List of Handsome Men

After exchanging some more verbal jabs, the empress and emperor finally calmed down, in time for eunuch Chen to serve the tea. The tea was refreshing against the increasingly warm weather and the study was quiet as its inhabitants enjoyed the tea. Fengmian waited until her parents had finished their tea before she asked, "Mother, father, why was I summoned today?" Normally, when her parents wanted her company, they would send their respective servants either a day or a few hours before the meeting. This was partially due to Fengmian's sporadic adventures out of the palace and her parents' busy schedule. "Dear child, in a few months it'll be your fifteen birthday," her mother began, her voice gentle and soothing. "Wangshu has had an impromptu engagement since his birth, but you do not. Your father and I are not getting younger, and we wish to at least ensure you have a decent marriage partner before we retire and hand the throne over to Wangshu."

The study filled with silence and time seemed to freeze. Fengmian, having taken the time her mother was talking to pour herself a second cup of tea froze, and the small porcelain cup quickly overfilled. Her father, noticing this, made a sound of surprise, and exclaimed, "AHhh! Your tea!" Fengmian regained her posture and with a wave of her hand, summoned Xiao Xi to take away her tea. Thankfully, there was a small saucer beneath the cup that had caught all the excess tea. Fengmian smiled stiffly and said, "who does mother and father recommend then?"

Although their family was close-knit, they were still the center of the power struggles of the imperial court and so anyone who was "qualified" to marry either Fengmian or her brother would be doing so for immense political gain. On top of that, Fengmian and her brother were the only children of the emperor, so whomever married Wangshu was guaranteed to become empress, while whoever married Fengmian would have immense power second only to Wangshu. Fengmian realized that her brother's impromptu engagement was the reason why he could escape this conversation. Lucky brat, she thought. An impromptu engagement could be cancelled and gave both parties flexibility; if her brother followed through, he would be honoring his ancestors' wishes, if he didn't, no one could force him to since it wasn't official.

"I personally have a good impression of Xia Zhilan, son of the the prime minister. He recently returned from the northern border where he defended our nation from invasions by the Chu," her father interjected. "Oh? Wasn't he Wangshu's study companion when Wangshu was little?" the empress said. Fengmian's ears perked up and said slowly, "Have I met this Xia Zhilan before when I was younger?" To this, both her mother and father chuckled. "Of course, you used to chase him around; he seemed quite fearful of you since you would rob him of his candy!" Her father ended this statement with a roar of laughter. Seeing that her parents description of her interactions were synonymous with what the young man at the sweets shop said, she confirmed that Xia Zhilan was his identity. "I don't think I'd like to engaged to such a weak willed man who lets a little girl two years younger than him bully him into surrendering his food," Fengmian commented, still angry that the young man had almost exposed her identity at the shop. Her father, slightly angry at his pick being turned down, 'humphed' and said "well, either way your mother and I have made a list of the young men we deem suitable and we'll have portraits of them sent over to your courtyard for you to see." Fengmian laughed without joy and took her leave after hugging both her parents.

"UgHhh, Xiao Xi what do I doooooo?" Fengmian moaned, crumpling the list once they were in the privacy of her courtyard. Xiao Xi used the charcoal stick she carried around all the time to write on her notebook, "you should go out and meet the young men incognito. Start building your harem!" After writing this, Xiao Xi laughed soundlessly. Fengmian glared playfully at her, but realizing that her words had some wisdom within them, announced, "tomorrow we shall go meet the first two people on the list! I would like to see what portraits and names cannot reveal; their personalities!"