The Emperor's Concubine

3: Reality

Li Hua had managed to find the sleeping quarters soon after. After recieving a severe scolding from Fang Liu, she had been sent to wash, eat and then to the sleeping chambers. She was escorted by her own assigned maid as she made her way down the lantern lit corridor, the warm light reminscient of her own home. The maid- Jingah, mumbled beside her quietly about the ways of The Palace, but her thoughts were already far away, lost in the handsome stranger's face. She stopped abruptly as a hand shot out from no where, blocking her path.

"Stay out of my way, and we should be fine" the voice sneered. She looked up. Oh- the bitch she had bumped into earlier today. She looks at the girl levelly before retorting,

"I do believe The Emperor owns the corridor, and not yourself" The girls' face scrunches up in distaste. How spoilt, she thought to herself. The girl stomped off angrily, her own maid trailing hurriedly behind her. Li Hua sighed before gathering her skirts and walking inside her room. The room was spacious- of course, and filled with luxurious tapestries embroided with the finest of silks. Gross.

By the time morning came, she had been awoken by her maid, as was already being prepped for the day. She sat there drowsily, her head lolling from side to side as she fought against the clutches of sleep, while her maid combed and arranged her hair, sticking various pins and decorations. As her maid handed her her robes, she eyed the materials wearily. The looked like they weighed a tonne. The sleeves of the dress seemed to touch the floor- so very impractical, and the sheer amount of layers that was required....... Her maid began to dress her, despite her many protests that she was capable of doing so herself. By the time she was finished, her stomache had already eaten itself into oblivion. Making her way down to breakfast, she walked past a room. Even with the doors closed, she could hear the harsh yells of a female to the maid to "tighten the damn waist- you whore!". She grimaced, whoever was stuck with such an awful person- suddenly the doors to the room slid open harshly. And there stood the girl from last night. Li Hua couldn't say she was surprised....really. The girl- Leng Yue (she had found out from her terrified maid) cast a sneering glance in her direction before turning her head and walking off.

Breakfast was interesting. The amount of girls present in one room all eating and chatting animatedly was quite amusing. She caught sight of Yao Mei, the girl she had previouisly befriended and waved excitedly. The girl returned the wave timidly as she made her way over. Breakfast was served with a flourish, steamed dumplings of all colours, shapes and sizes, were presented, the smell causing her own stomach to rumble hungrily. They took their time eating even the lower class girls seemed to at least have table manners she noticed happily- maybe they could all become friends. She was about to eat another scrumptious looking dumpling, topped with the brightest coloured caviar she had ever seen, when Fang Liu once again made a return. The elder woman promptly stood up in the front of the room to the chattering group of girls as they immediately quietened. Her stern gaze roamed the room,

"I'm sorry to interrupt your meal ladies, but I have some news. Zhu Yi, could you please come up here?" Everyone at once looked around, searching for said girl. A girl stood up, hesitantly making her way to the front of the room under everyones watchful gaze. Yao Mei whispered to Li Hua softly,

"What's going on?" She shrugged her shoulders in response. The girl at the front of the room fidgeted nervously as Fang Liu once again spoke,

"Zhu Yi here," she gestured to the girl standing beside her. "Has officially been banned from The Palace." series of gasps erupted around the room. "I was informed by a young lady last night, that Zhu Yi was seen being embraced by a guard!" The poor girl stood beside her, face pale as a ghost. She stuttered wildly,

"Wha- NO! He was a childhood friend! I havn't seen him in years! I was just-" Fang Liu cut her off with a piercing gaze.

"You know the rules!" she boomed. From the corner of her eye, Li Hua caught a glimpse of a snickering Leng Yue, as she giggled with a few other girls. Her eyes narrowed- she didn't have a doubt who had told Fang Liu of this scandal. Zhu Yi burst into to tears as a few guards entered the room, escorting her out.

"Both Zhu Yi, and her childhood friend will be banished and paraded through the streets" she informed the rest of the girls. "Do not think that The Palace is not serious about such rules".

The girls fell deathly silent as Fang Liu left the room. Li Hua turned around, facing Yao Mei as the young girl burst into tears.