50: Chapter 35 Heavy Doubts 50: Chapter 35 Heavy Doubts The government official carried Wan Lu in, inspected the surroundings, and then stood guard outside, leading the constables who were the very two that had helped with the treatment earlier today.
Ran Yan instructed Xing’s wife and Liu’s wife to go and settle Wan Lu, warning them not to let anything go wrong, then she turned and entered the room.
Sang Chen stood cluelessly in the courtyard, clutching a cloth bundle in his arms, unsure of what to do.
“Come in!” Ran Yan stood at the entrance of the hall, her expression unwelcoming.
She had thought Sang Chen would follow her in, but unexpectedly, the man showed no initiative whatsoever.
Sang Chen suddenly seemed to have found his anchor, running over to her with joy radiating from him.
Ran Yan huffed coldly, her face still stern, but upon seeing his beaming smile, the clouds in her heart dissipated a bit.
Sang Chen was a strange person, at times appearing to understand the ways of the world, not seeming like someone ignorant of its darker realities.
Yet every time they met, he displayed the same innocent demeanor of one harmless to humans or animals, his eyes always pure, without a trace of impurity.
As she looked into Sang Chen’s eyes, her mind suddenly conjured up another pair of eyes—dark, cold, and seeming never to have been touched by sunlight.
“My lady, wife,” Sang Chen’s face turned red under Ran Yan’s unblinking stare, as if his ears could even drip blood, “this is a token of, of my appreciation.”
Sang Chen nervously swallowed and hurried to set the bundle down on the low table in front of Ran Yan.
The dark blue wrapping had two sweaty marks from where he had clutched it, and the corners of Ran Yan’s lips twitched upward slightly.
She reached out to open the bundle.
However, upon seeing what was inside, her just-softened expression turned dark once again.
“Do not send this kind of thing again!”
Ran Yan stared coldly at the orchid-scented inkstone in front of her, feeling an impulse to smash it on Sang Chen’s head, which she suspected was filled with who knows what.
Three visits and three gifts of orchid-scented inkstones; Ran Yan had smashed the previous two, and if she was to live in the Great Tang, she must do so with dedication, not leaving herself even the faintest of vain hopes.
Yet Sang Chen, as if to spite her, kept bringing the same gift, leaving Ran Yan no choice but to be angry.
Sang Chen’s face paled, “Others like it a lot, I thought the wife would too…”
Ran Yan gave him a cool glance, her attention then drawn to the porcelain syringe in the bundle.
The syringe was white with a fine crackle glaze, smooth like a mirror, and so thin-walled that it was barely less convenient than a glass syringe.
The plunger was of the same material, marked with a clear scale, so that even though the syringe was opaque, one could judge the amount of medicine by the scale.
The sleek and lovely syringe lay quietly on the dark blue coarse cloth, looking all the more like an exquisite piece of art.
Ran Yan casually picked up a pair and inserted the plunger into the syringe—it fit perfectly!
She then placed the rest of them one by one, and they all fit without the slightest error.
Her expression softened, and looking at Sang Chen, she became somewhat milder, “Very good, thank you.”
“Not at all, wife has also helped me.
Yesterday, I submitted the complaint to Han County Chief, who said that it was well-reasoned and would surely lead the Inspector to thoroughly investigate the case,” Sang Chen said, relieved to see an improvement in Ran Yan’s mood.
After he said this, the room fell silent again.
Sang Chen sneaked a peek at Ran Yan only to meet her dark and heavy gaze, his heart beating uncontrollably, flushing his face once more.
“Has there been any progress on Han Langjun’s case?” Ran Yan knew that Han County Chief had been looking for evidence in private, and since both this case and Qin Silang were related, there might be a connection.
Sang Chen didn’t dare to look at her, hung his head, and said, “Based on the wife’s autopsy results, Han County Chief believes that the murderer is most likely from Cai Xiu Hall or the Han Family.
Cai Xiu Hall is closed for rest, and since this isn’t Jinling County, he can’t find any information.
He now suspects a personal maid of Han Langjun, but hasn’t found any evidence yet.”
“Why does he suspect that maid?” Ran Yan asked.
Sang Chen replied, “The maid was bought by Han Langjun from the countryside and was forced to change from a free woman to a servant.
It is said that she had a childhood sweetheart back in the countryside…
Han County Chief suspects that she harbored resentment and thus poisoned him.”
It seemed the Han Family was no good either, bullying men and women, with Han Shan spoiling a marriage for his own desire.
Though Ran Yan was interested in solving the case, she knew this was Great Tang, where some matters were not for her to concern herself with, and it was best not to interfere.
But was it really as Han County Chief suspected?
Ran Yan thought otherwise.