MARRIED TO A CRUEL CROWN PRINCE

Don't Start a War, Lili

Chapter 20: Don't start a war, Lili

After dinner:

Sheng Li finished reading the scroll which one day he had to tell the Emperor about a petition filed by a nearby village in the capital by a peasant group. Eunuch Xing-Fu was helping him when the first Prince came there. Xing-Fu lowered his head in front of Jian Guozhi and then left from there.

"The first brother was here? What is the likely reason?" Sheng Li asked as he gestured for her to sit on a chair around the table. A servant came there and pulled a chair for the first Prince.

"Bring her tea," Sheng Li ordered the servant who lowered his head and walked out.

"Your Majesty immersed himself in the work as soon as he returned from the military campaign," Jian Guozhi said, looking at the scrolls on the table. Sheng Li nodded and asked about his sudden visit.

"I just want to talk to my younger brother," Jian Guozhi said. Sheng Li chuckled at hearing that. "Sister, you have never made such a surprise visit at my residence. Do you think I'll believe your words?" Sheng Li smirked at the first prince.

"The palace rumors spread like wildfire. I'm sure you don't know about the rumors, so does Yinger who knows," Jian Guozhi confirmed. Sheng Li's facial expression darkened as he heard his wife's name from the first prince. Even the crown prince did not call Ying Lili that way. "What happened, fifth brother? It seems like I said something wrong," Jian Guozhi said.

"Brothers should not call my wife's name with such affection. It gave me the wrong idea," Sheng Li said.

Jian Guozhi smiled slightly. The waiter then came there with a tray where a teapot and two porcelain cups were placed. He served tea to the two princes and left from there. Jian Guozhi grabbed the cup and sipped her tea. "The lavender tea calms my nerves," Sheng heard the first prince. "Brother Sheng, the crown princess herself approved this name, so I don't think the crown prince will have any problems with this," Jian Guozhi said. Sheng Li tightened his grip on the porcelain cup after hearing that.

"It looks like the crown prince is not on good terms with the crown princess. Is it because of the lover you have? Brother Sheng, rumors say that on the wedding night the crown princess was harmed by you. Is it because you again lost control of your beast? I almost forgot that after you lost your mother, you turned into a bad person," Jian Guozhi confirmed and sipped her tea again.

Sheng Li kept the pressure on the porcelain cup intact while looking into the eyes of the first prince. Jian Guozhi was waiting for the crown prince's response. "Sister, why are you so interested in my personal life? Is it because the crown princess did not marry you? I heard the late King Song doesn't want his daughter to be your concubine. So, if you think that the crown princess could be yours then you should throw this idea out of your mind," Sheng Li said and drank tea from the cup he was holding.

Jian Guozhi did not expect the crown prince would fight for a woman with him. "Brother Sheng, I dare not look at your noble wife. Yinger thought of me as her elder brother, so, as an older brother, I was worried about her. I don't want him to be hurt by my cruel brother. Indeed, I chose her as my concubine but now it is past," Jian Guozhi said in a quite serious tone.

"It seems like an elder brother came here to talk mainly about the crown princess," Sheng Li said in a sarcastic tone.

"You can say that, brother Sheng. There's one more thing you should know. I will marry Miss Xue soon. The Prime Minister is ready to hand over his daughter to me. Brother Sheng, our fate is very twisted. The one you love cannot be with you and the one I admire cannot be with me," Jian Guozhi uttered and observed Sheng Li's expression.

"I'm sorry, brother Sheng, but mother has decided everything. I don't think you have enough power to oppose or change the empress' orders." Sheng Li furrowed his brows after hearing that. But, he was stuck because for a moment he could make his father understand but his stepmother would never agree with him. "Brother Sheng, I'll go. I hope you will look after Yinger," Jian Guozhi said leaving the study room. Sheng Li threw the cup from the table.

"Speak," Sheng Li allowed the head Eunuch.

"The empress has summoned the royal oracle tomorrow at the palace. In order to stop the spread of rumors, His Majesty will decide on a good day for the two of you to spend the night together. The crown princess is being examined by the royal physician today and she is fully healthy to bear the future heir." Xing-Fu finished talking and his head still lowered.

"What's? What's he trying to do?" Sheng Li muttered and raged. "Why did the Empress interfere in my life?" Sheng Li shouted.

"Calm down, Your Majesty. The rules within the palace were decided by His Majesty the Emperor and His Majesty could do nothing but accept it," Xing-Fu confirmed, lowering his eyes.

"Send wine to my bedroom and don't let anyone in" Sheng Li commandingly told Xing-Fu.

"Your Majesty, you drank with the prince of Wanxi before. I'm afraid excessive drinking can ..."

"Do as I say," the cold tone was enough to stop Xing-Fu from speaking any further. "I will send wine there in a moment, Your Majesty," this Xing-Fu said leaving the study room while the crown prince went to his bedroom.

Sheng Li was thinking of stopping the night with the crown princess while drinking when the crown princess showed her presence in the bedroom which made her suspicions strong on the crown princess. "The Empress must have sent him here to seduce me," Sheng Li thought looking at Ying Lili who had just taken the wine cup from him. But, when the crown prince asked Ying Lili whether she was sent there by the empress, she acted innocent in front of him which angered the crown prince.

"Let me go. You can enjoy your drink," Ying Lili said.

"You have entered the residence of the crown prince where a person enters and leaves only with his permission. I don't want to let you go today. Let's sleep together. I'll please you and fulfill your wishes." Sheng Li said with a grin.

Ying Lili slapped him which made Sheng Li furious. "How dare you say that? When I told you that I was here because-" Before he could finish his words, Sheng Li caught his lips and kissed him violently. Ying Lili tried to push him but she did not flinch instead tightening her grip on Ying Lili's waist.

Ying Lili moved one hand behind her hair and pulled out a hairpin. Sheng Li did not stop kissing her which had angered the crown princess. He directed the hairpin towards Sheng Li as he grabbed his hand that was previously at Ying Lili's waist. Pulling away from Ying Lili, Sheng Li spoke, "I'm not drunk enough to be hurt by you so easily.This is the second time you slapped me." Ying Lili felt a pain in her hand as Sheng Li tightened his grip.

"Ahh," Ying Lili screamed but Sheng Li was not affected by this. "You hurt me," Ying Lili said with a whimper. He used his other hand and hit Sheng Li's shoulder and he pushed him away. Ying Lili was now on the floor while Sheng Li looked at her with a murderous gaze.

Ying Lili quickly stood up, wanting to leave the bedroom as quickly as she could. He went towards the door as Sheng Li spoke, "Don't start a war, Lili. When I tell you that you can't get out of this room then you can't." Ying Lili was a little frightened and she wanted to run away from him as quickly as possible. "I'm afraid that if I'm going to stay here any longer then a mean person like you won't even stop killing me," Ying Lili announced and stretched out her hand to open the door as she was clamped on the door by the crown prince.