It was not hard to guess that the boat used for the lake trip could not have been placed in Qujiang on the same day. He might have used the boat to dispose of the body in Qujiang the day before, but a body would naturally decompose to some extent and leave a smell. Changing the boat last minute could easily expose him, so he had to use a strong fragrance to mask it.

"The person in the attic, whether he is Li Dejian or not, I don't know, but I am sure he is relatively familiar with me," Ran Yan had been pondering this problem these days. She had analyzed the person's speech, tone, and mindset. "The first thing he said was, 'Lady Liang, you are truly surprising.' It's very possible that he already had a certain knowledge of me in his mind, and my behavior just happened to exceed his expectations," she continued.

"The second thing he said was, 'I heard Lady Liang likes corpses, so I specially prepared a fine one today as a welcoming gift.' There's clearly a teasing tone in his words. I think he knew I was in a rush to find you, so he deliberately said this to provoke me, showing a playful and thrill-seeking mindset," Ran Yan added.

Xiao Song nodded in agreement. Ran Yan continued, "He knew I would conduct an autopsy, and he didn't harm me. At that time, he was hidden and I was exposed. Considering how quickly he escaped, if he wanted to kill me, he probably could have. So I analyze that this person is somewhat psychologically twisted. He thinks this is a kind of amusing game."

"What you're saying makes a lot of sense," Xiao Song put his chin on her shoulder and closed his eyes, "Now, the most twisted person has to be the Crown Prince. It's one thing to hold a grudge against someone's advice, but to beat someone to that extent can hardly be described with just 'twisted.'

According to historical records Ran Yan knew from the future, Li Chengqian, indeed, went mad eventually.

As for her impression of Li Chengqian, it remained only from a brief glimpse she had, feeling that both his demeanor and appearance were not particularly outstanding.

"I want to see the Crown Prince," Ran Yan suddenly said.

Xiao Song opened his eyes, about to object, but Ran Yan interrupted him, "I am now a key witness; I cannot easily leave Chang'an. I have already been involved in this matter, and now that you are also embroiled in it, don't try to bear this alone. I want to do whatever I can, fight alongside you, and hope that this matter passes soon. I have a feeling that the Crown Prince's position will not last long, and he will definitely not become the Emperor!"

"Alas!" Xiao Song sighed and raised his voice, "Someone!"

Wan Lu came running in hurriedly, "My lord, my lady."

"Go tell the Secret Guard, no one is allowed within thirty feet," Xiao Song ordered.

"Yes," Wan Lu exited.

About half a moment later, Wan Lu came back in and said, "My lord, checks have been completed, there's no one."

"Hmm, go down," Xiao Song replied.

After Wan Lu had exited again and closed the door,

Xiao Song sat upright, also planning to clear up everything with Ran Yan. He reached out for a glass of water, and amidst the gurgling sound, Xiao Song in a deep voice said, "Actually, I have already reached a consensus with the Lady of Zhangsun. If the Crown Prince's position is stable, I will remain neutral. If the Crown Prince really can't handle it, I will ensure the Ninth Prince becomes the Crown Prince."

Xiao Song handed a glass of water to Ran Yan, "The Lady of Zhangsun insists on protecting the Crown Prince, merely hoping the clan would be protected and not decline. The Crown Prince is the eldest legitimate son born of Empress Zhangsun, and he has a close relationship with his maternal clan. He was once considered quite virtuous and filial, even if a bit immoral, but his succession would undoubtedly benefit the Zhangsun clan greatly, so by all means, they would try everything to secure the Crown Prince's position. However, now, regardless of this case's outcome, the Crown Prince's abuse of a courtier, his immorality and lack of compassion is already established. It's time for the Zhangsun clan to let go."

"Promoting the Ninth Prince now? Isn't it too early?" Ran Yan remembered that there was still some time before the Crown Prince fell. However, looking at the situation now, the Eastern Palace was already on shaky ground, unlikely to last much longer.

Xiao Song smiled slightly and said, "Now is certainly not the right time, we have to see the outcome of this case. At the moment, the case is still very confusing. You know, those assassins were under Lady Dongyang's command, and initially, Lady Dongyang had collaborated with Li Tai. Is it possible that after Lady Dongyang's death, those people continued to cooperate with Li Tai to create the illusion of avenging Lady Dongyang?"

Ran Yan nodded, that was indeed possible.

Xiao Song further speculated, "You said the person in the attic seemed to intentionally lead you to the secret passage, was it to make you overhear that conversation and thus frame the Crown Prince?"

"That's possible, but I've also analyzed the person's character before. Such people tend to act unpredictably…" Ran Yan still felt puzzled internally, but she felt unable to stand firmly by her analysis alone, finding Xiao Song's reasoning far more convincing.

Xiao Song hesitated for a moment then asked, "So, do you think it's possible that person could be Su Ziqi?"

Ran Yan suddenly raised her head, staring deeply at Xiao Song.

The two had always avoided discussing anything related to Su Fu, but Ran Yan was well aware of the kind of person Xiao Song was. He could adjust his mindset and would not let it affect his mood. However, because his feelings for her were deep, he inevitably cared about this matter deeply.

Ran Yan watched for a long while, ensuring he was not suspecting her of hiding anything but seriously asking for her opinion. Only then did she relax, "If I'm not mistaken, it should not be him."

In fact, Ran Yan was certain that the person was not Su Fu, but in front of Xiao Song, she wouldn't display her understanding of another man, as that would only hurt Xiao Song's feelings, even though he would definitely appear unbothered. However, their time as a married couple was not short; she knew him well.

A gentle smile surfaced on Xiao Song's face; he knew Ran Yan was considering his feelings. The relative importance of Su Fu in her heart was crystal clear with that statement.

Only then did he feel somewhat relieved.

"Ah Yan, do you know you have a problem," Xiao Song suddenly said with a mischievous smile, "When you talk in your sleep, you can actually respond to people."

Many things hidden at the bottom of her heart could be clearly understood just by slightly guiding her when she talked in her sleep.

Ran Yan looked at him in surprise, unaware of this herself.

In her past life, Ran Yan always lived alone, occasionally staying with her best friend Qin Yunlin, but they each had their own room. Occasionally, Qin Yunlin would notice this condition and tell her about it, but she thought it was just an occasional phenomenon.

"When did you find out?" Ran Yan's face darkened.

Xiao Song casually sipped his tea and said, "In Jushui Town, when you were unconscious. I was warming your feet then, and you started talking to me. I thought you had woken up."

There was another time when he broke into her room late at night, but that might as well not be mentioned…

After marriage, they slept together every night, so naturally, the occurrences increased.

Recalling Jushui Town, Ran Yan remembered clearly. The words she spoke then were childishly capricious, like a little girl. She thought she was dreaming, but it turned out to be real!

"Xiao Yuezhi, do you often start conversations with me while I'm asleep?" Ran Yan glared at him.

Xiao Song thought about it and said, "Well, not often. I just occasionally can't sleep, so I talk to you."

Ran Yan suddenly got up and went to bed, leaving behind a cool remark, "From now on, go sleep in the study."

Xiao Song quickly set down his teacup and followed her to bed, pleading for her forgiveness.

He would not say that the first time he had actively inquired was shortly after their marriage when she called out Su Fu's name in her dreams.

Therefore, even though he knew that Ran Yan had overly close contact with Sang Chen because she saved him, Xiao Song still minded Su Fu more than he did Sang Chen.

Ran Yan was truly helpless about this quirk; it wasn't something she could control, yet she couldn't really make Xiao Song sleep in the study every night, so she decided to let it be with an open heart.

…

It was the height of summer.

Yet, Liu Qingsong chose to get married in this weather. Only then did Ran Yan realize why the Tang Dynasty took so much effort to make gossamer-thin silk gauzes.

The layers of wedding attire, made of silk gauze, looked ethereal and graceful without losing dignity, significantly lessening the burden for women getting married in summer.

Still, even with such arrangements, those choosing to marry in summer were extremely rare, for the Tang Dynasty was very hot, and summer was like a steaming basket. The bride always worried about accidentally ruining her makeup or being sweaty.

"You are getting married tomorrow, why come here today?" Ran Yan frowned at Liu Qingsong on the water pavilion, "Could it be pre-marriage jitters?"

"No way, I don't have such a delicate illness," Liu Qingsong waved his hand. After a pause, he continued, "I have no worries about being tied down in the Great Tang."

Ran Yan paused in her action of holding a Fusang Drink, "Forget about before marriage, but if you betray Ran Yun after the wedding, I will cut you open."

"Cough. To be honest, a man as faithful and unmatched as me is indeed a rarity," Liu Qingsong bragged unabashedly.

The surrounding maids couldn't help but cover their mouths and giggle softly.

Ran Yan glanced at him, her look conveying, "See? The eyes of the masses are sharp."

"Speaking of which, why are you in such a hurry to get married?" Ran Yan asked. The wedding date was set long ago, but Ran Yan always felt that Ran Yun was not that old, wouldn't it be better to delay the wedding until September or October?

Ran Yan hadn't asked before because she thought Liu Qingsong had his plans, but now that he was about to get married and still came here to talk, she couldn't be sure it wasn't some psychological issue.

"I think," Liu Qingsong coughed, "being as dazzling as I am, almost overshadowing the main character, characters like me in stories usually end up as cannon fodder. After much inner struggle, I've gradually come to accept the fact of my own excellence."

After a somewhat melancholic sigh from Liu Qingsong, he continued on his own, "Marrying Ran Yun is mainly from the mindset of not letting others lay a finger on a good cabbage, no that's not right…"

…(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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