They had reached the Second Prince and the Princess.
"Your highnesses," Meili curtsied, hands crossed at her right hip.
The Princess grasped her two hands. "You must be Mei Meili, am I right?"
"Yes Princess," she said shyly.
"I have been so looking forward to meeting you," the Princess said warmly. "I know all of your brothers, and I've been to your Mansion many times."
"I know Princess. My Second Brother Mei Renhu has told me many stories of you. I feel like I know you."
"And I you! I've asked Mei Renhu so many times if I could meet you, but they've kept you wrapped up like a nightingale in a gilded cage."
"That's exactly it, Princess. Though I can't say I'm a nightingale. A sparrow perhaps," she smiled.
"Definitely not! If you're not a nightingale you're a phoenix or a golden pheasant."
Having seen her close-up, the Princess had already worked out that Meili was beautiful under that veil. No wonder her brother was besotted. She wondered where he had seen her.
"Well yes, I am wearing gold, but those birds are beautiful and I'm not. I wear this veil for a reason Princess," Meili let her know.
The Princess looked puzzled. What was the reason? Did she have a scar on her face?
This again, thought Bai Li. She really thought she could keep up the ugly façade, did she?
Her second brother nudged her, and the Princess realised she'd been neglecting him. "Oh my goodness, Mei Meili, please meet my dear gege, Prince Zhu Yicai."
Meili looked up at the Prince's handsome face. He was not as tall as Bai Li, but he was square jawed with brown hair rather than black, matching light tan skin and brown eyes. He was incredibly handsome in a clean-cut, storybook-prince kind-of way.
She felt her face flush, and she was suddenly very glad of the hated veil.
"Your highness it's a pleasure to meet you. My brothers have also told me many stories of you as well, including what a good polo player you are."
"Is that so? It's a real pleasure to meet you, Miss Mei. I keep asking your brothers when they'll let you out of that cage. And you're definitely a nightingale or a phoenix. 'Mei Meili' and 'sparrow' do not belong in the same sentence," he said firmly.
Bai Li rolled his eyes.
Meili touched her ear in embarrassment. This veil really was a bother actually. It gave people the wrong first impression of her.
"Thank you, your highness, I beg to differ, but I'm sure we'll come to know each other in time."
"Definitely," he said eagerly. "Please let me have the honour of escorting you around the gardens Miss Mei?"
"Oh! Really your highness? I'm sure you have other more important guests to attend to."
"I do not," he said firmly. "You are the guest I've been most looking forward to meeting."
"Thank you for that compliment your highness, but please don't let me dominate your time. There are many young ladies here who would be very pleased to be able to spend some time with you."
"That may be the case, but you can ask my sister if I have any interest in spending time with them."
"It's true," the Princess agreed fondly. "He has no time at all for young ladies generally. You're special Miss Mei. I would fight him for some time with you, but he'd get too cross with me."
They must really like my brothers, thought Meili. It was nice to be welcomed so warmly.
The Prince took her by the arm and lead her off into the garden.
Manni looked horrified at the intimate gesture, and Meili looked back at her, her eyes pleading, 'what do I do?'
The other young ladies watched them like hawks, and Meili could clearly hear their little whispered comments.
"Who is she?"
"Who does she think she is?"
"Why does she wear a veil, do you think she has a scar?"
"Isn't she the ugly Mei sister?"
"I thought she was simple?"
The Prince looked at her gently. "Don't mind them," he said, "they're just jealous".
"That's why I mustn't dominate your time," she said sadly.
"That's why you must ignore them entirely. A tiger does not take insults from sheep."
She smiled at him thankfully, and his heart thumped like crazy.
A eunuch announced the arrival of the Emperor, who entered the garden with some of his consorts, and everyone dropped to the ground.
The prince and the princess bowed to their father as the Emperor approached his son.
"Emperor Father," said the Second Prince, certain his appearance was not coincidental.
"Yicai. Lingling. A lovely gesture to your Empress Mother."
He looked at Mei Meili who knelt beside the Second Prince, face turned to the ground.
"And who is this?" he asked innocently.
So that was his plan, the Prince thought. Did he really need to make the effort to meet Mei Meili? He could just summon her to the palace.
"This is Miss Mei Meili, the youngest daughter of Lord Mei."
"Rise," he gestured for her to stand.
She stood and greeted the Emperor nervously. One look and he knew she was a beauty who had been hidden by the Mei family. It's the beautiful bird that gets caged, he mused. This, was interesting. His strategic mind was already placing her in various positions on his complex chess board. She could be a wildcard, but she would definitely be useful.
"Miss Mei. You father has kept you very protected."
"He has your majesty. I've been raised in the inner courtyards like my mother was."
"I recall Yu Yan was a beauty too."
"She was and is your majesty. Unfortunately, I inherited the Mei face instead of hers."
The consorts all giggled behind their hands.
Interesting … the Emperor thought. They had kept her beauty a secret, even from her.
"A beautiful woman knows not her charms therefore she is more beautiful than the colours of the sea," he quoted poetically.
"That describes my mother well your majesty," she flushed with pleasure at the compliment for her lovely mother.
"Quite … I'll let you young people get on with your flower viewing. We have afternoon court now."
Everyone bowed as the Emperor and his entourage moved on.
"Come Miss Mei," said the Prince, taking her arm again. "Let me show you these double camellias my mother planted. They're rare, and especially beautiful," he said meaningfully, glancing at her.
"They sound very special your highness, I can't wait to see them," she replied cluelessly.