Under the blue sky, the colorful wild flowers dazzled in Mei Li’s eyes. She sat down and gently stroked the delicate petals of the small blue flower with her lithe fingertips. If she was the old Mei Lie, she would have plucked them without hesitation. Now, she just could not bear it.
Just then, several white shadows flashed and frightened her. But when she took a closer look, she realized that those were just frightened family of rabbits, scared by the drums and horns. Although they tried to hide in the bushes, the white color of their fur were still conspicuous. She thought that maybe, they were already tired of fleeing, or maybe they already felt it was safe, so they just stood their huddled below.
The sound of horse hooves came very quickly, surprising Mei Li. Then she heard the sound of drawing arrows from the quiver. The rabbits sensed the danger and started fleeing again. But a little rabbit tripped on a branch. The mother rabbit who was running a few paces stoped and returned to guard the little one as if she wanted to help it escape.
Mei Li felt her nose sore, tears fell straight down. When she was miserable in the cold palace, how she wished there was someone like the mother rabbit in front of her. How she wished her parents were still there to do the same.
She may have gone crazy, but the mother rabbit’s behavior triggered the strongest yearning in her heart. She suddenly rushed and helped the little rabbit break through the vines, ignoring danger.
“Do you want to die?!” A sharp scream arrived together with an arrow.
Mei Li only felt a sharp pain in her arm. But when she saw two small ball of white shadows quickly disappearing into the bushes, she sighed in relief. Fortunately, the arrow missed her. It only grazed her arm.
Jingxuan jumped down the horse with an angry expression. He held his bow tightly thinking that this woman has not changed at all. She still has so many ideas in her sleeve to catch his attention. This kind of bitter trick has been overused!
“You know, it’s useless!” He sneered at Mei Li who was sitting on the ground with her head in between her knees. “Even if I injure you to disability, it is useless. I would not have any guilt because it is you who are courting death!” If he did not have the good reflexes to change direction the last second, she would have really suffered heavily.
She hung her head as she finally felt the pain in her arm. Mei Li clearly heard every word he said, and she knew he was right.
She nodded politely, and gestured that she understood his warning. She was indeed too reckless. And with her many tricks in the past, it was also useless to explain what actually happened. So she let him think what he was thinking. He used to ask her so harshly if she understood his warnings. Back then, she really refused to acknowledge it, but now she does.
He looked at her for a while, and snorted coldly before he turned around to leave.
“Jingxuan-ge, Jingxuan-ge!” A young man arrived anxiously.
Jingxuan mounted his steed and said coldly, “Did someone die?! Why are you so loud?”
“You must go and have a look. Suying fell off her horse, crying for your name!”
Jingxuan’s legs clamped the horse’ belly and turned it impatiently. “There really is no peace of mind!” He tapped the horse’ back with his bow and together with the young man, they fled quickly.
Mei Li looked at the wild flowers trampled by their horses, and felt a little sad.
When finally there was no one around, she gently pulled her sleeves and blood has already clotted, the area also swollen with some blisters. She stood up swaying. The injury will be fine. As long as she release the blood on the blisters, it will be okay.
When she walked back to the camp, she asked the eunuch about the tent arranged for her. She was lead to the one next to Lao Zuzong, and was arranged very carefully, placed on a very good terrain.
But she also realized that the neighboring tent is Suying’s. There are several steeds tied outside her tent who is very similar to hers. The door curtains were open, and there was a low cry coming from within, with another voice comforting soothingly.
Although she could not see and hear anything properly, she knew that voice…
Mei Li bit her lower lip, knowing that she had once longed for such soothing comfort from him. She could not help but listen more. The man’s tone is half-coaxing, half-persuading.
But the more she listened, the soothing voice did not bring her any comfort at all.
Yonghe comes out of the tent with an imperial physician in tow. His forehead is misted with a thin layer of sweat, he raised his hand and casually wiped if off with his sleeve. He thought, this Suying girl is really someone who can toss people around, Jingxuan-ge will probably had a hard time when he marries her in the future. She only scraped a thin layer of skin on her leg and her tears are enough to fill half of a jar.
Lao Zuzong got so frightened that she asked him to find all the imperial doctors for her.
Unintentionally, he saw Mei Li standing in a daze in the mouth of the tent opposite him, her face pale. When she saw him staring, she smiled. He then realized that her lips were also white!
“Are you all right?” He walked closer and looked at her carefully. Her complexion looks so bad. “A doctor is incidentally her, let her check you.”
Incidentally?
She shook her head and smiled. “No need. I am fine.” She turned around to lift her curtain, exposing the wound behind her ear dazzling with bright red blood.
“Wait!” He wanted to stop her, but she already went inside her tent without looking back.
“What’s wrong?” Jingxuan who just came out of Suying’s tent saw Yonghe’s frown. He still had his arm raised.
“That Princess Mei Li is injured. I want the imperial doctor to check on her, too.” He just could not figure out why she refused.
“Injured?” Jingxuan frowned. Was she injured by his arrows? He motioned to the imperial physician and said, “Go and see.”
The imperial doctor bowed to his order and shouted outside Mei Li’s tent, “Princess Mei Li, let this old servant[1] come in and treat your wound.”
Inside, Mei Li is burning her silver hairpin on the candle. It’s just cutting the blisters. Why make a fuss and make people laugh at her? So she answered, “No need. Please go back.” She lifted her sleeves and saw the blood blisters just right under her old burn scars. The wounds together made an ugly sight.
Suddenly, the door curtain was brushed opened, startling her. Her hands shook making a wide careless cut. The blood blisters burst, blood flowing down staining her skirt. She quickly pulled down her sleeves sticking the fabric to her wound causing immense pain.
Jingxuan and Yonghe brought the imperial physician inside. Being the first to come inside, Jingxuan saw her startled moves and thought she may have acted realistically this time. He really could not tell her intentions. Blood has already spilled out of her silk satin and if this is one of her tricks, she has paid enough money for the props.
“Go and check.” He glanced at her dead white face and ordered.
The imperial doctor hunched over with the medicine box, not knowing where to treat her.
“Behind her ear, she was scratched by a broken bow string.” Yonghe said warmly.
“No! It’s in her left arm!” Jingxuan pursed his mouth.
“Left arm?” Yonghe asked in confusion.
The doctor hesitated for a moment and pulled Mei Li’s left hand. The old lady saw the blood stains, took a breath, and carefully lifted her sleeve.
Mei Li shrank her hands, not because of the pain.. but she does not want t0 show anyone such an embarrassing scar.
The imperial doctor thought she was embarrassed so he looked at the men awkwardly.
“Check it.”
Mei Li bit her lower lip. He hated her. He never liked her even before she had the scar. So what’s the use? Pulling a smile, she nodded gently to the doctor.
When her sleeve was lifted, everyone inside unconsciously took a breath.
Their attention was not on the new wound, but on the tea bowl[2]-sized scar on her jade-white arms. Her skin and flesh around it were twisted, the blue-green veins exposed, and there were some black hues within the scar.
Mei Li shuddered. After all, the ugliness she least wanted to be seen was now exposed. But she then realized, she now no longer cared what’s beautiful and ugly.
The imperial doctor dealt with the fresh wound carefully bandaging it. “Princess, that wound— is it a burn?”
“En.” Mei Li replied lightly.
“Which imperial doctor treated it for you?” The imperial doctor complained, “Charcoal ash was not thoroughly cleaned! This—” Feeling that he was talking too much, the imperial doctor closed her mouth.
Mei Li smiled and said, “I cleaned it up myself, and I don’t blame anyone else.”
After her wound has been wrapped up, she pulled down her sleeves. She then got up and walked them out, “Thanking you both.”
Jingxuan looked at her blankly without speaking.
Yonghe was a little embarrassed and smiled awkwardly. “It’s nothing…. No trouble at all.”
Mei Li took out a couple of silver from her purse and politely stuffed it into the old doctor. She finally understood this kind of rule too well. Because the doctors she failed to reward in the cold palace became very difficult to summon the next time she fell ill.
Because this is a customary practice, the old lady doctor did not refuse. After saying her thanks, she accepted it and retired.
Mei Li looked at Jingxuan and Yonghe who were still standing inside her tent. She smiled but said nothing.
Yonghe understood what she meant and said, “Then, we’ll leave as well so you can have a good rest.”
He was already ready to lift the curtain, but Jingxuan moved faster than him and went out first.
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Notes:
[1] 老臣 (laochen) old slave / minister / official
[2] 茶碗 (chawan) bowl used in preparing and drinking tea. It’s bigger than the teacup which are called 茶碗 (gaiwan) so yes, Mei Li’s burn is big 😦
Kaye's Ugly Translations 
Tell me why I’m already crying. I was hoping she was burned in her past life.
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