His Rui

Chapter 173 – Meeting Her Family After Four Years

Because of the long break, the banquet on the first day seemed to have ended very soon. Still, during these four hours of performances, everyone was feeling a little tired.

So as soon as the Emperor exited the banquet, everyone stood up to go back to their rooms.

Zhao Zhuang Chen was the first person to exit the banquet followed by his princess consort.

Zhao Zhang Wei stood up from his seat and, seeing this Yi Huqing also rose from her sitting position. As they stepped down from the chairs that were put on a high pedestal for the Imperial family's members, Yi Huiqing's eyebrows knitted in confusion when she saw him walking towards some other direction instead of the exit gates. 

Looking around at the still present guests, she could only follow him silently to wherever he was going. On her face there was clear reluctance to go anywhere at that moment but since her head was lowered no one could see her expression.

"Son-in-law greets Grandfather Yi."

Zhao Zhang Wei's voice sounded in her ears and she for a moment was very surprised. She swiftly raised her head only to see her grandfather's face from above Zhao Zhang Wei's shoulders.

Even Elder Yi was surprised inside his heart but his face didn't show his emotions on his face as he smiled gently at Yi Huiqing who was standing behind Zhao Zhang Wei.

Yi Huiqing's lips trembled slightly and she lowered her head swiftly fearing that she would start to cry the next moment.

This was what a woman suffers after entering the Imperial Palace. She is not allowed to go outside of the Imperial Palace unless it is something very important. 

Whether it was concubines or any wangfei, they were destined to live in the same Imperial Palace for their whole life and then be buried to be there even after their death.

She had suffered from fate.

Although she had conversed to her mother through letters or whenever her mother came to the Imperial Palace to meet her, but her father and her brothers and grandfather… had not seen them for four years. Because the Imperial Palace does not allow men in harems.

So when she saw her grandfather who looked older than the last time she remembered she could not help but feel emotional.

On the other hand, Elder Yi perhaps sensed his granddaughter's emotions. Distress flashed in his eyes. Yi Huiqing and Yi Jie had always been the apple of his eyes.

Although he didn't like General much he knew that General Li loved his daughter more than anything but Yi Huiqing…he had seen her stepping inside the vicious Imperial Palace with his own eyes but he couldn't do anything. So towards Yi Huiqing, his heart has always been filled with guilt and distress especially whenever he heard the news of her child's death, that too, twice.

It was not only him who felt this but the whole Yi Clan who had favored daughters more than sons. Whenever Yi Huiqing sent a letter, all of them would sit together and then hear what she had written.

Even after it was read loudly, Elder Yi would read it again and again and would wipe his eyes discretely from anyone because he could feel from those letters that Yi Huiqing was not happy in the Imperial place.

His granddaughter whom he had brought up with so much care, made her so bold and fearless…he could see that he had lost her.

This girl was someone else. The Imperial palace killed his lively granddaughter. 

However, in the end, he could do nothing this time also except suppress his emotions. He smiled politely and even bowed his head a little while saying

"Greetings to the second…"

However, before he could finish his bow, his shoulder was held by an arm firmly. He raised his head to look at the man who had held his shoulder.

"Grandfather Yi doesn't need to be so formal."

However, Elder Yi insisted and still completed his bow which made Zhao Zhang Wei retract his arms in fear that he would hurt the old man unknowingly. 

After finishing the bow, Elder Yi raised his head again and said

"How can this be? This is a rule that everyone has to follow. Although the second prince is benevolent, this elder still fears to benefit from it and go against those rules."

During all this while there was a smile on his lips but Zhao Zhang Wei still could feel the contempt from Elder Yi because the smile was somewhat very similar to Yi Huiqing's distant and polite smile.

Zhao Zhang Wei was very confused inside his heart sensing the unwelcomed contempt and knowing the reason behind it.

However, he didn't think much about it and stepped aside a bit so that everyone from the Yi family can see Yi Huiqing who was standing behind him.

He smiled lightly when he saw the startled face of Yi Huiqing at his actions.

'Was he still not obvious?' So he said

"Wangfei can meet her family freely."

When Yi Huiqing had seen that he had come to the Yi family she had only expected him to talk for a few minutes and then leave. She had not expected him to allow her to meet her family.

But as soon as his words registered in her mind, she didn't waste any time in thinking over them, instead, she turned to look at her family members.

Tears filled her eyes when she looked at her father, her mother, her grandmother, her brothers, and everyone else.

Her sight stopped on Yi Lei's face.

Her lips and breathing trembled as she walked forward slowly.

Yi Lie considerately stepped forward faster than her. There was a smile on his lips but Yi Huiqing could only see the hideous scar that ran over her younger brother's face from chin to his forehead.

"Xiao Lei…this… does it still hurt?"

Her hands rose to touch his face but they were trembling very badly. The scare looked very bad when looked at closely. She had not expected it to be so bad.

She dare not imagine how much pain he must be in when they burnt his face.

Tears fell down from her eyes. Yi Lei couldn't help but remember how his cousin sister Li Rui had reacted after seeing his face.

It was very similar to how Yi Huiqing was reacting right now. He could feel both of his sisters' care and love for himself.

They were not afraid and disgusted to see the scar on his face, instead, both of them were afraid that he was in pain because of the huge burn.