Miss Truth
Chapter 376 - 238: Prince Wu Returns to the Capital

Chapter 376: Chapter 238: Prince Wu Returns to the Capital

This statement is quite ambiguous! How exactly are you going, and how is it convenient?

After regaining her composure, Ran Yan remembered how Xiao Song had been steadily overstepping his bounds and felt that her own reaction just now had been too weak, totally lacking in calm.

She had originally planned to give Xiao Song the handkerchief she had embroidered, but now it seemed like a losing bargain. Why should she let him come in, get fresh with touches and kisses, and then take something with him as well?

But then she thought again, Xiao Song had done quite a lot for her, and in ancient times, even offering oneself was not considered excessive... Ran Yan thought as she took out several embroidered handkerchiefs from her sleeve and placed them on the table, "Here are the handkerchiefs you wanted."

Xiao Song looked at the corner of the white folded cloth, unceremoniously pocketed the delicately embroidered red plum blossoms. Since he didn’t get a direct answer from Ran Yan, he didn’t push her. You can’t get fat with one bite; patience was key, and he was willing to wait.

Having the day off, and with nothing better to do, Xiao Song lingered in the Ran residence for quite a few hours before leaving.

Not long after leaving the Ran residence, Bai Yi hurried over. Xiao Song had not taken a carriage but had ridden a horse, and Bai Yi turned to ride alongside him, bowing his hands and saying, "My lord, Prince Wu has returned to the capital."

Prince Wu, Li Ke, had been dismissed from his position as Governor of Anzhou for excessive hunting, and with the year-end nearing, he had been summoned back by Emperor Taizong.

Xiao Song’s lips curled up, but his eyes darkened, "His return is timely!"

Li Ke’s move of retreating in order to advance was well played. Currently, several princes were fiercely competing in the shadows. On the surface, court officials, fearing the emperor’s power, dared not openly take sides, but behind closed doors, there was plenty of action. But who was Emperor Li Shimin? How could he not see through their wily ways? Li Ke behaved like this to make Emperor Li Shimin think he was neglecting his duties, naturally reducing Emperor’s vigilance against him.

"That group of people, except for Pei Jing, clean up the rest. I don’t have the time to entertain them right now. It’s their gain!" Xiao Song spurred his horse forward, his voice low, his gaze steady, and with few pedestrians around, no one would notice what he was saying.

Xiao Song was now inundated with official duties, and with Li Ke’s return to Chang’an, he simply did not have the leisure to torment a few jesters. Apart from Pei Jing, those people were of lowly birth, making it easier to move against them.

Bai Yi had been following Xiao Song for a while and naturally understood the implications of "handling" in his words, but still asked, "My lord, how exactly should it be done?"

Surely they couldn’t just be dispatched with a slash to the neck? What if there were inquiries into the matter!

Xiao Song frowned and gave him a glance, knowing Bai Yi wasn’t skilled in such matters was nothing new, and without blaming him, he mused aloud, "Given the nature of those few... First spread rumors to provoke them, say..." Xiao Song whispered a few words to Bai Yi, then sneered coldly, "Since they fancy themselves as connoisseurs of pleasure, why not let them die under the peony flowers?"

Xiao Song instructed Bai Yi to spread rumors that they were indulging in each other or had been played by others, unable to perform as men. These men were particularly sensitive about this area and were naturally impulsive and mercurial. If pushed to desperation, they might end up in a brothel taking their frustrations out on courtesans, and even if they didn’t, being agitated would present opportunities. Some Red Dust Powder thrown into the mix would ensure they gave a good show.

If they ended up dying in a brothel, it would likely be said they couldn’t handle the rumors and sought to prove themselves as "real men", only to die from exhaustion—nothing more than a bigger joke.

"Let Ben Xiao take care of this," Xiao Song said.

"Yes!" Bai Yi sighed in relief, bowed, and departed to find Ben Xiao.

Xiao Song leisurely rode on, the horse picking up speed, with a smile he couldn’t suppress lifting the corners of his lips.

For years, the lake of his heart had remained waveless; but now ripples stirred again, as if spring warmth had suddenly arrived, and the vigor and assertiveness of youth returned to him. Looking back, he realized that he was only twenty-six, yet sometimes he felt as old as the likes of Grand Chancellor Zhangsun Wuji.

...

As the year-end approached, Chang’an was extraordinarily lively, with every household busy buying New Year goods. The Ran residence was no exception, with both Ran Yan and Ran Yun also caught up in the hustle.

In the past two days, the news from Chang’an City had come in waves, one after another. The most concerning to Ran Yan was that the day after Li Shimin returned from Huai State, he conferred the title of Talented Person on a lady from Jingzhou’s Wu family; secondly, Li Ke was dismissed from his post as Governor of Anzhou and recalled to Chang’an. Another piece of gossip claimed that an Imperial College student named Chen Fen had spent the night with forty women in a brothel and ended up bedridden with his life hanging by a thread.

Ran Yan did not know that Chen Fen was one of Pei Jing’s group. At first, she just listened to it as an interesting tale, but after hearing Rong Qian talk about it, she realized it was likely another of Xiao Song’s doing. Although Xiao Song sometimes behaved frivolously in front of her, he really did not fit the nickname "Gui Jianchou" of Chang’an. This time, she truly witnessed another side of Xiao Song.

Inside the room, Wan Lu was attending to Ran Yan as she changed her clothes, while Xing Niang hurried in, closing the door behind her.

Ran Yan finished dressing and, seeing that Xing Niang seemed to have something to say, sat down and asked, "What is it?"

"Wife, I’ve just spoken with Lady San, and she let slip that Xiao Song, the Assistant Minister, privately mentioned to Sanlang his intention to propose marriage to you." Xing Niang did not seem as anxious as before. After Lady San discussed the matching of the birth charts with her, she thought that Xiao Song would make an excellent husband, except for the misgiving of his so-called ’wife-killing’ reputation. Now, hearing that their birth charts were well-matched and the match was deemed a golden-jade alliance, she naturally felt joyful.

Ran Yan felt that this was certainly not the main point. Lady Luo wouldn’t have leaked information without reason, and Ran Pingyu’s behavior had also been strange in the past couple of days; he had even left her and Xiao Song alone in the warm pavilion. There must be more to this story, so she simply responded with a "Hmm" to signal Xing Niang to continue.

"Sanlang’s idea is that if you have no objections, it might be best to settle this marriage before the New Year. The Cui family only mentioned it orally and did not formally propose a marriage. Besides, Wife, after the New Year, you will be sixteen, the perfect age for marriage, and any delay might lead to unforeseen changes."

Speaking of marriage, in the beginning, Xing Niang had hoped Ran Yan would marry Sang Chen. After all, she would be the legitimate wife with no in-laws, a good family background, but unfortunately, Ran Yan had no such feelings for Sang Chen. From Suzhou to Chang’an, over this long period, Xing Niang had witnessed Xiao Song’s actions. He truly cherished Ran Yan and took good care of her. To have such a husband, did it matter whether he was her first husband or not? She would still be the legitimate wife, and her future sons would be legitimate heirs, and she would be loved by her husband... Not everything in life could be perfect. In comparison, although Sang Chen was good in all aspects, he might not necessarily make a good husband.

Sure enough, Lady Luo had this in mind.

Ran Yan fell silent. Although her body was only sixteen years old, her mental age was no longer young, and she could not genuinely see herself as a green young girl. As such, speaking of marriage did not feel unacceptable to her, and considering the custom of assimilating to local practices, this age was indeed the proper time to discuss marriage in the Great Tang. She was not one to play coy and seriously pondered the matter.

"Wife, I’ve heard that some families only include wives who have either given birth or served the husband’s family for over ten years in the ancestral shrine. Additionally, a new bride must pay homage to the ancestral shrine on the third day after entering the home; only after this homage is she truly considered part of the husband’s family. Xiao, the Assistant Minister, had two wives who both did not surpass three days after entering the home, and one even has yet to pay homage to the hall, perhaps making them ineligible for inclusion in the ancestral shrine," speculated Xing Niang.

After a new bride enters the home, the following day, she must pay respects to her in-laws and family members, the next day return to her maiden home, and on the third day, host a family meal and pay homage to the ancestors—a gesture informing the ancestral spirits of a new addition to the family. The criteria for inclusion in the ancestral shrine after death, however, differ among aristocratic families and are not explicitly regulated.

Ran Yan was not too concerned about this. After all, when people die, they are but two corpses; whether they are buried together or have a memorial tablet hardly mattered. What’s important is life itself.

After a while, Ran Yan slowly said, "Whether it’s just temporary enthusiasm or something more enduring, it’s unclear for now."

Of course, she was referring to Xiao Song. Their acquaintance had not been long, and she vividly remembered how at the start, Xiao Song had few fond feelings for her and even thought her unsuitable to be his wife. What kind of mental shift had occurred for him to be so devoted and attentive...

Xing Niang pondered for a moment and felt that Ran Yan had a point, yet did not fully agree, "Forgive my blunt words, but even if it’s just temporary enthusiasm, it’s still good. Wife, you should take advantage of this warmth to quickly secure a legitimate heir in Xiao’s family and establish your position. That would sort out the rest of your life; after all, how many couples remain enthusiastic for a lifetime?" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to go to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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