The following days passed quite peacefully. Nothing particularly noteworthy happened. Jiang Li informed the teachers at Mingyi Hall about her upcoming return to Xiangyang and waited to depart with Ye Mingxuan.
Old Madam Jiang called Jiang Li to Wanfeng Hall several times to give instructions, apparently placing great importance on her establishing good relations with the Ye family on this trip. The Ji mother and daughter, surprisingly, didn’t come to cause trouble. Jiang Li knew clearly in her heart that Ji Shuran would never let matters rest—she was probably plotting some new scheme. But at present, with her heart set on returning home, she had no extra energy to pay attention to that mother-daughter pair.
Jiang Jingrui often came to Fangfei Court, still not having given up on the notion of going to the Ye family with Jiang Li. Who knew what he was thinking—refusing to stay in the perfectly good capital and always thinking about traveling everywhere. Ye Shijie also came once, but didn’t mention Xiangyang at all, only talking about what had happened since he became a vice director in the Ministry of Revenue.
Since Ye Shijie became vice director of the Ministry of Revenue, many people had been watching to see which side he belonged to. Given the relationship between the Ye and Jiang families, Ye Shijie should belong to the Chief Minister’s faction. But everyone in the capital knew the Ye and Jiang families had severed ties many years ago, so they speculated that Ye Shijie might later join Prince Cheng’s faction, especially since Prince Cheng’s power was growing. However, Jiang Li thought Ye Shijie would do better to remain loyal to Emperor Hongxiao. For some reason, she had a feeling that although Emperor Hongxiao currently appeared to lack power, this young emperor who had ascended the throne so early was not as simple as he seemed on the surface.
Days passed like this, and in the blink of an eye ten days had gone by. Ye Mingxuan came to fetch Jiang Li, and they were about to leave the capital together, heading for Xiangyang.
This time, Old Madam Jiang rarely came to the estate gates to see them off. There was still no sign of Jiang Youyao or Jiang Yu’e. Ji Shuran smiled and said to Ye Mingxuan, “Be careful on the journey. I’m entrusting Li’er to your care.”
Ye Mingxuan smiled and said, “Don’t worry.”
Ye Shijie said, “It’s getting late. You should set off. Leaving an hour earlier means covering more ground and returning to Xiangyang sooner.”
Jiang Li turned around, curtsied slightly to Old Madam Jiang, and said, “Father, Grandmother, please don’t worry. After seeing Grandmother, I’ll return as soon as possible.”
“Of course.” The affection in Ji Shuran’s eyes was excessively sincere. She said, “We’ll be waiting for you to come back.”
Jiang Li smiled faintly. Without further hesitation, Tong’er helped her into the carriage. The curtain fell, cutting off the gazes of the Jiang family members outside. She could only hear Ye Mingxuan giving orders to the caravan. The carriage rumbled forward.
Her heart breathed a sigh of relief, then became excited.
This was… the road home.
Although she was no longer Xue Fangfei, although she had become the Chief Minister’s young lady, she was finally on the road home.
…
From the capital to Xiangyang, if they hurried without delays on the road, it would take over a month. Fortunately the road wasn’t very rough—all official roads, not as dangerous as the journey from Qingcheng Mountain to Xiangyang. And Ye Mingxuan was a cautious person who specifically hired an escort agency caravan to protect Jiang Li’s safety. Jiang Yuanbai also dispatched some guards. This way, even if they encountered bandits on the road, they could escape unscathed.
Fortunately, the entire journey was very peaceful, and they didn’t encounter any danger. Ye Mingxuan had initially thought that Jiang Li, being pampered and delicate, wouldn’t be accustomed to such a long journey. After all, the distance from the capital to Xiangyang was even farther than from the capital to Qingcheng Mountain. If Jiang Li wasn’t comfortable on the road, the entire caravan would have to slow down, and by the time they reached Xiangyang, they would inevitably arrive much later than before.
However, Jiang Li’s performance exceeded everyone’s expectations.
She wasn’t picky and was very easy to serve. Whether staying at inns or making do in the carriage, she never complained once. Sometimes at night when they couldn’t find an inn and had to sleep outside, when the guards went hunting and roasted rabbit meat, Jiang Li would watch with great interest from the side. When the guards did something wrong, she could even help a little. This left Afu, the young servant following Ye Mingxuan, utterly dumbfounded. He secretly said to Ye Mingxuan, “Second Miss looks like she’s done this sort of thing often. Why does she seem so familiar with it?”
Ye Mingxuan also found it strange. Even his own son Ye Rufeng, who had been mischievous since childhood, might not do better than Jiang Li. Jiang Li was a pampered young lady, yet she did these things without the slightest discomfort, as if she was quite accustomed to them.
When asked about it, Jiang Li only smiled and said, “When I was at the nunnery in Qingcheng Mountain, Tong’er and I often went outside to catch wild rabbits to eat. The vegetarian meals weren’t filling, but fortunately there were plenty of rabbits on the mountain.”
Although Tong’er inwardly wondered when she had ever gone rabbit-catching with Jiang Li, her face showed nothing at all as she nodded along earnestly. Ye Mingxuan said nothing more, only smiled and sighed—whether in admiration or pity was unclear.
This journey was actually smoother than Jiang Li had imagined. Therefore, when they were approaching Xiangyang city, barely over a month had passed. According to the original planned itinerary, it should have taken another half month. But because Jiang Li hadn’t caused any trouble along the way, the caravan didn’t stop and traveled very quickly.
When the caravan reached Xiangyang city gates, Ye Mingxuan had someone show the travel permit to the gate guards. Tong’er lifted the carriage curtain, curiously looking outside, murmuring, “So this is Xiangyang city. It looks quite lively.”
Jiang Li looked at the scenery outside, a trace of nostalgia flashing in her eyes.
Tongxiang was a small county under Xiangyang city. In the past, Xue Huaiyuan would only come to Xiangyang during festivals to buy things for Xue Fangfei and Xue Zhao. Back then, she and Xue Zhao looked forward to coming to Xiangyang every year. Xiangyang was much livelier and more prosperous than Tongxiang, with many more delicious foods and interesting things. But such opportunities were rare. Counting it up, she had married Shen Yurun three years ago and left Tongxiang. As for Xiangyang, she hadn’t seen it in seven or eight years.
The Xiangyang before her eyes still looked familiar, but was livelier, more prosperous, and more enticing than seven or eight years ago.
If Xue Zhao were still here, he would definitely laugh heartily and pull her to tour Xiangyang city again…
As she was thinking this, the gate guards checked the permit and let them through, and the caravan continued forward.
After traveling for about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, the caravan’s speed gradually slowed. After an unknown amount of time, the carriage stopped. Ye Mingxuan’s voice came from outside the carriage, laughing, “Ah Li, get out. We’ve arrived.”
The doorman saw Ye Mingxuan and immediately opened the door, calling for servants to go inside and report, shouting all the way, “Second Master has returned! Second Master has returned!”
Tong’er helped Jiang Li down from the carriage.
As the wealthiest family in Xiangyang city—or rather, the Ye family’s wealth was renowned even in the capital—the Ye family mansion was built very grandly. It was said they had lived here since Old Master Ye’s time. The vermilion gates and large tiles, even the pillars at the entrance were carved with fine patterns. Even the hanging lanterns were covered with gauze from Jiangnan.
Standing under the Ye family’s grand entrance, both Tong’er and Baixue widened their eyes. The Ye family’s imposing grandeur was completely different from the Chief Minister’s mansion’s refined elegance. To ordinary people, naturally such simple and grand construction was more eye-catching.
Ye Mingxuan said, “Ah Li, this is your first time at the Ye family, right? How is it? Does it seem acceptable?”
“Very good indeed.” Jiang Li smiled.
When she and Xue Zhao used to visit Xiangyang city for fun, they had also heard of the Ye family’s great reputation and had passed by the Ye family mansion gates. Xue Zhao had even sighed, wishing he could walk inside and see what it looked like. Who would have thought that she could now openly walk through those vermilion gates and see it for herself?
Ye Mingxuan smiled. “Let’s go in.”
Jiang Li walked in alongside Ye Mingxuan.
The Ye family compound appeared even more spacious and bright than the Chief Minister’s mansion. Compared to the Chief Minister’s mansion’s strictness, it had more of the marketplace’s liveliness. The fabric of the clothes worn by the servants was also superior, on par with what Tong’er and Baixue wore. This was enough to show the Ye family’s abundant wealth. When these servants saw Ye Mingxuan, they all bowed in respect. Seeing Jiang Li and her party following beside Ye Mingxuan, they all curiously examined her, speculating about Jiang Li’s identity.
In Jinhua Hall at this moment, several people were standing.
“Father has finally returned.” A youth of fourteen or fifteen said, “I wonder what good things he brought back from the capital this time?”
“All you know is such things.” Beside him, a woman with a scholarly air scolded, “The household never lacks anything for you. What the capital has, you have too.”
“Sister-in-law, don’t blame Rufeng.” Another round-faced woman smiled. “Rufeng is a bit childish. If Shijie were here, he’d be the same.”
Beside Ye Rufeng stood a beautiful young woman who appeared slightly older than Ye Rufeng. She said worriedly, “I wonder how Elder Brother is doing? Now that he’s become vice director of the Ministry of Revenue, can he manage it?”
The blue-robed middle-aged man standing in the center said nothing, only silently drinking tea.
Just as they were talking, they suddenly heard a servant’s voice from outside: “Second Master has returned!”
The thinner woman immediately stood up in delight, and then saw the curtain of Jinhua Hall suddenly pulled aside. Ye Mingxuan laughed heartily, “Elder Brother, Madam, I’m back!”
“Father!” The youth rushed forward.
Jiang Li stood behind Ye Mingxuan. She was quite unfamiliar with the Ye family members. However, even if the real Second Miss Jiang came here, she would probably feel the same way. After all, they hadn’t seen each other for ten years.
That youth was Ye Mingxuan’s son, Ye Rufeng. His eyes suddenly caught sight of Jiang Li standing to the side. He immediately stepped out of Ye Mingxuan’s embrace and asked doubtfully, “Who is she?”
Jiang Li stood behind Ye Mingxuan with a smile. Looking at her clothes and appearance, she didn’t look like a servant, so she couldn’t be a maid Ye Mingxuan had acquired along the way.
Lady Zhuo, the thin and tall woman with a scholarly air—Ye Mingxuan’s wife—saw Jiang Li and instantly turned pale. She probably thought Jiang Li was some woman Ye Mingxuan had acquired on the road. This often happened with wealthy merchants. During business trips lasting three to five years, they would bring back a strange woman, and even so-called sons. Ye Mingxuan had been gone several months—a son was impossible, but acquiring a woman on the road wasn’t.
Men were always careless about such things. Ye Mingxuan hadn’t yet noticed his wife’s disturbed expression, but Jiang Li had already seen it and guessed Lady Zhuo’s identity. To avoid misunderstanding, she had to step forward and call out to Lady Zhuo with a beaming smile, “Aunt.”
This address of “Aunt” startled Lady Zhuo. Her previously pale face immediately returned to normal, replaced only by confusion. She asked, “My lord, who is this young lady? Why does she call me aunt?”
Ye Mingxuan laughed heartily, then turned to the blue-robed man who had stood up, Ye Minghui, and said, “Elder Brother, I didn’t come back alone this time. Look who this is—can you still recognize her?”
Everyone was puzzled. Only Ye Minghui had noticed earlier when Jiang Li called Lady Zhuo “Aunt” and had some inkling.
“This is Zhenzhen’s daughter, Ah Li.” Ye Mingxuan smiled. “The last time I saw Ah Li, she was just a little thing. Now she’s a grown young lady. Ah Li, this is your Uncle Minghui and your eldest aunt.”
Jiang Li smiled. “Uncle Minghui, Eldest Aunt.”
Both Ye Minghui and his wife Lady Guan were startled. Lady Guan looked somewhat at a loss, while Ye Minghui’s brow furrowed tightly.
The room fell into complete silence.
A moment later, Ye Rufeng suddenly spoke. He looked at Jiang Li with disdain and said, “She’s Aunt’s daughter, that young miss who looked down on us merchants and made Grandmother so angry she fell ill?”
Lady Zhuo quickly pulled Ye Rufeng back, but his gaze was sharp and merciless as he continued, “What’s done is done—are we supposed to be afraid of what people say?”
Everyone in the room instantly fell silent, and the atmosphere became extremely awkward.
This was to be expected. When Ye Mingxuan returned to Xiangyang, he hadn’t mentioned a word about Jiang Li coming back. The Ye family members didn’t know Jiang Li would be coming, so when she suddenly appeared, they didn’t know how to respond. After all, many years ago Jiang Li’s words had hurt Old Madam Ye’s heart and the hearts of the entire Ye family. Regarding Jiang Li, they had since treated her as if she didn’t exist. Who knew she would suddenly appear?
Ye Minghui looked at Ye Mingxuan reproachfully, rebuking him for not explaining this matter earlier. Ye Mingxuan looked innocent, yet couldn’t help but glance at Jiang Li’s reaction.
Since Jiang Li had insisted on returning to Xiangyang with him, she should have anticipated this possible outcome early on. The Ye family wouldn’t be without grudges. In that case, what would Jiang Li say and do?
Looking at the situation before her, the smile on Jiang Li’s face didn’t waver in the slightest.
Tong’er felt both embarrassed and aggrieved. She also knew about what Jiang Li had done back then. Although she admitted it was wrong, her young lady had only been five years old at the time! So much time had passed—why keep dwelling on an old matter? Knowing this would happen, the young lady shouldn’t have returned to Xiangyang to suffer this kind of grievance. Coming back with good intentions to see Old Madam Ye, only to be met with such coldness—it was truly frustrating.
Just as she was thinking this, she heard Jiang Li’s gentle voice: “Yes, I am ‘that’ Jiang Li.”
The Ye family members all froze.
Ye Mingxuan nearly choked on his own saliva.
When Jiang Li spoke, she was gentle and amiable, full of smiles. As the saying goes, you can’t strike someone who’s smiling at you—especially a pretty girl with such a lovely smile. This made it even harder to bring down that slap. Except for Ye Rufeng, the other Ye family members all felt awkward, not knowing how to respond.
This girl truly remained calm no matter what happened. Ye Mingxuan sighed inwardly, suddenly remembering what Ye Shijie had told him: “Jiang Li is an unpredictable person.” That statement was true. She was indeed unpredictable. It seemed that ordinary people’s shame, awkwardness, and confusion never appeared on her. She could always handle various situations with a particularly composed manner.
Including right now.
Ye Mingxuan suddenly felt like laughing. His elder brother, the usually steady and proper Ye Minghui, was also somewhat at a loss facing this situation. Fortunately, he still remembered his identity as a Ye family member, so he deliberately cleared his throat and said, “This is your second aunt.” He introduced his wife to Jiang Li.
Jiang Li smiled and nodded to Lady Zhuo. “Second Aunt.”
Lady Zhuo instinctively returned a smile, then felt somewhat dazed after reacting. This young lady’s smile was too sincere. When they went to the capital to fetch Jiang Li back then, the Ye Minghui brothers, Ye Shijie, and Old Madam were all there, but she hadn’t witnessed it herself. However, everyone in the Ye household up and down knew the rumors about Jiang Li. Ye Minghui and Ye Mingxuan couldn’t possibly lie, and there was no need to lie about this matter, so no one doubted that Jiang Li was a hypocritical, heartless, mean, and ungrateful young lady. But seeing her in person, Lady Zhuo still couldn’t help feeling that perhaps what happened back then was a misunderstanding. How could such a lovely, gentle girl be the kind of person they described?
“This is your cousin Jia’er and cousin Rufeng.” Ye Mingxuan continued.
Ye Jia’er was a year older than Jiang Li. She was graceful and dignified, and honestly didn’t look like someone from a merchant family, but rather like a well-educated young lady from an official household. Her eyes showed curiosity toward Jiang Li, yet she still nodded at her with a smile.
Ye Rufeng wasn’t as amiable as Ye Jia’er. He snorted and turned his head away, not even looking at Jiang Li.
“Your Uncle Mingyu will return in a few days but isn’t here now,” Ye Mingxuan said.
Jiang Li nodded. “Grandmother…”
“Old Madam hasn’t been feeling well lately,” Ye Minghui hesitated before saying. “If she learns you’ve come, she’ll inevitably become emotional. How about we wait a while before telling her? What does Ah Li think?”
Before Jiang Li could answer, Ye Rufeng said coldly, “Better not meet. What if Grandmother gets angry and falls ill again after seeing her?”
“Rufeng!” Lady Zhuo warned him.
Only then did Ye Rufeng fall silent. Jiang Li said, “I’ll follow Uncle Minghui’s advice.”
Ye Minghui nodded, then said to Lady Guan, “Go find an empty room in the courtyard and clean it up for Ah Li to stay in temporarily.” Then to Jiang Li, “You and Second Brother have been traveling for so many days. You must be very tired. Today just don’t think about anything, settle in and rest properly. Whatever needs to be discussed can wait until tomorrow.”
Jiang Li was startled. Ye Minghui’s words were polite yet distant, completely like speaking to a guest who had come from afar—and not a particularly close guest at that. She sighed deeply in her heart. The rift between Second Miss Jiang and the Ye family was truly too deep to resolve quickly. Even Ye Mingxuan, who had spent so much time with her, still hadn’t completely dispelled his doubts and was still wondering whether her return to Xiangyang was at the Jiang family’s behest.
The road ahead was truly long and arduous.
She showed a genuine smile on her face and said, “Thank you, Uncle Minghui.”
Compared to the two uncles, the aunts appeared somewhat at a loss, unable to be as distant as the Ye brothers, yet unable to be too close either—looking very conflicted. Jiang Li felt somewhat amused. Fortunately she didn’t have to keep interacting with them. After Lady Guan arranged a clean room for her to stay in, besides her two maids, there was no one else around Jiang Li.
Finally it was quiet.
Tong’er closed the door. The room the Ye family had arranged for Jiang Li was quite good—there was nothing to criticize about it. Jiang Li sat down. Baixue went to make tea while Tong’er said in a low voice, “Miss, the Ye family people are clearly deliberately not letting you see Old Madam Ye…”
Anyone could see that while her second cousin Ye Rufeng’s words were harsh, they were undeniably true. Old Madam Ye was in poor health. Seeing this granddaughter so suddenly, she truly didn’t know how she would feel. After all, even the other Ye family members had been shocked today.
“Miss, if it really doesn’t work out, after seeing Old Madam Ye let’s just return to the capital,” Baixue also said. “If the Ye family continues like this in the future, living here will be quite uncomfortable.”
The Ye family members were well-mannered, so not only did they not drive her out, they even provided good food and drink and maintained proper etiquette. But it was precisely this proper etiquette that made people feel even more uncomfortable, as if they were guests in a stranger’s home.
“It’s fine. We’ve just arrived, and we all need time to get used to each other.” Jiang Li smiled. “Besides, I was at fault in what happened back then. The Ye family’s attitude is already better than I imagined. Let’s wait a few more days. I’ll see Old Madam first before making any decisions.”
Her true purpose in coming to Xiangyang—visiting relatives was false, seeing Old Madam Ye was false, inquiring about Xue Huaiyuan’s affairs was the truth. But at present she couldn’t rashly go out to inquire, which would arouse suspicion. Even if she did inquire, overturning Xue Zhao’s case would require considerable effort. The Ye family was a great tree backing her, but right now, how to build good relations with the Ye family members and resolve past grievances—that was the urgent matter.
She needed to think carefully.
…
On the other side, in Ye Mingxuan’s room, Lady Zhuo was interrogating him.
“Why on earth did Jiang Li come? What were you thinking, not saying anything in advance? Even Elder Brother didn’t expect it.” Lady Zhuo paced back and forth. “What should we do now? She’s staying in our household. When outsiders see, they’ll inevitably gossip. This… you really!”
Ye Mingxuan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “How can you blame me? She was the one who proposed coming back to Xiangyang to see Mother. Even Old Madam Jiang and Jiang Yuanbai gave their approval. What could I do? Could I stop my own niece from coming back? If outsiders saw that, how bad would it look?”
“Hmph, it’s nothing more than seeing that Elder Cousin has now become vice director of the Ministry of Revenue,” Ye Rufeng sneered. “They say we merchants value profit, but I think the Jiang family—even the current Chief Minister—is just as opportunistic. When the Ye family had no one in office, they couldn’t wait to sever ties. Now that the Ye family has connections, they come clinging.”
“Don’t talk nonsense,” Ye Jia’er stopped Ye Rufeng’s words. “Even if Elder Cousin became vice director of the Ministry of Revenue, the Jiang family wouldn’t need to curry favor with our Ye family. There are plenty of powerful people in the capital. Those people are still trying to get close to Uncle. Why would Uncle let Jiang Li come to Xiangyang because of Elder Cousin’s position?”
“‘Uncle’ this and ‘Uncle’ that. Sister, have you forgotten?” Ye Rufeng said. “Our uncle remarried long ago. They don’t think much of our Ye family. You call him so affectionately—do you also want to catch the wind from the Chief Minister’s household and become a young miss of the capital?”
“You!” Ye Jia’er was too angry to speak.
“Alright, alright, stop arguing,” Lady Zhuo said with a headache. “Things are chaotic enough as it is. If you two want to argue, go outside.”
Just then, someone knocked on the door. It was Ye Minghui entering with Lady Guan. Now everyone was here—except for Ye Mingyu who hadn’t yet returned to the household, both branches of the Ye family were gathered in this room.
“Second Brother, what’s the meaning of this?” Ye Minghui demanded as soon as he entered.
Ye Mingxuan rarely saw his elder brother so unable to maintain his composure. He was momentarily stunned before saying, “What do you mean by what?”
“How could you bring her back?” Ye Minghui frowned. “Without saying anything in advance—what are you playing at?”
“Elder Brother, don’t scold me like you scold Third Brother.” Ye Mingxuan felt aggrieved. “Bringing Jiang Li back wasn’t my idea. Jiang Li proposed it herself.”
“She proposed it herself?” Lady Guan asked doubtfully.
“Yes.” Ye Mingxuan simply sat down and carefully explained the entire sequence of events to everyone. How he reunited with Ye Shijie in the capital, how Ye Shijie mentioned Jiang Li, how he went to the Jiang family and met Jiang Li, how Jiang Li proposed to return to Xiangyang with him. When he finished, Ye Mingxuan spread both hands. “That’s how it is. Listen for yourselves—can any of you understand what this niece of ours is thinking?”
No one had expected that Ye Mingxuan’s trip to the capital would involve so many events. They were even more surprised to learn that in only half a year since returning to the capital, Jiang Li had repeatedly become a topic of discussion.
“Did she really become top of the Six Arts ranking at Mingyi Hall and receive an award from the Emperor?” Ye Jia’er asked in surprise. “Didn’t Cousin spend eight years in a nunnery? With no one to teach her there, how did she win first place?”
“Yes.” Ye Minghui pondered. “Could she be a genius?”
“There aren’t that many geniuses in the world.” Ye Mingxuan shook his head and smiled. “I think Jiang Li is hiding quite a few secrets. That day when I visited the Jiang household, I had thought that with Jiang Li just returning to the capital and Ji Shuran there, she would live more cautiously. Who knew it was completely different. Her status in the Jiang family is actually higher than I thought. Think about it—to achieve such a position in half a year, that’s not something an ordinary person can accomplish.”
Everyone in the room fell silent, digesting Ye Mingxuan’s words.
“At the palace banquet she at least helped Shijie, and before that she warned Shijie about Li Lian. Whether she’s using the Ye family or has other plans, for now she won’t harm Shijie. I went to the Jiang household wanting to see Jiang Li with my own eyes. After all, I know Shijie well—if he says Jiang Li has changed drastically, then she has changed drastically. Who knew that after going there, I’d discover it’s not just different, but like she’s a completely different person.”
“When she proposed returning to Xiangyang, I initially guessed it was the Jiang family’s idea, but looking at Jiang Yuanbai and Old Madam Jiang’s reactions, they didn’t know about it. I wanted to figure out exactly what she was trying to do, so I simply agreed with her idea. As for not telling you all when coming back? I left in such a hurry that I didn’t think of it.”
After a quiet moment, Ye Minghui said, “What you did wasn’t wrong. Since we don’t know what she intends, let’s just wait and see.”
The tone of his words didn’t treat Jiang Li as family, but more like a stranger whose intentions were unknown.
“But Second Brother,” Lady Guan said worriedly, “you brought her back, and she says she wants to come see Mother. But Mother’s health can’t handle disturbances now. If she learns Jiang Li has returned, who knows what might happen. This… tell me, should we let her see Mother or not?”
Ye Mingxuan was stumped by the question and instinctively looked toward Ye Minghui.
Ye Minghui said in a low voice, “Let her see Mother, but before that, we need to prepare Mother first so we don’t startle her.”