Mad Queen Leaves the Palace

Xiao Lan and Yan Nan Hui walked slowly out of the dining hall side by side, a gentle breeze caressing their clothes, bringing a touch of coolness. Just then, Yan Nan Hui suddenly turned around, his gaze falling on Xiao Lan, and asked, "Are you the granddaughter of Marquis Xiao?" His voice was calm but tinged with curiosity.

Xiao Lan paused slightly, then nodded and replied, "Indeed, Xiao Zhenwei is my grandfather." Her answer was concise and clear, but a sense of doubt welled up in her heart. For some reason, ever since she revealed her relationship with Marquis Xiao, the reactions of those around her had always been somewhat strange. Just like now, a strange look flashed across Yan Nan Hui's face.

Thinking of this, Xiao Lan couldn't help but mutter to herself, "How strange! Why do these people's expressions change so drastically the moment they hear I'm the granddaughter of Marquis Xiao? I never realized the power of the Xiao family's reputation before. Sigh, if I had known this earlier, I should have revealed my identity sooner in my past life, and maybe I could have avoided so much suffering later..." "It's nothing, I just heard that my grandfather had arranged a marriage between us when he was alive, but later the Lady of the Xiao family only gave birth to one legitimate son before passing away. So the marriage fell through." After hearing Yan Nan's reply, Xiao Lan couldn't help but laugh. The Lady of Marquis Xiao must be her own grandmother, Lady Jin, whom she had never met. Although Lady Jin was promoted to Consort, she could only be considered a secondary wife, not a primary wife. Thinking that her own father and the emperor had an arranged marriage since childhood, she really couldn't hold back her laughter. So she suppressed her smile. He said, "That's a pity, my grandmother only had one child, my father. Let's hurry to the lecture hall." With that, he headed towards the lecture hall. Yan Nan followed closely behind.

The first day of classes at the academy was relatively relaxed. Xiao Lan found a table in the third row on the left and sat down, with Yan Nan Hui sitting next to her. When the Crown Prince and his entourage entered, they saw a beautiful girl sitting in the lecture hall, diligently reading a book, while a man next to her was sleeping with his head resting on his hand. Although their faces weren't clearly visible, it was obvious that it was none other than the fifth prince, Yan Nan Hui, who was constantly being scolded by their father but never learned his lesson. Lately, their fifth brother's attention had been entirely on Xiao Lan. If it were any other woman, it wouldn't be a problem, but this was the eldest granddaughter of Marquis Xiao. This was interesting. The Crown Prince went directly to sit behind Xiao Lan, and Lin Yu Xuan, seeing this, also sat behind Yan Nan Hui. Li Wei sat directly behind Lin Yu Xuan. Yan Mo Yan initially wanted to stay away from Xiao Lan, but seeing this arrangement, he sat next to Li Wei, at the table behind the Crown Prince. When Yan Lin Feng, Ye Yuan Dong, and Ye Lan Yi arrived, they had no choice but to sit with Yan Mo Bei at the right-hand desk. Ye Lanyi wanted to sit at the same table as Yan Linfeng, but Ye Yuandong beat her to it. She had no choice but to sit at the table in front of Yan Linfeng. After Yan Mobei entered the lecture hall, he kept staring at Xiao Lan. Xiao Lan disliked his gaze and glared back at him. Yan Mobei wasn't annoyed; he looked away and sat down behind Yan Linfeng. The rest of the people gradually entered, and after everyone was seated... Dean Tan entered, bowed to the students, and began his introduction: "Fellow students, my surname is Tan, and my given name is Si. You can call me Master Tan or Dean. Several members of this academy are members of the royal family, but this morning His Majesty sent word that from now on, there will be no distinction of rank within the academy; everyone will be addressed as fellow students. Also, because the academy has enrolled a large number of students this year, to prevent any problems and for the safety of all students, starting today, the academy will be staffed with additional Imperial Guards. Please carry your identification badges when entering and leaving the academy." Master Tan spoke for about an hour, explaining the history of Minglu Academy, its rules, and other important matters. He then left, satisfied. Before leaving, he glanced at Xiao Lan and nodded to her. Xiao Lan immediately understood. It was almost certainly the compensation from Luo You and his daughter that had arrived. She was overjoyed at the thought. So, as soon as get out of class ended, without even saying goodbye to Yan Nan, she dashed off. She caught up with Master Tan in a few steps and asked, "Master, has the matter of Young Master Lan been resolved?" Master Tan looked at the clever and mischievous girl before him as if she were his own daughter, and said, "The Luo family came last night with two hundred thousand taels of silver notes. What do you think we should do with Young Master Lan?" Xiao Lan pretended to ponder and said, "My uncle runs a security escort agency in Shaozhou. He specially sent an uncle from the agency to escort me here. I will give him the money tomorrow and have him deliver it to Young Master Lan." Master Tan thought for a moment and asked, "This is a large sum of money after all. Is it safe? If Young Master Lan doesn't receive it, wouldn't we have worked for nothing?" Xiao Lan understood the old man's unspoken meaning; he was afraid that someone in the middle would swindle the money. So she said, "Don't worry, Dean. This uncle has been with my uncle for over twenty years; otherwise, we wouldn't have left him in the capital to take care of me. However, I will also send a message to Young Master Lan along with the silver notes, informing him that the smooth progress was due to the Dean's mediation. I will make sure that Young Master Lan replies to you to confirm that he has received the two hundred thousand taels of silver notes."

"That's wonderful." Master Tan stroked his beard. He really liked this girl; not only was she academically gifted, but she was also incredibly intelligent, understanding everything at a glance. It was a pity she was a girl; if she were a man, she could easily become an official, and achieving high rank and prestige wouldn't be difficult. What a pity. Thinking this, Master Tan shook his head again. He smiled at Xiao Lan and said, "Then come with me to the study to get the silver notes." "Alright. Please go first." Upon hearing that they were going to get money, Xiao Lan immediately became extremely attentive, gesturing for the master to proceed. Master Tan, seeing this, thought to himself, "This young master Lan is truly charming. Xiao Lan is helping him get money, and he seems as happy as if the money is going into his own pocket." Without further ado, he led Xiao Lan to the study, took out the box containing the silver notes, and said to Xiao Lan, "Count them." Xiao Lan didn't hesitate, took the box of silver notes, sat down, and began counting. Master Tan discovered that Xiao Lan didn't use an abacus. Instead, he simply grouped all the banknotes of the same denomination together, counted each stack, and wrote down a number on a piece of paper. Finally, looking at the numbers he had written down, he said, "That's right, exactly two hundred thousand taels." He then put the banknotes in a box and placed the box in the bookcase. Master Tan couldn't help but ask, "Xiao Xueyou, your method of calculation is quite novel. You calculated that two hundred thousand taels just by looking at those few numbers?" Xiao Lan then remembered that mental arithmetic didn't exist in the Great Xia Dynasty. If it did, it was only after he entered the palace a few years later that mental arithmetic was implemented. But he never wanted to be a scapegoat again; he only wanted to quietly amass wealth. So he said to Master Tan, "This is just a lazy way of thinking. Please don't laugh at me, Master." With that, he stood up, bid farewell to Master Tan, and returned to Lan Yue Residence.

The next morning was Master Tan's class. Unexpectedly, he produced a collection of poems by Young Master Lan and said, "As you all know, one of our classmates came with a letter of recommendation from Young Master Lan. Young Master Lan is also a good friend of mine, but this time I'm recommending someone regardless of personal connections. This collection of poems by Young Master Lan is the best I've seen in recent years. It's said that when Young Master Lan published the book, he set up a competition where a single word could be worth a thousand gold pieces, which shows how exquisite this collection is. Therefore, I plan to discuss this collection with you all in my classes these next few days. Those who can recite three poems from memory and write annotations will pass. Tomorrow in my class, I will explain the excellent annotations." Upon hearing Master Tan's words, a chorus of groans erupted. Not everyone had a copy of Young Master Lan's poems, let alone could recite them from memory. These days, even a deposit for a copy on the black market would be a hundred taels of silver. Just then, Yan Moyan muttered, "Who can memorize this? I can't even recite it when Father tests my studies. This book isn't even sold in the market, how can I memorize it?" However, Teacher Tan ignored him. The Emperor liked Lan Gongzi's poems so much and even praised them during the morning court session, how could he not prepare some for the princes? Thinking this, he glanced around the room and saw that the Crown Prince, Lin Yuxuan, Li Wei, and others had already started writing. He thought to himself that the Seventh Prince was the Crown Prince's younger brother, but he really didn't put in any effort like the Crown Prince. Xiao Lan finished writing and saw that Yan Nan Hui hadn't written yet, so she asked softly, "Why aren't you writing? Don't you know how?" Xiao Lan thought that if Yan Nan Hui didn't know how, she would have to teach him line by line and then write annotations. After all that, she probably wouldn't even have time for lunch. "I don't like writing, and I'm a bit too lazy to write." Yan Nan Hui still looked listless. Seeing Yan Nan Hui like this, Xiao Lan couldn't understand what had happened to this person in his past life that made him go to guard the border, win so many battles, and finally return to the capital where Yan Lin Feng had to appoint him as regent. She couldn't figure it out, but the current problem was that Xiao Lan wanted Yan Nan Hui to submit his grades with her as soon as possible. There were no classes in the afternoon, so she could take him out of Minglu Academy to Wutong Residence. She currently had over 200,000 silver notes; she should renovate Wutong Residence. After Cui Su Mu arrived and helped her find a female physician, they could open for business after the training. Submitting the papers early, going back to Lan Yue Residence to change clothes, grabbing her things, and rushing to the city would allow her to have lunch. The food at the vegetarian hall these past two days hadn't been very good. So she said to Yan Nan Hui, "Aren't you brave?" Yan Nan Hui looked at Xiao Lan in confusion, "What do you mean?" Xiao Lan didn't mince words and whispered, "I'll teach you a poem later. Go tell your teacher you wrote it, and you'll be spared the trouble of homework. Just say that later..." Although their voices were soft, their actions were extremely intimate. Moreover, to avoid being overheard, Xiao Lan whispered in Yan Nan Hui's ear, her breath fragrant. Combined with the unique scent of a young girl emanating from Xiao Lan, Yan Nan Hui's ears soon became hot, but Xiao Lan didn't notice. She asked Yan Nan Hui, "Did you understand?" Looking at Xiao Lan's large, doe-like eyes, Yan Nan Hui felt a mischievous urge and pulled her close, deliberately whispering in her ear, "I understand, Lan Lan." After saying that, he mischievously sighed, his warm breath tickling Xiao Lan's ear. Xiao Lan quickly pushed Yan Nan Hui away, staring at him with wide eyes. As Yan Nan Hui realized he had upset the young girl, he quickly said, "I understand. Let's leave early after we're done. I'll take you to Chunfeng Tower for a nice meal." Hearing this, Xiao Lan knew that business was more important, and she didn't want to argue with him further. So she recited Wang Changling's poem "Leaving the Frontier" to him. Yan Nan Hui obediently wrote it down. Xiao Lan checked it and confirmed it was correct, then winked at him to find a teacher. So Yan Nan Hui didn't try to hide it and stood up directly to Dean Tan, saying, "Teacher, my hand hurts, I can't write that many words." Dean Tan had taught for many years and had seen people make excuses to avoid studying and memorizing, but he had never seen anyone as shameless as Yan Nan Hui, who so brazenly claimed his hand hurt so he couldn't do his homework. However, since the boy was a prince, he couldn't be too harsh on him. So he said, "Yan, your father instructed that this academy treat you brothers equally and not give you any special treatment. If your hand really hurts so much you can't write, it would be best to call the imperial physician for treatment." Yan Nan Hui had already guessed that the old teacher would call the imperial physician. So he said, "This place is in the suburbs. Finding the imperial physician and then coming back would take at least three hours. Teacher, how about this? You said that no one can change Young Master Lan's poem. I happened to write a poem a few days ago. Could you see if you can help me change even one word? If you can, I'll submit three times the amount of homework. If even you can't change it, then this poem will count as my homework. I think the purpose of teaching is to cultivate talent, and homework should be of high quality, not quantity." Yan Nan's words stunned everyone except Xiao Lan. This Fifth Prince was known outside as a playboy, yet today he claimed that his poem, like Young Master Lan's, was unchangeable. Everyone thought this playboy was trying to use his status to avoid doing his homework. Yan Linfeng then spoke up, "Fifth Brother, don't be ridiculous. If Father finds out, he'll hold you accountable." Before Yan Linfeng could finish speaking, Ye Yuandong chimed in, "Fifth Prince, this is a competition with Young Master Lan. But you are the Fifth Prince; even if you write it, I'm afraid the teacher won't dare to change it." At this moment, Yan Moyan also wanted to say something, but the Crown Prince turned around and stopped him with a look. Yan Nanhui guessed everyone's reaction, so he said to Teacher Tan, "Teacher, to be fair, please read it aloud after you finish reading it. Whoever can change even one word will lose." Seeing that he had said this, Tan Si nodded and said, "Granted. If no one can change the Fifth Prince's poem, then he has the talent of Young Master Lan, and there's no need to teach him the assignment." So Yan Nanhui took the written poem and went forward to hand it to Tan Si. Everyone stopped writing and looked at Tan Si, waiting for a good show. Tan Si stared at Yan Nan Hui for a long time, his face filled with shock. Just when everyone thought Tan Si was about to scold Yan Nan Hui, Tan Si shouted, "Fifth Prince, were you hiding your talents before? Such great talent! How come your poems have never been heard in the capital?" Suddenly, he felt that this was inappropriate, so he looked at Yan Nan Hui and grinned foolishly. Just as he was thinking of what to say, Yan Mobei spoke up, "The teacher praised my fifth brother so highly, why don't you read it out and let us hear it too?" At this moment, someone else shouted, "Yes, read it out, read it out!" Xiao Lan turned around sharply. The voice came from behind her. The Crown Prince, Lin Yuxuan, Li Wei, and Yan Moyan. Li Wei was the first to be ruled out. Although that person spoke in a high-pitched voice, that Beijing accent was something Li Wei couldn't possibly speak. Yan Moyan? He's brainless, so he probably wouldn't be able to either. That leaves the least likely one as a possibility. Neither the Crown Prince nor Lin Yuxuan would be a good thing. At this moment, Yan Jingtian looked at Xiao Lan and smiled, "Miss Xiao, why are you looking at me and Yu Xuan like that? Is there something on our faces?" He then wiped his face. Xiao Lan didn't see anything amiss, and besides, both the Crown Prince and Lin Yu Xuan knew about it. Since they were pretending not to know, she couldn't say anything, so she smiled and replied, "It's nothing," before turning her head away. At this moment, Tan Si gestured for everyone to be quiet and said to Yan Nan, "Your Highness, I am about to recite your poem."