Chapter 87 Mid-Autumn Festival
Just as the Ningyuan Marquis' Mansion was discussing how to deal with Jiang Yu'e, in the Jiang Mansion, in the third room's courtyard, Yang was arguing with Jiang Yuanxing about Jiang Yu'e.

"Yu'e is now with Zhou Yanbang, she can only marry into the Ningyuan Marquis' Mansion!" Yang's eyes widened. Perhaps because of Jiang Yu'e's matter, she looked a lot thinner overnight, with a sharper and thinner face, high cheekbones, and more fierce than usual.

"I will never allow my daughter to be a concubine!" Jiang Yuanxing changed his cowardly character and argued with Yang until his face turned red and his neck became thick. He said: "If she becomes a concubine of Ningyuan Hou, her son will be like me in the future, and can only be a bastard!"

This time, even Yang was speechless. She looked at her husband. She didn't dislike marrying Jiang Yuanxing. Although Jiang Yuanxing was only the illegitimate son of the third room, she was also only the illegitimate daughter of Si Zhilang. It was impossible for her to marry into a richer family. In addition, Jiang Yuanxing looked delicate and weak, so she didn't dislike him.

But life is always about firewood, rice, oil and salt. People always like to compare. Compared with the wealth of the first and second wives, the third wife lived in such a tight situation, which made Yang very angry. Feeling unwilling and blaming, Yang often quarreled with Jiang Yuanxing. Jiang Yuanxing never refuted, but just accepted it. Yang then realized that this man was not weak, but cowardly by nature, and could only be a proofreader for the rest of his life.

After being married for many years, this was the first time that Jiang Yuanxing had quarreled with her. He even said something like "You can only be a concubine's son like me", which clearly showed that Jiang Yuanxing was furious.

Jiang Yuanxing was indeed furious.

Only he himself knew how humble it was to be a concubine's son. Although he seemed to not care about these things on weekdays, he always felt inferior in front of his two brothers. When he was young, he had fantasized that if his biological mother was Madam Jiang, he would have everything his brothers had and would be respected wherever he went. When he grew up, he realized that everything was determined by fate. God wanted him to be born in the belly of a concubine, and his life was destined to be trampled under the feet of his two brothers.

His fate cannot be changed, but his daughter can. Jiang Yu'e could choose not to take this path. She could choose not to marry Zhou Yanbang, so that her children would not have to suffer such a tragic fate as illegitimate children.

"Then what do you think we should do?" Yang suddenly calmed down. She did not argue with Jiang Yuanxing as she did in the past. Instead, she said in despair, "Yu'e's status means she can only marry the Ningyuan Marquis' son as a concubine. Will they marry Yu'e as their principal wife? Now everyone in Yanjing knows that Yu'e and Zhou Yanbang are together. No one will marry Yu'e. Do you want her to stay in the mansion as an old maid for the rest of her life? Or should she just cut her hair and go to the temple to worship Buddha for the rest of her life?" Yang murmured, "I did not teach my daughter well, but if you were not a schoolmaster, if the one who got into trouble was not Yu'e but the daughter of the first wife, the result would definitely not be like this."

Jiang Yuanxing was struck by lightning and staggered back two steps.

At this time, Jiang Yu'e ran in from outside, knelt on the ground, and cried to Jiang Yuanxing: "Dad, I don't want to be a nun, and I don't want to stay in the mansion forever. Now it has come to this. If I don't marry Zhou Yanbang, I will have no other way to go. Dad, are you going to force your daughter to death?"

Seeing his wife and daughter like this, and thinking about his current identity, Jiang Yuanxing's face turned pale and he had no strength to resist anymore. He moved his lips, and finally closed his eyes. After a long while, he uttered the word "OK".

The dust has settled.

……

Time passed slowly, summer finally passed, and autumn came from the distant sky along with the fragrance of osmanthus.

This summer was extremely long, and it seemed that many extraordinary things had happened in Yanjing City. If you think about it carefully, except for life and death, they are all trivial matters. But among the trivial matters, there are also some that have been talked about for months.

One example is Zhou Yanbang’s luck in love from the Ningyuan Marquisate.

Speaking of which, ever since the Ningyuan Marquis's son had been entangled with two female relatives in front of all the guests at the palace banquet, the men all envied Zhou Yanbang for having so many wives, while the women all felt sympathy for Zhou Yanbang's original fiancée Jiang Youyao.

It was a sudden disaster. Miss Jiang San was going to marry Zhou Yanbang in just one year, but who knew that something like this would happen. She did nothing, but her fiancé was robbed. Some people who were jealous of Jiang Youyao applauded and said that it was all retribution. Wasn't Miss Jiang San's marriage snatched from Miss Jiang Er? It can be seen that if it is truly yours, you can't take it away even if you rob it.

No matter what everyone said, in the end this romantic affair was resolved by the marriage of Zhou Yanbang from the Ningyuan Marquisate.

Zhou Yanbang will marry Miss Shen Ruyun from the Shen family as his wife, and at the same time take Miss Jiang San from the Jiang family as his concubine.

Shen Ruyun was "flirted" by Zhou Yanbang, and she was also the sister of Zhongshu Shelang. The reputation of a girl was the most important, so he had to marry Shen Ruyun. As for Jiang Yu'e, most of the rumors in Yanjing City were that Miss Jiang Wu and her future brother-in-law had been secretly having an affair for a long time, but she was taken into the family only to cover up the scandal. However, the status of the Jiang family's third wife was low, so she was just a concubine. Of course, the Jiang family's third wife also agreed, which invisibly proved that Jiang Yu'e and Zhou Yanbang had been having an affair for a long time.

To outsiders, Zhou Yanbang was happy because he had a beautiful wife and concubine, and he was also a favorite of the current emperor, the brother-in-law of the Zhongshu Shelang. But only Zhou Yanbang himself knew the feeling behind it.

In Fangfei Garden, Tong'er sat on a small stool in front of the house, making quilts with Baixue.

"The weather has been much better these days since the Third Miss is away." Tong'er stretched out her nose and took a deep breath. The sweet-scented osmanthus fragrance in the air was particularly strong.

Bai Xue nodded seriously: "Yes."

"I just don't know how long the Third Miss will be confined." Mingyue and Qingfeng finished sweeping the floor and laughed when they heard this: "It would be better to lock her up for three to five more days."

Jiang Li looked at the maids in the yard with a smile. They had felt much more relaxed during this period of time. She wondered if it was because Ji Shuran and her daughter had no time to take care of Fangfeiyuan.

Jiang Youyao was put under house arrest.

That night, Jiang Youyao and Jiang Yu'e had a fight in Fengtang. It was said that Jiang Youyao scratched Jiang Yu'e's face. Jiang Li did not see it, but the maid who saw it said that Jiang Yu'e was bleeding profusely. With Jiang Yuanxing's status, he naturally could not ask Jiang Yuanbo for anything, nor could he do anything to Jiang Youyao. But the old lady was angry and ordered Jiang Youyao to be confined to her house.

Jiang Li thought that when Old Madam Jiang put Jiang Youyao under house arrest, it was not to punish her for hurting Jiang Yu'e. She was probably afraid that Jiang Youyao was still not giving up on Zhou Yanbang and would do something stupid after knowing that Zhou Yanbang was going to marry Shen Ruyu and Jiang Yu'e, so she simply cut off her path.

Old Madam Jiang's actions really saved Jiang Li's energy. Without Jiang Youyao causing trouble in the Jiang residence, Ji Shuran probably had no energy to deal with her. These days, the Jiang residence was extremely peaceful.

I heard that Jiang Yu'e was sent to the farm to recuperate, and the marriage with Ningyuan Marquis was also settled. Jiang Li still admired the courage of Ningyuan Marquis, and Zhou Yanbang's marriage was settled so easily. In total, Zhou Yanbang can be regarded as a person who has experienced three marriages. But the last one, I think, is the one that Zhou Yanbang is most dissatisfied with.

However, although Zhou Yanbang was not satisfied, Shen Ruyun and Jiang Yu'e were definitely satisfied.

Shen Ruyun finally got what she wanted and married Zhou Yanbang, whom she had always admired. Jiang Li thought that Shen Ruyun's future would not be easy. Shen Ruyun was narrow-minded and domineering, but she had Jiang Yu'e, who was good at scheming and flattering, to compete with. Zhou Yanbang himself did not love Shen Ruyun, and if things went on like this, he would definitely resent Shen Ruyun. If these people were together, there would be chaos in Ningyuan Marquis' Mansion.

Every evildoer will have his own way. Putting Shen Ruyun and Jiang Yu'e together is really a perfect match.

Thinking about the farce in Ningyuan Marquis Mansion in the future, Jiang Li couldn't help but want to laugh. Just as she was thinking, she heard the voice of a young man: "Are you thinking about love? Or are you thinking about love?"

Jiang Li looked up and saw Jiang Jingrui looking at her mischievously, as if he had discovered Jiang Li's little secret. He came forward and said, "Tell me, which young master does our second young lady like? I'll help you find out the truth."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Tong'er stood up and said, "My young lady is pure and innocent. She has never seen many men. What are you talking about? If you keep talking nonsense, be careful that the Second Madam will teach you a lesson!"

"He even threatened my mother to complain," Jiang Jingrui opened his mouth wide, "Jiang Li, the maid you raised is too fierce."

Jiang Li was too lazy to care about him. Jiang Jingrui seemed to have nothing to do all day, and he came here in a moment of distraction. Lu was also really strange. Jiang Jingyou was so good at managing him, why was he so indulgent towards Jiang Jingrui? Could it be that the crying child really got candy? The more lawless Jiang Jingrui was, the less people dared to care about him? This was not right. If Xue Zhao dared to do this, he would have been punished by Xue Huaiyuan and cried bitterly.

"What exactly are you doing here?" Jiang Li asked.

"It's Mid-Autumn Festival in three days. There will be a lantern festival tonight. Do you want to go and see it?"

Jiang Li: "I don't want to watch it."

"Don't want to see it?" Jiang Jingrui stared at Jiang Li with wide eyes, as if he was looking at a monster. "Why don't you go? There are so many delicious and fun things at the Mid-Autumn Night Lantern Festival, and you haven't been there before... Well, you went there many years ago, and it's more lively now than before, why don't you go?"

Jiang Li said, "I don't want to go." She stood up and was about to go into the house. Unexpectedly, Jiang Jingrui stood up immediately like a scoundrel, pestering her in and out and asking, "Jiang Li, there is something wrong with you! Other young ladies are looking forward to the Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival every year, but you don't go. What's the matter? Everyone in our mansion had to go out that day, but you didn't go. What were you doing in the mansion? Playing cards with Jiang Youyao who was under house arrest? Or copying Buddhist scriptures with your grandmother?"

Even someone as good-tempered as Jiang Li was a little impatient with him, and said, "No reason, I just don't want to go."

Jiang Jingrui stood where he was, while Tong'er, Baixue and the others also looked at Jiang Li.

Jiang Li then realized that her tone had been a little harsh. She calmed down and said to Jiang Jingrui in a gentle voice, "I don't like crowds. There are bound to be bumps and bruises when there are too many people. I'm really scared. If you want to go, go by yourself. It's okay for me not to go alone." Although her tone was gentle, it was an unquestionable affirmation.

Jiang Jingrui hesitated for a while, but finally realized helplessly that Jiang Li didn't seem to have any intention of changing her mind, so he had to leave dejectedly.

After Jiang Jingrui left, Jiang Li stopped basking in the sun in the yard and went into the house.

After Jiang Li entered the room, Bai Xue asked Tong'er puzzledly: "Why is the girl unhappy?"

Tong'er shook her head: "I don't know, maybe the second young master is too annoying."

In the room, Jiang Li sat facing the window.

Among the green leaves of the sweet-scented osmanthus tree, there are tiny light yellow flowers. Although they look inconspicuous, they are more fragrant than other bouquets. Many withered flowers have fallen under the tree, turning from light yellow to golden yellow, and finally into fragrant flower mud, dust to dust, earth to earth.

It's Mid-Autumn Festival again, Jiang Li thought silently.

She recalled the first time she followed Shen Yurong to Yanjing City, and the first time she spent Mid-Autumn Festival in Yanjing City. Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for family reunion, and she missed her father and Xue Zhao who were far away in her hometown, and she always felt particularly sad. Shen Yurong took her hand and said to her: "From now on, this is your home. You haven't seen the Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival in Yanjing City, right? It's not worse than Tongxiang. I will take you to see it, and I will take you to see it every year in the future. You will like it here."

Shen Yurong took her to see the lantern festival.

Unlike a small place like Tongxiang, if Tongxiang is simple, natural, warm and lovely, Yanjing City is prosperous, winding, lively and crowded. It was the first time she saw so many lanterns. The riddles written by the vendors were always very simple. She and Shen Yurong always guessed correctly. They couldn't hold the lanterns they won, so they gave them to the children they met on the roadside.

She still remembered a lantern riddle called "Looking for him among the crowd for thousands of times", and she guessed it was "hope". Shen Yurong whispered in her ear: "This word is just like how I feel about you."

He was "looking forward" to her, and at that time she thought it was true and really believed it, but she didn't know that behind that "looking forward" there would be a "death".

He hoped that he would die, so that no one could stand in his way. Jiang Li clenched his fist, took a deep breath, and then slowly loosened his palm.

She didn't want to indulge in the memories of the past, but the crueler it became, the clearer the memories of the past became. Jiang Jingrui asked her to go out to see the Mid-Autumn Festival, but Jiang Li was afraid. She was afraid that once she walked out of the door, she would be filled with memories and the past.

That would be too cruel. She would rather not look at it and only remember the other person's ugly face forever. It seemed that such warm and beautiful feeling would never be broken and would be sealed underground, as if it had never been used in the first place.

She won't ask for trouble.

……

In the inn in Yanjing City, there was a room with particularly bright lights.

Ye Shijie was sitting in the room, carefully turning the wick in the lamp. As he was moving, a sound suddenly came from the direction of the door behind him, and someone pushed the door open and came in.

Ye Shijie stood up and turned around, with some excitement on his face: "Second Uncle!"

The man who came was a thin middle-aged man, who looked gentle and refined. He wore a feather crown, white clothes, and two silver ribbons hanging down. He looked like a scholar, but there was a sly intelligence in his eyes. He closed the door, walked forward quickly, and shouted, "Shijie, you have made great achievements!"

He walked up to Ye Shijie and patted him on the shoulder: "I have heard about your story. I have heard many people praise you along the way. Not bad, you have brought honor to our Ye family!"

This man was Ye Shijie's second uncle, the second master of the Ye family in Xiangyang, Ye Mingxuan.

Ye Shijie looked behind Ye Mingxuan and didn't see anyone else. He asked in confusion: "Second Uncle, why are you alone? Where is my father?"

At this point, Ye Mingxuan frowned slightly, and his joy was slightly diluted. He said, "Your grandmother is not in good health. She fainted at home a few months ago, and she needs someone to stay with her. The business in Xiangyang has also had some troubles. Not to mention your father, your third uncle has also returned to Xiangyang."

"What's going on?" Ye Shijie was stunned. "What happened?"

"It's not a big deal." Ye Mingxuan came back to his senses and patted Ye Shijie's head. "I came here this time to give you some banknotes and to collect some business in Yanjing City. You are an official now, and you need money to manage your affairs. Although it is said that wealth should not be exposed, it should be used where it should be used. Our family is not short of this little money."

Ye Shijie still felt a little uneasy and asked, "Second Uncle, is everything really okay? I want to go back and see my grandmother."

"You've only been in office for a short time, so how can you have so much time to go back to Xiangyang? Don't worry, your grandmother's illness is not serious, you can stay in Yanjing City with peace of mind. Once you have established a firm foothold here, it won't be difficult for us to move our family to Yanjing City. Well, I estimate that we have to wait until you are promoted to the third rank, which can actually take three to five years." He touched his chin in thought.

Ye Shijie was speechless. After thinking for a while, he said to Ye Mingxuan, "Second Uncle, do you still remember my aunt?"

Ye Mingxuan was slightly startled and looked at Ye Shijie.

The Ye family had three sons and one daughter, and the only daughter was Ye Zhenzhen, who was also his sister. But this sister had a short life and died too early, which was also a pity.

Ye Shijie observed Ye Mingxuan's expression and said carefully: "Some time ago, I met my aunt's daughter...cousin."

"Jiang Li?" Ye Mingxuan reacted very quickly and immediately said Jiang Li's name.

Ye Shijie was relieved. Fortunately, Ye Mingxuan had not forgotten Jiang Li. Since he still remembered, it would be much easier to talk. Ye Shijie told Ye Mingxuan everything about Jiang Li, what Jiang Li said to him, and the rumors about Jiang Li in Yanjing City. He also had many confusions about Jiang Li that he didn't understand. Now he finally had someone to talk to. He could talk about it.

After finally finishing his words, Ye Shijie was already thirsty. He took a sip of the tea on the table and said, "Second Uncle, what do you think Jiang Li means by this? Is she trying to reconcile with our Ye family? But she also said at the beginning that she disdained to associate with merchants. I am getting more and more confused now."

Ye Mingxuan was older than Ye Shijie after all. After hearing what Ye Shijie said, he did not answer immediately, but thought about it carefully before saying, "I know what you said. It is not true to listen to one side of the story. It is not that I do not trust Jiang Li, but I do not trust the Jiang family. Although the Jiang family is an official household, sometimes officials are not as open as merchants. I am afraid that this is not Jiang Li's original intention, but the Jiang family is behind it. Although our Ye family has nothing to plot, we must be on guard against others." Ye Mingxuan knocked on the table and said, "How about this, find an opportunity, I want to meet Jiang Li, then we will know whether it is true or false."

"Second Uncle," Ye Shijie asked hesitantly, "Jiang Li said that those words that humiliated the merchants were not what she meant to say. Do you think this is true?"

Ye Mingxuan smiled. When he smiled, the shrewdness of a businessman faded a lot, and he looked like a scholar again. He said, "It's not impossible. But, even if someone instructed her to say that, as long as she believed us and told the truth in front of us, we could have found a way to take her away. But she didn't believe the Ye family."

"Maybe she was too young at the time. She was too young and was easily frightened." Ye Shijie couldn't help but say.

Ye Mingxuan didn't say anything, but just looked at Ye Shijie with a smile, which made Ye Shijie feel uncomfortable. He asked, "What, what happened?"

"Nothing." Ye Mingxuan said, "Yes, children are indeed easily deceived, so if this is true, we will not blame her, but will blame ourselves for not discovering this matter at the beginning. But now she is not a child anymore. According to you, she is a girl with her own ideas and courage. This time, she can tell us her true thoughts and can choose whether to believe us or not."

"We'll know everything when we meet," he said.

……

The Mansion of Duke Su.

On such a chilly autumn day, the garden in the Duke's Mansion is still full of flowers.

The Duke's Mansion did not seem to be depressed in autumn and winter. Duke Su had a house full of flowers, so naturally there were flowers that could bloom in spring, summer, autumn and winter. Peach blossoms would not bloom in autumn, but there were chrysanthemums in autumn. Lotus flowers would not bloom in winter, but there were red plum blossoms in winter.

Of course, ordinary peaches, plums, chrysanthemums, and plums are not in the eyes of Duke Su. The flowers raised in Duke Su’s mansion are more delicate than most flowers in Yanjing City. They cannot be frozen or heated. They cannot be watered too much or buried too shallowly. They also need to be pruned and insects caught from time to time, and a comfortable position must be found for them. They cannot be too cramped or too open. They cannot be scratched by cats or pecked by birds.

Everyone in the Duke's Mansion, from the housekeepers and guards to the night-scented incense seller, is an expert in growing flowers. If there are flowers that ordinary people can't grow well, just squat at the door of Duke Su's house, and when the servants go out in the morning, catch one and ask him. He will definitely be able to explain it clearly.

So when people ask where is the best place in Yanjing City? It is not Baiyun Mountain, not Qingdao Temple, not the palace, not the painted boat, but the Duke's Mansion. It is the best colors in the world gathered together, which is gorgeous and incompatible with the outside. Some people say that if it were not for the unpredictable mood of Duke Su, no one would dare to provoke him. I am afraid that the people who peek into the Duke's Mansion garden every day could overturn the outer wall of the mansion gate.

It's so beautiful.

And I don’t know if the more beautiful the place, the more beautiful the people it raises. The servants, guards and thugs in the Duke’s Mansion are all beautiful. Although they are not as stunningly beautiful as Duke Su, if they were taken outside, they would probably be able to charm everyone.

It's really confusing.

At this moment, someone was talking in the study of Duke Suguo's Mansion.

Kong Liu pounded his fist on the table and said in a hoarse voice, "Tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival. Are you going to go or not?"

"No." Ji Heng replied with two words straightforwardly.

"Why?" Kong Liu asked, "Don't you want to see what the King is up to?"

"It's not time for him to take action yet. It's useless to go." Ji Heng said nonchalantly, "It's the same every year. It's boring."

"This year, the house is full of gold." Lu Ji, who was sitting on the other side, spoke politely, and did not forget to stroke his pointed goatee: "Sir, don't you like watching plays very much?"

"Right, right, right," Kong Liu also said, "Jin Mantang, I heard it's much better than that damn Acacia Troupe that was so popular before."

Ji Heng glanced at him. You know, the Xiangsi Troupe, which was famous in Yanjing City before, became popular because of Liu Sheng. However, Liu Sheng, who always played the female role, had some bad thoughts and tried to climb into Ji Heng's bed when he came to the Duke's Mansion to celebrate the old general's birthday. Ji Heng was disgusted, so he broke his legs and threw him out, and the Xiangsi Troupe also fled Yanjing City overnight.

If you anger Duke Su, losing your life would be the least of your worries.

The Xiangsi Troupe disappeared from Yanjing City, and no other troupe emerged. Not long ago, Jin Mantang came and was said to be quite good.

Seeing that Ji Heng still didn't answer, Kong Liu shouted, "If you don't go out, Lu Xiao Huzi and I will have to accompany you to handle official business in the Duke's Mansion all night. Tomorrow is Mid-Autumn Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival! Ji Heng, Duke, sir! Can you have a little humanity? Even beggars have to celebrate the festival!"

Lu Ji didn't say anything, but he was smiling and agreed with Kong Liu's words. Ji Heng looked up at the two of them, and after a while, he said, "No."

Kong Liu was deflated at once, and was about to retort when the door suddenly opened and Ji Heng's grandfather, the old general, walked in.

In late September, the old general was still shirtless. He must have just come back from sword practice in the yard. There were beads of sweat on his forehead. However, his sword energy must have destroyed a lot of Ji Heng's flowers as usual. Seeing a few petals floating on the old general's head, Lu Ji's eyelids couldn't help but twitch. He recognized it. The petals looked like the "Xiangxuehai" that Ji Heng bought from a foreign merchant for 1,000 taels of silver. These few petals should be worth 100 taels of silver.

No wonder the servants of the Duke's Mansion always said that the most extravagant person was not Ji Heng, but the old general. I really don't know how this grandfather who doesn't care about women can get along with Ji Heng.

"Are you going to the Mid-Autumn Festival tomorrow?" The old general was full of energy and his voice was loud. He looked at Ji Heng with some regret in his eyes. "I wanted you to stay in the mansion to practice sword with me, but I just heard you talking about the Lantern Festival in the house. What a pity."

Just when Kong Liu was about to say, "It's a pity that Ji Heng is not going again," he heard Ji Heng's regretful voice: "It's indeed a pity."

Kong Liu looked at Ji Heng in surprise. Ji Heng smiled and said calmly, "Grandfather can practice alone in the mansion. It's best to practice in an open space. We will be back very late when we go out."

(End of this chapter)