Why Li Caihong didn't come to the banquet…this was a question that no one ever thought about or thought of asking Minister Li.
After all, everyone already knew the answer.
Almost the whole Imperial City knew that Li Caihong has a very terrible scar on her face so it was understandable for her not to attend the banquet.
And after those rumors in the Imperial City, everyone couldn't help but pity Li Caihong. Even after having an ointment that was in her cousin's sister's possession and when it could heal her face, she couldn't get it because Li Rui refused to give it to her.
So when their eyes moved to look at Li Rong, who had a very deep frown on her forehead, their eyes were filled with sympathy.
Zhao Wang Lei had already stopped laughing and Qin Wenya looked a little dissatisfied.
The outcome didn't come out as she had expected so, of course, she was dissatisfied.
On the other hand, now Zhao Wang Lei didn't have any other option except for calling out to Li Qiang and asking him the reason behind Li Caihong's absence.
After all, he had specially called out Xi Ying for the same reason, and now that Xi Ying put his attention on this matter, he couldn't really avoid it.
With no emotion on his face, Zhao Wang Lei looked at his eunuch.
The old Eunuch understood what his master was trying to say so he immediately called out loudly.
"Minister Li."
Li Qiang's lips were pressed in a thin line. His eyes were fixed on Xi Ying and they looked very cold.
Xi Ying could feel that he was angry but he looked into his eyes without any fear or hesitation.
Perhaps Minister Li still didn't know whatever his wife and daughters had done, otherwise, he would not have dared to look into his eyes like this, Xi Ying thought inside his heart.
"Greetings to Your Majesty"
Li Qiang bowed his head respectfully in front of the Emperor and said
"Minister Li,, why is your second daughter missing from the banquet?"
"Your Majesty, this minister's daughter didn't wish to attend the Imperial banquet with a scarred face."
Li Qiang answered honestly.
Sitting on her seat, Li Rong had her eyes red as she clenched her fists tightly in anger.
She suddenly stood up from her seat and said to Zhao Wang Lei.
"Your Majesty. This one's husband just gave a perfunctory reason for this one daughter's absence."
Talking in between, especially when the Emperor had not asked you to speak was a great crime but Li Rong just couldn't stop herself.
But Li Qian panicked when he saw this. At the same time, he wondered what exactly she wanted to do.
What other reasons Li Caihong have behind her refusal to attend the banquet!
He called her name in a sharp whisper.
"Li Rong…"
In other words, he was just signing her to sit down but Li Rong didn't.
"Zhen will let the First Madam Li speak."
Zhao Wang Lei spoke coldly.
Inside his heart, he was laughing coldly. He could see it.
The anger and hatred Li Rong holds for Xi Ying, he could see it.
So how could he not let her speak?
"Thanking Your Majesty for being so merciful."
Li Rong bowed her head again in a very respectful manner.
"The real reason is that this one's daughter is afraid to be in the presence of Prime Minister Xi. After whatever happened during the last banquet, this one's daughter is very scared to be in the same place as Prime Minister Xi so this one could not force her to come here. Apologies for not accepting Your Majesty's order."
The banquet hall went silent as eyes set on Xi Ying again.
However, Xi Ying stood straight there. Despite feeling that everyone was looking at him with judging eyes, his face didn't have any change of expression.
Instead, there still lingered a cold smile on his lips and a bored expression on his face.
As if he was watching a drama that was not even of his interest.
Li Rong felt very furious at his smile.
She wanted revenge for her daughter. She wanted the Emperor to punish Xi Ying. That was the only reason that she had given such a reason for her daughter's absence.
She wanted to attract people's sympathy and make them hate Xi Ying.
However, Li Rong was very naive in whatever she thought.
Her few words couldn't even harm a single hair of Xi Ying.
Now Zhao Wang Lei was stuck.
He couldn't really punish Xi Ying until anyone else would speak in Li Caihong's favor. However, no one was going to do that and hence he soon understood that by letting Li Rui speak in the banquet hall in front of everyone, he had just put himself into trouble.
With an emotionless face, he pondered over what he should say next.
Xi Ying smiled more coldly seeing his struggle. However, at this moment, he was not in any mood of making Zhao Wang Lei's struggle longer because he was more interested in punishing those people who were trying to harm his wife by hiding in the shadows.
A cold chuckle escaped his lips the next moment and he spoke
"First Madam Li surely has given her an amusing reason for her daughter's absence."
"Prime Minister Xi."
Li Qiang said coldly as he walked to stand in front of his wife.
Li Qiang really wished that this matter would end here but Li Rong was filled with so much anger that she couldn't bear to stay silent.
She walked past her husband and came to stand in front of Xi Ying as she asked sharply.
"Just what does Prime Minister Xi find amusing in whatever I said?"
Xi Ying raised his eyebrows.
A mother could indeed be very protective over her children.
Till today, there had been only a few people who had stood against him and spoke like this without any fear.
Li Rong really proved this but she couldn't see her children's fault at all.
"Amusing that Madam Li's daughter is scared of this minister but she has the courage to spread such rumors about this minister's wife."
Li Qiang frowned at Xi Ying's words.
He indeed seemed to hear something from people's whispers that he didn't understand but now hearing Xi Ying's words he couldn't help but frown.
His daughters especially Li Caihong had been inside Li Manor only so how could she do whatever Xi Ying was saying!
"Prime Minister Xi, what are you saying?"
Ignoring the confused Li Qiang, Xi Ying turned to look at the Emperor and said
"Your Majesty, spreading the baseless rumors about this minister's wife and trying to stain hers as well as this minister's clan's reputation, This minister demands a very hard punishment for Third Young Miss Li."