His Rui

"An Shing doesn't know what happened after I left with Young Master from there. When I went back to find Lady Li there were many men lying there…dead. Inside a shop, I found Wangfei sitting on the ground with a girl in her arms."

It confused An Shing who killed all those men because he only saw Lady Li there.

"This servant then left Wangfei in the Xi Manor with the injured girl and took An San and An Shi with himself to find out the attackers."

There was a long pause and then An Shing said in a low and ashamed voice.

"However, we found nothing."

An Shing told Xi Ying with a look that contain remorse and guilt for not being able to protect Wangfei. Although Wangfei was safe it was not him who saved Wangfei. Fortunately, that young lady saved Wangfei but what if she hadn't.

Xi Ying's face was so cold that even Xi Ling was looking at him with wide eyes.

"This Lord gave you just one responsibility and you couldn't even manage it. Go and…"

"It's not his fault."

Xi Ying turned to look sideways when the soft and familiar voice fell in his ears. His clenched fists loosened when he saw her.

Li Rui stepped forward and curtsied. She had changed her clothes but Xi Ying frowned when he saw her wearing only one layer of clothes.

When Li Rui was about to open her mouth to greet him, a robe that smelled of a manly scent fell on her body. Since the action had been done before, she was not startled; just a bit unused.

"Wear more clothes. What if you get cold?"

He said as he adjusted the robe on her small body.

Li Rui raised her head and saw the frown on the elegant and cold face. Her eyes unconsciously went to her son who was looking at this interaction with bright eyes. Her eyes lowered and after a moment she said

"This Wangfei will be careful in the future."

Xi Ying's hands paused for a moment when he heard her reply.

At this moment, Xi Ling stepped forward and bowed in front of his father.

"Father, Neither Brother An Shing nor Mother is at fault. It is Xi Ling who is at fault. Xi Ling wanted to go outside so Xi Ling forced Mother to go out of the Manor and see the Imperial City."

Although Xi Ling was afraid of what he would do after he told the truth, he doesn't want his mother and An Shing to cover for his mistakes.

'A wise person will accept his mistakes.' His father had taught him.

Xi Ying's face was again indifferent after Xi Ling confessed the truth. Still standing near Li Rui, he turned to look at his son whose head was already lowered.

"Kneel down."

He said without any emotion and Xi Ling kneeled down immediately.

Standing beside him, Li Rui's eyes widened when she saw her three-year-old son kneeling on the ground.

Without thinking anything, she walked forward and picked Xi Ling up from the ground.

She then looked at her husband who was staring at Xi Ling in her arms emotionlessly.

"The ground is very cold and he is recovering from…"

She paused but Xi Ying knew what she was about to say.

Li Rui calmly changed her words and continued

"His body is still weak. If Minister Xi wants to punish him, there are many other ways to do that."

Xi Ying suddenly felt a little jealous of his own son and even An Shing.

"Oh, how?"

He really wanted to talk to Li Rui so he dragged this conversation.

"Xi Ling doesn't like to eat green vegetables. For one week, he will only eat them."

Xi Ling's face scrunched in displeasure when he heard his mother.

Why does he feel like it should be not his father whom he should feel afraid of?

Xi Ying noticed his son's face and smirked.

"Very well. Wangfei is very intelligent. But what about him?"

He looked towards An Shing and then moved his eyes to Li Rui's calm eyes with a smile.

Li Rui looked at An Shing whose head was bowed and frowned.

"What is his fault? Didn't he protect Xi Ling?"

Li Rui was confused. She had ordered the shadow guard to take Xi Ling back to the Xi Manor and he did that. She was really grateful that he was there at that time and took Xi Ling away.

For what, Prime Minister Xi wants to punish him.

Xi Ying's smile went stiff when he heard his wangfei's question. He looked at Li Rui's eyes that were filled with confusion and suddenly felt that his heart was heavy.

"His duty was to protect my wangfei and my son, Rui. Not only Xi Ling."

He said seriously.

Li Rui looked at him with a surprised expression when she heard his words.

From the beginning, she had thought that the shadow guard was left to protect Xi Ling.

"Go and accept your punishment."

Xi Ying said coldly to An Shing. When Li Rui was about to step forward to speak he said gently.

"Don't worry. It's not something that he can't bear."

Xi Ying knew that Li Rui thought that An Shing saved Xi Ling and it was she who had ordered him to leave so he was not at fault. That's why he should not be punished.

But Xi Ying didn't think that.

An Shing left because, in his mind, Xi Ling was his priority. If Li Rui was equally important in his mind then he would have never left her like this.

He could have called another shadow guard to take Xi Ling away.

And he would be punished for this.

Somewhere Xi Ying knew that this was his fault. Since he had not paid any attention to Plum Courtyard before, his shadow guards think that Li Rui was not that important to him.

However, he would instill in their mind that Li Rui was his Wangfei.

She was his priority.

She was very important to him.

More than him.