What? Divorce his wife?
As soon as the Little Eunuch said this, everyone was stunned.
Yanshu also forgot about the roast duck she had just rolled up, and quickly looked up.
What was going on?
That Prince of Qin'an, who had known he'd been wearing a green hat for a long time, actually wanted to divorce his wife?
And right now in the palace???
... Had she missed something important???
Of course, at this moment, the most shocked people in the hall were none other than the Duchess of Qin'an and her daughter-in-law, Lady Yue.
Hearing this, the Duchess of Qin'an was stunned for a moment before saying, "How could this child be so drunk and confused? What nonsense is he speaking?"
Looking at Lady Yue, her face was already full of embarrassment.
With a mix of embarrassment and grievance, she looked at her mother-in-law and said, "Mother, how could the Prince be so drunk?"
The Empress Dowager was also curious and asked, "Ah Kang has always been an honest child since he was young. How did he suddenly start saying such things?"
The Little Eunuch who came to report looked troubled and said, "This servant doesn't know either. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
Seeing this situation, the Empress Dowager had no choice but to look at the mother and daughter-in-law pair and say, "Alright, since His Majesty has spoken, you two should go and take a look."
The two women had no choice but to agree and were about to get up.
But then they heard the Empress Dowager instruct the palace maid Lan He, who was attending the banquet beside her, "You go with them and take a look too."
Lan He agreed and accompanied the two women.
As a result, only the Empress Dowager, Yanshu, Consort Zhou, Consort Wang, Duke Qin'an's daughter Lady Qiao, and the Yue Family Daughter who had come to the palace with her sister remained at the banquet.
Yanshu also quite admired this young lady. Lady Qiao was at least the Empress Dowager's cousin's daughter, so they had something to talk about, but she was just someone who came to the palace with her sister for a free meal. Even though her sister had left, she could still sit there comfortably.
Tsk, she was indeed a person with great ambition.
However...
She herself was feeling a bit restless.
What on earth had happened in Xiangyun Hall?
The Prince of Qin'an actually wanted to divorce his wife?
Based on her years of experience in observing drama, something big was definitely about to happen!
There might be some exciting scenes coming up...
She really wanted to go and see for herself!!!
Thinking this way, even the roast duck in her hand didn't seem appetizing anymore.
She forced herself to drink another bowl of sour, spicy, and delicious fish soup, when she saw Lan He hurrying back, panting as she reported to the Empress Dowager, "Your Majesty, it's, it's not good. As soon as the Prince of Qin'an saw his wife, he immediately rushed over and grabbed her neck, saying he wanted to kill her... His Majesty requests your presence as well."
What?!!!
Everyone in the hall exclaimed almost in unison.
Only Yanshu's eyes immediately lit up — sure enough, her guess wasn't wrong, it was already this exciting!!!
The Empress Dowager also said, "How could this be? Quick, prepare the sedan chair!"
After speaking, she hurriedly got up to go to Xiangyun Hall.
Seeing this situation, Lady Qiao, as the sister, naturally couldn't sit still either and quickly followed the Empress Dowager.
The Yue Family Daughter had no choice but to regretfully get up and follow Lady Qiao as well.
As a result, there were hardly any people left at the banquet.
Yanshu was extremely excited in her heart. She glanced at the remaining Consort Zhou and Consort Wang, and seeing that the two were also getting up to leave, she quickly and quietly followed the Empress Dowager and the others.
— Wow~~
Anyway, Xiangyun Hall was probably in chaos, one more person wouldn't make a difference!
When Yanshu arrived with the large group of people, she saw that Prince of Qin'an Qiao Yongkang was being held back by people, his round face as red as a cooked shrimp, indeed looking very drunk.
His wife, Lady Yue, was hiding behind her mother-in-law crying, with a ring of red marks on her neck.
Duke Qin'an was so angry that he stepped forward and slapped his son twice, scolding, "You rascal, how dare you be so unruly in front of His Majesty? Just a few cups of wine and you've forgotten where you are?"
The Duchess of Qin'an also went to scold her son, "That's right, and what nonsense are you spouting? What divorce, not divorce!"
At these words, Lady Yue cried even louder.
However, when that crying sound reached his ears, Qiao Yongkang suddenly shouted, "You don't know anything! Do you know how much I've been suffering!"
As he finished speaking, he saw the Empress Dowager entering the hall. Qiao Yongkang suddenly rushed over and knelt in front of the Empress Dowager, crying.
"Please, Aunt, do justice for your nephew..."
The Empress Dowager was startled and quickly said, "What's going on? What's there for a grown man to cry about? If you have something to say, say it properly."
Then Qiao Yongkang suddenly pointed at his wife Lady Yue and said, "Empress Dowager, you don't know, this woman is a slut! She's been having an affair with the carriage driver Old Three for several years behind my back! I thought of the three children and wanted to give her a chance, but she doesn't know how to restrain herself at all, and has become more and more outrageous. Even on this trip to the capital, she didn't forget to fool around with that Old Three, Aunt..."
What?
An affair???
These words not only stunned the Empress Dowager and all the ministers attending the banquet in the hall, but also completely froze Duke Qin'an and his wife, as well as everyone from their household.
Yanshu couldn't help but widen her eyes and exclaim inwardly, "Oh my goodness!"
This guy actually exposed everything!!!
Tsk tsk, exciting, exciting, it was worth coming!!!
Looking at Lady Yue again, she saw that she was also stunned, even forgetting to cry for a moment, staring at her husband with wide eyes.
Everyone in the hall seemed to have been struck dumb, looking at the couple.
After a moment, the Duchess of Qin'an was the first to react, embarrassedly scolding her son, "What drunken nonsense are you talking about! Shut your mouth right now!!!"
But Qiao Yongkang continued to shout, "I'm not talking nonsense! Why don't you believe me, Mother? I've become the laughingstock of the whole world because of this woman, and you still don't believe me!!!"
This cry contained years of his grievances, and the Duchess of Qin'an was startled by the shout.
After taking two deep breaths and coming back to her senses, she was about to scold him again.
However, before she could open her mouth, she saw her son crawl in front of the Emperor again, crying, "Your Majesty, please listen to your subject's advice, you can't have women from the Yue family, they are all fickle and unfaithful, you absolutely can't have them!!!"
Seeing this situation, the Duchess of Qin'an's body swayed, and she nearly fainted.
Duke Qin'an also hurriedly stepped forward and scolded, "How dare you offend His Majesty like this? Come back and behave yourself immediately!"
At this moment, they heard the Emperor speak, "Wait."
Yuwen Lan looked at the Empress Dowager and said, "Cousin Yongkang has always been gentle and honest. For him to be like this today, I feel it's unusual. Could there really be some problem?"
At these words, Qiao Yongkang cried again, "Your Majesty understands me, only Your Majesty understands me! Your Majesty!!!"
That loud voice made the entire hall tremble.
Those who didn't know might think something had happened to the Emperor.
The Empress Dowager smoothed her startled heart, which was jumping wildly, before nodding and saying, "Indeed, this child has been honest since he was young. How could he suddenly be like this today? Could it be that he's really been wronged badly? In my opinion, we should have someone investigate."
As soon as these words fell, Lady Yue paused, then suddenly cried out, "This subject's wife has no face to see anyone..."
As she spoke, she actually ran towards a nearby pillar, looking as if she was going to dramatically prove her innocence.
Fortunately, guards stopped her, preventing her from actually hitting the pillar.
Seeing this, Yanshu secretly shook her head and clicked her tongue —
The way she cried, one might think she was really wronged if they didn't know better.
However, the Empress Dowager probably wouldn't fall for this trick.
Sure enough, seeing this situation, the Empress Dowager immediately darkened her face and rebuked, "Do you know where this is? How dare you act like this in front of His Majesty? If blood were to be spilled here, whose eyes would it offend?"
At these words, Lady Yue was immediately so frightened that she dared not make a sound. Instead, her sister stepped forward and said to the Empress Dowager, "Please calm your anger, Your Majesty. My sister has been wrongly accused and has grievances she can't express..."
The Empress Dowager coldly laughed and said, "Whether she's been wrongly accused or not, someone will clear her name!"
Saying this, she instructed the person beside her, "Nanny Zhuang, you take some people to help Duke Qin'an investigate. Things have come to this today, whether Ah Kang's words are true or not, we need an explanation!"
Nanny Zhuang immediately agreed.
As soon as these words fell, Lady Yue, who had just been seeking death, suddenly collapsed on the ground, her face drained of all color, and it was impossible to tell whether she was scared or grieved.
The Duchess of Qin'an was extremely embarrassed and could only bow to the Empress Dowager and say, "Thank you for your grace, Empress Dowager."
Turning her head to look, she saw that her son was still kneeling in front of the Emperor, wailing loudly, with snot and tears already covering the ground.
Everyone: "..."
Duke Qin'an suppressed his anger and led his daughter and son-in-law to drag him back.
He then said to the Emperor and Empress Dowager, "It's my fault for failing to teach my son properly. We've disturbed the nobles today and made all the officials laugh at us. I will take him back and teach him a good lesson."
After speaking, he dragged his son out of the hall.
Seeing this situation, the Duchess of Qin'an could only kowtow to the Emperor and Empress Dowager, then slink away in embarrassment.
After watching the spectacle, the ministers also bid farewell to the Emperor and Empress Dowager one by one, gradually exiting the hall.
Yanshu, feeling satisfied, also took the opportunity to slip out of the hall, inwardly marveling that it was indeed worth coming!
The Duchess of Qin'an had calculated everything, but she never anticipated this turn of events. Now she had truly run afoul of the Empress Dowager.
Estimating that Nanny Zhuang wouldn't go easy, who knows how much more would be uncovered, tsk tsk.
Get ready to keep watching the drama unfold!
Hearing her voice, Yuwen Lan quickly raised his eyes to look, but only caught a glimpse of the hem of a horse-face skirt.
He smiled gently.
He knew she would come.
It must be said that as the Empress Dowager's capable deputy, Nanny Zhuang did have some skills.
Although the Duke Qin'an's mansion was a thousand miles away, she directly targeted Lady Yue's maid, having her arrested and interrogated under torture.
In just half a day, the other party confessed to Lady Yue's affair with the coachman Bao Laosan.
It was only at this point that the Duke and Duchess of Qin'an realized their son had not been lying.
It turned out that their seemingly virtuous and capable daughter-in-law had been carrying on with a servant in the household for over two years.
Their son had discovered the affair a year ago but, fearing their reproach, had not dared to speak up, keeping it to himself until today when it all came to a head.
The couple was both angry and furious, at a loss for words for a moment.
...
After helping the Qiao family uncover the truth, early the next morning, Nanny Zhuang returned to the palace to report to the Empress Dowager.
The Duke and Duchess of Qin'an also came to the palace together to apologize to the Emperor and Empress Dowager for the incident at yesterday's banquet.
At that time, Yuwen Lan was busy, so he asked the Empress Dowager to receive the couple on his behalf.
So the couple went directly to the Palace of Benevolent Peace.
They bowed together to the Empress Dowager, and Duke Qin'an said with a shameful face, "This old minister has failed to manage his household and educate his son properly. Yesterday's incident startled Your Highness, His Majesty, and the other ladies. It is truly a grave offense. Please punish us, Your Highness."
The Duchess of Qin'an also said, "This minister's wife was blind and allowed such a scandal to occur in our household. Please forgive us, Your Highness."
The Empress Dowager cast her gaze from her seat, saying, "Sister, you are an intelligent person. How could you let such a woman bully Akang like that? Such an honest person normally, yet yesterday he cried so miserably, saying no one would stand up for him... It's not that I'm meddling, but how have you two been parenting?"
Duke Qin'an could only bow his head, "It is this minister's incompetence that has made Your Highness laugh at us."
The Duchess of Qin'an also lowered her head and said, "We have made Your Highness laugh at us."
As the words fell, Nanny Zhuang spoke from the side, "Lady Yue's maid has already identified the two as having an affair, and the coachman has also confessed. How should they be dealt with now?"
The Empress Dowager looked at the couple and said, "This is your family matter. Go back and handle it yourselves."
The Duke and Duchess of Qin'an hurriedly agreed.
But then they heard the Empress Dowager add, "However, in my opinion, for that adulterer to dare touch the mistress of the house, trampling the master's face underfoot, is truly outrageous and must not be lightly pardoned. As for Lady Yue..."
The Empress Dowager looked at her cousin with a mocking smile and said, "I see that you were quite fond of her, sister. Whether to keep her or not, you can decide for yourself."
Hearing this, the Duchess of Qin'an wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
But she could only endure the burning shame on her face and respond, "This minister's wife failed to judge character correctly and has made Your Highness laugh. This minister's wife will go back and have Kang write a divorce letter immediately."
The Empress Dowager nodded slightly and then dismissed them.
The next day, when Yanshu woke up, she heard the news about Duke Qin'an's family.
It was said that the Qiao family had sent their steward to report to the Capital Official, and the coachman who had touched the mistress was thrown into prison. The Prince of Qin'an had written a divorce letter and sent Lady Yue and her sister back to their maternal home a thousand miles away, cutting off all ties.
The old Duke and Duchess of Qin'an had originally suspected the bloodline of their grandchildren, but Qiao Yongkang was still kind-hearted and insisted on keeping the three children by his side.
However, the matter was now known to all, and because of their mother, these three children had become a stain on the Qiao family. The Duchess of Qin'an kept it hushed up and no longer dared to boast about them everywhere.
In her anger, she even fell ill.
When the Empress Dowager heard about it, she considered their family ties and sent an imperial physician to check her pulse.
...
After hearing the news, Yanshu couldn't help but sigh inwardly that the Empress Dowager had turned out to be the biggest winner in this affair!
However, after sighing, she suddenly realized a very important issue—
Damn it, before she had time to finish her new story, the ins and outs of this matter were already known to all.
In this case, her story would have no suspense to speak of...
How could she publish it now?
Alas! Didn't she waste half a day writing the day before yesterday?!
It was enough to make her spit blood with anger!!!
Yanshu brooded for a while, then suddenly thought of another important question—
That Prince of Qin'an had been wearing a green hat for so long, and had been enduring it all the time in the northwest, so why did he suddenly get drunk and expose everything yesterday?
Tsk, why does it feel like there's some conspiracy?
...
It was a busy day, and when Yuwen Lan entered the Ganlu Palace, Yanshu had already finished bathing.
Seeing the beauty with rosy cheeks and crimson lips, the Emperor's heart naturally fluttered. So he hurriedly went to undress and bathe, then embraced her and got into bed.
Just as he was about to kiss her, she blocked him with her hand and asked with a serious face, "This concubine has a question to ask Your Majesty."
Yuwen Lan raised an eyebrow, "What question?"
He heard her say, "This concubine has heard that the Prince of Qin'an has always been honest and simple, not one who likes to drink. How did he get drunk the day before yesterday when Your Majesty was still present?"
Hmm?
Yuwen Lan paused imperceptibly.
Why did she suddenly think to ask this question now?
He said with an unchanged expression, "Perhaps he was truly miserable in his heart. After all, people's endurance is limited. When the day comes that one really can't bear it anymore, it's bound to burst out. Just imagine, that pair of adulterers were still fooling around on their way to the capital, how painful must that have been for him? It just so happened that there was wine that day, so he couldn't help but drink too much."
This seemed to make some sense.
But Qiao Yongkang could have exploded at any time, why did he choose to do so at the palace banquet? Yanshu still felt it was too coincidental.
So she looked at him again and asked suspiciously, "Really?"
Yuwen Lan nodded with a frank face, "Of course it's true. Do you think I would deliberately get him drunk?"
Yanshu thought to herself that this was exactly what she suspected.
Tsk, she had wondered if he had guessed it was Qiao Yongkang after hearing her story, and for the sake of their cousin relationship, deliberately got him drunk to reveal the truth and then help him have a reason to divorce his wife.
But thinking about it again, she felt, could he be that kind-hearted?
Yuwen Lan silently listened and silently nodded in agreement.
He indeed wasn't that kind-hearted.
This time, he had merely seen that the Duchess of Qin'an was overreaching herself and wanted to teach her a lesson.
So he just helped Qiao Yongkang make a choice along the way.
But he was also a bit puzzled as to why she cared so much about this matter?
He had her come to the scene to watch the drama today, was she not happy?
So he tried asking, "Why are you so hung up on this question? Does Qiao Yongkang getting drunk and causing a scene in the palace have any impact on you?"
But he saw her looking angry as she said, "Of course it has an impact."
"The new story I mentioned to Your Majesty the day before yesterday, I didn't expect it to coincidentally clash with the Prince of Qin'an's affair. Now the whole capital has probably heard about it. In that case, hasn't my story missed its chance? There's no point in publishing it now."
— It should be known that the biggest feature of her stories was to shock people's eyes, so it had to be first-hand big news to work.
Who wants to read old news!
Yuwen Lan: "..."
He really hadn't thought of this aspect.
He could only comfort her, saying, "But since things are as they are now, just don't publish this one. Wait until you write something else, it's the same to publish then."
But he saw her still pouting, "That's easy for you to say, but it's so hard for me to write one!"
Tsk, if she had known this would happen, she might as well have stayed in bed for half a day.
All that hard work writing it out was just wasted!
Just thinking about it was infuriating!
Silently listening, Yuwen Lan felt a bit guilty.
Should he compensate her for the story's money?
But before he could speak, he heard her say, "This incident happened while Your Majesty was entertaining him after all, so Your Majesty should bear some responsibility for my wasting a story, right?"
Yuwen Lan: "..."
He knew it.
She was an expert at extortion, did he need to worry about her?
So he asked, "What do you want then?"
Seeing her eyes dart mischievously, she smiled and said, "Your humble consort hasn't thought of anything... just that, perhaps Your Majesty could compensate me for the lost silver from this novel?"
Yuwen Lan: "..."
As expected, she still wanted money.
Very well, he nodded and said, "Alright, I'll give you 100 taels of silver, consider it as if I've purchased this novel. How's that?"
Well, he'd have to give it anyway, might as well take the initiative.
This way, she wouldn't hold any grudges, right?
To his surprise, she said, "Your humble consort has been getting 120 taels for each novel lately..."
Yuwen Lan: "???"
What?
She was really haggling with him so meticulously?
Fortunately, she quickly added, "But out of respect for Your Majesty, I won't ask for the extra. However... could Your Majesty grant your humble consort one request?"
As she spoke, she batted her almond-shaped eyes, smiled sweetly, and leaned in close to him.
Yuwen Lan instantly caught a whiff of her delicate fragrance, and could feel her warmth as she drew near. He naturally pulled her into his arms and asked in a husky voice, "What else do you want?"
She smiled and said, "Your humble consort wants to go out of the palace to eat something delicious..."
—Ahem, last time on the way to Jifu Tower, she had spotted a Qingzhou restaurant on Four Corners Street that seemed quite popular.
That was the taste of her hometown! She had been craving it for so long!
Yuwen Lan: "..."
If it wasn't money, it was food.
He raised an eyebrow and gently tapped her nose, saying, "Always thinking about leaving the palace, your heart has grown wild..."
Before he could finish speaking, his lips were met with a kiss.
Light and fleeting, like a dragonfly skimming the water.
Yet it made his heart flutter.
Yuwen Lan's eyes suddenly darkened, and he was about to pursue her lips.
But she pulled back, covering her mouth and said, "Only if you agree..."
However, before she could finish, she was back in his arms.
He smiled faintly and said, "You're the first to bargain with me like this."
With that, he removed her hand and finally kissed her properly.
...
Well, since she was the first, he would indulge her a bit.
It was no matter.
The next evening, no dinner was served in Ganlu Palace.
While others were having their evening meal, Yanshu had already changed her clothes and was sitting in a carriage with the emperor, leaving the palace gates.
Their destination was clear - the Qingzhou restaurant on Four Corners Street.
Four Corners Street was already a bustling area, and now that it was late spring and early summer, there were even more people out and about.
The two alighted from the carriage to see a scene of colorful lanterns and wine shops, a picture of prosperity.
After walking a short distance, they arrived at the Qingzhou restaurant, which was currently busy serving customers and quite lively.
Yanshu paid a premium to secure a private room. The two entered and sat down, then called for a waiter to order.
Since they were here for Qingzhou cuisine, naturally Yanshu would do the ordering.
She had already spotted some dishes when they entered, so she ordered the signature dishes that every table seemed to have: sweet and sour carp, braised pork intestines, and crispy stir-fried chicken gizzards and pork stomach.
Glancing at the menu, she saw they even had Ande's roast chicken, so she quickly ordered one of those as well.
Before long, the dishes were served.
Yanshu could hardly wait and immediately urged Yuwen Lan to start eating.
"My lord, quickly try this sweet and sour carp. If this dish is done well, it means this restaurant is quite authentic," she said.
Yuwen Lan made a sound of acknowledgment and reached out with his chopsticks to taste it.
Hmm, the fish had a golden crispy exterior while maintaining the tenderness of the flesh inside, coated in a tangy sweet sauce. The taste was quite good.
Yuwen Lan sipped some tea to cleanse his palate, only to see that Yanshu had already started on the braised pork intestines.
Mmm, the outer layer of the intestines had a crispy fried texture, but the inside melted in the mouth, rich and flavorful, perfect with rice.
Seeing this, Yuwen Lan followed her lead and tried some of the intestines.
Before he could even swallow, he saw that she had already moved on to the crispy stir-fried dish.
Wow, the chicken gizzards and pork stomach had been sliced into flower shapes, allowing them to better absorb the seasonings. The chef's timing was perfect, resulting in a crispy yet tender texture that was salty, savory, and refreshing. Truly authentic.
Finally, the pièce de résistance was their Ande roast chicken.
The chicken was a glossy reddish-brown all over, and with a gentle tug, the meat fell off the bone. Upon tasting it, one could feel the fragrance permeating to the bone, extremely tender and flavorful.
Yanshu excitedly said to Yuwen Lan, "Your Majesty, quickly try this! This is our Ande roast chicken, and this restaurant has made it very authentically!"
Seeing her enthusiasm, Yuwen Lan pulled off a piece of chicken and tasted it. After trying it, he nodded, "Indeed, it's quite good."
After speaking, he looked back at Yanshu, only to see that her eyes were glistening with unshed tears.
Yuwen Lan: "..."
Was tasting her hometown flavors really so moving?
Indeed, Yanshu was overwhelmed with emotions at that moment.
In the past, because her father was an honest official, their family wasn't very well-off. Whenever she wanted to eat roast chicken, they had to wait until her father received his salary before they could afford to have it.
The last time she had eaten roast chicken was after she had been selected as a beauty and was about to leave home.
That day, her parents had bought her four roast chickens at once, thinking they might never see her again...
Fortunately, now her parents, brother, and grandmother had all come to the capital, and they could see each other from time to time.
...
Yuwen Lan, who had silently listened to her story, was quiet for a moment before suddenly calling out to someone outside, "Bring two more roast chickens."
Seeing her surprised face, he said, "If you like it, eat more. It's no problem."
It's just roast chicken, after all.
He could provide as much as she wanted.
And so, after polishing off the roast chickens, Yanshu's belly was round and full, and she had to lean on the wall to get out.
However, she was so happy tonight that she even had one more chicken packed up to take back for Renchong to try.
With their appetites satiated and hearts content, it was time to head back.
Yanshu rose with Yuwen Lan, ready to leave the private room.
The room was on the second floor, overlooking the street.
At this moment, she happened to glance out the window and saw an extremely luxurious carriage parked by the roadside.
The carriage compartment was adorned with jade, and the wheels were inlaid with brass, truly a sight of gold and jade splendor.
However, this style seemed somewhat familiar.
As she was wondering about this, she saw a group of people coming out of the Shenghe Residence across the street.
Leading the group was a woman who also looked familiar.
Yanshu quickly called to Yuwen Lan, "My lord, isn't that the Eldest Princess?"
The Eldest Princess?
Yuwen Lan also turned his gaze to the window.
Although the woman wasn't dressed as lavishly as she usually did when entering the palace, he was certain it was Yuwen Yan.
However, beside her was a man with a tall build and hair that seemed to have a brownish tint. From a distance, one could make out high cheekbones and deep-set eyes.
The two approached the carriage and got in together, then drove off.
He was still puzzled when he heard Yanshu exclaim, "Has the Eldest Princess found a new favorite? He doesn't look like he's from the Central Plains, does he?"
System: [That's right, the Eldest Princess's new favorite is the top courtesan from the Ruyi Brothel on Yang Lou Street, named Pan Zai'an, originally from Rouran.]
Yanshu's eyes widened, [Yang Lou Street's Ruyi Brothel? Isn't that the famous male brothel?]
