Chapter 451 - Fear Me Or Respect Me?
Sheng Li and Huo Jin heard the outcries from the Gu Residence. Some were screaming for water while others were running to save their lives. "Let's go," Sheng Li told Huo Jin, and the two disappeared into the woods. They reached the place where Sheng Li had tied Kongqi.
"Your Highness, someone might get suspicious of us," Huo Jin worriedly said.
"We will leave for the Palace after curfew starts," Sheng Li suggested to Huo Jin and sat down, resting his back against the tree stem. Huo Jin sat a meter away from Sheng Li and looked around.
He looked back at the Crown Prince and said, "His Highness lit Gu Zhenya's bedchamber. That scared me for a second." Sheng Li smiled and told Huo Jin to sit closer. Huo Jin moved closer to Sheng Li.
."I had no plan to kill him this way. However, he planned to harm Lili with me. He called me kind," Sheng Li chuckled.
"But his highness is kind," stated Huo Jin.
Sheng Li tilted his head. "I am not kind, Huo Jin. He has two daughters, a son and a wife. If I would be kind, then I would have thought of his family. However, I did not hesitate to kill him," asserted Sheng Li. "The Empress will get a big blow tomorrow, and so will those two Ministers."
"Your Highness, but that was necessary, right? He could have been a threat to you and the Crown Princess," Huo Jin affirmed. Sheng Li nodded his head.
"It seems that no matter how hard his highness tries, the enemies will continue to grow. Everyone wants to abuse power by ruling over the weak instead of growing them. Does his highness never get tired of all this?" Sheng Li amusingly peered at Huo Jin. "What I mean is does his highness never get scared about his life? Even when I was on the enemy's side, I taught to kill you and the Crown Princess."
Sheng Li raised a brow upon learning the truth.
"Now, whenever I look back and contemplate, I realize that it was because of our selfishness, the greed which only grows," asserted Huo Jin as he knitted his brows. Today's incident had troubled him. When he overheard the conversation among the three Ministers, it made him guilty for his acts. Even Xinyue was like them. And Huo Jin was selfish for her.
"Then, what stopped you from assassinating us? By now, it is clear to me that you are good at many things. You have trained yourself well," Sheng Li pronounced and waited for an answer.
"I never killed or assassinated anyone in my life. It is against my rules. Though somewhere, I was selfish," Huo Jin answered.
"I have made more enemies than friends. That could be one reason they want me to die," Sheng Li stated. Huo Jin did not agree with that.
"Your Highness, you have more loyal people than anyone. Every person cannot be turned good. After coming to power, they mostly want to keep their position intact, thus forgetting their conscience. The Ministers think that the Aristocracy can never come to power unless the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess are in power," asserted Huo Jin.
"I think it is time to remove most of the Court Ministers. That is the only way to stop this," affirmed Sheng Li.
"This will increase the hatred in them for his highness," Huo Jin stated.
"Remove here means Kill. I will kill them," Sheng Li menacingly said.
"The Crown Prince shall not do that. Killing someone will increase the fear in them for you. You have to be the Ruler who will be respected by everyone," Huo Jin advised.
"Do you fear me or respect me?" Immediately Sheng Li asked him.
"I do not fear his highness, but I respect him," Huo Jin replied.
"You talk like Lili and Brother Nianzu," Sheng Li stated. "Lili tells me to control my anger. Make people respect me rather than creating fear in them. Brother Nianzu says the same," he added.
"So, how do you think I should make people respect me? How shall I make the Court Ministers understand that they should not fear me?" Sheng Li asked for Huo Jin's opinion.
Before Huo Jin could speak, they heard the sounds of drum beats. "Curfew has started. We shall head back," Sheng Li said and stood up from the ground with Huo Jin.
"Go back to Wang Hao's residence. I will head back to the Palace," Sheng Li said as he hopped on Kongqi. "Come," he extended the hand for Huo Jin, who was startled for a second.
"We do not have time," Sheng Li told him. Huo Jin extended his hand out. Sheng Li pulled him up, who sat behind him. Sheng Li rode the horse and dropped Huo Jin near Wang Hao Residence.
Huo Jin bowed his head as Sheng Li rode away on Kongqi. He reached the Palace and came to his chamber. "Your Highness, the Crown Princess is inside, waiting for you," Xing-Fu informed the Crown Prince.
"Forgive me, your highness. The Crown Princess did not listen to me. She was adamant to stay here to meet you," he added and lowered his eyes.
Sheng Li stepped ahead when the two maidservants opened the doors for him. Sheng Li walked in and told Xing-Fu to send the dinner for them.
Ying Lili heard the footsteps of Sheng Li and stood up from the mattress. "Why did you not listen to me?" Sheng Li put the sword on the table and gazed at her.
"I was restless," Ying Lili replied and looked at the blood in his hand. She got worried and went near him. Lifting his hand, she said, "You again injured yourself."
Sheng Li looked at his hand and pulled it back. "It's nothing," he stated. A maidservant brought a copper vessel half-filled with water. She placed it on the table and stood aside. Sheng Li washed his hands while Ying Lili took the clean towel from the maidservant. She wiped the hands of Sheng Li and found he was hiding something from her.
The maidservant left, taking the towel and copper vessel away. Xing-Fu instructed the maidservants to set the dinner table. "Leave," Sheng Li ordered, and they all left.
"Promise me from the next time that you will listen to me," asserted Sheng Li.