Mad Queen Leaves the Palace

Night fell quietly, and the entire Lan Yue Residence was enveloped in a soft moonlight, appearing tranquil and mysterious. Inside, the candlelight flickered, illuminating the figures of Xiao Lan and Yan Nan Hui with exceptional clarity.

Xiao Lan sat intently at the table, in front of her some black, lumpy objects—charcoal. She carefully picked up a piece of charcoal, gently placed it in the stone mortar, and began to slowly grind it with a pestle. As time passed, the charcoal gradually turned into a fine powder.

Next, Xiao Lan stopped what she was doing, took a small bag of red rare earth from the side, carefully poured it into the freshly ground carbon powder, and stirred it thoroughly. After completing these steps, she picked up a wooden stick that she had prepared beforehand and slowly filled it with the mixture until the entire stick was full.

After finishing all this, Xiao Lan let out a soft sigh of relief, looked up at Yan Nan Hui, and smiled as he said, "Once these mixtures have air-dried naturally, they will solidify completely. At that time, when we use them, we only need to shave off the outer wooden part to expose the charcoal inside." After saying that, he seemed to remember something, turned around and picked up a yellowed piece of paper from beside the table, which was covered with dense writing.

Xiao Lan handed the paper to Yan Nan Hui and said softly, "This contains detailed instructions on how to make it, as well as some things that need special attention. I'm afraid you won't remember them, so you should make another copy just in case."

Yan Nanhui took the paper, nodded seriously, indicating he understood. Without asking further questions, he copied it down. After Yan Nanhui finished copying, Xiao Lan confirmed it was correct and said, "Keep it safe." She then handed him the sheet Yan Nanhui had written. Yan Nanhui took it and placed the recipe in the brocade box. Seeing that Yan Nanhui had also put the box away, Xiao Lan picked up the sheet of recipe she had written earlier, placed it on a candle, and burned it.

Seeing her like this, Yan Nan asked in confusion, "Why did you burn what you wrote?"

Xiao Lan laughed and said, "I didn't write this method, and it has nothing to do with me. You discovered it. The only production method in the world is also in your handwriting. Besides, the recipe was presented to the Emperor, so the Ministry of Rites will definitely manage the production from now on. If I didn't burn what I wrote, it will eventually become a disaster, harming not only you but also me."

Xiao Lan's thoughts were actually quite simple. Her reasons for deciding to help Yan Nan Hui could be roughly divided into two points. First, it was to repay the assistance Yan Nan Hui had given her in her previous life. At that time, she had been abandoned by everyone, and only Yan Nan Hui, who was not a close relative, was still willing to lend her a helping hand. Xiao Lan always remembered this kindness.

The second reason dates back to when she first awoke. At that time, she had a rosy view, believing that as long as she stayed away from those associated with the royal family, she would be safe. However, many things had changed drastically in this life. Even though she didn't want to get involved in these troubles, the emperor's word brought all the princes to Minglu Academy. Xiao Lan knew that while she was good at making money, in this feudal era, money was important, but power was equally indispensable. After careful consideration, she found that among the princes, only Yan Nan Hui truly suited her needs. Moreover, they had been friends in their previous life. Therefore, Xiao Lan was willing and without complaint to help Yan Nan Hui. Furthermore, she didn't ask for much; she didn't expect Yan Nan Hui to ascend the throne, only that he hold some power so that she and the Jiang family could receive the protection they deserved.

Yan Nanhui's lips curled into a faint smile as he softly said, "Lanlan, how can your little head think so far ahead!" He shook his head gently as he spoke, his eyes revealing a hint of indulgence and helplessness. Then, he asked curiously, "So when will this thing finally be completely dry?"

Hearing this, Xiao Lan rolled her eyes at Yan Nan and said coquettishly, "Hmph! Didn't I tell you to copy the instructions? You didn't even remember them. It clearly says that if it's summer and there's no rain, you can just open the window and let it air dry overnight; but if it's autumn or winter, or if it's cloudy or rainy, you have to put it about ten feet away from the fire and wait for a full six hours. You'd better read it several more times when you get home tonight, and make sure you remember it well! Otherwise, someone might come looking for you first thing tomorrow morning!"

"Alright, there are three more poems you need to memorize. If you can't remember them, then I'll have Jinbao watch over you tonight, and I absolutely won't allow you to slack off and go to sleep!" Xiao Lan rubbed her temples, inwardly groaning. She couldn't help but wonder, this child was clearly exceptionally intelligent in his past life, learning everything instantly, so why was memorizing even a few poems so difficult in this life? If he really displeased the emperor because he couldn't remember these poems, the rewards would certainly be greatly reduced! You know, just these three poems, if included in a poetry collection, would be worth at least tens of thousands of taels of gold!

Thinking of this, Xiao Lan felt she had to find a way to make him memorize these three poems. So, she took a deep breath, rallied her spirits, and continued to patiently teach, "Come, come, look at this sentence, its meaning is actually..." However, at this moment, Xiao Lan was completely focused on explaining the poem and did not notice that Yan Nan Hui quietly raised the corners of his mouth, a sly smile flashing across his face, as if he was brewing some small conspiracy.

The next day, Xiao Lan's prediction came true. The emperor sent Eunuch Fang to summon all the princes back to the palace.

Early in the morning, the five princes stood in a row in the Imperial Study. The seventh prince, Yan Moyan, spoke first: "Crown Prince, why did Father summon us all here? And isn't Father still holding the morning court so early?" After speaking, he looked at his other three brothers.

Yan Jingtian glanced at Yan Moyan and said indifferently, "I was also summoned back early this morning. I don't know what Father Emperor has to do. We'll find out soon enough." After saying that, he didn't look at Yan Moyan or the others, but stared straight ahead, seemingly looking at nothing in particular.

Just then, Yan Mobei's stomach suddenly growled, and Yan Moyan said as if he had discovered something else, "Sixth Brother, are you hungry?"

Yan Mobei glanced at Yan Moyan and replied irritably, "You were called back so early and didn't even have time for breakfast. It's like you're not hungry." Then, as if trying to recruit someone, he looked at Yan Linfeng beside him and said, "Third Brother, you haven't eaten either, have you?"

At this time, the Crown Prince was still alive, and Yan Moyan and Yan Jingtian were both born to the Empress, so the two were definitely in cahoots. Yan Nan Hui didn't associate with any of the princes, so Yan Mo Bei naturally hung out with Yan Lin Feng. Actually, even though they were all the Emperor's sons, there were different ranks. The Empress's sons looked down on those born to concubines, and those born to concubines had to form groups to survive in the harem. Only the Fifth Prince, Yan Nan Hui, remained. His mother was of high rank, but she didn't like to compete or win people's hearts. Therefore, Consort Tong and Yan Nan Hui were both exceptional cases in the harem. However, they were backed by powerful families, so most people didn't dare to touch them, and those who did dare to act didn't dare to be too ruthless. Yan Lin Feng looked at the others and said, "No, it's too early. Even the dining hall isn't open yet." He then rubbed his stomach. Normally, the princes should be having breakfast in the academy's dining hall at this time. But they were waiting here.

At this moment, Yan Nan Hui suddenly touched his stomach. Yan Mo Yan looked at him and asked, "Oh, Fifth Brother, you're hungry too? I thought you hadn't woken up yet because you hadn't said anything. How come you're still the same as before now that you're at the academy?" Yan Mo Yan seemed to have developed a habit of speaking to Yan Nan Hui with a barbed tongue.

Just when he thought Yan Nan Hui would remain silent as before, Yan Nan Hui asked, "The same as before? Tell me, how were you before? I don't know." He then stared intently at Yan Mo Yan, as if he could bore holes through him. Yan Mo Yan had never seen Yan Nan Hui like this before and immediately cowered. He stammered, "I just heard it from others, that you like to listen to music, come home late at night, and so on." As he spoke, Yan Mo Yan kept glancing at Yan Nan Hui, afraid of angering his fifth brother who had suddenly become so agitated. After all, he knew he had only heard it in the Empress's palace, and it was all hearsay and rumors. There was no concrete evidence. But it was fine if it circulated in the Empress's palace; if his fifth brother took it seriously, he couldn't very well say he heard it from his mother. Fortunately, Yan Nan Hui didn't argue with him, but simply said, "Seventh Imperial Brother, listening to everything will only harm you." Then, rubbing his stomach, he said happily, "Didn't you just ask me if I was hungry?"

Seeing that he had brought up the topic of not having eaten breakfast again, Yan Moyan said, "Fifth Brother, there's nothing we can do about being hungry. Eunuch Fang said that Father told us to wait here, and we can't go anywhere. Everyone is starving."

“Who said everyone is hungry? At least I’ve eaten.” As soon as Yan Nan said this, the other four pairs of eyes immediately turned to him. Yan Linfeng said, “Fifth brother, the academy’s dining hall isn’t open yet this early. Where did you eat?” Yan Mobei also said, “Yes, I didn’t see any food for sale on the way.”

Yan Nantian looked at the group and smiled knowingly. He said, "I've eaten. The pastries from Xinghualou are quite good."

At this moment, Yan Moyan couldn't help but say, "Xinghualou isn't your business. You can't just open the door whenever you want."

Just as Yan Nan was about to answer, Eunuch Fang pushed open the door to the imperial study, and Emperor Yan Zhen walked in. He asked, "What kind of behavior is this, making such a racket so early in the morning?" Looking at the five people in the study, he then said, "Seventh Prince, you tell me, what were you shouting about just now?"

"No, no, I didn't shout anything," Yan Moyan mumbled.

Yan Zhen angrily said, "Stand still and speak properly."

At this moment, Yan Nanhui spoke up at the opportune moment: "Your Majesty, my seventh brother complained that Your Majesty summoned them to the palace too early this morning, and they didn't have time to eat breakfast." Just when everyone thought that Yan Nanhui's complaint would end there, he added insult to injury: "However, if I had eaten, my seventh brother might not have been happy. That's why he was a little loud just now."

Yan Zhen tossed aside the folded document in his hand and asked in confusion, "You've eaten? Why did you eat so early?" He himself was always given food in advance by someone and would only have some soup first. How could the fifth brother eat so early while he was out?

Yan Nan glanced at his other brothers and said, "It's all thanks to my good friend who prepared some snacks in my carriage, in case I didn't have time to eat and went hungry."

Yan Zhen chuckled, "You really do have a good classmate, better than your brothers. All they do is stab you in the back." His expression changed, and he threw a letter on the ground, saying to Yan Linfeng, "Third brother, take a good look. This is what you've done—deceiving your superiors and framing your own brother." Yan Linfeng knew as soon as he picked up the letter that the incident from two years ago had been exposed. Fortunately, when Xiao Lan confronted him yesterday, he had anticipated that with so many people overhearing, the truth would crumble, so he had come up with some excuses. He just hadn't expected his father to bring it up so openly so quickly. He picked up the letter and read it—a reply from the Dark Guard's investigation. According to ancestral rules, the Dark Guard should be managed by the Crown Prince, but Yan Zhen saw the Lin family's power and the greatest taboo for an emperor was the influence of powerful maternal relatives. Therefore, he had never given the Dark Guard to Yan Jingtian.

After reading the letter, Yan Linfeng immediately knelt down and said, "Father, two years ago, I was only the Deputy Commander of the Imperial City Guard. Many things were not under my jurisdiction. However, regarding my fifth brother's matter, it was because I, as the elder brother, was not careful enough that he was wrongly accused by the people of Qingshan Prefecture. I am guilty, please punish me, Father." He then kowtowed to the emperor. Yan Nanhui thought to himself that his third brother was indeed shrewd. Two years ago, he was indeed the Deputy Commander, but he was a prince, and his mother was the Emperor's most favored Consort Ye. Who would dare disobey him? However, since Yan Linfeng became the Commander of the Imperial City Guard, he hadn't openly targeted him, and there was indeed nothing wrong with him.

Hearing this, Yan Zhen, who hadn't intended to punish him severely anyway, seized the opportunity to say, "Then you also bear responsibility for negligence in supervision. A six-month salary deduction will serve as a warning to others." Hearing this, Yan Nan smiled bitterly. Sure enough, his father still favored his third brother. A six-month salary deduction would be more than what the Imperial Concubine would give him. He shouldn't have held onto any hope. Everyone said the emperor doted on his fifth son, but only he knew that even when he hadn't made a mistake, his father never listened to his explanations, always punishing him severely. Gradually, he stopped arguing. Sometimes, if it weren't for his mother still being there, he really wouldn't want to return to the palace.

The emperor then asked, "Crown Prince, was you involved in the wrong judgment made by the Prefect of the Capital?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Jingtian immediately knelt down: "Your subject is terrified. I only learned the details of that incident from people in the palace later. Although the Prefect of Jingzhao is my uncle, it is a great taboo for him to associate with relatives of the empress. As the Crown Prince, I would never dare to do so."

When Yan Zhen saw that neither of them would admit to it, he was furious when he heard Eunuch Fang talk about it yesterday. A prince of his stature had been framed by someone close to him, and judging from the tone of his words, this was not the first or second time. So he warned, "I will continue to have people investigate this matter. If they find solid evidence, I will punish them severely, whether they are the emperor's brother-in-law or a prince. Also, if there is any more infighting among brothers in the future, they will be dealt with according to the law."

At this moment, Yan Nan recalled Xiao Lan's words. Although the timing was not right, he could only grit his teeth and press on. He suddenly knelt down and said, "Father, I am suffering. For so many years, I have been wronged. If it weren't for my classmate yesterday, who was really unhappy with my sixth and seventh brothers' sarcasm towards me, and who spoke out about what happened two years ago, I would probably have been burdened with the reputation of a spoiled brat for the rest of my life. It doesn't matter if I am framed, but I feel sorry for Father's reputation, which will be implicated by my unfilial son." As he spoke, he kowtowed to the emperor repeatedly. Upon seeing this, Yan Zhen suddenly felt that because of the early death of his fourth son, he had implicated his fifth son, and that he hadn't cared for him as much as he had for the other princes. He suddenly felt he wasn't a good father, so he said, "Eunuch Fang, quickly help the fifth prince up and go to the storeroom to fetch the luminous pearl that Persia presented as tribute last time." Then, looking at Yan Nan Hui, he said, "Hui'er, your father knows that your maternal grandfather's family is not lacking in gold and silver treasures, so I will bestow this luminous pearl upon you." Yan Nan Hui quickly thanked him, thinking that Xiao Lan would definitely like it.

The luminous pearl astonished everyone when it was brought out. The pearl, about the size of an egg, was completely translucent, its color warm and lustrous like jade, with soft light flowing across its surface. It shone like a brilliant star in the deep sea. Yan Nan Hui received it and knelt to express his gratitude once more. The remaining men, having gone through so much trouble, wanted to leave quickly so they could have breakfast. However, Yan Nan Hui seemed to have read their minds and said, “Father, I discovered something wonderful a few days ago. I was planning to present it to you in a few days, but since you summoned me today, I brought it with me. Since you brothers are here too, you can all take a look.”

Upon hearing this, the others cursed inwardly. They only knew that the Fifth Prince was a loner, not close to anyone, but they never expected him to be so wicked. However, they had no choice but to follow along and watch Yan Nan Hui explain the use and cost of charcoal pencils to the Emperor. Then they watched as Yan Nan Hui received a pile of rewards for presenting the charcoal pencil making method. But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was that the Emperor gave the Ministry of Rites to Yan Nan Hui, ordering him to supervise the production of charcoal pencils. It should be noted that currently, the Six Ministries could only be taken over by a prince after he married his principal wife. This exception clearly implied something. The Fifth Prince had caught the Emperor's eye. Yan Mobei, seeing this, felt even worse. The Crown Prince was the heir apparent, Yan Linfeng controlled the Imperial City Guard thanks to Consort Ye's influence, and he and Yan Nan Hui were the same age. Now even Yan Mobei had been exceptionally promoted to head the Ministry of Rites, while he was still nothing. If one day Yan Moyan gained power and he was still useless, he would be completely finished. The more he thought about it, the more resentful he became, and even the way he looked at Yan Nanhui turned sinister.

Yan Nanhui caught Yan Mobei's gaze out of the corner of his eye, smiled contemptuously, and then smiled at Yan Zhen, saying, "Father, I have written a few poems at Minglu Academy these past few days and would like to ask you to take a look." By the time Yan Nanhui finished speaking, it was almost lunchtime. Even the emperor, let alone the princes, was starting to feel the strain and quickly ordered the meal to be served. The princes then returned to their respective mothers' homes.