Chapter 85 - Fulfilling My Wish For The Second Time!
Xue Yu-Yan was sitting in front of the dressing table, combing her hair. "The First Prince is here, your highness," a maidservant informed Xue Yu-Yan who stopped combing and put the comb on the table.
"You can leave," Xue Yu-Yan told the maidservant who bowed her head; took a few steps back before turning back and leaving the chamber. Xue Yu-Yan stood up from the chair and came towards the chaise to sit on it. Jian Guozhi had come there and was in anger.
"Why are you angry?" Xue Yu-Yan asked. Jian Guozhi was glaring at her. He marched towards her and grabbed her neck.
"Why did your father ask for the death punishment for Ying Lili? You told him, right? I told you that I will make you Empress only when you will get along with me and not harm Yingér." Jian Guozhi pressed his fingers on Xue Yu-Yan's neck whose sharp nails were digging in Jian Guozhi's hand.
"L-leave," Xue Yu-Yan said with difficulty. Jian Guozhi pulled his hand back while Xue Yu-Yan took a deep breath. Once she was stable, Xue Yu-Yan stood up from the chaise and slapped Jian Guozhi.
"You think you can control me. Do not forget that you are nothing without my family's support. You cannot even save your position and tell me to get along with you. Why would it matter to me if Ying Lili got punished or not? I told you already it has nothing to do with me. Ask your mother who planned all this rather than shouting and getting angry at me," Xue Yu-Yan pronounced furiously as she touched her neck.
She went to the dressing table and picked a mirror from there. "It reddened," Xue Yu-Yan murmured. Jian Guozhi got irritated seeing Xue Yu-Yan. She was indeed power-hungry. "Once I get that Crown, I will make sure to show you your place. I will take the Revenge of this slap, Yu-Yan," Jian Guozhi thought in his mind and left the chamber in anger.
Seeing the closeness of the Crown Prince with the Crown Princess, and then Xue Yu-Yan's words made him more furious which ruined his mood. He felt his worth was nil in the Palace despite being the eldest son. When Jian Guozhi expressed his desire to marry Ying Lili, it was immediately refused. Why? Because Sheng Li had to marry Ying Lili.
Why him? Why did Sheng Li snatch away the things on which he had the right since birth? Why did the Emperor always favor a Prince younger than the First Prince? All this infuriated Jian Guozhi. He had come to the practice ground as he wanted to shoot some arrows when he saw the Crown Prince was also there with the Crown Princess.
"He is even here," Jian Guozhi mumbled and clenched his fists when Sheng Li's eyes fell on him.
"My dear brother is also here!" Sheng Li said with a smile and with a bit of sarcasm. Ying Lili turned and saw Jian Guozhi.
After ascending the stairs, Jian Guozhi reached the top platform from where arrows were shot at the target. Ying Lili lowered her head and greeted the First Prince. "Can I join the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess in this shooting game?" Jian Guozhi asked for permission.
"Brother, I am afraid, but today the Crown Princess and I have a match. Why do you not watch us?!" Sheng Li suggested. Jian Guozhi nodded and sat on a chair there.
Sheng Li stood behind Ying Lili and tied her hair into a bun. "Next time come with tied hair in the practice ground," Sheng Li whispered in Ying Lili's ear.
Jian Guozhi was looking at them and was feeling disheartened. His blood was boiling, looking at Sheng Li who was smiling with Ying Lili.
"Lili, try winning this time, else you might end up fulfilling my wish for the second time," Sheng Li asserted and came in front of her. He had two silk ribbons in his hand. "Give me your hand," Sheng Li told Ying Lili.
"Why?"
Sheng Li, without responding to her, grabbed her hand and looked at the sleeves. "These need to be tied, otherwise you will not be able to give your best. I do not want you to blame me later when you will lose the bet." Sheng Li was confident that he would defeat Ying Lili again. He moved the silk ribbon over Ying Lili's forearm and tied the long sleeves. He did the same on the other hand.
Sheng Li turned his gaze to a soldier there and asked him to bring a bow and arrow set. The soldier quickly came to the Crown Prince and handed a bow and quiver.
Sheng Li handed the quiver to Ying Lili who put it around her shoulder. "There are ten arrows. We have to shoot ten times in the middle of those targets. The target is two hundred meters away from us. One who scores maximum will win the game," Sheng Li told Ying Lili and handed her the bow. The soldier gave another bow and arrow set to the Crown Prince and went back to his place. "Shall I start or will you?" Sheng Li questioned Ying Lili.
"You shall start," Ying Lili replied to Sheng Li who nodded and took out the first arrow from the quiver and put it in the bow.
"The Crown Prince is the best archer among us," Ying Lili heard the First Prince who was watching them. "But I will cheer for the Crown Princess," Jian Guozhi stated.
Sheng Li stretched the string of the bow. His eyes were fixated on the target. Ying Lili was gazing at him when the arrow was shot. The speed was so enormous that it was almost invisible to the eyes. The arrow hit right in the middle of the wooden target.
He took out a second arrow from the quiver and shot it again. The arrow, which was already in the middle of the set target, was pierced with the second arrow.
Ying Lili observed that Sheng Li indeed had good shooting skills and his concentration was immense. Facing no difficulty, Sheng Li shot ten arrows on the same target board, piercing one arrow after the other. He put his hand down and looked at Ying Lili.
Ying Lili took out the first bow from the quiver and placed it on the bow. Pulling the string on the bow, she for a minute analyzed the direction of the wind, which was the most favorable factor in shooting the arrow. She shot the first arrow without any difficulty. Jian Guozhi clapped for the Crown Princess as the arrow hit the center of the target.
Ying Lili grabbed the second arrow and drew it from the bow. The arrow pierced the previous one, which astonished Sheng Li. "So, she knows how to shoot," Sheng Li thought as Ying Lili kept hitting the targets. Now was the last arrow that needed to be hit at the target.
Ying Lili noticed the wind flow was not favorable and if Ying Lili would hit, then she might lose to him. Ying Lili waited for the wind to be stable and after a while, she shot the arrow. Sheng Li turned his gaze towards the target. "I think you have missed," Sheng Li asserted.
"No, I did not," Ying Lili affirmed.
"What if you did?" Sheng Li questioned Ying Lili. "Let's check it there," Sheng Li stated and went to the stairs. Ying Lili and Jian Guozhi also followed Sheng Li.
"Look you missed. The arrow shot by you is touching the white outline around the red," Sheng Li proclaimed as he looked at the wooden target in front of him.
Ying Lili went to the other target to look if Sheng Li had missed any of the arrows, but there was none. "You are cheating. It is not even touching that white outline," Ying Lili argued with Sheng Li. Jian Guozhi too checked the targets hit by both of them and found the arrow shot by Ying Lili was indeed slightly touching the white outline.
"I never cheat. We had a fair match, Lili. You have lost so you have to fulfill a wish of mine," Sheng Li remarked.
"The Crown Prince is saying the right thing. Your highness has indeed missed the target," Jian Guozhi too intervened between them. Ying Lili huffed as she took out the quiver that was hanging on her back and threw it towards Sheng Li.
Sheng Li caught it and wondered what could be the reason for Ying Lili's sudden anger. "Okay, I will fulfill your wish. Tell me what do you want?" Ying Lili asked as she glared at Sheng Li.
Sheng Li smiled. "Will you be able to give me that?" Sheng Li asked Ying Lili.
"If it will be in my capacity, then I will," Ying Lili replied. Jian Guozhi was wondering what the Crown Prince could ask from Ying Lili and keenly looked at him.
"I will tell you later," Sheng Li stated, and gave a smile to Ying Lili.
He then turned to Jian Guozhi and spoke. "Brother, we two met each other after such a long time. Let's shoot arrows together for a while." Jian Guozhi knitted his brows. "Do not be confused. I just want to have a friendly match with my brother as well," Sheng Li continued.