Miss Truth
Chapter 396 - 252 Political Affairs (1)

Chapter 396: Chapter 252 Political Affairs (1)

The spacious and broad road was covered with a thin layer of snow, where a strikingly handsome man in a round-collared scarlet official uniform stood less than twenty steps away from Ran Yan, his face somewhat pale yet his spirit was excellent.

Li Ke’s tone when he spoke didn’t carry any hint of teasing; instead, it was as if he was joking with a friend, likely ribbing Xiao Song on purpose upon seeing him arrive.

Ran Yan’s gaze paused, surprised to see another gentleman walking towards the Imperial College, dressed in a green broad-sleeved robe with a round collar, his demeanor calm. Upon noticing the situation here, he slightly slowed his steps.

What a coincidence that Su Fu was also passing by this place.

...

By the end of the ninth year of the Zhenguan era, Li Ke’s first wife had passed away, and his second, a member of the Xiao Family, made him a cousin-in-law to Xiao Song. Li Ke was older than Xiao Song, but he was his cousin-in-law.

Xiao Song’s face bore an impeccable smile as he clasped his hands together and bowed to Li Ke, "It has been a while, Your Highness. I trust you’ve been well?"

"Thanks to your concern, Assistant Minister Xiao, I am quite well," Li Ke responded with great grace, gesturing that no further formalities were necessary. His every move carried the air of royalty.

Xiao Song glanced at Ran Yan, then said with surprise, "Does Your Highness also know Seventeen Lady?"

Ran Yan stealthily peeked at Xiao Song. He acted as if he knew nothing, yet his eyes were full of confusion. She couldn’t help but think, what a fox.

"We’ve met a few times, nothing sufficient to claim acquaintance," Li Ke treated Xiao Song very politely, showing no signs of a ruler and his subject as he smiled at both Xiao Song and Ran Yan, "I’ve heard that Assistant Minister Xiao and Lady Seventeen are discussing marriage. Congratulations!"

Ran Yan looked down, yet in her heart, she sighed. Indeed, Prince Wu Ke was not merely a petty villain; he shared similarities with Xiao Song in some respects. The things they did in the dark required ruthlessness, and he could be extremely insidious and ruthless, while being a modest gentleman in public demanded an open-minded adherence to propriety.

The philosophy of thick and black school taught that to succeed in politics, one must have a dark heart and a thick skin, yet in stable times, such a dark heart must never be exposed.

"Thank you, Your Highness," Xiao Song said politely, then asked, "Is Your Highness here at the Imperial College on business?"

Li Ke laughed heartily, "Not at all, I am quite unencumbered by duties now, just visiting a friend here. It seems Assistant Minister Xiao is quite busy!"

"The end of the year approaches; naturally, it calls for some busyness," Xiao Song replied, only to see Li Ke’s gaze drift past him. He also turned and saw Su Fu standing immobile on the steps of the Imperial College in green official uniform, his eyes fixated unstirringly on Li Ke, the cold intent to kill palpable even from a distance.

Xiao Song turned back to Ran Yan and said, "You should head back first, the weather is cold today, make sure to keep several charcoal basins burning inside."

Ran Yan nodded and climbed into the carriage with Wan Lu’s assistance.

Looking out from the carriage window, she noticed that Su Fu had already turned and entered the Imperial College. Meanwhile, Xiao Song and Li Ke were laughing and talking about something as they walked side by side into the Imperial College.

Xiao Song’s interest in Lady Seventeen had caught Li Ke by surprise. Whether he knew what happened that night or not, given Xiao Song’s character, he would certainly be a formidable opponent. Yet Li Ke harbored a non-dismissive attitude towards his adversaries. He was, after all, a prestigious Prince with solid foundations, so why would he fear Xiao Song?

However, in Xiao Song’s mind, there was only one thought: he was determined to ensure a dire end for Li Ke, even if it took ten or twenty years.

With their own thoughts, surrounded by their subordinates, the two shared a seemingly joyous conversation as they entered the Imperial College.

Ran Yan watched as the Imperial College grew farther and farther away, then let the curtain fall.

In the court, those apparent disagreements were often just honest people with differing political views, or mutual disdain. However, the real threats needed to be hidden behind such disguises.

"Wife..." Wan Lu thought that Ran Yan was troubled by the marriage, which was why she was looking so reluctantly at Xiao Song.

Ran Yan hummed in acknowledgment and then closed her eyes to rest. She had anticipated from the start that marrying Xiao Song would not be smooth sailing, but the situation had somewhat exceeded her expectations by now.

Upon arriving at Xiao Residence, Ran Yan continued her work. Seeing that the restoration of appearances was almost complete, she soon gathered her thoughts and focused all her energy on the task at hand.

Xiao Song rushed back for lunchtime.

Since Ran Yan had been at the residence daily, he had made it a point to return on time for lunch, no matter how busy he was, not missing a single occasion.

After lunch, the two of them had a lot to discuss once they had rinsed their mouths.

Xiao Song gestured for Ran Yan to speak first. She did not hesitate or demur and said, "The restoration of appearances is nearly complete, it should be finished by tomorrow afternoon. Additionally... about the marriage, you must have heard about it by now, right?"

"Mmhmm." Xiao Song nodded. He was always keeping an eye on the old lady’s movements, so he had known about it early. He spoke casually, "It’s been many years since anyone has opposed grandmother. With her temperament, she won’t let it go easily. What’s important is to keep her impression of you consistent... Don’t worry, I will handle it."

In fact, the situation was more severe than imagined. News of Ran Yan performing autopsies had spread, and with the suicide of Qi Liuniang, it stirred up a storm in Suzhou City. Fortunately, Xiao Song had some connections with Liu Pinrang, and since Ran Yan was also assisting him with autopsies, they managed to suppress the news somewhat. However, the public’s enthusiasm for gossip was unstoppable. The name Ran Shiqi had become household in Suzhou City, capable of stopping children’s night crying.

It used to be said to scare children: "If you don’t behave, the ghosts will take you away." Now it had changed to: "If you don’t behave, you’ll be handed over to Ran Shiqi!"

"By the way, I received a letter from Qi State last night, saying that the old lady is coming over, probably to see you," Xiao Song said.

Ran Yan nodded, her face calm but feeling somewhat nervous inside.

Xiao Song noticed her slight unease and said gently, "Don’t panic, I guarantee you, grandmother will like you."

The two were less than half a yard apart, and Ran Yan could feel the reassurance in his gaze, a gentle ripple-like smile appearing on her face.

Thinking about the course of history, Ran Yan wanted to ask Xiao Song which side he was on, but hesitated for a moment, wondering if that would be overstepping. Nevertheless, she went ahead, "Do you support any prince privately?"

Xiao Song paused for a moment and gestured for Wan Lu to leave.

With only the two of them in the room, Xiao Song then said, "No, my father favors Prince Wu Ke, and I..." before that night’s incident, he had no particular objections to Li Ke, even thinking him brave and strategic, more suitable than the Crown Prince to be the heir, "currently, I am only loyal to the Emperor."

Li Ke was a son-in-law of the Xiao Family. Although the princess was not the biological daughter of Duke Song but his niece, in the strongly clan-oriented Tang Dynasty, they were considered family. Li Ke becoming the Crown Prince would greatly benefit the Xiao Family. Not to mention being royal in-laws, the position of future Crown Prince could also be secured. As long as the Li Tang royal family remained in power, the Xiao Family would hold a distinguished status.

From today’s observation, Xiao Song was certain that Li Ke had no interest in Ran Yan, and therefore, his actions had other motives. Some goals, he thought, could not be achieved using honorable means. If those means were directed at another wife, Xiao Song might not have considered them improper, but it was entirely inappropriate since it involved Ran Yan.(To be continued. If you like this book, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation and monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)

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