Mad Queen Leaves the Palace

Xiao Lan was genuinely surprised by Qin Rong's courage after hearing Jiang Xiuzhi's words. However, if those who had eaten her knew about it, they would probably vomit their dinner from the night before. Thinking of this, Xiao Lan shook her head and said to Jiang Xiuzhi, "Aunt, His Majesty has sent me to Xiwu Prefecture on some business. I will be away from the capital for at least ten days. There are a few things you need to do for me."

Jiang Xiuzhi nodded slightly, a smile playing on her lips, and said, "Lanlan, do you know that your aunt has successfully dealt with that disgusting little bitch recently? Since then, Li's gang has been behaving themselves, and they haven't dared to cause any more trouble! As a result, we now have plenty of time to go all out and make a big splash!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lan's face lit up with joy, and she quickly replied, "That's wonderful! Aunt, in my opinion, you can start participating in the banquets held at various residences now. When the time is right, you can announce to everyone that Wutong Residence will officially open for business in half a month. Another point I need to emphasize is that we have different treatment policies for individual customers and members. As for the specific differences and the relevant standards and requirements for joining, I have written them in detail in these booklets. Please wait a moment, Aunt, I'll bring you five booklets to take with you. After these five booklets have been distributed, if you need to receive new booklets, you will need to bring back all the money received from the previous round of distribution and hand it over to the public account! Moreover, every month we will settle with you a certain percentage of the commission collected from the booklets distributed in the previous month."

As she spoke, Xiao Lan gently flipped through the booklet in her hand, pointing to the deposit slip on the last page, and continued to explain, "Also, Aunt, regarding this deposit, the minimum amount must be one-tenth of the corresponding membership fee. I wonder if Aunt has fully understood the key points?"

Jiang Xiuzhi nodded and said, "It's alright, I'll ask you again if I don't understand." Xiao Lan sighed and said, "Aunt, you've forgotten again that I'm going to Xiwu Prefecture tomorrow. Yue'er will stay in the capital. You can take her to banquets at first to help out, but don't mention that she's my maid. Just tell everyone she's the second manager." Hearing Jiang Xiuzhi's words, Xiao Lan decided that Yue'er should stay here, firstly to help with the preparations for the opening of Wutong Residence, and secondly to help attract customers.

"Also, Aunt, His Majesty already knows that I am Young Master Lan. It'll probably be rumors circulating in the capital soon. You should tell Uncle when you get back today. I'll return the money he gave me last time. We're relatives; don't let money put you in a difficult position." Saying this, she got up to call Yue'er to fetch the money. Jiang Xiuzhi quickly stopped Xiao Lan, saying, "Lanlan, don't take it! You got the money using Young Master Lan's name; why should you return it? Besides, according to the market price you just mentioned, your uncle still owes you quite a bit. If you bring this up again, Aunt won't stand for it." Seeing that Jiang Xiuzhi was sincere, Xiao Lan didn't back down and said, "Alright, then let's not talk about it. But Aunt, you'd better tell Uncle, lest he think we're conspiring to cheat him. It won't sound good."

"I understand. I'll tell him when I get back." Jiang Xiuzhi knew Xiao Lan was right. Since everyone already knew about it, she had to tell Wu De to avoid any potential conflicts.

"Aunt, there is another important matter I need to tell you. I have secretly left the capital recently. If anyone inquires about my whereabouts, please tell everyone that a sudden emergency occurred at home in Yuzhou, and I rushed back to deal with it." Xiao Lan paused thoughtfully after speaking, realizing that this excuse would require taking Xiao Mu'an with her. Fortunately, she had many entourage, which would provide an opportunity to bring Xiao Mu'an back to Yuzhou. She could also take this chance to meet Cui Jiuhan, whom she hadn't been able to kill herself in her previous life. If possible, she would definitely eliminate him completely this time! A ruthless glint flashed in Xiao Lan's eyes. She knew that Cui Jiuhan was no good; if she didn't eliminate him sooner, he would become a major threat in the future.

"Oh, right, Aunt, remember to keep this a secret from Uncle and Xiaoyu. They are both kind-hearted and simple-minded; you must not let them know the details, lest the news leak out unintentionally." Xiao Lan pondered for a moment, feeling that she should still make sure to remind Jiang Xiuzhi clearly, just in case. After all, this matter is of great importance, and the consequences of the slightest mistake would be unimaginable.

Afterwards, Xiao Lan and Jiang Xiuzhi discussed in detail some important matters that required special attention. Knowing that Xiao Lan would be leaving the next day, Jiang Xiuzhi didn't linger and hurriedly said goodbye. Following Xiao Lan's instructions, she successfully received the month's activity funds and five membership handbooks.

Meanwhile, Xiao Lan quickly summoned Li Yuan and inquired about the specifics of a branch of a security escort agency in Jizhou City. After some investigation, Xiao Lan decisively ordered Li Yuan to arrange for the personnel capable of ensuring the smooth and orderly daily operation of the branch to remain on duty, while the remaining thirty escorts were all contracted out to Xiao Lan. Furthermore, Xiao Lan requested that Li Yuan accompany him to Xiwu Prefecture and instructed him to deliver a message to Lin Dayou in Shaozhou. In addition, Xiao Lan further instructed: "Have Uncle Lin send another fifty men to Shaozhou City to stand by, but I only need young escorts under the age of twenty-five. I will carefully select twenty from among them to accompany me directly back to the capital." Regarding the fees, Xiao Lan clearly stated that the transfer fee to Lin Dayou would be three hundred taels of silver per person, with an additional fee payable if anyone possessed the relevant contract documents.

With a stroke of his pen, the Emperor directly allocated thirty battle-hardened and highly trained elite soldiers to Xiao Lan. Normally, thirty men would be sufficient for most situations, but today's events filled Xiao Lan with dread. She had unexpectedly encountered Yan Linfeng, the man who should have been powerless and insignificant. For some reason, seeing Yan Linfeng involuntarily brought back memories of her past life. Back then, Yan Linfeng was a man of immense power and influence, wielding absolute authority! Although he had not yet risen to prominence, who could guarantee what the future held? Thinking of this, Xiao Lan couldn't help but shudder.

Since privately raising a private army is a major taboo in the Great Xia Dynasty, Xiao Lan secretly resolved to find another way—to cultivate some loyal and highly skilled henchmen. Moreover, this matter required prior consultation with Lin Dayou. After all, future actions would inevitably rely on Lin Dayou's Zhenyuan Escort Agency. Therefore, Xiao Lan planned to find a suitable opportunity to inform Lin Dayou of his idea and earnestly request that he open branches of the Zhenyuan Escort Agency in the capital. In this way, officially, they could use the agency to more conveniently transport various precious medicinal herbs; privately, they could use the agency as a cover to quietly recruit manpower and accumulate strength. If a fierce struggle like the Five Princes' Succession War were to erupt again in the future, even if the Fifth Prince chose to remain neutral, with these pre-prepared contingency plans, he would surely not end up being at the mercy of others.

Thinking of this, Xiao Lan looked at Li Yuan with a determined gaze and said softly, "Uncle Li, to be honest, I know that you and Uncle Lin have a little-known private correspondence channel. I wonder if you could use this channel to send him a letter urgently? Please tell him to wait for me at the dock and come with me to Xiwu Prefecture. Of course, to avoid attracting attention, I hope he can disguise himself and not be easily recognized."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuan was startled and pondered to himself: How did Xiao Lan know such a confidential matter? No matter how hard he racked his brains, he probably couldn't guess the reason. After all, this hidden passage was top-secret information known only to a select few. However, no matter how Li Yuan guessed and reasoned, he could never have imagined that this secret was actually told to Xiao Lan by Lin Dayou himself in his previous life.

At that time, Lin Dayou was in grave danger, anxious to inform Xiao Lan and hoping she could avenge him. Unfortunately, due to the urgency, Lin Dayou couldn't write down all the details, only hastily recording the act of reporting the news, and omitting the name of his enemy. Because of this, Xiao Lan in this life lacked this crucial information, causing the entire event to fall apart. In subsequent developments, this almost led to a major disaster, nearly delaying important matters.

Li Yuan stood there, his brows slightly furrowed, lost in thought. Time ticked by, and after about ten breaths, he finally raised his head, his gaze resolute as he looked at Miss Lan before him. He slowly said, "Miss Lan, I understand. This matter is of great importance. I will immediately send a message to the Chief and ask him for a decision." With that, Li Yuan bowed respectfully to Miss Lan, then turned and strode away.

He hurried along, his figure quickly disappearing at the end of the corridor. He needed to arrange the messenger's message as soon as possible and properly handle the personnel relocation in Jizhou. Meanwhile, Xiao Lan did not rush back to the Xiao residence as usual. She knew very well that an important person would be visiting soon, so she calmly found a seat, took out paper and pen from her bosom, and prepared to jot down some things first.

Sure enough, not long after, footsteps approached. Then, Eunuch Fang led Luo You to the doorway. Upon seeing Xiao Lan, the two bowed respectfully, and Xiao Lan rose and returned the bow with a smile. After the formalities were completed, Eunuch Fang carefully pulled Xiao Lan aside and said in a low voice, "Lord Luo just entered the palace to meet His Majesty. His Majesty was quite concerned about this matter and inquired about many details. Fortunately, Lord Luo handled it well, and everything he said matched what was previously discussed, without revealing any flaws."

Xiao Lan's lips curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile. At the same time, she lowered her voice and said softly, "Thank you for your kind reminder, Eunuch Fang. I am very grateful. Here is a letter. Please take it back to the palace and present it to His Majesty later." As soon as she finished speaking, she gently handed the letter that she had hastily written to Eunuch Fang.

Upon seeing this, Eunuch Fang couldn't help but feel a sense of doubt. He wondered to himself, how could Xiao Lan know that he was coming today and had already prepared a letter for him to deliver? However, despite his doubts, he knew that the rules of the palace were strict and dared not ask rashly. He could only respectfully accept the letter and carefully put it into his pocket.

Then, Eunuch Fang cleared his throat and, feigning a serious demeanor, continued, "Miss Xiao, His Majesty has already inquired about Minister Luo's opinion on this matter, and Minister Luo has expressed his willingness to accompany you to Xiwu Prefecture. Tomorrow morning, the Imperial Guards will be waiting for you two two miles outside the South Gate. This is the pass granted by His Majesty." With that, he took out a gleaming, exquisitely carved gold waist token from his sleeve and solemnly handed it to Xiao Lan.

The waist token was inscribed with the words "Imperial Edict" in bold, flowing calligraphy on the front, while the back featured lifelike auspicious patterns. Eunuch Fang then added, "Miss Xiao, remember this: whoever holds this token is as if the Emperor himself were present; all those along the way must obey his commands." With that, he bowed to Xiao Lan, then turned and left, his figure quickly disappearing at the far end of the corridor.

After watching Eunuch Fang walk away until his figure disappeared outside the door, Xiao Lan slowly turned around. Her beautiful and captivating eyes, like a clear lake, were now quietly gazing at Luo You before her. A slight smile, like a spring flower in bloom, graced her lips.

At this moment, Luo You also smiled, his gaze gently meeting Xiao Lan's smiling eyes. He said softly, "Miss Xiao is truly a hidden gem! I never realized before that the famous and revered Young Master Lan was actually such a beautiful and refined young lady." After saying this, he couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle, seemingly surprised and amused by his own oversight.

"Oh dear, Minister Luo, you flatter me! I'm sure His Majesty has already explained the ins and outs of this matter to you in detail, right? Hehehe... To be honest, we're old acquaintances who have dealt with each other several times, so let's get straight to the point. In my opinion, the Ye family is likely to suffer a heavy blow this time! Therefore, I'm thinking of gathering more people to go with them. You should understand my thinking, right? After all, someone like me who is both greedy for wealth and afraid of death must act cautiously." "Something else? Besides, this time, Your Excellency, you're traveling with me. On the surface, it looks like we're going on official business, but in reality, it will be very beneficial for you! Perhaps we can even take this opportunity to get back the money that was swindled from us by the Ye family. Wouldn't that be a win-win situation? However, the reason I invited you to come along isn't for any other reason than to ask you, with your abilities and connections, how many men can you bring with me to the Ye family? That way, they can protect me safely throughout the journey!"