Wang Hao wiped his head with the towel and put it away when a soldier came to him and informed him about the Crown Prince's arrival. Wang Hao walked out of the dressing room and saw Sheng Li in front of him. He bowed in front of him.
"Are you alright?" Sheng Li asked him.
"Yes, Your Highness. Princess Bai tried to take her life. Luckily, I was checking the security and happened to see her," Wang Hao but briefed Sheng Li.
"Princess Bai is in trauma after Prince Yongzheng's death. You did great, Wang Hao," Sheng Li patted his shoulder. "You shall go back," he said.
"My apologies, Your Highness, for intruding on your conversation. Princess Bai wants to thank General Wang personally," Xing-Fu informed them.
Sheng Li chuckled. He was unable to understand the mind of Princess Bai. Earlier, she tried to take her life away and now she wanted to thank Wang Hao to save her. She must have gone crazy, Sheng Li thought.
"It is late night. I do not think it is appropriate for me to meet Princess Bai. I will see her in the morning," Wang Hao told his decision. He then looked at Sheng Li. "Your Highness, I will see you tomorrow. Have a good night," he said and left for his residence.
Sheng Li turned to Xing-Fu. "Your Highness, the Crown Princess has said that she will stay with Princess Bai tonight. You shall head back to your chamber," Xing-Fu informed him.
Sheng Li hummed. "We did not have our dinner. Send the meals to her and tell her not to neglect her health in all this," Sheng Li ordered Xing-Fu.
"Yes, Your Highness," Xing-Fu stepped back and walked out of the chamber.
In Bai Yaling's chamber, Ying Lili urged Xue Yu-Yan and Liao Jun to go back to their respective chambers. Once they left, Ying Lili turned her gaze to Bai Yaling, who was on the bed dressed in white clothes. Ying Lili stood up from the chair and put the blanket on her.
Xing-Fu came inside and passed the message of Wang Hao to Bai Yaling. Xing-Fu, then walked out of the chamber and told Court Lady Xu to send the dinner for the Crown Princess and Princess Bai.
"Why did Sister Bai try to take her life? Did she not think about the people around her?" Ying Lili questioned her.
"Does anyone even care for me? Is there meaning left in living this life? If the Crown Princess wanted, then she could save the life of my husband. The husband of a wife is like her jewel," asserted Bai Yaling.
"Forgive me, Sister Bai. I wanted to save Brother Yongzheng but his crimes were heinous," stated Ying Lili. "We all care for you, Sister Bai," she said.
"Really? I do not think that the Crown Princess tried saving my late husband. I cannot even blame anyone. This was my fate and it brought me to a point where I can see only darkness," Bai Yaling argued.
"Your Highness, the dinner is here," Court Lady Xu informed Ying Lili.
"Put it there and prepare a plate for Princess Bai," Ying Lili ordered Court Lady Xu, who did so. Handing the plate to Ying Lili, she left. She picked the rice from the chopsticks and brought it near the mouth of Bai Yaling.
"Open your mouth, Sister Bai," Ying Lili requested her.
"I do not want to eat, Crown Princess," Bai Yaling turned her face away.
"Will it do anything good?" Ying Lili asked her. "Nothing good will come if Sister Bai took her anger out on the food. It will only worsen her health," Ying Lili asserted.
Bai Yaling looked at Ying Lili and asked, "Crown Princess, what if such a thing happens with you? Will you be able to take food?"
Ying Lili put her hand down and placed the chopsticks on the plate. "Sister Bai, no woman wants the ill of her husband. However, I have lost many people close to me during my stay in the Palace. I lost my father the day I stepped out of my house; I lost my mother within a few days of my stay in this Imperial Palace; I lost my uncle who killed my father and then I lost my childhood friend. However, those things did not stop me. I know a husband is important for a woman but other people around her are equally important– her parents, her siblings, and her friends.
Sister Bai, your grave loss is understandable to me, but you have a life ahead of you. You cannot solely stick to this one relationship. Also, you and I both know that there was no love between you two. It was merely an abusive relationship. Don't destroy your true self by sticking to a person, who never respected you," Ying Lili advised her.
Bai Yaling's eyes turned misty. She lowered them and started to cry. "Why did it happen with me only? I have dreamt of such a great life. However, I got nothing," Bai Yaling started to weep like a child. Ying Lili put the plate aside and sat on the mattress. She embraced Bai Yaling and caressed her head. Tears poured down her eyes too. She could feel and empathize with Bai Yaling's pain and agony.
"Crown Princess, my heart aches when I see the women of my age with their husbands. It hurts badly. That's why I decided to escape this life. I tried my best to hold it but this life haunts me," Bai Yaling said while crying.
Ying Lili had no words left. What would she possibly say? Indeed, Bai Yaling would feel the loneliness inside those four walls.
After a while, they pulled away. Ying Lili wiped the tears from her cheeks. "At least drink this soup," Ying Lili requested her. Bai Yaling nodded her head.
Ying Lili picked the bowl and spoonfed the soup to Bai Yaling. Once she finished, she told Bai Yaling to lay down and then she covered her from the blanket.. "Close your eyes," Ying Lili said as she kept caressing her head.
