Chapter 3: Imperial Edict

◎Her Majesty has me in her heart!◎

In the simple and slightly empty Qinzheng Hall, a wisp of smoke slowly rose, carrying a hint of fragrance from ink and paper.

The wide black sleeves with gilded edges swept across the desk, picking up a tea cup.

Jun Xian took a sip of tea.

“Your Majesty, would you like to rest for a moment and take a walk in the Imperial Garden?” asked the female official in ochre robes, gently fanning herself.

Jun Xian shook her head. “No need.”

She was about to lower her head to continue reviewing memorials when she noticed a hint of difficulty in the female official’s expression.

“What has happened? Do you need my assistance?” Jun Xian asked straightforwardly.

Chang Ping had been by her side since childhood. If she encountered any difficulties, there was no reason for her to stand idly by.

However, Chang Ping shook her head.

“It’s not related to me.”

“Your Majesty, early this morning, the eldest young master of the Lan family, holding the jade pendant bestowed by the previous emperor, passed through two palace gates and is now stopped outside the Changqing Gate.”

“He said he… came to the palace for an imperial audience.”

Once past the Changqing Gate, it would be the inner palace where the emperor usually stayed. Further in would be the back palace. Without an imperial edict from the palace, even holding the jade pendant bestowed by the previous emperor would not grant entry.

Jun Xian was taken aback for a moment, then her tone unconsciously carried a hint of anger.

“Why has he come to the palace instead of accepting the edict at the Lan residence!”

The day before yesterday, A Shao had enthusiastically asked for an edict to marry him. By now, A Shao’s people should have arrived at the Lan family’s door, yet Lan Qu had come to the palace?!

A Shao had liked Lan Qu since childhood, and she herself didn’t quite approve – Lan Qu was rather scheming, with eyes full of glory and wealth, not at all suitable for A Shao.

But seeing that A Shao liked him, she had agreed, planning to send a capable attendant from the palace to keep an eye on things in the future.

Yet unexpectedly, this Lan Qu had run away just as A Shao was about to propose, and even ran into the palace?

She was already dissatisfied with him, and now he was running straight into trouble. He was really walking into a trap!

“Summon him in.”

Jun Xian snorted coldly.

She wanted to see what game this Lan Qu was playing.

Chang Ping responded and slowly went out.

There was no use in hurrying. Even if Lan Qu were tied up and sent back now, judging by the time of day, the Princess An’s face had likely already been lost.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Lan Qu appeared before Jun Xian in a long white robe embroidered with green bamboo. There was a hint of sweat visible on his face, and his breathing seemed somewhat rapid.

In this weather, having waited outside for so long, he must be both tired and hot.

As he entered the hall, his face carried a hint of expectation and joy. Like a young man in love, he secretly raised his eyes to look at Jun Xian, blushing even more with embarrassment, yet also lowering his head in disappointment as he suddenly remembered he couldn’t directly gaze upon the imperial countenance.

“This subject Lan Qu pays respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty have boundless fortune and golden peace.”

Jun Xian stared at him for a moment before speaking: “Rise.”

She turned her head and gave Chang Ping a look.

Chang Ping understood and asked seriously: “What brings the son of Lan to the palace?”

Lan Qu’s entire body trembled, as if in disbelief. His eyes immediately reddened with moisture as he raised his face towards Jun Xian and said in a trembling voice: “Sister Xian… don’t you know why I’ve come to the palace?”

Jun Xian frowned slightly.

“I don’t know.”

It was as if Lan Qu had heard some devastating news. His whole person seemed to lose support, stumbling back to lean against a nearby pillar.

“Sister Xian, do you truly… truly wish to see me marry A Shao?”

Jun Xian continued to frown: “Not particularly.”

If not for A Shao’s earnest pleading, she would never have granted the marriage between the two.

Lan Qu suddenly broke into a smile through his tears.

— I knew Sister Xian had me in her heart.

— But why, then, did she still grant the marriage between me and A Shao?

His eyes still carried a hint of rouge, yet were wet as he stared at her, as if his heart and eyes were filled with only this person.

“Sister Xian, you knew… you knew that I…”

Jun Xian impatiently put down her teacup with a clatter.

“What exactly did you come to the palace for?”

Lan Qu paused, then raised his face again, now wearing a smile tinged with shyness as he smiled at Jun Xian: “This subject has already learned what he came to ask. I don’t regret my actions today, Your Majesty…”

“I… will wait for you.”

Having said this, he ran out of Qinzheng Hall with a shy face.

Jun Xian was utterly perplexed.

“What nonsense was he spouting when he came to the palace?”

She turned to look at Chang Ping.

“Did you understand any of that?”

Chang Ping knew exactly what was going on, but still shook her head.

“This subject also doesn’t understand.”

Even if she understood, she couldn’t say.

The two sisters caught in a love triangle could be considered a royal scandal.

Jun Xian slapped the table.

“How preposterous! Could this boy be mentally ill?”

“First he defies the imperial edict, then inexplicably barges into the palace, and even speaks such cryptic words to me. Does he truly think I won’t punish him?”

“It was A Shao who had feelings for him in childhood, not me!”

Chang Ping repeatedly agreed: “Yes, yes.”

Jun Xian was still somewhat angry.

“Even in his youth he was scheming, but at least then his mind was still normal and he spoke words people could understand. Now he not only acts recklessly without boundaries, hurting A Shao, but even comes to rave in front of me!”

Chang Ping continued to agree: “Indeed, he must have grown crooked.”

Jun Xian looked at the time and put down her vermilion brush.

“Send down the order: The son of Lan has defied the imperial edict and is of unsound mind. Considering he shares the same mother as Princess An Jun, he shall only be punished with thirty lashes.”

“Also, prepare some wine and food. A Shao will likely come to cry in a while, and I’ll comfort her for a bit.”

Chang Ping nodded in acknowledgment.

After a while, Chang Ping, who had gone to deliver the order, returned with a look of disbelief on her face.

“Your Majesty…”

She hesitated, unsure whether to speak or not.

Jun Xian had just finished reviewing memorials and was rubbing her brow: “Speak quickly if you have something to say.”

Chang Ping swallowed: “The imperial decree of marriage… the Lan family has accepted it.”

Jun Xian stopped rubbing her brow: “Hmm?”

“How could they accept it when Lan Qu wasn’t there?”

Chang Ping’s face was also full of shock.

“It turns out the Lan family has a second young master. Seeing that the eldest young master wasn’t there, and fearing punishment for the whole family, he actually climbed up the wall and shouted his love for Princess An… So the imperial decree was accepted, and Princess An has gone drinking with the eldest daughter of the Si family.”

Jun Xian slowly lowered her hand and blurted out:

“So A Shao won’t be coming?”

Chang Ping: “Ah?”

Jun Xian came to her senses and solemnly instructed: “Go to my private treasury and fetch a few decent treasures to bestow upon the Lan family’s second young master, tell him to add them to his dowry.”

“Oh right, what’s this second young master’s childhood name? How old is he?”

Chang Ping reported the information she had gathered in a very formal manner.

“People say he’s called Lan Shiwu, but how can that be a proper name? It must be a childhood name.”

“No one knows his formal name, and when asked, few even knew the Lan family had a second young master. It’s very mysterious.”

“Even his age this year is unknown.”

Jun Xian paused, then waved her hand.

“Go investigate thoroughly.”

“Yes.”

Meanwhile, Lan Qu returned to the Lan residence like the wind, his heart as sweet as honey with joy, his steps also lightened.

He knew that Her Majesty had him in her heart.

Her Majesty had admitted she was unwilling to let him marry Jun Shao. The marriage decree must have been granted only because she couldn’t resist Jun Shao’s persistent pleading and had to painfully give him up.

Now that he had taken this initiative step, Her Majesty had indeed bravely responded!

He quietly entered the residence through a side door and first sneaked to his father Chen Shi’s courtyard, intending to share this good news with his father.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw someone standing straight in the center of the small yard, dressed in coarse clothing with disheveled hair, as if being punished.

Lan Qu didn’t look closely and went straight into the house.

It was nothing unusual for his father to punish servants, not worth looking at.

He floated into the inner room like a gust of wind, found Chen Shi, and threw himself into his arms.

“Father, I’m back.”

Chen Shi was leisurely enjoying tea when he was suddenly bumped, spilling tea all over his hand. He was about to get angry, but seeing it was his precious darling, he quickly suppressed his anger.

“Oh my darling! Where did you run off to so early in the morning!”

He didn’t care about the tea on his hands and hugged Lan Qu tightly.

“Father was so worried about you! How could you defy the imperial edict? Such a good marriage, marrying into the royal family is so noble, with endless wealth and glory. How could you run away? Now some vixen has picked up this bargain, it’s enough to make your dad furious!”

Lan Qu didn’t care who had picked up Jun Shao. In his heart, there was only that person in the palace.

“Father, what good marriage is Jun Shao?”

“Your son has found someone better. As for Jun Shao being picked up by someone else, I don’t mind at all. I should thank them instead!”

Chen Shi couldn’t bear to hit him and lightly patted him: “What better marriage could there be than a princess? Unless you could enter the palace as a noble consort?”

Lan Qu stared straight at Chen Shi with a smile, until the dismissive look on Chen Shi’s face faded and shock began to surge. Only then did he slowly speak: “That’s right, I went to the palace today.”

“Her Majesty has feelings for me. Perhaps in the next selection, your son could enter the palace as a noble consort. With Her Majesty’s favor, becoming the Phoenix Consort is not impossible.”

“That is true glory and wealth.”

Chen Shi’s eyes were about to pop out: “Really?”

Lan Qu nodded somewhat proudly: “Of course.”

Chen Shi immediately beamed with joy: “This is wonderful news! Entering the palace is a tremendous fortune!”

“In that case, let that person in the courtyard go back. Standing there like a wooden stake, it’s annoying to look at.”

Lan Qu casually asked: “Dad, are you punishing a servant again?”

Chen Shi waved his hand: “No.”

“It’s that little vixen who picked up your bargain. Your mother sent him over for me to teach some manners, so I just found an excuse to make him stand in the sun for a while.”

Lan Qu carelessly turned his head to look, not really seeing the person’s face.

“I should thank him for picking up what I didn’t want.”

Chen Shi called over a nearby attendant to send Lan Shiwu away, then happily continued to dream with Lan Qu about the wonderful days of entering the palace in the future.

Until the attendant suddenly came in to interrupt.

“Master, palace servants have suddenly arrived, saying they’re here to deliver Her Majesty’s verbal edict.”

Chen Shi stood up with a start.

Lan Qu also couldn’t hide his excitement.

“My son, Her Majesty has come to reassure you!”

The two hurriedly walked out, rushing all the way to the front hall.

The Lan family members knelt down in a sea of people. The palace servant cleared his throat and spoke:

“By Her Majesty’s verbal edict: The son of Lan has defied the imperial edict and is of unsound mind. He is to be punished with thirty lashes. Lan Quan has failed to teach her child properly and is to be punished with one year of service.”