Chapter 41 - Wild Cat
Ying Lili looked at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a green-colored Hanfu dress with yellowish flowered imprinted on the dress. The maidservants put the anklet around Ying Lili's both feet and stepped back. "Your highness is ready," the maidservant said in a low voice.
"Shall we leave?" Ying Lili asked from the Court Lady Xu.
"Yes, your highness." Lady Xu followed the crown princess. The wedding banquet Hall was decorated heavily. As the crown princess entered, the princes greeted her formally. "Crown princess, you are looking pretty," Weng Yu gave a compliment to Ying Lili who gave Prince Yu a tiny smile.
"Thank you for the compliment, Prince Yu," Ying Lili, thanking the prince walked ahead where the crown prince was standing. She stood beside the crown prince and watched his expressions. "You are looking sullen. May I ask, why?" Sheng Li glanced at Ying Lili.
"I always look like this," Sheng Li responded.
"The Great Emperor and Empress of Han have entered the wedding wall," a loud announcement was made.
Everyone stood straight at their places with bowed heads. Han Wenji and Weng Wei got seated on the throne made for them. Prince Jian Guozhi was on a raising platform, waiting for Xue Yu-Yan to come there. In a while, Xue Yu-Yan came there, followed by a maidservant. Seeing Xue Yu-Yan, Ying Lili recalled her wedding day.
Ying Lili studied Sheng Li who was intensely looking at Xue Yu-Yan as if he did not want her to marry Jian Guozhi. "Why did he not stop the marriage? How can he give up on her in three days?" Ying Lili wondered.
"Will the crown princess stop gawking at me?" Sheng Li's gaze fell on Ying Lili who immediately averted her gaze from him. The wedding ceremony started, but Ying Lili was still in the confusion regarding Sheng Li's no interference in Xue Yu-Yan's marriage. The crown princess was lost in her thoughts and did not realize when the ceremony ended.
Everyone started leaving for having the wedding feast in the hall attached near to the wedding hall. Prince Jian Guozhi came towards the crown prince. "Crown prince, you did not wish me happy married life. So, I thought to come to you." Jian Guozhi gave a sheepish smile to Sheng Li and poured the drinks into two cups. He handed one cup to Sheng Li and raised his cup. "I will take care of your lover well," Jian Guozhi stated with a grin and gulped the drink.
Ying Lili who was sitting beside Sheng Li heard the first prince and peered at Sheng Li. "Elder brother, you shall refrain from speaking such a defamatory statement against the crown prince. Noble Consort Xue is now your wife and I have nothing to do with her. Have a happy married life with your noble consort. But, wait! I think that what will you tell your official wife when she will see you with one more wife?" Sheng Li sarcastically said, as his lips moved up and a smile formed over them.
Ying Lili too smiled but hid it quickly before any of them could notice that. Jian Guozhi turned to look at the crown princess and bowed his head slightly before leaving the hall.
"Why are you staring at me?" Sheng Li questioned again Ying Lili as he brought the chopstick near to Ying Lili's mouth which had a grilled thin piece of meat between them. "Open your mouth," Sheng Li then said.
"I will eat myself," Ying Lili replied and chuckled. Sheng Li put the chopsticks inside Ying Lili's mouth as she answered him. "When I offer you to eat then, you shall eat," Sheng Li proclaimed and pulled his hand back.
Ying Lili chewed the meat inside her mouth. She was amused to see Sheng Li who was now calm and was enjoying the food in front of him. Ying Lili too started eating when she heard Sheng Li. "I heard that the crown princess is poor in the needlework," Ying Lili saw the tiny smile on Sheng Li's lips.
"How did you find out? Do you always spy on me?" Ying Lili questioned Sheng Li.
Sheng Li put the chopsticks down on the plate. "I heard from a few maidservants. They whispered that the crown princess is poor in needlework. She was told to make a pattern, but she made something irregular," Sheng Li proclaimed and read Ying Lili's expressions.
"What? How can they talk like this? I made a good pattern. Ask court lady Xu if you do not believe me," Ying Lili suggested Sheng Li who was enjoying Ying Lili's gestures.
The five princes were smiling seeing the crown prince and the crown princess. "Brother Yongzheng, Brother Rong Zemin, it seems you will soon lose the bet against me," Lei Wanxi asserted.
"It is not even a week. So, brother Wanxi cannot conclude everything this quickly," Rong Zemin opined as he sipped the wine from the glass that he was holding.
Han Wenji who was eating along with the Empress and his three concubines saw Sheng Li who was smiling as was conversing with the crown princess. Weng Wei looked at her husband and then at Sheng Li whom the Emperor was looking at.
"I do not believe Court Lady Xu. She will take the side of her mistress. But, I can punish the maidservants for you," stated Sheng Li.
An Ying-Lili knitted her brows. "Why does the crown prince always want to punish people?" Ying Lili with an inquisitiveness peered at the crown prince.
"Then, does the crown princess want everyone to know that she is poor in needlework? Come to think of it, I now feel that you do not know household works as well," Sheng Li deduced.
Ying Lili moved her eyes in nervousness and then looked at the plate in which grilled meat was placed. She again started eating and after a while replied, "A woman not necessarily has to know about household works." Sheng Li who was also eating hummed at her.
"A wild cat like you do not need to learn household chores. Last time you put so many spices in my meals. Alas! I can not punish you," Sheng Li muttered.
Ying Lili darted at him. "Even you make me eat spicy food. I also wanted to punish you but I could not," Ying Lili snapped at him. "And, what do you mean by a wildcat? Can you not simply say my name instead of using such a weird nickname?" Ying Lili demanded Sheng Li.
"How will the crown princess punish me? She could not defeat me in the swordfight and she is saying that she will punish me!" Sheng Li raised his eyebrow in bewilderment. "Wild cat is the most suitable nickname I can give to my dear crown princess," he further added, keeping the tiny smile on his lips.
"I could not defeat you… because I was nervous. It will never happen again. I will defeat you and then you have to fulfill my wish," Ying Lili asserted, gazing into the eyes of Sheng Li.
"If I will ever get defeated by you then, that it will be because…" Sheng Li stopped speaking.
"Why did you stop speaking?" Ying Lili asked.
"Eat. We have talked enough," Sheng Li affirmed and continued eating.