When Lin Mei woke up the next day, it was almost noon.
She spent some time inside her chamber deliberating on whether she should leave to boil some tea for Zhen Feng or remain inside the room so as to avoid further contact with the new guests. It was already past lunchtime when she made up her mind.
Wishing to keep from another unpleasant encounter with members of the Zhao family, Mei cautiously sneaked her way into the kitchen to prepare the tea for Zhen Feng. She chose to brew a blend of mulberry and peppermint leaves, a combination that she knew the prince to enjoy. The tea set and a small plate full of her favorite pastries were placed on a wooden tray that she brought along when she left the kitchen. She went directly to the crown prince's study, all the while hoping that he wouldn't prohibit her from entering.
At the door, she found a helpless-looking Hu Cheng, who was exiting the room.
An uncontrollable sigh left the man's lips as he slowly closed the doors. When his dispirited eyes spotted Lin Mei he became a little more lively and his countenance brightened. Noticing that the mermaid's hands were occupied, he turned around to open the doors for her and closed them again as soon as the mermaid entered the room.
Inside, Lin Mei recognized the discourteous young woman she had met the previous day kneeling very elegantly on a red and yellow woven mat next to Zhen Feng. Mei peered at the serious man beside her. On his desk, various bamboo scrolls, an inkstone, a brush, a jade seal, and a small porcelain container with red seal paste were spread in an organized manner.
Near a few documents that the prince had been working on, there was also a cobalt blue teacup filled to the brim. It must have been sitting there for some time since the drink had already cooled down. The prince kneeling by the low wooden table raised his expressionless eyes to look at the person who had just entered the room.
Zhao Xiuying followed the Crown Prince's gaze, meeting the face of the despicable creature she had found in the library the day before. Xiuying reflexively frowned.
Although the current situation was uncomfortable, Mei was already inside the room. She couldn't just leave straight away unless Zhen Feng told her to leave. Seeing that the man had already been served tea, she hesitated on what to do with the tray in her hands.
The prince's eyes dwelled patiently on Mei for some time, as if waiting for her to make her move.
Zhen Feng's prolonged silence reassured the mermaid that he wouldn't just cast her out of the room and thus, she began pacing towards the two people who had been staring at her. As she drew near them, she laid the tray she had been carrying on the table and kneeled down across from Zhen Feng. She lifted her eyes to meet the stare of the person in front of her.
However, the prince's dark orbs immediately returned to the document he had been focusing on prior to Mei's interruption.
Mei took out an olive-green celadon teacup from the tray and placed it next to the untouched blue cup that remained on the table. She picked up the teapot and gracefully poured the liquid inside into the green teacup. The tea had a fresh scent but it was still too warm to be consumed straightaway. Mei blew on the teacup a few times before carefully pushing it closer to the prince.
The woman kneeling next to the prince became extremely displeased. A wave of unrestrainable anger had been growing in her heart from the moment the mermaid had stepped into the room but as the foul creature drew closer, served the tea, and even dared to blow on the prince's cup, Zhao Xiuying could no longer contain such overwhelming disdain. She deeply breathed in to calm herself a little before speaking.
"How atrocious! To blow on the crown prince's cup!" She said, unable to control her anger even after doing the inhaling exercises her mother had taught her.
"My apologies Miss Zhao. I am not aware of the manners of humans when it comes to drinking tea. I have learned a few things from my mother about human etiquette, but not having exercised it personally over the years, I can clearly see now that her teachings were not enough. As you may imagine, we mermaids don't usually consume tea or any warm drinks for that matter." Mei calmly explained.
Mei wondered, however, why the man standing across from her hadn't taught her any better in these past few months she had been serving him tea. Blowing on his cup to cool down the drink was something she did every time before leaving the cup next to him and going about her business.
"You may remove that teacup from the table." She demanded. "I have already served the prince his favorite ginseng tea that I personally brew."
Mei was irked at the woman's words and tone. Still, she maintained her composure and stood still, not showing any sign that she would comply with Zhao Xiuying's order. How could she, when she was a princess herself? Even if she had to pretend to be of lower standing for the time being, she had decided not to entirely lose her dignity by obeying this arrogant woman's unreasonable requests.
Since the mermaid wasn't moving, Zhao Xiuying felt compelled to add a few words:
"Tea is a beverage reserved for the imperial family and nobility in our empire. Although it is mostly used for medicinal purposes, Madame Huang always enjoyed having tea in the afternoons. Imperial Consort Huang used to make it for herself and the crown prince when he was younger, especially ginseng tea, her favorite. That is why the prince loves it so." Zhao Xiuying felt ecstatic as she flaunted her knowledge of the prince's taste and his personal relationship with his late mother.
Mei was left without words as she wondered who Madame Fei Huang was. Since she was an Imperial Consort that the prince was close to, could it be that she was the Zhen Feng's mother?
Zhao Xiuying was even more pleased when she saw the mermaid quietly pondering her words. Since the creature didn't seem to know the Crown Prince's mother's name, how could the two of them be that close? She didn't hesitate and continued to show off her familiarity with Zhen Feng's mother's past:
"Madame Huang was the Emperor's most beloved consort. Shortly after entering the palace, she was named a consort by the emperor and as soon as she gave birth to the crown prince, she was bestowed with the title of Madame1. In regards to her position, she was second only to the Empress but she decided to live a peaceful life away from the intricacies of the palace and the Emperor loved her so that he allowed such an unorthodox request. Nevertheless, everyone knew that the Emperor missed her every day and--"
A loud bang interrupted her sentence. Lin Mei turned her head to look at the scroll that had been loudly bashed against the table. Some tea had spilled from the two beautiful teacups that had been resting peacefully on top of the desk. Yet, the man who had so aggressively slammed the bamboo slips a few seconds ago was silently looking at it with a blank expression as if nothing had happened.
Startled by the noise, Zhao Xiuying quickly remembered how much the prince disliked anyone mentioning his mother. Realizing the threat behind his action, she immediately withdrew from the subject.
"If you don't know your manners, you shouldn't be serving the Crown Prince." She declared.
Zhao Xiuying had heard from the servants that this mermaid had been attending to the prince in his private library for a few months now. Xiuying found it most inappropriate, given that the woman was not a servant but a guest. But more than improper, it was extremely bizarre, since the prince rarely ever allowed anyone inside his personal areas. The only exception to this was the study, where he would occasionally permit her and other people to stay. He would also use this space for formal meetings to discuss state matters. Also, this "guest" was a mermaid, not one of the Prince's trusted aids, not even a human!
Xiuying wanted the mermaid away from the prince and out of the residence as soon as possible.
When she complained to her father about the peculiar creature and told him what had happened the previous night, his reaction was equally abnormal. He seemed a bit anxious at first, quietly contemplating the issue for some time. Moments later, he advised her to handle things with aplomb and to be polite. He also reminded her that when she marries the prince in the future, he will still have other women and that in front of him she should always display the qualities of a virtuous woman.
Although she had respectfully accepted her father's words, Zhao Xiuying was appalled by the idea of the Crown Prince accepting a mermaid as a concubine. Even if both races had signed a peace agreement five years ago, merfolk blood should not mix with the royal family's. And the thought of the poised and dignified crown prince being involved with any woman other than herself, especially with one of an inferior race, repulsed her to no end.
Even if Xiuying knew she would eventually have to accept the fact that the prince would never belong to her alone, she refused to accept someone from the merfolk race as part of the prince's harem.
"Madame Fei Huang..." Mei muttered in a quiet voice. Hearing her name made the person more real in Mei's heart. After knowing about the emperor's love for his consort and understanding how much she had meant to the cold-hearted human she had grown fond of, she truly hoped that she could have met Madame Fei Huang.
"She must have been a very warm human." Mei concluded with a gentle voice, a soft smile brightening her otherwise sorrowful face.
She also knew what it was like to lose the most important person in one's life.