Chapter 18

Lady Wei Li Lian

Princess Le-anne

The palace

Mistress Kei once described the palace to the princess considering that she had served as a court lady before but her words did not do the place any justice. The palace was beyond majestic, a different world on its own. There were huge double gates with gold dragon statues standing in front.

The Lady Queens were all thoroughly searched before they were given access to the palace. Green pastures of well looked after lawns crept on the ground decorated with colorful sprouting flowers. They then walked on snaking paths that had beautiful creamy pebbles which were evenly laid down, granite concrete at the edge to define the path. Towering on the sides were tremendous buildings which were pieces of art with roofs that had mosaic patterns.

Silence pierced the atmosphere like no one lived there, although it was a place which accommodated about ten thousand people and more. As they were lead to the Hall of Festivals by a court lady in charge of hospitality activities, they came across different entourages of palace maids following around a royal member, in which the Lady Queens would stop and silently bow down as they passed. And in all this, silence still dominated the atmosphere.

Silks, satin and colorful robes with priceless jewelry is what was exhibited by royalty; there was no room left with no good impression.

Wealth.

Everything breathed and spoke wealth. Whether it was the small courtyards that had big flowering trees or the palace maids that were neatly garbed in uniform, nothing was left unelevated.

"Arriving to perform Dancing Lotus Flower is the Lady Queens with their leading lady, the Lady of Wei!" the announcer who stood by the entrance made their presence known.

The Hall of Festivals was massive, as huge poles shot to the sky to support the roof, while the floor was luxuriously carpeted with a large red scarlet mat. Decorating the place were different ornaments of silver and gold alongside captivating paintings. On the showy tables was enticing food for everyone to feast on.

A beautifully dressed palace courtesan led them inside. The Lady Queens were practically the center of curious glares as each side, whether left or right, had floor couches that important officials and scholars sat on, courtesans pouring wine and purring at them with nonsense. Ahead of them was the royal family. Their seats were individually aggrandized above the other to present a hierarchy in which the most elevated seat was meant for the highest ranking.

The princess could hear distracting whispers, mumbles, giggles and scoffs from the audience but silence fell as they approached the royal family.

"Greetings and blessings to the Grand Dowager Empress and the royal family!" They bowed then dispersed into their dancing positions. The consort and the concubines were not among the royal family which made Le-anne relax a little bit for getting people's blessings would be easier. However, a part of her wished Mistress Han was allowed to attend and watch her for she would be proud of how she was about to perform.

Besides the Grand Dowager Empress was a notable prince who had soft delicate features. By just one look, the princess knew it was Princess Yang Liu, the princess man Mistress Kei had once mentioned. It surprised her that there was still a facade about her real identity.

Mistress Kei had helped the birthing process of the Dowager Empress when Yang Liu was born and the recuperation of knowing such sensitive information was Mistress Kei's exile to the Borderlands. Princess Le-anne was surprised to see General Feng sitting beside the princess man as he was supposed to be on the floor couches with the other officials but understanding dawned on her when she saw the way Yang Liu looked at him. Whether it was pure infatuation or just admiration, she could not point it out.

One of the Lady Queens pulled off the princess' cloak that covered her outfit and at the sight of it everyone gasped in amazement. If it was not a rule for the women of art from outside manors to mask their faces and only leave their eyes out when performing during the day, she would have thought it was because of her looks.

Looking at the magnificence of her dress, she knew that this was the culprit that had stolen people's hearts. She had not expected that reaction but nevertheless, she had spent several nights stitching it with the girls and it had been troublesome and mind boggling. The dress was outrageously large and yellow in color, puffed up from her torso going below. Le-anne sat down and her body disappeared in it, looking like a bud ready to spring to life.

The girls adjoined around her and when the music started playing, they started to twirl slowly. Their hands beautifully swayed in the air while their legs bared aloft their skirts in circular motions. Different royal instrumentalist skillfully played soft alluring music that soothed people's senses and wavered an atmosphere of pure elation and delight.

In the air, the Lady Queens flapped soft sheer white cloths that fluttered around like birds dancing around a lotus flower on a pulchritudinous spring day. There was mesmerizing sophistication in each girl's movement, intention to please and cease the heart of anyone who would spare a glance. They flexibly bent their legs and tilted their bodies forward, feet sweeping the floor and the ground lightly stepped on. It was sterling adroitness.

About midway of their dancing procession the princess threw her hands into the air with vigor and sent the rose petals that filled her palms, flying into the air. She twisted her arms, swung her hands and gesticulated her body with as much grace as she could. She was not thinking about anything but a blooming lotus flower and how she would move if she were it.

She twisted. She turned. Le-anne jumped into the air and danced as hard as she could.

By the time they finished with their bodies merged together showcasing themselves as petals, she was breathless, her heart beating fast. She had never danced so hard before.

Then there was silence.

Silence.

Then suddenly, out of nowhere, the audience erupted in praise. This went on for a while before Le-anne saw the Grand Dowager Empress raise her hand to silence the crowd. She had a sweet smile plastered on her face.

"These beautiful flowers deserve to be rewarded, have a banquet thrown for them in the Eating Halls," she said, her voice weary of age.

"Her Royal Highness is benevolent." They lowered their heads.

One of the royal women below the Dowager Empress stood up.

"You danced so wonderfully." She intently stared at Le-anne. "Your Highness would it be a problem if that lady stayed here and danced for my birthday?"

She had a honeyed voice but more than that her unique features stood out. She had vulcanite black hair with melon lilac lips while her eyes were beautifully round on her symmetrical face. Vibrant clothes hugged her shapely figure but something about how she took herself didn't indicate that she was royalty, it was like she was a low born.

"May her Highness, Grand Consort Shu forgive me, but with all due respect that woman is a Lady of the Wei clan. According to our culture, it's an insult to have a noble lady serve in the palace." An official from the South Wing stood up. He had a deer imprinted on his red robes which represented his wing. "If her Highness insists to have her dance for you, why doesn't the Grand Dowager Empress take her in as the emperor's concubine instead?"

As planned, the South Wing was already bringing the plan to have her enter the palace into motion.

"Outrageous! How can she be taken in just because she must dance for a birthday?" An official from the North Wing stood up to oppose the request as he raged like a bulldog. "How outrageous!"

"Besides, the Grand Dowager Empress recently took in a concubine for our emperor a few moons ago, if the Grand Dowager Empress really wants to honor our Grand Consort's request then strip that lady from her title and have her serve the palace. Doesn't the world belong to our emperor, after all?" The North Wing was not going to easily let a concubine from another wing enter the harem so easily, not when the emperor's heart was still open and not yet entranced by anyone. A lady who could dance so beautifully could bring any man to his knees with lust and this would not favor their Consort Wang.

"Insulting!" The South Wing official raved back. "How can a Lady of Wei be turned into a slave? Does the North Wing look down on the South Wing that much?"

The Grand Dowager Empress tiredly raised her hand again, like earlier and with much respect, the officials settled down.

"Young Lady what would you like? Don't let these power-hungry frogs decide your future." The Grand Dowager Empress tiredly looked down at Le-anne.

Princess Le-anne did not waste time thinking. The answer was so easy.

"This servant is pleased to honor Grand Consort Shu's request by having her title stripped."

An uproar broke out inside the large hall.

"Stupid!"

"How ungrateful."

"Wretched child!"

They thought she was insane but to her it was simply a game of xiangqi(chess) . Only General Feng nodded his head in understanding while the princess man blankly stared at him, unaware of anything else but him.

In situations like these, stepping back when victory is not assured was appropriate for Le-anne's uprising.

If she became a concubine she would just become a number, one of the women who used her feminine skills to become an emperor's unmarried woman. She would then spend another year flaunting around her beauty but never having met the emperor, while being bullied by higher ranking concubines and that vexed Consort Wang.

Her refusal, on the other side would cast a different spotlight.

'The dancing flower who refused the emperor', would be something to talk about in that haven of gossip that they called the palace. Obviously this was bound to reach the emperor's ears in no time. Rejection doesn't work well with men and that was enough to be her weapon.

S.V