Lei Wanxi wiped the face of Zhu Lin with a wet towel gently. He tucked the lock of her hair behind her ear. He, then, wiped her hands when the maidservant said she would help him.
"It's fine. I will do it," Lei Wanxi replied.
"Your Highness, the Second Prince is beheaded," the same maidservant informed him. Lei Wanxi stopped, and tears formed in his eyes. He stood up and turned to leave but saw Ying Lili entering the chamber.
"Brother Wanxi," She pronounced his name and came near him. "I have found a few potion recipes that will help Princess Zhu Lin's wounds to heal soon," Ying Lili told him and showed him the book. "Hu Jingguo wrote this."
"That is nice. Zhu Lin has not woken up yet. Does Sister Lili think that she would make it?" Lei Wanxi queried. "Brother Yongzheng is beheaded. Our family has fallen apart, Sister Lili," Lei Wanxi said while crying. "I wanted that, but even he was our brother," he said.
"Calm down, Brother Wanxi. I told you that Princess Zhu Lin can hear us," Ying Lili caressed the arm of Lei Wanxi, who wiped the tears off his cheeks and eyes.
"I will come soon," Lei Wanxi walked past her and stepped out of the chamber. Ying Lili went towards the bed and peered at Zhu Lin. The maidservant was wiping the hands of Zhu Lin with a wet towel.
Seeing Ying Lili, she stood up to bow when Ying Lili told her to do the work. Ying Lili put the book on the table and ordered another maidservant to close the door.
Ying Lili removed the blanket from Zhu Lin and took another wet towel to clean her upper body.
"Your Highness, I will do it," the maidservant offered, who had done wiping the hands. Ying Lili did not answer and continued to do that. In her mind, she was praying to awake Zhu Lin.
After fifteen minutes, a maidservant came to Ying Lili and bowed her head. "Your Highness, the Crown Prince is outside… urging to meet Her Highness," she informed Ying Lili.
"Don't go outside and sit here. Where are the new clothes for Princess Zhu Lin? Help me change them," Ying Lili ordered the maidservant, who was confused to hear that.
They helped change the dress of Zhu Lin while being careful. Sheng Li sent a maidservant in to deliver a message to Ying Lili.
"The Crown Prince had sent a message for the Crown Princess. He is apologetic for earlier. The Crown Princess shall meet him once."
"Tell him to wait in his chamber," Ying Lili replied. The maidservant bowed and stepped back towards the door. She walked out and delivered the same message to the Crown Prince, who was eagerly waiting.
"I cannot wait. Did you not deliver my message properly?" Sheng Li got angry at her.
The maidservant got on her knees. "Forgive me, your Royal Highness. I said what his highness had told me to. The Crown Princess said that the Crown Prince should wait in his chamber."
"Tell her that I am impatient. I want to meet now," Sheng Li told her. The maidservant quickly stood up and walked inside the chamber. She delivered the message to Ying Lili.
"Tell the Crown Prince that I am not interested in meeting him. The more he will try to come close to me, the more I will run away," Ying Lili stated. The other two maidservants looked at Ying Lili but quickly lowered their gazes.
The informant came out and narrated the message of Ying Lili to Sheng Li, who punched the wall near to him and walked away. He stopped but then left for his chamber. The people in the Palace had dressed in white. The dark clouds had gathered up in the sky. The servants were rushing the work because it seemed that a heavy storm would come.
Xing-Fu and the other servants, who were waiting for Sheng Li, bowed as soon as he came near them. "Send the wine in and don't let anyone in except the Crown Princess," Sheng Li ordered him and walked inside in anger.
Xing-Fu had not watched this kind of Sheng Li for long. It made him wonder what happened that the Crown Prince was angry.
A maidservant walked in with a tray in her hand. Xing-Fu led her and stood a meter away from the Crown Prince. The maidservant put the wine jar and a cup on the floor table. She stood up, bowed, and walked out.
"Leave," Sheng Li ordered Xing-Fu.
"His Highness shall not drink in this daylight. Also, His Highness needs to change his clothes," Xing-Fu suggested to Sheng Li, who shot a glare at him.
"Did I ask your opinion? Go away before I will give you the punishment of 20 lashes to you," Sheng Li annoyingly pronounced. Xing-Fu apologized and quickly left the chamber.
Sheng Li looked at the jar and grabbed it. He poured the drink into the cup and picked it. "It's been long since I touched you. I did not want to, but I had no option left," he murmured and gulped it. He looked straight and saw the portrait of Ying Lili… his best memory was when he saw Ying Lili on the swing.
'I know I made a mistake. But it was not intentional. Why can I not control my anger?' Sheng Li thought. He picked the jar this time and started to drink with it. Putting it down, he wiped his lips from the back of his palm.
He stood up, picked the jar in his hand, and went to the garden. The rain had started to pour down. He stood near the porch and looked up at the sky.
In the Western Palace, Ying Lili decided to leave her chamber as she needed to discuss a few things with Court Lady Xu regarding the herbs. "Don't leave the Princess alone," Ying Lili told them.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Ying Lili stood up and walked out of the chamber. She came out of the hallway towards the stairs and saw rain was pouring. The maidservant brought an umbrella for her.. But before she could do that, Sheng Li came and put the umbrella over Ying Lili's head.
