Concubine - TRUE STORY [English Version]

17) a life in court

All girls had to come and gather up in a room. There was an open closet with bright colored tunics that were folded up nicely.

Chu started talking.
"Help each other to dress."

Mei Li and Dai Yu helped Li with tying the ribbons. All dress jackets had incredibly long sleeves that made it impossible to do things on your own.

"Try to make sure to NEVER step on the sleeves of your own or somebody else's jacket."

The long dress jackets were the same as yesterday. Only more beautifully decorated.

"Ladies! Attention!"
Chu had put on a jacket for herself. It was a little older in style and it had shorter sleeves. Li tried to secure a place as far away from Chu as possible. All the way to the left in the second row. In the corner of the room. She had Mei Li next to her.

"Hand movements!"
Hand movements? In these sleeves that drag across the floor?" But there was not much she could say about it.

With the movements of their hands, the girls could make the sleeves flow in beautiful manners. With their waving arms even high up in the air. Li wasn't there yet.

She learned how to walk in the long dress jacket. Turn in it. Have a beautiful straight posture and how to keep it. Straight back. Confident eyes. Have your face at rest at all times. No funny faces.

Waving sleeves that didn't allow Li to have control over them. Don't crash into each other. Don't be in the way of someone else.

Heavy voices from unknown men became louder and louder from the hallway. Doors closing and opening. Chu already seemed to know what was going on. With the calmest expression on her face, she opened the door.

He expected her to open, because the soldier was already looking at the ground when the door opened.

"Madam" he greeted, "tonight is a banquet. His majesty wants to celebrate. He is expecting you and your ladies."
Chu nodded her head.

"Thank you soldier."
Now was his turn to nod. He joined his comrades. Together they matched on.

Li missed home. Her own home.
She sighed deeply.
Home.

"Tonight, some of you will see the king for the first time."

Li almost forget that there is actually a king in charge of all this. And he was expecting to see them. She could never imagine that it would be this soon.

The scared expression from some of the girls gave away that it was their first time as well. Dai was very calm. She had seen the king before.

She had to be one of the older girls. Or the other one Li didn't know by name. The very pretty one who is very petite.
It was already clear that this was noted somewhere because all the girls shared similar physical traits.

With make up she looked even paler then she already was. Li could see it on her hands. This girl was born into wealth. Li was tanned and her hands had short and uneven nails. And showed that she worked physical labor. The girl looked older than most others, and also more arrogant.

Li turned her head as soon the girl realized she was being stared at.

Chu clapped her hands.
"Girls. We are going to eat. Help each other with the jackets."

Li wasn't mad to take of the jacket that was long and clumsy in all aspects. She was given her normal one  and the tunic that goes above it. Red. The king's favorite color.

Walking in a line, walking according to the rules that Li didn't get yet, they moved to the dinner room.

It was a far more pleasant room to be in than their bedrooms. There are plants. The rice paper windows are painted with scenery. Everyone had a little decorated bowl in which soup got served in. They are it with spoons. It was good soup. Nice and warm. With chicken or maybe even rooster.

In earlier days, she would have chucked the entire bowl. Now she had to use a spoon.

When the soup was finished, she was given a bowl with rice, greens and duck. Everything was cut into pieces, as it should be. Eating with your hands is barbaric. That was something which was also a reality in the country side.

Li has a good meal. A very good mail even. She never at as rich as this. Tea is standard. But it was tasteful. And she was happy to have received a meal like this.