Mad Queen Leaves the Palace

The next morning, just as the sky was beginning to lighten and all was quiet, a clear, tinkling sound suddenly broke the silence. It turned out that Xiao Lan's personal maid was gently shaking a bell to wake her from her sleep.

Xiao Lan slowly woke up, rubbed her sleepy eyes, and quickly washed and dressed with the help of the maids. After getting ready, she walked lightly towards the courtyard where Xiao Zhenwei lived.

When she stepped into the courtyard, she was surprised to find that Xiao Zhenwei had already gotten up and was sitting upright on the stone bench in the courtyard. Recalling the information she had accidentally learned about Xiao Zhenwei's lifestyle in her previous life, she knew that he always liked to get up early, and the first thing he did every morning was to have breakfast, and then he would practice a set of boxing techniques in this courtyard to strengthen his body.

However, the scene before him today was quite different from usual. Xiao Zhenwei sat there motionless, his eyes slightly closed, looking somewhat tired, as if he hadn't slept all night. This appearance clearly indicated that he hadn't rested well the previous night, which was why he had gotten up so early.

Seeing this, Xiao Lan quickly took a deep breath to calm herself and stepped forward to greet Xiao Zhenwei, saying, "Grandfather, how are you?" She then bowed slightly and respectfully gave Xiao Zhenwei a proper curtsy. Immediately afterward, she asked with concern, "Grandfather, did you not sleep well last night? If so, how about you have some food to replenish your strength?"

Xiao Lan stood there, pondering how best to communicate with Xiao Zhenwei. Normally, she was fearless and outspoken, but facing this unfamiliar yet important elder—Xiao Zhenwei—she suddenly felt somewhat at a loss. After all, in her previous life, she had only met Xiao Zhenwei a handful of times and knew very little about him.

However, thinking of her father and brother, Xiao Lan knew she couldn't back down now. She had to handle what needed to be done properly, no matter what. After a brief internal struggle, Xiao Lan finally mustered the courage to step forward, carefully helping Xiao Zhenwei up, and together they slowly walked towards the hall.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Dangdang had already directed everyone in the Xiao family to carefully arrange the meal, just as Xiao Lan had always preferred. When Xiao Lan helped Xiao Zhenwei into the hall, all they could see were neatly arranged, delicious dishes that looked and smelled wonderful.

After gently helping Xiao Zhenwei to a seat, Xiao Lan hesitated slightly before speaking softly, "Grandfather, I truly don't know what kind of food you usually like. I only heard the doctor mention a few days ago that you need to eat lighter meals, so I instructed the kitchen to prepare these milder dishes. But I still don't know if they suit your taste..." As she spoke, Xiao Lan couldn't help but lower her head slightly, her hands unconsciously twisting together, appearing somewhat nervous and uneasy.

After hearing the shocking and heartbreaking news at the prefectural governor's mansion yesterday, Xiao Zhenwei stood frozen, as if struck by lightning. He couldn't believe that his wife, Xiao Jinshi, with whom he had shared a bed for forty years and whom he had always cherished like a precious jewel, had been having an affair behind his back! What he found even more unacceptable was that his eldest daughter, whom he had raised with great care and who was the apple of his eye, was not his biological child, and even his two adorable and well-behaved granddaughters were not related to him by blood.

That wasn't the end of it. Then he learned that the little grandson he had doted on for over a decade and always treated like his own flesh and blood was actually a fake son born to a prostitute that Xiao Jinshi and Xiao Dayi had colluded with to secretly replace him in the Xiao family. He was not of his own bloodline either.

Such a series of devastating blows would be difficult for even a person in their prime to bear, let alone Xiao Zhenwei, who is now over sixty years old. However, fortunately, Xiao Zhenwei had served on the brutal battlefield, experiencing countless life-or-death trials amidst sword fights and gunfire, barely escaping death to reach where he is today. This extraordinary life experience has forged in him a character far beyond that of ordinary people.

Despite his overwhelming grief, Xiao Zhenwei forced himself to remain calm and said slowly, "My dear little Lanlan, you've really gone through a lot. Grandfather is alright, come and have something to eat. Oh, by the way... and your aunt, that Lady Hou. When you have time, help her check her dowry. Just make sure it's roughly right. If you find anything missing, just convert it into silver and give it to her. Our Xiao family can't mistreat our daughter; she shouldn't be shortchanged by a single penny. We absolutely can't let her suffer the slightest grievance."

“Grandfather, what a coincidence! I happen to have something to discuss with you about Lady Hou.” Xiao Lan was delighted to see Xiao Zhenwei bring up Lady Hou, and quickly followed up. He then recounted in detail the matters he had discussed with his wife yesterday after the New Year to Xiao Zhenwei.

It turns out, according to Madam Hou, that young Jin was no pushover! In just one year, she dared to embezzle a staggering 100,000 taels of gold from the Hou family estate! And that wasn't all; even more outrageous, she also sold off the Hou family's properties at rock-bottom prices. Accumulated over time, year after year, Madam Hou estimated that in just ten years, the money young Jin had embezzled and sold off at bargain prices must have amounted to at least several million taels of gold!

It's worth noting that Xiao Lan had traveled a great distance to Xiwu Prefecture to demand compensation from the Ye family, enduring countless hardships, only to receive a mere million taels of gold. In comparison, the profound wealth and resources of the Xiao family are evident! (At this moment, a certain handsome man, particularly fond of those dressed in purple, couldn't help but mutter to himself: "Oh dear, my Lanlan, it's just a few million taels of gold! Our Tong family has plenty of that kind of money. If you like, I can give it all to you!")

Xiao Lan also frankly told Xiao Zhenwei that if her mother, Jiang Nihuang, were to rashly take over the affairs of the Marquis's mansion, she might find herself overwhelmed and unable to manage such a complex and mountainous array of accounts. Therefore, after careful consideration, she had reached an agreement with the Marquis's wife, requesting that she stay at the mansion for another month to help Jiang Nihuang sort out the accounts from the past ten years one by one.

Xiao Zhenwei knew perfectly well that only Xiao Jinshi and Lady Hou could possibly keep track of the family's accounts in detail over the years. Therefore, when Xiao Lan decided to keep Lady Hou to assist Jiang Nihuang in managing the accounts, he wholeheartedly believed it was the right decision. Now that his granddaughter had made the arrangements, he naturally wouldn't say another word. Recalling how Xiao Lan dealt with Xiao Jinshi and her cronies yesterday, Xiao Zhenwei became even more certain that Xiao Lan was indeed the Phoenix Maiden mentioned by the highly respected Imperial Advisor. Judging from her decisiveness, ruthlessness, and clear-headed, reasoned approach in handling people, it was truly unimaginable that such methods came from a mere sixteen-year-old girl.

After a moment's hesitation, Xiao Zhenwei asked Xiao Lan, "Lanlan, do you know why the royal family values ​​our Xiao family so much?" Hearing this, Xiao Lan couldn't help but chuckle inwardly, thinking the old man was far too self-absorbed. Whether in her past life or this one, she had never felt any special favor from the royal family towards the Xiao family. She truly didn't know where her grandfather got this inexplicable confidence, but she didn't expose him immediately. Instead, she feigned innocence and followed Xiao Zhenwei's lead, asking, "Oh, Grandfather, I truly don't know the reason. Please tell me!"

"Lanlan, have you ever heard of the prophecy about the Phoenix Maiden?" As soon as Xiao Zhenwei finished speaking, he stared intently into Xiao Lan's bright eyes, as if afraid of missing even the slightest reaction from his granddaughter.

Xiao Lan frowned slightly, and after a moment's thought, she replied softly, "I have heard that Ye Lanyi of the Ye family is a phoenix maiden. That is why she was taken into the palace by Consort Ye and carefully raised."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhenwei snorted coldly, his face full of disdain: "Hmph! The Ye family is nothing more than a mere imperial merchant. How could they be worthy of such an honor? Back when the late emperor was still the crown prince, the imperial advisor had already predicted that only the daughter of the Xiao family would be a Phoenix Maiden. Therefore, no matter how other families claim that their daughters are Phoenix Maidens, it is all pure nonsense and a fabrication."

Xiao Lan looked around and, seeing that she was alone, remembered that she had dismissed the servants while Xiao Zhenwei was talking to her. So, she leaned closer to Xiao Zhenwei and whispered, "Grandfather, please don't tell me I'm the legendary Phoenix Maiden, do you? But according to common sense, the Phoenix Maiden should be His Majesty the Emperor's biological daughter—a princess. Could it be that the Imperial Preceptor was just playing a joke on everyone?"

Xiao Lan appeared to be casually fiddling with the teacup in her hand, but in reality, her mind was already racing with thoughts. She pondered to herself, "It seems that this so-called Phoenix Maiden matter is probably not as simple as it seems on the surface. Putting aside other factors, just considering my own rebirth, it really does fit quite well with the legendary phoenix's rebirth from the ashes."

At this moment, Xiao Zhenwei, sitting to the side, took in Xiao Lan's feigned indifference. He hesitated slightly before quickly speaking, "This is a long story! In fact, only those in power within the royal family know the inside story. As for why I heard about it later, it's because the late emperor kept urging me to give birth to a daughter as soon as possible. What's even stranger is that he specified that it had to be a daughter born to your grandmother, and even declared that he wanted to arrange a marriage between their children. Since ancient times, the royal family has always been cold-hearted and ruthless. Even if I had a life-or-death friendship with the late emperor, logically speaking, he would never have been so eager to urge a mere warrior like me to give birth to a daughter and send her to the palace to become his daughter-in-law."

Hearing this, Xiao Lan frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then thoughtfully analyzed, "Could it be because of the military power you hold, Grandfather? After all, having strong military power is something that any emperor would be extremely wary of. Perhaps they are trying to further control our Xiao family through marriage."

"No, although I did hold some military power at that time, to ensure that imperial power was not controlled or constrained by military power, the military power of the entire Great Xia Dynasty was actually in a state of extreme decentralization. This military power was divided among four marquises, and the number of troops that each marquis could directly control was quite limited. Moreover, if we wanted to mobilize troops on a large scale, even a marquis like myself could only mobilize a maximum of 20,000 troops without a personal edict from His Majesty. So, this is definitely not the real reason that caused the incident." Xiao Zhenwei solemnly analyzed the complex situation at that time for Xiao Lan.

Hearing this, Xiao Lan's heart stirred, as if she had already grasped the hidden secret. She immediately pressed on, "Then, Grandfather, you must have noticed something unusual later, right? Otherwise, why would you have become suspicious?" After a slight pause, Xiao Lan thought for a moment and then spoke again, "Let me make a bold guess. If His Majesty was merely wary of military power, or perhaps intended to win over our Xiao family, then when my grandmother successfully gave birth to my father, he could have easily taken the opportunity to bestow a marriage upon him. You know, there were several princesses of similar age to my father at that time! However, the fact is that since my grandmother passed away, that little Jin has been able to bully my father so freely in the Marquis's backyard for so long. This is enough to prove that the royal family has not shown even the slightest attention or interest in my father, the legitimate son of the Marquis's family. Otherwise, if the late Emperor had simply sent an experienced nanny, with their insight and knowledge, they would have easily seen through the little Jin's despicable and underhanded methods."

"Indeed, it is as you say! After I figured this out, I immediately sent people to investigate secretly. It turns out that before the late emperor ascended the throne, the highly respected Imperial Advisor had actually prophesied a sixteen-character mantra: 'The Phoenix Maiden of the Xiao Family will be reborn from the ashes, becoming the Empress, and ensuring the eternal stability of the Great Xia Dynasty.' That is why the royal family has always treated our Xiao Family with special regard and paid extra attention to us. After the Imperial Advisor went into seclusion, I tried every means to send people to infiltrate his residence to find out more, and I finally learned that there were actually detailed explanations behind those sixteen characters. It is said that the Phoenix Maiden of the Xiao Family will appear every three generations, and if you calculate carefully, you are the third generation. Not only that, this Phoenix Maiden must be a direct descendant of the Xiao Family. More importantly, there is a saying circulating among the people that whoever obtains the Phoenix Maiden will be able to possess the entire world."