The Last Concubine Read Online Free PDF Page A

on the floor. “Our customs must seem strange to you, coming from the north.”
    “They are somewhat different,” Lan’xiu admitted. “I do not wish to offend through ignorance.”
    Leaning forward, Mei Ju touched Lan’xiu’s sleeve. “Look at me, my dear.”
    Startled, Lan’xiu looked up and Mei Ju gasped again at the lovely, deep, almond-shaped eyes. Such a beauty! And then she forgot her own pain and was filled with pity. This poor girl was terrified and suffering some untold agony. Mei Ju knew she would not get to the bottom of it upon a first meeting, but perhaps she could allay at least some of the fear.
    “How old are you, Princess?”
    “I am almost eighteen,” Lan’xiu responded. “Please, call me Lan’xiu. I am no princess outside my own province, and I miss hearing my name.”
    “You are pure and chaste,” Mei Ju said shrewdly, “but you must not fear my Lord Qiang Hüi Wei. He is a skilled and gentle lover. When he takes you, he will cause as little pain as possible.”
    Lan’xiu went white to the lips, turning so pale Mei Ju feared she might faint and wondered if she had been too forthright. But the girl was a concubine; this was her fate and it would come to pass, like it or not. Men were weak, and Mei Ju could not imagine any man would have the fortitude to resist the temptation of being the first to pluck such a perfect blossom, no matter what his head or heart had to say about the matter.
    “He is my lord and master,” Lan’xiu said miserably and bowed her head. “It will be as he wills.”
    “You must forgive me for being so personal, but you are the most exquisite creature I have ever seen,” Mei Ju burst forth. “Such perfection has never rejoiced my eyes before. You are flawless, like the summer sky.” She was relieved to see a tiny smile hover over Lan’xiu’s curved lips. She had begun to fear the girl could not smile, and yet with regret she noticed the smile only rendered her even more beautiful. Her teeth were like a set of perfectly matched pearls.
    “I am far from flawless. I have learned to hide my faults.”
    “I cannot discern a single blemish,” Mei Ju said in wonderment.
    Lan’xiu sighed. “I have always regretted my hair.”
    Mei Ju examined the tightly smoothed hair, piled high and secured with a silver and turquoise enameled slide. “Your hair is perfectly lovely.”
    “Unless my servant irons it straight, it is rather wavy, especially when the weather is damp,” Lan’xiu admitted. “Some women of the north are afflicted with this condition.”
    “Your maid must slave to disguise it,” Mei Ju said flatly. “Take it down, please, that I may see it.”
    Lan’xiu turned her head and called out, “Shu Ning!”
    A short, clever-looking eunuch bustled into the room and came to her side before prostrating himself to Mei Ju. Then he sat back on his heels. “Princess.”
    “Lady First Wife wishes to see my hair down,” Lan’xiu said in a resigned tone.
    Against protocol, Shu Ning shot a sharp glance at Mei Ju. She was amused to see he seemed to be assessing her intent toward his mistress. Apparently, he was able to discern that she harbored no ill will, because with nimble hands he took down Lan’xiu’s hair and coaxed it into curl.
    Mei Ju cocked her head to one side. She found the curls ugly but endlessly fascinating, so different from her own smooth locks. Without being pulled back, Lan’xiu’s dark hair rippled wildly, taking on a glint of reddish chestnut, but perhaps it was just the warmth from the dancing flames of the fire. Then Mei Ju sighed. Nothing, nothing , seemed to mar this girl’s perfection, not even the ugliness of curls. The masses of wavy hair served only to accentuate the delicacy of her features. “Thank you for indulging my curiosity. Shu Ning, you may restore her highness’s hair to the usual dress.”
    Shu Ning yanked at the princess’s hair with an ivory comb. Lan’xiu showed no pain on her face; she merely endured