Chapter 219 Prophecy
After returning to the Jiang Mansion from the Ye family, Jiang Li was smiling from beginning to end.

Tong'er and Baixue were puzzled and didn't know why Jiang Li was in such a good mood today. They thought it might be because she hadn't seen Ye Mingyu and Ye Shijie for a long time. Jiang Li had always had a good relationship with this uncle.

After returning to the Jiang family and meeting with Old Madam Jiang, Jiang Li returned to Fangfei Garden. After she returned, she closed the door and sat at the desk.

On the wall in front of the desk, there was still a painting that Xue Huaiyuan had given her on her birthday. At that time, Xue Huaiyuan didn't know she was Ali. But looking at this painting now, it was like her father was looking at her, which made her feel particularly at ease. Speaking of which, on her last birthday, everyone else gave gifts, except Ji Heng. Jiang Li thought about it and thought that Ji Heng probably knew that it was not her real birthday, so she didn't give her anything.

She was unconsciously trying to excuse Ji Heng, but she soon discovered it herself. Jiang Li shook her head. She was really happy today. Her father and A Zhao were by her side, and they even recognized each other. This was a blessing in disguise. Since she knew Xue Zhao was still alive, Jiang Li had pinched herself more than once, fearing that all this was just a dream. Now it seemed that God had been kind to her.

Ah Zhao's words also made her no longer have any worries. The Jiang family hoped that she could marry Yin Zhili, but they thought Ji Heng was not a good candidate. It seemed that when the whole world denied Ji Heng, at least Ah Zhao was still on her side. Ah Zhao encouraged her and agreed with her. It seemed that he had no bad opinion of Ji Heng, so Jiang Li felt relieved.

Encouragement from family is always the most precious.

She seemed to have put down all her previous worries, and what was coming next was like the good times she had been waiting for for a long time. She even slept with a smile on her face.

Just like this, more than ten days passed.

Another incident happened in Yanjing. The family of Li Zhongnan, the right prime minister, was found to have colluded with King Cheng to rebel. Li Zhongnan fled with his two sons overnight, but was caught by the city garrison. He was stabbed to death while resisting. Emperor Hong Xiao issued a death order, thoroughly investigating and severely punishing those related to the Li family. As for the hundreds of people in the Li family, all were dragged out and beheaded.

At this point, the right prime minister, who was once so powerful that he could almost compete with the Jiang family, disappeared in the history of Northern Yan. As the right-hand man of King Cheng, the ending of the Li family was also expected. What was unexpected was the decisiveness and indifference shown by Emperor Hong Xiao. It makes people realize that the seemingly insignificant little emperor back then has now become a truly unfathomable emperor.

When Jiang Li heard the news, she was reading in the mansion. She had nothing to do these days. Apart from occasionally visiting relatives at the Ye family, she read books and wrote in the Jiang mansion. The way she read and wrote now was different from before, and her mood became more relaxed.

When the Li family members were beheaded, Tong'er went with the Jiang family's servants to watch the fun. After returning, she said to Jiang Li: "Ah, the blood of those people dyed the ground red. It was so horrible."

Bai Xue heard this and said disapprovingly: "Who told them to harbor evil intentions? This is their own fault."

Jiang Li smiled. Jiang Yuanbai had gotten rid of a major worry this time. But he couldn't rest easy. At first, the situation was divided between the Jiang family, King Cheng, and Emperor Hong Xiao. Now King Cheng's faction has completely collapsed, and the balance of the situation has been broken. Who knows if Emperor Hong Xiao will turn around and deal with the Jiang family? Although Emperor Hong Xiao could roughly see from King Cheng's matter that Jiang Yuanbai had the will but not the courage to rebel, the emperor's heart was unpredictable. What if he wanted to doubt Jiang Yuanbai?

In addition, Jiang Yuanbai was also planning to form an alliance with the Yin family.

Thinking of the Yin family, Jiang Li paused flipping through the book and sighed. Jiang Li would never believe that the Yin family had not contributed to the Right Prime Minister's affair. First, Yin Zhan was also going to deal with the Cheng Wang faction, and second, by clearing up the Right Prime Minister, the Jiang family would be able to be on good terms with the Yin family from now on, and their marriage would have an extra layer of protection.

But Jiang Li was not too worried about this marriage, because Ji Heng had said that day that he only asked her to take good care of her in the mansion and leave the rest to him. Jiang Li believed that he could really handle this matter, at least he would not let her and Yin Zhili really get married.

It was the hottest time of the summer. Except at night, no one dared to go out during the day. The sun seemed to take people's lives, and it was dazzling. Bai Xue said that after a dozen days of heat, it would be the beginning of autumn, and the weather would gradually turn cooler. This year's summer would be truly over.

That night, Madam Jiang suddenly asked Zhenzhu to come to Fangfei Garden and teach Jiang Li to go to Wanfeng Hall. Jiang Li took her maid to Wanfeng Hall, and when she arrived, she saw that everyone was there.

"Second girl," Madam Jiang pointed to the seat beside her and said, "Come, sit down."

Jiang Li sat down next to Old Madam Jiang as she was told.

Jiang Yuanbai and Jiang Yuanping sat on the right side of Jiang Li. Jiang Yuanbai looked at Jiang Li, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he said nothing. Since the last time she and Jiang Yuanbai parted unhappily because of the Yin family, Jiang Li had not spent much time with Jiang Yuanbai. On weekdays, they only talked a few words when they met. Jiang Li thought that Jiang Yuanbai could probably feel her alienation.

"Second girl," Old Madam Jiang said, "We are going to the palace tomorrow night. His Majesty is celebrating General Zhaode's success. The palace has received an invitation. Your third sister cannot go now. Among the young ladies of the Jiang family, you are the only one going."

"Yes," Mrs. Lu also said warmly, "Just dress up nicely then."

When they said that, Jiang Li suddenly understood. Especially when Jiang Jingrui secretly winked at her, Jiang Li thought of the conversation between Jiang Yuanbo and Old Lady Jiang that Tong'er had overheard in Wanfeng Hall before - when Emperor Hong Xiao awarded merits, Yin Zhan would bring up the matter of granting marriage.

Jiang Li knew that day would come sooner or later, and the peace of these days was only temporary. Tonight's conversation meant that this peace was over.

"Okay." Jiang Li answered concisely.

Seeing her so straightforward, the Jiang family hesitated. Jiang Yuanbai stared at Jiang Li. He knew that Jiang Li was somewhat reluctant about this matter, but in his opinion, Yin Zhili was a good choice. Jiang Yuanbai was also worried before that Jiang Li seemed to be a little close to Ji Heng, but he later sent people to secretly investigate and found that Jiang Li and Ji Heng had no relationship.

Jiang Yuanbai didn't understand what the girl was thinking. Jiang Li was very opinionated and his ideas could not shake Jiang Li at all. But at this moment, only marriage with the Yin family was the better choice for Jiang Li and the Jiang family.

"Xiao Li," Lu said, "Have you seen the prince these days?"

Jiang Li smiled and said, "Second Aunt, you are joking. I have been staying in the mansion these days. How could I meet the prince?"

When she spoke, everyone in the room felt the change in Jiang Li. In the past, Jiang Li also acted with a smile, and even if she had any ideas, she was gentle and docile, or at least pretended to be gentle and docile. Not to mention when she just returned to the Jiang Mansion from Qingcheng Mountain, it was also the same when her status in the mansion rose steadily.

However, although Jiang Li was smiling now, that gentleness and docility were gone, and she was more stubborn, as if she no longer had to compromise or endure anything. It was as if she had a ceremonial guard, and even her speech became more direct and confident.

Why is this?

Jiang Li took in the different looks of everyone in the room and smiled in her heart. Of course, it was because now that she had the support of A Zhao and her father, she didn't have to be as cautious and careful as before.

The atmosphere in the room inexplicably became awkward and stiff. Mrs. Lu quickly changed the subject and talked about other things, but the listeners all had their own thoughts and were not interested.

Jiang Li stayed with them and didn't go back until late at night.

When they were about to leave, Jiang Yuanbai suddenly called Jiang Li. They were walking behind him, and Jiang Yuanbai walked very slowly. He said, "A-Li, do you... hate me?"

He asked this question hesitantly, and Jiang Li turned to look at him. Jiang Li still remembered how Jiang Yuanbai looked when she first arrived at the Jiang family, elegant and refined, but later, when the things that happened to Ji Shuran, Ye Zhenzhen, and Jiang Youyao happened one after another, Jiang Li found that this man only had deep fatigue in his eyes, and even had a few wrinkles on his face.

Jiang Li said: "I don't hate my father."

But I don’t love it either.

Jiang Yuanbai seemed to be moved by these words. He breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I won't hurt you, Xiaoli."

Jiang Li smiled and walked forward without answering Jiang Yuanbo's words.

Human emotions are very complicated, and even Jiang Li couldn't judge Jiang Yuanbai's sincerity at this moment. She thought that Jiang Yuanbai might really have a father-daughter relationship with Jiang Er Xiaojie, but he could arrange this marriage without hesitation even when Jiang Er Xiaojie resisted. If Jiang Er Xiaojie was really here, could she understand Jiang Yuanbai's painstaking efforts?

Jiang Li was glad that she was not Miss Jiang Er, because if Xue Huaiyuan treated her like this, she would be very sad.

Tong'er walked beside Jiang Li, and Jiang Yuanbo's shadow was getting farther and farther away. After returning to Fangfei Garden, Tong'er watched Bai Xue light up the lamp, close the door, and looked at Jiang Li with hesitation, her eyes full of worry.

"What's wrong, Tong'er?" Jiang Li asked curiously when she saw her expression.

"Miss, the old lady asked you to come to the palace tomorrow, probably to discuss the marriage, but what should we do?" Tong'er said. It was she who told Jiang Li after hearing about the plan of old lady Jiang and Jiang Yuanbai.

"Didn't the young lady say that the Duke would handle it?" Bai Xue asked.

"I thought the Duke would make the Yin family change their minds, but now it seems that the celebration banquet is still going on. Maybe the Duke failed to persuade the Yin family." Tong'er was so anxious that she turned around and around. "It's too late to leave now. What should I do, young lady?"

Bai Xue also started to worry.

Jiang Li looked at the two of them, and for some reason, she shook her head and laughed. Everyone else said that Yin Zhili was good, but Tong'er, Baixue, and A Zhao didn't think so. In this way, at least she was not standing against the world.

"It's okay." Jiang Li comforted, "It will be fine tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" The two maids looked at each other, not understanding what Jiang Li meant.

"Anyway, don't worry about it." Jiang Li smiled and said, "When tomorrow comes, there will naturally be a solution tomorrow."

She said it with certainty, and Tong'er and Baixue gradually calmed down. They believed Jiang Li and did not continue talking. When Jiang Li went to bed at night, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous when thinking about tomorrow's events.

She pretended to be calm, but if Ji Heng really asked for a marriage in front of all the officials tomorrow...what should she do? This step was really risky, but perhaps she liked adventure in her heart and did not resist at all.

Jiang Li looked out the window again. It was quiet outside, with only the shadows of trees. She hadn't seen Ji Heng for a long time. To be exact, it should have been since the day she met Ah Zhao. Jiang Li knew that Ji Heng was very busy these days, so she didn't think it was a big deal. But tomorrow... tomorrow at the palace banquet, she would probably see him.

Let’s talk about tomorrow tomorrow. Jiang Li covered herself with the quilt and closed her eyes.

……

On a summer night in Yanjing City, you can hear the chirping of cicadas, everything is quiet, and someone is walking out from the end of the street.

The young man was dressed in a red robe, walking slowly and leisurely at night. If someone saw him at this moment, they would definitely suspect that they had seen the legendary goblin and would be amazed at his stunning appearance.

The man walked straight up to the Duke's Mansion.

In the Duke's Mansion, someone was lighting a lantern in the courtyard. When Ji Heng's footsteps came in, the two people stood up at the same time. One was a scholar in green, and the other was a handsome young man. They were Lu Ji and Wen Renyao.

Wen Renyao said, "Ah Heng, you are finally back."

Lu Ji said, "Sir, let's go inside and talk."

The three of them entered the study.

General Ji had fallen asleep, but Situ Jiuyue was still awake, busy in the pharmacy. Ever since Xue Zhao went to the Ye family, Situ Jiuyue didn't have to give Xue Zhao acupuncture, and she was free for a while. She had been a little strange these days, and was always absent-minded. She was tired of being asked by Wen Renyao several times, so she went to the pharmacy every day, leaving early and returning late, not seeing anyone, and focusing on making poison. Of course, Wen Renyao didn't dare to provoke her. If she provoked Situ Jiuyue and poisoned him, although their friendship for so many years would not cost him his life, she could still make him suffer. Wen Renyao learned from Xiaohong and stayed away from Situ Jiuyue. She could avoid him even if she couldn't afford to provoke him.

In the study, Ji Heng sat down on the chair, leaned back and pressed his forehead.

"Sir... have you gone to see the emperor?" Lu Ji asked.

"good."

"What did the Emperor say?"

"Of course I agreed." Ji Heng smiled.

Lu Ji couldn't laugh. He said, "Sir, if we make this decision now, I'm afraid it will arouse the suspicion of Prince Xia... and he will turn his attention to you too early."

"Even if I don't do this, he will keep staring at me." Ji Heng said nonchalantly, "If he wants to get what he wants, I will be an obstacle. He will kill me sooner or later. It's either him or me. I can't just give up my people for a moment of peace."

Lu Ji was speechless. He had followed Ji Heng for such a long time, and he couldn't say that he understood Ji Heng at all, but there was one thing he understood: no one could snatch anything from Ji Heng.

Ji Heng's feelings for Miss Jiang Er were all seen by them, including the big fool Kong Liu. Yin Zhili was undoubtedly seeking death by wanting to grant a marriage at this time. But Lu Ji still believed that this game of chess had reached its end, and it was also the most exciting moment. Don't lose the big picture because of a small loss.

Ji Heng doesn't like playing chess, not because he is not good at it. Lu Ji once played a game of chess with Ji Heng. Ji Heng's chess skills are really exquisite. The reason why he is unwilling to play chess with others is that judging people by their chess skills will reveal some of his opponent's thoughts, and Ji Heng doesn't like being speculated about.

"Then, sir, you should consider our countermeasures if the Yin family attacks us now." Knowing that he could not persuade Ji Heng, Lu Ji changed the subject.

"Yin Zhan has no ability, so he can only station troops there." Ji Heng's eyes flashed with contempt, "There is no other solution, and the outcome will be the same in the end."

Wen Renyao had not spoken a word, but just listened to the conversation between Ji Heng and Lu Ji. He suddenly interrupted and said, "Ah Heng, I suddenly feel that Miss Jiang Er might be the woman in the divination."

Ji Heng paused, glanced at him, and ignored him.

Lu Ji talked to Ji Heng for a while before leaving Ji Heng's study with Wen Ren Yao. After leaving, he did not go back to his own room with Wen Ren Yao, but stood in front of the room. Lu Ji asked Wen Ren Yao: "You keep saying that Miss Jiang Er is the woman in the divination. What does that mean?"

Wen Renyao said, "In our Jixian Sect, we only read divination for one person in our lifetime. You should know that Ah Heng has always been very successful in reading divination for him, except for once."

Lu Ji frowned: "When?"

"When Ah Heng was fourteen years old, I did a divination for him. The divination that time was very different."

For some reason, Lu Ji became a little nervous, probably because the joking look on Wen Renyao's face disappeared, and he even looked serious.

Wen Renyao also remembered what happened back then.

At that time, Ji Heng was still a handsome young man. He sat opposite, with smoke rising from the incense burner. He was dressed in red, with incredibly beautiful eyebrows and eyes, as if he was not from the mortal world. Wen Renyao said, "Ah Heng, you look like this, it really makes people afraid of the four words "beauty is short-lived."

Little Ji Heng ignored him.

Immediately afterwards, hexagrams gradually appeared on the tortoise shell.

Ji Heng asked impatiently: "What is it?"

Lu Ji in front of him also asked: "What is it?"

The two sentences, repeated again after ten years, made Wen Renyao feel as if he had returned to the past. He looked at the young man in red through the smoke and interpreted the hexagram word by word.

"Born in winter, he will have the appearance of a king. Ten years later, he will be robbed because of a woman's misfortune. His body will be left in the wilderness, and hawks and dogs will eat him."

……

On the second day, as expected, Old Madam Jiang sent another box of jewelry and asked Jiang Li to choose a few pieces carefully so that she could dress up better in the next few days.

Jiang Li had asked Tong'er to keep the previous boxes of jewelry, and she hadn't used them much. When this box of jewelry came, Tong'er was in a dilemma and said, "Miss, the boxes are full, which one do you want to wear?"

Jiang Li had no choice but to pick out a few that didn't look too exaggerated and said, "That's all."

Tong'er put the remaining boxes into the box and said, "The old lady is really generous to the young lady."

Jiang Li smiled. Jiang Youyao had become like this now. Even if she was given a box of jewelry, she would not be happy. There were no other girls in the Jiang family. Jiang Jingrui and Jiang Jingyou had not married yet. If she didn't give it to Jiang Li, Old Lady Jiang really didn't know who to give it to.

But since it was the old man's good intention, Jiang Li accepted it. After getting dressed up, Jiang Li saw that it was getting late and estimated that it was about time, so she asked Tong'er and Bai Xue to set off together.

When they arrived at the courtyard outside Wanfeng Hall, Madam Jiang was indeed already waiting for Jiang Li. Mrs. Lu smiled and said, "I was just about to ask Zhenzhu to call you, but I didn't expect you to come at the right time."

Old Madam Jiang looked at Jiang Li with a look of satisfaction in her eyes.

Jiang Li is getting more and more beautiful. She looks like Jiang Yuanbo, but her temperament is not the same. She has a bit of Ye Zhenzhen's romantic and gentleness, but she is more smart and cunning than Ye Zhenzhen. When she stands with the Jiang family, they don't look like a family at all.

Madam Jiang was startled by this sudden thought in her mind, and quickly drove away the absurd thought in her mind, saying, "Since we are here, let's go."

The two brothers Jiang Li and Jiang Jingrui were sitting in a carriage. Jiang Jingyou didn't say anything, but Jiang Jingrui kept looking at Jiang Li.

Jiang Li was puzzled: "What are you looking at me for?"

"Do you know why your grandmother asked you to go to the palace today?" Jiang Jingrui asked.

Jiang Li paused for a moment. Mrs. Lu didn't know what was going on. Even Jiang Jingrui and Jiang Jingyou knew about the Yin family's plan. She smiled and said indifferently, "What else can we do at the celebration banquet?"

"Why aren't you curious at all?"

Jiang Li asked back: "What is there to be curious about? Do you know something?"

Jiang Jingyou pulled Jiang Jingrui, obviously reminding him not to talk nonsense. If others knew about this matter before it was settled, it would harm Jiang Li's reputation. Jiang Jingrui also knew the stakes, so he didn't say anything more, but he was still a little unwilling, probably because he saw that Jiang Li herself didn't take it to heart.

"Now that King Cheng and the Right Prime Minister have fallen, I wonder how my fourth and fifth sisters are doing." Jiang Li suddenly said.

She just mentioned it casually, and she hadn't heard any news about the third house these days. Jiang Jingrui said, "Why did you mention this family? Do you still sympathize with them? You should know that it was the third house that did the cruel thing to take you to Huangzhou."

"It's not sympathy, it's just a little strange." Jiang Li said.

"I have heard a little about the third house." The speaker was Jiang Jingyou. He coughed lightly and said, "Third aunt...I heard that she accidentally fell into the water and died. Third uncle entrusted fourth sister to relatives of the Yang family, and now she is missing. As for the news of fifth sister, I am not very clear, but Ningyuan Marquis's Mansion has recently been discussing marriage with the Gao family in the city. I heard that Miss Gao will marry into Ningyuan Marquis's Mansion."

Jiang Li was not too surprised when she heard this. The Third House was able to stand on the side of King Cheng and gamble on a future, so naturally they had to be prepared to lose. Yang's fall into the water and Jiang Yuanxing's disappearance were probably intentional. Jiang Yu'e had nothing to sympathize with. The Ningyuan Marquis's family was not easy to get along with. She had always wanted to marry into the family, and they tried their best to suppress Shen Ruyun after the incident. Naturally, she should have thought that she might end up like Shen Ruyun one day. It's a pity for Jiang Yuyan. She was born in the Third House and she was not in control of it. She didn't do anything harmful to the world, but she was a little cowardly. But she had to pay the price for these things that she didn't do. Maybe the evil consequences of the Third House's greed are now borne by Jiang Yuyan.

"That family had evil intentions to begin with, they deserved to die." Jiang Jingrui said with disgust.

Jiang Jingyou shook his head and said nothing, and Jiang Li also fell silent.

In any case, the affairs of King Cheng seemed to have come to an end with the destruction of his last lackey, the Right Prime Minister. The officials who were openly or secretly related to King Cheng also ended their lives in this war. Everything seemed to have calmed down.

But Jiang Li felt vaguely uneasy.

Just like this summer weather, it is still sunny, warm and breezy, but Jiang Li always feels that it will not be long before the sky is overcast and a storm is about to come.

We can only wait and see.

……

The carriage stopped at the palace gate. Jiang Li, Jiang Jingrui and others got off the carriage, stood outside the palace and looked inside. Jiang Li was filled with emotion.

She had been to the palace several times, at the ceremony after the school exam, at the palace banquet, at the court meeting... one by one, she had done many things. Now she came here again, and the ones who were originally at loggerheads, Ji Shuran was dead, and Jiang Youyao was crazy. The ones who originally wanted revenge, Princess Yongning and Shen Yurong, had already paid the price for their sins.

After all the ups and downs, she had only been here for a year, but in that short year, she had accomplished almost all of her dreams since her rebirth. It all went smoothly, as if God had deliberately done it to compensate her for the suffering she had endured in her previous life, or as if God had maliciously set a trap for her, and she was just tasting the honey that had been laid out in the trap.

Some colleagues had already arrived and greeted Jiang Yuanbo warmly. Now that the Right Prime Minister had completely collapsed, all the people in his faction were in trouble. The head of the civil officials naturally returned to Jiang Yuanbo, and the people who followed Jiang Yuanping were also proud of it. It seemed that the position of the Prime Minister was still very stable. In the officialdom, there were many people who changed their minds according to the situation, and there were also many people who were busy flattering.

There were also many colleagues whose wives were of the right age and still unmarried, so they turned their attention to Jiang Li.

It can be said that Jiang Li is now the real jewel in the crown of the Jiang family. Whoever marries Jiang Li can take advantage of the momentum of the Jiang family and prosper.

In addition, Jiang Li herself was born well. She had passed the Six Arts School entrance exam before. She was talented, beautiful and lovely. She would not be too gorgeous to cause trouble. She seemed to have a gentle temperament. Although she had led the people of Tongxiang County to beat the stone lion drum to complain, she was a little out of line. But it was because of this that she had a good reputation among the people, which was not a bad thing. In short, her flaws did not outweigh her merits. Among the noble ladies in Yanjing City, she was one of the best.

Jiang Li noticed the way those officials' wives looked at her, warmly, as if they were looking at an object. She frowned slightly and stood behind Jiang Jingrui to block out those gazes.

(End of this chapter)