Miss Truth-Chapter 456 - 297: Yan Qingqing as If Meeting

Yan Qingqing, as if meeting face to face, after reading your letter, I now fully understand your thoughts. It has only been a month since we parted, yet my longing has grown. The flute I send you today offers no novelty, only a simple joy for you, for I am now by your side, and there is no hidden blade in the flute. The letter is short, but its sentiment runs deep. — Yuezhi

The meaning of the letter is: Yan, seeing this letter is like seeing you. Having read it, I now know what you mean. Having only parted for a month, I find my longing already increased. The flute I give you today has no new significance; it’s simply because you like it. I am now by your side, so there’s no need to hide a blade inside the flute for self-defense. Though the letter is short, the lengthy sentiment within cannot be fully expressed in words.

I am now with you, there’s no hidden blade in the flute...

This refers not only to that matter, but also to Xiao Song’s expression of love and promise—that as long as I’m here, you will be alright.

Ran Yan picked up the flute again, feeling differently than before. What was slightly disappointing just moments ago, suddenly felt precious. She placed the flute to her lips, tested the sound, and began playing "Guanshan Moon."

Just having left the Zheng residence, Xiao Song suddenly stopped, standing outside the gatehouse listening to the slightly unclear tune, a smile spreading gradually across his lips. As the tune ended, he even chuckled aloud.

The gatekeeper wiped his sweat, seeing that he appeared less intimidating at the moment, timidly asked, "Assistant Minister Xiao, are you alright?"

If you’re alright, then please proceed. With you standing so imposingly at the front gate, should we close the doors or not!

Xiao Song flashed him a bright smile, with light steps he descended the stairs, took the horse reins from the Servant, neatly mounted the horse, and briskly trotted away with a flick of the whip.

The gatekeeper watched gaping—was this still the Gui Jianchou of Chang’an?

The gatekeeper had not noticed the sound of the flute and saw Xiao Song suddenly laugh, shivering he looked around, muttering, "Could there be something unclean..."

Inside, as Ran Yan finished her piece, she caressed the flute, a smile unwittingly appearing on her face.

"Lady Yan." A female voice called from outside.

Wan Lu immediately opened the curtain and went out, "Maid Ping You, may I know what you seek with my Lady?"

Ping You was a maid from Old Lady Li’s side, as Ran Yan put away the flute, she heard Ping You say, "Old Lady Li has sent me to invite Lady Yan over for a chat."

Although Old Lady Zheng was the matriarch of the Zheng Family, women of the Tang Dynasty did not take their husband’s surname; she was actually born with the surname Li. If one were to address her properly, she should be called "Old Lady Li."

Last time Old Lady Li invited Ran Yan over for a chat, not much was discussed. Old Lady Li simply inquired politely about Ran Yan’s mother and conveyed a few polite words.

The Zheng family agreed to let Ran Yan move in mainly for benefits, which didn’t have much direct relation to Ran Yan herself; thus, a month after moving, this was the first time Old Lady Li had actively sought her out for a chat.

"Maid Ping You, please come in and wait a moment, I’ll just help my lady get ready." Wan Lu was joyful inside, but still maintained a steady voice.

"Thank you," Ping You replied courteously, following Wan Lu into the adjacent tea room.

After attending to Ping You, Wan Lu hurried back to help Ran Yan tidy her hair and clothes and freshen up. Once clean and refreshed, they both went to Pingyang Hall where Old Lady Li resided.

Pingyang Hall was named by Princess Pingyang many years before, even before the title "Princess Pingyang" was conferred. The name symbolizes joining hands in "achieving peace."

Over the past few decades, Lady Li had changed her residence many times, yet she had never abandoned this name. It was a reminder of her former glory, distinguishing her from ordinary women.

In the courtyard of Pingyang Hall stood a wisteria tree with robust branches, entangled in complexity and covering most of the courtyard. It was only the beginning of January, not yet the blossoming season, so one could only see the tree’s bare, dark-brown trunk and branches, yet it possessed a sense of ancient grandeur. freewёbnoνel-com

On the main hall’s plaque, the characters for "Pingyang" were bold and vigorous, excellently crafted, indeed the work of Yu Shixian.

"Lady Li is inside the hall, my lady just needs to enter," Ping You said at the entrance as she drew the curtains and turned to Wan Lu, "Shall we go make tea together, sister?"

It was not Wan Lu’s turn to serve in Lady Li’s courtyard, but it was merely a way to send her away, which Wan Lu understood, thus she glanced at Ran Yan.

Ran Yan nodded and said, "Your tea skills are quite poor. Learn well from Miss Ping You."

"Yes," Wan Lu’s face fell as she thought, You really aren’t afraid to point out my flaws.

Ping You covered her mouth and chuckled softly, "Come with me, sister."

Ran Yan entered the room, and immediately, a maid went to the inner room to announce her. Ran Yan did not wait long before the maid led her in.

Inside the room, besides the old lady, there were five middle-aged women in elegant attire, surrounded by a circle of maids. Among them, the woman sitting closest to Lady Li was Zheng Rentai’s wife, Lady Du. Ran Yan did not recognize the others.

"Please have a seat, Yan," said Lady Li, leaning against the back of the couch and gesturing to the empty space beside her.

To differentiate her from the seventeenth daughter of the main house, she was generally referred to as Yan by everyone in the house.

Ran Yan thanked her and sat down. Lady Du then proceeded to introduce the other four ladies. Ran Yan got up again to greet each of them, feeling quite annoyed as she wondered why they had not introduced them as soon as she walked in instead of waiting for her to sit down!

The ladies were wives of Zheng Family members who were relatively close to Zheng Rentai.

As they greeted each other, the ladies also took the opportunity to scrutinize Ran Yan. One particularly plump woman, Lady Lu, giggled, "Among the sisters of the main house, only the Princess and Lady Zhou had the finest looks, and it seems Lady Zhou’s daughter is also exceptionally outstanding."

Her words, whether intentional or not, alluded to the Crown Prince Li Jiancheng, the biological mother of Princess Wenxi, a connection best left unmentioned whenever possible due to its awkwardness.

Ran Yan thought that ordinary people would not dare to play tricks in front of Lady Li and concluded that Lady Lu must lack tact, mentioning what should not be brought up.

The room fell silent for a moment, and Lady Du quickly changed the subject, "Speaking of which, I’ve not done my duty very well as a sister-in-law. Lady Zhou married far away and couldn’t look after her, leaving Yan in a difficult situation for many years."

Lady Li kept her eyes half-closed, fidgeting with the small leaf rosewood Buddhist beads in her hand, appearing asleep and showing no intention of interjecting.

Ran Yan was not one for many words. After the ladies chatted eagerly about various topics, they got to the main point, "I heard, Yan, that you are short on maids. When the time comes, I’ll pick a few from my house for you to use."

Before moving into Zheng’s residence, Lady Ning had cautioned her not to casually accept people from the house as it wasn’t just about getting maids but sending companion maids. Ran Yan kept this in mind and feigned ignorance, "Thank you for your kindness, Lady, but I still have some maids at my uncle’s house. If the need arises, I’ll ask my uncle to send them over." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to go to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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