Chapter 803: A Long Night
When Xi Ling saw his sister for the first time, his eyes were filled with shock and surprise.
"She …she is so small…"
Li Rui, as well as Xi Ying, smiled at their son's words. Xi Ling was seated on the bed and Xi Ying carefully put his daughter in his son's lap.
"Since she is so small. You as an elder brother ought to protect her."
He took the opportunity to teach his son who nodded his head vigorously. However, all this while, his eyes didn't move away from his sister.
He had seen his friend's sibling but Xi Jia was only a day old and hence she looked smaller than the child he had seen.
"I am your big brother."
He whispered to his sister.
When he poked her small fist slightly and she held his finger immediately, Xi Ling was filled with excitement and said
"I will always protect you…and Mother also."
Li Rui chuckled when she heard how her son added her a moment later.
She raised her head to look at her husband only to find him looking at her with a gentle pair of eyes.
She didn't move her eyes away.
More than four years ago when Li Rui had entered Xi Manor, she had never thought that one day she would feel so peaceful and happy in this Manor.
However, today whatever she had, she wished that it would not leave her.
After so many years of fear, panic, and despair, her heart was greedy for happiness.
And she wanted it to stay for long.
Unbeknownst to her, Xi Ying had already promised her a life full of happiness since the moment he realized that he loved her.
--------
Two months passed soon and Li Rui also came out of confinement now.
The winter was about to leave.
More time passed since Zhao Wang Lei's death. Seeing this, the ministers in the Imperial Court proposed that a banquet could be held now.
Previously when Zhao Zhang Wei had become the Emperor, no big ceremony was held so now it could be held
Zhao Zhang Wei didn't refuse them and hence an enormous banquet was to be organized in the Imperial Palace.
The Imperial City got its liveliness back after many months.
Though the Emperor had already declared that he would have only Empress by his side by sending all of his concubines out of the Imperial Palace, ambitious girls from noble families still couldn't help but feel that they should give it a try.
Noble families prepared for the banquet enthusiastically.
At lunch, Xi Ying asked his wife if she wished to attend the banquet.
Li Rui was surprised.
"Before it was not safe to go out but now I don't want you to miss anything just because of fear. If you wish to go then we will go."
Xi Ying explained to his wife.
Li Rui was silent for some time. She glanced at her son and then asked her husband
"Could we take Xiao Ling with us? He should see the Imperial Palace once."
Xi Ying looked thoughtful about it and then nodded his head thinking that his wife was right.
Hence, it was decided that all of them would go.
.
.
.
On the day the banquet was held, Li Rui wore the dress that had been chosen by Xi Ying. Seeing his beautiful wife, Xi Ying for moment couldn't look away.
However, he controlled himself and they left for the Imperial Palace.
The Imperial Palace was decorated very beautifully. Xi Ling was seeing it for the first time and he tried to absorb everything silently.
In between, he would look at his sister who was deeply asleep in his father's arms, and would tsk.
His sister is a pig. She sleeps too much.
Xi Ling was very disappointed as well as helpless.
Because in the end, she was his sister.
When Li Rui entered the banquet hall with Xi Ying, many pairs of eyes looked at her with envy-filled gazes.
Less than a year ago, most of them had been thinking that Prime Minister Xi had been infatuated with Li Rui's beauty. However, many of them no longer think so when they saw that Xi Ying was as tender and careful with Li Rui as he had been in the last banquet.
Seeing the young prime minister serving the dishes in his wife's bowl without any hesitation, many noble ladies sighed at their own fate.
Yi Huiqing who was watching all this from the throne seated beside Zhao Zhang Wei was happy for her sister.
The banquet lasted for a night.
Yi Huiqing left before Zhao Zhang Wei who stayed and have some conversations with his ministers.
However, in between, he suddenly started to feel a little hot and left the banquet hall.
Among the group of ministers, one looked at his back and then lowered his head silently.
Zhao Zhang Wei was on his way to his chambers when suddenly he collided with a soft figure.
"Your Majesty…"
A very soft voice fell in his ears.
However, his phoenix eyes were as cold as ice and he pushed away the girl who was trying to cling to him.
"Ah!"
The girl fell down to the floor and Zhao Zhang Wei how transparent clothing she wore.
He looked away with a look of disgust on his face and said
"Have some self-respect."
With these words, he walked away from there.
He realized that he had been drugged.
While inside his chambers, he asked Eunuch Zhang to call the Imperial Physician. Eunuch Zhang was immediately worried and did as he asked.
However, when the Imperial Physician announced that the Emperor needed a woman otherwise the worst could happen, Eunuch Zhang's face went pale.
The Imperial Physician left after Zhao Zhang Wei ordered him to leave but Eunuch Zhang stayed.
"Your Majesty, this one will go to the Empress chambers."
Eunuch Zhang said in a panic-filled voice but Zhao Zhang Wei's answer also came immediately.
"No! Don't disturb her. Zhen will be fine. Leave."
Eunuch Zhang left.
Inside his chambers, Zhao Zhang Wei's eyes were red and he loosened his robe. He was ready to bear this torture for the whole night.
However, his body stilled when a few moments later, he heard the soft and familiar voice.
"Your Majesty, are you alright? Eunuch Zhang told me that Your Majesty is unwell."
Zhao Zhang Wei cursed Eunuch Zhang and somehow replied to Yi Huiqing.
"I am alright. Qingqing, you should leave."
He didn't turn to look at her because he was afraid that he would do something he would regret later on.
However, Yi Huiqing heard his hoarse voice and was worried.
In the end, he was the Emperor of the Empire. She couldn't leave him just like this when he was unwell. Finding herself a good reason, she walked closer to the bed and forwarded her hand to touch his forehead.
When Zhao Zhang Wei felt her touch, he moved away as if she was a fire.
Yi Huiqing was shocked by his movement and looked at him with wide eyes. When she saw his red eyes, she was more shocked and said
"Your Majesty, you have a fever. We need to call the Imperial Physician."
"There is no need."
Zhao Zhang Wei clenched his fists and tried to tell her calmly.
Yi Huiqing frowned and spoke again
"Your Majesty…"
However, Zhao Zhang Wei didn't even let her finish this time.
"I am drugged, Qingqing. You should leave here. I will be fine in the morning."
Yi Huiqing was still for a moment when she heard this and then she took a few steps back.
Zhao Zhang Wei also turned around and breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't even know even her voice did wonder to him …especially when he was in such a state.
He was about to lie down on the bed when he heard the sound of footsteps again and frowned.
Did she not leave yet?
"That…the Imperial Physician said that you need a woman."
Yi Huiqing's hesitant voice fell in his ears.
For a moment, his mind went blank. A moment later, he turned to look at her and said
"It's alright. I am okay."
However, he couldn't see his own state. Yi Huiqing could see it.
His face was abnormally red and his forehead was covered with sweat. Her heart trembled in fear when she remembered what Eunuch Zhang told her.
He could die if he didn't do it.
Perhaps it was this thought that gave her the courage to cross all the hurdles she had inside her heart.
The next moment, Yi Huiqing marched toward the bed and sat beside him.
Zhao Zhang Wei frowned and looked at her helplessly.
"Qingqing, don't be like this. I have already been wrong to you for so long. Do you think that I don't want to do it? I want to do it …but with only you. And at that time, I want you to be mine from the heart. Not like this…"
Yi Huiqing, however, smiled bitterly when she heard his words
"I thought my words from that day were enough to tell you."
Zhao Zhang Wei's heart suddenly went still and he looked at her with deep and dark eyes.
"What did you tell me?"
He had never talked to her about that day but now she initiated he wanted to hear her. Especially after what she said.
Yi Huiqing was angry when she saw that he was still so unknown.
"Zhao Zhang Wei! Do you not remember what I said that day?"
In response, Zhao Zhang Wei only leaned down closer to her face. His deep and dark phoenix eyes looked into hers and he whispered in his hoarse voice.
"What did you say? Do you love me, Qingqing?"
Yi Huiqing, however, didn't answer his question. She threw her arms around his neck and then smashed their lips together.
Zhao Zhang Wei's groaned loudly.
When they parted away a moment later, his eyes were brimming with tears. He held her face gently.
"Qingqing"
His lips hovered over hers as he whispered her name. Her eyes were still closed. But he could hear her fast-beating heart.
It was beating for him just like how it used to beat before. Just like how his heart beat for hers.
"Qingqing, I can't control myself anymore!"
Yi Huiqing opened her eyes. She gulped when she saw how intense his eyes were. What was she supposed to say now!
Lowering her eyelashes, she could only whisper in a low voice.
"Alright!"
The next moment, she found herself on the bed with Zhao Zhang Wei on top of her body. The clothes flew away one by one from their bodies even before she realized what was going on.
Yi Huiqing had consummated her marriage with Zhao Zhang Wei in the past as well.
However, only tonight she realized how it really felt to be loved by a man she loved.
"Qingqing, I love you."
The words still brought tears to her eyes and then a moan slipped out of her lips.
The night was very long.
Visit freewe𝑏(n)ovel.co(m) for the b𝘦st novel reading experience