"You called me?" Ying Lili asked Sheng Li as she entered his chamber. Sheng Li nodded his head and gestured to her to sit on the floor chair.
"What happened?" Ying Lili asked as the two took seats around the floor table.
Sheng Li informed Ying Lili about the Fourth Prince and his wife. She put her palm over her mouth. Chuntao got harassed! Ying Lili was shocked to learn the truth. She put her hand down and said, "Sheng Li, let's meet Brother Nianzu and Sister Chuntao."
"We will go to Xiandong after your birthday. Lili, how could that bastard touch her? Xiao Zhan had punished him to death, but after this incident, I wondered how many women in the Empire have to undergo this?" Sheng Li put forward a question. "That's why I raised this issue in the courtroom. However, the ministers started to oppose it. But somehow, they realized, and the Emperor passed an order in which I have the authority to look over these matters."
"I want to remove the Minister of Personnel and the Minister of Rites from the Court. I want every Minister to die. They don't deserve to stay in the court," Sheng Li told Ying Lili, who was bewildered to know about that.
"Why? Something happened in the Court?" Ying Lili queried him.
Sheng Li did not want Ying Lili to get worried and sad. "No," Sheng Li lied to her. "Lili, I could not go last night to the Courtesan's House. Today, I will go. So, I will not be in your chamber tonight," Sheng Li informed Ying Lili.
"Okay. Do not get caught," Ying Lili told him to be cautious and put her hand over his. Ying Lili had a jade ring on her index finger that touched Sheng Li's back of the palm. She caressed his hand.
"What?" He asked.
"Nothing. I want to caress it," Ying Lili answered. Sheng Li rested his head on her shoulder and closed her eyes. 'I might kill those ministers today, who said ill about you. Why to keep such snakes who can be venomous to us later,' he thought.
He slowly lifted his face and gazed at Ying Lili's. "What are you staring at?" A tiny smile was visible on her lips.
Sheng Li grasped her hand and moved it closer to his lips. He kissed her knuckles and took the pleasant scent of the perfume she had put on. He kissed her fingers and said, "We have not taken a bath together in a long time."
Ying Lili was dumbfounded to hear that. "What are you thinking in this bright daylight?" She complained and pulled her hand back, bewildering Sheng Li.
"I am thinking to take a bath with you," he asserted.
"But I do not want to! It's not allowed. You break rules, Sheng Li. You already have done that many times," Ying Lili answered.
"Who cares about the rules?" He muttered and leaned down to her lips. He kissed them and brought his hand to her nape. She moaned as he nipped her lower lip. The two pulled away when he heard Ying Lili, "Let's not go ahead. I will get scolded from Court Lady Xu for not waiting for the day which is allocated to us."
Sheng Li chuckled. "She scolds you? How could she?" He questioned.
"She can scold me as I consider her equal to my mother," Ying Lili replied.
"Court Lady Xu's words are more important than my wish? This is bad, Lili," Sheng Li whispered against her lips.
"Indeed, mother's words are superior even more than husband's words," Ying Lili reasoned.
"Fine. I respect your words. But at least give me a good kiss. My day will be good and I will be cheerful the entire day," Sheng Li expressed his desire. Ying Lili smiled and quickly pecked on his lips.
"What was that?" Sheng Li complained.
Ying Lili kissed him again and this time Sheng Li did not let her leave the kiss. They kissed for some time before withdrawing. Ying Lili rested her head on her chest and smiled. "We will have fun in the dragon boat festival," she muttered.
Sheng Li rested his hand on her back. "We will have more fun on your birthday," he affirmed.
~~~~~
Deng Hui glared at Xi Feng and the few other Ministers. "So, you all could not do anything? This was the simplest task that I had given you, Minister Xi," Deng Hui pronounced.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty. The Second Prince also supported the Crown Prince and forced the Ministers to think the other way," asserted Xi Feng.
Deng Hui picked the teacup and sipped the tea. 'So, even the other two princes support her. It was unusual. Prince Yongzheng did not ever seem to favor the Crown Prince. All the Princes' hearts have come closer. I have to create situations where they again become each other's enemies. But, how?' Deng Hui wondered. The Ministers had kept their heads low when they heard her majesty.
"You all may leave." The Ministers stood up, bowed, and left the chamber of the Empress. Eunuch Zhen came forward and moved the curtain up.
"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess are not easy to defeat, especially when they have the support of many. The strongest is Military support. The former Empress had tried to divide them. However, there is no loophole in the Military," asserted Eunuch Zhen.
"The Crown Prince had spent his early childhood, late teenage, and adult days with the soldiers. That's why no one in the military will ever go against the Crown Prince. Unity among the Princes has to be destroyed. The Crown Prince threw my son away now I will throw him and his wife out of this Palace," Deng Hui proclaimed.
"Did you arrange the thing I told you to?" Deng Hui asked Eunuch Zhen.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Eunuch Zhen took out a tiny bottle and handed it to Deng Hui. "Be careful, Your Majesty. This poison is the rarest of the rare. I arranged it from the far West," Eunuch Zhen replied.
"How many doses are enough to kill the person?" Deng Hui asked Eunuch Zhen while looking at the bottle.
"Your Majesty, only two drops are sufficient to kill the person. The Emperor is old, so he might die with just one dose," Eunuch Zhen pronounced.
Deng Hui smiled and praised Eunuch Zhen. "Weng Wei could have done this but her love for the Emperor did not allow her to poison him. Now, I have to do the work that she should have done a long time ago. The blame will be on the Crown Prince. I would love to see, how will he escape this? He made my son leave the Palace, I will make sure to give him the most miserable life that he had ever imagined," Deng Hui confidently said and tightened her grip around the bottle.
"Forgive me for speaking in the middle. But, Your Majesty, we need to be extremely careful. Getting into the Crown Prince's manor is difficult," Eunuch Zhen expressed a concern.
"I can go wherever I want to! I will keep this bottle myself in the Crown Prince's manor," Deng Hui said and grinned.
