Chapter 83 Encountering Beauty
After dealing with Shen Ruyun, Jiang Li felt better.

Her steps even became lighter, and she seemed to be back in the country roads of Tongxiang, Xiangyang, and she couldn't help wanting to sing a song.

Finally, Shen Ruyun was also drawn into the melee.

She was just worrying about how to lead everyone to Yuxiu Pavilion, when Shen Ruyun bumped into her. With Shen Ruyun's infatuation with Zhou Yanbang, she couldn't stand watching her beloved man having an affair with another woman. Knowing the impulsive and brainless character of this sister-in-law, Jiang Li believed that the moment Shen Ruyun saw the affair, she would try to make a scene so that everyone at the palace banquet would know about the scandal.

In this way, everyone knows that Miss Jiang Wu and Miss Jiang Er's fiancé slept together. It is certainly immoral for the younger sister to steal the older sister's man, but Zhou Yanbang, as the fiancé, is also despised. Jiang Li thought that Jiang Yuanbo, who valued his reputation, would definitely not let Jiang Youyao marry Zhou Yanbang, but Jiang Youyao was deeply in love with Zhou Yanbang. In this way, it would be like cutting out a piece of Jiang Youyao's hard work, and Jiang Youyao must be in unbearable pain.

What about Jiang Yu'e? At most, she could marry the son of Ningyuan Marquis and become a concubine, but is being a concubine really a good thing? The Ningyuan Marquis and his wife alone would not look favorably upon this woman who had ruined their son's reputation. No matter who Zhou Yanbang married in the future, the future mistress of the house would not show mercy to a woman like Jiang Yu'e who was used to seducing people.

As for Shen Ruyun, the matter was exposed because of her discovery. There is no doubt that she will become enemies with the Ningyuan Marquisate. Zhou Yanbang will not have any love for Shen Ruyun, and Shen Ruyun will never win Zhou Yanbang's heart in this life.

In this play, everyone played their part and Jiang Li was very satisfied.

As she was thinking, she suddenly saw two people talking in front of her. One of them was very conspicuous. Even in the darkness, he was like the most dazzling moonlight, attracting people to look at him.

The young man was wearing bright red clothes, and looked even more stunning in the night. He was talking to the person opposite him with his head down, but because he was facing sideways to Jiang Li and the light was dim, his expression could not be seen.

I didn't expect to meet Duke Su here.

Jiang Li's heart trembled, and the good mood she had felt after having tricked Shen Ruyun was instantly wiped out.

Every time she saw Duke Su, Jiang Li felt uncomfortable. Maybe it was because Duke Su's appearance was too gorgeous and aggressive, or maybe it was because his eyes were clearly smiling lazily, but made people feel that he was observing you very clearly.

Jiang Li stopped, and Duke Su and the other two also noticed someone and turned to look at her. Jiang Li secretly cried out in her heart, but she didn't show any panic on her face. She saluted Duke Su slowly and turned to walk in another direction.

It seemed as if he had walked here accidentally, and had a very ordinary encounter with Duke Su. There was no intersection between them, and he just left like that.

But my heart is still very uneasy.

She always felt that the person who was talking to Ji Heng looked very familiar, and when he turned his head to face her, the familiar feeling became stronger. Although she didn't know where she had seen him before, Jiang Li was sure that she had seen him before.

She was a little confused. She and Ji Heng had never met before. The few times they met, they didn't have much interaction. They were strangers in their previous lives. She shouldn't know anyone around Ji Heng. That person must not be Ji Heng's person. Who could it be?

He pondered over it, but couldn't help wondering why Ji Heng was here, walking around in a swagger at the palace banquet. Only the ostentatious Duke Su could do that, and this was also because the current Emperor Hong Xiao was particularly tolerant of Duke Su. Of course, on one side was his own Jiang family, and on the other side, the Right Prime Minister and King Cheng were united. In order to counter these, the only person that Emperor Hong Xiao could rely on was Ji Heng.

Um, right prime minister?

Jiang Li's heart moved, and she suddenly remembered that the person who was talking to Ji Heng just now was the servant of Li Jing, the eldest son of the Right Prime Minister.

The eldest son of the Li family is both virtuous and talented, and he loves to make friends. When Shen Ruyun won the first place in the imperial examination, Li Jing did not care about his status as the son of the right prime minister, and took the initiative to congratulate Shen Yurong. At that time, Jiang Li was entertaining guests with Shen Yurong. I remember that among Li Jing's personal guards, there was such a person.

If it was someone else, even if it was a guard who had seen Li Jing before, it would be impossible to recognize him even if they met again after such a long time and only once. But Jiang Li had an excellent memory, and the man's appearance was as clear as if she had seen him yesterday, so she would definitely not make a mistake.

He is the right prime minister's man!

Jiang Li suddenly realized that she had discovered a big secret. Ji Heng was a member of Emperor Hong Xiao's army, but he was talking to Li Jing's army in private. Could it be that Ji Heng and the Right Prime Minister had already had a connection? In this case, wouldn't it be that Ji Heng had been bribed by the Right Prime Minister?

No, no, no, the Right Prime Minister cannot bribe Ji Heng, so... was it Ji Heng who chose the Right Prime Minister and chose King Cheng?
He is a traitor?!
As if she had seen the tip of an iceberg, with this thrilling realization, Jiang Li stopped in her tracks, her heart beating with anxiety.

But at this moment, a slow voice suddenly came from behind, as if it had been waiting for a long time, and he said: "What did Miss Jiang Er find out? Why are you so scared?"

Jiang Li turned around suddenly!

Ji Heng was standing behind her, and she didn't know when Ji Heng followed her. Ji Heng was only a fist away from her. Because he was too tall, he bent slightly when talking to her, and Jiang Li turned too quickly and almost bumped into his arms, so Ji Heng lifted her by the back of her clothes and half lifted her up to look at her.

He has a pair of extremely beautiful eyes.

The shape is very beautiful, long and smooth, with the tail of the eye slightly upturned, bringing out the seductive gorgeousness. The color is very beautiful, showing a slight amber color, transparent like glass, you can see your own reflection in his eyes. The expression is very beautiful, when he looks at people with a smile, he seems to be affectionate, but also seems to be ruthless, but there is a scent like poppy that drills into your internal organs and makes you feel itchy.

But he was extremely cold.

Even with this gentle, charming posture, this face that captivated everyone, Jiang Li could still see the coldness that penetrated into his bones from his face.

He is a monster who can see into people's hearts.

They had met many times since becoming Miss Jiang II, but this was her first confrontation with him.

Jiang Li looked him straight in the eye, trying to look calmer. She said, "You are joking, my Lord."

Ji Heng let go of his hand disapprovingly, and Jiang Li's collar was put over by him. Ji Heng said, "You can't see your own eyes, are you panicking?"

Jiang Li subconsciously took a step back and distanced herself from him. She seemed to feel safer. She said, "Your Majesty, you must have seen it wrong. I am not panicking."

In fact, according to common sense, Jiang Li acted too calmly, but if she behaved in a panic like other rich girls, Jiang Li felt that Ji Heng would definitely recognize her.

Ji Heng's eyes are too poisonous.

Ji Heng looked down at her, thought for a moment, and suddenly said: "Perhaps, you know that person just now?"

"I don't know him." Jiang Li blurted out without thinking. Xue Zhao once said that a lie must be told in one go to sound like the truth. But Jiang Li couldn't help but feel scared. What kind of sense did Ji Heng have? He even guessed this?
He is indeed very scary, a beautiful woman with deep thoughts.

Ji Heng finally stopped nagging about this issue. He just looked at Jiang Li and said pointedly, "Every time I meet the Second Miss Jiang, I can always see a good show. I have never seen such a wonderful show in the Duke's Mansion." He pretended to clap his hands, and the golden folding fan in his palm flashed a shimmering light in the dark night. "What a pity."

"Your Excellency is wrong," Jiang Li said, "I am not an actor, and this is not a stage."

"Really?" Ji Heng raised her lips, "But what you did just now, the drama you arranged for Miss Jiang Wu and the Ningyuan Marquis' son, was really clever."

Jiang Li's heart skipped a beat. Ji Heng actually knew this!
"It seems that you really have no interest in Ningyuan Hou's son. It's a pity that Ningyuan Hou's son's heart was misplaced." Ji Heng sighed, "The young lady of the Shen family is also involved." He lowered his voice, "The play of the second young lady Jiang is not simple."

Hearing these words from such a handsome young man, even though his voice was low and hoarse and had a kind of seductive allure, Jiang Li still felt a layer of fine and dense goose bumps on her back.

From arranging Zhou Yanbang and Jiang Yu'e, to even meeting Shen Ruyun not long ago, all of these happened just a few moments ago. The palace is so big that it is not easy to find out what happened in every corner. But Ji Heng knew everything almost immediately. What does this mean? This means that Ji Heng has eyes and ears throughout the palace!

What happened in this palace that he didn't know? Perhaps, even the secret meeting between Shen Yurong and Princess Yongning, this man knew everything!
Jiang Li's expression was gloomy, which made Ji Heng feel interesting. He asked, "What is Miss Jiang thinking about?"

Jiang Li raised her head and looked at him. In an instant, she had made up her mind and said to Ji Heng, "The Duke likes to watch plays, so let's watch plays. However, the rule of not speaking during a play has been in place since ancient times, so I'm sure the Duke also understands it."

Ji Heng heard this, as if he had heard a joke. He leaned slightly to the side, and his tone was even more ambiguous, "I insist on saying it, what can you do to me?"

Jiang Li's breath suddenly stopped. To be honest, she really couldn't do anything to Ji Heng. Ji Heng was the Duke of Suguo. Even as Jiang Yuanbo's daughter, she couldn't do anything to Ji Heng. Moreover, this person was moody and did things without following the rules. Jiang Li had also seen his sinister ambitions before. It was not certain whether he would tell others about this.

"Then I can only admit defeat." Jiang Li replied calmly.

People have to bow their heads under the eaves. There is no benefit in confronting Ji Heng at this time. It will not achieve anything except making her situation more troublesome. At least she has done everything she can tonight. If this doesn't work, it's just bad luck.

Everyone has bad luck sometimes, but not everyone has bad luck all the time.

Ji Heng glanced at Jiang Li and suddenly smiled. He said, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." He used his folding fan to lazily brush away the non-existent dust on his sleeves and said, "If I tell anyone, there will be no more dramas to watch in the future. That would be... a pity."

Jiang Li felt relieved when she heard this.

Although it was just a casual remark from Ji Heng, given her temperament, she would not go back on her words. She said, "Thank you, Duke."

"You and Ye Shijie seem to have a good relationship," Ji Heng suddenly mentioned Ye Shijie, "You two are very close to each other about what happened tonight, and your acting methods are the same." Ji Heng asked, "Ye Shijie is very close to you?"

Why would they suddenly mention Ye Shijie? But Jiang Li immediately thought of Li Jing's people who had just talked to Ji Heng. The Right Prime Minister's Mansion had intended to win over Ye Shijie before, but now Ye Shijie was alienating them... Could Ji Heng come here because of this?

After thinking it over quickly in her mind, Jiang Li said, "My relationship with Cousin Ye is just average. We haven't talked to each other many times. I don't know much about Cousin Ye's affairs. What happened tonight was just a coincidence."

Ji Heng smiled thoughtfully when he heard this, but he didn't say anything else. Jiang Li felt uncomfortable when she saw his eyes. Fortunately, this man didn't stay with Jiang Li endlessly. He said, "Let's go."

Jiang Li asked: "What?"

"Aren't you going to see a play?" he said as a matter of course, "I'll go with you."

Jiang Li: “…”

She didn't want to stand with Ji Heng. Not to mention what the Jiang family would think, just being looked at by Ji Heng's inquiring eyes made Jiang Li feel that the feeling of being observed was too strong.

Although she was a wife in her previous life and no longer a naive girl, and was more than capable of dealing with all kinds of people, Ji Heng felt too dangerous, like a poisonous beast without showing its claws. One could only see its beautiful long feathers and elegant figure, but not its sharp claws and hunting posture hidden under its beautiful appearance.

But no matter what, she couldn't refuse Ji Heng's request.

Jiang Li had no choice but to move forward with Ji Heng.

...At the waterside pavilion, the tea on the table had been added several times.

After the banquet, they admired the lotus flowers. The Queen Mother was old, so she had to go back to the palace to rest after sitting for a while. Concubine Liu was used to being against the Queen Mother. After the Queen Mother left, she felt bored and left soon after.

Emperor Hong Xiao wanted to discuss current affairs with his ministers, but the ladies in the waterside pavilion gradually looked tired.

Although the apricot blossom wine at the palace banquet was not intoxicating, after drinking a lot of it and feeling the night breeze, I felt so comfortable that I just wanted to close my eyes and take a nap for a while.

Seeing this, Ji Chen smiled and suggested, "Sitting like this all the time makes me a little sleepy. Why don't we stand up and walk around? I heard that the lotus flowers at the end of the water corridor are the most beautiful. Concubine Li said that a lotus with two stems bloomed a few days ago. This is a rare thing. Let's go and have a look and broaden our horizons."

After these words were spoken, the ladies who had been drowsy just now suddenly became alert at the same time.

Someone asked: "Double Lotus? I have never seen one. I heard that a double lotus blossomed in the pond behind Baiyun Temple. Many people went to see it. They said that seeing it would bring blessings and harmony to the family."

There is another word that is probably too embarrassing to say, that is, the relationship between husband and wife is smooth. Among the female relatives present, who would not want the harmony between husband and wife? Even the unmarried girls hope to get married one day, find a good husband, and live in harmony with each other for the rest of their lives. Who would not want to see such a good omen?

"It is true." Lipin also smiled and said, "If you ladies want to go and see it, you can go and see it."

The ladies present were immediately delighted and all agreed with Ji Chen's words about going to see the lotus.

Liu Xu was somewhat reluctant to go, as it was difficult for her to get along with those noble ladies. However, Madam Liu still had to socialize with the wives of Cheng Delang's colleagues, so she patted Liu Xu's head and motioned for her to go with them.

Ji Shuran also stood up with a smile and said, "Li'er is also in the tea room at the end of the corridor. I think she has rested for a while and should not be so dizzy anymore. It's just right that I will pick her up and we will leave the palace together later."

Jiang Yuyan said timidly: "Fourth sister hasn't come back yet."

Jiang Li went to rest, and Jiang Yu'e just went to change her clothes, and now they are gone forever. Yang also noticed it and complained: "This girl, why are you walking around? Why haven't you come back yet?"

"Don't worry," Jiang Youyao said, "Fourth sister and second sister left together. Maybe fourth sister is staying with second sister right now. We will see them when we go to the tea room later."

Yang didn't dare to refute Jiang Youyao's words, but she didn't believe it in her heart. She knew her daughter best. Jiang Yu'e and Jiang Li had never gotten along, so why would she stay with Jiang Li? Besides, today was a palace banquet, so how could Jiang Yu'e be willing to hide in the tea room without showing up? According to Jiang Yu'e's temperament, she should have come out to attract other people's attention a long time ago.

But even if she was anxious, she couldn't show it. Besides, Yang didn't know where Jiang Yu'e had gone, so she thought about following her to a teahouse to see if Jiang Yu'e was there.

The group walked towards the tea room at the end of the corridor.

I don't know when the moon disappeared and hid under the clouds, casting only one or two dim lights. The lotus leaves and lotus flowers on the water were rustling in the wind. When the fish saw people passing by, they all dived under the lotus leaves.

The waves are sparkling, and the undercurrent is surging.

The corridor seemed very long, and we arrived there in no time as we walked and talked. At the end of the corridor, we saw a pair of lotus flowers, but they were not as bright and eye-catching as other lotus flowers. They were just two small flowers and looked inconspicuous.

Everyone was a little disappointed.

However, I still looked at it a few more times because of the legend that it can bless "family harmony". But after seeing it, I felt that it was not as beautiful as the scenery in the waterside pavilion.

Ji Shuran smiled and said, "Li'er is in the tea room inside. I'll go check on her first. If anyone is thirsty and wants to go in for a cup of tea, just come in with me."

After walking for a while, the lady felt thirsty and wanted to drink tea, so she walked over with Ji Shuran.

Ji Shuran walked to the front of the tea room.

There was only a little dim light in the tea room, which made it seem particularly ambiguous and lingering at night. Through the window, one could not see the figures inside, it was just surprisingly quiet.

Jiang Youyao smiled and said, "Second sister, is she asleep? Why is it so quiet in there? I can't hear any sound at all."

"It's very likely," Ji Shuran said worriedly, "Just now he said he was dizzy, and now he's asleep, don't catch a cold." But in her heart she was very proud, Jiang Li must have just had sex with Ye Shijie, and was so tired that she couldn't hear the noise outside? The drug was at its strongest at this moment, and there were so many "witnesses" behind them, Jiang Li and Ye Shijie's night was destined to be an unforgettable night.

Therefore, Ji Shuran did not hesitate at all. She called "Li'er" softly and reached out to push the door open.

The door of the tea room seemed to be unlocked and opened with a slight push.

The lights flickered suddenly.

Ji Shuran stepped in.

As soon as she entered, Ji Shuran's heart moved, and she felt that something was wrong. But before she had time to think, she saw Ye Shijie supporting his face with his hands under the light in front of the small table in the tea room, frowning and looking at her.

She was dressed neatly and cleanly. There was tea and snacks in front of the small table. There was no trace of Jiang Li in the room.

This was completely different from the messy scene that Ji Shuran had imagined.

Ji Shuran's eyes went dark. The other ladies behind her had already arrived, and among them was Jiang Youyao's deliberately raised voice: "Second sister——"

The sound stopped suddenly.

The lady outside was also startled when she suddenly saw a man named Ye Shijie appear here, but soon someone recognized him as Master Ye, who topped the Imperial College entrance examination this year and had just been appointed by the Emperor as a member of the Ministry of Revenue. Someone asked, "Why is Master Ye here?"

Jiang Youyao came in with great joy, only wanting to see Jiang Li's miserable state. When she saw Ye Shijie sitting here, she screamed, "Why are you sitting here? Where is my second sister——"

"Your second sister?" Ye Shijie frowned and said, "Second Miss Jiang? I didn't see any Second Miss Jiang. I drank wine at the banquet, and the palace maid who led the way asked me to rest here. I just came here not long ago and didn't see your second sister." He looked at Jiang Youyao: "Maybe Second Miss Jiang has already left."

"Impossible--" Jiang Youyao was furious and said, "She must have hidden herself. Where is she?" She started searching everywhere.

The ladies around immediately looked at Jiang Youyao with strange eyes. Jiang Youyao looked as if she was certain that Jiang Li must be here. She was really obsessed.

Seeing the way other people looked at Jiang Youyao, Ji Shuran's heart skipped a beat, afraid that Jiang Youyao would reveal her true colors, so she grabbed Jiang Youyao's arm, looked at Ye Shijie and smiled, "Youyao is too worried about Li'er. Look, it's late at night, and Li'er is missing. Could something have happened?" She looked like a worried mother.

Ye Shijie already knew that the incident tonight was caused by the vicious woman in front of him, and he also knew how vicious Ji Shuran was under her kind face. He just sneered in his heart, but waved his hand solemnly and said, "Madam, you are worried and confused, which is understandable, but..." He said politely, "Next time, please knock before entering."

Ji Shuran immediately felt blushing.

She wanted everyone to see Jiang Li's ugly appearance, so why would she knock on the door on purpose? But what was going on? Ji Shuran was suspicious. The teahouse was so small that Jiang Li would definitely not be able to hide. Moreover, Ye Shijie was dressed neatly, and there was no trace in the room, not even any strange smell. Everything showed that Ye Shijie and Jiang Li had never started at all?

The person who came to report clearly said that he saw Jiang Li and Ye Shijie both enter the teahouse. At the moment, Ye Shijie did not look like he was drugged. What about Jiang Li? Where was Jiang Li?
Ji Shuran was panicking. Without seeing Jiang Li, she always felt that something had been overlooked and was about to happen.

After Ye Shijie and Ji Shuran finished talking, they stood up and bowed to the ladies. It was somewhat inconvenient for him, a man, to stand in a place full of women, so it was better for him to avoid it.

Just as he reached the door, he suddenly stopped.

"Madam, Miss Jiang Er is here." Ye Shijie said to the inside of the door.

Ji Shuran was stunned and quickly walked to the door, then saw someone walking slowly from the corridor. Who else could it be but Jiang Li?
Next to Jiang Li, there was a handsome young man in red, who was Duke Suguo Ji Heng.

Jiang Li was also very confused when she saw them. She stepped forward and asked, "Mother... why are you here?"

"Li'er," Ji Shuran asked, "Aren't you resting in the tea room? Why didn't I see you when I came just now, only Master Ye?"

Jiang Li smiled shyly, "I stayed in the tea room for a while and wanted to go to the bathroom, but when I came out, I didn't know where to go. I walked around and got lost, and kept going around in circles in the garden." Jiang Li said, "I didn't know the way, and no one passed by me. I wasted too much time in the garden. Fortunately, I met the Duke." Jiang Li smiled and said, "The Duke saw that I was having difficulty walking, so he took me out of the garden. I wanted to wait for my mother in the tea room, so I went back to the tea room, but I didn't expect you all to come over. What's wrong?" Jiang Li looked at Ji Shuran, "Is there something wrong?"

Ji Shuran was speechless.

Duke Suguo Ji Heng was standing next to Jiang Li, not knowing which of Jiang Li's words were true, but Ji Shuran could not express any doubt, because doubting Jiang Li meant doubting Ji Heng. Since Ji Heng didn't say anything, she tacitly accepted that what Jiang Li said was true.

Ji Shuran almost bit her teeth to pieces.

Jiang Li turned her head, and seemed to see Ye Shijie for the first time. She was a little confused: "Why did Mr. Ye come to the teahouse here? There are so many teahouses in the palace, and the men's teahouse is not here..." She didn't say anything else, but the meaning of her words made all the ladies think deeply.

If Jiang Li hadn't gone to the bathroom, and hadn't gotten lost on the road and wasted too much time, Jiang Li and Ye Shijie would have been in the same room. In the eyes of others, even if there was nothing wrong, it would be more or less unclear. This was not a good thing for the newly appointed Yuwailang of the Ministry of Revenue. Of course, it was also a blow to the reputation of the second Miss Jiang.

However, Miss Jiang was very lucky and happened to avoid it.

Thinking about the abnormal behavior of Miss Jiang San when she entered the room just now, it was as if she knew that Miss Jiang Er would be in the tea room, and Ji Shuran even pushed the door open without knocking... It was very intriguing.

Ji Shuran was extremely angry when she saw that Jiang Li was targeting herself with just a few words, but she couldn't think of any words to respond for a moment, so she could only look to Lipin and Ji Chen for help.

Just as Concubine Li was about to speak, she suddenly saw someone stumbling in from outside, running straight towards the wife of Marquis Ningyuan. It must be the wife of Marquis Ningyuan's maid.

The maid shouted in panic: "Madam, something happened to the young master!"

　Finally we are talking! Rounding it off, we are getting married!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)