Marriage of Di daughter

147

The snow in winter was heavy, and as night fell, the light snow turned into heavy snow, giving all encounters and reunions a sense of weary travelers returning on a snowy night.However, amidst the weariness, there were also some exquisite and beautiful scenes.A young girl leaned out halfway, her face momentarily frozen in surprise, making her look adorable in her astonishment. And the young man in red leaned against the window with a smile, looking up slowly with eyes filled with ambiguous affection.Pure and alluring, unexpected yet like a scene from a play.In the silence, the young man broke the stillness with a smile, asking, "Dazed?"Jiang Li snapped out of her daze and said, "Why has the Duke of Guogong come?""Aren't you supposed to go to the Duke of Guogong's mansion tonight?" Ji Heng smiled and said, "I came to pick you up."Jiang Li hesitated and said, "Your Grace, there's no need for this trouble. It would have been enough for Zhao Ke to come, or I could have gone by myself.""Oh," he said, "I'm already here."Since the person was already here, she couldn't let him leave. Jiang Li sighed, stood up, and Ji Heng reached out his hand, took her arm, and said, "Jump down."Jiang Li stepped on a stool, then on a table, held onto Ji Heng's arm, and jumped out of the window. The window wasn't high, but she still felt a bit unsteady when jumping down, instinctively grabbing Ji Heng's robe.After Jiang Li steadied herself, she suddenly realized, why did she have to jump out of the window when she could have just opened the door and walked out?Glancing at Ji Heng again, she sighed inwardly and followed him as they ran off.Ji Heng looked at Jiang Li with interest and said, "You look quite suitable in that attire."Since they were going out at night, Jiang Li couldn't dress too elaborately. Her dress couldn't be too long, and she didn't even wear a cloak. She was dressed in a plain white cotton jacket provided by the snow, gray pants, black boots, her long hair tied up high like a man's attire.But even in men's clothing, under the lantern light in the snow, her features appeared even more gentle and beautiful, with an indescribable sense of refreshment."Thank you for the compliment, Your Grace," Jiang Li replied and asked, "How are we going out?""Through the back door," Ji Heng answered."The back door?" Jiang Li was puzzled. "What back door?"It turned out that Ji Heng was much more familiar with the layout of the Jiang Mansion than Miss Jiang Er. After passing through a few rarely seen gardens, they did find a back door. They didn't encounter anyone along the way, although Jiang Li knew that Ji Heng must have arranged for all possible servants to be kept away. However, it was too easy, giving Jiang Li the illusion that the entire Jiang Mansion was like paper, where anyone could enter at will. If the mansion were to be ransacked at night, Jiang Li might not even be surprised.After all, there were no guards at the gate at night!Ji Heng led Jiang Li out through the back door almost openly.Outside the back door, there was a black sedan chair waiting. Zhao Ke stood in front of the sedan chair with four carriage drivers. When they saw Jiang Li and Ji Heng coming out, they walked over and lifted the sedan curtain.Jiang Li hesitated. Unlike a carriage, riding in the same sedan chair as a man might be considered ambiguous.While she was still hesitating, Ji Heng calmly got into the sedan chair. After waiting for a while and seeing Jiang Li not moving, he asked, "Not coming up?"His casual words made Jiang Li wonder if she was overreacting. However, the journey was long, and walking on the street without taking the sedan chair might attract trouble if recognized by Princess Yongning's people. So, she gritted her teeth and got in.Zhao Ke ordered the sedan chair to move.The sedan chair, like its owner, was exquisite and delicate. There was even hot tea and snacks inside, a luxury in winter. But no matter how spacious it was, the distance between Jiang Li and Ji Heng couldn't be widened much.It could be considered intimate.Ji Heng handed Jiang Li a cup of tea, which was still warm, and she took a sip, dispelling some of the chill. She looked at the snacks on the small table and suddenly asked, "Did Your Grace make these snacks yourself?"In that moment, Jiang Li could tell that Ji Heng's movements had paused, and the tea in his hand spilled out.The sedan chair bearers were walking steadily outside, likely carefully selected servants from the Duke's mansion, and there was no feeling of bumps due to the sedan chair's movements. Therefore, it wasn't because of the sedan chair's jostling that the tea spilled, but because of her words.Ji Heng put down the teacup, took out a snow-white silk handkerchief, and wiped the tea off his hand methodically. Finally, he looked at Jiang Li and said, "No."Jiang Li was taken aback. "...""Just no," Ji Heng said. Only he could say "no" in such a threatening manner. Suddenly, Jiang Li understood why outsiders would spread rumors about Ji Heng being capricious; he indeed had a capricious nature."Who is Haitang to you?" Ji Heng suddenly asked.The abrupt change in topic caught Jiang Li off guard, and Ji Heng continued, "You searched for her traces anxiously, even sought my help, not afraid of me uncovering your secrets. It seems she's very important to you.""She is indeed important," Jiang Li smiled. "And I have never thought of hiding anything from Your Grace.""Don't just say nice things; you are quite cunning." Ji Heng smiled indifferently and said, "You know this woman named Haitang, just like you knew Qiongzhi from Xihuafang and Xue Huaiyuan from Tongxiang.""I know her," Jiang Li said. "She can help me bring down Princess Yongning.""What I've never understood is why you insist on putting Yongning in a desperate situation," Ji Heng said softly. "You see that I only see you want to bring Princess Yongning to her end, but fail to see how Princess Yongning has repeatedly tried to harm you."Jiang Li smiled lightly. "She's like the pot calling the kettle black. It's not fair."When she said "not fair," although she could suppress her emotions, a hint of resentment could still be heard. She truly felt it was unfair.Supporting his head, Ji Heng looked at her and said, "As the daughter of the Prime Minister, you are not a commoner.""Does being the daughter of the Prime Minister come with privileges?" Jiang Li retorted. "In my opinion, perhaps to Yongning and those above her, it's worth nothing at all."Yongning saw her as the daughter of a low official, allowing her to oppress the Xue family. But as the daughter of an official with higher status, even if she blocked Yongning's path, she didn't have Yongning's elevated status, which allowed Yongning to do as she pleased. This was the harsh reality of the current society, where commoners were oppressed by low officials, low officials were oppressed by high officials, high officials feared aristocrats, and aristocrats bowed to the emperor.Layer by layer of exploitation, with blood and tears at the bottom. The Prime Minister's daughter couldn't empathize with the suffering of the common people and couldn't understand it. But Xue Fangfei, as a commoner, had experienced firsthand the taste of being bullied by the powerful."You seem quite angry," Ji Heng's voice came with a smile. Jiang Li suddenly realized that without realizing it, Ji Heng had already sat up straight, so in the not-so-spacious sedan chair, the distance between Ji Heng and her had become very close. She could almost feel the warm breath he exhaled near her ear.Ticklish and with a strange warmth, her momentary anger dissipated a lot.Jiang Li deliberately moved back a bit, only to find herself at the edge, almost hitting her head on the beam of the sedan chair. Fortunately, Ji Heng was quick to extend his hand and support her head, so Jiang Li felt Ji Heng's palm against the back of her head.His hand was always cold, despite the fiery red clothing. It was as cold as ice.Jiang Li was startled, softly thanked him, and Ji Heng withdrew his hand lazily, saying, "You don't have to resent the royal family so much. Jiang Yuanbo is the Prime Minister, and your words have already put you on the opposite side of the royal family. Little one," he warned, whether kindly or maliciously, "you'll be exposed."Exposed.Exposed for what? Jiang Li suddenly felt a bit nervous. Would she be exposed for not being Miss Jiang Er? Although she had many mysteries surrounding her, seeming unbelievable to others, as long as she didn't reveal it herself, no one would think that within Jiang Li's shell, there was another soul hidden.But that was for ordinary people. If it were Ji Heng... Jiang Li looked at him.The young man's eyes were deep, with a smile in them. His phoenix eyes were narrow and slightly upturned, with a slightly heavier color that outlined a beautiful shape, a high nose bridge, and rosy lips, like a cup of poisonous wine with a mysterious charm. You couldn't see into his heart, but you felt that he could see through all your secrets with his eyes.He was too dangerous, too clear-headed, too rational, and too easy to make people fall into his spell.He was no ordinary person. If it were him, perhaps he would discover the secret she carried. Jiang Li thought without reason.Jiang Li fell silent. She didn't know what to say. Every word she spoke could become a clue for Ji Heng, so the less said, the better.But Ji Heng didn't continue to press her. He seemed slightly tired, supporting his head with his hand, leaning against one side of the sedan chair, and closing his eyes.In the cramped sedan chair, the two of them were close, and in the silence that they shared, they could hear the wind outside the sedan chair and the sound of the sedan bearers' boots on the snowy ground, adding a touch of liveliness to the cold and quiet night.With thoughts of their own, they didn't know how long had passed when the sedan chair came to a stop, and Zhao Ke's voice sounded outside, "Your Grace, we have arrived."Ji Heng, who had been pretending to be asleep with his eyes closed, opened his eyes, lifted the sedan curtain, and got out first, waiting for Jiang Li to follow.The Duke's mansion at night didn't look as splendid as it did during the day. Under the dim lights, it appeared somewhat unreal. It was like a person who had traveled through the mountains for a long time seeing a fairyland, then looking at a handsome and extraordinary young man, suddenly thinking they had entered a demon's lair.Jiang Li got off the sedan chair, and the door of the Duke's mansion opened. She followed Ji Heng inside.General Ji Lao probably had already gone to bed, as his figure was nowhere to be seen. If he were present, he would certainly not be so quiet, and would definitely grab Jiang Li and ask her why she had come at this late hour, and what her relationship with Ji Heng was.Walking through the inner courtyard of the Duke's mansion, there was a room. Outside the room, Wen Jizheng was waiting. Upon seeing them, he greeted, "Your Excellency.""The person is inside," Ji Heng looked at her. "Do you want to go in now and talk to her?"Jiang Li nodded and was about to enter. Wen Ji said, "Miss Jiang Er, this woman named Haitang is very distrustful of others. If you go in alone, she might harm you. Maybe you should have a guard...""No need," Jiang Li smiled and declined his offer. "I will go in to negotiate with her, and she won't harm me."Wen Ji looked at Ji Heng, who didn't show any sign of disapproval, so he stepped aside to let Jiang Li push open the door and enter.Jiang Li hesitated for a moment, then turned to Ji Heng, about to say something. Ji Heng smiled and said, "I understand. I will wait at the courtyard gate and won't eavesdrop on your 'secrets'." He emphasized the word "secrets.""Thank you for understanding, Your Grace," Jiang Li said with a smile.Ji Heng and his attendants all retreated to the courtyard, leaving Jiang Li to summon her courage and push open the door.Closing the door behind her, Jiang Li looked into the room where a lamp was lit on the table, and a person was sitting in front of it with their back to her... Leaning against the wall, as if this could make her feel a little more at ease. The tall and thin figure in front of her made Jiang Li's tears almost fall when she saw it. The figure was so familiar to her, evoking a mix of emotions, and she couldn't fail to recognize her; this was Haitang.Haitang heard someone approaching and immediately turned around swiftly, her gaze wary as she stared at Jiang Li. Her face was veiled, revealing only her eyes, but the expression in her eyes was unfamiliar. The previous Haitang was gentle and calm, always there to offer advice and support, the epitome of thoughtfulness and reliability. But now, the Haitang in front of her no longer had the warmth she used to, she seemed like a wounded animal, watching the newcomer warily.That gaze shattered Jiang Li's heart.However, Jiang Li just offered a gentle smile and sat down opposite Haitang. As she made these movements, Haitang moved away from her, pressing against the wall, silent."You are Haitang, right?" Jiang Li smiled and said, "I asked someone to inquire about your whereabouts and bring you back from Zaohua Village."Haitang continued to look at her with the eyes of a stranger. In fact, to Haitang, the current Jiang Li was indeed a stranger with unknown background. Haitang spoke, "What is your purpose?"Upon hearing this, Jiang Li paused, a look of confusion appearing on her face.Haitang's voice, soft and pleasant, was often compared to Jiang Li's by others who joked that Haitang, having served her mistress for so long, had adopted a similar tone. But now her voice sounded hoarse and unpleasant, as if she had been through a lot."What happened to your voice?" Jiang Li asked.Haitang stared at her but remained silent.For Haitang, a stranger asking about her voice with such concern was unusual in itself."Your purpose," Haitang asked again."I am Jiang Li, the second miss of the Jiang family and the daughter of the current Prime Minister Jiang Yuanbo," Jiang Li tried to soften her voice and her expression to appear more gentle and friendly, "I was entrusted to investigate the case of Miss Xue Fangfei from the Xue family.""Miss..." Haitang was stunned, then excited, "What happened to Miss?!"When Haitang and Du Juan left the Shen Mansion, Xue Fangfei was still alive, just confined for the scandal of having an affair with someone. Xue Fangfei had driven them away because she suspected the two maids of stealing, banishing them and forbidding them from returning to the capital forever.At that time, Haitang and Du Juan felt wronged, but Xue Fangfei had never been so severe before. The friendship of many years had been destroyed in an instant, and Haitang was also saddened. However, after leaving Yanjing City and a long time had passed, Haitang gradually calmed down and realized that Xue Fangfei had done it to protect them. If she and Du Juan had stayed at the Shen Mansion, they would have eventually fallen victim to Shen's outbursts.Since their young miss wanted them to live well, Haitang and Du Juan could only bear the pain and struggle to survive. Now, hearing Jiang Li suddenly mention Xue Fangfei, Haitang suddenly had a foreboding in her heart.Jiang Li looked at her and said, "She's dead."Haitang was stunned, almost losing her balance and sitting down. Jiang Li reached out to support her, and only then did Haitang look at her, still dazed, and asked, "How... how could this happen? I left when she was still fine...""After discovering the affair, Xue Fangfei lost all face, fell seriously ill shortly after, and eventually passed away," Jiang Li paused and continued, "Officially, that's what happened.""What do you mean?" Haitang immediately picked up on the implications in Jiang Li's words."It means that Xue Fangfei's death was not an accident, nor was it due to illness. She died because someone killed her. Just like how she was framed for the affair," Jiang Li said.Haitang looked at Jiang Li, her expression changing, a mix of wariness and excitement. She asked, "How do you know she was framed for the affair?""How I know is not important, but you should be clear, as Xue Fangfei's personal maid, you should know best whether she really had an affair or not," Jiang Li said.Haitang clenched the teacup on the table tightly, "She didn't have an affair.""I know," Jiang Li said."Why have you come to find me," Haitang asked, "and why are you telling me all this? What benefit does it bring to you to involve me in something unspeakable? If you want my life, just take it, I don't care. If you want to achieve some secret purpose using me, I advise you to give up now, I won't do anything."Jiang Li did not respond, just looked at Haitang with a smile.After a while, Haitang asked nervously, "What are you doing?""I just feel sorry that Xue Fangfei had a maid like you, no wonder she went to great lengths to send you and Du Juan away," Jiang Li said."You know?" Haitang was stunned, her voice trembling, "She... she deliberately drove us out of the mansion, didn't she? She never wronged us, did she?"Although Haitang had guessed this possibility later, she could never let it go. Now that Xue Fangfei was dead, this question could never be answered, but hearing it from Jiang Li suddenly gave her a glimmer of hope, as if this was the only way to find closure."Yes," Jiang Li looked at her calmly, "She knew that she and her family were in constant danger at the Shen Mansion, and even your lives were not safe. By sending you away, she was giving you a chance at survival. If she had told you the truth, you wouldn't have left, and would have chosen to stay and face the consequences. It was better to be ruthless and make you give up, to leave Yanjing City completely and save your lives."Haitang murmured, "I knew... I always knew.""But," Jiang Li asked the question she wanted to ask, "I know that at that time, it wasn't just you, there was another maid named Du Juan. Why is it just you now? Did you part ways on the journey, or was there another plan?"Haitang lowered her head and said, "She's dead."Jiang Li's heart clenched as if caught by someone's hands, feeling like she couldn't breathe. Although she had anticipated this possibility, hearing it from Haitang's mouth was still unbearable.The companions by her side, one by one, left, as if they hadn't left anything behind."How did she... die?" Jiang Li's voice revealed a hint of choked emotion.But because Haitang was too heartbroken at the moment, she didn't notice Jiang Li's abnormality. She was just tired, as if she had exhausted all her strength, and said, "Not long after we escaped Yanjing City, we found wanted posters posted by the authorities everywhere, accusing us of stealing from our master's family. Du Juan was caught by someone. I wanted to help, to plead with the officials to clear Du Juan's name, but that night... when I found Du Juan, she had been strangled and thrown onto a mass grave."Jiang Li's heart was overwhelmed with pain."I don't know if those were the authorities, why would they execute us without a trial if it was the authorities? And even if it was an execution, why not make it public? If it wasn't the authorities, why were wanted posters posted everywhere? I don't understand, but I also know that there's no way to avoid all this. I saw them even lying in ambush near the mass grave, probably waiting for me to walk into their trap and get caught while trying to bury Du Juan, so I didn't go to collect her body for her," Haitang's hands were trembling as she spoke, perhaps because of the events that had unfolded, she still couldn't forgive herself for what she had done at that time."I disfigured my face, evaded the authorities' search, and escaped back to my hometown," Haitang said."Your face...""Do you want to see it?" Haitang asked.Jiang Li nodded.Haitang gave a bitter smile and lifted her veil.Jiang Li's breath almost stopped for a moment. She saw two deep scars on the once fair and lovely face, running from her eyes to her chin, grotesque and terrifying. The scars had healed, but instead of looking better, they were even more shocking.What could make a beautiful woman like her willingly disfigure herself to such an extent? From now on, she could only cover her face with a veil and walk among the people.Haitang had been staring at Jiang Li's eyes all this time, expecting to see disgust and fear wherever she went, she had already gotten used to it. Even the black-clad people who came to pick her up were somewhat uneasy when they saw her appearance. She thought Jiang Li would be the same.But Jiang Li wasn't.Jiang Li just looked deeply at Haitang, her gaze filled with sadness and guilt, heartache and regret, but notably absent were fear and avoidance. She even reached out her hand, wanting to touch that scar.Haitang suddenly stepped back, put her veil back on, and fell silent for a while before saying, "You've seen it."Jiang Li remained silent. Meeting an old acquaintance was not a joyous reunion; both had experienced hardships, making them lament the absurdity of fate."I want to ask, why did you go to such lengths to disfigure yourself and survive like this? What was it all for?" Jiang Li asked."I don't know," Haitang's eyes showed a moment of confusion, "At first, I thought the wanted posters were put up by Miss. But then I felt it wasn't. I hoped to survive, to one day see Miss and ask her what was going on, why she accused us of theft. Maybe Miss did it to save our lives, so we shouldn't easily give up our lives but strive to survive."She continued, "We knew from a young age that we were living for Miss."Jiang Li closed her eyes.In fact, Xue Huaiyuan had never wanted the servants of the Xue family to dedicate everything to their mistress; they should have their own lives. Jiang Li also regarded Haitang and Du Juan as sisters, but there seemed to be this kind of loyal servant in the world, whose whole life was tied to another person.Very heavy, very heavy."I didn't know Miss was dead..." Haitang murmured, "I was still hoping, maybe I could see Miss again...""Xue Fangfei can't come back," Jiang Li collected her thoughts and looked back at her, "Not only that, Xue Zhao is dead, Xue Huaiyuan has gone insane. The entire Xue family is now gone."Haitang stared at her blankly and shook her head, "No...""Haitang, listen, this is not an accident, nor is it karma, it's a conspiracy, a real conspiracy. Someone killed the entire Xue family. I am Jiang Erxiaojie, I was entrusted to help the Xue family clear their name, to find evidence that Xue Fangfei was murdered," Jiang Li stared into Haitang's eyes, "This is not only for Xue Fangfei, but also for you, for Du Juan, for all the innocent people who died in this conspiracy. Are we going to let the murderer get away with it?""Why should I believe you?" Haitang asked. She was a smart girl, determined and still able to hold onto her rationality even when faced with the truth."If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't have gone to such lengths to bring you to Yanjing City. You can even go see the insane Xue Huaiyuan to find out if what I'm saying is true," Jiang Li said, "You were Xue Fangfei's personal maid, with her every day, you should at least know who to suspect, what suspicious things happened. Who is the most suspicious regarding the affair Xue Fangfei was framed for?"Haitang stared at Jiang Li for a while before her gaze became heavy, and she uttered a few words."Xiao Deyin.""And, everyone in the Shen family."