Sheng Li did not say anything for a few seconds and looked over at Ying Lili's face. "You told me you will never fall for this cruel man, but you seem to be so much in love with me. Your thoughts changed for me in just a night," Sheng Li pronounced.

Ying Lili shook her head. "I did not fall for you. I just want to support the Crown Prince," Ying Lili affirmed.

"Can you prove to me you can be a woman of my choice?" Sheng Li questioned Ying Lili and placed his index finger under her chin. Ying Lili blinked her eyes and nodded. Sheng Li smiled and pulled his hand back and in just seconds the smile on his face disappeared. He knitted his brows and spoke, "Kill your uncle first, followed by the people who accompanied him for the feast."

Ying Lili gulped. "Sheng Li, there might be some innocents among them," Ying Lili opined with a concerned expression.

"Then they have to sacrifice their lives for a good cause. I will investigate them first and then you have to kill them on my orders. The rest I will tell you later but trust me you are going to step back seeing my mercilessness," Sheng Li proclaimed.

"I will not. This is a war ground where one has to be careful every time because the enemies are hidden," Ying Lili asserted. Sheng Li picked the chopsticks again and told Ying Lili that she should eat.

As they were eating, Sheng Li queried, "Who do you think planned all this?" "The Prime Minister," replied Ying Lili.

Sheng Li put the dumpling inside his mouth and chewed it. The Crown Prince shook his head in refusal and after swallowing the chewed food down his throat, he spoke, "The Empress."

Ying Lili's eyes widened upon hearing that. She was bewildered and at the same time, infuriated because she had never thought a mother could do this. Indeed, Prince Nianzu had told her that the Empress was not good to Sheng Li from his childhood days, but she had never thought that she could stoop so low.

Ying Lili was left with no words. She could not find what she should tell Sheng Li in that situation. She found Sheng Li's face had sadness and at the same time it was filled with anger. She didn't say anything and continued eating.

Once they were finished taking their morning meals, Sheng Li went back to bed, as he was still feeling low. The maidservants cleaned the table while Ying Lili sat on the wooden bamboo stool beside Sheng Li's bed. "Your highness, please give this medicine to the Crown Prince," Xing-Fu stated as he handed a tray over, which a bowl was placed in her hand.

Ying Lili picked the bowl and sat up on the bed. "Here, drink this," Ying Lili said. Xing-Fu placed the tray on the table before leaving. Sheng Li grabbed the porcelain bowl from Ying Lili and then drank it. Ying Lili took the bowl and put it over the table. She took out a handkerchief from inside her long sleeve and wiped the lips of Sheng Li who grabbed her wrist.

"I can do it myself," Sheng Li stated when Ying Lili slapped his hand lightly. Ying Lili pulled back her hand once she was done when Sheng Li spoke. "Aren't you tired?"

"Huh?"

"Aren't you tired?" Sheng Li repeated his question. "You were in prison last night and could not sleep. Let's sleep together," Sheng Li asserted. Ying Lili blinked her eyes and almost stood up from the bed when Sheng Li swiftly pinned her on the bed. "They all think that we do not have a cordial relationship but we can prove it wrong by sleeping together from today onwards," Sheng Li offered, keeping a grin on his lips.

"We will have to follow a rule while we sleep together. You cannot do anything to me," Ying Lili proclaimed, which made Sheng Li laugh. Controlling his laughter, Sheng Li traced Ying Lili's jawline. "If I were to do anything, wouldn't it have happened already? And, what if you throw yourself at me?" He waited for Ying Lili's reply.

"I-I mean that…"

"I will take it as a yes," Sheng Li stated and leaned back. He took out Ying Lili's shoes and told her to rest comfortably. "Is it that important to sleep together now?" Ying Lili was inquisitive. Sheng Li nodded. "It is necessary. If we will not sleep together, I will be pressured to have a consort or a concubine. My compatibility with other women is not that good as it is with you. Moreover, I want to keep my promise of having only one woman in my life."

Ying Lili was touched by the words of Sheng Li, but she did not let them show in her face. She quickly moved back to the bed and turned her back towards the Crown Prince. Sheng Li smiled, seeing the reactions of Ying Lili. "Do you want to sleep with this heavy overcoat, Crown, and hair accessories?" Sheng Li asked the Crown Princess

who turned to look at him.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean what I said earlier," Sheng Li replied. "Remove your overcoat, Crown, and unnecessary hair accessories you have worn," Sheng Li repeated himself. "Or shall I help you?" Sheng Li asked in a teasing tone.

Ying Lili did not reply and pretended she did not hear him. She sat up on the bed and removed the pins from her head. "At this rate, we will sleep tomorrow, I think," Sheng Li commented. He moved slightly towards Ying Lili and grabbed her hands, which were behind her head. She peered at Sheng Li whose face was so close that she could feel his breath.

Sheng Li removed the hairpins quickly and gold Buyao (it has flowering branches with dangling beads) followed by the Crown. Sheng Li put them on the empty table beside the bed and then turned back to Ying Lili. "What are you looking at? Remove your overcoat too," Sheng Li ordered as he pulled up the blanket.

Ying Lili took off the overcoat and placed it beside her towards the wall. She laid down, facing the wall when she felt the blanket placed over her. Her heart was beating strangely, but not because of the nervousness. She did not know that indescribable feeling which was developing in her heart.