Chapter 257 - Lord Xi Asks Li Rong To Shut Her Mouth
"Rui, Lord Xi must have so much work to do as the Prime Minister of Xin. Don't you feel alone like this in this lonely manor?"
Asked Li Rong with a concerned smile on her lips.
And Li Na understood quickly where her mother wanted to go from here. She couldn't help but praise her mother inside her heart for being so clever.
Even choosing the way of talking was very necessary for the purpose they have come here for.
Making Li Rui feel that the Xi Manor and she needed Li Na instead of Li Na needed Xi Manor …it was the most important thing.
However, these two scheming women didn't know that Li Rui was not so easy to get manipulated by them.
Although she spoke less, she used her brain more.
Li Rui looked at her aunt but she couldn't find out the purpose of her visit.
Somehow a guess formed in her mind after Li Rong's question but she dismissed it. The reason behind this dismissal was Li Rong's past. She was very well aware of it.
"Ah, why would Madam feel bored or lonely here? This servant is here to accompany, Madam."
Li Hua said with a bright smile on her lips as she served more tea in Li Rui's cup.
She intentionally used 'Madam' to call Li Rui.
And sure enough, Li Rong's smile faltered at Li Hua's words. Her confidence about her own thought started to waver. But she still persisted.
'Xi Manor had taken concubines in past also. Having Li Na here should not be a problem.'
With this thought, Li Rong smiled again and said
"Rui, Aunt will say run around the circle and will directly come to the point."
Li Rui nodded her head and paid her whole attention as Li Rong continued
"Rui, I want you to talk to Lord Xi about Li Na."
Li Rui frowned not understanding the clear meaning behind these words and Li Rong soon cleared her confusion.
"Rui, Aunt thinks that it would be great if Li Na can enter Xi Manor as a concubine. Both of you are sisters and Li Na can help in managing the manor. So Aunt wants you to talk to Lord Xi about this matter."
Li Rong said so much but didn't notice Li Rui's eyes that were so cold now but Li Na noticed it.
So she pressed her mother's hand indicating her to stop her.
Li Na didn't know the whole thoughts of her mother. According to her, she needed Li Rui's help if she wanted to enter Xi Manor so she could not afford to anger Li Rui.
After all, she had seen how much Lord Xi favored Li Rui, during the Imperial banquet.
As much as she hated it, it was the bitter truth.
Li Rong, on the other hand, though understood her daughter's sign, frowned and glanced at Li Rui finally.
She was not a fool to not understand that Li Rui didn't like her words when she saw Li Rui's cold face. But these things only made Li Rong angrier.
Her face was now equally cold as she talked to Li Rui.
"Rui, Aunt knows that you might not like Aunt's words. But you should understand that it was only because of you …that my Caihong has a disfigured face today. So you should think of how you can repay Li Na and Li Caihong. Aunt is just giving you a chance to make up for your mistakes."
A cold and ironic smile appeared on Li Rui's lips while Li Hua was only infuriated at Li Rong's words.
She was so angry that she didn't know what she should do.
Li Rui was about to open her mouth to say something when a cold voice filled the front hall.
"Why should this Lord's wife repay to your daughters, First Madam Li?"
Hearing the familiar voice, Li Rui turned her face towards the entrance of the front hall.
The deep black eyes met hers only for a fleeting second before she moved her own eyes away. She still could feel Xi Ying's eyes on herself but she never turned her head to look at him. Instead, she looked at Li Rong and Li Na coldly.
On the other hand, Xi Ying's eyes roamed on Li Rui's face. When she moved her eyes away, he sighed silently but continued to look at her.
The last he had seen her was yesterday morning.
After that, he didn't dare to step inside her courtyard fearing that she would find him bother. He was afraid that Li Rui would start to think of leaving Xi Manor if he pressured her too much.
But when he heard that Rui's First Aunt and Li Na had come to meet her, he couldn't stop himself.
After knowing that Li Rui was tolerating these cousin sisters' every scheme and plotting just for the sake of General Li, he was afraid that she would remain silent if Li Na has planned something again.
And when he stepped inside Plum Courtyard and heard Li Rong's words, his blood started to boil…especially when Li Rui didn't say anything.
'Would she also remain silent now and accept it?'
How could she accept such a thing when she was his wife?
His heart was filled with so much bitterness and he could not stop himself from stepping inside.
"Lord Xi…"
Li Rong whispered as she stood up from the chair with a smile on her face.
She didn't seem to remember how many times she had blamed this same man for disfiguring her younger daughter's face and now she was ready to marry her elder daughter to the same man.
Even Li Hua could not help but look at Li Rong with a strange expression on her face while Li Rui remained silent as if the whole matter was never related to her.
Seeing her indifference, Xi Ying's heart went cold.
His cold black eyes finally fell on Li Rong.
Sitting besides standing Li Rong, Li Na lowered her head shyly as she knew that Xi Ying was staring in that direction. However, Xi Ying didn't even glance at her.
He just looked at Li Rong and then moved his eyes away.
Li Rong didn't like is aloofness but as she thought about her daughter's future she said
"Lord Xi, Rui is so lonely in this Manor. I have actually come to meet her but seeing her condition, this one's heart doesn't feel well. Even Li Na could not bear to see this."
Said Li Rong as she held her daughter's hand and made her stand beside her.
Xi Ying raised his eyebrows and looked at the mother-daughter silently and Li Rong took it as a sign of her attempts becoming successful.
"So I came up with a solution. Why don't Li Na accompany Li Rui to Xi Manor? Xi Manor already has so many concubines in th…"
Li Rong was about to continue when Xi Ying's cold voice interrupted her
"Shut your mouth."