Married To The Cruel Crown Prince

In the morning, Sheng Li and Ying Lili got ready to leave for the Lotus residence. He stood near the palanquin and helped Ying Lili get into the palanquin.

"Are you not getting in?" Ying Lili asked him.

No. I will go on foot," Sheng Li said and pulled the curtain down. The eight porters carried the palanquin upon Sheng Li's orders and started to walk.

Since the red curtain was translucent, Ying Lili could see the face of Sheng Li. He whispered something to Eunuch Xing-Fu, which Ying Lili was unable to hear. The porters started to walk, carrying the palanquin on their shoulders. Court Lady Xu and Court Lady Ki were on the other side of the palanquin.

"Xing-Fu, you should take a rest for a week. The Royal Physician told me that you asked for stomach ache pills from him," Sheng Li asserted.

"I am perfectly well, Your Majesty. I will accompany His Majesty," Xing-Fu insisted.

"You are not well. You are getting older, Xing-Fu. I don't want to lose you through an illness as I lost my father. That's why take plenty of rest and timely get it checked. I will be informed about you during my stay in the Lotus residence," Sheng Li suggested to him. The Royal Physician had informed Sheng Li that Xing-Fu needed a good rest.

"Leave," Sheng Li told Xing-Fu.

"First, His Majesty shall leave," Xing-Fu requested him, who refused.

"The weather is cold. Go to your chamber. It is an order," Sheng Li said sternly. Xing-Fu bowed and quickly left his sight because he would never refute the order of the Emperor.

Sheng Li smiled and hastened to reach the palanquin. His hands were locked behind his back while his eyes were fixed on Ying Lili. He could see Ying Lili from the small gap between the curtains.

Ying Lili, who was looking out from the window, tilted her head to see if Sheng Li returned or not. A smile formed on her lips as she found Sheng Li on the left side of the palanquin.

"What are you looking at?" Ying Lili asked him.

"Do I need to answer?"

Ying Lili pursed her lips tightly and kept smiling. "The Emperor might fall if he doesn't look straight," Ying Lili said while peeking from the gap.

"Then, the Empress can treat my wound. What can be better than that?" Sheng Li enquired, who chuckled.

"The Emperor loves to get injured," Ying Lili remarked. "He must not forget that he might get wounds, but his wife feels his pain the most." She was serious this time.

"I won't get hurt," Sheng Li stated.

"You always lie," Ying Lili said and huffed.

"You should be happy that your husband is looking at you," Sheng Li pronounced. The porters and the servants smiled upon hearing their Emperor's words.

"I am not happy. Look straight," Ying Lili sternly told him, "else, we won't talk."

Sheng Li got tongue-tied and walked ahead in anger.

"Did he just walk away?" Ying Lili mumbled and moved a little to look out. Sheng Li was out of her sight and she sighed. "Who gets angry for such a small thing? I only wanted his safety," she murmured and moved back to her original position. She looked out from the window and asked Court Lady Xu if she could tell where Sheng Li was walking.

"The Emperor is at the front, Your Majesty," Court Lady Xu replied.

"Oh. He got angry with me. Who does this? I only asked him to look straight, instead of looking at me. Did I do wrong, Court Lady Xu? Yet, he got angry and walked away," Ying Lili said loud enough that it fell into the ears of Sheng Li, who shook his head.

He let the porters walk ahead and the palanquin approached him. Both the Court Ladies got aside while walking behind the Emperor.

"I didn't get angry, Lili. I walked ahead because it is impossible for me to look ahead if I walk by the palanquin's side," Sheng Li explained to her.

The servants smiled once again while Ying Lili blushed.

"Am I that beautiful?" Ying Lili put her palms on her cheeks and fluttered her eyelids many times.

"I don't need to answer this," Sheng Li said and looked ahead. They were approaching the Fu Imperial Gates. "Put your head in. The weather is cold," Sheng Li told her and walked ahead. Ying Lili kept her head out when Court Lady Xu asked her not to do that.

Ying Lili sat straight inside the palanquin and closed the window. She kept her palms on her cheeks and found how cold they had turned.

After thirty minutes, they reached outside the Lotus Residence.

"Carefully," Sheng Li told the porters, who put the palanquin down. Sheng Li knelt and extended his hand to Ying Lili, who grabbed it and came out. Standing straight, she looked at the mountain that was visible from there. It was covered in clouds, so nothing was visible.

"It must be heavily snowing in the mountains," Ying Lili murmured and turned to look at Sheng Li. The porters took the palanquin away while the servants stayed behind, waiting for the Emperor and the Empress to go in.

Sheng Li kept his hold on her hand and the two climbed the stairs. The guards at the entrance bowed when Ying Lili asked Sheng Li if it was good to let the guards stay outside in the cold.

"Of course. They need to guard the residence," Sheng Li said and took her in.

"But it is cold, Sheng Li. They also need to warm their bodies." Ying Lili showed her concern towards them. "It is inside the palace. Also, no one will come here to attack us," she opined.

"Court Lady Xu, tell the guards to stay in the room that's closest to the entrance," Sheng Li ordered her, who promptly acted on that.

"Thank you," Ying Lili said and took a step toward him. She rubbed her palms and after they turned warm, she put them on his cheeks. "Your cheeks are red," she said and tiptoed to reach his face.

The servants lowered their gazes.

"Aren't you shy?" Sheng Li asked.

"Shy of?" She was confused by his question.

"Nothing," Sheng Li replied and brought his palms down before landing his lips on her.