Married To The Cruel Crown Prince

Nianzu and Chuntao congratulated both of them, who thanked them. Sheng Li told them to take a seat. They both got seated on the chaise that was a few meters away from the bed.

"Sister Chuntao is looking pretty in this dress," Ying Lili complimented her, who thanked her. "Sister Chuntao shall come to meet me frequently from now on. I will feel good," Ying Lili said.

"How can I, Crown Princess?" She was a little hesitant.

"Chun is still uncomfortable around the people of the Royal Family," Nianzu explained to them.

"Sister Chuntao, we all have accepted you a long time ago. We are glad that you took good care of Brother Nianzu. Also, my title might be of the Crown Princess but you can see me as your elder sister," Ying Lili told her in a soft tone.

"Yes, Crown Princess," Chuntao replied.

"Brother Sheng, you need to take good care of Sister Lili in this period. Do not let her take any kind of stress," Nianzu humbly told Sheng Li, who nodded his head.

"Do not say that Brother Nianzu. Sheng Li will not let me even walk after this," Ying Lili requested him and glanced at Sheng Li, who also peered at her.

"When did I do that?" He asked her.

"You will do that soon. I know," Ying Lili replied. "I have been inside the chamber since afternoon. You also know that I usually go to the garden at this time," she complained.

Sheng Li chuckled. "I promised you that I would take you every morning to the garden. Do not whine like a kid. You need to be comfortable at this time," He advised her.

Nianzu and Chuntao smiled upon seeing their bickering. "Sister Lili, you might catch a cold in the evening. Then, it might affect the little one inside your womb," Nianzu told her.

"That's what I am telling her. However, she does not listen to me," Sheng Li said.

"Brother Sheng, let's go out and have some conversation. The Crown Princess and Chuntao can converse together for some time," Nianzu suggested to him. Sheng Li agreed with him and called in two court ladies– Court Lady Ki and Court Lady Xu.

"I will be back soon," Sheng Li told Ying Lili and walked out with Nianzu. Court Lady Ki and Xu stood a few distances away from Ying Lili.

"Sister Chuntao, was it difficult?" Ying Lili asked her. "Also, the Crown Prince informed me that you were harassed by the Village Headman. Forgive me, you have to undergo that," Ying Lili humbly apologized to her.

"The Crown Princess is embarrassing me by apologizing. Prince Nianzu stood for me and then, the Crown Prince had also sent help from Luoyang. I mean… General Xiao found out about us and everything turned right," Chuntao told Ying Lili.

Both the Court Ladies were shocked to learn about that.

"I always create troubles for Prince Nianzu and others," Chuntao said and sighed.

"It was not your mistake, Sister Chuntao. You did not create any trouble for Prince Nianzu either," stated Ying Lili. "Instead, you held him when we people failed to understand him," she made her understand.

"I made the Emperor angry by not listening to his royal command. I am scared to face His Majesty," Chuntao expressed her worries. "I do not think His Majesty will forgive me or not," she stated.

"The Emperor might have given such a command because of some reasons. Also, His Majesty has forgiven Sister Chuntai a long ago. Also, His Majesty was never angry at her," Ying Lili pronounced.

The words of the Crown Princess soothed Chuntao.

"Sister Chuntao, when I first came to this Royal Palace, I had so many insecurities. Then, the Imperial Father was the one, who conversed with me and never let me feel inferior in the Palace. We both will go tomorrow morning to meet the Imperial Father. You shall greet him as the daughter-in-law of this Royal Family," Ying Lili advised her. She could understand the point of view of Chuntao. She was a commoner, who had suddenly entered the Palace. Above all, she was still a young woman– an eighteen-year-old woman.

"Your Highness, I beg your pardon but this is the time when you shall take a special soup which is rich in nutrients. It will keep your body warm," Court Lady Ki humbly informed Ying Lili, who nodded her head. Lady Ki went to the kitchen to prepare the soup.

"Court Lady Xu, could you please bring me the wooden box that's inside the first cupboard," Ying Lili requested.

"Yes, Your Highness," Court Lady Xu said. She went to the cupboard, opened it, and took out the wooden box. Bringing it near the bed, she placed it on the mattress. Ying Lili thanked her and opened the box. There was a golden buyao in it. She picked it up and looked at Chuntao.

She went towards Chuntao, who looked at her in bewilderment.

"Sister Chuntao, this is for you," Ying Lili said as she started to put the buyao on her hair. "A woman's head should not be left plain, especially if she is the wife of the Royal Prince," Ying Lili asserted with a smile.

"The Crown Princess shall not give me such an expensive--"

"Sister Chuntao, it is a gift from my side. It is a precious buyao, made by a famous goldsmith of Juyan," Ying Lili told her and stepped back. "It looks pretty on you," she said and went back to bed.

"Sister Chuntao, would you like to tell me about you? You can also ask about me," Ying Lili thought to have a nice introduction between them.

"Crown Princess, there is nothing much to know about me," Chuntao replied. "I had heard that the Crown Princess is from Juyan. I also have heard that she is the kindest woman known in the entire Han Empire, that's why she was chosen as the bride of the Crown Prince," Chuntao affirmed.

"The Crown Princess has many other qualities as well," Court Lady Xu said and smiled. "The Crown Prince used to be cold like ice. His glance was enough to make everyone shiver. However, our Crown Princess changed his highness. Not only that, the Crown Princess succeeded in bringing the Princes' hearts together," Court Lady Xu praised Ying Lili.

"But I failed to remove the hatred from the heart of Prince Yongzheng," Ying Lili said with a gloomy expression. Chuntao wondered what would have happened.

"Also, many of the people helped me, Court Lady Xu. It was the cumulative effort to bring all the Princes together," Ying Lili stated, but the regret for not being able to save Yongzheng troubled her once again.

~~~~

In the Eastern Pavilion, Sheng Li and Nianzu sat down on the circular stools. "Does the Brother remember the day when he agonized at father's decision of not accepting Princess Chuntao as your wife?" Nianzu questioned him.

"Yes. I even got angry at Brother Wanxi that day," Nianzu replied.

"Brother Sheng, I apologize to you on my mother's behalf. I am even embarrassed to meet the eyes of my father. How could my mother plot against her own husband? I never knew that she would become the second Weng Wei," Nianzu stated and clenched his fists.

"Don't hate your mother, Brother Nianzu," Sheng Li requested him, who knitted his brows.

"I cannot help in this. She tried to plot against all of us. For her, I used to be so tense. But as soon as she got the Empress's position, she forgot everyone around her. I hate her for all this," asserted Nianzu.

"Prince Yongzheng is no more," Sheng Li informed him, out of the blue.

Nianzu stopped blinking and he felt the ground beneath him had slipped.

"He committed treason and he was beheaded," Sheng Li told Nianzu. "He felt wrong because I became the Crown Prince. He hated me till his last breath. That's why, please do not hate her. Hatred only brings bad consequences. Lili told me five months ago that I should learn forgiveness. It is the greatest treasure a human can have," Sheng Li stated.

"What did the Second Prince do?" Nianzu questioned Sheng Li, who narrated the entire incident to him.

"Brother Nianzu, that's why I thought to bring you back. We should be each other's strength. Prince Yongzheng hurt me badly. However, sometimes I think that if I had not been the Crown Prince such things would not have happened," Sheng Li pronounced with a regretful tone.

"But then, everyone would have taken the advantage of internal fights in the Royal Family. Only you are capable of holding this position," Nianzu asserted.

"Everyone says the same but the blame I get just make me hate myself sometimes. When Weng Wei was near to her death, she blamed me. Prince Yongzheng did the same. It hurts me every night," Sheng Li affirmed.

"Now, Lili is pregnant and I am more worried.. I don't even know whom I should trust except a few," Sheng Li expressed his concern.