Manni woke her mistress with just enough time to prepare for the banquet.
Meili felt infinitely better after her rest and with the salve applied to the sting. It had completely settled the intense itchiness.
Manni had outdone herself with a light tan brocade dress with a high collar and a sparkle rippling through the cloth. It was richly embroidered with lavish red lilies. Accessorised with a matched delicate floral headpiece and perfectly matched lipstick, her mistress looked for all the world like a little doll.
Manni smiled in delight at her work. It seemed like painting an ugly black stroke through a masterpiece to cover her face with a veil, she thought, as she looped a tan veil across Meili's ears.
Meili was buzzing with excitement as she left the tent. All five of her brothers waited outside for her and she looked at them all in wonder.
"Why have you all waited for me? I can walk a few hundred metres on my own."
"Definitely not," said First firmly. "You're not going anywhere on your own. Ever again."
Her face fell. "It wasn't my fault gege."
"We know that, but it wouldn't have happened if you had shared your plans with us. We would never have let you fall into that trap."
First took her hand gently, rubbing the back of it.
"We just love you and we worry. That's our job."
"Yes ge, I know," said Meili despondently.
As they arrived at the seating area of the banquet tent, the brothers took Meili with them over to the men's side. They sat her down at a table where the five of them could surround her.
Like a five-pointed star again, she realised despairingly. What had seemed cosy at their campsite, was starting to feel claustrophobic.
"Gege," she said to her eldest brother, "is it really appropriate for me to sit over here with you all? I must sit on the other side with the ladies!"
"No. He said implacably. You're not sitting over there with Li Fengfeng without us. If anyone makes a fuss, we're all leaving."
The Emperor and his senior consorts entered, and the guests kowtowed in greeting.
The Second Prince was seated up the front, close to his father. Bai Li sat close by.
The meal began. Meili's brothers watched over her like hawks. For a start, she wasn't allowed any alcohol.
She had never drunk wine before, so she had been very much looking forward to trying some at this banquet. 'But no, it wasn't to be…'
Tan Bowen tried to swing by to say hello to her. He approached Meili's little table, attempting to crouch down next to her. Third and Fourth brothers jumped up and grabbed him under the armpits, marching him along before he could stop there.
"I just want to check with Miss Mei how she is after being stung yesterday," he protested.
"She's fine," said Third firmly. "You can see that. Look at her. Right as rain."
"Hello Mei Meili," he called to her as he was dragged away. "I'm glad you've recovered."
"Hello Master Tan." She smiled under her veil. "Thank you for your concern," she called after him.
"It seems the Mei brothers are quite protective of their youngest sister," chuckled the Emperor.
"So much so that they must breach court protocol," said the Prime Minister drily.
"It's nice to see a family that close," the Emperor said firmly, ending the protest.
Tricky suddenly appeared at the door to the banquet tent, two guards chasing after him.
"Get that dog!" one of them shouted.
"He's heading inside!"
Now Manni appeared, puffing and panting and on Tricky's heels.
Tricky skittered between the two men and spotted Meili. He raced across the room to her table and crawled underneath it so that all that could be seen was his tail.
"Oh! Tricky! Naughty boy. You're not allowed in here."
"Leave him be," said First. "He can't do any harm."
He motioned at Manni to let Tricky stay and she joined the other maidservants waiting on their mistresses.
Realising he wasn't going to be chased out, Tricky crawled happily onto Meili's feet and settled down under her table.
"He's a beautiful dog Miss Mei," said the princess from across the room.
"Thank you, your highness. He's a lovely boy. He's usually very well-behaved. He's just a little protective of me after yesterday."
"Yes, I do hope you're feeling better now? I hear that the sting of a murder hornet is one of the most painful of all insect bites."
"It did hurt, yes," Meili underplayed the agony she had been in. "But I'm fully recovered now thank you your highness."
"For someone who's only been out in society a handful of times, you certainly create a stir everywhere you go Miss Mei," commented Li Fengfeng.
"You brought an abrupt end to the Plum Blossom viewing, delayed the royal hunt and now you've breached two protocols at a royal banquet. Perhaps a sheltered upbringing is lacking in some fundamentals?"
Tears sprang to Meili's eyes.
"You might want to learn some manners Miss Li," snapped Fifth Brother. "Aren't young ladies supposed to be kind?"
'This baby boy thought he could play with the big kids, did he?' thought Li Fengfeng.
"Mei Sunren. A friends' words make you cry; an enemy's make you laugh," she said with saccharine sweetness.
First looked over at Fifth. "Leave it," he said quietly.
The Emperor looked on with interest.
Tan Bowen rose to his feet.
"Your majesty. May I offer to entertain everyone with a song on the pipa?"
"By all means young Master Tan. What will you play for us this evening?"
"Actually, I'll need Miss Mei to join me on her guqin. It's a duet, 'On the Frontier'."
First Brother scowled and rose to protest.
"A wonderful idea Master Tan," said the Emperor. "I'm sure we'd all be most interested to hear Miss Mei play. Her talent at dancing has already spread far and wide after just one showing."
Meili blushed, certain she was being made fun of because she had run off crying.
"Miss Mei, please grace us with your musical prowess. You may remove that veil too. Afterall, your face was seen by everyone at the Empress's Garden so I'm afraid it's spilt milk now."
"Yes, your majesty." She curtsied prettily. "That's exactly the words I used with my brothers," she said happily.
First blanched. For what possible purpose would the Emperor have her remove her veil? What a disaster. He should have sent her home earlier today.