The next day, Lady Chu want to leave the mansion quietly but her daughter come running. She want to leave with her mother. Mother and daughter cry and beg each other. Banou happen to take a walk with Aylin to catch some sunlight. Lady Chu see Banou and walk up to her and hold her hands.
"Please Lady Ban Nu, When i am not around. Please guide my daughter. Treat her as your sister. Your ages are not too far apart."
"Mother! I want to follow you!"
"You can't! Listen to me! You have a better brighter future here. There is no future with me. You are the daughter of a prince, with me you are nothing. Stay here with Ban Nu. I am sure she will treat you well."
"Mother ..." She weep
"Promise me. You will marry well. You have to continue to be a noble Lady. Take care of yourself."
Consort Wu comes out with some maid and order them to hold the young missy back. Lady Chu bow deeply to her and to Banou. She look at her daughter for the last time and go outside to meet her father.
"Mistress, why can Lady Chu take her daughter with her? I don't understand."
"If she takes her, Ning'er will not have the privilege as the daughter of a prince. She have to give up everything. Also the Chu family as a noble family have fallen from grace. They will have to give up nobility titles and privileges. They have to start over again. It will be a difficult life ahead for them. Lady Chu is willing to give up all for the family that she have grow up in. They maybe have to sell the mansion they had lived in all their lives. So leaving Ning'er here is the best. "
"I heard from yesterday Li Jun said that only the son is listed into the family registration. What about Li Ning?"
"Prince Jun will decided on all that. I will let him explain to you when he is free. Now today, we have to prepare to go into the palace to pay respect to the royal family. Go ask Ah Lin to help you dress up. You can wear the persian outfit, if you want. If not the Chinese garments in read or pink will be fine. NO white or black, do you understand?"
Banou nod her head and bow to consort Wu.
From what Banou understands, there are three princes and a crown prince. While there is six princess who are unmarried and still live in the palace. Out of all the princes, only one is unmarried that is Prince LI Cheng. Every second day of the Lunar New Year, the princes are to bring their family members to the palace. Which include their concubines and children. Banou is an exception as the emperor request that Li Lun to bring her. When they reach the palace, Banou is shock at how big and grand it is. She remember back at the palace in Persian, is white or maybe beige but the Chinese palace is decorated with colors. There are even dragon statues everywhere on the palace grounds. She follow the group and walk look everywhere. The daughter of Li Jun, Li Ning is holding her hand as they walk. Even though Li Ning is upset about her mother leaving, she cannot disrespect the emperor with a sad face. She maintain a smile and try to keep her emotion in check.
Finally they arrive at a hall. It is decorated with Chinese wordings. Everyone is greet each other. The children of Li Jun have to behave to uphold their father's dignity. The young one also delighted the rest of the princes and their family. It is a gathering of many people. Banou maintain her quietness and bow to each person. Everyone is curious about her, they talk to her and delighted that she can speak simple conversation. When the emperor and empress arrive, they all bow down till they are told to stand up. The emperor is delighted to see so many offsprings from his sons. He is especially delighted that Li Jun brings back a foreign beauty."She is indeed a beauty. Her eyes are big and bright."
"Thank you father for the compliment. Ban Nu, say your thanks."
"Thank you your majestic for the kind words. Ban Nu is embarrass."
The emperor laugh and he is very delighted to know she speaks mandarin. So the lunch starts. Everyone enjoy the dish from the imperial cooks. Later the children are excused and allow to play in the gardens. This is the time, they know who their cousins are and the alliance they will form later in adulthood.
Banou continue to sit there and listen to their conversations. Even thought she is bored, she is thought from young never to show that they are bored. Many times her sisters display signs of boredom, they are call out by their father. Publicly he will shame them. He shows no mercy to those who dare to go against his words. Thus Banous learn to listen and block out tiredness from her face, is a habit she had develop and she can't easy remove at will. Li Jun alway observe her actions from the start. He believes that she is not who she is. Her action of gentleness, how she sits upright and the ability to read and write is not of a slave can do. Moreover she knows a lot of things that are spread through word of mouth from people of high society.
Banou take sips of the tea occasionally to keep herself alert. Occasionally she look out to see the children screaming in delight while playing catching. She smile and sometimes, she see Li Cheng looking at her direction. She thinks that he must be bored too. They smile at each other. Li Jun knows that his brother is looking at his direction, he will try to block them from looking too much at each other.