"Will there be a bet between us as well?" Jian Guozhi with inquisitiveness looked at Sheng Li who was checking the arrow. Ying Lili had come towards Sheng Li and stood beside him.

Sheng Li gave a slight laugh upon hearing the request of Jian Guozhi. "A bet? I wonder what kind of bet my brother wants to make!" Sheng Li proclaimed as he suppressed his smile. At that moment, Xiao Zhan came there.

He greeted the Crown Prince first, followed by the Crown Princess and the First Prince. Xiao Zhan whispered something in the ear of Sheng Li whose facial expressions turned to a serious one.

Xiao Zhan stepped back while Sheng Li looked at Jian Guozhi. "Forgive me, dear brother, but I have something urgent. Let's play this game some other time," Sheng Li politely said.

Jian Guozhi nodded. "I will wait for the next time, your highness," Jian Guozhi replied and left from there. Sheng Li turned to Ying Lili. "Go to Zhenzhu Inn. I will see you in the night," Sheng Li with a smile said and then leaned closer to Ying Lili's ear. "I will tell you to fulfill that wish in the night," he whispered, and then leaned back.

Noticing the reaction on the Crown Princess's face, Sheng Li ended up giggling but he soon stopped. "General Xiao, drop the Crown Princess to Zhenzhu Inn," Sheng Li ordered Xiao. Xiao Zhan told Ying Lili to follow him. Ying Lili left the place with Xiao.

Sheng Li, on the other hand, went to his Manor. Once he reached there, Xing-Fu bowed his head. "General Wang is waiting for his highness in the Waiting Room," Xing-Fu informed the Crown Prince.

"Only let Xiao Zhan into the Waiting Room. If you let anyone come there, then this will be your last day here." Sheng Li threatened Xing-Fu and walked towards the Waiting Room. He opened the door and closed it from behind. He pushed the beaded curtains away and saw Wang Hao there.

The Crown Prince was happy to see General Wang there. Wang Hao came forward to Sheng Li and bent on his knees. He brought both of his hands to the length of his shoulders and bowed his head. "Greetings to his highness from Wang Hao."

"You may stand up," Sheng Li said. Wang Hao had worn blue-colored robes with a black headband around his forehead. "Have a seat," Sheng Li told Wang Hao, and they both sat around a wooden table.

"I am happy to see you safe and sound," Sheng Li said with a smile.

"I found from Xiao that you were poisoned by the Prime Minister," Wang Hao said anxiously. Sheng Li hummed at him.

"I got the antidote at the right time. It was not only the Prime Minister but the Empress as well," Sheng Li proclaimed with abhorrence.

Wang Hao saw the hatred and pain in the eyes of the Crown Prince. He could easily see through the Crown Prince because he was with him since his childhood days. He had seen how the Empress had treated the Crown Prince.

"Thanks to the Crown Princess, nothing happened to his highness. I knew that the Crown Princess will love his highness," Wang Hao tried cheering up the mood of the Crown Prince who chuckled hearing those praise words towards Ying Lili.

"Wang Hao, what did you say? Loving me!? Do you even know how much we fight in a day?" Sheng Li annoyingly asked Wang Hao who puckered his lips to suppress his smile.

"Forgive me, your highness," Wang Hao apologized. "Your highness, the rebellions in the Southern Province are shaped by the First Consort of his majesty. You know the Ju Family is in dominance in South-western province. Prince Yongzheng's mother wants the Crown Prince to be away from the Palace for some time. So, they created the revolts there," Wang Hao informed Sheng Li.

The door was opened and Xiao Zhan came there. "Your highness, I dropped her highness to Zhenzhu Inn," Xiao Zhan stated. Sheng Li gestured to him to sit on the chair beside Wang Hao.

"Basically, they want to find a way to take away the Crown from his highness. Is the Empress with them, I wonder?!" Wang Hao said skeptically.

"The Empress would never join hands with the father's first consort. She wants the Crown for the First Prince and wants to secure his position first," Sheng Li opined.

"General Wang, did you find any evidence regarding that?" Xiao Zhan asked.

"I could not gather evidence. The security in Ju Palace is extremely tight. Amidst that tight security, I managed to get there and could only hear the Governor's conversation with his most favorable minister there. The First Consort of his majesty had sent a message to her brother to keep the Crown Prince away from the Palace," Wang Hao proclaimed.

Sheng Li could not believe that everyone in the Palace wanted him either not to return or to die. "You gathered a piece of very useful information. I thought that Consort Yao would have stopped her attempts to send me away from the Palace, but she did not change a bit," Sheng Li snickered and slammed his hand on the table.

"Your highness, we have to put an end to the Ju Family. It is rebellious since the time of your late grandfather but because it increased the economy of Han, no action was taken against them. I think his highness shall discuss the matter with his majesty," Wang Hao advised, stressing his words.

"I will, but before that, I want to give a surprise to the Prime Minister. I was on the verge of death thanks to him," Sheng Li muttered.

Wang Hao and Xiao Zhan agreed with the Crown Prince.

"The Lantern Festival is after two days. Your highness, I am keeping a check on their activities as they can further plan to harm you and the Crown Princess," Xiao Zhan asserted.

Sheng Li smirked and said, "Lantern Festival will be the best occasion of my life. The Prime Minister has been on my nerves for a very long time. I could hardly bear the sight of this enemy for such a long time. It is the time that he shall pay for his crimes," Sheng Li pronounced.

~~~~~~

Hello Dear Readers!

Hope you all are doing well! Thank you to all of you who sent messages of encouragement to me. I will not get dishearten like this and will keep working on my writing skills.

Thank you for the votes as well. Today I will give 5 chaps as mass release as you readers gave more than 500 votes to the story in a week.

So stay tuned to the story.

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