The Little Consort's
Eps. 23: Waiting for a Good Day
Li Anlan had just returned to Xingyue Palace at exactly nine p.m. When he reached the backyard, the entire interior of his palace was dark. It seemed, Xie Roulan deliberately did not light a candle so that the eunuchs and the guards thought that the owner of this palace had slept.
He was only able to return here because his time was up on the way. For several hours, Li Anlan was lost and circled around the forest area where the Thief and the shabby children lived. Li Anlan's memory of recognizing the road was very bad. He was only able to return to the main street in the center of the city when the sun was about to set. Fortunately, during his journey, he did not meet any other criminals or thieves.
When Li Anlan reached Lanxin Pavilion, Li Afan immediately ran to hug her. The man was very worried about anything happening to his only sister. Li Afan also regretted letting Li Anlan go alone chasing after the thief. Supposedly, he did not obey Li Anlan's words. It was good that his sister came home unharmed.
“Sister, I have to come back soon.”
“You don't want to stay here?”
“If I get caught, Your Majesty will definitely lock me up again.”
Li Afan could not resist Li Anlan's reasoning. Yes, Li Anlan came out secretly in his sentence. A mistress who disobeyed and broke the rules, if caught, the punishment would be many times over. Li Anlan would be considered a rebellious woman who ruined the good image of the king's palace. Li Afan could not let his sister be punished anymore.
As soon as Li Anlan was about to leave, she held him back for a while, saying that Li Anlan should change his clothes with the clothes he had worn before. It would be very strange if Li Anlan came back in noble lady clothes. If bad luck befell him when he returned to Xingyue Palace, Li Anlan would not be able to save herself as she dressed like that. So, just in case, Li Anlan had to go back in eunuch clothes.
When his sister finished changing clothes, Li Afan immediately brought her back to Xingyue Palace. Before leaving, Li Afan threw a green-colored bag carved with azalea flowers. The bag contained five hundred taels of silver, in exchange for the previous bag of money being taken by the thief. Li Anlan jumped in excitement as his money was replaced with a larger amount. As he looked up, Li Afan was already gone.
Xie Roulan who was sleeping on the edge of the bed was disturbed by the sound of the door opening slowly. The servant's ears were still quite sharp even though they were still half conscious. Xie Roulan squinted his eyes to ascertain who was coming in the midst of the darkness. The moonlight that entered through the gaps of the doors and windows helped Xie Roulan to see the person. The servant girl immediately hugged Li Anlan.
“Mrs! I'm glad you're back!”
Having someone waiting and welcoming his return, Li Anlan's heart warmed up again. In modern life, whenever he comes home from college or work, or after playing with his friends, he has no one loyal waiting for him at home or in his apartment unit. As he opened the door, only the darkness and cold air from the AC greeted him. Li Anlan had no one he could ask for his willingness to let go of being tired and tired. Here, even though Xie Roulan was only a servant, his heart was always sincerely accompanying and accompanying him at all times.
Li Anlan was about to cry. But, she later recalled that even though she was moved, touched, or sad, she never shed a tear. Li Anlan had always been tough on herself. That way, he will not easily lose his joy and will not easily break his heart.
“He's not here right?”
“No, Mistress. His Majesty has never come to our Xingyue Palace.”
Xie Roulan started lighting candles. Not long after, the originally pitch-black inner room of Xingyue Palace became bright. Now, Li Anlan could see the entire object inside here clearly. He could also see the tired face of Xie Roulan who might have been waiting for him since noon earlier.
Li Anlan placed the money bag Li Afan gave under his pillow. He planned to put the money in a chest and bury it under a peach tree, just like what he did a few weeks ago on the king's death gifts. That way, the thieves who want to target it will not expect that the property of the owner of this palace is buried somewhere.
“I guess Concubine An is asleep.”
The distinctive voice that contained arrogance and innuendo was teasing Li Anlan's ears. He hurriedly stood up to greet the owner of the voice lazily. Long Ji Man stood before him in a firm position, his hands clinging to each other behind his waist. The typical black robe of the king she wore dangled down. The King's crown worn on his head swayed slightly, a sign that the body had just moved.
“Li Anlan, what's wrong with your clothes?”
Li Anlan glanced at the clothes stuck to his body. Unfortunately, he was still dressed in eunuchs and had not had time to change clothes. Li Anlan was too calm that he forgot about something as important as this. As Li Anlan turned her head, she saw a terrifying probing gaze implied on Long Ji Man's face. If this man asked any further, Li Anlan was worried about not being able to dodge anymore.
“I, I'm doing cosplay! Right, cosplay!”
Long Ji Man's forehead shriveled, he looked suspiciously at his concubine.
“Cos-play?”
“Party costume.
Long Ji Man was still unsure.
“Self?”
“Ah, that...Roulan has not had time to change clothes because His Majesty came suddenly.”
Long Ji Man did not ask anymore. He then sat down on the side of Li Anlan's bed. The mood became quiet. Xiao Biqi simply lowered his head, not wanting to witness what his king would do to his wasted concubine. As for Xie Roulan, the maid went straight to the palace kitchen to fetch some water.
“Your Highness, can't be kan-”
“What do you think?”
“No, no. If I may know, what did Your Majesty come here for?”
“This, too weird. Your Majesty, why not just go back to Hongwu Palace?”
Long Ji Man stared fixedly at Li Anlan. Strange, why did this woman speak quite courteously to him this time? Usually every time he met her, Li Anlan would raise her voice and argue fiercely with her. This time, the woman looked down even more than her head.
Did his brain hit something? Or was he eating wrong and his nerves were damaged? Or maybe the woman was exploring her character as a eunuch to celebrate her costume party?
Long Ji Man then remembered his purpose of coming here. Originally, he wanted to take back Li Anlan's phone while simultaneously ensuring the state of Xingyue Palace, especially the state of the owner, whether obediently serving his sentence or even escaping. Surprised by Li Anlan's clothes, the time was delayed for a while.
“Give me that rectangular thing that reads!”
Li Anlan immediately knew that the thing that his arrogant husband meant was his cellphone.
“For what?”
“Give me!”
Not wanting to argue more, Li Anlan preferred to give up. The woman opened her mountain backpack, then pulled out her phone which she had filled her battery to the brim. Objecting to the confiscation of his cell phone, Li Anlan held the phone tightly as he gave it to Long Ji Man. He did not want his favorite thing taken away again. The pull of pulling the phone between Li Anlan and Long Ji Man made Xiao Biqi smile small. The young eunuch lowered his head again.
“Release.”
That cold tone inexplicably spread from Li Anlan's ears all over his body. Reflexes, he immediately removed his hand from the phone. Long Ji Man directly inserted it into the slit of clothes on his chest. Feeling his goal had been achieved, the man left without saying a word.
“Concubine An, your sentence of confinement is over today,” Xiao Biqi said. After which, he left following Long Ji Man out of Xingyue Palace.
Li Anlan had to sacrifice. He regained his freedom to play outside Xingyue Palace at the expense of his beloved expensive phone. He should have lost that advanced thing. Li Anlan believes, Long Ji Man will not come in the near future to charge the battery, because the battery content of his phone is full can last up to ten days, as long as it does not enable data or wifi. Yeah, looks like it'll actually materialize.
Xie Roulan, who had just returned from the palace kitchen carrying a tray filled with water, could not help but be curious when he saw Li Anlan sitting lethargic as if she had lost something.
“Your Majesty has left?”
Li Anlan nodded lazily.
Xie Roulan helped Li Anlan change clothes. The eunuch clothes he had just used were taken away to the back, a place he used to wash. Because Xingyue Palace was too far away from the Royal Clothes Washing Hall, all the dirty clothes that were used up were forced to wash themselves in this palace. In addition, the Royal Laundering Hall also never sends people to ask questions or take dirty clothes to be washed with other royal family clothes.
If he had to go there alone, Li Anlan would not have the heart. Xie Roulan was already quite bothered as he had to go back and forth to the palace kitchen to fetch food and water. Rather than wasting a lot of time and energy, it was better to wash it here. Wherever these clothes are washed and dried, the result will be the same because the sun shines from the same source.
“In your opinion, if I do business, will I succeed?” li Anlan asked as Xie Roulan returned.
“It depends on luck Mistress.”
“No. Success is 70% effort and 30% luck.”
Xie Roulan helped comb her employer's hair. Not terbesit at all in his mind if this employer has the desire to start a business.
“But, a concubine cannot do that. It would be considered an insult to the royal family.”
“Who said I would manage it directly?”
“So, what will the mistress do?”
“I will write it on behalf of others. The advantage will be halved with a fair profit sharing system.”
Huge and large coffers of money overshadowed Li Anlan's brain. If he opened a shop or restaurant, he would make a profit. Li Anlan would use all the money he could as capital to buy or rent a place and pay a salary. The brain of his parent's legacy business should still be in him.
He deliberately did not ask for help or discuss this first with Li Afan. Li Anlan wanted to become independent and did not want to forever depend on her brother or the money the king gave her. Yes, although if urgent, Li Anlan would also thicken his face to ask for additional capital to Li Afan. After all, without even being asked, her brother would definitely give her money.
Li Anlan looked forward to the good day when he opened his business later. Li Anlan looked forward to the good day when he could get out of the palace again and see the crowd in the center of the city. Li Anlan was looking forward to a good day when she did not have to worry about anything anymore.
...**"...