Children of Loulan

Hanguli looked at Dal deeply, and she knew in her heart that she was thinking about her wholeheartedly. If she was not feeling well, both of her sisters would be worried.

So she said, "Well, let's go to the door!"

Seeing Hanguli agreed, Dal immediately showed joy on his face and nodded repeatedly:

"Yes, all right, Miss, come and help you."

So, the two of them turned and walked out the door. When they reached the door, Dahl turned to look at Bayer and said:

"You should take a rest first!"

Bayer nodded to indicate that she understood. However, after the two of them left the room, Bayer did not go to bed, but began to make the bed for her young lady. After all, she knew that the young lady who had just woken up would most likely not be able to fall asleep again.

Hanguli and Dar did not walk too far after leaving the room. They just walked around a flower bed in front of the door and then sat down. Hanguli looked up at the night sky, gazing at the twinkling stars.

She said: "Dar, do you think my mother's illness has healed? Is Mamtim going to school? Is my father still working? And...Ainur, is she okay?"

Dahl sat beside her, holding her in his arms and looking at the sky like her.

"Don't worry, young lady. They are all fine. As long as you are here, the lady won't have to worry about her illness, and the master won't have to work as a helper anymore. With him around, the young master will definitely be able to go to school. As for Miss Ainuer, she... is the most favored eldest daughter in the family. No one dares to embarrass her."

Hanguli lowered her head and sighed:

"Yes, she is the eldest daughter, and she is loved by so many people. I am overthinking it. Do you think my mother misses me? Do they also look at the starry sky like me?"

When she said this, two lines of tears flowed down Hanguli's face unconsciously, like two trickling streams, quietly sliding across her fair face. Dar watched silently, feeling a sharp pain in his heart, as if the tears were also dripping into his heart.

Since leaving their hometown in March this year, they had gone through a difficult journey of half a month before arriving in Meaux, where they stayed for half a year. Then, they went from Meaux to the palace. With such a careful calculation, the young lady had been away from home for almost nine months.

During this long period of time, Dahl never heard the young lady mention her longing for home. She once thought that perhaps the young lady was busy dealing with those who were plotting against her, so she forgot her attachment to her. However, it now seems that this is not the case. The young lady did not forget her homesickness, but buried this emotion deep in her heart and never expressed it easily.

Looking back on the eight months she had been away from home, the young lady had indeed gone through a lot of hardships. It seemed that all the hardships were surrounding her like a shadow, making her suffer greatly. At this moment, seeing Hanguli showing her rare vulnerable side, Dar's own eyes could not help but well up.

"Miss, you are the only daughter of the Madam and the Master. They will definitely miss you. Maybe they are also thinking about you now under the moonlight!"

Hanguli: "Winter is just over a month away. Who is going to repair their winter clothes this year?"

Dar continued to comfort her: "Miss, don't worry. Miss Ainur is here. She will take good care of the master, mistress and the young master."

Hanguli: “Will she?”

Dahl: "Yes, the eldest lady is kind and has a sincere heart towards you, so she will definitely take care of them."

Hanguli leaned on Dar's shoulder quietly, and the two sat for a long time, as if time had stopped. Until Bayer came over with two coats, handed one to Dar, and gently draped the other over Hanguli's shoulders. Bayer said softly:

"Miss, it's late at night and the dew is heavy. Be careful not to catch a cold. Let's go in first!"

Hanguli sighed deeply, with two visible tear marks on her face. She glanced at Bayer and nodded slightly. Then, Dar and Bayer supported her on each side and slowly walked into the room.

However, they did not realize that in a secluded corner not far from them, there was a pair of eyes watching them silently until they stepped into the room and then the person left quietly.

The next morning, Hanguli got up early and washed and dressed. Because today she was going to Yunhe Hall to pay a visit to the main lady, Madam Zhao. After breakfast, she brought Dal to the main hall.

At this time, a graceful woman was standing at the door of the main hall. Hanguli walked up to her and exchanged glances with her. They both nodded slightly and performed standard court etiquette. Although Hanguli felt that the woman looked familiar, she could not remember who she was for a moment.

Not long after, two more women arrived. The four of them waited silently for about a quarter of an hour, and the main hall door slowly opened. A palace maid came out and said softly, "Madam, please come in, masters!"

The four women entered the hall one after another, and saw a young woman in a plain long dress sitting on the main seat in the center of the hall. She smiled and looked at everyone gently. The four of them bowed to the woman and said in unison: "I pay my respects to Madam Zhao. May Madam Zhao be blessed with good health!"

Madam Zhao showed a kind and amiable smile and responded softly: "Sisters, please stand up quickly. We are all family. There is no need to stick to these etiquettes. Please sit down!"

The four of them answered in unison again, "Thank you, Madam Zhao!" Then they sat down one after another. After everyone was seated, Madam Zhao continued to speak:

"Sisters, this is your first time entering the palace. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. We are all sisters, so don't feel embarrassed. It's just... I don't know what to call you, sisters?"

One of them stood up and said, "Madam Zhao, my name is Dalan, and I am a concubine."

Madam Zhao smiled and said, "Oh, so you are from Lancai!"

When she heard the name "Lancairen", Hanguli seemed to remember something, but it was only a momentary memory and she didn't catch it. Hanguli thought to herself: It doesn't matter if I can't remember, he is not an important person anyway.

While she was in a daze, the other three had already finished their introductions. When she thought she didn't need to think about it any more, she looked up and saw that everyone's eyes were focused on her.

She was suddenly a little flustered, and stood up at a loss. She bowed to Madam Zhao and said with a slightly trembling voice: "Please forgive me, Madam. I am rude!"

Madam Zhao still had that approachable smile on her face and said softly, "Sister, there is no need to be so reserved. Please get up quickly."

Hanguli then breathed a sigh of relief and slowly stood up. However, she did not dare to look into Madam Zhao's eyes, for fear that she would be able to see her inner uneasiness.

"We are all sisters, it's okay, but... I see that my sister looks like she didn't sleep well, is there anything wrong with her?"

Hanguli: "Thank you Madam Zhao. I am fine. I am just exhausted from the long journey. I have not been in good spirits these past two days. I will be able to recover after a good rest for two days!"

Madam Zhao: "Well, I'm glad you're fine. If you feel uncomfortable, please inform me immediately. As the head of the palace, I will be responsible for you to the end."

Madam Zhao took a sip of tea and then turned her gaze to Hanguli.

"I haven't asked my sister how to address me yet!"

"Ah? Oh! I, Hanguli, am honored to be canonized as a good wife. Please forgive me, Madam. I was disrespectful!"

Madam Zhao: "So it's Miss Li, come, take a seat quickly. What's the point of being rude? We are all family, why should we be so polite?"

Hanguli: "Thank you, Madam Zhao!"

Madam Zhao: "Tomorrow is the day for you to go and thank the Queen. When you arrive at the Queen's palace, remember to be careful with your words and actions and do not cause any trouble!"

The four of them said in unison: "I will follow your instructions!"

Madam Zhao nodded slightly to show her satisfaction, and then asked softly, "Well, I heard that Li Liang was in danger twice on the road. Is he okay?"

Hanguli quickly stood up, bowed, and replied gratefully: "Thank you Madam Zhao for your concern. Although there were some troubles along the way, fortunately, everything was fine and we got through it safely!"

Madam Zhao nodded with relief on her face, and said gently: "It's good that everything is fine. Now that we are in the palace, we can rest assured. We will serve the king wholeheartedly in the future!"

Hanguli responded respectfully: "Yes!"

Madam Zhao smiled and looked around at everyone, and continued, "It's our first meeting, so I have prepared some small gifts for you sisters. I hope you won't dislike them."

As soon as the voice fell, several maids came in lightly, each of them holding a tray in their hands, and walked carefully in front of the few people. Everyone looked closely and saw that each tray was placed with a pair of exquisite earrings, shining brightly in the sun.

Madam Zhao: "I don't have anything to show off. These agate earrings were carefully prepared for me by my mother when I first entered the palace. Alas! Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, it has already been ten years!"

Lan Cairen: "These earrings are obviously priceless and extremely precious. Madam is so generous to give them to me. How can I let you give them up?"

Madam Zhao: "Hey, they are just some ordinary jewelry, not really treasures. If you don't mind, please accept them."

Lan Cairen: "Madam, you are so polite. This is your dowry. I am really grateful and flattered!" She took the earrings carefully, holding them in her hands as if they were a treasure, her eyes sparkling with surprise and emotion.