The young men of Hanlin Academy were lounging at their desks, waiting for class to begin.
A brazier burned between the teacher's desk and the students', providing a little warmth from the last of the late-Winter cold. Spring was just around the corner.
The five Mei brothers sat together with their friends on the right-hand side of the room. Across the aisle sat Li Pei and his cronies, whom they had no love for.
Li Pei was the Prime Minister's son, so they maintained an uneasy truce. The simmering tensions between the two sides mimicked court alliances.
"Congratulations on your betrothal, Li Kai," said Li Pei grandiosely to his cousin, so everyone could hear.
Betrothals were delayed among Nanjing's noble class. The Imperial edict that all registered noble daughters were to be presented at the palace for concubine selections before they could be betrothed, meant that there were no childhood betrothals. Only if a girl was not selected, would she become eligible for marriage.
"Thank you, brother," Li Kai smirked proudly.
The congratulations of other classmates flew across the room.
"Good news, Li Kai!"
"Well done Brother Li, may you be very happy."
Li Kai smiled and inclined his head in thanks to his classmates.
"So, who's next?" asked Li Pei. "Bai Li. You're something of a Casanova. Has anyone caught your eye?" he drawled.
The entire classroom burst into laughter. Even the Mei brothers who were family friends with the Bai family, smiled.
Bai Li's father was the famous General Bai. The family's sense of duty and honour was legendary, as was their humourlessness.
Young Commander Bai stared stoically ahead, refusing to be baited.
"What about you, Tan Bowen?" Li Pei said slyly. "You're definitely the romantic type. All that poetry and music must be good for seduction."
Li Kai climbed onto his desk and spread his arms;
"There lived years ago the beautiful Gongsun..."
He quoted the famous poet Du Fu, mimicking Tan Bowen's poetic style and lewdly alluding to the young man's appreciation of beauty. His rendition drew peals of laughter from his classmates.
Tan Bowen was a talented poet, artist and musician. He also had an artistic temperament, which could always be relied upon for a rise.
Tan Bowen stood gracefully;
"Your little sister from Lingying, at the Town of the White God, Dancing still and singing in the old blithe way."
He skilfully replaced the word 'beauty' in the poem, with 'your little sister', managing to insult Li Kai's younger sister, who was known to be homely.
"You dog!" Li Kai leapt across the aisle towards Tan Bowen.
His friends jumped up to hold him back and the Mei brothers rose and stood around Tan Bowen like a human fortress. Bai Li and the Second Prince watched calmly from the back row.
Though they were from a very different walk of life from Tan Bowen, the Mei men had been raised to have deep respect for genuine artistic talent.
Their father always said great artists were to be revered, and that those who possessed real talent were allowed some leeway in their behaviour. It was well known that true artists were blessed by the gods with genius and eccentricity in equal measure.
"You brought that on yourself Li Kai," said First Brother mildly. "Sit back down."
"He's insufferable Mei Renlong! How can you defend him when he's just insulted my sister!"
"What insult? A woman without talent is virtuous. It would be an insult if he called her beautiful and complimented her dancing."
"Hmmph. How would you like it if he commented on your little sister?" said Li Kai.
"I would be content if he said she was plain and virtuous, which she is."
The Prince, Commander Bai and Tan Bowen all looked studiously down at their texts, frightened their faces might give away their knowledge that this statement was patently untrue. Virtuous, yes; plain, far from it.
"Come to think of it," said Li Pei, "why have we never met your only sister Mei Renlong? She must be the pearl in your father's palm."
"She's quiet and plain," said Third Brother quickly. "Talentless. She lives in the inner courtyards, never coming out to be seen by the likes of you," he huffed angrily.
"Methinks you doth protest too much," Li Pei smirked. "Has she come of age yet?"
"None of your business!" said Fourth Brother furiously.
"Even if she has come of age, you'll never meet her Li Pei," said First Brother, calmly.
"Is that so, Mei Renlong? I guess we'll see about that," Li Pei rubbed his hands thoughtfully.
"Your Highness," he addressed the Second Prince. "Have you met the phantom Mei sister, Mei Meili?"
"Ahem," he cleared his throat with uncharacteristic nervousness. "I... haven't yet had the honour of an introduction." That was technically true...
"How many times have you visited the Mei mansion?"
"Countless."
"And you've never seen her? Curious..."
"What about you Bai Li, have you met her?" quizzed Li Pei, sure he was onto something now. The Mei brothers' overreaction told him they were hiding something.
"No. Not met," said Bai Li, always brief, so his curt reply passed unnoticed.
"Tan Bowen? You go around there and recite poetry and so on. You must have performed for their sister?"
"I have not had the privilege of doing so," replied Tan Bowen. "I'd be happy to, of course. I'm at your disposal Mei Sunren," he said hopefully to his close friend and desk-mate, Fifth Brother.
"As if," scoffed Fifth.
"None of you can meet our sister," said First firmly. "She's a very plain girl. Not suited to any of you."
"Then who is she suited to Mei Renlong? Are you saving her for the Emperor?" Li Pei pushed.
The brothers uniformly glared at him, and he shivered. Perhaps he'd taken this far enough for today.
"Definitely not!" said Third Brother with supressed emotion. "She's ugly! Much too plain for the harem. She'll be passed over for sure."
Interesting, thought Li Pei. Perhaps she was ugly, or how could they possibly hope to protect her from the concubine selection process?
"Hmmm," said Li Pei sceptically. "Why don't you let Bai Li meet her? He can report back to us all. Surely, he can be trusted to meet your secret baby sister?"
"No," said First implacably. "I said, None. Of. You."
He stressed each word with obvious menace, and the three friends cringed.
Third chewed his nail in concern. This was a dangerous conversation. Knowing Li Pei, it wouldn't be the last they'd hear of it.
To the relief of the Mei boys and of the three miscreants, Master Li turned up at this moment, cutting short any further conversation on the topic.