Chapter 703 - To Raise My Sword
Ying Lili checked the clothes, jewels, and other precious goods that were to be sent with Princess Bai Yaling once she would leave the Palace with General Wang.
"Sister Lili, I have checked the clothes for the members of the Wang Family," Xue Yu-Yan informed Ying Lili. She thanked her and asked Court Lady Xu about the grain sacks.
"Sister Xue, did the First Brother send you the message? The Fourth Brother has sent the message for Sister Chuntao after reaching Changying," Liao Jun suddenly said. Xue Yu-Yan widened her eyes as this matter was not supposed to be talked about in front of Ying Lili.
Ying Lili with an amused expression asked, "Why did the First Brother and the Fourth Brother go to Changying?"
"Nothing, Sister Lili. It is a small work related to the Empire," Xue Yu-Yan replied, however, did not tell the whole truth to Ying Lili.
Liao Jun, who was unaware of it, started to tell the Empress. "Sister Lili, a rebellion is going on in Changying. They left with General Xiao and Commander Yang the previous night," Liao Jun stated.
The smile vanished from her lips and a fretful expression appeared on her face. "A rebellion? What happened?" Ying Lili queried them. "Why did Sheng Li not tell me anything about it," she murmured.
"Sister Lili, it is not a concerning matter. A small rebellion is going on and will soon end. Both Princes, the General, and the Commander will have gone to solve the matter," Xue Yu-Yan said with a polite tone. Ying Lili, however, did not feel that it was a small matter. If it had, then the Princes would not have gone.
"Sister Xue, Sister Liao, I will be back soon," Ying Lili said and walked out of the chamber followed by the Court Ladies.
Once Ying Lili left, Xue Yu-Yan scolded Liao Jun for informing the Empress about Changying's situation.
"Sister Lili will get worried. The Emperor had given the instructions not to let this matter fall in Ying Lili's ear. She might get stressed because of it," Xue Yu-Yan explained to her.
Liao Jun got scared upon hearing this. "Sister Xue, I did not know this. Will the Emperor punish me?" She asked with a terrifying expression on her face.
"I do not know, but the Emperor will surely be angry," Xue Yu-Yan said and fidgeted with her fingers.
"My husband did not tell me not to speak about it in front of the Empress," Liao Jun said. "Sister Xue, I am going to see my husband and will ask him to protect me from the Emperor's wrath." Before Xue Yu-Yan could stop her, Liao Jun dashed out of the chamber.
~~~~~
Sheng Li returned to the imperial palace after seeing off Wang Fuxing till the Imperial Gates.
"Your Majesty, the First Prince has sent the message for you," Xing-Fu informed the Emperor, who hastened towards his office.
Once he reached the chamber, he picked the scroll up from the table and opened it. He had not even read the first word when he heard an announcement about Ying Lili's arrival to his office. It confused him because, at this hour, Ying Lili was supposed to be with the other Princesses.
Sheng Li quickly rolled the scroll and put it inside the chest of the drawer. Xing-Fu greeted the Empress, who had come inside.
"Eunuch Xing-Fu, please give us some privacy," Ying Lili urged him, who walked out of the chamber.
Sheng Li stepped down the five stairs and came to Ying Lili. "You came here unannounced," Sheng Li said and brought her to the chaise. He made her sit on it and then picked the water jar from the table beside it. Pouring the water into a glass, he tasted it first before handing it to Ying Lili.
Ying Lili drank the water and thanked him. Sheng Li put the silver glass back on the table when heard her say, "You did not tell me about Changying's situation."
Sheng Li's eyes grew big. He had made sure that no one would speak about it before Ying Lili, then who dared to challenge his order. Did Xue Yu-Yan do that?
"You learned to lie from me," Ying Lili said when Sheng Li turned to face her.
"It is not a big matter. But who told you about this?" Sheng Li asked her as he came near her. Ying Lili lifted her head and squinted her eyes.
"If I tell you the name, then you might get angry at that person. That's why I have decided not to tell you the name," she said and grasped his sleeve. She pulled him down and he landed on the chaise, beside her.
"Why did you hide this matter from me?" She asked him. "Is it because of my pregnancy?"
Sheng Li's lips curled up into a thin smile while his brows also slightly rose. "Lili, I did not want to put you under stress," he finally said.
"You should have told me instead of lying to me. I do not like it when you lie to me," she said. "Also, you do not need to take stress all alone when such a situation arises. You need to come to me. Tell me what is going on in Changying?" She queried him.
"Someone has been chosen as the independent leader by the people. The First and the Fourth Brother have gone to check the situation," Sheng Li told her.
"What will you do then? Don't you want to go?" She asked him. "The people may want to see their Emperor," she affirmed.
"I don't think I need to go at the present moment," Sheng Li answered.
"You are the Emperor of Han. You need to keep a check on everything. Your wife is safe in the Imperial Palace, so you can go to Changying," Ying Lili asserted.
"Lili, the situation will come in control," Sheng Li stated. "If I go, then only war will happen. I am not good at negotiating. Also, those people betrayed me and proved that they were disloyal to me.. I don't want to raise my sword," Sheng Li affirmed.