Chapter 51 - Enjoyable For You

Ying Lili grabbed the overcoat from Bao Ling and looked at it. It was cut from various places. Ying Lili looked at Bao Ling who was on her knees and had bowed her head. "When did this happen?" Ying Lili asked with a dejected expression.

"Your highness, please forgive me for not taking care of it. It was perfectly fine an hour ago," Bao Ling stuttered while crying. Ying Lili put the overcoat on the table and took a deep sigh. "This lowly deserves a punishment, your highness," Bao Ling asked for the punishment.

"You shall say that you want a death punishment," voiced Xue Yu-Yan who was near the entrance of the workshop. All the workers there bowed their heads seeing her entering inside, followed by her servants. "Your highness, you shall give this petty servant a death sentence," Xue Yu-Yan in a fit of rage said while shooting glares at Bao Ling who had bowed down such that her head was touching the floor.

"Your highness, please spare this servant," Bao Ling pleaded the crown princess.

"How dare you ask for forgiveness? You destroyed the hard work of the crown princess. You shall yourself ask for the death sentence," Xue Yu-Yan shouted at Bao Ling who was profusely crying.

Ying Lili finally intervened and spoke. "Noble Consort Xue, you do not have to decide someone's punishment. It is my work so, I will handle it my own way." The tone of the crown princess was threatening. Ying Lili then bent on her knees and grabbed both the arms of Bao Ling. The crown princess made her stand up and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"You do not need to cry. The design I made was not looking good on the overcoat. I have already prepared a gift for his highness," Ying Lili told Bao Ling and patted her shoulder. "It is fine. Do not cry over such a tiny matter," Ying Lili stated.

Xue Yu-Yan grimaced upon hearing the words of the crown princess.

"Thank you, your highness. Her highness is indeed kind. Thank you for showing kindness towards this servant," Bao Ling expressed her gratitude. Ying Lili gave her a tiny smile and told her to take some rest. Bao Ling bowed her head and left from there.

"It seems her highness does not consider the worth of the crown prince. The worker destroyed the overcoat made for his highness and her highness termed it as a 'Tiny matter'. Strange!" Xue Yu-Yan derided the decision of An-Ying Lili.

"Are you pointing the finger at the decision of the crown princess? It was indeed a tiny matter. Taking someone's life might be enjoyable for you, Consort Xue, but not for me," Ying Lili pronounced, which exasperated Xue Yu-Yan. She clutched her dress tightly but could not speak anything to the crown princess.

Gulping the anger that had built inside Xue Yu-Yan, she spoke. "Her highness is taking my words wrongly. I am not cruel enough to enjoy someone's death. It is just I thought her highness set an example," asserted Xue Yu-Yan.

Ying Lili smiled. "I do not like to set examples after taking someone's life," Ying Lili asserted with a stern expression. "I also know the real culprit, but it does not mean that I shall announce death sentence for that person," Ying Lili pronounced, glaring into the eyes of Xue Yu-Yan and left from there.

Xue Yu-Yan, on the other hand, tightened her fist as she looked at Ying Lili who was near the entrance. Ying Lili had descended the stairs and fastened her steps towards Zhenzhu Inn. "What will I do now? Why did I say that I have already prepared another gift for Sheng Li? Now, what will I gift him?" Ying Lili murmured.

"Your highness, please walk slowly. Your foot is still injured," Court Lady Xu concernedly spoke.

"No need," Ying Lili stated. After a while, they had reached the Eastern corridor. The evening has fallen and Ying Lili was panicking about the crown prince's gift. "If her majesty will find out, then she will be angry at me," Ying Lili thought when she was hit against someone. "Ahh," she screamed, but the person caught her.

Ying Lili lifted her eyes and saw Jian Guozhi in front of her. "The crown princess seems anxious," Jian Guozhi with a smile said. Ying Lili blinked her eyes and pushed him off lightly. As soon as Ying Lili pulled away, Jian Guozhi looked at his hand and smiled.

"Is her highness fine?" Jian Guozhi asked. Ying Lili shook her head and walked past the First Prince, which confused him. Ying Lili reached Zhenzhu Inn and paced in her resting room, thinking about what she should do for the crown prince's birthday.

"Your highness, what will you do in such a short period of time?" Court lady anxiously asked and looked at the crown princess.

"I am thinking," Ying Lili replied.

A maidservant came there and bowed her head. "Your highness, her majesty has asked for the royal dragon robe which you are going to gift the crown prince tomorrow," the servant passed the message of Empress Wei to the crown princess.

"It is not ready yet. Tell her majesty that I will myself bring it in the morning," Ying Lili proclaimed. The servant bowed her head and left the chamber.

"Your highness, if her majesty will find out that the Overcoat is destroyed then she might get angry," Court Lady Xu expressed her concern.

"I will accept my mistake then. But, now the biggest problem is what shall I gift Sheng Li?" Ying Lili muttered. "Court Lady, do you know what does the crown prince likes?" Ying Lili asked, looking at her with hope.

"Forgive me, your highness. His highness never shared his thoughts on it. He does not share his personal things," Court Lady Xu replied politely.

"You are with him since the birth time," Ying Lili opined.

"Yes, your highness but he never shared his thoughts," answered Court Lady Xu.

"Shall I ask the sixth brother?" Ying Lili thought and told Court Lady Xu to arrange a quick meeting with the sixth prince. "Tell the sixth brother to meet at the Eastern pavilion," Ying Lili asserted.

"Your highness, meeting the other Prince when evening has fallen is not a good idea. Your image can be tarnished," Court Lady Xu suggested Ying Lili. "In my opinion, her highness shall ask the crown prince and must tell him about this because if her majesty will find out then things will be out of control," Court Lady Xu advised. Ying Lili twitched her lips and wondered if Sheng Li would even help her or would he laugh at her.