His Rui

Standing a few steps away, Xi Ying was looking at Madam Wen who seemed to be very emotional was looking at Li Rui with accusing eyes.

One would think that he could not hear anything as he stood there, however, this was not the case.

He could hear each and every word very clearly.

These were the perks of being a very capable martial artist. All of your senses become so sharp that as long as you concentrate on something you can see and hear the things in your sight.

That's why he had asked Li Rui to not go out of his sight. At least he would be able to know if Madam Wen did something unacceptable.

However, at this moment, he was not satisfied with only hearing the ongoing conversation.

'Why did you kill my sister?'

His brows knitted in a frown when he heard Madam Wen asking Li Rui this question not being able to understand it.

Sister…who is Madam Wen's sister and why was she accusing Li Rui of something like this?

On the other hand, Li Rui was looking at teary-eyed Madam Wen calmly.     

When Madam Wen had finished saying everything, she said calmly.

"Rui didn't kill Madam Wen's younger sister."

Still with tears in her eyes, however, Madam Wen scoffed at Li Rui's words not believing her at all.

"Do you even know who I am talking about? You have killed so many innocent people that now you must be confused among them right?"

Madam Wen looked at Li Rui with clear mockery in her eyes. With the mockery, there was hatred, disgust, and coldness but Li Rui was unfazed.

Her eyes were still calm like unstirred water as she looked at Madam Wen and said

"Li Rui knows who Madam Wen is talking about. Madam Wen just looks like her sister."

Her words made Madam Wen startled. For a moment Madam Wen didn't know what she should say. She just looked at Li Rui with an incredulous expression on her face.

"Don't you feel any guilt while talking about her to me?"

At Madam Wen's question, Li Rui shook her head.

"You…"

Furious, Madam Wen didn't know what she should do. Her eyes were looking at Li Rui as if she wished to tear her into shreds and she was thinking of doing exactly that to the calm woman in front of her.

The next moment, however, her sight was blocked.

Li Rui was dragged aside and Xi Ying stood in front of Madam Wen with his cold eyes boring into Madam's Wen angered one.

"Madam Wen, this Lord can understand your emotions but you don't have any right to let out them on this Lord's wife. You are asking her that does she feel any guilt. Why should she feel guilty when she did not kill your sister?"

Xi Ying said coldly everything to Madam Wen.

Inside his heart, he couldn't help but tsk.

When he had the young Prime Minister of Xin thought that he would have to bicker against a few of these brainless women like this?     

First the Empress and that snobbish Princess and now Madam Wen.

Well…everything he was doing was for his wife only.

At this moment, Xi Ying knew who Madam Wen was talking about and he also knew that Li Rui didn't kill Madam Wen's sister. 

Standing behind Xi Ying, Li Rui looked at his back as she heard his words.

So he knows that she didn't kill those concubines of Xi Manor…neither Madam Wen's sister…Concubine Mu.

So why didn't he clear it out to everyone in Xi Manor?

Li Rui didn't feel anything for herself even if she has suffered those taunts and fearful eyes of everyone on herself.

What bothered her was that her three-year-old son has also heard those vicious taunts about her.

She still remembers when Xi Ling had asked her why they talked like that about his mother in the past.

Li Rui didn't know how to answer her son. What could she say? She could stay calm and say to Madam Wen that she didn't kill her sister but she couldn't do the same in front of her child.

Somehow she just couldn't.

So she had stayed silent. 

But silently, she had wondered.

She didn't have any proof that she didn't kill those concubines but they also didn't have any evidence that she had killed them.

Their accusations were based on those baseless rumors in Xi Manor whose master was Xi Ying. 

At that moment, she had thought that perhaps Xi Ying also believed them and that's why he never put a stop to those rumors. After all, an intelligent Prime Minister should know the effect of a rumor especially when it was not a true one.

However, now hearing him say that she didn't kill those concubines…she suddenly didn't know what she should think.

What should she think?

That all this while, he knew the truth but stayed silent unintentionally.

Somewhere in a corner, there was a little bitterness which she herself didn't notice.

The next moment, she moved her eyes away from Xi Ying calmly and stepped sideways to look at Madam Wen.

Looking at Madam Wen's face, Li Rui couldn't help but remember Concubine Mu.

Concubine Mu was the only concubine who had come to her courtyard to pay respect after stepping inside Xi Manor.

That day, Li Mei had asked her not to allow Concubine Mu inside Plum Courtyard. She had said that in disguise of paying respects, Concubine Mu was here to humiliate her mistress.

But only Li Rui knew the truth behind that visit.

In the front hall of Plum Courtyard, when Concubine Mu had wished to talk with her alone…she remembers everything clearly.

As soon as hers and concubine Mu's maid had left, Concubine Mu had kneeled down in front of her.

Surprised, she had tried to help Concubine Mu to stand but the young concubine had shaken her head firmly and continued to kneel.

At that moment, she had seen the true fear in Concubine Mu's eyes.