Sheng Li looked at his father, who was sitting on the throne beside Weng Wei. He was smiling and pretending as if nothing had happened to him. After giving the morning greetings, Sheng Li came out of the hall with Ying Lili.

Lei Wanxi joined them and asked them if he could have morning meals with them. They agreed to him and left for the Crown Prince's manor.

In the chamber, the three took their respective seats around the floor table. The meals were served to them, and the maidservants walked out of the chamber.

"Where were you?" Sheng Li questioned Lei Wanxi.

"Weng Wei told me that I was not allowed in the temple today because she had a special prayer today. Brother Sheng, I could not refuse her order," Lei Wanxi proclaimed. "Did you find something there?" Lei Wanxi questioned.

"Yes. We saw a person there. It is my first time seeing him. He has this scar near his right eye and seems to be in his forties," Sheng Li proclaimed.

"You said that there was no priest there, but we encountered the Chief Priest too, who stopped us from entering the main Sanctum. We then need to use a different path to reach the sanctum," Sheng Li affirmed.

"A different path?" Lei Wanxi mumbled. "But in the map, there is only one path for the sanctum. How did you two find the second path?" Lei Wanxi confusedly asked.

"That's a false map. The right map has three more secret routes," Sheng Li asserted. "The person enters the palace in the attire of a Priest," he added.

"Sheng Li, his Majesty constructed the temple under his eyes. Then how did it happen? Isn't it suspicious?" Ying Lili questioned.

"It isn't difficult for Weng Wei to fool the Emperor. She is on the throne because our father gets fooled by her all these years." Lei Wanxi also agreed with the Crown Prince.

"Brother Sheng, why did you not nab that mastermind today? Everything would have turned easy for us. We could have summoned them in front of our father," Lei Wanxi opined.

"Wanxi, that was not possible. We could not hear their conversations. We do not know what they were planning there. Nabbing the person could have affected us only negatively and would have alerted him and his allies who are supporting him," Sheng Li answered.

They started eating and soon finished their breakfast. Xing-Fu told the maidservants to clean the table and later walked out with them.

"Sheng Li, don't you have any uncles?" Ying Lili's sudden question befuddled him.

"No, they died early, two in wars and one due to illness," Sheng Li replied. "My father's brothers were short-lived. He never experienced Palace politics from his brother's side," Sheng Li affirmed.

"Then, who is this person?" Ying Lili frowned.

"The person knows Weng Wei since a long time or way before her coronation as the Empress. That could be one of the reasons that I never saw him," Sheng Li stated. Ying Lili hummed and stood up from the floor mattress.

"I need to leave. There's a final selection round today. I will see you later," Ying Lili told Sheng Li and left the chamber.

"Brother Sheng, the Princess whom you told me about, I kept an eye on her. The Empress wants her to seduce Brother Sheng. In short, the Empress wants to see if Brother Sheng can get distracted by a woman other than Sister Lili or not," Lei Wanxi pronounced.

Sheng Li chuckled. "And how is she going to seduce me?" Sheng Li queried.

"Let's go to the practice ground, Brother. She will herself come there as she wants to get closer to you," Lei Wanxi replied and smiled.

"Let's go then. My hands are getting itchy to kill her," Sheng Li said, looking at his hands.

~~~~~

Nianzu was waiting for her mother to open her eyes. He had not taken his last night's meals. Eunuch Chung was anxious thinking that Prince Nianzu might have fallen sick.

Chuntao came there to see Nianzu before going to her village. "Eunuch Chung, how is the Fourth Prince doing? Did he take his meals?" Chuntao humbly asked.

"No. The Fourth Prince has refused to eat anything until his mother wakes up," Eunuch Chung informed Chuntao.

"Can I go inside?" Chuntao asked for permission.

"I need to ask, Miss," Eunuch Chung replied and walked inside the chamber.

"Your highness, Miss Chuntao is here. She wants to meet you," Eunuch Chung said, lowering his head.

"Send her in," Nianzu replied plainly.

Chuntao entered the chamber and saw Nianzu on a wooden stool beside the bed, looking at his mother. She formally greeted him first. "How is his highness's mother doing? Did she wake up?" Chuntao politely asked.

"No. Mother is still unconscious. I troubled her, that's why she ended like this," Nianzu replied. A tear rolled from his eye down to his cheek, seeing the pale face of his mother.

Chuntao walked towards Nianzu. She extended her hand to put it on Nianzu's shoulder, but because of her status, she could not do that. She could not touch a Royal.

"Your highness, you shall freshen up. I will take care of your mother for you," Chuntao humbly said.

"No. I will take care of my mother. You shall leave," Nianzu commanded Chuntao, who could not refuse him. She turned to go when she saw the Crown Princess there. Immediately, she lowered her eyes.

"Brother Nianzu, how's the mother doing?" Ying Lili asked as she came near him. Chuntao stood aside with a lowered head. Nianzu was going to stand up from the chair to pay respect to the Crown Princess when she told him to be seated.

"Forgive me. I could not come yesterday," Ying Lili stated and looked at Deng Hui, who was lying unconscious on the bed and then at Nianzu.

"You should not have skipped your meals. If Mother Hui will wake up and see her son hungry, it will make her unhappy," Ying Lili asserted and shifted her gaze to Chuntao.

"Crown Princess, I will take my meals later. I need to be with my mother," Nianzu affirmed.

"Miss Chuntao and I will stay here. Brother shall freshen up first and then take his morning meals. I will not talk to Brother Nianzu if he refuses to do so," Ying Lili stated, keeping the smile on her lips.

"But, Crown Princess-"

"Brother Nianzu, I will not listen to your excuses. Go to your chamber, freshen up, and then have your meals. Your father and mother will both get angry seeing you like this," Ying Lili stressed her words. Nianzu could not refuse Ying Lili and stood up from the stool.

"I will be back soon," Nianzu stated and walked out from there.

Chuntao raised her head a little and saw the Crown Princess had taken the seat on the stool. "Miss Chun, could you please call the Royal Physician?" Ying Lili asked.

"Yes, your highness." Chuntao went to fetch the Royal Physician. Court Lady Xu came to the Crown Princess and told her that she could get scolded by the Empress for not reaching there at the time.

"Send her Majesty the message to wait for some time because Mother Hui needs help," Ying Lili pronounced.

~~~~~

Hello Dear Readers!

As you all know this book is a part of contest. I am thankful to all of you who are continuously supporting me through voting and even buying the privilege. I want to win the contest so that this story can get a chance to turn into a movie adaptation. I do not know if that's possible or not but if you people will keep supporting me, the story might shine among the top books which is indeed difficult. Keep supporting me by voting and commenting on the story.

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