Phoenix Rising

008

At a brief glance, she looked almost on par with Meiyan, if not better.

"Zi-ning," Lady Min smiled, even though it came across a little stiff, "what took you so long? We can't be late for the queen's gathering, else it would be extremely disrespectful."

"I took a little too long deciding what to wear. It's the first time I'm entering the palace, so I can't help but feel a little nervous. Do I look okay?"

"Why didn't you choose a more vibrant colour? Young girls like yourself should wear bright shades to make yourself look more lively," Lady Min chided.

The brighter the better, so that I can stand by Meiyan's side and highlight her gracefulness? No one ever heard Lady Min telling Meiyan to put on brighter-coloured clothes.

"Perhaps it's because I've spent such a long time meditating at Taishan, so I've lost interest in all those flamboyant clothes and accessories."

Lady Min nodded, looking thoughtful, though she said nothing more. The maidservants quickly helped their respective mistresses up the carriages and the entire entourage headed towards the royal palace. As the only two daughters of the minister's official wives, Zi-ning and Meiyan shared the same carriage as Lady Min, whereas Meisi could only sit alone in the carriage trailing behind. Naturally, the minister's concubines weren't even included in the invitation.

By the time they reached the palace gates, there was already a long line of other carriages waiting to enter. The queen had gone to great extent to invite almost all of upper society to her party, which only went to show how much importance she had accorded to this occasion. Zi-ning and Meiyan alighted the carriage behind Lady Min, following behind her as they walked towards the imperial gardens.

"Why if it isn't Minister Han's wife!" a high-pitched voice exclaimed. A rotund figure soon appeared before Lady Min, the jewels on her neck and arms enough to blind anyone. The matron smiled broadly, though there was nothing friendly whatsoever about the look in her eyes. The royal palace was a place filled with hidden daggers and no one here was truly a friend. "I was beginning to wonder when you were going to get here." From the volume of her voice, it was as if she wanted the entire world to know that Lady Min had arrived slightly late.

Lady Min pursed her lips together in a thin line. "Lady Ouyang," she greeted.

Lady Ouyang was the wife of the Minister for Protocol, who held the same rank in the court as Minister Han. Whenever they met at such gatherings, Lady Ouyang would not miss the opportunity to throw stones at Lady Min, because she deemed her as unworthy of being here. Everyone knew that Lady Min was only a concubine, raised to the status of official wife because of Lady Yang's early demise. There was no place for concubines at such gatherings.

"And who is this young lady?" Lady Ouyang peered over Lady Min's shoulder at Zi-ning. "I don't think I've ever seen her before."

"This is Zi-ning, the second daughter of our household," Lady Min replied drily.

"The second daughter?" Lady Ouyang pushed past Lady Min and walked over to Zi-ning, studying her curiously from head to toe. "You have got to be joking! From the way the rumours used to spread, I was expecting the second young miss to be—" She covered her mouth with her silk handkerchief and burst out in peals of amused laughter.

Before she left for Taishan, Zi-ning's reputation had been bad enough that all the noble ladies shunned her like the plague. However, over the past two and a half years it had been out of sight, out of mind. Most people had even forgotten that Minister Han had such a daughter.

"I can't believe you've been hiding a jewel like this for such a long time. Were you afraid that people wouldn't notice Meiyan if you brought this one along with you?" Entertained by her own jibe, Lady Ouyang laughed again, her eagle eyes waiting to catch Lady Min's reaction.