"The rebellions in the Southern Province results from many factors. Your highness, General Wang said that you shall come there as soon as possible to get a hold on the situation," pronounced General Xiao Zhan who was seated at the front of the crown prince, on a stool, facing him.

Sheng Li was intensely looking at the scroll. "Is Wang Hao safe?" Sheng Li asked Xiao Zhan who knitted his brows.

"What do you mean, your highness?" Xiao Zhan queried Sheng Li. Sheng Li stood up from his seat with the scroll in his hand and went to the candle stand there. Xiao Zhan was looking confusedly at the crown prince.

Sheng Li brought the scroll near the candle flame and a new message started appearing, right below where the message with the ink ended. "The First and the second prince are responsible for the rebellions. For now, I am able to get only this information. It is their plan to kill you," Sheng Li read the message and then burn the scroll there.

He was smirking when Xiao Zhan asked the crown prince about the message. "I will tell you later," Sheng Li asserted and turned to him.

"Did you gather any information about the intruder in the Western Palace which the crown princess had happened to see?" Sheng Li questioned as he again took the seat.

Xiao Zhan lowered his eyes. "Forgive me, your highness. The western Palace has the least security so, no one could see the intruder. I even investigated the place, but there was nothing. Her highness was right. There is no escape point to escape from there," Xiao Zhan informed Sheng Li who smiled.

"Are you getting old? This much information I have already received from the crown princess." Sheng Li was not satisfied with General Xiao's investigation. "Why is security limited in the Western Palace? Is it not the part of the Imperial Palace?" Sheng Li demanded answers from General Xiao.

Xiao Zhan had lowered his eyes. "Forgive me for giving already given information to his highness. I will do my best to go into the depth of this. I will increase the security there as well," General Xiao assured the crown prince.

"Don't deploy soldiers there. It will raise suspicions and directly point fingers on the crown princess. That night she was roaming alone there so, I do not want to get it disclose to anyone. Post a few spies there. Do not make any mistakes, Xiao Zhan," Sheng Li advised and at the same time warned General Xiao.

"Thank you for trusting me again, your highness. I will not let you down this time." General Xiao bowed his head with a tiny smile on the lips.

"You may leave," Sheng Li commanded. Xiao Zhan stood up from the seat and left from there. Sheng Li looked at the burned ashes of the scroll near the candle stand. "Yongzheng has again started his treacherous ways along with Jian Guozhi. It is not even a week of my stay here and they planned these much things to send me away. I wonder what surprise they will give me tomorrow," Sheng Li thought in his mind.

~~~~~

Ying Lili was in her chamber, resting on the bed. "Do you feel safe around me? Do you not think I might want to fulfill my desires as well?" These two questions were revolving in Ying Lili's head. "What did he mean by the second question?" Ying Lili murmured.

Court Lady Xu saw that the crown princess was talking with herself, which worried her out. "Your highness, may I ask what are you thinking about?" Court Lady Xu politely asked.

Ying Lili turned her head and looked at the court lady. "Lady Xu, what it means w-when someone says that he wants to fulfill his desires?" Ying Lili asked the court lady who was befuddled upon hearing that.

"May I ask in what context her highness is referring to?" Court Lady Xu queried politely.

"Umm… The crown prince asked me," Ying Lili in a low voice spoke.

Court Lady Xu was delighted to hear that the crown prince is showing interest in the crown princess. "This court lady thinks that his highness was referring to building a sexual relationship with you," Court lady Xu replied humbly with a tiny smile on her lips.

"W-what??" Ying Lili exclaimed and sat up on the bed. Seeing the horrified expressions on the crown princess' face. "Your highness, are you not happy about this? Finally, his highness wants to go ahead in this relationship with her highness," Court Lady Xu pronounced delightfully.

"Court Lady, how can you be happy about this?" Ying Lili complained. "You know that how much do we hate each other? How can he say such a thing to me?" Ying Lili muttered under her breath. Court Lady Xu noticed that the crown princess did not want the crown prince to get close to her in any way.

"Your highness, this court lady wants to say something." Ying Lili permitted her.

"Your highness, you shall not push away your husband. I do not know what happened between you and his highness but I think her highness shall start understanding his highness. Soon, the inner court will intervene. Then her highness has to herself select noble consorts and concubines. I know his highness had announced his decision not to make him marry anymore but for his position he has to.

If any woman who seems charming to his highness then, her highness will feel dejected. So, it is better to take things in your control," Court Lady Xu made the crown princess understand.

"Good for him. He can go to as many as women he wants to. Who wants to fulfill his sexual needs!? Pervert," Ying Lili with exasperation said.

Before the court lady could further say something, a maidservant came running inside the resting chamber of the crown prince. She bowed her head and informed, "Your highness, the-the overcoat on which her highness was working is destroyed by someone."

"What are you saying? Who can do this?" Court lady Xu angrily asked. The maidservant lowered her eyes. "No one knows," replied the maidservant. Ying Lili came down from the bed, wore her shoes. She left for the workshop along with the court lady and a few maidservants.