Phoenix Rising

079

Back at the Han manor, Lady Min and Meiyan were sitting in the main hall, sipping on freshly brewed cups of jasmine tea. A satisfied smile curled upon the elder woman's face.

"The tea today is especially fragrant," she declared. "Or perhaps when one is in a good mood, everything seems to taste better."

"Mother, are you sure that everything will work out the way we've planned? What if that little minx manages to escape again?" Meiyan asked, a slight frown forming upon her porcelain forehead. Her mother had made arrangements with her uncle to have assassins get rid of Han Zi-ning along the journey from Anyang to Huangcheng, and the plan seemed to be failproof, but there was still a niggling worry that gnawed at the back of her mind. Han Zi-ning had always been a lucky one, so what if she got away again?

Lady Min waved a hand dismissively. "Of course. There's no way she'll get away this time. Your uncle will make certain of that," she replied. A cruel sneer stretched across her lips. "Han Zi-ning thinks she can become a princess? There'll only be one princess in this family, and that's you, Meiyan. Consort Song has been inviting you into the palace quite regularly these days, hasn't she? You must grab the opportunity and be sure to make an impression. If Consort Song and the fifth prince take a liking to you, then you shall have a bright future ahead." Leaning over, she lowered her voice and said, "Your uncle says that things in the royal court are heating up between the factions supporting the different princes. The crown prince may not stay in his seat for much longer. If that happens, then the fifth prince will become a frontrunner for the crown."

Meiyan blinked in surprise. "What does that mean? The king has intentions of naming a new heir?"

"Shh," her mother hissed, pressing a finger upon her lips. "Not so loud. These are just rumours that your uncle has been picking up from his acquaintances in the court, but there is no smoke without fire."

"But I'm not the only one that Consort Song has been inviting," Meiyan remarked sourly. "Every eligible young lady in the capital has been on her guest list."

What Consort Song was trying to do was plain to see—she was attempting to select a suitable wife for her son, the fifth prince Ru-an, and with what Lady Min had just revealed about the succession situation, Meiyan now realised why the consort seemed to be in such a rush. All of the princes had yet to marry, and marriage was the best political tool to leverage on when it came to wrestling for power in the royal court. A good match would come with support from a major clan, and if one of the princes' consorts were lucky enough to bear a child, then that would put them in even better stead to become heir. After all, there was nothing more important to the royal family than the continuation of the royal bloodline.

The queen had apparently already begun talks with Minister Ouyang about a potential union between the crown prince Ru-quan and the minister's daughter, Ouyang Sangya, so the fifth prince had to find an equally good match in order to stay in the game.

"Just because a girl is eligible does not mean that she is suitable to be queen. You are," Lady Min said, patting her daughter's hand with confidence. "If not for Han Zi-ning being a distraction, you would already have been betrothed to one of the princes."

Meiyan nodded. Her mother was right. She had always been the pearl of the capital, the most eligible young lady that all the matchmakers enquired after. Over the past months, she had painstakingly rebuilt her reputation and she was certain that all the unfortunate circumstances that had befallen her was now water under the bridge. She was not only as good as the arrogant Ouyang Sangya—she was better. More beautiful. More talented. More understanding.

I'm meant to be queen, she thought.

"Your father received a shipment of red coral a few days ago," Lady Min continued. "I've sent some of it to the jewelers to be made into necklaces and bracelets. Once it's ready, you should bring a set into the palace as a gift to Consort Song. Her birthday celebration should be in a few weeks' time. Make sure that you—"