Mad Queen Leaves the Palace

Meanwhile, Xiao Lan, leading a large entourage from the Xiao Marquis's residence, arrived at the Prefect's mansion. Upon alighting from the carriage, Xiao Lan solemnly summoned Dingding to her side and whispered instructions: "Dingding, quickly find twelve people. Have them work in groups of four to guard one person. Make sure they are separated and closely monitored. As for Xiao Marquis's wife, there's no need to imprison her. Just send someone to take her and Xiao Shu to lunch. If she insists on bringing Xiao Chengliang along, don't stop her. Also, you need to warn those serving them at lunchtime not to give them special treatment, but to pay close attention to their conversations. Don't overlook any clues!"

Upon receiving the order, Dingding dared not delay in the slightest, quickly bowed in agreement, and then turned and hurried away to arrange matters. At this moment, Xiao Lan paused briefly, straightened her clothes slightly, and then led Dangdang and Yue Jiangchuan steadily toward the dining hall in the prefectural governor's mansion.

After passing through numerous courtyards and corridors, the three finally arrived at the entrance of the prefectural governor's mansion's dining hall. Inside, a huge, ornately carved round table was set out, laden with all sorts of delicacies. Seated at the head of the table was Xiao Lan's grandfather—Xiao Zhenwei.

Upon seeing Xiao Zhenwei, Xiao Lan immediately knelt down without hesitation, kowtowed three times respectfully, and said, "Granddaughter Xiao Lan greets Grandfather, wishing Grandfather good health and long life."

This sudden turn of events left the others stunned and speechless, frozen in place for a moment. However, Dangdang reacted quickly. She mimicked her young mistress, respectfully kneeling before Xiao Zhenwei and solemnly kowtowing three times. Then, in a clear, melodious voice, she said, "This servant greets Lord Xiao." Her voice was crisp and pleasant, as sweet as a nightingale's song.

After everyone had introduced themselves, Liu Pengfei smiled warmly and said to Xiao Lan and Yue Jiangchuan, "Miss Xiao and Mr. Yue must be very hungry after your long journey. Since you haven't had lunch yet, I'll have someone prepare a sumptuous meal to entertain you two distinguished guests. But I wonder if you two have any dietary restrictions?" He then looked at them expectantly, awaiting their reply.

Yue Jiangchuan waved his hand slightly, indicating that he had no dietary restrictions. Just then, Xiao Lan, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up, "Prefect Liu, why don't you go and arrange for Commander Yue and the others to have lunch first? As for my grandfather and me, I would appreciate it if you could find us a quiet and secluded place so that we can catch up and have a heart-to-heart talk. Would that be convenient?" Her tone was gentle and melodious, as soothing as a spring breeze.

Although the question sounded like a routine inquiry, Liu Pengfei keenly sensed the pressure exerted by his superior. His heart tightened, and he dared not be negligent in the slightest, quickly replying, "Yes, yes, Lord Xiao, Miss Xiao, please follow me." With that, he strode forward to lead the way, then, as if suddenly remembering something important, abruptly turned back and instructed the steward not far behind him, "Go quickly and properly entertain Commander Yue with lunch. Do not neglect him in the slightest! I'll be right back."

Before he finished speaking, Prefect Liu had already turned around and continued to lead Xiao Zhenwei and Xiao Lan toward the main hall in the outer courtyard. Along the way, he carefully observed the expressions of the two men, afraid that he might offend these two distinguished guests if he was not careful.

Before long, the three arrived at the main hall of the outer courtyard. Liu Pengfei first called out to the maids in the hall, "You all wait in the courtyard for now. If I summon you later, you can come in and obey my orders. Also, quickly bring me the silver needles I just purchased and brew a pot of the finest tea for Miss Xiao."

Upon hearing this, the maids responded in unison and quickly began to busy themselves. Before long, a maid entered carrying an exquisite tea set and skillfully began to brew tea. With practiced ease, she placed the tea leaves into the pot, poured in hot water, and after a brief steeping, presented Xiao Lan with a cup of fragrant tea.

After the maidservants had prepared the tea and served it to him, Liu Pengfei finally breathed a sigh of relief. With a smile, he cupped his hands to Xiao Zhenwei and Xiao Lan and said, "Gentlemen, I'm truly sorry, but I need to go see if Commander Yue has any special needs, so I can't stay and chat with you for the time being. However, you can rest assured that if you need anything, just call the servants in the courtyard." With that, he bowed to them again and then hurriedly left.

After Prefect Liu left, Xiao Lan subtly gave Dangdang a look. Dangdang understood immediately, quickly walked out of the room, and carefully closed the door behind her.

At this moment, only Xiao Zhenwei and his granddaughter Xiao Lan remained in the room, and the atmosphere was slightly heavy. After a moment of silence, Xiao Zhenwei broke the silence first and slowly said, "Child, it has been many years since you last came to Xiwu Prefecture! I still remember the last time I saw you was six years ago in Yu Prefecture."

Xiao Lan listened quietly to her grandfather's words without offering any rebuttal. She nodded slightly, indicating her agreement, and then softly replied, "Grandfather is absolutely right. It's true that I haven't been able to visit you often these past few years. But even so, my concern for you has never diminished. Knowing that you are still healthy and well puts my mind at ease. However… Grandfather is now quite old, and time waits for no one. When you caught that cold earlier this year, you absolutely mustn't try to tough it out like that. You should have a doctor come and treat you, and take your medicine on time to regulate your body. These are things you absolutely cannot neglect." Having said this, Xiao Lan looked at Xiao Zhenwei with concern, her eyes filled with worry.

"How did you know I was sick at the beginning of the year?" Xiao Zhenwei wondered to himself, a strange feeling rising within him, as if he had overlooked something important, but he was also afraid that this was just his overthinking. He couldn't help but frown, his gaze fixed on the person in front of him.

Xiao Lan gazed silently at her grandfather, her blood relative, her thoughts drifting back to her past life. At that time, she was on her wedding day, but Marquis Xiao had already passed away. However, unexpectedly, to maintain the honor and prestige of the Marquis's mansion, Lady Jin lied and claimed that Xiao Zhenwei had been bedridden for a long time. Time passed, and later, the old mansion in Shaozhou was destroyed by fire. Xiao Lan suddenly remembered her grandfather and hurriedly sent people to Xiwuzhou to search for him. But when they arrived, the news they received was like a bolt from the blue—Xiao Zhenwei had already passed away long ago! Even more chilling was that, to prevent the news from leaking out, Lady Jin had so heartlessly buried Xiao Zhenwei's body in a long-abandoned courtyard within the Marquis's mansion.

Therefore, in this life, no matter what, Xiao Lan was determined to make Xiao Jin pay the price for the unfair treatment her father suffered in his childhood, and at the same time, make Xiao Jin take responsibility for the inexplicable cause of death of her grandfather in her previous life—a dignified Eight Pillars of State died so mysteriously, and even after death he could not enjoy the incense offerings of his descendants!

Thinking of this, Xiao Lan was filled with rage. She took a deep breath and slowly said to Xiao Zhenwei, "Mother knows that Father has always been thinking of you. He's just too embarrassed to express it directly. That's why Mother specially sent people to lie in wait around the Marquis's residence, just in case anything happens, so that they can lend a helping hand in time. Do you remember at the beginning of this year? You caught a severe cold and stubbornly claimed that you would tough it out on your own. And what happened? Those people from the Marquis's residence really didn't do anything and didn't care! If it weren't for the trusted people you left behind who mediated and coordinated so actively, you would probably still be bedridden and unable to get out of bed right now!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhenwei was jolted, frozen in place as if struck by lightning. So that's what happened! Before, he had been overjoyed and gratified, mistakenly believing that his youngest son had finally grown up, become responsible, and understood how to care for his parents, even personally finding a good doctor to treat his illness. But now, he suddenly realized that it wasn't his youngest son who had actually found the doctor, but rather his eldest daughter-in-law who had secretly arranged it…

Xiao Zhenwei narrowed his eyes slightly and asked with interest, "How have your parents been these past few years?" Xiao Lan's lips curled up slightly as she answered without any pretense, "They've been doing quite well! My parents are very loving, and my father has always been devoted to my mother and has never taken a concubine. Because of this, my brother and I have never had to live amidst the scheming and backstabbing of the women in the inner quarters. It's fair to say that among all the people we know, my brother and I are among the happiest children."

At this point, Xiao Lan paused briefly, seemingly recalling some past events, before continuing, "Furthermore, although my mother was a woman, she was extremely skilled at managing household affairs. When she married my father, my maternal grandfather gave her a generous dowry, which my mother used to diligently manage various businesses. While we may not be incredibly wealthy, our family is definitely among the wealthiest in Yuzhou City. As for my father, for many years he has been conscientious and diligent, striving to be a competent and responsible official. Moreover, over the years, my father..." He donated all his salary to the elderly living alone and impoverished families in Yuzhou City, so he was highly respected by the people of Yuzhou, and his reputation as an official was excellent! Oh, and there's something important I need to tell you. My brother will be taking the imperial examination after the New Year. He set off for the capital several months ago to prepare. However, I happened to be on official business and traveled to Shaozhou on His Majesty's pleasure boat. Upon arrival, my brother heard the news and rushed here, then went to my maternal grandparents' house, since the old house in the capital has now been transferred to my brother's name.”

"Oh? Is that so! Your maternal grandfather actually gave that old house to your brother?" Xiao Zhenwei's interest was piqued upon hearing this. You see, the Xiao family and the Jiang family bought the house together back then! At that time, Jiang Dechun had even made a promise with Xiao Zhenwei that no matter where they served as officials in the future, they would go to the capital together to enjoy their old age after they retired.

“That’s right, Grandfather. Actually, at first, my maternal grandfather and mother did intend to leave that house to me. But I felt that my brother would be taking the imperial examination next year. With his talent and ability, he would surely rank among the top in the examination. If we could settle the house in advance, it would avoid the troubles and suspicions that might arise from hastily settling the house after he passed the examination, and prevent many unnecessary problems from arising.” Xiao Lan explained the reasons to Xiao Zhenwei unhurriedly. However, her seemingly simple words actually contained a great deal of information. First, she clearly informed Xiao Zhenwei that Xiao Mu’an would be taking the imperial examination next year, and even implied that Xiao Mu’an was very likely to pass the examination with flying colors, rank among the top three, and even have a chance to become the top scholar; second, she indicated that the Jiang family originally intended to give the house as her dowry, but she was righteous and willing to give up this generous gift for her brother’s career prospects.

As expected, after Xiao Lan finished speaking, Xiao Zhenwei suddenly fell silent. He frowned slightly, lost in thought. After a while, he spoke again and asked, "Why did you show such great courtesy the moment you stepped through this door?"

Xiao Lan replied calmly, “There are two main reasons. First, due to some special circumstances, I am unable to be by your side at all times to take care of your daily life. Whenever I think of this, my heart is filled with guilt. Second, if I cannot get a fair and reasonable explanation here today, I am afraid that in the future, all that will be left for me to prove that I am related to the Xiao family is this surname.”