Miss Truth
Chapter 386 - 245: Stunning Gentleman

Chapter 386: Chapter 245: Stunning Gentleman

Ran Yan glanced through the light gauze at the few men.

The road ahead gradually cleared, and the carriage slowly started moving forward. Ran Yan immediately said, "Stop the carriage."

The carriage came to a halt, and Ran Yan picked up her veil and put it on. "Let’s sit in this restaurant for a while."

The three of them got out of the carriage, which was led by the servant of the restaurant to the stable behind. Ran Yan followed the two gentlemen into the hall and saw them heading to a private room on the second floor. She then tipped the servant some money and asked him to quietly lead them to sit next to the private room of the two gentlemen.

The servant thought they were some wife out to catch her husband cheating, with a knowing expression, he led them upstairs and into a private room, skillfully saying, "Our room is good for eavesdropping, madam. If you want to listen to the corner conversation, you can use the small hole near the north corner."

"Thank you." Ran Yan was not the least bit embarrassed when her intention was exposed; she thanked him frankly.

Seeing her attitude, the servant became even more convinced of his guess and happily recited the menu.

Ran Yan casually ordered a few dishes and then stood by the corner of the wall.

Clear voices from the other side reached her, "Speak quickly, what’s wrong with Pei Jing?"

"Pei Jing hasn’t been to the Imperial College for quite a few days now. Initially, it was said he was ill, but nobody knew what illness. However, I recently heard that a few days ago when Pei Jing had an attack, blood suddenly started spurting from his neck like rain, spattering the whole room. One of his personal maids fainted on the spot from shock."

"Really?" An astonished voice asked, "It sounds like suicide; how could he contract such a strange illness? And how is he now?"

The person continued, "This morning, Princess of Linhai hurriedly rushed to Chang’an, all the imperial physicians in the palace have gathered at the Pei residence! It’s said that he was poisoned, and since they don’t know what poison it is, they can’t find an antidote, plus Pei Jing is already unconscious. It’s likely just a matter of days now."

Although Pei Jing was not well-regarded due to his many vices, he was not the kind of arrogant noble, and he was quite generous. Thus, even those who had not been harmed by him did not harbor extreme ill-feelings, feeling at most disdain for his immoral character and unwilling to be associated with him. Upon hearing such a tragic state of Pei Jing, they all gasped in shock.

The room next door fell silent for a moment before someone quietly asked, "He must have offended someone, right? Can’t the government find out?"

"The people he’s offended could line up the entire Zhuque Street. Where would you begin to investigate? However, the Princess of Linhai went crying to the Emperor, and the case has been handed over to the Ministry of Justice..."

After much passing around, the case still ended up in the hands of Xiao Song. It remained to be seen how he would handle it.

Ran Yan let out a sigh of relief. Although Xiao Song was not a completely upright gentleman, she just felt that he would not use this incident to threaten her... Actually, there were far more things that could potentially be used to threaten her than just this one.

In the next room, someone continued, "Ah, Assistant Minister Xiao really can bear a lot, on one side is the husband of the Princess Wenxi, on the other is the son of the Princess of Linhai, and both demand a quick resolution... Moreover, the Ministry of Criminal Justice must be piled up like a mountain with cases to review at the end of the year."

The cases sent to the Ministry of Criminal Justice for review were all capital cases from various places, which had already been sentenced and were waiting for the Ministry’s approval before being executed. A single oversight could let an unjust case slip through, so the matter could not be taken lightly. The case involving these two dignified and sensitive individuals from Chang’an made everyone shiver at the mere thought; messing up even the smallest detail could mean being demoted, if not worse.

Many people were shouldering the responsibility for this incident, including the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Assistant Ministers, various officials within the Ministry. But, setting aside old foxes like Minister Zhang who had served through two dynasties, Xiao Song was the highest-ranking and youngest among them, only a few years older than the rest, yet the responsibility he bore on that position was not something an ordinary person could endure. They would likely be crushed by the pressure. That was the cause for their sighs.

Ran Yan pursed her lips slightly; this matter had been dealt with cleanly, even a thorough investigation might not find any evidence, but Xiao Song would certainly have to navigate a difficult path. He knew the truth, yet had to present a satisfactory false result under the watchful eyes of many. Which of Li Shimin’s ministers were fools? The complexities involved were unimaginable.

Ran Yan couldn’t help but recall what Xiao Song had once said to her: "You needn’t worry about this matter; I know exactly how much weight my shoulders can bear."

Just how much could his shoulders truly bear?

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