Chapter 206 Returning to the Mansion
Ji Heng's carriage went directly to the Duke's Mansion. After arriving at the Duke's Mansion, Ji Heng, Lu Ji and Wen Ren Yao all got off the carriage. Lin Yao was also taken away by Wen Ren Yao. Wen Ji and Zhao Ke continued to drive the carriage towards the Jiang Mansion.

This made Jiang Li feel relieved. At least it would be easier to deal with Jiang Yuanbo.

When the carriage arrived at the gate of Jiang's house, Jiang Li got off the carriage. The gatekeeper was a little confused at first, but when he saw Jiang Li's face clearly, he was so surprised that he stammered: "Second Miss!"

Jiang Li smiled and nodded at him: "Yes, I'm back."

The news of Jiang Li's return spread throughout the Jiang residence immediately. In Wanfeng Hall, Old Madam Jiang and the people from the Second House arrived. When Mrs. Lu saw Jiang Li, she took Jiang Li's hand and said, "Xiao Li, you are finally back. These days, Second Aunt has not been able to sleep well every night. She is really worried!"

Her words were indeed exaggerated, but there was also some sincerity. Jiang Li smiled and patted her hands: "I'm fine, Second Aunt."

Jiang Jingrui asked: "I heard that you went to Huangzhou. How did you get there? Who saved you? I asked my father and uncle, but they refused to tell me. Jiang Li, what happened?"

Jiang Li understood that Jiang Yuanbo and Jiang Yuanping had indeed not told anyone else about this. However, Mrs. Jiang probably knew the inside story, because she was not as suspicious as Jiang Jingrui, and just asked: "There is war in Huangzhou, second girl, are you injured? Did those thieves hurt you?"

"No." Jiang Li said: "The Huangzhou defenders have been confronting King Cheng's troops. Those troops have not been able to enter the city, so they are very safe."

"But I heard," it was Jiang Jingyou who spoke this time, he looked at Jiang Li, "King Cheng's men burned and looted in Huangzhou City, and many people died."

This couldn't be concealed, so Jiang Li said, "There are indeed such people, but I was probably lucky, so I didn't meet them and escaped safely."

"You were protected by someone, right?" Jiang Jingrui leaned closer and said, "So you are safe and sound, who is that person? He was able to rescue you from King Cheng's men, so he must be capable. Tell me his name so that I can go to thank him."

Jiang Li laughed in her heart. Jiang Yuanbai knew that it was Ji Heng who saved him. I'm afraid his first reaction was not gratitude, but suspicion of Ji Heng's intentions. The Duke's Mansion and the Jiang family have never had much contact. It can even be said that Ji Heng replaced Jiang Yuanbai and became closer and closer to Emperor Hong Xiao. Jiang Yuanbai might even suspect that Ji Heng had instigated something.

While they were talking, a voice suddenly rang out from outside: "Ali."

Looking back, it was Jiang Yuanbo who hurried back. He was not in Wanfeng Hall just now, so he must have been outside and hurried back after hearing the news that Jiang Li had returned home. Jiang Li called him "Father", and he looked at Jiang Li, then looked around and said, "Come with me to the study."

Madam Jiang nodded to Jiang Li, and Jiang Li followed Jiang Yuanbai to the study. Once they arrived at the study and closed the door, Jiang Yuanbai looked at Jiang Li and asked, "How are you? Are you injured?"

Jiang Li shook her head.

Jiang Yuanbai checked for a while, and seemed to be relieved to see that Jiang Li did not have any signs of injury. Then he asked: "What happened? How did those people take you out of Yanjing and bring you to Huangzhou? How did Duke Su know that you were abducted to Huangzhou and rescued you?"

When Wen Renyao wrote to Jiang Yuanbo and the Ye family, he was very vague and did not write in detail about Jiang Li's specific situation. Seeing Jiang Yuanbo's confused look, it was obvious that he had no idea what was going on. Jiang Li sat down and told how she got separated from Bai Xue on the street that day and how those people disguised themselves and got out of Yanjing.

"They clearly came prepared. They planned to take me to Huangzhou from the beginning, so they did it in an orderly manner, catching me off guard. By the time they found out I was missing, I had already been taken out of the city. It was too late to chase them now."

She also talked about those people who took her all the way to Huangzhou. Jiang Li omitted the statement that she saw Ji Heng's sedan chair outside the tavern and asked Ji Heng for help. This inevitably aroused Jiang Yuanbo's suspicion. First, how could Jiang Li be so familiar with Ji Heng that she could recognize his sedan chair at a glance. Second, because everyone knew that Ji Heng was the person who didn't like to meddle in other people's affairs, and he didn't have any sympathy for women. How could Ji Heng take the initiative to respond to Jiang Li's request for help?

"Later, when I was in the inn, the woman tried to use force on me. I struggled desperately, and was probably seen by the guards of Duke Su who passed by. Before, at the palace banquet, the two guards had seen me before and knew my identity. I think they told Duke Su, and Duke Su saved me." She smiled and looked at Jiang Yuanbai: "Father, Duke Su is a good man. He saved my life, and we should thank him."

"Good guy?" Jiang Yuanbai laughed and looked at Jiang Li: "You are young and ignorant after all. Ji Heng is not a kind person. I am afraid he has other bargaining chips and is just using you as a cover."

Jiang Li listened quietly. Jiang Yuanbo's reaction was within her expectations. If it were her, if Ji Heng hadn't helped her again and again, if she hadn't been with him so often, in Jiang Li's eyes, Ji Heng would also be such a treacherous, cruel and ruthless person.

"However," Jiang Yuanbai changed the subject, "after all, he saved your life, so you should thank him. But you don't have to go. Let me, your father, go and thank him."

He was still afraid that Jiang Li and Ji Heng would have any unnecessary contact. This might be because Jiang Yuanbai protected the interests of the Jiang family and cared about his daughter. Although he was not a good father to the real Second Miss Jiang, he was not completely cold and heartless. Jiang Li nodded.

Jiang Yuanbai looked at Jiang Li. The girl had a lovely and delicate face, and became more and more delicate and beautiful. It was the best time for a girl. A lot of things happened in the past six months, but Jiang Li's status in the Jiang family was completely different. Of course, it was because they discovered the truth, but also because this daughter was neither like him nor like Ye Zhenzhen. She was smart and knew how to advance and retreat. She didn't have the slightest bit of arrogance, but when she went out, she was very considerate and would not lose her manners.

He remembered that some of his colleagues had tried to find out about this daughter indirectly, although they stopped temporarily because of Ji Shuran and Jiang Youyao's affairs. But gentlemen love fair ladies, and if this fair lady is the daughter of the Prime Minister, naturally more people will like her.

He thought of the gentle and handsome man he had seen a few days ago. He was well-spoken and had a righteous look in his eyes. He was very comfortable to be with. In fact, they should be a good match. Jiang Yuanbai himself liked him very much. However, it was a time of trouble, and King Cheng was also in the midst of the rebellion. The Jiang family was too busy to take care of themselves, and they could not see clearly what would happen next. Jiang Yuanbai did not dare to make a decision easily.

But that man... is still much better than the moody and unfathomable Duke Su.

"Ali..." Jiang Yuanbo couldn't help but say, "Duke Su is handsome and powerful, but he is not a good match... You... don't have any feelings for him."

He was reminding her that Jiang Yuanbai was moved and uncomfortable when he, as a father, said these words to his daughter. However, there was no mistress in the main room of the Jiang Mansion, so no one came to say these words to Jiang Li. Mrs. Lu was not very good at speaking, and Old Madam Jiang was old, so Jiang Yuanbai could only speak for himself.

Jiang Li's heart trembled, but a faint smile appeared on her face. She said, "I know it without my father telling me."

Jiang Yuanbai looked at Jiang Li's expression, and when he saw that she said this, her eyes were frank and it didn't seem like she was lying, he felt relieved.

Jiang Li asked: "Father, why didn't I see my third uncle, third aunt, or fourth sister in Wanfeng Hall today?"

Almost everyone in Wanfeng Hall was present, except for the third house. This was strange. Even though the third house was not close to the first and second houses, it still had to be present for such events. But there was no one in sight, and Mrs. Lu and Old Madam Jiang seemed to be used to it, which puzzled Jiang Li.

Jiang Yuanbo paused for a moment before saying, "We have split up."

"Separation?" Jiang Li was surprised. "Why would they suddenly separate?"

Jiang Yuanbo sneered, "You were suddenly abducted this time. I'm afraid it was the people from the third house who did it. They found a way to tell King Cheng about your whereabouts, so King Cheng could take you away on the road you had to take to the Ye family. The people from the third house had ulterior motives. Keeping you here would be a disaster, so your grandmother asked us to split the family."

"Has it been divided in such a short time?" Jiang Li asked.

"He is just a bastard. There is no need to bother with the division of the family. There is no need to ask the clan members to preside over it. For so many years, without the Jiang family, they can't do anything, and naturally they can't take anything away."

Jiang Yuanbai's attitude was tougher than ever before. Jiang Li remembered that when she first entered the Jiang family, Jiang Yuanbai was not as close to the third room as he was to Jiang Yuanping, but he was still polite. Now it was clear that they had become enemies. It was obvious how angry he was about Jiang Yuanxing's actions.

Jiang Li thought for a while, then said, "That's good. Third Uncle and his family have connections with King Cheng, so they can be said to have taken refuge with King Cheng. Now is a critical moment. If we don't split up, we will inevitably be implicated in the future. Splitting up the family cleanly also shows the emperor that the Jiang family has no second thoughts about him, and it is even more impossible for them to go along with King Cheng."

Jiang Yuanbai sighed: "I thought so too."

"Speaking of which," Jiang Li thought of something and said, "My uncle doesn't know about my return. I want to go to the Ye Mansion later to see my uncle and cousin and tell them that I'm back."

"No."

　Finished! Isn’t it great to finish it in one go?
　　The author is exhausted!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)