His Rui

On the fifteenth of the month, the Yun Clan was executed in the public. The Imperial City's air was a bit depressing.

Although the Clan was accused of being a traitor and the punishment of execution was something they deserved, it was still a human life.

And it was many decades later that a clan dared to go against the Imperial Clan's power and was executed for this.

The scene of execution has sacred the people. At the same time, it set an example for others.

No one was more powerful than Imperial Clan. At least, that was what ordinary people were thinking.

The smell of blood and the excitement left by the big incident lingered in the Imperial City for many days.

Just as the people's hearts had settled down, another Imperial decree was passed by the Emperor.

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"A Crown Prince should become an example for other Princes. He should carry elegance, grace and do things that will inspire others. When choosing the First Prince as the Crown Prince, Zhen had thought that the first Prince had all these qualities in him, however, in the past few weeks; Zhen realized that we were wrong.

Zhen wants to undo his mistake now so we take back the title of Crown Prince from the first Prince, Zhao Zhuang Chen. From today on, Xin will no longer have Prince Zhao Zhuang Chen as its Crown Prince."

The ministers were left shocked by this sudden announcement made by the Emperor.

Xi Ying's face didn't have much of any expression. When General Li looked at him with narrowed eyes he just looked at his father-in-law with cold and indifferent eyes as if everything that happened was never related to him and never planned by him.

Zhao Zhang Wei also was looking at the young Prime Minister with curiosity-filled eyes.

However, no one opposed the Emperor's decision, except Zhao Zhuang Chen who was then ordered to be thrown of the Imperial Court by the Emperor's order with the following words.

"Next time when the first Prince steps inside the court, he should have set his mind right because Zhen will not tolerate any kind of disrespectful behavior even if the person is from the Imperial family."

The words won the praises of the minister. So in the Imperial Court, the peace came soon after such a big announcement.

It didn't take much time to spread the news among ordinary citizens.

However, different from the ministers of the Imperial Court who knew how to compose their faces no matter whether their rain or disaster, the ordinary people were more expressive.

They made conjectures and talked about what reasons could be behind suddenly taking back the title of Crown Prince from the First Prince.

The First Prince, after all, was the first son of the Emperor, that too, born by the Empress so legally only he held the right for the throne of the Emperor first unless he himself doesn't want it.

Did Emperor and Empress were having a fight that made the Emperor dethrone the Crown Prince?

Did dethroning Crown Prince indicate that the first Prince would no longer be a candidate for the majestic throne?

If it was true, then who would take the first Prince's place now?

But all these questions remained unanswered. After all, the seat of the Crown Prince was still empty in the Imperial Court.

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In the backyard of the Plum Courtyard, Li Rui was pruning the plants of the garden when Liu Lan came inside.

Seeing that the maid looked dedicated towards Li Rui, Xi Ying had appointed her as Li Rui's maidservant. The decision had made Liu Lan very happy and she had thanked the cold Prime Minister again and again.

She wanted to serve Lady Li after Lady Li helped her but she was refused. Now, when she got the opportunity she ran to hold it tightly in her hands. 

True to what she had said in front of Xi Ying after becoming Li Rui's maidservant, she really worked with dedication in Plum Courtyard.

She was teaching the new maids. She would also force Li Rui to eat when she doesn't eat at the time. However, she would do all these things remaining within the boundaries of a servant.

In Liu Lan's eyes, Lady Li was very different from the concubines and wangfei she had served before. She didn't enjoy holding power over the servants. She didn't hit them like other Wangfei who used to hit her when they would be wronged by their husband. A calm and virtuous lady.

When she wonders in her free time how Lady Li was isolated in the past four years in Xi manor, Liu Lan's blood would boil with anger. That's why her respect towards Xi Ying was a bit less. However, now she would see Xi Ying taking care of Li Rui diligently, Liu Lan thought that Lord Xi was not that bad until he was treating wangfei well.

When Liu Lan had told this her mother; her mother hasn't believed her. After all, Mother Liu had worked for so many years in many noble families. She has never seen such a wangfei in her life.

What is a calm and virtuous lady? Mother Liu said

Behind their virtue laid their viciousness and scheming mind. 

Liu Lan had laughed at these words.

Now, stepping inside the backyard, when Liu Lan saw her mistress dirtying her beautiful hands with soil, her heart felt stifled. She removed her eyes instantly as she knew that she could do nothing while Li Hua who was being supported by her chuckled seeing her behavior.

"You are just like Li Mei."

She whispered softly not noticing that the scissors in Li Rui's hands paused for a moment when she heard Li Mei's name.

She couldn't help but turn around and glance at Liu Lan once.

Liu Lan's nature was indeed like Li Mei. Blunt and straightforward yet sometimes a little coward but when it was time to stand for Li Rui her cowardice would run out of the window.

But Li Mei was still Li Mei. Her place could never be filled by anyone just like how she still feels Li Zhan's absence in her life.

As she turned back to her plants, Liu Lan asked Li Hua about Li Mei but the next moment she suddenly patted her forehead and said

"I am sure a fool. Young Miss, I was here to inform you about big news."

Still cutting her plants, Li Rui hummed indicating that she could continue to say whatever she was saying. But she didn't hear anything; instead, she saw a pair of legs stopping in front of her.. And the next moment the scissors in her hands were taken away.