Miss Truth
Chapter 294 - 185: East Capital Luoyang

Chapter 294: Chapter 185: East Capital Luoyang

The next morning, Ran Yan had just finished washing up when she found out that Xiao Song had left before dawn.

Arranged by Ran Yunsheng, Ran Yan boarded a carriage to Luoyang, accompanied by Qi Liuniang, who was riding in the same carriage.

Though Ran Yan was somewhat aloof, she wasn’t overly peculiar and didn’t mind sharing the same space with others; she simply leaned against the carriage window, engrossed in a Medical Book as if no one else were present.

Qi Liuniang sat cross-legged at the opposite window, watching the unhurried landscape receding outside. The carriage was quiet, occasionally disrupted by the sound of Ran Yan turning a page.

Her eyes were on the book, yet Ran Yan’s thoughts slowly drifted elsewhere. Lately, she had dreamt of a man twice—once, she was held in his embrace, another time, she was the one holding on, not letting go...

Ran Yan furrowed her brow, thinking of Wan Lu, who had bombarded her with questions this morning with a ditzy demeanor—perhaps someone really had come last night?

"Seventeen Niang," Qi Liuniang’s faint voice interrupted Ran Yan’s thoughts.

Ran Yan turned her head, casting an inquiring glance at her.

"I heard you lost your memories and probably don’t remember me," Qi Liuniang initiated the conversation. "My name is Qi Ningjun."

Perhaps because others usually approached her first, she wasn’t good at making small talk, and with such an awkward introduction, Ran Yan wasn’t sure how to respond and merely said politely, "Hello."

The atmosphere grew a bit awkward. After a few moments, Qi Ningjun asked, "Was it too presumptuous of me to come all this way?"

From Qi Ningjun’s calm facade, Ran Yan sensed a trace of unease, but regarding this matter, Ran Yan preferred not to pass much judgment, "Everyone has the right to do what they wish."

"Yes." A blossom of a gentle smile suddenly bloomed on Qi Ningjun’s moon-like face, which softened her otherwise aloof and lofty air considerably.

Objectively speaking, Qi Ningjun was more beautiful when she maintained her icy demeanor. Her smile was lovely, but lacked distinction—arched eyebrows, bright eyes, like any ordinary girl.

Qi Ningjun’s smile gradually faded, as if she remembered something important, and then she asked Ran Yan, "Shilang... does he have someone he is fond of?"

"I do not know," Ran Yan answered truthfully.

Qi Ningjun lowered her gaze and murmured thanks, nodding slightly as a gesture of courtesy, then continued to look out at the landscape.

The carriage paused briefly, and Wan Lu entered to serve tea, "Qi Niangzi, my wife does not like spices in her tea, so I didn’t prepare any. The tea might taste bland to you. If you are not accustomed to it, I can fetch some from Shilang."

"It’s fine," Qi Ningjun accepted the teacup. "Thank you for your efforts, Wan Lu guniang."

"Not at all. Travel can be inconvenient; please bear with us," Wan Lu said with a smile.

Qi Ningjun felt a bit embarrassed, clearly realizing she had been somewhat demanding, "Wan Lu guniang is too kind."

Wan Lu smiled, then turned to hand tea to Ran Yan and shifted closer to her, saying, "Wife, I heard this morning that the case in Jushui County was solved—the murderer was that supposedly dead beggar, Liu Wen! They’ve already caught him."

Previously, everyone had presumed Liu Wen was dead, naturally overlooking him, but now that the truth had surfaced and his survival was discovered, capturing him had been an easy task.

Ran Yan sighed. With just this mention from Wan Lu, she had already pieced together the sequence of events. Su Luan’s maneuver of using someone else to do the dirty work was indeed cleverly executed! Optimistically, maybe Su Luan had simply taken advantage of Liu Wen opportunistically; pessimistically, perhaps it was Su Luan’s way to ensure she wouldn’t be deemed a murderer, driving a perfectly good young man, Liu Wen, into a chasm of despair.

Ran Yan had even discovered the newly replaced rope on Su Luan Ying Luo earlier than Xiao Song, but she couldn’t be sure whether such a minor detail was definitely related to the case, and she had been hesitating about whether or not to speak up...

Indeed, as an executor of the law, one must be impartial and must cast aside personal feelings; those so-called sympathies could potentially lead a case into difficulty.

The words of her doctoral advisor echoed in Ran Yan’s ears: As an autopsy officer, it’s better to lack the passion for solving cases than to bear any personal emotion. You only need to truthfully convey the language presented by the body that others cannot understand—this is the duty of an autopsy officer.

To speak with facts was the most basic rule that every law enforcement officer must adhere to.

Ran Yan had always adhered to this point; ever since Yunlin’s death, she had been performing autopsies nonstop, which led her to become increasingly emotionless and rigid in her personality. But since arriving in the Great Tang, she seemed to have revitalized a lot, and those common emotions surged up.

Should she indulge herself in this way, or... Ran Yan looked out at the fading green scenery outside the carriage and suddenly realized that she urgently needed a goal; only with a goal could she balance these two aspects.

And this trip to Chang’an was a great opportunity.

Qi Ningjun looked at the sudden spark in Ran Yan’s dark eyes and was momentarily stupefied. When he came back to his senses, she had already returned to her usual expression.

***

Out of concern for Ran Yan’s wounds, which had just healed, their journey was a lot slower, and they only arrived at Luoyang around noon.

Chang’an revalues the heroes, Luoyang treasures the rich and powerful.

This shows just how culturally rich the Luoyang of the Tang Dynasty was. And this renowned ancient capital did not disappoint Ran Yan; as soon as they entered the city gates, the noise around her was overwhelming, with various ancient hawkers and the sounds of people bargaining and talking incessantly filling her ears.

Since coming to the Great Tang, this was the first time Ran Yan truly realized that she was still alive.

She opened a small slit in the carriage curtain to look out, and saw people of various appearances on the street—there were merchants and wives dressed in glamorous clothes and commoners in rough hemp clothes, wearing diverse styles of clothing; there were round-necked, narrow-sleeved barbarian costumes, as well as wide-sleeved robes, and the styles of the women’s dresses were even more intricate.

If Suzhou was the elegant, subtle orchid, Luoyang was the bright, rich peony. Having eaten light porridge and simple dishes for a long time, suddenly being presented with a feast was truly exhilarating. Ran Yan couldn’t help but smile.

Qi Ningjun, who had been to Luoyang once when he was very young and already had blurred memories, suddenly found himself in such a bustling market and forgot his worries quite a bit, watching enthusiastically.

Wan Lu directly hopped out of the carriage and sat with the coachman, watching even more keenly.

The carriage passed through the market and soon entered a quieter place; after about half an hour, they reached a residence.

"Wife, Mrs. Qi, we have arrived," Wan Lu poked her head in to say.

Ran Yan was helped out of the carriage by Wan Lu, and then Ge Lan came up to invite Qi Ningjun.

"Wife," Xing Niang, leading Huan Kong, had been waiting at the entrance of the courtyard.

Ran Yan glanced around the small courtyard; Xing Niang did not wait for her to ask before saying, "I heard from Shilang that there are several businesses in Luoyang owned by the third master, and every year the stewards come here to check the accounts; this courtyard is built for the stewards to stay in, and there are still two months left in the year, thus it’s currently vacant."

"Hmm," Ran Yan nodded slightly, about to enter the door but then stopped and turned back to Qi Ningjun, "Please come in, Mrs. Qi," she said.

"Thank you," Qi Ningjun bowed slightly but then slightly turned his head, glancing at the carriage Yunsheng was riding in, before accepting Ran Yan’s invitation and entering the courtyard. (To be continued. If you like this book, you are welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast a recommendation ticket or monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation.)