Back In Time (The Reincarnation of the Cruel Concubine)
The excitement in the market
A sunny morning at the end of the week, Wu Li Mei woke up early in the morning. The woman was already preparing with a simple blue and white hanfu, wearing two goose-motivated konde stitches, and circling in front of the mirror to look back on her appearance today.
Wu Li Mei was reluctant to put on her expensive clothes because she was going to visit a crowded place, and the concubine chose to appear modest. It was also one of the reasons that he did not look flashy and recognizable.
The great concubine was indeed very charming, her face was beautiful and her body was good. If she is in the modern era, maybe she is an actress who is valued by many people.
Satisfied in the mirror and admiring her look, the woman walked slowly towards the dresser. Even if it looks simple, but it must still be beautiful.
"Greetings, Your Majesty." greet Dayang Yi and Lu Yan.
"Rise!" tell Wu Li Mei, the grand concubine flattened the powder on her pretty face. I don't know what the name is, it is a fine powder, and has the same function as sow powder in modern times.
"Where is the place you want to visit today, Your Majesty?" ask Dayang Yi.
"Emh."
"Give us a hint, Your Majesty" Lu Yan said. Little Dayang who often accompanied Wu Li Mei out of the palace, with Dayang Yi, he was also very loyal to Wu Li Mei.
"A place I often go." replied the concubine.
"Peony garden?"
Wu Li Mei shook her head, "Aa, less precise."
"Is it a crowded place?" guess Dayang Yi.
"It can be."
"Oh, I know the answer." Lu Yan cheered as one spot crossed his mind.
"What?" ask Dayang Yi.
"The answer must be a fitting----"
"Greetings, Mother."
Dayang Yi and Lu Yan immediately lowered their heads, they stepped back and stood behind Wu Li Mei.
"Rise up, Xiao Ming!"
"What's wrong?" wu Li Mei asked, as it was not usual for the crown prince to come visit her this early.
Zhou Ming Hao observed the mother's appearance, simple hanfu and high shoes for traveling. The young man smiled inwardly, his guess did not miss at all. He had indeed deliberately come this morning, to follow the mother over the week.
"I'll go wherever you go."
Wu Li Mei frowned, "You mean?"
"Mom's going, isn't it, I'm coming." Zhou Ming Hao approached, holding the mother's arm with a pleading gaze.
"No."
"Why?"
"It's okay."
"Then?"
Wu Li Mei sighed deeply, "You can do something else to fill your free time, after all, mother is only gone for a few moments."
Zhou Ming Hao remained in his stance, the boy followed his mother, following Wu Li Mei wherever he went.
"Come on ma'am, let me come."
"Mom, come on, just this once."
"I promise to be nice."
"Mom......"
"Mom........"
Wu Li Mei rubbed her ears, Zhou Ming Hao continued to whine nearby.
Today, the concubine will meet someone to talk about something very important. It concerns life and death, as well as its role in this mortal world.
"Alright." Wu Li Mei surrendered.
Zhou Ming Hao smiled widely, looking at the expectant mother.
"But you have to promise me one thing."
...****************...
As always, the market is very crowded and busy. And those four people, who else if not Wu Li Mei, her two maids, and Zhou Ming Hao who forced to come along.
Wu Li Mei led the way, with the son beside her. The woman headed to one of the buildings such as shops that are not too big but quite comfortable, the location was quite strategic because it was in the center of the market itself.
Wu Li Mei stepped in through one of the doors inside the house. Inside, the concubine had already been greeted by many five men, they were surprised to see Zhou Ming Hao present.
"Greetings, Your Majesty." greet them.
"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince."
Wu Li Mei just nodded, he then sat down on the mat, Dayang Yi, Lu Yan and the five men followed.
Zhou Ming Hao still did not understand what the mother had for secret talks with Physician Zhong, two court healers, and two others whom he did not recognize. The crown prince followed Wu Li Mei to sit on a mat, a pandan leaf mat the other day in a peony field.
When observing from the outside, this building looks simple like an ordinary shop. But when entering it, the building is quite spacious. There were two rooms that were given bulkheads, and a small bathroom in the corner.
Zhou Ming Hao simply kept silent and listened, according to Wu Li Mei's message before they departed, the prince should not have much to ask what else leaked the contents of the conversation to anyone.
"How, Commander He, where is the preparation?"
"The herbs were sent today via ship, Your Majesty. If there are no obstacles, it is expected to be here in a week." replied a man dressed in all black.
"But, some materials are scarce, Your Majesty." said one of the men, dressed in black with a sword on his waist. He opened a piece of paper stored in an envelope, then gave it to Wu Li Mei.
Wu Li Mei nodded in understanding, "No problem, some materials we can replace with other materials."
"Okay, Your Majesty."
Physician Zhong gave Wu Li Mei three worn-looking thick books, "This is the herbal note and its usefulness, Yang Began. Written down from the generations of various dynasties."
"And this." Physician Zhong gave me a new book. "I've finished what you asked."
"Thank you, Physician Zhong."
"So, we need someone who's gonna take care of this place, right?" wu Li Mei. "Tabib Zhong, do you have any recommendations?"
Physician Zhong frowned, "Rekom...."
"Ah, I mean someone who can take care of this place, advice, yes advice, who's your advice?"
Physician Zhong shook his head, "I don't know yet, Your Majesty. The physicians in the palace were few."
"Commander He?"
"Sorry, I don't know, Your Majesty."
Wu Li Mei sighed softly, "Alright, we just look for it later, when this place is ready, then surely God will give his gift."
"Lord?"
"Who is God, ma'am?" zhou Ming Hao asked, the others stared at Wu Li Mei.
The concubine rolled her eyes, did they not know the concept of God. This land of opposites, what they worship in this life.
"God." said Wu Li Mei.
"Oooooo"
They both nodded, "So God is a God, Your Majesty?" asked Lu Yan.
"I think they're different."
"So, God is higher than God?"
"Maybe they are the same, just the names are different" explained Wu Li Mei, who actually sounded less clear.
Wu Li Mei immediately got up, he ended their meeting and immediately shackled from the building. But considering the time that there was still a lot left, Wu Li Mei took a walk in the market for a while. While looking for a food seller that he had never tried before, the sun was already high, meaning it was time to fill the stomach.
"Mom, I know a good place to eat." said Zhou Ming Hao, the prince knew very well the ins and outs of the market because he had visited often.
"Where?"
"Follow me, it's a little hidden but the cooking is so good."
Wu Li Mei followed the directions of the son, while enjoying the stories coming from him. At their initial meeting, Zhou Ming Hao did not seem like a cheerful and story-telling person. And now, he found the other side of the son.
"Yarooongg!!! Pleasegggg!!!"
"Yarooonggg!!"
The voice of people asking for help came from the left side of the market, not far enough from where Wu Li Mei was currently standing. A skinny young man dressed in rags was shouting hysterically, he sat down while holding another young man who was lying convulsively.
Wu Li Mei immediately approached the two people, they had been mobbed by so many people that the concubine had difficulty approaching. For Zhou Ming Hao, the boy was ready to put up a body for his mother.
"What's going on, what's going on?" ask Wu Li Mei.
The young man shook his head, "I don't know, Madam. My friend suddenly fell and convulsed."
Wu Li Mei rolled up her hanf arm, checking the airway of the convulsing young man. Wu Li Mei laid the young man down in a more spacious place, then tilted his head. Seizures are still ongoing, but not as severe as before.
"Come in touch with the doctor!" wu Li Mei's.
"Tabib?"
"Yes, healer."
"Sorry, Your Majesty, there are no healers here. The healer was only in the palace." explained Dayang Yi and Wu Li Mei rounding their eyes because of it, how could there be no healers in the market.
"Meng Suo! Meng Suo!"
The young man who had the seizure had already gradually improved, his seizures had disappeared and his consciousness had begun to return.
Wu Li Mei tilted Meng Suo aided by Zhou Ming Hao, the concubine examining Meng Suo's pulse, airway, and response movements.
"Are you okay?" ask Wu Li Mei.
"So is sick? Where's?"
Meng Suo shook her head slowly, the young man was about two years old above Zhou Ming Hao. And the tattered-clothed young man was about four years old above the crown prince.
"Thank you, Madam" he said sincerely. "Thank you for saving my sister, I owe it to Madam."
"We have nothing to repay the favor, Madam."
"What's your name?" ask Wu Li Mei.
The two young men looked up, yet did not dare to look at Wu Li Mei's face.
"I'm Lan Suo, and this is Meng Suo, my sister."
"Where's your house?"
"We don't have a home, ma'am. We're the vagabonds living in this market."
"Then, where are your parents?"
"They died of the plague, we've been dead since childhood."
Wu Li Mei observed the two young men, and one idea flashed through her mind. "I know how you guys pay that debt."
"How, Madam?"
