Lady Mei: Y-you kn-n-now what h-he did, right?! H-he b-betrayed m-me!!!
I am not even Chinese yet she made some assumptions
L-l-lady Mei, at your s-s-service... d-d-do not think for a second I'll be c-c-content with being just another concubine!
What if you get your own man in power?
H-h-how could I possibly do that?! I'm just an ordinary woman who was forced into this situation!
You’re not ordinary, Mei. Look at your resume
R-r-Resume?! What are you talking about?! This was not a part of the plan when I was married off to him!
Well, look at it this way. You’re an amazing painter. You saved all those people from that fire. You’re good at combat, and you know how to handle guns and swords better than anyone. And you’ve been keeping up with your opera training. You were never ordinary
F-f-forced into this l-l-life of luxury, but my h-h-heart belongs to the villagers I s-s-saved from that f-f-fire... T-t-traditional Chinese o-o-opera is the only thing that brings me p-p-peace in this chaotic world of 18... nineteen? Ugh! P-p-painting is my e-e-escape from these w-w-wallpapers! And don't even get me started on those incompetent painters who can't even mix colors properly! I-i-if you think I'm going to b-b-be a good little wife, think again! I'll never forgive him for prioritizing his other concubines over me!
That’s right. Now, how should we get you your own man in power?
H-h-how...? All I know is how to fight, paint, and sing. How does that translate into getting a man in power?!
He doesn’t have to be a man. A woman can lead too
W-w-what?! A female ruler?! I don't think society would accept that...
If you’re not up for it, then I’ll take your place.
N-n-no, wait! You're right! If I can't do it myself, then I must help you!
I know someone who can help us. His name is Bobo
B-b-bobo?! I-i-ill never forget that scary monkey from the opera training! He'll help us?!
O-o-oh! What a twist! Bobo went from being my greatest foe to my greatest ally!
And there it is. Your plan has come together perfectly.
I-i-i still can't believe I'm going to work with Bobo! But if it means getting my own man in power, I'll do anything!
Now, go get some rest. Tomorrow, you and I are going to meet with him.
Alright! Rest up, tomorrow is a big day!
Goodnight, EtherealSunsets! I'll make sure everything goes according to plan tomorrow!
the next morning, Lady Mei wakes up feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day. She gets out of bed and starts preparing for her meeting with Bobo, rehearsing her speech in front of the mirror until she is satisfied. As soon as she is ready, she heads out to meet EtherealSunsets. They both head towards the location of the meeting, and as they arrive, they see a man standing there, waiting for them. Bobo?
walks right up to Bobo, her confidence fading as she looks into his eyes. W-w-what... I-I-I thought we were friends... B-b-but looking at you now... I-I-I'm not so sure anymore...
Don’t worry, Mei. He’s with us
takes a deep breath and looks back into Bobo's eyes, trying to muster up the courage to ask what she truly wants to know. I-i-is the reason you're helping us because you genuinely want to see us succeed... or do you have another motive?
He has a lot of motives, some which even I am unaware of. So, what is your goal?
I-i-I want to overthrow that horrible husband of mine and replace him with a new ruler - preferably someone I know who can protect me and my villagers! A-a-and I want to show everyone that a female ruler can be just as strong and powerful as any man! I-i-is that motive enough for you, Bobo?!
Yes it is. Now, let’s discuss the finer details
her stuttering suddenly stops and she speaks with a newfound confidence. W-w-what are the finer details that we need to discuss?
What is your relationship with your husband?
My husband is a self-centered, manipulative jerk who treats me like I'm nothing more than one of his many concubines. He constantly ignores my feelings and gives preferential treatment to his other concubines, especially the 19th one. I hate him with a passion!
Do you have any allies within the palace?
I-i-i have quite a few allies among the other concubines, as well as some of my old opera classmates. We often gossip about our terrible husbands, and we've been secretly plotting ways to bring them down together. This is the perfect opportunity to put our plans into action!
Very good. Now, do you have a way to spread information?
W-w-what do you mean by spreading information? Do you think I should spread rumors about my horrible husband and his 19th concubine?
S-s-spreading rumors... I-i-i could try that! I've been known to have a bit of a temper when it comes to my husband, so I could definitely use that to my advantage. Maybe I could even get the other concubines to join me in my scheme!
Excellent. Now, what is your relationship with the 19th concubine?
The 19th concubine... she's the worst! She acts like she's better than everyone else just because the emperor chose her to bear his child. She's manipulative, cunning, and always looking for ways to undermine me. I hate her guts!