Four Years Ago (6)

The Empress and all ladies from the banquet followed the maid.

While passing, Li Na gave a gaze of approval and satisfaction to the maid. The maid took everyone outside of the banquet hall passing through the balcony. The Empress suddenly stopped which caused all others to halt.

All of them looked at the Empress but they only heard one word.

"Wenwen"

The Empress shouted loudly seeing her dear daughter sitting on the floor with a pale face. Raising her head she saw The Prime Minister, Xi Ying who had a cold face and was emitting an unbearable suffocating aura.

It was only then everyone saw First Princess Wenling sitting on the floor in front of the room and Prime Minister Xi Ying standing on the door. Everyone in their heart wondered what happened. It was not hidden how much Princess Wenling liked Prime Minister Xi Ying. Sometimes Emperor even hinted at it to Xi Ying.

Lord Xi neither refused nor accepted it or it could be said all the efforts of Princess and Emperor were ignored by him. But the position of Lord Xi was so high in the court that not even the Emperor could force him to marry if he didn't want to.

Suppressing her anger, the Empress asked two maids to help the Princess to get up from the floor. Till today she could not understand her daughter's infatuation with Lord Xi. She was sure that it was something that Lord Xi did that made her daughter so lifeless. But she can't do anything given how much Emperor favored him.

On the side, Yi Jie asked the maid in a very low voice.

"Where is the First Lady? "

When the maid was about to answer Yi Jie's question, an exclamation was heard from the group of ladies. A bold lady dared to glance inside the room behind Xi Ying. Seeing a blurry figure behind the curtains and the smell coming from the room everyone could guess something.

Looking at the pale face of First Princess they became somewhat sure in their heart.

Xi Ying's one glance at them made them lower their gazes. Neither anyone dared to look inside nor did they ask who was the lady inside the room. As he was about to close the door behind him, he heard someone behind him say something.

"Rui"

Yi Jie was looking at the pale white wrist hanging outside the curtains. There was a red mole on that wrist. This was his daughter, Li Rui. As she tried to go inside the room, the young man blocked her way.

Behind her, Li Na tried to hold her.

"Second Aunt, what are you doing? How can Elder sister be inside this room? "

"Yes Second Madam Li, First Lady is inside that room. And she .....and that man...." The maid blushed while saying these words and pointed towards another door.

Everyone's expression changed hearing the maid's words. However, the Empress frowned at the maid and reprimanded her.

"What are you trying to say? Say clearly."

What was left to say? The maid meant to say that the Eldest Lady of Li's was alone inside a room with a man and they were doing something shameful.

All of them wondered but they only said it in their heart.

"No Rui is inside this room. How can I not recognize my own daughter?"

Yi Jie insisted on her words. Saying this she tried to go again inside the room but Xi Ying was standing in her way like a big stone.

Her words didn't affect him in any way.

In his heart, he was very upset. He had thought to hide this incident and then marry the girl. In this way, no one would be able to ruin her reputation. But now, all of his plans were ruined before even starting.

Still, he would not let anyone say something against the girl.

He could take all the blame on himself by saying that he was drugged and could not control himself.

At this moment, as if awakened Princess Wenling shouted.

"The person inside the room is Li Rui?"

Her eyes were filled with anger, hate, and resentment while saying the name.

Xi Ying felt like someone had poured a basin of cold water on him. Li Rui.

Was it not the eldest lady of Li Manor, the daughter of General Li? Now he himself wanted to check the identity of the girl inside the room. He wanted to hear that she was not what he was thinking.

Very stiffly he removed himself from the door and let them enter inside. Yi Jie rushed inside the door and stood beside the bed. With trembling hands, she was about to remove the curtains when Princess Wenling removed them before her.

The girl lying on the bed was Li Rui.

Princess Wenling staggered a few steps back with a bitter face.

The girl whom she hated had her first time with the man she loved. She wished to tear her and ruin that bed. But she didn't even have the strength to stand on her feet now.

Princess Wenling fainted and two maids caught her before she hit the floor.

While Li Caihong and Li Na looked at everything with their mouth opened.

How did it happen? Li Rui was supposed to be with that Imperial guard not with a powerful minister.

On the other hand, Xi Ying's heart was very cold. Looking at everyone's reaction and the woman who he knew as General Li's wife patting that girl's face while calling 'Rui' he knew that it was the same girl General Li had wanted him to marry.

In his mind, he wondered if all of this was coincident or a scheme to trap and force him to marry Li Rui.

Xi Ying's eyes were cold.

If all of this was a scheme, he would not let them be happy in their whole life.