Concubine - TRUE STORY [English Version]

10) a new concubine

"Let me go!"
Li Yu tried protestant as much as possible.
"I don't belong here!"
The woman was pulling Li in by her arm. And the strength she has for such an old lady. Li can't move the arm she's holding.

"Now you do belong here. There has been paid a lot of money for you."
"Paid? I'm sold?!"
She stopped moving from surprise, but the woman pulled her I further.

"Yes. Paid."
"My parents would never do that! I'm getting married!"

"Not anymore honey. The chances of that happening here barely exist."

"I'm no slave you can command!"

The woman pulled Li closer and took her on her both upper arms. She stared her dead in the eyes.

"You weren't sold as a slave. You are sold as a concubine!"

Li's mouth dropped, more than ever beforE.

Her first reaction would be 'a what?', but she actually had an idea of what a concubine is.

"That's impossible! My wedding is next week!"

"Not anymore!"

"No!", she screamed un top of her lungs.

The woman pulled her deeper into the palace.

She got pushed into a room with that door the only way in or out. She heard it closing behind her. From somewhere the woman got a bamboo scroll. She opened it by rolling it onto a little table. Li saw the little bamboo bars connected by two strings.

"Chen LiYu from LanMeng province, Royal State of Qin. That's correct?"

She refused to answer.

"I suppose it's so" she answered for herself.

"Sold to the Royal Qin Palace" she continued.

"For how much?"

The woman looked up from her bamboo scroll. This time she was surprised.

"Standard price."

That's all she's gonna say?

"These are the rules you have to follow."

Rules? That too? Li sat down in anger. Diagonally from the woman.

"First. I'll be your teacher. Disobedience will be punished heavily.

Second. Leaving the palace without granted permission from at least one week prior, is punished by beating to death. Am I clear?

Li Yu could only listen to it. Was this serious?

"Third rule. Never speak to a soldier or officer without them asking first. Is that understood?"

Li Yu noticed that she nodded every time, from an unknown automatism.

"Fourth rule. You will take care of yourself daily. Once every six days you can wash your hair.

Fifth rule. You stay in bed the whole night, until the servants give the wake up call. Is that understood?"

Nodding again.

"You will be training in three of the six Arts. These are rites, music and calligraphy. The other ones are maths, riding chariots and shooting a bow and arrow. The combinations of these will produce only the best for Qin."

The woman called for someone. A young woman. Almost still a girl, just like Li herself. She was a little taller and a little older. She was expensively dressed and she was wearing make up.

"This is Dai Yu. She will be your companion Concubine. Less important questions are to be asked between you and her. She will be your roommate too. Help each other with getting ready in the morning."

Day smiled friendly at Li. Carefully she smiled back.

"They told me you can already write."
Li nodded again.
"Jan you play an instrument?"
"No."
"No madam!"
"No madam."

'Madam' now nodded herself. With a certain happiness.
"Can you dance?"
"No madam."
"Can you sing?"
"A little bit madam."

"Well, then it will take time to learn everything. Day Yu! Is her bath ready?"
"Yes madam."

Not another bath!

"We'll start immediately because there's a lot of work to be done."
Insult too many number one.

The woman walked out of the room. Day Yu now stood up and came towards Li.
"Will you come with me? There's a bath ready for you."
"I don't need a bath."

"You don't have to be scared. Madam Chu never bathes her students herself. We have to take care of that ourselves.
"Is the water cold?"
"No warm."

Li Yu agreed defeated.
"Alright. One bath."

Dai took Li by the hand and showed her the way.
"This is the bath house. It's after morning so we are alone now."

That helped a lot. It would be too much otherwise.

"It might be a little better by now. I made a nice hot bath for you."

"Day our her hands on Li's shoulders.
"Can I...?"
She asked carefully.

"Have you been here for a long time already" Li asked while untying her belt made from scratch.
"A few years. I was a dancer in training when I was sold by my mother because I was too expensive to take care for. We were with too many children at home."

Li Yu was too scared to talk.

"We were with six children at home. That was too much."

"I don't understand why I am sold."
"You have been sold for your beauty. The more beautiful you are, the higher the price.

Compliment?

"Sit yourself down."
Li felt with her finger the temperature of the water. It's nice and warm. Carefully she put her foot in.

And the other one. And she then she sat down. This was nice.