Li Qiang didn't meet Li Na again. However, he asked the guard to ask her what she wanted. The guard asked Li Na and then went back to him.
Li Qiang was in a deep thought after he got to know that Li Na wanted to go out of Li Manor. He didn't say anything regarding this but asked the guard to allow his daughter to come to his study room.
The guard accepted the order and left from there again.
A few moments later, the door of the study room opened and Li Qiang raised his head to look towards the door, His face was emotionless but his eyes flickered surely when he saw Li Na' overly pale face.
Her head was lowered but he could see thin beads of sweat on her forehead. Li Qiang frowned deeply.
"Li Na greets Father."
Li Na curtsied respectfully and greeted her father in a low but audible voice.
Li Qiang didn't respond and picked one of the books from the table to read. Li Na noticed but maintained her composure.
"Father, Li Na wants to go out of Li Manor."
Li Qiang silently turned the page of the book and then asked a few moments later
"Why?"
Li Na went silent. She didn't speak until Li Qiang raised his head to look at her because of her lack of response.
"Father, Li Na feels very suffocated after living in the Manor for a month."
Her eyes were filled with tears and her face now looked very pale as she said this to her father.
Li Qiang, in the end, was her father. He couldn't see his daughter like this.
And her marriage was already fixed. What more she will do now? Still, he said
"Lu Jianye is a good boy."
Li Na lowered her head as if she was shy when she heard her father's words. Li Qiang was satisfied seeing this. Her daughter's actions meant that she was no longer determined to marry Xi Ying and she liked Lu Jianye.
A moment later, he continued
"If I heard any complaint about you, Li Na then believe me this time I will find someone else than marry you the next day itself even if you will not be willing."
"Yes, Father."
Li Qiang sighed as Li Na's voice was choking a little in the end.
"You can leave the Manor but come back in a Shichen."
"Yes, Father,"
Li Na said immediately.
"Leave."
Li Na turned around to leave as soon as her father asked her.
Outside the study room, she smirked proudly and happily left Li Qiang's Courtyard.
.
.
.
When Xi Ying went to the Imperial Palace, he saw Li Qiang again in the Imperial Palace. A few days back, Li Qiang had come too but he didn't meet the Empress again. He wondered if today he would do the same.
At the same time, he remembered that his shadow guard had told him that Lu Jianye's parents has agreed to take Li Na as his main wife.
By now, Li Qiang must be known to this.
Xi Ying walked towards his seat after moving his eyes away from Li Qiang. Perhaps Li Qiang thought that he was too intelligent but he will soon get to know that him(Xi Ying) being silent didn't mean that he was less intelligent than him.
His attention was more on the demand that Empress Dowager made just last night.
He was looking forward to seeing how the Empress Dowager would react when she will see him and Zhao Zhang Wei standing in front of her chambers ready to meet her.
Zhao Wang Lei entered the Imperial Court soon and the Imperial Assembly started.
It was a shichen later, the Imperial Assembly ended and the Emperor left the Imperial Court.
Zhao Zhuang Chen again rose from his seat to go towards Xi Ying. Today, he wanted to clear everything with Xi Ying.
He will tell her that the shadow guards were sent to kill Li Rui because his sister, Princess Wenling had requested him to do so.
He will even apologize to Xi Ying if that was needed but he will make him come to his side today.
Determined Zhao Zhuang Chen walked towards Xi Ying, however, he halted amidst his steps when he again saw Zhao Zhang Wei walking to stand in front of Xi Ying.
He saw both of them silently looking at each other and then nodding their heads in greeting. The behavior made Zhao Zhuang Chen feel that Zhao Zhang Wei and Xi Ying were very familiar to each other.
A panic suddenly settled inside Zhao Zhuang Chen's heart. Could it be that Zhao Zhang Wei had already done what he had wanted to do?
Zhao Zhuang Chen watched silently as both of them exited the Imperial Court together just like that other day.
"Your Highness"
Zhao Zhuang Chen came out of his trance when he heard someone calling him. It was Minister Xin. Zhao Zhuang Chen composed himself and then frowned in confusion.
He had actually never talked to Minister Xin before so he wondered what the middle aged minister was doing here.
"Minister Xin."
He said indifferently.
"Did Your Highness wanted to talk with Prime Minister Xi?"
Zhao Zhuang Chen was very irritated and he didn't really want to talk to Minister Xin. However, he still said
"Yes"
"Oh, But Prime Minister Xi and His Highness, the second Prince seems to be very busy in managing the convoy's matters. This one heard that the people from convoy face some trouble in an inn of Xin, they were staying and now Prime Minister Xin had to manage that matter too with the second prince."
Realization dawned onto Zhao Zhuang Chen. He remembered suddenly that Xi Ying and Zhao Zhang Wei were managing the convoy's matters together.
Yes, that' why they were seen together every now and then.
Zhao Zhuang Chen suddenly felt very relieved. He looked at Minister with appreciation and then left the Imperial Court thinking of talking to Xi Ying some other time.
On the other hand, Minister Xin too smiled in relief looking at the back of leaving Zhao Zhuang Chen.