Concubine - TRUE STORY [English Version]

1) the death of a king

-247 B.C. Announcement of the king's successor.-

"The king is dead!"
People are screaming out loud. Others are whispering to each other. Saying things they don't want others to hear.

The king is dead.

Li Yu was holding her mothers hands. Did they have a king? Could kings die? That didn't seem logical.
They all think that they are the sons of the heavens.

Perhaps the Heaven was angry with her son. Maybe she decided to punish her Qin son. That must be it.
Death is something that doesn't exist in a child's world. Children play and live.

Without paying attention to her surroundings, Li Yu had her eyes fixed on a bowl of moon cakes. Carefully she stretched out to pick one. She leaned towards the bowl, she almost had one. Then her parents decided to leave. If they had waited a second longer, she would have got one.
Disappointed in her parents she started to scream.

"Moon cakes!"
Her mother stopped in her path and bended down. She put her hands on Li's shoulders. Her eyes staring deep into hers.

"Li, we've explained this. When we go to the market, it's for very specific and valuable things. If you want cakes I can make some for you at home. We just don't have money to buy them here."

Li didn't hear the 'no money' part. She was too exited with the idea of having cakes at home. Freshly made by her mother.

People kept walking like ants around each other. With her dark eyes she saw the adult world above her head.

Very soon she saw something everyone was curious about. People gathered at a wall at the center of the market. Everyone stood on their toes to see something. Voices mixed together making it impossible to understand anything.
"Mama, what is happening?"

"Try to be silent; they're reading something aloud."
Trying to remain silent was not something Li was very good at. Especially in a place like this. Too many interesting things are happening here.

Feathers on helmets floated above the heads. Metal sounds accompanied the sudden appearance of the feathers. The feathers bended with every movement. Like grass on a windy day.

Soldier Important held a wooden scroll in his hands. Dork strips held together with ropes. He possibly was the only one of the company able to read. And the letter must have been very important. Otherwise you wouldn't sent soldiers.

"Citizens of the State of Qin! Our king died last night!

His thirteen year old son Ying Zheng will be his successor.
-Li tried to count to thirteen on her fingers-

We respect our new king and follow his commands! We know he will be powerful!"

The people didn't really know if they had to be happy or not. The Warring States Period kept going on. It started 200 years ago and the people were sick of it. Sons taken away from their families to keep the army running.
The story would repeat itself again. This king would leave for the battlefield just like all kings before him.

People liked to believe he would or can be successful. Of course. But to be successful you have to loose as well. And more kings and warlords lost than won.

Li Yu jumped a few times to see something. Her attempts were useless. So many people packed together with the same idea. Trying to see something.

"Long live the king!"
Somebody unknown shouted out loud.
"Long live the king!"
Many people joined. Probably out of fear.

"Do we have a new king?" asked Li.
She didn't get the excitement.
A king more or less. It isn't that important. Is it?

The soldiers marched away, holding up the Qin flag. White with dark blue edges and the symbol of the state in the middle.

Li learned to read, she wasn't really good at it yet. And she wasn't really willing to try. She recognized many characters. But most of them were meaningless to her.

Her parents started walking again. Away from the crowd.
"Thirteen years old."
Her father repeated the speech for the most part.
Good for Li, because she didn't pay that much attention during the original speech.

"It's old enough to be king."
"His mother will rule. That's how it always went and so it will happen again later. And than the young king gets rebellious and the war continues not just on the battlefield, but in the palace as well."

"The king will be ready soon."
"I have that same fear. It makes me scared. Something about him is wrong."

The conversation continued without Li listening.
"Li Yu! Hands of the cakes!"