Chapter 76 Regret on the Marriage
The inspection of Mingyi Hall, the upper three gates and the lower three gates, was finally completed.

This test started with a bang and ended with a bang, but one name became known to everyone during this test, and that was the second Miss Jiang, Jiang Li.

She won first place in all six subjects: reading, math, etiquette, music, charioteering, and archery. This was the first person to win first place since the establishment of Mingyi Hall. If this Second Miss Jiang was a child prodigy who had been famous since childhood, it would be fine. However, this Second Miss Jiang was sent away right after her initiation and stayed alone in the nunnery for eight years. This was much more shocking than a child prodigy.

The gambling houses in the streets and alleys of Yanjing City made a lot of money. Because of the bet with Meng Hongjin, most people bet on Meng Hongjin to win, and very few bet on Jiang Li to win. Even if they bet on Jiang Li to win, they only bet a little bit. In this way, the dealer made a profit. Therefore, the owner of the gambling house liked Jiang Li very much. Whenever he met someone, he would always say something good about Jiang Li - because others got bonuses, so they had to return the favor. As a result, Miss Jiang's reputation suddenly improved a lot because of this test.

Likewise, there are gains and losses. Miss Jiang II stole the show in the examination, especially in the music and archery. So many eyes saw Miss Jiang II's true ability, which made the other girls in the field look worthless. Therefore, in this year's examination, Miss Jiang II stood out alone, and there was no longer a situation of hundreds of flowers competing for beauty as in the past.

People remembered Jiang Li, but the stunning Jiang Youyao and others had long been forgotten. Even if people remembered Meng Hongjin, it was only because she shot Princess Yongning with an arrow at the imperial archery range and made a ridiculous bet with Jiang Li, and it had nothing to do with her own style.

Some people remember that the third daughter of the Jiang family was sweet and lovely, while others remember that the second daughter of the Jiang family was beautiful and intelligent. There are three thousand rivers in the world, and everyone has his or her favorite one, but whether you can get the one you like depends entirely on fate.

In the Ningyuan Marquis's residence, Zhou Yanbang was sitting in a daze. The pages of the book on the table were blown open by the wind, but Zhou Yanbang paid no attention.

What appeared before my eyes was the figure of a girl in green clothes flying in the wind on the racecourse.

Zhou Yanbang was a little crazy. In the past years, he had never paid so much attention to women. Even his fiancée Jiang Youyao, who he was very satisfied with before, was not the most important in Zhou Yanbang's heart. Marrying a lady, making her wear fine clothes and eat delicious food, and letting her take care of the mansion, this is called a wife.

But now, Zhou Yanbang understood that the only wife he liked was Jiang Li.

The girl was like a mystery. The more she disdained him, the more Zhou Yanbang became obsessed with her. Especially since Jiang Li was once his fiancée, she was supposed to be his. If the Jiang family hadn't had an accident, there wouldn't be such trouble now. At the racecourse today, there were many people besides himself who looked at Jiang Li. Zhou Yanbang didn't like the way people around him looked at Jiang Li.

That person is his, how can he let others look at him casually?
Jiang Li had a bad reputation before, and it was probably difficult for her to find a husband in the future. But after this test, Jiang Li's talent and reputation were known to everyone in Yanjing. She was so beautiful, and she was Jiang Yuanbo's legitimate daughter. Jiang Li had already reached the age of marriage, so it was probably not long before someone would come to propose marriage to her... With Jiang Li's conditions, there were probably many people who were interested in her.

Zhou Yanbang felt unhappy and uneasy. When he thought of Jiang Li marrying someone else, it was as if his wife was taken away by someone else. He was very angry and regretful.

Just when he was worrying, a servant came into the room and said, "My Lord, the Madam is here."

The wife of Ningyuan Hou walked in.

Zhou Yanbang stood up quickly: "Mom."

Ningyuan Hou's wife smiled and said, "I asked the kitchen to make you some plum cakes. The weather has been hot these days, so it will be refreshing if you eat some." Seeing Zhou Yanbang's messy books on the table, the marquis' wife paused, looked at Zhou Yanbang inquiringly, and asked, "Yanbang, have you been worried recently?"

Recently, Zhou Yanbang was often absent-minded when doing things, and he was often absent-minded when explaining things to him. Madam Hou thought that it was because the results of the Imperial College were released and Zhou Yanbang was ranked third that made him sad, so she comforted him: "Is it because of the Imperial College incident? Yanbang, your father said that this matter is not your fault. I have never heard of the name Ye Shijie before, but since he can surpass Li Jing, the eldest son of the Li family, he must have real ability, so you don't have to worry too much. You are third, which is also very good."

When the results of the Imperial College were announced this year, Zhou Yanbang originally thought that he would be ranked second. The only one who ranked higher than him in the entire Imperial College was Li Jing, the eldest son of the Right Prime Minister's Mansion. But this time, Li Jing ranked second and he ranked third. The first was a man whose name had never been heard of before, Ye Shijie, who should not be an official in Yanjing City.

"Mother, I'm not asking for this..." Zhou Yanbang was a little embarrassed to speak. He was the only son in Ningyuan Marquis's mansion, and the Marquis's wife and the Marquis loved him very much, but Zhou Yanbang himself felt that it was a bit absurd to make such a request at this time.

"What's that?" the Marquis's wife asked curiously.

"I..." Zhou Yanbang gritted his teeth and said, "I don't want to marry Miss Jiang San from Yuanfu's mansion. The one my son likes is Miss Jiang Er!"

The plate of dessert in the wife of Ningyuan Marquis fell to the ground with a "bang".

……

"The master sent some silver."

In Fangfei Garden, Tong'er happily held a small wooden box and placed it on the table.

Jiang Li opened the box and saw the neatly stacked silver ingots. It was said that Jiang Yuanbo would reward Jiang Youyao with silver when she performed well in the past. I don't know if he gave her silver to be fair.

However, Jiang Li understood that if Jiang Youyao won all the tests this time, at least Jiang Yuanbo would congratulate her warmly in addition to the money, instead of just saying a few simple compliments and leaving.

Jiang Li was not surprised. Jiang Yuanbai and a daughter who had been away from home for eight years, apart from guilt, it was difficult for them to have a particularly deep relationship. Of course, he loved Jiang Youyao who had been raised by his side more. Now that Jiang Youyao was lost, Jiang Yuanbai certainly would not make a big fanfare to congratulate Jiang Li.

The difference between closeness and distance can be seen at a glance.

She said, "Put the silver away, it may be of use in the future."

Tong'er put the silver away as she was told, and Mingyue knocked on the door outside.

Jiang Li said: "Come in."

After Mingyue came in, she closed the door and stepped forward to whisper, "Miss, I have inquired and found out that Miss Meng has not returned home yet. Madam Meng is still waiting in the mansion, and Master Meng has gone out to negotiate. It seems that Princess Yongning is unwilling to give up this time."

Jiang Li nodded: "I see." This was what she had guessed. Meng Hongjin would not get better. Jiang Li had seen Princess Yongning's torture methods. This time Meng Hongjin might leave Princess Yongning with a scar forever. It would be strange if Meng Hongjin could get better.

If everything goes as expected, Meng Hongjin will be released tomorrow. However, it is unknown what Meng Hongjin has suffered during this period. Perhaps he was greatly frightened, or perhaps Princess Yongning also left a few scars on Meng Hongjin's body.

The Meng family is like a dumb person eating bitter herbs, unable to express their pain.

Bai Xue heard this and asked Jiang Li, "Does the bet between that girl and Miss Meng still count?"

"I want to make it count, but unfortunately it can't be counted. Meng Hongjin will definitely not come out tomorrow, so you can find a few people to make a statement at the gate of the Imperial College. I understand that Miss Meng is frightened. The bet was originally a joke, so let's forget it and don't mention it again in the future."

Tong Er was a little disappointed and said, "She is really lucky."

Jiang Li smiled and said, "Even if I don't say it, Meng Youde will find a reason to cancel this bet, or apologize to me. In short, he will not let Meng Hongjin lose face. Just like if I lose, my father will also find a way to shirk this bet. The ending is already destined. Now I say this, but I can get a good reputation, why not?"

Outsiders would only say that she is kindhearted, broad-minded, talented, and virtuous. Being aggressive always seems too calculating. Saying something doesn't hurt, and it doesn't affect the outcome, so why not?

In her previous life, she didn't care enough about her reputation, so people used her reputation as a knife. Now she wants to be known throughout the world for her virtue. It is always easier to do things while wearing a mask.

"The young lady has won the first prize this time. I heard that the winner will enter the palace and be personally presented with gifts by the emperor." Tong'er thought of something, "Will the young lady be able to enter the palace and meet the emperor right away? This is a reward from the emperor, and it is the highest honor. No one will dare to bully the young lady in the future."

Jiang Li laughed, recalling that the last time she saw Emperor Hong Xiao was when Shen Yurong won the first place in the imperial examination. She went to the palace night banquet as a member of Shen Yurong's family. Countless people envied her as the wife of the new first place in the imperial examination. After all, Shen Yurong was romantic and suave, and had a promising future. At that time, Princess Yongning even drank a glass of wine with her.

Her eyes darkened slightly. Perhaps at that time, Princess Yongning had already taken a fancy to Shen Yurong and started to plot against her. She was being treated as a stumbling block, but she was still stupid and unaware.

Now if he enters the palace again, he will definitely meet Princess Yongning. If it is a palace banquet, maybe there will be Shen Yurong as well. But this time, she is no longer a wife of the Shen family, but a daughter of the Jiang family.

Who can do anything to whom?

She took another step closer to the two men.

……

In a house not far from the Imperial College, lights were lit in the house at night.

Ye Shijie was sitting at the table, writing a letter.

He won the first place in the Imperial College exam this time. In a few days, he will go to the palace to receive the gift from the emperor and will be promoted to an official soon. He has to tell the good news to the relatives of the Ye family in Xiangyang.

In just a few lines, he had already explained himself. As for the rest, Ye Shijie hesitated while holding the pen.

Jiang Li also won the first place in Mingyi Hall's test.

Ye Shijie didn't know whether he should write Jiang Li on the list. For so many years, no one in the Ye family had ever mentioned Jiang Li's name. Miss Jiang's words many years ago completely chilled the hearts of the Ye family and made Old Madam Ye seriously ill. From then on, the Ye family just pretended that this cousin didn't exist, and no one dared to mention Ye Zhenzhen.

In this situation, it would be very abrupt to suddenly mention Jiang Li's recent situation. Ye Shijie really planned not to write anymore, but every time he wanted to put down his pen, he would think of what Jiang Li had said to him.

"I was young at the time, and my grandmother was far away in Xiangyang. My mother passed away early, and my father was busy with government affairs, so my stepmother took care of me most of the time. What I said may not have been taught by someone, or someone threatened me to say it."

Jiang Li said that the Ye family was a merchant family and wanted to sever ties with the Ye family. Could it be that someone was behind this? Was it to separate Jiang Li from the Ye family and stop having any dealings with them?
Ye Shijie found that he could not help but trust Jiang Li. In fact, he and Jiang Li had not met very often, and they had only talked twice. After just two encounters, did he trust her so much?
Ye Shijie was a little bit unbelievable.

But he felt that Jiang Li was also incredible. Even though the Jiang family ignored her so much, she managed to make everyone in Yanjing City remember her name. Moreover, this name was not a symbol of sin. When others mentioned her, they only thought that the second Miss Jiang was quite talented.

That was the woman who won all six events in Mingyi Hall.

He picked up the pen and put it down, put it down and picked it up again, repeating this over and over again. Just when Ye Shijie was getting impatient, his personal servant Yuanbao came in.

Yuan Bao pulled out a letter from his pocket and said excitedly, "Master, there's a letter from Xiangyang."

"A letter?" Ye Shijie was stunned: "It's not the day for the letter yet." He and the Ye family communicated once every two weeks, and it took a month to go back and forth. It shouldn't be the day yet.

"It must be that the Madam and the others are concerned about the young master's exam," Yuan Bao said proudly, "If the old Madam knew that the young master won first place, she would definitely hold a banquet in Xiangyang for three days and three nights."

Ye Shijie ignored him, opened the letter himself and read it quickly.

Yuan Bao saw Ye Shijie's surprised expression and asked, "Master, what's wrong?"

"Father and Second Uncle are coming to Yanjing City to deliver the goods." Ye Shijie said, "They are already on the way and will arrive in about seven days."

"Ah?" Yuan Bao was stunned for a moment, then asked stupidly, "Should we still write a letter back?"

"Write." Ye Shijie said. But just write your own. He thought, since his father and Second Uncle Ye are coming to Yanjing City, he has a family to discuss things with. When the time comes, he can let them discuss Jiang Li's doubts. It's much better than having a headache here alone.

Thinking of this, Ye Shijie felt relieved. He quickly folded the first letter, sealed it in an envelope, handed it to Yuanbao, and said, "Send it back."

Yuanbao happily replied: "Great!"

……

After the verification, students in Mingyi Hall do not need to go to school for the time being and can rest at home for a few days.

On the second day, Jiang Li's people stood at the gate of the Imperial College and, as Jiang Li had said, declared that the bet with Meng Hongjin was invalid and there was no need to dwell on it.

After these words were spoken, people in Yanjing City looked up to Jiang Li even more. She had given her all to the bet, but after winning, she did not hold on to the bet. She was broad-minded and kind, which was very rare.

In this way, Meng Hongjin seemed like a joke.

Not only that, because Jiang Li acted too gentle, some people began to doubt whether there was any hidden story behind Jiang Li's murder of her mother and brother, because such a gentle and lovely girl didn't look like someone who could do such a cruel thing.

Ji Shuran is the stepmother, and the relationship is delicate, so there are many different speculations.

These words reached Ji Shuran's ears. Ji Shuran was very angry, but because of this, she treated Jiang Li more virtuously and lovingly, which made Jiang Li feel very uncomfortable.

In Shuxiu Garden, the maids inside and outside the yard were working diligently. Everyone knew that Ji Shuran had been in a bad mood these days, and the maids were afraid that they would be used as scapegoats, so they worked more attentively than usual.

Two maids were guarding the door. Inside the house, the ice in the bronze bull seemed unable to dispel the heat. As summer came to an end, it became even hotter and stuffier, making people feel restless.

Ji Shuran was talking to her sister Ji Chen.

Ji Chen came to Ji Shuran early in the morning. Jiang Yuanbo was not at home. Ji Chen asked, "What have you been doing these days? Do you know what people are saying about you? I even heard the gossip that Jiang Li might have killed his mother and brother. It might be you who did it."

It would have been fine if she didn't mention this matter. Once she did, Ji Shuran was filled with anger and said, "Sister, why are you blaming me? This was spread by outsiders. No one in my courtyard dares to mention this matter."

"No matter who started it, the more rumors spread, the worse it will be for you." Ji Chen said, "It was all caused by that girl. How come you can't even deal with a little girl?"

Before they got married, Ji Chen and Ji Shuran had a very good relationship. Compared to Ji Shuran who often acted in a gentle manner, Ji Chen was much more assertive.

Ji Shuran said unhappily, "That girl is so slippery and cunning. Not to mention me, even you would have a hard time dealing with her. Did you see clearly what happened to the Meng family this time? Meng Hongjin obviously lost both her wife and her army. I thought that since Meng Hongjin wanted to deal with her, it would be best for me to reap the benefits. But Meng Hongjin was useless. Not only did she fail to succeed, she also got herself involved."

"What's going on?" Ji Chen was shocked: "Is Meng Hongjin's matter related to her?"

Ji Shuran told Ji Chenshi about Meng Hongjin and Jiang Li in detail, and finally said, "Since Jiang Li returned to Yanjing City, she has never suffered a loss. She is about the same age as Youyao, but you can see that she is much more cunning than Youyao. If she stays in the mansion in the future, how can Youyao be her opponent?"

"I'll listen to you," Ji Chen said thoughtfully, "Jiang Li can't be kept. I'm afraid she will become even more powerful in a few days. It's best to send her away as soon as possible."

"You mean... marry her?" Ji Shuran said, "It's not that I can't, but the master will definitely ask about it." "That's easy," Ji Chen sneered, "There are countless young men who look good on the outside but are actually rotten inside. Even if you find someone who sounds good but is actually not that good, and you marry him, he will be gone in two or three years, and outsiders won't be able to tell. Isn't it a simple thing?"

"Sister, please keep an eye out for me." Ji Shuran said, "If there is such a person, I will find a way to tell the master and let him get married."

Ji Chen nodded, and as they were talking, they suddenly saw Jiang Youyao running in from outside. She ran so fast that even Ji Chen didn't see her. She just called out "Mom" and her voice choked with sobs.

Ji Shuran was startled, and hurriedly walked forward to hold Jiang Youyao's hand. Seeing Jiang Youyao's face full of tears, she anxiously said, "Youyao, what's wrong with you?" She also angrily scolded Jiang Youyao's maids Jinhua and Yinhua, saying, "How do you take care of the master--"

"Mother," Jiang Youyao threw herself into Ji Shuran's arms before she could continue speaking, sobbing, "Prince Zhou, Prince Zhou wants to cancel the engagement with me..."

"What?" Ji Chen slammed the table and stood up. "Youyao, what did you say?"

Only then did Jiang Youyao realize that Ji Chen was also there. She called out "Aunt" and then kept crying.

Ji Shuran asked the maid to close the door and asked Jiang Youyao, "Youyao, what nonsense are you talking about? Why would Zhou Yanbang break up the engagement with you? Did you hear these rumors from somewhere..."

"It's true. Jinhua's sister works in the Ningyuan Marquis's mansion. Last night, the Ningyuan Marquis's wife and the prince had an argument. The maid bribed the servant in the prince's yard and found out the truth. The prince said that he wanted to break off the engagement with me and marry Jiang Li!"

"Jinhua!" Ji Shuran asked, "Is what Youyao said true?"

Jinhua immediately knelt down and said, "What I said is absolutely true. It is true." Jinhua was also very frightened. Everyone in Yanjing knew that the marriage between Jiang Youyao and Zhou Yanbang was a done deal, and it couldn't be changed even after Jiang Li came back. But at this critical moment, Zhou Shizi actually proposed to marry Jiang Li. This was like a flood that washed away the Dragon King Temple, and family members fighting against each other.

"This is outrageous!" Ji Shuran was furious and said, "What does Zhou Yanbang think of our Jiang family? Can he come and go as he pleases?"

Jiang Youyao's makeup was smudged by tears. She grabbed Ji Shuran's sleeve and said, "Mom, what should I do? Prince Zhou doesn't want me anymore, and he wants to marry Jiang Li... I will become a laughing stock in Yanjing City. Mom, I don't want to..."

Seeing her crying, Ji Shuran was very sad and distressed. She just grabbed Jiang Youyao's hand and said, "Don't worry, I will seek justice for you. Zhou Yanbang is so indecisive, but my Jiang family is not for anyone to choose. It's not that easy to cancel the engagement. Whoever wants you to become a laughing stock in Yanjing City, I will make him regret it for the rest of his life!"

Ji Shuran almost bit her teeth at the last sentence.

"Don't worry, Youyao." Ji Chen was calmer than Ji Shuran and said, "Since Zhou Yanbang and the Marquis' wife had an argument last night, it means that the Marquis' wife does not agree with Zhou Yanbang's approach. Besides, Zhou Yanbang has already regretted breaking the contract once, how can he break it a second time? The elder sister becomes the younger sister, and the younger sister becomes the elder sister again. This is the first time in Northern Yan that we have heard of this. If Zhou Yanbang still wants to be promoted and given a higher rank in the future, he will not do such a ridiculous thing. The Marquis of Ningyuan will not let him do it, and your father will not agree to it either."

Jiang Youyao felt relieved after hearing this and asked, "Will Prince Zhou not cancel the engagement with me?"

"Of course not." Ji Chen smiled and said, "You are the legitimate daughter of the Jiang family, and your father is the prime minister of the dynasty. Who would dare to treat you like this?"

"But Jiang Li is also a lady of the Jiang family," Jiang Youyao was unwilling, "If she was not a member of the Jiang family, it would be fine. If she was just an ordinary person, there would not be so much trouble." If Jiang Li was just an ordinary person, with Ji Shuran's family background, she could naturally make the other party retreat or "disappear" silently.

"Even if she is from the Jiang family, it won't be that troublesome." Ji Chen patted Jiang Youyao on the shoulder and said, "Youyao, go down first. I have something to discuss with your mother."

Jiang Youyao originally wanted to let Ji Shuran take the seat in her place, but when she saw Ji Chen's expression, she knew that Ji Chen and Ji Shuran had important matters to discuss, so she didn't say much and returned to Yaoguangzhu with tears on her face.

After Jiang Youyao left, Ji Shuran said coldly: "Sister, now you see how capable that little bitch Jiang Li is. It hasn't been long since she returned to Beijing, and she has even hooked up with Zhou Yanbang. She is really shameless!"

"Zhou Yanbang is still young, and all men are the same," said Ji Chen. "A wife is not as good as a concubine, a concubine is not as good as a secret lover, and a secret lover is not as good as not being able to be loved. When Jiang Li and Zhou Yanbang were still engaged, did Zhou Yanbang ever ask her a question? Now that Jiang Li is back, he thinks of this marriage again. It's nothing more than 'not being able to be loved'. If he gets Jiang Li, he will think of Youyao's kindness again."

Ji Chen's words actually analyzed the bad nature of men to the extreme. Ji Shuran said: "Even so, I feel sick when I think that my daughter's husband is thinking about Jiang Li."

"So, we have to think of a way." Ji Chen said, "I originally wanted to make a fuss about Jiang Li's marriage, but now I think that if Jiang Li marries someone else, Zhou Yanbang will be worried and feel that he can't get her. His obsession with Jiang Li will be even stronger, and he will inevitably blame Youyao. I watched Youyao grow up, and I treated Youyao like my own daughter. How can I bear to see her suffer?"

Ji Shuran said: "I think so too, sister, but it's not easy to take action in Yanjing City..."

"Why?" Ji Chen shook her head. "People in our Ji family never do things themselves. And what good would it do to take her life?"

Ji Chen was puzzled: "What do you mean, sister?"

"Didn't they say that the top candidate in the Mingyi Hall examination will be presented to the emperor in person at a palace banquet in a few days? There will be quite a few people at the palace banquet, all of them are from the aristocratic families of Yanjing City. If they make any noise at the palace banquet, their reputation will be ruined."

"It is to let her..." Ji Shuran suddenly realized.

"Do you still remember Madam Shen, the wife of Lord Shen, the Secretary of the Central Secretariat? Such a beautiful lady, if it were based on her appearance and talent, she would have entered the palace. But in the end, she was despised by everyone. Look, she died, and there was no one to speak well of her. She did a shameful thing in front of the noble. The same goes for Jiang Li. Jiang Li is not as beautiful or talented as her, and she has a reputation for killing her mother and brother. If she makes any mistake at the palace banquet, she will really have no chance of recovery." Ji Chen said slowly.

She said it lightly, but Ji Shuran understood it in an instant. She seemed to see the scene of Jiang Li being pointed at by others, which made her excited and happy.

"I will take care of this matter. I will arrange a lover for her at the palace banquet."

Ji Chen glanced at Ji Shuran and said, "Stupid, isn't there one right in front of you?"

Ji Shuran was puzzled.

"I heard that the top of the Imperial College list this time is Ye Shijie, who is Ye Zhenzhen's family. Jiang Li and Ye Shijie are cousins ​​after all, and cousins ​​are most likely to have trouble. Didn't Jiang Li help Ye Shijie out on the street before? I guess, who knows, they really have something going on."

Ji Shuran's face darkened: "You mean Ye Shijie? Why let her get away with it?" In Ji Shuran's opinion, Ye Shijie was barely a young talent, and now he was the top of the Imperial College. Jiang Li marrying Ye Shijie was really a bargain for Ye Shijie. It would be better to let the man Jiang Li married be an ugly lazy man who had nothing and was looked down upon by everyone, so that she could feel relieved.

"My dear sister, you have to think long-term. Is it really good for Jiang Li to marry Ye Shijie?" Ji Chen said slowly, "Ye Shijie has won the first prize and will be an official in the future. Although the Ji family does not take him seriously, he is still an eyesore. If the Ye family relies on Ye Shijie, Jiang Li will have her maternal family to rely on. By then, it will be even more difficult for you to touch Jiang Li."

"At the palace banquet, if Ye Shijie and Jiang Li had an affair and it was exposed to everyone, the emperor would be furious and would definitely vent his anger on Ye Shijie. Ye Shijie would have no hope of promotion and would be criticized. Jiang Li has a bad reputation, so the two of them had no choice but to get married. But after getting married, will they really treat each other with respect?" Ji Chen said, "Ye Shijie's future was ruined by Jiang Li, so he must have resentment towards Jiang Li, and the Ye family would also blame Jiang Li for this. If there is a rift between the couple..." Ji Chen smiled, "It will be difficult to live a good life. By then, you can find a few beautiful maids from outside, or bribe the people around Jiang Li to stir up trouble from time to time. You don't have to worry about Ye Shijie and Jiang Li becoming enemies."

"As for the enemies in a marriage, women are always more miserable than men." Ji Chen continued, "When Jiang Li is in Xiangyang, it will be much easier for you to deal with her than it is now."

Ji Shuran suddenly understood.

Letting Jiang Li and Ye Shijie "fall in love" would not only ruin Ye Shijie's future, destroy the Ye family's hopes and make it impossible for the Ye family to recover, but would also make Jiang Li marry into a family that resented her, making everything go wrong for her.

As long as she married into Xiangyang, Ji Shuran believed that she had ten thousand ways to make Jiang Li's life a living hell.

"Thank you for your advice, sister." Ji Shuran was convinced by Ji Chen this time and said, "Sister's method is much more comprehensive than mine."

"Compared to the Li concubine in the palace, you and I are still far inferior." Ji Chen said, "You should go and comfort Youyao now. She has been spoiled since she was young. Zhou Yanbang humiliated her like this. She must be very sad. Don't let her do something stupid under impulse and ruin your plan."

Ji Shuran's heart sank, and she said, "I don't need to worry about that. I'll go now."

Ji Chen nodded with satisfaction.

……

On the other side, Tong'er told Jiang Li the news she had heard.

"It is said that the Third Miss was in a very bad mood, and all the servants of Yaoguangzhu were punished. However, someone saw that the Third Miss was crying..."

Jiang Li put down the book in her hand and asked curiously, "Are you crying?" Most of the things that Jiang Youyao could be angry about were because of her, but Jiang Li didn't think she could make Jiang Youyao cry. Since the verification, she stayed in the mansion and didn't go anywhere. She had no conflict with Jiang Youyao.

"Yes, I don't know what happened. Later I heard that Ji comforted him for a long time before he got better, but the master got angry again."

Jiang Li was even more confused. She had only been in the Jiang Mansion for a short time and had no way to arrange her own people in the Jiang Mansion. Except for Fangfei Garden, she could only rely on Tong'er to inquire about the affairs of other courtyards. The information obtained in this way was always not very detailed.

Just as she said this, she heard someone outside the door calling her name: "Jiang Li! Jiang Li!"

It was Jiang Jingrui's voice.

"The second young master is here again." Tong'er curled her lips. Jiang Jingrui came too frequently and the tea in Fangfei Garden was almost drunk up. The new tea would not be delivered until next month.

Jiang Jingrui saw Tong'er's expression and shouted, "Jiang Li, you should take good care of your maid. I am the second young master of the Jiang family. I didn't come even when others begged me to come. If I come here, your place will be honored. What do you think of her expression?"

Jiang Li was too lazy to correct his nonsense and just asked, "What exactly do you want here?" She was a very patient person and treated others kindly, but Jiang Jingrui was really a troublemaker and what he said was not very pleasant to the ear, so Jiang Li didn't welcome him very much.

Jiang Jingrui looked around pretentiously, then pulled Jiang Li into the house and closed the door. Jiang Li felt helpless. If there was a thief in Fangfei Garden, he would know that they were going to discuss the secret room just by looking at Jiang Jingrui's appearance, as if he was afraid that others would not know that he was going to talk.

Jiang Li waited for him to close the door, then sat down in front of the wooden table. She saw Jiang Jingrui familiarly asking Bai Xue to pour him tea.

Jiang Li said: "If you don't say anything, I'll leave."

"Hey, no, no, no, I have a big secret for you this time." Jiang Jingrui winked at her.

"explain."

"Ahem." Jiang Jingrui cleared his throat and then deliberately lowered his voice, saying, "Did you know? Ningyuan Marquis's son Zhou Yanbang wants to cancel his engagement with Jiang Youyao!"

"What?" Jiang Li was already prepared, but she was still shocked by Jiang Jingrui's words. If she remembered correctly, Zhou Yanbang had already broken off an engagement with Miss Jiang Er, who later became Miss Jiang San. Now he was using the same old trick again and breaking off the engagement with Jiang Youyao. What was going on?
"I knew you definitely didn't know." Jiang Jingrui seemed to be very proud of knowing a secret that Jiang Li didn't know. He said, "Guess why Zhou Yanbang wanted to cancel the engagement with Jiang Youyao?" He smiled mischievously at Jiang Li.

Jiang Li vaguely guessed some reasons, but she felt it was ridiculous and unbelievable. No matter how ridiculous Zhou Yanbang was, it would never be like this. She said, "I can't guess."

"It's because of you!" Jiang Jingrui laughed loudly: "Zhou Yanbang regrets it now. Maybe he saw you excelling in the Mingyi Hall examination and thought you were much better than Jiang Youyao, so he decided to cancel the engagement and marry you again!"

"How funny!" It was Tong'er who spoke. Tong'er put the teapot in her hand on the table angrily. "My daughter is not a maid of the Zhou family. They can do whatever they want. The Zhou family had the final say in canceling the engagement. Now they want to remarry the daughter. Have they asked for her opinion? The Ningyuan Marquis family is really going too far!"

Lian Tong'er also felt sorry for Jiang Li.

Jiang Jingrui asked curiously, "What's there to be angry about? Although Zhou Yanbang is not that good, he is still a young talent in Yanjing City and a good match for the Jiang family. He is also good-looking, and many girls admire him. It's not a bad match for your daughter. Besides, Jiang Li," he looked at Jiang Li, "if you were with Zhou Yanbang, Jiang Youyao would definitely be pissed off. It would also be evidence that you are worse than Jiang Youyao. She is not as good as you."

Jiang Li was almost laughing at Jiang Jingrui's words. She finally understood that Jiang Jingrui was obviously brainless. She said, "I am better than her, why do I need evidence? Who should I prove it to? In order to piss off Jiang Youyao to death, I have to sacrifice myself. Am I crazy? Besides," she sneered, "no matter how good Zhou Yanbang is, I, Jiang Li, am not willing to pick up things used by others." She is not Princess Yongning, who likes to pick up things used by others.

Jiang Jingrui stared at Jiang Li in amazement. Jiang Li's words made Jiang Jingrui look like a piece of junk thrown on the street. And judging from the expression on Jiang Li's face when she spoke, she really disdained Zhou Yanbang and was not pretending.

What Jiang Youyao regarded as a treasure was discarded by Jiang Li.

Jiang Jingrui said: "Why are you angry at me? It was Zhou Yanbang who brought up this matter."

"And then?" Tong'er asked hurriedly, "Did the master agree to this?"

"How is that possible?" Jiang Jingrui said with disdain, "Before, Zhou Yanbang and your young lady broke off their engagement because... ahem, something happened and your young lady went to the nunnery. Now Zhou Yanbang has proposed to break off the engagement, and Jiang Youyao has done nothing wrong, so how can your uncle tolerate this? Not going to the Zhou family to ask for an explanation is already a kindness."

Jiang Li grasped the point of Jiang Jingrui's words and asked, "Why? No one from the Zhou family came?"

"Tsk, how dare the Zhou family come. Zhou Yanbang is crazy, but his parents are not. Zhou Yanbang said this himself, but Marquis Ningyuan and his wife did not agree. The servant of Zhou Yanbang heard them quarreling and secretly told the servants in our house, and the servants told my aunt. I heard that Jiang Youyao cried a lot, and my aunt was still trying to comfort her. My uncle was very angry and almost went to the Ningyuan Marquis's house in person."

Jiang Li suddenly realized that it was no wonder that Jiang Youyao was crying when Tong'er found out about it. It turned out that it was because of this matter.

"How did you know?" Jiang Li asked.

"My mother was talking to the nanny, and I heard it." Jiang Jingrui said carelessly, "My mother is always concerned about the affairs of the first house. She knows about any disturbance much faster than you do."

Jiang Li was speechless.

"Zhou Yanbang," Jiang Jingrui continued, "actually said he wanted to cancel the engagement at this juncture, which shows that he is really fascinated by you. He wanted to marry you. Jiang Youyao likes Zhou Yanbang so much, she must be mad. But this is also her own fault. When you were sent to the nunnery, your aunt planned to let Jiang Youyao marry into the Ningyuan Marquis Mansion in your place soon after. It shows that some things can't be snatched away."

When Jiang Jingrui said this, he seemed to be somewhat proud of Jiang Li.

Jiang Li was not in such a good mood as Jiang Jingrui. She knew that Zhou Yanbang's proposal to break off the engagement and marry her was definitely not a good thing for her. At least in the hearts of Ji Shuran and her daughter, they must hate themselves a hundred times, or even a thousand times more than before.

Given the narrow-minded and ruthless character of the mother and daughter, Jiang Li thought that Jiang Youyao would never let her go easily. In order to stop Zhou Yanbang from thinking about it, she would even kill him completely.

After much thought, the palace banquet in the near future would be a perfect opportunity.

Jiang Li lowered her eyes, the crisis was gradually approaching.

　Have a great weekend! Have fun!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)