His Rui

Chapter 163 – The Scheming Has Started

Amidst the talks of the people, the banquet officially started.

It was the group of dancers who gave the first performance of the banquet. Clad in colorful clothes, they danced very gracefully and elegantly attracting everyone's attention.

After the dance, there were other performances.

The dishes were served by the servants on the tables only as the noble families enjoyed the banquet.

Between all this, Princess Wenling looked towards her mother once.

Empress Qin Wenya nodded her head gently with a smile while looking in some other direction and Princess Wenling moved her eyes away as if nothing happened.

It was after the sixth performance when everyone saw the first Princess suddenly standing up from her seat.

The hall quieted down as the Princess walked to stand in front of the throne and bowed her head.

"Does Princess wish to say something?"

The Emperor asked gently. His gentle voice clearly showed how much he favored the first Princess.

Princess Wenling's head was still lowered. She was silent for a few moments and then she finally said

"Your Majesty, this daughter wishes to say something in front of everyone."

Zhao Wang Lei's forehead was knitted in confusion and he said

"Go ahead."

With the Emperor's permission, Princess Wenling raised her head and turned to look in a particular direction.

The present people followed her eyes and their eyes were suddenly filled with interest.

In their sight was Prime Minister Xi who was currently serving something in a plate with his chopsticks.

He didn't seem to pay any attention to what was going around him.

Did Prime Minister Xi like to eat this much? This was something new that everyone discovered.

There was a frown on his forehead as he tasted one dish. He didn't seem to like it and hence put it away far on the table.

The ministers looked at each other.

Being picky for the dishes that were served by the Imperial Palace kitchen, only Prime Minister Xi can do it.

They don't dare to do such a thing. For them, even the water from the kitchen, where the food for the Emperor was made, was like honey.

But the young Prime Minister was too busy to care about it.

"Here, you can have it."

Their eyes widened as they saw him forwarding the same plate, he had filled with so much hard work, to Li Rui.

Some people almost fell down from their seats.

What was happening?

Was Lord Xi ensuring if the dishes were according to his wangfei's taste?

This….was not this too much? As they thought this, they couldn't help but look at the Princess with pity.

Zhao Wenling looked at the scene in front of her.

Only she knew how much her heart was clenching to see it but she also knew that she can't show her anger and frustration here.

No matter how much pain she was in, she had to pretend and put a smile on her lips which she successfully showed to everyone.

With a small smile that didn't reach her eyes, she gained the pity and sympathy of everyone else.

She lowered her head and said

"Fourteen years ago, General Li's daughter, Li Rui had saved this Princess' life.  After that, she also became thus Princess' childhood companion and accompanied this one for a memorable part of this one's childhood."

This was something that many people who were present in the banquet hall knew and many of them also knew what happened after that.

Li Rui who had been calmly eating the dishes on her plate raised her head when she heard the Princess.

Her face didn't have any expression as she looked at the Princess lowered head.

Noticing this, Xi Ying frowned.

Although Xi Ying had been pretending as if he was not paying any attention to the banquet's happening, he knew whatever was going around him.

He just wishes to ignore everything and peacefully pass these three days with Li Rui. He doesn't want Li Rui to have any other bad memory related to the Imperial Palace or anything else.

But it seems that these people have sworn to irk him.

Still, he tried to divert Li Rui's attention away from the Princess. She doesn't need to hear whatever was being said. He was hearing it and if the Princess said something questionable then he would answer her very nicely. 

He picked one of Li Rui's favorite dishes from his plate and forwarded it to Li Rui's lips.

"Rui, here… have it. It's just according to your taste."

Li Rui was startled when she saw the chopsticks holding food in front of her lips. She glanced sideways at her husband calmly but her heart was filled with embarrassment.

'What is he doing?

Can't he see that everyone is looking at them?

What would they saw seeing the cold and dignified Prime Minister doing all this?'

"Don't pay attention to useless things."

Xi Ying said gently as he again indicated her to open her mouth.

His voice was gentle and low but those who were sitting in the front heard him clearly. General Li had a smile on his lips while Yi Jie had a terrified expression on her face.

"Heng…what does she want to do this time?"

She was really afraid for her daughter. The Princess has not given anything good to her daughter. Now even she knew that the Princess liked Prime Minister Xi in the past or maybe she has feelings for him even now.

What will her Rui had to bear this time?

General Li held his wangfei's hand and comforted her gently.

"Yi Jie, don't be afraid. Rui is no longer that innocent and naïve and she also has Lord Xi. If she still needed any help, then her father is still here. I won't let anything happen to her."

Yi Jie gulped and nodded her head.

She believed her husband. 

Even Princess Wenling heard Xi Ying because she was standing near the front seats. The pretentious smile on her lips stiffened for a moment and her nails dug into her palms.

'Calm down Wenling…You know that he is just pretending.'

She said again and again inside her heart and tried to calm down herself.

'You still have to go according to her mother's plan.'