Four Years Ago(9)

A day ago, the whole city was talking about how First Lady Li was drugged with aphrodisiacs and was found inside a room with Prime Minister Xi. And a day after, the whole city talked about how it was all planned by General Li and his elder daughter.

The reason behind doing all this was because she could not bear being rejected by Prime Minister Xi.

Before Imperial Banquet, General Li went to Prime Minister Xi and asked him if he would like to marry his daughter, Li Rui. The cold-faced and indifferent Prime Minister Xi rejected the offer and hence General Li and his daughter planned all this.

A few Hours Ago

"Lady Li, we checked all the rooms outside the banquet hall but we didn't find any imperial guard with the description you provided us."

The whole Li family was silent after hearing these words. Li Rui told Minister Xin that she was dragged inside the room by an imperial guard whom she had stabbed with her hairpin.

The Li Clan had thought that if all of this was true then it would be easy to prove that Li Rui was framed and His Majesty will have to announce Lord Xi and Li Rui's marriage. In the end, the Li clan would be able to solve the problem.

But Minister Xin didn't find a single thing as described by Li Rui.

Li Rui's face didn't show any emotion but her heart and mind were in a mess.

'How can they find anything? That was the Imperial Palace.' Now she thought maybe she was right in thinking that it was all done by Princess Wenling.

Would the Emperor punish his beloved daughter?

Never.

So how could they find anything?

She was very naive to think that everything would be easy once all of it was investigated.

Li Na and Li Caihong exchange a few glances while Minister Xin talked about how all of it can be Lady Li's hallucination because she was drugged.

*~*~*~~*~*~*

Inside the study, Xi Ying looked at the shadow guard, An San, kneeling on the floor.

"Repeat yourself."

His voice was cold as he uttered these words with clenched teeth.

"My Lord, the drug was purchased under the name of Miss Li. "

There were no fluctuations as he completed his words. The temperature in the study dropped and with a roar Xi Ying swept all the things on the floor that was on the table a few moments ago.

There was something in the corner of his heart before telling him that maybe Li Rui was innocent in all of this. Maybe General Li was an old fox who could not pity his own cubs.

But.... He laughed mockingly.

She drugged him. She drugged herself. She planned all of this. Was being rejected by him so hurtful that her egoistic self could not handle it?

"You can leave."

No one saw the emotions passing through An San's eyes as he disappeared after bowing his head.

*~*~*~~*~*~*

Inside her room, Empress Qin Wenya was sitting beside her daughter Princess Wenling. Princess Wenling was lying on the bed with a pale face. Her body was burning with a high fever. Qin Wenya gently wiped her daughter's face with a wet cloth.

"Wenwen please open your eyes ah? Your Empress Mother is doing everything to get what you wanted. Just get up and talk to your Mother, Wenwen. "

A tear fell down from her eye when she saw no reaction from her daughter.

Her Wenwen has not opened her eyes since the day she saw Lord Xi and that Li Rui alone inside that room.

Before she was against her daughter's wish to marry Lord Xi. She thought she could control her daughter. Lord Xi was very much like his father in some aspects. She never wanted the same thing that happened a few years ago.

But she forgot that Wenwen has an imperial family to back her up. Lord Xi would not dare to cross the Imperial family right?

So she would pave the way for her daughter.

Only Her Wenwen would marry Lord Xi.

A maid entered the room and kneeled in front of Empress.

"My Empress, the work is done. "

*~*~*~~*~*~*

Few Hours After

General Li's face was black when he listened to the rumor going around the city. By his side, Yi Jie could not control her tears. Looking at his wife, he embraced her.

"Do not cry. You know this General can't see your tears."

"Li Heng, What will happen to Li Rui? Who will marry her now? My daughter..."

" Jie'er so what if Li Rui can't marry? This General can raise her daughter by myself. Do not think about this. She is our daughter. She is nowhere at fault in this matter. Rui didn't even know about me talking to Lord Xi regarding this marriage proposal."

A knock disrupted their conversation. General Li wiped Yi Jie's tears and got up to open the door.

As soon as he opened the door, he saw Yi Junjie kneeling outside the room.

"Uncle Li, I wish to marry Li Rui. Please approve of my marriage with Li Rui. I promise to keep your daughter happy. I shall never disappoint you."