The next morning when Xi Ying reached the Imperial Court, all the ministers were just talking about this.

The Empress Dowager has come out of isolation and was now living in Quiyan Palace.

Xi Ying raised his eyebrows in surprise when he heard this news. Empress Dowager had been living in seclusion since very long..so long that Xi Ying had never seen her.

He wondered what made her come out suddenly.

And especially what made her use the Imperial decree to save Li Clan during the Mid Autumn Celebration banquet.

Did she not know about her son's intentions for Li Clan?

Xi Ying thought that this must be the case.

He didn't pay much attention to this matter and walked to his seat.

Soon the Emperor came and the Imperial Court went silent. Everyone kneeled down and greeted the Emperor.

Xi Ying just stood up from his seat and lowered his head a little. His cold eyes went to the high pedestal that had the seats where all the members from Imperial Clan sat except the Emperor because he sat on the throne.

They flickered when he caught Zhao Zhang Wei sitting there and the most strange thing was he was also looking at him with his phoenix eyes.

An unconscious nod came from both the sides as if they were accepting each other presence.

Zhao Zhuang Chen was again not present in the Imperial Court today.

Xi Ying thought that he must have not healed yet. This made him wonder just how much Zhao Zhang Wei had beaten him.

At the same time, what An Si had told him about the old physician came to his mind.

Were these things really related to each other? And if they were, in what kind of way they must be related?

He put all these questions in the back of his mind as he knew that he will not be able to find their answers until his shadow guards investigate this matter completely.

The Imperial Court meeting started soon and it ended after almost a shichen today.

At the end of the meeting, the Emperor mentioned Zhao Zhuang Chen for the first time in the past few days.

It was actually the Eunuch serving the first prince since the past few years who told all the ministers that the first prince had undergone through a few injuries and hence would not be able to attend the Imperial Court assembly for the next few days.

Although he seemed to be sent by the first prince to inform everyone about his recent absence from the Imperial Court assembly, Xi Ying knew very well that it must be Zhao Wang Lei who had asked him to do this.

However, they still didn't reveal how Zhao Zhuang Chen got those injuries.

All this was left to everyone's imagination. Xi Ying could understand the reason behind this. Their imaginations would be better than revealing that the two Imperial Princes fought with each other physically in the Imperial Palace.

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It made Xi Ying remember that he didn't ask his shadow guard to find just why did this fight occur in the first place.

According to what he had observed, Zhao Zhang Wei was a very calm and intelligent man. He must be ..to hide so many things from Zhao Wang Lei's eyes ..he must be very clever.

However, what could it be that could rile up this calm man?

"Prime Minister Xi"

Xi Ying was surprised when he saw Zhao Zhang Wei whom he was just thinking about standing in front of him.

The Emperor had left already and now there were only a few ministers present inside the Imperial Court.

However, all of them were just looking towards both of them.

There was no need to ponder what they were thinking inside their minds. In everyone's eyes, Both the Imperial Prince could fight for the throne and if they would then they would have to have some ministers on their sides to win the Imperial Court first.

Only then a prince would be able to win in this battle.

And the one who will be able to make Prime Minister Xi on their side will win the half battle already.

Was Zhao Zhang Wei trying to win that same half battle?

However, Zhao Zhang Wei did nothing except saying two words that were not audible to anyone but Xi Ying since they were standing closely.

"I accept."

After finishing his words, he turned around and left the Imperial Court while Xi Ying continued to look at the second prince's back with narrowed eyes.

Another question came to his mind.

What made Zhao Zhang Wei accept his proposal even before asking what his conditions were to help him!

Was he so desperate to win the throne?

But then, why can't he see that hunger for the throne and power in Zhao Zhang Wei's eyes that he had seen usually in Zhao Wang Lei and Zhao Zhuang Chen's eyes.

It made Xi Ying again believe that Zhao Zhang Wei was not a simple person.

He could never lower his guard in front of such a sharp-minded person.

So although they would be together in this fight after this deal, they would perhaps never be able to trust each other.

Little did Xi Ying know that Zhao Zhang Wei was thinking the same at this moment.

He never trusted Xi Ying and he still didn't trust him. He knew that all of this could be Xi Ying's plan also ..to trap him.

Perhaps he was sent by Zhao Wang Lei to trap him.

However, when Zhao Zhang Wei thought this, he also remembered that his shadow guard had told him that Xi Ying sent his people to kill Zhao Wang Lei's people when they were sent to kill the soldiers rebelling to stop the execution of Li and Yi Clan.

It then made him confused as to what exactly Xi Ying was trying to do.

The confusion brought him to accept Xi Ying's proposal.

Actually, it was not only this confusion.

It was the helplessness hidden in Yi Huiqing's blank eyes he had seen when she had said that she would do anything to save her clan.

Even if that everything included bowing her head in front of Zhao Zhuang Chen.

It made Zhao Zhang Wei afraid. It made him scared that he could also lose Yi Huiqing because she doesn't seem to care for herself at all in front of her clan.

He knew very well what kind of situation Li and Yi Clan were in at this moment.

So if Yi Clan being destroyed meant losing Yi Huiqing then he would fight for the throne to save Yi Clan.

He will take the throne away from Zhao Wang Lei and Zhao Zhuang Chen so that no one will be able to harm Yi Clan.

Because he could not bear to lose Yi Huiqing.