His Rui

”You…how can you accuse my daughter of something she didn’t even do?”

Xi Ying didn’t even turn to look at Li Rong and Li Rong felt more furious because of being ignored.

However, she could do nothing but look at the Emperor with fear and panic. 

Li Rong, of course, saw how the Emperor didn’t say anything when she accused Xi Ying of Li Caihong’s absence. 

She had understood at that moment that it was of no benefit to blame Xi Ying …here in the Imperial Court because the Emperor favored him very much. 

Unless someone …or at least Li Heng would stand by her and his brother’s side to fight for her daughter, no one could pressure the Emperor to punish Xi Ying. 

And Li Heng…he would never stand against Xi Ying. After all, his daughter was married to Xi Ying. 

However, she had not expected that Xi Ying would put such blame on her daughter. 

Li Rong clenched her fists both because of anger and fear. 

She was afraid that the Emperor would really punish her daughter because Xi Ying said so. 

So she immediately stepped forward before even Li Qiang could stop her and said to the Emperor. 

”Your Majesty, My daughter has not done any such thing. Prime Minister Xi…he is just accusing my daughter.”

Li Rong’s eyes were filled with tears as she continued.

”My daughters…Your Majesty, their lives are already very difficult after the last banquet. This one requests Your Majesty not to make it more difficult by believing anyone’s lies.”

Li Rong silently looked toward Xi Ying from the corner of her eyes after finishing her words as if she was indicating who this ‘anyone else’ was in her words. 

Xi Ying, however, looked straight at the Emperor as if Li Rong never existed in the Imperial Court. 

”First Madam Li.”

The Emperor’s cold voice sounded in the banquet hall. 

”This banquet is not a place where all this should be done or discussed.”

Displeasure could clearly be heard in Zhao Wang Lei’s voice. His words indicated that the banquet was organized to symbolize the treaty that was soon going to be signed between Xin and its neighboring Empire. 

People from the neighboring Empire were also there so such matters should not be discussed here in the Imperial Court in front of them to make Xin laughable in their eyes.

No one noticed how the smile from the convoy’s ministers vanished when they noticed Zhao Wang Lei putting a full stop to the arguments going inside the banquet hall. 

They wanted time and that was what they were getting from the current arguments. 

Only Zhao Zhuang Chen, who had been paying attention to the convoy’s people constantly saw this and immediately understood that he needed to help them otherwise they wouldn’t be able to kill Zhao Zhang Wei for him.

So he immediately stood up from his seat and said in a voice that was loud enough for everyone to hear. 

”Your Majesty”

Zhao Zhang Wei who had been looking at his wangfei from the corner of his eyes until now suddenly paid attention to Zhao Zhuang Chen. 

A deep frown marred his forehead that was the same as Zhao Wang Lei’s face. 

What does Zhao Zhuang Chen wish to say at this moment!

And when Zhao Zhuang Chen opened his mouth again, Zhao Wang Lei wished to wring his neck and throw him out of the banquet hall. 

”This one thinks that we can discuss this matter here. The reputation of a lady is a very important thing and hence this one thinks that Your Majesty should look into this matter and hence free the one from the stained reputation who doesn’t deserve to be bad-mouthed.”

Zhao Zhuang Chen gave such a reasonable explanation behind his words that a few of the ministers couldn’t help but nod their heads. 

However, Zhao Wang Lei was not moved at all by his son’s words. 

Why would he? After all, he was being put in trouble if this matter was really discussed. 

He could see that Xi Ying would do anything to protect Li Rui and hence he already knew the end result. 

However, he didn’t want to do anything to free Li Rui from the ‘good’ reputation she had in the Imperial City.

Because that bad reputation as well as many other things stopped Li Rui from stepping out of Xi Manor and hence stopped people from finding out how capable she was. 

Hence, Zhao Wang Lei glared at Zhao Zhuang Chen and said coldly.

”The First Prince should sit down silently and enjoy the performances.”

That was such a big slap on Zhao Zhuang Chen”s face that it took him a moment to register that his father just refused his suggestions and words in a way as if he never heard him. 

As if he said the most stupid thing. 

He felt very angry inside his heart…so angry that he wished to turn the whole banquet hall upside down. 

Not only Zhao Zhuang Chen but Qin Wenya were also feeling very angry. 

How could he humiliate her son like this in front of everyone!

Her fists placed on the armrest were clenched tightly inside her sleeves. Her nails dug into her palms but she could do nothing except for staying silent. 

After all, that was what an Empress was supposed to do. Supporting her husband the Emperor in every kind of decision he made, it didn’t matter even if those decisions were related to her own children. 

For the first time, Qin Wenya suddenly didn’t like the fact that she was an Empress.

He had always been very proud because she was the Empress of Xin but slowly and slowly she was coming to know that though she was Empress, she just held the title. 

Decisions were made by Zhao Wang Lei. He made a trap for her, her children just because he wanted to destroy the Li Clan. 

He used them. 

Ha…she was not even in his heart. 

So what did she even gain in all these years!

Nothing.

Instead, she was fooled again and again. 

Qin Wenya’s eyes were filled with tears as she saw her furious son sitting down on his seat helplessly. 

Zhao Zhuang Chen being humiliated like this was her own humiliation.

It’s alright…she tried to assure herself. 

She would also get her revenge by killing the woman he loved so dearly. 

Everyone thought that this matter would just end like this.

Just at this moment, a cold and indifferent voice sounded in the banquet hall.

”Your Majesty, this Lord wants Your Majesty to punish Second Young Miss Li and Third Young Miss Li.” 

The young Prime Minister won’t let this matter end just like that this time.