A eunuch came inside the chamber with a bowed head. "Forgive me for the intrusion, your majesty. The Crown Prince has arrived," he passed the message to the three of them.
"I am coming. Make sure to not let the Crown Prince get angry in any way," ordered Song Wai. The eunuch shook his head in agreement and left from there. Song Wai then turned to his queen and daughter. "My queen, your presence is a must. Please come with me. An Lili, do not come outside until you are called," Song Wai asserted.
The Queen stood up and stood beside Song Wai. Ying Lili noticed her mother was unwilling to make her marry the crown prince. "Mother, do not worry. Everything is fine," she assured her mother who nodded. Both Song Wai and Chou Mei left the chamber while Ying Lili's assistant, Ruyi came inside.
Bowing before her princess, Ruyi asked, "My lady, is everything fine? What did his majesty tell you?"
"I am marrying the crown prince. There is no other way to save our people," Ying Lili announced. Ruyi could not believe her ears. She bent on her knees and started weeping. "My lady has not to sacrifice herself for this. We all have heard how ruthless is the crown prince. Can his majesty not find the other way?" Ruyi questioned as she lowered her eyes.
Ying Lili stood up from the bed and made Ruyi stood up by grabbing her both arms. "Stop crying. Someday I had to marry so, why not this alliance? Do you think he can harm your princess?" Ying Lili queried Ruyi as she wiped the tears off her cheeks.
"My lady, I know you are strong enough to make men cry but-"
"Even he cannot do anything to your princess. I am born strong and no one can harm me. Do not cry," Ying Lili told Ruyi with a tiny smile on her lips.
A gust of cold wind surrounded the palace as soon as the Crown Prince stopped the horse in front of the gates of the Imperial Palace of Juyan. He stepped down his horse and saw the King of Juyan was standing at the entrance with his queen and others to welcome him.
Sheng Li noticed that they had lowered their eyes. He stepped ahead and entered inside the gate. "We are overwhelmed by your presence, your highness. Please this way," Song Wai humbly told the Crown Prince.
"I am not here to sit and talk to you. You already threw your dice and also won against me. A very intelligent move by a petty king. Bring your daughter, right away." The cold, commanding, and threatening tone sent shivers in the bodies of both the King and Queen along with a few ministers standing behind them.
Song Wai gathering his entire courage spoke, "Your highness, please come inside. You are tired after such a long journey. Let us serve you for a night." Song Wai was speaking each word consciously keeping in mind not to make the crown prince angry in any way.
Sheng Li with lightning speed took out his sword and placed it on the neck of Song Wai. The queen immediately bent on her knees and pleaded with the crown prince to leave her husband. "Please, do not do anything to my husband." Seeing the queen on her knees the ministers-in-charge and the servants also bent on their knees with lower heads.
Sheng Li chuckled and spoke, "King Song, you did the biggest mistake of your life by throwing your daughter in this marriage alliance." The sharp sword tip pierced the skin of Song Wai and blood started dripping from it. "You saved yourself and the people of Juyan from me, but what about your daughter?" Sheng Li questioned Song Wai who had tears in his eyes. Chou Mei was shocked to hear that and started crying.
"I am giving you two options: either be willing to die or let your daughter get killed," Sheng Li pronounced.
"Your highness, please forgive my husband. You can kill me, but do not harm my husband and daughter. I am willing to be getting killed by your hands," the queen pleaded Sheng Li who started laughing.
"The queen is quite bolder than the king. Why do you not let rule her in this petty kingdom and die by my hands?" Sheng Li asserted with a smirk. General Wang stepped forward when he heard Sheng Li, "Let me handle this myself." General Wang halted at his place after hearing that.
"Your highness cannot kill anybody here. I am assured by the Emperor of Han himself," after much hesitance Song Wai declared and then commanded his assistant eunuch to bring the royal decree.
"King Song, I do not need the permission of killing anyone from the emperor. I can tell him how you disrespected me. He is my father so, he will say nothing to me. Please see your queen before dying," Saying this Sheng Li pierced the sword deeper into Song Wai's skin. The queen was begging Sheng Li to spare her husband but he had made up his mind.
"STOP!" A voice echoed in the air. Sheng Li loosened his grip on the sword and tilted his head to look at the source of the voice. Song Wai upon hearing his daughter's voice trembled in fear. An Ying Lili stepped forward while her anklets were clanging.
Ying Lili stopped right beside her mother who was still on the ground with a bowed head. "Mother, please stand up," she said as she pulled up her mother.
"An Lili, I told you not to come here then why did you not listen to me?" Song Wai complained. The sword was still hanging under his neck. Ying Lili stepped ahead and gripped the sword with her hand, glaring into the eyes of Han Sheng Li.
"Do not even try harming my father," Ying Lili pronounced sternly. Sheng Li noticed that the princess was indeed a jade beauty. Her fair skin like snow and pearly eyes was enough to mesmerize the person standing in front of her. Sheng Li had heard about her beauty from General Wang when they were coming towards the Imperial Palace but he did not believe it until he saw her himself. "That's why the first brother fell for you," murmured Sheng Li. He tried taking his sword back and found Ying Lili had a firm grip over it as if she was trained it.
"Are you willing to die for your people?" Sheng Li asked Ying Lili, gazing into her eyes. Chou Mei told Ying Lili to step back when a maidservant came forward to take Ying Lili back.
"Please do not do anything to my daughter," Song Wai begged as well, intervening between them.
"Tell your father to shut his mouth if he does not want to lose his life," Sheng Li told Ying Lili, gazing into her eyes.
"Father, we do not need to be scared of him. If he had to kill us then he would have by now," Ying Lili declared with an affirmed tone.
Sheng Li was amused to hear the response of Ying Lili. "You did not answer the previous question," Sheng Li stated.
"I am not that easy to be killed," Ying Lili answered immediately. Her gaze was fixed at Sheng Li.
Sheng Li smiled and then grabbed Ying Lili's hand from which she was holding the sword who, tried releasing her grip from Sheng Li's hand but it was in vain. Leaning closer to Ying Lili's ear, Sheng Li whispered, "I have never encountered anyone like you until now who is this brave. It will be fun to play with you. You have got a sharp tongue as well."
"Prepare the palanquin. We are leaving as the princess is here. Lower your eyes if you do not want to be mesmerized by her," Sheng Li announced loudly as he leaned back and released Ying Lili's hand.