Chapter 453 - The Pitiful Second Prince
Xi Ying smiled as he looked at Zhao Zhang Wei. Zhao Zhang Wei had not expected him to smile after whatever he said.
He looked closely trying to search for any sign of mocking or coldness in that smile. However, there was not any.
What he had expected from Xi Ying were some cold words that would mean that this deal didn't exist any longer. After all, from the start, the young Prime Minister had made sure that everything in this deal was according to him.
It was not that Zhao Zhang Wei felt that he was being suppressed by Xi Ying. The actual thing was that Xi Ying had always been very right regarding any matter in this deal.
After all, Xi Ying was a very intelligent strategist.
However, at this moment Zhao Zhang Wei was genuinely startled. He was trying to find out exactly what was Xi Ying trying to do.
Xi Ying chuckled on seeing Zhao Zhang Wei's wariness.
He could see the old him in Zhao Zhang Wei. The him …who took Li Rui for granted, who was blinded by jealousy but since Li Rui married to him, he thought that she would always stay in Xi Manor ... near him. However, with time he understood that Li Rui was more precious than him.
Her staying in Xi Manor was not enough…he wants her to stay happily regardless of whether she was beside him or somewhere else.
It took him a long time to understand but when he did…he allowed Li Rui to leave everything but promised to save Li and Yi Clan.
At this moment, Zhao Zhang was the same.
He was taking Yi Huiqing for granted. He thinks that as long as he won't leave Yi Huiqing, Yi Huiqing would not be able to leave him.
He didn't even know how wrong he was.
He stood up from the couch he was sitting on and walked towards Zhao Zhang Wei.
"Your Highness, do you think that this Lord won't have any way to separate both of you even if you don't agree."
Zhao Zhang Wei's fists were tightly clenched. His phoenix eyes went red as he stared into Xi Ying's deep black eyes.
Somewhere inside his heart, he knew that Xi Ying could really do it.
After all, as long as the majority of the ministers of the Imperial Court approved even an Empress could separate from the Emperor himself.
So Xi Ying could really do it because there were many ministers in the Imperial Court who just blindly walk the way Xi Ying chooses because they think that they won't face any trouble that way.
"You won't do that?"
Zhao Zhang Wei said with a deathly serious expression on his face.
Xi Ying raised his eyebrows and said amusingly.
"Is Your Highness challenging me?"
"I won't let you do this ever. Qingqing is my wangfei….she will stay beside me for this whole lifetime. She can't leave me."
"Even if she is not happy with you?"
Xi Ying asked calmly.
Zhao Zhang Wei flinched visibly. Those words cut him sharper than a knife.
"I…I…"
No words came out of his mouth for a few moments before he said after gathering whatever little confidence he had.
"I will make her happy. She will stay happy with me."
Xi Ying's smiled. His smile was a little soft and he spoke as if he was making a child understand.
"You really think that she will stay happy with you after she already knows that you hid from her that it was the poison that caused her to miscarry her child."
Zhao Zhang Wei was shocked as he didn't understand how Xi Ying knew about this. He wanted to ask him but then he didn't. More of his attention was on what Xi Ying just said.
He gulped as he looked away from Xi Ying's eyes.
His forehead was covered with a little bit of sweat as he remembered the night where Yi Huiqing had told him this…where Yi Huiqing had told him that she didn't even want to see his face.
Her eyes filled with pan flashed in front of his eyes.
Could she really stay happy with him after whatever he had done?
Zhao Zhang Wei suddenly found questioning himself.
"Will you still not leave her?"
Xi Ying asked Zhao Zhang Wei again.
"But …I …love her."
Zhao Zhang Wei whispered in a very low voice. However, Xi Ying heard him very clearly. He looked very calm.
Zhao Zhang Wei raised his head. His mouth was parted slightly as he looked at Xi Ying and said
"I can't live without her. The thought of her leaving me …is unbearable to me."
"But her happiness….does that not matter to you at all?"
"It does."
Zhao Zhang Wei said immediately.
Zhao Zhang Wei swallowed the emotions brewing inside his heart. He looked at Xi Ying and whispered with a pale face
"Did not you also do so many mistakes? Lady Li is still living with you…so why can't I also do that? I was wrong. I know that but I really want her to stay here…happy with me."
Xi Ying's eyes were blank. At this moment, he was looking at Zhao Zhang Wei but his mind was somewhere else.
The image of his wife flashed in front of his eyes as Zhao Zhang Wei's words rang in his ears.
A moment later, a sad smile graced his lips as he said
"You are right. She is with me. …She had given this marriage a chance even after I did so many mistakes."
Zhao Zhang Wei saw some hope after hearing Xi Ying's words. However, just when a little bit of hope flashed in his heart and eyes, Xi Ying spoke his next few words.
"But she doesn't love me. She is here …because of our son."
"She thinks that I don't know but I know since the day she decided to stay. She…she doesn't want to give our son an incomplete family and I don't want to leave her.. So I selfishly kept her beside me."