Meili awoke with the light. Tricky was back beside her bed. She peeped outside her tent. Bai Li was gone, and the blanket lay neatly folded.
Manni appeared and hurried her back inside the tent. "Young Miss! Don't step out before you've dressed!"
Meili allowed Manni to take charge of her preparations for the day. She knew she wouldn't be joining in any hunting. In the afternoon there was the planned visit to the Empress's tomb.
Manni had selected a creamy gold silk dress with a high collar, embroidered with cornflower blue wild roses, the stems and leaves depicted in gold thread. It was pretty but tasteful and understated. A matching delicate gold headband with blue enamel blossoms made her look young and fresh.
"Manni, sometimes I wish you had a beautiful young mistress to lavish your attentions on," laughed Meili, as Manni finished her work with a delicate pink lipstick. "You're very clever."
Manni was speechless. Her lower lip quivered.
"Oh Manni! I'm sorry. Don't think anything of it. Just ignore me. You know I could never part with you," she touched her maid's hand.
Manni wiped her eyes. "Yes, miss and don't you forget it," she grumped. As if she could even find a more beautiful young miss than hers to dress up each day… "Master Tan came by this morning to remind you to attend his puppet show this morning."
"He did? How exciting. Let's go Tricky," she called, jumping up and skipping towards the entrance.
"And Mei Renjun came by to remind you not to go anywhere without him today," said Manni firmly. "Third Young Master," she shouted loudly.
Her Third, Fourth and Fifth brothers appeared from their tents as she stepped out.
"Let's go," said Third affectionately, taking Meili by the arm.
Tricky nudged Third's leg with his nose, letting him know he approved.
Meili sighed. Of course, she couldn't walk a short distance and attend a puppet show, no less for goodness sake, on her own. Anything could happen to her; she might trip over her own feet. The puppets could leap off the stage and attack her. The puppet booth might catch on fire or collapse. There were endless possibilities…
Meili and Tricky joined the audience at Tan Bowen's puppet show. Her Third and Fourth brothers sat on each side of her, Fifth Brother behind her.
First and Second Brothers had joined the morning hunt along with most of the other young men, making this audience all young women, plus Meili's bodyguard-brother entourage.
Bai Li had done an exquisite job making the shadow puppets. Meili laughed when she realised that one was her and one was him. They were playing the guqin and the pipa at the banquet, and he had arranged real musicians to play 'On the Frontier' for this part of the show.
"Her hair glowed in the candlelight, bells tinkling in her ears.
Delicate red blossoms bloomed across her dress,
But none so fair, as the fairy lady.
I took up my pipa and played.
Her guqin rose like morning birdsong,
A plaintive lament few would understand.
Only her, o troubler of my midnight dreams.
The feasters all were felled by her,
Wang Zhaojun made flesh and blood.
A fairy figure come to cast a spell on the banquet."
The Mei brothers in the audience were angered by this love poem about their little sister. Third couldn't wait to give Tan Bowen a piece of his mind, and maybe his fist, later!
Meili listened to the beautiful poem, her face reddening at the words. He must be making fun of her, she thought. Tan Bowen did love to joke around. She hid her face behind Tricky as everyone in the audience turned to stare at her.
"Meimei, the class clown has likened you to Wang Zhaojun," teased Third Brother gently, poking her in the side.
She giggled. No doubt it was meant in good humour. That incorrigible man! She would definitely pay him back for embarrassing her.
"It seems you have an admirer Miss Mei," Li Fengfeng said with delight. If it wasn't the Second Prince, she would be the matchmaker!
"Master Tan is an artist," said Meili. "His sense of humour is quite offbeat."
"I didn't hear any humour in that performance, did you Princess?" Li Fengfeng asked Princess Lingling.
"Don't tease the poor girl, Li Fengfeng. She's already red as a beet." The Princess rose, drawing an end to the performance and the conversation.
Meili went to join Tan Bowen behind the stage. He grinned widely at her.
"Thank you for thoroughly embarrassing me, Tan Bowen," she scolded him, hands on her hips.
"Miss Mei," he mock-bowed.
"I owe you one. Please wait for my good news in returning the pleasure."
"I'll be waiting with bated breath," he laughed.
She examined the 'Tan Bowen' and 'Mei Meili' shadow puppets. "May I keep these?" she asked him shyly.
"Of course! I'm happy that you want them. I can make you more if you'd like?"
"No. Just these two."
"Then they're yours my lady."
She handed the shadow puppets carefully to Manni. "Look after these for me. They're precious."
"Yes miss," said Manni, secretly pleased that Tan Bowen had written that lovely poem for her mistress.
"Take good care of our sister Tan Bowen," Third warned him. "No more poems or funny business. You're visiting the tomb of the Empress. Behave accordingly."
"Of course, Mei Renjun," Tan Bowen replied seriously. "I have a meimei too you know. I'll watch over her. I won't let anything happen to her."
Fifth Brother and Tan Bowen squeezed one another by the forearm in parting.
The Second Prince and Bai Li were waiting by the stables for them, their horses saddled up. First Brother had prepared a different horse for Meili to give Tufei a chance to rest and recover. The horse was saddled in side-saddle, given the formality of the occasion. It didn't bother Meili, who could ride very well in either position.
Bai Li stepped forward to give her a lift into the saddle.
"It's not necessary Master Bai. I can do it myself."
"Humour me."
She raised her eyebrows but let him take her foot and give her a boost. She was much lighter than he expected, and she nearly flew right across the saddle and onto the ground on the other side.
"Bai Li!" She gripped the pommel to stop herself, but he already had her by the calf.
"Sorry," he looked embarrassed as he let go of her leg. She wasn't wearing riding pants today, so he had touched her skin.
This man! Was there any part of her left that he hadn't touched or looked at?!
"Take care Master Bai, or you'll have to take responsibility for me," she teased to lighten the atmosphere between them.
"You need only ask," he said seriously.
Oh my God! He couldn't even take a joke without having to lay down his life for duty…
The Prince glanced across at Bai Li, staring daggers at him. "Bai Li! Stop flirting with Miss Mei. We're going to visit my mother's grave for Christ's sake!"
"Your highness," Bai Li inclined his head in acknowledgement.
Meili wished the ground would swallow her up. That stone-faced man didn't even know how to flirt. How could the prince accuse him of flirting with her?
They set off up the hill, the prince leading the way, riding side-by-side with Meili. Tan Bowen tried to ride on her other side, but the Prince deliberately took them through the narrowest possible route, squeezing him out.
Tan Bowen joined Bai Li at the rear, glowering at the prince's back.
"Pffft," Bai Li snickered.
"What are you laughing at?" Tan Bowen growled. "He's already got rid of you. Now he's kicked me out too. He's all alone, 'brightening his eye with beauty'."
"Keep in mind where we're going. Don't fight with him."
"Just as he doesn't hesitate to use his mother's tomb to court Miss Mei, so I won't lay down for him to step on me to get ahead."
"He already did."
"Shut it, Bai Li."