Miss Truth
Chapter 300 - 189: Living in Chang’an, Not Easy at All

Chapter 300: Chapter 189: Living in Chang’an, Not Easy at All

"Fan Bo’s old mouth is getting more venomous by the day!" Rong Qian huffed.

Ran Yan watched their casual interaction with a slight smile curling her lips, foreseeing that life in Chang’an would not be dull in the future.

In comparison with those mansions that easily occupied tens or even hundreds of acres, Ran Pingyu’s residence was not large; all in all, it was only about eleven or twelve acres. It was considered above average in size within Anshan Square, but what it lacked in size it made up for in exquisite construction. It seemed low-key, yet everywhere showed wealth and status.

Living in Chang’an is not easy! Tang Dynasty poet Gu Kuang had made a joking remark upon first meeting Bai Juyi about his name: "With rice so costly, living is not easy."!

This quote reflects the frighteningly high cost of living here, and, particularly in the eastern part of the city, it’s not just a matter of money when it comes to purchasing a home. The fact that Ran Pingyu, a businessman, was able to buy this property already came at a considerable price.

It was unclear whether Ran Yunsheng had intentionally made arrangements to show favor, or if Fan Bo had taken a liking to Ran Yan, but her accommodations were arranged in the He Ya Inn. Since the Ran estate was not large, the whole compound was designed like a garden, using borrowed scenery to hide the artifice. The He Ya Pavilion was not only delicately constructed but was also surrounded by evergreen trees to provide seclusion and elegance.

"Wife, Fan Bo is really good to you. I just passed by and saw where Ran Shiba lives; it doesn’t seem as elegant as our place," Wan Lu said, having learned from the Ran household’s servants that their place of residence was arranged by Fan Bo personally.

Ran Yan, dressed in slightly more relaxed clothes, lazily leaned against the round-backed -daybed by the window admiring the outside view. Hearing Wan Lu’s words, she turned her head and said, "We live our lives; why compare with others?"

Xing Nian had just finished laying out the bedding, and straightening up, she chimed in, "Exactly, you little girl should restrain your resentment. Eighteen Lady hasn’t provoked you right now, and it’s not worth losing your composure over her."

Wan Lu wasn’t a petty person. She was usually straightforward and broad-minded. But the moment she thought of the hardships her mistress had endured from childhood, and how Ran Meiyu had bullied them all the way to the countryside estate, her anger would surface. Feeling wronged, she said, "I’m not comparing with others, I just can’t stand to see Ran Shiba doing well!"

Ran Yan, sensing the resentment in her tone, turned back and looked at the mist-filled eyes in her phoenix-shaped eyes, sighing in her heart. After all, she hadn’t suffered much under Ran Shiba and naturally couldn’t empathize completely, so she refrained from blaming Wan Lu. Instead, she advised her, "Wan Lu, we must look forward and not always dwell on the past. We’ve just arrived in Chang’an, the world is vast ahead of us. As for Ran Shiba, if she behaves herself, we’ll each go our own way. If she seeks trouble again, you won’t need to say anything – I’ll deal with her myself. And if you do wish to deal with her, vying over such superficial matters won’t bring any real benefit."

Ran Yan thought that part of the original owner’s tragedy was due to her own excessive weakness. If she had shown strength, backed by the dazzling Zheng family name and with the smart Ge Lan to strategize for her, as the legitimate daughter of the Ran family, she would have had both confidence and wise counsel, and it’s unlikely she would have ended up in such a miserable state.

"Alas! The wife sees through it all," Xing Nian sighed. Her admonishing of Wan Lu came from being born into a prominent family that valued dignity and prestige more than the average person. How could she not bear resentment towards the Gao family and Ran Eighteen Lady?

Seeing through it all, am I? Ran Yan mocked herself inwardly. If she truly saw through everything, that recurring nightmare wouldn’t loop over and over. Some things, from the perspective of an outsider, can be clearly articulated and thought-provoking. However, once there’s a knot in one’s heart, even with the understanding that such feelings are wrong, it’s still nearly impossible to let go.

How could she break through this darkness? Since the heavens had granted her a rebirth, why not start everything from scratch...

Ran Yan was lost in thought when a maid came from outside to relay a message, saying that a reception banquet had been prepared, and they would come for her again in the evening to escort her to the banquet hall.

This was advance notice, to give her time to get ready.

Xingniang happened to be tidying up the clothes when she heard the news from Wan Lu. She looked into the chest and frowned, "Wife, I’m afraid the majority of these clothes can no longer be worn."

"How so?" Ran Yan asked, puzzled.

Xingniang, looking at the mostly purple garments, explained, "Although the law does not specify the colors of women’s everyday dress, once married, ladies of ranks above the Fifth Rank and those who receive imperial edicts wear green ceremonial robes. The colors of the rest of their attire follow their husband’s official rank; ordinary people tend to avoid these colors to prevent clashing with them."

Moreover, even if wearing purple, it could only be worn at home or on common occasions. If one chose purple for a grand ceremony without a matching status, people would inevitably mistake it for arrogance and a deliberate attempt to associate with those higher in status.

In Suzhou, where the sky is high and the emperor is far, one could wear whatever one wanted. However, in Chang’an, where nobles abound, one must adhere to customs. That is to say, only if a husband’s official rank is above the Third Rank and he holds an imperial edict can his wife decide on the color of her clothing, aside from red and yellow.

"Then put them away," Ran Yan responded, but a question occurred to her, "Isn’t the Assistant Minister a Fourth Rank? Why then can Xiao Song wear purple?"

Xingniang was well-informed about these matters. Thinking that they would be staying in Chang’an for a while, she explained in detail, "Assistant Minister Xiao’s official title is indeed Fourth Rank, but court officials are also awarded civil and military honorific titles in addition to their substantive posts. Xiao’s civil honorific title is Doctor of Right Discussion, which is the upper tier of the Fourth Rank, and he also holds the military honorific title of General of the Cloud Banner, which is Third Rank. Furthermore, Duke Song holds a First Rank title, so even if he had no official post, wearing purple would be permissible."

An official’s substantive title pertains to his specific duties at court, much like the levels within a company, while the honorific titles represent one’s social rank and the privileges one enjoys, without entailing actual duties. It was not until the Ming and Qing dynasties that official ranks and treatments were strictly based on the substantive titles, and the honorific titles completely lost significance, retaining only as titles.

"Generally, an honorific title ranks a half or a full grade higher than the substantive title. There are exceptions, of course, which are specially conferred by the emperor," Xingniang added.

"It seems that Xiao Song has quite gained imperial favor," commented Ran Yan, thinking to herself that the usual strategy of discretely letting the emperor win at chess seemed to be quite effective.

Xingniang chuckled, "Certainly, Assistant Minister Xiao is resolute and capable..." She began, but suddenly changed the subject, "However, for the most part, it’s come down to Duke Song’s influence. During the ninth year of the Zhenguan era, Duke Song got into an argument with a colleague in the Court, leading to a physical altercation, which resulted in his fourth dismissal from the chancellorship and a directive to return home for reflection, as well as expulsion from the Capital. Nevertheless, his Majesty still held Duke Song in warm regard, and the following year he granted Xiao additional honorific posts."

Ran Yan smiled knowingly at Xingniang’s implication, understanding that Xingniang feared she might develop a favorable impression of Xiao Song, who was a widower. While part of the reason for Xiao’s additional titles might be due to Duke Song, Xiao had two elder brothers, and without outstanding abilities, the added distinctions would not have been his turn to receive.

Rubbing her temples, which started to ache, Ran Yan felt overwhelmed. The larger the place, the greater its customs. These affairs were too complicated: not just the plethora of ranks and regulations, but also the intricacies within them, forcing one to be inquisitive, yet unavoidable to be unaware of, for she would have to navigate through them in Chang’an in the future! It would be quite unjust to offend someone inadvertently because of this. (To be continued. If you like this work, please feel welcome to vote with your recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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