Concubine - TRUE STORY [English Version]

12) kneel

Dai guided Li to a little hall. It was relatively big and well put together.

That Madam Chu was already there. With a victorious smile on her face, she awaited the two at a hairdressing stand. But Li didn't know yet what these were. Chu has her arms crossed and her head high.

"Is she thoroughly washed?"
Dai knifed her head with honor.
"Yes madam."
Chu took a deep breath.

"Good. We'll start right away because we don't have a lot of time."
Dai gave Li a soft push in her back as a sign to step forward.

She wanted to sit on the cushion, but Chu stopped her.
"That's not how you sit!"
Li Yu now has the full surprise. Rules to sit down? That's a joke.

"We sit on our knees out of respect for the king. We kneel."
You don't sit on your bum? That's bizarre.

"When we sit down, we watch it clothes, so they look neatly all the time. Then we keep our hands low, resting on your legs."

Li Yu was stunned and she never had eyes this big before.
"Of course never forget to bow for the king" the Chu witch continued. 

Li turned her eyes away from the witch and looked at the pillow again.
"Sit down" was the order. 

Li tried to find out how to keep all the fabric neat AND how to sit down at the same time. And to find that out she had less than a second.

With her hands she pressed the fabric against her knees and than tried to lower down until her knees hit the pillow.
"Hm" was all Chu said.
"That needs more grace. Stand up and do it again."

Cursing in her mouth -not knowing she was that good about it- she stood up.
"You need to stand up calmly! And serene!"

The Chu with was going at it again. Li rolled her eyes.
"Again!"

Li Yu looked at Dai. She had her right hand on her left wrist and kept her hands at hip height. It looked like and elegant and comfortable pose, but she had to stand like that mandatorily when she didn't have to do or say anything.

Li sighted, bowed her head to an imaginary king sitting somewhere in front of her, and she sat down again. She felt Chu's eyes burning on her back.

"Again."
Li's mouth droppen.
"But...?
She tried to something. But the witch interrupted unapologetically.

"Nothing to 'but'. Again."
Now Li just got angry. Dai saw it and tried desperately to shake her head in disapproval, without making it noticeable.

Linda's that she was biting her lip and had panic written all over her. It looked awkward for such a pretty and dressed up woman who was ought to be elegant at all times.

Chu had seen it and was now looking at Dai. As fast as lightning she was able to return to a neutral expression, looking in front of her, away from Madam Chu.

Li bowed again to her invisible king who apparently lost his patience too. He almost stood up to leave, but in Li's mind, Chu had asked him to stay seated.

Li enjoyed the imaginary scene and laughed when Chu angrily asked the king to stay seated. But today, Chu is boss. Li Yu now has a smile from ear to ear.

"Li Yu!"
She got scared to death from it, but at least got her concentration back. And her imaginary king stopped smiling too.

Li sat down for him again.
He liked it. And he smiled. But Chu wasn't convinced yet.

"At least we have something by now."
She sighted incredibly negative. 

"When we stand up" she started again,  "our hands cannot touch the floor. We keep our eyes away from the king and we have to keep balance at all times, until you have both feet flat on the ground."

With concentration lost again, she looked up.
Almost she asked; "sorry what did you say? I wasn't listening."
And that "sorry" was already too much effort.

Yeah.
Standing up.
Not difficult.
Li Yu stood up again.

"No no no!" chu screamed.
"Didn't you listen? Sit down again and stand up! Not foot by foot. And take your hands of the ground!"

What a concert of old lady screaming.

Li Yu sat down again. Did she forget to bow? She'll do it later.

"Right. Now stand up."
Oh yeah, Chu is watching.

Li stood up as said, wonderfully enough, she kept her balance between all these layers of fabric and got both feed on the floor without falling over.
Immediately she turned to Chu.

"That good?"
Immediately the witch started screaming again.
"You forgot to bow! Before you sit down and after you stand up! Ah you're a mess!  And we haven't even started dancing!"

Li turned to Dai.
Dai wanted to raise her shoulders but couldn't because of the billions of rules she has to follow.

Chu's deep sighing made Li looking at her again. She wasn't doing it on purpose! The king agreed with her.

"Dai Yu. I'll do her hair tomorrow. First sanding. I'm waisting so much time on this. You do her hair before we start dancing."

Dai Yu bowed.
"Certainly Madam Chu."
The Witch walked out of the hall and mumbled some complaints.

Dai came walking towards Li.
"You'll get her angry! Oh Li this won't end well."

"It's too crazy for words! Rules about how to sit down! I can't do that! That's not how normal people sit!"

"You can't do that here! You're going to get into trouble. If you do that in court everyone will laugh with you!"

Oh damn, they mean it here
"Sit down so I can do your hair before Madam Chu gets back."

Li sat down on his butt, legs crossed in front of her. Like she always has. The king was watching her with amusement in his eyes. Smiling just at her. Li smiled back with content.