Chapter 144 Inside Story
For some unknown reason, we arrived at the Duke's Mansion just in time for lunch, so we all sat down to eat together.

Except for Ji Heng who didn't look as cheerful as usual, everyone else was quite happy.

Kong Liu and Wen Renyao were the most lively. Wen Renyao said enthusiastically, "Second Miss Jiang, try our Duke's cooking. It's even more authentic than the royal chefs in the palace. You can't taste it every day. Only during festivals..."

With a "snap", the silver chopsticks in Ji Heng's hand broke. Wen Renyao immediately fell silent.

General Ji glanced at Jiang Li and asked, "Girl, your last name is Jiang? I haven't asked you yet, which family are you from? Judging from your accent, you are from Yanjing, right?"

Jiang Li politely replied, "Yes. My father is Prime Minister Jiang, the old general should know him. I am the second child in the family."

"Jiang Yuanbai?" General Ji's expression changed and he asked, "Are you Jiang Yuanbai's daughter?"

Jiang Li nodded.

General Ji muttered something, and his gaze towards Jiang Li was not as eager as before. It seemed that he had some grudge against Jiang Yuanbo in the past, but Jiang Li didn't care much.

She tasted a little of the ham and bamboo shoot soup in the small bowl in front of her, which was very delicious. She also tasted the jujube paste and yam cake, which was sweet and sour. Wen Renyao was right. Although she was not someone who could often use the imperial meal, she thought that the food made by the imperial chef was no more than this.

Ji Heng can cook, and his cooking skills are so good, which subverts Jiang Li's previous imagination. For someone like him who is busy calculating people and seducing people all day long, he actually has such a worldly side. Jiang Li feels that she has never really known Ji Heng.

"How is it?" Kong Liu asked with a smile, "Is the food to your taste?"

Jiang Li nodded: "Very good."

Ji Heng threw down her chopsticks impatiently, as if she had already used up all her patience eating with such a large table of people. She endured it again and again before picking up her chopsticks again.

"Can Miss Jiang Er cook?" Wen Renyao suddenly asked Jiang Li, "I've heard that some girls are gifted in cooking, but I've never met one. Jiu Yue can't cook at all. I'm afraid she poisoned the food."

Situ Jiuyue sneered: "There is poison in your bowl now."

Jiang Li was stunned for a moment and said, "A little bit."

"I know that Miss Jiang Er has always been modest. What she means by 'knowing a little bit' should mean she knows a lot." Wen Renyao's eyes lit up.

Kong Liu also looked at Jiang Li. It was really strange that Jiang Li could cook. Kong Liu had seen this girl's performance in riding and shooting in the military training ground. She was a woman who was as good as a man. Although she looked weak, she was actually murderous. If she wasn't Jiang Yuanbo's daughter, Kong Liu would have planned to recruit her to the cavalry team. How could a girl like this go out and cook? It was a waste of talent!
"What is Miss Jiang's best skill?" Wenren Yao asked.

Jiang Li thought for a moment and said, "Roasted venison and beggar birds."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the room focused their attention on Jiang Li. Even Ji Heng, who had been unhappy, looked at her inquiringly.

"This...this...would the Jiang family do this?" Wen Renyao asked hesitantly.

"She looks more like a wanderer." Lu Ji narrowed his eyes. "The Second Miss has always been very elegant and graceful."

"I have lived in Qingcheng Mountain for eight years. Many things are different from those in Yanjing City." Jiang Li smiled and said, "It is very cold in the mountain. Although it does not snow in winter, it seems to be colder than Yanjing City. If a hunter hunts a deer, he will take the deer skin and sell the deer meat to us at a low price. My maid and I can set up firewood in the forest and grill the deer meat. We don't need to add any seasonings. A little coarse salt is enough. The grilled deer meat has no fishy smell. Instead, it has the fragrance of bamboo because it is skewered on bamboo sticks."

She spoke slowly, but a scene suddenly appeared in everyone's eyes. In the deep mountains in winter, a master and a servant, two little girls, gathered around a pile of hot firewood, their faces roasted red. Deer meat was roasted on bamboo poles, sizzling and oozing with oil, becoming the only taste in the deep mountains.

"Killing and eating meat is not allowed in the temple. Did you sneak out?" Situ Jiuyue asked.

"Yes." Jiang Li smiled and said, "Carrying the people in the nunnery on their backs."

"It's amazing that you can still laugh." Situ Jiuyue snorted.

Everyone looked at Jiang Li with a little pity, which made Jiang Li laugh and cry. In fact, she did not really stay in Qingcheng Mountain for eight years. She learned these methods of roasting venison from Xue Zhao. But in the eyes of others, it was probably just finding joy in suffering and being very satisfied.

"Jiang girl, what is the origin of that beggar's chicken?" General Ji was probably a foodie, and he did not show any other emotions about Jiang Li's miserable situation. He just asked: "I have only heard of beggar's chicken, but not beggar's bird."

"It's actually similar to beggar's chicken," Jiang Li smiled. "After cleaning the bird shot down with a slingshot, you don't have to pluck its feathers. Just stuff some seasoning into its stomach, cover it with mud, and bury it in the ashes of the fire. After half an hour, take it out and shake off the mud. The feathers will naturally fall off, turning it into a beautiful golden color. Brush a layer of honey on it and it's ready to eat."

General Ji slapped his thigh and said, "Great! I'll go and shoot some birds tomorrow!"

"Grandpa, it's so cold, where did these birds come from..." Lu Ji said helplessly.

"Your life is quite rich." Ji Heng supported his chin with one hand and looked at her with a smile.

After all, he no longer looked like he was about to eat someone.

"Yes, Miss Jiang Er, your cooking is not what I thought." Wen Renyao said, "I thought you cooked in your own small kitchen, with others preparing the ingredients and the maids preparing them, and you only needed to eat. I didn't expect that you even had to find the ingredients yourself, and what you eat is not the same as others. But it sounds interesting, different from ordinary ladies in the boudoir!"

Jiang Li smiled: "It's just the situation."

When she was still Xue Fangfei, after marrying into the Shen family, she also cooked for her mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and husband. Because of her outstanding cooking skills, the Shen family was not rich, and even saved the need for a cook. Her best dish was roasted venison for winter, but Shen's mother did not allow her to cook it in the house. She said that the smell was too strong and that it was something that only farmers and hunters would eat, and it was not presentable.

So the fun of barbecue and drinking in winter was gone. Actually, now that she thought about it, she had sacrificed too many things since she married into the Shen family, including her free self.

She was lost in her own thoughts until Ji Heng's voice called her back to her senses. Ji Heng said, "We can also roast venison in the Duke's Mansion some other day." He looked at Jiang Li and said with a smile, "You come."

"Me?" Jiang Li was surprised.

"I can't." Ji Heng narrowed her beautiful eyes, "Of course you come."

"But..." Her relationship with Ji Heng was not close enough to roast venison at each other's house! This was the Duke's House, not the Jiang House. Why did she want to roast venison at the Duke's House? Was the Duke's House a restaurant?

"Okay, okay!" General Ji was the first to laugh and agree. He also changed his name for Jiang Li from "Jiang girl" to "Li girl". He said, "Li girl, just come here! All the ingredients are ready in the mansion, just bake them! Tell me if you need anything, I will never let you work too hard!"

Just grilling is tiring.

"Not bad, not bad, I think this suggestion is good." Wen Renyao simply never thought that there was too much fun anywhere, and he wanted to join in the fun. "I have never eaten roasted venison before! What the second lady said just now made my mouth water. In this case, let's agree on a time, and when the second lady starts roasting the venison, we will all come. Or how about cooking the beggar bird together, so that everyone can have a taste!"

Kong Liu: “Agree.”

Lu Ji: “…Agree.”

Situ Jiuyue: “…” Although she didn’t say anything, she didn’t show any clear rejection, which clearly meant she agreed.

Jiang Li: "I don't agree."

Her "I disagree" didn't even make a splash, and was drowned in everyone's chatter. Jiang Li was upset and couldn't help but look at Ji Heng, and saw Ji Heng looking at her with his chin in his hand, with a smile in his eyes that showed that he had successfully played a prank.

He simply didn't like cooking, so he dragged her into it. What do you mean by "you can't go to hell alone"?

How treacherous.

At the end of the meal, Jiang Li became inexplicably unhappy. After the meal, everyone dispersed. Wen Renyao wanted to take Jiang Li to the flowerbed in the Duke's Mansion to appreciate the flowers. He said, "Don't go close, just look from a distance. In the winter in Yanjing City, only here are there flowers."

He really treated the Duke's Mansion as his own home and was not at all shy. However, only Wen Renyao could take a girl to appreciate flowers in the middle of winter.

Jiang Li stopped in front of the door and asked, "There is one thing I'm curious about. I'd like to ask, what is the relationship between Master Wenren and the Duke?"

Situ Jiuyue and Ji Heng at least knew each other when they were young and grew up together. Wen Renyao's actions clearly showed that he was very familiar with Ji Heng and the Duke's Mansion. Situ Jiuyue was a master of poison, so what was Wen Renyao's identity? He looked like a good-looking dandy, but he was also a brainless one.

"My grandfather and General Ji are old friends, my father and General Ji are old friends, and Ji Heng and I... can be considered old friends!"

Jiang Li: "Why do you say 'sort of'?"

"Tsk, Ji Heng doesn't acknowledge that I'm his old friend." Wen Renyao felt aggrieved, "He despises me."

Jiang Li: “…” In this regard, Wen Renyao was not aggrieved. Anyone who had to deal with such an old friend would not be willing to admit it.

"But my father and grandfather are both dead, and I am the only one left in our family." Wen Renyao said, "He has to admit it even if he doesn't want to. If I'm gone, who will help him with the spirit writing?"

"Fuqi?" Jiang Li was stunned.

"Our sect is the 'Ji Xian Sect'. We use the Ji Ji to predict good and bad luck, and we rarely make mistakes. But we can only use the Ji Ji to predict good and bad luck for one person in our lifetime," he looked at Jiang Li apologetically, "Although I admire the second Miss Jiang very much, I cannot disobey my master's order and cannot use the Ji Ji to predict the good and bad luck for her."

Jiang Li was surprised. It turned out that Wen Renyao was the real master, unlike the liar Chongxu. But... looking at him like this, it was hard to be convincing.

"In fact, I also think that it is a bit of a waste to devote all my talents to only one person. Especially every time I do divination for Ji Heng, the results are almost the same. I have been doing divination for him for so many years, and except for one woman, every time it is the same, nothing special."

"Woman?" Jiang Li asked curiously, "What woman?"

"A woman destined for Ji Heng's fate." Wen Renyao leaned closer and said, "Don't tell others. When I was doing the divination for Ji Heng, I found that his life depended on a woman. To put it simply, this woman is the reason for his success and failure. One thought can make you a Buddha and one thought can make you a devil. The divination at that time said this..."

"Wenren Yao." Before he could finish his words, a voice interrupted him from behind. The two turned around and saw Ji Heng standing at the gate of the yard, looking at them from a distance.

I don’t know how much of their conversation Ji Heng heard just now.

Jiang Li felt embarrassed as if she had been caught trying to get information behind someone's back. After thinking for a while, she said to Wen Renyao, "I still have some things to discuss with the Duke, so I won't waste your time."

"Hey?" Wen Renyao asked, "Aren't you going to enjoy the flowers?"

"No." Jiang Li smiled, "Next time."

Wen Renyao touched his nose and left unwillingly. Jiang Li walked up to Ji Heng and said with a smile, "Duke."

In the snow, his red clothes were particularly eye-catching, and he looked very handsome. When they were alone, he showed a lazy and nonchalant look.

Ji Heng asked: "Do you have something to tell me?"

Jiang Li nodded.

"Come with me." He turned and left. Jiang Li hesitated for a moment and followed him.

The yard was covered in deep snow, a silvery white. He was in a fiery red dress, Jiang Li in a green skirt, one was gorgeous, the other was elegant, two clearly incompatible colors, yet they looked strangely harmonious, as if they were meant to be together.

The few people who were hiding behind the door and peeking, General Ji stroked his chin, thinking. Kong Liu quietly touched Lu Ji's arm and asked, "Do you think that the Duke seems to be a little different to Miss Jiang Er?"

Lu Ji looked at him with contempt, and asked, "What does he think?" Even a fool could see this! Although he didn't know what the adults' purpose was, it was clear that Miss Jiang Er was not an insignificant official lady to Ji Heng, and it didn't matter if she died.

"Why do I think they look pretty good together? At least..." Kong Liu pouted in the direction of Situ Jiuyue, "It's better than the two of them walking together. When she's with Situ, she's full of evil spirits, but when she's with Second Miss Jiang, at least she's a little more peaceful."

Situ Jiuyue said: "...I heard it."

……

Not knowing how the people behind him evaluated Jiang Li, Ji Heng took Jiang Li back to his study.

Unlike what Jiang Li thought, Ji Heng's study was extremely solemn and black and white, with not many things placed in it. She thought that someone as gorgeous as Ji Heng should be extremely luxurious and warm, but after entering, she felt like two different worlds.

Outside the door, Wen Ji was guarding the gate faithfully. Ji Heng walked to the table and sat down, and Jiang Li also sat down opposite him.

The desk was next to the window, and one could see the snowy scenery outside at a glance. It was both bleak and magnificent. The servant brought hot tea, and Ji Heng poured a cup and pushed it in front of Jiang Li.

Pouring tea should be done by servants, but Jiang Li saw him several times and it seemed that he liked to do it himself. Of course, his movements of pouring tea were graceful and his hands were beautiful. This movement alone was pleasing to the eye and refreshing.

Jiang Li took the tea and took a sip.

The tea has a fragrant and slightly bitter taste and is hot. When it goes into your stomach, it can alleviate some of the chill from the wind and snow outside.

"Go ahead." Ji Heng poured herself some tea and said, "What do you want to say?"

Jiang Li hesitated for a moment before asking, "Where is Taoist Chongxu now?"

Ji Heng paused while pouring tea, looked at Jiang Li, and asked, "What do you mean?"

"My father said that he would tell the emperor the true identity of Taoist Chongxu. If the emperor knew the identity of Taoist Chongxu, he would definitely be angry with Lipin. But until now, Lipin still hasn't made any move, so I wonder if Taoist Chongxu is not in Yanjing City at all, or if my father changed his mind at the last minute?"

"Oh." Ji Heng lowered her head again and slowly poured herself some tea. The tea was neither too much nor too little, just enough to cover the edge of the teacup, showing a light brown color, which made the porcelain white teacup even more lustrous and radiant.

Ji Heng looked at Jiang Li again, and said with a half-smile: "For this kind of thing, you can just ask Jiang Yuanbai, why are you asking me?"

"My father may not tell me the truth." Jiang Li said.

"Then how can you be sure that I won't lie to you?" Ji Heng answered slowly.

Jiang Li smiled and said, "My Lord, there is no need for you to lie to a little girl like me. I am not worth your time to lie to me."

"You don't have to belittle yourself. You are not a little woman. In my opinion, you are more of a liar than Taoist Chongxu." Ji Heng looked at her lazily, "If you want to inquire about Lipin, just ask about Lipin. Why use Chongxu as a cover?"

Jiang Li was speechless for a moment.

After a while, she said, "The Duke saw it very clearly. I am really ashamed."

"You don't look ashamed. You look like you've just thrown away a broken jar." Ji Heng picked up the folding fan on the table and played with it. Her slender fingers brushed across the handle of the fan. She described the woman's delicate fingers as "thin fingers like peeled onion roots". Ji Heng's fingers were not that weak. Although they had a beautiful shape, they were full of strength.

It is believed that if these hands were to strangle someone's throat, they would easily break it.

"Can you tell me, Lord?" Jiang Li withdrew her gaze from Ji Heng's fingers and asked politely.

"Sure." Ji Heng answered readily, "Chongxu is imprisoned in a private prison, and the emperor also knows his identity."

Jiang Li was startled and asked tentatively: "Could it be that... the emperor has already been angry with Lipin, but because this matter is of great importance, he won't disclose it to the public?" After all, if the identity of Taoist Chongxu is admitted, the case of that year will be brought up again, and a nobleman was wrongly killed that year. And asking the emperor to admit that he had mistakenly identified a liar would also damage the royal dignity.

"No." Ji Heng's answer was beyond Jiang Li's expectation. He said, "Princess Li is safe and sound."

This time, Jiang Li really couldn't hide her surprise. She asked, "Why? Does His Majesty really favor Lipin to such an extent?"

If this is really the case, Concubine Li only needs to whisper in the emperor's ear to get what she wants.

Ji Heng smiled and glanced at Jiang Li, then asked, "What do you think?"

It was hard to tell from his tone what he thought of this matter, but it made Jiang Li gradually calm down. No, if Lipin was really favored to such an extent, the Ji family would have risen step by step to the point where they could compete with the Jiang family. Although the Ji family did get promoted over the years since Lipin entered the palace, they still followed the rules and did not go too far.

Besides, the emperor is such a foolish person who is easily dazzled by beauty, why should Ji Heng belong to him? At least now Jiang Li thinks that Emperor Hong Xiao is not a weak and incompetent young emperor. He has his own rules and his own ambitions.

"Why didn't the emperor tell you?" Jiang Li asked humbly, "Is there any other use for him to keep Lipin?"

Ji Heng was still smiling, but his tone became sharper. He said, "This is a palace secret, Ah Li, don't want to know everything, or you may get yourself killed."

Unfortunately, Jiang Li became more and more bold in front of him. She was not afraid, but said righteously: "But my life now belongs to the Duke. If the Duke tells me the secret, I will take it to the coffin. The dead are the best at keeping secrets, right? In this case, what's wrong with telling me?"

The girl slightly raised her face; she was not very old, but in her prime years. Her face was full of youthful vigor, just like the flowers in the courtyard of the Duke's Mansion, which could bloom brilliantly even in the cold winter.

Ji Heng had lived for more than 20 years and had seen many people who laughed about life and death. There were warriors who kept secrets and brave men who died for justice. But she had never seen a 15-year-old girl talking about her own death calmly. There was no fear of death on her face, nor was there any timidity. She spoke calmly, so calmly that people couldn't help but wonder what had happened to her to develop such a contradictory personality.

He sneered and said, "You talk as if you've died once."

Jiang Li's eyes dimmed slightly.

Of course she had died before, and because she had died once, she understood even more clearly why Princess Yongning wanted to kill her and wipe out her entire family. It was because in Princess Yongning's view, only the dead could keep secrets.

"Speaking of which," Ji Heng suddenly thought of something, looked at Jiang Li, and said, "Since you keep saying that your life is mine, when are you going to give it to me? Now that Ji Shuran is dead, there is no one who can rival you in the Prime Minister's Mansion."

Jiang Li was startled and looked up at him.

The young man was wearing a red robe reflecting the snow, and his posture was lazy and elegant. His amber eyes were filled with a clear and moving smile. The small red mole under his eye made his elegance even more seductive.

Jiang Li lowered her eyes: "It's not the time yet."

"When was that?" He was unusually aggressive.

"Wait until Princess Yongning dies." Jiang Li raised her head and said firmly, "I'll take care of everything and come to your house in person. I'll let the Duke handle it."

Her eyes were clear, her tone was gentle but stubborn, and it was obvious that she had made up her mind, not just talking. She was always cunning, leaving herself some room for maneuver in everything. But this was the only thing that seemed to require her to exhaust her entire life's energy, use any means, and disregard the consequences to complete it.

Ji Heng raised an eyebrow.

He said, “You just say that?”

"I have nothing to hide from you, Lord." Jiang Li smiled, "It would be a waste of effort to hide it."

"You know the current situation very well," Ji Heng said, "and you are sweet-talking. Among my staff, no one is more likable than you."

Jiang Li curved her eyes and said, "Thank you for the compliment, Duke."

When she smiled, she was very warm, just like a heartless, innocent young girl. A deep meaning flashed in Ji Heng's eyes, and he knew that it was certainly not the case.

This girl also stood on the stage wearing a mask and was covered in oil paint, so that when people saw her smile, they didn't know what the truth was hidden under the paint.

It’s nothing, take your time, the truth will always be revealed.

He coughed lightly and said, "Do you really want to know why Lipin is so safe and sound?"

Jiang Li said: "Really."

Ji Heng: "Why?"

"It's a royal secret. Everyone wants to hear it." Jiang Li said as a matter of course.

Ji Heng choked at this reason which could not even be considered a reason. After a moment of silence, he said, "Princess Li is the King's person."

Jiang Li was about to pick up the teacup, but when she heard the words, her hands became unsteady and she almost fell over. Fortunately, Ji Heng was quick-witted and grabbed her wrist, preventing her from knocking over the teacup and letting the scalding tea splash on her.

His hand was icy and cool, and it felt as comfortable as if it was covered by jade. Jiang Li had such a thought in her mind for no reason. Ji Heng withdrew his hand, and did not notice that Jiang Li was distracted, and only asked: "Are you so surprised?"

Jiang Li looked at him in astonishment: "Of course..."

Concubine Li is the one who will make King Cheng happy!
Lipin is from the Ji family. The Ji family and the Jiang family are relatives. Although the Jiang family and King Cheng are at peace for the time being, you know that once King Cheng really wants to make that move and succeeds, the Jiang family will not be able to protect him. The Ji family actually surrendered to King Cheng? Jiang Yuanbo definitely didn't know about this!

"The Ji family did not surrender to King Cheng." Ji Heng seemed to be able to guess what she was thinking, and said in time: "It was only Lipin who did it."

"Why?" Jiang Li asked, "Does the Ji family not know about this?"

"You have dealt with the Ji family before, so you should know their temperament," Ji Heng said with a hint of sarcasm in his smile, "When it comes to weighing the pros and cons, no one can compare to them."

"Lipin has been in the palace for many years without a child. The Ji family is already preparing to have other women from the Ji family enter the palace." Ji Heng only said one sentence and Jiang Li understood.

Although Concubine Li was favored by Emperor Hong Xiao, she had not given birth to a prince for all these years. Even if she was favored, she could not be considered to have gained a firm foothold in the palace. Because of this, Concubine Li did not take advantage of her favor and could be said to have a gentle temperament.

But the Ji family was not satisfied with this. If Lipin could not give birth to a prince and further consolidate her position, the Ji family would not be able to move forward. The Ji family planned to select some beautiful and intelligent girls from the clan to enter the palace, with Lipin helping them, to win the favor of Emperor Hong Xiao and give birth to a son.

This seemed to be for the sake of the overall situation, but it was very disadvantageous to Lipin. Another beautiful girl came to share the emperor's favor, especially when it was the idea of ​​her own family.

Concubine Li will definitely not accept this.

"King Cheng knew that Lipin was unwilling to accept this." Ji Heng said, "He bewitched Lipin, and Lipin fell for it."

　Werewolf: Palace Storm

　　
　
(End of this chapter)