His Rui

Yi Huiqing got the news of what happened to Zhao Zhang Wei and what he did with Zhao Zhuang Chen. As Lin Daiyu recited the events with her mouth, she saw a frown marring her mistress's face.

But the frown was too less of a response she had expected from her mistress. 

Until the end, Yi Huiqing never got up from the couch she was sitting on. Even when her maid ended, she just asked

"Is Wangye also injured?"

"Injured …"

Lin Daiyu whispered as she tried to remember what she had seen. She had only been able to get one glance of the prince before she was spotted by the Eunuch who started shouting and asking what she was doing there.

The lack of response made Lin Daiyu run away from there.

"I could only have a glance, My Lady. But I saw that Wangye's cheek was a little swollen and ….and there was also a little blood at the corner of Wangye's lips."

Yi Huiqing frowned again.

Lin Daiyu thought that her mistress was finally worrying about the second Prince. 

However, contrary to her thoughts, Yi Huiqing was thinking whether it was her duty to send something over for Zhao Zhang Wei or not.

No matter how much she disliked to see his face, she was still the mistress and main wangfei of the Xinhe Palace so even it was for a show, she would have to send some help for Zhao Zhang Wei otherwise there will be a rumor over the whole Imperial Palace yesterday that she, Yi Huiqing, doesn't care for her husband at all.

"Send an Imperial Physician and some food for Wangye." Yi Huiqing told Lin Daiyu who was confused to hear these words.

"Physician and Food…But how can we do that, My Lady?"

Yi Huiqing frowned at her maid and said

"Why can't we do that?"

"Isn't Wangye completing his punishment?"

Yi Huiqing smirked as she looked at her maid and said

"So what? His majesty never said that Wangye can't eat or get treated while kneeling, Daiyu, right?"

Lin Daiyu was left speechless by these reasonable words. 

She couldn't find anything to say in response so just nodded her head and murmured.

"My Lady is also right."

In confusion, she was about to turn around and leave when she suddenly looked back at Yi Huiqing.

Her mistress was again reading the book …very calmly just like how she had seen her when she entered the chambers.

Lin Daiyu was confused again as she whispered.

"My Lady, when the Imperial guards separated Wangye from the first Prince, he was shouted your name. It was Qingqing…"

At the end of her words, Lin Daiyu smiled when she saw Yi Huiqing raising her head to look at her. However, the words that left her mistress' mouth were still unexpected for Lin Daiyu.

"You have already told me this, Daiyu."

Lin Daiyu smiled fell flat.

  Yes, she did. But why is her mistress still so calm?

If it was the old Yi Huiqing then she would have run to Delan Courtyard to kneel by Zhao Zhang Wei's side.   

Lin Daiyu suddenly kneeled down and held her mistress's knee as she asked confusedly

"My Lady, will you…not go to look how the second Prince is doing even once?"

Yi Huiqing's eyes went cold at Lin Daiyu's words. She didn't answer her maid question and said

"I think you should go and make arrangements for the job I have given you."

Lin Daiyu sighed as it was not happening first time. Every time she asked her mistress any such question after gathering her courage, her mistress would shut her mouth like this.

But this time, Lin Daiyu didn't want to resign.

She was sent to the Imperial Palace with Yi Huiqing to make sure that she doesn't face any trouble. So seeing Yi Huiqing changing like this, Lin Daiyu couldn't help that her mistress was in some trouble that she didn't know about.

"My Lady…"

"Daiyu…"

Yi Huiqing sighed and stopped her maid before she could say anything. She put down the book in her hand and then held her maid's hand.

"Daiyu, do you remember the nights I had spent after a month in Xinhe Palace?"

Lin Daiyu swallowed and nodded after a moment. 

"I also used to sit at the same place and wait for Wangye silently for those nights but he never came except at the first and fifteen of the month. Why do you think I should go there?"

Yi Huiqing tried to make her maid understand but after Lin Daiyu said her next words, she could not help but wonder whether every woman had the thinking like her mother.

"But My Lady…you should not take it to your heart. Isn't it something that every woman has to experience? Also now Wangye has been visiting Lantai Courtyard for the last few nights …I am sure that…"

Yi Huiqing dropped the hand that was in her hold and suddenly said loudly.

"Shut up."

Lin Daiyu was startled and looked at her mistress in fear as she didn't know what wrong she did or said.

Yi Huiqing breathed deeply for a few moments and then finally looked at her maid again.

She didn't want to hear these words ever again. She was afraid that she would again follow the path that was shown by her mother …that didn't have any self-respect for her.

"I am not a beggar, Daiyu."

Yi Huqing whispered quite sharply. Realizing that she had been quite harsh, she breathed again and said in a low voice.

"I am not a beggar that will wait for him every night. If he comes then it is fine and if he doesn't then also …it is fine. And even now when he is kneeling somewhere I should go and visit him, show him my concern and worry… no I can't do that."

Yi Huiqing said everything in her heart that she had wanted to say to her mother.

After saying everything, her heart suddenly felt light.

Silence lingered in Yi Huiqing's chambers as Lin Daiyu still seemed to be very scared of whatever happened just a few moments ago.

She had never expected such an outburst from her mistress.

When Yi Huiqing put down her hand after rubbing her face, she saw her maid's scared face and suddenly felt a little guilty.

Lin Daiyu had accompanied her since her childhood and she had never been treated like this by her.

However, Yi Huiqing didn't take back her words. According to her, Lin Daiyu really needed to be told some things… or perhaps she was seeing her mother in Lin Daiyu because of their same thoughts.

"Daiyu"

Yi Huiqing whispered as she looked out of the window of her room …at the beautiful sky. 

"Every woman doesn't experience this … at least those who have self-respect, who is not helpless, who is strong….they don't experience this, Daiyu"

Lin Daiyu looked at her mistress. She didn't know why but her eyes suddenly started to get teary as she thought inside her heart.               

She could understand the meaning those words implying but Lin Daiyu was not ready to accept it at all.

"My Lady has self-respect, My Lady is not helpless, and … she is strong as well."

Yi Huiqing smiled when she heard her maid's firm words. She looked down at Lin Daiyu's tear eyes and wiped their corners with a soft smile on her lips as she whispered

"I wasn't before…but I am now."