Chapter 152 Attending the Banquet
Jiang Youyao ran away, this was a fact that no one expected. Jiang Youyao was still there during the day yesterday, but when I went to check on her this morning, she was gone, which showed that Jiang Youyao could only have left the house last night when no one was around.

Old Madam Jiang was so angry that she almost fainted. She immediately asked Zhenzhu to bring Yaoguangzhu's two maids up for interrogation. When Jinhua and Yinhua were brought to Wanfeng Hall, they were both terrified. They obviously knew that something big had happened this time. Old Madam Jiang looked at them and said coldly, "Speak."

Jinhua was a little hesitant. For some reason, she was still loyal to Jiang Youyao. Even at this point, she was still unwilling to betray Jiang Youyao. Perhaps she was afraid that Jiang Youyao would settle the score with her afterwards.

Madam Jiang sneered and said, "Come here, drag these two maids out and sell them."

Jinhua was immediately frightened out of her wits. They were originally the personal maids of the young ladies of the official families. Such maids would either marry with the young ladies and be made concubines by the son-in-law, or marry out and become wives of the housekeepers, which was better than ending up in a brothel.

Without waiting for Jinhua to speak, Yinhua had already kowtowed to Old Madam Jiang and said, "Old Madam, I know where the Third Miss went. She went to the Ji family!"

Jinhua was shocked. Why did Yinhua say it directly? Little did she know that Yinhua had long been dissatisfied with Jiang Youyao. Jiang Youyao was willful and would beat and scold the maids around her if she was not satisfied with them. In the past, she had to be more restrained under Ji Shuran's supervision. Now that Ji Shuran is dead, I wonder if Jiang Youyao's temper has become more violent and she often doesn't treat her and Jinhua as human beings. It's a pity that as Jiang Youyao's personal maids, they can't say anything about their mistress, and they have to endure this inhuman abuse.

Now that Jiang Youyao was in trouble, Yinhua was unwilling to let herself pay for the mistake she made with Jiang Youyao. Therefore, she was not as entangled as Jinhua, and said, "Madam, last night the young lady asked me and Jinhua to pack up her gold and silver jewelry for her. She also lured the gatekeeper away, and the servants put laxatives in the gatekeeper's tea. While they were cleaning their hair, the third young lady escaped from the mansion."

Lu was surprised and asked, "Escape? Why would she run away from the house? If she wanted to go to the Ji family, she could just go by herself."

Yinhua stammered twice before saying, "Miss San thought that since she is under house arrest, she will never be allowed to leave the house again, let alone return to the Ji family. Miss San said she must return to the Ji family, and we dare not anger our master, as our indentures are still with our master... Besides, I thought that I would report this matter to the old lady early this morning, so that even if Miss San went to the Ji family, the old lady would be able to send someone to look for her."

Mrs. Jiang's expression was extremely ugly. From Yinhua's words, it was clear that Jiang Youyao was dissatisfied with the Jiang family, so she wanted to go to the Ji family to seek comfort. Such a young lady was simply...stupid!
Mrs. Lu also said, "Youyao is too spoiled. How could she think that the mansion would lock her up forever? It's just that things are going on right now, and it would be bad if she went out. It's better for her to stay in the mansion and avoid the limelight. How could you take my kindness for granted? You really don't know people well."

"That's enough! Stop talking!" Old Madam Jiang said angrily, and Mrs. Lu immediately fell silent. Old Madam Jiang said again: "Find the eldest brother for me. If something like this happens, he must go to the Ji family to ask for the person! If the Jiang family's daughter lives in the Ji family, what will happen if it gets out!"

The Jiang family has become a topic of conversation among the people in Yanjing City because of Ji Shuran's incident. If Jiang Youyao goes to the Ji family again, what will others think? Although Madam Jiang keeps saying that Jiang Youyao is stupid, after all, he grew up in front of her, and the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren is not hypocritical. Jiang Youyao's behavior, in the eyes of outsiders, will only think that those rumors are true. If Jiang Youyao is really the child of Ji Shuran and a foreign man, Jiang Youyao is really ruined!

Jiang Li saw what Old Lady Jiang was doing and sighed slightly. Jiang Youyao had made so many mistakes, but Old Lady Jiang was still not completely disappointed in her. She was originally an excellent person, but was brought to an irreversible state by this stupid woman. It can be seen that people still have to walk their own path in the end.

Jiang Jingrui said casually: "Who else do you need? If she wants to go back to the Ji family, then she can go back to the Ji family! There will be one less mouth to feed in our house, how great."

Mrs. Lu quickly pulled Jiang Jingrui to her side. Although she thought so in her heart, looking at the expression of Mrs. Jiang, it was obvious that she did not intend to let Jiang Youyao live in the Ji family forever. The old lady was already very angry, and Jiang Jingrui adding fuel to the fire was not a good thing.

Jiang Yuanbai got the news after the court session and hurried over. When he heard about this, his face turned pale and without saying a word he took people to Ji's house to ask for the person.

Jiang Jingrui left Wanfeng Hall and whispered to Jiang Li, "Do you think Jiang Youyao will come back with her uncle?"

"of course."

"Why?" Jiang Jingrui seemed very disappointed and asked, "Doesn't the Ji family want to keep her? She is the granddaughter of the Ji family after all."

Jiang Li said, "You also know that she is a grandson. The Ji family is already in the wrong regarding Ji Shuran's matter, and they won't say much to the Jiang family. Besides, it is not a good thing for Jiang Youyao to stay in the Ji family. Only letting her return to the Jiang family will be the best outcome for both of them. As for Jiang Youyao's own wishes, is it important?"

Jiang Jingrui scratched his head and finally said, "That's right, her wishes are not very smart anyway."

Jiang Li walked towards Fangfei Garden. On the first day of the new year, Jiang Youyao gave the entire Jiang family such a big surprise. This was something Jiang Li had not expected. It was possible that when Zhao Ke took her out of the Jiang family's "back door" last night, Jiang Youyao was sneaking out of the front door.

But... Jiang Youyao will face a lot of troubles when she returns home. At least for her sudden loss of her mother, the few regrets that Jiang Yuanbai and Old Madam Jiang had must have disappeared at this moment.

Jiang Youyao had no one to rely on.

In the afternoon, Jiang Yuanbai came back with his men. Jiang Li was in Fangfei Garden by herself, and she thought she would see an angry Jiang Youyao, but she didn't expect Tong'er to rush in from outside, close the door as soon as she entered, and said to Bai Xue and Jiang Li who were puzzled: "Something big has happened!"

"What's going on?" Jiang Li asked. "Big things happen" every now and then in this mansion, but in the end, it's really not a big deal. As for Jiang Youyao, Jiang Li didn't think she could cause much trouble now.

"The master took people to the Ji family at noon to look for the third young lady, and now he has returned empty-handed. I thought the third young lady insisted on staying at the Ji family, but later I heard the old lady was very angry outside Wanfeng Hall, and the second master advised the master to find someone as soon as possible." After a pause, she said, "The third young lady did not go to the Ji family, she is gone!"

"Didn't you go to the Ji family?" Jiang Li's eyes fixed. Jiang Youyao was probably not as smart as Jiang Yu'e. If she didn't go to the Ji family, where else could she go in Yanjing City... Could it be that she went to find Jiang Yu'e, or Zhou Yanbang? After all, according to Jiang Youyao's personality, the person who deserved her trust the most in the world, besides the Ji family, was Zhou Yanbang, the son of Ningyuan Marquis, right?
Bai Xue also thought of the same thing as Jiang Li, and asked, "Will the Third Miss go to the Ningyuan Marquis' Mansion?"

"That's possible, but if we really go to Ningyuan Marquis' Mansion, they will send someone to inform us as soon as possible."

"Why?" Tong'er asked, "Are you so anxious to protect yourself?"

"Shen Ruyun is about to marry into the Ningyuan Marquis's Mansion," Jiang Li smiled nonchalantly, "Shen Ruyun's brother Shen Yurong is a protective person, and he must have already informed the Zhou family before this. How dare the Zhou family neglect it? What's the big deal about Jiang Youyao's appearance? Besides, Jiang Youyao has a bad reputation now, and the Zhou family is afraid that Zhou Yanbang and Jiang Youyao will have some relationship, so it's too late to avoid them."

"So, as long as the third young lady goes to Ningyuan Marquis' Mansion, we will know about it soon?" Tong'er asked.

Jiang Li nodded: "So there is no need to worry too much. Although Yanjing City is big, my father did not openly report to the police. As long as Jiang Youyao does not encounter bad people, even if she does, we can quickly find out her whereabouts." She turned around and said lightly: "We just need to wait and see what happens."

This was Jiang Li's idea. She was sure that Jiang Youyao would not go far. Apart from other conditions, Jiang Youyao herself was not the type to endure hardships. She would regret it after staying outside for only half a day.

But unexpectedly, Jiang Li's idea was wrong.

At night, there was still no news of Jiang Youyao. Tong'er secretly went to ask the maid she knew well, and heard that Jiang Yuanbo had also gone to Ningyuan Marquis's mansion to look for someone, but still found nothing. The people sent out to track down Jiang Youyao's whereabouts did not find any trace of Jiang Youyao. A good person, just disappeared out of thin air. Old Madam Jiang had already discussed with Jiang Yuanbo whether to report to the police, but once the police were reported, it would really damage Jiang Youyao's statement.

After arguing for a long time, Lu and Jiang Yuanping also joined in, and finally decided to report to the authorities early tomorrow morning. Reputation is important, but life comes first.

Tong'er and Baixue chatted for a few words and then went out. Jiang Li got on the bed and blew out the light, but she couldn't fall asleep. Thinking about Jiang Youyao, she always felt strange.

How could such a big person disappear for no reason? If she walked on the street, she would be easily discovered. No one dared to hide her among the officials who knew her. Jiang Yuanbai even sent people to the teahouse and brothel to see if she was caught by human traffickers, but to no avail. There was no news of Jiang Youyao in the marks of leaving the city gate. Could it be... was she hidden by someone?

Jiang Li thought hard, but in the end, she couldn't come up with a conclusion. She turned over and closed her eyes. "Let's talk about tomorrow's matter tomorrow. Let Jiang Yuanbai report to the authorities and have someone look for it. If they can't find it...if they can't find it, ask Zhao Ke."

Maybe he could know.

……

The next morning, when Jiang Li went out of Fangfei Garden to pay respects to Madam Jiang, she did not see Jiang Yuanbo. He must have gone to report to the police. Mrs. Lu was also there, but she was not as aggressive and shrewd as usual. She sat aside and shook her head at Jiang Li, as if to warn Jiang Li not to make the old lady angry and just wait and see what happens.

Madam Jiang was probably really angry. Before Ji Shuran's incident was resolved, Jiang Youyao was in trouble again. The Jiang family was really going to become a laughing stock in Yanjing City.

The atmosphere in Wanfeng Hall was very silent. At this moment, Feicui suddenly walked in with a letter in her hand. She handed it to Old Madam Jiang and said, "Old Madam, the mother of Zhongshu Shelang has sent a letter."

Zhongshu Shelang? Jiang Li's heart moved. Shen family? She couldn't help but look up at the post in Madam Jiang's hand.

Old Madam Jiang quickly finished reading the post and seemed a little tired, so she said, "Go back. It's better to avoid going out these days. You don't have much contact with the Shen family. And there's also the matter of the fifth girl. It would be awkward to go." With a glance, she saw Jiang Li staring blankly at the post in her hand.

Jiang Li had always been indifferent to everything in the Jiang Mansion. Whether it was jewelry or silk, she would smile slightly, but she didn't look too happy. This indifferent look was comforting, but also a little uneasy, especially for the old lady and Jiang Yuanbo who wanted to compensate Jiang Li for her past grievances. At this moment, Mrs. Jiang suddenly saw that Jiang Li showed a rare interest, thought for a while, and said, "Second girl, do you want to go?"

Jiang Li was startled, and Lu also looked at her. Jiang Li smiled slightly: "I'm just a little curious." Although she said this, her eyes were still looking at the post.

Madam Jiang understood immediately, and after pondering for a while, she said, "In that case, just accept the invitation. Since they have invited us, if we don't go, it will make our Jiang family look weak. There was nothing to do, but I don't know what they are saying behind my back. In two days, second girl, you should also dress up and come with me to the banquet."

Lu asked curiously, "Why is the Shen family holding a banquet?"

Madam Jiang glanced at her and said, "Miss Shen is getting married. She will enter the Ningyuan Marquis's mansion in ten days. We will host a banquet before she gets married."

The Shen family is small, and Shen's mother has only one son and one daughter. Shen Yurong has not remarried yet, and Shen Ruyun is going to get married. This is probably a big event for the Shen family.

Mrs. Lu nodded and said, "Then our Ah Li must dress up on that day. Now..." She smiled and didn't say the rest. Jiang Li also knew what she wanted to say. Now that she has reached the age of marriage, regardless of how the marriage will be, at least she has to start choosing a family.

But now is not a good time, after all, the Jiang family has just had so many problems. But for Jiang Li, this is exactly what she wants. She doesn't want to get married, she just wants revenge. Trapped in the backyard, how can she do what she wants?

She would rather not get married.

But the old lady began to seriously consider Lu's words. Jiang Li's marriage was delayed because she was deceived by Ji Shuran before. Later, Jiang Yu'e messed it up. Although it seems now that the Ningyuan Marquis's marriage is not very good and Zhou Yanbang is definitely not a good match, Jiang Li was wronged in the end.

It is time to go and take a look at the talented young men of the right age in Yanjing City. I should be able to see quite a few of them at the Shen Mansion’s banquet this time. If I see any good ones, I will ask around, thought Old Madam Jiang.

However, he didn't notice that the corners of Jiang Li's smiling mouth had already sank unconsciously.

……

In the two days since leaving the Shen family for the banquet, the government officials still haven't found Jiang Youyao's whereabouts. Because Jiang Yuanbai had informed the government officials, he didn't reveal Jiang Youyao's name, so his reputation was saved. At least now, except for the people in the government, no one knew that Jiang Youyao was missing.

Jiang Yuanbai's face became uglier day by day. Jiang Li knew that Jiang Yuanbai was actually worried, after all, she was his biological daughter. No matter how angry and disappointed he was, he couldn't help but worry at such a critical moment. But this would not change anything for Jiang Li.

On the day of attending the banquet at the Shen Mansion, Madam Jiang asked Zhenzhu to deliver the jewelry early in the morning.

I had made several new clothes before the New Year, but I hadn't had time to wear them yet. Now I can finally wear them. The jewelry sent by Mrs. Jiang was also very generous and dazzling. Tong'er picked out the jewelry that matched the clothes and put them on Jiang Li. She also combed Jiang Li's hair carefully and put on some makeup. Everything was surprisingly good.

"You haven't been to a banquet for a long time. This is a good opportunity to surprise others." Tong'er seemed to have never known how to be modest. She said proudly, "I will outshine the other ladies and make them drop their teeth!"

Jiang Li smiled and didn't comment. She went to the Shen family to find some more evidence, although the evidence she could find was too slim. The Shen family would definitely clean up all the traces after Xue Fangfei's death. Shen Yurong was always cautious and would not leave any handle.

But she still wanted to take a look.

When they left the courtyard, Madam Jiang and her group were already there. Lu didn't bring Jiang Jingrui and Jiang Jingyou with her. Jiang Jingyou wanted to study, and Jiang Jingrui was too naughty. Lu was afraid that he would make trouble at the banquet. There were also some young ladies from aristocratic families coming today. It would be bad if something went wrong. Lu also came to the banquet with the intention of choosing a daughter-in-law for herself. As for the third room, Madam Jiang also sent someone to ask about it. Yang said that she had not been feeling well recently and politely declined. Madam Jiang believed that she had done everything she could. Since Yang didn't appreciate it, she didn't need to persuade her anymore.

As a result, only Madam Jiang, Mrs. Lu and Jiang Li went to the banquet.

Fortunately, Mrs. Lu and Jiang Li had a good relationship, and she chatted with Jiang Li along the way, and the atmosphere was harmonious. But Jiang Li was worried about something, so she was a little absent-minded. Mrs. Lu thought she didn't rest well last night, so she let her lean against the carriage to rest for a while and called her when she arrived.

Jiang Li leaned against the carriage and closed her eyes, but she couldn't fall asleep. Her thoughts were in a mess, and her mind was full of the past in the Shen family. Now she was revisiting the place where she had been killed, the place where she had been deceived, hurt, and murdered, and the place where her child was buried. She had to go there again.

Not long after, the carriage stopped and Mrs. Lu shook Jiang Li: "Ali, we're here."

Jiang Li opened her eyes and jumped off the carriage with Lu.

The entrance to the Shen residence was still the same as before. The golden plaque with the words "Zhuangyuan Jidi" was still brand new, as if it had been carefully wiped every day, without a speck of dust. The gatekeeper was even familiar to Jiang Li, but the clothes he wore were much more luxurious than before.

Jiang Li held Madam Jiang's hand and handed the invitation to the doorman, who then respectfully stepped aside and welcomed the guest in. He did not realize that the girl in front of him was the lady who had lived in the mansion for three years.

Who could have thought of it? No one could have thought of it.

As soon as they entered the house, they were filled with elegance. Mrs. Lu said, "It seems that Mr. Shen is also an elegant person. There is a lot of literary charm in the mansion."

The Jiang family is also a family of civil officials. There is always a sense of mutual appreciation between literati. Jiang Li's eyes turned cold. The Shen family does look elegant and well-educated, but no one knows the wolf ambitions behind these modest gentlemen. When they arrived at the courtyard, they found that many ladies and young ladies had come. There were also some young masters. There were few young masters from official families. Jiang Li saw Liu Xu. Liu Xu and Madam Liu were also here for the banquet. When Liu Xu saw Jiang Li, she excitedly trotted over and said, "Finally I see you!"

Speaking of which, Jiang Li rarely saw Liu Xu since she returned to Yanjing City from Tongxiang. She no longer went to Guangwen Hall, and the Jiang family had accidents one after another. Except for visiting Xue Huaiyuan at the Ye family every now and then, she no longer moved around. Liu Xu took her hand and sat down next to Madam Liu. Madam Jiang saw her talking to the little sisters she was familiar with, so she followed her.

Liu Xu said, "Are you okay? How long has it been since I last saw you? Two months or three months? I wanted to send you a letter and visit you, but I heard that the Jiang family has been in turmoil recently, so it's not a good idea to visit rashly. I wanted to ask you to come out and find me, but I was afraid that it would be inconvenient for you to go out. I didn't expect to see you here today."

Jiang Li smiled slightly: "A lot of things have happened recently, but it's all over."

Liu Xu looked at Jiang Li and saw that she didn't look fake, nor did she look haggard or thin. She breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's over. Seeing you like this, I'm finally relieved. Why are you the only one here today, and not Jiang Youyao?"

Outsiders still didn't know that Jiang Youyao was missing. Jiang Li smiled and said, "She is in the mansion and is under house arrest."

Liu Xu said, "With her personality, she must be looking for trouble again. It would be better if she didn't come. If she comes, I'm really afraid that she will cause trouble for you."

"Thank you." Jiang Li also smiled and looked at Liu Xu, "You have nothing to do recently, right?"

Liu Xu said, "Nothing." At this point, he seemed to have something to hide, and he whimpered. Seeing this, Jiang Li asked softly, "But what's wrong?"

Liu Xu glanced at her and sighed helplessly, "My father said it's time to find someone for me. I came to the banquet today, and my mother also came to see if there are any suitable candidates. God knows I don't want to get married at all. What's the point of getting married?" As she spoke, she looked at Jiang Li, her eyes lit up, and said, "Come to think of it, this is why you came to the banquet, right? You are about the same age as me, and the Jiang family should have found someone for you a long time ago!"

"Maybe." Jiang Li smiled.

"Why don't you seem to care at all?" Liu Xu looked at her suspiciously, "You're neither shy nor afraid, as if you're talking about someone else's business."

"Me?" Jiang Li came back to her senses and smiled, "I am just like you. I don't want to get married. But this kind of thing is not up to me. Instead of worrying in vain, it's better to relax."

Hearing this, Liu Xu also sighed and said, "Who made us born as women? We have to work much harder than men."

Jiang Li looked elsewhere. Among those who came today, there were also members of the Ji family. Chen Jishi was also there. After greeting Old Madam Jiang, she sat far away at the other end. Because of Ji Shuran's matter, the relationship between the Ji family and the Jiang family was also very awkward. But it was difficult to say anything.

In addition, Jiang Li also saw people from the Right Prime Minister Li's family. Li Xian and Li Lian were here, but think about it, since Shen Yurong had joined the Cheng Wang faction, and the Right Prime Minister had already colluded with Cheng Wang. Shen Yurong and the Right Prime Minister were in the same group. Jiang Li noticed that many of the young ladies present were looking at the Li Xian brothers.

Li Xian and Li Lian were both handsome. Especially Li Xian, who was talented at a young age and held an official position. Although Li Lian looked like a dandy, his good looks and status still attracted many girls. The two brothers were still unmarried, and they were considered popular among the noble ladies in Yanjing. However, when it came to choosing a marriage partner, either the family was very open-minded and let the child choose based on his own preferences. Or the more noble the family was, the more they would pay attention to the match. If someone else chose the Li family, they had to be pleasing to the Li family.

Old Madam Jiang also noticed this and couldn't help looking at Jiang Li. Seeing that Jiang Li was only talking to Liu Xu and didn't even look at the Li Xian brothers, she felt relieved. The Li Xian brothers were good, but the Li and Jiang families were mortal enemies. If Jiang Li also liked the Li brothers, it would definitely not work out. Fortunately, Jiang Li didn't seem to favor these two people.

The young ladies who came and went today all stayed away from Jiang Li. Although the charge of killing her mother and brother was no longer there, there were too many messy things in the Jiang family recently, and everyone was willing to stay away from the trouble and didn't want to get involved with the Jiang family. Jiang Li was also happy to be quiet.

While talking to Liu Xu, Liu Xu suddenly said, "Hey, I didn't expect Mr. Xiao to be here too."

Jiang Li looked up and saw Xiao Deyin wearing a loose purple dress with fluttering sleeves. She always looked gentle and elegant, and it was the same now. Among the girls younger than her, she was not outshined, but had a unique beauty.

Many of the noble ladies here were also female students of Mingyi Hall, and they immediately greeted Xiao Deyin warmly. Xiao Deyin accepted with a smile, and when she walked to Jiang Li and Liu Xu, Jiang Li and Liu Xu also stood up and saluted with her.

Xiao Deyin seemed surprised that Jiang Li was here, and said with a smile: "I didn't expect you to come too. I haven't seen you in Mingyi Hall these days. I heard that you caught a cold. Are you okay?"

She didn't mention the Jiang family's affairs at all, as if she had considered Jiang Li very carefully. Jiang Li also thanked Xiao Deyin for the question mark. After Xiao Deyin left, Liu Xu sighed: "Among the gentlemen in Mingyi Hall, only Mr. Xiao is the most gentle."

Jiang Li smiled and said nothing. She had thought Xiao Deyin was the most gentle one. After all, to have such a moving piano sound, he must be a smart person. But the truth was ugly and chilling.

After sitting for a while, the host finally came out. Shen's mother and Shen Ruyun came out first, and Shen Yurong came out later. Shen's mother took Shen Ruyun to greet the ladies. Shen Ruyun was wearing a rose purple peony pattern brocade long dress and a long skirt, which was very gorgeous. She also made up carefully today. I don't know if it was because she was going to marry into the Ningyuan Marquis's mansion soon, and she got what she wanted, but she looked particularly beautiful.

Shen Yurong came out last. As soon as he came out, many noble ladies turned their eyes from the Li brothers to Shen Yurong. Such a young talent, a promising young master Shen, even if he was just a?, would be scrambled for by others. Moreover, this gentleman was a romantic man. He did such a shameful thing but still stayed with his wife. All women in the world hope that their husbands are affectionate. Shen Yurong, except for her poor family background, really had no flaws.

Mother Shen couldn't help showing a little smug look on her face. She really liked this feeling of being the center of attention. A few years ago, her family would have had to look up to anyone who came to the mansion today. But now these people praised her children and admired her, which made her feel that all the hardships in the past were worth it. Even if it was just for this moment of vanity.

Jiang Li saw the expression of Shen's mother. She had been the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law of Shen's mother for three years, and she already knew what Shen's mother was thinking. She couldn't help but laugh sarcastically in her heart. Even though Shen Yurong had been promoted and made a fortune, and she had become the mother of a superior person, her vanity and materialism were no different from before, and even more exposed than before.

The Shen family banquet was about to begin, and everyone sat down at the table. The maid brought up plates of exquisite dishes. After not seeing them for a long time, there were many more servants in the Shen family, and even the taste of the food had changed. Jiang Li thought blankly.

At that time, she married into the Shen family, which had no wealth to begin with, and lived entirely on Shen Yurong's writing and Xue Fangfei's dowry. She was thrifty, and her daily meals could not be too simple. Even so, Shen Ruyun and Shen's mother always disliked her for not knowing how to live.

It seems that the Shen family has no shortage of money now. They have delicious fish and meat for every meal, and they also hold grand banquets. I wonder how much of this silver was donated by Princess Yongning.

Jiang Li had just thought of this when she heard a servant from the Shen Mansion come to report that Princess Yongning had arrived.

Everyone at the banquet was surprised. Why did Princess Yongning come here suddenly?
Jiang Li's mouth twitched. Of course Princess Yongning would come. As long as Shen Yurong was there, she would follow without hesitation. It was fine in the past, but the enthusiasm for the Tongxiang case has not completely subsided, and the rumors about the people behind Feng Yutang have not been cleared up. Princess Yongning should keep a distance from the Shen family. If she comes now, I'm afraid Shen Yurong will not be very happy.

She glanced at Shen Yurong sitting at the other table calmly.

Shen Yurong smiled, and was listening to what her colleagues were saying. She glanced casually at the entrance of the garden. In that glance, Jiang Li clearly saw anxiety and displeasure.

As expected, he and Princess Yongning had a disagreement.

Yongning was willful and clung to Shen Yurong tightly, not wanting to be apart for a moment. However, in Shen Yurong's heart, staying with Yongning was obviously not her top priority. At this time, with Shen Yurong's temperament, she would only try to avoid suspicion. Yongning's clinging to her would only make Shen Yurong angry.

Jiang Li raised the teacup in front of her, took a sip, and smiled gently.

"I didn't expect the princess to come so suddenly." Liu Xu sat next to Jiang Li and talked to her secretly.

At this time, Princess Yongning also came in with the servant leading the way.

Today, Shen's mother hosted a banquet for Shen Ruyun, but Princess Yongning was wearing something even more gorgeous than Shen Ruyun, with a scarlet bodice with pearl flowers, a long skirt with flying birds and flowers, and her hair tied up in a golden eight-treasure bun, which was very dazzling. Her lips were rosy and her smile was charming. She said, "I happened to pass by and heard the excitement, so I knew there was a banquet inside. Come in and take a look, Madam Shen, don't you mind?"

"How could that be?" Shen's mother said with a smile, "It is a great honor for our mansion that Her Royal Highness Princess is willing to come."

Princess Yongning said in a delicate voice, "Mrs. Shen, you are too polite. You don't have to mind me. Just treat it the same as before." She naturally sat next to Shen Ruyun.

Shen Ruyun seemed to have received a great honor. She straightened her body and held her head high.

In Jiang Li's eyes, there was a nauseating feeling of disgust.

"The Shen family seems to be trying to curry favor with others," Liu Xu whispered, "Lord Shen looks like a noble man, so why is this family..."

"You can know a person's face but not his heart." Jiang Li said only one sentence. After all, she knew best whether Shen Yurong was truly noble or not.

Princess Yongning glanced at Shen Yurong as if nothing had happened. Shen Yurong did not notice her. A trace of disappointment flashed across her eyes, but then quickly disappeared. The ladies at the table began to laugh and chat calmly.

There were many people who tried to curry favor with Princess Yongning. However, Madam Jiang and Lady Lu sat there without moving, and did not even take the initiative to greet Princess Yongning. Princess Yongning was the sister of King Cheng, and King Cheng was in collusion with the Right Prime Minister, who was an enemy of the Jiang family, so naturally there was nothing to say.

The banquet seemed to be a great success. The ladies were busy chatting, looking at each other, and fawning on each other. After dinner, they just sat in the courtyard and watched the snow.

Although it didn't snow today, the Shen family was elegant and specially renovated a snow-viewing pavilion. The long corridor pavilion was also a scene. Liu Xu was a little uninterested. The other ladies followed Shen Ruyun to walk in the yard, but Liu Xu didn't want to join in the fun. She took Jiang Li and the two of them wandered alone in the garden.

After walking around for a while, Liu Xu wanted to go to the bathroom. Jiang Li was waiting for her outside and walked around casually as well. Suddenly, she saw an open room with a Fangqin on the table.

This ancient zither is very precious at first glance. It should be used by women. It is very thin and light, and there are flowers and birds carved on the surface. When she was Xue Fangfei, she originally brought a zither, which was given to her by Xue Zhao. In the end, it was burned with her death. Shen Yurong would never play the zither of a girl. When she saw this zither for the first time, Jiang Li knew that it was a gift from Princess Yongning.

Princess Yongning can also play the zither. Although her zither skills may not be exquisite, there are many people in the world who admire her and praise her. Jiang Li walked into the room, walked to the zither, and stretched out her hand to touch the surface of the zither. The precious zither probably did not feel rough to the touch, but was completely different from being delicate. She could imagine that perhaps in the past, Shen Yurong was sitting here, watching Princess Yongning play the zither, maybe responding, or maybe just smiling and watching. Thinking about it, Jiang Li felt nauseous.

But she sat down.

Without burning incense or washing her hands, she just tried it and started playing the instrument directly.

The piece she played was "Guan Shang Yue".

The sound of the piano drifted away and gradually spread far away. The Shen Mansion was not as big as the Duke's Mansion, so the sound of the piano naturally would not disappear halfway and gradually spread to the corridor pavilion.

At first, no one paid attention, thinking it was a musician playing. Gradually, the audience also paid attention, and someone asked, "Who is this musician? He can play a piece like "Guan Shang Yue" so well. Who is playing this?"

"Yes, yes, yes. Hey, Mr. Xiao, don't you know how to play the piano? The sound of this piano can be considered excellent, right?" someone asked.

Suddenly someone asked Xiao Deyin, who was in a daze and didn't come back to her senses for a moment. Someone next to her gently pulled her sleeve, "Mr. Xiao, what's wrong with you?"

Xiao Deyin finally came back to her senses, forced a smile and replied, "Well, it was a very good conversation." No one noticed that her palms were full of sweat at this moment.

Others can only hear the sound of the piano but not the heart of it. However, she clearly felt that the person playing the piano was so familiar, as if it was that person, the person who should not exist... Xue Fangfei?

How is this possible!
Xue Fangfei was already dead, so the person playing the piano must be someone with a similar sound to Xue Fangfei's. She made a mistake. Thinking this way, Xiao Deyin couldn't wait to ask Shen's mother, "May I ask, Madam, who played the piano in the mansion? Can you please come and talk about it?"

Mother Shen was also confused and said, "Musician player? We have never hired a music player in our house."

"We haven't hired a musician yet, so who is playing the piano?" Everyone was surprised. "Could it be one of the young ladies among the guests?"

Shen Ruyun happened to be there too. She thought for a moment and said, "There is only one zither in the mansion. It belongs to my eldest brother and is placed in the tea room in the West Garden. If someone is playing the zither in our mansion, it must be that one zither. We can just send someone to check and we'll know who it is. You don't have to worry. I'll send someone to see who is playing the zither and then invite him over." After saying that, she told the maid to go ahead.

Guan Shang Yue still did not stop. The more exciting it became, the more flavorful it became. Someone could not help but say, "This piano sound is not much different from Mr. Xiao's."

Xiao Deyin was annoyed when she heard this. Once upon a time, the whole city of Yanjing regarded her as the best zither player, especially after Fairy Jinghong got married, she had no rivals. But in just half a year, first Jiang Li, then this inexplicable person, she seemed to be the best zither player, as if anyone could do it!
In addition to anger, there was also deep fear in Xiao Deyin's heart.

It's so similar.

She still remembered the first time she heard Xue Fangfei play "Guan Shang Yue", she was so surprised that she refused to believe that someone in the world could play it to such a level. At that time, she also found out with hatred that her piano skills were indeed not as good as Xue Fangfei's.

Fortunately, Xue Fangfei died.

But who is this man?
The maid who was ordered by Shen Ruyun to find the person playing the zither came to the room in the West Garden. The person playing the zither had stopped at some point. The little maid entered the room and saw the precious flower and bird zither placed neatly on the table, as if no one had ever been there.

There is only a faint fragrance in the air.

(End of this chapter)