Chapter 8

"Jian, do you know where my cat is," asked the Empress Dowager. Her servants had been looking for her cat for three days and there had been no signs of him.

"Mother I have not seen your cat. Last time I saw him was when he ran out of my room," he felt if he told her about Li Xiu Ying taking her cat, she would behead her. He prayed that Li Xiu Ying would release the cat to return to his mother.

Eunuch Xu, his mother's trusted confidant, walked in and bowed, "Empress Dowager, there is a miss by the name of Li Xiu Ying, requesting an audience." Bowing he waited for her answer.

"Li Xiu Ying, where have I heard this name before," she thought for a second, "Oh, I remember now, she is the little miss staying in the Lily Courtyard, let her in." She started getting excited for her son. The Empress Dowager has been meaning to get her son a wife for a while now, but he was never interested. Thinking of the report that she recieved, of her son visiting Lily Courtyard three nights ago, she got even more excited. This was the first time that he took the initiative to look for a girl.

In walked Li Xiu Ying, dressed in a pale blue dress and her hair gently falling on her back with a yellow flower hair pin. She bowed saying, "This commoner greets the Emperor and the Empress Dowager." When Zheng Wei Jian's mother saw her actions she felt even more ecstatic, her actions and speech were on par with royalty.

Zheng Wei Jian spoke before his mother could, "You may stand. What business do you have with the Empress Dowager?" LI Xiu Ying stood up and faced him head on, he felt his heart flutter for a moment, "Why does this happen to me," he thought to himself.

"Your Majesty, may I talk to your mother in private, please," she asked kindly. The Empress noticing their interactions felt like leaping with joy.

"Son," she called out, "You may be dismissed. I too have something I would like to talk about alone with Miss Li." Zhen Wei Jian looked from his mother to Li Xiu Ying and was disappointed with how fast they wanted to get rid of him.

"Yes, mother," he replied thinking that his emotions were hidden from his mother. Of course with his mother paying careful attention to her son would notice the change of attitude was overjoyed.

Zheng Wei Jian left his mother and Li Xiu Ying alone, "Come sit down," said the Empress Dowager. Li Xiu Ying called her three Contractual Spirits into the room and they sat beside her.

"Your Highness," she began before she was cut off.

"My name is Wang Fang Mei," she said to Li Xiu Ying.

"Empress Wang, I know how much you love that and I am sorry for putting you through your troubles. But, he is my third Contractual Spirit, the Snow Leopard. Li Qiang, may you show Her Majesty," she asked. Li Qiang stood up in his light grey robe and strode over to Wang Fang Mei and bowed.

"My apologies, Your Majesty, but I am Miss Li's third Contractual Spirit," with that he changed back into the snow white cat that the queen adored. Li Qiang then changed back into the beautiful scholar. He knelt before Wang Fang Mei, "I beg of you to forgive this deceiving one and help my Princess win your son's heart." He spoke so quickly that Wang Fang Mei could not process it before a smack landed on the back of Li Qiang's head.

Li Jie was standing behind Li Qiang in a furry, "Stupid cat! You were not supposed to say anything!" By the time Wang Fang Mei could process what he had said Li Jie had already taken Li Qiang out of the room.

Suddenly the room was filled with laughter, "No wonder he always looked to the moon and ignored me, he had someone else as his master. Miss Li, you have some funny Contractual Spirits." She kept laughing, until she could not laugh anymore. "Miss Li," she began with a calm voice, " Why would he say that you need to win my son's heart." She excitedly waited for her reply.

"Your Majesty, I hope that he did not offend you in any way," she calmly said. "As for your question, I am in love with your son and I do not want him to be with anyone else." Li Xiu Ying hoped that this would be enough to get the Empress Dowager to help her.

Li Na stared at Li Xiu Ying in disbelief, why is she lying. She then quickly turned her head away to prevent the Empress Dowager from noticing her change.

Wang Fang Mei sat quietly for a moment thinking. She then turned to Li Xiu Ying, "You are a nice lady and I like you. I will help you win his heart, but if you ever leave him or break his heart," she paused, "I will personally hunt you down and kill you. Is that understood?" She watched to see if there was a change in Li Xiu Ying's face.

"Naturally," she replied. "Now if I may be dismissed, I have research to do." She bowed and left with Li Na. after walking to the shallow pond near the Calla Lily Courtyard, she slowed and whispered, "Li Na, bring Li Jie and Li Qiang, I am going to meet with the Emperor about the Royal Library."