Chapter 4 - I Hate You

The palanquin stopped as soon as it entered the grounds of Imperial Juyan Palace. Ying Lili without wasting any second came out of the palanquin and saw the palace ground was indeed converted into a morning ground. She ran as fast as she could and fell on her knees beside her father's body. Chou Mei looked at Ying Lili and embraced her tightly. "Your father is no more," she cried out.

Ying Lili looked at her father's lifeless body. "I will not spare him. I know he killed you, and I will avenge for your death," Ying Lili took a pledge, looking at her father. There were no tears in her eyes, which worried the palace- women.

"Why are you not crying? Mourn for him," Ying Lili's aunt told her, whose face was filled with tears. Tears poured down her eyes, but she did not speak anything. Her mother lost her consciousness in her arms that worried her out.

"Mother. Mother. What happened to mother?" Ying Lili concernedly stated. "Take the queen to the chamber," one of the ministers there ordered. Five maidservants came there and carried the queen up. She was taken to the chamber while Ying Lili followed her up when General Wang stopped her.

"Forgive me for stopping you this way, your highness but, there is a message from the Crown Prince. Because of some reasons, we have to leave right now for the capital of Han," General Wang told Ying Lili while his eyes were lowered.

The maidservants left from there along with the sister-in-law of the queen to the queen's chamber at Ying Lili's request. She then walked to General Wang and said, "Tell your Crown Prince that he broke the alliance by killing my father. I am not going back." Her voice was affirmed.

"Your highness, please refrain from accusing the Crown Prince. The marriage alliance is still valid. If the princess will not agree to this, then unwanted bloodshed will occur. The crown prince will not spare anyone here," General Wang proclaimed.

Ying Lili's uncle, Song Li Xiu, standing beside Yenay heard that and told Ying Lili to leave for the capital.

"Shū shu (uncle in Chinese), my father is no more. Now, this alliance has no meaning. The Emperor's son backed off from his promise not to kill anyone here, but he killed my f-father," Ying Lili's voice broke down saying this. She looked at her father's body and tears started pouring down her eyes. Song Li Xiu noticed General Wang's expressions and told him to excuse them for a while.

General Wang bowed his head and stepped back. Li Xiu took away Ying Lili from there in a room nearest to the palace grounds. "Ying Lili, this time is not to decide because of the emotional turmoil you are going on.

Brother's loss is indeed grave to all of us but fulfilled your father's last wish. Brother was concerned about your safety till his last breath. He did not want the bloodshed, and most importantly he did not want to be dragged out from here with disrespect. I think the brother was not killed by the Crown Prince. He does not kill people at their backs. If he had to kill, then he would have killed him earlier," Song Li Xiu in the best of his limits made Ying Lili understand.

"So, you are here?" Sheng Li voiced from the other side. Both Li Xiu and Ying Lili turned to him upon hearing his voice. "You do not like to follow the orders," Sheng Li further said as he kept walking towards them.

Li Xiu immediately lowered his eyes, while Ying Lili beamed at him. Sheng Li stepped towards them and stopped right in front of them. "Your highness, forgive my child-"

Song Li Xiu stopped speaking as he felt the dagger near his neck. Ying Lili shouted at him. "Are you not satisfied enough after killing my father?" Ying Lili angrily asked Sheng Li.