Concubine - TRUE STORY [English Version]

6) meeting the world

Li Yu hid her hands in her way too big sleeves. She wasn't used to not having hair flowing around her back. Usefully it floats away with the wind, but now it's all tied securely.

She could feel the ponytail at her back, moving as she moved.

"This is the garden."
Yeah she could see that herself, but nice of him to say it anyway. Imagine she wouldn't realize where she was.
"And we have bamboo here."

She could sea that... she could see that.
Li wasn't in the mood for smalltalk.
"How is it to practice for a minister entrance exam?"

"Very difficult. The king has many plans. Especially for the people around him. It's very difficult to fit into that. You can't forget that the king is very strict. He gives punishment with great ease. That makes me a little worried, to do the exam."

He started at the ground while saying that. But he got a smile and now looked at Li.
"How is it to work land?"

"Not necessarily. But it can be heavy work. He have to pay attention to everything. Heavy rain will wash away crops and the rabbits can eat the crops at night. Everything can happen any time."

"You don't have rice?"
"No. Vegetables. From everything we have a little."
He nodded his head, thinking about what he just learned and had a very interested expression.

"Have you been eh... matched before?"
He asked it with a face of discomfort.
"No not yet. The idea to get married just popped up suddenly."

"Oh me too!"
Li gave a minimal reaction to that. Maybe it was an awkward smile, but she just kept looking away from him.

"We have a very beautiful pond!"
Yan Tao came back to business. But Li Yu actually liked him talking about the court.

"Have you been to court?"
"Not to do much. Especially for watching and studying."

"Tell me about it."
He let out a big sigh.
"Well the ministers and the counselors of the king all wear black. And the king will wear black or yellow. Some say he is obsessed with colors and their meaning. And there are soldiers as far as you can see."

"I have seen them as a child. The ones with the feathers on their helmet."
He agreed to that.

"They usually don't wear helmets actually. And the king likes parties. That's what they say too. Just as much as he likes power."
She looked him in the eye.
"Is he really only nineteen years old? But how much of an adult is he really?"

"The king grew up long time ago. He is already a powerful ruler."
Li Yu had a grin on her face, sure he was.

Carefully, Yan lent over. He started whispering.
"They say that the Queen Dowager has an intimate relationship with prime minister Lu BuWei."

Li's mouth dropped.
"She is no longer the ruling queen dowager. Her son has all strings in his hands now. But it will take some more time before he has everything in his own hands."

"What?" Li was filled with surprise, "these things happen for real? That can't be!"
He assured that all of it is really what they say.

"Bu Wei is only prime minister because the queen arranged that. It was the first thing she told the king, right after they told him his father died. To make him prime minister."

Li was now just laughed out of entertainment. She had her hand before her face from laughter.
"He is doing a very good job though. But I think the king will intervene soon.
"How so?"
"He is having a lot of power to himself. More than is healthy for him. Especially now the king seeks more."

Li barely kept herself together.
"Don't tell anyone! I might loose my head! Literally!"
She assured him, "I can hold my mouth. No one will know."

The pond barely got the attention it deserves. They didn't matter. Li Yu And Yan Tao enjoyed each other's company.

Li took the end of Yan Tao's sleeves.
"Is this how expensive fabric feels?"
She kept on feeling the fabric and rubbed her thumb in little circles on his coat.

"It's not that expensive."
He lent over again.
"Have you ever felt silk? Silk is the most wonderful fabric you will ever touch."
She had never.
"I've never touched silk before."
"The king has the most silk coats in all of the kingdom of Qin. Of course I can't speak for the other six."

"Will the king truly be as successful as everyone says?"
"He has the ambition. But why not? So many have had the ambition and none of them ever succeeded in anything."

That's true.
"I heard of it. But never seen something of it."
"Keep it like that. It's not a pretty sight."
"I believe you. Even though I can't even imagine what it looks or feels like."

"Than don't imagine anything of it. That's best of all. Dreams are better."

Now she had a true smile on her face upon his words. They barely met, but she had a feeling that this wasn't a bad choice.

"Do you like it here?"
"I have no experience with a life like this. It's so different."

"That's no problem. I am convinced even a farmer can do many great things*"

*the successor of the Han dynasty is the Han dynasty that will last a long time. Their first ruler was a rebel leader and before that a farmers son.