An He minced along behind Emperor Jingxiang.
The emperor's back was somber and aloof, merging with the night. The black cloak he wore trailed on the ground, making a rustling sound.
No one dared to disturb the emperor at this moment.
An He thought to himself that Lady Lan was really bold to have the emperor climb out of the window, and surprisingly, the emperor was quite taken with her way.
Emperor Jingxiang seemed to be leaving in anger on the surface.
But in fact, he was savoring Lady Lan's shyness and timidity earlier. Her final boldness and intimacy had completely captivated him.
He was a perceptive and suspicious man.
Lady Lan, who entered the palace today, seemed a bit tired and her attitude had been changing. He wondered if she had encountered some troubles or if it was because she hadn't obtained the divorce document that made her still reluctant to get close to him.
Emperor Jingxiang suddenly stopped in his tracks.
The eunuchs and guards behind him were so frightened that they all halted, not daring to take another step.
"An He?"
Hearing the emperor call his name, An He scurried forward and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, this servant is here."
"Do you think I'm being too hasty?"
Hearing the emperor's thoughtful voice, An He's heart skipped a beat. He really wanted to say yes, Your Majesty. You just asked Lady Lan's father to handle the divorce matter for her, and then you hurriedly brought her into the palace. No one could stand such a thing.
But he didn't dare to say so.
An He gave a couple of awkward laughs.
"Lady Lan is of peerless beauty. If the news of her divorce from the Marquis Mansion spreads, there will surely be a flood of suitors at the Lan Mansion. Your Majesty is just being proactive."
After serving Emperor Jingxiang for so many years, An He really knew how to hit the right spot.
His words really resonated with the emperor.
Handling the divorce for his lady was indeed urgent, but he didn't want anyone to take advantage of the situation, nor did he want his lady to be criticized when she returned to the Lan Mansion. It would be much better to bring her directly into the palace and protect her under his nose.
"Yes, there must be something on the lady's mind."
Emperor Jingxiang's eyes grew cold. He ordered in a cold voice, "Summon Lan Cenggui and Wen Hongxin to see me tomorrow."
An He quickly replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."
But in his heart, a strange thought emerged. Did the emperor want to force the two of them to write the divorce document on the spot on behalf of their respective mansions?
Emperor Jingxiang took a step forward. His back was as straight as a pine tree, exuding an indescribable mystery. When he returned to the Yangxin Hall, the moonlight was perfect.
The stars faded away, the moon hung in the middle of the sky and then set, and the sun rose.
Early in the morning, white frost covered the black tiles, reflecting an unusual coldness.
Lan Miao urged Xue'er to get up early. After they finished washing up, she sent Xue'er to the Wenya Hall. They couldn't always take the sedan chair when going out. Lan Miao calculated the distance and thought it would be better for Xue'er to live with the princess so that she could sleep a little longer in the morning.
After sending Xue'er to class, Lan Miao went to pay respects to the empress dowager.
The empress dowager was very kind to her, so kind that it even made her feel a bit uncomfortable. The empress dowager also patiently asked about her family affairs. There was no way to hide the fact that she was going to divorce the Marquis Mansion from the empress dowager.
"Oh? Lady Lan is going back to the Lan Mansion after that?"
"Replying to the empress dowager, after the Strange Stone Banquet is over and I leave the palace, I may not return to the Lan Mansion."
Lan Miao knew very well that Lan Xin was extremely hostile towards her. It wouldn't be a pleasant experience to live in the Lan Mansion. It would be better to find a house of her own and live in peace.
The empress dowager let out a soft "hmm" and showed a deep smile.
"Lady Lan doesn't want to return to the Lan Mansion. I understand. You are so well - behaved. I like you very much. During this period, Lady Lan can stay in the palace as long as you like, even for a lifetime."
The smile on Lan Miao's face froze.
But it quickly returned to normal. She had the illusion of being trapped in a spider's web and unable to get out.
The empress dowager actually knew that the emperor had feelings for her.
Moreover, she didn't mind at all that she was a widow with a child. Instead, she seemed quite happy about it. Lan Miao thought that if the empress dowager knew the emperor's feelings, she would definitely stop them, or at least give some admonishments.
After all, among the elders she had met in Luojing, none of them were easy to get along with.
"Thank you for your kindness, Empress Dowager. But the Strange Stone Banquet is about to start, and I still need to make preparations. Please allow me to think about it."
"Okay, think it over carefully."
Lan Miao respectfully bid farewell to the empress dowager. She knew that she couldn't be distracted by these things at the moment. She came to the palace for a serious matter.
After returning to the Xiangsi Pavilion, she started to come up with ideas for the Strange Stone Banquet. She also carved jade for half a day. With her mind on two things, the day passed quickly, and it was almost dusk.
It was only when Han Bi came to remind her that Lan Miao remembered that she could go to pick up Xue'er from school.
Xue'er had a rather eventful day.
She accompanied Yu Jia to and from class as usual. She thought she had prepared herself mentally for her mother's matter, but unexpectedly, she still heard some rumors during the break.
It was Li Weixi, another study companion of Yu Jia, who pulled her over to listen. They hid under the corner of the courtyard wall.
In the courtyard, a group of idle young masters were chatting.
"Isn't there a widow observing her mourning period in the Marquis Mansion? The mother of the princess's study companion? I heard that this widow is going to divorce the Marquis Mansion."
"She's been a widow for five years. Why suddenly divorce a dead man?"
"My mother mentioned this and told me to stay away from this widow's child in the school."
"But the princess seems to like that study companion very much and takes her with her every day."
"What do you know? It's just temporary."
"The widow gave birth to a daughter. She probably has the same bad character as her mother."
"..."
After chatting for a while, they moved on to other topics.
Those who said these things were all prominent young masters from various mansions in Luojing. They were older and knew more things. Now that the news of Lan Miao's divorce had spread, it had really caused quite a stir.
Xue'er didn't think it was a big deal.
They were just saying a few words, not really offensive ones. Her mother had told her before that this might happen.
Seeing that Xue'er seemed a bit absent - minded, Li Weixi patted her on the shoulder comfortingly.
To avoid being heard by those people, Li Weixi tugged at her little ear and whispered, "Aren't you going to say something? They're talking about you."
Xue'er shook her head and said seriously, "No need. Rumors are just temporary. If I go out and argue with them, it will only make things worse. It will pass. Look, they're already talking about something else."
"You're right..."
Li Weixi's eyes sparkled. She realized that Xue'er was really right. She had a deeper understanding of Xue'er's maturity.
So this matter wasn't a big deal.
But now they had a new problem. Those people seemed to be chatting in the corridor and had no intention of leaving. Their legs were already numb from squatting.
Suddenly, a clear and young voice sounded above their heads.
A young man in a cyan embroidered robe stepped over them, blocking their view and their figures. His tone was a bit serious and admonishing.
Xue'er's heart tightened.
"What are you doing here? Are you still going to listen to the master's class? Gossiping all day long. Why don't you go and say it in front of the master?"
Xue'er looked up and saw that it was Han Xi.
He bent his eyes slightly at her and then stepped forward, completely shielding them behind him. Obviously, his harsh words were meant for the young masters in the courtyard.
Instantly, the courtyard fell silent.