For You,I Believe In Every Prayer
Zong-an left with his two fellow musicians after playing the music of A Song of Heaven. Ying Lili stood up from the bed, swirled off her feet as she smiled.
"Lili," Sheng Li said anxiously and went towards her as he securely wrapped his arm around her waist. "You should not do this. What if you had lost your balance?" He asked her.
"Then you would have caught me as you did now," Ying Lili answered when she saw Xing-Fu at the door. She moved away from Sheng Li and asked him to come forward.
"Your Majesty, the valuables of the Empress are brought to the Northern Palace," Xing-Fu informed Sheng Li.
"What? Why?" She asked.
"You will stay in the Northern Palace with your husband. I want to keep you close. We can make new memories here too," Sheng Li told Ying Lili, who nodded her head.
"This will be the official chamber of us from today onwards," Sheng Li told Xing-Fu. Living in the same quarter was never done before but Sheng Li made it an exception.
The maidservants came inside with the servants. They had huge boxes in their hands. Sheng Li commanded Xing-Fu to set the things of Ying Lili in the chamber.
"We both will come in a while," Sheng Li stated and grasped the hand of Ying Lili. He took her out of the chamber, surprising her. After the evening, Sheng Li had stopped to take her out. He told the court ladies not to follow them.
"Where are we going?" Ying Lili asked him with amusement when Sheng Li carried her up in his arms.
"Sheng Li, what's this?" She asked while smiling.
"I do not want you to walk," he said.
"But walking is good for health for a pregnant woman," Ying Lili said as she wrapped her hands around his neck.
"It is. However, I want to carry you like this. I love it," Sheng Li replied and touched his nose with hers. Leaning back, he started to walk.
"People will look at us and then gossip," she said.
"Let them gossip. It is affection for my wife. I love doing small things for her. It makes me happy," Sheng Li stated. He turned left in the hallway.
"When you first carried me in your arms, you threw me like a sack on the
"Lili, that time I was not in love with you. If I had, then I would not have ever done that," Sheng Li reasoned.
Ying Lili kissed his cheek and he halted at his place. "You should not do this when I am walking," he said.
"What did I do?" She acted innocent. Sheng Li shook his head and resumed walking.
He stopped in front of a chamber. Ying Lili found it was newly constructed in the Palace. Sheng Li gently put her down. Her feet touched the floor beneath her and she asked him about the chamber.
"Be patient," he said and pushed the door in. Placing his hands on Ying Lili's shoulder, he took her inside. The room was dark, so Sheng Li told her to wait. After a few seconds, he came with a lantern in his hand.
The room was illuminated with the yellow lantern light. Ying Lili was stunned to see the decoration in the chamber. "Is it the chamber for our children?" Ying Lili asked him.
"Yes," Sheng Li answered and looked around. The chamber was neither too large nor too small. There were two wooden glider swings at one end. Ying Lili went to check them. She saw the strings attached to the swings and held them. Pulling them, she released them and they swung.
She looked around the room and found beautiful wall paintings hanging. One of them was of them. Sheng Li and Ying Lili are in the garden on a swing. Sheng Li stood behind her and hugged her from behind.
"I added only a few things in this room. Rest you can do. I mean, order the servants to decorate it according to your preference. You know better than me, and your preference is mine," Sheng Li affirmed.
"You have already done more than enough," Ying Lili pronounced. She saw the poster bed beside the left glider swing. "When we will be here, then we can sleep here too. That way, we can have a close check on our children," Sheng Li stated. Ying Lili put her hands over his hands and turned to him.
"It is so beautiful," Ying Lili said and smiled. "Our children will like it."
"Lili, tomorrow the Royal Toymaker will come to the Palace. You can tell him what kind of toys kids will like," he informed her.
"Sure," Ying Lili replied. She looked towards their portrait and said, "We look so good in that painting." She turned to him and asked him, "Don't you think that there shall be a new painting of us?"
"You want to?" He asked.
"Hmm," Ying Lili nodded her head.
"I will tell the Royal painter about this," he stated. After a while, they left the room. Sheng Li closed it from outside and took Ying Lili back to their chamber.
"Tomorrow, there is a little prayer ceremony in the Buddhist Temple for your health and safety," Sheng Li stated.
"Since when did you start believing in prayers?" Ying Lili glanced at him with skepticism.
"For you, I believe in every prayer," Sheng Li affirmed. Ying Lili was overwhelmed to hear that.
"You are such a lovely husband, Sheng Li," she said and halted. He also stopped walking and gazed into her eyes.
"I became a lovely husband thanks to a lovely woman," he said, "who brought warmth in my cold heart, who taught me to love. Without that woman, I would not be able to experience some of the beautiful things." He kissed on the middle of her forehead and passed a smile to her.
Ying Lili hugged him and rested her side face on his chest. "I love you, Sheng Li. Thank you for being such a lovely person not only to me but to everyone. I am proud to be your wife," Ying Lili said.
Sheng Li put his hand on her back. "I am proud to be the husband of such a special woman. You turned me into a human.. I love you, Lili," he said.