Chapter 107: Persuasion

After lunch, Meinang, along with Cui Xi and Cui Si, quickly left the marquis’ estate and got into a carriage driven by Lin A Mao outside the west gate.

As they rode, Meinang joked, “If you wore red veils instead, you’d look like brides. Where should I send the two brides?”

Cui Xi, shyly, called out, “Madam…”

“Shh,” Meinang put a finger to her lips, “Don’t call me that here. Remember, I’m Cen Mei. The marquis saw me talking with Mr. Zhang and the others again, and he seemed suspicious. Keep your eyes open, if he sees us together again, he might catch on.”

She recalled a warning from Prince Qi: “If I see you a third time, I’ll recognize you.”

Could he truly recognize her just by looking into her eyes? Meinang was both amused and resigned. In her past life, she’d had bright, clear eyes, and even now, in her new form as Qin Meinang, they were still strikingly noticeable.

Cui Si asked, “Even with an alias, why not call yourself Qin Mei? Why use Cen instead?”

“You don’t understand,” Cui Xi replied. “The lady has her reasons. Our old madam’s surname was Cen. Our lady uses this surname to manage Xian Ke Lai, but it has nothing to do with that other Cen family.”

Realizing the explanation, Cui Si nodded, “Ah, I almost forgot that our old madam’s surname was Cen.”

They chatted until the carriage came to a halt. Hearing commotion outside, Meinang grew tense, thinking Lin A Mao might have run into trouble again.

“Miss, don’t worry,” Lin A Mao reassured her from outside, “we’ve kept well clear of the main path. We’re not blocking anyone’s way.”

“Who’s passing by with such a grand entourage?” Meinang asked out of curiosity.

“They say it’s Princess Xu De,” he whispered.

Meinang wasn’t interested and leaned back to rest, letting Cui Xi and Cui Si peek out the window.

After ten minutes, Cui Xi sighed, “It really is a royal procession. She’s taking forever to get down one street. If she passed by every day, we wouldn’t even need to leave home.”

“Yes, and she’s just a princess! If it were the emperor…” Cui Si mused.

After the crowd dispersed, Lin A Mao continued driving toward their destination at a smoother pace. They soon reached the Cen residence in the eastern city. Meinang entered alone, while Lin A Mao took Cui Xi and Cui Si to check on the Xian Ke Lai store.

Once inside, Meinang changed into male attire. Arriving at the Locking Spring Garden, she saw Prince Qi already waiting punctual as ever. Clad in a rich purple robe with a golden hairpin, he looked remarkably dignified.

As Meinang approached, she noticed he wore a strained expression, which made her wonder why he seemed displeased again.

Prince Qi observed her and then remarked, “You seem unhappy.”

“Unhappy? No, I’m perfectly happy. Just worried that you don’t like others to be happy.”

Prince Qi held back a smile, “Do you speak to everyone like this?”

“No,” Meinang replied, tapping a small drum, “I speak to people according to who they are.”

“And what do you consider me?”

“A noble prince.”

“And if I weren’t Prince Qi?” he asked, probing.

She looked at him, smiling. “If you weren’t Prince Qi, then who would you be?”

“I’d be Zhao Bao, an old friend you just met.”

Meinang paused, inspired by his words. Could she approach Xu Jun Ying with the question, if I weren’t Qin Meinang, could you let me go?

Prince Qi’s words left her feeling uneasy. Best friend? They were far from that. “Your Highness is of the imperial family, how could I presume to call you my friend?”

“Others might want to be friends with me, but I don’t care about them. You’re always out and about, yet you worry about gossip? I don’t even see you as a woman.”

What’s that supposed to mean? Meinang thought. She looked down, and Prince Qi, eager to see her face, resisted the urge to lift her chin.

“Can’t you remove that mask?” he asked.

“No, I must keep it on,” she answered, emphasizing her identity as a woman.

Prince Qi huffed, “You went out of the city without it before.”

“That day, I was in a hurry and forgot,” she responded.

Sighing, he replied, “Fine, wear it then. Someday, you’ll take it off and show your true face.”

She handed him a drumstick, “Your Highness…”

“Call me by my name.”

They stood in silence, then Prince Qi took the drumstick from her and pounded on the drum, releasing his frustrations.

Afterward, he muttered, “I feel awful. Annoyed.”

It wasn’t hard to tell. Only his mother, the Empress Dowager, or the emperor could make him feel this way.

Trying to soothe him, she urged him to focus on playing the drum instead.

During the performance, Prince Qi’s somber expression softened, and a smile appeared on his face.

When the song ended, he asked, “Who taught you this amazing skill? Could we invite them to the palace?”

Thinking quickly, she replied, “My master returned to his homeland with my cousin.”

“A shame,” he commented.

“I can teach you myself,” she joked, “and if you need a drum instructor for the palace, I could go.”

Prince Qi was caught off guard. “You?”

“Yes! They say the palace is extraordinarily splendid. I’d love to see it.”

He laughed, “You think it’s a tourist spot? The palace may be beautiful, but it’s not fun. I’ve been there for years and couldn’t wait to leave. Palace food is awful too. Today, I had an argument with my mother there and stormed out.”

She advised, “You should be more patient with her. She raised you, after all.”

Prince Qi looked at her, “Do you treat your elders well?”

Her thoughts turned to the elders of the Xu family, who often left her feeling exasperated. “It depends,” she sighed. “Some elders can be quite difficult, and it’s not always right to blindly cater to them.”

He chuckled, “Are you advising me to be filial or to rebel? You clearly have troublesome elders too, you must understand my struggles.”

Quickly, she replied, “My elders are nothing like yours. I wouldn’t presume to understand your troubles.”

With a grin, he added, “It’s all the same in the end. But hearing your words, I feel… maybe I don’t need to argue so much. We can just get by as we are.”

“What? Is that what I advised?” she laughed, “I didn’t say that!”

“Haha… but you did, Cen Mei! You’re quite the character.”