Marriage of Di daughter

Chapter 127

King Cheng's expression was uncertain as he looked at Ji Xing.Ji Xing and the Jiang family had no relation whatsoever. At least, King Cheng's spies had not found any trace of it. But at this critical moment, Ji Xing spoke up for Jiang Li, making their relationship particularly intriguing.After a moment, King Cheng chuckled and said, "The Duke of Su is truly fond of cherishing beauty and talent."Ji Xing raised an eyebrow. "Of course."He was not afraid of King Cheng. In fact, King Cheng dared not do anything to him. Even if he felt uncomfortable, he could only say a few words without going too far. This Duke of Su was both ruthless and cunning. He didn't want to incur his resentment and risk unnecessary trouble by doing something behind his back."In that case, I can't do anything to Miss Jiang either." While he dared not harm Ji Xing, King Cheng still dared to openly threaten Jiang Li. "I wonder what the final outcome of today's case will be. Miss Jiang seems confident now, but I hope she can still smile in the end." With a meaningful tone, he glanced at Ji Xing and then turned and left.Ji Xing's smile did not falter. Unsure whether he was addressing Jiang Li or speaking to himself, he said, "It seems he came prepared."Jiang Li came back to her senses and bowed to Ji Xing. "Thank you again, Duke of Su, for helping me out today.""I've never seen you be so polite in the past," Ji Xing said ambiguously, causing Ye Shijie on the side to involuntarily glance between the two."It was the circumstances that forced me," Jiang Li replied with a smile. "When the opportunity arises in the future, I will express my gratitude properly.""Well, your sweet words are as charming as ever." With a calm demeanor, he winked and asked, "What will you do now? Let me tell you, King Cheng will definitely tamper with the Xue family case. It may be easy to prove Feng Yutang's guilt, but clearing Xue Huaiyuan's name will be much more difficult." He stared at Jiang Li as if speaking unintentionally. "What you care about the most is not clearing Xue Huaiyuan's name, is it?"Jiang Li paused, realizing that it was true. It was easy to convict Feng Yutang, a scoundrel with a tainted past. Just implicating Feng Yutang in the case wasn't enough to prompt the Emperor's personal intervention. Even if it involved the Princess Yongning, it would at most result in a disadvantageous appointment. To uncover the conspiracy behind the Xue family case, they needed to expose Princess Yongning's plot to frame Xue Huaiyuan. With all the incriminating evidence stacked against the Xue family, clearing Xue Huaiyuan's name seemed quite challenging.However, she still had a chance. Today's interrogation, led by Zhou Dezhuo, was more like a "court discussion" controlled by her. Emperor Hong Xiaodi intended to weaken King Cheng by giving her this opportunity, and she would make good use of it. As long as their ultimate goals aligned, being used as a tool was acceptable."He came prepared, but we are also well-prepared." Jiang Li smiled. "It's good that the Duke of Su is so concerned about my affairs; Jiang Li is truly honored.""You don't need to flatter me to please me. I can't say much during today's interrogation. But judging by your demeanor, it seems you have a plan in place. That's good," Ji Xing said casually. "Your fate is still in my hands. I don't want to lose my debtor before I can collect. I may not like doing business, but I never engage in losing deals."Jiang Li chuckled.Sometimes she found Ji Xing unpredictable, like someone dwelling in the depths of darkness, making him inscrutable. At other times, she found his disdainful remarks quite amusing. Most importantly, he was a clever person who could glimpse a corner of her secrets but never delved further.Perhaps that was his pride, which made him seem noble.Although Jiang Li knew that the terms "noble" and "Ji Xing" were originally unrelated.Ye Shijie watched as Jiang Li and Ji Xing conversed intimately, listening quietly without interrupting. Ji Xing did not avoid him, whether it was because he didn't regard Ye Shijie highly or because of the trust arising from Jiang Li being his cousin. However, Ye Shijie harbored great suspicions about the relationship between Ji Xing and Jiang Li.A Duke and the daughter of a Prime Minister, Ji Xing and the Jiang family had no prior contact. How could they be so close?"It's getting late. If you want to chat, we can do it another day. Today, we have official business to attend to. Let's proceed to the court," Jiang Li said.Ji Xing gestured for them to go ahead.Jiang Li and Ye Shijie then walked towards the court.Despite having many doubts in his mind, now was not the time to ask questions. Ye Shijie suppressed his thoughts and followed them into the court.Many courtiers were already present in the hall, all of whom were there for the "court discussion" today. In the past, during the reign of the previous Emperor, whenever there were complex and significant cases in the court, the imperial family would convene a "court discussion." Initially, these discussions were mostly attended by members of the imperial family. However, as the influence of the imperial family waned, the discussions became more open, allowing common courtiers to participate.Today's session was meant for interrogation, and there was no need for such a grand assembly. Yet, Emperor Hong Xiaodi, after reviewing the documents, chose to conduct a "court discussion" and put Jiang Li in charge, which raised some profound implications. It was just a case involving a county official, not something of great importance. The elaborate setup led some astute individuals to speculate if there were hidden motives behind it.Seeing Jiang Li and Ye Shijie enter together, Ye Mingyu breathed a sigh of relief. He was worried that King Cheng might cause trouble for Jiang Li, but seeing her unharmed put his mind at ease.Jiang Yuanbai also noticed Jiang Li and nodded slightly at her. He was preoccupied with his own thoughts. The case was stirred up by his legitimate daughter. Many of his colleagues looked at him and Jiang Li with deep meaning.King Cheng stood at one end, gazing coldly at Jiang Li and the others. His demeanor was harsh and menacing, making even Jiang Yuanbai and Ye Mingyu, who were present, unwilling to back down.There were many familiar faces present, such as Mr. Liu Yuanfeng, the father of Liu Xu, and Mr. Ji Yanlin, the father of Ji Shuran. Jiang Li also saw Shen Yurong.Shen Yurong arrived a bit late, but as soon as he entered the hall, many courtiers approached him warmly, showing signs of eager flattery. Shen Yurong wore a gentle smile on his face. Handsome and refined, he stood out in the court, attracting attention like a breath of fresh air.Ye Mingyu stared at him in awe and said, "Who is that young man? He seems to hold quite a high position at such a young age. And he's quite handsome. If you were to..." Ye Mingyu caught a glimpse of Ye Shijie's expression and swallowed the words "be together" back down.Although Jiang Li could guess what Ye Mingyu was about to say next, she couldn't help but feel a cold sneer in her heart.Shen Yurong's appearance could indeed be quite intimidating. When he was just a scholar, many wealthy young ladies were eager to marry him. Now, as an official dressed in luxurious attire, his demeanor was even more outstanding, making him more appealing than before. It was no wonder that Princess Yongning was willing to marry into the Shen family, even at the cost of scheming against the rightful wife. However, for Jiang Li, this Shen Yurong seemed increasingly unfamiliar, despicable, and contemptible.Shen Yurong noticed someone looking at him and followed their gaze to see a delicate young girl standing beside a man with a scar on his face.The girl had a beautiful appearance, slender figure, and was in the prime of her youth at fifteen or sixteen, like a newly blossomed pear blossom on a tree, fresh and adorable. Though not exceptionally stunning, her features exuded a charming aura, and her eyes were clear and open, captivating attention and seeming strangely familiar.Shen Yurong looked at Jiang Li, lost in thought.Ye Shijie furrowed his brows. He knew Shen Yurong, the Imperial Scholar. Having seen him occasionally during court sessions, Ye Shijie was aware of Shen Yurong's gentle demeanor and amiable nature, making him well-liked among courtiers. Yet, Ye Shijie couldn't bring himself to like this young Shen official, feeling that he was too smooth in his dealings. Rising to the position of an Imperial Scholar in such a short time without making enemies seemed implausible to Ye Shijie.Having experienced the darkness of the officialdom himself, Ye Shijie knew how murky the court could be. Individuals like Shen Yurong, who seemed to navigate the court effortlessly, were unlikely to be entirely clean. Acting virtuous while concealing their true motives was simply a way to gain fame and reputation.Ye Shijie stepped in front of Jiang Li, blocking Shen Yurong's view, and politely greeted him, "Mr. Shen."Shen Yurong snapped out of his thoughts, returned the greeting to Ye Shijie, but his gaze remained fixed on Jiang Li.He had seen Jiang Li before, back at the Mingyi Hall verification when Princess Yongning was injured. He vaguely remembered Jiang Li playing the guqin skillfully, comparable to Fang Fei. She was Jiang Yuanbai's eldest daughter. Shen Yurong also knew a thing or two about Jiang Li's past. Sent to the temple for plotting against her stepmother, she had returned and established herself at the Prime Minister's residence within a few months, indicating she was no simple-minded person.As for the relationship between him and Jiang Li, Shen Ruyun, who was now engaged to Zhou Yanbang, had initially been betrothed to Jiang Li. Now that Jiang Li had intervened in Xue Huaiyuan's case, Shen Yurong felt a strange sensation. Jiang Li and he had no connection, but an invisible thread seemed to draw them together, intertwining their lives. Every little thing seemed to have Jiang Li's shadow.He gazed at Jiang Li, and she met his eyes. It was quite bold for a woman to stare directly at a stranger, yet Shen Yurong keenly felt that there was no hint of admiration in Jiang Li's gaze. It was only cold indifference, tinged with something else that he couldn't quite discern.While Shen Yurong hesitated about whether to greet Jiang Li, she had already averted her gaze, treating him as if he were inconsequential, not worthy of a second glance. Shen Yurong was momentarily taken aback, then chuckled self-deprecatingly.Indeed, Jiang Li was not Fang Fei or Princess Yongning. To her, he was truly an irrelevant stranger, and her reaction was appropriate. Yet, for some reason, Shen Yurong couldn't help stealing another glance at Jiang Li, who was conversing with Ye Shijie, feeling that something was off.But he couldn't quite put his finger on it.Just as he was pondering, the eunuch Su Gonggong and his entourage approached from behind, and Emperor Hong Xiaodi arrived.The court discipline in the current dynasty was lax, with even the rules of court attendance not as strict as during the previous Emperor's reign. Some said this was because Emperor Hong Xiaodi lacked power, and others felt no fear or respect towards him, uncertain how long he would remain in power, hence they acted with impunity.Initially, Jiang Li believed that Emperor Hong Xiaodi was not the epitome of a wise ruler, but after learning about Ji Xing's intentions, she realized that her judgment of Emperor Hong Xiaodi was likely completely wrong. Ji Xing may manipulate politics and wield power, but he was proud and would never stoop to being subservient to a useless ruler. Among the three power factions, he chose to support Emperor Hong Xiaodi, indicating that Emperor Hong Xiaodi was worth his backing. If Ji Xing aspired to the highest position, Emperor Hong Xiaodi would be his adversary in the future. Choosing such an opponent would be an insult to Ji Xing.If Ji Xing had other plans aside from seeking the throne, then Emperor Hong Xiaodi was either a tool to be used or an ally on the same boat, not someone to be underestimated.This Emperor had always been playing the fool, possibly not as simple as he seemed.Emperor Hong Xiaodi sat on the high seat, and the courtiers took their positions. The silence in the Jinluan Hall seemed to last only for a moment.Upon the request of Zhou Dezhuo and the joint petition of a hundred villagers from Tongxiang, a "court discussion" was convened to re-examine the Xue family case.