"Marry Lóng Wei and change him into the person that I want him to be. I want to see the changes in him in one month. Failing to do so, you will be beheaded," Qiu Zedong pronounced while Li Hua widened her eyes.
She lifted her head and looked into the King's eyes before lowering them.
"A person born in low class isn't allowed to marry a child born in high class, especially in a royal family. I made this decision because Prince Lóng Wei will not marry another woman. He made numerous mistakes, but he never did anything selflessly for another person. However, you turned out to be an exception," Qiu Zedong told Li Hua, who was unaware of that.
"You have a day to give me the answer. I will give you a second option as well. If you do not want to marry Lóng Wei, then you will leave this palace tomorrow morning. Whatever your answer will be, tell me about that in the evening. I will be in the royal garden for an evening walk," Qiu Zedong stated and walked away. Eunuch Gao Bing followed the king while Yuze stayed back.
As soon as the King left the pavilion, Yuze decided to speak to Li Hua.
"Young Lady, everything that happened to you has a purpose hidden behind it," Li Hua heard Yuze's voice. She glanced at him and found an amusing smile on his lips. "Handling Prince Lóng Wei is the most difficult task. He never felt good towards anyone, but for you, he always thinks good. Who knows this marriage brings benefits for you! Lóng Wei will keep you above everything. Such opportunities are rare to find," Yuze affirmed and left behind the King.
Li Hua stood up and pondered over the words of the King. She had to leave the palace if she would not agree to marry Lóng Wei. Without completing her mission, she could never step out of the palace. However, if she agreed to marry, she had to change Lóng Wei within a month.
Furthermore, she was married to Feng Lao in her mind. The red jade ring that Feng Lao handed to her was evidence of it. She could never betray her love for him.
She looked towards the bottom of the stairs and found the old Monk, conversing with the King.
'Everything that happened to you has a purpose hidden behind it. Who knows this marriage brings benefits for you!' Li Hua recalled the words of the old monk.
'If I accept this marriage, then I will be directly involved in the palace affairs. I can find who was behind the assassination that day,' she thought. Li Hua left the punishment ground soon and went to the Sixth Prince's manor to check on him.
The King and the Old Monk were present in the manor.
She walked closer to the chamber and heard Lóng Wei's voice. "I hate everyone in the palace." Those words felt painful and full of complaints, which Lóng Wei wasn't able to speak.
Eunuch Gao Bing saw her and gestured to her to come inside. Li Hua walked in and stood beside Gao Bing.
"The Sixth Prince knows that his Royal Father is short-tempered. He should have let the palace maid take the punishment," Qiu Zedong said and told the royal physician to apply lotion on Lóng Wei's back.
"I will break your hands if you tried to touch me," Lóng Wei said, glaring at the royal physician, Peng Yuxian, who had a bowl full of lotion on his one palm.
Lóng Wei rested on the support of his abdomen on the mattress while his left temple rested on the pillow.
"Why is the Sixth Prince so obstinate?" Qiu Zedong asked him.
"Li Hua," Lóng Wei saw her figure and happily called out her name. "Give the bowl to Li Hua. She will apply lotion on my back," he instructed Peng Yuxian.
The King and the old monk turned to look at Li Hua, who lowered her head.
"Go. Help the Sixth Prince," Qiu Zedong said and left the chamber with Yuze. Eunuch Gao Bing walked after the King.
"Leave!" Lóng Wei sternly told Peng Yuxian, who handed the bowl to Li Hua and left, closing the doors behind him.
"Go and lock the door from inside," Lóng Wei told Li Hua, who acted upon his command. She came back to the bed and asked him to remove his upper body clothes.
She put the bowl on the round table and made him sit. Li Hua brought her hands to the collars of the overcoat and slid them down Lóng Wei's arms. He looked at her face closely and again was mesmerized. She slowly untied the knots on the dress and yanked it off his shoulders. Her fingers touched his skin and she recalled the words that he told her in the bathhouse.
She stood up and sat behind him. Slowly she pulled the dress down his muscular arms. Li Hua was confused to see that Lóng Wei's back wasn't red or purplish. Usually, after floggings, one's skin would turn red or purplish.
Lóng Wei handed the bowl to her and asked her to apply the lotion.
"Your Highness, your back looks absolutely fine," Li Hua said.
Lóng Wei tilted his head to narrowly glance at her. "Elaborate!" Lóng Wei stated.
"The floggings usually leave your skin red," Li Hua answered.
Lóng Wei pulled his dress up his shoulders, and it perplexed her. "I didn't know you are a good observant," Lóng Wei said and threw the overcoat aside on the bed.
He turned to face her and rested his right elbow on the pillow. His left knee was in the air while his right knee was lying flat on the mattress.
Li Hua thought to stand up when Lóng Wei told her to stay seated. He took the bowl from her and put it aside.
"Why did you intervene?" He asked her with a stern tone.
Li Hua found she was unable to speak. Since yesterday Lóng Wei hadn't spoken to her this way as he did now, and it turned her throat go dry.
"Li Hua, that flogger is my man. He acted to beat me," Lóng Wei pronounced, and Li Hua's eyes grew bigger. "I told my first secret as you jumped in to save me. I like it when you get concerned for me," he said, with a grin.