters. He even stayed at Mu Yue Residence for many days…”
Mentioning this, she was filled with indignation.
“Shu Yu Pavilion caught fire, and the Prince stayed to accompany me and Ci’er until midnight. But after Ci’er fell asleep, he still returned to his own Qi Wu Courtyard.”
Li Huan did not stay overnight.
Never an exception.
The only exception was Xue Yuechen.
Consort Xiao listened quietly, her expression unreadable.
In her opinion, as long as it contributed to the Prince’s Mansion by having descendants, they were all her grandchildren, and she didn’t need to concern herself with these trivial matters.
She also understood her son.
Huan’er appeared kind, but in reality, he was cold-tempered and not easily moved.
He was also busy with court affairs daily, guarding against the Eastern Palace’s schemes and engaging in power struggles with officials. Therefore, he didn’t have much energy to deal with the women in the inner chambers, and his caution towards his bed partners, not staying overnight in the inner chambers, was not a bad thing.
So she said casually, “The Xue Shi has a virtuous nature and is the main wife. It is only right for the Prince to give her more respect. As for this Sixth Miss…”
Yuan Qingzhu secretly raised her eyes and continued, “It must be Sixth Miss causing trouble behind the scenes. Otherwise, the Princess Consort wouldn’t know those evil arts. Perhaps Princess Ping Le’s illness is also related to Sixth Miss…”
Consort Xiao’s expression changed slightly.
“Do you have any proof?”
Yuan Qingzhu shook her head, forcing a smile, “This woman is deeply cunning. How can it be easy to find fault with her?”
Consort Xiao had indeed suspected Xue Sui regarding Princess Ping Le’s poisoning, but she couldn’t find any evidence.
Listening to Yuan Qingzhu’s words, she couldn’t help but recall Xue Liu’s appearance, a strange feeling welling up in her heart.
She didn’t possess an aggressive sharpness; she was very amiable and her smile was bright and pure.
Having been in the deep palace for many years, Consort Xiao had seen countless people.
No matter how well someone disguised themselves, their eyes could not lie.
Loyalty or treachery, good or evil, would reveal a trace in their eyes. But Xue Liu’s eyes were as clear as a mountain spring, and when she smiled at people, she seemed completely guileless, innocent, and harmless…
A woman of seventeen or eighteen who could disguise herself to such an extent, controlling her expressions perfectly without revealing any flaws, was either misunderstood or was deeply cunning, her schemes honed to perfection.
If it were the latter, it would be truly unbelievable.
Therefore, Consort Xiao believed it was the former.
However, the Yuan clan was crying incessantly before her, disturbing her peace, so she had to patiently advise.
“Sixth Miss is, after all, the Princess Consort’s sister. Since she has entered the mansion, you should get along with her and serve the Prince together. Don’t act on your whims and displease the Prince…”
Consort Yuan was stunned, staring blankly at the Consort…
Her tears fell even harder.
As she cried, her knees buckled, and she slowly knelt down.
“Aunt doesn’t believe me, does she suspect I’m deliberately spreading rumors to compete for favor?”
Consort Xiao bent down to help her up and sighed softly.
“Silly child! How many eyes are watching us inside and outside the court? Everything requires evidence. That Xue Shi diligently serves the Prince; without concrete evidence, how can one condemn someone out of thin air?”
Consort Yuan lowered her gaze and thought for a moment, stopping her crying. A hint of hatred appeared in her eyes.
“Zhu’er sent someone to inquire. Little Xue Shi, besides writing and painting, likes to tinker with medicinal materials in Tan Qiu Courtyard. Every two days, she secretly sends a scented sachet to Mu Yue Residence. When the Prince visits, Great Xue Shi places that sachet under her pillow. Could this be considered evidence?”
Consort Xiao’s expression turned slightly grim.
Fearing Consort Xiao wouldn’t believe her, Yuan Qingzhu reminded her, “Aunt, Zhu’er believes that the Xue sisters must be using some evil object to bewitch people, which is why the Prince lingers all night. Setting aside other things, Zhu’er is afraid they will harm the Prince’s health…”
Competing for favor was common. As a mother, Consort Xiao rarely interfered in the petty squabbles of her son’s inner chambers…
But if anyone dared to harm her son, she would not stand by idly.
“It seems I have overestimated her.”
Consort Xiao raised her eyelids and looked at Yuan Qingzhu indifferently.
“There are so many ways to deal with people, why must you dirty your own hands?”
A combined chapter, this one is very long~
（ There are too many things happening during the Spring Festival. The update schedule may be unstable. I hope all sisters have a happy new year, spend quality time with family, and check in on the book when you have time~~ Mwah! ）
