Deng Hui was trembling in fear. The Palace maid brought the water for her and forwarded the water glass to the Empress. Deng Hui grabbed the water glass with a trembling hand. She brought the glass closer to her lips when it fell from her hand.

  The Palace maid got on her knees and started to plead with the Empress. "Clean the floor and leave," Deng Hui ordered her.

  "Thank you, Your Majesty," the Palace Maid cleaned the floor quickly and left. Deng Hui called Eunuch Zhen inside.

  "Your Majesty," he bowed in front of her.

  "Tha-that poison bottle was with me, then how did it reach the hands of Minister Xi?" Deng Hui questioned. "Did someone come here?" She asked him.

  "Your Majesty, it is confusing for me as well," Eunuch Zhen replied.

  "The Crown Prince does not know that the poison was arranged by me. But that Minister took my name, and I do not know what will happen in the morning," Deng Hui stated.

  Eunuch Zhen remained quiet as the Crown Prince had already threatened him with his life– if he would open his mouth, he would die instantly.

  "What do you think, Eunuch Zhen?" Deng Hui again queried him.

  "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince, thinks that you can never do this. Moreover, the poison bottle is found in the robes of Minister Xi. All evidence is against Minister Xi. Her Majesty does not need to be scared," Eunuch Zhen reassured Deng Hui.

  "What about the poison? Someone knows that I had that poison because even the Minister was unaware of that," Deng Hui asserted.

  "Your Majesty, please do not stress yourself over this trivial matter. It is late at night. Tomorrow is an important occasion," affirmed Eunuch Zhen. Deng Hui nodded and told him to leave. She went to bed and lay down. However, she could not sleep. She sat up on the bed and looked around.

  "Did the Crown Prince fool me? Was he keeping an eye on me? How did the poison find in the robes of Minister Xi?" Deng Hui muttered. "Will I be hanged to death similar to Weng Wei?" She murmured. She again went towards the tiny cupboard at the left end of the chamber and opened it.

  "How did he find the key for this? What is the Crown Prince thinking? I should not have taken such a step," Deng Hui mumbled and sat down on the floor. Tears started to flow down from her eyes. "I shouldn't have underestimated the Crown Prince," she hit her forehead on the cupboard's door.

  After some time, Deng Hui stopped. "What shall I do now? Shall I apologize to Sheng Li for doing this? I know that he knows that I did all this but why did he not expose me in front of everyone?" She contemplated.

  ~~~~~

  Ying Lili kissed Sheng Li's lips and pulled away. Sheng Li stroked her hair. "I never thought that the pain I suffered would be understood by anyone. I mean, the close people around me used to tell me to forget these scars. However, they never understood why it was difficult to forget these scars," asserted Sheng Li.

  Ying Lili rested her head on Sheng Li's chest. "It's fine, Sheng Li. Aren't you tired? It's late. We shall sleep," Ying Lili suggested. She lifted her head and looked into his eyes.

  "I am not tired, Lili," Sheng Li replied. "Let's go to the Lotus Pavilion," he suggested.

  "Let's go then," Ying Lili agreed with him and got down the bed. "You need to dress up," asserted Ying Lili.

  Sheng Li called Xing-Fu inside and told him to bring his dress. Xing-Fu bowed, and after some time, he came with a dress in his hand. "Shall I call the maidservants to dress up his highness?" Xing-Fu humbly asked.

  Sheng Li took the dress from Xing-Fu and told him to leave. Xing-Fu stepped back and left the chamber. "Will you dress by yourself?" Ying Lili asked.

  "No. You will help me," Sheng Li answered.

  "Do it yourself!" Ying Lili sternly said.

  "You know that I need someone to dress me, especially tying these knots on the upper jacket," Sheng Li reasoned.

  "How could you lie so openly?" Ying Lili questioned him and crossed her arms.

  "We are getting late," Sheng Li stated.

  Ying Lili took the upper jacket from his hand and helped him wear it. She came to the front and tied the knots on the jacket. "Wear the rest of the dress yourself. I need to wear bangles and a head accessory," Ying Lili stated and walked away.

  "It's wrong, Lili," Sheng Li shouted.

  Sheng Li dressed up quickly but did not tie his hair. Ying Lili was also ready by then. She stood up from the chair and came near Sheng Li, who said, "Let's go." The two walked out of the chamber.

  "We are going to the Lotus Pavilion. Keep twenty meters away from us," Sheng Li ordered the servants. He looked at Ying Lili, and the two left for the Lotus Pavilion.

  In the Lotus Pavilion, Sheng Li had arranged something special for Ying Lili. As they reached the entrance of the garden, Sheng Li halted, and so did Ying Lili. The servants behind them also stopped.

  "What happened?" Ying Lili queried him.

  Sheng Li looked around and then swiftly carried Ying Lili in his arms. "Sheng Li," Ying Lili pronounced his name with bewilderment.

  "Close your eyes, Lili," he said in the softest possible tone.

  "Why?" Ying Lili asked.

  "Just close them. Why do you ask so many questions?" Sheng Li complained.

  The maidservants giggled as they took peeks at the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess. Xing-Fu and Court Lady Xu scolded them for not acting appropriately.

  Ying Lili lightly closed her eyes when she heard Sheng Li, "Don't open your eyes until I say so," He told her.

  "Hmm. I will not open my eyes," Ying Lili assured him. Sheng Li smiled and started walking, followed by those servants…… Soon, they reached near the Lotus Pavilion when Sheng Li ordered the servants not to take even a step from there onwards.