"What? The Crown Prince and the Crown Princess have gone out?" Lei Wanxi muttered as he heard from Xing-Fu.
"Yes, Prince Wanxi," replied Xing-Fu.
"That's why the feast is delayed to the evening," Lei Wanxi mumbled and turned to go. He left the inn of the Crown Prince and came to the Palace grounds where General Xiao was giving commands to the soldiers.
Seeing the sixth Prince there, Xiao Zhan dismissed the soldiers from there and bowed his head in front of Lei Wanxi. "General Xiao, you do not have to do such formalities with me," Lei Wanxi stared while fanning himself. "Why did you not go behind the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess?" Lei Wanxi queried.
"The Crown Prince wants to go alone somewhere with the Crown Princess. I cannot defy his highness orders," Xiao Zhan asserted. Lei Wanxi closed the fan in his hand.
"General Xiao, still you should have gone behind them. Do you not know how many enemies the Crown Prince has gotten? It is already two hours and it is worrying me out," Lei Wanxi stated with a distressed expression.
"Do not worry, Prince Wanxi," asserted Xiao Zhan and excused himself. Lei Wanxi took a deep sigh. "I am indeed worrying too much," Lei Wanxi murmured and went towards the northern block of the Palace where the Kings and governors of various provinces in the Han Kingdom were staying.
As he was walking through the northern corridor, he saw several young women were coming in his direction. "Father has invited their daughters as well?" Lei Wanxi wondered and kept walking when those young women slightly bowed their heads as Lei Wanxi came in front of them.
Wanxi too bowed his head and lifted his head when he saw a woman standing at last, and it seemed to him that she did not bow her head while greeting him. "I hope you all are having fun while roaming in the Palace," Lei Wanxi proclaimed.
"Yes, your highness," the young women said in unison. Prince Yongzheng and Prince Rong Zemin too came there. Seeing the second and third Prince, the young women again bowed their heads. Lei Wanxi noticed that the same woman had her head high which amused him.
"It is a pleasure to see the young daughters of the Kings and governors 9f the provinces of Han," pronounced Yongzheng, and passed a tiny smile to all of them. "The feast is delayed. Hope you all have taken your meals," asserted Yongzheng, while gently fanning himself.
"Yes, your highness. We have taken our meals. It is our pleasure to see the princes of the Han Empire. The rumors are true that Prince Yongzheng is the most humble Prince among all the seven princes," a woman among them spoke who was in the second row, left most side.
Lei Wanxi gave a suppressed laugh upon hearing that statement. "Brother Yongzheng is indeed the humblest amongst us. May I know what your name is, Miss?" Rong Zemin politely asked.
"I am Liu Fenfang, the daughter of the Governor of North province." Her eyes were lowered while introducing herself.
"Fragrance of flowers," Yongzheng stated. Liu Fenfang smiled, hearing the name of her meaning from Prince Yongzheng's mouth.
"We shall leave," the woman at the last said on whom Lei Wanxi's eyes were fixed for long. She came to the front and walked past the three princes. Lei Wanxi turned back and snickered. "What is the reason for that glare?" Lei Wanxi thought. The young women walked past the princes who gave them the way.
"Brother Yongzheng, Miss Liu is interested in you. You shall try it," Rong Zemin asserted. Lei Wanxi slightly laughed. "Brother Zemin, you again started judging who is good for the second brother," Lei Wanxi proclaimed and looked into Rong Zemin's eyes.
"What do you want to say?" Yongzheng asked.
"Miss Liu has a misunderstanding regarding the second brother. Are you really humble? Ask this question from yourself first," Lei Wanxi stated and closed the fan in his hand. "I shall take my leave," Lei Wanxi then walked away from there.
Yongzheng clutched the fan in his hand tightly. "He again started speaking impulsively against me as soon as Sheng Li returned," Yongzheng muttered under his breath.
"Calm down, brother Yongzheng. Soon the Crown Prince will go to the southern province and we have to do our work before his return," Rong Zemin declared.
"He is taking the Crown Princess with him so, there is no use of our plans. I told the first brother to cut the wings of Sheng Li when he was young," Yongzheng with a fit of rage said and threw the fan on the floor. He then put his shoe over the fan, "I want to crush him like this," Yongzheng furiously stated while pressing the fan beneath his shoe.
~~~~~
Lei Wanxi halted near the northern pavilion. "What was wrong with that woman? Those eyes were filled with vengeance. Did the Crown Prince harm any of her family members in any way?" Lei Wanxi thought.
He looked down from the pavilion on the wide ground. The ministers were walking after leaving the court.
"You seem tensed," Lei Wanxi heard Nianzu who came forward and stood beside him.
"Brother Nianzu, thank you for today. Brother Sheng indeed is touched by sister Lili's performance. I just hope their relationship will get better as soon as possible," Lei Wanxi stated.
"Brother Sheng shall start gathering the trust of the ministers. Military support is excellent, but the support of the bureaucracy is indispensable at this point. But, the crown prince has anger management issues. I have to talk with Sister Lili because only she can make brother Sheng understand," Lei Wanxi remarked while knitting his brows.
"That's why I do not like this Palace politics. I just want to live in the countryside, away from these fights," Nianzu proclaimed.
"But you cannot do that, brother Nianzu. You are the Royal Prince. It is now a part of your destiny to stay in the Palace," asserted Lei Wanxi with a smile.
"I know that's why I will support the Crown Prince in every way I can," Nianzu pronounced and gave a tiny smile to Lei Wanxi.