Rong Zemin gave a wry laugh as he heard Sheng Li. Lei Wanxi looked at him and asked him when did he had come there. "A minute ago, Wanxi. Crown Prince, you are challenging a kid who will definitely lose against you. This is not a good way to show off," remarked Rong Zemin.
Sheng Li did not respond to the Third Prince's comment and told the Commander to hand him a bow. Commander Sun handed the bow to the Crown Prince, who pulled the string on it to check its force.
"Try to hit the middle of the target," Sheng Li told Weng Yu, who nodded and picked an arrow from the table. He went ahead on the raised platform, at the same level as the target.
"Do you know that the new Empress will be the mother of the Fourth Prince," Rong Zemin suddenly whispered near Lei Wanxi's ear, who was shocked to learn about that. Rong Zemin scoffed. "Father raised a Concubine to the status of the Empress." It was clear that he was not happy with the decision of his father. Ying Lili, who was sitting on a chair beside them, heard Rong Zemin.
"I think that the Emperor will not feel good to hear such words from his own son's mouth," Ying Lili pronounced and looked at the Third Prince.
"Crown Princess, most of the Ministers are against this decision of the Emperor. I am not active in the Court, but I am a keen observant. I have seen and heard how the Ministers gossip about our father's poor judgment skills. He knew that Brother Sheng's mother was murdered by the late Empress, but he let her rule. I think there might be a situation where Ministers might rebel," Rong Zemin proclaimed. Ying Lili used to think that the Third Prince usually killed off his time by playing games and having fun, but she was wrong.
Lei Wanxi confusedly looked at the two. "Third Brother, there was a reason behind that. His Majesty wanted to protect the Crown Prince as his life was in danger and…" Ying Lili paused when Rong Zemin raised one brow. "Why did the Crown Princess stop? Is there something more about which we do not know?" Rong Zemin queried.
"And his Majesty did not have enough evidence to prove her guilty. Punishing and removing the Empress was not easy, so he weighed everything. We all do not know how much his majesty had suffered because of all this," Ying Lili stated. She could not tell anyone about the hidden enemy which aided the Empress.
"I am still suspicious," Rong Zemin muttered.
"About what, Brother?" Lei Wanxi questioned.
"The change in the behavior of the First Prince. He suddenly turned good and punished his own mother! What if he had done all this just for a show?" Rong Zemin skeptically said.
Lei Wanxi slightly laughed. "Why would the First Brother do that? He even gave the reason that he was guilty about whatever he did to Brother Sheng. Brother Zemin, we brothers will live with fraternity from now on," Lei Wanxi pronounced.
"What if it is all to get on good sides of the Emperor?!" Ying Lili glanced at Rong Zemin when he further said, "The Empress was supposed to be punished someday but the First Prince might have been punished with her if he had not stopped. Even Brother Sheng knows that the First Brother never regretted his ways. Suddenly, he started regretting. It is odd to me. Ahh, I think I am thinking too much."
"This is what I was going to say! Third Brother is thinking way too much," Lei Wanxi affirmed. But, Ying Lili started contemplating. Sheng Li had told him that the most innocent person in the Palace might be their enemies. What if whatever Rong Zemin said was true? What if Jian Guozhi did all this to be on the good side of everyone and especially the Emperor? This was also one possibility which they had totally ignored.
Ying Lili looked at the platform from where Sheng Li was shooting arrows with Weng Yu. Both the Princes were smiling with each other, which was rare for her. She was happy that all the youngest Prince had stopped seeing Sheng Li as a threat rather the youngest Prince was considering Sheng Li as his Elder Brother.
She stood up from the chair. "Brother, I am going to my chamber. Please inform the Crown Prince about this," Ying Lili requested.
"Of course, we will inform the Crown Prince. Take care and have a good rest, Crown Princess," asserted Rong Zemin. Ying Lili thanked him for his kind words and walked away, followed by the Court Lady Xu and Xing-Fu, who were standing a little farther from them.
Ying Lili turned to the Manor of the Emperor. She asked the Royal Guard outside if she could meet the Emperor. A minute later, the Royal Guard came outside and informed the Crown Princess that she could go in.
Ying Lili entered the chamber while Xing-Fu and Court Lady Xu stayed outside the chamber. Ying Lili greeted the Emperor, who was on a chaise, and then greeted Eunuch Jin, who was beside the Emperor.
"Make yourself comfortable, Crown Princess," the Emperor gestured to another chaise. Ying Lili sat down on it and asked about the Emperor's health.
"I am fine these days," Han Wenji had a tiny smile on his lips. "What about you, Crown Princess?" Han Wenji questioned her.
"I have recovered, your majesty," Ying Lili replied.
"You always wonder me. Without thinking about your life, you jumped in to save Sheng Li. A brave woman like you is tough to find," Han Wenji asserted.
"His life is mine too. I could not see him getting hurt for the second time. Forgive me for using informal language towards the Crown Prince," immediately Ying Lili corrected her mistake.
Han Wenji laughed while Eunuch Jin smiled a little. "The Crown Princess does not need to apologize."
"Your Majesty, do you think the Palace has turned into a safer place?" Ying Lili wanted to know the opinion of the Emperor because according to her, only the Emperor could answer it correctly.
"Crown Princess, a few days ago I had thought that everything had turned right. But, I was wrong." This revelation befuddled Ying Lili. She drew her brows together and heard the Emperor, "The enemy is still hidden. He could be dangerous for us. Until we find him, nothing will turn right. He might be a danger to Jian Guozhi, as he betrayed his mother when she needed him the most. And also, keep an eye on the first wife of Jian Guozhi."
"Is the Emperor trying to mean that Sister Zhilao Mi is not as she seems?"
"Yes. Crown Princess, yesterday she had come here to ask the Emperor to give justice to Prince Jian!" Eunuch Jin said on behalf of the Emperor. "She wanted me to declare Jian Guozhi as the Crown Prince because he did everything under the influence of his mother. I did injustice to the eldest son of the Han family by not giving him the seat of which he is a legitimate heir!" Han Wenji pronounced.
Ying Lili widened her eyes upon hearing those words. If Prince Jian would learn about that, he would definitely be angry at his first wife for asking such a thing from his father.
"Does Brother Jian know about this?" Ying Lili asked.
"No. I thought not to say anything to him, as he is still in shock after losing his mother," Han Wenji asserted. "Ministers oppose the appointment of Jian Guozhi as the Crown Prince since the day he made a grave mistake. The sudden request of Prince's first wife did not seem good to me. That's why I want the Crown Princess to look into this," Han Wenji stated.
Ying Lili nodded her head. "I will look into this, Your Majesty," she bowed, thus accepting the order of the Emperor.