His Rui

Li Qiang had to wait for some more time again.

He stood there silently inside the Imperial study room as Eunuch Wang entered the study followed by a few servants.

The servants cleaned the table stained with ink while Eunuch Wang helped the Emperor in cleaning his hands that he had stained with ink because of the broken brush.

Since the brush broke down so abruptly and suddenly, Zhao Wang Lei couldn't save his face from the splash of the ink that its hairy end still had. A faint but long mark of ink marred his beautiful face from forehead to chin.

In this state, he looked a bit awful but no one inside the study room dare to laugh.

Soon, the Emperor's face was as clean as before and the servants had also cleaned the table which looked now just like before.

And seeing this, the Emperor dismissed Eunuch Wang and servants.

While going outside, Eunuch Wang looked at Li Qiang from the corner of his eyes but it was only a fleeting glance that went unnoticed by Li Qiang.

A few moments later, the Imperial study room returned to its silence. 

A new brush was now placed in front of Zhao Wang Lei but he never picked it. The work he was busy with before was now long forgotten.

"Why does Minister Li wish to meet that Eunuch?" 

The title of 'Minister Li' was better than 'you' and hence was acceptable. Although Li Qiang knew that his situation in the Imperial Court was a bit complicated, he didn't oppose being called a minister.

"This subject wants to know from that Eunuch everything about that day. This subject believes that his daughter was framed."

Zhao Wang Lei smiled calmly and asked him

"We wish to know the reason behind this belief."

"Your Majesty, a father does not need a reason to believe his daughter's character. Putting aside all this, how could a Eunuch defile my daughter when he had nothing on himself that could help him to do that. However, this subject's daughter will still be called a ruined girl in the whole Xin. That is something that this subject doesn't understand. In the Imperial Palace, these same Eunuchs serve the Princess, Wangfei, Concubines, and the Empress herself. They sometimes have to present inside a room with those Imperial women alone also. Never had this subject heard anyone pointing his finger at those women's character…"

"Li Qiang."

Zhao Wang Lei's voice had a warning between them and Li Qiang knew that he had crossed the line.

He had actually always been like this. Blunt and straightforward. And today since he was also feeling very angry he couldn't control his words.

"This subject apologize if said something that should not be said."

Zhao Wang Lei leaned against his chair as he coldly looked at Li Qiang and said

"Zhen never said anything about your daughter's character."

"But Your Majesty's punishment for my daughter never said otherwise."

It was true. Since the Emperor himself punished Li Na, she would always be seen as the involved one in such a shameful incident.         

Just like how Li Rui was talked about by other people for fourteen years even after Li Zhan had taken all the crime on her head.

In the end, Li Rui was also punished by the Emperor in the name of not being able to manage her own maidservant.

"Well, your daughter was found in a very compromising situation, Minister Li. And Zhen had to punish her when she couldn't prove that she didn't do all that willingly."

Said Zhao Wang Lei and Li Qiang didn't have any reply to these words but he didn't wish to remain silent.

His wife's muffled sobs and cries were still ringing in his ears.

If he left the Imperial Palace without getting justice for any of his daughters, then he would fail her. Thought Li Qiang and with this thought he said

"What about this subject's youngest daughter, Your Majesty? She was hit by Prime Minister Xi so hard that her face is disfigured now. Shouldn't Prime Minister Xi have been punished?"

Zhao Wang Lei's eye flickered when he heard Li Qiang's words but Li Qiang seemed to be too involved in his anger to see anything in front of him.

He remained silent for a moment before he leaned forward and propped his chin on the table as he said

"Zhen would have punished Prime Minister Xi also, Minister Li but couldn't after… General Li spoke for him."

The phoenix eyes of Zhao Wang Lei twinkled as he saw the disbelief flashing across Li Qiang's eyes.

"He did…?"

Li Qiang whispered and Zhao Wang Lei nodded his head as he pretended to be oblivion of Li Qiang's changing emotions while picking the new brush from the table. As he wrote something on the rice paper he said 

"Yes, Minister Li, General Li himself said that prime Minister Xi was not at fault…although he had come to meet me alone."

He added intentionally and sure enough, Li Qiang's face hardened.

Zhao Wang lei hid his smile and continued

"General Li said that your daughter said worst to the worst thing about his daughter, Li Rui. So your daughter deserved whatever she got from Prime Minister Xi."

Li Qiang stood there with no emotion on his face but even Zhao Wang Lei could see the ongoing storm inside his mind and heart.     

He didn't say anything and continued to do his work until he heard Li Qiang's voice again.

"Your Majesty, this subject still wishes to meet that Eunuch."

This time Zhao Wang Lei's reaction was quite calm. He raised his head and looked at Li Qiang emotionlessly.

"Minister Li, the Eunuch is dead."

"What? But, Your Majesty, he was imprisoned just a few days ago then how could he die so early…"

But Zhao Wang Lei calmly interrupted Li Qiang and said in his cold and indifferent voice

"Zhen's Imperial Palace doesn't have any place for such servants who decrease its honor."

And Li Qiang went silent.

The implication behind the Emperor's words was brief.

'The Eunuch didn't die naturally. He was killed. The Eunuch was killed by the Emperor's order.'

In the end, Li Qiang could do nothing except leave the Imperial Study room silently with a lowered head.

As he turned around to leave, Zhao Wang Lei caressed the brush in his hands and looked at his back with narrowed eyes and a smirk on his thin lips.