Marriage of Di daughter

Chapter 132

In the Jiang Mansion, Jiang Li stared at Zhao Ke, her gaze unwavering.At first, Zhao Ke remained silent, but in the end, he finally relented and said, "When I came to the Jiang Mansion, Miss Jiang had already passed away. The master instructed me to stay at the mansion and gather any information I could. However, the conflicts in the back courtyard were beyond my scope of investigation, so I only have a rough idea.""You may speak," Jiang Li said."Regarding Miss Jiang's early demise, although I did not witness it with my own eyes, the main Jiang family kept it a closely guarded secret. After that, Miss Jiang's birth mother, Lady Hu, was moved to a side courtyard, where she faced life-threatening situations several times."Jiang Li's gaze sharpened. "Explain.""They were all accidents, but Lady Hu was fortunate enough to escape each time. Later, Madam Jiang took pity on her, often assisting her. Lady Hu also fell ill from time to time, gradually disappearing from the mansion."Jiang Li pondered for a moment before asking, "Zhao Ke, just tell me, is Miss Jiang's death related to Ji Shuran?"Zhao Ke, clearly uncomfortable discussing such matters, hesitated before admitting, "Most likely.""I see..." Jiang Li murmured. She then turned to Zhao Ke, her questions becoming more incisive. "And how much do you know about my situation? Why did I push Ji Shuran to miscarry? Before that, we had a good relationship. At such a young age, how could I have done such things? Perhaps there are hidden motives behind it?"The events of that year were too distant. Tong'er had no knowledge, and even Baixue had only recently arrived. The servants who were present at the time had been dismissed for neglecting their duties, making it impossible to find anyone with information. Besides a tarnished reputation, there were no clues left from that incident. However, Jiang Li was not truly Miss Jiang, lacking memories of that event and unaware of the truth behind it.Zhao Ke said, "Miss, although it is a significant matter for the Jiang family, when you went to Mount Qingcheng, in the eyes of those in Yanjing, you were an abandoned daughter of the Jiang family. The master instructed me to infiltrate the Jiang family, but there was no need to investigate the affairs of an abandoned daughter.""...," Jiang Li fell silent.Zhao Ke continued, "Why do you ask me about these things, Miss? Shouldn't you know the truth better than anyone?"Turning the tables, it seemed that Jiang Li's subordinates were just like Ji Hong's. Their sharp eyes could easily pinpoint the crux of the matter. Jiang Li smiled, "Even what I saw back then was only partial, and I may not have seen the true face Ji Shuran was hiding. Perhaps there is more to the truth than what I saw, right?""Yes," Zhao Ke replied."Zhao Ke, do you really know nothing about Ji Shuran's miscarriage back then?""I don't know," Zhao Ke replied honestly.Jiang Li scrutinized his expression, confirming he was not lying. Realizing this, she thought for a moment before saying, "Alright, let's not dwell on Ji Shuran's matter. For the next few days, I want you to do three things for me. First, investigate as much as you can about the reasons behind Miss Jiang's early death. If you can't find anything, let me know any trivial information about Miss Jiang. Second, keep an eye out for any skilled individuals appearing in Yanjing. I believe Master Chongxu Daoist should have arrived. Thirdly," she paused, "I need a master of rhetoric. The Duke's household has many talented individuals, and I'm sure you know quite a few of them."After mentioning these three tasks, Zhao Ke's expression darkened. He didn't ask why she needed these tasks but simply said with reluctance, "Miss Jiang, you are not my master.""I may not be your master, but your master lent you to me, so I have the right to use you as I see fit," Jiang Li smiled. "Otherwise, you can go back and complain to your master or leave the Jiang family and have someone else come in your place."Zhao Ke felt extremely frustrated. As one of the Duke's most talented individuals, praised for his skills, disguises, and intelligence, he was entrusted with such a dangerous mission at the Jiang family. Yet now, Jiang Li was using him without a hint of embarrassment. It almost felt like she considered him her servant and herself his master.Being underutilized and taken advantage of like this was unreasonable!However, he dared not ask Ji Hong to replace him. Perhaps Ji Hong would advise Jiang Li not to go too far and would show some consideration for him. Zhao Ke could only reluctantly say, "Alright. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."Jiang Li stopped him and asked, "Will you report every word we spoke to your master?""Miss Jiang," Zhao Ke replied solemnly, "the master is my true master.""Good," Jiang Li said. "Then you can also add that if there are things you cannot inquire about, if your master can find out, would he be willing to help?"Zhao Ke stared at Jiang Li in disbelief. She was not only ordering him around but also making such unreasonable requests to his master!Feeling deeply shaken inside, he couldn't muster any expression on his face and quietly left through the window.Jiang Li closed the window, returned to her seat, and pondered Zhao Ke's words. The difficulty in uncovering the truth about the past events seemed to confirm that Ji Shuran had many hidden secrets.Although she was not the real Miss Jiang, it was because of Miss Jiang that she had survived. In a way, she could understand Miss Jiang's feelings. She couldn't do much herself, but perhaps the only thing she could do for Miss Jiang now was to help her uncover the truth and not bear a burden of guilt that didn't belong to her.Meanwhile, in the Duke's mansion, when the news brought by Zhao Ke reached Lu Ji, he couldn't sit still."How could she...," the usually composed and indifferent man couldn't maintain his calm demeanor. He hurriedly said, "How could she be so bold?"Not just bold, but utterly audacious. Look at what she's saying, not only making the skilled individuals of the Duke's household work for her but also daring to give orders to Ji Hong. Was this girl born without knowing the word "fear"?Ji Hong seemed unfazed by the matter, muttering to himself, "Asking about Ji Shuran's miscarriage?""Yes," Wen Ji replied. "Zhao Ke said Miss Jiang inquired about it.""The three tasks she gave Zhao Ke, the first two can be understood, but seeking a skilled rhetorician... what does that mean?" Lu Ji shook his head. "Is she planning to perform magic tricks?""We have many guests in the mansion, Lu Ji, you go find one," Ji Hong said.Lu Ji agreed but couldn't help but wonder. What was Jiang Li planning, and why was Ji Hong so willing to comply? Initially, Ji Hong had not cared even about Jiang Li's death. Lu Ji suspected there were other secrets between them, but he wouldn't pry. However, seeing Ji Hong undergo such a significant change because of Jiang Li was truly remarkable."Miss Jiang seems to be investigating the Ji family recently," Lu Ji said. "Could she be planning to confront the Ji family? Behind the Ji family is the Ji household, and there is also a Lady Li. If Miss Jiang is targeting the Ji family, she is also targeting Lady Li. Yan Ning has also developed a grudge against Miss Jiang. If Yan Ning and Lady Li join forces, Miss Jiang's days will be difficult." Lu Ji shook his head. "She has always been shrewd, so why is she doing this at such a critical juncture?""She has reached her limit," Ji Hong said. "She can't bear it any longer. But it's also good. Enemies are not defeated by yielding. She is straightforward in her actions.""Although Jiang Yuanbai is clever in political matters, he is not as good as his daughter in family matters," Lu Ji sighed. "This time, it will be interesting to watch."Ji Hong gazed at the candlelight flickering on the table, a smile playing on his lips, his eyes deep and mysterious.Indeed, there would be much to see, as he himself had become curious....In the winter of Yanjing City, sunlight was always precious. If it shone yesterday, it seemed to be taken back today. Early in the morning, the cold wind mixed with snow and rain, breaking the flower branches in the flower beds under the weight of accumulated snow.Mingyue and Qingfeng were dressed in thick cotton coats, helping to clear the broken branches in the courtyard. Jiang Li watched from the window as Tong'er said, "Miss, it's snowing heavily today. Shouldn't we postpone our visit to the Ye family?"With such heavy snow, even those who were well-off didn't need to leave their homes. It was simply too cold. The charcoal fire burned brightly in the room, and Jiang Li even held a hand warmer, but standing at the courtyard entrance, she still felt the chilling cold."We cannot delay," Jiang Li looked at the sky. "But going out now is indeed inconvenient. Let's wait until the snow lessens in the afternoon before we go."Tong'er accepted her fate and lowered her head. Jiang Li's response was expected. No matter how strong her kind-hearted mistress was, she always felt compelled to visit Xue Huaiyuan. Sometimes, Tong'er couldn't understand why, even though her mistress was kind, she couldn't let go of Xue Huaiyuan.Just then, Baixue entered from outside and said, "Miss, Lady Hu is here.""Lady Hu?" Tong'er was surprised.Jiang Li, however, didn't seem surprised. She smiled slightly and said, "Sooner than I expected. Tong'er, go make some tea. Baixue, please bring Lady Hu in."When Lady Hu arrived with her maid, she seemed to have only this one maid in tow. Although she held the title of Lady, almost no one in the mansion remembered her. She was only called Lady on the surface.Lady Hu and her maid entered Jiang Li's room together.Inside and outside the room seemed like two different worlds, and Lady Hu and her maid seemed to have not felt such warmth for a long time. Jiang Li clearly saw the maid unconsciously move closer to the charcoal fire to absorb a bit of warmth greedily.Jiang Li sighed inwardly. In the dead of winter, these two seemed to be wearing thin cotton clothes. It was hard to imagine that in a prestigious family like the Jiangs, even the servants didn't lack winter clothes, yet these two were living in such destitution. Although Madam Jiang wanted to help Lady Hu, the stewardship was ultimately in Ji Shuran's hands, and Madam Jiang couldn't attend to every detail. Lady Hu and her maid had fallen into such a state, and Jiang Li couldn't believe it without Ji Shuran's silent approval."It's cold outside. Lady Hu, have some hot tea," Jiang Li pushed the tea cup towards Lady Hu.Lady Hu took the cup, took a sip, and seemed to feel a bit warmer, a hint of color returning to her pale face. She said, "Miss..."Miss Er, I have come today to answer the question you asked yesterday."Jiang Li smiled. Hu Yiniang was a clever person. She didn't answer immediately yesterday, probably weighing the pros and cons. But today, she had made a decision immediately, showing that she was also a clever person."No rush," Jiang Li smiled. "As I said, whenever Madam Hu wishes to speak, she can speak. I won't rush you.""Miss Er has a compassionate heart, naturally you won't force me. But from what I see, the fierce battle between Miss Er and the Jis is about to begin. I have irreconcilable enmity with the Jis, so naturally I will support Miss Er. That's why I'm here today, to express my loyalty to Miss Er," she said. "I am willing to lend a helping hand to Miss Er.""Lend me a helping hand?" Jiang Li smiled. "Madam Hu doesn't need to be so righteous in her words. Helping me is just a way to use a knife to kill, just a different way of saying it. Besides, helping me is also helping yourself, isn't it?"After looking at Jiang Li for a while, Madam Hu suddenly smiled. With that smile, she showed a bit of elegance and gentleness. She said, "Miss Er and Madam are really different."By "Madam," she naturally meant Ye Zhenzhen.Jiang Li smiled indifferently, "I haven't spent much time with my mother, so I can only learn what kind of person she is from others. I heard that Madam and you were once close, Madam should know.""Madam is a good person," Madam Hu said softly."Because my mother could tolerate the existence of your elder sister, while the Jis couldn't."As soon as these words were spoken, the people in the room fell silent. Tong'er and Bai Xue dared not breathe loudly, standing quietly behind Jiang Li."Miss Er, you are too bold," Madam Hu said. "Speaking these words, aren't you afraid that the master will hear?""You think too highly of my father," Jiang Li said lightly. "If he could really see and hear everything, there wouldn't have been so many confused matters in this mansion.""Miss Er is a perceptive person," Jis lowered her head and slowly said, "Yuer falling from the artificial hill was not an accident.""Yuer" was Miss Jiang's childhood name. In fact, whether it was Miss Jiang's childhood name or her real name, it seemed that no one in the Jiang family could remember it. She was just a concubine-born daughter who should not have existed in the world in the first place. Therefore, everyone thought that Yuer's death was just fate. She was never destined to be born, and struggling to the end couldn't change her fate.But whether it was fate or conspiracy, no one cared anymore, except for her birth mother."Please continue.""After giving birth to Yuer, Madam later had Miss Er. Madam treated Yuer very well, sharing anything good she had with Yuer. Although Yuer was a concubine-born daughter, her treatment was not much different from Miss Er's. At that time, I was grateful to have met such a good person as Madam. I only hoped that Yuer would grow up safely, marry into an honest family, live a simple life, and that would have been good enough.""I just didn't expect Madam to leave so early, and then Jis entered the house." She looked at Jiang Li and smiled self-deprecatingly, "Although Jis appeared to be gentle and generous on the surface, and treated Yuer well, as a woman, there was always a kind of intuition. She always looked at Yuer with a sense of obstruction.""I wanted Yuer to stay away from her, not to get close to her, but unfortunately, something happened.""They treated Yuer as a playmate for Jiang Yuyao, but how could ordinary people treat their playmates like that? That day..."That day, Miss Jiang and Jiang Yuyao were playing in the mansion. Jiang Yuyao was just two years old and didn't understand anything. Miss Jiang didn't know what she did, but somehow touched Jiang Yuyao, which angered Ji Shuran. She kicked Jiang Yuer without mercy. Miss Jiang was only four years old at that time. The kick was merciless, causing Jiang Yuer to fall backward, hitting her head on the door sill, and she died on the spot.Jis Shuran was only flustered for a moment, then immediately made a decision to have the servants take Jiang Yuer to the artificial hill, making it seem like Jiang Yuer accidentally fell off from there and lost her life."They didn't think about how a four-year-old could climb such an artificial hill." Although Madam Hu tried to speak calmly about the past, her body couldn't help but tremble slightly. She clenched her fingers, grabbing aimlessly, as if trying to grasp her already disappeared daughter. She said, "My Yuer died at the hands of Jis Shuran.""How do you know?" Jiang Li asked."My maid, her name is Baoqin." She raised her head, gesturing to the maid standing beside her, and said, "Her twin sister, named Siqi, was with Yuer that day. She was outside and happened to see what Jis instructed others to do. When no one was paying attention, she ran back to the courtyard and told me.""What happened to that maid?" Jiang Li asked."She died." Madam Hu bowed her head. "That day, everyone in the courtyard became scapegoats. Siqi was beaten to death for not protecting the young lady. I couldn't save her.""You knew about this, why didn't you tell Father?" Jiang Li asked."Miss Er, do you think I didn't tell the master?" Madam Hu sneered. "But no one believed me. They all said I went crazy because I lost Yuer and slandered Jis, even wanted to send me to a temple. If it weren't for the old Madam speaking up for me due to our long-standing relationship, I'm afraid I would have met with an accident on the way to that temple and died a wrongful death."Jiang Li fell silent. After a while, she said, "No one in the mansion believed what you said?""How could they believe?" Madam Hu said. "She is a young lady of the Ji family, the current main wife, gentle, generous, virtuous, and kind. No one would believe that she would harm a concubine-born daughter who didn't pose a threat to her. Perhaps some people sensed something unnatural, but at that time, the Ji family was thriving. Who would risk offending the Ji family over a dead person? Miss Er, you are also in the Jiang family. In the face of personal interests, you should be clearer than me. They also have family relationships, but even this kind of family affection has to consider the pros and cons. It's very fragile in the face of interests."She spoke with a mixture of crying and laughing, but Jiang Li could see through the woman's face that had lost its former charm, the resentment and sadness burning inside her.After a moment of calm, Madam Hu whispered, "There is one person in this mansion who would believe me, it's Madam. Unfortunately, she is already dead. Perhaps this is my retribution.""What do you mean?" Jiang Li sensitively sensed the deeper meaning in her words."Miss Er, I have kept this matter in my heart for many years." Madam Hu smiled bitterly. "Everyone in this mansion avoids me like the plague, and I couldn't tell anyone about this secret. But now that you are here, I think you should also know about this. In fact, Madam's death was not accidental in the beginning."Jiang Li felt like a bucket of cold water was poured over her head. In the already cold weather, she felt bone-chilling cold. Her smile disappeared almost completely, and she only asked, "Madam Hu, please explain clearly."Madam Hu seemed not to notice Jiang Li's changing expression and continued, "At first, when Jis entered the house, I thought that as long as I showed kindness and obedience, Jis would spare me and my daughter from trouble. At that time, I often tried to please Jis, sending her food and embroidery I made. One day, I overheard Jis talking to her nanny about the doctor who treated Madam's illness in the past, who had now returned to Yanjing City and needed to be silenced.""What did you say?" Jiang Li frowned. "Wasn't my mother's death due to her weak health after giving birth to me?" Upon hearing that the original Miss Er was the cause of this, Jiang Li felt extremely guilty. If she hadn't been born so desperately, Ye Zhenzhen wouldn't have passed away so early."Her health was weak, but she could have gradually recovered." Madam Hu said, "But Madam's condition worsened during that half year. At that time, we didn't think much about it. Then one day, I suddenly felt that something was wrong. After Madam's death, several maids who served Madam also left the mansion for various reasons, either to take care of a seriously ill mother at home or to get married outside the mansion. In half a year, there was no news from them. Even the maids left by your side, given to you by Madam, had disappeared without a trace.""Now looking back, it may not be that Jis bribed these maids and the doctor who treated Madam to interfere with Madam's medicine, causing her death."Jiang Li shook her head, "But it's not necessary. My father only took a liking to Jis after my mother's death. At that time, Jis was still a young lady at home, and by the reputation of the Ji family, although they couldn't match the high doors of the Jiang family, they were still more than enough for the sons of ordinary officials. There was no need to become a concubine just to secure a place in this house.""That's what I don't understand." There was a hint of confusion on Madam Hu's face. "If Jis had favored the master before and resorted to such ruthless means, it wouldn't make sense. Jis and the master had never met before."Jiang Li fell silent."After learning about this, I didn't dare to speak out, fearing that the more secrets I knew, the faster I would die." Madam Hu said, "I thought, as long as I could protect Yuer and let her grow up, I would pretend not to know about these things and keep them buried in my stomach. But I didn't expect..." She chuckled bitterly, "This is Heaven's punishment for me. Madam treated me so well on weekdays, and I couldn't seek justice for her, so I deserved to lose Yuer. This is my own fault."Jiang Li looked at her. She knew Madam Hu was heartbroken, but she couldn't sympathize with her anymore. If Madam Hu had revealed these things even a little bit at the time, the real Miss Er would have become wary of Jis, and the tragedy wouldn't have happened. Although everyone now thought that this Miss Er, apart from her bad reputation in the past, had everything, only Jiang Li knew that the real Miss Er was no longer in this world.The daughter that Ye Zhenzhen wanted to protect didn't survive in the Jiang family."Miss Er, I know you resent me, and I don't expect you to forgive me. But, my guilt is mine to bear, but Jis carries the burden of two lives and is living comfortably. I can't accept that." This time, she didn't even address herself as "Madam Hu." She said, "I endured for so many years, thinking about how to perish together with her, but I couldn't even approach her. I don't have money to command the servants, to speak bluntly, even if I wanted to poison her, I couldn't afford to buy arsenic. But I also feel that letting Jis die like this is too easy. Even if I killed her, others would only say that I was vicious and killed the mistress of the house, so it's no wonder my Yuer didn't live long. But what about Jis? She would still have a virtuous reputation, dying in glory. That's not what I want."Jiang Li looked at her and said, "What are you trying to say by telling me all this?""Miss Er, I know that you led the people of Tongxiang to petition at Chang'an Gate for a stranger you had never met, you could clear his grievances. Not to mention Yuer, Madam is your mother, you must have a way to prove her innocence in her death, right?""And what about you?" Jiang Li asked. "Madam Hu, what can you do?""I can... give everything." The woman, dead water-like, gradually burst into flames of revenge in her eyes, like a lioness whose cub had been taken away by a hunter, shining with the madness of mutual destruction. She said, "Including my life."She suddenly stood up, facing Jiang Li, and knelt down."Miss, please."Jiang Li looked at her, for some reason, she thought of herself back in the Shen Mansion, confined and desperate.But even mutual destruction was beyond her reach.She said, "Madam Hu, get up. I promise you, not for you. It's just that Jis must die."She had to pay the price.