Ying Lili wiped the tears off her eyes, and after a while she got stable. "But they did wrong to you. Sharing helps in reducing the pain," Ying Lili turned and looked at him. She grasped Sheng Li's both hands and caressed them.

"You are not alone in anything. I know the past cannot be changed. But they need to be punished for this. You were a young kid and torturing you like this was inhumane. How could you even endure all this? Sheng Li, I will teach them a lesson so you do not need to worry. I told you that you can lean on me and you can trust me," Ying Lili proclaimed and gave a tiny smile to Sheng Li.

Sheng Li felt a spark inside his heart. No one ever cried for him the way Ying Lili did. No one even cared if he was punished. He had to endure all that so that he could survive in the Palace. A smile carved on his lips. He had never thought Ying Lili would ever care for him. "How will you teach them a lesson?" Sheng Li asked with amusement, while his fingers played with the hair strands that had come upfront from Ying Lili's face.

"I will tell you later. Aren't you hungry?" Ying Lili said as she looked at her belly. "You did not even come at lunchtime. I waited for you," Ying Lili in a low voice said.

"You can't even eat without me?" Sheng Li asked her.

"You were the one who told me that you would like to have every meal with me so, I thought to wait for you but I ended up sleeping," Ying Lili retorted.

Sheng Li traced Ying Lili's face outline and stopped his index finger under her chin. Lifting it slightly he said, "Wild cat, your husband has many things to do. He can't be around you every time. But now because you have raised this issue then I will try taking all my meals with you." Ying Lili smiled and nodded.

Sheng Li picked the robe from the bed and wore it. He tied the knot on it and looked towards the door. "Xing-Fu," Sheng Li called out. Eunuch Xing-Fu came inside and bowed his head. "Bring the dinner meals for us and send a maid in. The Crown Princess needs to wash her hands," Sheng Li ordered him.

Xing-Fu bowed and left from there. Sheng Li stood up from the bed and took Ying Lili towards the dining table. The maidservant came there with a water bowl after a while and helped Ying Lili in washing her hands. She wiped Ying Lili's hands and walked out from there. Sheng Li too washed his hands by dipping them into another water bowl.

Two other maidservants brought meals and they set the table. Testing the food, they walked out from there while Xing-Fu was standing two meters away from them.

Sheng Li noticed Ying Lili was eating too fast when he told her to slow down. "I am not running away with this food so slow down."

Ying Lili slowed down a bit when Sheng Li put a slice of cooked meat over the rice bowl, which Ying Lili had. Ying Lili thanked him and continued eating. After they were finished, they went to bed. This time Ying Lili was facing Sheng Li, unlike the other times.

"I think I ate too much," Ying Lili said, looking at Sheng Li.

"Did you?" Sheng Li asked.

Ying Lili gave a nod. "But I was hungry too. So, I ate more than my capacity," Ying Lili stated. "Ahh, since we are not getting sleep, then we can converse for a while. I want to know what happened to Zhang Yong?" Ying Lili queried Sheng Li.

"I told you that he is removed. The Committee was called where the Head of Civil Service Department was also present there. Since removing him was such a big decision and the Wei family is directly associated with the Empress, no further action has been taken. But, Zhang Yong will not be released as he put the nation's treasure at stake and played with its people.

But my work is not completed here. I will punish everyone in the Wei Family," Sheng Li proclaimed. Ying Lili recalled what General Wang had told her earlier but she did not ask because she wanted Sheng Li to open up in front of her by himself.

"What are you thinking?" Sheng Li's question was brought out from her thoughts.

"Nothing," Ying Lili replied.

"By next week, we will be out of the Palace. Will you keep up with me? The journey is going to be harsh. You have not traveled, right?" If even she was trained as a warrior, Sheng Li had a hunch that Ying Lili would not have gone on such travels.

"It will be my first time. I always wanted to have an adventurous life. But my father was always concerned about me. It did not mean that he stopped me from anything. Though I went to the mountain valley near Juyan with Hu Jingguo," Ying Lili pronounced.

Sheng Li's facial expressions changed after hearing Hu Jingguo's name. "You traveled alone with him?" Sheng Li was slightly angry to learn about that.

"Hmm. It was a year ago when he started learning medicine. He asked me to accompany him. It was a fun trip. In that mountain valley, a beautiful village is located," Ying Lili proclaimed and smiled.

"Did you not fear going out with that physically weak guy?" Sheng Li huffed and found how careless the late King of Juyan was! He sent his daughter alone with that guy!!

"What? He is not weak. We two are known as the best swordsmen in Juyan. Once Jingguo and I fought against the neighboring state's best swordsmen. Poor souls! They lost against us," Ying Lili smiled, recalling those days.

Hearing the words of praise for Hu Jingguo from the mouth of his wife was irking Sheng Li. How could she praise a man in front of her husband, he thought? "Stop talking about him. He is not your friend anymore," Sheng Li stated.

"He is my friend. He even saved your life, but you still do not like him. This is very bad, Sheng Li. Even though he was tortured to death by the First Prince, he decided to save you. He has a big heart and ..." Ying Lili stopped speaking as Sheng Li pulled her face towards him, placing his hand on her nape.

"When I told you not to talk about him in front of me, then you should not," Sheng Li whispered.

Ying Lili twitched her lips. "I know you are jealous of his skills," Ying Lili remarked, which provoked Sheng Li.

"Dare to say it again," Sheng Li muttered.

"You are j.e.a.l.o.u.s of his skills," Ying Lili stressed her words. "Can't he be considerate to those who are helpful to him?" Ying Lili thought.

How could Sheng Li expect that Ying Lili would listen to him? "Don't blame me for this. "This is your fault, Lili," saying that Sheng Li kissed Ying Lili.