Aftera while the young man left with his servants. But his cute imagestill lingered in the mind's eye of Lady Kui. When the waiter came toreplenish her teapot with boiled water, she asked him who that youngman was. “Your Ladyship mean His Esquire?” said the waiter,“Everyone know Esquire Zaizhen.”
“Youmean the son of Prince Yixin?” Lady Kui wanted to make sure.
“Nonethe other.” The waiter smiled his reply. Lady Kui thought that wasthe man a woman should marry. She always looked down upon her husbandbecause he was a useless man in every sense of the word. Although hewas a duke, he didn't have power and didn't have a lot of wealth asother dukes, nor even as marquises, earls, viscounts and barons. Inher opinion, wealth should be in correspondence with titles. Lady Kuiwas vain as many women were.
Whenshe stepped out of the teahouse, the servant, who had addressed herinside the teahouse, came forth, saying, 'His Esquire leave the coachhere to take Your Ladyship home.” When she refused, the servantslung himself down on his knees and kowtowed before her, blocking herway to go further. The servant begged, “Have mercy on me, YourLadyship. If Your Ladyship won't ride home in the coach, His Esquirewill think I'm useless and will fire me. I have a family of five tofeed. So have pity on me, Your Ladyship.” He kept kowtowing untilshe conceded. Lady Kui had a heart of gold and didn't want his familyto starve. But she asked, “Do you know where I live?”
“Sure.”The servant replied, “Your Ladyship live in Duke Kui's residence.”
Sothey knew everything about me, she thought. The coachman was holdingthe door of the coach open for her. The servant crawled on the groundbefore the coach door, serving as a step stone. Lady Kui stepped onhis back and into the coach, helped by her maid, who followed in. Thecoachman shut the door. The servant rode with the coachman in thefront. The coach rumbled forward. Lady Kui sat back comfortably andclosed her eyes. The maid sat at her side with only half of herbuttocks on the seat. Generally a maid could not sit with hermistress, but she could not stand in the coach, either. So this was aposture adopted by the inferiors before their superiors when theywere asked to sit or had to sit on certain occasions.
WhenLady Kui felt the coach halted, she opened her eyes, but it was nother home. The servant came to open the door. Lady Kui asked, “Whereis this?” The servant replied, “Your Ladyship will know when YourLadyship go in.” Lady Kui was curious to know and went in, followedby her maid. Esquire Zaizhen was there to welcome her. She couldn'treject his courtship and they slept together that night. Thus, LadyKui became a concubine of Esquire Zaizhen.
Bookmarks