Ch. 1401..1410
Chapter 1401: Could you do me a favor?
Finally finishing afternoon tea, Tan Rou hurriedly picked up her bag and left. Since there were many people around, Princess Samiyi didn’t say anything more, only asking Tan Rou to come for tea at the palace again when she had free time.
Tan Rou replied perfunctorily, “Yeah, I’ll come when I’m free.” She just hoped she wouldn’t have any free time until she returned to her own country, never having spare time again, because she really didn’t want to deal with the people in the palace; in her eyes, they were all brain-dead.
Lin Yu escorted Tan Rou out of the palace and had to jog to keep up with her brisk pace.
“Miss Rou’s physical condition is really good, walking so fast,” Lin Yu said.
Tan Rou answered, “I just want to leave this troublesome place quickly. If I stay here any longer, I think I’ll catch their stupidity.”
The corner of Lin Yu’s mouth twitched as he tried to smile and said, “Miss Rou, you haven’t left the palace yet, so you should keep your voice down.”
Tan Rou slowed down and asked, “Did Zhuang Liu bully you back in school or something? Why did you find us such an outrageous partner?”
Lin Yu could only offer an apologetic smile and say, “I really didn’t mean to trick you. The king offered so much, and I couldn’t find a suitable partner, so I just…”
Tan Rou continued, “So you flew all the way back to the country and brought that silly prince to us, right?”
Fortunately, Zhuang Liu didn’t come. If Zhuang Liu had been there, he definitely would have boiled with anger, possibly taking Tan Rou and her team back home overnight and bringing down Lin Yu’s family company the very next day.
Tan Rou wasn’t quick-tempered. She could endure hardship and liked challenging work, which is why she was still persisting. But if the king kept up this attitude, she would leave with her team immediately. Whoever wanted to take over the job could have it; they were through with it.
Lin Yu sighed, “Actually, I had a personal interest in this, too.”
Tan Rou crossed her arms, her expression calm as she watched Lin Yu, “Go on, I’d like to see how many personal interests you have.”
Lin Yu hesitated, then laughed awkwardly, “Both sides are my friends. Zhuang Liu was my classmate, and Laka was a good friend of mine. Of course, I wanted both to benefit.”
“You think I’ll believe your bullshit?” Tan Rou said angrily, “If you don’t tell the truth, I’m leaving right now!”
“Don’t be angry, don’t be angry, I’ll tell you now.” Lin Yu looked around and said, “This isn’t the place to talk. Follow me somewhere safe to talk.”
Tan Rou wasn’t afraid of Lin Yu harming her; the moment Lin Yu made any suspicious move, she would immediately inject him with two doses, making sure he spent the rest of his life with a wheelchair. Conveniently, TR Company was researching fully automatic wheelchairs, and she could even give Lin Yu a twenty percent discount.
Lin Yu took Tan Rou to a more secluded place and said, “Sigh, the truth is, all this trouble was for my friend Laka.”
Tan Rou almost laughed out of frustration, “You have so many excuses.”
“This time it’s not an excuse,” Lin Yu stressed, “What I said before was not an excuse either, all those were my true thoughts.”
Lin Yu said, “At first, I really didn’t want to take this translation job, just like you. I thought the king was an arrogant idiot. But Prince Laka is so adorable, don’t you think he’s very sincere?”
“I just think you’re more like a smart imbecile!” Tan Rou said harshly.
Lin Yu was indeed smart, but sometimes he really was an imbecile. What normal person would abandon their own country to come to another and serve as a diplomat? The monarch of this country also had issues, daring to employ someone from another country as a diplomat, which was indeed impressive.
Lin Yu said, “You’re quite sharp-tongued.”
Tan Rou replied, “I’m just telling it like it is.”
Lin Yu sighed, “I sincerely wanted to ask for your help. You’ve seen it; Laka isn’t very smart, and he doesn’t have strong political maneuvers like his father. If his father dies and he ascends to the throne, he’ll definitely be bullied by other members of the royal family.”
“What does that have to do with you?” Tan Rou wondered, “You want to be a princess consort or what?”
Lin Yu’s expression darkened as he said, “I just wanted the king to leave him some good stuff, that’s all.”
Chapter 1402: 1401 interesting things
“The King only has one son, Laka, and according to the system of Country J, when the King dies, Prince Laka will ascend to the throne, but Laka also has other uncles. If they stage a coup after the death of the King at the palace, Laka definitely won’t have the strength to oppose them,” Lin Yu said.
Tan Rou said helplessly, “What does this have to do with you? You’re not a citizen of this country, and by the time Laka becomes King, you will have long left Country J. Why do you need to involve yourself in their country’s affairs?”
Lin Yu laughed and said, “People have their aspirations. My childhood dream was to become an outstanding politician, assisting the Monarch in building the nation, just like the ancient officials. In university, I began learning other languages, also wanting to become a diplomat later on. Although there was a little hiccup in the end, my current job is quite good, so I want to help Laka secure the throne.”
Tan Rou sneered, “You’re quite the romantic. Though I can’t understand your thoughts, I deeply respect your dreams and hope that you can shine in this country, showcasing your talents, and then lead this country to the summit of the world.”
Lin Yu said awkwardly, “Stop making fun of me.”
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“I’m not making fun of you,” Tan Rou said. “Is the matter I mentioned this morning arranged yet? Has the King agreed to our request?”
What Tan Rou was referring to was the issue with the hotel; they wanted to move to a quieter place but didn’t want to pay for it themselves, so she had Lin Yu ask the King to cover the accommodation costs.
“Oh, I’ve already arranged the new hotel, but it’s a bit far from here, on another street,” Lin Yu said. “It’s closer to the Academy of Sciences in Country J, which will make your research work more convenient later on.”
Tan Rou was satisfied with this arrangement and nodded, “Give me the address, I’ll move the team over first.”
Lin Yu sent her the address and then said, “Miss Tan Rou, I still hope you can consider this cooperation. The King is offering quite a sum of money, and your company has the technology. If we cooperate, it would be a win-win situation.”
Tan Rou wasn’t short of work or money. The main reason she signed onto this project was that she wanted to challenge herself. The King of Country J was a difficult client to communicate with, but that was fine; TR Company was a powerful contractor, and this time it would be seen who would have the last laugh.
“Hmm, I understand,” Tan Rou said. “We’ll talk about the cooperation tomorrow, I’m a bit tired today.”
“Okay, then have a good rest when you get back,” Lin Yu replied.
When Tan Rou returned to the hotel, Shang Jin and the others had not come back yet. They were probably too engrossed in their joyous government-funded shopping spree to remember to eat or sleep.
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Lying alone on the bed, Tan Rou suddenly felt a sense of loneliness.
At that moment, Zhuang Liu sent a message to Tan Rou, and she immediately grabbed her phone to check it. Seeing the message was from Zhuang Liu, she couldn’t hide her smile.
Considering the time, it should be morning back home, so Tan Rou made a video call to Zhuang Liu.
They say distance creates beauty; when two people are together face-to-face, the feelings don’t seem that deep. Now that they were so far apart, they felt a bit of longing for each other.
Tan Rou happily shared with Zhuang Liu the things that happened that day, “Zhuang Liu, let me tell you a few interesting things. Do you know how ridiculous the laws of Country J are? Do you know how annoying the King of Country J is…”
As she spoke, Zhuang Liu listened on the other side, occasionally chime in and shared some fun stories from back home.
They seemed to have endless topics, chatting until it became dark.
“The prince and the gardener, it sounds like a story destined to end tragically,” Zhuang Liu said.
“Sigh,” Tan Rou sighed, “I originally had nothing to do with this story, but somehow, I got dragged into it.”
Zhuang Liu laughed and said, “It seems that the Buddha you prayed to last time was of no use, you’re still running into trouble.”
Tan Rou also laughed and said, “When we went to the temple last time, we didn’t even get a chance to pray to the Buddha. We went to hang red tablets, remember?”
Zhuang Liu nodded and said, “When you come back, we’ll go alone and make up for last time.”
“Alright, wait for me to return,” Tan Rou promised.
Chapter 1403: Street at night in 1402
By 6 p.m. local time, it had already started to get dark. Tan Rou had eaten barbecue rice just in the afternoon and wasn’t hungry now, so she planned to wait for Shang Jin and others to return before going out to eat dinner together.
Moreover, she had already notified everyone in the group that she would treat them to dinner tonight, she just hadn’t arranged the location yet. Fortunately, nobody had come back yet, so she still had time to prepare.
Tan Rou was very good to her employees. They were willing to follow her to such a distant place and had not complained at all, which touched her. Thus, she tried her best to arrange good living conditions for everyone.
Taking advantage of the fact the hotel receptionist hadn’t finished his shift yet, Tan Rou hurried downstairs to ask him if there was any good restaurant nearby.
The hotel receptionist recognized Tan Rou and said, “Are you looking to treat someone to a meal?”
Tan Rou replied, “Yes, I plan to treat people to dinner tonight, around 20 people. I’m looking for a large restaurant with a private room, or if there’s no large one, two smaller ones next to each other would be fine.”
“You plan to treat people to dinner tonight?” The hotel receptionist seemed puzzled, “But it’s already past 6 pm now. If you invite people out for dinner now, you won’t be able to make it back in time.”
Tan Rou was even more puzzled, “Aren’t there any restaurants around here? Hmm, it’s okay if there are no private rooms, as long as there’s enough space for 20 people.”
The hotel receptionist didn’t mean that. He explained, “What I’m trying to say is that if you go out for dinner, you must come back before 8:30 p.m., otherwise, you won’t be able to return.”
Tan Rou thought he was joking with her and asked with a smile, “Are you saying there are monsters around here? That come out to eat people at 8:30 p.m.?”
The hotel receptionist whispered, “Let me tell you, those people are scarier than monsters. Monsters don’t eat people every day, but those people come out to catch people every night, and no one knows where those who are caught are taken.”
“What?” Tan Rou turned serious, “Are you not joking with me?”
The hotel receptionist replied, “I’m not joking. Lately, after 8:30 p.m. there are many patrol guards in the sky. If the guards find you wandering the streets, you will be captured by them. No one knows where those captured are taken, perhaps to prison, or maybe to the mines.”
Once again, the system in J country broadened Tan Rou’s horizons. She only knew of curfews from ancient times, never imagining that such policies could still exist in the 21st century. It was simply ludicrous.
At 8:30 p.m., many night markets are just getting started. It was absurd to not use that prime time to generate revenue and instead have guards take away people who are outside. It seemed to her that the King really had some serious problems with his thinking.
“Why has this situation emerged?” Tan Rou asked with interest, “You say guards have only appeared recently; what about before?”
The hotel receptionist replied, “Previously, there were no time restrictions; people could stay out as long as they wanted. Now that there are guards on the streets, people dare not go out. Furthermore, after the designated time, all the major junctions are closed, and those outside can’t come in. They have to either spend the night outside or go somewhere else.”
When Tan Rou and her group arrived yesterday, they were only aware that the palace gates would close after a certain time; they didn’t know that there would be guards outside as well. Thankfully, they hadn’t gone out last night, or they might indeed have been at risk of being captured by the guards.
“Thank you for the warning,” Tan Rou said. “I’ll have to think about this again. If we don’t have enough time, we can always have dinner tomorrow night.”
The hotel receptionist said, “Because you speak the language of our country, I thought you had been living here for a long time, so I didn’t inform you about our rules. I’m really sorry about that!”
Tan Rou didn’t mind and replied, “It’s okay, I should thank you for informing me about the situation here. Otherwise, we probably wouldn’t be able to return after dinner tonight.”
The hotel receptionist said helplessly, “Alas, the King used to be very good, but in recent years, I don’t know what happened to him, he’s like a completely different person, constantly introducing some very strange policies. I even suspect that the person in the palace isn’t the King at all, but an alien.”
Chapter 1404: Are the 1403 relations very good?
Although Tan Rou didn’t know what the previous king was like, the current one was definitely a nutcase, and she couldn’t be bothered to talk to His Majesty the King, as she was worried that she might catch some brain problems from him.
“Who knows?” Tan Rou said nonchalantly, “Maybe your king really was abducted by aliens, and the one now is an alien.”
After she said that, they both laughed.
Unable to go out for a meal, Tan Rou canceled tonight’s dinner plans and told her teammates in the group chat to finish their meals quickly and return to avoid any trouble.
Shang Jin was already on his way back, and he asked Tan Rou if she needed him to bring something to eat. Tan Rou, not wanting to go out for dinner, asked Shang Jin to bring some food back.
Tan Rou continued to lie on the bed, while Zhuang Liu had already gone to work; she couldn’t disturb Zhuang Liu, so she simply picked up the tablet to handle some work.
Just as she picked up the tablet, her phone rang. She put down the tablet and opened her phone to check the message.
It was another message from Princess Samiyi, asking if Tan Rou was free tomorrow morning because she wanted to invite her to a poetry gathering.
Tan Rou really felt like exploding with anger; she was here for work, not to be available for the royal family’s leisure activities. They were either inviting her to tour the palace or attend tea parties, and now a poetry gathering. Did she look that idle?
Under normal circumstances, Tan Rou would definitely have declined, but today she still had unfinished business to talk over with Princess Samiyi, so she had to find another opportunity to meet with her again.
Moreover, she had seen Princess Samiyi’s demeanor today. The princess was extremely anxious in the presence of the King, not daring to show her true self. Thus, Tan Rou was certain that the King was monitoring Princess Samiyi.
This made passing the message to Tan Rou more difficult; they definitely couldn’t discuss things over the phone, otherwise Princess Samiyi would have already sent her requests to Tan Rou through it instead of repeatedly inviting her to the palace.
And in the presence of others, Princess Samiyi dared not express her true thoughts, otherwise she wouldn’t have purposely spilled tea on Tan Rou the other time. It was only when they were alone in the cloakroom that Princess Samiyi dared to discuss topics concerning herself.
Princess Samiyi had many maids who always kept quiet, but Tan Rou intuitively knew that those people were sent by the King to monitor the princess.
Tan Rou didn’t know what had happened to His Majesty the King to make him so strict. He was monitoring not only his sister and son but also his subjects at all times, hardly behaving like a normal king.
Thinking of this, Tan Rou decided to meet with Princess Samiyi once more and replied, “Alright, I’ll be there on time tomorrow morning at the gathering.”
Inside the palace, Princess Samiyi was very nervous as she awaited Tan Rou’s reply. Because of what happened in the morning and afternoon, she was worried that Tan Rou might decline her invitation. Fortunately, Tan Rou accepted, easing her tensions a bit.
But at the same time, it made her even more anxious. She didn’t know how many more times Tan Rou would come, or whether she would be able to get the message out; therefore, she had to plan tomorrow’s gathering very carefully to ensure the message was conveyed.
As she was deeply engrossed in preparing the poetry, a shadow quietly appeared beside her, giving her a fright.
“Brother!” Samiyi clutched her heart, “Why don’t you make any noise when you walk?”
The King replied, “It’s because you were too absorbed to notice my arrival.”
Samiyi frowned at the King and said, “Brother, you should have called out to me.”
“Hmm.” The King nodded and then asked, “What are you doing?”
Samiyi glanced at what she had written; fortunately, she had just started preparing and hadn’t gotten to the critical sentences yet, so she bravely showed it to the King, “I’m preparing the poetry for tomorrow’s gathering. I just invited Miss Rou to participate, and she has agreed.”
With a stern face, the King asked, “Are you very close with her? Did you know each other before?”
“Not at all,” Samiyi said honestly.
“Then why do you trust her so much?” the King asked again.
Chapter 1405: 1404 erupts in an argument
“I get along very well with her,” Samiyi said, “She knows a lot of interesting things, and I really like listening to her talk about them. She told me that in many countries, trains can pass through tunnels thousands of kilometers long, and also run underground for a long time. All these things are fascinating, and I love hearing about them.”
“It seems you’re yearning for the outside world,” the King said, his face as stern as if someone owed him a fortune.
Samiyi’s smile immediately stiffened, and she looked down at the poetry she had written, which contained many words about the sky and the sea. As a person living in a landlocked country, Samiyi had never seen the sea, and as the princess of this country, she hadn’t even seen the sky outside the royal city.
The sky and the sea she had experienced were those seen in books and on television. Just that in recent years, the King had removed the television, and she no longer had the privilege of watching it.
Before Tan Rou arrived, she didn’t even know that mobile phones, in addition to taking pictures and sending messages, could actually be used to search for things.
However, the mobile phone her brother gave her could only send messages, and even the camera couldn’t take clear pictures.
“Brother, have you seen the sea?” Samiyi suddenly asked, “I’ve heard that the sea can have different colors, sometimes it’s gray, sometimes blue, and other times green.”
The King didn’t answer Samiyi’s question but said quite arrogantly, “If you like the sea, then I’ll have someone create a sea for you…”
“You can’t create the sea at all!” Samiyi spoke to the King in a raised voice, “The sea is boundless. The books say the sea covers seven-tenths of the Earth’s surface, do you think you can make a sea that big?”
The King said, “I can make a miniature version, and use jewels of blue, gray, and green to represent the water in the sea, what do you think?”
“I don’t think much of it,” Samiyi rejected the King’s proposition, “The sea is alive and moving, the sea you make would be dead.”
The King’s eyebrows slightly furrowed, then relaxed again, “Samiyi, you need to be obedient. The outside world is very dangerous, you cannot go out there.”
“Fine!” Samiyi said to the King, her eyes red, “I may not go outside, but I want to invite my friends into the palace to visit me. We can have tea together, look at flowers, and enjoy poetry together!”
The King refused Samiyi’s request and said, “No, there are too many bad people outside, your so-called friends will only tempt you to do improper things, you can’t play with them.”
“Hehehe,” Samiyi laughed a few times, “What do you call improper actions? Murder or arson?”
“Things forbidden by law are improper actions,” the King said.
“What if the laws you set are wrong?” Samiyi stood up to argue with the King, “Brother, you’ve become very frightening, strict with others and also with yourself, what exactly do you want to do?”
The King said calmly, “I want the country to be peaceful, I want you and Laka to be able to live safely.”
“So you put us in a cage?” Samiyi said, “I am not a tame canary, and neither is Laka, we need the sky outside, and we need to communicate with people from the outside world.”
The King then said, “Fine, I’ll allow you to be friends with that foreign woman, she seems quite impressive.”
“What I want is not just a friend, but a body and mind that can move freely!” Samiyi said angrily.
What Samiyi wanted was not just to be friends with Tan Rou, but freedom, not just for herself, but also for Laka.
Even though Laka could travel to other countries, each time he went out, many people followed, not only to protect Laka but also to supervise him.
This time was an exception because Laka was going to Mr. Lin’s country, a stable country where Laka could move freely.
Samiyi was very happy that Laka could interact with normal people and fully supported this cooperation. She felt that only by cooperating with other countries would their own country have a better future.
“I won’t argue with you,” the King turned and left, “You should rest early by yourself.”
Chapter 1406: Too late for 1405
“Stop!” Samiyi mustered courage from somewhere and suddenly rushed in front of the King, blocking his way, and then said, “We haven’t finished talking, you can’t leave!”
The King sighed slightly. “Samiyi, your brother does all this for your sake. The world is very complex, and our kingdom is not that powerful, so I must protect you.”
“What about the others?” Samiyi pressed. “What about the other people in our kingdom? Do you not care about them?”
The King said coldly, “They are not my relatives, I can’t manage that much.”
Samiyi felt a throbbing pain in her head as she said, “When I was very young, my brother once told me that he wanted to be a great King, leading our kingdom to strength and prosperity, making sure everyone lived in happiness and joy.”
Calmly, the King said, “Those were just big words spoken by your brother in his youth, only when he became King did he realize how tiring it is to manage a kingdom. Not all countries can quickly advance to prosperity, the country you know as ‘C’ couldn’t even afford electricity fifty years ago; they spent a lot of effort to develop to the stage they are at now.”
“Then we should learn from them!” Samiyi said eagerly. “If they have the experience, we should learn from them. People say the people of ‘C’ are very kind, they will help us.”
“That would take a long time, we don’t have that much time,” the King said with a hint of sadness in his voice, as if he really was running out of time.
Samiyi didn’t sense it, saying, “If not in one year then in ten, if we can’t do it, let Laka try, and if Laka can’t manage, then his children will. Our kingdom will eventually become strong and wealthy!”
“There’s no time,” the King repeated, “Stop talking about it, I will protect you.”
“What do you mean there’s no time?” Samiyi didn’t want to hear more riddles from her brother. “Brother, you keep saying we’re out of time, but you are still young, and Laka is very young too. Can’t our kingdom fight for fifty years like other countries?”
The King was silent for a while, then asked, “Do you think that after I die, Laka can uphold the entire kingdom?”
As Laka’s aunt, Samiyi had watched Laka grow up, and she knew he was not a smart child, and he was simply too kind; kind people are not suitable to be Kings.
“It’s okay, Laka can still learn, as long as you keep him by your side, someday he will grow into an excellent successor,” Samiyi had blind confidence in Laka.
But the King just shook his head and once again said, “No more talking, some things are not for you to worry about. You should think about tomorrow’s poetry gathering instead.”
After he finished speaking, the King left. After the King had left, the maids who had initially disappeared suddenly appeared again, standing quietly around the room like beautiful statues.
Samiyi didn’t like this atmosphere and angrily said, “All of you go outside, I don’t want to see you.”
One of the maids replied, “Princess, we need to take care of you, so we can’t go outside.”
Samiyi glared at them with a cold look and said, “Are you here to take care of me, or to monitor me?”
The maids said nothing.
Samiyi didn’t bother arguing with them anymore; the argument with her brother had already exhausted her, and she didn’t want to waste energy on another dispute.
She had just sat down when a maid from outside came to tell her that Prince Laka had arrived.
Although Samiyi had serious objections to her brother, she still dearly loved her nephew Laka. Upon hearing that Laka was here, she quickly invited him in.
“Aunt, are you alright?” Laka asked anxiously. “I heard that you argued with Father, why did you argue again?”
Samiyi replied, “It’s the same old issue, I want to go out, but my brother won’t let me.”
Laka frowned and said, “Aunt, just wait a little longer, Father’s views are changing. I believe he will let you go out soon.”
Chapter 1407: Future 1406
“How many more years should I wait?” Samiyi had no hope, “I’ve already waited ten years, how many more decades can I wait? If I still have to wait another 50 years, by then I’ll be old, and there will be no need for me to see the outside world.”
Thinking for a moment, Laka replied, “Let’s sneak out. Father has agreed to cooperate with TR Company, and this is a good opportunity.”
Samiyi looked around and then said, “All of you go outside, I have something to say to the Prince.”
The maids obediently moved outside, but they did not go far, so when Samiyi and Laka talked, they could not speak too loudly, otherwise, they would still be heard.
Seeing that everyone had gone out, Laka then shared his plan. “Many people from TR Company are here, a third of them are female staff. If you can blend in with them, you’ll be able to leave the palace.”
Samiyi felt this method was too risky, “If it’s discovered, it could cause trouble for them too. Moreover, they are here to work, there’s no need to offend the King for my sake.”
Laka said, “Miss Tan Rou is smart and kind, she will surely have a way. Also, I’ll let Lin persuade her… ”
“No need.” Samiyi interrupted Laka, “Laka, don’t trouble others, let’s solve our own problems ourselves.”
Laka did not insist further. He turned and brought up the recent argument, “Aunt, Father is also very tired. Sometimes you should just give in a little, don’t argue with him anymore.”
Samiyi was also very tired at heart, “I really don’t want to argue with him, but every time I talk a little more with him, I get very angry, and then I can’t help but fight with him. As his sister, I see all his hardships, but I can’t understand his actions.”
“Father probably thinks that cooperating with other countries is too dangerous.” Only after going out did Laka realize how far behind his own country was compared to others. What good is it that the royal family is rich? The development of a country depends on everyone, not just a few people in the royal family.
Leaning her forehead on her hand, Samiyi sighed, “The future of this country really worries me.”
The atmosphere in the room was oppressive, and Laka knew he was not clever, neither good at sweet talking nor at handling affairs. Thus, he could only stay behind others, being practically a mascot.
He also wanted to change, but he truly lacked the capability. Why couldn’t their country have a queen? He thought his aunt fit the role perfectly.
“Did you find Ajira?” Finally alone with Laka, Samiyi took the chance to inquire about Ajira.
“Not yet; he seems to be no longer in the royal city.” Laka’s ability was limited; he could only ask trusted friends to look for Ajira in the royal city, but they found nothing.
The King didn’t like Ajira; he allowed Ajira to live in the palace, but neither let him study nor leave; sometimes he even treated him like a little servant.
Samiyi and Laka saw this and it pained their hearts, but they could do nothing to stop it. For if they did, it would only result in harsher punishment for Ajira.
Many times, they wanted to send Ajira away, but the King’s surveillance was too strict; there was no chance to get Ajira out.
They didn’t know how Ajira managed to escape, but when he did, both Laka and Samiyi felt somewhat relieved, thinking at least Ajira wouldn’t have to endure oppression anymore.
But they couldn’t let Ajira be alone outside, he was not yet ten years old and had no capability to protect himself. If he were to wander outside, he would likely die soon.
The best method was to get Ajira to his father, but the gardener had recently been absent from the palace, and Samiyi couldn’t get a message to Kas.
“I understand.” Said Samiyi in resignation: “Tomorrow, I’ve arranged to meet Miss Tan Rou, she has agreed to come see me, and I must persuade her to help me pass the message. Whatever I can give to her, whatever she demands, I will agree.”
Laka had no other plan to think of; each time he went out, he was heavily guarded, and never had a chance to go out alone. If it were possible, he would have already gone to look for Ajira himself.
All they hoped was that Ajira would encounter kind people and not face any dangers.
Chapter 1408: Split into 1407 groups
It had gone completely dark, the patrolling guards carrying guns walked back and forth on the streets. Although not everyone was armed, having a few armed members in a squad was enough. As soon as the guns were drawn, no one dared to make a move.
Tan Rou and Shang Jin were sitting in front of a window, looking out through the small window. A squad of guards had just passed by, consisting of six people, two of whom carried guns, marching one in front of the other.
Only after the guards had gone far did Shang Jin say to Tan Rou, “When I got up to go to the bathroom last night, I thought the people of Country J were highly civilized, because it was so quiet at night. I didn’t realize it was because they simply didn’t dare to go out.”
Tan Rou said, “From now on, we need to be careful. Never go out after 8:30 pm. I’ve asked around, and there is a curfew from 8:30 pm to 5:30 am the next morning. If we get caught during that time, it would be very troublesome.”
Shang Jin, however, said, “We start our work tomorrow, and I guess we won’t have time to wander around, so we shouldn’t get into trouble.”
About tomorrow’s work, Tan Rou had something to say, “Tomorrow, you go and meet up with the others while I stay here to deal with some personal matters. Once I’m done, I’ll come find you.”
The other team members had already gone to the new residence. Tan Rou had just paid the rent and didn’t want to waste it, so she stayed there. Shang Jin shared a room with her, and Lang Yue stayed next door.
“Are you looking for that kid?” As soon as Shang Jin returned, he noticed Aguilara was missing. Tan Rou said Aguilara had gone to find his relatives, but Shang Jin felt there was more to it.
Tan Rou responded, “I know where that kid is, so I’m not looking for him, but his mother.”
There was so much going on, Shang Jin almost forgot Aguilara’s identity, but Tan Rou’s mention brought something to his mind.
“Have you asked Princess Samiyi?” Shang Jin asked, “Is Aguilara her child?”
Tan Rou nodded and said, “Based on the evidence we have so far, Aguilara indeed seems to be Princess Samiyi’s child, and his father is here as well. Aguilara is now living with his father.”
“Oh… What?” Shang Jin was very surprised, “I thought his dad was dead, but he’s still alive!”
“The laws in this country are quite outrageous. Those who conceive out of wedlock are thrown into prison, regardless of whether they are male or female. If the child hasn’t been born yet, they are forced to undergo an abortion,” Tan Rou explained.
Shiver went down Shang Jin’s spine. “Such terrifying laws.”
Tan Rou continued, “Aguilara’s father comes from a humble background, just a gardener. Naturally, the King didn’t want his sister marrying a gardener, so he broke them up. To prevent his sister from going to prison, the King kept the affair between the princess and the gardener tightly under wraps and ordered that nobody discuss the princess’s matters.”
“The King is a good brother,” said Shang Jin.
“Whether or not he is a good brother doesn’t matter to us. What we need to do is complete the project and then take our money home,” Tan Rou arranged, “The initial work is relatively simple, you two handle it until the later stages, when I’ll join in the research. I have other arrangements for tomorrow, so I won’t be with you. Make sure you two allocate the tasks properly and avoid any mistakes.”
Shang Jin nodded, “Alright, we will cooperate well with each other. You go ahead with your work.” She added, “Tan Rou, I think the people inside the King’s Palace in Country J are not easy to deal with, be careful. If you need our help, make sure to call us.”
Tan Rou was well aware of the difficult people inside the palace, which is why she had sent Shang Jin and the others away. If there was trouble, it was better for her to escape alone than with other team members, who likely wouldn’t be able to leave.
“Yes, I’ll be careful.” Tan Rou also cautioned Shang Jin, “This isn’t our country. When you’re working outside, make sure to keep your temper in check and avoid arguing with others. If there’s a dispute, let me know, and I will communicate with the responsible party.”
Sheepishly, Shang Jin said, “Alright, I definitely won’t act impulsively.”
Tan Rou was still worried about Shang Jin, so she had to speak to Lang Yue as well, asking him to keep an eye on Shang Jin and make sure she wasn’t taken advantage of.
Chapter 1409: Queen 1408
Daylight broke, and Shang Jin and Lang Yue left by car, while Tan Rou waited a while longer before leaving. She locked her hotel room and checked Lang Yue’s room out before heading to the palace. Fortunately, the palace was not far from the hotel they were staying at, otherwise Tan Rou would have had to take a taxi.
Halfway there, Tan Rou became increasingly suspicious; if it was the princess who invited her to attend a poetry gathering, then why hadn’t the princess arranged a car to pick her up? Why did she have to walk? If this had been in her own country, and someone invited Tan Rou to an event, they would definitely have arranged transportation for her.
Thinking about this, Tan Rou felt annoyed. She decided she would ask Princess Samiyi for more money later; otherwise, she would be at a loss.
When she arrived at the palace gates, Tan Rou thought she might be stopped since no one had come out to meet her. Just as she was messaging Princess Samiyi, a guard at the gate suddenly spoke.
“Hello, may I ask if you are Miss Rou?” one of the guards asked as he approached.
Tan Rou put her phone away and replied, “Yes. Are you here on Princess Samiyi’s orders to pick me up?”
The guard replied, “It was His Majesty the King who commanded it.”
Tan Rou furrowed her brows. His Majesty the King was really well-informed; they had just decided on this last night, and yet the king already knew.
However, Tan Rou wasn’t too surprised because Princess Samiyi’s life was monitored by the king, and any events she planned were certainly known to him.
“Okay, please lead the way.” Tan Rou asked calmly.
The guard, with an expressionless face, turned and led the way, “Miss Rou, please follow me.”
Just when Tan Rou was about to enter, a luxurious car stopped in front of the palace gates, and a young woman in extremely gorgeous attire alighted. Why call her clothes gorgeous? Because among the array of gold and white garments, her bright red gown was particularly glaring.
As soon as the woman stepped out of the car, four or five guards rushed to greet her, rolling out a carpet and holding a parasol over her, as if afraid the beautiful lady would receive the slightest touch of sunlight.
Tan Rou was curious about the woman’s identity, and so took a longer look.
The guard in front of her, as if he had eyes on the back of his head, reminded her, “Miss Rou, please do not let your gaze stray to the side; those people are not meant for us to look at.”
Tan Rou disliked the way the guard spoke and retorted sarcastically, “Is the person over there of such great importance? If I recall correctly, shouldn’t the most distinguished man in your country be the King?”
“And the most distinguished woman should be either the queen or the princess. The queen of your country has been long deceased, and the princess does not leave the palace. Hence, I don’t see how the identity of that lady warrants such privilege that others are not even allowed to glance at her.”
The guard, sensing Tan Rou’s displeasure, apologized, “I’m sorry, I misspoke. But I’d advise you not to provoke her; she is Duchess Monica, wife of Prince Busodi, a woman not to be trifled with.”
The current king only has one biological sister, and all other siblings are his cousins. Prince Busodi, the king’s cousin and closest confidant, controls one-third of the mines in J nation, making him extremely wealthy.
Tan Rou had also looked up Prince Busodi. Known for his low profile, he seldom left his residence, and consequently, information about him online was scarce.
Better not provoke people you don’t know, Tan Rou thought as she decided to go see Princess Samiyi first.
However, she intended not to provoke anyone, but someone was keen on provoking her. Just as she set foot to enter the palace gates, a maid of the duchess halted her.
“The woman in the white long-sleeved shirt ahead, yes, you, stop right there!” the maid shouted at Tan Rou.
Tan Rou stopped and turned back to ask in J country’s language, “What do you want?”
The maid appeared surprised, “Eh? You’re a foreigner?”
Tan Rou responded, “Yes, I am a foreigner. What do you want? If you have no business with me, I’m leaving.”
“You can’t leave.” The maid arrogantly pointed at Tan Rou, “Duchess Monica is here, and you have not yet come to pay your respects.”
Tan Rou stood still as if she hadn’t heard her.
Very annoyed, the maid yelled again, “I’m talking to you. Did you hear me?”
Chapter 1410: 1409 Prince is greater than King
The maid, seeing that Tan Rou was still not moving, ran up to her furiously and yelled, “The princess wants you to stop, didn’t you hear her?”
Tan Rou looked the maid up and down, then laughed and said, “You just said you were speaking to me, now you say the princess wants to talk to me, are you implying you are the princess yourself?”
The maid’s face turned from red to white, and then she shouted angrily, “What nonsense are you spouting? When did I ever say such a thing?”
Tan Rou softly uttered one word, “Foolish!”
Her voice was quite low, so only the maid standing next to her heard it.
The maid’s eyes widened, and she charged at Tan Rou, “Who are you calling foolish?”
Tan Rou asked innocently, “Hmm, foolish?”
“You just called me foolish!” the maid’s voice was very loud, as if afraid no one else could hear it, “No one has dared to call me foolish in all my life!”
“I have no idea what you are talking about,” Tan Rou said calmly, “My time is rather precious, I will not stay here wasting it with you.”
Then she turned to the guard who was leading the way and said, “Didn’t you say the princess was in a hurry to see me? Why aren’t we moving?”
The guard was confused, since when was the princess in a hurry to see her?
“Um…” The guard hesitated, “Miss Rou, perhaps you should greet Princess Monica first.”
Tan Rou did not understand his suggestion, “Do I know this Princess Monica?”
The guard replied, “You probably do not.”
“Since I do not know her, why should I go greet her?” Tan Rou sneered, “Sorry, Princess Samiyi has matters with me; I am in a hurry to meet her. As for other women, let’s put them aside for now. If Princess Monica really wants to see me, I’ll make time for her.”
As soon as she had finished, Tan Rou headed towards the gate inside.
“You are not allowed to leave!” the maid said anxiously, “Her Highness the Princess will not let you go!”
Tan Rou didn’t bother with her and just strode forward.
“Stop!” Princess Monica finally spoke up, “Are you the guest from abroad?”
Tan Rou had no intention of dealing with her, but the guard by the door stopped her, “Miss, Princess Monica is speaking to you, you must come forward and bow to show respect to Her Highness.”
“If you are sick, better get treated quickly instead of going mad here,” Tan Rou said in an extremely calm tone, but her voice was very loud, audible not just to those around but also to Princess Monica standing ten meters away.
Princess Monica approached Tan Rou with a brisk step, saying arrogantly, “What are you? How dare you speak to me like this? Aren’t you afraid of being punished?”
Tan Rou would not back down, “And what are you exactly? Just a prince’s wife.”
“You dare disrespect Prince Busodi!” Monica blared at Tan Rou, “You believe I won’t have you thrown in jail?”
“I am so scared!” Tan Rou suddenly felt a surge of theatrics, pretending to be frightened, “Oh dear, the prince and the princess are so terrifying, they plan to throw a foreign guest like me into prison.”
“Don’t think just because you’re the princess’s friend you are invincible. Remember, a princess is still just a princess, she falls short compared to a prince!” Monica said.
“Oh,” Tan Rou reclaimed her usual expression, “So your husband is a prince, huh? I thought your husband was His Majesty the King. How else could you act so rudely?”
“How dare you insult the prince and the King, you are quite audacious!” the princess said with a laugh, “What are the guards still doing here? Arrest her at once!”
Tan Rou was not at all frightened; she shook her head slightly and then said, “You put the prince’s title before the King’s, does that mean that in your heart, the prince’s authority exceeds that of the King?”
The princess was startled and then said flusteredly, “I didn’t mean that…”
Without letting her finish, Tan Rou continued, “Although I was invited here by Princess Samiyi, the guards who came to fetch me were sent by the King. If you block us, you are opposing the King himself. Who instructed you to act this way? Could it be Prince Busodi?”