Xiao Zhan stood beside Lei Wanxi. "Prince Wanxi, do you know why the Crown Prince brought a woman here other than the Crown Princess?" Xiao Zhan asked in a low voice. 

"General Xiao, just wait and watch," Lei Wanxi whispered and focussed at the Crown Prince and Princess Xi fight. Xi Jiao did not know how to move a sword but to impress him, she decided to have a sword fight with him. Her main motive was just to get close enough to the Crown Prince that he would willingly order the Empress to ask for her hand. 

Sheng Li, on the other hand, had made up his mind to play a little with Xi Jiao before asking about the Empress's plan. 'I was wrong. She doesn't know how to move a sword. I will be light on her then,' Sheng Li thought. Their swords clanked against each other. Xiao Zhan was shocked to see how the Crown Prince was using the sword against Princess Xi. 

"What is wrong with the Crown Prince? He never acted this way. I have a feeling that the Crown Princess will not like it at all," Xiao Zhan stated. 

"Why would Sister Lili not like it?" Lei Wanxi asked General Xiao when he heard the sound of anklets. Both Lei Wanxi and Xiao Zhan tilted their heads to look. They saw the Crown Princess coming there with a deadly expression on her face. 

"Look, the Crown Princess is angry!" Xiao Zhan said in a low voice.

Lei Wanxi cursed himself internally. It did not enter his mind that the Crown Princess would get angry if she would see the Crown Prince doing a sword fight with a woman other than her. Since they were at a good distance from the Crown Prince, he was not aware that the Crown Princess had arrived. 

Lei Wanxi and Xiao Zhan quickly ran towards the Crown Princess. "Sister Lili, it is not what you are thinking! It is a part of the plan," Lei Wanxi blurted out. 

"Princess Xi, you have a weak body. I do not know why you challenged me for this," Sheng Li stated. 

Xi Jiao acted as if her feet got twisted and fell backward when Sheng Li caught her by snaking his arm around her waist. 

"Is that a part of the plan as well?" Ying Lili asked as she saw Sheng Li holding a woman. Lei Wanxi confusedly looked at Ying Lili and then turned to look at Sheng Li. 

The sight was not good! Lei Wanxi brought his fist closer to his mouth. 'Why did Brother Sheng do that? Brother Sheng, you are dead,' Lei Wanxi thought in his mind. 

Sheng Li tightened his grip around the hilt while gazing into the eyes of Xi Jiao. "I think the Empress selected you for me," Sheng Li finally initiated the conversation with Xi Jiao as he slowly straightened Xi Jiao who was acting that her foot was injured. She tightly grabbed the arm of Sheng Li for support, who was not liking it at all but it was just for a few more minutes. 

"I asked something," Sheng Li said, this time with a firm tone. "Did the Empress tell you about me? It is common to have two wives for a Prince so, she might have told you something," Sheng Li tried taking out the truth from her. 

The foolish woman agreed with the words of the Crown Prince. "Yes, your highness. I think I am the most suitable woman who can be your second wife," Xi Jiao proclaimed. "The Empress told me that you do not look at the other women except the Crown Princess but I think it is the opposite," Xi Jiao asserted. 

"Sister Lili, that's a part of an act. Brother Sheng is just…" Lei Wanxi paused as he saw Sheng Li was smiling while conversing with Xi Jiao. Lei Wanxi slightly laughed and looked at Ying Lili. "Sister Lili, this is all an illusion. Come with me. I will explain everything to you, Sister Lili," Lei Wanxi did not want a fight to happen between Sheng Li and Ying Lili. 

But the way Sheng Li was acting was making Lei Wanxi nervous. "I think that Brother Sheng is going to cry the entire day," Lei Wanxi thought and heaved a sigh. 

Ying Lili stepped forward when she saw that Sheng Li had pushed Princess Xi, who had fallen to the ground. Lei Wanxi and Xiao Zhan were happy to see that but they were confused why the Crown Prince did that. 

Xi Jiao with a befuddled expression looked at Sheng Li, whose expressions had darkened. Sheng Li pointed the sword at the neck of Xi Jiao who gulped in fear. "You might have gotten false hopes from the Empress but let me tell you something. First, I do not like women like you. If for a few minutes, you believed that I showed interest in you then you are wrong. Tell the Empress not to play with me like this." Sheng Li moved the sword closer to her neck such that it touched her skin. 

"P-please forgive me," Xi Jiao closed her eyes in fear. The sharp pointed blade had cut the skin on her neck and blood started oozing out. 

"In my life, there is no second woman! Tell these words to the Empress. If you won't then today will be your last day on this earth. I will not hesitate even for a second to kill you," Sheng Li growled and looked at her right hand. "You gripped my arm with this hand, right?" He further asked. 

Xi Jiao was terrified. She had heard that the Crown Prince was cruel, but had never imagined that such a thing would happen to her. "You do not deserve this hand," Sheng Li and brought his sword towards her hand. "Tell your father the exact reason why you lost your hand today," Sheng Li pronounced. 

Xi Jiao was crying and pleading with the Crown Prince to forgive her. But it did not affect him. Instead, it was making him furious. The sword had come over her wrist when Ying Lili grasped his hand. 

"Lili," he murmured. His hand was pulled back while his gaze was fixed at Ying Lili. 

"General Xiao," Ying Lili loudly called the name of Xiao Zhan who came near her. "Take Princess Xi to the Royal Infirmary," Ying Lili commanded. Xiao Zhan bowed and helped Xi Jiao in getting up. 

"Thank you, your highness," Xi Jiao said before leaving. 

"Lili, why did you intervene? She needs to be punished," Sheng Li affirmed. 

"Why did you do that?" Ying Lili queried. 

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