His Rui

Chapter 214 – Empress Dowager

Zhao Wang Lei stared at the scroll in Eunuch Wang's hands for a long time.  His blank face didn't give away what was going on inside his mind or heart or that was something that he thought.

Because one person in the banquet hall had already seen the emotions he was trying so hard to hide and now that person was extremely curious about this scroll that had an Imperial seal but shocked the Emperor himself to this state.

"Read it aloud."

Xi Ying heard the Emperor's voice and with interest-filled eyes he watched as Eunuch Wang turned to look towards everyone.

As the old Eunuch opened the scroll, Xi Ying wondered just why would not the Emperor first want to read it and then show it to anyone else.

After all, if the scroll had something that was not liked by him then as the Emperor he could easily divert the topic. In the end, the Eunuch, the seal, the Imperial Palace everything belonged to him.

However, now the most important thing was the scroll which Eunuch Wang had already started to read.

"Aijia feels more safe with Xin's army in General Li Heng's hands."

Eunuch Wang read out loudly in the banquet hall.

The banquet hall was again filled with a strange silence.

Aijia….so the scroll was sent by the Empress Dowager.

Xi Ying's eyes narrowed as he repeated the words Eunuch Wang has read out just a moment ago, in his mind.

Empress Dowager….Xi Ying didn't know much about the Empress Dowager. The only thing he knew was that the previous Empress went into seclusion after her husband's death who was the previous Emperor as well.

Zhao Wang Lei was the first and only son of the Empress Dowager, however, she never attended her own son's coronation ceremony.

Even before Zhao Wang Lei took the throne, she closed herself in her abodes that were specially arranged for widowed concubines or wangfei in the Imperial Palace and never once stepped out from there.

Only her four maids were allowed to enter the abode.

It was the first time that he had ever heard the word 'Ajia' in the Imperial Palace. Even this single thing was enough to describe just how much secluded the Empress dowager had made herself from everyone else.

So what made this secluded woman send out her maid with a scroll that had this kind of words?

"This seal…I think I remember my father telling me that the previous Emperor had given a blank letter to his Empress with his seal already on it. Is this the same scroll?"

Xi Ying heard a minister whispering with other minister.

Realization dawned on him and he suddenly understood a few things.

The Emperor must have realized that the seal belonged to the previous Emperor when he had seen the imperial seal on the scroll. 

The scroll had a seal as well as the words written on it so the words could no longer be refused.

  'Aijia feels more safe with Xin's army in General Li Heng's hands.'

said Empress Dowager and that is what will happen now.

Sure enough, soon the Emperor's cold and deep voice rang in the banquet hall.

"Since it is something that Empress Dowager wishes, Zhen will naturally comply with it."

The old maid who had brought the scroll performed a full bow in front of the Emperor as soon as he finished his words. 

After that, she left the banquet hall silently.

The messenger from the north was left open-mouthed as he watched the whole scene. He only found his voice back when the banquet hall was filled with the whispers of the other ministers who were now talking about the incident where the previous Emperor had gifted the scroll with an Imperial seal to the previous Empress.

"Your Majesty…this…"

Even before the messenger could complete his words, Zhao Wang Lei raised his hand to stop him.

His phoenix eyes were cold and sharp as he looked at the messenger and said

"We have already made our decision and you and your people should respect that. What do you think? Zhen is fool enough not to see through your tricks. You present a weapon that can only be made by the materials provided by your country….so that Xin would have to depend on your people in the future for weapons."

Xi Ying nodded his head in agreement. That was exactly what he was going to point out. He heard the Emperor continuing. 

"If your people don't wish to provide Xin your crossbow then Zhen will not force you, however, if we see any other attempts of yours to step on Xin like this in the future then we will have to take some harsh action against your people."

The messenger shut up and gulped in fear silently. After these words, he didn't dare to say anything and silently sat back in his seat.

Seeing this, Xi Ying also didn't bother with this matter anymore and went back to his seat.

In the corner of his mind, one thing was still constantly raising its head and that was the scroll sent by the Empress Dowager.

It was a very great move but why would the Empress Dowager suddenly come out to save Li Clan?

He couldn't think of any reason so for a while Xi Ying pushed it back inside his mind thinking of investigating this matter later.

For now, he already had many issues to solve…one of them was how to make his upset wife happy.

Xi Ying pressed his temple as he suddenly wished to have Xi Ling by his side. It would have been very easy for him if his three-year-old son was here.

Although the brat had always been a bother between him and Rui whenever he wished to spend some time alone with his wife…he could at least make his mother smile which was something that he couldn't do that easily.

As Xi Ying thought this, he started to feel more and more jealous of his own son.