The atmosphere inside the banquet hall turned a little awkward after Xi Ying refusal in front of Princess Wenling begging.
Princess Wenling had a pale face after she heard Xi Ying's words. She bit her lips and her fists clenched inside her sleeves as she murmured the words Xi Ying had used to refuse her.
'Rui is enough.'
The taste of blood seemed to have touched her tongue but she continued to bite on her lips stubbornly. She needed to have something balance the pain she was feeling inside her heart otherwise she didn't know what she would do in front of so many people.
"This Princess is not feeling well and wishes to go and have rest for some time. Apologies to Father Emperor for not being able to attend the banquet anymore."
The Princess said in a very soft voice that hid the emotions going inside her heart.
It only made everyone else pity the princess more. It was very obvious for her to feel sad after being refused by the man she loved. Even if she refused to show it, they could sense her sadness.
They could not help but look at Xi Ying with strange eyes.
Why would he as a minister refuse such a good proposal?
What was so special in Li Rui that Xi Ying refused to marry an Imperial Princess?
However, they were forced to lower their gazes when they saw Xi Ying's cold and indifferent eyes on them.
They seemed to have a message written inside them
'Stay out of this Lord's business.'
So no one dared to show any expression on their faces. They pretended as if they saw nothing and looked towards the Emperor.
Zhao Wang Lei glanced at the lowered head of his daughter and then at Xi Ying who was standing with a lazy expression on his face.
His phoenix eyes flickered with an undecipherable emotion before he sighed and said
"Sure, the princess is allowed to go and have rest. Tell Zhen if there is anything else Princess wants. Zhen will try his best to give what Princess will demand."
Zhao Wenling just bowed his head in response to her father's words and then left the banquet hall without saying anything else.
Xi Ying also went back to his seat with the same lazy and bored expression on his face.
He paused suddenly when his eyes meet General Li's eyes and he saw a flicker of pity in them…for whom?
For him?
Xi Ying questioned inside his heart as he looked at General Li with cold eyes.
'Hmph, who was the general to pity him? Instead, it should be him who should pity the general….seeing the dangerous situation his clan and he was dealing with.'
Xi Ying gave a last cold glance to General Li and then moved his eyes away as he sat down on his seat.
The Emperor said a few words about the celebration banquet, the noble families' active participation and then some motivating words about maintain peace and prosperity in Xin.
The banquet was suspended after this short speech.
Since the moment, Xi Ying refused Princess Wenling's demand until the suspension of the banquet hall remained unusually stressed.
Everyone sensed this and they could not help but wonder whether the Emperor was angry at Xi Ying for his refusal or not.
However, no one could find out the answer to this question because the Emperor soon left the banquet hall with the Empress who visibly glared at Xi Ying showing her anger at Xi Ying.
But the young Prime Minister didn't seem to mind it.
He instead ignored the Empress anger-filled eyes as if she was just a passerby and she was undeserving of his attention which only angered Qin Wenya more.
But what could she do even if she was angry except leaving the banquet hall silently?
As the Empress left, everyone confirmed Xi Ying's importance and power in the Imperial Palace for the umpteenth time inside their hearts.
The banquet hall was starting to get empty after Emperor and Empress' departure.
One by one, people started to get up from their seats and leave the banquet hall with their families.
Amidst the still seated Imperial family members, Zhao Zhang Wei also stood up from his seat. Yi Huiqing had been looking at him and waiting for him to stand up so when she saw him getting up from his seat she also stood up from her seat immediately.
Her eyes could not help but look around the banquet hall in search of her family hoping to have one last glance at their faces.
She didn't know when she would see them next.
Zhao Zhang Wei was pretending as if he was not paying attention to her but the corner of his eyes always remained on Yi Huiqing.
He noticed her looking around the banquet hall with hopeful eyes.
A very slight trace of envy flashed in Zhao Zhang Wei's heart.
Can't she look at him with the same eyes even for once? If she only said a single word to him about her heart's desire then he would have himself taken her to meet her family.
But no… she is ready to bear the pain of not meeting her family rather than speaking to him about her wish.
His heart felt very stifled inside his chest.
As he climbed down the stairs of the chairs they were sitting on, he really wished to be the cruel man and leave the banquet hall mercilessly without letting Yi Huiqing meet her family ….however his heat also had his own thoughts.
The thoughts…so overbearing…so intense that they controlled his legs and made him turn around to walk towards the Yi family.
He could feel Yi Huiqing following him silently. He could also imagine the smile on Yi Huiiqng's lips as she watched the direction of their steps and then her family in the front.
However, with that, the words said by Elder Yi to his wangfei also flashed in Zhao Zhang Wei's mind.
An advice…. that Zhao Zhang Wei wished that Yi Huiqing never acted upon.
At this moment, Zhao Zhang Wei's mind and heart seemed to agree on the same fact and he halted amidst his steps towards the Yi family.
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