Mad Queen Leaves the Palace

At lunchtime, sunlight streamed through the carved window lattices, casting dappled shadows on the floor. Xiao Mu'an, dressed in a moon-white robe, stood tall and straight as a pine tree; while Xiao Lan, in a pale pink dress, stood gracefully like a lotus. The two were invited together to the second-floor hall.

As soon as they stepped into the hall, they saw Luo You sitting leisurely at the table, gently fanning himself with a folding fan, a smile playing on his lips. On the other side, Yue Jiangchuan stood with his hands behind his back, quietly gazing at the scenery outside the window. Upon seeing Xiao Mu'an and Xiao Lan arrive, both of them turned around, their faces beaming with friendly smiles.

Xiao Lanlian moved forward gracefully, smiled sweetly, and gave Luo You and Yue Jiangchuan a slight curtsy. She said in a charming voice, "I'm so sorry to have kept you both waiting." Her voice was clear and melodious, as pleasant as a nightingale singing in a valley.

Upon seeing this, Luo You quickly put away his folding fan, strode forward, and replied with a smile, "Young Master Xiao, Miss Xiao, what are you saying? We've only just arrived, there's no need for such formalities." As he spoke, he also warmly gestured for them to sit down.

Yue Jiangchuan, standing to the side, smiled and echoed, "Indeed, it is an honor for us to be able to attend this banquet with you two today. Moreover, all the delicious food on this table is thanks to Miss Xiao's generosity!" His words were full of gratitude towards Xiao Lan.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lan couldn't help but smile, her gaze shifting to Luo You. She saw he merely smiled, offering no other particular reaction. So she turned her gaze back, nodded gently, and said to Yue Jiangchuan, "Commander Yue, you're too kind. By the way, when will we likely arrive in Lingnan Prefecture? The journey has been quite long, and I'm worried about whether the food on board is sufficient. If not, we can purchase some more when we pass through Qingzhou." A hint of concern flickered in her eyes as she spoke.

Yue Jiangchuan frowned slightly, falling into a brief moment of contemplation. His deep eyes flickered intermittently, as if he were rapidly calculating and analyzing various possibilities in his mind. After a while, he slowly raised his head, his gaze fixed directly on Xiao Lan, his expression serious and focused.

He took a deep breath and said in a calm and firm voice, "In my opinion, if we continue at the current pace, we should be able to reach Lingnan Prefecture around noon the day after tomorrow." After saying this, he paused slightly, as if to observe Xiao Lan's reaction.

Seeing that Xiao Lan's expression remained unchanged, Yue Jiangchuan continued, "As for food, you need not worry, Miss. The supplies you carefully purchased are plentiful and of excellent quality, more than enough to meet our needs for this journey and sustain us all the way to our destination. Of course, if we discover any other needs or special circumstances after we arrive in Lingnan, we can replenish them as needed."

After a moment's thought, Xiao Lan said, "My lords, you may not know this, but my maternal family is located in Shaozhou City. Moreover, my uncle married the eldest daughter of the Wang family of Lingnan. In that sense, I am, in a way, half a Lingnan native. Once we arrive in Lingnan, I will certainly make proper arrangements for everyone to enjoy the local delicacies. I hope Commander Yue and Vice Minister Luo will not refuse." Xiao Lan secretly planned that once they arrived in Lingnan, she could arrange for everyone to enjoy the local snacks, thus freeing up some time for herself to visit her Uncle Lin and inquire about Yan Nanhui's whereabouts.

Upon hearing this, Luo You turned to Yue Jiangchuan and said with a smile, "Haha, I really have to thank Miss Xiao! I am fortunate to be able to come to this Jiangnan region this time, all thanks to Miss Xiao's kind invitation. I have always heard others praise the beautiful scenery and picturesque landscape of Jiangnan, and now I finally have the opportunity to experience it for myself."

Yue Jiangchuan had initially considered that it would be inconvenient to trouble them with the large number of people he was leading, but upon hearing that Luo You had already agreed, he followed suit and said, "In that case, I will trouble Miss Xiao to make the arrangements. When we return to the capital, I will certainly host a banquet to reciprocate your hospitality. I hope you will not refuse."

Xiao Lan smiled and said, "Then my brother and I will thank Commander Yue in advance."

After the group finished their sumptuous lunch, Xiao Lan and Xiao Mu'an returned to the third floor first. Upon entering the room, Xiao Lan didn't feel particularly sleepy, so she decided not to take a nap for the time being. Instead, she immediately sat down at her desk, picked up her pen, and began to write down the poems that were deeply hidden in her mind.

Her brushstrokes were light and fluid, as if these poems had been brewing in her heart for a long time, just waiting to burst forth. One poem after another, she was so immersed in them that she forgot everything around her.

When she finally finished all her poems, sunlight streamed through the window and onto her desk. Xiao Lan gently put down her brush, stretched her somewhat stiff body, and then carefully examined the thick stack of papers before her.

After a moment's thought, she picked up another sheet of paper and neatly copied down the first line of each poem. Having done this, she carefully put the paper away, secretly planning that if she had enough time, she would return to Yuzhou City to retrieve the printing blocks she had painstakingly prepared, so that she could complete the second part of the poetry collection as soon as possible and officially release it. Thinking of this, a hopeful smile appeared on her face.

However, Xiao Lan was deep in thought at that moment, knowing that the emperor especially loved hearing others sing his praises. So, she painstakingly recalled the poems and verses about emperors that she had read in the past.

But things didn't go as planned; the more I tried to recall something, the blanker my mind became. Time slipped away just like that.

Two days later, as the first rays of sunlight streamed into the room, Xiao Lan had just finished her breakfast. At that moment, a message arrived, informing her that she would arrive at Lingnan Port in two hours.

Upon hearing this news, the maids and servants in the mansion busied themselves packing various belongings. Amidst this flurry of activity, Dingding quickly approached Xiao Lan and whispered, "Miss, I'll go down and check if the gifts prepared for Master are all ready." With that, she turned and headed towards where the gifts were kept.

Dingding gracefully descended the stairs and went to the carriage on the first floor, carefully checking the various items carried on board. At that moment, Li Yuan hurried up to the third floor, stood before Xiao Lan, bowed respectfully, and reported in a low voice, "Miss, our entire guard team has already arrived at the port of Lingnan Prefecture and is waiting. Even the chief has been there for quite some time."

Upon hearing this news, Xiao Lan nodded slightly to indicate that she understood, and then methodically instructed, "Very good. After we arrive in Lingnan Prefecture, we will proceed as usual. You should first arrange for Commander Yue and Vice Minister Luo to enjoy a sumptuous meal at the largest restaurant in Lingnan. I will discuss this matter with my brother later and ask him to host a banquet for everyone. As for me, I will stay on the ship to meet with Uncle Lin and discuss the follow-up matters." At this point, Xiao Lan seemed to suddenly remember something important and quickly added, "Oh, right, there is another important matter. We need to purchase some extra food for this trip. I'll leave this to you. Discuss it with the kitchen. Try to make the dishes as varied as possible, but only prepare enough fruits and vegetables for one day. Because we will disembark when we reach Xiwu Prefecture, at which time thirty guards from Jizhou will escort my brother and the gifts he is carrying back to Yuzhou City. The rest of the people will come with me to the Ye family in Xiwu Prefecture."

"Yes, Miss, please rest assured, I will arrange everything properly." Li Yuan replied respectfully, then turned and left quickly to begin handling various matters.

After a long journey, they finally arrived in Lingnan Prefecture. As soon as the boat docked, Xiao Lan stepped downstairs and looked unwell. She clutched her stomach and whispered to Xiao Mu'an, "Brother, I'm suddenly feeling a bit unwell and might need to rest for a while. How about this, you take Luo You and Yue Jiangchuan to the biggest restaurant in Lingnan Prefecture and treat them well. I'll wait here for a bit. Li Yuan will bring Uncle Lin over later, and then we'll all go and meet up with you."

Seeing his sister's condition, Xiao Mu'an felt a little worried, but he nodded and replied, "Alright then, Lan'er, you must take good care of yourself. If anything happens, be sure to send someone to inform me immediately." After saying that, he led Luo You and Yue Jiangchuan toward the largest restaurant in Lingnan Prefecture.

Meanwhile, Xiao Lan sat quietly in a chair, patiently waiting for Li Yuan to bring Lin Dayou here. Not long after, Li Yuan led a burly, rugged-looking man upstairs. This man was Lin Dayou. Once they reached the third floor, Xiao Lan quickly stood up to greet them and gestured for Li Yuan to go downstairs to attend to other matters.

Next, Xiao Lan instructed the two sisters, Dingding and Dangdang, to stand guard at the third-floor stairwell to prevent any disturbances. After everything was arranged, she and Lin Dayou entered the room to discuss the important matters to come…

When Lin Dayou stepped into the house, Xiao Lan took a closer look and almost burst out laughing. It turned out that Lin Dayou actually had a rather refined appearance; if it weren't for his uniform as the head of a security escort agency, no one would have associated him with that role. He always sported a mustache, which actually gave him a slightly shrewd and capable air.

Upon hearing Xiao Lan mention disguising himself, Lin Dayou immediately put on a thick beard without hesitation! The dense beard almost covered most of his face, and unless one looked closely, it was impossible to recognize him as the same Lin Dayou. Therefore, when Lin Dayou first entered the house, even Xiao Lan couldn't immediately recognize who he was.

However, just as Xiao Lan was filled with suspicion, she heard the burly man with a full beard softly call out, "Lanlan." This familiar address instantly reached Xiao Lan's ears. She was slightly taken aback at first, then suddenly realized—this man was none other than Lin Dayou! Thinking of this, Xiao Lan couldn't help but chuckle, muttering to herself, "This Uncle Lin's disguise skills are truly impressive. If I hadn't recognized his voice, I probably would never have guessed!"

"Wow, Uncle Lin! Your outfit is absolutely astonishing! I almost didn't recognize you! Especially that beard, it's so funny!" Xiao Lan laughed so hard she almost fell over, her big, bright eyes curving into crescent moons, sparkling with curiosity and joy. As she spoke, she reached out and gently tugged at Lin Dayou's fake beard.

Lin Dayou was startled by Xiao Lan's sudden action. He quickly reached out to protect his beard, a hint of reproach on his face, and muttered, "Oh dear, Xiao Lan, don't be so naughty! I put so much effort into sticking this beard on. If you accidentally pull it off, that would be a real problem!" As he spoke, he carefully touched the thick and slightly comical fake beard, as if afraid it would suddenly fall off.

"Uncle Lin, please don't stand, please sit down!" Xiao Lan quickly stepped forward with a warm smile, gently tugging at Lin Dayou's sleeve and leading him to a seat.

Seeing Xiao Lan's eagerness, Lin Dayou's tense face relaxed slightly. He stopped joking and teasing her and slowly sat down with Xiao Lan's help.

After the two were seated, Xiao Lan gently picked up the teapot on the table and elegantly poured Lin Dayou a cup of steaming, fragrant tea. She carefully pushed the teacup in front of Lin Dayou and said softly, "Uncle, please have some tea."