My Liege And I

Poems and Parting

Chapter 45

Wei Li Lian
Princess Elora
Her Highness Wei

The wind whirled and tousled Li Lian’s hair that it covered her face. She did not mind it, the perfect weather to wash away her words to her beloved mistress.

“I am finally here to see you.” Li Lian went on her knees before the raised stone grave of Mistress Ki. “How are you? You must be at rest, now that your son is aware of your existence.”

She stopped speaking when a branch broke from a nearby tree and thudded against the ground. It made Ai squeal and leap in fright from the far distance she stood keeping watch. However, Li Lian was comforted by the large presence of her entourage and the servicemen behind Ai. After all, there was no way Yuwen Hong would have allowed her to leave the palace without at least a hundred men to maintain her security.

Li Lian made her first bow. “Mistress, I am getting married the day after tomorrow. I hope you are proud of me because I kept my promise as your disciple. My only mistake was falling in love and abandoning the mission I was assigned.

“You were a mother to me, Mistress Ki. You taught me what it meant to bleed every month, how to use the cloth and care for my femininity. How to behave for my husband, you imparted those values. It is your wisdom that strengthened me toward the hardship of life. Thank you.”

Li Lian rearranged the fruits from her basket onto the gravestone and made the third bow. “Rest easy, Mistress Ki. The world did not understand you, the world doesn’t understand me either, but we understood each other.”

Li Lian took the bottle of wine from the basket and wet the ground before her. “Here is some wine for you.” She drank what was left, closing her eyes as she welcomed the burn.

As goodbye to Mistress Ki, Li Lian began to recite the poem by Wang Lei.

“Dismounted, we drank to bid you farewell.
I asked, ‘My friend, where are you heading?’”

Her voice broke as tears dampened her cheeks.

“You said, ‘Oh, nothing is working my way,
so be back to the crags of Nanshan, retiring.’”

Li Lian sniffled, trying to swallow the pain that consumed her heart.

“‘Go then! You’ll ask of the world no more!
Ah, days of endless white clouds, they are unending!’”

She then took in a big breath and wiped off her tears. From her peripheral vision, she could make out Luo Meng approaching her.

He stood next to her without a word, then bowed his greeting to his mother.

"How are you, Li Lian?"

She almost missed his question by the intensity of the wind. "I am good."

“What a surprise to see you.”

“Likewise, Luo Meng.”

“You knew my mother?”

“She was my mistress before I entered the palace.”

He didn’t respond for a while. He stood by her side, and both gazed at the grave with their own thoughts.

“How was she like?” he finally asked.

“She was strict, cold and… hardened. Hardened by life.”

“She was not a likable person, I figure.”

Li Lian nodded. "Yes. She was difficult to live with."

“Then why are you here?” Luo Meng suddenly snapped.