Mad Queen Leaves the Palace

Xiao Lan slept for most of the day, and when she finally woke up, it was lunchtime. After lunch, she felt a little languid, so she called her personal maid to stroll around the second floor with her.

As they strolled up to the second floor, Xiao Lan inadvertently noticed Li Yuan and three others pacing back and forth at the entrance to the staircase, patrolling the area. After some questioning, she learned that Li Yuan and his group consisted of eight people, divided into two teams, taking turns guarding the entrance to the staircase day and night to ensure the safety of the women inside the building.

The first day passed peacefully without any unusual events. However, due to the first floor being filled with various goods and the constant flow of busy shipwrights, Xiao Lan and the others were confined to the second-floor corridor. As a result, it didn't take long for everyone to feel extremely bored and restless.

The next day, Xiao Lan simply stayed in her room, passing the time by writing calligraphy, composing poems, and painting. However, her good mood didn't last long. Not long after, Yue'er rushed into the room looking flustered and urgently reported, "Miss, guess who lives on the third floor?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lan couldn't help but feel curious and quickly replied, "Oh? Who is it? Could it be that the person living on the third floor is someone I know?"

"Ye Yuandong, the eldest son of the Ye family. Miss, have you forgotten? He used to tease you." Hearing Yue'er's words, Xiao Lan remembered. This Ye Yuandong was the second young master of the Ye family. Because of the imperial concubine, the entire Ye clan became imperial merchants, their fortunes rising dramatically. Xiao Lan had always disliked Ye Yuandong, not only because he constantly caused her trouble, but also because he was Ye Lanyi's cousin. Therefore, Xiao Lan had always found him particularly annoying. She quickly confirmed with Yue'er, "Where did you see it? Did you see it clearly?"

“I saw it clearly. I went downstairs to fetch water and he came upstairs just as I did. I saw it very clearly. It must be him.”

"Did he see you?" Xiao Lan asked quickly. "He probably didn't. I got some hot water and came up here." Xiao Lan thought that the boat wouldn't be able to reach the shore for another two days, and she absolutely couldn't go downstairs during those two days to avoid running into this troublemaker.

To outsiders, Ye Yuandong, the second young master of the Ye family, was a man of boundless prestige and refined elegance, a perfect gentleman. Every gesture he made exuded an innate grace, and he was always impeccably polite, leaving no room for criticism.

However, only Xiao Lan knew this man's true nature. Don't be fooled by his seemingly harmless appearance; he was actually a thoroughly black-hearted scoundrel! Thinking of this, Xiao Lan couldn't help but shudder.

Therefore, she decided to stay upstairs for the next few days, resolutely refusing to go downstairs even once, lest she accidentally bump into that guy and cause herself a lot of trouble for no reason. Then, she turned to Yue'er beside her and instructed, "Yue'er, if we run into Ye Yuandong, let's pretend we didn't see anything. I reckon there will be other things to do downstairs later, so you can have Dingding and Dangdang go then. Remember to tell them to avoid people on the third floor as much as possible."

After hearing these words, Yue'er nodded obediently, said "okay," and then turned around and went out to find the Dingding and Dangdang sisters to convey Xiao Lan's message.

Not long after, Yue'er came in and said to Xiao Lan, "Miss, the boatman wanted to come and pay his respects to you, and Uncle Li asked if you wanted to see him." After hearing what Yue'er said, Xiao Lan asked to invite Li Yuan over to inquire.

As Li Yuan stepped into the house, Xiao Lan eagerly asked, "Uncle Li, Yue'er just came to tell me that the boat captain wants to see me. Do you know why?"

Li Yuan bowed slightly and replied, "Young Master, the boat captain only said he came to pay his respects to you, but did not mention the specific reason, so I made an excuse that you were resting." It turned out that for the sake of convenience, Xiao Lan had dressed in men's clothing when he boarded the boat, so everyone outside called him Young Master Xiao.

Xiao Lan pondered for a moment, then said, "In that case, after dinner, please ask Uncle Li to invite him over. After all, we'll be staying on their ship for two more days." Actually, choosing to travel by water was a spur-of-the-moment decision, and meeting Ye Yuandong was likely just a coincidence. Besides, knowing that guy's personality, if he knew she was on the same ship, he certainly wouldn't be so polite. He'd have the captain scout things out first; Ye Yuandong would definitely swagger in without any hesitation. However, Xiao Lan hadn't expected that this time, her guess was completely wrong.

In the room on the third floor, two men were playing chess. The man in white had a handsome face, bright eyes, dark eyebrows, and lips like painted rouge. His long, black hair was casually tied up with a white ribbon, making him look even more dashing and unrestrained. He held a black chess piece, his expression calm, and every gesture exuded elegance.

The man in black had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, a high nose bridge, and slightly pursed thin lips. A faint smile graced his face, giving him a gentle yet mysterious air. He wore a long black robe with a gold belt around his waist, which further accentuated his tall and upright figure. He held a white chess piece in his hand, his gaze focused, seemingly contemplating his next move.

The young man in white spoke up: "Cousin, I waited with you in Lingnan for three days, but I heard that it was a young master who came up last."

“Cousin, don’t be in such a hurry! Didn’t you see it when we boarded the ship? What family’s sixteen or seventeen-year-old young master could be so petite and delicate? Be patient, the ship captain will come back and report after meeting the person, and everything will be clear.” As he spoke, the man in black calmly placed a white piece next to a black piece, clearly intending to create an encirclement.

The man in white smiled slightly, his gaze falling on the chessboard, and teased, "Cousin, judging from your posture, you're planning a pincer attack. It's just a pity that in the way of chess, the most taboo thing is to let your opponent easily see through your intentions."

The man in black did not stop placing a piece. He placed another white piece next to the one he had just placed and replied, "Cousin is absolutely right. That's why I've never dared to express my feelings to her."

After they finished speaking, as if by telepathy, the two stopped talking at the same time and focused all their attention on the chess game in front of them. The only sound in the cabin was the crisp sound of the chess pieces hitting the board.

After having dinner, Xiao Lan was leisurely sitting by the window, admiring the shimmering river view. At this moment, Li Yuan gently knocked on the door and entered after receiving permission. He bowed slightly and said, "Young Master, I have invited the boat captain to the second floor."

Then, Li Yuan led the boatman into the house. As soon as the boatman entered, he and Xiao Lan exchanged greetings. Meanwhile, Xiao Lan discreetly observed the boatman before her. He wore a slightly worn gray linen robe, simple yet impeccably clean. He had a square face, his skin a deep, dark, and shiny black, as if tanned by the sun. When he saw Xiao Lan, his face immediately broke into a wide smile, revealing a set of clean, white teeth; he appeared quite kind and approachable.

The boat captain said cheerfully, "My surname is Wang, and my given name is Fu. Because I'm the eldest in my family, everyone calls me Boss Wang. May I ask your surname, sir? Judging from your accent, you don't sound like a local from Lingnan!"

Xiao Lan smiled slightly and replied politely, "My surname is Xiao, and I am from Xiwu Prefecture. I am the second child in my family. If you don't mind, please just call me Xiao Er." After saying that, Xiao Lan nodded amicably, indicating his anticipation and importance attached to this exchange.

"That's too much to ask! I wonder if Young Master Xiao knows about the Ye family in Xiwu Prefecture?" Old Master Wang asked with a beaming smile.

Xiao Lan nodded slightly and said slowly, "The Ye family of Xiwu Prefecture is very famous! They are the maternal family of the current Imperial Concubine, and they are also imperial merchants appointed by His Majesty. In Xiwu Prefecture, who doesn't know them?"

Upon hearing Xiao Lan's answer, a sly glint flashed in Boss Wang's eyes. He carefully observed Xiao Lan's every move, trying to glean more useful information from her subtle expressions and actions. After confirming Xiao Lan's identity, Boss Wang remembered his master's instructions and, without beating around the bush, asked Xiao Lan directly, "Young Master Xiao, do you know whose ship this is?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lan looked at Boss Wang with some doubt and asked, "Isn't this boat yours, Boss Wang?"

"Young Master Xiao, you flatter me. I'm just on business. This boat belongs to the Ye family. My master is going to the capital on business, and since he only needs the third deck, he's renting out the first and second decks to anyone along the way who might need them. My master heard that you're also going to the capital and is interested in making your acquaintance. When would be a convenient time for you, Young Master Xiao?"

After Wang Fu finished speaking, Xiao Lan confirmed that Ye Yuandong was upstairs. She felt a surge of irritation, but she couldn't afford to offend him, as it would still be a day before she arrived in the capital. So she pretended to be confused and said, "Please convey my gratitude, but I've been feeling quite seasick these past few days. I'm really feeling unwell. I'm sure we'll meet again someday if fate allows."

After saying this, he propped his head up with his hand, pretending to be in pain. Seeing this, Boss Wang had no choice but to take his leave. He turned and went to the third floor to prepare to reply to his master.

After Wang Laoda left, Xiao Lan instructed Li Yuan to keep an eye on the stairs and to politely decline any more visitors by saying that she was seasick.