Mad Queen Leaves the Palace

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the clouds, bathing Minglu Academy in a golden glow. However, at this peaceful moment, a sudden commotion shattered the tranquility. It turned out that a momentous event had occurred at Minglu Academy, even alarming Dean Tan, who should have been enjoying his rest at home.

The crowd surged towards Lan Yue Residence, eager to see what was going on. When they reached the wall, they were utterly astonished—on the pristine white wall were inscribed love poems! Even more shocking was the rumor that these poems were written by the future Fifth Prince's consort to the Fifth Prince. While expressions of love between men and women were not uncommon, writing love poems on the walls of an academy was undeniably bold and blatant.

At first, Tan Si was furious upon learning of this. He immediately decided to send someone to repaint the walls and erase the glaring poems. But when he arrived at the scene himself, he couldn't help but stop in his tracks. On the wall, written in a flowing, elegant style, were the words: "Ten miles of spring breeze are not as good as you, peach blossoms reflect true affection. I wish to share the bright moon with you, hand in hand, to spend this life together." The calligraphy was beautiful and graceful, seemingly conveying a deep and profound affection. Further on, he read: "The peach tree is young and tender, its blossoms are bright and beautiful. This maiden is going to her husband's home, may she bring harmony to her family. The peach tree is young and tender, its fruit is abundant. This maiden is going to her husband's home, may she bring harmony to her family. The peach tree is young and tender, its leaves are lush and green. This maiden is going to her husband's home, may she bring harmony to her family." Tan Si secretly sighed in admiration; this Miss Xiao truly deserved to be this year's number one. Next to it was written: "I wish to be with you forever, until the end of time. Unless the mountains crumble, the rivers run dry, winter thunder roars, summer snow falls, and heaven and earth unite, only then will I part from you." Then I looked further and saw: "Wading across the river to gather lotus blossoms, the orchid-filled marshland is abundant with fragrant grasses. For whom do I gather them? My thoughts are with you far away. Looking back towards my old home, the long road stretches endlessly. Though we are of one heart, we live apart, and sorrow will accompany us until the end."

Tan Si stared wide-eyed at the poems on the wall, his amazement growing stronger. He carefully savored each poem, discovering that they all revolved around the theme of love, yet without a hint of narrow-mindedness or pettiness. On the contrary, the emotions conveyed in these verses were sincere and profound, seemingly capable of touching the softest corners of one's heart.

And then there's the literary talent—it's exquisite and unparalleled, leaving one in awe. The entire poem flows smoothly, with precise word choice, revealing the author's profound literary skill and unique artistic achievement.

This entire wall was covered with five poems! And every single one of them was a masterpiece, truly a rare sight. As Tan Si read, he pondered to himself, "This Xiao Xueyou possesses such outstanding literary talent, why does she only focus her attention on love and romance? Judging from these poems alone, any one of them would probably be no less impressive than Young Master Lan's work. If she could write some other types of poems, such as landscapes, pastoral scenes, or frontier scenery, she would not only make herself famous but also bring much glory to our academy! It's a pity she chose to write these love poems. I imagine that apart from the Fifth Prince, who is quite fond of matters of love, perhaps no one else would react much..."

However, despite his various thoughts, Tan Si couldn't help but feel a surge of affection when he gazed at the beautiful verses again. After all, such exquisite poems were rare, and it would be a great pity to erase them so easily. Therefore, after careful consideration, Tan Si decided to have a sign erected there, stating, "Unauthorized entry is strictly prohibited within one zhang of Lan Yue Residence." This way, these precious poems would be protected from damage or defacement, while allowing those destined to appreciate their exquisite beauty to do so. It would prevent some careless person from erasing such fine verses.

Dean Tan was still uneasy, feeling that something was amiss, so he quickly sent someone to carefully copy the poem on the wall. Just as he was about to put the copied poem away properly, a hand suddenly reached out from the side.

Everyone looked closely and saw it was Eunuch Fang, the Emperor's closest confidant. Eunuch Fang, all smiles, bowed respectfully to Dean Tan and said, "Dean Tan, I've come on His Majesty's orders to retrieve these poems written by the Fifth Prince's Consort." Without a word, he snatched the copied exam paper from Tan Si's hands and carefully examined the poems. Then, he looked up at the poems that had originally hung on the wall, comparing them repeatedly until he confirmed there were no differences. Satisfied, he nodded and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Dean Tan! I must hurry back to the palace to report to His Majesty." With that, Eunuch Fang hurriedly picked up his things and left, leaving Dean Tan and the others looking at each other, wondering what the Emperor's intentions were.

Tan Si stared wide-eyed at the empty paper in his hand, cursing inwardly, "Is this Eunuch Fang some kind of slippery eel? How can he move so fast! I just finished copying it, and he came over like a gust of wind. And he even used that 'by imperial decree' to make me not dare to utter a single 'no'."

Left with no other choice, Tan Si could only sigh deeply, like a deflated balloon, and resignedly unfold the snow-white sheet of paper once more. He turned to the tutor beside him who was in charge of copying the book and instructed, "Come, come, please make another copy for me. Sigh... who knows which gentleman might want it again."

After a brief pause, Tan Si's eyes darted around, as if he had come up with a brilliant idea. A sly smile appeared on his face, and he said to the pitiful-looking teacher, "How about this, you copy a few more copies for me later. Look at these verses, how well written! We should all study them properly, shouldn't we?" After saying this, Tan Si put his hands behind his back, strode off with large strides, shaking his head and swaggering towards his bookstore.

Only the teacher, who had been ordered to copy repeatedly, remained, standing alone in the bleak autumn wind. The cold wind relentlessly blew across his thin body, causing him to shiver uncontrollably. But forced by Tan Si's orders, the teacher could only grit his teeth and continue to work diligently, carefully copying the tender love poem that Xiao Lan had written on the wall, stroke by stroke.

At this moment, in the magnificent Weiyang Palace, sunlight streamed through the carved window lattices, casting dappled shadows on the floor. Yan Zhen, clutching a thick stack of papers, hurriedly entered the palace. His handsome face showed a hint of anxiety and concern.

Consort Tong, seated in the hall, was dressed in a magnificent palace gown, her figure graceful. She was about to rise and bow, but the sharp-eyed Yan Zhen noticed and quickly stepped forward to support her, saying urgently, "My beloved consort, haven't I told you many times? You are now six months pregnant, and your body is heavy. Let's skip those tedious formalities if possible!" As he spoke, he carefully helped Consort Tong to the table and gently helped her sit down.

Consort Tong tilted her head slightly, looking at Yan Zhen with a gentle smile in her eyes, and softly replied, "Your Majesty, etiquette is a rule of the palace and should not be easily abandoned. Besides, I am now more than three months pregnant, and the pregnancy is stable. I can still handle some of the formalities with ease." As she spoke, her tone was gentle and melodious, like a spring breeze that brought joy to the heart.

Yan Zhen gently placed his hand on Consort Tong's slightly protruding belly, his face filled with tenderness. Time flies, and he was already close to fifty. He never expected to be so fortunate as to have children again, and twins at that.

At this moment, Yan Zhen was still immersed in the joy of welcoming his two princes into the world. A smile unconsciously crept onto his lips, and his eyes sparkled with excitement and anticipation. However, just as he was lost in this reverie, he heard Consort Tong's gentle voice ask, "Your Majesty, when you came in just now, what did you mention wanting me to see?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Zhen suddenly came to his senses and remembered what he had said when he entered. He quickly took out a piece of snow-white paper from his sleeve, carefully handed it to Consort Tong, and said with a smile, "My dear consort, come and see how these poems are written?"

Consort Tong gracefully extended her delicate hand and carefully took the stack of papers, then turned the pages one by one, her gaze focused and attentive as she read. As she slowly turned the pages, she murmured, "Your Majesty, I wonder who wrote these? Their writing is so outstanding! But… why are they all love poems?"

Yan Zhen smiled slightly, gently reaching out to support Consort Tong's slender waist, and whispered in her ear, "My dear consort, don't be impatient, enjoy it slowly. I believe that with your talent and knowledge, you will surely be able to appreciate its beauty."

Consort Tong nodded slightly and continued reading carefully. After a moment, she couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "Not just good! The writing is simply first-rate, in no way inferior to those renowned literary masters! Although they are all love poems, there is not a trace of pettiness between the lines. Reading them allows one to deeply feel the beauty and purity of love, and at the same time, to appreciate the depth of the poet's affection and the sincerity of their feelings for their beloved!"

Speaking of the Tong family of Jiangnan, to which Consort Tong belonged, they were a renowned and powerful clan in the Great Xia Kingdom. The Tong family possessed a profound foundation and a long history, having weathered the storms of three dynasties yet remaining steadfast. The reasons for this were twofold: firstly, the Tong family always upheld the principles of loyalty and righteousness, producing only pure and loyal officials who never participated in the factional struggles of the court; secondly, the Tong family emphasized cultivating their offspring, resulting in sons who were all exceptionally talented and outstanding, excelling in various fields and becoming leaders in their respective areas. It was precisely because of this that, at the founding of the Great Xia Dynasty, the founding emperor relied on the strong support of the Tong family to quickly stabilize the situation and consolidate his power. It was also for this reason that, when Yan Zhen was still a prince, Consort Tong was able to hold the position of principal consort, while Empress Lin could only be relegated to the rank of secondary consort.

Yan Zhen knew that Consort Tong had been well-versed in various books since childhood and possessed a high level of literary cultivation. The fact that even she could offer such high praise spoke volumes about the poem's exquisite beauty. Just as Consort Tong was gently turning the pages to the last, her gaze suddenly fixed on the three prominent characters "赠南回" (Presented to Nan Hui), a look of doubt on her face. She asked softly, "Your Majesty, could this '南回' be our son? This…"

Yan Zhen's lips curled into a slight smile, a hint of barely perceptible pride and joy flashing in his eyes. He announced loudly, "It is indeed our precious son! This poem was written by your future daughter-in-law. I heard that it was originally inscribed on the wall of Minglu Academy, but due to limited space, she only wrote five verses. Initially, the highly respected old teacher of the academy intended to have them erased, but after witnessing the verses with his own eyes, he was also captivated by their extraordinary beauty. Therefore, he ordered everyone to erect a fence around the academy wall to prevent others from approaching and damaging this rare masterpiece." As he spoke, Yan Zhen's smile grew even brighter, as if the poem was not a love poem written for Yan Nanhui, but rather a gift specifically for him, filling his heart with joy and pride.

Consort Tong looked at Yan Zhen with a smile, a surge of joy welling up inside her. She suppressed her laughter, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Before, I always thought it was just our son's one-sided love for that Miss Xiao. I was even worried that if the imperial decree were issued to grant them marriage, it might mistreat the girl. But now it seems Hui'er wasn't deceiving me; they truly are in love! Look, our son has barely left, and Miss Xiao has already written so many words of longing. However, her direct expression of affection might attract some gossip."

Upon hearing this, Yan Zhen frowned slightly, then pointed domineeringly at Eunuch Fang beside him and ordered, "Anyone who dares to point fingers at or speak ill of my royal daughter-in-law will not be spared! Go immediately to my private treasury and carefully select a few precious items suitable for Miss Xiao's tastes to send over. Also, convey a verbal order for me, saying that Xiao Hou's granddaughter, Xiao Lan, is not only exceptionally talented but also a model of virtue among women! Go quickly and return promptly, without fail!" After saying this, he lightly waved his sleeve, signaling Eunuch Fang to go and handle the matter immediately.