Chapter 80: Old Tricks
Ji Heng arrived very late.

Even so, Emperor Hong Xiao was not displeased at all, as if he was used to it. Not only that, no one, including King Cheng, dared to say anything.

Jiang Li saw it all. Although many people feared Duke Su because of his sinister, cruel and moody personality, Jiang Li thought that Duke Su dared to do whatever he wanted in the court, and he must have relied on others. There were so many people who were rampant and unruly. If they provoked someone of higher status, they would naturally teach him a lesson and make him suffer.

But it seemed that the person who was going to teach Duke Su a lesson had not yet appeared. Even though the people of Concubine Liu's faction were arrogant and domineering, they probably didn't say anything disrespectful to Duke Su. Even Princess Yongning didn't say much when she met Duke Su.

In this world, people of low status fear those of high status, and those of high status fear those of even higher status. Even though Emperor Hong Xiao was the emperor, his life might not be much easier than that of Duke Su.

Jiang Li thought that being the Duke of Suguo was satisfying. At least no one dared to bully or humiliate her.

Thinking of this, he found his own thoughts really funny, so he shook his head and dismissed these inexplicable thoughts.

After Ji Heng exchanged greetings with Emperor Hong Xiao, he found a seat and sat down. At the palace banquet, he sat very close to King Cheng, almost on equal footing.

Jiang Li noticed that many of the young girls on the field turned their gazes from Cheng Wang or Shen Yurong to Ji Heng.

After all, when it comes to looks, all the men in the palace combined cannot compare to Ji Heng. Even handsome faces like Shen Yurong and Ye Shijie seem to be covered in dust in front of Ji Heng.

Such a person is born to be the center of attention, outshining everyone else.

But now Jiang Li is not happy with her appearance. Xue Fangfei was the most beautiful woman in Yanjing, but she was not as rich and powerful as she used to be. It can be seen that beauty alone is not enough.

"Duke Su is highly valued by His Majesty." Liu Xu whispered to Jiang Li.

"Your Majesty has no confidants," Jiang Li smiled, "You can only rely on Duke Suguo." Now that Emperor Hongxiao's throne is unstable, King Cheng's faction is eyeing him covetously. In the past, King Cheng had to be more restrained, but now the Right Prime Minister and King Cheng support each other, and King Cheng's faction is becoming more stable. On the other hand, Jiang Li's father Jiang Yuanbai, as the head of the civil officials, has great influence in the court. Perhaps the Jiang family has no intention of rebellion, but for a weak emperor, the strength of the Jiang family is a threat.

On one side is the Yuanfu faction, on the other side is the Chengwang faction, plus Emperor Hong Xiao himself, now Northern Yan is like a tripod. Jiang Yuanbai has a huge influence. If Jiang Yuanbai is not there, many things in the court may not be able to run. On the one hand, Emperor Hong Xiao has to rely on Jiang Yuanbai to maintain the stability of the court, and on the other hand, he has to beware of Chengwang shooting arrows in the back. Among the three forces, Emperor Hong Xiao has become the weakest faction. Jiang Lidu feels hard for Emperor Hong Xiao.

Most of the ministers in the court were divided into two factions, one supporting Jiang Yuanbai, which was the conservative faction, and the other supporting Cheng Wang, which was the faction with wolfish ambitions. Emperor Hong Xiao had very few people to use. Even though he had been on the throne for seven years, Emperor Hong Xiao had probably established some of his own confidants, but seven years was far from enough to grow up a minister who could compete with the other two factions. In this case, Duke Suguo Ji Heng was an excellent choice.

First, there is the old force of Ji Heng's father, Jinwu General Ji Minghan, who has soldiers and horses under his command, and his power is not weak. Second, Ji Heng's grandfather, the old general, grew up on horseback since he was a child, firmly believes in loyalty to the emperor and serving the country, and his character is beyond doubt. Emperor Hong Xiao is assured of using him. Third, Ji Heng is a person with volatile moods and ruthless heart, but such a person is even more difficult to be bribed. In addition, his whereabouts are mysterious on weekdays. He does not make friends with the Jiang family, nor is he involved with the Chengwang faction. He is clean and innocent.

In this case, it is natural that Emperor Hong Xiao would value Ji Heng and regard Ji Heng as his confidant.

However, would Ji Heng really be willing to be the confidant of Emperor Hong Xiao? Jiang Li couldn't help but glance at the young man in red. She always felt that Ji Heng was not as moody as others said. The reason why he was difficult to figure out was not because he had no traces, but because he hid too deeply.

Jiang Li felt something strange again, but couldn't tell what it was. In short, in the relationship between Emperor Hong Xiao, King Cheng and Ji Heng, Jiang Li noticed something different, and it was not just what he saw on the surface.

Before she could think clearly, Liu Xu had already gently pulled the corner of Jiang Li's clothes and said, "The palace banquet is about to begin."

The palace banquet is about to begin, and everyone needs to take their seats.

Jiang Li had to sit with the women of the Jiang family, so she separated from Liu Xu. When they sat down, Jiang Li sat between Jiang Youyao and Jiang Yu'e. Jiang Youyao's forced smile at her was full of malice, and Jiang Li simply couldn't bear to watch it.

If you don't want to laugh, don't laugh. Why put yourself in a difficult position in front of everyone?

Emperor Hong Xiao hadn't sat down yet, the Queen stood beside him, and Lipin stood a little further back, but she also stood beside Emperor Hong Xiao. Jiang Li's eyes flashed, Emperor Hong Xiao favored Lipin more than she had imagined.

Emperor Hong Xiao said, "I heard that the list of the top students in the imperial school has been released this year. The top students in the Imperial College and Mingyi Hall are in this hall. Who are they? Come out and let me see what kind of good boys and girls they are."

Jiang Li and Ye Shijie stood up at the same time.

Jiang Youyao put her hands under the table and secretly twisted her handkerchief. Jiang Yu'e watched Jiang Li stand up, and she could hardly hide her jealousy.

Ye Shijie stood up and walked towards the hall, and Jiang Li followed closely behind.

It was probably his first time to meet the emperor. Ye Shijie tried his best to remain calm, but he still showed a hint of nervousness, and his steps were a little stiff. However, no one would talk about his nervousness here. Anyone who could win the first place in the Imperial College entrance examination was worthy of admiration anyway.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Li, with Ye Shijie as her companion, looked even more calm and peaceful, as if she was facing not the emperor but an ordinary family member.

Emperor Hong Xiao's eyes showed some interest.

Kong Liu, the commander of the Qingche, also came today. He sat next to Ji Heng, wearing a familiar armor, and whispered to Ji Heng: "Little girl, you are not shy, you are quite impressive."

Ji Heng glanced at him and said with a faint smile: "Nonsense."

Jiang Li and Ye Shijie exchanged greetings, and Emperor Hong Xiao ordered them to stand up. He first looked at Ye Shijie and asked, "Are you Ye Shijie?"

"Your Majesty, I am indeed a humble commoner." Ye Shijie said respectfully.

"I heard that you are from a merchant family, but you are so knowledgeable and you have won the first place in the Imperial College entrance examination. That's great." Emperor Hong Xiao smiled and said, "I really value your progress and will definitely reward you. There is a vacancy in the Ministry of Revenue recently, so I will let you be the Deputy Director of the Ministry of Revenue. You can take up the position after the palace banquet!"

Ye Shijie was surprised and delighted when he heard this, and he quickly thanked him, "I accept your order. Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!"

Jiang Li was also surprised. She never expected that Emperor Hong Xiao would directly appoint Ye Shijie as the Deputy Director of the Ministry of Revenue. You know, this position looks insignificant, but many people in Yanjing City are scrambling to get in. First, this is a Beijing official. Many young people who graduated from the Imperial College were sent to other places in the first year, but Ye Shijie was able to stay in Yanjing City. Second, this official position is a fifth-rank official. You know, Jiang Yuanxing, the third branch of the Jiang family, has been in the official career for many years with the reputation of the Jiang family, but he is only a seventh-rank proofreader.

As soon as Ye Shijie entered the official career, he was ahead of many people!

Li Lian's hand holding the cup trembled slightly. He had long regarded Ye Shijie as a person with great potential in his career and wanted to win him over. Everything went smoothly, but for some reason, Ye Shijie suddenly distanced himself from him. Now Ye Shijie was just as he expected, and he had achieved such great success in his career, but his relationship with Ye Shijie was far less than he had thought. This was difficult to deal with.

At the table for the male relatives, Jiang Yuanxing's mouth was bitter. A young man who had just entered the officialdom had a higher official position than himself. After returning home, Yang would surely have a big fight with him again.

Jiang Yuanping and Jiang Yuanbo looked at each other, and they both understood what he meant. After all, Ye Shijie was also a relative of the eldest wife. People who had reached a certain position in the government always liked to appoint people based on personal connections. If Ye Shijie was a promising talent, he could be promoted more often, and who knows, he might be rewarded in the future.

Ji Shuran frowned slightly. She had not expected that Ye Shijie could become the Yuanwailang of the Ministry of Revenue. She naturally could not let the Ye family get away with it. It would be best if the Ye family continued to decline, so that no one would remember Ye Zhenzhen, and she was the only wife of the Prime Minister. However, thinking of what was going to happen tonight, Ji Shuran's brows relaxed again. No matter what Ye Shijie was like or what Jiang Li was like, after tonight, Ye Shijie would not be lucky enough to enjoy the lucrative position of the Yuanwailang of the Ministry of Revenue. Two notorious people might not survive this summer, so why bother about the discomfort at the moment?

After Ye Shijie thanked him, Emperor Hong Xiao smiled and looked at Jiang Li: "I have known for a long time that there is a legitimate daughter in the family of the Grand Tutor, but I have never seen her. Are you the Second Miss Jiang?"

Jiang Li raised her head and smiled, "Your Majesty, I greet you."

Compared to Ye Shijie's embarrassment, she was much more open, relaxed and calm.

There wasn't even a hint of excitement at meeting the Emperor.

Jiang Yuanbo, who was originally a little worried that Jiang Li might make a mistake, finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw this.

Jiang Yuanping said: "Brother, Li Yatou's temperament is surprisingly stable."

Jiang Yuanbai was also a little dazed.

Emperor Hong Xiao looked at the little girl in front of him. Her eyes did not show any fear of the royal family, but they did not make people feel offended or disrespectful. Instead, they were very peaceful. Jiang Li's eyes were very pure and clear, more like the eyes of a child. Emperor Hong Xiao was not angry. He noticed the Buddhist beads on her wrist and remembered that Jiang Li had lived in the nunnery for eight years, so he asked: "Do you read Buddhist scriptures on weekdays? What do you read?"

"Excuse me, when I have nothing to do, I like to copy Buddhist scriptures. I usually read the Prajna Sutra, the Avatamsaka Sutra, the Golden Light Sutra, and the Lotus Sutra." She told the story slowly.

Emperor Hong Xiao smiled and said, "No wonder I think you have a calm temperament. Your temperament is very compatible with the Queen Mother."

The current Queen Mother loves to worship Buddha, so what Emperor Hong Xiao said was really a great compliment to Jiang Li.

Jiang Li smiled and looked at Emperor Hong Xiao. Although he was only 27 years old, he looked older than his peers and seemed particularly stable. Perhaps it was because as an emperor, he had many things to worry about. Moreover, the current Northern Yan was not as prosperous as it seemed on the surface. Jiang Li could understand Emperor Hong Xiao.

Emperor Hong Xiao was also surprised. He had heard many rumors about Jiang Li, including that she killed her mother and brother. However, because Jiang Li lost her mother at a young age, Emperor Hong Xiao felt sympathy for her. He did not dislike Jiang Li too much. Now Jiang Li has become the top scorer in the Mingyi Hall exam. In addition, he saw with his own eyes that Jiang Li was gentle and pure, unlike the evil person rumored. So he began to appreciate Jiang Li.

Emperor Hong Xiao said, "My dear Jiang, you have raised a good daughter. She is worthy of being the apple of my eye. Since she is the top of the list in Mingyi Hall, I will also reward her." He waved his hand casually, and a man who looked like a eunuch came forward, holding a piece of cloth and reading out a long list of names.

It was nothing but jewelry and treasures. Jiang Li felt a headache after hearing this. After all, Emperor Hong Xiao could not give her an official position. If he gave her a county lady or something like that, it would be a bit abrupt now. Jiang Li had no passion for jewelry and treasures, so she listened calmly. However, Jiang Yu'e at the banquet was so jealous after hearing this that she was about to burst into tears.

Kong Liu said: "See, Miss Jiang Er was not moved at all. She is definitely a good woman who is not interested in worldly things and is not moved by wealth and fame."

Ji Heng raised the corners of her lips, and smiled mockingly: "She has more plans in her mind, of course I am not moved." She glanced at Kong Liu again, "Not everyone is as short-sighted as you."

"Am I short-sighted?" Kong Liu said, "I can shoot an arrow through a hundred steps!"

Ji Heng was too lazy to pay attention to him.

After Jiang Li thanked her, she returned to her seat with the envy of everyone on the field. Ji Shuran smiled and praised her, "Li'er really brought honor to our family."

"My second sister is much better than me." Jiang Youyao also complimented.

It would be fine if Ji Shuran did this, Jiang Li knew that Ji Shuran was used to doing this. But even Jiang Youyao had to hold back her displeasure to save face, which surprised Jiang Li. Jiang Youyao should have been like Jiang Yu'e, silent and hating herself in her heart.

She looked at Jiang Youyao carefully again and found that there was some expectation and excitement hidden in Jiang Youyao's eyes, and she couldn't help but become alert.

No matter what, the palace banquet must begin.

The dishes were plentiful, but Jiang Li had no appetite to taste them. Jiang Yu'e showed off by explaining the dishes to Jiang Li, as if to prove that she had seen much more of the world than Jiang Li. Or she deliberately didn't remind Jiang Li how to eat some dishes, waiting to see Jiang Li make a fool of herself. But Jiang Li either survived the meal without any harm, or simply didn't take the dish, which frustrated Jiang Yu'e's plan.

Later on, Jiang Yu'e didn't care much about Jiang Li anymore. She just showed her best side, and intentionally or unintentionally leaned towards the men's seat, probably to "attract attention".

Jiang Li just thought Jiang Yu'e's behavior was ridiculous. She didn't know what Yang thought. However, if everyone in the third room was like Jiang Yu'e, Jiang Li would understand why Jiang Yuanxing was still just a proofreader after so many years.

It is stupid to become a joke without realizing it.

At the men's table, Zhou Yanbang kept looking in Jiang Li's direction from time to time.

Because Jiang Li and Jiang Youyao were sitting together, others who saw them thought that Zhou Yanbang was looking at his fiancée Jiang Youyao. People around him even teased him, and Zhou Yanbang responded with a smile, but his mind was not here at all.

Zhou Yanbang had been obsessed with canceling his engagement with Jiang Youyao and making Jiang Li his wife again. Unfortunately, the wife of Ningyuan Hou disagreed with this, and Ningyuan Hou was furious. Zhou Yanbang knew that his idea was ridiculous. After all, the Jiang family was not a small family. How could they break up the marriage again and again?

But Jiang Li is indeed different.

Every time Zhou Yanbang saw Jiang Li, he could appreciate the beauty of Jiang Li more. She looked different from the noble ladies in Yanjing City. The more distant she was from him, the more unwilling Zhou Yanbang was. Zhou Yanbang knew that since the inspection, the reputation of the second Miss Jiang had improved, and many noble families would begin to turn their attention to Jiang Li. When Emperor Hong Xiao was conferring gifts recently, Zhou Yanbang could also clearly feel that many of the young masters around him were staring at Jiang Li.

She is talented, gentle, beautiful, and the daughter of the Prime Minister from a good family. She is also favored by the current emperor. Among the noble ladies in Yanjing City, she is one of the best girls.

Zhou Yanbang was worried that he might have mistaken Jiang Li for him. But his marriage with Jiang Youyao had already been scheduled for the end of next winter. If nothing unexpected happened, he would have to miss Jiang Li.

Zhou Yanbang was very unwilling.

When he looked at Jiang Li frequently, he naturally did not realize that his actions had been seen by another person, who was Shen Ruyun.

Shen Ruyun was naturally happy to see her lover finally meet her. But her joy was soon dispersed. Although she was in the same place with Zhou Yanbang, Zhou Yanbang never looked at her, but at Jiang Youyao.

Shen Ruyun was very sad. She loved Zhou Yanbang in her heart, but she felt that she was not worthy of him before. Now she was the sister of the top scholar and her brother was also a court official. She could stand with Zhou Yanbang, but Zhou Yanbang had another engagement.

If this was just an engagement, Shen Ruyun could clearly see that Zhou Yanbang's eyes were full of tender love when he looked at Jiang Youyao, which meant that Zhou Yanbang also had Jiang Youyao in his heart.

Shen Ruyun's heart sank to the bottom in an instant. Besides being sad, she also felt unwilling and jealous. She wished that there would be some trouble in the marriage between Jiang Youyao and Zhou Yanbang so that this marriage could not come true.

Jiang Li felt the dishes tasted like chewing wax, because the sight of Shen Yurong and Princess Yongning made her feel so nauseous that she couldn't eat. However, the palace banquet had to continue, so she had to suppress her discomfort and reluctantly continue.

This palace banquet lasted for a long time. The bureaucrats were toasting each other, talking about officialdom, while the ladies were chatting about trivial matters, exchanging trivial and interesting stories from each other's homes. The ladies and gentlemen, separated by a long curtain, would secretly look at each other from time to time. If they accidentally made eye contact, they would quickly look away, as if nothing had happened, but in fact they were secretly memorizing each other's appearance and movements, intending to find out more about each other after returning home.

Instead, each one has its own shape, a unique and striking appearance of all living things.

The relationship between Prince Cheng and Emperor Hong Xiao was friendly and respectful, but the hidden undercurrent was unknown. The Queen Mother was as calm as ever. Concubine Liu was talking to the Queen, and Concubine Li sat gently on the side, pouring wine for the Emperor from time to time - something that she shouldn't have done, but she did it very naturally and kindly.

In the jade-white porcelain bottle on the table was apricot wine. Because the women were not good at drinking, the wine prepared for the palace banquet was sweet fruit wine, not intoxicating. There was only a cup of tea in front of Jiang Li, and the wine glass was not touched at all. Ever since the birthday of Shen's mother, every time Jiang Li thought about it, she felt that if she had not drunk the glass of wine in front of her, the scene would probably be different now.

Drinking alcohol can cause trouble, so she never drank alcohol again. The bigger the occasion, the less likely she would make the slightest mistake.

Jiang Yu'e, however, was unaware of all this and seemed to like the sweet taste of the wine very much. She drank until she was slightly tipsy and her face turned rosy, revealing a charm that she didn't usually have.

At this moment, Ji Shuran smiled and asked, "Why don't you try this apricot blossom wine, Li'er?"

Jiang Li looked up and saw Ji Shuran naturally picked up the wine cup in front of Jiang Li, filled it for her, smiled and put it in front of Jiang Li, and said: "The apricot blossom wine in the palace is different from the one brewed in our house. It tastes sweeter and not intoxicating. It's good for you girls to drink more."

Jiang Li glanced at Ji Shuran, who smiled gently, but for some reason, Jiang Li suddenly felt uncomfortable, as if a voice in her heart was reminding her not to drink the glass of wine.

Jiang Li believed in her instincts and said, "Thank you, mother, but I can't handle the alcohol."

"This isn't wine, it's just sweet syrup." Ji Shuran said with a smile, "I see you didn't eat much tonight, Li'er. It's easy to feel lazy in the summer, so drink some apricot blossom wine to cool off."

Jiang Li's heart skipped a beat, and her eyes accidentally caught a glimpse of Shen Ruyun and Shen's mother talking not far away from her. She was startled, and in an instant, some images flashed through her mind. Jiang Li immediately knew where she had seen Ji Shuran's eyes, and why Ji Shuran's eyes made her feel so familiar.

Ji Shuran's expression, the kind of look that was trying hard to suppress expectations and pretend nothing happened, like the look of a venomous snake lying in wait, was exactly the same look that Shen's mother had at her birthday party, and the smile that Xiao Deyin had when he was persuading her to drink!

In an instant, Jiang Li's expression almost changed.

Although the suspicion came out of nowhere, Jiang Li could almost conclude that Ji Shuran and her daughter were planning the same thing as those people at Shen's mother's birthday party that year, which was to ruin her reputation!

From the daughter of a minor official to the daughter of a prime minister, after being reborn as a human being, she unexpectedly encountered the same scene again.

Jiang Li couldn't tell whether she felt more angry or absurd in her heart. In the end, she just wanted to sneer.

She had a miserable life in her previous life because of this incident. Now a new group of people are trying to use the same trick again. Since this is the case, she will not do as these people wish!
Jiang Li looked at Jiang Youyao and said with a smile: "Third sister didn't drink this wine either."

"Youyao can't touch anything made of apricot flowers," Ji Shuran said, "If she does, she'll get rashes all over her body. Don't think she doesn't touch anything, I'm afraid she's just greedy."

Jiang Youyao curled her lips and said nothing.

Jiang Li knew very well that Ji Shuran was a foolproof person. She was just afraid that something might happen during the process and that Jiang Youyao might drink some alcohol by mistake, which would cause trouble. That's why she even made up such an excuse.

But, does Ji Shuran think that as long as Jiang Youyao doesn't drink, everything will be fine and everything will go as she wishes?

Then she couldn't be more wrong.

Jiang Li smiled slightly and said calmly: "Really? This is the first time I heard that the third sister can't stick to apricot blossoms. In that case, thank you very much, mother." She took the wine glass, covered her face with her sleeve, took a sip, and then put it down.

There's still half a cup left.

Ji Shuran saw this but did not persuade Jiang Li to drink the remaining half cup. She continued to pick up dishes for Jiang Li, acting like a gentle and loving mother, and there was nothing wrong with her.

Jiang Li felt cold in her heart, and looked up at the men's table, and saw Ye Shijie being urged to drink. After all, Ye Shijie was appointed as a Beijing official today, and many people came to toast him, so Ye Shijie had to drink a little. This was understandable, but Jiang Li saw that the eunuch who poured the wine was a little too attentive.

There were so many young masters, but the eunuch just stared at Ye Shijie. Obviously, Li Lian, Li Jing, Zhou Yanbang and Shen Yurong were also beside them. The eunuch had to take care of the people around him, but he only stared at Ye Shijie.

In fact, after so many years of palace banquets, no one paid attention to the behavior of a young eunuch. But Jiang Li noticed it. She followed Xue Huaiyuan when she was young, and Xue Huaiyuan would occasionally teach her when handling official business. The more complicated the situation, the more attention should be paid to details.

This insignificant detail was noticed by Jiang Li at this time, and finally made her suddenly enlightened.

So that's how it is. It turns out that the "adulterer" arranged by Ji Shuran and her daughter was Ye Shijie.

It seemed appropriate in terms of both emotion and reason. Ye Shijie and herself were cousins, so they were already related. When she rescued Ye Shijie in the street, it could also be a symbol of having an affair. Of course, young men and women liking each other was not a big deal. But at a palace banquet, if she did something shameful and was caught, it would be a big mistake.

As a woman, her reputation would be ruined, and all the efforts made by Mingyi Hall would be wasted. Ye Shijie had just been appointed as a Beijing official, but he behaved so despicably. The furious Emperor Hong Xiao might punish him in any way. At least Ye Shijie's career would end here.

The hatred between the Ye family and her deepened. Whether they got married or not, it was hatred. In short, her and Ye Shijie's lives were ruined.

What a thorough plan!

Jiang Li's eyes turned fierce, but she immediately lowered her head. When she raised her head again, her smile was still as pure and innocent as it was at the beginning.

Jiang Youyao was just turning her head when she suddenly saw the wine cup in front of Jiang Li. She was stunned for a moment and subconsciously asked, "When did you finish drinking it?"

"Hmm," Jiang Li replied, "It's sweet and delicious, so I drank it all. But don't drink too much, one cup is enough." She smiled.

Ji Shuran felt relieved.

On the other side, Jiang Yu'e was about to put down the wine cup in front of her.

　Jiang Yu'e: Are you surprised? Are you surprised?

　　
　
(End of this chapter)