His Rui

Chapter 423 – Zhao Zhuang Chen Goes To The Empress

After having breakfast, Xi Ying kissed his wife's forehead and then gave a book to his son that he should start to read now.

Xi Ling was very happy to have a new book and promised his father that he would study diligently.

Satisfied, Xi Ying turned to look at his wife again after his son left the room with his book and he kissed Li Rui again and again until her cheeks turned red and she stepped away from him on her own.

Her face had an incredulous expression as she looked at Xi Ying.

"What? Don't look at me like that."

XI Ying said innocently.

"I can do this only for now otherwise you don't even know what else I want to do."

Li Rui's cheeks burnt red and she looked away from Xii Ying understanding very well what he meant.

"You should leave now or you will get late."

She tried to say as calmly as she could. However, her red ears and cheeks still betrayed her but Xi Ying didn't expose her.

"Tsk…My wife is so eager to make me leave."

Xi Ying said sadly.

Fortunately, during their private moments, An Ju would always leave Li Rui alone as long as she was with Xi Ying, otherwise, the female shadow guard would have perhaps suffered from the biggest shock of her life seeing her master behaving like this.

Even Li Rui used to feel shocked in the beginning seeing the dignified prime minister behaving like this. However, now she was getting used to it.

A few minutes later, Xi Ying really left for the Imperial Palace.

Sitting inside the Imperial Court, Xi Ying looked towards the seats where members from Li Clan usually sat. His eyes flickered when he saw Li Qiang sitting there but it was only for a moment.   

When Li Qiang noticed his gaze and looked towards him, Xi Ying smiled meaningfully and nodded his head. He didn't wait for Li Qiang to acknowledge anything and just turned his head away.

Inside his heart, he wondered whether Li Qiang was here to meet the Empress again.

Amidst these thoughts, his eyes flickered again when felt a constant gaze on himself. Xi Ying smiled humorlessly when he saw that it was Zhao Zhuang Chen who was looking towards him now.

His eyes flashed with mockery when he saw Zhao Zhuang Chen nodding his head at him but he did the same in response.

It seems that Zhao Zhang Wei had already done his work.

Zhao Zhuang Chen now believed him completely. Didn't it mean that he was now against Zhao Wang Lei?

As the Eunuch announced the arrival of the Emperor and everyone kneeled down on the ground except Xi Ying and the two princes, Xi Ying looked at Zhao Wang Lei who was walking towards the throne with a calm but indifferent gaze.

Just like this, he will take every soldier from Zhao Wang Lei's side to his side. In the end, Zhao Wang Lei would find himself being surrounded by the people he was thinking of using to achieve his selfish purposes.     

During the Imperial Assembly, the Emperor told Xi Ying that he had gotten a letter from Empire Wu that the convoy from the Empire was already on its way to Xin.

Xi Ying was very satisfied with this.

His main purpose behind choosing Zhao Zhang Wei was that he would not need any excuse to meet him now…even if it was in the Imperial Palace now.

They could always meet each other with the excuse of making arrangements for the stay of the convoy or for discussing the details of this peace-making process.

And Xi Ying did the same after the Imperial Court ended.

After the Imperial Assembly ended and Zhao Wang Lei left the Imperial Court, he stood up from his seat and looked towards Zhao Zhang Wei.

Noticing his gaze, Zhao Zhang Wei looked towards him. He understood that Xi Ying wanted to talk and so stood up from his seat and walked towards him.

Zhao Zhuang Chen who had just stood up from his seat was also thinking of having a talk with Xi Ying. However, when he was about to walk towards him, he saw Zhao Zhang Wei standing in front of Xi Ying.

Zhao Zhuang Chen paused amidst his steps and his eyes flickered with contempt as he looked at Zhao Zhang Wei.

He watched as both of them exited the Imperial Court together.

Zhao Zhuang Chen was suddenly regretting his behavior towards Xi Ying.

He should have been more careful. He should not have offended Xi Ying even after knowing just how intelligent this man was.

He was sure that Xi Ying must have a big hand in making his father agree to make Zhao Zhang Wei the next Emperor.

However, for this, he was not angry at Xi Ying but he was hurt and angry because of his father. Xi Ying never promised him the throne. It was his own father who had promised him and then broke his promise so soon.

And now he wanted to anger and hurt his father in the same way.

He was betrayed and now he will betray the Emperor himself. He will take Xi Ying, the Emperor's most close strategist to his side.

And then he will win the throne.

Zhao Zhuang Chen did not understand that one could not become an Emperor, especially of such a big Empire when there are so many people to fight for it against him, just like this. 

Zhao Zhuang Chen exited the Imperial Court alone that day. He decided to have a talk with Xi Ying some other time. At this moment, he was thinking of going to his mother and telling her everything.

She should know that the man she was trusting so much had been lying to them all this while.       

This time, Zhao Zhuang Chen did something that Xi Ying had perhaps never expected Zhao Zhuang Chen to do. It actually never crossed his mind that he could go to the Empress also.

And then the Empress could go the Emperor.

And then his plan before even starting could blow up everything on his side.

But is that what will happen exactly?

It was the game of fate, luck, and mind. One had to have everything on his side to win in this game.

Now the time was to see who had all these three things on his side.