Chapter 210 Goodbye
The Yin siblings had a great family dinner at the Jiang family. The siblings were very interesting to talk to. They were both funny and polite, and very patient. The emperor sent General Zhaode to a cold and bitter place like the northwest, which was certainly not a good place to go. But when Jiang Yuanping asked about their life in the clouds, there was no resentment or unwillingness in the tone of the siblings. Instead, they were happy with it, as if they were very satisfied with their lives.

There are not many people in the world who are content with what they have, and even fewer who can find joy in hardship. Seeing the increasing satisfaction in the eyes of Madam Jiang and Mrs. Lu, Jiang Li became more and more silent.

Yin Zhili didn't approach her deliberately. He was very friendly to her, but he also maintained a polite attitude, as if he was treating a friend, so that people would not feel disgusted. Jiang Li knew this feeling, just like Ye Shijie and Wen Renyao treated her the same way, and Yin Zhili could even do better than them and make people feel more comfortable.

Jiang Li still understood the difference between a friend and a husband.

As the sky gradually darkened, the Yin brothers and sisters said goodbye. Jiang Li saw them off, and when they returned to Wanfeng Hall, only Old Madam Jiang and Lu were there.

Madam Jiang waved her hand: "Second girl, come here."

Jiang Li walked into the house.

She actually knew what Old Madam Jiang was going to say. All the men in the room had left, naturally because it was inconvenient for them to listen to what they were going to say.

Mrs. Lu looked at Jiang Li and asked happily, "Xiao Li, after seeing this prince today, I found that he is indeed as good as his reputation. He is not only handsome, but also gentle and polite. He looks like a good child. Don't you think so, mother?"

"Prince Xia is indeed very good at educating his children. Both of them are outstanding." Old Madam Jiang looked at Jiang Li and said, "Second girl, what kind of person do you think the prince is?"

Jiang Li said calmly: "Grandma, what kind of person is the prince of the county? Does it have anything to do with me?"

The two people in the room were stunned. Bai Xue and Tong'er, who were standing at the door, looked at each other.

Mrs. Lu coughed lightly and said, "Xiao Li, you have always been smart, why are you confused about this matter? How come the Prince of a County has nothing to do with you, you..." She didn't know what to say next. If she really said something that was not decided yet, and if something went wrong, wouldn't it be a waste of Jiang Li's reputation?

Old Madam Jiang saw something. Jiang Li was so smart, how could she not see the intention of the Jiang family? But it was very unusual for her to ask such a question. You know, even though Jiang Li was stubborn in her heart, she was at least gentle and obedient on the outside, and she didn't show her emotions. Even in the worst situation, she could remain calm and smiling. Old Madam Jiang was attracted by Jiang Li's calmness.

But today, she didn't even have a gentle smile on her face, which almost clearly expressed her resistance.

Why is this?

Madam Jiang asked gently, "Second girl, what do you think is wrong with the prince?"

"Grandmother, I've said before that whether the prince is good or not has nothing to do with me, and I don't need to judge him." Jiang Li's tone was still calm, but with a hint of indifference. She said, "But from the Jiang family's perspective, it is not appropriate to have too much contact with the Yin family. Your Majesty has always been suspicious of the Jiang family. No one can understand the current momentum of the Yin family. It is better to be safe than sorry. I still think that the Jiang family should not ask for trouble."

These words left Mrs. Lu dumbfounded. She said, "Oh, Xiaoli, you're exaggerating. It's not that serious..." Jiang Yuanping had never told her these things. She felt that Jiang Li was exaggerating, but seeing that Jiang Li didn't seem to be lying, she subconsciously believed it a little bit. So she stopped talking and just looked at Mrs. Jiang at a loss.

Madam Jiang looked at Jiang Li deeply for a long while before she said, "Second girl, are you really saying these things for the Jiang family's sake?"

"My grandmother doesn't believe me, and there's nothing I can do."

"I'm just afraid that you might have thoughts that you shouldn't have." Old Madam Jiang said.

Jiang Li smiled slightly and did not refute. There was no point in refutation. Even if the Jiang family really wanted her to marry Yin Zhili, Jiang Li thought that she should not rush to express her position at this moment. At least wait until the King Cheng incident was over to see what Yin Zhan's attitude was.

What if... Yin Zhan is the next king?

For some reason, this thought suddenly popped up in Jiang Li's mind. She was frightened by her own thought and quickly suppressed it. Fortunately, no one discovered what she was thinking.

Madam Jiang was silent for a moment and said, "You go back first."

Jiang Li nodded and turned to leave. Madam Jiang's voice came from behind her again. She said, "Remember, you are the daughter of the Jiang family. Your last name is Jiang."

Jiang Li's heart sank again when she heard this. It seemed that as a wealthy family, one should always put the family honor first, so one's life should be sacrificed. Not to mention what choice the real Second Miss Jiang would make, the current Jiang Li is no longer the real Second Miss Jiang. If we really want to trace back to that daughter surnamed Jiang, she would have died alone in the deserted Qingcheng Mountain, dying in the cold wind after falling into the water.

She took possession of Miss Jiang's body, so she helped Miss Jiang clear the false charges, find the murderer of Ye Zhenzhen, and help the Ye family get rid of trouble. But she didn't owe anything to these people.

Jiang Li turned and walked out of Wanfeng Hall.

Old Madam Jiang looked at her back and sighed softly.

This granddaughter was more stubborn than she had imagined, probably because Jiang Li had not completely forgiven the Jiang family for their misunderstanding and neglect of her, and she did not have deep feelings for the Jiang family. She seemed to care about the Jiang family only because of her own kindness, but based on this kindness, she would definitely not agree to go through fire and water for the Jiang family. She would just turn around and leave, just like now.

Mrs. Lu asked cautiously, "Mother, does Xiaoli dislike the prince? I think this prince is really good. Looking around the city of Yanjing, there is no one better than this kid. Xiaoli is now of marriageable age. I think the prince treats Xiaoli very well. If Xiaoli misses this opportunity, someone else will get there first. I am her aunt, how can I harm her? Mother, you have seen today that the prince is indeed a good person, right? Why doesn't she like him?"

"Yes." Madam Jiang looked far away, "Why doesn't she like it?"

Outside, Jiang Li returned to Fangfei Garden in silence.

Bai Xue and Tong Er didn't dare to say anything. After the door was closed, Tong Er suddenly said something out of the blue: "In fact, it's natural for the girl to dislike that prince."

Bai Xue and Jiang Li turned to look at Tong'er.

Tong'er said confidently, "I think the Duke treats our girl better, he's more handsome, and he has more money than their family. They were in Yunzhong before, but the Duke is from Yanjing. In comparison, of course the Duke and our girl are more compatible." Seeing that Jiang Li didn't say anything to stop them, she became bolder, walked up to Jiang Li, and said seriously, "Miss, even if the old lady, the second lady, the master, the second master, the second young master, and the third young master all think that the prince is good, and the girl thinks that the Duke is good, she feels that she is alone and powerless. There is also this servant, and I also think that the Duke is good. There is also Bai Xue, Bai Xue, don't you think so?"

Bai Xue nodded quickly: "I think the Duke is very good."

The two of them were probably afraid that Jiang Li would be depressed and then doubt her own judgment, so they tried their best to prove to Jiang Li that her judgment was correct, which made Jiang Li burst out laughing.

She couldn't hide it from the people around her, and since Tong'er and Bai Xue thought so, she was too lazy to correct them.

"It's not because of this reason." Jiang Li said.

Tong'er asked: "What's the reason?"

"This Yin family..." Jiang Li said, "I always feel that there may be something hidden."

……

In a spacious mansion in Yanjing City, someone was talking in a house.

The man sitting in the study is now over 40 years old, tall and handsome. He has a dark complexion and looks strong, but he also has a strange elegance that weakens his brave temperament. His facial features are distinct and outstanding, and he is somewhat similar to the young man standing in front of him.

This is the Prince of Xia, the famous General Zhaode Yin Zhan.

When he spoke, he always smiled and seemed cheerful. He patted Yin Zhili on the shoulder and asked, "Zhili, you went to the Jiang residence today. Did you meet the second young lady of the Jiang family?"

"I saw her." Yin Zhiqing interrupted, "Dad, we met the Second Miss Jiang a few days ago. A child fell off their carriage and I saved her. She even thanked me. When I went to the Jiang family today, I was shocked to hear her call herself the Second Miss."

"Oh?" Yin Zhan was a little surprised, "You have already met? It seems like fate."

"That's right." Yin Zhiqing said, "A man like my brother actually played a whole game of chess with the Second Miss Jiang. It's incredible. I think this Second Miss Jiang is most likely going to marry into our Yin family."

Yin Zhan smiled: "Really, Zhili?"

"Miss Jiang is very good at chess and she defeated me by one move." Yin Zhili said with a smile.

"Defeated you?" Yin Zhan was surprised, then smiled and said, "It seems that this Second Miss Jiang is really smart. Since she ranked first in the Six Arts School Examination, it shows that she is not lacking in talent. She is also willing to help strangers who met by chance to redress their grievances, which shows that she is also courageous and chivalrous. I just don't know about her appearance..."

"She looks good too," Yin Zhiqing said, "Although she's not particularly outstanding, she's pretty. As long as my brother likes her, that's all."

"Zhiqing." Yin Zhili stopped her from talking nonsense.

Yin Zhiqing remained silent. Yin Zhan, however, looked at Yin Zhili and smiled, as if he had seen through Yin Zhili's thoughts. Yin Zhili's face turned slightly red. Fortunately, Yin Zhiqing on the side had already changed the subject. She asked, "Dad, do you know the Duke Su in Yanjing City?"

"Duke Su?" Yin Zhili was stunned, then asked, "Is it General Jinwu's son Ji Heng?"

Yin Zhan's face changed, and he asked Yin Zhiqing, "Why are you asking him?"

"I heard someone mention this name in Jiang's house today, and I was just curious. It turns out that Duke Su's name is Ji Heng. Dad, what kind of person is he? Since he is the general's son, is he also a general?"

She asked urgently, but Yin Zhan, who was always patient, did not answer her in a good temper this time. Instead, he said, "Don't ask these questions. Why would the Jiang family mention Ji Heng? Do they have any dealings with him?"

Yin Zhili asked: "Zhiqing, did you really hear that at the Jiang family?"

Yin Zhiqing naturally couldn't say that she saw him on the street that day. She would inevitably attract Yin Zhan's attention if she took the initiative to ask about the strange man. Besides, she thought that Jiang Li was walking with Ji Heng and said that she was not very familiar with Ji Heng. It was probably because of the relationship of the Jiang family that Ji Heng had contact with Jiang Li. In this case, the Jiang family must have a relationship with Ji Heng, and Yin Zhan was right to ask this. She said, "It's true."

Yin Zhan's expression gradually became serious. After a while, he said to Yin Zhili, "Don't worry about these things for now. Zhili, get closer to Miss Jiang Er. You can also do what I told you to do before."

Yin Zhili's eyes moved, and then he said, "I know, Dad."

……

After seeing off the Yin family brothers and sisters during the day, Jiang Li couldn't sleep at night. The Jiang family's plan was so obvious that Jiang Li had to consider future problems. If Jiang Yuanbo was willing to listen to her, she would naturally persuade the Jiang family not to have any dealings with the Yin family for the time being, so as not to be calculated by others. But if the Jiang family insisted on having their own way, Jiang Li was unwilling to be tied to the Jiang family.

You have to know that she is not alone now, she also has her father Xue Huaiyuan. If Jiang Li is also affected by the Jiang family, what will Xue Huaiyuan do? Who knows, it might even implicate Xue Huaiyuan and the Ye family. Jiang Li thought about it and felt that it was inappropriate. Why not go out one day, confess to Xue Huaiyuan, and then explain to Ye Mingyu that it is not suitable to stay in Yanjing City for a long time, and find another way to make a living and fly away. As long as the matter of becoming a king is settled, everyone will quickly pack up and run away. Even if the world turns upside down and the Jinshan is flooded, it has nothing to do with them.

By then, she would travel around the world with her father and Ye Mingyu, which would fulfill Xue Zhao's unfulfilled wish.

Thinking of Xue Zhao, Jiang Li's heart sank again. Even if she wanted to leave, she wanted to take Xue Zhao back to his hometown to bury him. Otherwise, when she and Xue Huaiyuan left, Xue Zhao would be left alone in Yanjing City.

After thinking about it, Jiang Li felt depressed, so she simply put on her clothes, stood up and walked into the yard.

The moonlight was like water, and the shadows of the trees were reflected on the bluestone ground, becoming blurred and soft. The wind made the shadows of the trees rustle, and the spring breeze at night was still cool, and the chill of winter had not completely subsided.

She was walking slowly in the yard when she suddenly saw something rustling in the grass beside the flower bed. Jiang Li was stunned for a moment, and when she got closer to take a look, she saw a person squatting on the ground with his back to her, seemingly pulling weeds, but she didn't know what he was doing.

"You..." Jiang Li barely managed to say a word when the man shuddered and turned around, startling Jiang Li. He asked, "Zhao Ke?"

"Hey, Second Miss," Zhao Ke replied, "Long time no see."

"Why are you here?" Jiang Li was puzzled. Zhao Ke had left the Jiang family a long time ago. Maybe he had already done what Ji Heng asked him to do in the Jiang family. Or maybe the Jiang family was of no use to Ji Heng now, so there was no need to find someone to follow him. So she was also surprised to see Zhao Ke suddenly appear in front of her. Jiang Li asked, "What are you doing here in the middle of the night? You can't just be pulling weeds here, right?"

Zhao Ke coughed lightly, stood up and said, "Second Miss, my Lord asked me to come and see if anything happened in the Prime Minister's Mansion."

"What happened?" Jiang Li was puzzled, not knowing what was going on. "What happened?"

Zhao Ke scratched his head and said, "I don't know either. Maybe he just wanted me to come and see if the Second Miss had any trouble."

Jiang Li was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "Thank you for his kindness." What is this? Secret care? Jiang Li couldn't explain it. She replied, "But nothing special happened, I'm fine too."

Zhao Ke looked at Jiang Li with a strange look in his eyes, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't. In the end, he sighed abruptly and said, "By the way, the master also said that if Miss Jiang Er is not asleep, she can go to the Duke's Mansion and sit down."

Jiang Li was surprised.

"The Second Miss doesn't seem to be asleep yet, so would you like to go to the Duke's Mansion and sit down?"

Jiang Li didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She made light of the matter, as if only people from the Duke's Mansion were going to their own garden. She did have something she wanted to ask Ji Heng about the Yin family. But it was precisely because of the Yin family that she had some concerns. Jiang Li said to Zhao Ke, "Of course you can, but you should know that General Zhaode has returned to the capital recently and came to the Jiang family today. I don't know the relationship between General Zhaode and your master, but it's always better to be more cautious. If we leave the house now, will we be discovered by Yin Zhan's people?"

Zhao Ke: "Second Miss, don't worry about that. Yin Zhan hasn't been back to Yanjing for many years, and he may not know all the small roads in Yanjing. The road we take will be enough to cover Second Miss, and she won't be discovered by anyone. But Second Miss's caution is indeed a good thing. It's better to be more careful with the Yin family."

Zhao Ke usually spoke and acted according to Ji Heng's instructions, and rarely expressed his own opinions. Today was the first time he gave instructions to Jiang Li in his own tone, and Jiang Li felt that this was very unusual. It was almost certain once again that Ji Heng's target was probably Yin Zhan, because even his subordinates knew it.

Ji Heng and Yin Zhan will be in opposition sooner or later. Jiang Li feels a little confused. She cannot participate in the past and knows very little about General Zhaode. Therefore, she cannot guess what conflicts there were between the Duke's Mansion and General Zhaode in the past.

Maybe she could get some clues tonight.

Thinking of this, Jiang Li nodded and said, "In that case, I would like to go to the Duke's Mansion. Please excuse me."

Zhao Ke said, "Don't worry, Second Miss, come with me."

……

Speaking of which, Jiang Li hadn't set foot in the Duke's Mansion for a long time. Before and after she was abducted to Huangzhou, she hadn't taken the initiative to come here, and Ji Heng hadn't taken the initiative to let her go. Thinking about it, the last time she and General Ji and Wen Renyao roasted venison in the courtyard of the Duke's Mansion seemed like a thing of the past life.

Zhao Ke drove the carriage at night. The horse's hooves were wrapped in cloth, and no sound could be heard. Jiang Li guessed that it was to prevent someone from coming out to check at night, but it was not like this in the past. The only difference between now and the past was that there was an additional General Zhaode.

Jiang Li became more and more curious, wondering what kind of grudges this General Zhaode had with the Duke's Mansion. You have to know that when Yin Zhan went to the northwest, Ji Heng might not have been born yet, or was just a toddler, so it was impossible for him to have any conflicts with Ji Heng. If you think about it, it was probably with Ji Heng's father, General Jinwu.

But according to rumors, aren’t Ji Minghan and Yin Zhan on good terms?

Jiang Li had doubts in her heart, and waited until the carriage stopped at the gate of the Duke's Mansion. When the guard at the gate saw Jiang Li, his eyes lit up and he grinned at Jiang Li.

The guards of the Duke's Mansion were all good-looking, but they didn't talk much. When this guard grinned, he looked a bit silly. Zhao Ke looked down on him and said, "What are you laughing at?"

"Miss Jiang Er hasn't been here for a long time." The guard opened the door and said, "Please come in."

Jiang Li had a strange feeling in her heart, and Zhao Ke also felt that something was wrong, but neither of them thought much about it and walked in.

Along the way, I didn't see many servants. After all, it was late at night and the servants had all gone to sleep. Not everyone was a servant with a mission like Zhao Ke.

When they reached the edge of the flower garden, Zhao Ke said, "We're here."

Jiang Li said: "I didn't see the Duke."

"There." Zhao Ke motioned for her to look.

There was a person at the edge of the flowerbed, but because he was not standing and the flowers and plants around him were tall, Jiang Li didn't see him for a while. So she walked a few steps closer and saw Ji Heng half-kneeling on the ground, holding a shovel in one hand and digging the soil.

Jiang Li was surprised: "Why did your parents become gardeners themselves?"

Zhao Ke did not answer, perhaps he did not know why. Jiang Li thought, this man might have just had a whim to plant flowers in his yard in the middle of the night. She approached, and Ji Heng probably feared that the mud on the ground would stain his clothes, so he did not wear an outer robe, but only a black inner garment. Seeing Jiang Li, he smiled and said, "Here you are."

"What kind of precious flower is this?" Jiang Li asked, "Is it worthy for the Duke to plant it himself?"

"It's not a very precious flower." He continued to dig the soil. Jiang Li saw that what was placed around him was not a flower seedling, but a tree seedling. It was hard to tell what kind of tree it was, as it was only about the height of a child.

When Jiang Li was a child, she also planted trees with Xue Huaiyuan and Xue Zhao in Tongxiang, so she could tell at a glance that Ji Heng might be planting trees for the first time and his method was really wrong. The key point was that he was still leisurely, as if he didn't care at all, and he was just doing it casually, who knew if he would do it until the end of time.

People have leisure time all the time. Jiang Li couldn't bear to watch it anymore, so she rolled up her sleeves and said, "Let go, I'll do it."

Ji Heng loosened her grip, and Jiang Li took over the shovel. She dug faster than Ji Heng and was more skilled. She soon dug a hole that was just the right size for two tree roots. Ji Heng looked at her with a smile, as if thinking about something.

“Have you ever planted trees before?”

"Yes." Jiang Li said, "My father and I planted an apricot tree in the yard, but it died after a few months. Later, we planted a grape tree, which grew very well. In the autumn, my father wanted to give these grapes to others."

If the Jiang family were here, they would probably be confused when they heard this. When did Jiang Li plant trees with Jiang Yuanbai? Besides, a lady from a wealthy family would not plant trees herself. But the person in front of him was Ji Heng. Ji Heng knew that she was Xue Fangfei, so there was no need to hide many things. He understood.

Ji Heng laughed, and he said, "Interesting."

"I didn't expect that the Duke would be so interested in planting flowers in the middle of the night," she suddenly thought of something and turned to ask, "You didn't ask me to come here at night just to help you plant trees, did you?"

"How come?" Ji Heng said lazily, "I was planning to grow it myself, but you seem to have a lot of experience."

Jiang Li stopped talking. She dug a deep hole and asked Zhao Ke to get a pot of cold water and pour some water into the hole. She asked Ji Heng to help her put the sapling into the hole and straighten it before she started to fill the soil.

Wen Ji also came to the yard at some point, looked at Ji Heng and Jiang Li, and asked Zhao Ke: "What are you doing, sir?"

"I'm planting trees with Miss Jiang Er." Zhao Ke crossed his arms and said, "Miss Jiang Er is really capable. Look at how she plants trees. She is more familiar with it than you and I. She doesn't feel uncomfortable at all. Do you think we are too incompetent, or is Miss Jiang Er too weird?"

Wen Ji didn't say anything.

In the flowerbed, Ji Heng filled the last piece of soil and asked Jiang Li: "Is this okay?"

"Let's water it again." Jiang Li said.

She took the kettle and watered the trees carefully and slowly, making sure that all the saplings were watered thoroughly. Then she put the kettle down and said, "That's it."

In the night, her forehead oozed bloody sweat. Planting trees is not an easy task, and she was not just pretending with a shovel, she really put in the effort. She was different from those young ladies who pretended to be weak and frail at the slightest provocation. Although she was very tired, she still persisted and was more energetic than those people.

Ji Heng smiled slightly: "Maybe when you grow up, it will grow up."

He was talking about saplings.

Jiang Li turned her head to look at the sapling. Its branches and leaves were all green. When the breeze blew past, the branches and leaves swayed, as if they had come to life in an instant. In this colorful flower garden, it was not the most eye-catching one, but it seemed to be the most vibrant one.

Jiang Li looked at it and said, "I just don't know where I will be when it grows up."

Ji Heng looked at her. The woman's tone was truly melancholy, and one could also hear some reluctance and confusion in her voice, as if she had made a decision to travel far away immediately, but was still reluctant before leaving.

She turned her head and looked at Ji Heng, saying, "Now can we talk about why you asked me to come here tonight?"

(End of this chapter)