บท 17: Four Years Ago (12)

The next day after Marriage, the bride needs to visit her house with her husband. But Rui could not do so as Prime Minister Xi was called to the Palace and the order asked to reach the imperial palace as soon as possible. It was not only Xi Ying who was asked to reach the palace, the whole city was in a mess. The Emperor called the sudden meeting of officials which included General Li as well.

The borders were in a difficult situation.

General Li, Prime Minister Xi as well as some other officials were asked to go there quickly.

So Li Rui did not go to Li Manor.

One month passed silently. Rui's life was no different in Xi Manor from Li Manor. She would spend her days in her courtyard reading some books, planting some plants, and doing some other things.

The next day after marriage, she had sent a letter to Yi Junjie asking him to investigate who drugged her and she also told him about the brothel house.

The letter came back soon and it mentioned the results of the investigation.

It was Li Caihong who bought the drug. Li Rui had known that Li Na and Li Caihong didn't like her, it was just that she underestimated their dislike towards her. Sending a man to rape her. Just how much hate her sisters bore in their hearts to scheme such an evil plan against her.

The feelings that were still left for the sake of belonging to the same clan vanished after this incident.

But how come Lord Xi said that it was she who drugged him as well as herself?

Was he also drugged? She didn't even know this.

All these questions could be answered by only one man, Xi Ying who was not present in the city currently. So she put aside the matter for some time. As long as her family was happy and assured that she was living well, nothing else mattered.

Still Countless times, a question would raise in her mind.

Why did he marry her?

If he didn't even like her, it was easy for him to evade this marriage.

Only after a month, Rui got the answer to her question, she thought.

She was sick for two days. Throwing up after two or three times, her maids (she brought from Li Manor) called for a physician to check on her health.

The physician announced that she was pregnant.

'Lord Xi must have seen this forehead, right?' thought Li Rui.

The reason was enough for him to marry her.

There was no expression on her face when the physician announced the news. Staring blankly for a few seconds, she had closed herself in her room for a couple of hours.

After coming out of the room, she was just like before.

She didn't inform anyone else about her pregnancy. Only her maids were allowed to be around her during this time.

Sometimes, she would stare at nothing in a daze while stroking her belly.

Months passed like this, no good news came from the borders.

It was only at the end of the seventh month that Li Rui started to stroll outside in the garden of her courtyard. Slowly, the whole Xi Manor came to know that Madam Xi which meant Li Rui was pregnant.

The shadow guards left behind by Xi Ying in the Xi Manor sent a letter to Xi Ying mentioning this news.

Now Li Rui was in her eighth month.

One evening, she was strolling in the garden with her maids. Suddenly she felt her ankle caught by something causing her to fall on her back. The sudden fall caused a sharp pain in her stomach and unconsciously a scream erupted from her mouth.

The physician was called urgently who announced that Lady Li was going to give birth. The wet nurse has been arranged by the Steward of Xi Manor beforehand hence the whole situation was somehow in control.

At this moment, someone announced that Lord Xi had come back to the city. The Steward was busy in arrangements for welcoming Xi Ying when he saw Lord Xi rushing inside the manor. Without looking at anything else, Lord Xi rushed to his wife's courtyard.

The Steward could not step inside Li Rui's courtyard so he waited outside with servants and sent two maids inside the courtyard to check the situation. In these months, he knew Lady Li never asked for anything. So he had to ask the physician about do's and don'ts and he would send everything according to Lady Li.

But every time he felt like something was off. After listening to some servant's conversation he came to know how no servant from Xi Manor was allowed to go inside Lady Li's room.

What was the need for this silent protection in Xi Manor?

Who would dare to harm Lord Xi's child in his own manor?

But he dare not say anything and silently did his own duty. Now this sudden accident. He didn't know how would he face Lord Xi when he didn't do any wrong in this situation.

An undisguised dislike aroused in his heart for Lady Li.

It seemed like the servants' words were true.

Xi Ying's eyebrows were knitted when he heard the screams coming out of the room. The door was locked and he was not allowed to go inside. He anxiously paced outside the room.

He remembered when he read the letter saying that Li Rui was pregnant. For a few minutes, his mind was blank.

He was going to become a father. That woman was pregnant with his child.

When he had sorted out all of his thoughts, his lips had curved upwards. In these months, his mind was in a mess. The conflicts with the neighboring country along with the unforgettable night with that woman were making him go insane. He could even think straight about anything. After a very long time, there was something that made him happy.

He decided that he would forgive Li Rui this once for the sake of their child.

For the next few days, he concentrated on finishing all the work and solving conflicts. As soon as he felt that there was no need for him to stay there any longer, he left for the Imperial City.

After reaching the Imperial City when he was about to go inside the palace to greet the Emperor, his shadow guard informed him that Li Rui fell in the garden while strolling. Leaving everything, he rushed to Xi Manor.

More time passed. When Xi Ying could not tolerate any more and was about to break the door to go inside, a shrill cry of an infant came from the room. He halted and with a push he opened the door and went inside.

Li Rui was lying unconsciously on the bed with a pale face. Seeing her bloodless lips, his heart clenched. As he was about to go beside her, a wet nurse came in front of him telling him that it was a bad omen to enter the room in this situation.

He saw the child inside her arms. The little wrinkled head made his heart itch. When the wet nurse tried to give the child in his arms, he hesitated. After learning patiently how to hold the child, he left the room with the child, ordering the maids to take care of Li Rui.

As much as he wanted to remain by her side, he controlled himself. He needed to ask the Steward how did Li Rui suddenly fell.