The day after, Zi-ning and Zhenghuan bade their grouchy acquaintance farewell and left the valley, taking a hidden path through a confusing maze of identical towering redwoods, shrouded in a cloud of thick mist.
When they emerged out the other side onto a sandy path that seemed to be one of the main roads leading towards the capital, Zi-ning turned back towards the woods they had come through, only to realise that she would likely not be able to trace her way back to the valley again. The way to the valley was protected by a natural barrier of forest and fog, and without the instructions given to them by Old Hu, they might not have been able to find their way out on their own. That was why Ru-an had never managed to locate the River Immortal in her previous life.
"We're not far from the northern city gate," Zhenghuan said. "If we continue walking in this direction, we should reach in less than two hours."
Zi-ning nodded, following alongside as they began their trek back towards Huangcheng.
It was a relief to finally be headed home, armed with a huanhun dan too, but there was also a worry that plagued her mind.
An entire week had passed since the bandit attack. By now, everyone would have presumed that she had perished from the cliff fall. However, even if she were to return to the Han manor unscathed, she would be ruined, because Lady Min would no doubt voice questions about her whereabouts during this period. A young lady, lost in the forest for an entire week. They could claim that she had been tainted by mountain bandits, and she would not be able to defend herself at all.
"Are you worried about what they'll say when you go home?" Zhenghuan asked, noticing the frown that marred her forehead.
Zi-ning pursed her lips together, saying nothing.
"I might have a solution."
"What?" She turned to look at him curiously.
"Marry me."
"What!"
Zhenghuan kept a perfectly straight face, shrugging his shoulders. "It's either that or having everyone believe that you've been trapped with mountain bandits for a week. I'm sure I don't need to explain which one is the better option," he said. "I did save your life, so it would be perfectly acceptable for you to marry me out of gratitude."
"I would rather be a nun," Zi-ning blurted, the words just stumbling out of her mouth. In actuality, she wouldn't prefer to spend the rest of her days in a nunnery, but she was too appalled by Zhenghuan's suggestion to think reasonably.
Zhenghuan stopped. Then he burst out laughing.
This was the first time Zi-ning had heard the Shadow Lord laugh, and it was a mellow, mirthful sort of laughter that reminded her of the summer's warmth. A stark contrast to the cold and wry persona he typically wore.
"I was only joking," he confessed. "There's no need to be traumatised, and certainly no need to shave your head and become a nun. Although I must say, I'm a little insulted that you think of me as such a poor choice that you would rather choose a life of prayer instead."
A... joke.
She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. To think she had embarrassed herself by showing that she believed him to be serious about that proposal. Why would the Shadow Lord, one of the most powerful men in the kingdom, be proposing marriage to someone like her?
"I wouldn't consider marrying someone whose face I haven't even seen," she muttered, a little annoyed that he had played her for a fool.
"Hmm," Zhenghuan hummed. He looked thoughtful for a moment, then carried on walking. "Anyway, let's hurry to the village. I was joking about the marriage, but I wasn't lying about having a possible solution to your problem. Although that is contingent on whether or not we make it to the city gates quickly enough."
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.
#
"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.