His Rui

"Your Majesty, His Highness, the first prince is outside the chambers. His Highness wishes to meet you."

Leaning on a couch comfortably, Qin Wenya sighed with her eyes closed when she heard her maid's words.

A moment later, she waved her hand indicating that the maid should allow her son to enter. However, the maid didn't leave yet and told Qin Wenya.

"His Highness is not alone, Your Majesty. Prime Minister Xi is also with His Highness."

Qin Wenya opened her eyes swiftly this time. They were sharp and cold after hearing Xi Ying's mention. Her fists were clenched inside her sleeves and her lips were pressed in a thin line.

She had specially warned Xi Ying not to get too close to Zhao Zhuang Chen. However, he was still doing this.

Qin Wenya would have definitely told Zhao Wang Lei everything about Xi Ying's schemes but Zhao Zhuang Chen had made her swear on himself and requested her not to tell Zhao Wang Lei anything.

Because in his eyes, whatever Xi Ying had told him was the truth.

'Good, that they are here together. She will show Xi Ying's truth to her soon today itself.'

Qin Wenya thought inside her heart as she told her maid that she should allow both of them to enter her chambers.   

Soon Xi Ying and Zhao Zhuang Chen entered Qin Wenya's chambers and Qin Wenya immediately waved her hand to dismiss all the maids.

Soon there were only three people left inside Qin Wenya's chambers.

Xi Ying, Zhao Zhang Wei, and Qin Wenya.

"Prime Minister Xi, please have a seat."

Zhao Zhuang Chen said to Xi Ying very politely and Qin Wenya shook her head in shock. She couldn't believe that a few days ago, her son didn't even want to see Xi Ying's face.

He was even planning to kill him and now here he was talking to Xi Ying so respectfully as if Xi Ying had already given him the throne.

She saw as he waited for Xi Ying to sit who looked at her with a smile that didn't have any humor but still felt mocking to Qin Wenya.

Qin Wenya exhaled sharply and didn't say anything until Zhao Zhuang Chen sat beside Xi Ying in front of each other. 

However, even before she could open her mouth, Zhao Zhuang Chen spoke

"Mother, I and Prime Minister Xi are here to convince you that the man you claimed to me in my favor is not really doing so."

Qin Wenya lowered her head as she sighed in irritation.

"Zhuang Chen, he is your father. How can you believe that any other person than your father will think more for your betterment?"

Zhao Zhuang Chen scoffed while Xi Ying silently looked at the mother and son. He could see just how much Qin Wenya trusted Zhao Zhuang Chen. There was no doubt that Zhao Zhuang Chen had already told her that he was done with his investigation.

He must have told her whatever his shadow guard had heard in Xinhe Palace that day but Qin Wenya still trusted Zhao Wang Lei.

It was obvious that it was not going to be easy to shake Qin Wenya's trust in Zhao Wang Lei. 

But he was going to do it! Because he needed to.

Otherwise, one sane Qin Wenya could destroy all of his schemes and plans.

"So Your Majesty thinks that His Majesty would never do anything wrong to His Highness because His Highness is his son?"

Xi Ying asked Qin Wenya calmly and Qin Wenya just stared at him sharply but her emotionless face gave away Xi Ying what he wanted.

Xi Ying smirked and continued

"Then why does Your Majesty thinks that His Majesty would do anything wrong to His Highness, the Second Prince? After all, the second prince is also His Majesty's son,…that too born from a Noble Consort who had been favored by His Majesty a lot …perhaps even more than Her Majesty once."

Xi Ying raised his eyebrows questioningly as he finished his words. 

Qin Wenya's eyes went sharper at Xi Ying's words and she said in a threatening voice.

"Prime Minister Xi"

Not only Qin Wenya even Zhao Zhuang Chen didn't like Xi Ying's merciless words. 

However, after a thought, he couldn't help but find some sense in Xi Ying's words. Yes, even he had seen when he was young that his father used to favor Noble Consort Shu a lot.

Zhao Zhuang Chen had seen many nights where his mother had waited for his father to come to her chambers but then she was told by her maidservants that his father was already inside Noble Consort Shu's chambers. 

The young him had seen his mother going all angry on those nights and destructing everything inside her chambers. Though he didn't use o understand anything at that time, he knew that his mother didn't like Zhao Zhang Wei's mother and hence he too didn't like Zhao Zhang Wei.

However, his father's favorite consort in this Imperial Palace had always been Noble Consort Shu. When she was alive, his father had made sure that she would get the best, so now when her son, Zhao Zhang Wei was here, it was not unpredictable that he would want him to ascend the throne also.   

Zhao Zhuang Chen's jaw clenched and he wondered why he didn't think so before.

Though his father didn't favor any other consort after Noble Consort Shu's death. Though his mother had been the sole mistress of everything in the Imperial Palace after Noble Consort Shu's death, it was also possible that he was doing all this to keep Zhao Zhang Wei safe from them.

"Prime Minister Xi is surely very eloquent."

He came out of his trance when he heard his mother's cold and sharp voice as she said this to Xi Ying. He saw that his mother was looking at him in disappointment and Zhao Zhuang Chen felt very frustrated.

Qin Wenya knew that Zhao Zhuang believed Xi Ying's these words also so she was very disappointed in her son. She looked at Xi Ying and asked with a calm and cold smile on her lips.

"Does Prime Minister Xi give some kind of lessons to Zhang Wei whenever he visits Xinhe Palace? Because form this Empress remembers Zhang Wei was also this eloquent when Bengong had visited Xinhe Palace last time."

Finishing her words, Qin Wenya looked at her son. She hoped that he would believe her words too and even if he didn't want to then he should also remember how Zhao Zhang Wei had counterattacked him every time he had taunted him when they had gone to dinner at Xinhe Palace.

She wanted him to know that Zhao Zhang Wei and Xi Ying were together in this. They were trying to fool him and he was just letting them succeed.

And Qin Wenya couldn't help but sigh in relief when she saw a frown marring her son's forehead.. Perhaps he was finally thinking in the right direction.