At the gate of Dingzhou city, a group of people had already gathered. They were the officials of Dingzhou, who had received orders for Jun Yelan's arrival and had been waiting since early morning.
They rubbed their hands, their faces etched with unease. They had long heard of Jun Yelan's reputation, and their recent actions were likely to be exposed.
However, they also recalled that Jun Yelan had not left his residence for ten years, his legs and appearance were both ruined, leaving him with only an empty princely title. Perhaps they could escape this ordeal, and a sense of confident self-satisfaction returned.
Some even felt it was inconsequential and stood casually.
As the midday sun blazed, they raised their sleeves to wipe the sweat from their faces, gazing at the empty road, and anxiously asked, "Why hasn't the Prince arrived yet?"
They couldn't leave, so they had to continue waiting, contemplating how to deceive the Prince later.
Meanwhile, not far away, the carriage had stopped, and Jun Yelan was accompanying Lan Yan as they roasted chicken.
Lan Yan placed the processed chicken wings on a makeshift rack, sprinkled them with salt, and brushed them with honey, instantly releasing a fragrant aroma. She wiped her mouth, her gaze fixed on the chicken wings, and reached out to touch them.
Jun Yelan held her hand. "They're still very hot." Seeing Lan Yan's look of regret, he smiled helplessly and said to Xia Lian, "After they cool down, take them to the Princess Consort."
Xia Lian, noticing the Prince's genuine affection for the Princess Consort, took the chicken wings away with a secret smile.
Lan Yan could only watch the chicken wings disappear, her eyes drooping. In the next moment, many pastries were placed in her hand. She looked up to meet Jun Yelan's gaze.
"Eat these first," Jun Yelan said, a hint of indulgence in his eyes. Watching her eat happily again, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up. Fortunately, he had asked Xia Lian to bring more pastries, or Lan Yan wouldn't have been satisfied.
After finishing the pastries, Lan Yan ate four more chicken wings before putting down the food in her hands. She patted her stomach and shook her head, "Now I won't need dinner."
Jun Yelan smiled faintly. "You'll be hungry in two hours." He was already familiar with Lan Yan's eating habits.
Lan Yan was puzzled; she ate so much.
After resting, the carriage continued its journey, and she slept soundly inside.
Jun Yelan accompanied her, his brow furrowed as he looked at the information regarding Dingzhou.
Half an hour later, the carriage arrived at the entrance of Dingzhou. The officials here quickly straightened their hats, wiped the sweat from their faces, and stood enthusiastically beside the carriage, shouting, "Your humble servant greets the Prince."
"Your Highness, you've finally arrived. We've been waiting for you."
"Hmph," Jun Yelan scoffed from inside the carriage. "You're waiting for this Prince to leave quickly so you can cover up your misdeeds."
The officials sweated even more, their backs soaked. They cried out, "Your Highness, heaven is my witness, we have truly done nothing wrong. It must be some wicked person framing us."
They had already arranged everything, ensuring that Jun Yelan would find nothing.
Jun Yelan lifted the curtain, looking at the officials with their heads bowed, and said with a cold sneer, "This Prince will investigate thoroughly to uncover the truth. If I find that you have deceived me, then you shall offer your heads to the heavens."
"What!" The officials thought they had misheard, their pupils dilating in shock. They dared only glance at Jun Yelan from the corner of their eyes, seeing that his right face was covered by a golden mask, but his eyes were like those of a venomous snake, from which there was no escape.
They inwardly exclaimed, "This is bad. We've encountered a difficult one."
Jun Yelan lowered the curtain and said coldly, "Enter the city."
The carriage continued forward. The officials beside them stood in a state of panic, muttering, "What should we do!" Their unease grew.
This scene also caught Lan Yan's attention. She had remained silent until now because the situation was unclear. She looked at Jun Yelan. "Your Highness, these officials are clearly guilty and have colluded. It will be difficult for us to get accurate information."
"I have already sent people to investigate Dingzhou." Jun Yelan's people had infiltrated Dingzhou from various channels, awaiting his command.
Lan Yan nodded and saw the common people on the road through the carriage curtain.
They looked emaciated and listless. Upon seeing the carriage, they scurried aside, clutching their belongings tightly, not daring to look up. Some even glared at the carriage with malicious eyes.
In the crowd, a thin man turned and left, walking into a nearby alley. He revealed a knife in his hand. "Not a single one of these officials is good!"
The surrounding commoners gradually dispersed, busy with their own affairs.
Seeing the situation, Lan Yan couldn't help but worry about Jun Yelan, realizing that dealing with matters here would be even more difficult and dangerous. She decided she had to protect Jun Yelan well.
Jun Yelan, seeing Lan Yan as if she had made a firm decision, was amused. No matter how difficult the matters here were, as long as Lan Yan was by his side, he had no worries and felt at peace.
Upon arriving at their residence, they settled in.
Jun Yelan went to the study to handle official business, while Lan Yan lay on the nearby couch reading.
Xia Lian, bringing tea, saw this heartwarming scene. She simply set down the tea and quietly withdrew.
Lan Yan, looking at the romance novel in her hand, found it incomprehensible how the protagonists in these stories always generated misunderstandings. Wouldn't it be better to just explain clearly? She secretly glanced at Jun Yelan, thinking he was much better than the people in the book.
Jun Yelan happened to look over, and she quickly averted her gaze.
Jun Yelan then moved his wheelchair closer to Lan Yan, allowing her to see more clearly.
Lan Yan, unaware, was already engrossed in criticizing the novel.
As night fell, a bright moon quietly hung in the night sky, surrounded by twinkling stars.
Lan Yan put down her novel and saw Jun Yelan still reading official documents. She slowly walked to the window. Placing her hands on the windowsill, she rested her chin on her hands and gazed at the stars above.
"Your Highness, I heard a story that after we pass away, we become stars, watching over the ones we love. Your Imperial Mother Consort must be like that too."
Jun Yelan was startled, drawn in by Lan Yan's words. He turned his wheelchair to her side, joining her in watching. "Yes. Actually, I don't have many memories of my Imperial Mother Consort; she passed away when I was very young."
His Imperial Father had decreed that no one in the palace was to speak of his Imperial Mother Consort, so he didn't even know who she was. "If she is truly still here, I will be grateful to her for sending you to me."
He did not dwell on the past but focused on the present.
Lan Yan turned and saw the determination in Jun Yelan's eyes, smiling. "I hope that in the future, I also become a star, still watching Your Highness like this." Her time here was limited.
Jun Yelan remained silent, embracing Lan Yan's shoulders. If that day came, he wished he himself could become a star.