Miss Truth-Chapter 688: Extra Story Two: Sang Chen - (2)

Based on Liu Qingsong’s understanding of Xiao Song, this statement was definitely not in jest.

"Lady, let’s return to the mansion," Xiao Song said.

Ran Yan saw that Xiao Song’s facial expression wasn’t good and, after a brief thought, realized that he must have secretly listened to her conversation with Su Fu. She thought to herself that Su Fu must have known already; otherwise, he wouldn’t have left in such a hurry.

Even though her relationship with Su Fu was open and transparent, she could not be self-righteously indignant, especially since Xiao Song’s temperament allowed him to endure so much, which was already rare.

"Husband," Ran Yan caught up to Xiao Song and held his hand, "Jealous?"

Feeling the softness in his palm, Xiao Song could not help but grip back, "Ah Yan, if there is a next life, you mustn’t leave me alone."

"This life is not yet over, yet you are already thinking of the next life," Ran Yan said.

"I fear that you have promised your next life to someone else," Xiao Song looked at her.

Leaves fell all around them.

Liu Qingsong watched the two of them, his face contorted with sorrow.

A moment later, inside Ci’en Temple.

Liu Qingsong cried his heart out, "Alas, my poor Song, doomed to suffer even before his birth, Jiulang, this heartless fellow, always uses ruthless means, so cruel even to an infant. I curse him, hoping Ran Yan will elope with Su Fu within a few days!"

Sitting opposite him, Sang Chen looked at him with tangled expression while stroking his sleeves. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Liu Qingsong sobbed for a while, receiving neither comfort nor shared indignation, felt utterly disinterested, and, touching his face, said, "Won’t you say something?"

"I... feel that my thoughts are sordid, and I am confessing my sins to Buddha," Sang Chen said.

"Tell me, let me be the judge; perhaps they are not sordid at all?" Liu Qingsong, always keen on hearing sordid matters, said.

Sang Chen pursed his lips, hesitated for a moment, then said, "Just now, I was thinking, if your curse could be altered so Ran Lady would elope with me..."

Liu Qingsong sniffed his sour nose, "That thought isn’t fresh at all. Can’t you be normal for once and focus on my son? I am pouring out my woes to you!

Focus on his son? Sang Chen thought for a while, then said, "Why call him Song? Squirrels eat pine nuts, isn’t that more impressive?"

Liu Qingsong was stunned for a moment, then leaned in closer, "That’s a brilliant idea! However, ’Song’ is not his name, but a shorthand for ’son of Liu Qingsong.’ Other than squirrels, what other fun names can you think of?"

"I... It was just a spur of the moment thought," Sang Chen awkwardly said.

Just as Liu Qingsong was about to continue questioning, a chubby monk chanted a Buddhist hymn from outside, "Elder Brother, the Du Family’s Lady is here."

Sang Chen panicked and immediately stood up, "Qingsong, you, you just say I... say I..."

"Say you are not here?" Liu Qingsong asked.

"Yes, yes, yes." Sang Chen nodded repeatedly, then turned and ran off in the other direction, Buddhist scriptures scattering all over the floor.

Liu Qingsong reached out to pick up the Buddhist scriptures and placed them on the table. When he looked up, he saw a woman in a light amber cross-collared ruqun standing at the door.

She was wearing a veil, and while Liu Qingsong could not see her full face, with his years of experience, he could tell she was definitely a beauty.

The woman saw him and quickly moved aside, whispering, "Is Mr. Sang present?"

Liu Qingsong replied, "He just left."

"I knew Mr. Sang would avoid, so I wrote a letter. Could you please deliver it to him on my behalf?" Lady Du said.

Liu Qingsong, who loved such tasks, immediately agreed, "Serving Lady Du is a great honor for me."

Lady Du pushed a letter through the crack of the door.

"Does Lady Du have any further instructions?" Liu Qingsong was curious. Four years ago, Lady Du was already sixteen, and now at twenty, she was a remaining woman with diminishing prospects for a good marriage. Her heart was really determined for Sang Chen.

Lady Du’s voice was subdued, "No, thank you for your troubles."

Liu Qingsong, seeing that slender figure rising, then asked, "Would Lady Du like to know why Sui Yuan is unwilling to marry you?"

Lady Du’s footsteps paused, then she knelt down where she was, "Please do not hesitate to enlighten me, sir."

"Actually, I knew six months ago that he harbored special feelings for you, but he is a stubborn man. He once adored a woman who later married someone else. He decided to live his life like a monk, committed to that woman, so even though his heart moved for you, he would not admit it." Liu Qingsong felt he had completely figured out Sang Chen’s disposition.

Lady Du was silent for a moment, then asked, "Sir, do you have a solution?"

"Yes." Liu Qingsong said with a smile, but did not reveal the solution directly.

"What do you want me to do, sir?" Lady Du asked.

Liu Qingsong was internally impressed, for the young lady was indeed cooperative. He did not beat around the bush and directly said, "Tell me, your real identity."

"Real... identity..." Lady Du murmured, "Am I not the daughter of the Du family..."

"Lady Du might want to think about that." Liu Qingsong said.

"No, there’s no need to think." Lady Du immediately replied.

She sighed and revealed everything.

"I remember myself as the daughter of the Du family, my father was the Imperial Censor named Du Hui, my husband’s family was the Sang family, and my husband was a general at the frontier. I never met him after our marriage. Three years later, I heard he died in battle, and not even his remains returned, only a tattered suit of armor was interred... I couldn’t accept it, so I took servants to the battlefield to collect his bones, and accidentally fell from a mountain, then everything changed. My father became Prime Minister Du, I didn’t recognize anyone around me, but they all told me it was just a dream. You don’t believe it either, do you?"

"I didn’t believe it for a long time." Liu Qingsong felt he finally found a kindred spirit. Others took time travel for granted, literally as a daily occurrence, but only he was like Zhuang Zhou dreaming of butterflies, struggling to distinguish reality for many years.

Besides the Song Dynasty, Liu Qingsong had not yet thought of any other dynasty that still had the position of Imperial Censor. He couldn’t help but ask, "That... aren’t you supposed to remain loyal to your late husband?"

Lady Du replied, "My husband has passed away, why can’t I remarry? Moreover, the ’me’ now is not the ’me’ I was before, the ways of the world are all predestined. Perhaps heaven took pity on me, allowing me to meet my husband in a past life."

Liu Qingsong, recalling that the Song Dynasty referred to husbands as ’husband,’ scratched his head in confusion and said, "Never mind, it gives me a headache, let me tell you..."

Liu Qingsong said so and so, leaving Lady Du to ponder by herself while he walked away to return home.

He had previously thought that women of the Song Dynasty were confined at home, resorting to foot-binding, and would sacrifice their lives for the sake of chastity. However, after talking with Lady Du, he realized his ideas were indeed too superficial.

However, gender segregation was indeed severe during the Song Dynasty. In Liu Qingsong’s view, Lady Du’s character clearly could not be restrained by ritual; her spirit was unrestrained... (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to visit Qidian to cast recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)