Miss Truth-Chapter 509 - 337 Xiao Xuanzhi

"Ninth Brother, I have come to ask a favor of you," Xiao Xuanzhi’s face was somewhat flushed.

Xiao Song knelt sitting at the main seat, was silent for a moment and then said, "It’s about Chun Lai, isn’t it?"

Xiao Xuanzhi’s face was embarrassed, and upon seeing this, Xiao Song laughed and said, "What’s there to be shy about? We are not that different in age, yet both of us have delayed our marriages. As your elder brother, I certainly understand you."

Xiao Xuanzhi once had a fiancée, betrothed to him since childhood, but after the chaos at the end of the Sui Dynasty, he lost contact with her. However, since there was a marriage agreement, and the Xiao family always honored their commitments, so they did not arrange matchmating for him. In the blink of an eye, twenty-some years had passed, only in the past few years did the family feel they had waited long enough to fulfill their moral obligations. They could not allow him to waste his life, so they started arranging a marriage for him. However, being a son of the last Emperor of Xiliang, even though Liang was destroyed, his lineage was still very noble, but it was just the lineage. The main branch was already weak, and the truly noble families were not very willing to marry their daughters to him. Ordinary women of scholar background were not esteemed by his family, and therefore, the matter had been delayed until now.

Xiao Xuanzhi’s expression eased slightly, and with a shy smile, he then solemnly bowed to Xiao Song, "I am dealing with an issue regarding Chun Lai tonight and earnestly ask for Ninth Brother to speak a few words on her behalf."

Xiao Xuanzhi made a respectful long bow, and Xiao Song, after a brief consideration, readily agreed, "For our own brother, speaking a few words is no trouble at all. However, what Chun Lai did, even if she does not die, will lead to her being expelled from the family. You and her, in the end..."

Xiao Xuanzhi’s expression was slightly saddened, "As long as she lives, it will be good."

"Hmm," Xiao Song thought for a moment and then said casually, "That’s not a problem either, as long as Chun Lai can wait. After a year of mourning, either she could take the imperial examination or find a governmental post away from the capital. They could still be together."

Xiao Xuanzhi had previously only hoped that Chun Lai would survive but had not thought so far ahead. Hearing Xiao Song say this, he felt this was indeed the only path to take, "Thank you for your guidance, Ninth Brother."

"Ha!" Xiao Song quickly prevented him from continuing, "Don’t push any credit onto me. I merely made an offhand remark. If you manage to hold a high official position in Chang’an and, after time dulls this incident, the family won’t interfere even if you take a concubine."

"Ninth Brother... if..." After their conversation, Xiao Xuanzhi felt that Xiao Song was very agreeable, and he had no reason to betray him, so he earnestly sought advice, "I don’t want to get married, is there any way out? I know marrying Chun Lai is impossible, but with her temperament, if there is a major wife above her, she would suffer."

Xiao Song did not hide his surprise, but soon understood, as it related to Xiao Xuanzhi’s personality. Although he also liked Chun Lai, mainly it was his nature that found it hard to become intimate with a stranger in a short time.

However, things change over time, who knows what he might think in the future. Xiao Song did not intend to meddle in this affair, "It’s too early to talk about this at this moment; the priority is to find a way to rescue Chun Lai. If a year later you plan to pursue an official position or wish to go somewhere, and if there are any difficulties, just inform me."

The imperial examination was originally meant to select talents from less privileged families, to prevent nobility and great clans from monopolizing the court politics, it was not the only path for entering government service in the Tang Dynasty. As someone from a noble family like the Xiao, one could directly submit one’s works to the Ministry of Rites, calling it ’submitting to the public rolls’, or one could submit articles to renowned persons to gain an entry opportunity, which meant there were many opportunities through personal connections. Why mingle with scholars from humble backgrounds?

Many noble youths who took the imperial exam did so to prove their talents, not just to rise on the back of their family’s power. Xiao Song had initially opposed the Duke of Song and thus participated in the imperial examination.

"Thank you, Ninth Brother!" Xiao Xuanzhi had ideals and ambition but had yet to achieve anything. Feeling inferior to Xiao Song, he respectfully replied.

Xiao Song having granted his request, he felt a bit more confident and thus stood up to take his leave and went to see the Clan Leader.

Ran Yan was picking flowers in the corridor; seeing Xiao Xuanzhi come out, she made a slight bow towards him. Xiao Xuanzhi hurriedly returned the gesture and left.

"The tenth brother is indeed a fool," Xiao Song came out of the room and watching Xiao Xuanzhi’s retreating figure, remarked.

Charmed by Xiao Song’s few words, Xiao Xuanzhi had even uttered such fanciful ideas as not wanting to marry at all, which showed that the aloof and profound demeanor was all on the surface, in reality, Xiao Xuanzhi was very sincere.

Ran Yan was outside the hall. They did not lower their voices during the conversation, so she naturally could hear them. Hearing Xiao Song speak like that, she glanced at him and said, "You think everyone is like you."

"Ha." Xiao Song laughed, then said, "I heard that my eldest uncle was also a gentleman well versed in benevolence, righteousness, and propriety. Though my tenth brother has never met him, he seems to have inherited his temperament."

Ran Yan knew that Xiao Song’s expression of goodwill towards Xiao Xuanzhi was not necessarily genuine. Xiao Song’s primary goal was to remove Xiao Xuanzhi, to sabotage Lady Dongyang’s plan, and to ensure an easier path to revenge without turning brother against brother.

"Who says the Lady doesn’t care about the son? Isn’t everything she does for the sake of her son?" Ran Yan gently said.

Xiao Song smiled noncommittally. Whether Lady Dongyang acted for her son or for other reasons was still hard to say, "Lady Dongyang is twenty years younger than my eldest uncle. When my uncle was suspected, it was Emperor Yang of Sui who forcefully made her his wife. Lady Dongyang is a clan daughter of the Yang family."

This was the first time Ran Yan had heard about Lady Dongyang’s background. Although not a princess, as a daughter from the Imperial Family, in the prime of her youth, she married a man much older than herself. Shortly after her marriage, she faced the death of her husband and the fall of her country. Pregnant and drifting, she thereafter buried her best years in solitude. Seemingly indifferent, yet engaged in the pursuit of power, what she truly thought was hardly something ordinary people could guess.

In the evening, Xiao Song and Ran Yan both went to the ancestral hall.

As the matter regarding Chun Lai had been notified to some important people, there were not many people in the ancestral hall today. When Xiao Song arrived, Chun Lai was already tied up in the hall, with people like Duke Song and the Dugu family sitting on both sides. There were no special seating arrangements, so Xiao Song and Ran Yan chose a suitable place at the lower end to sit down.

"Everyone has arrived." Xiao Jing slowly said from the principal seat.

Ran Yan did not pay much attention to other movements, her gaze fell on a man kneeling next to Chun Lai. She finally saw the legendary Xiao Shiyi Lang.

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Title: "Dark Queen Law"

ID: 2257935

Author: Cangsang Mingyue

Description: Reborn malevolent queen, snaring a naturally naive husband~

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Title: "Longevity and Immortality"

Author: Purple Linglong Containing Smoke

Description: A lady trembles slightly, her mouth opens: "Those who offend me, though far away, shall be annihilated; those who deceive me shall pay back tenfold. Watch how this little lady cultivates herself a blessed immortality, enjoying longevity equal to the immortals!" (To be continued. If you like this work, your recommendations and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com) are welcome. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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