Chapter 13 - I Got Lost In The Beauty
"Ying'er, are you sure you want me to be tough on you as a warrior? I am worried that I might hurt the Imperial highness," Jian Guozhi expressed his concern.
An-Ying Lili gave a faint smile to Jian Guozhi and spoke, "Elder first brother, you are also a trained fighter so, I do not think you would hurt me." Ying Lili tightened her grip on the hilt. Jian Guozhi distanced himself from An-Ying Lili and the two for a while just kept staring at each other, waiting for the attack.
The other five half-brothers came that way and saw the crown princess with a sword. "What is the crown princess doing?" Lei Wanxi asked from Su Binxi who, immediately lowered her eyes.
"Wanxi, can you not see her Imperial highness is having a friendly fight with the elder first brother? Her highness is skilled in warfare as well. The crown prince is lucky to have the crown princess as his other half," Yongzheng proclaimed and continued moving the fan slightly under his face.
Jian Guozhi decided to attack first and ran towards Ying Lili who positioned her legs and defended the attack of Jian Guozhi. The clanking sound of swords was highly pitched that it hit the ears sharply. The youngest Prince, Weng Yu shut his eyes tightly seeing that and covered his eyes with his palms. But, he kept watching from between the gaps of his fingers.
Jian Guozhi reiterated sideways but Ying Lili did not give him enough time and attacked him. She twirled and directed the sword towards the first prince's neck.
"Whoa! Is the crown princess going to beat the elder first brother?" Rong Zemin nervously said and looked at Yongzheng who shrugged his shoulders. "Let's keep watching," Yongzheng asserted and the two looked at the ground where the crown princess and the first Prince were having that sword fight.
Jian Guozhi widened his eyes and then swiftly brought his sword up front and the two blades again hit against each other. "Ying'er is quite skilled," Jian Guozhi stated and with lightning speed moved back thus, dodging the attack of the crown princess. Slashing the swords against each other, none of them was ready to reiterate.
The movement of their feet along each other made their moves appeared to be synchronized with each other. Jian Guozhi grabbed the wrist of An-Ying Lili and pulled her such that her back hit against his chest. "I think the crown princess is defeated," Jian Guozhi asserted and smirked at Ying Lili.
"I knew elder first brother will defeat the crown princess. Wait," Rong Zemin saw something unusual which surprised him.
Ying Lili had swirled the sword in her hand and raised her hand till the first prince's shoulder thus, pointing the sword's blade at Jian Guozhi's neck. "Elder first brother, what would you like to say now?" Ying Lili asked Jian Guozhi with a smile.
The brothers at the stairs clapped seeing that. They descended the stairs to go near them while Su Binxi remained glued at the stairs.
"I think I got lost in the beauty of the crown princess that I made myself defenseless," Jian Guozhi whispered in Ying Lili's ear. Ying Lili flinched her brows and found they were inappropriately standing close to each other. She released her wrist from the gentle grip of Jian Guozhi and put her other hand down.
Stepping back, Ying Lili joined her both hands and lowered her eyes. "It was my pleasure having an amicable fight with elder first brother," Ying Lili told Jian Guozhi and lifted her head. Jian Guozhi too bowed his head accepting his defeat. "It was my pleasure to fight with the crown princess."
The princes had stopped clapping and came near to them. "The crown princess has exceptionally great skills," Yongzheng praised Ying Lili. "Till this date, I am not able to defeat elder first brother but, her highness did it in a first go," asserted Yongzheng.
"I think the first brother was too easy on me. I would have been defeated if he would be a little bit fiercer," the crown princess pronounced.
"Will the crown princess teach me swordsmanship?" Weng Yu asked with a bit of hesitance in his tone.
"It would be my pleasure to teach prince Yu swordsmanship to the youngest brother. Please refrain from using the titles. You all shall call me Sister Lili or Sister An-Ying," Ying Lili proclaimed. Weng Yu was happy to hear that and quickly went closer to the crown princess.
"Sister Lili, you are really beautiful," Weng Yu stressed the word 'beautiful'. Ying Lili thanked the youngest Prince for his praise-worthy words. "Do not tell the fifth brother else he will be angry that I am not learning under the guidance of the military General," Weng Yu further stated.
"That's why Weng Yu must not learn the swordsmanship from sister Lili. The crown prince could take it the other way," asserted Rong Zemin.
"Why would he take it the other way?" Ying Lili asked curiously. The princes observed that the crown princess was using informal words towards the crown prince. "It seems Ying'er is too friendly with the crown prince that's why he permitted you to talk informally with him," Jian Guozhi raised a suspicion.
An-Ying Lili realized what she just said. "Elder first brother, why are you calling Sister Lili like that? Is that not used for the people closest to you," Lei Wanxi questioned Jian Guozhi as he called Ying Lili as Ying'er.
"I think we all are family so, it is nothing wrong in calling the crown princess as Ying'er, Wanxi," declared Jian Guozhi.
"The crown prince will not say anything. You are a younger brother to me, prince Yu. So, there is nothing wrong in teaching prince Yu the swordsmanship," Ying Lili opined.
The fourth Prince, Han Nianzu was watching all from the high-rising platform above the ground. "Elder first brother indeed has eyes on the woman of the fifth brother. Does he know about this or is he going to ignore this?" Nianzu muttered and turned to go when he saw Xue Yu Yan there.
"What is the noble lady Xue doing here in the practice grounds for the princes?" Nianzu asked Xue Yu Yan who greeted the fourth Prince first before speaking.
"The crown princess is flirting openly with the palace princes. Do you not think so, your highness?" Xue Yu Yan asked from Nianzu who gave a faint smile to her.
"I think that Miss Xue has taken the other ways of this amiable & cordial relationship among the princes and the crown princess," stated Nianzu. "May I ask what is Miss Xue doing here?" Nianzu further asked.
"I am here to see the crown prince, your highness," replied Xue Yu Yan.
Nianzu was not surprised to hear that. "I think Miss Xue should limit his visit to the Imperial highness. He is now officially married. I think Miss Xue understood what I meant," Nianzu proclaimed and left from there. Xue Yu Yan stomped her feet on the floor and clenched her fist. "My Lady, do not be angry. The crown prince still loves my lady," stated her assistant, Wu Shan.
"Let's go to the Imperial highness' chamber," Xue Yu Yan told Wu Shan and they left from there.
Ying Lili took her to leave and ascended the stairs when Su Binxi told Ying Lili that the crown princess should serve the morning meals to the crown head. Ying Lili first refused but when Su Binxi told her that the Palace people would take it another way then, Ying Lili agreed.
They went to the Royal Kitchen. The royal chef upon the crown princess' prepared the breakfast meal for the crown prince. The food tray was filled with 7 dishes for the morning meal. Su Binxi carried the tray and showed the way to the crown prince's Inn to the crown princess.
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