The next morning, Ying Lili went to the Emperor to converse with him regarding Sheng Li. Ying Lili kowtowed before the Emperor, who told Ying Lili to take the seat on the chaise, who sat on it.
"Last evening, the Crown Prince came to me. The Crown Princess might have seen the behavior of the Crown Prince after what Prince Yongzheng did. He is not ready to trust anyone around him and is again walking on the same path as he was on earlier. However, if the Crown Princess wants, then she can stop it. Apart from the Crown Princess, I do not think anyone could end the feelings of mistrust among the family members," Han Wenji stated and started to cough. He brought the handkerchief near his mouth and wiped the blood coming.
Ying Lili got tense seeing the health of the Emperor. It appeared to her that the Emperor's condition had worsened from earlier. Yongzheng's incident created more trouble in the recovery of the Emperor's health.
"Did His Majesty take his medicine? It might relieve the pain," Ying Lili concernedly said.
"I think that I shall not take any more medicines. My body is getting weaker day by day. In front of Sheng Li or any other royal member, I could not say this. But, in front of the Crown Princess, I can say it," Han Wenji pronounced.
"I feel there is no more time left on my end. Before that, I want the Crown Princess to bring these brothers close to each other, especially Jian Guozhi, Rong Zemin, and Sheng Li. If the hatred among them ends, then there is no way the royal family can ever be defeated," Han Wenji suggested to Ying Lili.
"I will try everything possible to bring them close, Your Majesty. But please take your medicine. It is difficult to see His Majesty in pain," Ying Lili humbly said and stood up from the chaise. She asked Eunuch Jin about the medicine, who quickly brought the medicine bowl from the other room. Ying Lili thanked him and took it towards Han Wenji.
"Please, drink it," Ying Lili requested as she forwarded the bowl towards the Emperor. Han Wenji passed her a tiny smile and drank the medicine from the bowl. Ying Lili took it from the Emperor and put it on the tray that Eunuch Jin had held. She went back to her seat.
"The Crown Prince thinks that the First Prince might betray him as well in the disguise of acting innocent. Prince Yongzheng did the same. We had no idea that he would do something like this," Ying Lili stated.
"The Crown Princess needs to create a situation where their concern for each other arises. Once these three Princes will come close, the entire family is protected," Han Wenji asserted.
Eunuch Jin came with a woolen shawl in his hand and put it around the Emperor. "The Crown Prince has the fear that the things that happened with his mother can happen with the Crown Princess because the enemies have targeted his closed ones," Eunuch Jin asserted and stood by the side of the Emperor.
Han Wenji agreed with him. "When the Crown Princess was brought to Luoyang to get married to the Crown Prince, his initial request was not to marry her with him. Because he thought someday, the Crown Princess would be harmed, and he could not risk it. Last evening he again said the same to me. So, the Crown Princess could see his fear that is again making him go back to his past self," Han Wenji, with a worried expression, said.
"The other Princes have good control on his emotions, but it's not the same for the Crown Prince. He fears losing, and for that reason, he kept his heart shut for a long. This way, he would never be able to enjoy his life. Doubts and Fears are one of the biggest enemies of a human," Han Wenji explained to Ying Lili, whose heart ached upon hearing all that.
After Hu Jingguo's and Wan Ju's demise, she had seen Sheng Li keeping his distance from the others. She could never become his weakness.
"Your Majesty, I have promised you that the Royal Family will not fall apart, and I will keep it. I could not stop the wrongdoings of Prince Yongzheng, but I can prevent any future fatalities. Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince's return to the Palace is important," Ying Lili stated.
"Forgive me for disturbing the Emperor and the Crown Princess. The Head of Civil Services Department is here," the Palace maid of the Emperor's manor suddenly came and informed them.
"Send him in," the Emperor ordered.
The Palace maid walked out, and in a while, the Head of Civil Services Department, Zai Yun, entered the chamber. He greeted both the Emperor and the Crown Prince. At the request of the Emperor, he took his seat adjacent to the chaise of Ying Lili's.
"Why did Zai Yun come out of sudden?" Han Wenji asked.
"Your Majesty, there is a candidate with the same name as the Fourth Prince, who sat in the Civil Services Exam, and he has beaten all the candidates," Zai Yun informed the Emperor, who was not surprised to hear that.
'That's why Sheng Li asked me to revoke my previous verdict regarding Nianzu,' Han Wenji thought.
"I have brought the sheets in which this candidate has written his answers. I want his Majesty to recognize the writing so that we can confirm it," Zai Yun asserted and looked at his right at his assistant, who opened the first sheet and showed it to the Emperor.
Han Wenji immediately recognized the writing of Nianzu and asked the assistant to bring the sheet closer. Han Wenji took the sheet from him and read the answers on Governance that Nianzu had written. A smile formed on his lips as the answers were more than perfect. "It is Nianzu's writing," Han Wenji confirmed it. The assistant took the sheet and went near to Zai Yun.
"Your Majesty, a Prince cannot give this exam," Zai Yun politely said.
"Brother Nianzu's status of being a Prince is already revoked. He is now a commoner so he can give this exam," Ying Lili asserted.
Zai Yun nodded his head and looked at the Emperor. "But His Royal Majesty has announced that the Fourth Prince is not allowed to enter Luoyang. Since he topped this exam, then he is destined to become the Minister of Personnel. His Majesty has to take back his previous verdict for that to happen," Zai Yun reasoned.
"Yes. If I did not take my verdict back, then the two other candidates who are supposed to be the Court Ministers will take it as injustice because I cannot rule out the fact that none of the top candidates from the top 3 positions would be placed in the Imperial Court. So, I need to take back my verdict against Nianzu," Han Wenji stated. He could not believe that Nianzu sat in the civil services as a commoner and proved to Han Wenji that he was wrong. He indeed wanted to serve people but also wanted to protect his wife too.
"Call the Crown Prince, the First and the Third Prince," Han Wenji ordered to Eunuch Jin, who bowed and walked out of the chamber.
