179: Chapter 114 Midnight Singing_2 179: Chapter 114 Midnight Singing_2 Xiao Song glanced at her but was not at all distracted by her attempt to change the subject, “As an officer of the Ministry of Criminal Justice, I may let him off temporarily, but I cannot let him go for a lifeti.
Either he will be arrested by and brought to justice, or I will have to roll down from the position of Assistant Minister of Ministry of Justice, or he will have to assassinate —there is no fourth possibility.
So if you insist on being close to him, don’t bla when the ti cos.”
Though there is a Minister of the Ministry of Justice above the Assistant Minister, it has always been the case on the official court that when bla cos down from above, it’s those who do the actual work who have to bear it.
The Minister of the Ministry of Justice cannot escape responsibility, but the first to suffer will surely be those below him.
Ran Yan sighed and responded with a subdued acknowledgnt.
To Ran Yan, Su Fu was an exceptionally compatible person— they rarely spoke to each other, but when they did, they could carry on a aningful conversation.
He could be a very good friend, and perhaps, as ti went on, they might even co together.
Ran Yan had thought this through very rationally.
Generally speaking, she was not passive; if she truly had feelings for soone, she would definitely take the initiative rather than waiting for the other person to pursue her.
Xiao Song dropped her off at the entrance of Yingi Temple and, wanting to say a few words, eventually settled on, “Take care.”
Ran Yan silently nodded, watched him walk down the mountain, then turned to enter the courtyard.
Xiao Song stopped in his tracks and looked back, smiling wryly at himself.
He felt both relieved and pained that all the won who t him were both afraid and clingy, which annoyed him.
Yet this ti, he felt it would’ve been nice if Ran Yan had been like that too.
“My lord.”
Bai Yi, accompanied by several guards, was waiting at the base of the mountain.
Seeing Xiao Song coming down leisurely, he imdiately waved his guards away and, with a respectful bow, said, “The investigation is clear—the mastermind behind the release of the rumor about Ran Shiqi’s examination of the corpse is her stepmother, Lady Gao.”
Xiao Song’s eyebrows slightly lifted.
Having followed him for many years, Bai Yi understood the significance behind this slight gesture and waited with his head bowed for his lord’s command to assassinate.
In this world, murder and arson are not condoned unless you consider whom you’re killing, what fire you’re setting, and the ans you employ to kill and set fire.
For example, soone like Su Fu who kills a court official outright with force is utterly unforgivable.
However, if Xiao Song were to kill a governnt official, he would never use force; similarly, those he did kill with force would never be anyone important.
“Hah!
Lady Gao truly has so clever tricks up her sleeve; she inadvertently gave such a huge gift.
I have benefited from it and must return the favor tomorrow.
This is the way of dealing with people.” Xiao Song spoke leisurely, and as he reached the words “dealing with people,” a faint, almost imperceptible killing intent began to emanate.
Bai Yi suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.
The “favor” from their lord was not sothing just anyone could handle.
Lady Gao spread this rumor to tarnish Ran Yan’s reputation, and most families with a bit of status would not be willing to marry her.
Of course, Sang Chen was never like most people.
If it weren’t for Sang Chen’s intervention, this incident could also be seen as an indirect gift for him, buying ti to investigate the “wife-killing” matter, hence a considerable favor.
Under the bright moon, Ran Yan, Ge Lan, and Wan Lu walked from the front hall to the back courtyard of Yingi Temple.
Just after passing the hall, suddenly the faint sound of singing could be heard.
The voice was very soft, as if humd absentmindedly, but the tune was so mournful that it chilled one to the bone in the night.
Ran Yan hesitated, then lightened her footsteps and slowly approached the source of the singing.
The singing turned into quiet sobs, and following the sound, Ran Yan passed through a small side gate beside the corridor.
Wan Lu, behind her, accidentally brushed against the door with her arm, causing the door panel to shake slightly with a “creak.”
The sound wasn’t loud, but in the quiet of the night, it was particularly grating.
The sobbing stopped abruptly, and a shadow darted into the bushes.
Wan Lu, realizing she had caused trouble, wanted to redeem herself by capturing the shadow.
For a mont, she cast aside all fear and plunged into the bushes.
There was a rustling from within, followed by Wan Lu’s surprised and angry voice, “Why is it you again!
Why are you out here in the pitch dark, playing tricks instead of sleeping!”
As her words fell, Ran Yan and Ge Lan heard a clear “slap.” Ran Yan couldn’t help but curl her lips, imagining Wan Lu had slapped soone’s “source of wisdom” again.
A sobbing sound ca from the bushes, and Wan Lu dragged Huan Kong out from among them.
Hearing her cry so pitifully, Wan Lu’s tone softened, “We were passing by and heard soone singing in the dead of night, of course we had to co and see.
You can’t bla for that.”
Huan Kong’s tearful eyes glared at her as she retorted with a choke, “I love to sing at night, who asked you to co out and listen!”
“Hey, you stubborn little nun, you’d rather suffer punishnt than accept a toast, huh!” said Wan Lu as she raised her hand to slap her bald head.
Wan Lu wasn’t really using much force, but because there was no hair, the sound was particularly sharp when she slapped.
“What were you singing?” Ran Yan said as she looked at Huan Kong’s eyes, which were like walnuts, and spoke in a gentle tone.
Huan Kong thought for a mont and said, “I don’t know, it’s a song my mother often humd when I was a child.”
Ran Yan looked around them—trees were densely grouped and the ground was covered with fallen leaves.
They were clearly no longer in Yingi Temple.
Exiting through that small side gate had brought them outside the temple.
Surveying the surroundings, Ran Yan’s gaze landed on a group of bright red flower trees three yards away.
She drew closer and caught the faint scent of flowers mixed with an almost imperceptible peculiar sll.
Ran Yan couldn’t help but ask, “What flowers are these?”
Seeing that she didn’t seem too difficult to approach, Huan Kong boldly replied, “They are begonias; my mother’s favorite flower.”
“Is that so…” Ran Yan bent down to sll again; that peculiar sll was…
blood!
Ran Yan imdiately said, “Is this your mother’s grave?”
Huan Kong nodded.
“I’ve decided to help you with the examination; go find sothing to dig up the grave,” said Ran Yan as she crouched down to carefully inspect the soil around the roots of the begonias.
(To be continued.
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