Her Last Days…

Huan Meirong closed her half-opened eyes, continuing, 'We are in the second month, year 540 of the Blue Moon Age… in seventh months it will take place the Blue Moon Alliance Meeting in the All Boundary School where eldest brother is. If I'm able to go there and I meet him… Let's think about that later. What I have to worry about is if that Fifth Prince will be chosen as the Envoy of his country or not…

Well, he is Prince so he can participate. He also has the title of Wang and that increase the odds of him being chosen to attend the meeting but the problem lays in how opposite the rumours I have heard and the conjectures I have made are.

He should be strong and even quite smart, and not like all that bluff says. If so he must be hiding his strength, then, the big question is if the Emperor is also behind it. Being like that will mean that the Fifth Prince is indeed the favourite son of the King just like told in the rumours as it must be to protect him but if not, with all those ridiculous rumours, it means he is in no way liked by the King… hmm…' she stopped to muse a bit; before, she had thought it didn't matter whether it was the former or the latter but now she wanted to know which one had the higher possibilities of being true.

'Giving the fact that I was made his bride, it should be the second. Like some kind of twisted way of mocking him… I have seen something similar in the past… Oh, but it could also be because I'm blind and weak, and a person like that can't see or do anything… then, it's 50/50… Erghh…' She was going through what she thought were the more logic and obvious inklings according to her past experiences but there could be other reasons too.

'Haa-h…

Either way, it seems both are even and have good chances. Though there are plenty of Princes, not many hold great titles or have the age to attend.

Moreover, this is also the indulgent South…' she was caught in contemplating a pair of new thoughts she had just come up with that supported her newly devised path, drifting completely of her past route.

Her musing came to end soon after, however.

"My Lady, it is time to get out."

"Hmmnh…" Huan Meirong opened slightly her blind eyes.

"Oh," she closed them again and nodded as she raised her upper body from the edge of the pool.

She went out with the aid of Xian Hei who later helped her to dry her body and hair, and be dressed up with the robes chosen by Xian Shui.

Once they were back to the main chamber, she was seated before a boudoir desk and Xian Shui carefully did her hair.

Her hairstyle was still the one of a maiden. It was only a half high-knot without any complicated twists but the delicate head ornaments were dazzling. A yellowish pearl formed the heart of a five petal flower; the petals were made of pink jade and the flower's body of green jade. There were eleven of such nail-sized flowers and one was of the size of a baby fist. The biggest one was clung into her high-knot while the little ones were arranged in three lines at each side of the biggest flower, forming the illusion of being the leaves of the flower's body; seven little flowers formed a bigger leaf to the left side and four a smaller one to the right.

Xian Shui nodded when she finished and nodded three times again when Huan Meirong got up. Her sky blue robe with dark blue waves and white foam embroidered, highlighted by a light green broad belt and a hanging light yellow scented pouch, couldn't look any better if it were to be another hairstyle.

Huan Meirong had gotten accustomed to wearing fine gowns again. By what she could tell by the soft touch and discernable smells of the fabrics, the robes of the past two weeks had been fit of someone of high nobility; they weren't enough to amaze her, though. However, the one she was wearing now was that of a high-rank member of the Imperial Family of a top-class country; she had used such gaudy clothes before and made her thought, 'The wealth of the South is terrifying, even a General's Household can buy such expensive robes… or, perhaps…' she shook her head in her heart before her unsaid thoughts.

Both proceeded to the antechamber where a circular jade table was. There were two pretty palace maids holding trays of food ten steps from the table.

Only when Huan Meirong sat the palace maids proceeded to place the food on the jade table while saying what kind of dish it was. This was implemented because she liked to eat by herself and just by knowing where what was she was able to eat what she wanted without any help.

Also by their voices and the sound the dishes made when placed in the jade table, Huan Meirong could tell which palace maids they were. They weren't the palace maids from earlier but another two.

A cold voice and flawless placing belonged to Xian Bing. She was the oldest of the six, according to their introductions; it seemed that age was what mattered between them and not seniority nor strength. All called her big sister without fail, even the one Huan Meirong felt was the strongest amongst them, Xian Hui, who was the youngest and also the one whose unhappiness of serving her was the most obvious. She was the other palace maid present, her rapid speech and heavy placing really denoted her upsetting.

They "retired" to let her eat peacefully and she did so despite clearly having eyes watching her; none of the three palace maids went away.

After that, she only walked a bit in the backyard and then rested in a small pavilion that was in the right corner of the backyard.

Zhi'er paid her a visit in the afternoon and as usual, he talked about the new things he had learnt. He had been studying diligently how to serve her because one of the palace maids, Xian Guang, a woman with a bit of a dark personality, had told him that he couldn't follow her with his sloppy abilities. She had been thoughtful when she had heard that but he amazed her once again. The little kid instead of gotten depressed asked to be taught; he had agreed he wasn't worthy of serving her but he had argued that he could learn. In the end, Xian Guang agreed to teach him; however, Huan Meirong had been left with doubts as she didn't know if that maid had really meant it or if she was just messing around for that to happen.

He only stayed with her for about an hour and at five, the bride price was sent. She couldn't attend it so, in fact, form her perspective, having her so dressed up was a waste but well.

Even though she didn't attend, a copy of the list of the bride price was sent to her and was read by one of the palace maids. As she was playing being restless and curious about the thing she didn't know, she almost opened her mouth in shock as it was greater than her bride price in the past; that Cui Wang was really a spoiled brat. She almost felt it was a pity; however, she remembered that in the South a good part of the bride price was sent back as the dowry.

Dinner followed and sleep time also arrived. That night, she passed it contemplating the things she had thought earlier and before falling asleep she decided to follow that new path.

With her decision being made, she passed her last days in Huan City Lord's House with her heart being less annoyed; nevertheless, she was still unhappy. There were still some things that made her want to grin, though.

Those days, she had gone out of the courtyard a few times and she ended learning quite the things. The City Lord's third leg was wasted and he had been going mad about it; all the rumours around it were hilarious. And the day before her parting, one of the concubines she had helped was found to be pregnant, making more rumours to be spread. Because the count matched and the City Lord's problem was recent, the rumours weren't about the pregnancy but the strangeness of the City Lord's ill.

Unfortunately, her best laugh couldn't be drawn in her heart as Si Xuli's connection with the City Lord's misfortune had yet to be found.

In the end, she ran of time to have her last laugh:

The day for her to depart to her marriage had finally come.