Miss Truth-Chapter 499 - 330 Catching the Culprit

"You mean..." Ran Yan’s eyes lit up, suggesting that Liu Pinrang "unintentionally" leak this matter to the Crown Prince would be much more credible than if it came from someone else.

Ran Yan did not continue, but instead asked, "How could the Emperor appoint a new palace maid to the Eastern Palace at this time?"

Was it a sign that he still had full confidence in the Crown Prince?

Xiao Song’s hand mischievously slid into Ran Yan’s clothes, caressing a soft piece of flesh, smoother than silk satin, warmer than mutton-fat jade. He sighed, a sound of both satisfaction and longing that turned hoarser and much gentler, "Since the previous Crown Prince’s teacher Li Wenji passed away, the Emperor has yet to find a more suitable candidate to assist the Crown Prince. In fact, if it were not for his death, the Crown Prince would not have indulged in such dissipation."

Li Gang, styled Wenji. Speaking of him, his career was nothing short of miraculous, the most notorious "Crown Prince bane" in history. It was purely a sarcastic title, not that he was exceptionally good at educating Crown Princes. A man of immense talent and impeccable character, he was highly valued during the Sui Dynasty, serving as the teacher to Crown Prince Yang Yong. After Yang Yong’s deposition and Yang Su’s rise to power, he chose to retire from court due to his unwillingness to flatter the new authority. In the twilight of the Sui Dynasty, he met Li Yuan and was appointed Minister of Rites during the early Tang Dynasty, also serving as the teacher to the Crown Prince. However, Li Jiancheng was defeated in the Xuanwu Gate Incident, and later he became the teacher to another Crown Prince, Li Chengqian...

Anyone with a slight knowledge of history would know that Li Chengqian faced a similar fate of deposition...

It wasn’t that Li Gang was incompetent in teaching or lacked talent, but rather a matter of timing and fortune, which he just happened to coincide with. It remains unclear whether the few incompetent Crown Princes tarnished his brilliance or if a misfortune star doomed the fate of three Crown Princes.

As Ran Yan was pondering, she felt her chest seized by someone, a warm hand gently caressing and teasing.

"Xiao Yuezhi, stop it," Ran Yan said, trying to pull his hand away, but he flipped her underneath him instead.

Their breathing quickened, and after exchanging helpless glances for a moment, Xiao Song let out a heavy breath and lay on top of Ran Yan unwilling to get up.

Ran Yan felt hot all over, aware of his burning body and that part of him which was already hard as iron, making her feel even more empty and uncomfortable.

"Get up, it’s uncomfortable for you to press down on me like this," Ran Yan pushed at him.

Xiao Song decisively pretended to be dead.

Ran Yan laughed silently. The deeper she got to know Xiao Song, the more she realized his nature was actually quite cheerful. He was just a playful and mischievous big boy, prone to being wilful and throwing tantrums—far from the domineering and cold man people thought him to be. His pride was inherent, not something he displayed on the surface.

And the fact that he was so unguarded around her, that in itself was a form of love.

Ran Yan never cared about his past with his two former Ladies and concubines, but at that moment, the sourness that rose in her heart at the thought that he might have treated them tenderly as well was undeniable.

"Husband," Ran Yan dismissed her own nonsensical thoughts. To be awkward about past affairs seemed silly, and she realized she truly must have fallen for Xiao Song. It was a clear sign—her intelligence was suffering a severe drop.

Xiao Song stirred slightly but showed no intention of getting up.

Ran Yan had no choice but to let him stay like that, finding a topic to distract herself, "Who do you think would have poisoned the senior lady?"

Was it a case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind? Or was the poison meant for someone else? ƒгeewёbnovel.com

Xiao Song did not respond, and Ran Yan continued, "I think someone wanted to harm her."

"Why?" Xiao Song finally lifted his head, shifted his body to the side, and lay down close beside her.

"Oral ingestion of thunderbolt vine can cause severe irritation to the gastrointestinal tract, even leading to hemorrhagic erosion, and once absorbed by the body, it can damage the central nervous system and organs like the heart, liver, and kidneys. An overdose generally leads to death from acute renal failure," Ran Yan finished, adding, "The resulting pathological changes cannot be reversed with just one or two doses of an antidote. I think it’s unlikely anyone would poison themselves this way unless they were out of their mind."

Xiao Song’s lips curved into a slight smile, and he lowered his head to plant a kiss on her forehead, "My lady is still too innocent."

Take Xiao Song himself, for instance. While he was willing to spare Su Fu in front of Ran Yan, behind the scenes he would definitely have gone to great lengths to tear him limb from limb. Had Ran Yan not decisively chosen him, he and Su Fu would now be locked in a fight to the death.

This is human nature.

Perhaps not everyone is like him, but for a woman like the Lady Yongyang, it’s hard to say whether she would do something unexpectedly.

"The relationship between the main lady and Shilang isn’t very good either," said Xiao Song.

Ran Yan was surprised. If the relationship between mother and son was poor, and she herself could not become the Clan Leader, for whom else would she plot to seize the position of the Clan Leader if not for her own son?

"You understand as well, motive is very important. If we know her motive, it’s not hard to guess her next move. It’s just that her behavior is very puzzling," Xiao Song stroked Ran Yan’s smooth hair and said softly, "Prepare yourself well. After we return to Chang’an, you may have to get busy. You needn’t worry about the family matters; I will handle them."

If Xiao Song couldn’t even deal with a mere weak woman, how could he possibly thrive in the officialdom? However, he also knew that sometimes, women can be much more ruthless than men, especially the clever ones.

Xiao Song did not doubt Ran Yan’s capability to cope, but with the hatred of having his wife murdered and already entangled in political affairs, these were not burdens Ran Yan should have to bear.

The two leaned against each other, nestled close for a long time, and the high moon hung in the sky yet sleep eluded them both.

As the night deepened, a dark figure emerged from a back gate of the Xiao residence and hurried towards a nearby higher ground, stumbling along in a frantic state. Upon reaching a slope covered with orchids, the figure found a rock to hide behind, anxiously peering around as if waiting for someone.

A tall silhouette arrived at the slope at a leisurely pace after a short span of time.

By the light of the moon, the shadow behind the rock recognized the arrival and stepped out from behind, timidly saying, "The, the slave is here."

The man turned around, about to speak, when he saw torches flickering at the foot of the slope. His face changed slightly, "Fool, you’ve been discovered!"

With that, he turned and dashed off towards the woods without looking back.

She was left alone in the spot, her face turning deathly pale as the approaching torchlight drew nearer.

The group carrying torches arrived quickly and she soon realized that this might be a trap set by the Clan Leader; she was just unlucky enough to stumble into it. Escape was not an option. Since they arrived so promptly, they must already know her identity.

The first person to climb the slope held up a torch, pausing in shock, "Chun Lai?"

Under the illumination of the moonlight and torchlight, Chun Lai’s cloak slowly slipped off, revealing her pale face. Upon recognizing that the person standing opposite was Xiao Shilang, tears abruptly spilled out. In just a moment, her entire face was wet with tears.

"Why is it you?" Xiao Shilang could guess all the people in the Xiao Family, but he would never have guessed Chun Lai.

Chun Lai choked up, "It’s not like that, Shilang, listen to this slave’s explanation..."

The rest of the group gradually arrived and were also frozen in surprise upon seeing Chun Lai. Everyone knew that the Lady Yongyang only had one old woman and two maids beside her, and Chun Lai was the most trusted one. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation tickets and monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)

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