Sharing a Pavilion With You
Chapter 174: Meili’s Taken Hostage

Chapter 174: Meili’s Taken Hostage

Bai Li’s head shot up and he let out a hiss. His sword was half-drawn before he knew it, and he pushed it roughly back in its scabbard. Blood rushed to his head, and he finally understood the meaning of the phrase ’to see red’.

"How could Prince Haoran have Mei Meili?" Bai Li growled at First. "Didn’t your fifth brother take her back to the Mei Mansion?" he demanded rudely.

"He was certainly supposed to," whispered First, "but I haven’t had confirmation of their safe arrival yet".

As if in answer to their dispute, Prince Haoran gestured behind him, and Mei Meili was brought forth from the throne room onto the covered portico. She didn’t appear to be bound.

Bai Li cursed, uttering words even Ju Rong had never heard pass his lips before.

"Meimei..." First whispered under his breath in dismay.

Third started to push through the rows of soldiers, making his way to his little sister.

"Meili!" he called to her.

His second and fourth brothers had to hold him back as he struggled and swore in their grasp.

Fifth Brother appeared by their sides, panting heavily from his pell-mell flight to the palace.

"Meili’s gone!" he wheezed at his brothers. "I brought her home, but somehow, she’s disappeared!"

Second tilted his chin towards where Prince Haoran stood with their sister. Fifth staggered backwards when he saw her with the rebel prince.

"W...what?" he stuttered with shock.

"Thank you for joining me, Miss Mei," Prince Haoran linked his arm through Meili’s and drew her to his side as though they were a real couple. "I thought my message might pique your interest."

"I’m here now, your Highness," Meili’s voice was steady, despite the grave situation she found herself in. "I have done exactly as you requested, so please set my parents free now as you promised."

"Yes, yes. I did promise you that I would exchange your mother and Lord Mei for your pretty self if you joined me here. And now that you have finally graced me with your sweet presence, I will certainly meet my side of the bargain. Bring forth Lord Mei and Madam Bing," he called to his chief eunuch.

Lord Mei and his wife were dragged out onto the steps. Their hands were bound behind their backs, and they were gagged.

"Cut their bindings and set them free," Prince Haoran ordered.

As soon as they were free, Lord Mei ushered his wife towards the Crown Prince and safety, turning back to the rebel prince as soon as she was among the Emperor’s men. Her sons had already rushed forwards and surrounded her.

"Your Highness," Lord Mei addressed Prince Haoran, "take me as your hostage instead of my daughter. She’s just a young girl. She’s of no value to you. As the head of the Mei clan, I’m of infinitely more use to you."

The Crown Prince watched his brother through hooded eyes that smouldered with anger. His knuckles wrapped around the hilt of his sword were white with the effort of gripping it so hard without unsheathing it, as he was so desperate to do.

"Thank you for your kind offer, Father-in-Law," Haoran addressed him, "but I can hardly marry you, can I now? You lack a certain ’je ne sais quoi,’ that your daughter has in spades."

He looked at Meili greedily, reaching across to smooth her long hair, with a familiarity that drew shouts of outrage from her brothers, and a pained grimace from Bai Li. Yicai’s anger was burning white hot now.

Meili remained impassive under his touch. Now that her parents were safe, she felt a huge sense of relief.

What happened to her was less important. She couldn’t live with herself knowing she could have saved them. If that meant sacrificing her own life in the exchange, well, she was content to do so.

A sense of fatalism had settled over her, snuffing out the intense fear she had felt while her parents were under Haoran’s control. A man who could kill his own Father was highly volatile; there were no boundaries he wouldn’t cross. She had been terrified he would kill them.

Now that her mother and father were safe, she felt the harsh kick of grief for the loss of their Emperor.

"Besides," Haoran addressed Lord Mei, "I know for a fact that my younger brother there had asked my Father for her hand in marriage. So there’s a certain satisfaction in securing the woman my didi loves to become my wife. After all, he and his Father-in-Law did try to steal my birthright out from under me. The least he can do to repay me, is to give up his woman, don’t you think?"

Haoran looked directly at his younger brother, flashing him a malicious smile.

Bai Li strode forward now, coming to a stop at the Crown Prince’s side.

"Lord Mei," he called, "please join your wife and take care of her. Leave this negotiation to the Crown Prince and me. We’ll definitely resolve it," he bowed slightly towards the man he hoped to call Father-in-Law.

"Commander," Lord Mei nodded back at Bai Li, narrowing his eyes at the young man in a look that said, ’don’t let me down... or else’.

"Haoran," the Crown Prince said coldly, "I thought you couldn’t get any lower than killing our Father, but I see that you have sunk even further into darkness and depravity, using a young girl’s parents in order to force her to marry you. I’m done with these ’talks’. Let’s get down to the business of fighting, shall we? I’d like to see exactly how long you can hold on for."

"Assuming you’re willing to destroy the Dragon Throne and our Father’s royal corpse, as well as the lovely Miss Mei here, you might have a chance of defeating me, didi. Otherwise, I’ll be waiting inside the throne room and preparing for my coronation and wedding tomorrow."

The prince turned on his heel, pulling Meili along with him as he headed back inside the throne room.

The heavy double doors were closed behind them, and the sound of the timber bars dropping into place served as an exclamation mark to Haoran’s words.

The Crown Prince and Bai Li didn’t waste any time, shifting out of range of the Rebel soldiers as they debated their next move.

"We can’t risk gunfire now," said Bai Li. "A stray shot could hit Mei Meili."

"Agreed. No guns," confirmed the Crown Prince.

"Lord Mei wishes to join you," Lieutenant Ju announced.

The older man didn’t wait for permission, barging through the guards, who didn’t know whether to try to stop him or not.

The Crown Prince raised a hand to prevent them from interfering.

"Let me help," said Lord Mei. He was telling not asking. "He has my daughter, and I’m the most experienced strategist in the kingdom. Plus I’ve been inside the throne room, so I know exactly where he and his men are located inside there."

"Thank you, Lord Mei, we’d appreciate your counsel," said the Crown Prince respectfully.

"Would you like some soldiers to escort Madam Bing home?" asked Bai Li.

"My fifth son has already left with my wife. Our carriage and men are at the Lingxing gate, so there’s no need, thank you, Commander."

"Shall we fight our way in, father?" asked First. "We have the numbers to overwhelm them, and it’s the fastest solution."

"I don’t think we can afford to," Lord Mei replied. "Once we make it inside, the prince will simply put a knife to Meili’s neck to save his own skin."

"What are you proposing, Lord Mei?" asked the Crown Prince.

"I have a ’make a sound in the east, then strike in the west,’ strategy," he replied. He had used his time tied up in the throne room fruitfully. "Here’s what I think can both cut the snake off at the head, and rescue my daughter, in the same manoeuvre."

The men huddled around as Lord Mei started scratching out his plan with a stick on the cobblestones.

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