Phoenix Rising

049

Zi-ning hurried to catch up with his strides, though this time she knew better than to ask him what that supposed solution was. Whatever his plan was, she could only hope that it worked.

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"It's been a whole week, but still there's been no news from the palace. Does that mean the prince of Hua really won't take Meisi back with him?" Meiyan asked her mother, as they sipped on some freshly brewed pu-er tea in the manor gardens.

It had been one of the most peaceful weeks that Meiyan had experienced in a long while. Han Zi-ning was gone, and Meisi didn't have the energy to bother her since she was busy crying all day over the temple scandal. Meiyan had spent several sleepless nights worrying that Zi-ning would return, but now that seven days had passed without any sign of her step-sister, she was convinced that the girl had really died from falling off the cliff. Their father had also called off the search, which meant that the family had accepted that Zi-ning was never coming back. Finally, things were returning back to the way they used to be, before Zi-ning started stealing all the attention away from her.

"I don't know. According to your uncle's sources, the prince hasn't shown his face ever since his return from Ryoko. Who knows what he has in mind? He hasn't even approached the king to speak of this matter at all," Lady Min replied, tapping one silver nail guard thoughtfully against the marble table. "No matter. Meisi will never amount to anything, regardless of whether she goes to Hua or stays here. Her and that empty-headed mother of hers can continue clutching onto their princess dreams for a while longer. If the prince of Hua leaves Duan without taking her, then I'll find some lowly official's son and get her married off."

Meiyan smiled, picking a green bean cake off the plate and taking a cheery bite out of it.

"Now that all that is out of the way, we should start making plans for you to gain more exposure—particularly within the palace," Lady Min continued. "It's almost the time of year for the late crown prince's death anniversary, so the king should be inviting the families of all the court officials into the palace to pay respects as usual. We should use this opportunity to show the queen and the princes the dutiful and filial side of you."

Every year, the king would hold elaborate rites to commemorate the death anniversary of his older brother, the former crown prince, who had passed away on the battlefield. Prayers led by the most well-respected monks from the various major temples in the kingdom would last a full week, and regular court activities would be put on hold so that all officials and their families could partake in the religious rites. There were many who lauded the king's efforts to remember and pay respect to the legacy of his brother, but there were also those who believed that these were merely "shows" to assuage the king's guilt. After all, had the former crown prince not died before his time, King Shunde would never have had the chance to take the crown.

Meiyan nodded eagerly. She had been pessimistic about her chances to repair the damage to her reputation after the queen's gathering, but now that a period of time had passed and people's memories of that incident seemed to have faded, she was increasingly hopeful that she could once again become the belle of the capital—and possibly a prince's consort.

Maybe the crown prince? Or Prince Ru-an?

Everyone dreamt of becoming crown princess, but she admitted that she was more inclined towards the fifth prince. There was something about his debonair charm and dashing smiles that never failed to make her swoon.

Meiyan's daydream was shattered by the shouts from her maidservant, Liren, who had come running in through the white stone moongate that connected the gardens to the front courtyard. Her face was flushed, and she was panting as she ran up to the pavilion where Meiyan and Lady Min were seated.

"Miss! Miss!"

Lady Min frowned. "Have I not reminded you many times to watch your demeanour? You can't be running and shouting in this sort of crass manner when you accompany your young mistress into the palace!" she chided. Patting her daughter on the hand, she said, "I really should get you a new servant girl. One with better etiquette."

Liren bobbed her head in an apologetic curtsey. "I'm sorry, Madam. But, but, but—" she said, stumbling over her own words.

"Slow down and speak clearly," Meiyan said, scrunching up her nose in displeasure. Liren had been with her for many years, but perhaps her mother was right. While Liren was obedient and subservient, she was also a bit slow and obtuse. That wouldn't do, especially not if Meiyan were to marry a prince and have to run a royal household.

Liren's interruption had rattled her a little though. For all her shortcomings, Liren was not the sort to be all flustered in this manner—unless something truly serious had happened.

"Miss, I— Out front—" Liren struggled to catch her breath, pointing one finger towards the front of the manor. "Miss Zi-ning. She's back!"

"What!" both Meiyan and Lady Min exclaimed.

The piece of cake that Meiyan had been holding slipped from between her fingers, landing woefully on the floor.