Mad Queen Leaves the Palace

Finally, the long-awaited opening day of Minglu Academy arrived. Early that morning, before the sun had fully risen, Xiao Lan awoke from her sleep. She eagerly jumped out of bed, quickly washed up, and then sat at her dressing table, examining her reflection.

The maid, Dingding, had already thoughtfully prepared the clothes Xiao Lan would wear to the academy that day. Xiao Lan took the plain-colored dress, gently unfolded it, and carefully put it on. After she was dressed, she stood in front of the mirror and began to tidy her appearance.

At that moment, the mirror reflected the image of a beautiful and captivating woman. Xiao Lan's bright, star-like eyes sparkled with intelligence, and her white, even teeth gleamed like pearls. The simple white dress she wore accentuated her elegant demeanor, making her appear like a fairy descended from heaven. Especially striking was the red sash adorned with exquisite auspicious cloud patterns, which not only added a touch of brightness to her overall appearance but also perfectly accentuated her slender waist.

According to the academy's regulations, all students were required to wear black cloth shoes. However, Xiao Lan wasn't interested in this style or color, and the flat design made her feel it was too ordinary. So, she turned around, opened her wardrobe, and took out a pair of thick-soled white brocade cloth shoes to change into. Instantly, she appeared a little taller, and her already slender and graceful figure looked even more elegant and charming.

Xiao Lan looked at herself in the mirror with satisfaction, then checked her neatly styled hair bun. Just then, she seemed to suddenly remember something important. So, she quickly went to the dressing table again, sat down, and took out a hair ribbon the same color as her belt from the drawer. She carefully wrapped it around her hair and inserted the exquisite hairpin that had been with her for years into her bun. After this meticulous grooming, Xiao Lan looked even more radiant and dazzling. She then asked Dingding to bring her a bookcase, preparing to go to her morning class.

Unexpectedly, when Xiao Lan pushed open the old door, her gaze immediately fell upon the exceptionally handsome figure in the courtyard—Yan Nan Hui! He was dressed in the same pristine white robes as everyone else in the academy, but unlike them, the belt around his waist was not an ordinary white belt, but a jet-black one. Embroidered on this belt was a lifelike, menacing five-clawed python, as if it could leap out of the belt at any moment.

Looking further up, he wore a purple jade and gold crown, the purple jade inlaid on it crystal clear, radiating a mysterious and captivating light. Leaving aside the priceless purple jade itself, the jadeite and agate embellishments beside it were each priceless treasures.

Her gaze slowly moved downwards, and she noticed that although he was also wearing black shoes, they were far from the ordinary black linen shoes issued by the academy. These shoes were made of precious black brocade, meticulously embroidered with flowing and dynamic auspicious cloud patterns. As he moved, the auspicious clouds seemed to come alive, appearing and disappearing, a breathtaking sight. When Xiao Lan's gaze fell upon Yan Nan Hui's figure, memories instantly flooded her mind. It turned out that just yesterday, Yan Nan Hui had moved into the main house of Lan Yue Residence, and had even brought a pageboy named Jin Bao with him.

At that moment, Jinbao spotted Xiao Lan and quickly stepped forward, greeting her with a beaming smile: "Good morning, Miss Xiao! My Fifth Prince has been waiting for you here for quite some time!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lan couldn't help but feel doubtful, pondering to herself. She had gotten up quite early today, and dressing and grooming hadn't taken much time. If what Jin Bao said was true, and Yan Nan Hui had been waiting for her for a long time, wouldn't he have had to get up at three or four in the morning? Thinking of this, although Xiao Lan had her doubts, she maintained a polite smile, stepped forward, bowed slightly to Yan Nan Hui, and said softly, "I'm truly sorry to have kept you waiting, Fifth Prince."

Seeing Xiao Lan bow to him, Yan Nan Hui quickly reached out to help her, then took the book basket from her hands, replying gently, "It's alright, it's alright. I just came out myself, I haven't been waiting long. Let's go now." Xiao Lan looked at Yan Nan Hui shyly, gently waved her hand, and said softly, "Your Highness, there's no need to trouble you. This book basket isn't heavy at all; I can carry it myself." Yan Nan Hui nodded slightly, thinking to himself: Today is, after all, the first day of school, and the academy hasn't distributed the books yet, so I won't argue with her anymore. And so, the two of them, one in front and one behind, slowly walked out of Lan Yue Residence.

They walked side by side towards the ancestral hall. Today was the first day of the new semester at Minglu Academy! As was customary, the morning classes included a visit to the ancestral hall to reverently pay homage to the great scholars of the past. Xiao Lan was dressed in a snow-white robe, with a bright red belt around her waist; Yan Nan Hui was also dressed in a white long gown, but his belt was embroidered with mysterious and deep black patterns. The striking contrast, one red and one black, made them particularly eye-catching. The man was handsome and dashing, the woman beautiful and charming; walking on the road, they were like a match made in heaven, naturally becoming a beautiful and captivating sight.

Along the way, Xiao Lan enthusiastically discussed with Yan Nan Hui the various plans for the future of Wutong Residence. Her words were as melodious as flowing water, and her eyes sparkled with beautiful hopes and expectations for the future. Yan Nan Hui listened quietly with a smile, occasionally interjecting with a few words, offering suggestions and ideas. An unsuspecting passerby might easily mistake the two for childhood sweethearts who had known each other since they were young! However, this scene presented a completely different impression to the three people following behind. Ye Yuan Dong, walking in front, wore a snow-white long robe with a gray belt around his waist inlaid with crystal-clear, emerald-green jade, which swayed slightly with his steps, shimmering with a captivating light.

Following closely behind, Yan Linfeng was also dressed in snow-white clothes, but he paired them with a blue brocade belt, which made him look even more elegant and extraordinary.

Looking at Ye Lanyi beside her, she too was dressed in flowing white robes, but the belt around her waist was pink, adorned with round, delicate pearls that shimmered like twinkling stars. Furthermore, she wore a pink headband matching the belt, which cascaded gently down her sides. A light breeze caused the headband to flutter lightly, making her appear like a fairy descending to earth.

It's worth mentioning that Xiao Lan simply squeezed her hair into a bun, which made her look dignified and elegant; while Ye Lanyi carefully styled her hair into two buns, which were both playful and cute, yet still elegant.

In the Great Xia Kingdom, people have strict regulations and etiquette regarding clothing. For relatively relaxed occasions like private gatherings, the dress code can be slightly more relaxed, and one doesn't need to be overly bound by traditional etiquette. However, for state banquets or other formal and important occasions, one must pay extra attention to details such as the color, style, and coordination of clothing; even a slight mistake could be considered impolite. For example, today is the first day of school at the academy, and everyone is required to wear the plain clothes issued by the academy. The color of the belt is particularly important. As the daughter of an official, Xiao Lan's family background is exceptionally illustrious; her grandfather is a marquis, a powerful figure. Therefore, according to the etiquette and hierarchical system of the time, she has the privilege of wearing bright red clothing and a red belt. That vibrant bright red dress, paired with an exquisite red belt, makes her appear noble and elegant, like a blooming peony, delicate and beautiful.

In contrast, although Ye Lanyi was deeply favored by the Imperial Concubine, she was unfortunately born into a merchant family. In an era that valued lineage and status, her family background inevitably imposed many restrictions on her clothing. Even as a member of the palace, she could only wear pink dresses with a pink belt around her waist. While the pink dresses could certainly showcase her gentle and graceful nature, they paled in comparison to Xiao Lan's bright red attire.

What infuriated Ye Lanyi even more was that, in her previous life in the palace, as long as Xiao Lan was alive, she was forbidden from wearing bright yellow and bright red clothing on important occasions such as celebrations, weddings, and funerals. For the proud and arrogant Ye Lanyi, this rule was undoubtedly a blow to her self-esteem. Whenever she saw Xiao Lan appearing before everyone in magnificent bright red or bright yellow gowns, radiating glory, jealousy and resentment would well up within Ye Lanyi. Over time, this became one of the reasons why she intensely disliked Xiao Lan.

Ye Yuandong, who also came from a merchant family, could not touch black, bright yellow, blue, or dark green.

Therefore, he could only embellish his belt with the finest jade.

The three of them saw Xiao Lan and Yan Nan Hui walking side by side in the distance, their figures gradually approaching. Ye Yuan Dong was the first to break the silence. He snorted coldly and said sarcastically, "Fifth Prince, you really are as carefree and unrestrained as the rumors say!" His words were full of disdain for Yan Nan Hui.

In truth, Ye Yuandong had always harbored resentment over Yan Nanhui's move into Lanyue Residence. In his mind, the matter was entirely Yan Nanhui's fault, while Xiao Lan was merely forced to agree by the Fifth Prince. However, he seemed to have long forgotten that he himself had once resorted to any means necessary and gone to great lengths to squeeze into Lanyue Residence.

Just then, Yan Linfeng chimed in, "My fifth brother has always been unconventional and carefree, and even Father Emperor dotes on him and spoils him." As he spoke, his eyes would occasionally glance at where Yan Nanhui was, revealing a complex emotion that was hard to describe.

Immediately afterward, Ye Lanyi, standing to the side, couldn't contain herself any longer. She interjected in a coquettish voice, "This young lady must be the Miss Xiao my cousin mentioned yesterday, right? She certainly seems to be a free-spirited and unconventional person. The three of us are truly cousins, yet this Miss Xiao has neither blood ties nor official status with the Fifth Prince, yet she so openly lives together. Doesn't she fear the gossip of the world?" She then covered her mouth with her handkerchief and chuckled softly, her laughter clear and melodious, yet subtly tinged with sarcasm. Just yesterday, Ye Lanyi arrived like a gentle breeze at Yunwen Residence, where Yan Linfeng and the others were staying. Originally, upon hearing that Ye Yuandong was unwilling to live with Yan Mobei, Ye Lanyi had been secretly plotting, thinking that this would be a perfect opportunity to move to Yunwen Residence, thus getting closer to her beloved Yan Linfeng—a case of being close to the water tower and getting the moon first! But to everyone's surprise, Ye Yuandong was so eager to get Xiao Lan to live with him that he didn't even listen to his cousin Ye Lanyi say a few words before running away like a shot.

After a while, Ye Yuandong returned, panting. He told Yan Linfeng and Ye Lanyi, looking dejected, that Xiao Lan had rejected his invitation without hesitation. Hearing this, Ye Lanyi was secretly delighted, but outwardly remained calm. Then, she began to find various excuses to try and persuade Yan Linfeng to arrange a room for her.

First, she complained that the attic was too high up, making it extremely inconvenient to go up and down; then she brought up Yan Linfeng's mother—Consort Ye—to pressure him, saying that if Consort Ye knew she had been wronged here, she would be heartbroken. After much coaxing and pleading, Yan Linfeng finally gave in and agreed to leave her the empty room in the west wing. Ye Lanyi was quite happy at the time, thinking she had gained an advantage. In reality, Yan Linfeng simply disliked Yan Mobei. Or perhaps it wasn't so much that he disliked Yan Mobei, but rather that he disliked every prince equally, except for the fourth prince who died young. After Ye Lanyi finished teasing Xiao Lan, the other two remained silent, watching the two bickering ahead of them. They arrived at the Hall of Ceremonies one after the other. When Xiao Lan entered to sign in, she discovered that someone had arrived before her—it was Crown Prince Yan Jingtian with Lin Yuxuan and Li Wei. She couldn't help but sigh. Being the Crown Prince meant high status and great responsibility; arriving so early meant he must have gotten up very early. She wondered how His Highness's hair was. Thinking this, Xiao Lan whispered to Yan Nantian, "Fifth Prince, for the sake of our hair, let's get up after 5 AM from now on." Although Yan Nantian didn't understand the exact meaning, he roughly understood that she shouldn't get up too early, so he replied, "Okay." The two smiled at each other, and after bowing, Xiao Lan slowly rose and walked lightly towards the door. She felt a mixture of anticipation and curiosity, wanting to see who was in her class. When she finally arrived at the place where the list was posted, her eyes eagerly scanned the densely packed names.