Mad Queen Leaves the Palace

Chapter 105 Escort School

The next morning, just as the sun rose, Yan Nan Hui eagerly arrived at the Jiang family's gate. He carried an exquisite food box filled with various delicious snacks he had bought from Fengcai Tower. These snacks were something Xiao Lan always made sure to enjoy whenever she returned to Shaozhou City, a fact Yan Nan Hui knew well, hence his early morning preparations.

Unexpectedly, on his way to the Jiang family home, he ran into Xiao Mu'an, who was also heading out to buy food for his sister. The two exchanged a smile, as if they were on the same wavelength, and decided to return to the Jiang family home together.

Meanwhile, Xiao Lan was still sound asleep, completely unaware of what was happening outside. She was only awakened by her personal maid, Dingding, who shook her awake: "Miss, Miss, get up quickly!"

Xiao Lan groggily opened her eyes and grumbled, "What's going on? It's not even fully light yet. Let me sleep a little longer, oh dear..." Xiao Lan rarely had the habit of staying in bed lately, but she had been traveling and working hard recently. Yesterday, she went to the Gu family first and then strolled around the bustling night market. As a result, she naturally felt exhausted and wanted to rest a little longer this morning.

"Miss, the Fifth Prince has arrived and is currently outside talking with the Eldest Young Master! The Eldest Young Master instructed me to wake you up quickly, saying that His Highness the Fifth Prince specially went to Fengcai Tower to buy you breakfast. If you don't go out to enjoy it soon, it might get cold," Dingding said anxiously.

In her drowsy state, Xiao Lan heard familiar footsteps outside. She knew in her heart that Yan Nan must have returned. Moreover, judging from the sound, it seemed that he had brought some pastries that made her mouth water. Thinking of this, Xiao Lan, who had been reluctant to get out of bed, finally moved her body reluctantly and slowly got out of bed.

After getting up, Xiao Lan first washed up, then called her personal maid Dingding to give her a simple updo. Once everything was ready, she couldn't wait to rush out the door.

As soon as Xiao Lan stepped out of the room, she immediately spotted Yan Nan Hui standing in the courtyard. He had changed his usual purple robes for a blue one. The blue robes he wore, compared to Xiao Mu An who was also dressed in white, not only didn't make him look less striking, but actually made him appear even more elegant and handsome.

It must be said that Yan Nan was born with a handsome appearance. This is not hard to understand, after all, as an emperor, his harem was filled with beauties. If they didn't have outstanding looks, how could those women have the opportunity to gain favor and bear the emperor's son? Yan Zhen's appearance was already quite good, and Consort Tong was a well-known beauty in the palace. As a result, their son was naturally handsome.

However, at that moment, Xiao Lan's thoughts suddenly drifted to her parents. She carefully recalled their faces, then gently shook her head. In her opinion, although her older brother, Xiao Mu'an, was handsome, he hadn't fully inherited their best features compared to theirs. So, Xiao Lan couldn't help but stare at Xiao Mu'an and click her tongue a few times, then shook her head helplessly again.

Xiao Mu'an looked at Xiao Lan's sleepy and slightly annoyed expression with a nervous expression, his heart skipping a beat. He wondered if his younger sister was having her morning grumpiness again. He quickly waved his hand and explained to her in a rapid-fire voice, "Oh dear, little sister! Originally, I was planning to go to Fengcai Tower myself to buy you those delicious snacks. But who knew that the Fifth Prince would beat me to it! I had only gone halfway when I saw him heading there too. When we met, we thought that since we were going to buy them anyway, we might as well come back together, so you could taste them sooner. I was thinking that if I had to wait until you woke up to buy them and bring them back, the snacks would probably be cold by then. But if I went to buy them myself and came back, I could catch you just as you woke up!"

The implication was clear: waking Xiao Lan wasn't his fault as her older brother; if anyone was to blame, they should go find the Fifth Prince, Xiao Lan's fiancé. Yan Nan Hui, standing to the side, was witnessing Xiao Mu An's exceptional tea-making skills for the first time and was momentarily stunned. However, upon reflection, what Xiao Mu An said was indeed true. Helpless, he could only force a smile and say to Xiao Lan, "Lan Lan, to be honest, I didn't know your snacks didn't require such a long queue. I was worried that waiting too long would make my precious fiancée hungry, so I went a little early. Don't worry, next time, next time I'll definitely time it perfectly!"

Xiao Lan gazed gently at Yan Nan Hui, noticing his cautious and timid demeanor, and a pang of sadness welled up in her heart. She smiled slightly and said softly, "Don't be so nervous, don't worry, everything will be fine. You got up so early, you must be very tired, right? Why don't we eat first, and you can get a good nap once we get in the carriage?"

You see, Yan Nan Hui rode a horse all the way here yesterday. Last night, when he went to the Gu family, he rode in the Jiang family's carriage. But this morning, Xiao Lan had already informed Yan Nan Hui in advance to come in a carriage she had carefully modified. The interior of this carriage was specially designed so that people could comfortably lie down and sleep inside.

After everyone had finished their meal, Xiao Lan and Yan Nan Hui boarded the carriage together, preparing to set off for Zhenyuan Escort Agency. Before getting in, Xiao Lan carefully instructed Ding Ding to make sure Yan Nan Hui's bedding and blankets were properly arranged. She planned to let Yan Nan Hui take a short rest during the journey, and then go directly to the foot of Phoenix Mountain to wait for her. After all, their trip to the escort agency was only to pick up Lin Da You, and then they would head straight for Phoenix Mountain.

And so, Yan Nanhui was forced into the spacious and comfortable carriage by Xiao Lan without any resistance, and ordered to catch up on his sleep and rest. Xiao Lan herself, on the other hand, nimbly leaped onto a fine horse, whipped it, and galloped away, arriving first at the renowned Zhenyuan Escort Agency.

Upon arriving at the escort agency, Xiao Lan dismounted, casually handed the reins to the welcoming servant, and strode into the inner hall of the agency. At this moment, Lin Dayou, the head of the agency, was sitting upright in a grand chair. Upon seeing Xiao Lan's arrival, he quickly rose to greet him.

Xiao Lan didn't stand on ceremony and went straight to the point, briefly recounting to Lin Dayou her search for Gu Sanlang the previous day. After finishing, she paused for a moment, as if remembering something important, and then added, "Uncle Lin, there's another matter I need your help with. The Yao family has agreed to change Jiang Zhuzhu's surname back to Yao within three days. I must set off back to Xiwu Prefecture tomorrow, and I'm afraid I'll have to rely on your guidance for many things here afterward." As she spoke, Xiao Lan took out a thick wad of silver notes from her bosom, gently placed them on the table, and pushed them in front of Lin Dayou, continuing, "Take these silver notes. Use part of them to recruit new bodyguards, and the other part for expenses such as renovating the bodyguard agency's buildings."

Lin Dayou knew that Xiao Lan had come with a deep purpose, so he naturally had no objection to her arrangements. He reached out and took the silver note, put it in his pocket, and after a moment's thought, he suddenly seemed to remember something important. He asked with a serious expression, "Lanlan, do you still remember the matter you entrusted to me before, about investigating the mystery of Jiang Yunbai's background?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lan's heart sank, and she knew something was wrong. Her eyes widened as she looked at Lin Dayou in astonishment. She took a deep breath to calm herself and then slowly said, "Uncle, just tell me. Whatever the outcome, I'm already mentally prepared."

Lin Dayou stared at Xiao Lan, a hint of hesitation on his face. After a moment of silence, he finally made up his mind and said, "Jiang Yunbai... he shouldn't be a child of the Jiang family. However, that's not the most surprising thing. In fact, he's not a child of the Yao family either."

"What!" Xiao Lan was struck dumb, completely stunned. She could barely accept that Jiang Yunbo wasn't her second uncle's child; after all, once infidelity happened, it was very likely to happen again. But what did Uncle Lin mean by saying "not a child of the Yao family either"? This thought flashed through Xiao Lan's mind, and she immediately asked without hesitation, "Uncle, what did you mean by 'not a child of the Yao family either'?"

"I don't know the specifics, but I imagine that's how it is! Back then, after your second uncle married the woman from the Yao family, their relationship was never exactly harmonious. This became even more apparent as Jiang Zhuzhu grew up. Whenever Yao saw Jiang Zhuzhu, she would secretly think that the child didn't resemble your uncle at all. Moreover, since she had no male heir to rely on, the Yao family naturally had to come up with a plan for their daughter. So, Yao eventually came up with a scheme to fake a pregnancy."

She first feigned pregnancy, then waited patiently until the appointed time. Secretly, she sent someone to bring a baby boy back to her residence, claiming the child was her own. It must be said, this was done extremely discreetly. If I hadn't gone to great lengths to find the doctor who had treated her years ago, I'd probably still be in the dark! However, unexpectedly, the Yao family knew the consequences of this being exposed would be dire, so they harbored murderous intent, wanting to eliminate the doctor who knew the truth to prevent future trouble. But who knew that the doctor was also a clever and resourceful person, and had already fled to the northern desert with his family.

To uncover the truth, I naturally wouldn't give up easily, and immediately dispatched my men to track him down. After countless hardships, we finally caught up with him in the northern desert. Unfortunately, no matter how much we pleaded, threatened, or bribed him, he was determined not to return and refused to utter a single word of the truth. It seems this matter will most likely remain an unsolved mystery, with no one left to testify! Lin Dayou said, shaking his head helplessly as he looked at Xiao Lan, thinking to himself: Such a confidential matter, besides you, is probably no one else who can tell me.

The old lady of the Jiang family has been growing increasingly thin in recent months, which is truly a thorny issue! It's difficult to directly bring up this matter with her. At this moment, her adoptive father is not in Shaozhou and cannot return in time to handle the situation; her adopted sister, Jiang Nihuang, is pregnant and needs careful care, so this matter cannot be easily told to her, lest it affect her and the health of her unborn child. After much deliberation, it seems that the only person she can confide in and discuss a solution with is Xiao Lan.

So, after much deliberation, Lin Dayou finally told her about the events of the past few days and his worries. After listening, Xiao Lan remained quite calm and reassured him, "Uncle Lin, don't worry. Even if that doctor hasn't returned, we can send people to collect more relevant statements. As long as we have enough evidence, I will seize the opportunity to bring the truth to light. However… as for whether to bring this matter to the forefront, I'm afraid we need to consult my second uncle. After all, he has raised Brother Yunbai with great care for so many years; it's impossible for him to have no feelings for him. Besides, Brother Yunbai wasn't born because of Yao's betrayal. I just wonder if you, Uncle Lin, know Brother Yunbai's true background?" At this point, Xiao Lan stared intently at the man before her, seemingly trying to glean some useful information from his expression. However, Uncle Lin frowned slightly, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly shook his head, indicating that he didn't know. Seeing this, Xiao Lan had already made up her mind. If Jiang Chang'an insisted on revealing this secret and letting everyone know that Jiang Yunbai was not a biological descendant of the Jiang family, then with her wisdom and methods, she could definitely help him achieve his wish.