Chapter 205 - Inner Palace Powers
Jian Guozhi and Xue Yu-Yan were in front of Empress Wei who was seated on the floor mattress. She threw a paper towards Jian. "Read what Sheng Li has sent to me!" Weng Wei said.
Jian picked the paper and read it out. "Be ready to get punished for your crimes. I will even punish your soul."
"The Crown Prince has sent a threatening message," Xue Yu-Yan stated. "Your majesty, you were confident that they both would die even before reaching the Palace but nothing happened to them. Although a few assassins attacked them, we do not know who was behind all that attack," Xue Yu-Yan confusedly said.
"Jian, check the forest region. The assassins are hidden there. Bring Feng Lui here. He was the one who assured me that he would kill them but see what happened," Weng Wei tempestuously pronounced.
"I will, mother," Jian Guozhi replied. The day Feng Lui met Jian Guozhi's mother, he caught him outside the Palace. He told him to leave the Capital and also told the other assassins, hired by his mother, to never show themselves in the Capital.
Yes, he was the one who prevented the attack of assassins on Sheng Li and Ying Lili but he did not want his mother to find out about that so, after the assassins retreated from the forest, Jian attacked them with his force and killed those assassins because he knew someday they would be back because they were the loyalists of his mother.
Coming out of his thoughts, Jian Guozhi looked at his mother. "Forgive me, mother but I will not walk on the path created by you. Instead, I will prefer to walk by myself," Jian thought. "Mother, I am taking my leave. I have some work related to the Capital with Brother Nianzu," Jian Guozhi stated and stood up from the floor mattress. He bowed his head and left the chamber.
"Your majesty, did you see how the Crown Princess embarrassed you in front of everyone? Even his majesty did not say anything. The blunt reply from the Crown Princess shows something else. I think the two have gotten closer," Xue Yu-Yan pronounced.
Weng Wei agreed with Xue Yu-Yan. "Not only close, but it seems he is now supporting her. After so many years, someone comes into Sheng Li's life who is not only smart but also good in warfare unlike us. But, if Sheng Li will be out of our way, then Ying Lili's wings cut on their own. So, killing Sheng Li is important for now. But I am still confused about what happened to those assassins? Feng Lui did not report to me," Weng Wei proclaimed and gritted her teeth.
"Your majesty, but you should punish Ying Lili for disrespecting you in front of everyone. I have an idea. Ying Lili is poor in household work and if she does any mistake, then she would be punished according to the Inner Palace Rules. The Princesses from the other provinces will arrive at the Palace soon. Why doesn't her majesty give the responsibilities regarding the preparation of the selection of the Princesses to the Crown Princess? Indeed, her majesty and his majesty's other consorts will also check that but let's keep the Crown Princess busy in that work," Xue Yu-Yan pronounced.
"What kind of mistake could Ying Lili make in those preparations?" Weng Wei asked.
"Your majesty, leave that to me. Ying Lili disrespected you and I will not spare her for this," Xue Yu-Yan stated. She wanted to avenge her father's death as well. She had not forgotten how the Wei Family was treated after that incident.
"You are saying right. I will talk about this with Ying Lili. You shall leave. I need to go to the temple for the prayers," Weng Wei stated. Xue Yu-Yan stood up, bowed her head, and left from there.
~~~~~~
"Where did he go? He told me to close my eyes and vanished," Ying Lili mumbled. She was descending the stairs to the garden when Court Lady Xu told Ying Lili that they should go back, but she did not listen to her. Ying Lili was going to take some flowers for Sheng Li from the garden when she saw the Emperor with the newly elected Prime Minister.
She halted at her place, followed by the others. Han Wenji was talking about something serious with the Prime Minister, so Ying Lili thought to wait there for some time.
After some time, the Prime Minister left the garden. But before leaving he greeted the Crown Princess. Ying Lili told Court Lady Xu to wait there and walked towards the Emperor who was looking at the lake.
Ying Lili greeted Han Wenji who was delighted to see Ying Lili. "What is the Crown Princess doing here?" Han Wenji asked.
"I was looking for Sheng Li… I mean the Crown Prince and decided to go from there to the military barracks to meet him. But then I saw his majesty, so I thought to have a conversation with his majesty," Ying Lili answered.
"What does the Crown Princess want to talk about?" Han Wenji asked.
"You were right, your majesty. The Crown Prince is a caring person. Forgive me for accusing the Crown Prince earlier." Han Wenji passed a tiny smile to Ying Lili.
"Finally, the misunderstandings between you two have been cleared out. I have seen the change in the Crown Prince. He has turned gentler thanks to his wife," Han Wenji affirmed.
Ying Lili wanted to ask the Emperor if he knew about Weng Wei's truth because according to her the Emperor was not a fool, but for Sheng Li, she kept quiet for a while. It would bring the hurtful memories of his mother in front of his father. Still, she could not resist herself and ended up asking.
"Your majesty, do you know how the Crown Prince was treated in his childhood days?" Ying Lili asked. Han Wenji did not expect that Ying Lili would ask such a question from him. He found how the Crown Princess was searching for an answer in his eyes.
"I know. It has a long history. When I lost my beloved, I gave up the hopes of ruling and did not take care of my son. At that time wars were also frequent for power growth, and I could not neglect my duties either. I left Sheng Li behind thinking the next Empress would take care of him, but then I got the news of how he was treated in the Palace. I delayed the military campaign and came back to Luoyang. I investigated the matter and found out many things that happened right under my eyes, which I could not stop.
I could not even give punishment to her because to punish the Empress you need evidence. There was no witness and evidence. The Wei Family was strongest at that time and that family helped my forefathers. The other families also supported them so, even if I decided the punishment there would not have been any effect.
In short, the Empress ruled the Inner Palace, and it still happens. An Emperor has limited powers for the Inner Palace. If I want to intervene in that then, I need evidence against her.
Moreover, there is someone who is aiding her and he is the mastermind behind all this." Han Wenji truthfully told everything to Ying Lili who was bewildered to know about that.
"W-why did his highness not tell Sheng Li about this? And a mastermind? I am confused, your majesty. You told me everything without being hesitant, yet you did not tell your son!" Ying Lili asked, astonished.
"Because the Crown Princess will keep it a secret. I agreed to give you political power for a reason, Crown Princess. I believe you will act smartly and bring out the evidence upfront because, after the Empress, the Crown Princess holds the inner Palace powers.
I rushed your marriage with Sheng Li because of that particular reason only because you have the perfect qualities to become the next Empress and lead the nation with Sheng Li. Sheng Li is hot-headed and if I had told him this, it would have only increased his pain. All these years he is alive because I kept a check on him. The Empress might take me as a fool for some time." Han Wenji explained everything to Ying Lili.
"Then, why did his majesty not tell me about this earlier?" Ying Lili confusedly asked.
"Because you had no trust in Sheng Li. I needed you two to come closer first," Han Wenji stated.
"Your majesty, I will bring down the Evil Empress. Thank you for trusting me with all this information. I will not tell Sheng Li about it until his majesty permits me," Ying Lili gave a promise to Han Wenji who smiled.
Han Wenji started coughing and placed his hand near his chest to soothe himself.
"Your majesty, your health does not seem good. Do you want me to make herbal tea for you?" Ying Lili asked.
"Crown Princess, you do not need to trouble yourself for this. It is an old age symptom," Han Wenji stated and laughed. "I am leaving. It was a nice conversation with the Crown Princess," asserted Han Wenji. Ying Lili bowed her head as the Emperor walked past her.