Chapter 18 The five arts
The days passed in an endless rhythm as Li An immersed herself in the five arts under Concubine Su's gentle yet determined guidance. Concubine Su has decided to teach Li An the five arts so that she would become a proper princess of the empire. This would protect her status and would give her merit as a woman of the Fir empire.
In the mornings, the air was filled with the low hum of Guqin strings or the sweet, drifting notes of the flute as Concubine Su sat beside Li An, correcting her posture or guiding her fingers with patient instruction. In Li An's eyes, Concubine Su was no longer merely the woman who had taken her in—she had become her mother in every way that mattered.
When Concubine Su allowed her to rest, Li An would close her eyes, feeling the strange pull into the void space where Seedee awaited her. The space was as familiar to her as her own reflection now, a vast expanse of velvety blackness, dotted with dimly glowing shapes resembling chess pieces and musical scores. Seedee hovered beside her, a small, warm orb radiating a gentle pulse. The vast array of books would appear in the backdraft as soon as she thinks of them.
Seedee seemed to have grown now. It would sometimes change its voice from its kid-like tone to a teacher-like demeanor.
"Shall we continue, Li An?" Seedee's voice was soft yet steady, as if it had all the time in the world.
"Yes," Li An whispered. She could barely contain her excitement; each session with Seedee felt like uncovering a hidden treasure trove.
Today, they focused on music. Li An held the Guqin delicately, her tiny fingers resting on the ancient strings as she glanced at Seedee for instruction. It was a challenging piece, filled with complex shifts and layered rhythms. She focused on each note, feeling the instrument respond to her every touch.
"Remember," Seedee murmured, guiding her, "music is like water flowing down a stream. Let it carry you—don't try to control it too much."
Li An closed her eyes, and her fingers moved almost by instinct, her small hands gliding over the strings. She felt the music build and swell within her, each note resonating as if it were part of her own heartbeat. It was a piece of her that only Seedee and Concubine Su had seen.
After what felt like hours, she placed her hands on her lap, her face flushed with the effort and joy of mastering another melody. She looked to Seedee, who seemed to glow a little brighter.
"That was beautiful, Li An," Seedee said warmly. "Now, shall we try the Pipa?"
The shift between instruments was another challenge, but Li An embraced it eagerly. The Pipa was lighter in her arms, its strings sharper, and it required a different kind of finesse. She let her fingers pluck gently, sometimes strumming harder to achieve the notes she'd practiced so long.
In the evenings, after her lessons with Concubine Su, she often took to practicing her calligraphy under flickering candlelight. She held the brush carefully, her strokes still a bit uneven but full of promise. Seedee would guide her here, too, appearing by her side in a way only she could see. It pointed out the subtle curvature of strokes, the meaning each character held, and the flow each one demanded.
One evening, as she carefully traced the character for "love," she paused, her small hand hovering above the paper. "Seedee," she whispered, her voice hesitant. "What is… love?"
Seedee tilted slightly, as if contemplating the question. "Love is something you create, just like the arts you practice. It's the time you spend with Concubine Su, the warmth you feel when she smiles at you, the care she gives when she corrects your posture or praises your efforts."
Li An nodded, looking at the character with new eyes. "So, I can feel love for Concubine Su? As my mother?"
Seedee pulsed with a gentle light. "Yes, Li An. She is your mother in the ways that matter most. You have created a bond that is as strong as the characters you write and as lasting as the music you play."
This realization filled Li An with warmth that lingered long after she returned to the real world. She carried it with her, a little spark of happiness that made her footsteps lighter, her smile a bit brighter.
In their secluded practice room, Concubine Su was teaching her a delicate poem about the night sky and the constellations that twinkled above them. She recited the verses in a calm, rhythmic voice, allowing Li An to repeat each line, her voice soft yet steady.
"Stars are like old friends," Concubine Su murmured, looking at her daughter with a quiet smile. "They guide you, even when you cannot see them."
Li An glanced at the night sky through the paper windows, feeling a strange comfort from the stars that seemed to blink back at her in silent understanding. She repeated the poem's lines until they flowed like a song, each word a little star in her own private sky.
And then there were the chess games. In the void space, Seedee would set up intricate boards, some classic and others impossibly complex. Each game felt like a dance, a conversation without words, where every move spoke of strategy, foresight, and intent. Though she was young, Li An found herself lost in the beauty of each maneuver, each piece with its own personality and role to play.
"Here," Seedee instructed one day, gesturing to a pawn. "It's small, but it can change the game if you place it just so."
Li An's brows furrowed in concentration as she moved the piece, her mind racing with possibilities. She began to see the way the board opened up before her, a cascade of choices and consequences, a series of paths each leading to new discoveries.
When they returned to the palace, Concubine Su saw how Li An's skill in chess had grown beyond that of a mere child. There was a fire in her young eyes, a determination tempered by patience that was almost unnerving.
One afternoon, as they played in the courtyard, Concubine Su glanced at her thoughtfully. "Li An, where did you learn to move your pieces so? It is as if you have been studying for years."
Li An merely smiled, her eyes sparkling with a secret. "Mother," she said, the word feeling both new and natural, "I have practiced much."
Concubine Su's hand rested on her shoulder, a gentle touch full of warmth and pride. "Indeed, my little one. You are destined for great things."
Time flowed in a blur, marked only by the steady rhythm of learning and the soft glow of Seedee's presence. Through each lesson, each practice session, each shared glance with Concubine Su, Li An felt herself growing not just in skill, but in purpose.
One evening, as they sat in the garden, Li An strummed a quiet tune on her Guqin, watching as Concubine Su listened with a smile that was both proud and a little wistful.
"Li An," Concubine Su murmured, "I am blessed to have you by my side."
The words settled over Li An like a gentle breeze, filling her heart with warmth and a quiet determination. She leaned closer to Concubine Su, the Guqin forgotten in her lap as she nestled into her mother's embrace.
"I am blessed to have you too,… Mother," she whispered, feeling, for the first time, the full weight of those words.
Though she has said the same words many times before, the more she interacts with Concubine Su, the more the words of Seedee echo in her heart and mind about the love she felt for her foster mother.
As she returned to the void space later, her heart light yet grounded, Seedee appeared beside her, its glow softer than usual.
"You have made much progress," Seedee said, its voice tinged with something close to pride.
Li An glanced at her hands, still feeling the residual vibrations of her music. "It's all because of you and Mother."
Seedee pulsed, as if laughing quietly. "You are the one who has worked hard, Li An. Do not forget that."
She nodded, a quiet resolve filling her. "I won't."
In the months that followed, Li An's days flowed in a steady rhythm of learning, practice, and quiet moments of happiness. Her bond with Concubine Su grew deeper with each shared lesson, each whispered word of encouragement, each gentle touch of affection.
The five arts were no longer just skills she was learning—they had become expressions of her growing heart, her dedication, and her love for the woman she now called Mother. And with Seedee by her side, guiding her in the void space where time stood still, she knew that she was becoming not just a better student but a stronger, more resilient person.
Her journey had only just begun, yet she felt ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead, armed with the knowledge, love, and strength that both Concubine Su and Seedee had nurtured within her. And as she closed her eyes that night, she whispered a quiet thank-you to the stars, to the mother she had found, and to Seedee, her steadfast friend and guide in this world and beyond.