Chapter 377 - Kill The Crown Prince
Lei Wanxi was staring at Zhu Lin, who was looking down at the wooden floor. They both were at the Eastern Pavilion as Lei Wanxi told her to meet there. "You are taking more time than usual. Just because Sister Lili told me to be patient around you, that's why I kept myself calm," Lei Wanxi sternly said.
Zhu Lin lifted her head and met his eyes. "Forgive me for hurting you. I should not have used force on you," Zhu Lin bowed and continued, "I should have acted like an adult."
Lei Wanxi frowned upon hearing that. Was Princess Zhu Lin thought Lei Wanxi acted like a child? The last remark made him angry. He clenched his fist when he heard her. "Please do not take it the other way. I am older than you, so I should have acted calmly. Forgive me for involving you the other day."
Lei Wanxi skeptically glanced at her and opened his mouth to speak when a servant interrupted them. "Your highness, in the Palace Ground an unknown man is...is..." he stopped midway because of the fear.
"What happened?" Lei Wanxi demanded an answer from him.
"Your highness, the unknown man shot an arrow which hit the pillar right beside the Crown Prince and the First Prince. He then surrendered and asked the Crown Princess to talk to him. The situation seems tense there." The servant completed his words. Lei Wanxi ran towards the Palace Grounds, followed by Zhu Lin.
In the Palace Grounds, Ying Lili took out the arrow from the wooden pillar through which a paper was attached. But there was nothing on it. She examined it first before speaking. "Commander Yang, bring the ink and brush," Ying Lili ordered, who gestured to the soldier to bring the same.
She looked at the shooter in front of him, who was suspicious. He shot the arrow and then willingly surrendered himself? The first doubt came into Ying Lili's mind. She widened her eyes as something clicked in her mind. "General Xiao, check the entire Palace. The shooter is someone else. Do not let him go out," Ying Lili ordered him. Jian Guozhi confusedly looked at the Crown Princess.
"What do you mean, your highness?" Xiao Zhan questioned.
"I will explain later," Ying Lili stated. Xiao Zhan nodded and commanded the soldiers to follow him.
The ink and brush were brought by another soldier. Commander Yang handed the brush to Ying Lili, who colored the paper with the ink. The letters were visible now. Ying Lili read the message which said, "He made a mistake by leaving the Capital."
"What happened, Crown Princess?" Jian Guozhi saw the grim expression on Ying Lili's face and took the paper from her and read the message. Ying Lili stepped towards the shooter, who was on the ground on his knees. "Who is with you? The arrow was not shot by you," Ying Lili affirmed and looked at the hole made on the paper because of the arrow, airspeed, and friction.
"Your highness, I am just a messenger," the man stated while gazing into her eyes.
"Lower your eyes," Jian Guozhi shouted at him.
"Brother, it is fine," Ying Lili stated. By then, the Princes had arrived there and went towards Jian Guozhi.
"What kind of messenger are you? Are you making a fool of me? The one who shot is not you." Ying Lili proclaimed and pulled out the sword from the sheath which Commander Yang had held. She pointed it at his neck and said, "Tell the truth, otherwise you will be dead."
"My master will kill the Crown Prince." The man smirked and glared into the eyes of Ying Lili. "He told me to pass this message. The paper in the hand of the First Prince is the message of my master to you. He wants you to surrender to him if you want your husband to be alive," the man informed Ying Lili. "You can kill me because if you will not, I will kill myself," stated the man and brought his left hand up. Before he could drink the poison from his ring, Ying Lili cut through his neck with the sword, shocking everyone there.
"Crown Princess, what did you do? He could have told us further," Commander Sun complained. Rong Zemin agreed with him.
"No, he is loyal to his master. He would have not told us. Take him away. Check the entire Palace and increase the security," Ying Lili ordered and threw the sword on the ground. She turned towards Jian Guozhi. "Brother, we need to report to the Emperor." Jian Guozhi nodded, and they left for the Emperor's manor.
Han Wenji was going out with Eunuch Jin after getting the news of an intruder in the Palace when they encountered the Crown Princess and the First Prince.
"Your Majesty, let's talk inside your chamber," Ying Lili requested. Han Wenji nodded, and they went inside the chamber. Han Wenji got worried when Jian Guozhi narrated the incident. "Father, I will send a message to Brother Sheng and tell him to return to the Palace," Jian Guozhi suggested.
"No, Brother Jian," Ying Lili prevented him from doing so. "We do not know whether or not it is true. The enemy is threatening us, but he would not make the mistake of attacking Luoyang. The message is specifically directed towards me. We need to thoroughly investigate this matter before making any decision," Ying Lili advised Jian Guozhi.
Han Wenji kept reading the message and said, "this quality of paper is used in Northern Province. Does Tan Gengxin find out that the Crown Prince has left the Capital?" Han Wenji looked back at Ying Lili.
"It cannot be the possibility, your Majesty. No one knows that Sheng Li has left for the Northern Province, and Tan Gengxin is in Northern Province," Ying Lili affirmed. Jian Guozhi confusedly looked at them, so Ying Lili explained everything to him. "Forgive me for lying to everyone here, but it was for his safety," stated Ying Lili.
"Crown Princess, it was a good decision. The biggest question in front of us is who can send such a message? The Crown Prince had left 3 days ago and the plan about his departure had been made random. It is not sent by him but by someone in the Palace, who is aiding him," Jian Guozhi concluded.
Ying Lili frowned, as she had the same thoughts as Jian Guozhi. But then the arrow was shot by someone else who ran away the moment they saw a man on the roof.