Chapter 763: Coming Back To Xi Manor
"You should rest, Rui."
Li Rui was not startled when she heard the familiar voice in the outer hall she was sitting inside of Plum Courtyard.
"Senior Brother"
She called out softly and said
"Have a seat please."
Gu Li sighed as he looked at her slightly pale face and her eyes that didn't have any sleepiness. A moment later, he sat in front of her on the couch.
Li Hua who was standing behind her mistress really wished that Gu Li would somehow make her agree to go to her room and sleep.
She had been trying to do so for so long but her mistress wouldn't listen to her. She didn't know what was going on where Prime Minister Xi but seeing her mistress's behavior, it seemed that it was not a small matter…especially when General Li, Lord Yi had been coming to Xi Manor in the past few days.
She wished that everything would go right but the foremost thing for her was her mistress' health.
"He would be upset if he would come back and see that you didn't sleep at all."
Li Rui knew who Gu Li was referring to.
Her eyes flickered for a moment.
She would not mind if he would be upset with her …but he should come back safe with everyone else.
"Any news from their side?"
She asked Gu Li who shook her head.
Li Rui couldn't help but feel slightly scared. It was actually past the first limit of time Xi Ying had given to them.
He had said if he was late from this limit by a shichen then they were supposed to leave Imperial city with everyone else.
She with Xi Ling was supposed to leave him here.
"Don't worry. I am sure that everything must be alright, Rui."
Gu Li comforted and assured her when he saw how she had gone so silent suddenly. Even her face doesn't look good.
"Go and bring something for your mistress to eat."
He said to Li Hua who immediately left from there to do as he said. Her heart was also not free from worry and concern.
"Now tell me what is bothering you?
Gu Li asked her finally.
Li Rui looked at him for a moment and said honestly.
"I am scared ….I am scared that everything would go wrong."
Gu Li sighed again. He disliked seeing her like this. But for a moment, he felt peaceful that she was sharing her worries with him.
"You are worrying in vain."
He smiled as he said that.
"In the short time, I have known your husband…I can assure you that he will not let anything go wrong. Do you not believe him?"
These were the same words that the old physician had said to her. It was slightly ironic that they believed Xi Ying so much.
However, Xi Ying was also a human.
Li Rui couldn't help but think.
He could also come across something unpredictable and dangerous.
"I do believe him."
She answered Gu Li's question softly. Her eyes unconsciously went to the sky full of starts as she whispered
"I just don't believe my fate."
Li Zhan, Li Mei and so many soldiers of her father lost their lives because of her. What if something similar happened this time as well?
"You should not worry."
She looked at Gu Li again when she heard his words. There was a firmness in his eyes as he said his next words.
"If something really went wrong then your senior brother assures you that I will make everything alright. Even if I have to abduct your husband from the Imperial Palace, I will not hesitate in doing so."
Gu Li smiled when he said so. He saw that Li Rui looked slightly relaxed.
Both of them were silent after that.
Neither of them spoke a single word as they waited for some news. More and more time passed and now even Gu Li's face was starting to go somber.
It was at that moment, that Liu Lan who had been standing at the entrance of Plum Courtyard for so long came running inside and said
"My Lady, the Imperial Gong…it sounded in the Imperial City."
The atmosphere of the outer hall was still for a moment.
Li Hua was shocked on hearing Liu Lan's words.
While Li Rui didn't have any emotion on her face. It was a few moments later that she suddenly smiled and whispered
"We won."
Gu Li also smiled when he saw her smiling and whispered
"Yes, Rui. We won."
Zhao Wang Lei was dead!
The whole Imperial City was shocked when they woke up because of the loud sound of the Imperial Gong.
The Gong sounded when the Emperor of the Empire would die.
It meant that Emperor Zhao Wang Lei was dead.
People could not believe their ears. How was it possible?
The Emperor was healthy.
Just yesterday, the maidens from their family had entered the Imperial Palace to participate in the competition for the seat of Empress.
Then what did just happen in one night?
Many nobles left their houses to go to the Imperial Palace to check what did just happen in the Imperial Palace while ordinary people could only wait for the next morning to hear the events of the night.
Since Xi Manor was quite far away from the Imperial City, the sound of the gong couldn't reach its walls.
It was a shadow guard who was in the Imperial City and had been waiting for this sound exactly informed Liu Lan who informed her mistress.
The layer of stress that had been enveloping the Xi Manor suddenly vanished and Li Rui now was standing outside her courtyard.
She constantly looked at the sky as she waited for Xi Ying.
Since he had gone from here, he would come from here as well. The na?ve her had thought. Almost a shichen passed since the news.
She was covered with a blanket by Li Hua.
The darkness of the night had started to vanish from the sky but she waited patiently.
"What are you doing outside in the cold?"
Li Rui flinched this time when the cold yet warm voice fell in her ears. The voice came from her behind.
She could even feel the warm breath falling on her earlobe indicating that he was standing very close.
She could sense Li Hua stepping away from her.
However, she somehow didn't dare to turn around.
Was it really him?
The nightmare she had made it difficult to believe that he was really here but she desperately wanted to believe that he was really here.
Then he walked to stand in front of her.
His eyes were filled with disapproval but she didn't mind that. She looked at his face, then at his body as if checking if he was completely alright or not.
Unlike the Xi Ying from her nightmare that was completely covered with blood, this Xi Ying didn't have even a drop of blood on him.
She didn't even realize it before she suddenly hugged him tightly.
Her head rested on his chest as she closed her eyes and breathed him deeply. He did smell of blood slightly but he was alright.
Li Rui felt as if she couldn't ask for anything else.
On the other hand, Xi Ying was startled by the sudden hug.
A moment later, his heart was suddenly filled with warmness as he looked at the small head from above, however, he was still concerned about her.
"My body is cold, Rui."
Since he had just flown back to Xi Manor from the Imperial Palace, the cold win still surrounded his body.
His body was very cold so he was worried that she would also feel cold by hugging him like this.
However, Li Rui didn't seem to care.
Xi Ying sighed. He smiled suddenly and whispered
"Your father is also here, Rui."
That indeed did something to Li Rui that she left Xi Ying immediately. He stopped himself from smiling as Li Rui turned around and saw that her father was indeed standing behind him.
However, his face didn't have any emotion.
Was he angry at something or someone?
Li Rui wondered.
It was then her gaze suddenly fell on Li Qiang, her elder uncle who was standing a few steps away …and there were a few soldiers behind him.
Xi Ying's shadow guards surrounded her uncle and his soldiers as if they were worried that he would run away as well as his soldiers at any time.
Li Rui frowned as she remembered that Xi Ying had clearly denied her father not to involve her elder uncle then what was her uncle doing here?
She knew that her father would never do otherwise without telling them.
Could it be that…
Her eyes suddenly went cold as she looked at her uncle.
Li Qiang also looked at her. However, his eyes didn't have anything.
He looked calm as well as his soldiers.
As if he never did anything wrong.
However, it was something that only time could decide.