Chapter 3 - I Don't Like Wild Cats

Sheng Li turned to leave when Song Wai bent on his knees. " Your highness, take my daughter to Han Capital with respect. I beg you," asserted Song Wai with a bowed head.

"Father," mumbled Ying Lili and clenched her fist in anger.

"It is my grace on you that I am not killing you and this imperial ground has not turned into a mourning ground. Indeed, I am taking her with me with respect," Sheng Li pronounced and looked at General Wang who understood the crown prince's order.

Sheng Li hopped onto the horse and kept staring at Ying Lili who averted her gaze from him. Ying Lili made her father stand up and told him not to worry about anything as everything was fine. General Wang bowed his head before Yenay and spoke, "Your highness, please follow me."

Ying Lili turned to look at him and gave him a nod. Chou Mei hugged her daughter tightly and caressed her hair. "An Lili, forgive your mother for not able to do anything," Cho Mei lamented.

"Take care of yourself. Do not worry about me, and you have done more than enough for me," Ying Lili stated as she pulled away from her. She looked at her father who was also crying seeing all this. "Father, you are a great king. I will never let you down," Ying Lili stated. Song Wai patted his daughter's head.

"Wang Hao, tell them it is not an occasion to cry. Their daughter is not dead yet," Sheng Li's harsh words were heard by Ying Lili and others there. Chou Mei flinched her brows in worry, but what she could do now. They were helpless, as their only daughter was being taken away like that.

"Your highness," General Wang told Yenay, his eyes still lowered. Ying Lili stepped forward, exited the imperial palace gate. She walked past Sheng Li who was on a horse and got inside the palanquin. The eight sedan lifters lifted the palanquin.

"The emperor of Han has sent some gifts for King Song. From today onward, we are allies with a matrimonial relationship," asserted General Wang. Song Wai accepted that by bowing his head again.

Sheng Li turned the horse and walked out from their sight followed by the palanquin. Ying Lili looked at her parents for the last time through the curtain. Tears formed in her eyes as she lost her parents' sight. General Wang, on the other hand, stayed there till every gift was given to the Juyan King.

"Your highness, will we stay outside Juyan for a day or will we resume our journey to the capital?" General Xiao asked who was beside him on the horse.

"We will not stay here. The military campaign is over, so we must return to the capital as soon as possible," Sheng Li pronounced. "Empty the resting ground and follow us to the capital," Sheng Li commanded him. General Xiao agreed to him and on his horse turned to the resting ground.

After a while, General Wang caught them up. "Your highness, you should have been lenient there," he said.

"I was lenient, that's why nobody died today," Sheng Li asserted.

"There is something your highness must know," General Wang further spoke.

"Hmm… speak," Sheng Li permitted him.

"After you left from there someone shot an arrow directed towards King Song. He is no more," General Wang pronounced.

Frowns appeared on Sheng Li's forehead. "Did you catch him?" Sheng Li asked with a raised brow.

"Indeed, I caught him, but he consumed poison from the ring he was wearing. I could not get the name of the person who did this," General Wang told Sheng Li.

"Other than his brother no one can dare to do this," Sheng Li stated and snickered.

"Your highness, what about the Princess? She must know about this," General Wang asserted.

"No. I will tell the princess when we will reach the capital," proclaimed Sheng Li.

"Would that not be too late? Forgive me for saying this but your relationship can be tainted with the princess, which is not good," General Wang opined.

"Are you worried about me or her? It seems you are mesmerized by her beauty," Sheng Li stated and chuckled.

"Your highness, I do not dare to eye on the Crown Prince's woman. I am just worried for you because if the princess will find out about this later then she might blame the crown prince. The emperor might get angry at you. So, we shall pay our tributes to the late King of Juyan." General Wang tried making Sheng Li understand.

"What difference will it make for her? It isn't like she can revive the dead. Whether or not she blames me, it will not affect me because I also wanted her father to die. How dare she tell me what to do or what not to do," Sheng Li said with a slight smile.

"Your highness, so you will not tell the princess about this?" General Wang with an inquisitiveness asked.

"Wang, you are forcing me to tell her. I need to go back again," Sheng Li proclaimed with a displeased look. "Okay, we will go back to the imperial Juyan Palace," asserted Sheng Li.

"Your highness, first you must tell the princess," opined Wang Hao. Sheng Li gave a nod and halted along with his horse. He jumped down from the horse and turned back. Ying Lili was confused when the palanquin was stopped. She tried to take a peek when she realized the palanquin was put down.

Before she could look out, Sheng Li looked in by putting the curtain aside. Ying Lili was startled to see him and averted her gaze from him. The next second, Sheng Li got inside the palanquin.

"Step back everyone," Ying Lili heard the command of general Wang.

Sheng Li put his index finger under Ying Lili's chin and made her look at him. "When I will be in front of you, always look into my eyes. Understood?" Sheng Li stated with a raised brow.

Ying Lili shook her head in agreement and slapped off Sheng Li's hand. "And, you shall not touch me without my permission," Ying Lili snapped at Sheng Li who chuckled as he pulled his hand back.

"I do not like wild cats. Well, let's not start our arguments. There is something you must know," Sheng Li asserted as he peered into Ying Lili's eyes.

"Speak quickly," Ying Lili sternly said.

"Your father is dead. Someone shot him an arrow. General Wang informed me just now," stated Sheng Li. Ying Lili's eyes filled with tears. "This cannot be true," Ying Lili stated. Her voice broke as tears poured down her eyes.

"Do you think I would have lied to you about this?" Sheng Li asked.

Ying Lili pushed Sheng Li aside, tried to get out of the palanquin when Sheng Li grabbed her arm and stopped her. "Leave me," Ying Lili said with a glare.

"I would love to but you cannot go there by foot," Sheng Li asserted.

"Leave me. You killed him, right?" Ying Lili asked and wiped the tears from the back of her palm using another hand.

"I do not kill people behind their backs. Moreover, I was not even there, so how could I kill him? If our relationship was good enough that I might have told you who killed your father. The shooter is dead as he consumed poison right after your father died. So, general Wang could not get hold of him," Sheng Li explained to Yenay.

"You want me to believe your lies? Leave my arm if you don't want to be killed by me," Ying Lili shouted at him.

Sheng Li slightly laughed as she was the first person to talk with him in such a way when he saw Ying Lili almost pull out the dagger which she was hiding in her waistband. She directed it towards Sheng Li, but he grabbed it. With a murderous look, Sheng Li spoke. "Try doing this and you will be killed here along with your remaining family members."

Ying Lili gulped her anger. "My generals are enough to wipe off your entire family if you ever try this," Sheng Li threatened Ying Lili. "Earlier I wanted to take you to meet your father, but now I have changed my mind. We are not-"

"Forgive me," Ying Lili cut the words of the crown prince as tears again poured down her eyes. "Let me meet my father for the last time," Ying Lili told Sheng Li. Sheng Li looked into her watery eyes when he felt somewhat strange.

Immediately, he came out of the palanquin. "We are going back to the Imperial Palace of Juyan," he ordered. Everyone agreed with that by bowing their heads.

Sheng Li hopped on his horse again and turned back on the same route. "Tell Xiao Zhan to continue the journey to the capital," Sheng Li ordered Wang Hao who informed a soldier regarding the same. The soldier left for the resting ground.

"Your highness, we have to stay there at least for a day," Wang Hao suggested.

"We will leave at night. I am not going there, so the princess is your responsibility. I will meet you at night," Sheng Li told Wang Hao.

Wang Hao was confused upon hearing that. "Is his highness planning to find the culprit?" Wang Hao queried Sheng Li, but he did not give any reply.