275: Show me your face

Show me your face

3Sheng Li dropped his sister to her chamber and then went to military grounds for meeting with the Commanders of the Military. Descending the stairs, he met Xiao Zhan, who followed him to the military barracks to the chamber where the Commanders.

As the Crown Prince entered the chamber, the ten commanders stood up from their respective seats and bowed. Sheng Li took his seat, followed by General Xiao and the Commanders. 

"Ren Qingling, did you make the arrangements?" Sheng Li asked. 

"Yes, your highness. The arrangements for the safe departure of Prince Lu Qifeng and Princess Qi Jing are also ready. The route through which they will travel has our soldiers deployed there," Ren Qingling informed Sheng Li. He stood up and showed the map of the route that would be used by Lu Qifeng and Qi Jing to go to Lu Province.

Sheng Li nodded and looked at Commander Sun Qiu, who answered, "Your highness, I checked the goods properly which will be used in the marriages and also the identities of the workers who have brought them." 

"Keep your eyes and ears open. There are three marriages on the day after tomorrow. Even if there's a slight suspicion, arrest the person and inform me," Sheng Li commanded. 

"Yes, your highness," all the Commanders said in unison. 

"Your highness, I went to the Northern Palace for the security check but was prohibited entry," Commander Gao Xinyi reported to the Crown Prince. 

"You can go there. If you prohibited from entering, then say it's the orders of the Crown Prince, and the Empress can talk with me," Sheng Li pronounced. Gao Xinyi bowed upon hearing the command of Sheng Li. 

After an hour, the meeting was over, and the Commanders were dismissed. Sheng Li was leaving for his chamber when Xiao Zhan informed him about the Sixth Prince. "Your highness, earlier in the afternoon, Prince Wanxi ran away as soon as he saw me. I think something is going on with Prince Wanxi." 

Sheng Li put the map on the table and looked at Xiao Zhan. "You might have misunderstood him. He does not ignore people," Sheng Li affirmed. 

"Yes, your highness," Xiao Zhan replied. 

"I am leaving. Inform me when Wang Hao will be back," Sheng Li whispered. Xiao Zhan nodded and stood up from his chair. Sheng Li walked out of the chamber and soon left the barracks. He was going to meet Lu Qifeng when the words of Xiao Zhan started hitting his mind. 'Shall I check on him?' Sheng Li murmured and turned left to go to the chamber of Lei Wanxi. 

Lei Wanxi was looking at the mirror when the servant informed him about the arrival of the Crown Prince. The mirror fell from Lei Wanxi's hand, but he caught it. "Tell the Crown Prince that I am sleeping," Lei Wanxi urged the servant to lie, who bowed and walked out. 

Lei Wanxi put the mirror on the table and jumped towards his bed. He laid down, covering himself from the blanket such that the Crown Prince could not see his face. He had tightly shut his eyes when he heard the footsteps of Sheng Li. Lei Wanxi was scared, who heard Sheng Li's voice. "Why is he covering his face from the blanket? Isn't it suffocating?" 

Cold sweat started forming on Lei Wanxi's forehead. "Heaven, please save me!" Lei Wanxi prayed in his mind. 

Sheng Li gripped the blanket and almost pulled off the blanket from Lei Wanxi's face when Prince Nianzu stopped him. "Crown Prince, I was searching for you," Nianzu stated. Sheng Li turned back and greeted the Fourth Brother while Lei Wanxi heaved a sigh. 

"What happened, Brother Nianzu?" Sheng Li queried. 

"Ahh… mm… I forgot," Nianzu said. "But, it is important to work. Why don't we go to my study room? I might recall," Nianzu proclaimed. 

Sheng Li hummed and stepped forward when he again turned back. "It's late evening. Wanxi is still sleeping," Sheng Li murmured and shook the Sixth Prince. 

"Let him sleep, Brother Sheng. He might be tired after roaming all day in the market," stated Nianzu. 

"Brother, General Xiao informed me that Wanxi ran away seeing him so, I need to check on him if he is okay," Sheng Li asserted when Lei Wanxi sat up with blanket wrapped around him, astonishing both Sheng Li and Nianzu. He sneaked his right face out while hiding his left face which was injured. 

Yawning, Lei Wanxi said, "Brother Sheng, I was in such a beautiful dream. But then your voice broke my dream," Lei Wanxi stated.

"Forgive me," Sheng Li apologized. 

Lei Wanxi lightly hit Sheng Li's forearm and told him not to apologize. "Brother Sheng, do you want to hear about my dream?" Lei Wanxi questioned. 

"Hmm, what's it about?" Sheng Li asked. 

"I saw two little kids- a girl and a boy. They were calling me uncle. The kids were so cute, just like my Brother Sheng," Lei Wanxi asserted.

Sheng Li knitted his brows. "What are you trying to say?" He asked. Nianzu was smiling, seeing how Lei Wanxi was distracting Sheng Li. 

"Brother, I saw your kids in my dream. I think they were twins. Brother, I think I will soon become an uncle," Lei Wanxi asserted and giggled. "What names shall we give to Brother Sheng's kids?" Lei Wanxi muttered. 

Sheng Li smiled a little. "Wanxi, shall I tell our father to marry you off?" Sheng Li's sudden question confused Lei Wanxi. 

"Why is Brother Sheng speaking this way?" Lei Wanxi asked. "Moreover, I am not a girl whom you will marry off," Lei Wanxi added. 

"Then don't lie to me and show me your face," Sheng Li pronounced with a stern expression. 

Lei Wanxi and Nianzu both widened their eyes. Lei Wanxi's breath hitched when Sheng Li pulled off the blanket. "Who did this?" Sheng Li asked; his eyes darkened. 

"I-I got hit from a wooden pillar. I-I was eating dumplings and could not see the pillar in front of me," Lei Wanxi lied to Sheng Li. 

"What about your lower lip, then? How much more do you want to lie to me? I will not punish you for lying, but the person who did this to you gets the punishment twice," Sheng Li pronounced. 

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