Chapter 20 - Do Not Start A War, Lili
After dinner time:
Sheng Li was done reading the scrolls on which the other day he had to inform the Emperor about the petitions filed by the nearest village in the capital by a peasant group. Eunuch Xing-Fu was helping him when the first Prince came there. Xing-Fu bowed his head in front of Jian Guozhi and then left from there.
"Elder first brother is here? What could be the possible reason?" Sheng Li asked as he gestured to him to sit over the chair around the desk. A servant came there and pulled the chair out for the first Prince.
"Bring the tea," Sheng Li ordered the servant who bowed his head and walked out.
"His highness submerged himself in the work as soon as he comes back from the military campaign," stated Jian Guozhi, looking at the scrolls on the table. Sheng Li gave a nod and asked about his sudden visit.
"I just want to talk with my younger brother," Jian Guozhi stated. Sheng Li chuckled hearing that. "Elder brother, you never did such sudden visits in my residence. Do you think I will believe your words?" Sheng Li was grinning at the first prince.
"The palace rumors are spreading like a wildfire. I believe you do not know about the rumors neither Yingér knows," Jian Guozhi asserted. Sheng Li's facial expressions darkened as he heard his wife's name from the first prince. Even the crown prince did not call out Ying Lili like that. "What happened, young fifth brother? It seems I said something wrong," proclaimed Jian Guozhi.
"Elder brother shall not call my wife's name with such affection. It is giving me a fallacious idea," Sheng Li pronounced.
Jian Guozhi smiled slightly. The servant by then came there with a tray on which a teapot and two porcelain cups were placed. He served tea to the two princes and left from there. Jian Guozhi grabbed the cup and sipped the tea. "Lavender tea calms my nerves down," Sheng heard the first prince. "Brother Sheng, the crown princess herself agreed to this name so, I do not think the crown prince shall have any problem with this," stated Jian Guozhi. Sheng Li tightened his grip on the porcelain cup upon hearing that.
"It seems the crown prince is not on good terms with the crown princess. Is it because of the lover you have? Brother Sheng, the rumors said that on the wedding night the crown princess was harmed by you. Is it because you again lost control over your beast? I almost forgot that after you lost your mother, you turned evil man," Jian Guozhi asserted and sipped the tea again.
Sheng Li kept the pressure on the porcelain cup intact while gazing into the eyes of the first prince. Jian Guozhi was waiting for the crown prince's response. "Elder brother, why are you so much interested in my personal life? Is it because the crown princess not married to you? I heard the late King Song did not want his daughter to be your concubine. So, if you are thinking that the crown princess can be yours then you shall throw this idea from your mind," proclaimed Sheng Li and drank the tea from the cup he was holding.
Jian Guozhi did not expect the crown prince would fight back for a woman with him. "Brother Sheng, I do not dare to eye your noble wife. Yingér thinks of me as her elder brother so, as an elder brother, I am concerned about her. I do not want her to get hurt by my ruthless brother. Indeed, I selected her as my concubine but now that's in past," stated Jian Guozhi in a quite serious tone.
"It seems the elder brother came here to talk particularly about the crown princess," Sheng Li in a sarcastic tone said.
"You can say that, brother Sheng. There is one more thing that you must know. I am marrying Miss Xue soon. The prime minister is ready to give her daughter's hand to me. Brother Sheng, our fate is so twisted. The one whom you love cannot be with you and the one I admired could not be with me," Jian Guozhi pronounced and observed Sheng Li's expressions.
"Xue will not marry you," stated Sheng Li with a stern expression.
"Forgive me, brother Sheng but the mother has decided everything out. I do not think that you have enough power to defy or change the orders of the empress." Sheng Li furrowed his brows upon hearing that. But, he was stuck because for a second he could make his father understand but his stepmother would never agree to him. "Brother Sheng, I shall take my leave. I wish you will take care of Yingér," saying this Jian Guozhi left the study room. Sheng Li threw the cups on from the table.
"She cannot marry prince Guozhi," muttered Sheng Li in anger. Xing-Fu came running inside and saw the broken cups on the floor. He called for a servant and told him to clean the floor. "Your highness, there is important news I have to forward," Xing-Fu stated.
"Speak," Sheng Li permitted head Eunuch.
"The empress has called for the royal astrologer tomorrow in the palace. To stop the rumors from spreading the imperial majesty will decide an auspicious day for you two to spend a night together. The crown princess is being checked by the royal physician today and she is entirely healthy to bear the future heir." Xing-Fu was done speaking and his head was still lowered.
"What? What is she trying to do?" Sheng Li muttered and got raged. "Why is the Empress intervening in my life?" Sheng Li shouted.
"Calm down, your highness. The inner palace rules are decided by the imperial majesty and his highness cannot do anything except accepting it," Xing-Fu asserted, lowering his eyes.
"Send some wine in my bed-chamber and do not let anyone inside," Sheng Li in a commanding tone told Xing-Fu.
"Your highness, you drank with prince Wanxi earlier. I am afraid that excessive drinking can..."
"Do as I say," the cold tone was enough to stop Xing-Fu from speaking further. "I am sending the wine there in a while, your highness," saying this Xing-Fu left the study room while the crown prince went to his bed-chamber.
Sheng Li was thinking of stopping the night to be with the crown princess while drinking when the crown princess showed her presence in the bed-chamber which made his suspicions strong on the crown princess. "The empress must have sent her here to seduce me," Sheng Li thought looking at Ying Lili who just took away the wine cup from him. But, when the crown prince questioned Ying Lili if she was sent there by the empress she acted innocent in front of him which raged the crown prince.
"Let me go. You can enjoy your drinks," stated Ying Lili.
"You have entered the residence of the crown prince where one enters and leaves only with his permission. I do not want to let you go today. Let's sleep together. I will pleasure you and fulfill your desires." Sheng Li stated with a smirk.
Ying Lili slapped him which made Sheng Li furious. "How dare you say that? When I told you that I was here because-" Before she could complete her words, Sheng Li captured her lips and kissed her harshly. Ying Lili tried pushing him but he did not budge instead tightened his grip around Ying Lili's waist.
Ying Lili moved one hand behind her hair and took out a hairpin. Sheng Li was not stopping from kissing her which had infuriated the crown princess. She directed the hairpin towards Sheng Li when he grabbed her hand which was earlier on Ying Lili's waist. Pulling away from Ying Lili, Sheng Li spoke, "I am not drunk enough to be hurt by you easily. This is the second time you slapped me." Ying Lili felt the pain in her hand as Sheng Li was tightening his grip around it.
"Ahh," Ying Lili passed out a scream but Sheng Li did not affect by this. "You are hurting me," Ying Lili with a whimper said. She used her other hand and hit Sheng Li at his shoulder and he pushed her away. Ying Lili was now on the floor while Sheng Li was giving her a murderous look.
Ying Lili quickly stood up, wanted to leave the bed-chamber as fast as she could. She went towards the door when Sheng Li spoke, "Do not start a war, Lili. When I told you that you cannot step outside this chamber then you cannot." Ying Lili was slightly terrified and she wanted to run away from him as fast she could. "I am afraid if I will stay here any longer then a cruel man like you will not even stop killing me," Ying Lili announced and forwarded his hand to open the door when she was pinned against the door by the crown prince.