Nianzu hummed at Chuntao and started walking. The intensity of the rain had increased by then. Nianzu noticed that Chuntao's clothes were soaking through as the umbrella was not over her. Because of her small height, she needed to raise the arm high so that the umbrella's internal canopy would not hit Prince Nianzu's head.

"Let me hold this," Nianzu held the crook handle from Chuntao and pulled her lightly towards him, thus covering her from the umbrella.

"Your highness," she murmured but Nianzu did not let go of her hand. She walked along with Nianzu as the two crossed the First Gate of the Palace. The Palace Guards bowed their heads as the Fourth Prince crossed their sights.

"Miss Chuntao, you shall not stay outside the Palace after evening," Chuntao heard Nianzu. She was wiping her face which was covered with water droplets. She found that Prince Nianzu had sobered because of the running and drizzling rain which fell on them earlier. She pulled her hand back, and did not want the Palace people to get a wrong idea about them but to her surprise, Nianzu did not let it go. "Why were you outside this late?" Nianzu asked.

"Forgive me, your highness. I will keep this in my mind," Chuntao bowed her head and lifted her head to look at him. Nianzu was devoid of expressions at that moment. They had crossed the Fu Imperial Gates by then and soon reached the Palace grounds. 

"Today I was feeling low," Nianzu halted at his place and then let go of Chuntao's hand. He turned towards her and continued, "Forget whatever I told you today. It was not meant to be told."

The thunder reverberated the second time. But the two kept intact in the Palace grounds. "Yes, your highness," Chuntao replied and lowered her eyes when she felt Nianzu's hand on hers. He put her hand on the crook handle. "I will see you tomorrow. Thank you for today," saying that Nianzu walked away from there.

Chuntao lifted her other hand and stepped forward to stop Nianzu but in this late-night, she thought that it would not be good to go to the Eastern side of the Palace with the Fourth Prince. She felt a little bad as the Prince walked away without the umbrella. She left for the quarter that was allotted to her till the period of her stay in the Palace.

Nianzu reached the Eastern Pavilion when he found an umbrella over his head. He turned his head and saw it was the Sixth Prince. Lei Wanxi noticed the tears which were hidden behind those raindrops. "Brother might catch a cold," Lei Wanxi stated and gestured to him to ascend those stairs.

The two stepped on the stairs. Lei Wanxi did not want to ask his Fourth Brother anything as he found out from his mother how he left the Palace in anger. They reached outside the chamber. Eunuch Chung was shocked to see Prince Nianzu in that disheveled state. He told the maidservant to bring the towels, who worked fast.

"Master, I will prepare a hot bath for you," Eunuch Chung said.

"Eunuch Chung, please prepare for me as well," Lei Wanxi said.

Eunuch Chung nodded and gave the orders to the other maidservant there. Nianzu and Lei Wanxi walked inside the chamber.

The towels were given to them and they dried themselves. "What happened, your highness? Why are you in this disheveled state?" Eunuch Chung worriedly asked as he took the drenched overcoat from Prince Nianzu but he did not reply to him.

Lei Wanxi gestured to Chung to leave them. Eunuch Chung understood the indication and left from there. Nianzu sat on the chaise there and closed his eyes. He remained in that position for fifteen minutes. Lei Wanxi did not speak anything and waited for his Senior Fourth Brother to speak to him.

A deep sigh was heard by Lei Wanxi which showed how despondent he had turned. After five minutes, a maidservant came inside to inform the princes that the bathhouse was ready to use.

Nianzu stood up and walked straight to the bathhouse, followed by Lei Wanxi. Dipping themselves in the separate bathtubs, the two princes felt relaxed. "Is the Fourth Brother okay?" Lei Wanxi finally asked.

Nianzu turned to look at Lei Wanxi. "Wanxi, I want to kill Weng Wei," Nianzu's sudden statement worried Lei Wanxi. He turned towards the door but they were closed.

"Brother, calm down. You cannot be irrational. This is not the time to get depressed. I know mother Hui is undergoing the torture by the Empress but we cannot do anything in hurry," Lei Wanxi pronounced.

"Her entire elbow had turned purple. What if something happens to her? What will I do then? Seeing the cunning Empress in front of me boils my blood. Even if I have to die, I will make sure to kill her," Nianzu uttered. This was the first time Lei Wanxi saw his Fourth Brother this angry.

Anyone could get angry seeing her mother in that state! But taking a decision indiscreetly would affect them negatively only. Nianzu motioned his hand in the water that splashed out of the bathtub.

"Brother, if killing her would be easy then don't you think she would be dead by now by the hands of Brother Sheng? He is waiting for the right moment. The Empress is not only supported by the strong Wei Family but also the Han's other strongest family. Brother Sheng wants to weaken her from her every side to punish her that's why he bore every single torture," Lei Wanxi tried making the Fourth Prince understand.

"Shall I wait then for my mother to die by her hands? I told you that I am not Sheng Li. I would have run away from this place if I was at his place after killing that cunning woman! It hurts. It hurts badly!" Nianzu stated as his eyes again turned misty.

"Seeing your mother in that state and not being able to do anything is the worst feeling ever. You cannot understand this feeling. No one apart from Sheng Li! She killed the mother of Sheng Li, Sister Lili's parents were also killed by her and now she is after my mother! I am a simple man who just wants to live a simple life with his mother," Nianzu's emotions again burst out.

Lei Wanxi clenched his fist. He did not know what he should say to console his older brother.

~~~~

In the Emperor's Manor, Han Wenji was looking at the portrait of his late beloved, Sheng Li's mother. He moved his fingers over the portrait when his loyal Eunuch Jin Delun came there. Both of his hands were near his stomach, and his head was lowered.

"Your majesty, the medical assistant is provided to Concubine Deng Hui," Eunuch Jin informed the Emperor.

Han Wenji put his hand down from the portrait and turned to look at Jin Delun. "Weng Wei did that?" Han Wenji asked. Jin Delun nodded his head.

"Shall I punish her?" Han Wenji queried.

Jin Delun lifted his head and then again lowered it. "Your majesty, you have the power to punish Empress Wei for the wrong she has been doing for a long time. She killed the former Empress of the Han Empire and tried numerous attempts to kill the Crown Prince not once but many times. I am not able to understand when his majesty knows everything, then how could he bear the sight of an evil Empress. Forgive me, your majesty, for using a foul word," Eunuch Jin Delun apologized but he was sick of the Empress's behavior.

"Because she is not alone in this. There is someone who is behind all this whom I could not find all these years. I know because of my negligence many have to suffer but not anymore," Han Wenji pronounced. Jin Delun lifted his head and peered into the eyes of the Emperor.

"Your majesty, what are you going to do?" Jin Delun asked. Han Wenji gave a slight smile. "You will find out soon," Han Wenji replied. "Is there any news from the Crown Prince?" he then asked.

"Yes, your majesty. The control has been taken over the Southern Province, and remaining reports will be given to you by the Crown Prince," Jin Delun informed the Emperor and took out a scroll from inside his pocket. He handed that to Han Wenji and stepped back.

Han Wenji read the message sent by Sheng Li. "Check the routes that will be used by them on the return journey. Make sure to escort them here safely," Han Wenji ordered as he folded the scroll. "Send the message to Yang Fei Ke of the Ju Province. Tell him that he will be given a big responsibility by the Emperor," Han Wenji told Jin Delun, who nodded and took his leave.

~~~

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