"Even you look down on me!" Li Chengqian's eyes were about to split with rage.

"Your Highness." The Crown Princess Consort appeared from the depths of the path, her face slightly haggard, her eyes and brows marked by an irrepressible sadness.

Ran Yan realized that Li Chengqian had mistaken someone for her just now and thus kneeled to the Crown Princess Consort in respect.

"You must be Lady Xian Liang." This was the second time the Crown Princess Consort had seen her. The first had been on the day An Jin died, merely a fleeting glance.

"Indeed, this humble one is," Ran Yan replied.

The Crown Princess Consort nodded slightly. Following that, silence fell between them.

After a moment of quiet, Ran Yan said, "This humble one will take her leave first."

"Mmm." The Crown Princess Consort responded, then turned and walked towards Li Chengqian.

The Crown Princess Consort was dignified and noble, but Ran Yan always felt she was like a lifeless vase. Dressed properly, she stood in front of a disheveled Li Chengqian, her hand gently grasping his.

Ran Yan did not wish to linger in such a contentious place, and upon receiving permission, she quickly left.

"Your Highness, all I can do is to live and die with you."

Ran Yan had walked a few yards away when she heard the Crown Princess Consort say these words in a flat tone.

To live and die together was merely "that is all"; such a woman made Ran Yan unconsciously slow her steps, looking back over her shoulder at her.

The expression on the Crown Princess Consort's face had not changed from before.

She was destined to be imprisoned here, whether the prince was Li Chengqian, Li Tai, or anyone else. Sometimes she felt fortunate that she had married Li Chengqian because, for all his faults, he never mistreated her; however, he could not be the good husband she desired.

In such a palace, she did not even need to contend with other concubines, for the person Li Chengqian loved, the one he favored, could not be replaced by anyone. All she needed to do was to be a proper, flawless vase and coldly observe the affairs and people within the palace. If he died, she would die; if he lived, she would live.

Ran Yan suddenly felt stifled and immediately quickened her pace, wanting only to leave this sorrowful place as soon as possible.

By noon, when Ran Yan just left the Yanxi Gate, the sky began to grow overcast, showing signs of impending rain.

By the time she arrived at the manor, a torrential rain had already begun. The carriage drove directly to the front of the Inner Gate. As Ran Yan alighted from the carriage, an umbrella was immediately held over her head.

Ran Yan was momentarily startled and looked up to meet Xiao Song's slightly smiling handsome face.

"Why did you come all the way to the door?" Ran Yan knew he had specifically come to receive her, yet somehow, she wanted to hear some sweet words.

Xiao Song, seemingly aware of her thoughts, smiled even more, yet deliberately chose not to gratify her, "Those children were too noisy, so I came here for some quiet."

Ran Yan glared at him and entered the gate hand in hand with him.

Under the umbrella, Xiao Song slightly lowered his head, speaking softly, "My lady, merely half a day away, and I was already pining, thinking of our imminent separation. I couldn't help but want to look at my lady a few more times."

"How sentimental," Ran Yan laughed. She had wanted nothing more than a simple answer, but Xiao Song's responses were always much more than she anticipated. Whether sweet nothings or anything else.

The pair slowed their pace slightly, walking with the umbrella back to the rear courtyard through the path.

In the heavy downpour, they found a rare moment of tender tranquility.

The rain pounded on the oil-paper umbrella loudly. Ran Yan thought she heard a child's cry at first and assumed she was hearing things, but as they approached, the cry grew louder. She couldn't help but furiously stomp on Xiao Song's foot, "Xiao Yuezhi! The child is really crying!"

"Ouch," Xiao Song cried out in pain and quickly followed Ran Yan as she hurried forward.

As they entered the house, they saw Wan Lu and two wet nurses, each holding a child, trying everything to soothe them. Ruoruo was already sobbing convulsively, the three children's eyes and noses red from crying for more than just a moment.

"My lady!" Wan Lu exclaimed with joy upon seeing Ran Yan.

The crying of the three children paused, their tear-stained faces turning to look for their mother.

Ran Yan took a clean handkerchief from the Maid and gently wiped their tears.

"Mo...ther, mother," Ruoruo whimpered, pulling at Ran Yan's sleeve.

Ran Yan looked at Ruoruo with surprise, "Daughter, call mother again."

Ruoruo, having mumbled the word initially, seemed encouraged by Ran Yan's joy and called out in a babyish voice, "Mother."

"Good girl!" Ran Yan kissed her little face and lifted her into her arms.

Xiao Lao Da not wanting to be left out, called out, "Mother."

The children tended to mimic one another; once one spoke, the others would follow suit. Xiao Lao Er also attempted, "Mo...mother."

After speaking, he seemed to feel that his call was different from his brother's and sister's, and burst into tears with a wail.

His frustrated expression amused everyone in the room. Seeing others laugh, Xiao Lao Er also began to laugh, though he was clearly confused.

Ran Yan kissed both sons and then turned to instruct the nurse to feed the children some warm water first.

Ruoruo saw her neglected father and stretched out her little hands, shouting, "Daddy, Daddy."

"Daughters really are considerate," Xiao Song glanced sharply at the two mischievous boys, picked up Ruoruo, and fed her water himself.

Wan Lu covered her mouth and giggled. She too noticed that Ran Yan was annoyed with Xiao Song and whispered, "Lady, please do not blame your husband. no matter how we coax them, the little masters keep crying, and with the husband here, the slave and the nannies dare not move. The little masters just cry for a while and play for a while; it shouldn't harm them."

Ran Yan couldn't help but laugh and cry, realizing they were even combining work and rest!

Since she had wronged him, after consoling the child, Ran Yan had no choice but to go and console the child's father as well.

"I am easily satisfied, my lady tonight..." Xiao Song squinted his eyes and flashed her a knowing smile.

Ran Yan didn't care what he was saying; she quickly bowed her head and kissed his lips.

Xiao Song's mind went blank, and he clearly heard gasps around him, his face flushing red to his ears and for a moment he was stiff, allowing Ran Yan to kiss him deeply.

Stirred by Ran Yan's teasing, Xiao Song gradually forgot the surroundings and passionately responded.

Outside, the heavy rain poured down while warmth filled the room.

Once the kiss ended, they realized all the servants had quietly left the room, except for Ruoruo who was still in Xiao Song's arms, staring curiously at the couple with her bright, wide eyes.

Xiao Song coughed awkwardly and handed Ruoruo to Ran Yan.

...

The heavy rain continued for several days, and Xiao Song took leave to stay at home with Ran Yan and their three children.

The whole mansion was bustling in preparation for the journey. Within a couple of days, they had packed three large carts, which were just for the three little ones' needs. Adding food, water, and miscellaneous items, they estimated a total of seven or eight carts.

Hundreds of guards, dozens of servants... The group's departure was indeed a grand affair, and unfortunately, it couldn't be reduced.

With all preparations done, they were only waiting for the rain to stop and the roads to dry.

But the weather was inconsistent, pouring intermittently for five days. After the rain stopped, everyone eagerly waited for the roads to dry, so they could leave Chang'an.

"Lady, the letter has been sent to Anshan Square; they replied saying Shilang will come to see you tomorrow morning," Ge Lan reported.

Ran Yan nodded. Seeing that Ge Lan was about to leave, she spoke, "Ge Lan."

Ge Lan stopped in her tracks, "The slave is here. Does the lady have any other instructions?"

"Come here, let's talk," Ran Yan gestured for her to sit down and talk.

As Ge Lan knelt down, Ran Yan smiled slightly and said, "I am not one to beat around the bush. I'll just ask you, do you like Lord Li in your heart?"

Ge Lan was silent for a moment before saying, "There is something I would like to ask of you, my lady."

"Speak," Ran Yan said.

Taking a deep breath, Ge Lan said, "Lord Li has been exiled, and I wish to accompany him to the north."

She had thought about it a long time. Li Dejian was to set off tomorrow, and if she didn't speak now, she feared she never would allow herself that chance again.

Ran Yan could guess Ge Lan's thoughts. In the past, their statuses were worlds apart. Although Li Dejian's mother came from a humble background, times were different now. Li Jing and the Lady Hongfu were from chaotic times when couples were made amidst turmoil, with people suffering under the court's exploitation, barely surviving, leaving no one free to point fingers. But now, in this era of peace, Ge Lan's status was nowhere close to that of Li Dejian's.

Li Jing himself was a significant figure, potentially threatening the emperor, and his marriage with the Du Family was arranged long ago. Now that he had broken it off, he was likely to keep a low profile and not choose a high-status clan maiden as his son's wife.

Ran Yan had already restored Ge Lan's status as a free citizen. Should she choose to share hardship with Li Dejian, the Li family would most likely accept her as the legitimate wife.

All this planning was based on the premise that she liked Li Dejian.

Ran Yan, who hadn't experienced much romance herself, felt that Ge Lan was too stoic and sighed, "Alright, go ahead. Get your travel funds from the accounting office; use as much as you need. You can't be short on money when you're traveling."

"A great kindness from my lady, I shall never forget," Ge Lan respectfully performed a deep ceremonial bow to Ran Yan.

Since the incident, Ran Yan had never questioned Ge Lan about betraying her, choosing instead to judge based on various clues. Ge Lan must have done some things behind her back, but these actions weren't betrayal, and there was no necessity to forcibly inquire further.

...

The next morning, the rain had stopped, and the area was filled with a light mist, reminiscent of Suzhou in May or June. Ran Yan personally took her children to the Inner Gate to send off Ge Lan.

"Lan Lan," Ruoruo stared at Ge Lan, her voice soft and milky as she called out.

Tears welled up in Ge Lan's eyes as she gently held the little girl's hand, "Little Miss, I will come back to see you later."

Ge Lan, having nothing else to do, would often go to the backyard to play with the children, and she adored these three delicate little ones.

"Wu—" Wan Lu couldn't help but use her sleeve to cover her face.

The three children curiously looked at her while the second elder Xiao clapped his little hands, saying, "Big cat, big cat."

Normally when they cried, Wan Lu would say they were like big striped cats. Hearing this, Wan Lu laughed through her tears, hastily wiping them away, "Erlang knows how to mock even though he's so young."

"If only he were that clever. Still, the little dummy probably doesn't even know what that means," Ran Yan laughed.

(To be continued. If you like this story, we invite you to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your monthly and recommendation tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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