The private room was deathly silent after Xi Ying finished his words.
In every few seconds, the sound of a spoon colliding with a bowl could be heard in every few seconds.
Xi Ling ate his meal happily.
It was delicious…even more, delicious than the food from Xi Manor.
The small bun was completely unaware of the environment inside the room.
On the other table, Zhao Zhang Wei silently stared at Xi Ying. Many emotions flashed through his sharp phoenix eyes during these few moments.
Most prominent were anger and doubt.
"What does it have to do with you?"
Zhao Zhang Wei forgot all the curtsy and asked Xi Ying coldly.
Yi Huiqing was his wife. Who was Xi Ying to make him promise such things on her behalf?
Zhao Zhang Wei didn't have any problem with the said words. He had a problem with the man who said them.
Yi Huiqing was the woman he loved so she would of course become the Empress if he became the Emperor but Xi Ying should not be the one to tell him to do this.
"Well…"
Xi Ying pretended to have a thoughtful look on his face. A moment later, he suddenly looked at Zhao Zhang Wei and said coldly
"I am the person who had advised Zhao Wang Lei to let Yi Huiqing marry you."
Since Zhao Zhang Wei didn't bother to use any honorifics, Xi Ying decided the same. He demanded respect in exchange of giving respect regardless of who was in the front….
…of course Li Rui was an exception.
At the same time, Xi Ying said these words he couldn't help but tighten his hold on Li Rui's hand. He could feel her gaze on his face and it made him feel guilty.
With great courage, he turned his head to look at Li Rui. He wished that she was able to see that he really regretted everything he had done in the past.
There was no medicine to the regret but he could at least lessen his guilt or regret by giving a safe future to Yi Huiqing and her children.
Li Rui didn't have any expression on her face. She actually knew that it was Xi Ying who had suggested this marriage proposal to the Emperor.
Her father had told her when the Imperial edict had come.
However, after knowing all this, Li Rui also knew one more fact that no one knew.
Yi Huiqing loved Zhao Zhang Wei even before their marriage. Four years ago, when she was drugged on that night, Yi Huiqing had seen Zhao Zhang Wei for the first time and she had fallen in love with him instantly.
When Li Rui had read this in a letter sent by Yi Huiqing from the Imperial Palace, she had been unable to believe this.
She didn't know what love was but she had seen how much her father loved her mother and how much her mother loved her father.
How could someone fall in love with just a mere glance of that person!
Wasn't love a strong emotion?
To have such a strong emotion inside your heart, it must have strong roots and strong roots could never be planted in just a few seconds.
That was what Li Rui had thought.
However four years later, when she entered the Imperial Palace to meet Yi Huiqing again, she could see that Yi Huiqing really felt something for Zhao Zhang Wei.
She again couldn't decide what it was but it was enough for her to not hate Zhao Zhang Wei when the man hid from her that both the times she had been pregnant she was poisoned and hence miscarried her child.
Her Jiejie was heartbroken but she didn't hate Zhao Zhang Wei.
Perhaps she was tired from holding onto those one-sided feelings.
For all these things, now Li Rui no longer knew if she should blame Xi Ying who proposed this marriage, Zhao Zhang Wei who hurt her Jiejije or her Jiejie herself who loved the wrong man.
A man who never loved her and cared for her, she loved such a man.
But was she at fault?
Rui remembered that her mother used to say that you don't have any control over your feelings. You can fall in love in a moment.
Did the same happen with her Jiejie?
'I am happy...'Her Jiejie had written in her first letter to Li Rui.
But she looked completely different when Li Rui went to see her. Somewhere inside her heart, Li Rui had already expected this when she had read Yi Huiqing's letter four years ago.
In the end, nothing could erase those four years. But she could at least make her Jiejie's future happier.
She didn't say anything to Xi Ying and her face was still very calm.
Xi Ying felt a little relieved. After living with Li Rui for so many months, he could predict that she was not angry at him at this moment for his past mistakes.
Although he didn't know the reason, he was happy that she was not angry.
Looking back at Zhao Zhang Wei finally, Xi Ying said
"With this, this Lord has one more condition. Li and Yi Clan must not be schemed against by the Imperial Clan if you become the next Emperor."
Zhao Zhang Wei had been sitting silent since Xi Ying had told him that it was he who had suggested Zhao Wang Lei marry Yi Huiqing to Zhao Zhang Wei.
Was it guilt he saw in Xi Ying's eyes when he said those words? Zhao Zhang Wei wondered to himself. He was not a fool not to understand what was going on.
Xi Ying loved Li Rui.
He could see that and hence he could finally understand just why he was trying so hard to protect Li Clan.
As to why he was trying to protect Yi Huiqing, it was because Li Rui adored her sister who was also his wife.
After understanding everything, Zhao Zhang Wei's anger vanished immediately. He actually had now more trust in Xi Ying now.
Because Xi Ying loved Li Rui so he wouldn't dare to harm Li Clan.
And since Zhao Wang Lei wanted to destroy Li Clan, it meant that Xi Ying was really against Zhao Wang Lei.
Everything became clear as crystal to him.
And he didn't have any problem with Xi Ying's conditions too.
After all, it was something that he himself had wanted to do.
It was something for which he had finally started his fight and jumped to the ground to face everything.
"Benwang accepts Lord Xi's conditions."
And hence Zhao Zhang Wei finally made this deal with Xi Ying with these words of his.
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