Chapter 82 Causing Disaster
The lights were dim in the tea room and it was quiet outside.

Jiang Li and Ye Shijie sat face to face, and Jiang Li had already taken back her hand holding the scimitar. However, Ye Shijie's eyes fell on the scimitar on the table, lingering for a while, as if he couldn't believe it, and finally looked at Jiang Li and said, "You entered the palace with a knife?"

Jiang Li didn't have time to explain to him why she brought a knife into the palace, so she just asked him, "Why aren't you drunk?"

The young man snorted and said, "I have met so many people in the business world of the Ye family. Those people came to toast and congratulate today. Some of them came for toasting, and some clearly wanted to fish in troubled waters." He said, "I didn't drink much. I just pretended to be drunk to see what the other party's intentions were. I didn't expect that there was really a trick. I was brought to this room and I thought they wanted to do something, but I didn't expect you to be here too." Finally, he frowned and asked, "What does this mean?"

Jiang Li was almost laughing at Ye Shijie. If he was stupid, Ye Shijie was obviously still keeping his eyes open, otherwise how could he see that those people had bad intentions and even pretended to be drunk. But if he was smart, he couldn't even see what the situation was and what the other party was planning.

She said calmly: "A single man and a single woman can naturally have sex after drinking."

Ye Shijie almost fell off the stool. After he came to his senses, his face flushed, and he pointed at Jiang Li and stammered, "How can you be so shameless?"

"Is this shameless?" Jiang Liyun replied calmly, "I just told you what others were planning."

"Why would they do this?" Ye Shijie seemed a little uncomfortable, but he had to suppress it and said to Jiang Li seriously: "Just to ruin your reputation?" In his opinion, the Jiang family was full of troubles, and Jiang Li's identity would probably become a thorn in the eyes of many people. For a girl like Jiang Li, doing this kind of thing would naturally ruin her reputation.

Jiang Li said coldly: "Master Ye, don't speak so bluntly, as if I have troubled you. Don't even think about it, if you have something scandalous with me, you just became a member of the household department. Cheng? Can the Ye family still enter the officialdom?"

Ye Shijie was silent. When Jiang Li said this, he immediately thought of it and broke out in a cold sweat. It is said that the officialdom is dangerous. I didn't know it before when I was outside the officialdom, but now I understand it. He was just appointed and stabbed in the back before he took office. I don't know which god has blocked my way.

He immediately became angry again and said, "This is trying to kill two birds with one stone!"

"That's right." Jiang Li said, "Fortunately you didn't fall for it, and neither did I."

Ye Shijie then took a look at Jiang Li and suddenly asked, "Did they drug you too?"

Jiang Li nodded: "Not bad, but I didn't drink it." Seeing Ye Shijie breathe a sigh of relief, Jiang Li suddenly curled her lips: "I gave it to someone else to drink."

"You?" Ye Shijie asked angrily, "How can you hurt others?"

"I gave it to those who wanted to drink it," Jiang Li said without comment, "After drinking it, they will understand what it means to hurt others and end up hurting yourself."

Ye Shijie felt that Jiang Li was a little strange tonight. She was usually always smiling and slow, but tonight she seemed to be stimulated by something and became fierce. She did not seem to bother to hide this fierceness and instead looked forward to something happening.

Ye Shijie swallowed his saliva and asked, "What if I really get drunk tonight, what will you do?" He realized something was wrong in advance, so he avoided a disaster, but Ye Shijie was also a little curious. If he didn't realize something was wrong tonight and fell into a trap, what would Jiang Li do? Since those people had drugged them, it was conceivable what the drug would do. If he couldn't control himself... Ye Shijie blushed. How would Jiang Li solve the next situation?

"Nothing," Jiang Li said calmly, "If that time comes, I will stab you and leave. If people find out, they will think there is an assassin in the palace. Since you have been stabbed, you will of course wake up and cooperate with me. This 'a man and a woman having a tryst in the palace' will only become 'the new official is assassinated in the teahouse'."

She said it calmly, without even a single beat in her tone, and Ye Shijie didn't know what expression to use. He was so angry that he asked, "You plan to stab me with a knife, can you do it?"

"There's nothing I can't do." Jiang Li stood up. "Although getting hurt is bad, it's better than being worse than death."

When she said this, her tone was so cold that Ye Shijie couldn't help but shiver. He knew in his heart that Jiang Li was really capable of doing this.

As long as she can protect herself from harm and not fall into the enemy's trap, Jiang Li can think of any way. She is too rational to soften her heart.

Seeing Jiang Li getting up to leave, Ye Shijie subconsciously asked, "Where are you going?"

"The people guarding outside should be gone. Wait a little longer, and the people who are 'catching the adulterer' should be here soon. I have to leave. When they arrive, they will only see you, and then they will believe their own eyes."

"Where are you going?" Ye Shijie was also smart and asked back immediately, "If you show up in front of those people now, they will immediately know that their plan is wrong."

"Of course I won't appear in front of them now," Jiang Li smiled, "I'm going to make sure another scene goes on safely." She pushed open the door and walked out gently.

Ye Shijie was stunned. It was too dark outside and he couldn't even see a single person. Jiang Li's last words made him feel frightened. He was sure that Jiang Li was going to do something, and he was also sure that Jiang Li was going to make the person who harmed them today suffer the consequences.

Although the Ye family is extremely wealthy, they are bound to see a lot of intrigue and deception in the business world, and logically they should not be moved by these things.

But Ye Shijie couldn't help shaking his head and muttered to himself.

"How courageous."

……

Unlike Jiang Li, who was having smooth sailing with Ye Shijie, Jiang Yu'e was a little at a loss at the moment.

After arriving at Yuxiu Pavilion, Jiang Yu'e groped her way into the pavilion. Yuxiu Pavilion was not big, and because she was doing something not very glorious, Jiang Yu'e did not dare to turn on the lights for fear of attracting other people's attention. She could only rely on the lanterns far outside the door to vaguely make out the general outline of the house.

There was no sign of Zhou Yanbang in the room.

Jiang Yu'e was a little panicked. Maybe it was because of her anxiety, but her body was getting hotter and hotter. On the one hand, she had to suppress it so as not to be discovered, and on the other hand, there was a strange heat surging in her body. Jiang Yu'e just wanted to take off her outer clothes quickly and fan herself hard with a fan to cool down the heat.

This palace shouldn't be so cold, and it's night time now, so I don't know why it's so hot.

Just when Jiang Yu'e was about to lose control of her enthusiasm, suddenly there seemed to be movement of a figure outside the door of Yuxiu Pavilion. She was moved and was about to get up from the small chair beside her when she saw the door of Yuxiu Pavilion open and a familiar figure flashed in.

Jiang Yu'e's eyes almost got hot.

Even though there was no light in the room, she could tell that it was the shadow of Zhou Yanbang, the son of Ningyuan Marquis. Jiang Yu'e had to admit that, in fact, she had already noticed Zhou Yanbang. And with such a handsome brother-in-law, how could Jiang Yu'e not be jealous of Jiang Youyao and Jiang Li? She had also secretly sketched Zhou Yanbang's eyebrows and eyes many times in her heart and in her dreams. The only difference was that the Zhou Yanbang in the past was illusory, while the Zhou Yanbang in front of her was real.

But when Zhou Yanbang entered the room, he was probably not used to the dimness in the room. He took two steps forward and saw Jiang Yu'e stand up. He hesitated for a moment, and suddenly said in surprise: "Second Miss."

Jiang Yu'e was about to answer that she was not Jiang Li, and the words were on the tip of her tongue, but she suddenly stopped at the last moment.

Perhaps the heat in her body made her head start to heat up, and a thought suddenly flashed through Jiang Yu'e's mind. What if she didn't reveal her identity and continued to be intimate with Zhou Yanbang?
In this way, the matter is done, and no matter what means Ji Shuran uses, or how the Zhou family tries to shirk responsibility, since Zhou Yanbang has taken her body, he has no choice but to marry her!

Jiang Yu'e had seen this kind of thing before. She had heard many times that if a young lady and a young man were caught having an affair, and if they were from a wealthy family and didn't want their children to suffer, they would simply marry them off. Although people would talk about it for a short time, after a long time, they would forget these trivial matters.

Furthermore, even if you are talked about by others all your life, as long as you are living a good life, why do you care about those people? They are just resentment caused by jealousy.

Jiang Yu'e was calculating rapidly in her mind.

Seeing the girl in his dreams standing there without saying anything, Zhou Yanbang thought Jiang Li was shy, so he took another step closer and said excitedly, "I thought you wouldn't come, but I didn't expect..." He held Jiang Li's hand, "You really can't let me go."

Zhou Yanbang could hardly hide his excitement. Jiang Li had never given him a good look these days, and even in the few times they met, Jiang Li was polite and distant. No matter how Zhou Yanbang expressed his feelings, Jiang Li was just like a stranger to him.

The more you can't get something, the more you want it. Zhou Yanbang was obsessed with Jiang Li day and night, and later he boldly proposed to Ningyuan Hou's wife to break off the engagement with Jiang Youyao and be with Jiang Li. But Ningyuan Hou's wife refused without a second thought. Ningyuan Hou's wife talked about the pros and cons of this marriage, which made Zhou Yanbang see the reality clearly. The Jiang family would never allow Jiang Youyao to suffer any grievances.

Zhou Yanbang was very depressed, knowing that this marriage could not be broken up and his wish could not be realized anyway. He told himself to give up this idea, but when he saw Jiang Li again at the palace banquet, his heart immediately became restless.

Jiang Li was like a flower that he could not reach, blooming high. He liked the pure white appearance of the flower, but was afraid that someone else would get there first and pluck it, so he wished he could pick the flower right now and keep it for himself. However, he did not think that the flower would not live long after being picked.

For example, Zhou Yanbang knew that it was dangerous and against etiquette to meet Jiang Li in private in the palace, especially since Jiang Li was Jiang Youyao's sister. Once she was discovered, Jiang Li would be condemned by thousands of people. Even in such a dangerous situation, Zhou Yanbang still sent the note.

Zhou Yanbang thought Jiang Li would not come, but he had a hint of expectation in his heart. After all, Jiang Li had once jumped into the lake in Qingcheng Mountain because of him and Jiang Youyao, which showed that Jiang Li was not completely without feelings for him. Maybe Jiang Li still missed the old relationship.

Seeing Jiang Li appearing alive before him, Zhou Yanbang was so happy that he couldn't express it in words. He also felt a little secretly proud, as if he was proud of being the first to win the heart of the beauty.

Jiang Yu'e was stunned by Zhou Yanbang's sudden handshake. She didn't dare to speak, fearing that Zhou Yanbang would discover her identity. However, Zhou Yanbang's hand was holding hers, and Jiang Yu'e felt that her palm was getting hotter and hotter. Zhou Yanbang smelled good, and Jiang Yu'e felt dizzy and couldn't stand anymore. She was about to fall on Zhou Yanbang.

Zhou Yanbang also noticed that Jiang Yu'e's body was burning hot, and asked curiously: "Why is your body so hot? Second Miss, you..."

A moan escaped from Jiang Yu'e's throat, and her feet became unsteady and swayed.

Zhou Yanbang subconsciously reached out to support her, his hands just placed on Jiang Yu'e's waist. With her soft and fragrant body in his arms and the scent of her hair lingering around his nose, Zhou Yanbang couldn't help but feel his heart fluttering.

He had always been interested in Jiang Li, and he had drunk a lot of wine today. All men are the same after all, they can't control their own belts. In Zhou Yanbang's mind, if it weren't for the accident, Jiang Li would have been his. This was a matter of mutual consent, so he naturally didn't need to care.

He took the opportunity to pull her into his arms and said affectionately: "Li'er..."

Even such an intimate name has come out.

Jiang Yu'e only felt itchy where Zhou Yanbang's big hand had brushed past. She had originally wanted to plot against Zhou Yanbang, but now her mind was not clear and she just wanted to follow her instinct to stick to him, so that she could relieve the heat in her heart. Jiang Yu'e also stuck to Zhou Yanbang, letting out a comfortable sigh from her throat.

Zhou Yanbang was a little stunned at first, but then he understood what was going on when he saw the other person staggering. It seemed that Jiang Li had drunk a lot of wine tonight, and she must be drunk and didn't know what she was doing. Zhou Yanbang was very lucky that he met Jiang Li. If Jiang Li looked like this in another man's eyes, he would inevitably have bad intentions.

Seeing Jiang Li struggling in his arms, Zhou Yanbang was aroused by the desire to be with him. He was not an ignorant young man, as he had a maid who taught him about human affairs. Therefore, he did not hesitate and pressed Jiang Li in his arms onto the small couch behind the screen in the dark room.

The room was filled with the creaking sound of the bed shaking, mixed with other noises occasionally that made people blush.

……

In the waterside pavilion of the palace, Ji Shuran, Jiang Youyao and others were still enjoying the lotus. Madam Liu saw that Jiang Li was nowhere to be seen, so she asked Liu Xu, "Why is Miss Jiang II missing?"

Liu Xu said, "She said she was dizzy. Go to the tea room and rest for a while." Then she shook her head, looking very puzzled. "I saw she didn't drink much today. How come she can drink so little?"

Madam Liu frowned, feeling somewhat uneasy for some reason. But since there was nothing else to do, she could only chat and laugh with others as usual.

Ji Shuran was smiling as she listened to the ladies complimenting Jiang Youyao, when suddenly Nanny Sun beside her came up to her, leaned over and whispered something in Ji Shuran's ear. Ji Shuran nodded, with a hint of joy in her eyes.

Ji Chen also looked at Ji Shuran, and seeing Ji Shuran's satisfied smile, she also smiled and nodded.

Mrs. Lu, who was standing at the side, saw all this, and then looked at Jiang Li's empty seat. She understood something, and deliberately moved closer to Ji Shuran, saying, "Sister-in-law, why hasn't Miss Li come back yet?"

"Li'er said she felt dizzy," Ji Shuran said with a smile, "I didn't expect her to have such a low alcohol tolerance. That's right. She had been in Qingcheng Mountain for eight years before, and alcohol was not allowed in the nunnery. She had never drunk much alcohol, so she got drunk by a little bit of wine."

But he brought up the fact that Jiang Li was kicked out of the mansion for killing her mother and brother.

The ladies around began to discuss in low voices.

Mrs. Lu sneered in her heart, but she didn't want to see Ji Shuran's smug look, so she said, "I think we should find a few servants to look after Li Yatou. The palace is so big, and it's her first time in the palace, so she must not get lost."

"It's okay." Ji Shuran smiled graciously, "Yu'e is with her, and there are palace maids to lead the way. My sister-in-law is worried that the palace is not safe, but there are guards in the palace, so it's not unsafe."

Lu was speechless. She could not doubt that the palace was unsafe. The Queen Mother was here. Moreover, as she said this, Lu saw that Lipin in the distance was also looking at her. She was startled, and a smile immediately appeared on her face. She replied kindly: "I am just worried about the children. Sister-in-law is right. It's okay."

Although Lu's family was not bad, it could not be compared with the Ji family. Apart from other things, the Li concubine of the Ji family was deeply favored by Emperor Hong Xiao. Who could compare? Who dared to compare?

Those who know the current affairs are handsome.

Ji Shuran was very happy at the moment, so happy that she didn't even care about Lu's deliberate provocation. Just now, she got the news that Jiang Li and Ye Shijie went to the teahouse. Ye Shijie and Jiang Li were both drugged, and aphrodisiac incense was lit in the room. It seemed that it was the right time for them to make love.

After a while, when the witnesses and evidences are available, they will be able to find an excuse, "discover" the adultery between Jiang Li and Ye Shijie, and expose this scandal to the public.

Jiang Li's death date has come. Ji Shuran's smile is particularly gentle. She strokes Jiang Youyao's black hair, her heart filled with the joy of a winner.

The Jiang family shouldn't have two legitimate daughters. Her daughter can only be the one and only daughter of the Jiang family. Jiang Li can't compete with Jiang Youyao for anything, whether it's Jiang Yuanbai's favor, the identity of the eldest daughter, or the future husband.

Jiang Li must give up everything.

……

The corridors in the palace were quiet.

There are glass lamps hanging under the eaves, the lights swaying slightly in the night breeze, and the trembling shadows carry some charming and fragrant smell.

The palace was very large, and Jiang Li walked very slowly.

She was not anxious to see whether Jiang Yu'e and Zhou Yanbang could "be together", because she knew it in her heart. For someone like Jiang Yu'e, who was born in a humble family but was restless, her mind was very active, and as long as she was given a little guidance, she would not be afraid that Jiang Yu'e would not think of that side.

Jiang Li sighed slightly.

In the gorgeous palace, too many dirty things are hidden at night. Who knows if there are piles of bones under the flowerbed?

She was not afraid of taking the wrong road, as she had a photographic memory since she was young, so she would recognize the way after walking it once. The cool evening breeze blew on her face, and strangely, Jiang Li did not feel the joy and excitement of revenge. Unlike Ji Shuran's uncontrollable pride, at this moment, she was surprisingly calm.

Ji Shuran and her daughter were strangers to Jiang Li. Love and hate between strangers naturally could not arouse much fluctuation in her heart. The reason why she did this was nothing more than to speak up for the poor second Miss Jiang, and to fight back when a good-tempered person was provoked.

But what she hated most in her heart were Shen Yurong and Princess Yongning.

Jiang Li knew without thinking that Shen Yurong and Princess Yongning must be secretly meeting at the palace banquet. However, Shen Yurong was not as vigilant as Jiang Yu'e and was careful in her work. Princess Yongning had countless people covering up for her, so their scandal could not be revealed for the time being.

Jiang Li felt regretful.

You can only approach the enemy slowly while forbearing, but it is too difficult to suppress your deep hatred and face them with a smile.

As she was thinking about this, she suddenly saw two familiar figures in the flower bed opposite.

It should be the official lady and her personal maid. The official lady was dressed very luxuriously. The enamel multicolored acacia hairpin on her head alone was worth several hundred taels of silver. Among the ladies who came to the palace banquet today, this one could at least be ranked first.

But the lady dressed in rich clothes seemed to be in a bad mood at the moment. She just said: "Those people's words are boring, and I am tired of hearing their praises of me. They just want to use me to find out about my elder brother, but they don't even look at themselves. How can they get close to my elder brother?"

Jiang Li was originally listening to the woman's complaints with a smile, but after hearing these words, the smile on her lips gradually faded.

The woman was none other than Shen Yurong's sister, her sister-in-law, Shen Ruyun.

Shen Ruyun should have come out to get some fresh air by herself, and not stayed with Shen's mother. Jiang Li recalled what Shen Ruyun had just said, and couldn't help but sneer in her heart.

The people who came today were all daughters of officials appointed by the court. At the very least, they were daughters of high-ranking officials. Shen Ruyun was so arrogant. Shen Yurong had no title, and no official position from her father. Although she was a young talent, she was weak. There were countless noble children in Yanjing City with better family backgrounds than Shen Yurong, but Shen Ruyun felt that none of them could compare to Shen Yurong.

Jiang Li understood in her heart that Shen Ruyun said this not because she really thought Shen Yurong was so great, but because in Shen Ruyun's heart, only the royal princess Yongning, who was born in a golden branch and jade leaf, was qualified to be her sister-in-law. How could the daughters of those ministers compare with Princess Yongning? It was natural for her to think that only the royal relatives could be worthy of her eldest brother.

At this moment, a strange idea suddenly emerged in Jiang Li's mind.

She knew Shen Ruyun's secret thoughts. For example, when Shen Ruyun came out to get some fresh air, Jiang Li was sure that it was because she couldn't see Zhou Yanbang. Since she knew Shen Ruyun's secret, if she didn't use it, it would be a shame to their previous life's sister-in-law relationship.

Thinking of this, Jiang Li smiled slightly, walked out slowly, and called out, "Miss Shen."

Shen Ruyun was sulking when she heard someone calling her. She was startled and turned around. Seeing that it was Jiang Li, she frowned and reluctantly replied, "Second Miss Jiang."

Shen Ruyun knew about this Second Miss Jiang. She didn't like Jiang Li, both in public and in private. Jiang Li was once Zhou Yanbang's fiancée. This alone was enough to make Shen Ruyun dislike Jiang Li. Moreover, Jiang Li had killed her mother and brother. It was better to be friendly with such a terrible person. If it was in the past, Shen Ruyun would definitely make some sarcastic remarks when she met Jiang Li. But since Jiang Li returned to Beijing and became famous in the examination, her status in the Jiang family was not as lowly as others thought. Gradually, no one dared to look down on this Second Miss Jiang.

Although Shen Ruyun relied on Shen Yurong's power to act arrogantly, Jiang Yuanbai was the prime minister of the dynasty, and Shen Yurong was far behind.

Jiang Li smiled at Shen Ruyun and said, "Why did Miss Shen come out?"

Shen Ruyun replied arrogantly: "Didn't you come out too?"

Jiang Li was slightly surprised. Although she knew that her sister-in-law was very spoiled, it was only towards Xue Fangfei at that time. Outside, Shen Ruyun was very well-behaved.

There is a saying that goes "a dog relies on the power of its master", and now Jiang Li has learned her lesson. It seems that with Shen Yurong's promotion, Shen Ruyun's temper has also become much worse.

Jiang Li shook her head: "I'm dizzy because I drank too much stuffed fruit, so I came out to blow some air to sober me up." She said with a "puchi" smile, and said, "Tonight is really destined, I met acquaintances over and over again. Just now I saw Zhou Shizi, but now I saw Miss Shen again."

"Zhou Shizi?" Shen Ruyun was a little impatient to listen to Jiang Li's words, but she immediately became alert when she heard the three words "Zhou Shizi". She asked anxiously: "But Ningyuan Hou Shizi?"

"Exactly."

Shen Ruyun looked at Jiang Li suspiciously, and thinking of Jiang Li's previous relationship with Zhou Yanbang, he said sourly: "You have a close relationship with Zhou Shizi."

Jiang Li laughed: "That's not the case, we just happened to see each other. Prince Zhou was going to the Yuxiu Pavilion in the East Garden to take a rest, so we bumped into each other." She pointed in a direction, "Look, it's over there."

"Dongyuan Yuxiu Pavilion?" Shen Ruyun asked.

"Yes, I think Prince Zhou also drank a lot of wine. He might be feeling unwell." Jiang Li smiled and said, "But I have to go back to my mother now. Miss Shen, you should go back early as well. It's cold outside." After that, she said goodbye to Shen Ruyu and turned to leave.

Shen Ruyun stood there blankly, her expression uncertain, biting her lips all the time, seemingly unable to make a decision.

The maid beside her was a little scared and asked in a low voice: "Miss, now..."

"Let's go to Dongyuan Yuxiu Pavilion." Shen Ruyun made up his mind.

"Miss, this is not good." The maid still had some sense of propriety.

"What's the matter! I just happened to pass by and bumped into him!" Shen Ruyun yelled sharply, and then walked towards the Yuxiu Pavilion in the East Garden with her maid.

After the master and servant left, in the garden just now, Jiang Li stood up from behind the rose bushes.

Shen Ruyun is truly infatuated.

(End of this chapter)