The days passed quickly and Mei Mei trained like her life depended on it until the day of the Vermillion Derby race arrived.
The Vermillion Derby was not just any race. It was a lavish noble spectacle--a three hour ordeal of grit, grace and speed madness. The course twisted through a hill, leapt over hedges, splashed through a stream, swept by Chi Lian's beach, rotated through the royal courts and ended with a final sprint on the tracks of the stables.
It was designed to test speed, strategy, stamina, greatness and the bond between horse and rider. It was a national affair that was televised live like the Olympics.
So, thousands were packed in the grandstands. All the private boxes for nobles, royals and foreign dignitaries were occupied.
Emperor Junjie, dashing in his ink black royal racing outfit waved politely at the crowds. He looked nothing like a man in mourning for his dead wife.
