Miss Truth-Chapter 498 - 329

Xiao Song saw a slight change in the Fourth Lady’s expression and immediately continued, "The person who administered the poison doesn’t seem to have intended to kill Great Aunt, but their intentions are malicious. This is a matter within the clan, and it wouldn’t be good for the Ministry of Criminal Justice to get involved. As a junior in the family, how could I presume to take over the elders’ responsibilities?"

If this were an internal clan matter, with so many elders around, it wouldn’t be his turn to intervene. If they let him handle it, it would be equivalent to handing it over to the Ministry of Criminal Justice. If you dare to hand it over, I’ll dare to handle it.

These words were just for show on the surface, in fact, they were a threat, but the Fourth Lady, in her urgency, might not have the mind to ponder their deeper meaning, "What you said makes sense. Someone, go quickly and call for Shilang."

"Yes," the maid obeyed the command and hurriedly left.

"Fourth Lady!" Chun Lai ran in and saw that there were still so many people in the room. His expression showed some difficulty, "I take the liberty to ask for a few words in private."

The Fourth Lady nodded slightly, and Chun Lai immediately leaned in and whispered something.

The Fourth Lady looked completely surprised. After pondering for a long while, she said to Xiao Song, "Yuezhi, I need to speak a few words with my niece-in-law."

"Fourth Aunt, please feel at ease," Xiao Song gently patted Ran Yan’s back, not knowing if he was comforting her or reassuring himself.

Having been poisoned with thunderbolt vine, Lady Dongyang must have started defecating blood. Even though Ran Yan had guessed the outcome, she had yet to speak out loud about it; she walked aside with the Fourth Lady, waiting to hear what she had to say.

"Chun Lai said that the Chief Lady’s stool is all blood. Do you know if she’s in any critical danger?" the Fourth Lady asked. She hadn’t originally believed Ran Yan, a young wife, would be capable of much with her medical skills, but after seeing her perform acupuncture so swiftly and steadily, her expression unchanging, and with no doctor currently present, she could only temporarily pin her hopes on Ran Yan.

Ran Yan said, "She won’t be in danger for now, but if we can’t find the source of the poison and she continues to take it, she could die at any moment."

Thunderbolt vine could be used to treat diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, but it’s usually applied externally. Doctors wouldn’t easily prescribe it for oral consumption. Even if Lady Dongyang needed it for treatment, she wouldn’t show signs of oral poisoning.

"That’s good then," the Fourth Lady sighed with slight relief.

Lady Dongyang was actually quite pitiable herself. She was only nineteen when Emperor Xiaojing passed away, and her best years slipped away in loneliness, living on her own ever since. Because of her special status, the clan treated her with respect yet kept their distance. Maybe it was precisely because of this that she developed an air of aloofness and indifference.

Lady Dongyang remained faithful to Emperor Xiaojing, and the Xiao clan was sincerely grateful to her for that. Naturally, the Fourth Lady couldn’t let anything untoward happen to her on her own watch.

"How is Mother?"

Suddenly, an urgent male voice broke the silence in the room. Ran Yan turned around to see a handsome young man about twenty, looking anxious as he tugged on Chun Lai’s arm, his pale forehead covered in sweat.

The young man was dressed in a round collared, wide-sleeved robe, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, tall and slender in stature. Upon seeing just a side profile of him, Ran Yan thought he was a man as fine as jade, with a figure like a pine tree and a face like the moon, not at all inferior to Xiao Song.

"Shilang, the Lady is not in mortal danger," Chun Lai quickly reassured.

Xiao Shilang’s tensed body relaxed slightly, and he came forward to greet the Fourth Lady and the Sixth Lady.

Soon after, Xiao Jing hurried in with a doctor. As a man nearing seventy, his energy was naturally limited. With the Xiao residence experiencing a troubled autumn, his current state felt as if he was on the verge of burning out, which further unsettled everyone in the clan.

"Are you all just standing around with nothing to do? What are you loitering for? Go back," Xiao Jing’s temper flared upon arrival, glaring at everyone with irritation. freewebnoveℓ.com

"Let’s go," Xiao Song, not sure how, reached Ran Yan’s side, took her hand, and slipped through the crowd.

Xiao Song’s skill at making a swift escape was comparable to climbing walls. Effortlessly, he emerged from the hall, "Let’s just be onlookers in this matter."

"I always feel like someone wants to drag me down." Ran Yan smiled bitterly in her heart, unsure if it was intuition or if she had developed a persecution complex due to the tense situation.

"Are you afraid?" Xiao Song asked, holding her hand tightly.

Ran Yan shook her head. She used to be a forensic doctor; most of her cases involved capital punishment; some family members who disagreed with the verdict would retaliate against her. Being stalked and photographed in an attempt to sabotage her reputation were considered polite. Once, she handled the body of a gang leader who had died in an attack, bringing the opposing party to court, demanding an autopsy.

The man had multiple stab wounds and severe injuries, but Ran Yan determined that he had died from a cerebral aneurysm rupture. His gang was convinced she had been bribed. Even after the case was reassigned and other forensic doctors confirmed the same findings, they couldn’t accept the result and vented their anger on Ran Yan.

Now was not much different from those times, and what’s more, she had a man by her side whom she could trust and rely on.

"I’m not afraid," Ran Yan said.

The two exchanged smiles, holding hands as they walked through a cluster of Chinese rose bushes, heading towards their own courtyard in the glow of the setting sun.

As nightfall gradually descended, quieting the bustle of the day, the nights in Lanling were serene and profound, carrying a faint scent of orchids, like a peaceful utopia disconnected from worldly strife.

After bathing, Xiao Song and Ran Yan lay on the bed. The bed of the Tang Dynasty nobility was very large, enough to comfortably fit more than ten people, with fine bamboo curtains hanging on all four sides, concealing the elevated platform. Thick straw mats and brocade quilts covered the surface, and a slender floor lantern was placed in the corner of the curtain, illuminating the interior.

Leaning against the chest at the head of the bed, Ran Yan was reading a book; Xiao Song lay sprawled on the mat, watching her, occasionally teasing her.

"My lady," Xiao Song called out softly, smiling as he gazed at the beautiful profile of her face bathed in the warm light.

"Hmm?" Ran Yan turned a page and glanced up at the idle man.

Being newly married, Xiao Song naturally yearned for marital intimacy, but since the lady has just passed away, he, a somewhat unrestrained but filial person, would not lose control of his desires at this moment, lacking the inclination for other activities.

"Let’s talk," Xiao Song suggested, propping himself up on one elbow, supporting his head with one hand, and lying on his side on the bed. His informal robe was open at the neckline, revealing a broad, muscular chest, the details of which drew the imagination.

Ran Yan glanced at it briefly before quickly averting her gaze, "Okay."

Xiao Song patted a spot in front of him, "Yanyan, sit here."

Ran Yan felt that if she sat next to him, even if he could restrain himself, she might not be able to. Despite thinking this, her body acted first, and she moved closer.

"What book are you reading?" Xiao Song asked, wrapping his arm around her slender waist, gently caressing it.

Ran Yan slapped his hand away, "A medical book about respiratory diseases, Liu Qingsong helped me collect quite a few."

"Liu Pinrang has been transferred to the Capital," Xiao Song said with a smile, his eyes curving and shining, appearing very cunning, "He’s become the Chamberlain to the Crown Prince."

Going from a Fourth Rank Inspector of a state to a lower Fifth Rank Chamberlain to the Crown Prince might be a demotion rather than a promotion, but anyone would consider it a great joy. Firstly, how could an official posted in the provinces compare to one close to the political center of power? Moreover, the Chamberlain to the Crown Prince is responsible for supervising the Crown Prince’s life, studies, and political matters. How could Liu Pinrang not be happy?

"With mixed feelings, I guess," Ran Yan sighed. If Li Chengqian’s position were stable, it would indeed be good news, but the current situation wasn’t so optimistic.

"That’s none of our concern. Liu Pinrang comes from Suzhou; he naturally understands the local customs and significant and minor events that have taken place there..." Xiao Song chuckled. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation ticket and monthly ticket, your support is my greatest motivation.)

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