Chapter 21: The Practice of Guzheng (2)
"It seems that your memory has recover, HuaMuTan?" Prince Li stares to her fiercely. But TanTan doesn't scare, she stares back to him and answers him calmly,
"...although I forget everything, it seems my body still remembers the way to play guzheng..."
"Hm..is that so...then we 'really' should not worry about the performance..." It isn't a relieve expression, but it has a critical tone in his voice. Its saddening TanTan a little bit, maybe its because she still influenced by the memories. She is just silent.
"Then why don't we try to hear both of you play, Li Ge, MuTan Cie?" An innocent ShuangAi doesn't notice anything, she just thinks it is the right time for them to practice also,
"Yes, YiFu...FangFang also wants to hear your play..."
Although FangFang pushes him over with the request. TanTan can see Prince Li doesn't have mood at all to play, but he seems troubled to reject the request, so TanTan talks to FangFang,
"...I am sorry, FangFang...it seems I can't play anymore...I feel so tired."
"Are you okay MuTan Cie?" ShuangAi looks worried, maybe HuaMuTan has exhausted from playing guzheng,
TanTan smiles, she feels thankful for ShuangAi's concern.
"It's okay, I just want to rest now..."
But beside TanTan, FangFang pulls TanTan's hand, begging,
"But...FangFang wants to see YiFu and YangMu playing together..."
"FangFang! Stop it!" Prince Li feels unhappy to see FangFang acts like that.
TanTan pats FangFang's head and smiles to her,
"I am sorry FangFang but wait for next time okay? I promise I will show you my play again,..."
"With YiFu too...?"
TanTan glances to Prince Li, " Sure FangFang...if he doesn't mind..."
FangFang looks confusedly to Prince Li,
"Do you mind, Yi Fu?"
'Ow, great...now she is using FangFang to force me?!' Prince Li still stares to HuaMuTan angrily.
"Not now, FangFang!...you see, your YangMu and I need to recover our health first. You are also just healed from sick...so let us don't bother Yangpu and back to your room, ok?!"
Although Prince Li tries to talk softly FangFang can hear the stern tone from her YiFu, so she stops continue begging, and answers in a poor mood,
"Alright, YiFu..."
TanTan looks to Prince Li angrily, she doesn't happy to see FangFang's spirit gets down coz of his words. But she can't say anything as Prince Li has taken FangFang away.
'He should not throw the anger to FangFang like that...how hard is it to say 'maybe next time' or 'i don't mind'? What a narrow-hearted man!'
"MuTan Cie, coz you are tired, I think our practice is done for today. Please have a rest..."
"Ah....yeah, I am sorry, ShuangAiMei... and thanks once again for teaching me today..."
"It's fine. I don't do much although. You are more than ready for the performance later, I believe Grand Queen Mother will be pleased with your play like before...too bad I can't be there to see it too..."
"You praise me too much, ShuangAiMei..."
"It's true, you may ask XiaoRue as well, isn't that right, XiaoRue?"
Xiao Rue nods her head,
"Yes, Miss ShuangAi...XiaoRue still remembers last year when XiaoCie performed in the palace... XiaoCie was so beautiful in her red silk cloth...XiaoCie looked like a goddess..."
"What will you wear for this time, MuTan Cie?" asks ShuangAi.
TanTan widens her eyes, 'Right, about the cloth; I should prepare cloth for performance too...?'
"I don't know...XiaoRue, do I have another cloth that can be wear to perform later beside that cloth?"
"No, XiaoCie...usually XiaoCie would make a new cloth for any events or even for an important performance like this, Xiao Cie never wear the same cloth twice..."
'Is that so...what a waste...but this is an important event and in front of the royal family, perhaps I also need a new cloth?'
TanTan speaks her mind,
"Should I make a new cloth?"
"MuTan Cie, if you want to make a new cloth, I can accompany you to the shop. We can go to my regular shop in the town to get the best tailor..."
ShuangAi offers her help, she is really enjoying the moment when she becomes close with HuaMuTan like a sister and so does TanTan,
'ShuangAi has helped me a lot and so far I can feel her sincere...she really can be the best sister anyone has, what a pity HuaMuTan couldn't see it.'
"In the town?... Sure, let's go shopping tomorrow..." TanTan smiles thankful to ShuangAi,
'This is can be also my chance to look around the town and hopefully not only finding the right cloth but also any clue about the killers'
After ShuangAi returns home, TanTan back to her room, accompanied XiaoRue. She is willing to observe the dagger one more time but it surprises her that she can't find it at the place she hid it,
"XiaoRue, did you move the dagger?"
XiaoRue shook her head nervously,
"No XiaoCie, I wouldn't dare..."
'Then who?', TanTan looks to the window where anyone can easily enter the room,
but since the accident at moon festival, Prince Li has strengthened the guard of the mansion...the high possibility is someone in the mansion to take it.
"XiaoRue, did anyone know that I keep the dagger?"
"Xiaocie said that XiaoRue couldn't tell about it to anyone, so no one knows...Aaah!" XiaoRue sudden recited the moment she met ManQi,
"ManQi knew, XiaoCie...when I brought back the dagger to this room, the sudden came out and tried to take the dagger from me....but I didn't give him a chance, XiaoCie..."
'ManQi! That Prince LiZhouWei again...it must he who took the dagger without my permission!'
In anger, TanTan rushes out the room, she speeds up her pace angrily to find Prince Li but she can't find him at his room. TanTan looks around the room, 'Can be he hide the dagger in here? No...he must hide the dagger in somewhere else I can't find out...'
Coincidence, Aunt Tong entering the room to clean the room. She surprises to find TanTan in the room. She asks in her aware,
"Why are you here, young Madam?"
But TanTan asks her back directly,
"Where is Prince Li?"
"Why do you need to find him? If you want, I can send your message to him later" Aunt Tong feels its not necessary to let this evil woman disturbs his young master's time.
"JUST TELL ME, WHERE IS HE?!"
"I won't tell you if you are rude like that, HuaMuTan. Don't you think this old woman will afraid to you like other servants." Aunt Tong looks to TanTan sharply.
TanTan shocks, she is angry right now so she feels right to shout to this Aunt Tong, forced her to say where Prince Li is but then she realizes what she did, it same like how HuaMuTan acted.
TanTan sighed, then she bows her body
a little to Aunt Tong to express her regrets gives a gesture of apologizing.
"Please forgive my rudeness, Aunt Tong. I just in a hurry to ask an important thing to Prince Li. May Aunt Tong be kind to tell where he is right now?"
The way TanTan respond shocks, Aunt Tong, more, she doesn't expect that HuaMuTan would bow her body to her. As a senior servant, it's embarrassing if she letting her master bow down to her, it's impolite if she lets HuaMuTan keep bowing to her. In her confusion, she bows back to HuaMuTan, she also becomes stutter to answer,
"Eh...no...please arise...Young Madam I..cadon't accept it...hm...Prince Li...he..is at study room..."
TanTan lifts up her head and smiles to Aunt Tong,
"Thank you, Aunt Tong" She doesn't wait any longer to rush away to study room, leaving Aunt Tong who still puzzled,
"Did HuaMuTan bow to me just now? That evil woman even apologized to me??? Am I seeing a ghost..."
At the study room, Prince Li is busy listening to Uncle Tong about house business and also discussing the present he needs to prepare for Queen GrandMother later.
"So Young Master...shall I sent a golden flowery vase or a golden longevity tree for the Queen Grand Mother's birthday later?" Uncle Tong put both pictures of the present on Prince Li's table.
Every year, Prince Li always asks Uncle Tong to prepare the presentation. He doesn't have any opinion about the gift because he knows no matter what he gives can't be compared with other princes' gifts.
"Both of options are good, I believe your choice, Uncle Tong. Just choose it for me...."
"Brak!" Suddenly TanTan just barged in the room angrily, stopping the conversation. Prince Li and Uncle Tong look unpleasing to her.
"WHERE IS THE DAGGER?!"
Prince Li immediately gets what happened, 'So she found out already...'
He gestured Uncle Tong to leave the room. Uncle Tong obeys but before he goes out, he still is able to greet TanTan politely and then closes the door of the room.
After there are only two of them in the room, TanTan feels freer to express her complaints.
"GIVE ME BACK THE DAGGER!"
Prince Li sighed, he tries to keep focus reading the report book from Uncle Tong, so he doesn't need to look at TanTan, but he still answering her,
"The dagger is at the safe place now, you don't need to worry about it anymore"
TanTan hits the table to get Prince Li's attention. She felt to be ignored and she is very upset about it.
"But you don't ask my permission to take that dagger! You stole it from me!"
Prince Li looks at TanTan finally,
"Stole from you?? The dagger is at my house... and also please remember, I was the one that stabbed with that dagger! So it's my right to take and investigate that dagger..."
"That's...." TanTan can't argue about it, because what Prince Li's said is to make senses, "But they also want to kill me! I also want to investigate them by myself!"
"With what? Don't you think its better give this problem to me, who has the authority to sent the officers in this town to search?? But you, what can you do? Begging to your uncle? or to Queen Grand Mother about it later on her birthday?"
"I... I have my own way!" But in her mind, she knows she can't defeat Prince Li about this...sudden she just remember Prince FengEr, "I had to ask Prince FengEr to help me investigate it!"
"Yeah, sure...Prince FengEr is now busy with the job to arrange the ceremony for Queen Grand Mother, do you think he really has time to help you..?"
"You....!!!" TanTan becomes so so so mad, not to the Prince Li but more to herself coz she just realizes how powerless she is. As Prince Li said, for now, she doesn't know how to begin the investigation. Her face becomes as red as a tomato.
Somehow Prince Li feels so pleased to see TanTan reacts like that, he enjoys the victory coz for many years he must subdue himself to this HuaMuTan but this time is able to take control of her. He smiles mocking her,
"Believe me, the dagger is more safe with me than with you. So why don't you just focus thinking how to please your Queen Grand Mother with your performance later...Don't disturb the investigation about dagger furthermore..."
TanTan stares to Prince Li fiercely as she can,
"Fine! You may have the dagger but you can stop me from what I want to do, I will keep investigate it and maybe will find the truth before you!!!" Then she just turns and goes out from the room, closing the door hard.
She stops and stands facing the front of the study room, she makes her mind,
'Just see! I am lost for now. But I won't give up. Mom won't let me give up, right Mom! I'll find a way to investigate the killers faster than him! Well...first, I need to make another drawing of the dagger... thankfully I still remember the shape'
Then TanTan makes her steps to her own room.
Meanwhile, in the room, Prince Li is thinking TanTan's last words, frustrated about it. He sits and strokes his own hair.
"What is she planning to do? Aakh... Really, I can't take my eyes off from her now...So frustrated!!"
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