"All right, you're still injured," Lan Yan helped Jun Yelan up, leaning close to his cheek. She said helplessly, "Jun Yelan, can you stop being so polite to me from now on?"
She always felt something was missing between her and Jun Yelan.
Jun Yelan stiffened, looked at Lan Yan's delicate and pretty face, and nodded.
Lan Yan's face immediately broke into a smile. She yawned and said, "I'm tired today. I need a good rest." She walked to the bed and lay down beside Jun Yelan.
Jun Yelan wanted to move away. Remembering Lan Yan's words from earlier, he ultimately didn't. He pulled the quilt over and covered Lan Yan with it, watching her sleep.
Her skin was as white as snow, her cheeks held a faint blush, adding a touch of color to her face. Her features were small and delicate, her eyes slanted slightly upwards, her eyelashes now still, and further down were those light red lips.
He quickly averted his gaze, looking at his book, but he couldn't focus. His heart was in turmoil.
The next morning, Lan Yan woke up and saw dark circles under Jun Yelan's eyes. "Didn't you sleep well last night?"
"Reading," Jun Yelan said, his face unmoving as he flipped through the pages of his book, unwilling to admit that he had stared at Lan Yan for a long time last night, and even with his eyes closed, it was Lan Yan's face he saw.
Lan Yan nodded. As long as her body was not malfunctioning, it was fine. "Right, we're returning to the palace today. On the way back, I'll take you somewhere. You keep reading, I'm going to find Mei Dong."
She put on her shoes and ran towards the door.
Jun Yelan watched her retreating back, a hint of a smile on his lips, more than usual, which then quickly vanished.
Lan Yan found Mei Dong and whispered a few words in her ear.
"What, Your Majesty wants to go shopping alone?" Mei Dong quickly shook her head. "Your Majesty, it's very dangerous."
Lan Yan patted Mei Dong's shoulder and smiled, "Mei Dong, are you my good palace maid? I'm not alone; I'm with Jun Yelan. I haven't been out of the palace much, and I even encountered an assassination attempt. I haven't had any fun."
"When I return, I'll have to attend court every day, handle memorials, and fight with those old foxes. I'm so tired, shouldn't I get some rest!" Actually, she wanted to increase her favorability and browse the local market.
Mei Dong listened, stunned, and nodded involuntarily. "Your Majesty, you work too hard. It's my fault for not being considerate. Here is a signal flare. If anything happens, Your Majesty, remember to notify me."
She handed the bamboo tube to Lan Yan.
Lan Yan took it and put it in her sleeve, looking at Mei Dong solemnly. "Okay." She then took two sets of ordinary clothes from Mei Dong and walked back to the tent.
Mei Dong stood in place, still feeling sorry for her Empress. "It's not easy. I must take good care of Your Majesty from now on."
The procession for returning to the palace was ready and set off majestically towards the inner city.
And halfway there, two people disguised as ordinary citizens jumped off the carriage and headed towards the market in the city.
This was Lan Yan's first time out of the palace. Seeing the dazzling array of goods, she wished she could fly. However, considering Jun Yelan, she maintained some composure and began to stroll slowly.
Jun Yelan followed her, watching Lan Yan's cheerful demeanor. He figured Lan Yan rarely left the palace as Empress, which was why she was like this. A touch of pity stirred in him; after all, it wasn't just them who were confined to the palace, but also the high and mighty Empress.
As he was thinking this, a string of candied hawthorns appeared before his eyes.
"Jun Yelan, since we're out of the palace, eat something quickly. Otherwise, you won't have another chance." Lan Yan, holding a candied hawthorn in her left hand and a baked flatbread in her right, stuffed them into Jun Yelan's hands and went to buy something else.
Jun Yelan couldn't help but smile and followed Lan Yan's footsteps.
At this moment, the sounds of silk and bamboo music drifted from the street, and a procession approached. In front were people beating gongs and drums, and in the middle was a magnificent sedan chair, its curtains drawn, vaguely revealing a man inside.
The man was dressed in purple silk fabric, wore a veil over his face, and lounged lazily in the carriage.
The surrounding commoners were cheering, "Wow, truly worthy of being the top courtesan of Biyue Tower. Her figure and appearance are indeed exquisite."
"Courtesan Xi Chen is not someone we ordinary people can see. Even if you spend platinum at Biyue Tower, you'll only get a token. Whether you can meet her depends entirely on the courtesan's mood."
"Someone once forced their way into Xi Chen's room, and they were thrown out fiercely, almost losing half their life."
Lan Yan was pushed to the side by the procession and looked up at the person in the sedan chair. So this was what a top courtesan looked like in a matriarchal society. Except for the gender, it was not much different.
She turned to look at Jun Yelan and murmured, "I think he's not as good-looking as you."
As the sedan chair passed, these words reached Xi Chen's ears. His eyebrows furrowed, and he called out, "Wait." The sedan chair stopped, and he walked to Lan Yan and Jun Yelan, staring at Jun Yelan.
He's indeed as aloof as bamboo, but how could he compare to me! He looked at Lan Yan, "You were the one who said that just now."
Lan Yan looked at the person in front of her, feeling baffled. "Yes."
Xi Chen's eyes instantly flared with anger. "Your eyesight is bad!" The most he heard at Biyue Tower was flattery, but today he encountered a woman who looked down on him so much.
He couldn't swallow this insult. "Since you think the man beside you is better, then he shall compete with me. If I win, you will take back what you just said."
Lan Yan was extremely speechless at this moment. She had only said one sentence, and now she had provoked this top courtesan. "He is my husband, and he will not compete with you."
At this moment, the surrounding commoners also gathered around, looking at Jun Yelan and marveling, "This man's appearance is also stunning, and his temperament is unparalleled. No wonder this woman would say that."
"Yes, yes."
These words made Xi Chen even more furious, his temples throbbing. "I must compete with him today!" He was always adored in the Hao Kingdom, and he absolutely could not come here and lose to an unknown person.
Lan Yan was too lazy to pay attention to Xi Chen. She grabbed Jun Yelan's hand and walked forward. She would not let Jun Yelan compete with this person.
Seeing Lan Yan and the others about to leave, Xi Chen reached out to grab them, with a hint of palm wind.
Lan Yan was instantly embraced by Jun Yelan around the waist and dodged to the side.
Jun Yelan's eyes darkened. This courtesan had martial arts skills. It seemed they wouldn't be able to leave easily today. He shielded Lan Yan behind him and stared coldly at Xi Chen, "Compete in what?"
Lan Yan hurriedly grabbed Jun Yelan's sleeve. Meeting Jun Yelan's reassuring gaze, she finally let go. She had only intended to go shopping with Jun Yelan, but she encountered a madman.
"Xi Chen, is it? You will regret this."
Xi Chen, being stared at by two people at once, felt a chill run down his spine. However, he would not easily admit defeat. He shouted, "It's you who will regret it! I will compete with your husband... to see who can knock over the water vat first."
He pointed at the water vat in the alley, a triumphant look on his face. Not everyone was as skilled in martial arts as he was. This man was bound to lose, and then he would make this woman apologize to him!