The Little Consort's
Eps. 69: Unexpected Disaster
The test paper storage room suddenly caught fire. The officers who happened to be on guard immediately panicked. They ran away in the fog looking for help, some others broke inside to save the remaining test papers. Everyone there was busy and noisy.
Smoke soared into the air, attracting the attention of Li Anlan who was relaxing on the edge of Lake Houchi. He asked his servant where the smoke came from. Xie Roulan then said that the smoke came from the direction of the Royal Examination paper storage room that was stuck east of Taiji Palace.
“I thought this was going to happen.”
Not long after, Xiao Biqi was seen walking hurriedly on the bridge of Lake Houchi. He came with a burning storage room attendant, then lowered his head in salute to Li Anlan. The woman jumped down from the peach tree, then stood firmly in front of the two people who had just arrived.
The peach in his hand and then he bites. Li Anlan was not at all surprised at the fire that had occurred in the storage room. Xiao Biqi and this fellow must have come to report the news. In colossal dramas, Li Anlan often saw people doing sneaky tricks to destabilize the kingdom and make its people powerful within the palace.
“What's left?” li Anlan asked calmly.
Xiao Biqi and that person were shocked.
“Mrs already know?”
“Things like this happen often. Tell me, is there anything left?”
This time, the storage room attendant spoke.
“Nothing, Mistress. All exam papers contain questions that have just been printed out in the fire.”
Li Anlan nodded. The person behind this fire was definitely someone in power, who did not want the students of the Royal Academy to graduate and be accepted easily. Li Anlan understood that the intrigue within the palace was extremely cruel and terrifying. But, if it were to burn down the building and destroy the exam preparation, this would already be outrageous.
Fortunately, Li Anlan was smart. When he finished writing the exam and handed it to the officer, he first photographed the questions with his cell phone camera, then archive it into a special document folder that he usually uses to store personal data. So, when the papers were gone, he didn't have to recreate them, just had the officers rewrite them.
“Do not panic. Biqi, is His Majesty in his palace?”
“Ya, Mistress. His Majesty just returned from the court and immediately received news of this fire.”
“Ikut I met him.”
Li Anlan, Xiao Biqi, and the storage room attendants rushed to Hongwu Palace. Long Ji Man seemed to be sitting in his study chair while frowning. When Li Anlan came, he immediately got up and approached his Royal Empress. His face was very unfriendly. The man's mood seems to be deteriorating.
“Huang An, how is this?”
“Your Majesty, calm down.”
“The Royal Test is only a few days away, but all the prepared stuff is burning.”
“Your Majesty, I said calm down! Can you obey what I say?” li Anlan said a little snapping. Long Ji Man was instantly speechless. He was too panicked to act unsettled and made Li Anlan annoyed. He was sure the woman was also surprised to hear the news of the storage room fire.
Long Ji Man sat back in his chair. He took a breath, trying to calm himself. Situations like this happen often. He should have been calmer and thoughtful. As a king, calmness when facing problems is a must-have virtue.
“Huang An, have you expected it?”
Li Anlan nodded.
“I already knew this would happen.”
“Do you have a solution?”
“I have a copy of the problem. Before it was handed over, I took a picture of it and kept it on my phone. Your Majesty, don't let this mess mess up everything we've prepared. We just need to ask the clerk to write and re-copy.”
Mercifully. The noble Empress had prepared it perfectly. Even something like this was expected from far away. It was fortunate that Li Anlan was smart and agile until the damage of the preparations could be dealt with immediately.
The storage room attendant was stunned at the figure of the Noble Empress standing in front of him. How could a woman behave so calmly in such a crucial moment? Most people will panic and lose their composure in emergency situations. But this woman, the woman who was predicted as the dumbest woman in Dongling Kingdom was even more intelligent than the court scholars. Secretly, the Officer was amazed at the figure of the Grand Empress.
Li Anlan handed her phone to Long Ji Man, then opened the file storage folder neatly stored there. He then asked the officer to write these questions quickly but could not make a mistake. The attendant was so nervous because the process was witnessed directly by the King and Grand Empress. His sweat pours out profusely on his forehead and hands.
“Do not be nervous! You can't ruin the paper!” li Anlan.
“Good, Mistress.”
Two hours later, forty finished on ten pieces of paper. Long Ji Man ordered the officer to immediately copy and copy, and threatened that if it was not completed within two days, they would be punished for neglecting their duties and causing a fire storage room. Before leaving, Li Anlan said that this time, the matter of copying and doubling should be kept secret. No one should know that the matter of the Government Examination still exists if they do not want the real criminal to move again.
After the death of the storage room officer, Li Anlan asked for time together with Long Ji Man to discuss. There is something that must be discussed four eyes and its nature is very secret. For this reason, Xiao Biqi went out and stood guard, also forbidding anyone from getting close to Hongwu Palace before the King and Grand Empress of Nobles finished their affairs.
“I recorded it when it happened to pass to the palace of Empress Jin.”
“You sure?”
“I dare not lie about this.”
The voice recording was played back. That woman's voice was indeed that of Empress Jin. But the man, he doesn't know who it is. During this time Empress Jin was quite closed about men's affairs, whereas Long Ji Man could have let go if the woman found her loved ones. The relationship is just a family bond and formality, not at all based on love. He and Empress Jin grew up together since childhood because her legal wife was one of her mother's distant relatives who was deposited in the capital and studied together.
“For now, we have no proof whatsoever. Accusing him of being involved will only mess up the palace,” Long Ji Man said.
“I know.”
Li Anlan initially did not want to tell Long Ji Man about the voice recording. However, he felt that everything related to Empress Jin was very strange. The woman is always calm in acting, even being warm in a few moments. Although an Empress, Li Anlan knew the heart of a woman was very soft and not fixed. Han Jinxi as a legitimate wife should have a bit of jealousy when her husband was with another woman. But every time Li Anlan saw her, she simply did not see the gaze with the meaning of love. Han Jinxi was too gentle that Li Anlan could not find any ambition or desire to rule alone.
People like this are suspicious!
Li Anlan was determined to distance herself from the woman as much as she could. She would try to disappear from his sight and escape when the woman who was the king's legal wife was seen by his eyes. This was reinforced by the personality of Li Anlan who did not like to hang out with palace women, because he knew very well their habits and traits.
“A few days ago, the officer I appointed was sick. Two of them died,” said Li Anlan. The woman had also just heard from one of the supervisory officers who appointed him if his colleagues suddenly fell ill even though previously healthy.
“Why did you just tell me?”
“Your Majesty is busy taking care of the wedding. I didn't have a chance to report.”
There was a guilty look imprinted on Long Ji Man's face. Some of this time he was indeed busy, but not because of the marriage with Da Yin. He was busy taking care of the officials who started acting again. Long Ji Man did not see Li Anlan because every time he returned from the court, his desk was filled with documents from the investigation report from the Department of Justice and the Palace Justice Department. There have been many officials arrested lately because documents of corruption and abuse of their authority have been leaked to the public.
“I never prepare a wedding. Mother who takes care of everything.”
Li Anlan looked surprised. If true, then all this time he had been mistaken for Long Ji Man. Li Anlan should have known that her husband was a king who certainly did not only take care of one business. Li Anlan was too blinded by the vexation of the man's marriage statement when the Royal Examination was about to be held. She knew she was too naive as a woman.
“Your Majesty, I want you to investigate this case to the fullest. I don't want my hard work to be ruined by people without responsibility. It's called extermination and copyright infringement!”
“You just calm down. I've already ordered Wang Tianshi to investigate it secretly.”
“Good. I can be a little calm.”
“Then what about the supervisor?”
“People will not dare to cheat in front of their superiors. Your Majesty, you will be the supervisor.”
“I?”
“Yes. A king attending the Royal Trials would give off a frightening impression and high prestige at the same time. I can't appoint people anymore because the time is not much.”
Just as Li Anlan was about to leave, Long Ji Man held back his hand. The man's gaze softened instantly. There was a great twinkle of hope gushed through the light waves from those beautiful eyes. Li Anlan was silent for a moment, enjoying the gentle gaze that only he saw in the eyes of this annoying king. A gaze that could only be seen by him, a gaze that was reserved only for himself alone.
“Be careful. Don't let you get hurt.”
“Yes. I can take care of myself.”
Long Ji Man ushered in Li Anlan's departure with the look in his eyes. He was so grateful that the woman did not argue with him at a time like this. She was also grateful that the woman was always there when she was in a dangerous situation. Long Ji Man swore, he would find the real culprit of all these events, including finding the perpetrator who had ordered the bandits to kidnap the Grand Duchess some time ago.
...***...
...The enemy seems to have started moving! Who has burned the storage space? ...
...A. Empress Jin...
...B. The officer who was bribed...
...C. The candle that fell...
...D. No one knows...
...Answer in the comments section yes! ...