Hu Li return to her courtyard and hid in there for days after return from the theatre. She told her maids to reject any invitation to any party, saying that she is sick. Occasionally Prince Wang Cao will come to her boudoir to check on her. She will be inside reading her books with the box open while her little friends are running around the room which instructed by Hu Li to loose some weight. Hu Li keep quiet as he keep calling her name. Finally he leaves and the rats continue their runs.
After nearly a month, a royal physician is order to give a check on her. Knowing that Princess Wang Ching have a terrible temper to match, the physician resign that he will have a long wait on that day. He did not wait too long when she allow him to come in. He did a body check up and conclude that she did not have a good rest as her heart is beating rather slow like an old person who is is at the death bed. The maids look at each other and did not want to say that she have been lazying around eating fruits and reading her books. She does nothing how can she not have a good rest. The physician leaves after prescribing her some medicine. That evening a maid comes in and place a letter in her box. She also inform the princess that the emperor wishes to see her tomorrow. She hear and request them all to retire for the night. She walk over to her desk and open the box. She sigh as she pick it up. She read it over and over again before she burnt it.
"Master what is wrong?"
"Well, he is coming into the palace soon. He is proposing that we get marry. In the meanwhile he will transport the material into our country inside the carriages and other transport that is following along into the palace."
"Master what will you do?"
"I need to dispatch a letter to the Yamen for them to take action."
"That will be difficult."
"No will be easy. I have friends all around me."
"Us? How are we going to carry that big piece of paper?"
Hu Li laugh and poke one of them their round tummy.
"Silly, i haven friends who flies."
"Ohhhhh ... what is much easier... but who are you going to give the letter to?"
"Du Wei, the most trusted guard of Officer Zhou. He is reliable."
"What about Wang Cao?"
Hu Li re-read the letter and set it on fire, she watch the letter burnt to ashes.
"That boy, i am not sure. What if he is alike his sister? It is better to distance myself from him. Tomorrow guard this room well. If anyone comes in remember who they are and what they did inside this room."
"Yes master!"
One of the rats pick up the ink grinder and begin to grind while the other watch Hu Li dip the brush in and starts to write on the paper. After when he ink is dry. She roll it up. Outside an owl is watching fly into the room, it morph into a young boy with short bowl hairstyle. He smile with his big eyes as he receive the paper roll.
"You do know Du Wei the boy who works in Yamen, do you?"
He nod his head and put it in his pocket. He turn around and morph into an owl fly out from the other window. Hu Li watch him fly higher and further till he disappears. The moon is round tonite she sits by the moon to watch the silence beauty hanging in the dark sky.
The next day comes and she dress up with the splendour of a princess. Siting on the vanity table, her maids quickly do up her hair. They slowly put on the gold hair accessories that she love. After they are done, they stay back and Hu Li feels that her head is so heavy with the gold accessories. Hence she ask to change them all to pearl instead.
"Princess... you dislike pearls..."
"I know but i like it now! Change them!."
The maids who fear her old self comes back hurry to remove all the gold hair accessories and put on the Pearls around her hair. The make up is done plainly with some shimmering from the pearl that is grind into powder. She refuse to put on the red lipstick that the original owner loves. She put on strings of pearls on her neck and wrist. She slip in her sandals and look at the full length mirror. Feeling good, she walk out with her maids behind her.
They walk through the royal gardens and it is no surprise that whatever flies follow her. The maids begin to chase the bees away. The little humming birds follows her around her head. The maids dare not chase the birds away as they fear they will hit the princess instead and cause her to get angry. While some butterflies land on the shoulders as Hu Li walks through. The maids are wondering if the clothes are the issue, did someone use too much flowers on the clothes while soaking and washing it. They all begin to perspire behind Hu Li as they walk. While Hu Li doesn't mind all these as she is used to them. It's her nature to play with butterflies and bees. As she walks, Hu Li attract a lot of attention from the palace and maids of other courtyards. Even those other Prince and Princess look at her from the distance. Watching whatever that flies are chasing after Princess Wang Ching. They wonder what perfume sachet did she carry to cause such a scene. Most of the Princess ask their maids to go find out as they want to have such attention from others.
Hu Li walk slowly with carefulness like a princess. She try not to smile too much as she knows that Princess Wang Ching is not a smily person nor she is kind. She try to be as haughty as the original owner. She stands in front the hall of kindness and the eunuch goes inside to inform the Emperor the presence of the Princess. The eunuch brings some smoke out to get rid of the bees. It makes her feel sick too. She yell at them and demanded to leave alone. After awhile, she is told that she can enter. She enter the big hall and see the Emperor is siting alone on the throne with his desk. She kneel down according to what she knows. The man on the throne is surprise to see her do that for he allow his eldest daughter to not kneel to him after when she is ten years old. However lately, he hear that she have a change of character. Also the butterflies and birds are flying around her is rather a strange sight. He command her to stand up. She stand up and stand straight. They stare at each other for awhile. Till the eunuch remind the Emperor why he wants to see Princess Wang Ching.
"Princess Wang Ching... you have already pass the age of eighteen. It's time to get marry."
"My father the emperor, i do not wish..."
"NONSENSE! You are the eldest Princess and you are settling a bad example! Marry your fiancé before before the snow arrives and someone get rid of those birds!!"
Hu Li turn in a sulky face while the emperor is having a headache with this daughter. While the eunuchs are running around trying to chase the birds off the beams.
"Your brother, the crown prince is finally getting marry. It's better you marry soon. Both of you already eighteen! I was ten when i married! I was a father by fourteen! Now look at both of you, at eighteen finally one of you get married and you still hanging around and do nothing! I heard from the royal physician that you are in poor health! You better do something!"
"I am doing something."
"What are you doing?"
"No causing troubles inside or outside the palace!"
The emperor hold his head and wave at her. The eunuch smile awkwardly and direct her to the door. She gather her skirt and turn around. The moment she walk out the hall becomes quiet as the birds have all flew out. He watch it and find it really odd that his daughter suddenly is not that haughty and dominating character. Where and why did she change?