Chapter 388 - Going Out Of Xi Manor
The next day, Zhao Zhang Wei and Xi Ying attended the Imperial Court assembly as usual.
They didn't talk to each other in the Imperial Court. Nothing was unusual that could make anyone or Zhao Wang Lei doubt that there was something going in behind his back.
Zhao Zhuang Chen again didn't attend the Imperial Court.
After the assembly ended, the Emperor first left the Imperial Court.
After him, one by one every minister left the Imperial Court. Xi Ying too reached Xi Manor soon on his horse. After handing the reins of the horse to An Shing he asked Shui Cao
"Is everything ready?"
"Yes, My Lord."
Shui Cao responded respectfully.
Xi Ying then walked towards the Plum Courtyard. His pace increased when he was at the entrance and he reached Li Rui's room in just a few moments.
Xi Ying stopped just when his hand had reached out to open the door.
He suddenly turned and went out of the courtyard again.
Outside the courtyard, Shui Cao was standing and he seemed to wait for Xi Ying. When he saw Xi Ying coming out, he lowered his head.
"Where are my clothes?"
Xi Ying asked as soon as he was in front of Shui Cao.
Shui Cao immediately turned around and asked a servant to bring Xi Ying's clothes. Xi Ying took the clothes from the servant.
A few moments later, he appeared at the entrance of the Plum Courtyard again. However, at this moment he looked completely different from what he looked like previously.
Even Shui Cao had to take a few glances at him and then ask
"My Lord…"
Xi Ying was satisfied seeing this and walked inside the Plum Courtyard. A mischievous smile lingered on his face when he was in front of his wife's room.
His face however remained straight when he opened the door of the room slowly and stepped inside.
Xi Ling was standing on the edge of the bed while Li Rui who was standing in front of him was setting his clothes right.
The clothes that Xi Ling wore at this moment were usually born by a child who belonged to a very ordinary family in the Imperial City.
"Mother, do I look beautiful?"
He heard Xi Ling asking Li Rui.
Li Rui smiled and Xi Ying's eyes were solely fixed on her as she said to their son.
"Well…my Xiao Ling is looking very handsome."
"H…hand…handsome."
And just like that, Xi Ling learned a new word. He was sure that his mother just meant beautiful so he smiled brightly and kissed her mother's cheek.
"Mother is also looking very handsome…more handsome than Father. No one would be able to recognize mother."
Li Rui chuckled when she heard her son's innocent words.
Her eyes suddenly went to the man standing at the door. Xi Ying was wearing a very light-colored robe that was made from very ordinary cloth.
Don't know from where, he had also pasted a mustache above her lips and then a long beard.
However, his deep black eyes still stood out from everything making him recognizable in one glance to Li Rui.
"How am I looking?"
She heard the question asked in a deep voice and whispered unconsciously
"Beautiful…"
It was only when Xi Ling laughed and said
"It is handsome, Mother. Father is also looking handsome."
Xi Ling shouted cheerfully and Li Rui came out of her trance.
When she noticed the cheeky smile on Xi Ying's face, she felt very embarrassed. However to make herself look very well composed she turned to set Xi Ling's already set straight clothes straight again.
Inside her heart, she again blamed her pregnancy for making her lose her composure these days.
However, Xi Ying was very happy after hearing genuine praise from his wife.
He stepped further inside the room and walked towards his wife and son.
His eyes again didn't move away from Li Rui.
Li Rui was actually dressed in the same kind of clothes that Xi Ying wore.
Yes, she was going out in the disguise of a man.
This is what Xi Ying had thought and behind this, he had his selfish motives.
Rui was too beautiful. They were going to visit the Imperial City as an ordinary family and he didn't want vendors to stare at his wife.
However, he had not expected that his wife would still look so beautiful.
"Father, let's go."
Xi Ying's cheerful voice brought him out of his trance and he cleared his throat to gain his lost composure.
"Yes, We should leave now."
He said with one more glance at Li Rui.
Li Rui nodded her head and she walked towards the mirror to look at her face once again. She was afraid that something would give it away that she was a woman.
Even she agreed with Xi Ying when he had told her his plan of going out like this and especially when he suggested that she should go out in the disguise of a man.
This way, no one would be able to recognize her and she with her child in her belly would stay safer.
To hide her real identity, she even had to bind her chest tightly.
Although it pains a little, she could endure this much pain for her son and at the same time for her unborn child.
A few moments later, the family of three walked out of the Plum Courtyard.
At the entrance of the Plum Courtyard, Xi Ying took a bowl that contained something black from Shui Cao and then walked to his son.
He had that mustache and beard on his face and Li Rui was dressed in men's clothes so they didn't look recognizable. However, Xi Ling could still be recognized at one glance.
Although the young child had not stepped out of Xi Manor that much so there was very little possibility of anyone recognizing him, however, Xi Ying still didn't want to take any chance.
As he applied that black thing on his son's face, Xi Ying didn't feel happy at all.
He hated the fact that he had to take out his family to just visit the Imperial City as if they were some sort of criminal.
Inside his heart, he promised himself that he would soon make the Imperial City the safest place for Li Rui and Xi Ling.