Ying Lili delightedly took the letter from Court Lady Xu and sat on the mattress. "He sent two letters," Ying Lili murmured, the smile never fading from her lips. She opened the first letter and read it.
"Lili,
Hope you are taking care of yourself in my absence. We have reached close to our destination. Soon, I will complete the work here and come back. Do not worry about me. I am also taking care of mine. Ahh, I have so much to say to you, but writing them is impossible. I am ending this letter here. Do not send a reply as it can be risky.
I love you
Sheng Li."
Ying Lili's eyes filled with tears. She did not know the importance of letters until today. She was restless since the last day and this letter calmed her heart down. But she was sad that she could not send Sheng Li any message. Putting it down on the mattress, Ying Lili opened another letter.
'Friend, we three are safe. Do not worry about us.
Hu Jingguo.'
Ying Lili laughed loudly, amusing Court Lady Xu. She curiously asked the Crown Princess about that laugh. "Hu Jingguo wanted to write a letter for me, but Sheng Li did not let him write, I think. He is even getting jealous when we are far away," Ying Lili wiped the tears formed in her eyes because of laughing.
"But your heart and souls are connected, your highness. The Crown Prince is possessive towards her highness," stated Court Lady Xu.
Ying Lili passed a smile to Court Lady Xu and folded the letters. She put them on the table. "I am eagerly waiting for his return. Without him, the Palace feels empty to me," Ying Lili suddenly turned emotional. She lowered her eyes and closed them. "He is staying in the forest, sleeping on the floor while I have this fluffy mattress. I know he will neglect the injuries he gets," Ying Lili proclaimed. She opened her eyes and looked at the Court Lady, who had a tense expression on her face.
"The Crown Prince will return soon, your highness. General Wang and the Second Physician would take good care of his highness even if he neglects it. He was out of the Palace for 6 years, so it is not the first time for the Crown Prince," Court Lady Xu proclaimed and made Ying Lili understand.
"I get it," Ying Lili replied. "I want to sleep," she told the Court Lady, who bowed. "I will cover her highness from the blanket. Please lay down," stated Court Lady Xu.
"I will do that. Just blow off the candles," Ying Lili ordered her. Court Lady Xu called a maidservant who did that work. The chamber turned dark and then went out. Ying Lili quietly got off the bed and went towards the window. She opened it and stood by it. The rain had not stopped, which worried her more. The lightning traveled in the sky through clouds, scared her.
"Sheng Li, please be safe. My heart is again restless," Ying Lili murmured, bringing her hand to her chest.
Here, Sheng Li, Wang Hao, and Hu Jingguo could not reach the borders of the Northern Province at the desired time. The heavy rain had muddied the ground and it was tough for them to resume the journey. They decided to stop and took shelter in a nearby village.
Since it was a late-night, all villagers were fast asleep. Wang Hao took them to a hut where he had taken rest the last time he used this route. They were completely drenched, so were their horses. Luckily, the hut had a large space where horses could be put without any trouble. "Your highness, please go in. I will do the rest of the work," Wang Hao stated. Sheng Li nodded and went towards the door of a room. He pushed it and walked in, while Wang Hao made the stable for the horses with the help of Hu Jingguo.
The hut was abandoned a long time ago, so there was nothing except the straws, dry wood on the floor. He had to light the fire as well to keep them warm. Gathering them, he created a tiny heap near one end of the room and lit a fire using the pebbles. He removed his upper garment, removed the headband around his forehead, and sat beside the fire to keep his body warm.
After some time, Wang Hao and Hu Jingguo entered the room. "Sheng Li, change into these clothes," Hu Jingguo stated, who stood up and took the clothes from him.
Hu Jingguo came closer to Sheng Li and poked his muscular arm. "Whoa! Your muscles are so…" he paused as he found the Crown Prince was scowling at him. Bringing his hand to his nape, Hu Jingguo said, "Forgive me."
"So, this is the scar about which Lili was talking!" Hu Jingguo said, looking at the middle of Sheng Li's chest, who immediately brought the clothes in front of his chest, thus covering it.
"Go over there and change your clothes," Sheng Li pointed towards the left wall of the hut. Hu Jingguo did not defy him and walked away. After changing their clothes, they sat beside the fire. Hu Jingguo remembered the day when he almost died in the fire. It still terrified him.
The rain got heavier instead of slowing down. Luckily, they packed the meals early in the morning. They took their meals first, before sleeping. Sheng Li sat up on the bed of straw, as he could not sleep. Wang Hao and Hu Jingguo had already fallen asleep.
'It is getting difficult. We are behind our destination. I just hope tomorrow there will be no rain,' Sheng Li thought. His mind went back to Ying Lili's words. 'Rain means romance.' A smile formed on his lips. He went towards the window and after a few tries opened it as it was jammed for a long time. He brought his hand to his chest and closed his eyes. "Hope you have slept peacefully," he murmured.
~~~
Read the author note below.