Mad Queen Leaves the Palace

To accommodate Xiao Lan, Wu De did not ride a horse. Instead, he and the steward rode in a carriage following behind Xiao Lan's carriage. When they arrived at Minglu Academy, Xiao Lan, accompanied by Ding Ding, and Wu De, accompanied by the steward, got out of the carriage and entered the academy. After finding the headmaster and revealing their identities, the headmaster asked, "May I ask what brings General Wu and fellow student Xiao here?" He then served them tea.

Wu De glanced at Xiao Lan, the meaning in his eyes was clear: it's up to you to say it.

Upon receiving the signal, Xiao Lan stood up, bowed to the dean, and said gracefully, "General Wu's eldest daughter, Wu Yuyu, is my cousin. She is fourteen years old this year. Although she doesn't possess extraordinary talent, she has always admired Minglu Academy and its teachers. Fortunately, she met Young Master Lan on her way back to Shaozhou and helped him with a small favor, thus catching his eye. He wrote her a letter of recommendation to study at Minglu Academy. I've come today to deliver Young Master Lan's letter of recommendation to my cousin. Please take a look, Dean." She then handed over the letter. Although the dean was puzzled—didn't Young Master Lan just write a letter of recommendation for the daughter of the Vice Minister of War? Why another letter?—he accepted it out of respect for Wu De, glanced at it, and asked, "General, where did this letter come from?" Wu De quickly looked at Xiao Lan, who replied, "It was written by Young Master Lan. My aunt had it delivered to the capital by express courier." Xiao Lan was confident; she actually knew why the dean asked this. There is an unwritten rule in the literary world of the Great Xia Dynasty: prominent scholars from prestigious families will not recommend two students within a year, let alone recommend them to the same academy.

The dean said, "This letter doesn't bear Young Master Lan's seal." He unfolded it for Xiao Lan and Wu De to see, then added, "To be honest, the recommendation letter from the daughter of the Vice Minister of War to the academy was written by Young Master Lan. It's unlikely he would write two letters to the academy at the same time, which is probably why he didn't affix his seal. General, why don't you ask Young Master Lan to affix his seal later and come back next year? After all, the other daughter is still young." He was about to push the letter to Wu De when Xiao Lan stopped him, placing her hand on the letter and saying, "Dean, wait! Let me say something." Seeing that the dean didn't object, she quickly said, "Young Master Lan is a genius of our time; he would never write two letters to the academy. Besides, this letter clearly bears Young Master Lan's seal." Sitting next to Xiao Lan, Wu De thought to himself that his niece was incredibly good at lying; where was the seal on the letter? But considering Xiao Lan's usual way of doing things, he remained silent. I thought to myself, if it doesn't work out, I'll try again.

Seeing the expressions on the Dean's and Wu De's faces, Xiao Lan knew that if she didn't give an answer soon, they would probably get anxious. She quickly said to the Dean, "Does the Dean have any of Young Master Lan's poetry collection? Could I borrow it and explain it to him?"

Young Master Lan was always elusive, and the dean, curious, nodded and rose, taking a sandalwood box from the top shelf. Inside, he opened it and took out a cloth bag. After unwrapping the bag, he took out Young Master Lan's poetry collection. Xiao Lan said, "Dean, please turn to the last page." The dean complied. Xiao Lan then dipped his finger in tea and flicked it onto the lower right corner of the recommendation letter. Once the paper was damp, Young Master Lan's seal appeared prominently in the lower right corner. Xiao Lan then pointed to the poetry collection in the dean's hand, indicating that he should do the same.

Following Xiao Lan's instructions, the dean brewed some tea and dampened the last page of paper, where Lan Gongzi's seal also appeared.

Seeing this, even Wu De understood that there was nothing wrong with his letter. He was just about to suggest that Wu Yuyu come next year if necessary when Xiao Lan spoke up again: "Dean, Young Master Lan asked me to pass on a message to you. He has only ever written one letter of recommendation in his life. He also asked me to bring you another letter about someone impersonating him, but I was in a hurry and forgot to bring it." Actually, Xiao Lan had another letter hidden in her sleeve, but because of Wu De's claim of turning 5,000 into 50,000, she thought that her other letter only asked for 20,000 taels in compensation. If Wu De knew this, he would be furious. She thought it would be better to write another letter when she got back that night and give it to the dean. After all, the Vice Minister of War was higher in rank than Wu De and wasn't a relative. She wanted to take advantage of him. Otherwise, she would be letting down the grudge she held against Luo Yuanyuan for always helping Ye Lanyi cause trouble for her in her past life.

Seeing this, the dean had nothing to say and found a tutor to help Wu Yuyu complete the enrollment procedures with the steward. Xiao Lan also told her that Wu Yuyu had a leg injury and would not be able to attend classes for a month.

There were no further issues with the dean. Xiao Lan arranged to bring another letter from Young Master Lan in a couple of days, and asked the dean not to publicize the matter for the time being, nor to contact the Luo family. She then bid farewell to the dean.

After Xiao Lan and Wu De left the dean's study, Wu De handed Xiao Lan a box containing silver notes, saying, "Lanlan, I really owe you a lot for today. Your uncle thanks you on behalf of your sister. Remember to give this to Young Master Lan. When your aunt returns, your uncle will treat you to a big meal at Chunfeng Restaurant." Xiao Lan knew that Chunfeng Restaurant was a relatively famous restaurant in the capital; a meal for four or five people would cost at least a thousand taels. Wu De seemed genuinely happy. However, Xiao Lan was even happier. Not only had she taken fifty thousand taels of Wu De's private savings, but more importantly, without this money, it was uncertain whether Wu De would be able to marry his concubines in the future. The two walked and talked, with the steward and Dingding following behind. When they arrived at the dormitory supervisor's office, Xiao Lan handed over her and Wu Yuyu's enrollment certificates, completed the check-in process, and paid one hundred and twenty taels for accommodation. Originally, this money could be paid monthly, but Wu De was unwilling and had the steward pay for a year directly. While Wu De was present, Xiao Lan also spoke with the teacher, asking that if anyone else wanted to stay, they should inform him first. The teacher agreed. The four of them took their belongings to Lan Yue Residence. The courtyard prepared for students at the academy was different from the three- or four-courtyard houses outside. Upon entering, one could see the entire courtyard. Directly in front was a main house, with east and west wing rooms on the left and right. These three rooms were for the students. On either side of the main house were two side rooms for maids or servants. Xiao Lan directly chose the east wing room and then had the steward put Wu Yuyu's things in the west wing room. While Dingding and the steward were tidying up, Xiao Lan asked Wu De, "Uncle, how is your relationship with the Vice Minister of War?" Wu De pondered for a moment after hearing Xiao Lan's question and replied, "So-so."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lan understood immediately. Wu De probably didn't get along with the Vice Minister of War, so she said, "Uncle, do you know he's in trouble? His daughter impersonated Young Master Lan and got a fake letter of recommendation. The Dean will probably make trouble in a few days. To avoid implicating us, we need to give a unified story. We'll say that Young Master Lan's letter of recommendation was obtained by Sister Yu on her way back to her hometown of Shaozhou, after she rescued him. We know nothing else. Let's hope their power struggle doesn't involve us." Wu De nodded in agreement. After Dingding and the steward finished packing, the four locked the courtyard gate, walked out of the academy, said their goodbyes, and got into their carriages to go home.

When Xiao Lan returned home, it was just in time for dinner. Xue Zhenzhen had prepared a feast. Xiao Lan was happy because she had earned 50,000 taels of silver that day, so she asked Xue Zhenzhen to cook extra dishes for everyone. After dinner, Xiao Lan took a pot of sake and drank it in the garden. She thought to herself: Heaven has been kind to me, giving me a second chance. When I woke up and learned I was reborn, my first reaction wasn't revenge, but rather that I would never repeat the mistakes of my previous life. If I could avoid those princes and noble ladies, I wouldn't want to meet them again. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. But at worst, I'd kill them all if they stood in my way. Her biggest regret in her previous life was not protecting her family. In this life, she had already saved Wu Yuyu, but Jasmine and Rose had been sold to brothels. The only remaining issue was the fire at their old house in Shaozhou five years later. However, given the current situation, it was uncertain whether there would even be a fire in five years. If all else failed, she would bring her maternal grandparents to live separately after the Jiang family divided their assets. If the old house is destined to burn down, then let it burn, as long as everyone is safe. Just as Xiao Lan was lost in thought, Yue'er came over and said to her, "Miss, why have you been keeping me at home so much lately? Did I do something to upset you?" She then lowered her head, looking at the tips of her shoes, her middle and index fingers intertwined.

Looking at Yue'er's expression, Xiao Lan realized that since waking up, she had always regarded Yue'er as the Yue'er who had accompanied her through the ups and downs of the palace for several years, forgetting that she had been reborn and Yue'er was only seventeen years old now, a little maid who had grown up with her in Yuzhou. Xiao Lan reached out and pulled Yue'er to the side, saying softly, "Our Yue'er is so good, how could she make me angry? It's just that coming to the capital is different from Yuzhou, we have to be careful in everything. Dingding knows martial arts and has experience traveling the world, so I'll be safer with her. You see, last time we went to the General's Mansion, if it weren't for her, your young lady would have been skinned alive by that Chen woman." Yue'er thought of what Dingding had said when she came back and nodded in agreement, "Miss is right, we were terrified when Dingding came back last time."

Seeing that Yue'er understood, Xiao Lan continued, "Yue'er, you came to my house when you were ten, so you've practically grown up with me. I only have three personal maids, and now you're the only one left. I kept you at home hoping that you could take good care of the house while I'm not around. My eldest brother will be coming next year, and I'm afraid he won't feel comfortable without someone he knows well to manage the household. Besides, I'll be very busy going to the academy and managing the business, so there will be some things I need you to do for me." As she spoke, Xiao Lan patted Yue'er's head. "So do you understand? You're not unimportant; on the contrary, you're very important. In the future, I hope all three of you can be independent and capable, which will make my life much easier." Xiao Lan wasn't sure if Yue'er understood. But seeing Yue'er nod and happily tell herself that she would work hard and manage the household well, she felt relieved. At least the girl wouldn't be so stubborn anymore.

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the thin curtains, bathing the room in a soft golden glow. Xiao Lan rose early and began bustling about the house. First, she carefully organized her usual books, writing implements, paper, and other belongings, placing them in an elegant wooden box. Next, she neatly folded a few changes of clothes and put them into a bundle.

After finishing these tasks, Xiao Lan went to the courtyard and found Yue'er pruning the flowers and Li Yuan sweeping the yard. She called their names softly, and when they approached, she smiled and explained a few things to them.

"Moon, I have an appointment with the headmaster at the academy tomorrow, and I may be away from home for a few days. Please take good care of the family during this time," Xiao Lan said gently.

Yue'er nodded obediently: "Miss, please go with peace of mind. Yue'er will definitely take good care of the family."

Xiao Lan turned to Li Yuan: "Li Yuan, the weather is getting cooler these days, remember to take good care of the flowers, plants and trees in the yard to keep them warm. Also, if anyone comes looking for me, just ask them to leave a message."

Li Yuan nodded, indicating that he understood.

After explaining everything, Xiao Lan returned to her room, had a simple lunch, and decided to rest early to recharge for the next day's journey. She lay on her bed, closed her eyes, and her thoughts drifted away… After an unknown amount of time, Xiao Lan finally fell into a deep sleep and drifted into a sweet dream.