The Prince of Travelers

Back to the Palace

Li Huanran immediately sent a letter to the emperor once his sister was completely steady to pay a visit to the palace. They have agreed that there will be no glaring welcome or anything like that. Li An was only going to the Eternal Happiness Palace with the Third Princess' entourage, then met Emperor Yung Wei, his father in person.

Li Mei and Li Chen rattled loudly in front of Li Huanran's room the day before the Third Princess' return. They were extremely unaccepting when they heard that his brother would be taken to the Eternal Happiness Palace just like that. To them, only the Prince Zhizhene Palace was safe for Li An.

“Kakak Mei, Chen’er, can be silent anyway?” li Roulan's protest was upset. He ruffled his waist with his song, while Li Xiulan just stood still while observing the situation. The two twin daughters of Madam Chu were the ones who conspired and refined the plans of the Third Princess. So, they showed a different attitude from Madam Lu's sons.

“You what are you? Just shush! Go all the way there!” snapped Li Mei growled. Li Chen nodded in agreement. Their target was only Li Huanran. They were completely unaware of his opponent's plot.

“Hmph! The brother who should have left here. Brother Huanran is just getting ready to go home. Why does Brother Mei bother you?” Li Roulan used her annoying tone as usual. His voice was soft, but pierced into the chest. On this occasion, he felt he had the upper hand. The second daughter of Prince Zhizhene had been waiting for the right moment to avenge Li Mei's actions the other day.

“I ...,” Li Mei wants to answer, but she is confused as to what to say. If only Li An had been taken away by force, he would surely have preached with the rights of his cousin sister. However, he knew that Li An left with his own decision. The little girl understood that she could not impose her will. It was possible that Li An would hate him if he was so demanding.

“Kakak An must be here!” Li Chen who answered Li Roulan's question, “Kakak An said, he did not want to go to the palace. Brother An himself told me. What are you doing, Brother An? You must have forced him, right?”

Li Chen's indiscriminate accusation made Li Roulan go up. The girl denied it firmly. Their debate instead made the hallway of Li Huanran's room even more noisy. The Third Princess could only sigh in understanding and still listen while writing something casually in her room.

As Li Roulan was busy fighting against his half-brother, Li Xiulan left them without making a sound. He walked as fast as possible—but still pay attention to his etiquette—to Li An's room. Without knocking first, he opened the door of his cousin's room loudly. Li An himself gasped for it.

“Kakak, I told you, I have not finished choosing my books,” said Li An without turning his head. He thought that the one who came was Li Huanran. The boy only turned away because there was no answer after a while had passed. He saw Li Xiulan who was usually calm, now had a sour and fierce face. The girl glared sharply at him.

“Sister Xiu, what's coming here?” li An asked curiously. He put the books in his hand, then approached the girl carefully. Again he called, “Kakak Xiu?”

Li Xiulan's face grew increasingly sour and cold. If only he had the same ability as his sister, he would have already showered the Eighth Prince with his words. The quiet girl thought that only the culprit of this matter could mediate her brother's debate. The old men were busy right now, while the ladies did not dare to interfere in their affairs because Li Huanran had indeed forbidden it.

“Kakak Xiu!?” Li An called back to her cousin with a question mark on the forehead as suddenly Li Xiulan's two hands grabbed her wrists. The girl was still staring at him sharply as if there was anger there. He finally said, “Come with me. You have to say a firm word to Sister Mei.”

After hearing Li Xiulan's soft voice, only then did Li An understand the location of the problem. He guessed that Li Roulan and Li Mei were arguing about him right now. In fact, the problem was resolved last night, but their chatty habits are often making people dizzy.

“Quick!” Li Xiulan tugged at Li An's arm to hurry over. In fact, Li An could have walked faster had Li Xiulan not tugged at him that way. The Eighth Prince was just in a daze looking at his cousin's unusual face.

“Quick help Rou’er!” Li Xiulan continued to pull Li An. The face of the upset baby is very cute in the eyes of the ladies. Li An's confused face was no less adorable. This kind of incident was rare because Li Xiulan was a quiet girl, but very ambitious if she wanted to.

Li An sighed, then pulled the arm from Li Xiulan's hand. He also stepped quickly until he had made the youngest Princess Prince Zhizhene confused. The girl immediately followed her cousin who had now stepped far ahead.

“That's Brother An. Just try asking Brother An directly!” li Chen exclaimed in an annoyed tone. He continued to insist in front of Li Roulan, unwilling to budge at all. The smallest boy even built horses, though they were still wrong and stiff. Maybe he would like to play a duel with Li Roulan if he lost the debate.

“Everything was clear last night. An’er has already said that he wants to go to the Eternal Happiness Palace. No one is forcing. She left, yes because she wanted to,” firmly Li Roulan loudly. The maids who had been waiting and watching the children were still silent. They will only move if there is a physical quarrel. I hope that doesn't happen.

“An’er, quickly say!” Li Xiulan said. He pushed Li An's shoulder from behind, then walked to her sister's side. The girl stood up straight looking at Li Chen coldly. There was no longer the annoyed expression he had just shown Li An.

“Eh, yes? What do I say?” Li An was confused by himself. If he came back to the palace, it was delivered last night. What else would these sons of Prince Zhizhene listen to from him?

Li Huanran who was writing in his room stopped. He continued to observe the development of the boys in front of his room which was now silent. After smiling and thinking about something, he returned to writing.

“An’er, you will return again right?” asked Li Mei who had been silenced by Li Roulan since the beginning. His face looks agitated. He had never expected that their brotherhood would be this short. Only a few months ago did Li An arrive. Although they could still meet again after Li An had stayed in the Eternal Happiness Palace, it still felt like it would be different.

“Iya,” Li An's reply made the new Li Roulan want to sneer to a halt. He tilted his head, astonished by Li An's plan. Obviously last night the boy said he was leaving, but he just said he was coming back?

“Li An did not stay in the palace for long,” the door of Li Huanran's room opened, while the girl stood there. If only he had said that since then, of course the debate between Li Chen and Li Roulan would not have been this severe.

“Princess May need not worry. I will immediately return An’er after the affairs in the palace are finished,” Li Huanran singed his victory smile. He was quite satisfied to see such a moody Li Mei. Think of this as revenge because the girl thrust a frog at her the other day.

“I'm not an item!” li An's protest was upset. Li Huanran even laughed at him. He gripped the sleeve of his little sister's shirt, then pulled the boy into the room. Before closing the door, he smiled infuriatingly at Li Mei as he said, “We've already finished it today, Princess Mei. I'll face you directly next time.”

“Hmph!” Li Mei turned her face and left. His heart is in pain. The dam in his eyes was about to break. His hands clenched tightly. After he got to the room, then he spilled all his complaints. He sobbed alone while enveloping himself on the contest. No one should see her ugly face at the moment, let alone Li An.

This was the first time the little girl felt the loss. It is a painful feeling to lose a loved family. He already considered Li An like his own biological sister. He felt more informed about Li An's condition compared to anyone in this residence. Therefore, he was very worried about his sister.

...***...

“Kakak Mei is still craving,” explains Li Chen straightforwardly. His eyes stared at the sweet smiling Li Huanran with an innocent face. The Third Princess of the Tang Empire also fluttered her beloved red fan, hiding an anxious laugh that carried a sly impression.

“This must be because of Big Brother,” Li An also looked at Li Huanran sharply. Her tone was taut and insinuating, but the Third Princess did not care at all. The ayu girl simply left her greetings and apologies to Li Mei through Madam Lu. He promised to bring a good gift when he brought Li An back later. After everything was ready, the Third Princess's entourage departed.

In a spacious room, Li Mei woke up aghast. The window of his room was wide open. The rays of the sun infiltrated freely from there. It's an important day, but he's getting up late. Looking at the open window of the room, Li Mei grumbled.

“Ih …! Why am I not built? An’er hasn't gone yet right?” Li Mei hurriedly got up from her bed. There will usually be ladies dressed up. But today they don't exist.

Ah, it's not that they didn't come. They must have deliberately not awakened the eldest daughter of Prince Zhizhene because they thought that the princess was still sulking and was reluctant to meet the Third Princess. The girl's face still looks gloomy in her sleep this morning.

Li Mei was wearing her dress. He left the room in a hurry. When a young ladyboy saw her, the lady immediately chased after the princess in a panic. It shouldn't be a noble princess dressing up so carelessly.

“Quick! Don't be long!” exclaim Li Mei asphalt. Young dayang who will dress him up as a wave. They stopped in a hallway that was still around the room area of the daughters of Prince Zhizhhee .

“Why didn't you guys wake me?” li Mei asked the interrogation while waiting for her to be dressed. He was taken back to the room. Her hair is being straightened. Just a little more until the grooming process was complete.

“Sorry, Princess. You look still exhausted so Big Lady Lu ordered us not to wake you up,” replied the young lady honestly. She was one of Li Mei's closest servants assigned by Lady Lu. His name is Bai Wei.

“What? Then, how about An’er?” li Mei asked again with an increasingly irritated look on her face. His expression made him look terrible. Bai Wei replied carefully, “Pa, The Eighth Prince has already left for the palace.”

“Hah?! Already gone you said?” Li Mei got up from her seat to make Bai Wei surprised. There is only one more strand until the princess' grooming is finished. However, the girl had already walked out of her room to chase after Li An.

“Kakak May to where?” a question with a satirical tone sounded as soon as Li Mei walked out of her room. He also looked. Li Roulan and Li Xiulan were there. Li Roulan smiled infuriatingly, while Li Xiulan was flat-faced.

“Mana An’er?” Li Mei immediately asked as she held back her almost explosive emotions every time she saw Li Roulan. Li Roulan spread out a fan in his hand to cover half his face. He imitated Li Huanran's habits which he found interesting. The fan was also given the Third Princess.

“An’er is gone. He was looking for his brother because he did not come. Don't tell ...,” Li Roulan deliberately paused her words to tease the older brother. He laughed under his beautiful fan.

“Eh!?” Li Roulan was stunned as soon as she saw Li Mei leaving without giving her face. Li Xiulan patted her on the shoulder so the girl turned her head. He saw the youngest princess who shook his head slowly, warning Li Roulan not to overdo it.

Li Mei headed to the gate of Prince Zhizhene's Palace as quickly as possible. When he got there, he only found two soldiers guarding there. There were no more signs of the Third Princess' existence, let alone Li An.

“Mr Princess, what are you doing here?” asked the guard who was confused by Li Mei's presence. The little princess did not answer and left immediately. It makes the silent soldier blame his friend, “Hai, you scare the princess.”

“Which way might!?” refute the confused soldier.

“Mama! Mama!” li Mei's next destination was Lady Lu. She approached her mother with a sad and disappointed face. Madam Lu who was reading also turned her head, “Hm? Mei’er, are you awake? What's up?”

“Why didn't Mama wake me up?” Li Mei whined while gripping Madam Lu's dress. His actions made the mother shocked. The woman did not expect that her daughter would be this sad when she was left behind by Li An.

“Cup .. Cup .. Come on, darling,” Mistress Lu hugged her daughter tightly. Her soft hands patted Li Mei's back slowly. The hug made the cry of the little princess gradually calm down until there was only a sobbing left. Shortly after, Li Mei fell back asleep from being too tired to cry. Lady Lu drove her straight to the room.

...***...

“Third Princess managed to bring the boy back?” a beautiful young-looking woman asked her lady. His face is as cold as winter. He looked unhappy with Li An's arrival.

“True, Lady Zhaoyi. The Eighth Prince will arrive at the Eternal Happiness Palace this afternoon,” replied the lady-in-waiting who is a middle-aged woman. He bowed respectfully to his master. His expression was flat and hard to read.

“Hah ... exactly what made His Majesty the Emperor interested in the boy?” lamented the beautiful woman that Madam Zhaoyi called. His index fingers tapped on the table. He seems to be thinking hard.

“I think, Mrs Zhaoyi does not need to worry too much,” the lady's words revealed the tension in the room. Madam Zhaoyi looked over. His eyes implied a question mark, “What does Head Dayang Yi mean?”

“I heard, the Eighth Prince does not want to stay long in the Eternal Happiness Palace. Prince Zhizhe will take responsibility for taking care of him. The Eighth Prince has hated the palace since it was separated from Consort Ai,” explained Chief Dayang Yi, “We better be wary of the First Prince who has the support of Empress Eminen. Similarly First Prince's mother, Consort Gui.”

“Hopefully it is true,” Madam Zhaoyi said softly, “However, we still have to pay attention to the movements of the boy. Chief Dayang Yi, make sure he completely exits the palace as soon as possible.”

“Hamba thank Madam Zhaoyi,” Head Dayang Yi saluted, then walked out of his master's room without a sound. He picked up a piece of paper and wrote something there. On a girl of his subordinates, he said, “Give this to her.”