The Little Consort's
Eps. 48: Li Anlan Champion Survives

“Guifei, is it true that Concubine An said?”

Once again Long Ji Man asked Xu Lingshu. Everyone in the room turned their attention away from Li Anlan to Xu Lingshu. Ever since the woman said that Li Anlan pushed her, the people here had already started to lose faith in her.

The people here were certainly not all stupid, not all of them would believe the words of a woman, let alone that she was a concubine. People also know what things are like in the harem. In addition to the fox's nest, the residents of the Back Palace only consisted of a group of manipulative women who were clever at making up stories.

“Ti-No Your Majesty! That's not true!” firmly Xu Lingshu.

“Then, how did you know that I was flirting with His Majesty?” ask Li Anlan again.

“It... Waiter! My servant said it!”

“Yoo. A master concubine believes in the words of a little servant? Guifei, why are you so easily provoked? What if the waiter says senseless things and lies to you?”

“Cannot be!”

“Guifei, you will not lie before His Majesty the King, will you?”

Both the Queen Mother and Long Ji Man, both of them were still watching the fight of the two women before them. The mother and daughter pair are still faithful waiting for who will come out as winners, and who will lose as losers. Their hearts each mentioned a name.

If Xu Lingshu really spied on Hongwu Palace, Long Ji Man would not hesitate to take action. Surveying the king's private palace was a grave offense. Xu Lingshu could lose her status and title if she was found to have been conducting reconnaissance of the king's private house, even though the king was her own husband. Here, the fence between husband and wife is very real and clearly visible in plain sight.

“Though me for believing the words of my servant, Your Majesty,” Xu Lingshu said with a bow.

The final round of the debate was won by Li Anlan. The people who sympathized cheered a lot. They just saw a really good show. This year's banquet had truly given a different impression. They really did not expect, an outcast concubine who had not even met the king since entering the palace was able to defeat a main concubine, whose family background was strong and powerful.

Long Ji Man sighed tiredly. He's obviously angry. But, as a king, he could not carelessly spill his anger. The man looked at Xu Lingshu coldly. Xu Lingshu's actions this time were truly overdue. He dared to trap Li Anlan on the day of his appearance to the public.

If the one who fought with Xu Lingshu was someone else, Long Ji Man would not care. As rumors spread about the concubine's fight, Long Ji Man compensated the mistreated concubine enough. That way, the mistreated concubines will shut their mouths and return to silence, living a luxurious and pleasant life within their respective palaces. But, if the one who fought with Xu Lingshu was Li Anlan, Long Ji Man could not stay silent. He was not willing if there was someone who bothered Li Anlan aside from him.

“Already. We continue the banquet,” said Empress Dowager Han Yuemei.

The people who had been boisterous were now returning to their seats. Delicious dishes are presented in front of the eyes, so tempting that it makes the tongue shake. But, Li Anlan was still standing. His attitude of course invited a question from Long Ji Man and some people who were opposite him.

“Your Highness, since the problem is over, I beg you to leave.”

Li Anlan walked back three steps, then turned around. His feelings were already very chaotic today. He was not only upset, but angry, emotional, and felt like tearing apart any object that was in front of him. It's a pity that he's in someone else's palace.

“Concubine An, where are you going?” long Ji Man's.

Li Anlan's steps came to a halt.

“Your Highness, isn't the problem over? Please, don't hold me here, I'm so innocent,” Li Anlan said in a tone made as clear as possible.

“Back to your place!”

“Your Majesty, I have urgent business. Let me leave this place.”

“No.”

“Yang Mulia, please.”

“See back to your place!”

Before he made up his mind, Li Anlan looked at the circumstances around him first. There are too many people here. If he left blatantly, those people would definitely talk about it again. Li Anlan could-be considered a shameless woman if she left now. Li Anlan knew, the hearts of these people were as unstable as a teenager.

Eventually, Li Anlan was forced to return to her seat. Seeing Li Anlan becoming obedient, Long Ji Man's heart cheered. At the very least, he could still hold Li Anlan back for a while longer here until the banquet was over. After this, he planned to ask the woman something important.

Empress Jin or Han Jinxi who was sitting next to her smiled sweetly. His smile exceeded that of honey sweets in the spring. The dimples are formed. Her white face was shining, radiant like the face of a beautiful fairy in a fairyland. The king's official escort lady looked at Long Ji Man gently.

“What's up, Empress Jin?” ask Long Ji Man.

Before replying, Empress Jin widened her smile.

“It's the first time I've seen you not get angry when someone acts disrespectful to you.”

Yes, this was indeed the first time she had seen her husband not get angry when someone was acting disrespectful to her, let alone that it was a woman. During this time, Han Jinxi had often witnessed Long Ji Man getting angry and punishing people when he felt offended or because of his disrespectful behavior towards her. While watching the debate earlier, Han Jinxi never gave up her eyes on Li Anlan. She felt that the daughter of the late Lord Noble Li Han was slightly different from the women in the harem palace.

“That's just your feeling.”

“Really?”

“Eat so that your health soon improves.”

Netra Li Anlan caught such a rare sight in front of him. The interaction between Long Ji Man and Han Jinxi really caught his attention. He saw clearly as Han Jinxi smiled so sweetly at Long Ji Man. Li Anlan also clearly saw Long Ji Man's attitude towards the woman. The radiant face, not cold as ice cubes, was not stiff, and like someone who was in love, was clearly visible in Long Ji Man. This was the first time Li Anlan had seen the man being so gentle and friendly to a woman!

“Wah, really a pair of true dragons and phoenixes,” praise Li Anlan unknowingly.

“Mistress, aren't you jealous?”

Li Anlan glared at Xie Roulan who was standing behind him.

“For what am I jealous?”

“Your Majesty and Empress Jin, they are very friendly.”

“He's a king, Han Jinxi is an empress. What's wrong with that?”

Xie Roulan nodded her head. He thought, after all that his master had gone through with the king, his heart could be moved to think that the king should be his. Xie Roulan thought Li Anlan would start liking Long Ji Man after the two went through a lot inside and outside the palace. In fact, this master of his really had no ambition and was not interested in such drab things.

But, like this is also good. Xie Roulan would not worry about her mistress being hurt and oppressed by another concubine anymore. If her employer is involved in a harem problem, her life will not be safe. Moreover, in this vast but desolate palace, Li Anlan had no one to back up or power when his position weakened and his life was in danger of being lost. Xie Roulan preferred her master to live a quiet life in Xingyue Palace without being bothered by anyone.

The dinner is over. Activities in the palace of Empress Dowager Han Yuemei continued with tea dishes prepared by each. Tools for concocting such as hot water pots, cups, tea, sugar, and some herbal ingredients commonly added to tea are available at each table.

Although Li Anlan had never learned the art of making tea, he had learned the technique of making and serving coffee from a friend who worked as a barista. Tea and coffee are basically the same, both brewed using hot water. Li Anlan was able to use the coffee brewing technique he learned to brew a glass of tea, all the while experimenting. He wanted to know to what extent he could use knowledge and skills that he had never used so far.

Everyone who is instructed to brew tea is given a time limit. If they do not manage to make a good tea in the allotted time, those who fail will be put to great shame, for losing in front of distinguished people. Worst of all, they would feel useless for not succeeding in doing something small before the Queen Mother and the King.

When the time was half over, Li Anlan had already finished his work. A glass of warm tea that he concocted was presented on the table. Li Anlan looked around. Most people are still trying, stirring, pounding, even weighing the dose so that the taste of the tea can fit and taste good.

Xu Lingshu had also finished his work. He looked at Li Anlan who was circulating his gaze in all directions. Within a few seconds, the woman instantly knew that Li Anlan had finished faster than her. Slowly, the envy and resentment in his heart crept back up. Suddenly a desire arose to take down Li Anlan once again.

“Your Majesty, I'm done!” exclaim Xu Lingshu. His shout made people who were focused stop their activities.

“Guifei is indeed talented!” praise the Queen Mother.

“Bring here. Let me taste it.”

Xu Lingshu moved from his seat with the cup of tea he had concocted. Before he reached the Queen Mother, a few steps ahead of the throne, he stopped his steps, then turned to Li Anlan who was looking at him flatly. Xu Lingshu then said,

“Your Highness, Concubine An seems to have also finished. What if His Majesty also tasted it and let him join me?”

Li Anlan was of course surprised. He thought his fight was over a while ago. Apparently, this Xu Lingshu was vindictive as well. He was not satisfied with the result that Li Anlan was the winner, until the female fox tried to trap him back. Li Anlan knew Xu Lingshu's intentions. The fox wanted to humiliate him!

“No, Your Grace. I made it with origin because I'm not good at it. Really, very unpleasant and inappropriate,” repelled Li Anlan.

“How will Your Majesty know the taste of your tea if he doesn't try it?”

Li Anlan really wanted to punch and drown the woman into Lake Houchi right now. Why was Xu Lingshu so difficult to deal with? Couldn't Xu Lingshu just let go of her today?

Finally, Li Anlan got up from her seat. He walked through several rows carrying a cup of tea. Now, the position of his body was aligned with Xu Lingshu. The two women belonging to the king walked together towards the table of Empress Dowager Han Yuemei. However, during the last three steps, Xu Lingshu stopped until his body position was slightly backward.

The woman's devious thoughts began to run. He stepped on the dangling end of Li Anlan's hanfu. Li Anlan was almost strayed from feeling the tip of her clothes being forcibly pulled. His body began to shake. One more step, she'll reach the Queen Mother's table. If he were to fall now, the tea he brought would spill forward. It will most likely be watering the Queen Mother's clothes. Worse still, the hot tea water might hit the Queen Mother's face.

Stupid woman, Li Anlan's inner.

Li Anlan immediately turned her body at a one hundred and eighty degree rotation angle, until her current position turned to the Empress Dowager's table and faced Xu Lingshu. The two women are now facing each other. With a very short tempo like the blink of an eye, the tea in Li Anlan's hands spilled over Xu Lingshu's exquisite clothes. In fact, the hot tea also hit the skin.

The surprised Xu Lingshu could not dodge. He involuntarily opened his mouth wide as his clothes were hit by a tea spill. The cup in his hand reflexively fell, the water spilling over the end of the hanfu Li Anlan was stepping on. As a result, the hot tea also hit his feet. Xu Lingsu leapt back, until her body position slightly moved away from Li Anlan.

Unknowingly, his jumping leg smashed into the table of Consort Shu or Duanmu Shui. Losing his balance, Xu Lingshu's body fell on Duanmu Shui. The tea on Duanmu Shui's table also spilled, soaking Xu Lingshu's clothes.

Li Anlan was eager to laugh out loud. Xu Lingshu was now like a cat doused in water. Seeing Xu Lingshu and Duanmu Shui piled up like piles of sacks filled with rice, Li Anlan really could not help but laugh any longer. He covered his mouth with his hands.

“Ups, guifei, are you okay?”

...***...

Note: after this, Li Anlan's life will meet a new chapter:)