Miss Truth

At dawn, the Xiao residence in Qi State.

Last night, a light snow had fallen in Qi State, the snow on the rooftops twinkled under the sunlight, and a flock of sparrows searched for food on the thin layer of snow in the courtyard.

Inside the house, a gentle fragrance of sandalwood burned in the stove, and pale green curtains were draped. Around ten maids stood with their hands down.

Two maids attended to an elderly woman as she rinsed her mouth; at the several before her, a man in his sixties with bright black eyes exuded vigor and authority, despite his graying hair and eyebrows that merged into his temples. His prominent nose gave off an air of dignity, suggesting that in his youth he must have been a handsome gentleman. This was none other than Duke Xiao Yu of Song.

Opposite him sat a woman of a similar age, the Duchess, from the Du family. Madam Du had taken great care of her appearance. If not for the fine details that showed her age, at first glance, she seemed no older than fifty. She wore a golden brown dress, her hair was done up elegantly with gold flowers and a jade hairpin, and her makeup and demeanor were meticulously dignified, radiating an inherent sense of nobility with her every move.

The three had just finished their morning meal and were rinsing their mouths and washing their hands, yet the room remained very quiet, filled only with the rustling of garments.

Once everything was in order, the elderly lady leaned back against the round-backed armchair.

Madam Du slightly lowered her eyes, pondering for a moment before looking up and saying, "Mother, about the Wife you mentioned a few days ago, I have had someone look into it. The Ran family, tracing back to their ancestors, wasn’t considered humble, but unfortunately, they have been declining over the past five generations, with no notable figures in the last two hundred years. That wife’s mother is a concubine-born daughter from the Zheng family; is she really a suitable match to be Yue’er’s main wife?"

What Madam Du really wanted to say was that Ran Shiqi’s status was simply not comparable to that of her son and was not worthy of the Xiao family.

This was not her being overly selective; after all, her sister was the Empress Dowager, the elderly lady was the mother of the former Empress Xiao, her eldest daughter-in-law was Princess Li Shimin, and her second daughter-in-law was the legitimate daughter of Duchess Pingyang. Each of the women in her family were highly distinguished, so someone of Ran Yan’s origins was not worthy in her eyes.

The old lady glanced at Madam Du without much emotion and said calmly, "Jiulang’s fate of outliving his wives, can it be considered normal? What if none of the noble ladies from prestigious families matches his birth chart? Are you going to let him remain a bachelor all his life? Fortunately, we finally found one who is compatible with him, and after all, she still comes from a reputable lineage, how is that not suitable?"