Mad Queen Leaves the Palace

Xiao Lan stared at Xiao Mu'an with a puzzled expression and asked softly, "Brother, I heard you say that when we came from Shaozhou, Grandfather and Grandmother had already divided the family property. What exactly is going on? My cousin mentioned before that she wanted to marry that Gu Sanlang, but as far as I know, Gu Sanlang is no good person. Does my cousin really intend to marry him?" At this point, Xiao Lan couldn't help but shake her head slightly, pondering to herself.

Having lived two lives in the Great Xia Dynasty, she found it hard to agree with such talk of saving a life or repaying a debt with her body. Leaving aside the fact that the affair between Gu Sanlang and Jiang Zhuzhu was insignificant, even if there was a debt to repay, Jiang Zhuzhu could have easily offered some material compensation. However, what was truly baffling was that they actually chose to marry! Even more astonishing was that this marriage was arranged without the Jiang family's consent or their involvement; instead, the Yao family was approached. As a result, when the Yao family realized the situation was dire, they decisively abandoned Jiang Zhuzhu. Jiang Zhuzhu and her mother, Yao, then attempted to drag the entire Jiang family into this turmoil, ultimately forcing her maternal grandfather to make the decision to divide the family property.

In reality, to completely resolve the conflict and problems with Jiang Zhuzhu, putting her to death or removing her from the family genealogy might be feasible methods. However, the frustrating thing is that his maternal grandfather is kind-hearted and compassionate, finding it difficult to be so ruthless. Jiang Zhuzhu and her mother are well aware of this, having grasped the two old men's soft hearts, and thus have become increasingly unscrupulous.

Although the situation doesn't seem out of control yet, the meticulous Xiao Lan harbors lingering doubts. She has a feeling that this matter won't simply subside so easily, and that there might be more untold stories behind it all. Therefore, Xiao Lan decides to find an opportunity to question her brother, hoping to glean some inside information from him. After all, knowing more about the truth will allow her to better cope with any unforeseen events that may follow.

"Before I left, something quite happened to my second uncle! I guess it's unlikely that my cousin's wedding will be arranged so quickly." The usually taciturn Xiao Mu'an unusually spoke up to his younger sister about this. Since his sister had already asked out of curiosity, and he was going to write a letter to Yuzhou City to inform her of the situation, he didn't intend to hide anything any longer. He turned to Xiao Lan, whose face was full of gossip, and continued, "On the day the family property was divided, I happened to receive Father's orders to go to Shaozhou to bring Mother back. Two days later, Mother set off for Yuzhou. However, a few days later, my second aunt came to our old house in a huff and started causing trouble. Only then did everyone realize that after the family property was divided that day, my second uncle hadn't gone home at all; instead, he'd gone to Yanliu Lane!" At this point, Xiao Mu'an hesitated, secretly wondering how to explain such a scandalous affair to his sister. But before he could finish his thought, the impatient Xiao Lan eagerly pressed, "Yanliu Lane... isn't that... that kind of place?! My goodness, I never imagined my second uncle would be so capable now!"

"Lanlan, stop talking nonsense! Your uncle is going there to see someone he knows." Xiao Mu'an's expression tightened, and he quickly stopped his sister. He was secretly glad that it was just the two of them at the moment. If others had heard their words, it would probably have caused a lot of trouble.

Xiao Lan's beautiful eyes darted around, a sly smile playing on her lips. "An acquaintance? Second Uncle actually has someone he knows in that brothel! Brother..." she drawled, snuggling up to Xiao Mu'an like a kitten, pleading sweetly, "Good brother, please tell me the details quickly." She then gently tugged at Xiao Mu'an's sleeve.

Xiao Mu'an shook his head helplessly, sighing inwardly: This little sister of his has always been strong-willed and never easily shows weakness. Only when she needs his help will she sweetly call him "brother" or "good brother." Thinking of this, he couldn't help but smile slightly, fully aware of his sister's little thoughts.

Since that was the case, he stopped beating around the bush and began to tell Xiao Lan the whole story: "After my second aunt arrived at my maternal grandparents' house, without saying a word, she grabbed Jiang Zhuzhu and started crying and making a scene. She insisted that my maternal grandparents were forcing my second uncle not to come home, and the scene was truly chaotic. No matter how much everyone tried to persuade her, she wouldn't listen and just kept throwing a tantrum, turning the whole maternal grandparents' house upside down. Finally, because the situation was so outrageous, my maternal grandparents finally lost their temper and immediately sent someone to the government office to report the case. And what happened? After some investigation, it was discovered that my second uncle had never returned to his own home since the day the family divided their property!"

At this point, Xiao Mu'an paused slightly, glanced at Xiao Lan's surprised face, and continued, "It turns out that after leaving home, Second Uncle went straight to Yanliu Lane and stayed at the home of a woman named Zeng Yun'er. This Zeng Yun'er is not young; she's over forty. However, although she lives in a place like Yanliu Lane, she's not involved in prostitution. In fact, she's just a tailor who makes clothes for the girls in Yanliu Lane."

Upon hearing that the other person was already forty years old and a tailor, Xiao Lan couldn't help but feel a little confused. She blinked her large, bright eyes and asked curiously, "Why has Second Uncle been staying at her place for so long? It sounds like he's been there for at least five or six days!" After saying this, Xiao Lan seemed to suddenly realize something, her brows furrowing slightly as she continued thoughtfully, "Also, that person named Zeng Yun'er should be around the same age as Uncle, right? Could it be... she's related to one of Uncle's old friends? But I've never heard of such a person before. Oh, brother, stop being so mysterious and tell me what's going on!"

Xiao Mu'an stopped being mysterious and spoke frankly, "My thoughts were exactly the same as yours. At first, I wondered if her husband or brother had some connection with her uncle. But who knew that when Grandmother heard the name 'Zeng Yun'er,' her face instantly turned ugly. Then, Grandmother found an excuse to send my second aunt away. As for me, curiosity got the better of me, so I secretly hid and eavesdropped. I overheard Grandfather and the others inquiring about the situation with the officials, and they learned that Zeng Yun'er had a son about the same age as Jiang Zhuzhu! Oh dear, that's terrible! Grandmother fainted on the spot. After she finally woke up..." He kept muttering that he was guilty and that he had let his second uncle down. However, the adults then sidelined me, not letting me hear anything more. But Auntie probably knows the details; you can ask her when you get back, and you'll find out everything.” At this point, Xiao Mu'an suddenly lowered his voice, leaning closer with a mysterious yet slightly excited air, and began gossiping: “Anyway, in my opinion, that Aunt Zeng is definitely not just some ordinary relative. I dare say she must have some connection to the Jiang family. After you get the information from Auntie, you must tell your brother!”

Xiao Lan tilted her head slightly, her gaze falling on her brother's exceptionally handsome face. His features were striking: sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, a high nose bridge, and meticulously sculpted lines, exuding an air of aloofness and detachment. However, at this moment, his handsome face bore an expression of gossip and curiosity, creating a stark and slightly comical contrast that made one chuckle.

Xiao Lan sighed inwardly, "Alas, such an ethereal, otherworldly figure has ultimately been led astray by his younger sister!" She shook her head, a helpless smile playing on her lips, and said no more to her brother. Turning, she walked towards the main room, preparing a comfortable place for her brother, who had traveled from afar, to rest.

After settling Xiao Mu'an in, Xiao Lan hurried to the kitchen and found Madam Xue busy at work. She softly instructed, "Madam Xue, my brother is here. Please prepare some of his favorite dishes to treat him well." Madam Xue smiled and nodded in agreement, promising to cook with care to satisfy her young master.

After arranging the meal, Xiao Lan summoned her servant, Da Baozi, and gave him detailed instructions: "Da Baozi, go to the General's Mansion immediately and deliver a message to my aunt, the General's wife, and my cousin, Wu Yuyu. Tell them that you've invited Miss Wu Yuyu to attend classes at Minglu Academy the day after tomorrow. Remember, be careful on the road and return quickly." Da Baozi respectfully accepted the order and left, his figure quickly disappearing outside the door.

The next day was supposed to be a rest day at the academy, and Xiao Lan, thinking that her brother had just arrived, decided to spend the day with him. Unexpectedly, Wu De, Jiang Xiuzhi, and Wu Yuyu arrived together. Wu De said he wanted to invite the Xiao siblings to lunch at Chunfeng Restaurant. Seeing that it was still early, Xiao Lan chatted for a while, leaving Xiao Mu'an in the courtyard to chat with Wu De and Wu Yuyu. She then pulled Jiang Xiuzhi into the west wing. As soon as they sat down and Yue'er served tea, Xiao Lan eagerly said to Jiang Xiuzhi, "Aunt, to get Yuyu into Minglu Academy, I told Uncle that I know Young Master Lan and can get him a recommendation letter. But since it's done through connections, it costs money." "I originally intended to ask for five thousand taels, but who knew, I just held up five, and my uncle gave me fifty thousand taels. However, I thought that the money in the General's Mansion was all in my aunt's hands; it was her private treasury. Why not take it? Taking more would save that Li Shi from getting it for free. Otherwise, this money would probably have been fed to that illegitimate son." Xiao Lan knew that although Jiang Xiuzhi cared for her, and the value that letter brought to Wu Yuyu was more than fifty thousand taels, such a large sum of money would still leave Jiang Xiuzhi with a thorn in her side if it wasn't mentioned. It was better to be upfront. So, seeing Jiang Xiuzhi's reaction, she continued, "You don't know, at that time, my uncle seemed to want to raise money for his eldest son, to make some plans. But I refused."

Jiang Xiuzhi couldn't help but curse, "A mere illegitimate son doesn't deserve it."

“That’s right. If it weren’t for my sister, how could anyone just use Young Master Lan’s name? Wishful thinking.” Xiao Lan held Jiang Xiuzhi’s hand and continued, “Aunt, I’ll send that 50,000 taels back to you later. Find a safe place to put it.” After saying that, she looked at Jiang Xiuzhi.

Having lived two lives, Xiao Lan understood a principle: even with the closest people, when money and interests are involved, there will be choices to be made. If Jiang Xiuzhi agrees today, she will return the 50,000 taels in full, but in the future, she will have to stay away from the people and things of the General's Mansion.

Jiang Xiuzhi looked at Xiao Lan and said, "Since the money was given to Young Master Lan by your uncle, then it should be given to Young Master Lan. It is rightfully his. I only hope that if your aunt passes away in the future, and your sister encounters difficulties, you can help her out."

After Jiang Xiuzhi finished speaking, Xiao Lan pondered deeply. Firstly, Jiang Xiuzhi's refusal to take back the money seemed unlike her usual greedy nature. Yesterday, her brother had recounted the details of the family division, including how Jiang Xiuzhi and Jiang Nihuang divided the estate and house. If it weren't for her maternal grandmother's subsequent compensation, her mother would have definitely suffered a clear loss. However, Jiang Xiuzhi's answer today satisfied her. She knew how to respect others and wouldn't try to take advantage of her as a junior. She didn't blindly flatter her and hoped to help her in the future if needed. No wonder her maternal grandmother always said that Xiao Si (Jiang Xiuzhi was the fourth and youngest) was the least intelligent of the four children. Yet, her aunt was arguably the most materially well-off of the four siblings. Even though Wu De's first wife had returned, she was only a concubine in the general's mansion. Even if Chen Shi hadn't remarried, Xiao Lan believed that Jiang Xiuzhi would have found a way to keep her as a concubine.

Secondly, since Jiang Xiuzhi is so tactful, she's naturally still family. As for those other slutty, pretentious women who will appear later, the Lin mother and daughter won't appear for another three years, so there's no rush. But Qin Rong should appear the following year. Judging by the timeline, Qin Rong should come to the General's Mansion to seek employment after the New Year. Now, I'm having a headache figuring out how to talk to Jiang Xiuzhi without exposing myself. Looks like I need to start planning.