Chapter 130 Expert
"I think she was possessed by an evil spirit. Otherwise, why did she become a different person after returning from Qingcheng Mountain? Qingcheng Mountain can turn fools into smart people. Those nuns and monks are all gods. Could it be that she was possessed by some fox spirit and came to our house to cause disaster?"

Jiang Youyao's unintentional words made Ji Shuran really think deeply.

In fact, she had been suspicious of Jiang Li for a long time. When Ji Shuran came into the family, she could see that Jiang Li was stupid. Ye Zhenzhen died early, and no one taught her anything. After Ji Shuran came into the family, she won over Jiang Li completely.

Jiang Li is impulsive and never thinks before doing anything. It would be fine to keep such a person in the mansion, but later Ji Shuran took a fancy to Zhou Yanbang's marriage and wanted to make way for Jiang Youyao. However, at this time, Ji Shuran was also thinking of some way to ruin Jiang Li's plan.

Who knows if Jiang Li knows the secret, which makes Ji Shuran uneasy. She is willing to sacrifice her belly just to make Jiang Yuanbo dislike Jiang Li and refuse to believe what Jiang Li said.

Jiang Yuanbai did it. He sent Jiang Li to Qingcheng Mountain. For eight years, the entire Jiang family ignored Jiang Li and let her fend for herself on Qingcheng Mountain. Ji Shuran was surprised at Jiang Li's tenacity and how she survived under such circumstances. But as Jiang Youyao and Zhou Yanbang's marriage approached, she was afraid that Jiang Yuanbai would think of his daughter, so she secretly sent someone to do something.

The person who reported back said that Jiang Li had jumped into the lake, and no one could tell that she had done anything wrong. She was dying and would not survive the summer. Ji Shuran was relieved, but it was not long before Jiang Li had a near-death experience and came back alive. Not only that, the affair between Helin Temple's Liao Wu and Master Jing'an was exposed, Madam Liu of Chengde Lang suddenly went there, and Emperor Hong Xiao personally punished Jiang Yuanbai... One by one, they came unexpectedly and disrupted all her plans. Jiang Li entered the capital safely.

It was from that time that everything started to get out of control. She stole the limelight from Jiang Youyao at the inspection, Zhou Yanbang was suddenly with Jiang Yu'e, the young master of the Ye family became an official for no apparent reason, and now the whole Yanjing City is praising her... Jiang Li was like a different person. In front of this fifteen-year-old girl, Ji Shuran could not get any benefits and suffered losses frequently.

It wasn't that she had become stupid, but that Jiang Li had become smarter. She had become cunning and calculating, but her face was still gentle. Whenever Ji Shuran saw her eyes, she would feel cold all over.

How could there be a girl who is so good at disguise?
In addition to speaking up for Jiang Youyao, Ji Shuran also had her own considerations. After Jiang Li returned to Yanjing City, she never mentioned that incident. Ji Shuran thought that maybe Jiang Li didn't hear what she said at that time. But... she couldn't take the risk. That secret seemed to be in danger at any time. She couldn't take any risks. Jiang Li was becoming more and more difficult to deal with. If she wasn't eliminated as soon as possible, it would be even more difficult to do it again in the future.

Jiang Youyao's words reminded Ji Shuran.

Jiang Li's personality changed drastically after she came back from Qingcheng Mountain. She was proficient in everything. She took such careful care of Xue Huaiyuan, the county magistrate of Tongxiang. There must be something going on between the two of them. Even if we can't find out, it doesn't matter. As long as we point out the suspicious points about her, Jiang Li will not be safe.

But how to order and how to achieve the best goal depends on what she wants.

"I have to go to the palace." Ji Shuran stood up.

"What are you going to do in the palace?" Jiang Youyao asked.

Ji Shuran smiled and said, "Of course I'm going to see your aunt, Concubine Li."

When it comes to killing people without shedding blood, Lipin has always been the best. If we want to plan, we need Lipin's help.

……

In the palace, Concubine Li was sitting in the hall watching someone playing the piano.

Sitting opposite her was the female teacher of Mingyi Hall, Xiao Deyin, now the number one female zither player in Yanjing City.

Although Xiao Deyin refused to enter the palace, she was on good terms with Concubine Li and would occasionally come to the palace to chat with her. It was also for this reason that, although Xiao Deyin was not a palace zither player, people in the palace would treat her with respect when they saw her.

After the song was over, Lipin clapped her hands, and after laughing, she said, "You have the leisure to come to my place today, why don't you go find Her Royal Highness the Princess?"

Princess Yongning also liked Xiao Deyin's piano playing and often invited him to her house to play.

"Your Highness the Princess has been in a bad mood these days, so it's better not to disturb her." Xiao Deyin said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Lipin asked, "Is it because of the Xue family case?"

Xiao Deyin nodded: "That's right."

Lipin sighed: "Yongning has suffered an unexpected disaster. How could the Xue family case involve her? Now there are all kinds of rumors outside, and she has to worry about it."

Xiao Deyin said, "Indeed, this time Miss Jiang II did something too outrageous. The Xue family case was complicated to begin with, and there was no evidence, but Princess Yongning was dragged into this mess. For Miss Jiang II, it was just a matter of words, but for Princess Yongning, she couldn't explain herself."

"Yes," Lipin sighed, "I heard that Miss Jiang II also mentioned Xue Huaiyuan's relatives in the court meeting. When she mentioned Xue Fangfei, the Secretary of the Central Secretariat, Lord Shen, was also present, and seemed very embarrassed."

When Xiao Deyin mentioned the three words "Xue Fangfei", his expression became unnatural for a moment.

Fortunately, Lipin did not continue the conversation, but said: "The second Miss Jiang is also very amazing. Not to mention this court discussion, even in the school examination, she was the most popular. You have also heard her piano playing, which is quite good."

Xiao Deyin's face became even uglier. After the test, many people compared Jiang Li's "Eighteen Beats of the Hujia" to her. If she and Jiang Li were not in the same test, many people would say that Jiang Li beat her. Even if they didn't say so, others said that Jiang Li would be the best qin player in Yanjing in the future.

Xiao Deyin was very unconvinced, but she had to admit that she was afraid that she could not catch up with Jiang Li's attainments in qin art. So she was also afraid that if Jiang Li played again in some occasion, how long would she be able to maintain her title as the number one qin player.

Lipin didn't know if she saw Xiao Deyin's expression or not, she picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip. At this moment, a palace servant came in and said, "Madam, Madam Jiang is here."

Xiao Deyin stood up quickly and said, "In that case, I will not disturb Concubine Li any more. Deyin will take her leave."

Lipin did not try to persuade her to stay. She said, "In that case, let's talk about it another day. Hongzhu, see Mr. Xiao off."

Hongzhu saw Xiao Deyin off. Luwu asked, "Why did your Majesty bring up the matter of Second Miss Jiang playing the piano at the inspection field? I saw that Mr. Xiao's face didn't look very good."

"I just want her to feel unhappy." Lipin's smile gradually faded, and she said, "Xiao Deyin is the most competitive person, and he values ​​his reputation more than anything else. Jiang Li is so difficult to deal with, and my sister will be better off with Xiao Deyin to deal with her. However," she sighed, "Shu Ran must have no other choice, so she came to me for help. I don't know what happened to her."

Ji Shuran came in.

When she came in, she bowed respectfully first, then sat on the couch. Lipin asked the palace maid to help her up.

"Third sister," Lipin asked, "Why are you here?"

Ji Shuran looked at her sister. Compared to herself, Lipin looked younger. It wasn't that Ji Shuran wasn't pretty, but Lipin, although older than her, always had a girlish look in her expression. This made her look no different from other young women in the harem, and even more charming.

Among the three sisters of the Ji family, the most beautiful one is Lipin, the most powerful one is Chen Jishi, and the remaining one is favored because of the title of the younger sister. Ji Shuran is closer to Chen Jishi, but she admires this eldest sister the most. Apart from other things, at their ages, Lipin can still dominate the favor of Emperor Hong Xiao in the palace.

Ji Yanlin had decided to send his eldest daughter to the palace since she was young, so no matter what the family ate or used, the best portion was always given to Lipin. Ji Shuran was ignorant when she was young, so she always complained that Ji Yanlin was partial to her. It was not until she grew up and Lipin became the support of the Ji family in the palace that she slowly came to her senses.

Especially now, she needs help everywhere, and she feels that Ji Chen cannot help her completely, so she has to ask for help from this smart and thoughtful elder sister.

"Sister," Ji Shuran did not call her "mother", but called her like an ordinary sister. She said, "You have seen what is happening in my house now. Jiang Li is becoming more and more difficult to control. I have to find a way to get rid of her."

Hearing this, Lipin shook her head and said, "I saw it at the last palace banquet, and I felt that Jiang Li was a difficult person to deal with. Little sister, you have been immersed in the harem for so many years, how could you let her grow to this point. If it were me, I would never wait until now to take action. Now that this girl has grown stronger, it is not as easy as before to get rid of her."

"It's not that I haven't thought about getting rid of her, but the incident happened suddenly back then," Ji Shuran said, "The master sent her to Qingcheng Mountain. I thought she was just a little girl and wouldn't amount to anything. When she got older, I could find someone to send her away and pave the way for Bingji. Who knew that Jiang Li's personality changed drastically after she came back. She was so cunning that even I couldn't handle her."

Lipin looked at her and said, "You came to me now just to ask me to help you get rid of her. Not to mention that I have eyes everywhere in the palace. If I help you, I will get myself into trouble. And now that the Xue family case has just passed, if Jiang Li gets into trouble right after this, His Majesty will definitely ask the government to investigate thoroughly. It's not a wise move for you to take action."

"Sister, you misunderstood me." Ji Shuran said, "Of course I know that Jiang Li can't be in any danger at this time, but if it's a family matter, other people shouldn't interfere."

Lipin asked: "What do you want?"

"Sister, you must know a lot of masters in the palace. I think Jiang Li has been suspicious since she returned to Yanjing City. There is no master in Qingcheng Mountain, so how did she learn all these skills? And sometimes I feel... I feel like she has become a different person, with no trace of the past. You have also heard about the Tongxiang case. Jiang Li took Xue Huaiyuan to the Jiang Mansion and took care of him in every detail. Even now, she goes to the Ye family to visit Xue Huaiyuan every day. That posture is more like a father and daughter than with our master. There are rumors in the mansion that Jiang Li is evil. Qingcheng Mountain is on the mountain, and there are always many fox spirits on the mountain. Could it be that she is possessed by something, which makes her very strange... I want my sister to help me find someone, preferably a famous master, to come to our mansion to exorcise the evil spirits..."

We are all smart people and we all understand each other tacitly. There is no need to explain it in a special way, especially since we are sisters, we will understand it immediately.

Lipin understood. She smiled and said, "That's one way you can do it, but if you don't do it better, I'm afraid people won't believe it."

"That's true," Ji Shuran said, "So this expert is very important." What this "expert" says must be convincing, and it is best if he is a reputable person.

"I understand," Lipin said, "I will arrange this matter. But little sister, if you want to do this, you must succeed. There are many people in the harem who are eyeing my position. If you fail, I will be implicated..."

"No." Ji Shuran's heart shuddered. If Lipin was really involved, not to mention Lipin, even Ji Yanlin would not forgive her. Thinking of this, she looked at Lipin's belly again: "In fact... as long as my sister is pregnant with a prince, a mere Jiang Li is nothing. Even if the master wants to protect her, he can't. And Youyao, there is no need to worry so much about marriage."

"I want to, too." Lipin sighed, "I've tried everything, but I just can't get pregnant. This is probably my fate."

Ji Shuran didn't dare to say more for fear of touching Lipin's sad story. But she was still very happy to get Lipin's promise, and she talked about family affairs with Lipin for a while before leaving.

After Ji Shuran left, Lipin said to her personal maid Hongzhu, "Go get my note and ask Taoist Chongxu to come over."

Hongzhu took the order and left. Luwu asked, "Madam, do you really want to invite Taoist Chongxu?"

"Of course," Lipin sighed, "Although my sister is confused, she feels the same as I do about one thing." Her eyes darkened: "Jiang Li, you can't keep her."

……

In the Jiang Mansion, Jiang Li had just returned from visiting Xue Huaiyuan at the Ye family.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, Qingfeng and Mingyue came to greet them impatiently. When they reached the inner room, Qingfeng said, "Miss, after you left, Ji went to the palace not long after." "Got to the palace?" Jiang Li sat down and asked curiously, "Why did she go to the palace?"

"I secretly bribed the maid in Shuxiu Garden, and heard that she went to the palace to see Concubine Li."

Tong'er was shocked when she heard this and looked at Jiang Li: "Miss, Ji Shi suddenly met Lipin, is it because of you?"

"That's right," Mingyue nodded, "I thought so too. After you returned to the mansion, the Ji family has been calm, who knows what conspiracy they are inciting. Now that they are meeting Lady Li, they may want Lady Li to take charge, and they are thinking of some crooked tricks."

Qingfeng and Mingyue were good maids, but after spending so much time with Tong'er, they were almost led astray by her. They were not polite at all when talking to her in private. Jiang Li smiled and said, "It's okay. They can't do anything to me anyway."

"I'm afraid they will use dirty tricks." Tong'er said seriously.

"It doesn't matter." Jiang Li thought of the small porcelain whistle in her sleeve. She now had an extra bargaining chip. Ji Heng said that if anything happened, she could blow the whistle and the person he arranged in the Jiang Mansion would show up. This person was just someone Ji Heng lent to her temporarily, so she should have the final say on how to use him.

Maybe it was because she thought that she had one more person who could be used at will, or maybe it was because she had just seen Xue Huaiyuan and Jiang Li was happy, so she couldn't help but smile.

Tong'er looked at Jiang Li strangely, and couldn't understand why Jiang Li could be so happy without being alert even though she knew Ji Shuran was secretly planning something.
"By the way, Ningyuan Marquis' Mansion has also sent an invitation." Mingyue took out a letter from her sleeve and handed it to Jiang Li.

"Marquis Ningyuan's Mansion?" Bai Xue was surprised. "The son of Marquis Ningyuan has already been engaged, so why is he still inviting the girl?"

"It's not Prince Zhou," Qingfeng said, "It's the Fifth Miss who sent the post."

"Jiang Yu'e?" Jiang Li paused as she opened the post, then looked down and saw that it was indeed from Jiang Yu'e. The post only said that they hadn't seen Jiang Li for a long time and invited her to a small gathering at Zhou's house.

Jiang Li just took a look at it and threw the post aside.

"Girl?" Tong'er was puzzled.

"I don't know what she's up to. I really don't have the energy to deal with her." Jiang Li said. Jiang Yu'e's post was almost written with the words "unfriendly" on it. In the Jiang Mansion, she and Jiang Yu'e had never gotten along. Jiang Yu'e stood on Jiang Youyao's side. Later, because of the incident at the palace banquet, Jiang Yu'e and Jiang Youyao had a falling out, and Jiang Yu'e was disfigured because of it, but even so, it did not mean that Jiang Yu'e and Jiang Li had reconciled.

Besides, Jiang Li thought that a person's temperament would not change drastically in a short period of time. In this post, Jiang Yu'e's tone and wording were very gentle, as if she had changed into a different person. If Qingfeng Mingyue hadn't taken it out, Jiang Li would have doubted that this post was not written by Jiang Yu'e at all.

Jiang Yu'e was so humble just to let her go to the Zhou family gathering, but Jiang Li didn't think so. Zhou Yanbang later realized that she had plotted against him at the palace banquet, and he might not be willing to accept it. He might want to use Jiang Yu'e to cause trouble. She didn't have time to accompany them to sing opera.

"Just ignore it like that?" Tong'er asked, "Should I burn it or save it? The young lady should reply to reject it."

Jiang Li thought for a moment and said, "Don't throw it. Try to land it on the path where Jiang Youyao's maid passes by so that Jiang Youyao can see it."

"Why is that?" Bai Xue was puzzled. "Wouldn't Miss San be even angrier if she saw this?"

"Yes, she is not smart, and she will do something outrageous when she is angry. I think if she makes a fuss, Ji Shuran will be busy dealing with her and will have no time to deal with me, so she can be quiet for a few days. Even if they don't deal with me for the time being, let me find out what they want to do. Don't fight an unprepared battle. This battle, if we fight it with preparation, won't it be more exciting?"

Several maids discussed it and thought it was feasible, so they discussed how to bring the letter to Jiang Youyao naturally.

Jiang Li sent them away, saying that she wanted to read a book. But when she sat down at the desk, she felt the silver whistle in her sleeve.

The silver whistle sounded icy cold. It was hard to believe that there were still people belonging to Ji Heng hiding in this mansion. Jiang Li thought about it and put it back.

It wasn't very safe now, so she would have to try it once it got dark.

……

At night, the entire Jiang Mansion fell into silence.

Jiang Li asked Tong'er and Bai Xue to go to bed, saying that she still needed to read for a while. After the two maids left, Jiang Li stood at the window, took out the whistle from her sleeve, and blew it softly.

She didn't know if Ji Heng's people would hear her, and what kind of appearance they would show up in. She had to give it a try first. Jiang Li stood quietly, waiting patiently.

After a while, a figure suddenly flashed under the tree in front of the window, and it seemed that someone was standing under the window.

Jiang Li said softly: "Come in."

The next moment, the man jumped in silently from the window and stopped in front of Jiang Li.

Jiang Li closed the window and looked back. When she saw the man's face clearly, she could not help but be stunned. This man was none other than the Jiang family's gardener, who helped take care of the garden in the mansion all day long. Jiang Li could not remember his name, but knew that there was such a person. It was said that this person was hired by Ji Shuran at a high price and was very good at taking care of flowers and plants.

He is not even that old, looking only sixteen or seventeen years old, young and handsome. It is said that his skill in taking care of flowers and plants is very rare. Even when Ji Shuran's favorite orchid was about to die, it was this man who saved it.

Jiang Li thought it was incredible at first. She didn't expect this person to be lurking in the Jiang family in this identity. But after thinking about it, she felt that it was very natural. You know, Ji Heng loves to appreciate flowers. His mansion has collected all the rare flowers and plants in the world. All the servants in his mansion can grow flowers and they are all handsome. This person can grow flowers and is handsome. He is indeed someone from Ji Heng's mansion. It's just that no one thought that Ji Heng's people were so bold that they dared to come to Jiang's mansion as gardeners.

"What's your name?" Jiang Li asked.

"My name is Zhao Ke." said the gardener.

"Zhao Ke," Jiang Li pondered for a moment, "How long have you been in the Jiang Mansion?"

Zhao Ke didn't expect Jiang Li to ask this question. He looked at Jiang Li and didn't answer. Jiang Li said, "Since your master has told me about your existence, you and I should not be hostile to each other for the time being. I think Ji Heng also knows that I would ask you this question. Since he didn't refute it, he acquiesced. Just tell me, I promise he won't punish you for it."

Zhao Ke had also followed Ji Heng since he was a child. Jiang Li called Ji Heng by her full name, which surprised Zhao Ke. He didn't know whether Jiang Li was too bold or the relationship between Jiang Li and Ji Heng was closer than he thought. In short, Zhao Ke hesitated for a moment and said, "Seven years ago."

Seven years ago, Jiang Li had already left the Jiang family. At that time, Ji Heng was only a fourteen-year-old boy, but he actually sent people to lurk in the Jiang family. However, the Jiang family has not collapsed after so many years. It seems that he sent people to the Jiang family not to bring it down.

"What do you do on weekdays?" Jiang Li asked.

"I work as a gardener in the Jiang family. If there is any important matter, I will report it to the adults. If there is nothing important, I will take care of the flowers and plants." Zhao Ke replied.

He was very frank, but Jiang Li knew that this was the limit. Zhao Ke would not tell her anything deeper, and maybe he didn't know it at all.

Jiang Li nodded: "You know that Ji Shuran went to the palace to see Lipin today, right?"

Zhao Ke nodded.

"Why did she go to see Concubine Li? What did she do after returning home?" Jiang Li asked.

Zhao Ke said, "I didn't follow Ji and Lipin into the palace, so I don't know what they were planning. But today I heard from the maids in Shuxiu Garden that Jiang Youyao suspected you..." He hesitated, as if he found it difficult to say this, and then continued, "You were possessed by a mountain spirit, which is why your personality changed drastically after returning from Qingcheng Mountain. It was after hearing this that Ji decided to go to the palace."

Jiang Li glanced at him and said, "You heard everything about Shuxiu Garden very clearly. Could it be that everything that happens in my garden cannot escape your eyes?"

Zhao Ke didn't say anything.

"I don't mean to blame you." Jiang Li said, "I know this is your master's order and has nothing to do with you. It doesn't matter, just watch if you want. I have roughly guessed the cemetery where Ji entered the palace."

Zhao Ke looked at Jiang Li. Did she guess it so quickly? And Jiang Li was very determined, without any hesitation. It seemed that Wen Ji was right. This Second Miss Jiang had her own ideas and was very courageous.

Jiang Li lowered her eyes. She was familiar with Ji's methods. When she married Shen Yurong and had just arrived in Yanjing, Shen Yurong was in high spirits. As Madam Shen, she went out to socialize and heard many secrets of the noble families. It was common for the main wife to seek help from Taoist priests and masters when she wanted to frame her favorite concubine.

Of course, Jiang Li is not an ordinary concubine, she is the daughter of Jiang Yuanbo, and it is not so easy for Ji Shuran to frame her. Ordinary Taoist priests and masters may not be able to convince others. So Ji Shuran thought of Lipin. Lipin has many connections in the palace. The expert that Lipin found for Ji Shuran must be well-known, and his words can play an absolute role.

"Master Chongxu." Jiang Li said.

Zhao Ke raised his head and looked at Jiang Li in surprise.

"Three years ago, Lipin was framed by the favorite concubine using witchcraft in the palace and her life was in danger. Fortunately, Taoist Chongxu appeared and saved Lipin's life. Lipin gradually got better. Lipin wanted to reward the Taoist with a large sum of money, but the Taoist refused to take a penny and went on a journey again. He has not been seen since then."

Zhao Ke was puzzled. Although these things were not secrets in the palace, they were not known to everyone. Moreover, Jiang Li was still in Qingcheng Mountain three years ago, so how could she know these things? At that time, the Queen Mother believed that such things in the palace were scandals and should not be made public, so everyone in the palace was ordered to keep silent.

But Jiang Li still knew it.

Jiang Li smiled slightly. She could see Zhao Ke's doubts, but she also knew about this matter. Shen Yurong told her about this matter later. She didn't know where Shen Yurong heard it from. But at that time, he was already an official, so he could naturally get in touch with these secrets.

"Ji Shi is looking for Lipin, and he wants to use her to find a master. There is no master more suitable than this Taoist Chongxu. I think," she said with a slightly cold look in her eyes, "this mysterious Taoist Chongxu will appear again soon."

(End of this chapter)