Sharing a Pavilion With You
Chapter 169: Handing Over the Marriage Grant

Chapter 169: Handing Over the Marriage Grant

Bai Li’s expression of concern deepened as he read the Emperor’s message.

Meili saw her eldest brother, Mei Renlong, striding over to join them. The guards parted to let him through, and she leapt to her feet and ran to embrace him.

He wrapped her in a hug, then held her by the shoulders, searching her face for answers.

"Meimei! What on earth are you doing here?"

"Gege! I’m so happy to see you!" she cried.

Tears of anxiety and joy in equal measure, trickled down her cheeks, and her brother reached out to brush them away for her.

"Join us here, Mei Renlong," called Bai Li. "I’ll catch you up on what you’ve missed."

When they were all seated, Bai Li passed First the Emperor’s message to read. First Brother’s eyebrows shot up, but his face otherwise remained impassive and serious.

He nodded in military fashion, handing the precious parchment back to his Commander.

"Understood, Commander Bai. What do we know so far?"

"What was the exact position as you left the palace?" Bai Li asked Meili, as he refolded the note, tucking it into his sleeve. "When was this passed to you, and by whom?"

"Feng Bao passed it to me after Prince Haoran’s men stormed the palace. They had the Emperor and some of his senior servants trapped in the courtyard behind the Imperial study. The prince appeared and challenged his Father to a duel. Before the fight began, our Lord turned to me and asked me to escape once the fighting started to fetch you and the army. He specifically said ’tell him everything. Yicai must take the throne.’"

She felt a sense of relief for having carried out these critical orders from the Emperor. It was over to Bai Li and her brothers now.

"How long ago did this happen?" First asked her intently.

"I escaped the palace as soon as our Lord requested it of me, and I ran all the way home. Panic was already breaking out across the capital. Fifth and I left our mansion immediately. We have only slept one night. So I guess this happened only yesterday morning?"

Ba Li nodded and moved the rise to his feet. Mei Renlong leapt to join him.

"Mei Meili, Mei Sunren," Bai Li addressed her and Fifth. "I know you will both be exhausted, and we have another long and urgent journey ahead of us. Please try and grab a short rest while your eldest brother and I make the necessary plans."

Bai Li motioned at Lieutenant Ju, who jogged across to join them at the table.

"Lieutenant, please set up tents for Young Master Mei and Miss Mei to rest before we set off. Start to mobilise the men. We’ll be riding back to the capital in rapid time. The provisions may need to catch up to us later. Get them fed now so they’re prepared to march into the night. See that Miss Mei and Master Mei are fed well too."

"Yes Sir!" Ju Rong gave a tight bow and gestured at the youngest two Mei siblings to follow behind him.

"Bai Li," Meili said, standing her ground instead of following the second-in-command. "Can I speak to you alone for a minute before you and my first brother start planning the assault?"

Mei Renlong and Mei Sunren both looked at her in surprise for being so assertive when she knew the importance of the battle to come.

Bai Li nodded, looking at her brothers and motioning with his eyes for Mei Renlong to give them a moment.

Meili pulled another sealed letter from her sleeve and handed it to him.

"I think you should be the one to carry this document from the Emperor too, Li,".

Bai Li saw that this letter was not sealed with wax, though when he opened the folded page he saw that it did indeed bear the Emperor’s seal.

He saw within a few seconds, that the document was a marriage grant for himself and Meili, and he allowed himself a rare smile, despite the dire circumstances.

"I know the timing is awful, Li, but the Emperor gave me this just before the rebellion started. He and I planned to share the news with you together, but I think He would forgive me for giving it to you without Him, given the circumstances we find ourselves in. I feel better with you keeping hold of such an important document."

"It’s wonderful news amongst the terrible news, Meili," he reached out and tucked a loose hair behind her ear, the intensity in his eyes forcing her to drop hers, to avoid tearing up. "It gives me even more reason to fight Prince Haoran and beat him. The sooner I can install the Crown Prince on the Dragon Throne, the sooner we can get married. You were right to give me this to look after," he touched her chin gently, tilting her face back towards him so he could see her eyes.

She smiled shyly back at him now, her eyes glistening. She was suddenly embarrassed by how pleased she felt at the thought that she was to become his wife; especially when such hurdles faced them, not to mention she was still so deep in her grief for Tricky, and terrified at what they might find on their return to the capital.

"We both know yours are the safer pair of hands, Li."

Meili was more shaken than she was willing to admit by the attack on them that had killed Tricky.

"I’m not sure that’s true, but I’m very happy you told me, and I promise to guard this with my life, Meili. Just as I will protect you for the rest of your life."

"I know you will, Li," she said his name with such an unshakeable confidence in him that he couldn’t help the little flutter in his chest.

Now it was his turn to feel guilt at the wellspring of happiness he was feeling when he should have been planning out the details of how to storm the capital.

"I’ll leave you with my first brother now," she told him. "Don’t worry about me on the journey back to Nanjing. You do what you need to with First and Lieutenant Ju. Fifth will look after me."

"I’ll post some guards around you both. Tell your Fifth Brother that you two are to travel with Mei Renbing and Mei Renjun," he said, referring to her third and fourth brothers. "They know all there is to know about travelling with the army now."

"Okay Li, I’ll tell him," she flashed him a small smile before she turned and walked away.

He noticed a sadness in her eyes he had never seen there before...

He supposed that in the circumstances, following her escape from the palace while it was under attack, and not knowing if the Emperor was dead or alive, her being sad and anxious was only to be expected.

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