Sheng Li and Ying Lili were sitting on a seat as they were informed that Sun Lǎohǔ had come to the Residence. In the hall, Governor Tzu and General Xiao were also present. General Wang brought Sun Lǎohǔ there.
As Sun Lǎohǔ entered there, his eyes met the gaze of the Crown Prince. Immediately, he lowered them and came on his knees. Sheng Li chuckled seeing that. "You call yourself a tiger but your acts seem otherwise to me," Sheng Li remarked.
"Your highness, forgive me," Sun Lǎohǔ said.
"Asking for forgiveness after declaring the Ruler of this Province does not suit you, Lǎohǔ," Sheng Li declared. "How is your back doing?" Sheng Li queried him.
Sun Lǎohǔ lifted his head and then immediately lowered it down. "You are thinking right. I was the one who hit you that night. Do you know how badly I wanted to kill you at that moment?" Sheng Li muttered and stood up from the throne. He went towards Sun Lǎohǔ and between his fingers, grasped his hair.
"You thought I won't come here? How dare you deceive the eyes of mine?" Sheng Li questioned him. Governor Tzu gulped thinking that the Crown Prince would kill Sun Lǎohǔ there.
Sun Lǎohǔ shut his eyes as the grip of Sheng Li on his hair kept tightening. "Governor Tzu, you shall leave from here. I think you will end up getting sick because I am going to kill this person brutally," Sheng Li commanded Governor Tzu who bowed his head and left the hall. The door was closed and now only four people were there- Sheng Li, Ying Lili, Wang Hao, and Xiao Zhan.
"In the forest, there are many who try to become the King of the Forest but in the end, the Lion wins over everyone. You chose a nice name for yourself and used an acceptable strategy to rule over my people." Sheng Li was pulling up the hair of Sun Lǎohǔ while talking, which resulted in a sharp pain over his head.
Sheng Li let go of those hairs and stepped back. "Tell me who was behind all this?" Sheng Li asked and extended his hand out. Xiao Zhan handed the sword to Sheng Li who gripped it and put his hand down.
Getting no response from Sheng Li said, "Don't make me repeat my words. I will keep you alive till the day you tell the name of the person behind all this." Sheng Li pointed the sword at the cheek of Sun Lǎohǔ and slightly moved the top down. It got a cut and blood started dripping from his cheek.
"Your highness, if I tell you the name then what's the guarantee that you will not kill me after that?" Sun Lǎohǔ raised a question.
"Good question! But what if you beg for your death?" Sheng Li queried him. Sun Lǎohǔ gulped. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead when he felt the sword on the back of his right palm which was resting on the floor.
"I heard you have a keen interest in playing Hand Knife Game" Sun Lǎohǔ heard Sheng Li. He thought the sword was going to penetrate his hand when Sheng Li pulled it back. "Give me a knife," Sheng Li said. Xiao Zhan went towards a table there and brought a knife from there.
Sheng Li looked at the sharp blade of the knife and got on his knees. "Look into my eyes," Sheng Li sternly said. Sun Lǎohǔ lifted his eyes when he felt the knife on the back of his right palm. "How many people lost their hands in this?" Sheng Li questioned him.
"I-I do not know," Sun Lǎohǔ replied. He felt the knife was piercing through his skin. He flinched in pain when he felt the grip of Sheng Li on his cheeks. "I did not permit you to close your eyes," Sheng Li voiced.
"You wanted power over this territory by playing this petty game. Okay then, I will let you live, but without these hands. You love to play with people and I love to play with people like you." Sheng Li said in exasperation when Sun Lǎohǔ stopped the Crown Prince.
"Master Yang is the one who helped me in gaining power," Sun Lǎohǔ told the Crown Prince. His right hand was bleeding, as the knife had pierced his skin already.
"Who is Master Yang?" Sheng Li questioned as frowns appeared on his forehead.
"Master Yang is from the Ju Province," Sun Lǎohǔ replied and then narrated everything about how it all started to the Crown Prince. "He told me that he would inform me if the Emperor sends someone here," proclaimed Sun Lǎohǔ.
Wang Hao brought the right information then. Ju Province was the one who was behind these forced rebellions against the Han Empire. "Your Master Yang forgot then that my informants killed his in the midway that's why you could not get the information about my visit," Sheng Li told Sun Lǎohǔ.
"Your highness, please forgive me. I did what I told to do," Sun Lǎohǔ pronounced.
"Wrong!" Ying Lili voiced from behind. Sheng Li tilted his head and saw she was coming towards them. Sheng Li stood up while Ying Lili stood beside him. "You did all this to fulfill the greed for power. Do you think that forgiveness is the answer to this? Are you not ashamed of your acts? Your acts were disdainful," Ying Lili affirmed.
"Your highness, I have heard that you are the kindest woman. Please forgive me for my mistakes. I will repent on my mistakes," Sun Lǎohǔ pleaded in front of the Crown Princess.
"You do not deserve to live. You destroyed many families. You played with women as if they were your toys. General Wang informed us how the young women were dragged out of their houses on your command just to fulfill the desires of you and your men! Crown Prince, kill him in the most brutal way that everyone will think a thousand times before doing such things," Ying Lili pronounced. Sheng Li looked at Wang Hao and Xiao Zhan who dragged out Sun Lǎohǔ from there.
Sheng Li turned to Ying Lili and looked at her. "Why are you staring at me?" Ying Lili asked.
"Can't I?" Sheng Li questioned her back.
"Can I kill him?" Ying Lili turned to Sheng Li and searched for the answer.
"No. I do not want to see your hands filled in the blood of that man who does not even deserve a glance of yours," Sheng Li answered.
Ying Lili huffed. "Am I not equal to you?"
"I have never considered you unequal," Sheng Li replied.
"Then let me kill him. My blood is boiling," Ying Lili said.
Sheng Li amusingly looked at Ying Lili. "You will not be able to kill him, Lili. You even told me to spare the life of Zhang Yong Wei who is considered dead by everyone. And I cannot even defy you," Sheng Li asserted.
"That's because Zhang Yong is useful for us. He knows everything about the Empress. When the time comes, I will kill him. He killed your mother so, of course, he is not worthy to live but he will be alive till the time he keeps informing us about the Empress's moves," Ying Lili proclaimed.
Sheng Li nodded his head in agreement. "I know that is why I accepted your request to spare him for some time. He has sent a message," Sheng Li stated.
"What kind of message?" Ying Lili asked.
"Weng Wei has planned something vicious this time. She wants to kill me during our return journey," Sheng Li replied.
"We cannot expect anything less from her. What have you thought of?" Ying Lili asked.
"We will go among the traders. Xiao informed me that the day after tomorrow, a group of traders from the nearby town will leave for Luoyang. We will join them. That is the safest way to get an entry into Luoyang. I have also prepared a surprise for the Empress this time," Sheng Li asserted and smirked.
Ying Lili went closer to Sheng Li and grasped his both hands which confused him. "It must be tough for you. Tackling against the evil plans of the Empress all by yourself. You might have wanted to lean on someone but you never found that shoulder. You grew up in that environment beautifully. You become stronger each day to survive among them. You inspire me, Sheng Li," Ying Lili said and peered into his eyes whose eyes grew big.
"Do not get inspired by me. Inspiration shall be taken from a nice person, not a man like me," Sheng Li remarked when Ying Lili hugged him.
"You are a nice person," Ying Lili stated.
Sheng Li lifted his hand and placed it on Ying Lili's back. "I am a nice person to you only. I do not know but I just end up being nice around you," Sheng Li announced.