Mei-ling realized that she had voiced her thoughts aloud and quickly closed her mouth.
But it was too late, the entire court had heard her.
The empress had on a frown on her face.
She did not like to be interrupted and Mei-ling was quickly bowed.
"Please forgive me your majesty." She said.
"How dare you interrupt me when I'm speaking?" The empress demanded.
Li-na fell to her feet and dragged Mei-ling down to join her.
Mei-ling too fell to her feet.
"Please forgive my mistress your majesty." Li-na pleaded. "Since the accident my mistress hasn't been the same."
The empress snorted and Mei-ling started to shake.
She looked around for ten fastest exit if they commanded that she was to be sentenced to death for insulting the empress.
Mei-ling was aware that in the book, for the simplest and most foolish reason someone could be killed whether royal family or not.
"Please forgive her your majesty." Li-na said.
"Please forgive me your majesty." Mei-ling chorused.
There were whispers amongst the other concubines and then the empress cleared her throat and silence followed.
"You're a nobody." She said to Mei-ling. "You would never have had the grace to become a concubine if the emperor, my late husband had made this agreement. You're a commoner."
Mei-ling felt the insults hit her.
She was tempted to give the Empress her mind, but that would mean instant death.
"You are a second class concubine." She said. "I'll only forgive you for this because of your miserable accident."
"Thank you your majesty." Li-na and Mei-ling chorused breathing a sigh of relief.
"If this happens again, I would not be lenient with you." The empress said. "You May rise."
Mei-ling and li-na rose to their feet and then the empress saw what Mei-ling was wearing and looked on in disgust.
"What ugly rags are those?" The empress demanded.
The other girls giggled because they were in fine and rich exquisite clothes.
"All mine were lost in the attack your majesty." Mei-ling said.
The Empress looked her over and said. "What a miserable girl."
And then she ignored her for the rest of the time they were in the court.
The Empress informed them that the Crowned prince was coming back from his fighting and that they were all to be dressed beautifully and proper.
It was also the day of the festival, so they had to look their best.
The Empress would not except anything out of order.
The Queen mother who had been calm throughout everything chipped in a few things and she was not as mean as the empress.
Mei-ling was aware that the Queen mother was very good and kind.
She also did not like the empress.
Mei-ling calculated.
If she could impress the Queen mother while she was in the palace, then no harm would come to her.
The Queen mother would protect her from all the people she was trying to avoid.
She looked cunningly at the Queen mother as she coined ways on how to bring her to her side.
Mei-ling had no idea she was calculating aloud and looking like a mad woman.
"My mistress what are you doing?" Li-na said worried.