Sheng Li was walking through the corridors of the eastern pavilion when he heard the voices from the 'Resting Place of the Princes.' Sheng Li walked there and entered in. Seeing the crown prince there, they all stopped talking and stood up from their respective chairs. They had bowed their heads in front of the crown prince except for the first Prince, Han Jian Guozhi.
Sheng Li got seated on one of the chairs, followed by the rest of the princes. "Fifth brother, welcome to the home. We are happy to see you after such a long time," the sixth prince, Lei Wanxi humbly said.
"Bring the Rose tea for the crown prince," ordered the fourth prince, Han Nianzu. The maidservant who was standing behind him bowed her head and left from there.
"Why did you all stop speaking as soon as I came?" Sheng Li asked them and then looked at his youngest half-brother, Weng Yu who immediately lowered his eyes. "You have grown up so much, Yu. Still, playing with toys? Since I have returned, I can teach you how to be a warrior," Sheng Li proclaimed with a grin on his face.
"Fifth brother, do not scare Yu. He is still learning from us," Lei Wanxi stated with a gentle smile on his lips and then patted on Weng Yu's shoulder. Sheng Li gave a tiny smile when the maidservant came there and poured the rose tea in a porcelain cup, followed by the other brothers. The maidservant checked the tea before the princes started drinking it.
"How is the first prince doing?" Sheng Li asked as he sipped the tea.
"I am doing well, the mighty crown prince," replied Jian Guozhi.
Sheng Li chuckled. "I am younger than you. Why are you using the title with such an exaggeration?" Sheng Li laughed slightly and drank the remaining tea from the cup.
"But the title is given to you so, I have to show my respect to you," Jian Guozhi asserted. The tension rose so, the third brother, Rong Zemin intervened between them.
"Fifth brother, you are getting married as soon as come back. We have heard that the princess is a true jade beauty," Rong Zemin stated, looking at Sheng Li.
"I also want to meet the princess. Can I meet the princess?" Weng Yu asked and looked at Sheng Li but then lowered his eyes.
"I have seen the princess once. I have rarely seen any beauty like her. Those pearly eyes, long eyelashes, snow-white skin, and plump lips are enough to enthrall anyone in just seconds. Fifth brother, you must be captivated by her the moment you would have seen her," Jian Guozhi characterized the features of An-Ying Lili, looking at Sheng Li.
"Unlike the first brother, I have not observed her this close," Sheng Li stated and glared into his eyes.
"The first brother was supposed to marry her but, the King of Juyan and our father agreed on marrying the princess with the fifth brother," the second prince, Han Yongzheng pronounced.
"I heard about that. First brother, you should have pressured your father more. I think you did not put much effort into it," Sheng Li asserted.
"Do the crown prince not want to marry the princess? Oh, I almost forgot that you have already a lover," Jian Guozhi said in a sarcastic tone.
"Do the elder fifth brother, not like the princess?" Weng Yu asked, looking at the first prince who gave a tiny smile to him.
Rong Zemin and Yongzheng looked at each other, gesturing something. "I cannot defy father's orders. His words are supreme to me," they heard Sheng Li saying this. Jian Guozhi smiled and spoke, "Is the princess aware of your behavior? I wonder if she will be able to survive with a ruthless brother of mine."
The situation became tense between them. Sheng Li snickered. "It seems the first brother is more concerned about the princess. You shall not eye the soon-to-be woman of your brother, first brother. The way you described the princess is making me think the other way. Your wife will not feel good if she will hear the praise of her husband towards the other woman rather than her."
Sheng Li then stood up from the chair. "I shall leave now. Yu, I have brought something for you," Sheng Li stated and took out a dagger from his waistband. "Stop playing with toys," Sheng Li told the youngest prince as he handed the dagger to him and the left from there.
Lei Wanxi stood up from the chair and went behind the crown prince. "Fifth brother," Lei Wanxi called out the crown prince who halted at his place and turned to look at him. Lei Wanxi stopped right beside him. "How are you?" Lei Wanxi asked.
"I am good. Let's talk later. I am a little tired so I will take some rest," Sheng Li stated. Lei Wanxi bowed his head as he saw the crown prince going away. "He still has not changed. I hope his princess will change him," Lei Wanxi muttered. Lei Wanxi was the son of the second consort of the emperor and was closest to Sheng Li since his childhood days.
Lei Wanxi turned to leave when he saw General Wang there who bowed his head before him. Lei Wanxi too greeted the general and asked about his well beings. "I am good, sixth prince," General Wang pronounced.
"The crown prince seems bothered by something. Did something happen?" Lei Wanxi asked out of curiosity.
"I think because of the princess's behavior he is slightly annoyed," replied Wang Hao.
Lei Wanxi's eyes widened in surprise. "Do you mean that the princess of Juyan is the reason behind the crown prince's annoyance?" Lei Wanxi asked with a startled expression.
General Wang shook his head in agreement. Lei Wanxi could not believe what he heard from General Wang. "There is no one born to annoy the crown prince. I think something big is going to happen," Lei Wanxi with a broad smile stated.
"I shall take my leave, your highness," General Wang bowed his head and left from there. Lei Wanxi took out his fan from the waistband and started moving lightly beside his face. "Will the fifth brother falls for the princess or will he make her life tough? It will be interesting to watch," Lei Wanxi muttered and walked away from there.
~~~~~~
In the Prime Minister's residential house, a young woman could be seen on a pavilion playing a guzheng (Chinese plucked zither). The melodious sounds producing from it had surrounded the entire place. Once she was done playing, she rested both hands over the strings and opened her eyes gradually.
"My lady is an improvised guzheng player," said the assistant, Wu Shan, of the young lady named Xue Yu Yan who gave a tiny smile to her assistant.
"My lady," a maidservant came running there and bowed in front of Yu Yan.
"What happened?" Wu Shan asked the maidservant.
"The crown prince has returned, my lady," the maidservant replied with a bowed head. Immediately, Yu Yan stood up from the tiny wooden stool on which she was sitting. She took out a hairpin of gold from her hair bun and forwarded it to the maidservant. "You have given me good news. Here take this," Xue Yu Yan stated. The maidservant took the hairpin and thanked Xue Yu Yan.
"You are dismissed," Wu Shan told the maidservant who left from there. "My lady, the crown prince has returned. You shall meet him," Wu Shan told Yu Yan who agreed with her and told her to prepare a palanquin for her. Wu Shan bowed and left from there.
"Crown prince, you make me wait for six years and now I will not let you go away," muttered Xue Yu Yan with a smile. Another maidservant came there. "My lady, the palanquin is ready," she told Yu Yan who nodded and followed her. Getting into the palanquin, they left for the imperial palace.
Reaching the imperial palace, Xue Yu Yan went straight to the crown prince's residence which was on the eastern Imperial side when a guard blocked her way. "How dare you to block the way of my Miss?" Wu Shan angrily asked the guard at the eastern gates.
"I apologize but no outsiders are allowed here as there is a marriage in the evening," the guard replied with a bowed head.
"My lady is the daughter of the great prime minister. You cannot stop her," Wu Shan argued with the guard. Xue Yu Yan lifted her hand and gestured her assistant to stop. "Whose marriage is going to take place?" Xue Yu Yan questioned.
"The imperial crown prince," the guard replied.
Xue Yu Yan could not believe her ears and again asked to confirm. The guard repeated his words. "This cannot be true," Xue Yu Yan mumbled and stepped inside the Eastern Imperial Gates giving the threat to the guards thereby taking her father's name.