Sharing a Pavilion With You
Chapter 32: Caught in a Snowstorm

Chapter 32: Caught in a Snowstorm

Mei Meili and the three young men arrived at the red gate that sealed off the valley where the tombs rested; they dismounted, handing their horses over to the guards.

No one, not even the Emperor, could ride a horse on these grounds.

As they walked to the Empress’s tomb, Meili stared in wonder at the grandeur of the Sacred Way which lead to the famed Changling Tomb.

All along the road there were incredible stone figures of wild animals and men, interspersed with beautiful archways, gates and pavilions.

"Your highness, what a beautiful tribute this Sacred Way is to your Empress Mother."

She was quite over-awed. The experience had reminded her of the incredibly high status of the man she was walking with and she suddenly felt inexplicably shy with him.

This man was the second son of the Emperor. She must do her best to serve him well and please him, as her brothers and father did. She squared her shoulders with determination to do her duty to the royal family.

"Yes. I can’t fault my Emperor Father for the love he lavished on my Empress Mother. Us Zhu men fall hard, when we fall in love," he looked at her significantly.

"That’s a wonderful trait in a man," she gushed, oblivious to his gaze. "My father has been the same with my mother. He never took any concubines or other wives after he married her. They were an arranged marriage since childhood, but he still says it was love at first sight," she giggled.

"I never used to believe in love at first sight. I thought it was simply desire. But I’ve changed my views on the topic recently," again, he looked over at Mei Meili meaningfully.

She, meanwhile, was gazing in amazement at the Lingxin Gate that loomed ahead of them.

This must be my fate, he sighed with resignation.

She shivered a little. The temperature was much cooler up here. She should have had Manni pack her cloak, but it was such a beautiful day down on the plain.

They entered the first courtyard of the tomb, and everyone fell into a respectful silence.

Guards stood at attention. They saluted the prince as he entered his mother’s tomb.

They all lit some incense, dropped to their knees on the circular cushions, and kowtowed, the prince in front, and his three guests in a line behind him.

"Empress Mother, I’ve come to pay my respects. How have you been since I last visited you? I hope you’ve been well. I have brought three of my friends with me today. You might already know them? General Bai’s son, Bai Li. Tan Bowen, the son of the famous calligrapher Old Master Tan. And the youngest Mei child of Lord Mei, Miss Mei Meili. She’s the only daughter of Lord Mei and Madam Yu and a talented dancer and guqin player, like you."

The three visitors all formally greeted the deceased Empress, paying their respects.

"Mother, it’s not too long before I must move to my fiefdom in Gu and leave Nanjing and home behind me. You must watch over Lingling for me when I can’t be here with her. Father will also be choosing me a wife. I hope you’ll speak with him about it and make sure she’s a good woman. I wish for the same love match you had with my Emperor Father. I pray that’s my fate mother."

What a lowlife, thought Tan Bowen. He even used his dead mother to further his prospects with Mei Meili. No doubt he was pulling on her soft heartstrings.

He was right on one front; Meili was touched by the prince’s words and hoped very much his deceased mother would help him while looking down from heaven.

As to the fact that she was the target of those words, on that front she was remained completely clueless...

Meili and his two friends withdrew from the tomb, allowing the prince some time alone with his mother.

As they walked into the courtyard, Bai Li looked up at the sky.

"That looks like snow clouds," he spoke sharply.

The temperature had dropped markedly, and Meili shivered for real this time, rubbing both her arms.

"Goodness," she said, "that was sudden. We’d better get back to the horses before it hits."

The walk was at least an hour, so they really needed to leave now.

While Meili shivered in the courtyard, Bai Li paced back-and-forth.

"I don’t want to interrupt his highness while he’s paying his respects to his Empress Mother, but this could get serious if we don’t set off soon. The sky has turned pink. I would send you off first with Tan Bowen," he said to Meili, "but I don’t trust him, and I promised your Third Brother I would stay with you".

"What the hell Bai Li. I can take Mei Meili now. Look at her. She’s freezing to death."

As Tan Bowen spoke, the wind picked up. Even in the courtyard it started to get wild.

"No," said Bai Li firmly, over the wind. "We all stay together. It’s safer that way."

It was another ten minutes before the Second Prince emerged, and by then, the wind was howling.

"Good God," the prince looked at the wild weather. "I can’t leave you three alone for a second without some disaster befalling you."

"Let’s go, your highness," said Bai Li. "This disaster is befalling you too. I need to get you all back to the gatehouse before this hits."

They set off at a fast walk, which was the best Meili could manage in her good shoes.

Pretty soon the wind was so strong that they were all bent over, leaning into it.

Mei Meili was secretly delighted to be experiencing such wild weather out in the open.

There was a little frisson of danger, and yet she felt safe, protected by these three men. She laughed with delight and Bai Li looked back at her in surprise.

He walked directly ahead of Meili by about a foot, forming a windbreak for her as large branches and debris started to bounce about in the gale.

"We need to take shelter!" shouted Bai Li. "We’re not going to make it back to the gatehouse."

The wind turned white with snow and ice now, cutting their visibility to almost nothing. Meili’s teeth were chattering wildly, and she was genuinely scared now, her laughter of a few minutes earlier swallowed up in the storm.

Bai Li took one look at her shouted, "jump on my back!"

She couldn’t hear a word he said in the roar, but he knelt in front of her, and she didn’t stand on ceremony.

She climbed onto his back and wrapped her arms and legs tightly around him like a koala bear.

Her dress blew wildly backwards, exposing her legs, but she was too cold to care. She wished desperately for her riding pants now. Even the hated veil would be welcome. She tucked her head into Bai Li’s neck, hiding her face from the storm.

All three men now ploughed on into the wind, each step hard fought. Bai Li had his eye on the Shengong Pavilion that he had seen up ahead before the visibility dropped away to nothing.

There was no point stopping along the way and hiding under a statue, they might freeze to death if it didn’t let up.

He could feel Meili shivering uncontrollably. He raised both of his arms as shields and pushed on into the snowstorm, hoping he was still walking a straight course.

The Second Prince and Tan Bowen were now elbow-to-elbow with him. Anything further away risked one of them being lost in the storm.

A branch whipped by, striking the Second prince on the cheek. He vaguely felt the blow, but he was so frozen the pain was slight.

Meili peeped through the icicles on her eyelashes. She pointed forward.

"Pavilion, Bai Li!" she shouted.

He couldn’t hear her, but he saw what she pointed at.

The massive walls of the Shengong Pavilion loomed up ahead.