Miss Truth
Chapter 526 - 349: Ruthless_2

Chapter 526: Chapter 349: Ruthless_2

Ge Lan and Wan Lu both bowed respectfully at the same time, "My lord."

Xiao Song hummed faintly and walked over to sit cross-legged across from Ran Yan, "Assistant Minister Liu might pay a visit to the Ran residence in a few days."

"Assistant Minister Liu?" Ran Yan paused before reacting, "Inspector Liu?"

"Yes." Xiao Song turned his head to Ge Lan and Wan Lu, "You two go out first."

Wan Lu, in the midst of her joy at their reunion, was only too happy to leave. She bowed happily with Ge Lan and they both left the room, gently closing the door behind them.

"Since last year, officials in the Jiangnan region have been dying suddenly or from illness. Do you still remember the corpse you examined, the Judge Yang from Suzhou?" Xiao Song asked in a grave tone.

Ran Yan certainly remembered. At that time, Liu Pinrang had insisted on her conducting the autopsy in secrecy, and he was willing to have the body dissected to ascertain the cause of death. She nodded and said, "Before his death, Judge Yang was attacked in his private parts, which made him lose his ability to resist instantly, and then someone used a three-inch silver needle to pierce his brain from the top of his head."

Ran Yan poured a glass of water for him and followed up, "Could it be that Judge Yang’s death..."

Xiao Song took the water, "You might not be aware of Judge Yang’s background. He was an Advanced Scholar from the tenth year of the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty, but he came from a poor family and had no connections in the court. Although he was talented, he was not exceptionally brilliant among the scholars from humble backgrounds, which usually only led to a minor official post in some remote place. However, he was smart and before taking the imperial examination, he didn’t send his essays to renowned scholars as usual; instead, he sent them to Prince Wei’s residence."

The examination system of the Tang Dynasty was not as perfected as that of the Song Dynasty and did not implement the anonymous marking system. Furthermore, the reputation of the candidates could also affect their final examination ranking, so those preparing for the imperial examination would carry two pieces of work they were satisfied with. The one submitted to the Ministry of Rites was called the ’public scroll’ while the one meant for review by famous scholars was called the ’traveling scroll’."

"So, Judge Yang was given the official post in Suzhou by virtue of his connection with Prince Li Tai?" Ran Yan faintly understood why Liu Pinrang cared so much about the cause of Judge Yang’s death. One could pretend to be ignorant in the complex world of court politics, but one couldn’t truly be oblivious. All the insider details that needed to be known had to be understood in private.

Xiao Song nodded, "Precisely. It can be said that from the start, Judge Yang was standing on Prince Li Tai’s ship. I’ve only recently come to realize the true reason behind his death."

Ran Yan gave him a questioning look. Seeing her interest, Xiao Song continued, "These officials sent to distant posts would naturally worry about being sacrificed as pawns, so they might keep evidence of Prince Li Tai harboring treasonous intentions. And Prince Li Tai wouldn’t kill Judge Yang before making full use of him. It’s very likely that Prince Wu Ke sent someone to find that evidence in order to bring down Prince Li Tai."

"That does make quite some sense." Ran Yan picked up the teapot to top up his cup, but her mind suddenly flashed with an image.

That rainy day in Suzhou, the graceful figure of the lord, a plain paper umbrella held aloft before her...

The sharp and harsh words of the servant: "Pharmacist Su is the husband chosen by my mistress; we can afford as many umbrellas as needed..."

That mistress... was Madam Yang.

"Perhaps, your conjecture is already close to the truth." Ran Yan slowly set down the teapot. At that time, Su Fu was acting on Li Ke’s command, and if Xiao Song’s speculation was extended, it would mean that Su Fu was ordered to search for evidence and kill Judge Yang.

According to Liu Pinrang, Judge Yang practiced martial arts, so he likely had considerable skills. Therefore, Su Fu was not confident he could kill him in one strike, and exposing himself would alarm Prince Li Tai. Perhaps Li Ke wanted Judge Yang’s death to go unnoticed, and since searching for the evidence required a knowledge of the Yang residence, Su Fu would come and go, treating Madam Yang.

Su Fu had mentioned that he hadn’t agreed to become the son-in-law of the Yang family; it was probably Madam Yang who wishfully fancied him.

Ran Yan relayed all these details to Xiao Song.

"So it seems, several matters are related to Prince Wei." Xiao Song’s slender fingers rhythmically tapped on his knees, before he spoke indifferently after a moment, "Not potent enough to cause significant upheaval."

In Li Shimin’s eyes, Li Tai was a son who possessed the virtues of benevolence, righteousness, etiquette, and filial piety, with exceptional literary talent, which earned him excessive doting. As a son, he was even more beloved than Li Ke. He had reached the age where he should be sent to his fief, yet he was exceptionally kept in Chang’an, allowed to establish a literary academy to attract talents, and his annual expenditure was even higher than that of the Crown Prince. This also fostered his arrogant character, continuing to attract talents without realizing that such high-profile actions could easily lead to discontent among the powerful court officials.

An ominous sense of impending disaster loomed.

Ran Yan temporarily set aside these matters to enjoy the rare tranquil days, for according to Xiao Song, the arrival of Liu Pinrang also meant she might be one step closer to entering the palace to treat Princess Jinyang’s illness.

Ran Yan stood up and said faintly, "I understand now; none of the favored princes and princesses of dynasties past have been trouble-free. Let’s not worry about them; accompany me to see Tenth Brother."

"Alright." Xiao Song stood up, took her hand, and walked to the door where he ordered the kitchen to prepare the meal. Then, they walked along the corridor to Ran Yunsheng’s quarters.

"Hmm, I forgot to mention the main issue. If there’s no explanation from Jiangnan, once my mourning period is over, I might be assigned to investigate." Xiao Song said.

Ran Yan huffed, "Is the Great Tang devoid of people? With such a vast Ministry of Criminal Justice, can’t they find another person skilled in investigation? To have you, a dignified Assistant Minister, and now a County Marquis, personally intervene... "

Listening to her words, Xiao Song’s face was full of smiles, "The Ministry of Criminal Justice naturally has many capable of investigating. However, this is not a case just anyone would dare to take on. Everyone understands that; pushing it back and forth, in the end, Judge Zhang and I must shoulder it... But tell me, Ah Yan, will you miss me?"

Ran Yan turned away, looking out to the flowers in the courtyard, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder; a short separation might be good."

(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote with your recommendation ticket and monthly ticket at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my biggest motivation.)