OUTSMARTING THE PRINCE
That night Mei-ling conjured what she was going to inform the manservant that Prince Tai-hua was going to send to her bedchamber.
She had given Li-na strict instructions on what to do.
She had been forced to tell Li-na that the Prince wanted her and made her swear that she would never tell anyone in her life or her eyes would be replaced with chicken eyes.
First of all, when the manservant came in, she was to tell him of her predicament, that her mistress was not so well.
If he proceeded to come in, she could show him in.
Around midnight, Mei-ling heard the knock at the door and jumped into the bed and pretended she was extremely sick.
"Good sir." Li-na said. "Greetings. My mistress is sick and unable to leave her bed."
"But these are direct orders from above." The servant said. "The Prince would not be denied an order."
"My mistress it heavily on her bleeding." She said.
The manservant's face became white.
"Her bleeding?" He asked.
Li-na nodded. "Yes. My mistress when she is on her bleeding falls very sick. There is lots of blood everywhere. Come in and see."
The manservant didn't seem willing to go in, but Li-na opened the door and ushered him in.
"Come in and see."
He hesitated and eventually gave in.
His face became like a ghost when he saw Mei-ling lying down in her bed, and red marks of what was obviously blood on the sheets.
He balked. "Great stars above! Is she dead?"
"No, my mistress is alive. But you see! Blood everywhere just like I told you." Li-na said.
The manservant's throat retched and he closed his mouth.
"I'll inform the Prince." He said and ran out of the room.
Once he was gone, Li-na shut the die and then Mei-ling rose up.
"Is be gone?" She asked.
Li-na giggled. "As fast as his legs could carry him."
Then Mei-ling and her servant changed the bedsheets that were simply red lipstick and laughed at their successful deceit.
Thankfully that night, he didn't send for her so her plan had worked.
The next morning, Mei-ling woke up to a tearful Li-na.
Why did the girl cry all the time?
"Why are you crying?" Mei-ling asked.
"My mistress as no clothes." She said. "It is your servants fault that you have none for losing her bangle."
"Don't worry." Mei-ling said. "My uncle will send something soon."
But she thought to herself.
How was she going to bring herself food and clothes from space with Li-na waiting on her twenty four seven?