Lan Miao shook her head.
She showed a gentle smile as usual, comforting Shuangxi. "No, there's nothing between His Majesty and me."
But the more Lan Miao said so, the more Shuangxi thought she was putting on a brave front.
It had been so long since the master passed away. Finally, there was someone who treated her well, but this person seemed to have an ambiguous relationship with her own sister. What on earth was going on?
She couldn't help but cry with a long face. "Madam, don't be sad. It can't be like this." As soon as the words came out, she felt they were so weak.
Lan Miao's smile deepened instead.
"Don't take Lan Xin's words to heart. She just doesn't want me to return to the Lan Mansion. As for what she said about His Majesty taking a fancy to her and wanting her to enter the palace, there must be some misunderstanding."
"Ah? Is that so?"
Shuangxi exclaimed in surprise. Hearing Lan Miao's tone, it didn't seem like she was forcing herself. She also had a deep sense of uneasiness in her heart, but she couldn't put her finger on it.
"Think about it. If Lan Xin was really chosen by His Majesty to enter the palace, why would Father recall me to the Lan Mansion at this critical moment? In any case, there's something fishy about it. I'm afraid Lan Xin misunderstood something."
Lan Miao explained very reasonably.
Now, Shuangxi felt much more at ease, and finally showed a hint of joy on her face.
What Shuangxi didn't know was that Lan Miao's words were not only for her, but also for herself. It was true that there were some strange things in Lan Xin's words, but she couldn't be sure if they were completely false. However, this also gave Lan Miao a wake - up call.
Although His Majesty seemed deeply in love with her in front of her, planned for her divorce, and gave her the freedom she had always wanted. But after all, His Majesty was the Son of Heaven, a man high above the clouds, only to be looked up to but not touched.
His Majesty also had three palaces and six courts, with countless concubines.
Even if she divorced the Marquis Mansion, if His Majesty took her into the palace out of a momentary interest, could she really spend a long - lasting life with His Majesty?
There were still secrets between them that His Majesty didn't know.
And there was also Xue'er...
Love came without knowing when, and went deeper and deeper, but too deep would eventually exhaust. She couldn't be deceived and had to stay sober. His Majesty's liking for her was not enough. If he really wanted to have her, she also had to see how deep his love was.
She couldn't make a single wrong step.
This day was destined to be eventful.
First, the old lady's curse - like malicious words, and then Lan Xin came to scold her. Lan Miao's mood fluctuated several times. Although the flesh wounds on her body had healed, she still felt like a drowning person at the bottom of the water, with a suffocating feeling in her heart.
She didn't want to stay in the Marquis Mansion anymore.
Nor did she want to return to the Lan Mansion.
That night, Lan Miao sat under the window and watched the moonlight for a long time. The moonlight was hazy, carrying the meaning of the wind and the cold.
She thought that if possible, after getting the divorce paper, she could use her own silver to buy a mansion in the suburbs of the capital and continue to run the jade workshop. Such a life would be good.
The premise was that His Majesty would not come to find her again.
She sighed. Their complicated relationship made her heart feel like it was weighed down by a thousand - jin stone. It was heavy and she couldn't move.
Lan Miao had a good plan.
But she still underestimated His Majesty's determination.
The next day.
An imperial edict from the Empress Dowager suddenly came to the Marquis Mansion and was given to Lan Miao.
"Summon Lady Lan of the Brave and Resolute Marquis Mansion to enter the palace as a jade carver to prepare for the Stone Banquet between the two countries. So it is ordered."
The content was concise, but the meaning was crystal clear.
She was going to enter the palace as a jade carver.
When Lan Miao received the imperial edict, she was in a daze for a moment.
It was only when Eunuch Anhe reminded her that she came to her senses.
She took the imperial edict from Anhe's hand, frowned, looked at Anhe, and tentatively asked, "Eunuch An, what does the Empress Dowager mean? Isn't there a jade carver in the palace?"
Wen Hongxin beside her was also very puzzled.
There was no vacancy for the jade carver in the palace.
Anhe explained with a smile, "Lady Lan, Marquis. Princess Kaiyun is about to lead the prince to represent the Qi State to visit our country. There will be a Stone Banquet at that time. The Empress Dowager is searching for jade carvers to win glory for our country at the Stone Banquet. Besides Lady Lan, many folk jade carvers have also been invited into the palace."
At first hearing, Lan Miao understood. It was just to summon jade carvers into the palace to prepare for the Stone Banquet.
But she knew very well in her heart that between the divorce paper and entering the palace, His Majesty had a very good plan.
"I see. Thank you, Eunuch, for telling me."
Lan Miao bowed to Anhe.
"Then when shall I enter the palace?"
"Go with this servant now. Please pack up properly and just bring some personal clothes. Everything in the palace has been prepared for you." Anhe's smile in his eyes became even stronger.
His Majesty was afraid that Lady Lan would run away as soon as she got the divorce paper from the Marquis Mansion. He couldn't wait to find a reason to keep Lady Lan under his nose.
Anhe was too embarrassed to point it out.
Lan Miao was quite surprised. Was she going to enter the palace so soon?
She turned to Wen Hongxin and gave an apologetic smile. "Marquis, when I come back from the palace, I hope to see the divorce paper signed by the two mansions."
"...It will take some time. You have to wait a little."
Wen Hongxin didn't not want to write the divorce paper now, but this was a major matter. There were very few divorced women in the clans of Luojing. Therefore, for this divorce paper, the heads of the two mansions had to inform the whole clan, then sign and press their fingerprints, and also go to the yamen to get it certified. Only then could the divorce be considered successful.
Now his wife, Lady You, had just been sent away. There was only a concubine and his sick mother handling the affairs in the mansion. How could the divorce be so fast?
He could see the tricks behind it, but before the outcome was certain, he didn't want to take sides.
"I'll tell Mother. You don't need to go and bid her farewell." Wen Hongxin hesitated for a long time and then said so.
Lan Miao understood what he meant. If she went to bid farewell, it would surely stimulate the old lady and make her ill again.
She saluted Wen Hongxin. Surrounded by the palace maids, she went to the Pinglan Courtyard to pack her things. Shuangxi and Shuangle also heard the news that Lan Miao was going to enter the palace. At this moment, their eyes were red and they didn't know what to do.
"Personal maids are not allowed in the palace. I also don't want you to follow me into that place full of right and wrong. After I leave, you two pack your luggage and go to the Xiyu Workshop so as not to be embarrassed by the people in the mansion."
Lan Miao gave instructions one by one.
Then she took out the land deeds and silver deeds from the box and gave them to them. Shuangxi and Shuangle cried for a long time before they stopped.
"Madam must come back safely."
"Um..."
Lan Miao also felt a little sad. She knew in her heart that once she entered the palace, she might not be able to come out again, but she didn't tell anyone.
Wen Yuanning had returned to the mansion very late these days, so Lan Miao didn't need to go and bid him farewell specially.
After packing her luggage and taking the carriage into the palace, it was already evening. The orange - colored afterglow hung on the eaves of the palace, showing a majestic and magnificent beauty. The city tower was towering and infinitely desolate.
She took the carriage all the way to the palace gate.
What greeted her was a sedan chair, and Han Bi and Yan Hong who had served her before. The two looked similar, and their saluting movements were surprisingly consistent.
"This servant has been waiting for a long time. Please, Lady Lan, get on the sedan chair and follow us to the palace where you will live."