Perchance to Dream

3: Settling In

The first thing Mei Yanran noticed upon regaining her senses was a chill in the air. When she opened her eyes, she discovered herself sitting at the base of a tree growing in the center of an ancient styled courtyard. Nearby was a round stone table surrounded by four matching chairs, upon which sat a delicate looking tea set. Beyond that was an elegant looking building with sloping roofs and a covered walkway, the very image of ancient Chinese compounds.

When Mei Yanran leaped to her feet, she discovered that she was dressed in pale purple silken robes with long flowing sleeves. A heavy winter cloaked rested upon her shoulders, shielding her from much of the cold. Something twinkled out of the corner of her eye, and she reached up a hand to touch the dangling hair ornament by the side of her head.

"So this is the world you wanted," a familiar voice spoke up, and Mei Yanran excitedly turned around to greet her benefactor.

"Goddes--urk?!" she choked. Though the clear, cool tones belonged unmistakably to the Goddess of Fates, what greeted her eyes was the sight of an old man.

"Calm yourself, I'm only borrowing his body," the goddess replied, tucking a strand of gray hair behind her (his?) ear as she spoke. "This is your father, by the way."

"My father's not that old!" Mei Yanran sputtered. Her real dad was only in his mid-forties, while this man had to be approaching his sixties!

"He is in this story," the goddess said simply. "I've looked through the plot while arranging things. That Ling Fengxiao of yours is destined to be the second most powerful man in the country. If you want half a chance to be his match, you can't be someone he sees as a threat."

An old man who was a respectable mid-rank official to the dynasty, whose only child was a single daughter that he doted on with his wife, would be a good candidate. Though Ling Fengxiao was qualified to take on better wives by far, his cautious personality would make that impossible. The novel had even dedicated a paragraph to describing how he'd turned down his share of princesses and generals' daughters, much to their chagrin.

"You're not making me too weak, are you?" Mei Yanran asked when she finished listening to the explanations. "What if I end up getting bullied by all those powerful women instead? That's part of, like, every single novel plot I've read." Even the female lead had to fight off her share of jealous female rivals before she secured the male lead. Though it made for a great read, Mei Yanran wasn't sure whether she had the same skills to defend herself.

"They'll only bully if they think Ling Fengxiao's interested in you," the goddess replied sensibly. "By the time they realize it, it'll be too late."

"Because I'll be married by then?" Mei Yanran asked hopefully.

"Because your male lead of choice is a man that eliminates all enemies without fail," the goddess said simply. "He'll stop them before they even think to touch you."

"Kyaa~!" While Mei Yanran lost herself in a pile of sentimental fluff, the goddess led her along to familiarize herself with the buildings and its people.

"By the way, how are you planning to attract him?" the goddess asked once they reached Mei Yanran's room.

Mei Yanran blinked. "With my personality, of course!" All of the girls who'd been rejected by Ling Fengxiao had been attracted by his looks and power. None of them had truly been sincere in liking him for, well, himself.

"And?" the goddess raised a eyebrow. "There's no end of bright, lively girls in the capital. Do you think one pink rose amongst the red will attract a man who's never stopped to smell the flowers?"

"Then what do you suggest?" Mei Yanran asked. A Goddess of (Love) Fates was the relationship expert, after all.

"Since it's ancient China, why don't you play to your strengths?" the goddess suggested. "What's your strongest subject? Poetry? Painting? Playing an instrument?"

Mei Yanran's face fell. "None of those..."

"Then calligraphy? Perhaps singing or making tea?" the goddess continued, listing additional appropriate talents for a cultured young lady.

"Well, I won first place at my academy's annual dance competition..." Mei Yanran piped up. "It's classical Chinese dance too, so it'll fit right in!"

"Dance..." the goddess trailed off. "It's unusual, but it might work. After all, the capital's Snow Festival is coming up, so displaying your skills there should be acceptable."

"Ahh?" Mei Yanran blinked. Snow Festival?! That's where the male lead first met and fell in love with the female lead! More importantly, it's a compulsory event for all nobles and officials' families, so Ling Fengxiao will definitely attend!

Because the story in the novel took place in the north, it was thus called Conspiracies of the Northern Court. Every winter, the imperial Chu family would host a festival at midwinter to brighten up the spirits of the people for the long winter season. Besides the usual feast and banqueting, there was also a special talent performance put on by the single daughters of nobility in the capital. The winner would be bestowed a prize from the empress dowager herself.

"Would that really be enough to grab his attention?" Mei Yanran asked doubtfully. After all, Ling Fengxiao hadn't batted so much as an eyelash at the winners of the competition in the novel, much less their performances.

"I'll pull a few strings here or there," the goddess promised. "Now tell me what you're planning for that dance of yours. Once I straighten out the details, the rest will be up to you."

Mei Yanran beamed before she glomped the goddess.

"Ack! My back...!"

"Oh right, I forgot you're an old man..."

"Don't confuse me with the body I'm borrowing!"