Chapter 242 Extra: Accompany

On the night of the Spring Lantern Festival, Jiang Li met Ji Heng, whom she had not seen for a long time, at the gate of Qinglianfang in Tongxiang.

A whole year passed, including spring, autumn, winter and summer. During this time, we cried, laughed and felt sad. We thought we would never meet again in this life, but fortunately, God took pity on us and gave us another chance.

Just hearing the four words "lost and found" makes me feel grateful for surviving a calamity from the bottom of my heart.

But after the initial lingering and excitement, it was time to settle the score.

In the Xue residence, in Jiang Li's boudoir, Jiang Li rudely drove out all the people who came to watch the excitement and pushed Ji Heng into her room.

Ji Heng was not annoyed. She calmly smoothed the wrinkles on her sleeves, then took a leisurely look at the furnishings in the room and sighed, "Ali, your boudoir really doesn't look like a place for a girl to live."

Although Jiang Li was not a daughter of a general and loved to wield swords and guns, she did not have any embroidery or exquisite gadgets that ordinary girls had. It was not that Xue Huaiyuan was unwilling to buy her things, but compared to those, Jiang Li preferred Xue Zhao to take her to see new things. It was not her habit to hoard some beautiful things around her, which was exactly the opposite of Ji Heng.

"Stop changing the subject." Jiang Li said unhappily. She sat down at the table and didn't even pour tea for Ji Heng. She went straight to the point and said, "You didn't die in the past year, so why didn't you show up? Where were you in this year? Even if it's inconvenient for you to show up, at least you could find someone to inform me. If you keep silent, everyone will think you are really dead, and I..." She couldn't go on.

She appeared calm and composed on the surface, but she had no way to vent her inner panic. There was still a glimmer of hope, but this glimmer of hope was so slim that she dared not even hope for success. Such days were really sad and hard to endure.

"I'm sorry, Ah Li." He sighed, stretched out his hand, and wiped away the tears from Jiang Li's eyes. Jiang Li then realized that she had shed tears without realizing it. This was really frustrating. Now it seemed that the only person who could easily make her cry was Ji Heng. The hateful thing was that what he did was not as hateful as Shen Yurong, so people could not hate him, but instead felt more distressed.

"I didn't mean to hide it from you. In fact, after I woke up, I tried to get back to Yanjing City. I had planned to see you. But..." He paused and whispered, "The emperor made a bet with you. I don't want you to lose, so I can only not see you for the time being."

Jiang Li was surprised: "Your Majesty?"

Ji Heng touched her hair and said, "Not bad."

It turned out that Ji Heng's old illness had really relapsed on the Qimin Mountain that day. The arrow wound he had received when Yin Zhili surrounded him was already very deep. Ji Heng had been holding on for those days, but that day he couldn't hold on any longer and was tricked by Yin Zhili's deputy general, causing him to fall off his horse. He was being chased and fell into a trap set by a hunter on the mountain. He used his last bit of strength to kill the wolves that were waiting outside the trap, and then he lost consciousness and passed out.

At that moment, Ji Heng really thought that it was impossible for him to go back alive this time. He was filled with reluctance and nostalgia, not for this world, but for his girl. In this world, his relatives left him one by one, and only Jiang Li was the one he couldn't let go of. If Jiang Li knew that he was dead, she would be very sad.

Perhaps it was because of this concern that Ji Heng tried desperately to stay alive, until he was discovered by a hunter who came to the mountain to search for prey.

The hunter was a native of Qimin. He usually lived in the mountains and was alone. He was already a middle-aged man and no one knew him. He was also shocked when he saw Ji Heng. After hesitating for a while, he carried Ji Heng back and found some herbs for Ji Heng to apply on her body. He was not a real doctor and didn't even know about the battle between the two armies on Qimin Mountain. He was probably a person who lived outside the world. Ji Heng was able to survive because of his tenacity and a little bit of luck.

Anyway, in that cold winter, he was unconscious in the cave for several days and nights, and then he woke up. When he woke up, he found that he was blind.

He couldn't see anything. He couldn't see the person who saved him, nor could he see what was happening outside. The hunter had never spoken to Ji Heng on his own initiative. It was unknown whether he was born dumb or had lived alone in the mountains for a long time, and then became like this. Ji Heng figured out the general situation little by little. But with such poor eyesight, he didn't dare to trust the hunter easily, and couldn't walk around. If he ran into the remnants of the Yin family soldiers, it would only cause more trouble.

He could only stay in the cave for the time being.

This cave was very hidden. Lu Ji sent people to look for it several times but they couldn't find it. However, it was also because this was a dangerous place deep in the mountains with no one around. Others would never have thought that there would be living people here. In short, by the time Ji Heng was able to find his way out by himself, the war between the Jinwu Army and the Yin Family Army had completely ended.

It was a long journey from Qimin to Yanjing. Ji Heng, who had lost his sight, was no different from an ordinary person. The scary thing was that everyone in the world thought he was dead and would never come back. He could not reveal his identity. If he said he was Ji Heng without being able to protect himself, it would be like telling his opponent to attack him quickly.

Ji Heng returned to Yanjing from Qimin. His journey was very difficult. He even learned to make himself look like a normal person, not blind. He could pick up things and talk to people normally, without any mistakes. This play was not easy to do. After Ji Heng became an adult, he seemed to have rarely encountered such an embarrassing situation. But he still kept doing it, even if it was very dangerous, just because he had to return to Jiang Li safely.

Ji Heng is not like what is written in the opera, that because he is blind, he feels that he is no longer worthy of his beloved and wants to stay away from her. His feelings are as resolute and strong as his appearance, and he has chosen one person, and he will go to hell and heaven and hell, and that person is the one. No matter what he becomes, no matter what Jiang Li becomes, they will be together and will not separate.

When he returned to Yanjing, the Jinwu Army had already returned to the capital. The secret guards sent by Emperor Hong Xiao to Yanjing City discovered him, and Ji Heng went to the palace to meet Emperor Hong Xiao.

The relationship between Emperor Hong Xiao and Ji Heng was probably very complicated. On the one hand, because of the little emperor's past experiences, he was suspicious of everyone, even his most important and trusted minister. On the other hand, Emperor Hong Xiao always felt that Ji Heng and he had the same suffering and happened to have a common enemy. He treated Ji Heng with more sincerity than he treated his loyal ministers.

It was this complexity that made Ji Heng realize early on that after his revenge, he could not continue to stay in the court. Of course, he could do so, and even as long as he wanted that position, he could continue to do so. In the past, Ji Heng had this idea, but now, with Jiang Li, this matter was meaningless to him, and Jiang Li would not like a complicated life, so Ji Heng no longer considered this idea that had been long gone.

Emperor Hong Xiao told Ji Heng that he would ask someone to find a way to cure Ji Heng's blindness, but Ji Heng must not reveal the fact that she was still alive, especially not to Jiang Li.

"Why?" Jiang Li couldn't help but ask when she heard this.

"If I die, the remnants of the rebels will think that the emperor has lost his support and will be ready to make a move. For the emperor, this is a good opportunity to see who is human and who is evil. He can take this opportunity to thoroughly purge the court and the country, eliminate those who have different intentions, and usher in a clean court."

Jiang Li could understand this. "Ji Heng is dead" alone could bring out some evil spirits hiding in the dark. Apart from other things, Jiang Li had already seen when some people wanted to use this to deprive the Ji family of their titles.

"But why can't you tell me?" Jiang Li asked, "I won't tell anyone else. It seems that the emperor doesn't mean that he doesn't trust me, but is doing it on purpose?"

Ji Heng smiled and said calmly: "Maybe he doesn't trust me."

At that time, Emperor Hong Xiao told Ji Heng not to tell Jiang Li about this. Because Jiang Li knew too much from beginning to end. She knew about Lin Roujia and Yin Zhan, the royal scandal, and the real cause of death of Yu Hongye and Ji Minghan. This was because Ji Heng did not hide anything from Jiang Li. Emperor Hong Xiao was probably afraid that Jiang Li would become the second Lin Roujia, a beauty who brought disaster. He did not trust Jiang Li, and even wanted to kill her because she knew too much.

"I make a bet with you. I will not tell Jiang Li that you are still alive. Let's see if she can stay with you for a year. If you win the bet, I promise you that I will never care about you again. If you lose, I will take Jiang Li's life, and you will just pretend that she never existed." The words of Emperor Hong Xiao once again echoed in Ji Heng's ears.

"He doesn't trust me? He thinks I will remarry? Marry someone else with all these secrets?" Jiang Li was surprised. "But I said I will never marry."

"That was just a verbal agreement," Ji Heng smiled, "Many people in the world can't even remember what they said. The emperor thinks you are the same."

"I didn't want to make this bet with him. It's a waste of time. I know what the result will be. You are so stubborn and stupid. How could you do something as difficult as changing your mind according to the situation?" Ji Heng said with a smile, "But I still agreed to it because only in this way can I save trouble in the future. He won't ask about this matter anymore. Just be patient for a while."

Jiang Li was silent. This was the truth. She really couldn't find any reason to blame Ji Heng. Ji Heng could certainly disobey the order, but that would bring countless troubles to the Xue family, the Ye family, and even the Jiang family. After all, Emperor Hong Xiao was the emperor. His words were golden and would not change. Ji Heng's decision was indeed the safest choice.

"Later, the imperial physician in the palace cured my eyes. It wasn't a serious illness, and I could see people now." Ji Heng said, "In fact, I have been following you in secret, fearing that you would be too sad and get into trouble. On New Year's Eve, I actually came to your door and was almost discovered by Zhao Ke."

New Year? Jiang Li recalled that night, she seemed to hear someone knocking on her door, but when she rushed out, there was nothing. She met Ye Shijie again when she was squatting on the ground crying. She thought it was an illusion because she missed Ji Heng too much, but it turned out that it was not an illusion, Ji Heng really appeared.

Jiang Li's face suddenly turned red, and she felt angry. She realized that Ji Heng knew her miserable state very well, and she said angrily, "You just stood there and watched me cry!"

Ji Heng raised an eyebrow: "You are close to that kid Ye Shijie, and I haven't said anything yet, why are you blaming me?" He curled the corners of his mouth, as if he was unhappy, and also as if he was mocking, "There are really a lot of people coveting you. One leaves, and another comes." He pinched Jiang Li's chin, with vicious movements, but his hands were gentle.

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Jiang Li said unnaturally, "What does this have to do with Cousin Ye?"

"I don't care about my cousin," Ji Heng snorted, "You are my wife, you are my person in life and my ghost in death. I am also yours. If you want to abandon me, even God will not agree."

Jiang Li was almost laughing at his anger. She asked, "What about A Zhao and my cousin?"

After recognizing Ji Heng, Ye Rufeng and Ye Jiaer, who suddenly disappeared, and Xue Zhao and Situ Jiuyue all appeared. Jiang Li then understood that she was the only one who didn't know about this matter, and others had known about it for a long time.

"The time agreed between me and the Emperor has come. I knew you were going back to Tongxiang, so I followed you all the way. That night, I wanted to come out to see you, but was seen by Xue Zhao." Ji Heng felt a little uncomfortable when he said this. He had always been cautious, but he was caught by Xue Zhao, which showed that he was a little absent-minded at the time.

After Xue Zhao found Ji Heng, he was surprised that Ji Heng was still alive. He was very happy and excited. Ji Heng also planned to find Jiang Li and tell her that he was alive. But he was stopped by Xue Zhao. Xue Zhao said that tomorrow was the Spring Lantern Festival anyway, so why not give Jiang Li a surprise. So he let Ji Heng pretend to watch the show. Ye Rufeng and Ji Heng had an argument, and then let Ye Jiaer lead Jiang Li to go.

After Jiang Li knew the whole story, she was speechless. She asked, "What kind of messed up idea is Xue Zhao's? You actually agreed to it?"

"I think he is your brother, so he certainly knows you well. Xue Zhao said that if I showed up directly, you would definitely be very angry, but if I did what he said, you wouldn't have time to be angry. But now it seems," he pondered, "If I had known that you would be angry no matter what, I should have come to see you last night. I wouldn't have to wait another day."

Jiang Li was speechless. Xue Zhao must have been naughty again, and he was getting bolder and bolder, even daring to play a trick on Ji Heng. However, Jiang Li guessed that maybe Xue Zhao was just trying to vent his anger, but this way of venting his anger was not really that smart.

"So you did this? My father and the others knew about it in advance?" Jiang Li insisted, "You just hid it from me?"

She was not the type who liked to ask questions like this, and she knew that Ji Heng had her own reasons, but she was just a little angry. It was strange that she could be tolerant to anyone, even if they wronged her a little. But in front of Ji Heng, she could always be a little girl without restraint, saying what she wanted to say and doing what she wanted to do.

Because she knew that Ji Heng would tolerate her no matter what.

"I'm sorry." He leaned forward slightly and pecked Jiang Li on the lips. "From now on, I will not hide anything from you. The Duke's Mansion is yours, and I am yours too," he smiled.

"In the future?" Jiang Li said, "No one can predict what will happen in the future."

"What do you want to do?"

"How you treat me is how I treat you." Jiang Li deliberately angered him, "Don't follow me wherever I go."

"Miss Jiang," he called her, lowered his head and kissed her, "You can't just abandon me after having sex with me."

……

In Tongxiang in April, Jiang Li and Ji Heng reunited. Xue Zhao and Xue Huaiyuan had seen Ji Heng a long time ago, needless to say. But it was the first time for the Ye family to see her. They were amazed at Ji Heng's beauty and grace, and they knew that it was he who led the Jinwu Army to defeat the Yin family soldiers. What was completely different from his appearance was his skills and temperament. Although Ye Minghui and Ye Mingxuan thought that Ji Heng's life experience was too complicated and might not be a good thing for Jiang Li. But Old Lady Ye was very satisfied with Ji Heng. When Jiang Li returned to Xiangyang, Old Lady Ye saw that although Jiang Li looked fine on the surface, she was very sad in her heart. Old Lady Ye prayed to the ancestors of the Ye family more than once, praying that a miracle would happen. Maybe Ji Heng was really still alive and would appear one day in this life to let her granddaughter live happily.

Now that she had gotten what she wanted, she naturally found everything good about Ji Heng. Moreover, even if Ji Heng didn't try to please anyone, just standing there with a smile on his face would make people unconsciously look at him. Good looks mean taking advantage, and everyone would be a little tolerant of him.

Old Madam Ye held Jiang Li's hand and asked Ji Heng, "Ah Heng, the emperor has already arranged a marriage for you. Now that you are back, have you ever thought about when you will get married?"

Jiang Li was stunned, her cheeks slightly red. Old Madam Ye was straightforward, not like the wealthy families who were so reserved. Moreover, in Old Madam Ye's opinion, Jiang Li had said before that she would never marry in order to protect Ji Heng, which showed that she had not considered other plans in her heart. In this case, this marriage would be done sooner or later, so it was better to make plans early.

"If Ahri is willing," Ji Heng said, "any time is fine. But I don't want to let Ahri down, so when I return to Yanjing City this time, I will go to get married. I wonder if Ahri is willing?"

He deliberately asked Jiang Li in front of others, his eyes full of smiles, his tone carrying a hint of teasing. Jiang Li turned her head away and saw Xue Zhao trying to hold back his laughter. She glared at Xue Zhao and said, "Why are you asking me?"

Xue Huaiyuan seemed to see her embarrassment, so he said, "Nothing, just do as Ah Heng said. The weather is nice, and I still have to write a letter to Prime Minister Jiang."

Jiang Yuanbai has now arrived in Yongzhou and settled there. If Jiang Li really wants to get married, perhaps the Jiang family will come. They didn't expect Ji Heng to be alive.

"If Lord Jiang can't come, it doesn't matter." Xue Zhao said, "My father and I are also my sister's family, as well as Old Madam Ye, Mr. Ye and others. Although my sister is no longer the daughter of the Prime Minister, she is still a daughter held in the palm of everyone's hand, brother-in-law, don't you think so?" He called Ji Heng affectionately.

Ji Heng smiled: "Of course."

Knowing that they were making fun of him, Jiang Li did not say much, lest he be caught by Ji Heng again. This man is getting more and more arrogant now, almost fearless, relying on his beautiful face to commit crimes, and no one can do anything to him. At night, Ji Heng was drinking tea in Jiang Li's room. He didn't mind whether it was good tea or bad tea, anyway, it looked very expensive when he drank it. Jiang Li asked about what he said during the day, and said: "What you told your grandmother this morning, the news that you will get married when you return to Yanjing City, is it true or false?"

"When have I ever lied to you?" Ji Heng asked with a smile, "Why, are you afraid that I won't marry you?"

Jiang Li sneered: "Who's afraid? You're not the only man in the world."

She was really provocative, and Ji Heng glanced at her, grabbed her, and held her on his legs. Jiang Li sat on his legs and huddled in his arms. This posture was too intimate. She struggled twice, and Ji Heng made a "hush" sound and whispered in her ear, with a sultry and intimate tone: "Don't move."

Jiang Li vaguely sensed something and dared not move. He reached out and stroked Jiang Li's long hair with satisfaction, and said slowly: "If you are like this, I can't wait to marry you."

"Even if we return to Yanjing City, there are still many things to prepare." Jiang Li said, "I haven't prepared my wedding dress, my dowry, or anything. How can I get married right after returning?"

When Ji Heng left, there was a war going on, and no one knew what the outcome would be. After the war, there was news that Ji Heng had died on the battlefield. Not to mention getting married, it was unknown how long this marriage could last. Jiang Li had not prepared anything, so how could she get married with him in such a short time?

"Don't worry." His voice was gentle, "I've been ready for a long time."

Jiang Li looked at him in surprise. His amber eyes were half-smiley and half-drunk, as if he was slightly drunk, but clearly sober. He said, "It was you who asked me to marry you after I returned to Yanjing. I thought so too, and I had prepared everything before I left."

Jiang Li frowned. The two of them kissed goodbye at the Qingzhou dock. Jiang Li did say that he would marry Ji Heng after she returned to Beijing. But before he left... Could it be that he had arranged everything before he led the Jinwu Army to Qingzhou?
"I have prepared your wedding dress, your dowry, and your betrothal gifts. Everything is ready for this marriage, except for you. You are welcome to come in anytime, I will always be waiting for you." His voice was deep and seductive, and his words could almost make any woman indulge in it and not want to wake up. "Whatever you want, I can help you get it. You can't escape from my grasp."

Jiang Li laughed and said, "What if I don't get married? Wouldn't it be a waste for you to prepare so many things?"

"You're willing to not marry me?" He raised his eyebrows. "I remember someone said that even if I died, she would remain a widow for me and never marry."

Jiang Li pretended not to know: "I didn't say that. You misheard it. Don't even think about blaming me for it."

Ji Heng smiled but didn't say anything, just hugged Jiang Li. He still remembered watching the girl standing in front of people and saying these words with great force. Seeing her in the Duke's Mansion, dealing with people with ulterior motives, and trying her best to protect his things, at that moment, he suddenly realized that all the pain in the past was worth it, because he met her. This sincerity made Emperor Hong Xiao feel relieved, not to mention him. He was a man with a heart of stone and no feelings, but she pulled him out of the darkness with one hand, and he felt alive and warm.

She was his life's salvation, so he would never let her go, never.

"Let's stay together forever, Ahri." He said softly.

Jiang Li paused, then smiled, "Okay."

……

We went to Xiangyang as a group, but when we returned to Yanjing City, there were a lot more people around us.

The Ye family settled all the businesses in Xiangyang, but in the end, Xue's and Ye's houses were not sold. After all, they had lived there for many years and were reluctant to part with them. They kept them as a thought. Maybe one day, if they wanted to return home and take a look, they would not be left with nowhere to go.

But this time when they returned to the capital, everyone had one more thing to do, which was to prepare for Jiang Li's marriage.

After staying in Xiangyang for a while, everyone set out to return to Yanjing City. On the way back, they did not rush, but walked slowly, enjoying the mountains and rivers along the way. Old Madam Ye's body has improved a lot, and she is full of energy when she is with Jiang Li and others. They walked and played like this, and when they returned to Yanjing City, it was already August.

After everyone discussed, the wedding was set for the eighth day of September, when the weather was pleasant and clear. However, this meant that Jiang Li only had less than a month to prepare.

The people in the Duke's Mansion were not in a hurry at all, because there was really nothing to prepare. Ji Heng had prepared everything long ago, and even the phoenix coronet and bridal robe did not need Jiang Li to make them herself. Although girls often made their own wedding dresses, Ji Heng's reason was that sewing was really tiring, and Jiang Li did not seem to like this kind of thing, so he would just find it for her.

The Jiang Mansion was gone, and unmarried brides could not live directly in the Duke's Mansion. These days, Jiang Li lived in the Ye Mansion. This morning, Zhao Ke came to the door early in the morning, and the servant at the door of the Ye Mansion was startled. He saw a team of carriages and horses behind Zhao Ke, and the carriages were pulling red wooden boxes, each of which looked very heavy.

Ye Mingyu rushed over upon hearing the noise and asked, "This is..."

"This is the dowry and wedding dress that the master prepared for the young lady." Zhao Ke was holding one in his hand, "Ask me to personally deliver it to the second young lady."

Ye Mingyu was a little unhappy and said, "Ali is our daughter, how can someone else prepare the dowry? There is no such saying. Do you think our Ye family has no money? The Ye family is rich!" He spoke in a rough and bold way, looking like a nouveau riche. Zhao Ke was speechless for a moment and said, "This is the intention of the adults. Master Ye should ask the second young lady to take a look."

"Uncle San, let's let my cousin come and see for herself. Who knows, she might have agreed to this a long time ago." Ye Jiaer also chimed in.

Ye Mingyu said, "Okay, Ah Shun, go tell my cousin that Duke Su has sent a gift."

When Jiang Li came out, the mahogany boxes had been moved to the yard. The yard of the Ye Mansion was already very spacious, but it was filled with a lot of things, some of which were even placed in the house. Jiang Li said in surprise: "This is..."

Zhao Ke handed the list in his hand to Jiang Li and said, "This is the dowry list, please take a look, young lady."

Jiang Li unfolded it and looked at it. She felt a little uncomfortable. She had never heard of a girl's dowry being prepared by her husband's family when she got married. But when Ji Heng did it, she felt it was very natural, as if it should be so. She couldn't figure out if she was a little confused. The wealth on the list would shock the Ye family. But after thinking about it again, she felt relieved. When Ji Heng left, he also told Wen Ji that if he couldn't come back, he would give everything he had to Jiang Li. Now it seems that even if he came back, he would still give everything he had to her.

Jiang Li opened the box containing the wedding dress. In the box, the bright red wedding dress lay quietly, with a phoenix crown and a bridal robe, so beautiful that even touching it would seem like a blasphemy. Zhao Ke said, "In fact, when the old general was still alive, he began to prepare the fabric and jewelry for this wedding dress. The old general hoped that one day you could marry and have children, and live a normal life. After you asked the emperor to grant you a marriage, you began to order the embroiderers to cut and sew the wedding dress, and these jewelry were made by him personally."

"Made it personally?" Xue Zhao was surprised. "He alone?"

Zhao Ke said: "Not bad."

Jiang Li couldn't describe her feelings. She couldn't imagine that a proud person like Ji Heng would sit under the lamp and carefully carve jewelry for her, just hoping that she would have a grand wedding with a lot of red makeup.

In fact, Jiang Li is not a person who cares about these formalities. When Shen Yurong married Jiang Li, she did not have a long wedding dress. After the wedding, she had to return to Yanjing City and travel a long way. She did not think there was anything wrong at that time. Maybe when she was young, she thought that love was enough, and Jiang Li still thought so now. But in Ji Heng's eyes, this is absolutely not allowed. He just wants to tell the world that Jiang Li is his wife, and he will spend his whole life to take good care of Jiang Li. His love is so vigorous and gorgeous.

Xue Huaiyuan looked at Jiang Li with a smile. As a father, what could he not be satisfied with when his precious daughter was treated so cherished?

In this way, Jiang Li just had to wait patiently at home to get married.

Because time passed quickly, Jiang Yuanbai and his family could not return to Yanjing City immediately, and Jiang Yuanbai might not be present on the wedding day. However, Ye Mingyu patted his chest and guaranteed that even if Jiang Yuanbai was not present, Jiang Li's wedding day would definitely not be despised, and their Ye family would definitely make Jiang Li the most glorious noble lady in Yanjing City.

In the past month, Jiang Li had almost nothing to do. Every day, she took Ye Jiaer and Ye Rufeng to travel around Yanjing City. It was more relaxed than before. Now think about her two lives, she has been married twice. The first time she married Shen Yurong, she was full of expectations when she got married, but she was also very busy. Shen Yurong's family was poor, and the Xue family was not rich either. Jiang Li had to think about how to save money. In this life, marrying Ji Heng is completely different. She doesn't have to consider whether she will be looked down upon if the dowry is too small, nor does she have to worry about whether the other party's family will be more difficult if the betrothal gift is too much. Like is pure like, and it has nothing to do with anything else.

The news that Ji Heng was still alive and had returned to Yanjing City immediately caused a stir. Many people who had initially wanted to see Jiang Li's excitement and thought that she would definitely have a miserable life, now began to feel jealous. There were even some officials who had their minds moved and deliberately tried to get close to Ji Heng, hoping to get their daughters into the Duke's Mansion. In their view, Ji Heng was already powerful and had made great contributions. The fact that Emperor Hong Xiao was now so stable on the throne was due to Ji Heng's contribution. Among the officials in Yanjing City, there was only one person as young and promising as Ji Heng. As long as he could establish a relationship with the Duke's Mansion, it would not be a loss.

When Tong'er told Jiang Li about these things, she was quite disdainful and said, "Those people are really too shameless. What high-ranking officials are they talking about? When there was no news from the son-in-law, everyone came to persuade our girl to give up. Now they want to come in with a shameless face, and they don't even look in the mirror to see what they look like."

Jiang Li shook her head and smiled, not making any comment. In fact, there were even more unpleasant things to say, but Tong'er didn't tell Jiang Li. Those people thought that Jiang Yuanbai was no longer the Prime Minister, and Jiang Li was not a daughter of a rich family. At most, she had a cousin who was an official. But the Ye family was originally a merchant family. Jiang Li was not born to be stunningly beautiful. Sooner or later, Ji Heng would get tired of her. There would always be an opportunity to take advantage of her.

"Miss, aren't you worried at all?" Tong'er asked.

Jiang Li raised her eyebrows: "What are you worried about? If he really has other intentions, I can't stop him no matter how hard I try." Shen Yurong's past life told her that people's hearts are fickle. If you like someone, you can sacrifice for him, but you can't lose yourself. She can't make herself uncomfortable now because of what might happen in the future.

As he was speaking, Xue Zhao came in from outside pushing a wheelchair, and Tong'er left the room.

"Sister," Xue Zhao looked at her and said, "You are getting married tomorrow. Are you afraid?"

Jiang Li said: "What's so scary."

"It seems that you really like him." Xue Zhao sighed.

Jiang Li hadn't seen Ji Heng for a month. Speaking of which, Ji Heng, who was so unscrupulous and didn't care about anything, was very strict about the custom of not being able to see the bride before the wedding. Xue Zhao asked Ji Heng why he was like this, and Ji Heng's answer was unexpected. He said that this was the custom. What if they got pregnant and their marriage was not smooth?
Xue Zhao was completely relieved that Ji Heng was so nervous about this marriage. In fact, unlike Xue Huaiyuan and the Ye family, Xue Zhao was very relieved about Ji Heng. He always felt that people like Ji Heng were different from Shen Yurong. They were ruthless and cruel to outsiders, but as long as they had a soft spot, they would protect that person from harm for the rest of their lives. It was precisely because he had few people to protect that those who could be protected by him were particularly lucky and could get all his love.

"Sister," Xue Zhao said seriously, "We will always be with you. I hope you will be happy."

"Okay." Jiang Li looked at him with a smile, "I wonder when I can hear good news from you."

"Mine?" Xue Zhao was stunned for a moment, then scratched his head and said, "I won't bother you. Just wait another ten or eight years." After saying that, he pushed the wheelchair and ran away without caring about Jiang Li's expression.

Jiang Li shook her head helplessly.

……

On the wedding day, the weather was very good. In the autumn, the sun turned golden. Jiang Li sat in front of the mirror, looking at herself in the mirror. The woman's eyebrows were gentle and charming, and her eyes were like gurgling streams, flowing with happiness. Old Madam Ye stood behind her, gently combing her hair with a wooden comb. Her long black hair was like a waterfall, tied into a bun for the bride. She was wearing a dazzling array of jewels, a phoenix crown and a bridal robe, and she put on rouge, looking very beautiful.

Old Madam Ye's eyes became moist as she watched. Perhaps she was thinking of the young Ye Zhenzhen who passed away. She said, "Our Xiaoli has really grown up."

Ye Rufeng poked his head in from outside and called out, "Grandma, are you ready? The wedding procession is about to arrive."

Old Madam Ye responded quickly, called the matchmaker in, put a veil on Jiang Li, and pulled her out.

Jiang Li was dragged along, stumbling along, with her head covered by a veil, so she couldn't see anything. She could only hear the noisy voices outside, and the laughter coming from far away. It seemed that there were many people around her. The matchmaker pulled her to the door and let go of her hand. Jiang Li stood quietly, listening to the sound of gongs and drums gradually becoming clearer.

It was a grand, complete, and unforgettable wedding reception. Although she couldn't see it, she could feel how lively it was just by listening to the sound. It was a wonder she had never experienced before.

She heard someone reining in his horse and stopping in front of her, and someone walking towards her. Jiang Li became inexplicably nervous, and she could not hear anything from the laughter around her, but her own heartbeat, strong, again and again, as if a naughty deer was running around and almost jumping out.

Jiang Li's hands were sweaty. Just when she was feeling confused and trying to stay calm, someone suddenly took her hand gently. His hand was long and warm, just enough to hold her hand in the palm of her hand.

Then, the veil in front of her was suddenly lifted, and she fell into a pair of beautiful phoenix eyes. Jiang Li looked at him in surprise. He did this extraordinary action very naturally, elegantly and gently.

The beauty in red stood before her, with a charming smile on her lips, and made a lifelong promise. He said, "Come with me, ma'am."

Then, she just followed his steps without hesitation and determination.

"it is good."

(End of this chapter)