The Lotus Garden
Copyright© 2025 by Rachael Jane
Chapter 10: Harem Celebration
Historical Sex Story: Chapter 10: Harem Celebration - Two English sisters are captured by Chinese pirates while on board a ship taking them home to England. They are transported in chains to the Lotus Garden where they are trained to be concubines. The owner of the Lotus Garden takes pleasure in testing the sexual skills of the Lotus Garden slaves, awarding a personal seal of approval in the form of a small tattoo. The story is set in 16th century China.
Caution: This Historical Sex Story contains strong sexual content, including Fa/Fa Coercion Reluctant Slavery Lesbian Fiction Historical DomSub Harem Interracial First Oral Sex Sex Toys
The afternoon celebration in the harem gets underway. I’ve never attended one of these events before, and I’m confused by the strange mix of formal and informal partying. The south wing is cleared as a dance floor, while cushions and low tables are laid out in the area under the mezzanine at the north end. Qíngfù Niáng and Wu XinYue each occupy one of the two divans placed under the middle arch of the mezzanine. Susu joins them but sits on a cushion to one side. Yina and some other yellowclad adolescent girls are sat with their musical instruments on the other side of the aisle near the dancing area. Everyone is dressed in their finest clothes and jewellery. Although I don’t possess more than the standard white and grey outfit we were issued when we arrived, it’s a chance for me to wear the necklace Mìngfù Jing gave me. AhLin and the other performers from last night do likewise.
Those highest in the harem hierarchy are sat closest to Qíngfù Niáng. That means AhLin, Zihan, Huiquin, Luli and I are sat at a low table under the fifth arch. Despite the earlier tension between AhLin and Nuying, everybody is enjoying themselves. Even the arrival of Furen Pangfua doesn’t break the mood. Pangfua nods towards Genji, but otherwise ignores the odalisques. She sits next to Wu XinYue.
“AhLin,” calls Qíngfù Niáng when there is a break in the music. “Come over here.”
AhLin stands and goes to where Qíngfù Niáng is sat. Qíngfù Niáng has started talking to Wu XinYue and Pangfua, so at first she doesn’t acknowledge AhLin’s arrival in their midst. AhLin makes a quick curtsey in front of Qíngfù Niáng, who finally acknowledges her presence and invites her to sit with them ... not on one of the divans, but on one of the nearby cushions used by Susu and Nuying. This places Nuying and AhLin within striking distance of each other. I just hope AhLin realises that she is being tested, and I breath a sigh of relief when I see that she does.
With Nuying and AhLin busy watching each other like hawks, I don’t think either of them notice the look of pure hatred on Pangfua’s face when she looks at the pair of them. It’s common knowledge in the Lotus Garden that Pangfua is the jealous sort and that she ruthlessly protects her interests. I’m not sure how close Pangfua is to her father, Chiang Chen, but she milks the family connection for all it is worth. Qíngfù Niáng may want Mìngfù Jing to bed more concubines, but that isn’t a goal which is shared by Pangfua.
Regardless of Pangfua’s own personal agenda, she dare not openly defy Qíngfù Niáng. Her actions are therefore always done in secret, usually through intermediaries like Genji. Conversations within earshot of Qíngfù Niáng are all polite and kept to safe subjects. The party continues for a couple of hours with plenty of food and dancing, before Qíngfù Niáng finally calls a halt to the merriment.
“Your attention please girls,” says Qíngfù Niáng. “I hope you have enjoyed this afternoon’s celebration. I regret it will be the last for a while. The Emperor’s army is preparing for war and we must all make sacrifices to help raise the money to pay our gallant warriors. From tomorrow the stipends paid to everyone will be reduced and we shall make other economies where we can.”
There’s a groan from all of the odalisques. We get paid next to nothing as it is. Reducing our stipend further will mean we can buy even less from the market women who visit the harem from time to time. Qíngfù Niáng quickly silences anyone who is complaining. Unfortunately, Qíngfù Niáng refuses to answer our many questions about the pending war. All she will say is that Mìngfù Jing is to accompany the army in some civilian capacity, and that she could be away for quite a while.
I look at AhLin to see how she is taking the news. From her point of view the timing of this announcement couldn’t be worse. Her scheduled assignation with Mìngfù Jing may be postponed for months. Even if it does occur tomorrow, there will be little opportunity for AhLin to become a favourite. No woman becomes a favourite after only one night with Mìngfù Jing. If Nuying is to be believed, Mìngfù Jing made much more frequent use of the women in the Lotus Garden before Pangfua was elevated to the rank of favourite. It is only pressure from Qíngfù Niáng which is making Mìngfù Jing take more concubines into her bed. Now it looks as though it is too little too late.
The pending war is the sole topic of conversation as we help tidy the harem after the party. As we expected, the favourites returned to the mezzanine as soon as Qíngfù Niáng departed, leaving the rest of us to tidy up our living space by ourselves. There’s plenty of food left over which apparently will be distributed to the poorer citizens of the city. Under Daoshi Shi’s supervision we soon have our room back to normal.