His Rui

Chapter 731: Li Rong’s Sorrow

“This General was obviously preparing the army. Qin could attack anytime. However, this General had expected almost a week time before that. However, the news seemed to have reached the Qin’s Emperor’s ears earlier than this General had expected.”         

    

General Li said in response to Xi Ying’s question.      

Xi Ying shook his head with a bored expression on his face as he walked to the chair placed around the round table and sat on it.     

“General Li, you took the whole situation very seriously. Do you think that this minister didn’t think about all this before planning Qin Wenya’s execution?”     

General Li frowned as if not understanding what Xi Ying was saying. So Xi Ying explained     

“Qin can’t attack Xin if we present evidence to them. If they do so they would be breaking the norm and rules set up by the four empires.”     

“And where is the evidence?”      

General Li asked immediately and before Xi Ying could say anything, he continued     

“Don’t think that by showing skeletons we can convince the Emperor of Qin. Prime Minister Xi, you might not know him but this General Li knows. He is as stubborn and arrogant as Qin Wenya. He would never believe us unless Qin Wenya herself accepts that she killed Noble Consort Shu and now she is no longer alive to accept that.”     

Xi Ying stayed calm contrary to how General Li looked panicked.      

After General Li had finished, he told him calmly.     

“Qin Wenya was never needed. True that Qin won’t believe Zhao Wang Lei himself, but they would have to believe the first prince. After all, he is the son of Qin Wenya.”     

General Li forehead was knitted and he whispered      

“First prince…”     

Xi Ying smirked as he saw General Li’s forehead becoming smooth slowly and slowly.      

“Yes, First Prince…who would never want to be hated by the people of Xin by going against Xin and helping his mother who had been threatened by the Emperor in people’s eyes using the Empire she had come from.”     

There was silence inside the study room for a long time.      

Seeing that General Li was not asking any other question, Xi Ying decided to talk about what he had come here for.      

“This matter is settled, General Li. It is however good to hear that you are readying your armies.”     

The words made General Li raise his head again and he asked Xi Ying     

“Why are you saying that Prime Minister Xi?”     

Xi Ying had a cold smile on his lips as he remembered what the minister from the dungeons had told him.      

“Because you would need them soon.”      

And these words only increased General Li’s concern.      

Afterward, whatever Xi Ying told General Li created more anger and disappointment in the latter’s heart for Zhao Wang Lei.      

General Li had never thought that Zhao Wang Lei could also fall so low.          

    

There was no difference between him and his son!     

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Xi Ying left the study room of Li Manor almost half a shichen later. General Li was still inside. The revelation from Xi Ying seemed to have shocked General Li very much.      

Or perhaps the last bits of trust that General Li had in Zhao Wang Lei were broken to pieces.      

Whichever it was, Xi Ying knew that the middle-aged General needed some time.  So he left General Li alone for some time.      

However, when he had come to a few steps away from the study room, he came across Li Qiang.     

Li Qiang paused in his steps when he saw Xi Ying.      

There was no movement from both sides for a long time. Just when Xi Ying was about to walk past Li Qiang, the latter spoke suddenly     

“How are Rui and child?”     

Xi Ying was surprised but maintained a calm face.     

Since the other person wanted to be polite, he couldn’t act rude as directly or indirectly he was related to his wife.     

“She is good. The child is also doing well, Minister Li.”     

“Good”     

Li Qiang nodded his head and then left.      

Xi Ying looked at his back.      

After one meeting with Zhao Zhuang Chen, he didn’t hear any news of Li Qiang meeting Zhao Zhuang Chen again.      

Seeing that Li Qiang was still calm and concerned for Li Rui, Xi Ying concluded that he was not as bad as his children were.      

With this thought, Xi Ying went to the courtyard he was staying in these days.      

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Li Qiang also went to his courtyard.     

When he was walking toward the room, he stopped a maid and asked her         

    

“Did Madam has her lunch?”     

“No, Elder Master.”     

Li Qiang frowned hearing the response he had not expected. Li Rong had been skipping meals after Li Na was imprisoned and Li Caihong’s disappearance. However, slowly he was making her come back to normal. She had started to have her meals on time again.      

Still, he would always ask the maids if she had lunch or not.      

Yesterday, when he heard come to know of Li Rui’s arrival, he had been worried that Li Rong would again start to do this but he had hoped the opposite.     

But it seems that what he had been worried about happened in the end.      

Li Qiang sighed as he walked towards their room but not before ordering the maid to arrange the lunch.      

When he stepped inside the room, he found his wife as usual staring outside the window with blank and lost eyes.      

Li Qiang’s heart would always break into pieces when he would see his wife like this.      

Though theirs had been an arranged marriage, he had loved Li Rong like he had not loved anyone else.      

Her sufferings from her maternal home would always want him to cherish her more. Perhaps that’s why in the past, he never tried to stop her when he saw her spoiling their children.      

Li Qiang smiled bitterly.      

If he had not been that indulging at that time then perhaps she would have not been suffering like this now.     

In the end, he would always find himself at fault.      

For his children’s situation and for his wife’s despair.      

“Rong’er.”     

Li Rong turned her head to look at her husband when she heard his gentle voice.     

A stiff and forceful smile graced her lips and she stood up from the chair she had been sitting on.     

“You are back.”     

She said in a voice that didn’t hold any joy or despair.      

“Hmm”     

Li Qiang hummed. He walked to her and kissed her forehead gently.      

“The maid told me that you didn’t have your lunch.”     

He said with a visible frown on his forehead.      

Li Rong lowered her head and said in a low voice         

    

“I didn’t feel hungry.”     

Li Qiang sighed helplessly. He felt more distress when he saw her like this.      

“You need to eat Li Rong. Even if you are not hungry, you still need to have something…for my sake at least.”     

Li Rong’s head was still lowered but she nodded when she heard her husband’s words. Li Qiang sighed in relief and called the maid again.      

When the maid said that the meal has been served, he went to the dining room with his wife.      

He himself served the food on Li Rong’s plate.      

Li Qiang was amidst eating the food in his plate when he heard sudden sobs. He paused and looked at his wife instantly.      

Her head was lowered and her shoulders were trembling.     

“Rong’er.”     

In a voice that was filled with worry and concern, he called and immediately moved to her side.      

“Rong’er, what happened? Why are you crying?”     

Li Rong held Li Qiang’s hand very tightly. She continued to cry as she spoke     

“I can’t eat, Qiang. It hurts to eat.”     

“Do you feel unwell?”     

Li Qiang asked and he looked ready to call for the physician. However, Li Rong shook her head. Tears never stopped flowing from her eyes as she spoke     

“Qiang…why is she here?”     

Li Qiang’s face hardened as he understood whom Li Rong was talking about. He was about to say something when Li Rong continued     

“I am trying. I am trying not to hate her. But my heart doesn’t listen to me, Qiang. When I see her with her son, I can’t help but think about my daughters…my son. Li Na would have been married and she would have also birthed a child….but now she would never give me that happiness.”     

“My children…this Manor doesn’t have them, Qiang. I feel as if I am going crazy …slowly and slowly. I hear my Caihong’s voice…my Nana’s voice..and Chenchen’s also.”     

“They ask me to help them. To give them warmth in such cold winter…but I can do nothing, Qiang.”     

“Nana asks me to avenge her but I can’t do anything, Qiang. I …am breaking every day little by little. Can you hold me Qiang? Can you save me?”     

By the time, Li Rong finished her words, Li Qiang’s eyes were red and filled with unshed tears.     

He suddenly hugged her very tightly in his arms.      

His unshed tears also left his eyes. His wife continued to cry in his arms.      

The food went cold and it stayed untouched.          

    

For a long time, they stayed like this.      

Li Qiang holding Li Rong…with a pair of red but suddenly calm eyes.      

A lot of thoughts were going on in his mind and no one could guess them.      

He wanted to soothe her pain.      

But was there any way to do that?