Chapter 88 Church Meeting
The fifteenth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar is the Mid-Autumn Festival.

This day was no different from any other day, at most they had a reunion dinner together in Jiang's mansion. But even for this reunion dinner, it is not quite accurate to say "together". Because Jiang Yu'e was sent to the manor to "recover from her injuries", she had to go to Ningyuan Marquis' mansion in the spring of next year. She was actually still young, but Yang was afraid that it would be disadvantageous to Jiang Yu'e if it was delayed too long, so she had to let Jiang Yu'e marry first.

Jiang Youyao probably finally realized that there was no room for maneuver in this matter. Even if she refused to give up, she could not do anything as she was confined by Madam Jiang all day. In less than a month, she had lost a lot of weight. The beautiful and charming girl now looked like she would fall down at the touch of a gust of wind, and looked so pitiful.

However, this made Jiang Yuanbai feel even more distressed. During the meal, Jiang Li noticed that Jiang Yuanbai was very gentle towards Ji Shuran and her daughter. He must have felt that Zhou Yanbang had wronged Jiang Youyao and was trying to compensate her.

Jiang Li saw that the family was so happy, and she didn't feel anything else. But Mrs. Lu couldn't stand it, and deliberately blocked Ji Shuran and said, "Everyone should go to the Mid-Autumn Festival tonight."

"Youyao won't go," Ji Shuran said, "Youyao has caught a cold and hasn't recovered yet. If she goes out and gets caught in the wind, it will be even more troublesome. You guys go, I'll stay at home with Youyao."

Old Madam Jiang has not yet released Jiang Youyao from her house arrest. Because of Jiang Youyao's personality and her feelings for Zhou Yanbang, it is inevitable that she will go to Zhou Yanbang if she is released. Old Madam Jiang hopes that Jiang Youyao will give up. If Jiang Youyao keeps pestering Zhou Yanbang, the people in Ningyuan Marquis' Mansion will look down on the Jiang family.

Jiang Youyao herself didn't want to go out, although being confined was also annoying. But as long as she thought about going out, everyone would look at her with sympathy, and Jiang Youyao felt extremely humiliated. Although Zhou Yanbang's matter had nothing to do with her, she became the joke of this romantic affair, the poor fiancée. Rather than being upset by seeing other people's eyes outside, it was better to stay in the house and out of sight, out of mind.

"I'm not going either." Jiang Yuanbai said, "I still have court affairs to deal with." Now he felt that Jiang Youyao had been wronged, and he wanted to compensate his little daughter. Ji Shuran and her daughter were not going, so there was absolutely no reason for Jiang Yuanbai to abandon his wife and daughter and go alone.

Mrs. Lu rolled her eyes and said, "If none of you go, what will happen to Li'er? We can't let Li'er go alone, right?"

Jiang Yuanping on the side coughed lightly.

"It's nothing," Jiang Li said with a smile, "I don't really want to go either."

"Little girl Li, go with your second aunt." Old Madam Jiang suddenly spoke up. She said, "You just returned to Yanjing City this year. The Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival is also very good. You have worked hard these days. Have a good rest."

Since Madam Jiang had spoken, Jiang Li naturally couldn't refuse. Although she was reluctant, she had to agree. This made Jiang Yuanbai in a dilemma. On one hand, there was his eldest daughter who had just returned to Beijing, and on the other hand, there was his youngest daughter who had been wronged. But in the end, he decided to stay in the mansion. Jiang Li looked sensible and generous, but Jiang Youyao had never suffered any hardship. If there was a chance in the future, he would compensate Jiang Li.

Seeing that her eldest son was still only concerned about Ji Shuran and her daughter, and was stubborn, Madam Jiang sighed in her heart, shook her head, and went back after dinner. On the contrary, Jiang Jingrui was the happiest. After the old lady left, he kept winking at Jiang Li. After the show, he deliberately walked behind and said to Jiang Li: "You said you didn't want to go, but you have to follow the old lady's words, right?"

Jiang Li was upset and didn't bother to pay attention to him. Jiang Jingrui just talked to himself: "You will be amazed by the food, candy figurines, and lantern riddles along the way. I heard that Jin Mantang will have a party tonight. I will show you around then. Hey, don't leave——"

Jiang Li left Jiang Jingrui far behind, and walked faster and faster. She couldn't avoid him. She thought that she would not go out tonight to avoid being sad, but it seemed too deliberate if she avoided what Old Madam Jiang said. However, going out was not without benefits. People outside saw her coming out to watch the lantern festival, but Jiang Yuanbo, Ji Shuran, Jiang Youyao and others were not there, and they probably gave her some advice in their hearts.

In front of outsiders, Jiang Yuanbai always has to be a little cautious and try to be fair.

We can only take it one step at a time.

Because of what Old Madam Jiang said, after dinner, when it got dark, Jiang Li was forced to go out with the people from the second house.

Madam Jiang was not at home. She had difficulty walking and stayed in the mansion to entertain Jiang Bingji. Jiang Li was the only one who went out from the first room. Everyone from the second room was present. Yang from the third room and Jiang Yuanxing did not come out either. Jiang Yu'e had to keep her head down when she met her colleagues, so she certainly would not go out to embarrass herself. It was even more impossible for Jiang Yuyan to go out.

Tong'er and Bai Xue also followed Jiang Li. It was the first time for both maids to visit the Lantern Festival, and they were amazed from time to time. Jiang Jingrui deliberately fell behind and walked side by side with Jiang Li, saying, "Why aren't you curious at all? I see that the two maids beside you look happier than you."

Jiang Li's expression was very calm, different from usual calmness. Jiang Jingrui found that she could even be called indifferent. Although she had a usual smile on her lips, even the warm light of the lanterns could not illuminate her smile.

However, this beauty with a touch of loneliness attracted many young men who were sightseeing. Along the way, Jiang Jingrui spotted no less than seven or eight young masters peeking at Jiang Li.

The streets and alleys of Yanjing City, restaurants and teahouses are filled with all kinds of lanterns, all made by the people themselves. The customs in each place are similar. For example, the lanterns in Yanjing City are the same as the river lanterns in Tongxiang. The only difference is that the lanterns are hung on the rope mountain, while the river lanterns float on the water.

There are hexagonal ones, and some are made to look like lampstands. There are many people who are clever and skillful. Although Jiang Jingrui is usually careless, he is also very interested in these beautiful things. From time to time, he would pull Jiang Li to say this is beautiful, or that is beautiful. Jiang Li was quite speechless, and felt that compared to herself, Jiang Jingrui was like a real young girl, with an innocent face, gentle and yearning.

When Jiang Jingrui saw a rabbit-shaped lantern, he could not walk anymore. Even the people from the second room in front of him did not follow him and insisted on buying it. However, the owner of the rabbit lantern was also stubborn and said that he would not sell the lantern unless someone guessed the riddle on it and gave it to the other party as a return gift.

Jiang Jingrui got a headache when he saw people who could read and write. Jiang Jingyou and the others had already walked to the front. He grabbed Jiang Li's sleeve and said, "Aren't you the first in the school exam? Come on! Guess this and help me win this rabbit lantern, and I'll give you fifty taels of silver!"

Jiang Li was very disgusted with Jiang Jingrui's behavior and wanted to refuse, but when she heard his last sentence, she changed her mind. Fifty taels of silver is not a small amount. Jiang Jingrui is indeed a dandy and spends money like water. He is willing to exchange fifty taels of silver for such a useless lantern. Unfortunately, a penny can make a hero fall. Jiang Li never thought that there would be a day when she would sell her talent for silver.

However, having money is better than having no money. Don’t you see how many scholars in the world are very talented but penniless?

She stopped and looked carefully at the lantern that Jiang Jingrui liked very much.

The lantern maker is quite skilled. It is difficult to make an animal-shaped lantern, but he made it look lifelike. The rabbit's body is wrapped in snow-white cloth, with a bamboo frame inside. It has a pair of long pink ears and two red beans as eyes. As the lights flicker, the rabbit's eyes also look lively, as if it will jump up at the next moment.

It is indeed a very beautiful lantern.

Looking at the riddles written on the wooden sign under the lantern, Jiang Li was smiling, but suddenly, her smile froze and her expression changed drastically.

There was only a line of tiny words on the riddle, which read a familiar riddle: I searched for him everywhere for hundreds of times.

In an instant, Jiang Li's ears seemed to echo that affectionate voice again. He said: "This word is just like how I feel about you."

All the past events came before her eyes, and Jiang Li retracted her hand as if she had been burned.

Jiang Jingrui urged her: "What's wrong? Guess quickly!"

"I can't guess." Jiang Li said coldly.

"How is that possible?" Jiang Jingrui said, "You are the leader of Mingyi Hall, and this riddle is not red, so it is not the most difficult one to guess. How could you not guess it?"

Jiang Li said, "If you can't guess it, you can't guess it. You'd better ask someone else for help." She turned around and walked away, as if she hated the lamp so much that she didn't even want to look at it any longer.

Jiang Jingrui was caught off guard, but he couldn't bear to leave the lamp, so he didn't catch up with Jiang Li for a while. When he caught up, Jiang Li was no longer in the crowd. Jiang Jingrui immediately thought to himself that it was bad.

Following the crowd, Jiang Li was walking slowly.

Lu and his group had already walked to the front, and Jiang Jingrui was behind. The crowd was shoulder to shoulder and would soon disperse them. They were no longer in the same place and would easily get lost.

Jiang Li was not very scared. She knew the roads in Yanjing City and could see the location of the nearest city garrison. If there was any problem, she could call for help from the nearest city garrison immediately.

She was not willing to look for Lu or Jiang Jingrui, she just felt that this was a rare moment of being alone. Since returning to Beijing, she was Jiang Li, although she had gotten used to this identity, but sometimes she would remember that her original name was Xue Fangfei.

She was afraid that if she lived the life of Jiang Li for too long, she would forget her original name and what she wanted to do. She didn't want to indulge in the comfortable life brought by this identity. Tonight's lantern riddles were like a bitter and strong medicine, which made her heart numb, but also made her sober for a short time.

Therefore, it is also good to give up the moment of being "Jiang Li" and be alone like this.

Tong'er and Bai Xue didn't know what Jiang Li was thinking. Seeing that Jiang Jingrui and his group were no longer visible in the crowd, Tong'er said, "Miss, let's go look for the second master and his group. We can't see anything now. What if we can't find the way back home?"

"Nothing." Jiang Li said, "I remember the way."

"There are too many people." Bai Xue also advised: "We don't have any guards with us. What if something goes wrong?"

Jiang Li looked at herself. The most ruthless enemy of Miss Jiang Er was none other than Ji Shuran and her daughter. But even if Ji Shuran and her daughter wanted to attack her, they would not pick so many people in public. Not to mention Jiang Youyao, Ji Shuran was very careful and would not leave any handle for others. However, there are always unexpected things, and we cannot infer them by common sense. If this mother and daughter become crazy, anything is possible.

She put aside her thoughts of going for a walk alone and said, "That makes sense."

Bai Xue and Tong Er both breathed a sigh of relief. Jiang Li was about to go forward to look for Lu's figure, but she accidentally caught a glimpse of someone not far away: "Ye Shijie?"

Since the palace banquet, Jiang Li rarely went to Mingyi Hall. The incident with Jiang Yu'e had affected the reputation of the Jiang family girls. Old Madam Jiang asked her to go out as little as possible when she had nothing to do, and to wait until she was out of the limelight. Therefore, Jiang Li had no chance to meet Ye Shijie again.

At this moment, in front of a small stall selling lanterns not far away, Ye Shijie and a middle-aged man seemed to be selecting lanterns while talking, looking very familiar with each other.

Jiang Li guessed that it was someone Ye Shijie knew, and wanted to inquire about Ye Shijie's recent situation, especially whether Li Lian had tried to win him over again, so she planned to walk through the crowd and go to Ye Shijie on the other side.

However, he didn't know that everything he did was seen by another person.

On the top floor of Wangxian Tower, Kong Liu was staring at the people coming and going downstairs. He actually didn't like looking at these flowers and lights, which were dazzling. But compared to staying in the Duke's Mansion and watching boring court affairs, it was certainly more interesting to see the hustle and bustle. What's more, there were many pleasing girls in the hustle and bustle, which could add brilliance to the gloomy night.

But tonight, Kong Liu discovered a familiar shadow among the pleasing girls.

"Hey, it's Miss Jiang II!" Kong Liu stood up and said to Ji Heng excitedly, "Come and see, it's Miss Jiang II. I didn't expect her to come out to see the lanterns tonight. No, why is she alone? There's no one from the Jiang family around her. Did she sneak out?"

Lu Ji, who was sipping tea, followed his gaze and glanced down, saying, "How can someone sneak out with a maid? There are so many people outside, maybe he got separated from his family."

"Lost?" Kong Liu frowned. "There are so many people outside, and there are many criminals. Every year, there are women kidnapped by criminals. Such a beautiful girl will inevitably attract attention. It will be bad if something happens to her."

"Then what will you do?" Lu Ji looked at him curiously.

"I'll send her to find her family!" Kong Liu said as a matter of course.

"Kong Liu," Lu Ji said, "Don't be so delusional. Not to mention that she is the daughter of the Prime Minister, even an ordinary girl would not look down on someone as old as you."

"I'm old?" Kong Liu was immediately furious. "I'm at the best age, what do you know? What's wrong with my age? You're older, your beard is so long!"

Lu Ji was not angry at all. He smiled and pointed outside, pointing to Kong Liu: "I'm not saying, how can you compare with the young boy? Look, didn't the second Miss Jiang go to find Young Master Ye?" As soon as these words came out, not only Kong Liu, but even Ji Heng, who had been playing with a fan nearby, couldn't help but glance downstairs.

Sure enough, in the crowd, Jiang Li and the two maids beside her were walking across the street. Because there were too many people coming and going, it was very difficult to walk the distance of a street. But what was rare was that she had a very good sense of direction. She kept going in one direction and was not distracted by the continuous flow of people.

And the purpose of her visit, without a doubt, was to see a handsome and extraordinary young man, Ye Shijie.

She wanted to walk towards Ye Shijie.

Lu Ji smiled and said, "This cousin pair has a very good relationship."

"Isn't that nonsense? They are relatives." Kong Liu forgot for a moment that Lu Ji had mocked his age, and looked intently at Jiang Li and Ye Shijie.

Ji Heng also stood in front of the window, looked at it thoughtfully for a few seconds, and suddenly closed the fan and said, "Wen Ji."

The black-clad guards appeared before him silently.

"Please ask Miss Jiang Er to come up."

Lu Ji and Kong Liu didn't expect Ji Heng to suddenly say such a thing. They all looked at him with surprise in their eyes.

"Just say that I invited Miss Jiang Er to watch Jin Mantang's concert and arranged a front row seat for her."

Kong Liu's jaw almost dropped.

……

The crowd was really crowded.

Although Yanjing City is much larger than Tongxiang, it also has many more people. When Tongxiang is at its busiest, it is still only half the size of Yanjing City. It is hard to imagine that a narrow street on ordinary days is so difficult to cross today.

Finally we are reaching the other side.

Just as Jiang Li was secretly relieved and wanted to take the two maids to Ye Shijie's side, suddenly, a man in black blocked their way.

Tong'er was so scared that she almost screamed, and Bai Xue also raised her fist. The man in black seemed expressionless, and said word by word: "Second Miss Jiang, the Duke invites you to watch Jin Mantang's singing performance, and has arranged the front seat in Wangxian Tower."

"Duke?" Jiang Li asked, "Ji Heng?"

Wen Ji was a little surprised that Miss Jiang II actually addressed the adult by his name without changing her expression. He nodded.

Jiang Li frowned, and Tong'er whispered, "Girl, this man suddenly appeared. What Duke? Is he just bluffing..."

"I'm not bluffing," Jiang Li replied, "He is the Duke of Su's man."

Wen Ji was even more surprised. He was sure that Jiang Li had never seen him, but why was Jiang Li so sure? The next moment, he heard Jiang Li's indifferent voice: "Duke Su likes beauty and hates ugliness. This secret guard is so beautiful, he must be Duke Su's man."

Wen Ji was clearly standing very steadily, but when he heard what Jiang Li said, he almost slipped.

Tong'er, on the other hand, looked up at Wen Ji seriously. When she saw Wen Ji's face clearly, she couldn't help but take a deep breath and said, "Really! Miss, he is much more handsome than the guards in our house! He is almost as handsome as the second young master!"

Wen Ji: “…”

Bai Xue pulled Jiang Li's sleeve and whispered, "Then girl, are we still going?"

Jiang Li looked at Wen Ji, but Wen Ji couldn't tell what her expression was. She thought about it for a while, and finally sighed and said, "Go."

Tong'er was still a little scared, but Jiang Li was helpless. She knew that even if she said she would not go and rejected Duke Su, Ji Heng would find a way to make her go. He was so polite only because he wanted to appear polite, but this man had the blood of dictatorship in his bones.

No one can resist him because he always has his own way.

A man who knows the current situation is a hero, Jiang Li had no choice but to say, "Let's go."

She, Tong'er and Baixue followed Wen Ji to Wangxian Tower.

Ye Shijie was talking to Ye Mingxuan while picking lanterns. He turned around by chance and suddenly saw a familiar figure. He almost blurted out Jiang Li's name, but before he could say it, the figure was submerged in the crowd and could no longer be seen.

Ye Shijie suspected that he had seen it wrong, and stared at it in a daze. Ye Mingxuan paid the money, and then saw Ye Shijie staring at the crowd in a daze, and asked him: "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Ye Shijie retracted his gaze and shook his head, thinking that it was probably an illusion. Even if Jiang Li came out tonight, she would not be alone, and there would always be Jiang's family members following her.

He is really too crazy.

……

Wangxianlou is the largest restaurant in Yanjing City.

When Jiang Li was a wife of the Shen family, she once passed by this building with Shen's mother and Shen Ruyun. At that time, Shen's mother and Shen Ruyun were very envious, but she didn't care much. Compared with the Shen family, her desires were always very weak. But from that time on, she knew that Wangxian Tower was a den of money and a place for upper-class people.

The place that I could not set foot in my previous life, I can walk into so openly in this life, and I am "invited" to come in as a "guest of honor". Although this invitation is not the same as that invitation, it is legitimate after all.

Some people had already arrived at the hall on the first floor, but Jiang Li was invited to the second floor.

In the tea room on the second floor.

The Prime Minister's Mansion was already very luxurious, but Wangxian Tower was even more exquisite than the Jiang family. The carpet on the floor alone was a Persian long-pile embroidered carpet, and the ceiling was dotted with gems. The incense in the room was not odorous, but it was extremely comfortable and fragrant. In Xue Zhao's words, it was "very expensive at first glance."

In the tea room on the second floor of Wangxian Building, which "looks very expensive at first glance", Wen Ji helped Jiang Li open the curtain and walked in.

Jiang Li saw the people inside.

To her surprise, there were two other people besides Ji Heng. One of them was a scholar in a blue shirt with a goatee. He smiled at Jiang Li. Jiang Li did not know him and just smiled back. There was another person Jiang Li knew. He was the examiner of the "Imperial Archery" test at the test site, the Senior Light Carriage Commander Kong Wei, also known as Kong Liu.

Kong Liu was very happy to see Jiang Li, and greeted her in a hoarse voice: "Miss Jiang Er." He seemed to want to chat with Jiang Li, but after thinking for a long time, he couldn't think of the right words, so he could only praise her dryly: "Miss Jiang Er rides a horse well, and shoots arrows well!"

It was as if he was praising the soldiers he had recruited.

Lu Ji and Ji Heng both looked at him strangely.

Kong Liu scratched his head, chuckled, and stopped talking.

Jiang Li then looked at Ji Heng. The young man was wearing a light red robe today. Although it was light red, it made his appearance even more gorgeous. His skin was whiter than a woman with makeup on, and his lips were rosier than peach blossoms in April. The white was whiter, and the red was redder. His eyes were a pair of translucent amber. He was completely untouched by worldly things. Wherever he stood, there was a painting. Even if he was lazily playing with the golden folding fan in his hand, he was still beautiful enough to be painted into a mystery at any time.

"What is it that the Duke is looking for me for?" Jiang Li asked. She really couldn't figure out why Ji Heng wanted her to come?
Ji Heng glanced at her and suddenly smiled. He said, "We are somewhat acquainted after all, so there is no need to be estranged from each other, Miss Jiang. Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and we met on the road by chance. Jin Mantang is singing in Wangxian Tower, and I would like to invite Miss Jiang to enjoy it with us."

Jiang Li wondered, how could they be considered to have some friendship? If we talk about friendship, it was all bad fate. Ji Heng had seen her plotting against Master Jing'an and Liaowu on Mount Qingcheng, and had also seen her instigating Shen Ruyun to muddy the waters between Zhou Yanbang and Jiang Yu'e. And she had also seen the secrets of Ji Heng's dealings with the people of the Li family. They knew each other's secrets well, and at some point, it was not an exaggeration to say that they wanted to kill each other. Ji Heng spoke with a calm face, as if they had been friends for many years.

Simply unbelievable.

Moreover, it was not a case of them "meeting by chance"; it was clearly Ji Heng who sent people here and "invited" her up without giving her a second choice.

Jiang Li said: "Thank you for your kindness, Duke, but I don't like watching plays."

"Miss, if you want to sing better in the future, you might as well learn more about famous actors." Ji Heng replied with a smile.

Jiang Li almost couldn't laugh. Ji Heng's words seemed to remind her of the palace banquet again. This was really the one thing she did wrong. She shouldn't have been caught by Ji Heng and threatened like this all day long!

Kong Liu looked around and was very puzzled by the subtle atmosphere between Ji Heng and Jiang Li, but he was still friendly and said to Jiang Li: "Second Miss Jiang, I just saw you upstairs. There was no guard around you, nor your family. You got separated from your family. There are many women who get lost at the Lantern Festival every year, and there are also many bad guys. Even if there are city defenses, it is not foolproof. Why not wait until you finish watching this party, and then we will find someone to escort you back home so that you can reunite with your family. To avoid any accidents."

Don't hit a smiling person, and Kong Liu looks much more sincere and honest than Ji Heng, so Jiang Li can hardly feel bad about him. And what Kong Liu said is not without reason. Seeing the night getting darker, the lanterns on the street getting brighter, and the crowds coming out to enjoy the moon getting more and more crowded, it is not a wise thing to shuttle among the crowd alone. Seeing Tong'er and Bai Xue also showing worried expressions, Jiang Li made up her mind to do as Kong Liu said for the time being.

She instantly smiled, looking very gentle, and said, "Thank you, Master Kong."

Kong Liu was a little flattered, and couldn't help but look at Lu Ji with pride. What do you think? He didn't scare the little girl. He's not too old, right?

Lu Ji turned his head away, too lazy to look at his stupid look.

As he was speaking, the unique opening sound of the opera troupe suddenly sounded downstairs.

Jin Mantang’s party is about to begin, and this is the first play.

　The second young master Jiang Jingrui who likes the little rabbit lantern has a girlish heart? (????ω????)?
　　
　
(End of this chapter)