Chapter 161 Recovery
After the New Year, the snow in Yanjing finally stopped for two days. During these two days, the sun came out, which was rare.

The New Year washes away the unhappiness of the past year. No matter what, the new beginning must continue.

The Jiang family seemed to have tacitly agreed to forget the criticisms they had suffered in the past year. Suddenly, no one mentioned it anymore, and the servants in the mansion no longer lived with sad faces, but were happy again. Everything that happened in the past was buried, and everyone continued to live the same life.

Jiang Yuanbo also started attending court and no longer asked for leave on the grounds of illness.

On this day, the weather was fine, and Jiang Li was sitting at the gate of the yard, watching the bright moon and the gentle breeze move the books from the house out to dry. On a winter day, the books were damp from being covered, and now that there was some sunshine, they could be taken out to dry and get rid of the bugs.

Just as she was squinting her eyes to enjoy the warm sun, Bai Xue suddenly came in from outside and said, "Miss, Ah Shun from the Ye Mansion just came over and told her to go over there quickly because County Magistrate Xue is in trouble."

The smile on Jiang Li's face faded away completely in an instant. She stood up and asked, "What's the matter? What happened to County Magistrate Xue?"

"I have asked, and Ah Shun said that he couldn't explain it for a while, so he asked Miss to go over and take a look. Now the Third Master and Miss Situ are both in the Ye Mansion, Miss, do you want to go now?" Bai Xue knew that Jiang Li was always very nervous about Xue Huaiyuan. If she knew that Xue Huaiyuan was in trouble, she would rush over to see him immediately. Therefore, almost as soon as Ah Shun finished speaking, she asked someone to prepare the carriage.

Jiang Li really said, "Of course, let's go now." She hurried back to the house without time to dress up. She just took a cloak and came out, calling Tong'er and Bai Xue, "You guys come with me."

She left in a hurry, and told Mingyue and Qingfeng that if anyone asked, she had gone to the Ye Mansion. Anyway, the old lady and Jiang Yuanbai turned a blind eye to her frequent visits to the Ye Mansion, and no one dared to say anything. After getting on the carriage, Jiang Li felt her heart beating very fast. She had clearly seen Xue Huaiyuan a few days ago, and Xue Huaiyuan was fine. Situ Jiuyue said that he could read and write now, although he sat in a daze most of the time, but this meant that he was getting better and began to actively search for his memories. How come only two days later, Ah Shun came running over in a hurry, saying that Xue Huaiyuan was in trouble?

Jiang Li smiled. If it wasn't an emergency, Ye Mingyu wouldn't have let Ah Shun come and tell him. It can be seen that the matter has reached a very critical moment.

Bai Xue saw that Jiang Li was very nervous, and comforted her, "Miss, don't worry. With Miss Situ here, I think nothing will happen."

"Yes, young lady," Tong'er also said, "Who knows, maybe County Magistrate Xue has recovered and regained his memory when we went there today?"

Jiang Li's heart skipped a beat. Others thought that restoring memory was probably a good thing. But Jiang Li knew that for Xue Huaiyuan, restoring memory might mean the coming of pain. If Xue Huaiyuan really regained his memory and regained his sanity, the first thing he would have to face was the fact that his children were dead and the Xue family was no longer there. For a father, there is no greater pain in the world than this.

Will he collapse again? He didn't even want to think about it. Jiang Li felt like a knife was cutting her heart.

As he was thinking about this, he soon arrived at the gate of Ye's mansion. The gate of Ye's mansion was open, and the servant was waiting outside. When he saw Jiang Li, he said, "Second Miss Jiang, you are finally here."

Hearing this, Jiang Li became even more flustered, wishing she could fly to Xue Huaiyuan right away. She didn't even have time to say hello to the doorman, and rushed in hurriedly, holding up her skirt.

There were several people standing outside the room where Xue Huaiyuan usually lived. Jiang Li walked closer and saw clearly that the person standing outside was Ye Mingyu, and said, "Uncle!"

Ye Mingyu was stunned and asked, "Why did you come so quickly?"

Although the distance between Ye Mansion and Jiang Mansion was not far, it was not so fast to arrive. Jiang Li said, "I asked the driver to hurry up." The driver received her order and drove very fast all the way, and finally arrived in front of Ye Mansion in the shortest time.

"Uncle, what happened? Is County Magistrate Xue in the room?" Jiang Li asked hurriedly without waiting for Ye Mingyu to answer.

Knowing that she always took Xue Huaiyuan's affairs very seriously, Ye Mingyu sighed and said, "I don't know how to explain this matter. This morning, I happened to be in the mansion and didn't go out. Recently, County Magistrate Xue likes reading very much, although he just stares at the book in a daze. I moved a stool for him to bask in the sun in the yard and read a book."

"Later, the kitchen came to serve hot soup, and I stood up to serve it. When I turned around, I saw County Magistrate Xue sitting on the ground, and the stool had fallen over. Maybe he didn't stand firmly when he stood up. You know, when people get older, they get dizzy when they stand up suddenly. I saw that he had been sitting on the ground and didn't get up. I was afraid that he might have bumped into something, so I hurried forward to help him. When I saw his condition, I was shocked. He had hit his head and was bleeding a lot."

When Jiang Li heard this, she couldn't help but ask, "How could it be so serious? Are you okay now?"

"I was also startled. Who would have thought that Old Man Xue would look at me and suddenly ask me, 'Who are you? Ah Li,'" he scratched his head. "At that time, Old Man Xue's expression looked really scary. He has been asking people this question frequently these days, but his tone was a little strange today. I couldn't tell what was strange about it. Anyway, I answered that I was Ye Mingyu, and he asked me where I was. I said this was Yanjing City. Then he stood up by himself without my help."

Jiang Li asked: "Stand up by yourself?"

"Isn't it? I thought that Old Man Xue was well again and didn't want to be helped. But after taking two steps, he fell down headfirst. I was so scared that I immediately asked someone to ask Doctor Situ to come over. I thought that Old Man Xue was acting strange today, and I hoped that nothing would happen to him. Miss Situ came quickly, but after she came, she only told me to come over quickly."

Jiang Li listened in a daze. Situ Jiuyue said this, it must be because Xue Huaiyuan’s matter was no small matter.

While I was thinking, Situ Jiuyue's voice came from inside the house: "Is Jiang Li here? If she is, come in quickly."

"Okay, I'm calling you, go in quickly." Ye Mingyu said.

Jiang Li and Ye Mingyu went into the house together.

The curtains in the room were all drawn, probably because Situ Jiuyue had asked them to be drawn. Although it was daytime, the lights were on and it was bright, with a soothing aroma lingering in the nose. Jiang Li walked to the inside, and by the bed, Situ Jiuyue was sitting, and standing next to her was Haitang. Haitang lowered her head, her eyes were red, as if she had been crying.

Jiang Li's heart skipped a beat. Now that things had come to this, if anything happened to Xue Huaiyuan, she was afraid she wouldn't know how to go on.

She looked at Xue Huaiyuan.

Xue Huaiyuan was lying on the bed with his eyes closed. The wound on his head had been bandaged. Situ Jiuyue was packing her medicine box with her head down. Jiang Li couldn't help but said, "Miss Jiuyue..."

"He may have recovered his memory." Situ Jiuyue said without raising her head.

Jiang Li's hands trembled, and for a moment she didn't know what to say. After a while, she said, ".....All?"

"Maybe." Situ Jiuyue stood up and faced Jiang Li. She said calmly, "Even if not all of it, he should have remembered most of the things he thought were important."

Jiang Li calmed down and asked again: "But why is he unconscious now?"

"Because he remembered most of his past, those memories are probably not particularly good ones." Situ Jiuyue said calmly, "As far as I know, the past of this County Magistrate Xue was extremely miserable. It was because the first thing he thought of after recovering his memory was the painful things, and he couldn't bear it for a while, so he fell asleep. You can regard this behavior as his instinct to escape. But I have told you before that this situation is very likely."

Jiang Li lowered her eyes, "I know." She asked softly, "When will County Magistrate Xue wake up?"

"It's hard to say. It depends on how long he can escape." Situ Jiuyue carried the medicine box on her back. "Don't think this is a simple matter. No matter how brave or cold-blooded a person is, if he suddenly regains his memory, especially such a bad memory, he will definitely struggle. When he gradually accepts the fact and is willing to wake up, he will wake up naturally. It may take one day or ten days. If you need, I can of course give him an acupuncture to make him wake up immediately, but it will be very painful for him to face this reality without any preparation. What are you going to do?"

Facing Situ Jiuyue's gaze, Jiang Li pulled the corners of her mouth, but ultimately failed to smile. She said, "No need. Let him slowly accept it and slowly wake up."

It took her a long time to get over it and accept the facts of the past. Her father loved her and Xue Zhao so much, and the hurt he suffered was hundreds and thousands of times deeper than her. How could she bear to add to her father's pain?

Ye Mingyu sighed and said, "Xue County Magistrate has had a rough life. It makes people feel sad."

"No matter what, when he wakes up, he will have to face a sober life." Situ Jiuyue's tone seemed to contain a hint of melancholy. She said, "In fact, the past days were not bad. A madman in the eyes of the world lived a happier life than other people."

She herself was Princess Molan, and having experienced the turmoil of the past, she knew how cruel it was to face reality soberly. Xue Huaiyuan could probably make her empathize.

"I want to stay here." Haitang's voice was still a little choked. "Master is in this state now. If he knew what happened to the Xue family, he would be very sad. I want to stay with Master, at least to tell him that the Xue family is not completely deserted. I also want to tell Master about the young lady's grievances, so that he knows that the young lady was not as bad as others said."

Jiang Li looked at Situ Jiuyue, who shrugged and said, "This is the person you just came back for, so of course you have the final say, you don't have to look at me."

Jiang Li thought about it, and said to Haitang: "In that case, you should stay here. You can take care of County Magistrate Xue, but don't go out on weekdays. Otherwise, you will be seen by others."

Haitang nodded: "Okay."

Jiang Li originally thought that Xue Huaiyuan had met with an accident during this trip, but she unexpectedly learned in the end that Xue Huaiyuan had recovered his memory. She felt mixed emotions for a moment.

After she watched Xue Huaiyuan's bed for a while, she walked out of the room and saw Situ Jiuyue waiting for her outside. Jiang Li stepped forward, and Situ Jiuyue asked, "After Xue Huaiyuan recovers his memory, do you plan to tell her that you are going to ask Xue Fangfei for revenge?"

Jiang Li told the truth: "I don't know."

"Oh?" Situ Jiuyue was puzzled.

"If I tell him, he might feel that he needs help from others to avenge his children, and he might feel even sadder. But if I don't tell him... he should know the truth."

Situ Jiuyue chuckled, "You have thought it through very carefully." Jiang Li shook her head: "I just don't know what to do."

"It's really strange. You have always been very opinionated about other things, but you are always so concerned about the Xue family's affairs that you get confused." Situ Jiuyue said, "I don't understand, but it's okay. When Xue Huaiyuan wakes up, I will come to the Ye Mansion to diagnose him. I will also tell you later. As for how you get along with Xue Huaiyuan and how to tell him the truth, that's your business." She waved her hand and walked forward, "I'm going back first. Sorry, I can't keep you company."

Situ Jiuyue just left like that.

Ye Mingyu looked at Situ Jiuyue's back and sighed, "Doctor Situ is also an extraordinary person."

Jiang Li came to her senses and found that Ye Shijie was not at home. She was in the room again, accompanying Haitang to look after Xue Huaiyuan for a while. After having lunch with Ye Shijie at noon at Ye's house, she took a carriage to Jiang's house.

On the way back, Jiang Li was worried all the way. Tong'er and Bai Xue did not dare to disturb her, but Jiang Li was a little upset. How should she tell Xue Huaiyuan when he wakes up? Should she recognize him? When should she recognize him? What if Xue Huaiyuan does not believe that she is Xue Fangfei? Her heart was in a mess, and at the same time, she felt indescribable guilt.

Xue Zhao died because he was trying to vindicate himself. Even if he became the second Miss Jiang and regained his life, Xue Zhao would never be able to live again. Jiang Li didn't know what to say as her father had to face the fact that he had lost a son.

Whenever she thought of this scene, she felt cold all over.

When she returned to the Jiang Mansion, Jiang Li didn't want to say anything and went straight to Fangfei Garden. Who knew that just as she reached the gate of the courtyard, Mingyue came over and said, "Miss, someone wants to see you. I said you were out, and she is waiting for you in the front hall."

"See me?" Jiang Li really didn't feel like meeting any guests today, but she knew she had to be polite. However, she rarely had friends who came to visit her, and even fewer took the initiative to visit her. If they were unimportant people, she would just ignore them. So, she asked, "Who wants to see me?"

She guessed that it might be Liu Xu. The only lady in Yanjing City that she was on good terms with was Liu Xu. Who knew that Mingyue shook her head and said, "Mr. Xiao Deyin from Mingyi Hall."

"Xiao Deyin?" Jiang Li frowned. She never thought that Xiao Deyin would come to see her. Not to mention Xue Fangfei, in the life of the second Miss Jiang, she and Xiao Deyin had no relationship except the title of master and apprentice in Mingyi Hall. Moreover, this master-apprentice relationship was very thin. As long as Jiang Li was not in school, there was nothing. Especially since she almost stopped going to Mingyi Hall, and she had only seen Xiao Deyin a few times, it was inexplicable, why would Xiao Deyin take the initiative to look for her?

Besides... Jiang Li pondered in her heart. Didn't Ye Mingyu just send people to arrange a "silencing" at the gate of Xiao Deyin's house a few days ago? Xiao Deyin must be panicked and at a loss, so why would he come to her?
"Is she still in the front hall?" Jiang Li asked, "If she is, Mingyue, please bring her to my yard. It's always a bit inconvenient to talk in the front hall."

Mingyue said quickly: "She is still here. I will ask her to come over right away."

Jiang Li took off her cape, changed her clothes, and asked Tong'er to tidy up her hair. She looked very calm. Sitting in front of the stone table in the yard, half of the sunlight flowed into the green tea. When the tea was just warm enough, Xiao Deyin came.

She followed behind Mingyue, wearing a purple twill dress embroidered with plum blossoms, slender and graceful, with wide sleeves, she looked a bit otherworldly. And she had a beautiful face, a smile on her lips, and looked gentle and kind. No wonder Xiao Deyin was the first one to be the most popular teacher among students in Mingyi Hall.

When she saw Jiang Li, she walked over to her with a smile and called out, "Xiao Li." She then sat down at the other end of the stone table.

"Mr. Xiao." Jiang Li also smiled and returned the greeting, saying, "Sir, how come you have time to come here today?"

"You haven't come to Mingyi Hall for a few days. I know something happened in your family." Xiao Deyin said with a smile, "I have wanted to visit you for a long time, but I was afraid of disturbing your house and felt it was a bit inconvenient. But you are the best disciple of Mingyi Hall after all. At least in the art of playing the zither, there is no better student than you in the whole Mingyi Hall. I like you from the bottom of my heart. After thinking about it, it's the end of the year, so I still want to come and see you."

This statement made it seem as if this teacher was very fond of this student and that Jiang Li was her favorite student. Jiang Li smiled slightly, neither agreeing nor refuting. Her curved eyebrows and eyes made Xiao Deyin blush for some reason.

But she quickly said, "Xiao Li, how are you these days? When do you plan to return to Ming Yi Hall?"

"I may not plan to go to Mingyi Hall in the future." Jiang Li said. She originally went to Mingyi Hall for information and fame. Since both goals have been achieved and Mingyi Hall can no longer teach her anything else, staying there is a waste of time. Besides, spending most of her time in Mingyi Hall means that she can only use a small part of her time to care about Xue Huaiyuan and take revenge on Shen Yurong, which is really not worth it.

Jiang Li clearly saw a trace of sadness in Xiao Deyin's eyes, but a genuine regret appeared on Xiao Deyin's face. She said, "Why? You are the best student in Mingyi Hall."

"Sir, you are too kind. There are too many things going on in the mansion. It is no longer appropriate for me to go to Mingyi Hall."

Xiao Deyin sighed, "You have made up your mind, so I can't persuade you anymore. I know you have your own ideas, so I can only feel sorry for you. You should know that among the students of Mingyi Hall, you are my favorite, not only because you are talented, but also because you are brave and have a sense of justice. For example, in the case of Xue Huaiyuan in Tongxiang, you, a young lady, dared to take the villagers of Tongxiang to Beijing and appeal on their behalf. Even I admire you in my heart."

Here it comes, this is the purpose of Xiao Deyin's visit. Jiang Li knew it very well, and in an instant she knew that the main purpose of Xiao Deyin's visit today was here. But she pretended not to know, just smiled, and said a little embarrassedly: "If it were you, Mr., you would do the same."

Xiao Deyin nodded and said with a sigh: "It's just that in this world, although there are many people with a sense of justice, there are very few people without a sense of justice."

"Sir, you think too much. There are still many good people in this world." Jiang Li acted like an innocent and kind lady at the right time.

Xiao Deyin glanced at her, then suddenly leaned closer and whispered, "Xiao Li, tell me, sir, the evidence that Princess Yongning was the one who instigated Feng Yutang to attack County Magistrate Xue during the court meeting was not just a rumor, right?"

Jiang Li was startled and covered her mouth and asked, "Why did Mr. Xiao say that?"

Xiao Deyin seemed to be certain that she was hiding something, and asked, "Tell me, sir, yes or no?"

"It was made very clear at the court meeting," Jiang Li hesitantly said, "The evidence was produced, but it was just a trick by someone who wanted to slander Princess Yongning. Although there is the princess's seal on it, it can't be taken seriously."

"Since the seal is there, it must be true. How can it be called manipulation? If it were someone else, they would have been convicted long ago. It's only because she is a princess that others would try every means to exonerate her." Xiao Deyin said.

Jiang Li looked at her in surprise, as if she was extremely surprised that Xiao Deyin would say that. She said, "But the most important thing is that Your Highness has no reason to do this! County Magistrate Xue is a county magistrate in Tongxiang, which is very far away from Yanjing City. I'm afraid that County Magistrate Xue has never met Princess Yongning in his entire life. Why would Your Highness go to such great lengths to embarrass a county magistrate in a small county?"

"No reason?" Xiao Deyin smiled meaningfully and asked, "Why not?"

Jiang Li's eyes widened.

Xiao Deyin leaned forward a little, almost whispering into Jiang Li's ear, "This princess is very fond of the former top scholar, Mr. Shen, and Mrs. Shen's father is County Magistrate Xue."

Jiang Li frowned: "I don't understand." She played the role of a simple lady who was smart but knew nothing about men and women. Xiao Deyin did not doubt him and pointed out: "Princess Yongning likes Lord Shen, but thinks that Madam Shen is a hindrance. Jealousy makes the princess embarrass Xue County Magistrate who is thousands of miles away to satisfy her desire for revenge."

Jiang Li was startled and looked at Xiao Deyin in panic: "Sir! Don't say that!"

"Why would I lie to you?" Xiao Deyin sighed softly, "In fact, the matter of Madam Shen and Xue Fangfei must have been very complicated. Think about it, how could it be so coincidental? Before Lord Shen won the first place in the imperial examination, no one knew about it, and he and Madam Shen were in perfect harmony. After he won the first place in the imperial examination, Her Royal Highness the Princess saw him and fell in love with him, and Madam Shen happened to have an affair with someone, and happened to die of illness not long after? It happened that three people in the family were left with nothing. Xiaoli, you have a clear mind and don't know the dangers of the world, but you have to understand that when people become bad, they can do anything."

Jiang Li wanted to laugh when she heard this. Xiao Deyin's words sounded sincere and heartfelt, but weren't they talking about Xiao Deyin himself?
Jiang Li seemed to be frightened by these words, and whispered: "Sir, you can't say this casually. How do you know that Princess Yongning is in love with Shen Zhuangyuan?"

"Of course I have evidence. When I heard about this before, I was like you and didn't believe it at all. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes..." She sighed, "I wanted to avenge my friend Fang Fei, but unfortunately my influence is not strong enough. Princess Yongning has great power in Yanjing City, and I am just a piano teacher. It is difficult for me to resist her. I am afraid that I will be killed before I can tell the truth."

Jiang Li shrank back.

Xiao Deyin looked at her: "Xiao Li, do you believe what the gentleman said?" She spoke earnestly and sincerely, without any pretense. Jiang Li hesitated for a long time, and finally nodded gently.

"In fact, I dare not tell anyone these words." Xiao Deyin said: "This secret is of great importance, I am afraid of causing trouble. Besides, to be honest with you, in Yanjing City, except for Fangfei, I am used to being alone, I don't have many friends, and there is no one I can trust. But Xiaoli, you are different."

"You are the one who personally handled the Tongxiang case. You dared to overturn the case for County Magistrate Xue in the court, which shows that you are upright and not afraid of the powerful. I am not afraid of you telling others if I tell you. Moreover," she mustered up her courage and looked into Jiang Li's eyes and said, "I also hope that you can help."

"Me?" Jiang Li was surprised. "How can I help?"

Xiao Deyin said, "Since you have already taken care of County Magistrate Xue's affairs, and Xue Fangfei is his daughter, you may continue to take care of it and redress Xue Fangfei's innocence. I know that you are upright in your heart, and you have the support of the entire Jiang family behind you, so you may be able to compete with Princess Yongning. Although I know the truth and want to redress the injustice for my friend, I am powerless. But I think if we can join forces, perhaps things will be much easier."

"Join forces?"

"Yes." Seeing that Jiang Li seemed to be moved, Xiao Deyin hurriedly said: "If you are willing to work for Xue Fangfei's case, I can be your most important witness and help you identify Princess Yongning. In this way, the chances of winning are very high!"

Jiang Li looked at Xiao Deyin with a surprised expression, but she almost couldn't help laughing in her heart. She really didn't expect that Xiao Deyin would find her and come up with such an idea. This was originally Xiao Deyin's idea, but now it seems to have become Jiang Li's task, and Xiao Deyin is just a "witness" who can withdraw in time if he sees that the situation is not right.

She is still as selfish as ever.

Jiang Li sneered in her heart, but a hesitant expression appeared on her face, and she said, "Sir, I can't make up my mind about this matter for a while, let me think about it."

　Follow the plot, follow the plot~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)