Chapter 24 - Loves Another Woman Rather Than Her

Ying Lili followed Sheng Li who was walking briskly. With a large gown, it was difficult for walking at the crown prince's pace. She was confused whether the crown prince was angry or he was hungry that he was walking with such a speed. Ying Lili raised her high waist skirt a little bit and ran after Sheng Li. Court Lady Xu, Eunuch Xing-Fu, and six other maidservants also started running after Ying Lili.

The crown princess was now beside the crown prince and walked along with him. "Why are you walking so hastily? Why are you not stopping Miss Xue's wedding?" Ying Lili asked Sheng Li when he halted at his place. Seeing him, Ying Lili also stopped when Sheng Li stepped closer to the crown princess.

Immediately, the servants bowed their heads. Ying Lili stepped back and asked Sheng Li what he was doing. She found there were indescribable expressions in the eyes of the crown prince when the crown princess realized that she was hit against a pillar. Sheng Li placed his one hand beside Ying Lili's head.,

Ying Lili pressed her back against the pillar wall. With a confused expression, she told Sheng Li to get away. "Why did you follow me then?" Sheng Li asked Ying Lili.

The crown princess blinked her eyes and then spoke, "Because we are going the same way to the breakfast hall. And, I-I wanted to know why did you not say anything inside? You told me that you will marry Miss Xue then, why did you change your mind out of sudden?" Ying Lili put forwarded her questions and then placed her hand right below Sheng Li's right shoulder to push him away.

But, the crown prince did not budge from his position. "What do you think why I did not oppose the decision?" Sheng Li asked, leaning closer to Ying Lili who averted her gaze from him. "Answer," Sheng Li in a commanding tone stated.

"How would I know?" Ying Lili muttered.

Sheng Li chuckled upon hearing the short answer from Lili. "I am a One-woman man. I have put a lot of thought into it and came to the conclusion that I shall keep playing with you, Lili," stated Sheng Li with a grin. Ying Lili felt Sheng Li's hot breath on her cheek and then looked at him. "But, I do not want you to play with me. Did we two not agree that we will not intervene in each other's lives?" Ying Lili asked with an inquisitiveness.

"I do not remember I said those words to you. Instead, I said to you that playing with you will be fun," Sheng Li proclaimed. Eunuch Xing-Fu and Court Lady Xu were taking glances at the crown prince and the crown princess.

"Get away from me," Ying Lili told Sheng Li when the first Prince came there along with his younger brothers. Seeing the crown prince and crown princess, all the brothers cleared their throats. Ying Lili saw them and pushed Sheng Li. Lowering her eyes, she greeted all the brothers. Sheng Li smiled and looked at his half brothers.

"It seems the crown prince was not able to stop himself from getting closer to her highness," Jian Guozhi pronounced and then looked at Ying Lili.

"Sister Lili, you are looking beautiful in this rose pink dress," the second Prince, Yongzheng complimented Ying Lili who thanked the second prince for his kind words. "Let's go," Sheng Li told Ying Lili and stepped ahead when Jian Guozhi said something which infuriated the crown prince.

"Ying'er, you shall be happy now. The crown prince will no longer see the other woman except you," Jian Guozhi. The rest brothers were confused hearing those words.

"The first prince shall not use the title for the crown princess and he is not allowed to tell Lili if I see her or not," Sheng Li pronounced. "No one is allowed to call her by her name. Use the title for her. I do not want to repeat myself," Sheng Li further stated. Ying Lili glanced at him but did not speak anything.

"It seems the crown prince is jealous of us brothers closeness with Ying'er," stated Jian Guozhi. "I would like to listen to Ying'er on this. If she will say so then, we brothers will start using the title," stated Jian Guozhi, glaring into the eyes of Sheng Li. The rest brothers looked at each other. Weng Yu was scared already by Sheng Li who he hid behind the sixth brother, Lei Wanxi.

"I like to call the crown princess as Sister Lili," Sheng Li heard Weng Yu which raged him but by then Ying Lili intervened. "If the crown prince wants the title must be used to call my name out then, I would like to request all the brothers to use that. I apologize for my immature behavior earlier," Ying Lili pronounced. Jian Guozhi clenched his fist as anger built inside him.

"Your highness, we will call you by your title then," asserted Yongzheng and gave her a tiny smile. Sheng Li turned his gaze at Weng Yu and told him to follow him to the military ground after breakfast.

Weng Yu had lowered his eyes and in a timid voice said, "Your highness, I do not want to."

"I did not give you an option. If you won't come then…"

"How could you speak with a kid like this? You are terrifying the youngest Prince," Ying Lili cut the words of Sheng Li in the middle. All the princes looked at each other as Ying Lili was informal with the crown prince and was scolding him as well. Lei Wanxi could not control his laugh and ended up laughing.

"Forgive me, your highness," Lei Wanxi bowed his head in front of Sheng Li who a moment ago gave him a deadly glare.

"Brother Yu, I will be there as well. The crown prince wants you to be strong and if you will not train then, you will not be considered a warrior. Do you not want to be like your father and brother?" Ying Lili asked Weng Yu. Sheng Li looked at the crown princess and was surprised seeing that she was taking his side.

"I want to be but brother… I mean the crown prince," Weng Yu lifted his eyes to look at Sheng Li who was looking at him. Right away, he lowered his eyes because of the fear of the crown prince. Ying Lili observed the fear in Weng Yu's eyes when she heard Sheng Li, "You do not need to come. Keep living like a coward." Without waiting anymore there, Sheng Li walked away.

Weng Yu's eyes filled with tears. Lei Wanxi put his hand around Weng Yu's shoulder and pulled him closer. "Will you keep standing there?" Ying Lili heard the loud voice of Sheng Li. Ying Lili bowed her head and walked ahead towards the crown prince followed by the servants behind her.

"I think the crown prince relationship has turned good with the crown princess. Good to see them like this," Yongzheng proclaimed. Han Nianzu agreed with the Second Prince and they walked towards the greeting hall.

Ying Lili stopped near Sheng Li and asked him why he got angry at the youngest Prince. "Do you not want to eat?" Sheng Li asked Ying Lili, ignoring her question. Ying Lili noticed something was going on with the crown prince so, she did not bother him by asking any more questions. They both went towards the crown prince chamber where they two had to eat together.

As they sat around a round table, various kinds of dishes were placed on the table. Ying Lili observed the expressions on the face of the crown prince. "Are you sad because Miss Xue will not marry you?" Ying Lili gathering her courage asked.

Sheng Li peered into the eyes of Ying Lili. "It seems that the crown princess desperately wants me to marry Xue Yu Yan. Unlike the other women, the crown princess is not jealous that her husband loves another woman rather than her," Sheng Li pronounced.

Ying Lili was demented by the words of the crown prince. "Why would I be jealous? I was happy thinking that you two will marry," asserted Ying Lili and picked the wooden lid over a bowl, checking the food. A servant came ahead and checked the food for them. "The food is okay. Your highnesses shall eat," the servant said and stepped back.

"Lili, you have to die for that," Sheng Li proclaimed hearing which Ying Lili widened her eyes.