Chapter 173 Tenderness
The uproar in the Golden Palace was finally resolved two days later.

Shen Yurong, the secretary of the Central Secretariat, and Li Xiang's eldest son both resigned from their posts, while Princess Yongning was demoted to a commoner. Shen Yurong and Li Xian were lucky enough that they did not have to wait for Emperor Hong Xiao to attack them, and they took the initiative to resign. Princess Yongning was demoted to a commoner, and she fell from a high-ranking princess to the mud overnight, but it was an order issued by Emperor Hong Xiao himself.

After hearing the news, Concubine Liu went to Emperor Hong Xiao to plead for mercy. The emperor did not see her at all, and only asked Eunuch Su to come out to excuse his illness. Concubine Liu wanted to follow the example of the concubines in the past and wait until the emperor came out. But after waiting for a long time, her body could not bear it anymore, and Emperor Hong Xiao did not have any mercy on her. Seeing that there was no room for maneuver, Concubine Liu left angrily after waiting for a long time, and did not mention the matter again.

The entrance to the Princess's Mansion was guarded by soldiers. From then on, the mansion no longer belonged to Princess Yongning. Princess Yongning had just divorced Li Xian and could not return to her own Princess's Mansion. She was really desperate and homeless.

Concubine Liu immediately told King Cheng to find Princess Yongning and settle her down. Even if Princess Yongning was demoted to a commoner, Concubine Liu would never ignore her. She thought that now she was just flattering Emperor Hong Xiao, and after a few days, when the world had a new master, her daughter could still enter the capital with honor.

King Cheng was helpless. He had someone secretly pick up Princess Yongning, and took money from her to let her stay in an inn temporarily. She couldn't stay in a good inn because she was afraid of being discovered. After all, it was an imperial decree. Once someone discovered that she disobeyed the imperial decree, no one would be able to save Princess Yongning.

Princess Yongning had never stayed in such a shabby inn in her life, and immediately asked King Cheng to change places. King Cheng angrily rebuked her. Because of Princess Yongning's disturbance in the Golden Palace, Shen Yurong resigned from her post, and Li Xian also resigned from his post. The Li family had a rift with him because of this. Although King Cheng appeased the right prime minister, how could the cracks in people's hearts be healed so easily? Li Zhongnan said on the surface that he would let bygones be bygones and that everything was over, but who knew what he was thinking in his heart. At this juncture, if his subordinates were alienated from him, it would be a big problem for King Cheng.

Therefore, King Cheng was quite angry with Princess Yongning, the culprit. He also accused Princess Yongning: "Since you were pregnant, why didn't you tell me? And you insisted on marrying Li Xian? Don't you know that the Li family is not to be messed with? How dare you be so arrogant?"

"If I tell my elder brother, he may not let me have my wish!" Princess Yongning was not willing to be outdone, and said sharply: "The emperor's decree has been issued, and my mother can't do anything about it. What else can my elder brother do? Who knows, he might even ask me to not have this child before then in order to appease the Li family! My elder brother said it in a high-sounding manner, but I don't know why I have become like this! If you had the ability to sit in that position, why would my mother and I have to swallow our anger for so many years!"

King Cheng was furious and slapped Princess Yongning in the face, and the two parted unhappily.

Therefore, from the time she was settled here until now, Princess Yongning has never stepped out of this inn. Because once she goes out and sees the way those people look at her, she can't help but want to have them arrested and beheaded. But now with her current status, she can no longer do these things as she pleases.

She became a commoner.

It's funny to say that she used to laugh at Xue Fangfei, saying that she was just the daughter of a minor official and had a low status so she could be trampled and insulted by her. But now she is even worse than Xue Fangfei.

This is probably not true.

Princess Yongning lay on the couch and closed her eyes, hoping that when she opened her eyes, someone would come and tell her that it was all just a dream and that she was still the princess that no one dared to look down on.

There was a noise at the door. She sat up and saw Meixiang walking in from outside.

After Princess Yongning was demoted to a commoner, the maids in her princess mansion no longer belonged to her. However, Meixiang always followed her. After Meixiang entered the house, she closed the door, walked to Princess Yongning, and whispered, "Your Highness, I just heard the news from outside that Lord Shen has resigned."

"What?" Princess Yongning, who was originally in a gloomy mood, was shocked and asked, "Why would he suddenly resign?"

"It is said that he resigned early this morning, and Li Xian also resigned. It was not an imperial decree, so I think it was their own decision."

Princess Yongning was stunned for a moment after hearing this, and then she said, "It was me who implicated him. If it weren't for that bastard Li Xian... he wouldn't have ended up like this!"

While she was angry, a trace of uneasiness flashed through her heart. For Princess Yongning, whether she was demoted to a commoner or lived in this inn, it was only temporary. As long as King Cheng became the emperor, everything in the past would be gone, and she would still be a princess. Therefore, Princess Yongning always kept a glimmer of hope in her heart, so as not to let her despair completely.

But Shen Yurong is different.

Princess Yongning could see Shen Yurong's ambition and desire for power, but she didn't think there was anything wrong with it. Shen Yurong had the ability and talent to realize his ambitions, which was normal. But now that he had resigned from his post because of his shame, it was not only a change in status for Shen Yurong, but also a heavy blow to his self-esteem.

But Shen Yurong is a very proud person at heart.

He was just afraid that he would blame himself for it.

Princess Yongning was in a state of anxiety. She had nothing now, including her status and position, and her child. The only thing she had was Shen Yurong. If Shen Yurong also left her because of this incident, how much would she have gotten back after all the effort she put into Shen Yurong?

She jumped down from the bed and said, "Meixiang, I have to go to the Shen Mansion."

"Your Highness wants to go see Lord Shen?" Mei Xiang hesitated and said, "Should we wait for some time..."

"I can't wait, and there's nothing wrong with this. Anyway, he has resigned from his official position and is just a commoner like me. And everyone in the world knows about his relationship with me, so there's no need to be shy about it. It's only natural for me to be with him, and there's no excuse to stop us," she said.

Meixiang paused and stopped talking.

……

At the same time, Jiang Li's carriage was heading towards the Duke's Mansion.

Zhao Ke still led Jiang Li along the small path to avoid being discovered, but he was also wondering in his heart, when did the relationship between the second daughter of the Jiang family and his master become so close? You know, if someone wants to come to the Duke's Mansion, no matter how high the official is, he must write a letter in advance. Even that letter was most likely thrown in the corner of the study by Ji Heng for ten days or half a month, covered with dust and not read.

Miss Jiang Er actually just went there just like that.

Jiang Li sat in the carriage. She went to see Ji Heng today. Actually, there was nothing special. Regarding the matter of Princess Yongning and Shen Yurong, Ji Heng had already done the most difficult part for her. The rest was much easier. She felt that she should thank him in person again.

There is one more thing, which is to ask Princess Yongning where exactly Jiang Youyao was imprisoned. I don't mind letting Jiang Youyao add this to Princess Yongning's crimes in the future. No matter how bad Jiang Youyao's reputation is, she is still the legitimate daughter of the Jiang family. If Princess Yongning is proven to have harmed Jiang Youyao, it is a foregone conclusion that she murdered the official's wife.

When the carriage arrived at the gate of the Duke's Mansion, the doorman greeted Zhao Ke in a familiar manner and smiled at Jiang Li. The doorman was also very handsome and seemed to like Jiang Li very much. Jiang Li came more often and sometimes secretly gave Tong'er Baixue some melon seeds and candies.

Jiang Li walked towards the Duke's Mansion, but she didn't see Wen Ji or Ji Heng today. She only saw General Ji practicing sword in the yard. When he saw her, he put down his sword and walked over, happily asking her if she came to help roast the venison.

Jiang Li had no choice but to say, "I'm here to see the Duke."

"Ah Heng is out," said General Ji. "I don't know when he will be back. Why didn't he tell you?"

Jiang Li said: "I didn't say hello to the Duke when I came today, so he didn't know when I came."

Upon hearing this, General Ji immediately showed a look of understanding.

Jiang Li felt uncomfortable being looked at by him, so she asked, "Since the Duke is not here now, could the old general allow me to stay in the mansion for a while longer and wait for him to come back?"

"You want to wait for that kid to come back?" General Ji said, "He usually goes out early and comes back late. You never know when he will be back. He might come back at night. Do you want to wait too?"

"If it's really that late, I'll leave first. But if I leave now, it would be a pity if he comes back the next moment." Jiang Li smiled and said, "It's not easy for me to come out."

"Since you don't mind waiting in vain, then just wait. The Duke's Mansion can still afford to treat you to a cup of tea." After saying that, General Ji said, "Go to my study. It's hot outside. I'll ask the servants to bring you a pot of tea." After saying that, without waiting for Jiang Li to say yes or no, he went to the study first.

Jiang Li looked at his back and sighed in her heart. General Ji seemed more domineering than Ji Heng.

The old general's study was completely different from Ji Heng's. Ji Heng's study was a proper study, but a little more solemn. The old general's study had nothing but a few military books on the desk, writing brushes, inkstones, and paper. The walls were covered with weapons, all kinds of swords, axes, and spears, and a set of armor in front of the desk, which looked very imposing and golden.

Seeing Jiang Li staring at the armor, the old general laughed and said, "Why, it looks good, doesn't it? This is what I wore when I went to the battlefield." His words were full of pride and satisfaction, but he suddenly became disappointed, "It's a pity that I can't wear it anymore."

Jiang Li could understand his feelings.

She said, "The old general's collection is quite rich."

"Of course," said General Ji. "It's a pity that Ah Heng refuses to use my weapons. He only knows how to use fancy things like fans!"

Jiang Li thought that it was probably because General Ji had not seen the scene when Ji Heng killed people with his fan, which was not as blunt as these swords.

She remembered that Ji Heng's father was also a general, so she asked General Ji: "Why doesn't the Duke be a general? When the late emperor was alive, he trusted the generals and held the military power. Although the times are peaceful now, I haven't seen the generals training their troops."

General Ji said, "The military token is lost."

"What?" This time, Jiang Li was really surprised.

General Ji said to Jiang Li, "You should have heard about Ming Han. When Ming Han disappeared, he took the tiger talisman with him. He has been missing for so many years. The late emperor investigated when he was alive, and the current emperor is also investigating, but all failed. This matter cannot be known to others. Others think that the military power is still in the Duke's Mansion, but Ah Heng is acting out of character."

"There has been no military action in Northern Yan for so many years, so even if some people suspect this, they cannot confirm it. But when there is a military action, if people ask about the Jinwu Army, they will know about it sooner or later. Although everyone always says that the Jinwu Army has declined now, in fact..."

General Ji smiled and looked at Jiang Li: "Girl, you know a lot. I am not afraid to tell you that the Jinwu Army was handed over to Ah Heng a long time ago. Ah Heng does not have the military token, so he cannot command the Jinwu Army, and those soldiers also obey Ming Han's orders. It is true that others say that the Jinwu Army has declined, so once there is a military event, the Jinwu Army will not be dispatched. First, there is no tiger token to mobilize the order, and second, it has declined and cannot go to the battlefield. In our Duke's Mansion, there is only the title of Duke."

Jiang Li listened to General Ji's words. General Ji's expression did not seem to be false, but Jiang Li felt that it was not the case. Ji Heng was feared by everyone in the court, and King Cheng did not dare to do anything against him easily. He was definitely confident. Even if it was not the Jinwu Army, there were others. Moreover, with such an army in hand, how could Ji Heng waste it in vain? Perhaps General Ji was kept in the dark by Ji Heng, and Ji Heng might be worried about something.

Suddenly, I remembered that the last time I met Ji Heng, I had mentioned the Prince of Xia, General Zhaode Yin Zhan, who was as famous as the Jinwu Army. Jiang Li asked, "Old General, do you know anything about General Zhaode Yin Zhan in recent years?"

After these words came out, General Ji's face changed and he didn't speak for a long time. After a while, the old general said: "Girl, there are many things that you don't know the inside story of, so don't ask. Asking too much will not do you any good. If Jiang Yuanbai knew that you were asking about these things, he would also persuade you to stop. I don't care what Ah Heng said to you, or what you know, but don't interfere, and you will be safe." Since Jiang Li met General Ji, it was the first time he spoke to her with such a serious expression. Jiang Li was also stunned. She thought about it and said, "I know, old general, I won't ask anymore."

General Ji nodded in satisfaction: "Smart girl."

Although Jiang Li said she didn't ask, she knew in her heart that this General Zhaode was probably a big problem. Otherwise, General Ji wouldn't have warned her so harshly, and Ji Heng's expression wouldn't have been so strange that day. Jiang Li never understood why Ji Heng wanted to separate King Cheng, Emperor Hong Xiao, and the Jiang family into three stable forces, and use this separation to become Emperor Hong Xiao's confidant.

Now it seems that Jiang Li has understood a little bit. This is her random guess, but guesses can sometimes hit the mark and hit the truth. Maybe just as Emperor Hong Xiao is growing, Ji Heng is also increasing his power. He may have to deal with a force that he couldn't deal with before, so he has to increase his bargaining chips. Between him and Emperor Hong Xiao, Emperor Hong Xiao borrowed his power, so why didn't Ji Heng borrow the power of Emperor Hong Xiao? King Cheng is just a cover. Ji Heng's real purpose has never been King Cheng, but the person behind him.

Could that person be Prince Xia Yin Zhan?
Jiang Li didn't know.

Chatting with General Ji, when General Ji said he was thirsty, he drank all the tea in one breath and went to the yard to practice sword. Jiang Li sat in the study, supporting his head with one hand. From outside, he could vaguely hear Xiao Hong's emotional praise of "good swordsmanship". Jiang Li was thinking about Ji Heng, the tiger talisman, and Prince Xia in his mind. He felt drowsy and fell asleep without knowing when.

When Ji Heng returned to the mansion, it was already evening.

It was rare to see sunset glow in the sky of Yanjing City. The golden and red sunset glow flowed down from the sky, dazzling the people who watched it. Ji Heng looked up and saw that the flowerbed was covered with scattered petals. That was the mess made by General Ji when he was practicing sword. After practicing sword, the old general fell asleep because he was tired, and completely forgot that Jiang Li was still in his study. If the doorman in the Duke's Mansion had not told Ji Heng before that Miss Jiang Er had come to the Duke's Mansion and had not left, Ji Heng might not have known that there was such a person in the mansion.

The servants around didn't know where Jiang Li had gone. Ji Heng didn't ask Wen Ji to look for her, but went from room to room by himself. His steps were neither fast nor slow, and he always looked so leisurely and calm, until he pushed open the door of General Ji's study.

He stopped.

The afterglow of the sun shone through the window, onto the girl's face, turning her hair into fluffy gold. She closed her eyes, her eyelashes drooped, her nose was small, her mouth was delicate, and when she was sleeping quietly, she was not as clear-headed and occasionally cunning as usual, but just quiet.

Wen Ji stood behind Ji Heng, and Ji Heng waved his hand, signaling him to go out. Wen Ji retreated, and Ji Heng walked to Jiang Li.

General Ji's study, or rather his weapon room, was filled with weapons. These weapons were not newly made and kept in the blacksmith's shop. They were all weapons that the old general had taken to the battlefield, killed people, and were stained with blood. People often said that the murderous atmosphere in this room was too heavy and too fierce. Except for the old general himself, no one else was willing to set foot in it.

But Jiang Li slept peacefully here, without any discomfort. I don't know if she was born with the same sharpness as these weapons, or if it was because of her presence that all the weapons in the room became softer. Even the golden armor seemed like a gentle general, guarding the weak girl.

Ji Heng sat down opposite Jiang Li. The tea on the table had long gone cold. He took a clean teacup, poured himself a cup, and drank it slowly. He did not wake Jiang Li up, nor did he make a sound. Everything was as silent as a painting, beautiful.

Until Jiang Li felt cold and woke up.

The strange thing was that she would often dream when she slept in Jiang's house. Her dreams were all about her past life. When she woke up in the morning, she often couldn't tell whether it was a dream or reality. But in General Ji's study, she slept very peacefully and dreamlessly. She vaguely felt that someone was by her side, which made her feel at ease and she slept without reservation.

The first thing she saw when she woke up was the young man in red sitting opposite her, playing with a folding fan in his hand. The lights were on in the room. It was evening, and the sun only had a last ray of light left, with the last rays of sunset remaining in the dimness.

"Duke?" she asked in a daze.

"You are not shy," Ji Heng said with a half-smile, "Do you treat this place as your own home?"

Jiang Li was silent for a moment, then smiled, "I don't know when I fell asleep. I guess he felt safe sleeping in the old general's study. With so many weapons there, it was very safe."

"Are you sleeping very uneasy in the Jiang Mansion? What are you afraid of? Are you afraid that someone will kill you in your dream?" he asked directly.

The smile on Jiang Li's face faded, and she said, "Maybe, maybe I'm just naturally suspicious."

After a moment of silence, Ji Heng asked, "Why are you here?"

"Hmm?" Jiang Li remembered the purpose of her visit and said, "Princess Yongning and Shen Yurong are now commoners, and Prince Cheng and the Li family have also had a rift. I didn't expect it to succeed so quickly. I am very grateful to the Duke."

Her eyes were clear and sincere, and when she looked at people, the haze in their hearts was swept away. Ji Heng glanced at her, and suddenly opened the fan, blocking Jiang Li and herself.

Jiang Li was stunned.

Then, she saw that Ji Heng's fan had an extra fan pendant. It was the one she had given Ji Heng before. The blood-red butterflies followed the golden peony on the fan, which was almost intoxicating. Such a murderous weapon looked even more lingering and touching.

Jiang Li smiled and said, "The Duke has started using this fan pendant. It really matches well."

Ji Heng took back the folding fan, looked at the fan pendant, and praised: "Your craftsmanship is very good."

"Thank you." Jiang Li smiled and said, "It feels worth it to receive a compliment from the Duke."

Ji Heng smiled. In the dusk, the sunset glow was hazy and the lights were bright, making his face look close and far away, and his eyes lost their deep coldness and became gentle.

"What are you going to do next?" Ji Heng asked, "Regarding Yongning and Shen Yurong."

"After becoming commoners, the privileges that belonged to them, the royal nobles, should be dismantled." Jiang Li said: "Xue County Magistrate has woken up. I think it's time to let Xue Fangfei and Xue Zhao's case see the light of day again."

"Are you going to fight back?" Ji Heng asked with interest, "In what capacity?"

"No need for my identity. The fact that County Magistrate Xue is Xue Fangfei's father is enough to attract the attention of all the people in Yanjing. All I have to do is to help him. This is also natural. After all, the Tongxiang case was also handled by me. There is Haitang and Xiao Deyin, and both are witnesses. Xue Zhao's case is much more difficult to handle because the people at the time are no longer around. However, if there is no evidence, then find a way to get some evidence. When other evidence is conclusive, no one will go to verify the new evidence one by one, right?"

Her eyes, which should have been bright in the light, became dim instead. It was like a secret in the depths of her heart that made it impossible to delve deeper.

Ji Heng said: "You have considered it very carefully."

"There is one more thing, which is Jiang Youyao." Jiang Li asked: "Can the Duke tell me where Princess Yongning hid Jiang Youyao? When the time is right, Jiang Youyao's existence can also add to Princess Yongning's crimes."

Ji Heng said: "It's not easy for you to get into her private prison. If Yongning gets into trouble, King Cheng will burn down her private prison immediately. There are too many key figures in it, and we must eradicate them completely."

Jiang Li said: "Duke..."

"You want me to help you again?" He curled his lips, and his gentleness instantly turned into an alluring charm. He moved closer, and Jiang Li could clearly see the red teardrop mole at the corner of his eye. He said, "Last time it was the fan pendant, what are you going to exchange it for this time?"

"What does the Duke want?" Jiang Li asked, "If I can do it, I will do it."

"I don't like to ask for things from others," Ji Heng raised his eyebrows, "I like others to offer things to me on their own initiative. Since you want my help, how to please me is something you need to consider." His tone was full of arrogance, making it difficult to refuse.

"Then let me think about it." Jiang Li understood what he meant. Now she didn't think Ji Heng was moody, but he probably had some bad taste.

Ji Heng looked at her with his chin in his hand and suddenly said, "You have really done your best for the Xue family."

Jiang Li was stunned for a moment, and said, "Don't you think the Xue family is pitiful, Lord?"

"Pitiful?"

"The Xue family has fallen into such a state. Xue Fangfei is indeed pitiful, but if it weren't for her stupidity and inability to judge people, she wouldn't have let the wolf into the house and failed to discover that the person beside her was harboring evil intentions and even harmed her family." Jiang Li lowered her head. "Shen Yurong and Princess Yongning are guilty, but Xue Fangfei, I'm afraid she is not completely blameless, right?"

Ji Heng looked at her meaningfully: "You are never so harsh to the dead, why are you just like this to Xue Fangfei?"

Jiang Li asked: "Does the Duke think that what I said is wrong?"

Jiang Li and Ji Heng had talked about Xue Fangfei before, but at that time, their relationship was not as peaceful as it is now. Jiang Li was trying to hide it, and Ji Heng was trying to test it, so no one knew whether what the other said was true or false. Naturally, the talk at that time could not be true.

But today, suddenly talking about Xue Fangfei, Jiang Li suddenly wanted to know what kind of person Xue Fangfei was in Ji Heng's eyes in the past. She knew that he had said that she was "beautiful but soulless", and then what? Is there anything else?

Ji Heng said: "What if it's right, what if it's wrong?"

"The Duke should have met Xue Fangfei," Jiang Li stubbornly asked for the answer, "What kind of person is she in the eyes of the Duke?"

What kind of person? Jiang Li thought, he might say stupid, dumb, or someone with a broken brain. Or even a dull person. With Ji Heng's inherent arrogance, he looked down on everyone. Xue Fangfei must be insignificant in his eyes.

Ji Heng seemed a little surprised by her persistent questioning. His slender fingers stroked the handle of the fan, his amber eyes deep, and after thinking for a while, he said, "Beauty."

　Pay attention! See? This is the standard answer!
　　The chick is very good at teasing!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)