Mad Queen Leaves the Palace

After leaving the Dean's antique study, which exuded a strong scholarly atmosphere, Xiao Lan led Dingding quickly towards the Hall of Ceremonies. As they approached the solemn and magnificent gates of the Hall of Ceremonies, they could see small groups of people standing scattered along its snow-white exterior walls. Some of these people were tall and straight, while others were slightly hunched, but without exception, they all had their backs to Xiao Lan.

Upon closer inspection, the dozen or so people were all intently staring at the list that the academy had just posted, as if it contained some priceless treasure, captivating their gazes. Curious, Xiao Lan also fixed her eyes on the list. What she saw shocked her! Good heavens! She recognized more than half of the names listed—familiar faces from her daily life!

Class A: Yan Jingtian, Lin Yuxuan, Xiao Lan

Class B: Yan Linfeng, Yan Moyan, Zhou Shengcai, Yan Mobei, Yan Nanhui, Li Wei

Upon seeing the C-level list, one's gaze was drawn to the list of students from the outer academy. However, to everyone's surprise, Ye Lanyi's name was prominently displayed in the C-6 section! This was truly astonishing, as no one had expected that Ye Lanyi would choose to take the outer academy exam in her lifetime, and barely manage to squeeze in with a score that barely met the minimum requirement.

Even Xiao Lan couldn't help but find it quite amazing. After all, according to common sense, Ye Lanyi should have sought help from her dear aunt, Consort Ye, and then easily entered the inner courtyard. But now, she entered through her own efforts in the exam. What's even more surprising is that she actually managed to achieve such a good result as fifth place in the outer courtyard, practically squeezing into Minglu Academy by the skin of her teeth.

The thought of having to go to and from class with this woman again instantly soured Xiao Lan's mood. Just as she was feeling down and resentful, she suddenly felt an extremely unfriendly gaze directed at her from the left. At first, Xiao Lan thought she was just overthinking things, but instinctively, she quickly turned her head to the left to see if it was really true, or if she was just being overly sensitive and anxious.

The result was astonishing; her gaze met directly into that unseeable stare. What eyes they were! Filled with resentment and hatred, they seemed to spit fire, fixed intently on Xiao Lan, sending chills down her spine. Just then, a strange gaze suddenly shot over, and Xiao Lan instinctively followed the gaze, only to find that this hostile gaze originated from a completely unfamiliar young girl. Upon closer inspection, the girl appeared to be slightly younger than herself, wearing a pale yellow long dress with flowing sleeves, as delicate and beautiful as a flower blooming in spring. Her hair was carefully styled into two cute buns, gently tied with pink ribbons, the long tassels swaying gracefully with her movements, further accentuating her fair and delicate face.

However, beneath such a beautiful exterior lay a heart that wasn't exactly kind. Xiao Lan couldn't help but sigh inwardly, pondering, "How could such a beautiful young girl have such a vicious look in her eyes? I've never met her before, yet she stares at me like I'm an enemy, as if I've stolen her most precious treasure." Thinking this, Xiao Lan frowned, trying to recall if she had recently made any enemies. The only person who might have a conflict with her now was Luo Yuanyuan, lurking in the shadows, but even Luo Yuanyuan wouldn't send such a completely unfamiliar girl to provoke her. Could it be… that this girl is Ye Lanyi's lackey? But in her memories of her previous life, she had never encountered this person!

The woman wasn't surprised to see Xiao Lan; she simply snorted and turned away.

Xiao Lan couldn't afford to lash out at her unfriendly glare. She turned her head back, only to see Ye Yuandong again. She remembered he had also taken the Inner Court exam, and during that exam, he was only separated from her by Yan Linfeng. However, Xiao Lan recalled that she had seen Ye Yuandong on the list of successful candidates earlier. In previous years, the academy didn't have so many people; they simply posted the list of Inner Court and Outer Court top five candidates. This year, however, they were divided into separate registrations. Luckily, she hadn't answered one question correctly. If her score had been higher than the Crown Prince's, she would likely have been reprimanded for not knowing the rules, and it might even have implicated Yuzhou. She was grateful for her decision. Otherwise, the thought of it was terrifying. And what she feared most came true.

Lin Yuxuan and Yan Jingtian seemed to be talking, their gazes sweeping over Xiao Lan, as if they were discussing something. Xiao Lan noticed, but wanting to stay away from the royal family, she turned her face away, pretending not to see them. Unexpectedly, Lin Yuxuan and Yan Jingtian walked over together.

Xiao Lan quickly bowed, "Greetings, Your Highness." Yan Jingtian and his brothers hadn't revealed their identities before, but now that the academy had posted their names, it would be impolite to pretend not to know them. Yan Jingtian stepped forward and took Xiao Lan's sleeve, saying, "Xiao, since we're studying together at the academy, let's skip some of the formalities." Yan Jingtian glanced at Lin Yuxuan and continued, "Besides, you and Yuxuan are old acquaintances. Yuxuan has been a companion in the palace since childhood, and we're as close as brothers. You can also treat me like an older brother." Upon hearing this, the two beside him were startled. Lin Yuxuan quickly said, "Your Highness is too kind; I am unworthy of such kindness." He then cupped his hands in a respectful gesture. Xiao Lan quickly replied, "Your Highness's kindness is too much for me to bear." She thought to herself, "I never met this Crown Prince in my previous life, but he truly embodies the virtues of a gentle and kind person, and his treatment of others is genuine and pure. No wonder after Yan Linfeng became Crown Prince in my previous life, the Emperor often stared blankly at the palace where Yan Jingtian had lived. It seems Yan Jingtian was the most perfect Crown Prince in the Emperor's heart. It's just a pity he died young in my previous life. However, although this Crown Prince is gentle, who would dare to be on friendly terms with the Crown Prince? It's not like they're tired of living." Then, with a forced smile, she stood aside without saying a word.

Seeing that Lin Yuxuan and Xiao Lan were both making excuses, Yan Jingtian knew that his words were somewhat inappropriate, so he did not refute them and continued, "Xiao Xueyou, I heard from Yuxuan that you came to the capital from Yuzhou to study?"

"Yes, Your Highness." Xiao Lan didn't know why the Crown Prince asked such a question, so she simply answered without daring to say another word, lest she make a mistake.

"That Xiao Xueyou inherited his place in the academy from his father." Xiao Lan, after hearing the Crown Prince's words, wanted to curse but dared not speak. To put it bluntly, he got into Minglu Academy thanks to his father. Yan Jingtian, weren't you also thanks to your father? Otherwise, you'd still be playing in the mud at the Imperial Academy. Although she didn't like hearing this, she earnestly told Yan Jingtian, "My father is Xiao Daren, the city lord of Yuzhou. He's a fifth-rank official, just enough for me to barely get into Minglu Academy." At this moment, for some reason, Yan Jingtian suddenly asked, "But that Xiao Daren, the eldest son of the young marquis, who gave up his readily available title for a beautiful woman?" Because Xiao Zhenwei couldn't admit to his discord with his eldest son and was unwilling to divorce his wife, he couldn't air his family's dirty laundry in public. Therefore, he fabricated the story of Xiao Daren's request to inherit the title, claiming that the Jiang family didn't want to marry their daughter to Xiao Daren, and that Xiao Daren had voluntarily relinquished his title to obtain the imperial decree for the marriage to Jiang Nihuang. Therefore, people are saying that Xiao Daren, the city lord of Yuzhou, is in love with Jiang Nihuang but cannot have her. So he asked to relinquish his title as a marquis so that he could marry the beauty.

Xiao Lan couldn't help but chuckle, thinking to herself, "This is utterly ridiculous! What kind of nonsense is this?" She shook her head, and after a moment's thought, decided to offer an explanation.

"My father and mother have known each other since they were young, and they can be described as childhood sweethearts. As for the rumors circulating outside about using titles to obtain imperial decrees for marriage, they are pure nonsense. In fact, my father took the initiative to request the abolition of his title, not for any other ulterior motives, but because he, as a man of stature, believed that a real man should make achievements through his own efforts and hard work, and should never rely solely on the protection and favor of his ancestors to live."

After listening quietly to Xiao Lan's words, the Crown Prince was deeply moved and inspired. He said with admiration, "Your father is truly an admirable and remarkable person!" Xiao Lan was naturally overjoyed to hear Yan Jingtian speak so highly of his father. However, at the same time, he secretly muttered to himself.

It's important to understand that since Xiao Lan was old enough to remember things, his father, Xiao Daren, had been an official for over twenty years. Leaving aside the extent of his achievements, the changes in their home state of Yuzhou were undeniable—the city had gradually prospered, and the people's living standards had steadily improved.

What's regrettable and perplexing is that despite Xiao Daren's diligent work for twenty years, the fifth-rank official position bestowed upon him by the long-abdicated emperor has yet to be promoted. What could be the reason for this? Could it be that the current emperor harbors some prejudice or dissatisfaction towards his father? Or perhaps the emperor holds a grudge against the personnel arrangements made by the old emperor? Or maybe the emperor has simply forgotten about a dutiful minister like Xiao Daren?

Ironically, even His Majesty's Crown Prince now openly acknowledges his father's greatness. Following this logic, does it mean there's a problem with the fact that Xiao Daren hasn't been promoted? Thinking this, Xiao Lan couldn't help but shake her head and smile bitterly, thinking to herself: It seems the Yan family really does enjoy acting against their elders' wishes!

But there's no point in arguing about it now. She's just a sixteen-year-old girl, and all she should do is happily go to school; nothing else matters. So she didn't delve into the topic with the Crown Prince, smiled, and said to Yan Jingtian, "Your Highness flatters me." Then she fell silent.

However, the Crown Prince remained oblivious, still wanting to say something more. Just then, Lin Yuxuan gently tugged at his sleeve. The Crown Prince turned to look at Lin Yuxuan in confusion, only to see the other shaking his head slightly in acknowledgment. In an instant, the Crown Prince seemed to awaken from a dream, suddenly remembering that there was something crucial he hadn't yet mentioned.

So the Crown Prince quickly asked, "I just heard from the dormitory supervisor that Brother Xiao still hasn't found someone to live with. Yu Xuan and I are two people, and if we include you, Brother Xiao, we'll make three. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could keep each other company in our studies and discuss things together? What do you think, Brother Xiao?"

Upon hearing these words, Xiao Lan couldn't help but ponder to herself. She thought to herself, "I'm perfectly fine! Besides, I don't even know you two well. How could the Crown Prince possibly think of having me live in the same courtyard as him and Lin Yuxuan? It's utterly baffling!"

Therefore, Xiao Lan bowed slightly and politely declined to Crown Prince Yan Jingtian, saying, "Your Highness, I appreciate your kindness. However, there are differences between men and women, and many inconveniences are unavoidable, so I thank Your Highness for your kindness."

Seeing that Xiao Lan was about to refuse, Lin Yuxuan, who was standing to the side, could no longer contain his anxiety and hurriedly said, "Miss Xiao, please don't misunderstand! His Highness the Crown Prince and I are both people who strictly abide by etiquette, and we would never overstep any bounds. Moreover, the three of us are all among the top-ranked scholars. If we could live in the same courtyard, wouldn't it be more convenient for us to discuss our studies together in the future? This would certainly be of great benefit to our academic progress. What do you think, Miss Xiao?"

Hearing this, Xiao Lan couldn't help but mutter to herself, "Hmph, what a smooth talker! I bet you have ulterior motives. Shouldn't academic discussions be conducted in the classroom? How does it have to do with where you live? I'm here to study, not to become some kind of ascetic. Am I supposed to stay up all night with my roommates by candlelight after school discussing academic matters? Who can endure such hardship and exhaustion!"

Thinking of this, Xiao Lan became even more determined in her decision. She raised her head, looked calmly at Crown Prince Yan Jingtian and Lin Yuxuan, and said solemnly, "I am grateful for your kindness, gentlemen, but I have already found a female classmate to live with. Therefore, I will not bother you any longer." After speaking, Xiao Lan turned around and left without hesitation.

Not long after Xiao Lan left, Yan Moyan suddenly jumped out from the side like a nimble rabbit: "Haha, Second Brother, so you still have spare rooms in your courtyard! In that case, I might as well move in. I haven't found a suitable roommate yet."