Chapter 397: Chapter 253: Political Affairs (2)
Ran Yan had never expected Xiao Song to so easily reveal such important matters to her and couldn’t help asking, “Do you really trust not to leak this information?”
Even though court officials could guess the Xiao family’s stance based on this relationship and so moves by Duke Song, it was just speculation. After all, before a woman from the Xiao family beca the wife of Prince Wu, Li Ke had a wife who bore his first legitimate son.
The attitude of the Xiao family largely depended on Li Ke’s stance. If he was willing to promise support from the Xiao family in exchange for appointing his second son as Crown Prince, they would likely give their full support. However, the attitudes of both parties were not clear. In terms of power, even blood brothers would kill each other, let alone relatives. Therefore, no one could be sure of what the Xiao family would decide.
Yet Xiao Song gave Ran Yan a definitive answer.
Xiao Song paused while sipping his tea and slightly raised his eyebrow, “Since I’ve resolved to marry you, I naturally won’t hide these matters from you.”
There’s a saying: “Don’t doubt the people you employ; don’t employ the people you doubt.” And what more for the person who you plan to spend a lifeti with, right?
He took another sip of tea and continued, “Over the years, the Crown Prince’s conduct has increasingly disappointed the Emperor, and His Majesty shows special favoritism toward Prince Wei, Li Tai. Everyone at court is speculating whether the Emperor intends to depose the elder in favor of the younger. However, as for Prince Wei, I have no intention of forming a close relationship with him, let alone support him as the Crown Prince.”
“Why?” Ran Yan was surprised, as Prince Wei Li Tai was currently riding high.
Li Tai was hugely talented, extrely intelligent, and the most favored among all the princes. By custom, princes should depart for their fiefs upon reaching maturity and not stay long in the Capital, but Li Tai, favored by the late Emperor, was specially permitted to “avoid official duties.” Not only did he remain in the Capital, but he was also allowed to set up a literary academy in his residence to attract scholars. If the Crown Prince was deposed, aside from Li Ke, he also had a high chance of obtaining the position of Crown Prince. Why then, under such circumstances, was Xiao Song reluctant to form close ties with him?
“Prince Wei is arrogant and ambitious, yet he lacks patience. Also, he suffers from the common flaw of the highly talented: lofty pride. Though he appears generous and polite on the surface, in reality, his ambition and breadth of vision don’t match Prince Wu’s.” Even though Xiao Song already considered Prince Wu an enemy, he did not skimp on praising words. Having said that, he felt that while Ran Yan was different from the average lady, she might still find it hard to let go.
Thinking of these things, Xiao Song’s fists clenched unconsciously, but his face betrayed no sign. Fearing that Ran Yan might think he favored Li Ke, he tactfully explained, shifting the topic, “To defeat an opponent, especially a strong one, you must not only be adept at attacking their weaknesses but also avoid being attacked at their strengths. You must fully understand both yourself and your opponent; otherwise, it’s better not to engage at all.”
As Ran Yan listened to Xiao Song’s explanation, her mind wandered to a saying she had read sowhere: A woman’s first man is her life tutor… Regardless of how appropriate this saying might be in certain situations or its accuracy, Ran Yan suddenly felt this sentint…
Ran Yan blushed at the thought, embarrassed that such a notion had popped into her head while discussing serious matters!
After Xiao Song finished explaining and observing her expressions, seeing her flush and seeming frustrated, he worried that bringing up this issue had hurt her. He quickly stood up, walked over to her side, knelt down, and took her hand in his, “Ah Yan, forget the things that hurt you.”
Ran Yan paused for a mont, pieced the conversation together, and realized what Xiao Song ant. However, she couldn’t exactly explain what was on her mind and simply said, “Li Ke didn’t really do anything to . Perhaps he thought I was in a relationship with Su Fu, so he arranged those things to provoke him.”
“Really?” Xiao Song’s voice was filled with excitent. He had thought Ran Yan was defiled by Li Ke. Any man would surely care if his beloved fell into soone else’s arms. He struggled internally, but whether due to emotion or duty, he felt he couldn’t just give up on her so easily. Now, hearing the truth, he felt a rush of joy, as if he had regained what he had lost.
Ran Yan looked at his agitated expression and thought of the phrase, “I want to marry her no matter what,” and only then did she realize Xiao Song had originally thought she had lost her chastity! Under such circumstances, he still said such words… Ran Yan didn’t know how to express her feelings, so she reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“Ah Yan,” Xiao Song froze, at first surprised, and then it was uncontrollable joy. This was the second ti Ran Yan took the initiative to touch him, the first ti gripping his hand with obvious exploration and without any emotional implication, but this ti, he could clearly feel it was different from before.
Xiao Song reached out his arms to encircle her, and they quietly embraced each other.
…
In Lanling, at the Xiao Family’s ancestral ho.
The rain fell softly, and the dim light outside filtered through the lattice window, spreading over the wooden floor. Kneeling in front of a half-open door was a lady in lavish attire, her crow-black satin dress embroidered with pale pink peonies, creating a stark contrast. The long trailing hem of her dress spread out behind her, beside her leg was a bunch of white plum blossoms dotted with water droplets.
With her delicate and fair hand, she held a white porcelain cup brimming with steaming heat. Behind her, a middle-aged woman dressed in a brown robe was reporting back, “Qi State has sent a letter saying that the proposal was the idea of the old lady, with The Duke and Lady tacitly consenting. There’s news from Suzhou too, that the Cui family has also gone to make an engagent.”
After delivering the report, the lavishly dressed woman did not respond imdiately. After a long silence, she finally spoke, “Is it true?”
Her voice was unhurried and held dignity.
“Yes,” the servant woman replied.
She put down the tea cup and aimlessly picked up a plum blossom, plucking off so wilted petals nearby, “I heard that Ran Shiqi understands dical skills?”
“In Suzhou City, it’s widely rumored that she engages in forensic work, and there are rumors that she can bring the dead back to life. However, the people I sent couldn’t find the young boy in the rumors, although so villagers confird the rumblings.” The servant paused before continuing, “There’s also talk that she treated an illness for a brothel, I sent soone to investigate, but that brothel denied the claim.”
The woman in the lavish dress slowly picked off unsatisfactory petals, arranged the proper ones to the side, and then continued to find another one to prune, “This ti, they managed to keep it very tight. It seems that Xiao Jiu has beco wary; it’ll be difficult to take action now.”
The servant bowed her head in silence. Ran Shiqi’s status was not high, and even if she did give birth to a son, it would not impact them much. But the Lady had even hard the maids of the concubines, let alone soone set to beco the principal wife.
“Back then, I only got rid of one maid, but how did the other one disappear…” the woman seed to be talking to herself. The maid she got rid of ca from a clean background, very well born, and was of delicate beauty, restored to the status of a decent family. The other one of lower status, even if she climbed her way up, would be nothing more than a lowly concubine, and the son she bore could not be presentable. She hadn’t planned to be utterly ruthless, yet that maid also mysteriously disappeared… Was it a coincidence, or did soone do it on purpose?
This nagged at her, fearing that a third party knew of her actions. (
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