His Rui

Zhao Zhang Wei and Xi Ying looked calm as they saw the soldier coming toward them on the horse.

However, their hearts were equally tensed as others.

After all, the peace of their families depended on what kind of news the soldiers would bring. Not only their families but it also concerned the whole Empire.

Perhaps the soldier also realized that the Emperor was standing so he stopped the horse immediately and got down.

His face and body were covered with blood as he walked toward the Emperor and then he kneeled down on the ground when he was near.

"Your Majesty, with the blessings of our ancestors and Your Majesty's, Xin defeated the enemies and got full control over their Empire."

The utter silence that prevailed over the surrounding didn't show anything but shock and surprise.

"We won!"

It was Minister Xin who spoke in this silence. From the middle-aged Minister's red face it could be seen how excited and happy he was on hearing the news.

The soldier looked exhausted but he smiled when he saw how everyone was slowly starting to smile.

Xi Ying's anxious heart was finally calm while Zhao Zhang Wei also looked relieved.

Looking at the soldier, he asked

"How many people did we lose on our side?"

It was a war after all. It was impossible that there was no casualty at all.

The soldier's face was also grim as he answered this question.

"The soldier we lost were mainly on the night and the day after the sudden attack. After General Li reached more soldiers, our soldiers didn't die though there were injuries. Some are now incapable of fighting anymore. However, the loss on our side is much less than the loss we incurred on the other side, Your Majesty."

Zhao Zhang Wei nodded his head with deep eyes.

Almost immediately he wanted to go and tell Yi Huiqing that she no longer needed to worry. However, he knew that he couldn't do so in such a hurry.

"The Imperial Clan would provide all the aid and the source of livelihood to the soldiers who are injured and the families of those who lost their lives."

The ministers were very satisfied with the Emperor's decision. It was good to first take any decision to help those who lost their lives and were injured than celebrate the victory.

Looking at the soldier, Zhao Zhang Wei spoke again

"Go and rest for now. Later, you will be summoned to the Imperial Court to tell the details."

The soldier bowed his head and obeyed.

Two guards led him inside the place to have some rest. free𝚠𝚎𝚋𝒏𝚘ѵ𝐞l.𝑐oｍ

Looking at the carriages filled with things, Zhao Zhang Wei didn't stop them and said

"Include more medicinal herbs, and food and send more physicians to the borders."

The minister who had taken the responsibility of preparing everything immediately bowed his head and obeyed.

"The Imperial Assembly is dismissed for today."

Zhao Zhang Wei announced and then left from there.

No one complained about the Emperor's decision and silently went back to their manors. Xi Ying was the first one to take his horse and run back to Xi Manor.

He wanted to tell Li Rui about this as soon as possible. His wife had been worried for so many days. When he reached Li Manor, Xi Ying also sent his shadow guard to Li Manor to inform Yi Jie about the news.

Inside Plum Courtyard, when Li Rui saw Xi Ying returning so early, she was confused. However, she went stiff suddenly as she wondered if there was some bad news that made him return so early.

However, when Xi Ying spoke

"The war ended, Rui. Xin came out to be victorious."

Her lips parted slightly and she slowly sat down on the couch she had been sitting on. Breathless she looked at her husband again and asked him

"Everyone is alright, Ying?"

"Yes, Don't worry."

The soldier would have told the first thing if they had lost any major person in the war. Li Rui sighed in relief again.

After so many days, a small smile came back to her lips and she whispered

"I need to write to Mother. She must be worried."

However, when she was about to get up, Xi Ying stopped her and said

"I have already sent An Shing to do the same. You just rest and now don't worry about anything."

While saying this, he put his hand on her stomach. However, he frowned when he suddenly felt a movement inside his stomach. Surprised, he removed his hand and looked at her stomach with wide eyes.

"That….did the child just kick?"

Though Xi Ying had already read the books and knew that a thing like this happened, he was still shocked.

Looking at his wife's stomach, he thought what he felt just now was his illusion.

Li Rui was also surprised. However, she was more surprised to see Xi Ying's shocked face.

She had felt all this when she had been pregnant with Xi Ling so it was not a new thing for her. In fact, a few days back she had realized that the child should have started to kick by now, and hence she had been worried. Now that it happened, she was relieved.

Looking at her husband's shocked face, she was clueless before she suddenly realized that he was never there when she was pregnant with Xi Ling.

He didn't experience all this. It was reasonable for him to feel surprised.

She had felt the same when she had felt Xi Ling's first kick even though she had knowledge about pregnancy as a physician.

With a gentle smile on her lips, she held Xi Ying's hand and put it on her stomach.

Though she didn't know if the child would kick again so soon, she could try. She wanted him to feel this again.

Surprisingly the child kicked as soon as it felt Xi Ying's touch.

Xi Ying's eyes widened again. Li Rui has never seen the dignified prime minister like this.

Every time he would know everything and hence he was never surprised or he would be able to keep himself calm.

However, right now, Xi Ying looked completely surprised as he looked at his wife's stomach. There was a different excitement in his heart as he put his hand on his wife's stomach and whispered

"That's our child, Rui."

His words warmed Li Rui's heart and she nodded her head with the same smile on her lips and whispered

"That's our child."

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On the other hand, Zhao Zhang Wei also reached his Empress' chambers. However, when he was about to enter the chambers, he suddenly saw an Imperial Guard bringing an Imperial Physician Sun.

The guard bowed their heads when they saw him and the Imperial Physician greeted him.

He frowned as he looked at the young physician that brought him not-so-good memories back and he asked the guards.

"Why are you bringing him here in the Empress' chambers?"

Eunuch Zhang who had followed his master and was standing at the entrance of the Empress chambers saw this scene and shook his head slightly.

His master forgot that he had told him and the servants of the Lantai Courtyard not to bring Imperial Physician to Xinhe Palace ever again, however, these Imperial Guards were not aware of all this.

However, Zhao Zhang Wei actually remembered this.

He just wanted to know what an Imperial Physician was doing here.

"Your Majesty, Her Majesty collapsed and this servant went to bring Imperial Physician Sun to check on Her Majesty."

"Qingqing collapsed?"

Zhao Zhang Wei's frown disappeared but he had this incredulous expression on his face and then the next moment he ran inside the chambers like a wind.

The Imperial Guards as well as the Eunuch Zhang were surprised by his speed while Imperial Physician Sun looked at the Emperor's back with deep eyes.

Inside the chambers, as soon as Zhao Zhang Wei entered he saw that the bed was surrounded by many people.

He frowned and walked forward.

Someone saw the Emperor and immediately signed everyone to get away from the bed.

Looking at his wife's pale face as she was lying on the bed completely unconscious, Zhao Zhang Wei felt his heart aching and said coldly

"Where is the physician?"

He said so loudly that the Imperial Guard standing outside the chambers could hear him and immediately came inside with Imperial Physician Sun.

Zhao Zhang Wei didn't bother with who the physician was and said coldly

"Check her instantly."

Imperial Physician bowed his head and walked to the other side of the bed. Lin Daiyu dragged a stool for him to sit on. Lin Daiyu meticulously put a cloth on her mistress' wrist and that was how Imperial Physician Sun took Yi Huiqing's pulse.

An old Momo was standing near the bed and saw the Emperor's cold face.

She looked at the unconscious Empress and didn't feel that the Emperor needed to worry so much.

And she said the same.

"Your Majesty doesn't need to worry. It could be good news for the Imperial Palace as well."

As she said this, she was smiling.

However, Zhao Zhang Wei didn't look happy at all with her remark. He raised his head and looked at the old Mom coldly but didn't say anything.

For now, he just wanted his wife to wake up as soon as possible. He knew that it could not be what the old Momo was trying to imply.

And sure enough, the Imperial Physician Sun announced a few seconds later.

"Her Majesty collapsed because of exhaustion. It is advised to take a good rest for some days."