Chapter 536 - My Wife's Name
Sheng Li heard the conversation of Ying Lili and Lei Wanxi. He went straight to the prison to meet Yongzheng. He found Yongzheng was sleeping peacefully, which annoyed him.
"How could you sleep at this hour?" Sheng Li asked Yongzheng and gripped his robes. He opened his eyes. Sheng Li pulled him up and glared into his eyes. "How could you attack a woman?" Sheng Li questioned him.
"Everyone told me not to discriminate between a man and a woman. She put her sword at my neck. She wanted to kill your elder brother. That's why to save myself, I pierced the arrow through her stomach. I would have killed her if your useless General had not intervened," Yongzheng asserted and smiled with a grin.
Sheng Li slapped Yongzheng hard, and he stumbled, got hit against the wall.
"Ahhh," he shouted in anger and marched towards Sheng Li. Grabbing his robes, he questioned him, "How dare you slap me?" Sheng Li pushed him away and punched him in the face. Yongzheng wiped off the blood from his lips from the back of his palm and started to laugh.
"Shouldn't you be angry at me for poisoning your dear wife? It's odd to see you caring for another woman," Yongzheng stated and put his hand down. The heavy shackles around his feet made the noise as he walked towards Sheng Li.
"Shut your mouth! Princess Zhu Lin is the daughter of the King of Huan Province, who is the best friend of our father. Thanks to him, our father survived a war," Sheng Li reminded him.
"Why shall I care? Did Father ever care for me? It would have been better if he had died in that war. At least, I would have received what was rightly mine," Yongzheng stated.
Sheng Li raised his fist to hit him but stopped. "Why am I even wasting my time on you? Pray that you get an easy death because I will make sure to give you the most painful death," Sheng Li advised him. He turned to leave when he heard Yongzheng.
"Do you know that the First Prince loves your wife? Your wife surely knows the way to seduce everyone around her," Yongzheng pronounced and smirked.
Sheng Li clenched his fist and turned to him. "Stop your nonsense! Don't make me kill you here," Sheng Li bellowed at him. Xiao Zhan came inside the cell upon hearing their loud voices.
"Why? Truth is always bitter, Sheng Li. Your wife and Prince Jian meet secretly; drink tea with each other. Prince Jian killed his own mother for your wife. Why would he not? After all, your wife had saved his life," Yongzheng pronounced.
"What is this expression on your face? Don't tell me your honest wife hid this from you! Prince Jian loves Ying Lili. Is it the other way too? Who knows Ying Lili also loves him?" Yongzheng smirked.
Both Sheng Li and Xiao Zhan frowned.
"Your Highness, do not listen to him," Xiao Zhan advised.
Sheng Li went near Yongzheng and banged him against the wall. "Don't take my wife's name from your filthy mouth. Do you think I do not know? And it does not matter to me if he loves her or not," Sheng Li gritted his teeth and stepped back.
"Your Highness, the assassin has been caught," Commander Sun informed Sheng Li. Yongzheng did not expect it. He had made sure that his man would run away.
"Enjoy your final moments," Sheng Li stated and walked out of the cell.
~~~~~
Bai Yaling met Ying Lili and asked about Yongzheng.
"Sister Bai, Prince Yongzheng has done something unforgivable. I am afraid but he is most likely to get a death sentence," Ying Lili informed Bai Yaling, who started to cry.
"Crown Princess, how will I survive without my husband? Please forgive him this time," Bai Yaling joined her both hands and pleaded with Ying Lili.
"Sister Bai, I am afraid, but he has committed treason. I cannot do anything about this," Ying Lili stated. Bai Yaling fell on the floor and continued to cry. Ying Lili felt sad because she was the one who selected Bai Yaling for Yongzheng. It was not even a month, and she would turn widow. This thought was giving goosebumps to Ying Lili. There was no way she could save Yongzheng.
"I beg you, Crown Princess. Please save my husband's life," Bai Yaling kept pleading with Ying Lili, whose eyes filled with tears. For the first time, Ying Lili felt helpless and dejected. "I will also die with my husband. There is no use in my life," Bai Yaling muttered.
Ying Lili pulled her up and wiped the tears from Bai Yaling's cheeks. "Sister Bai, your life is worthy. Do not talk this way. Prince Yongzheng used to abuse you. You cannot give up on your life for a man who never respected you," Ying Lili affirmed.
"Then, what shall I do? I am only 20 years old. I will become a widow as soon as the Emperor announces the death verdict to my husband. Crown Princess, even if he beat me, he is my husband. Not everyone can be as lucky as you. Not every woman can get rights like you. I have nowhere to go," Bai Yaling pronounced and again started to weep.
"Prince Yongzheng tried to kill Princess Zhu Lin. He shot arrows at General Wang and he also almost poisoned the Emperor. Do you think such a person should live? What about the people? That will be an unjust decision for them. Everyone is equal before the supreme law. Let's keep aside the attack on General Wang and Princess Zhu Lin. If the Second Prince had not planned to poison the Emperor, he might have been saved," Ying Lili asserted.
Bai Yaling sobbed. Ying Lili told the maidservant to escort Bai Yaling to her chamber. Ying Lili wiped the tear that almost rolled down her cheek. Rong Zemin came to her.
"Crown Princess, isn't the Royal Family messed up? Now, I think Brother Nianzu did well by leaving the Palace," Rong Zemin stated. Ying Lili glanced at him and somewhat agreed with him.
"But, Brother Zemin, not everyone is bad in the Palace," she asserted.
"Who knows what is ahead? Now, everything seems suspicious. Do you think that Court Ministers will not grab this opportunity to benefit them? Crown Princess, if the Second Prince is given the death sentence, then his mother might turn evil… more bloodshed will happen," Rong Zemin said anxiously.
"I will not let that happen," Ying Lili asserted.
"I also wish the same," Rong Zemin proclaimed.