Hu Li goes to every carriage she can find in the palace. None of it have the key designs that matches with what they have. A month later, the news of the big wedding is going to happen soon for the crown prince. The bride is arriving into the city within twenty days. Thus the emperor have order the whole city and the palace to be decorated for the wedding. Nothing to be spare.
Soon everywhere is decorated with the color of red and every citizen join in the celebration. Hu Li watch from the rooftop as Yu Bing. Hei as a cat is napping in her shirt. She look around to see people walking, talking and laughing. There are plenty of carriages moving around. Since Du Wei have been checking all sorts of big wheel transportations in the city there is no need for Hu Li to go round and check as well. It is frustrating and she is running out of time. She see Du Wei at the streets patrolling. They look at each other. Ten minutes later, he climb up the rooftop. They exchange information.
"So the palace don't have those strange designs?"
"While the public transportations don't have those too."
"Yu Bing, do you think we are on the wrong track?"
"I don't think so. How can this ... i don't understand something must be missing. Have you got any news about the residence that we have taken the men and children out from?"
"Yes, a few days later, after we sweep clean the residence, a maid came. She exit out from the same door and she look around with a worry look on face. She did not panic nor do anything strange. She act as if everything is at usual."
"She did not ask where the men and children are now? That is really odd..."
"Too odd. Our men follow her to another residence. She enter and again never exit."
"Looks like whoever they are, these people have already make themselves at home."
"Those men we have taken away, they refused to say who they are and where they are from."
"... Du Wei, can you deliberately in front of those men mentioned about Princess Wang Ching. Talk about anything and see there face expression. If they have reaction, it most likely she have something to do with them."
Du Wei soon leaves after they discuss further. As he have leave the patrol team too long, hence he have to return in a hurry. Hu Li watch them leave and she look at her shirt to see Hei still napping.
In the boudoir, she is reading the letter sent in. She burnt it again and look at her maid. In her pokerface, she stare at her
"Do you have anything to report."
"...Yes..."
The maid is perspiring as she stands there. Her palms are sweaty and she is trying to breath. The maid behind her too fear what the princess will do. She is too afraid to look at them.
"Well i am waiting..."
"Your highness... Yesterday i went to the ... keep house. Everyone is missing. The rest of us have search through the city and the outskirts. We cannot find anything as if they have disappear in thin air..."
Hu Li stand up and walk slowly away from her desk. She look at the facial expression of the maids. They all seems to be frighten. What should she do? She ask herself quietly.
"Keep searching... once you have any news, report again."
"Aren't you... "
"What?!"
"Nothing, your highness..."
"What is on your mind say it!"
"Your highness please don't get angry. We will double up the search. Also the mixtures are done. The bamboos are on the way here. "
Hu Li hear that, she knows that they are referring to the powder for the bomb. They must be making it in the other residences as Du Wei mentioned before. While the letter that she had just burnt was mentioning that the bamboos are entering the city within three days.
"Your highness, if all goes well, our plans will carryout on the wedding day!"
Hu Li stare at the maid who is smiling brightly at the her. Slowly her smile fade away and Hu Li walk away from her. She ask them to prepare the afternoon snacks for her. They goes off without closing the door. She stare at the outside suddenly she turn around to look at her desk.
That evening Prince Ying Tian appear and join her for dinner. They eat in peace and later her maids leave them alone.
"We are preparing everything. All important points to lay the bombs are marked in the city. My men are all ambushed in the city. On the day of the wedding, there will be chaos in the city. While the ceremony, we will take them by surprise. I am replacing the guards with ours slowly till that day. That day, they will be imprison or would you prefer to kill them all?"
He look at her with affectionately and she stare at him without a smile. She continue to stroke her cat at her lap. Prince Ying Tian reach out to touch her cheek.
"I swear you are getting prettier day by the day. That wedding day of that dumb brother of yours will be the day you will be the first empress! And you will crown me, am i right!"
Hu Li smile without a word. She pick up the grape in front of her and put it inside his mouth. She is boiling with anger but she cannot yell at him yet she needs to hear his plans and make her own plans later to disrupt or stop what he is planning. That night he goes on talking without her interrupting. He keep talking with some seriousness and some cheekiness. Before he leaves, he make sure that he gets what he wants a deep kiss with the woman who is going to give him the world that his own family cannot give him. Prince Ying Tian knows that something is off with his Princess but he is not going to let it go when all his effort into planning this grand stage is almost done. No matter what is the outcome, he will be the new emperor.
While in a distance, Wang Cao is watching his sister. She doesn't have much to say but she keep smiling and looking at that hateful soon-to-be-brother-in-law. Whether she is his sister or not he rather protect her than to abandon the sister who grow up with him. Prince Ying Tian is a person whom he dislike intensively. Since that man doesn't respect anyone except the emperor and his sister, he feels that Prince Ying Tian is not a man that he should entrust his sister to. He watch Prince Ying Tian leaves the courtyard. Somehow when he look straight, his sister is looking at his direction. A fear comes into his mind when he recall that night when she scare him. He hurry to walk away and make sure he watch his steps and don't fall anywhere.