Rui kneels with his head down in a row of other men doing the same. Today is the day the daughter of a highly prestigious noble family picks her concubine.

He feels ashamed and utterly humiliated that unlike the other men who wear fine robes of silk he has but rags. And instead of gold accessories like the others he has but a wooden hair clip to adorn himself with. His own family couldn’t be bothered to send him a single nice thing to wear.

If Rui is not picked today his family will sell him to the streets.