Mad Queen Leaves the Palace

Xiao Lan sat quietly in the room, her eyes vacant, her thoughts drifting. She recalled fragments of her past life, the glory and pain intertwined, leaving her with a complex mix of emotions.

She still remembered the hardships she had endured accompanying Yan Linfeng along the way. From the Crown Prince's concubine to the Empress, she had devoted countless efforts and resources to him. She had advised him and helped him stand out in the palace intrigues; she had also endured countless grievances and pressures for him, all so that he could smoothly ascend the throne.

However, everything changed after Yan Linfeng finally became emperor. He became suspicious and distrustful, and no longer trusted and doted on Xiao Lan as before. He believed Ye Lanyi's attempts to sow discord, began to distance himself from Xiao Lan, and even wanted to depose her as empress. Xiao Lan felt utterly desperate and in pain. She didn't know what she had done wrong, or why Yan Linfeng would treat her this way.

She once thought she had found true love, but now it seems it was all just a dream.

Xiao Lan took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She knew she couldn't dwell on the painful memories of her past life. Since fate had chosen to give her a second chance, she would live for herself and fight for her dignity. She would return to the place that caused her heartbreak in her past life, turn the end into the beginning, and start her life anew.

Xiao Lan sat by the window, chin in hand, gazing into the distance with a somewhat lost look in her eyes, pondering to herself: Why did she meet Yan Linfeng so early in this life? In her past life, she remembered it clearly; it was at a poetry gathering held at the academy that she first saw that exceptionally handsome and talented man—Yan Linfeng. The scene seemed still vivid in her mind, but now everything had quietly changed.

Originally, Xiao Lan had secretly resolved that once she entered Minglu Academy, she would never again strive to be number one in everything, as she had in her previous life. Her past experiences had taught her that being too dazzling wasn't necessarily a good thing. Therefore, this time, she only hoped to temper her brilliance and peacefully spend these precious two years of study. After all, for her now, protecting her family was more important than any empty fame. Moreover, if possible, she would strive to become the richest woman in the Great Xia Kingdom, ensuring her family lived a life of wealth and comfort. Thinking of this, Xiao Lan's gaze hardened; she believed that as long as she persevered, this goal would definitely be achieved.

Just as Xiao Lan was still immersed in those hazy memories of the past, a clear and melodious voice suddenly came from outside the door: "Young Master, are you inside? Young Master Ye from upstairs has sent someone to deliver something to you!" The voice was as melodious as a nightingale singing in a valley, instantly pulling Xiao Lan back to reality from the depths of his distant memories.

Xiao Lan was slightly startled, as if waking from a dream. She raised her hand and gently wiped away the crystal-clear tear from the corner of her eye. Then she gently stroked both sides of her cheeks with her hand, carefully confirming that there were no tears left. Only then did she raise her voice slightly and reply, "Come in."

As soon as she finished speaking, the door slowly opened, and Yue'er gracefully stepped in. Two maids carrying exquisite food boxes followed closely behind her. The three filed in and stood in the room. One of the maids respectfully said, "Young Master Xiao, our master heard that you were feeling slightly unwell and was very concerned. He specially instructed the servants to purchase these delicious pastries, hoping that you could enjoy them and feel better." With that, the two maids exchanged a smile, and in unison placed the food boxes on the table, carefully opening the lids.

As the boxes were opened one by one, an enticing sweet aroma immediately filled the room. Xiao Lan's gaze swept over them casually, and she noticed the neatly arranged, brightly colored, and exquisitely shaped pastries. Her heart skipped a beat, for these pastries were all his favorite flavors and styles. For a moment, Xiao Lan wondered to herself: How did Ye Yuandong know my preferences? Could he have been secretly watching me all along? Then, remembering that they were still on his turf, she didn't want to offend him, so she said to the two maids, "Please go back and thank your master for me."

The two maids respectfully replied "Yes" and slowly withdrew from the room. At this moment, Xiao Lan's gaze fell upon the exquisite pastries on the table before her, but for some reason, she felt no interest in enjoying them. After hesitating for a moment, Xiao Lan ultimately kept only a plate of her favorite chrysanthemum pastries, while instructing the maids, including Yue'er, to take the rest and share them.

After everything was arranged, Xiao Lan felt a wave of drowsiness wash over her. She quietly walked to the bedside, lay down fully clothed, and prepared to take a nap. However, her sleep was restless. Her dreams were filled with images of the people and events from her past life. Those familiar faces and scenes played repeatedly in her mind like a movie, sometimes clear, sometimes blurry, making it difficult for her to distinguish between reality and illusion.

Because of Ye Yuandong's promise to Xiao Lan, the pleasure boat would not dock until they reached the capital. Thus, under the cover of night, the exquisite pleasure boat sped off towards the capital, cutting through the waves.

Night fell, and all was quiet except for the clear sound of the river lapping against the gunwale. Xiao Lan lay on the soft couch in the cabin, and with the gentle rocking of the boat, she drifted off to sleep as if she were in a cradle.

Time flew by, and finally, at dusk the following day, the pleasure boat, having sailed all night, slowly entered the Jizhou ferry, the closest to the capital. Once the boat docked smoothly, unloading began on the first deck. Li Yuan disembarked to find a suitable carriage.

After all the cargo was unloaded, Li Yuan and his fellow workers drove the carriage back to the shore. At that moment, Xiao Lan, along with her three personal maids—Yue'er, Dingding, and Dangdang—gracefully disembarked from the boat. Their figures were elegant, their steps light, like fairies descending to earth.

Xiao Lan boarded the carriage and sat quietly inside, no longer showing herself. Yue'er and the others obediently followed behind. They then waited quietly inside the carriage for Li Yuan and the others to unload and load the remaining luggage.

After a while, Li Yuan came to the carriage window and respectfully said to Xiao Lan inside, "Young Master, all the luggage has been packed. However, it's getting late, and it might not be safe to continue traveling. So I think it would be best if we found a good inn in Jizhou City to rest for the night. We can travel for another half a day or so tomorrow and reach the city gate of Kyoto. What do you think?"

Xiao Lan nodded slightly, a smile appearing on her face, and said softly, "Then let's follow Uncle Li's arrangements. I imagine this journey by boat has been quite arduous for everyone. When we arrive at the inn later, Yue'er, you must prepare a sumptuous feast to reward everyone! After all, we've been eating and sleeping in this small cabin for the past few days, which has been quite stifling." With that, she gently waved her hand, signaling everyone to remain calm.

Immediately afterward, Xiao Lan lowered her voice slightly, turned to the maids beside her, and continued to instruct, "And you lot, don't forget to call me hot water as soon as we get to the room. I haven't had a proper wash these past few days on the ship, and I'm all sticky and uncomfortable. I'm determined to take a good bath and wash away all this fatigue and dust." As she spoke, she couldn't help but frown, as if she could already feel the discomfort on her body.