Chapter 166 Awakening
On the wedding day of Yongning and Li Xian, Jiang Li didn't stay until the end. Jiang Yuanbo and the Li family didn't get along well, so coming to the Li family to watch the wedding was already a good thing, so naturally he couldn't stay until the end. After the banquet was over, he took the Jiang family back home.

Therefore, Jiang Li was unable to say more to Ji Heng. Strangely, when Ji Heng mentioned that he wanted to kill her, Jiang Li was very calm, without even a hint of hope. Perhaps she felt that for Ji Heng, it would only take a thought to take her life. No matter how smart she was, she could only resist stubbornly under Ji Heng's power.

A man must keep his promises. This is what she told Ji Heng at the beginning, and now he must keep his promises. A husband should be able to take it and let it go.

Jiang Li was not very sad.

On the second day, Jiang Li got up in the morning, had breakfast, changed her clothes, and prepared to go to the Ye family to visit Xue Huaiyuan. She had wanted to go yesterday, but had to go to the Li family. She had nothing to do today, so it was not too late to go now.

Just as they reached the gate of Jiang's house, they suddenly saw a familiar figure. It was Ah Shun who was beside Ye Mingyu. Ah Shun was stunned for a moment when he saw Jiang Li and the others, and said, "Miss cousin, are you going out?"

Tong'er replied: "The girl was planning to go to the Ye family, but she didn't expect you to come."

"A Shun, what happened?" Jiang Li asked.

Ah Shun scratched his head and said, "My cousin, County Magistrate Xue has woken up. Doctor Situ asked me to come and tell you."

Jiang Li was stunned for a moment, and then seemed to react. She hurried to the carriage and said, "What are you waiting for? Let's get going."

……

Tong'er and Bai Xue looked at each other. In the carriage, Jiang Li tightly held the jade pendant in her hand. Tong'er and Bai Xue talked to her, but Jiang Li was absent-minded, obviously not thinking about it. She wondered how Xue Huaiyuan would feel if he woke up. Would he be in great pain or feel hopeless? Would he cry? Would he blame his daughter? The more she thought about it, the more confused she became. Jiang Li found that even her father, whom she used to be most familiar with, had become a stranger to her. It seemed that she had not had a good conversation with her father for a long time.

The last time I saw my father sober was before I got married. After that, we exchanged letters but never met again.

Time passed so quickly that Jiang Li's carriage had almost arrived at the gate of Ye Mansion, but for a moment, she suddenly didn't have the courage to get off.

Bai Xue got off the carriage first, and stretched out her hand to help Jiang Li, saying, "Miss, aren't you going to get off?"

Jiang Li calmed herself down and said, "I'm coming." She stretched out her hand towards Bai Xue.

No matter what, he was still her father. No matter how great the suffering was, in this world, only her father was her family. He was the only thing Xue Fangfei cared about in the world.

The doorman at the Ye residence greeted her warmly, "My cousin is here."

Jiang Li nodded and followed Bai Xue and Tong Er inside. It was a chilly early spring day, but she felt hot. Her palms and forehead were covered in sweat, and as she walked, the sweat seemed to fall.

There were several people standing outside Xue Huaiyuan's room. Jiang Li walked over and saw Ye Shijie. Ye Shijie had just left the court and hadn't even had time to change his official uniform. He hadn't seen Jiang Li for a long time, so he called her name. Jiang Li said, "Cousin Ye." She couldn't help but look inside.

Ye Shijie knew that she was concerned about Xue Huaiyuan, so he leaned over and motioned for her to go in. "Xue County Magistrate is inside, and he's awake."

Jiang Li took a deep breath and walked in.

Situ Jiuyue was packing the medicine box, and Ye Mingyu was sitting on the side, drinking tea as if he was at a loss. Haitang stood next to a person who was sitting on the edge of the bed. Just a sitting figure made Jiang Li almost cry.

He sat as straight as a pine tree, but no longer tall and straight, looking a little old. But he was still her father, Xue Huaiyuan.

When Situ Jiuyue saw Jiang Li coming in, she said, "You came just in time. I checked on him. He is well now. From now on, I will not come again, and he no longer needs me. The rest is your own business, you can handle it yourself." She looked like she was leaving, but Jiang Li was deeply grateful to her. So she bowed to her and said, "Jiang Li will remember Miss Jiuyue's kindness. If it weren't for you, County Magistrate Xue would not be what he is today. If there is a chance in the future, Jiang Li will definitely repay this great kindness."

It was quite out of line for a daughter of a prime minister to pay such a gift to a woman of no status. However, no one in the room thought it was inappropriate. Situ Jiuyue stepped aside and frowned, "Why do you all like to pay such a gift? What's the point of saying thank you? I can't exchange your gratitude for money. I've said it before, Ji Heng has already paid, and everyone just takes what they need, so there's no need to get emotionally entangled." After that, he strode out of the room without even looking back.

"This girl is really..." Ye Mingyu, who was sitting at the door, smacked his lips and uttered a word after a long while, "Unusual. But we are people in the martial arts world, that's how it is, Ah Li, don't mind it."

"Ali?" A soft voice came from inside the house. Jiang Li was startled and looked up.

Xue Huaiyuan was sitting next to her, staring at her in amazement, and slowly repeated, "Ali?"

Jiang Li's hands hung at her sides, her fists clenched tightly, and she almost couldn't help choking on her sobs.

"Yes, Ah Li," Ye Mingyu looked at Xue Huaiyuan and asked, "Why, old man, do you know our Ah Li?"

Among the people in the room, only Jiang Li knew that Xue Huaiyuan was talking about "Ali" instead of "Ali". Perhaps it was Ye Mingyu's words that made Xue Huaiyuan think of his daughter.

Jiang Li took two steps forward so that Xue Huaiyuan could see her face clearly and also see Xue Huaiyuan's appearance clearly.

The originally tall and thin man now looked like an old man, with white hair and signs of aging on his face. His eyes slowly swept across Jiang Li's face, and the light in his eyes dimmed little by little, like a fire with embers, which still had sparks at the last moment, but would eventually return to darkness.

He smiled and shook his head: "I have never met the girl before. It turns out that you are the one who saved my second daughter. Thank you, Miss Jiang, for saving me from prison." He bowed.

He calls himself: Miss Jiang Er.

Jiang Li's face suddenly changed several times, and she almost cried. Since she became Miss Jiang Er, she never felt that there was anything wrong with this identity. She even thought that it was a gift from God. It was much easier to take revenge as Miss Jiang Er than as Xue Fangfei. She would always comfort herself. Anyway, things had come to this point, and it was not something she could decide, so she might as well accept it.

But at this moment, standing in front of her father, being called someone else and treated as a stranger by her father, Jiang Li felt wronged. She wanted to throw herself into her father's arms and say, "I am Ali, how can you not recognize me?"

But she couldn't. She could only restrain herself, showing the same smile as Xue Huaiyuan, and avoided it sideways, saying: "Xue County Magistrate doesn't have to do this, and Xue County Magistrate is my elder. Jiang Li really doesn't deserve such a great gift."

Xue Huaiyuan said: "I heard Haitang talk about what happened before. I know that in Tongxiang, it was Second Miss Jiang who stood up for justice. As for Feng Yutang's matter, I also want to thank Second Miss Jiang on behalf of the people of Tongxiang."

Jiang Li said: "It's just a piece of cake."

As strangers, she and Xue Huaiyuan suddenly felt very distant. She didn't know what to say, and Xue Huaiyuan didn't show any special closeness to her. In fact, when Jiang Li saw Xue Huaiyuan, his behavior was really beyond her expectations.

He was not in great pain, nor was he disheartened. At least on the surface, he looked quite calm. It was as if none of the painful things in the past had ever happened. He was polite, restrained, and courteous, but he treated everyone with a sense of distance.

This is no longer what Xue Huaiyuan had in the past. Others don’t know, but Jiang Li knows it, so the matter between Xue Fangfei and Xue Zhao finally changed her father.

Jiang Li asked: "What does County Magistrate Xue plan to do in the future?"

Xue Huaiyuan was silent.

After a while, Xue Huaiyuan said, "My previous name was Xue Lingyun."

The people in the room were startled, and even Ye Shijie, who walked in from outside, looked at Xue Huaiyuan. Xue Huaiyuan continued, "It's been almost 20 years. I think it's time to change the name back."

"Do you want to return to the court to be an official?" Ye Shijie frowned.

Xue Lingyun said: "Just give it a try."

"How is this possible?" Ye Mingyu shouted. He didn't understand officialdom, but he also felt that this was incredible. He said, "Mr. Xue, how old are you? How can you be an official? Besides, being an official nowadays is not an easy thing. You need someone to help you, or you can just take the spring exam honestly? What do you plan to do?"

Xue Huaiyuan smiled faintly and said, "This year's spring exam is coming soon. When I was Xue Lingyun, I had several good colleagues in the court. Now I have been promoted well. It should not be difficult for me to participate in the spring exam. After I pass the exam and become the top scholar, there will be a palace exam... Naturally, I can meet the emperor."

Ye Shijie said, "Do you plan to file a complaint during the palace examination, or when you see the emperor?" The people of the Ye family now know that the Xue family's two children died in an accident, and they are afraid that there is injustice. Ye Shijie reacted quickly and immediately thought of this layer.

"No." Xue Huaiyuan denied.

"Why is that?" Ye Shijie was puzzled.

"I just hope that His Majesty will remember me during the palace examination. Besides, His Majesty has learned the whole story of the Tongxiang incident, knows of my existence, and knows something about Xue Lingyun, so he will definitely pay attention to me."

Jiang Li whispered, "Does County Magistrate Xue want to be an official?"

Xue Huaiyuan glanced at her and said, "It is too difficult for ordinary people to get justice. I can only go a little higher to have the power to discover and investigate the truth."

Jiang Li was very sad. Her father still wanted to clear their grievances and avenge them. But her father also knew that the opponent was the sister of King Cheng, a powerful princess. And Shen Yurong was no longer the poor scholar from Tongxiang. He had transformed himself into a new noble Zhongshu Shelang trusted by the emperor, with a promising future.

Xue Huaiyuan is nothing now. He even lost his title of Tongxiang County Magistrate. In Yanjing City, Xue Huaiyuan is like an ant, unable to shake a big tree, so he wants to become Xue Lingyun. Xue Lingyun, who left the officialdom on his own initiative because he couldn't stand the corruption in the officialdom, now wants to return to the officialdom for himself.

But how could she bear to let her father go back to that filthy place? To fight against those wolves who eat people without leaving any bones. Revenge seems to be a very purposeful thing, but in the process, you will constantly lose something and pay a price. For example, people's kindness and dignity. Becoming cold and inhumane can be done by herself, why should she involve her father?
Ye Mingyu said: "Mr. Xue, you sound easy. But the palace examination... Hehe, do you think you will definitely win a place in the spring examination?"

Xue Huaiyuan smiled faintly: "I'll just try my best." Although he said this, the smile on his face clearly showed that he was very confident and did not think that what he just said was a joke. His smile made Ye Mingyu freeze, and he felt as if what he said was a joke and he shouldn't have said it.

Ye Shijie heard this and admired the old man in front of him. At such an old age, he was willing to return to the officialdom for his children. Xue Huaiyuan seemed to have absolute confidence. Ye Shijie believed that this was confidence, not arrogance. Xue Huaiyuan said that he would have a rank in the spring exam, and he really would have a rank. At the moment, if he wanted to find the truth for Xue Fangfei and Xue Zhao, this method was indeed the most reliable. And most importantly, this idea was what Xue Huaiyuan thought of immediately after waking up.

It may have been less than two hours since he woke up, but he could think so far ahead, which was rare. Ye Shijie had reason to believe that this Xue Huaiyuan was indeed the same person as Xue Lingyun, who was the Minister of Industry in the past.

Ye Shijie said: "I think there is no need for County Magistrate Xue to look for his former colleagues. People in the officialdom are often forgotten. Your old friends who were on good terms with you may not be willing to give you face now. Let the younger generation do it for you." Several people in the room were stunned at the same time.

Ye Mingyu asked: "Shijie, what are you doing?"

"I am now a deputy minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and I have some say in the Ministry. If Mr. Xue... wants to take the spring examination, I can find a way." He no longer called Xue Huaiyuan "county magistrate" because Xue Huaiyuan was not one now.

"Young people, you have helped me a lot..." Xue Huaiyuan was about to refuse when he heard Ye Shijie speak again.

He said: "I am not helping you for nothing. I am now an official in the court, and due to my own reasons, I have no allies. Mr. Xue was able to become the Minister of Works in his past, which shows his talent. After Mr. Xue's spring exam, if he can pass the palace exam and become an official, please promote the younger generation. In the officialdom, it is also important to support each other."

At the end of his speech, he looked like a shrewd businessman.

Xue Huaiyuan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, "Okay. Young Master Ye can say this, in fact, he doesn't need to rely on me, and he can also gain a firm foothold in the court in the future."

"Then let's make a deal..."

"Not good." It was Jiang Li who interrupted Ye Shijie.

She had been listening to the conversation between Ye Shijie and Xue Huaiyuan silently, but at this moment, she couldn't help it. She didn't like to see her father compromise for her. The man who always taught her to stick to her heart was now doing these things, and Jiang Li couldn't stand it.

She looked at Xue Huaiyuan and said solemnly, "Xue County Magistrate, I know your concerns. I also know that you are anxious to become an official just because of Xue Fangfei and Xue Zhao. I have already investigated this matter, and there will be results within two months. The murderer will pay the price for what he has done, I can guarantee this. Therefore, Xue County Magistrate does not need to serve as an official in the court anymore, there is no need."

"What's more," Jiang Li said without waiting for Xue Huaiyuan to speak, "the world is not peaceful nowadays, and there are many internal fights in the palace. No one can say how long the peace in Yanjing City will last. I'm afraid that before County Magistrate Xue can climb to the position he wants, something unexpected will happen in the court, which will ruin things."

What she said made people think of the current relationship between King Cheng and Emperor Hong Xiao.

"Xue County Magistrate, you should not just think about revenge, but live well." Jiang Li said, "If your children were still alive, their wish would only be this."

Xue Huaiyuan calmed down for a while, wondering if he felt that Jiang Li's words made sense. He did not mention the matter of entering the court as an official, but said to Ye Mingyu and the others: "Can you guys go out for a while? I have something to say to Miss Jiang Er."

Ye Mingyu looked at Jiang Li, and Jiang Li said, "Uncle, go out, it's okay."

Ye Mingyu and Ye Shijie went out, and Haitang wanted to stay, but Ye Mingyu let her go. In an instant, only Xue Huaiyuan and Jiang Li were left in the room.

"Second Miss Jiang." Xue Huaiyuan looked at her, his tone was still as gentle as ever, just like he had treated her in the past, making Jiang Li feel as if all this was not real, but just a dream. When she woke up, she would see Xue Zhao sneaking back from the door and saying to her, "Sister, is Dad home?"

"I heard from Master Ye San that when you were in Tongxiang, you said that you helped her because you had a connection with the Xue family. Haitang also told me that you saved her and healed the wound on her face. You also planned to find out the truth for Fangfei. You are the savior of our Xue family, but I heard that when she was seven years old, Miss Jiang went to Qingcheng Mountain and only returned to Yanjing City a year ago. Before that, she had never been to Tongxiang. What I want to know is, what is the connection between Miss Jiang and our Xue family that made her help the Xue family so unremittingly?"

Xue Huaiyuan's eyes were as clear as ever, and he could always see the problem at a glance. Others always said that Fang Fei's temperament was similar to her father's, but she was softer than Xue Huaiyuan.

Jiang Li did go too far in helping the Xue family. You know, Jiang Yuanbo had a lot of complaints about Jiang Li because of this. In the eyes of others, this is also a very unusual thing. The reason of having a connection with the Xue family can indeed fool some people, but if the Xue family is still alive, this lie will be easily exposed. For example, she couldn't say it in front of Xue Huaiyuan.

At this moment, Jiang Li almost had the urge to tell Xue Huaiyuan that she was Xue Fangfei, but she held back.

Would Xue Huaiyuan believe it? After all, this was a matter of supernatural powers. Xue Huaiyuan used to be the last to believe in ghosts and gods, but what if he believed it? It sounds like Xue Huaiyuan would be very happy, right? But after the incident with Princess Yongning, perhaps Jiang Li's life would be "returned" to Ji Heng. Can Xue Huaiyuan accept that he had just reunited with his daughter and was about to lose her again? It would be better if he didn't know that he was Xue Fangfei from the beginning, so that he wouldn't have to be heartbroken again.

Jiang Li calmed down and said, "I have no connection with the Xue family."

There was no expression of surprise on Xue Huaiyuan's face, as if he had guessed this a long time ago.

Jiang Li continued, "There is someone else who has a connection with the Xue family. I am just entrusted by someone to do all this. Besides, the murderer and my Jiang family are sworn enemies, and sooner or later we will turn our swords against each other. Therefore, helping the Xue family is also helping the Jiang family itself. County Magistrate Xue does not need to care."

Xue Huaiyuan looked at her for a long while before he said softly, "So that's how it is."

Jiang Li knew that he didn't believe her at all. Her father was not a person who easily believed others. Especially after what he had experienced, and her reasons were not perfect.

"How about this, County Magistrate Xue," Jiang Li said, "In two months, there will be some clues about Fang Fei's case. When Fang Fei's case is settled, the truth is revealed, and the murderer is brought to justice, I will tell County Magistrate Xue everything I know, but County Magistrate Xue needs to promise me not to act rashly."

She thought that as long as Princess Yongning's "pregnancy sign" disappeared in two months, everything would be different. After this matter was settled, if Ji Heng let her live, she would tell Xue Huaiyuan that she was Xue Fangfei, and the father and daughter would recognize each other. If Ji Heng was determined to kill her, she would disappear from the world with this secret. As long as Xue Huaiyuan was alive and well, that would be enough.

Xue Huaiyuan nodded: "Okay." After a pause, he said softly: "My own daughter, but I want others to avenge her."

Jiang Li had never seen Xue Huaiyuan like this before. He was always full of energy and would never back down when faced with any difficulties. He was not like now, helpless, at a loss, and talking in self-deprecating terms.

"No." Jiang Li said, "This is not a question of revenge or not, this is 'justice'. There is still 'justice' in this world, and County Magistrate Xue should have thought of this. When County Magistrate Xue helped the people of Tongxiang County, did he ever think of getting something in return? County Magistrate Xue helped those people, just like what I am doing now, without asking for anything in return. God may be fair, and the good karma that County Magistrate Xue made has brought me this good result."

She hoped that Xue Huaiyuan could be happy, stop worrying about these things, and stop torturing himself.

Xue Huaiyuan looked at her and said, "Miss Jiang, I'm sorry to say that the tone of your voice is really like my daughter."

When a father talks about his daughter, his tone of loving, suppressed grief is so touching.

Jiang Li sat in front of him, shouting "I am Fang Fei" a thousand times in her heart, but she couldn't say it out loud. She felt the heart-wrenching pain in the sentence "We are not acquainted with each other".

She smiled, with tears in her heart unseen by anyone, and said, "It is my honor to resemble Miss Xue."

Xue Huaiyuan was stunned for a moment, then looked at her deeply: "Thank you."

In the past year, Xue Fangfei was regarded as the most shameless woman in Yanjing City, and everyone wanted to beat her up. But Jiang Li was willing to say that she was honored, which was probably a great comfort to Xue Huaiyuan.

"I heard Master Ye San called you A Li." Xue Huaiyuan said.

"Yes."

"Fang Fei's nickname is also called Ali," Xue Huaiyuan looked outside, "It's the same as the Li in civet cat."

Jiang Li held back her tears and said, "If County Magistrate Xue doesn't mind, you can call me Ali. No one else can tell the difference anyway."

Xue Huaiyuan looked at her, and Jiang Li smiled back. After a while, Xue Huaiyuan turned his head and said, "No."

"Ali is dead, Miss Jiang, you are not her."

……

Jiang Li walked out of the room. After talking to her for a while, Xue Huaiyuan felt a headache. Situ Jiuyue said that Xue Huaiyuan had just woken up and needed more rest. Haitang came in to take care of him, so Jiang Li didn't want to disturb him.

As soon as she walked outside, Ye Mingyu and Ye Shijie surrounded her.

Ye Shijie asked: "What did you say to him in there just now?"

"It's nothing, he just said that he was very grateful for what I did in Tongxiang." Jiang Li smiled, "It's not a big deal."

"Ali, do you feel that Mr. Xue is not an ordinary person?" Ye Mingyu rubbed his hands. "I have felt uncomfortable since he woke up this morning. Before, when he was unconscious, I could still be with him every day and didn't feel anything. Now that he is awake, he is like a different person. I am a little afraid of him. I am not used to it for a while. I always feel short of breath in front of him. Why is this? He eats my food and lives my house, why do I still feel guilty?"

"Uncle, you must be mistaken." Jiang Li said with a smile, "Xue County Magistrate is a good man, you may not be used to it."

"Maybe." Ye Mingyu looked at Jiang Li, "You are still the best. You can remain calm in front of him."

"Mr. Xue is very powerful," Ye Shijie looked at Jiang Li, "Now I believe that he is the Minister of Industry Xue Lingyun."

"If he can really be your teacher, cousin will benefit a lot." Jiang Li said seriously: "Xue County Magistrate is living in Ye Mansion now. If cousin has nothing to do, he can ask him for advice on weekdays. He can give you a lot."

"Oh, your father is the Prime Minister. Why don't you praise your father like this?" Ye Mingyu joked.

Jiang Li shook her head. In her opinion, Jiang Yuanbai understood the way of being an official, and the key point was "doing". Xue Huaiyuan understood the way of being an official, and the key point was "official".

Who is better may have their own merits, but Jiang Li still prefers the latter.

"Come to think of it, before Mr. Xue recovered, I didn't think so," Ye Mingyu looked at Jiang Li with interest, "after he recovered, I think he looks a bit like you, especially when he smiles."

"It's much more pleasing to the eye than Jiang Yuanbo."

　The juniper was shot even when it was lying down, hahaha
　　
　
(End of this chapter)