Miss Truth
Chapter 122 - 78 Yingmei Temple

Chapter 122: Chapter 78 Yingmei Temple

Ran Yan turned her head away and no longer looked at him. Silently, she returned to the manor.

As soon as she got off the carriage, she saw Ran Yunsheng and Madam Xing standing at the gate with several maids, waiting for her. Ran Yan sneered in her heart, the inevitable had finally arrived.

Madam Xing continually wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, the tears that had just stopped now gushed out upon seeing Ran Yan.

"Madam Xing, what has happened?" Wan Lu asked, puzzled.

Madam Xing’s voice was hoarse from crying, she sobbed, "The family wants to send the wife to Yingmei Temple to worship Buddha and purify herself. At such a young age, you’re going to be withering away with the ancient Buddha..."

Ran Yunsheng frowned, this matter was rather tricky. If the family were to punish Ran Yan, he could speak up for her and try to shield her, but going to worship Buddha and purify oneself seemed to be not that severe already. The Ran family needed a way out, and even if Ran Yunsheng could charm with his words, he could not reverse this decision.

"This is not necessarily a bad thing, there’s no need to worry," Ran Yan comforted Madam Xing softly.

"Yan’er, you stay in Yingmei Temple for a month or two, after I deal with the matters in Suzhou, I will take you back to Chang’an. I have thought about this a lot and am ninety percent sure I can persuade the eldest uncle and the elders," Ran Yunsheng said.

Ran Yan paused, then said, "Alright."

Leaving Suzhou would allow her to be somewhat free from the constraints of the family, not needing someone to control her every move. Ran Yan had no attachment to this family; if she could go north with Ran Yunsheng, it would be the best outcome.

Ever since Ran Meiyu mentioned the matter of worshiping Buddha that morning, Ran Yan had been contemplating its pros and cons, and from every angle, it seemed that there was no need to contend.

Because of the forensic examination, she was now in the midst of a storm of rumors throughout the city, right at the crux of controversy.

In the Great Tang, forensic reasoning was not very prevalent, and ordinary people did not realize that forensic examination was a skilled profession. They thought that anyone with some medical knowledge and courage could act as a Forensic Doctor. She was merely being looked down upon now; if she did not know to restrain herself, those with motives could exploit her, and as Sister Yan had said, rumors could become the blade to kill her.

Moreover, the identity of the person spreading the rumors was unclear, so it was even more necessary to keep a low profile. Thus, going to Yingmei Temple was indeed the best choice.

"When does the family want me to go?" Ran Yan asked.

Madam Xing angrily dried her tears and said, "Tonight! Old servant also thinks the wife should stay in the temple for a few days, but the husband is truly heartless, demanding the wife move out overnight!"

This news had only reached the manor at dinner time. Yingmei Temple was in the west of the city, which from the South City was a very long distance— at least two hours’ journey. Ran Yan sighed, no wonder Madam Xing was so resentful.

"The wife is going to the west of the city?" Sang Chen inquired. He had been to the area near Yingmei Temple, where the nunnery was secluded, cold, and the courtyard in disrepair. Going there would mean nothing but hardship and suffering, "Why?"

Ran Yunsheng sighed, "Because of the forensic examination. I assume Mr. Sui Yuan must have heard about it."

He had heard—and fainted from shock. Ran Yan raised an eyebrow and looked at Sang Chen. She was very curious as to why such a cowardly man, having witnessed her conducting an autopsy, would not avoid her at all costs but instead be even more attentive in seeking her out?

"Forensic examination?" Sang Chen’s face turned pale, he pursed his lips and said, "I have been rude!"

With that, he turned and ran towards the village.

Ran Yunsheng watched his eager, staggering figure with a twinge of annoyance, snorted, but considering Ran Yan’s feelings, he only said, "So it seems Sang Suiyuan is nothing special after all, Ah Yan, let’s go."

Ran Yan knew well that Sang Chen, that idiot, wasn’t actually disgusted by her; he probably felt like vomiting but was trying to avoid being rude in public, not realizing he had already offended someone.

Even though she understood the situation, she casually went along with Ran Yunsheng, saying with a light smile, "You’re only just now realizing he’s nothing special?"

Ran Yunsheng was taken aback for a moment, recalling how he himself had been so keen on having Sang Chen come to ask for her hand, aware that Ran Yan was teasing him, he couldn’t help but raise his hand and tap her smooth forehead with his finger, "Daring to make fun of your tenth brother, watch out for your skin!"

The two of them joked and laughed as they entered the courtyard. Earlier, Madam Xing had already packed the necessary items onto the carriage, which didn’t take much time, though it was taxing on Wan Lu who had bustled about all day and yet still had to continue on the journey.

Ran Yunsheng had sent six horse-drawn carriages over, and Ran Yan allocated one just for Wan Lu, laying down a soft mattress and placing an ice basin, so she could lie down and rest well.

"I will personally take you to Yingmei Temple," Ran Yunsheng had already planned. "There’s a temple not far from there, and I’ll stay there overnight."

Ran Yan replied, "Tenth brother, you don’t need to accompany me, I have another favor to ask of you."

"What is it?" Ran Yunsheng couldn’t think of anything that could be more important than escorting her.

"Since I’m going to Yingmei Temple, it wouldn’t be appropriate for my master to continue living in the estate. Tenth brother, could you find a suitable residence for him in the city, or somewhere near Yingmei Temple?" Ran Yan asked seriously.

Seeing her earnest expression, Ran Yunsheng did not insist. Moreover, he was also eager to meet the Divine Doctor, and so he said, "Alright, I have two properties in the city, one of which is close to the west of the city. I will personally take the Divine Doctor there later."

Had anyone else offered help, Ran Yan would have been polite in return and later owed them a favor, but Ran Yunsheng was so close to her that politeness would seem distant between them. She simply said, "Then I’ll trouble you, tenth brother, and one day I’ll cook personally to reward you for your hard work."

Ran Yunsheng lifted the carriage curtain, helping Ran Yan into the carriage. Upon hearing her words, his face broke into a bright smile, "Then I shall look forward to that eagerly!"

The corners of Ran Yan’s lips turned upwards slightly, unaware that she could smile so naturally in Ran Yunsheng’s presence.

As the curtain fell, the carriage slowly started moving. Ran Yan suddenly thought of something, lifted the curtain again, and seeing the tall and graceful figure of Ran Yunsheng in the sunset, she called out, "Tenth brother, I once owed Mr. Sang twenty taels of silver, please help me deliver it to him!"

Ran Yunsheng answered loudly, "Alright."

Ran Yan gave him a light smile, then lay back down on the bed in peace.

The carriage rolled on gently, its rumbling sound like a lullaby. Ran Yan truly exhausted today, barely settled on the bed for a moment before she fell soundly asleep in the rocking carriage.

The waters of the Pingjiang River spread upwards, engulfing the illusory world, and Ran Yan once again saw that touch of cherry red. The plain cloth binding her face had loosened, revealing a clear and gentle face, long eyelashes beaded with several shiny bubbles, setting off her face like a dew-laden daisy at dawn.

This young girl, who should not have been destined to die, lay peacefully sleeping in the water, her face showing no sign of pain or struggle, her small palm-sized face so serene it pained one’s heart.

Sudden shrill screams tore through the tranquility. The scene shifted, and Ran Yan found herself sitting in front of a bed, her hand tightly grasped by someone—the lively, bright girl was now full of fear and pain, "Ah Yan, it hurts so much! It hurts so much!"

Ran Yan saw fresh blood spreading from below her and hurried to give aid, not to save the child but to alleviate her pain as much as possible. Even fully aware that this was a dream, she still longed to erase the terror from her eyes. (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your monthly and recommendation tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)