Lord Mei and Madam Yu waited in the front courtyard for the arrival of General Bai and his wife.
The four had been good friends for many years, so they looked forward to seeing the couple.
"Dear," spoke Lord Mei, "while I am extremely fond of Bai Li, and of course I would like nothing more than a connection by marriage to the Bai family, I won't do it at the expense of our daughter's happiness."
"Of course not husband, I completely agree," said Yu Yan. "Meili must make a good marriage. The man must be good in all respects. A good provider, a gentleman, kind and able to make her happy."
"Exactly. Bai Li's all of those things, but do you really think he can make Meili happy? He's such a serious lad, always has been, ever since he was little. I've never seen him crack a smile. He's a real stone-face, and Meili is so sunny-natured and carefree. Are they truly a good fit? I don't want to let these discussions get too far and offend the Bai family if we're not going to accept their proposal."
"We need to tread carefully today," she replied. "You make clear to General Bai upfront that we plan to allow Meili to have some say in the decision, and that she'll need time to get to know Bai Li. I plan to leave her veil on too. I don't want him spreading word of her beauty around the capital if these discussions don't progress."
"I'm sure he wouldn't do that, but we're of one mind dear. She hasn't been through the concubine selection process yet, so we can use that to delay a little. We still need to secure a dispensation from those somehow," he said gloomily.
"She can't go through the selection Tian Yun. We'll never lay eyes on her again, and I couldn't bear to see her in the harem."
"Don't worry wife, I'm working every angle I can to avoid having her enter the palace."
A short distance away, Bai Li and his father General Bai, rode alongside a carriage carrying his mother, Madam Bing, enroute to the Mei mansion.
"Are you sure about this son?" his father asked. "Once we start these discussions you can't pull out unless the girl gets selected for the palace as a concubine. I'm not willing to offend the Mei family for you."
"I'm certain father. I would never ask you and mother to have a betrothal discussion if I had any intention of not following it through."
"Good. So long as you know that. They've kept this girl under wraps. Even I've never met her. She's been raised in the inner courtyards. She has a reputation for being virtuous but plain. If they let you meet her, you can't change your mind after you see her face."
"I understand father. The Mei brothers are my good friends. There's no way I would meet their sister, then pull out of a betrothal promise."
"So long as you know that. If she is plain, she almost certainly won't be selected as a concubine, so you'll end up married to her."
"That's what I want."
His mother opened the curtain of the carriage and smiled out at them, very excited for the upcoming meeting. She was close friends with Yu Yan and couldn't have been happier when her son asked her to arrange a betrothal discussion with the Mei family's only daughter.
"It's lovely to hear you two talking about a topic that's not martial arts or sword fighting," she said.
"My father's concerned I'll find Mei Meili ugly and try and run out of the meeting."
"I don't believe Yu Yan's daughter could be ugly. I think they must be exaggerating. Anyway, looks fade, her heart is what's important."
"I agree mother. Please request her parents to allow me to meet with her so I can get to know her a little. They're very protective."
"That's a good thing, but I'll see what I can do."
Madam Bing hummed happily inside the carriage, smoothing out the new dress she'd worn for this special occasion.
They pulled up at the main gates to the mansion.
A handsome red plaque hung over the huge doors, with elegant gold calligraphy reading 'Mei Family Mansion', decorated with a border of gold dragons and clouds.
Bai Li struggled to suppress the images that came flooding unbidden to his mind, when he glanced up at the grey tiled rooftops of the Mei family compound.
His father helped his mother down and the three of them entered the mansion together.
The servants welcomed them formally, ushering them through to the front courtyard, where Lord Mei and his wife waited to greet them.
Yu Yan ushered them into their reception hall, where fresh tea and snacks were waiting. When the pleasantries were concluded, General Bai raised the subject of their visit.
"Lord Mei. You know why we've come today. What are your feelings on this subject?" he asked respectfully.
"General Bai, we're very honoured that you have considered our Mei Meili as a suitable match for your eldest son. And we would be honoured and pleased to see the Mei family and the Bai family connected through marriage. However, you know that Mei Meili has not yet been through the palace concubine selections, and she is registered. Rather than get the children too invested in a marriage with this prospect still hanging over them, we thought they could perhaps get to know each other a little, chaperoned of course. If Mei Meili's not selected to join the harem or marry one of the princes, we can formalise the arrangements. I know that's not very traditional. You'll have to forgive an old father who's wrapped around the finger of his only daughter. I do wish for her to enjoy the lifetime of happiness that only a good marriage can bring," he smiled fondly at his own wife.
"Lord Mei," said General Bai, "that sounds like an excellent plan. We are aware that Mei Meili hasn't yet been presented at court for the selections. And we also agree that it would be best if the children are not opposed to this plan for their marriage."
"Good, good," clapped Lord Mei. "In that case we will bring Mei Meili in."
A servant trotted out of the hall and Mei Meili was duly brought in, accompanied by Manni leading Tricky-Wu on a leash.
Meili wore an elegant dress of cream silk, embroidered with the palest pink roses. Her hair had been swept into two buns, each decorated with tiny enamel and gold blossoms. She was veiled with a cloth that was not at all transparent. A very conservative wardrobe selection.
Generally, prospective parents-in-law would be pleased to see such modesty, but given the rumours about Mei Meili's looks, the veil did give one cause for concern thought Madam Bing when she saw it.
However, when she looked more closely at the girls' eyes, skin, figure and hair, she drew in a sharp breath and looked quickly at her husband, slightly panicked. He'd already made the same deduction, just much faster than his wife.
She was a great beauty! Perhaps even a once-in-a-generation beauty, whom the Mei family had been hiding in their inner courtyards her entire life. No veil could conceal that secret at such close quarters.
The girl curtsied prettily and greeted the Bai family.