Xi Manor

In the backyard of the Plum Courtyard, Li Rui was taking care of some herbal plants. Her hands were covered with soil as she sowed some new seeds.

By her side, Li Hua and Yi Ju were standing with a couple of things in their hands.

“Miss, Let me try again. This servant carefully watched this time when Miss was planting the last seed.”

Li Hua felt distressed seeing her mistress working like this. However, Li Rui shook her head in ‘No’, and Li Hua pouted in dissatisfaction.

She heard Yi Ju snickering from the left side.

Turning in her direction, she smiled at her and told her very in a fake soft voice.

“Why doesn’t Sister Yi Ju try and then laugh at me?”

Yi Ju shook her head and said

“I don’t want to. I already know that I will not be able to plant them in the right way. Only Young Miss can do that.”

That was true. Last time, Li Hua had taken this work in her hands but all the plants she had sown didn’t even sprout. Actually, it was not the first time, this happened. She can’t even remember how many servants in Li Manor had tried to do this but no one could grow these plants, not even the old gardener of the Li Manor. One should know that the gardener of Li Manor was an expert who had worked for the Imperial Palace and was given to General Li by the previous Emperor Zhao Zuhang Lei.

Li Hua didn’t know the value of these plants. She just knew that they were very difficult to grow and they can grow only under her Miss’ care.

But the problem was the hard work her Miss had to do in all this. She just can’t bear to see that.

Knowing that there was no benefit in insisting again, she diverted her attention to other things.

“Sister Yi Ju is very different from how I pictured her in my mind. I mean I have never seen you smile.”

Yi Ju shook her head helplessly and she looked at Li Hua enviously.

“Well, you’re lucky that you have a mistress like Miss Li.”

She doesn’t dare to behave like this in front of her master or she would be thrown out of Yi Manor instantly.

Just at this moment, she saw a shadow flying inside the courtyard. Her eyes gained the coldness but that immediately disappeared when she saw who it was.

Seeing her master, Yi Ju straightened her back and her face was emotionless just like Li Hua had seen in the past four years.

Li Rui rose to her feet when she saw Yi Junjie. His face was solemn and he told her.

“Rui, we need to talk right now.”

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Around the round table, Yi Junjie and Li Rui sat across each other. Li Rui poured down a cup of tea and pushed it in front of Yi Junjie.

But Yi Junjie picked it up and took a sip. Putting the cup down on the table, he let out a heavy sigh.

Standing behind her, Xi Ying glanced at Yi Junjie waiting for him to start.

When he didn’t say anything, Li Rui looked carefully at his expression for a minute.

“Have Elder Brother found out who planned the attack a few days ago?”

She calmly poured down tea in another cup and heard Yi Junjie saying in a low voice.

“No.”

Xi Ying glanced away and let out a defeated sigh. But his attention was grabbed again when he thought

What could make Yi Junjie look so serious other than this?

While Li Rui’s hands paused for a moment in midair then she continued whatever she was doing. Her eyes lowered as she asked caressing the rim of teacup in her hands

“Then what did Elder Brother find out to have such an expression?”

Yi Junjie tried to see what she was thinking but her eyes were lower so he couldn’t see anything.

“My shadow guard just informed me this morning. I myself couldn’t believe it first but they have found solid evidence for it.”

He paused for a moment and then continued

“Rui, Someone from Li Clan is colluding against Uncle Li.”

Li Rui’s hands trembled. The teacup in her hands almost fell down but she controlled her movement at the last second and put it down on the table carefully. 

She rested her back on the chair and a quivering sigh escaped from her lips.

Both the men in the room glanced away with a pained expression in their eyes. It was very difficult to see her like this.

A few moments later, Yi Junjie heard her soft voice again.

“Who?”

His hands were clenched under his sleeves.

“I have not found this yet. But I have already sent my shadow guards to look in this matter.”

  Yi Junjie didn’t want to continue but it was important for Li Rui to know everything. He knew if he hid anything then she would never forgive him again.

This was the only thing she had asked from him when he had convinced her to include himself in all this.

“I doubt that…”

Before he could complete her words, Li Rui completed them.

“That that person was behind the attack.”

The room was silent after that. No one spoke anything.

Someone from Li Clan was against General Li. This was not a trivial matter.

Especially when General Li was fighting at the front on the battlefield.

On the other hand, Xi Ying’s thoughts were different from them.

How could someone from a noble family plan all this? Mixing his own shadow guards with those that were sent by Princess Wenling.

He was familiar with what kind of power an Imperial family member can have?

It was an impossible task for someone who does not have any links with those higher-ups from The Imperial Family.

The attack was done by someone who was more powerful than an Imperial Princess.

But why would someone who was this powerful wanted to kill his Wangfei?