The day of Meili's departure drew neared and the village buzzed with excitement. Word had spread quickly; one of the Bai sisters was to become a royal concubine, a rare honor for small villages such as theirs. The streets were decorated with red banners and lanterns, the red and gold hues shimmering in the sunlight.
Inside the small home of the Bai family, Meili had been transformed. Her hair was braided and adorned with delicate pins that caught the light with her every movement. It was the last their mother had to give. Layers of silk robes dyed in beautiful pinks draped over her slim frame. The fabric shimmered as she moved due to the embroidered intricate patters of phoenixes and peonies that Lihua had worked on for three consecutive days.
Lihua had also carefully painted her face that morning, cheeks flushes with a rosy glow and lips tinted with a soft pink. Meili smiled brightly, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She did not have many jewels and her silks were not exquisite, and yet she shone like the sun.
Friends and neighbors gathered in the center of the small village, offering gifts and blessings. There was no musicians or dancers and yet the air hummed with festivity. They had brought incense and sweet rice cakes and spiced tea and that was clearly enough for Meili, who's eyes glimmered with tears.
She moved through the crowd like a rising star, her laughter beautiful as it filled the air. She was easy to watch, eyes lingered and hearts broke. She was beautiful and poised and the villagers felt it in their souls she was destined for greatness. And yet, beneath the festivity and happiness, tension lingered. There was an unspoken understanding of what this meant for the other Bai sister. The same Bai sister who cared for the neighborhood kids and mended clothes for the village and sung lovely songs with her beautiful voice.
Bai Jing and Yang Ruolan stood nearby, their faces attempting to conceal their sorrow. They watched Meili, dressed in more finery than ever before, preparing to leave their home. Their hearts were heavy, especially for Lihua who had remained silent through the event, her own fate less than a day away.
The carriage that carried Meili rolled slowly past the village gates, the polished wood gleaming in the afternoon sun. Villagers watched from their homes, waving and offering their final blessings as the carriage faded from view. The grandeur of the castle loomed ahead with its tall walls and ornate towers.
Lihua watched with hope, truly. She hoped her sister would get the life she had always wanted. Goodness knew she deserved it more than many other people. Her eyes were fixed on the carriage until it could no longer be seen.
As the carriage disappeared with Meili and the emperor's officials followed behind, a eunuch approached the family. His voice was firm and respectful as he spoke, "Bai Meili's family is not permitted inside the palace grounds. This is the emperor's decree."
The words felt like a cold breeze. Bai Jing finally bowed his head as he swallowed the lump in his throat. Yang Ruolan looked down and held her husband's hand tightly while Lihua's fingers gripped her robes.
It was with heavy hearts that they turned away from the eunuch and began the walk back home. The path felt much emptier now, Meili's complains no longer filling the air. They wondered, briefly, if they would see their daughter again.
Back in their small home, the silence was deafening.
The next morning arrived quickly with pale light filtering through the dusty windows. There was no banners, no crowds, no sweet rice cakes. The house felt hollow, as if the walls themselves were holding their breath.
Lihua rose before the sun and dressed in her plainest clothes. She braided her hair quickly doing her best to tuck away the loose strands. Her movements were quiet in an attempt to not wake her parents. She knew what it would do to them if they had to see her go to that place. They had cried for the entire night after they returned home from Meili's departure.
She paused at the foot of their bed, watching her father's chest rise and fall. Ruolan's hand clutched Bai Jing's hand tightly, their faces drawn with despair even as they slept. Lihua loved her parents so dearly and deeply that it could bring her to her knees, but she steadied herself. She would make certain that they would not see another day of hardship.
She scribbled a note and left it on the small round table, her handwriting pretty as ever:
Mother, Father—
Forgive your selfish daughter for leaving without saying goodbye. I want to spare you and myself the pain of another farewell. I will do my best to make you all happy.
Take care of each other and our brother. Meili and I love you.
—Lihua
Lihua turned back one last time as she stepped outside, she glanced at the home that had been her shelter her whole life, and then she turned away. The air was cool and still as she walked alone through the streets. She walked down the street, past the river.
She traveled alone, the journey to the brothel longer and quieter than she could have imagined. When she finally arrived, a wooden sign creaked gently as it hung above the entrance to the building. The air was thickened with the scent of incense and a faint murmur of voices came from within.
She walked inside with her heart pounding harder than it ever had before. The interior was dim but filled with rich fabrics and lanterns that casted soft shadows on the wall for an intimate feel. Women moved between rooms, chatter filling the space louder than the music.
At the center of the building stood an old woman that Lihua knew to be Madam Mingxia. She was known to be sharp and good with judgement. The madam was draped in red robed with her hair pinned high. When her eyes finally landed on Lihua, she stopped mid-step. Her eyes widened in surprise.
"Well, well," she said slowly as she stepped closer. "Aren't you a pretty girl. Certainly more than I expected."
Lihua met her gaze with slight confusion, she didn't shrink and she knew when to take a compliment, "Thank you, Madam."
Mingxia circled around her, inspecting the young woman as one might inspect a rare artifact, "Most girls who come to this place are worn from hardship. Their beauty has faded before they even arrive. But you... oh you are different."
Lihua's lips pressed into a thin line, "I am here for work, Madam Mingxia."
The Madam smiled, amusement and respect mingling in her eyes, "Yes, yes. Good. You will need that inner strength. This is not a kind place, now matter how lovely your hair is."
Lihua found herself nodding as she felt the weight of the madam's words settle on top of her. She had known her life would be difficult, but hearing it spoken by another made it real.
Mingxia watched Lihua as she settled in, her mind already running a race with all the possibilities. Her initial thought, before she had seen Lihua, had been to place her among the lowest ranks; a simple courtesan no different from other who worked on the streets. This establishment, after all, was small and unremarkable. It was only known to handful of regulars and none of the courtesans had ever drawn real attention aside from their Shao Jiao and even then, it was minimal.
But when word of Lihua's beauty quickly spread among the staff and the first customers caught glimpses of her, Mingxia quickly reconsidered. She saw an opportunity in the way the men's eyes lingered, in the awed silence that followed Lihua's presence. This was a chance greater than any the brothel had ever seen. A beauty such as Lihua was a draw that might finally give her business the push it needed.
That is when the madam made her boldest decision to date. Lihua would not be assigned to the usual routine. Mingxia announced that Lihua's first customer would be chosen through an auction, an unheard of practice that immediately stirred curiosity amongst the regulars. Soon, the prospect was even drawing interest from outsiders and the anticipation grew quickly. Whispers filled the streets and reached further than Mingxia could have ever expected.
She wasted no time. She quickly summoned attendants and instructed for Lihua to be taken to the bathing chambers. Although the brother's showers were quite simple, they were scented with fragrant oils and lined with various petals. Lihua stood silently as water splashed on her head and washed away dust and muck from the past few days. She knew what was to come.
As soon as Lihua was out of the shower, an attendant presented her with a fresh new dress, finer than anything she'd ever worn before, but also nine times as immodest serving to lift and present her large bosom. The fabric was soft and the color a gentle lavender chosen to complement her delicate face and silver eyes. Her hair was brushed smooth and pinned back with a similarly colored comb.
Madam Mingxia met her at the front of the chamber, eyeing Lihua with satisfaction and excitement alike. "You are a beautiful girl, Lihua. I shall see to your training myself. You will learn everything there is to learn from me. Including how to carry yourself with dignity, even here." Her tone was firm, but kind, "You will be different from many others here. I have plans for you."
Lihua bowed her head in acceptance and then looked up, her beautiful eyes mesmerizing even the women.
It was later that evening that Mingxia sat at her desk and penned a letter to Lihua's parents. She enclosed a pouch of silver containing one thousand pieces, more than the Bai family could have earned even with many months of hard labor. It was a gesture of goodwill but also a clear message: Lihua no longer belonged to them.
When the letter and silver arrived at the Bai home a few days later, Bai Jing and Yang Ruolan wept with an odd mixture of relief and guilt. The money would keep their family fed and safe, but their daughter would be the one to pay the price.