Chapter 101 Sun Bimeng
It was the next day when Xiu Ran learned of this matter. It was even after the Imperial court session
when Jingguo Marquis found him and told him. Only then did he learn that Su Yun and Luo Bing had
returned safe and sound.
He felt this was an impossible thing, because those death soldiers he''d sent out were already
considered the elites of the elite. Although he''d felt it was a shame these people died, if they could kill
Su Yun and Luo Bing, then it was also worth it.
But now, the news he got was that Su Yun and Luo Bing didn''t die, and yet his death soldiers had all
mysteriously disappeared. This kind of good coincidence, Su Qingyan encountered, fine. Yet, why did
her parents also encounter such good fate?
"Marquis, are you sure, Su Yun and Luo Bing came back alive?" Xiu Ran looked to Jingguo Marquis
and spoke in a cold tone, "The death soldiers I dispatched out were all really strong."
Jingguo Marquis listened to his words and coldlyughed, "Do I need to lie to you, Ning Xiuran*?"
(*T/N: Since it''s revealed that his surname is actually Ning, the stylization for his name will be changed
to as such. Xiu is also amon surname character so I''d assumed it was his surname but turns out
it''s not the case. I suppose it had also served as a purpose to mislead.)
When Xiuran heard that name, he clenched his fist, looking to Jingguo Marquis in a cold manner,
"What? Now you remember my surname is Ning? But sorry, I''m already no longer a child of the Ning
family."
Jingguo Marquis saw Xiuran''s attitude, and after a while, he finally softened up, "Though I don''t want to
say it, Su Yun certainly did return. Furthermore, his Majesty ns on holding the once a year Dragon
Gate banquet at the end of the month. He even said, because Su Yun hasn''t returned in three years,
he was nning on fulfilling one of Su Yun''s wishes."
"Oh!" Xiuran stroked his chin, as if he was pondering something.
"Xiuran, don''t tell me you''ve decided to make a move during the Dragon Gate banquet?" Jingguo
Marquis looked to him with a frown, "When the timees, with that many guards, you''ll definitely be
in a bad situation."
"So what?" Xiuran raised his head to him, "At the bottom of it, when Qilian Qingyi send me here in the
beginning, I was just a pawn. If I die, she won''t be sad either."
"She''s already the Empress now, no longer the Qilian Qingyi from before." Jingguo Marquis knew
Xiuran had always harbored someone in his heart.
And yet that person has be Weisheng Junyan''s wife now, the current Nanchen Empress.
"If I can still do some things for her before I die, it''s also worth it." He waved his hand at Jingguo
Marquis, "Go, this matter, I naturally have a n."
Jingguo Marquis watched him for quite a while before finally turning to leave. As he turned to leave, he
voice faintly sounded, "No matter what, you are still my son!"
Xiuran listened to Jingguo Marquis''s words and weakly sat down in his seat. That''s right, he was still
Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.
the Jingguo Marquis''s son, albeit only a secret illegitimate* child. Ning Siyao was also considered his
older sister he''d never met. Yet, he was always thinking of that woman called Qilian Qingyi.
(*T/N: Previously, I''ve used the term illegitimate child as term for concubine''s children as well, though in
that context those children are still formally recognized as part of the family, as concubines are legally
still considered a wife, just lower in status from the main wife. In this case, the contextual meaning is
more close to the modern sense, in that his mother was neither a concubine nor recognized by the
family.)
At the time, Qilian Qingyi learned from somewhere that he was the Ning family''s secret child, thus had
him sent to Donghe as the political hostage. But even so, if it could make her happy, why would he not
make this little sacrifice.
But in the end, she became Weisheng Junyan''s wife, the current Nanchen Empress.
And that woman that send him here, tragically died in that coup.
"Xiaoyi*, do you really need to be so heartless like this?" Xiuran closed his eyes, that gentle smiling
face still vividly echoed in his mind.
(*T/N: Little Yi, Qilian Qingyi''s nickname.)
Qilian Qingyi, Xiuran''s former childhood sweetheart, they could have been very loving. Although Qilian
Qingyi was a daughter of a concubine, he had never looked down on her status. At the time, he only
felt that if he could have a girl like her for a lifetime, it wouldn''t be bad. But he just didn''t know from
when, that girl started to change.
She became cruel, became ruthless with her methods.
And everything was all because of that so called power. And this was the only thing he was unable to
give her.
"Xiuran, I want to be the Emperor''s woman. I want to be the Empress."
"Xiuran, I beg of you, help me alright? My days in the pce aren''t well at all."
"Xiuran, this is thest time, really thest time. Please help me."
Recalling these things, Xiuran''s lips curved into a bitter smile, "Xiaoyi, if I die, can I more or less receive
a bit of your concern."
But these words, Qilian Qingyi couldn''t hear, and perhaps Xiuran will never be able to tell them to her in
this life.
Xiuran spread open the paper before him and lifted the brush to write hisst will.
--------------------------
When Su Yun returned to the Su manor after the Imperial court session, he brought with him many
things bestowed to him by the Emperor. Seeing the things Su Yun carried in, a lot of people impatiently
looked on.
The night before, Su Yun had told Qingyan about Su Jiashi''s matter. So this Su Jiashi wasn''t Su Yun''s
biological mother, and only Su Yun know this.
This Su Jiashi was the former Su Jiashi''s dowry servant girl. And after Su Jiashi died, this servant girl
used some unknown means to crawl into the Old General''s bed. She had once gave birth to children
before, but they all died young for no apparent reason. Perhaps it was because he felt guilty towards
her, the Su Old Generalter promoted her to the main wife position. From Su madam, she became the
Su old madam.
Qingyan never thought that the Su manor would actually have a behind the scenes past like this as
well. She''d always thought the Su old madam loved her unconditionally, who would have thought that in
the end, it was also because of her own interest. Because Su Yun was the only one that knew the truth
of this matter.
"Brother sure has received his Majesty''s bestowment again." Su Ming and Su Yan watched the rewards
being carried in and enviously said.
Ning Siyao and Chai Yiyun also anxiously eyed these rewards. Not just Ning Siyao and Chai Yiyun,
even Jiang Mengrou and Ye Jiqing looked on in anticipation.
ording to Su Qingyan''s usual personality in the past, she would certainly let these sisters chose
first. That''s why, in the end, some of the best items would more often than not, fall into other''s hands.
Luo Bing also knew of Qingyan''s disposition, but if it could make her daughter feel happy like this, she
didn''t care. These were all bestowed by his Majesty anyways.
"Fourth little sister, why don''t you guess what first uncle got from his Majesty this time?!" Su Qingting
looked on fixedly at those chests.
Qingyan smiled, "What, don''t tell me third sister wants to know? But these are all father''s reward for
defending the border."
Just when Zizhu thought Qingyan would say she was going to give these things away to them, Qingyan
instead grinningly spoke, "Zizhu, carry all these things to my yard." She looked to Su Yun, smiles piling
on her little face, "Daddy, these are all rewards for daddy, right?"
Su Yun didn''t expect Qingyan would say something like this. He patted her head, "Naturally these are
all for daddy, and daddy is going to give all these things to you."
"Thank you, daddy." Qingyan turned around to Zizhu still grinning, "Zizhu, you heard, daddy''s giving it
all to me. So carry all these things to my yard."
"Understood." Zizhu directed the servants to carry everything to Yingshuang yard.
Seeing those people''s reactions, Qingyan happily smiled, "Father, those things I''m going to leave to
slowly select from."