Miss Truth
Chapter 352 - 222: Dissociative Identity Disorder

Chapter 352: Chapter 222: Dissociative Identity Disorder

Xiao Song said, "Just as you stated, their marital relationship might have been indifferent. I previously looked into Chai Xuanyi. This man is debauched and unrestrained, adept in poetry, hence he is immensely popular among the courtesans of the brothels. It is said that two brothels once fought fiercely over a poem he composed, causing a serious uproar. Perhaps the princess Wenxi was dissatisfied with his behavior?"

"You mentioned that he is skilled in poetry and calligraphy, sounds like a talented man..." why didn’t he enter into official service? Ran Yan thought about it and then understood. Li Wanshun’s status was awkward, even if Chai Xuanyi served in government, he could only be a minor sixth or seventh-rank official like her first husband.

One could say that by marrying Princess Wenxi, he was essentially cutting off a promising future for himself.

Chai Xuanyi also didn’t seem like a man without aspirations, under such circumstances, where could their marital relationship possibly be good?

"Looking at it this way, it should be Chai Xuanyi who resents Princess Wenxi even more." Ran Yan said.

Rubbing his neck, Xiao Song answered, "According to my investigation, Chai Xuanyi is a magnanimous person, living his life wildly and unrestrained. Even before marriage, he often frequented brothels and had connections with several Oirans there. He had expressed his dislike for officialdom disputes, preferring the happiness of hiding in rural tranquility. It seems he has no aspirations for courtly positions."

After a pause, Xiao Song continued, "I suspect Princess Wenxi’s main reason for marrying Chai Xuanyi is tied to another matter, and it’s also the reason why she would marry him."

There was more to the story, Ran Yan silently waited for the rest.

"It is said that at the time, Princess Wenxi and her husband Liu Yingdao encountered bandits in the State of Zi. In the life-and-death crisis, they were saved by Chai Xuanyi and his group. However, Liu Yingdao’s injuries were severe, and he soon passed away. Right after her mourning period, Princess Wenxi was arranged by the Empress to marry Chai Xuanyi." Xiao Song had reasons to suspect that there was some hidden backstory that had caused Princess Wenxi to harbor resentment, especially since this time, too, involved an encounter with bandits, a similarity that was hard to ignore.

"Do you know the princess’s personality? How was her relationship with her former husband Liu Yingdao?" Ran Yan felt that a girl who had been living for fifteen years as a commoner, with the stigma of being related to a criminal convicted prince, monitored at every step within the deep palace, would find it hard to develop a ruthless and decisive character. Moreover, having seen her today, she clearly sensed her timidity and aversion to excessive contact with people.

Without needing to recall, Xiao Song said, "Princess Wenxi keeps a low profile and never leaves her home to visit friends. Not to say that nobody in Chang’an recognizes Princess Wenxi, but even some of the servants at her own house haven’t seen her. I also saw her for the first time today and do not understand her nature, let alone know about her relationship with her former husband."

Xiao Song rubbed his head tiredly, for the first time revealing an exhausted expression in front of someone else.

Ran Yan looked at his demeanor and could somewhat feel the pressure on his shoulders. Now, with three departments jointly handling a case, but in reality, Xiao Song was the only one truly investigating. Those above only needed to hurry him along, waiting for subordinates to report the results, while those below eagerly awaited instructions from their superiors. Xiao Song was caught between the two, and the pressure could easily be imagined.

There were naturally others in the same position as him in the three departments, but Xiao Song’s ability to solve cases had long been known throughout the court. If the case couldn’t be solved, at the same level, Xiao Song would bear much more responsibility, and there was nothing fair about that.

Ran Yan reached out and gently patted the top of his head.

Xiao Song was slightly stunned, looking at her with confusion, not understanding what that meant.

Seeing that he didn’t understand, Ran Yan patted again lightly and said, "The boat will go straight when it reaches the bridge, don’t worry too much."

"You... are you comforting me?" Xiao Song asked in surprise. He had seen various forms of consolation, but he never knew that comforting someone could be so strange, and tapping the head was clearly a way of treating a child.

"What else?" Ran Yan comforted others rarely, often preferring to use hugs to give a sense of warmth and assurance. She had hugged Qin Yunlin and hugged Mrs. Xing, but they were women; it wasn’t proper to just hug Xiao Song. It took her quite an effort to think of this method.

Seeing that it didn’t seem to have a comforting effect, Ran Yan coughed twice and said, "You can continue to investigate the identity of the silver hairpin’s owner, young women between the ages of sixteen and twenty-two, and the identities of those three missing persons. Isn’t that a lot of leads? Moreover... if the murderer really is Princess Wenxi, I suspect she may have multiple personalities."

"Multiple personalities?" Xiao Song chewed on the phrase and easily grasped the apparent meaning.