When Li Rui stepped inside Princess Wenling's chambers, she saw the Princess's translucent figure behind the curtains on the bed.
"Wenwen"
She called and stepped forward. However, the Empress, Qin Wenya who was sitting by her daughter's side raised her hand to stop her.
"Stay there. I would not have allowed you inside if I have my way. But my daughter is just too soft-hearted. However, I will not let you co close to Wenwen. Say whatever you want to say from there."
Li Rui nodded her head at the Empress' words. Then she looked towards the translucent figure hoping to have one glance as she said
"Wenwen, Rui didn't push you in the pond. It was the nanny..."
Lying on the bed, Princess Wenling smiled humorlessly when she heard Li Rui's words. She rembered what the nanny had told her.
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"Princess, this servant tried to hold you when Miss Li pushed you inside but couldn't hold you at the right mont. Princess, since this servant had shouted at Miss Li so much she will put all the bla on this servant. "
The nanny told the Princess as she cried bitterly.
"Princess herself had seen Miss Li pushing you inside the pond, right Princess?"
Princess Wenling nodded her head as she rembered seeing Li Rui's hand towards herself before she fell inside the pond.
The nanny smirked when she saw this.
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"Never show your face again."
Princes Wenling whispered.
Li Rui was shocked when she heard this.
"Wenwen"
She stepped back in disbelief.
"Don't call by this na. I gave you so much freedom when you were just a daughter from a noble family."
Princess Wenling's voice ca again.
"I will forget this matter. Just go away and never co back."
Li Rui was looking at the ground. A teardrop fell from her eyes on the ground when she heard the last words of the Princess.
She doesn't believe her.
With slow and stiff steps, Li Rui turned around and exited the chambers.
Outside the three maids were teary-eyed when they saw their young Miss's condition.
On the way to Li Manor, no one said anything. Li Rui didn't raise her head even once.
When the carriage reached the Li Manor, she ca out by herself before the maids could help her.
As she ran inside the manor, she didn't see General Li who was waiting for her at the entrance with his arms open to hug his daughter.
"What happened?"
General Li asked the three maids strictly as he looked at the disappearing back of his little daughter.
Li Zhan licked her lips and stepped forward. Tears stread down her eyes as she told General Li everything.
General Li's face sank after he heard everything.
He ran to his daughter's courtyard.
When he reached Li Rui's room, he knocked on the closed door. One minute passed and no one opened the door.
He knocked again and said in a gentle voice
"Rui, open the door child. Father has prepared a surprise for you."
When the door still didn't open, he felt worried. He applied force and pushed inside the door.
When General Li stepped inside the room, he saw a small lump under the blanket on the bed. He sighed and sat by the bedside.
"Rui…you will suffocate yourself like this."
General Li tried to take her out from under the blanket but she tightened her hold on the blanket.
With narrowed eyes, General Li picked the whole lump with the blanket from the bed. He then forcefully uncovered Li Rui's face.
Her hair was a ss. He carefully tucked them aside but when he saw his daughter's face, he was startled.
Her whole was red. Her eyes were red and her cheeks were wet because of tears.
He had not expected Li Rui to cry like this. Li Rui cried very rarely because his daughter never liked tears.
"Rui, my daughter…"
General Li's eyes were filled with worry and distress as he hugged his daughter's small head to his chest and patted her back gently.
Li Rui sobbed and hiccupped
"Father…Wen…Wenwen doesn't …believe Rui. Rui didn't push her. Father, why doesn't …Wenwen believe Rui?"
"She asked Rui…to go away."
General Li didn't say anything and continued to pat her back gently.
Li Rui cried for a long ti in her father's arms. After half an hour, her sobs quieted down and she slowly closed her eyes.
When her breathing was even, he gently laid her on the bed and covered her with the blanket.
Outside the room, he saw the three maids and asked them.
"Why was I not told before?"
When the three maids didn't say anything, he looked at them coldly and said
"Continue to stand here for the whole night."
After that, he walked away.
It was a very cold night but the three maids didn't dare to oppose. They stood there for the whole night.
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The Imperial Court was silent. Everyone looked at General Li who was standing in front of the Emperor with his bowed head.
"Can General Li repeat himself?"
"Your Majesty, this General's daughter didn't push Princess inside the pond."
Zhao Wang Lei looked at General Li with no emotion and said
"General Li, there were many people there who had seen your daughter pushing Princess inside the river. Should Zhen believe you instead of them?"
"Your Majesty, That is sothing that this General can't answer. This General only knows that if my daughter said that she didn't push Princess then she didn't."
Zhao Wang Lei narrowed his eyes.
"However, General Li Zhen can't believe anyone like this. Your daughter has committed a cri and Zhen has to punish her accordingly. "
General Li raised his head and looked at the Emperor
"Your Majesty, there is no way to prove that Li Rui pushed the Princess. If it is about just seeing then my daughter saw the Princess' nanny pushing Princess. Your Majesty should punish the nanny according to that. Those few girls have always been envious of my daughter. They would naturally not leave a chance to slander her. My daughter didn't commit any cri. And if she was punished for sothing she didn't do then this General will leave Xin."
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