The Emperor clenched his fists, gazing coldly at the group below. He now possessed the aura of an emperor. "The Director just finished dealing with affairs in Ningzhou, and you people act like this!"
"Your Majesty, the Director has erred and deserves punishment!" Minister Yan knelt down, and a vast crowd immediately followed suit. He absolutely could not allow Jun Yelan to accumulate more merit; otherwise, the consequences would be endless.
Jun Yelan remained calm, neither humble nor arrogant, his eyes devoid of any ripples. He had long known this would happen. Possessing treasure brings about guilt.
Ultimately, the Emperor, citing indisposition, made no decision and dismissed Minister Yan and the others.
Jun Yelan was the last to leave. As he exited, he encountered Minister Yan and walked straight ahead.
Minister Yan's eyes immediately blazed with anger as he shouted, "Director, you had better take good care of yourself. Such leisurely days will not last long."
He had invested heavily this time and was determined to force the Emperor to punish Jun Yelan.
Jun Yelan's steps paused slightly, his gaze fixed forward. "Minister Yan, do you think you will find peace once you deal with me! If it's not me you deal with, it will be someone else, and the same applies to you."
With that, he strode out of the palace gates, his eyes deeper than usual.
Minister Yan behind him frowned, pondering the hidden meaning in Jun Yelan's words. He felt something was amiss, yet couldn't quite articulate it.
At this time, Jun Yelan went directly to the Eastern Depot to handle some matters, working until midnight before heading back to his residence.
Lan Yan, seeing that Jun Yelan had not returned, had fallen asleep leaning against the window. After a long while, she heard the sound of the door opening. Rubbing her drowsy eyes, she smiled faintly, "Yelan, you're back."
Jun Yelan's heart stirred, his eyes darkening as he walked to Lan Yan and scooped her up. "It's cold at night. You mustn't wait for me here next time; go to sleep properly."
"I'm not sleepy," Lan Yan said, trying to keep her eyes open and wrapping her arms around Jun Yelan's neck.
Jun Yelan looked at Lan Yan's drooping eyelids and smiled helplessly. He held Lan Yan's hand and lay down beside her, gently embracing her waist.
"Yan'er, if one day I don't return, don't worry. I promised you that no matter what, I would find a way to come back and see you."
Lan Yan froze slightly. Held in his arms, she couldn't see Jun Yelan's expression, but she could feel his emotions.
She patted Jun Yelan's back and nodded, "Okay. I also promise you to take good care of myself and wait for you to return."
She knew something must have happened to Jun Yelan. Since he didn't want to talk about it, she wouldn't ask.
She believed in Jun Yelan!
Jun Yelan said nothing, merely resting his head on Lan Yan's shoulder, hiding the affection in his eyes. He didn't want to be separated from Lan Yan, but for the future, he had to set this trap.
He had considered everything. Now, all he needed was for Lan Yan to believe him. He had sworn never to let go of Lan Yan, even in death.
Lan Yan quietly embraced Jun Yelan, sleepiness washing over her, and she couldn't help but close her eyes.
Jun Yelan, however, remained awake all night, gazing at Lan Yan's sleeping face. It wasn't until morning that he kissed her forehead and then got up to leave.
At the door of the room, he instructed Hui Niang and the others to take good care of Lan Yan. Upon reaching the mansion's entrance, he had Song Cheng arrange for people to protect the Jun residence before riding his horse to the palace.
When Lan Yan awoke, she looked at the empty bed beside her, sadness welling up in her eyes. She took out the letter from under her pillow. This was Jun Yelan's reply to her, which she had kept there since his return.
Looking at the letter, she curved her lips and encouraged herself, "Don't worry, he will come back."
After all, the system hadn't given any warning sounds, which meant Jun Yelan was safe.
Taking advantage of this free time, she ordered people to clean the mansion and then spent time in the study calculating accounts and organizing finances. In the evening, she began developing new pastries and shared them with Hui Niang and the others.
For a full day and night, Jun Yelan did not return.
The next morning, Song Cheng came with news, "Madam, the Director has been imprisoned in the palace. I cannot see him, and there is no message for you this time."
Lan Yan's hand, which had been moving the abacus, stopped. She said, "He has already told me what he wanted to say. He will be fine."
Song Cheng was also unsure this time. He exclaimed indignantly, "It's all the fault of those people for falsely accusing the Director. He clearly had merit, yet he was imprisoned. If I had known, the Eastern Depot should have dealt with them."
"It's not that simple," Lan Yan replied. "Your Director has his own considerations in his actions. We just need to trust him. Before he went to the palace, he assigned tasks to you, right? You should follow them."
Based on her understanding of Jun Yelan, this matter was not over; there must be a grand plan. Jun Yelan would not normally put himself in danger. His doing so this time meant someone had touched his dragon's scales.
Seeing Lan Yan's composure, Song Cheng felt a little calmer. "Alright, your subordinate will listen to Madam." He then returned to the Eastern Depot.
The other members of the Jun residence also heard the news and rushed to comfort Lan Yan.
However, Lan Yan continued to calculate accounts and develop culinary creations, managing the Jun residence with great efficiency. "This month, we made quite a profit by selling according to my ideas."
Hui Niang looked at her and sighed, "Lan'er, if you feel upset, you should cry it out. You'll feel much better after crying."
Lan Yan put down the ledger and looked at the empty space opposite her, shaking her head. "The person who would comfort me when I cry isn't here, so there's no need for me to cry. Tears should be saved for someone worthy."
"Sister Hui, I'm really fine. Look, I finished calculating the accounts in just an afternoon. Don't worry, go rest. I'll give everyone tomorrow off."
Hui Niang looked at Lan Yan's smile, filled with bitterness, and said no more. "Alright, tell me if you need anything else." She left.
Lan Yan was left alone. She closed the ledger, propped her chin on one hand, and murmured, "Ah, they've almost made me cry."
The system spoke, "Host, you are not a weak person." Although it didn't want to admit it, its host was indeed quite formidable.
"You don't understand; it depends on the situation." Lan Yan had finally managed to suppress the urge to cry. Now, talking to the system, she quickly raised her head to hold back her tears. "Crying is never weakness; it's to be able to persevere with strength."
She waved her hand. "Why am I telling you this? I'm going back to my room." She tidied everything up and returned to her room to sleep.
The system watched the tears Lan Yan shed in her sleep and suddenly wished that Jun Yelan would return soon. "Never mind, in the next world, I'll pick an easy one."
Lan Yan didn't know what she dreamed about; she cried all night, and her tears finally dried in the morning.
Meanwhile, in the Yan residence, Yan Ming said to Minister Yan with a smile, "Father, you are truly amazing. You've finally succeeded in causing Jun Yelan's downfall. I want to go to the Jun residence and humiliate his country wife."
"The Emperor hasn't explicitly punished him yet. Don't rush to act and leave evidence," Minister Yan said, looking puzzled. What was the Emperor waiting for?
Yan Ming smiled smugly. "Don't worry, Father. Jun Yelan can never recover from this." He immediately summoned dozens of household guards and went to the entrance of the Jun residence, shouting loudly, "Where are the people of the Jun residence? Have they all died?"