The Daily Life of a Concubine's Daughter After Transmigrating

"Miss said that Madam would use this opportunity to test me. I made up an excuse to politely decline, and Madam didn't say anything more," Liu Yun said.

"Besides that, did Madam say anything else to you?" Li Anqi asked, looking up.

Liu Yun's eyes darted away for a moment, then she shook her head again: "I didn't say anything else."

"..."

Li Anqi looked at Liu Yun, nodded thoughtfully, and didn't ask any more questions.

As expected, Zuo Siyun sent someone to deliver fabric for making cotton-padded clothes and charcoal.

In addition, Li Anxiu also ordered someone to send over a plate of dried lychees.

The jade plate containing the dried lychees faintly revealed some patterns.

Li Anqi moved all the dried lychees to a porcelain plate and admired the purple Vitex negundo flower pattern on the jade plate.

"As expected of the eldest young master, even the jade plate used to hold things is so exquisite."

As Qiu Yue spoke, she leaned closer, looked at the pattern on the jade plate, and asked Li Anqi.

"Second Miss, what kind of flower is this?"

Li Anqi smiled and said, "This is a Vitex negundo flower. Back then, when Lian Po carried a thorn bush to apologize to Lin Xiangru, it was a Vitex negundo flower on his back."

Qiuyue nodded, as if she understood something.

“What happened yesterday had nothing to do with my brother, but he used it to apologize, which shows that he really cares about me.”

Li Anqi lowered his head in thought, his slender fingers stroking the dried lychees as he murmured.

"His beauty faded, his skin thinned, but his fragrance lingered. The bitterness in his heart was truly heartbreaking. But the marriage was already arranged, and even if he was unwilling, he could only swallow it alone, and no one could help him."

Li Anqi sighed softly and picked up the dried lychees and put them back on the jade plate.

After picking only a few, Li Anqi suddenly remembered something, so he asked Qiuyue to carry the porcelain plate and go with him to the courtyard where Li Baoqin lived.

A few days ago, the Prince of Xiao enjoyed listening to a female musician play the zither and rewarded her with a jade pendant.

Li Baoqin was extremely jealous and remained sullen for several days without leaving the mansion.

As Li Anqi entered Li Baoqin's courtyard, he saw from afar that Li Baoqin was resting her face on her hand, staring blankly out the window.

"Elder sister?"

Li Anqi entered the house.

Cuihong and Caixia were sitting on the couch, eating snacks and chatting.

Upon seeing Li Anqi arrive, the two quickly wiped their mouths, stood up, and stood respectfully to the side.

Li Anqi asked Qiuyue to place the dried lychees on the small table and then sat down opposite Li Baoqin.

“These are dried lychees that my elder brother gave me. I brought them here especially for my elder sister to try.”

Li Baoqin turned around listlessly, looked at the dried lychees, peeled one for herself, and stuffed it into her mouth.

"He's clearly my own brother, so why are you acting like we're closer than you?" Li Baoqin said listlessly.

Li Anqi smiled slightly and asked, "Is something on your mind, sister?"

Li Baoqin sighed and said, "It's nothing, I was just thinking about a man."

Qiuyue looked terrified.

Cuihong and Caixia, however, seemed to take it all in stride and were not particularly surprised.

"You guys go out first."

Li Anqi dismissed the maids from the room.

"I know you're going to lecture me about manners and female virtues again, but none of that matters to me. You'd better not say anything; I don't want to argue with you!" Li Baoqin said impatiently.

Li Anqi picked up a dried lychee and said slowly.

"A rider gallops through the dust, bringing smiles to the imperial concubine's face." Back then, Yang Guifei said she liked to eat lychees from Sichuan, so Emperor Xuanzong of Tang sent people to Sichuan to pick fresh lychees and deliver them to the palace day and night without stopping.

"Later, Consort Yang said that the lychees from Lingnan were even sweeter and more delicious, so Emperor Xuanzong of Tang sent people to Lingnan to pick lychees. Lingnan is more than 2,000 kilometers away from Chang'an. In order to keep the lychees fresh, the court set up a post station every ten miles to continuously change people and horses, ensuring that the lychees were delivered to Consort Yang as quickly as possible."

"How envious! A concubine smiles as a rider gallops through the dust, haha."

Li Baoqin listened with great interest, then peeled another dried lychee, popped it into her mouth, and continued.

"This is the kind of love I want! No deception or exploitation, just simple and pure."

"It's all arranged by parents and matchmakers. Why are you talking like you know who you're going to marry?" Li Anqi said with a slight smile.

"Those are all dross! We humans are born free and equal! I'll bravely pursue whoever I like, and no one can force me!"

Li Anqi nodded: "I heard that the Princess Consort of the Prince Xiao's Mansion is the Princess of Nanxia, ​​and she and Prince Xiao..."

Why are you bringing this up out of the blue?

Li Baoqin interrupted her, seemingly somewhat displeased.

Li Anqi laughed and said, "Look, the war between our Great Xin and Southern Xia was finally quelled, and we enjoyed a few years of peace, but then Northern Yan started another war. Whenever I think about it, it always makes me uneasy."

"Ling Luo said that Ling Ye has won the first battle. He won't be able to reach the capital for a while, so don't worry."

Li Baoqin spoke casually.

She ate the sweet dried lychees, and her mood seemed to improve a little.

"Then I'm relieved." Li Anqi nodded, rubbing the bracelet on his left wrist with his right hand.

Li Anqi looked up and suddenly noticed that the hairpin on the maid sweeping the courtyard looked familiar.

"...Besides your personal maid and the instructor, does anyone else come into your room on weekdays?" Li Anqi asked.

"Anyone can come in, so what?" Li Baoqin said dismissively.

"Sister, should we check if anything is missing?"

Li Anqi felt he had hinted at it clearly enough, but Li Baoqin wouldn't take the bait.

"Nothing was lost, was it? If I lost something, wouldn't I know it myself?!" Li Baoqin said.

"Does your sister have any valuables that you keep within easy reach of the maids?"

Li Baoqin was stunned for a while, then suddenly remembered something and rushed to the bedside to open her jewelry box.

"The pair of gold bracelets with the double fish design that Ling Luo gave me are gone!"

Li Baoqin was extremely panicked, as if she had lost some extremely valuable treasure.

"My sister is usually careless; she might have left it somewhere. Should we look for it again?"

"It's not just the pair of Pisces gold bracelets, a lot of other jewelry is also missing!"

Li Baoqin, fuming, suddenly smashed the jewelry box on the ground, scattering jade hairpins, jadeite, and pearls all over the floor.

"Those damned bastards! I've always treated them well and been a little too lenient with them, and they've taken advantage of that, brazenly stealing my things!"

Hearing a loud commotion inside, Cuihong Caixia Qiuyue hurriedly came in.

"You two, go and call all the maids in the courtyard, hurry up!"

Seeing Li Baoqin fly into a rage, Cuihong and Caixia were both startled. They hurriedly agreed and went to the outer courtyard to gather the maids and servants.

All the maids and servants had arrived and stood in a row in the outer courtyard, heads bowed and ears at ease, waiting for Li Baoqin's instructions.

"You lot, taking advantage of my easygoing nature, act like I don't exist! You treat my things as your own! Taking whatever you want! Where do you get the nerve?!"

Li Anqi looked at the servants with their heads bowed.

Most of them were a little nervous.

Clearly, stealing from Li Baoqin had become a common practice among them, with each protecting the other.

"You dare steal even the things Prince Xiao gave me! Where are those twin fish gold bracelets? Tell me now! If you don't hand them over today, you'll be in big trouble!"

"..."

The servants remained silent.

Cuihong looked guilty and secretly tugged at her sleeves.