Miss Truth
Chapter 274 - 173: The Intent of Sima Zhao

Chapter 274: Chapter 173: The Intent of Sima Zhao

Ran Yan hummed twice, closed her eyes, and ignored him, but in her heart, she couldn’t help but wonder, was she really that frightening? Now that she thought about it, the only people who dared to get close to her aside from her colleagues were criminal investigators, which seemed rather odd...

Lightning suddenly flashed, turning the inside of the room white. Wan Lu and Ge Lan lit the lamps in the inner chamber.

After a while, Ran Yan finally opened her eyes and stared at Xiao Song, "Am I really that terrible?"

Xiao Song curved his lips, answering the question in a roundabout way, "It’s very good this way."

Although Ran Yan was aloof, she was always genuine at heart, and those who appreciated her could see her good qualities. Those who didn’t understand her might very well get hurt by her honesty.

The warm glow of the lamp gradually brightened, and Xiao Song glanced at the sheet music of "Guanshan Moon" on the table. He reached out to take it, smiling, "The mountainous terrain stretches boundlessly, each seeming as high as a thousand ren. From Chang’an, heading west until Guanshan, the dense forests extend, endlessly verdant. The sun rises through the vast sea of clouds, and the distant snow connects with Taoxi in the west for a thousand li white. The grandeur is magnificent, inspiring an open heart upon observation. The sound of rain, silk, and bamboo, and the babbling streams, all possess a beauty that is exquisite."

Seeing that Ran Yan seemed interested, the smile in Xiao Song’s eyes deepened, "What’s more peculiar is that among the mountains, there are prairies. One can gallop on horseback, stroll through grasslands, an experience too wonderful for words."

"Really?" Ran Yan had rarely paid attention to such information, but she vaguely knew about the fame of "Guanshan Moon and Erhai Snow."

Xiao Song nodded, saying earnestly, "Would Lady Seventeen consider accompanying me to enjoy the scenery?"

"Is that possible?" As the legitimate daughter of the Ran family, and soon to be residing in her uncle’s home, naturally, she couldn’t just go wherever she wished. If there were several gentleman and ladies from prominent families joining together for the trip, it might be possible, "But aren’t you the Assistant Minister of Ministry of Justice, very busy?"

"Yes, very busy," Xiao Song pondered for a moment before saying, "However, Court officials do get a month of marriage leave..."

Ran Yan was startled, then instantly snatched a piece of clothing from the edge of the bed and threw it at him, "Sly!"

Xiao Song’s laughter was hearty as he pulled the clothing off and quickly stepped forward to check the wound on her arm. Seeing that there was no serious harm, he breathed a sigh of relief, "They say that a gentleman’s revenge is not too late even after ten years, yet you don’t take timing or situation into account at all."

Ran Yan glared at him, immediately applying what she’d learned, and said blandly, "Fine, I’ll put that cold comment on your bill."

"Interest can be added too," Xiao Song said as he pulled out a piece of paper from the table and began writing down a formal case file. It roughly resembled a record of Xiao Yuezhi making a cold remark on a certain day under certain circumstances that displeased Lady Seventeen, with two witnesses and one piece of physical evidence... Finally, the "culprit" admitted guilt and pressed his seal.

Looking at this piece of paper, Ran Yan couldn’t help but laugh.

The orange light of the lamp shone out the window, appearing warm and soft amidst the rain that connected the sky with the land.

There were no longer any pedestrians on the streets of Jushui County, and though the rain was pouring, it gave one the illusion of a silence so profound it could suffocate.

At the entrance of a dead-end alley, a woman in plain clothes stood still under a shabby oil-paper umbrella, her figure tall and slender with a long, thin face. Outside the umbrella, the rain poured, while underneath it, her cheeks were full of water and her gown was wet in spots.

"Sanlang..." she muttered to herself, a hint of a smile appearing on her face, "Only three left now..."

The sky suddenly flashed white, illuminating Luo Ling’s face with a pale light. Then the thunder roared, startling her for a moment as if she only then returned to her senses. After standing at the entrance of the alley for a while, she wandered toward her home in the west of the city like a lost soul.

The heavy rain made the afternoon seem exceptionally brief, and darkness fell quickly.

Xiao Song had kept Ran Yan company for the afternoon, mostly speaking himself while Ran Yan appeared to listen half-heartedly.

When it was time for dinner, there was a sudden commotion outside the courtyard, followed by County Magistrate Feng rushing in, "Assistant Minister Xiao! Assistant Minister Xiao!"

Xiao Song’s heart tightened, and he rose to walk out.

Although County Magistrate Feng held an umbrella, his entire body was already soaked through, with water dripping off his cap. Upon seeing Xiao Song, he hurriedly said, "This subordinate has been rude to rush into the courtyard..."

"Get to the point," Xiao Song interrupted him indifferently.

"Yes, yes!" In the midst of the heavy rain, County Magistrate Feng almost shouted, "Reporting to Assistant Minister Xiao, another one is dead! After identification, it was Wang Si who lived in Luoyang, found dead on the river embankment ten miles away, chopped to death by someone."

Xiao Song’s eyebrows knitted together as lightning illuminated the sky.

County Magistrate Feng was looking up, waiting for instructions when, for a moment, he saw Xiao Song’s expression turn stern, as if carrying the might of thunder, more terrifying than the rolling thunder beside his ears. He immediately held his breath, daring not to say another word.

"To the scene," Xiao Song’s voice had not even faded when he already stepped into the rain.

County Magistrate Feng hurriedly held up the umbrella, but alas, Xiao Song was a head taller than him, and with longer legs, he was left far behind in just a few steps.

Soon, hoofbeats could be heard from outside the door, growing fainter and fainter.

Wan Lu stood in the outer room, holding an umbrella in her hands, stunned for a long while, she truly couldn’t believe that the man emanating a murderous aura was the same humorous gentleman who had just made his wife chuckle and laugh.

The cold wind blew into the room, and Wan Lu shivered, hastily running into the inner chamber, "Wife, Assistant Minister Xiao left in such a hurry, I didn’t manage to give him the umbrella."

"Then let it be," Ran Yan felt somewhat tired; seeing this, Ge Lan stood up to see if Nanny Xing had prepared the medicine.

Wan Lu put down the umbrella and let out a sigh, "Wife, you didn’t see it, just now Assistant Minister Xiao was really frightening. What’s the nickname they gave him, that’s right, ’Chang’an’s Ghost that Terrifies on Sight’. I think it’s a rather polite name."

Ran Yan brushed it off, "This murderer is too arrogant, reaching out to pull the tiger’s whiskers; how could he not explode?"

Wan Lu nodded her head and while tidying the case table, she picked up the "case file" and asked, "Wife, where should I put this?"

A faint smile appeared on Ran Yan’s lips, "Let me take a look."

She had only glanced at it briefly before and hadn’t examined it closely. Now that she looked at it, the case file was written quite professionally, clear and systematic with complete evidence and witnesses, only the section on the criminal’s motive was left blank.

"Hmm, it seems we still need to interrogate for the motive," Ran Yan withdrew her gaze.

Wan Lu muttered, "Wife usually understands things clearly, but now you seem to be confused; do we still need to interrogate for the motive? It’s obviously as clear as Sima Zhao’s heart—everyone knows it. The motive is: planning to deceive the wife into coming home as a Lady."

Ran Yan suddenly felt a rush of blood surge up, flushing her cheeks, and coughed a few times, "Wan Lu, be more subtle in the future."

"I used to be quite subtle. Ge Lan told me that you once grabbed Assistant Minister Xiao’s hand and asked whether it was ’a confession or harassment’. I thought you liked it like that." Wan Lu teased Ran Yan while carefully putting away the "case file" and placing it together with the peach blossom hairpin.

Ran Yan looked at the ceiling where bodies were stored, wondering to herself. Ge Lan usually seemed so serious; how could she be so gossipy?

"Wife..." Wan Lu’s mood suddenly became much lower, "Can Ge Lan still speak?"

Ran Yan snapped back to the present, "Her vocal cords have almost recovered; she should be able to make sounds. Perhaps she has not spoken for so long, she has forgotten how to produce voice. Let her practice with you more often... come here, I’ll teach you..." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to go to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast a recommendation ticket, a monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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