Chapter 103 Grandparents and Grandchildren
"Why are there vines on this ancient satin?"

After these words were spoken, the people around looked at each other in surprise.

Ye Jiaer asked: "Master Tang, what is a tuoluo?"

"The taro is a plant from the Western Regions," Jiang Li answered before Tang Fan could speak. "It blooms around swamps and has a sweet smell, but the petals of the taro are poisonous. Someone once ground the petals of the taro into powder and made poison, mixing it into food and clothing without anyone noticing. Over time, people will be poisoned."

Tang Fan looked at Jiang Li in surprise, and after a while he asked, "How does the Second Miss know so clearly?"

"I read Strange Stories of the Western Regions in my father's study and happened to see this kind of record." Jiang Li said with a smile.

As the prime minister of the dynasty, Jiang Yuanbai has a large collection of books in his mansion, so it is reasonable that there is such a rare copy. Tang Fan said: "So that's the case. The second young lady is really well-informed and has a good memory."

Ye Rufeng and Ye Jiaer looked at each other. Jiang Li was younger than them, but seemed to know more than them.

"Lord Tang means that the ancient fragrant satin here has ridges on it?" Ye Mingyu asked.

"Yes," Tang Fan said, "It is definitely Tuoluo."

"The petals of the tuluwa flower are fragrant, and the ancient fragrant satin has its own fragrance. If we grind the tuluwa flower petals into powder and mix them in the ancient fragrant satin, it will not be easy to be discovered. So, the reason why the ancient fragrant satin can cause rashes or even death on people is all because of the tuluwa flower." Jiang Li said.

"Miss Second is right," Tang Fan looked at Ye Jiaer, "How come there is a tulle in the Ye family's ancient fragrant satin?"

Ye Jiaer shook her head: "Sir, this is absolutely impossible. How could the Ye family destroy its reputation for no reason? The ancient fragrant satin has been fine for so many years, and suddenly something went wrong. There must be a reason. But it is definitely not something our Ye family did."

Tang Fan stared at her: "Maybe the Ye family accidentally mixed the radish flowers into it when they were weaving?"

"This..." Ye Jiaer hesitated for a moment, then shook her head firmly, "Sir, the Ye family's weaving mill was personally inspected by my father and second uncle, so there is no way there could be any problems. If it was a problem within the Ye family, it would have been discovered long before it left the weaving mill. There is no way that problematic fabric could be allowed to flow out."

Tang Fan was about to say something when he heard Jiang Li say, "Master Tang."

No matter how bold Tang Fan was, he would not refuse to give face to the Prime Minister's daughter, so he pretended to listen carefully.

Jiang Li said, "As far as I know, the Tuoluo flower grows in the swamps south of the Western Regions, which is too far from Xiangyang. Xiangyang is not as crowded as Yanjing. The weavers at the Ye family's weaving farm never leave Xiangyang for years, so they should not be able to get Tuoluo. The same goes for other people in Xiangyang. We might as well check whether there are any merchants coming in and out of Xiangyang every year from the Western Regions. If there are, the Tuoluo is most likely to have come from them. Whether it is intentional to target the Ye family or to sneak into the weaving farm unintentionally, this kind of dangerous foreign flower is not something you can usually see."

Upon hearing this, Ye Mingyu also said, "Yes, this thing called a radish flower must be a rare thing. I have traveled all over the country for many years, and this is the first time I have heard of such a thing. Ah Li, this thing is not cheap, right?"

"The lower quality Tuoluo flowers are worth a hundred taels of silver, while the better ones are worth a thousand taels of silver. The more colorful the Tuoluo flowers are, the stronger the fragrance is, the more toxic they are, and the more valuable they are. For example, the ancient fragrant satin with problems, which can kill people, must be worth more than a thousand taels of silver." Jiang Li looked at Tang Fan, "Sir Tang, please forgive me for being so nosy, but a piece of top-quality ancient fragrant satin is only five hundred taels of silver. It would be difficult for ordinary people to 'accidentally' mix Tuoluo flowers worth a thousand taels into ancient fragrant satin worth a hundred taels. I think it's not too much to suspect that someone deliberately framed the Ye family and created this conspiracy."

She was smiling and talking, but her words were very important. As Tang Fan listened, his brows furrowed, and his heart became heavier. What Jiang Li said was indeed possible, but if it was really a conspiracy, it would be a big deal. Merchants are chasing each other for profits, and it is not impossible for them to trip each other up in private. But the Ye family is the prime minister of Beiyan, and the Ye family's shops are all over Beiyan. Anyone who dares to attack the Ye family must be very brave, and some important people are likely to be involved. But on the other hand, the Jiang family is backing the Ye family. It is impossible not to investigate this matter thoroughly, especially the second Miss Jiang. Looking at a pleasant person, she has a clear mind. It is impossible to fool her. She has clearly seen the matter clearly a long time ago, and is just waiting for someone to act as a gun to solve the matter.

Knowing that he had gotten himself into a big trouble, Tang Fan was a little upset. After thinking about it, he felt that it was impossible for him to protect himself this time. He would have to admit his guilt anyway, so he might as well give Second Miss Jiang some face. After all, the Jiang family's position in the court had been stable for so many years, and the Prime Minister Jiang Yuanbai was a good man. He helped the Ye family this time, and Jiang Yuanbai would always say a few good words for him in the future.

Thinking of this, Tang Fan immediately said, "Second Miss is right. This is indeed a very serious matter. Although the investigation of the case is not under the jurisdiction of the Weaving Room Commander, the Weaving Room Commander sent us to Xiangyang to investigate this matter thoroughly. The Ye family is the number one weaving family in Northern Yan. We will discuss with Prefect Tong and start a thorough investigation of people from Xiangyang who travel to the Western Regions from tomorrow."

"Will Magistrate Tong agree?" Jiang Li frowned slightly, looking a little embarrassed.

"Please rest assured, Miss Jiang," Tang Fan said, "this matter concerns the people of Xiangyang. It would be dangerous if the Tuoluohua leaked out. Prefect Tong will definitely agree." Tong Zhiyang was only the prefect of Xiangyang after all, but he was from Yanjing City after all. Tong Zhiyang was used to dominating the local area. He didn't know how powerful Miss Jiang was, but he knew very well that when the Jiang family was at its peak, most of the court were disciples of Jiang Yuanbo. Now the Jiang family is more cautious, but it does not mean that they have declined and must not be offended.

"In that case, I'll trouble you, Lord Tang." Jiang Li said with a smile, "I'll write a letter to my father and tell him that everything went well."

Tang Fan was cheered up when he heard that. His previous hesitation of being afraid of getting involved in trouble was immediately swept away. Jiang Li's words were almost a guarantee to speak well of Jiang Yuanbo. Perhaps in the near future, his path to promotion would be smoother.

Worth it.

Jiang Li saw the flash of joy in Tang Fan's eyes and smiled in her heart. The officials in Yanjing City are used to relying on nepotism to climb up, and even a small dispatch officer under the Manufacturing Order is no exception. It is indeed much more convenient to have power, and she is also fortunate that she can use power with ease.

Tang Fan and his group left with the problematic ancient scented satin. As evidence, part of the ancient scented satin will be taken back to Yanjing. The next step is to find out where the Tuo Luo in Xiangyang City came from. Jiang Li is not too worried about not being able to find out who it is. The Ye family really does not need to destroy itself. It is only a matter of time before they clear their grievances. In addition, Tang Fan is now leaning towards Jiang Li, and Tong Zhiyang's mistress is in his hands, so there is no need to worry too much. But the reputation of the Ye family has now been destroyed. In this way, even if the grievances are cleared, the Ye family will never be able to restore its former glory.

Once bitten by a snake, one will be afraid of ropes for ten years. I am afraid that people will be afraid of ancient fragrant satin in the future.

After returning to the Ye residence with the Ye family, Guan and Zhuo were all shocked after hearing the whole story. No one expected that Tuoluohua would suddenly appear.

"Who would harm our family?" Zhuo was puzzled. "The Ye family has always been kind to others. They even sent people to distribute porridge during natural disasters and man-made disasters. They have never been hostile to anyone. Who would use such a vicious method to ruin the reputation of the Ye family?"

"Maybe it's another fabric merchant." Guan said, "The ancient fragrant satin business is dominated by one company, so it's inevitable that others will be jealous."

"If you really want to be jealous, you don't have to choose this time." Jiang Li said, "The Ye family's business was even more prosperous two years ago. In recent years, other businesses have been put aside to concentrate on weaving. If you want to deal with the Ye family, you should have started two years ago. You chose to do it when cousin Ye just entered the officialdom..."

Everyone was shocked when this was said. Ye Mingyu looked at Jiang Li and said, "A Li, do you mean that someone wants to harm Shijie?"

Ye Shijie is the only man in the Ye family who has entered the officialdom. The future of the Ye family depends on Ye Shijie, so everyone becomes serious.

"I'm not trying to harm Cousin Ye," Jiang Li explained patiently. "Cousin Ye has just entered the government and is valued by His Majesty. His position is very important. Maybe someone wants to win him over, maybe someone wants to suppress him. If Cousin Ye is alone, it would be difficult to influence his thoughts. But it's different for the Ye family. If someone wants to use Cousin Ye, starting with the Ye family is the safest and most advantageous way."

After thinking about it, she decided to tell the Ye family about these things. It was not good for the Ye family to have the enemy in the open and we in the dark, so it was better to tell them openly so that the Ye family would be on guard and avoid being misled in the future.

Ye Mingyu slammed the table and stood up: "What? Was this done on purpose? Just to let our family contain Shijie?"

"Uncle Mingyu, this is just my guess," Jiang Li shook her head. "I'm not sure about the details. After all, we are in Xiangyang now, but there is no need to rush. Since the person behind the scenes wants to frame the Ye family, the Ye family has set a trap now. If the other party fails, they will naturally reveal their true colors. By then, we can always find some clues by following the clues."

"Cousin, does your cousin know about this?" Ye Jiaer asked.

"I know." Jiang Li said, "In addition to asking him to write to the weaving room leader, I also told him my guess. But cousin Shijie is in Xiangyang now. Even if someone wants to do something, they dare not do it openly for the sake of my father. Cousin Shijie is very smart and will weigh everything carefully."

"Thank you." Ye Rufeng thanked him stiffly, and then said, "But if you let someone use the name of Prime Minister Jiang, will it really be okay if Prime Minister Jiang knows about it?" He refused to call Jiang Yuanbai uncle, and used Prime Minister Jiang's name in a strange way. His heart was also very complicated. He hated Jiang Yuanbai very much, but to be fair, if it wasn't for Jiang Yuanbai's name, things would definitely not be so simple this time. Tong Zhiyang would not have any scruples, and Tang Fan would not have been so dedicated.

"Don't worry." Jiang Li smiled. "He is my father after all. He is already such a high-ranking official. If he doesn't use such a title, wouldn't it be a waste?"

Besides, this was just a small rehearsal. After this incident, the Jiang family and King Cheng will eventually face off.

She just brought it about sooner.

……

The arrival of the officer dispatched from the weaving room comforted the Ye family a little. The appearance of Tuoluo also gave the case a clear plan.

Three days later, Ye Mingxuan and Ye Mingyu were released.

The people Tang Fan brought with him thoroughly checked the entire weaving mill of the Ye family, but found no trace of the Tuoluo flower. All the weavers in the weaving mill were checked thoroughly, and there was no suspicion. Not knowing how Tang Fan negotiated with Tong Zhiyang, Ye Mingxuan and Ye Mingyu temporarily returned to the Ye Mansion.

The Ye family was very happy that the backbone of the family was back. Knowing that this matter was the result of Jiang Li's mediation, even Ye Minghui, who had always been cautious, finally opened his heart to Jiang Li.

Ye Minghui sighed, "A Li, the Ye family is in trouble this time, thanks to you. I originally had many considerations about you, but now it seems that I was judging you by my own standards. I'm sorry." He actually made a long bow to Jiang Li as an apology.

Jiang Li quickly turned aside, saying that she couldn't accept it, and smiled: "Uncle Mingyu's words scared Ah Li. We are a family. If my mother was still alive and knew that the Ye family was in trouble, she would not stand idly by. At the beginning, I was young and was bewitched by others. I hurt my grandmother and uncles' hearts. Now I think about it, I am very ashamed. The uncles are willing to give me a chance to make amends, and I am very grateful."

She did not take credit for herself. She mentioned Ye Zhenzhen calmly and explained what happened that year in a tactful way. After all these words, there was no longer any gap between the Ye family and her.

Ye Mingxuan said: "You are not to blame for what happened back then. You were young and ignorant, but we, your uncle, are not children. You have lived in vain for so many years and were instigated by the villain. You were so young that you had to deal with the Jiang family, and that woman..." He stopped talking suddenly, fearing that he had touched Jiang Li's sore spot. The Ye family thought simply. They had been getting along with Jiang Li these days. Jiang Li was gentle and lovely. No matter how you looked at it, she was not someone who could kill her mother and brother. She must have been framed by Ji Shuran.

"Ahem," Ye Mingyu waved his hands, worried that Jiang Li would be sad, so he changed the subject and said, "Anyway, it's always a good thing that the eldest and second brothers have returned safely. We should celebrate. By the way, since you are back, when will you arrange for Ah Li to meet mother? You have delayed for so long, are you going to do your business?"

"Yes," Ye Jiaer also remembered, "cousin should go see grandma."

Before Ye Mingyu and Ye Mingxuan were taken away by the government, Jiang Li should have gone to meet with Old Madam Ye. But because of Tong Zhiyang's actions, she didn't dare to let Old Madam Ye find out about the changes in the Ye family, so she put the matter on hold for the time being. It took so long to go back and forth, and Jiang Li has been back in Xiangyang for almost a month, and she hasn't even seen Old Madam Ye. The Ye family deliberately obstructed her at first, and then there were reasons for it, but now thinking about it, I really feel guilty towards Jiang Li.

Jiang Li hesitated and said, "Now... can grandma bear it?" Just as she finished speaking, she heard a kind voice coming from the back of the hall, saying, "Who said I can't bear it? Dear girl, let grandma see."

Everyone turned around in surprise. Jiang Li looked back and saw that the curtain of the hall was lifted. Two maids were supporting a white-haired old woman, who was staggering towards this side.

"Grandma!" Ye Rufeng called out, "Why did you come out?"

Jiang Li was stunned. This was Old Madam Ye.

Compared to the stern and vigorous Madam Jiang, Madam Ye looked much kinder and older. She had silver hair and a rosin green gemstone headband. She walked a few steps away from Jiang Li and stopped, looking at Jiang Li with a smile and calling out, "Nannan."

But Jiang Li saw it, the tears in her eyes and her hands trembling with excitement.

Subconsciously, Jiang Li responded, calling "Grandma", and walked in front of Old Madam Ye.

When Old Madam Ye saw Jiang Li, her eyes were dazed for a moment. She stretched out her hand, which was full of people around her, and held Jiang Li's hand. She stared at Jiang Li carefully, as if she wanted to see Jiang Li clearly. She said, "I am so happy that Ah Li can still come to see me in my lifetime..."

Compared with Ye Minghui's caution and Ye Mingxuan's caution, Old Madam Ye and Ye Mingyu seemed to have no barriers at all, and were even more enthusiastic than Ye Mingyu. Jiang Li believed that at this moment, Old Madam Ye was indeed happy to see her long-lost granddaughter.

"Grandma, don't you blame me for doing something wrong back then?" Jiang Li asked softly.

Old Madam Ye laughed so hard that tears came out. She said, "How could that be? You are the granddaughter of our Ye family."

You are the granddaughter of our Ye family.

At this moment, Jiang Li's heart was filled with a sour and bitter feeling, and she almost couldn't hold back the tears in her eyes, followed by a sense of satisfaction from the bottom of her heart. She didn't know if this was due to the blood relationship between the real Second Miss Jiang and Old Madam Ye, but at this moment, what she saw in the eyes of the old man was pure and without any disguise.

Miss Jiang Er was not without love. Besides her deceased mother Ye Zhenzhen, there was another relative in the world who cared about her. At least she was not alone.

"Mom, why are you up?" Ye Mingxuan walked forward quickly, looked at Jiang Li, then looked at Old Madam Ye, hesitated for a moment, and said, "How did you know that Ah Li was here..."

Although Old Madam Ye was happy to see Jiang Li, she was definitely not surprised to see Jiang Li for the first time. Moreover, she went straight to the front hall, as if she had known that Jiang Li would be here.

Madam Ye glanced at him and said, "I've known this for a long time. Since the first day Ah Li came to the Ye family."

Everyone was stunned.

The maidservant beside Old Madam Ye said softly, "As soon as the cousin returned home from Xiangyang, the old lady knew about this. She was afraid of disturbing the cousin, so she asked the servants not to tell others about the second young lady's return home. I thought I would be able to meet the cousin in a few days, but I never thought that something happened to the ancient fragrant satin of the Ye family."

This was unexpected.

But on second thought, it was true. When Madam Ye was young, she managed the business of the Ye family with Old Master Ye. She couldn't really know nothing just because she was old. Whenever there was any movement in the Ye family, Madam Ye would be the first to know. In order not to embarrass Jiang Li, she endured it and waited for Jiang Li to be ready to meet her, but she didn't expect Ye Minghui and Ye Mingxuan to be taken away suddenly.

"I wanted to ask my friends to help rescue the eldest and second sons, but Ah Li took the initiative to step forward." Madam Ye patted Jiang Li's hand, "I didn't expect Ah Li to be so capable. You are more capable and smarter than your mother. If your mother knew that you are so smart now, she would be very pleased."

Jiang Li nodded. She didn't expect that her every move since she arrived at the Ye family had already been seen by Old Madam Ye.

Ye Mingyu scratched his head and said, "Mom, we were still thinking about how to get Ah Li to meet you, but you knew everything but kept it a secret, which made the children exhausted."

"If I hadn't played dumb, how could I have seen you guys being so useless." Old Madam Ye sighed, "I told you long ago that a tall tree attracts the wind. The Ye family is so prosperous that it will always attract trouble. You have to be on guard. Who would have thought that someone would still take advantage of us."

Jiang Li comforted her, "Grandma, this time it's not Uncle Mingyu and Uncle Mingxuan's fault. They have done a good job. It's easy to dodge an open spear but hard to guard against an arrow from the dark. This matter is not that simple. This incident can be regarded as a reminder for us. With a lesson learned, we will know what to do in the future."

Madam Ye looked at Jiang Li, half relieved and half distressed, and said: "Nannan, you can think of this at such a young age, which shows that your life in the Jiang family is very difficult. It is our Ye family that has let you down. If I had been tougher and brought you back to Xiangyang, I would not have let you suffer so much."

Jiang Li's intelligence is obvious to all, but it is also known that Jiang Li was spoiled and willful in the past. She has changed from a spoiled little lady to a man of skill and strategy, which must be due to the pressure of life. Jiang Li also has a stepmother, stepsister, and now Jiang Bingji. Life will definitely not be easy. Intelligence also comes at a price.

Jiang Li smiled and held Madam Ye's hand, saying, "I have not been wronged, and I am living well in the Jiang family."

Madam Ye just held her hand, wanting to say something but stopping herself, and just said, "No matter what, it's good that you're back."

However, she was wholeheartedly happy about Jiang Li's return. Perhaps in the eyes of Old Madam Ye, Jiang Li was just a child with a bad temper. She had never been really angry with Jiang Li. No matter when Jiang Li came back, she would welcome her with a smile as if she was seeing her in front of her.

This is family.

Jiang Li's eyes couldn't help but become moist. She didn't know whether it was because she was moved by Madam Ye's tolerance or because she was thinking of herself.

If Xue Huaiyuan were still alive, Xue Fangfei, who made the mistake of not knowing the person well, would have been forgiven.

Unfortunately, Xue Fangfei's family, the people in the world who could forgive Xue Fangfei, are no longer around. And she can't find a reason to forgive herself, so she can only go on alone, punishing her enemies and herself.

"Well," Jiang Li hid the tears in her eyes, and immediately put on a faint smile and said, "I'm back."

……

The Ye family had finally put aside their past grievances after many years and were now living happily together, but this could not be hidden from their neighbors.

In the black and white mansion adjacent to the Ye family, the guards squatted on the eaves, watching the servants in the flower bed digging the soil diligently and planting the flower seedlings one by one.

Duke Suguo Ji Heng loved exotic flowers the most. Even when he arrived in Xiangyang, even if it was just a courtyard for a rest, his servants would never neglect them. Xiangyang City was not as rich in supplies as Yanjing City, but the shopping clerks still went out early and came back late to look for some exotic and beautiful flowers to plant in the courtyard.

Needless to say, the guards had seen too many flowers and plants in the Duke's Mansion, so when they came to this empty house, they felt that something was wrong. Now that the flowers and plants were planted, they felt much more pleasing to the eye, as if the anger in their hearts was suddenly relieved.

"Old Madam Ye and Second Miss Jiang have already met." Wen Ji said, "Nothing special happened."

Nothing special happened, which means everything went smoothly.

Next to Ji Heng, Lu Ji asked, "Are they getting along well?"

"They get along very well," Wen Ji said, "just like a family."

Lu Ji sighed and said, "Ms. Jiang is really extraordinary. In such a short time, she has made the Ye family treat her without any estrangement."

The disagreement between Jiang Li and the Ye family back then seemed simple, but it was not easy to overcome. Especially after more than ten years, misunderstandings would not disappear with the passage of time, especially those that had no results at the beginning. Instead, they would snowball and grow bigger. In the end, they would be like an indestructible rock, which was difficult to shake, let alone break.

But Jiang Li did it.

"People who can share hardships with you in times of crisis are of course easy to be moved." In front of the window, Ji Heng smiled meaninglessly. Although the words were praise, they sounded like sarcasm when they came out of his mouth.

"Yes, this is the cleverness of Second Miss Jiang." Lu Ji nodded, "Originally, the knot between the Ye family and her was difficult to untie, but the Ye family encountered difficulties this time, and fortunately she solved the urgent need and stepped forward at such a critical moment. With the feeling of being in the same boat, the Ye family will never be cold to her. And Second Miss Jiang is used to being a person, and looks sincere. I am afraid that the Ye family has already been bought by her, and bought to death."

Forget it, sighed: "How come she ran into such an opportunity? It can be considered luck."

"What luck?" Ji Heng waved her fan. "She knew this would happen and had been waiting for the show to begin. These days, there are many people who move themselves."

Lu Ji was silent for a moment, then said, "Sir, the weaving room commander's men have arrived. Should we intervene in Xiangyang's affairs? At the moment, it seems that Tong Zhiyang is not a responsible person, and his mistress is in the hands of Ye Mingyu. The Ye family is safe, and the situation may change."

"No need." Ji Heng said.

On a cloudy day, the peony on the folding fan seemed to be affected by the gloomy weather and looked a little dim. Only his red robe became a bright color between heaven and earth, standing still and bright.

"The boy from the Li family is not up to the task." Ji Heng said slowly, "He is not as capable as a girl. Li Lian cannot interfere with the affairs of the Ye family. As for whether he will fall or not, let him fend for himself." A strange color flashed across his eyes, "But the young lady from the Jiang family... it would be better if her last name was not Jiang."

(End of this chapter)