Many things had happened in Yanjing City recently, and the storytellers’ repertoires in the teahouses and taverns along the streets had grown considerably.

The most sensational story being told was “Pretty Nun’s Midnight Tryst with Ascetic Monk; Monkey Stumbles Upon Romantic Affair.”

A few days ago, the numerous noble ladies who had gone to offer incense at Helin Temple returned, bringing back a shocking piece of news.

At Helin Temple on Qingcheng Mountain, Liaowu, the disciple most beloved by Abbot Tongming, turned out to be a debauched monk who had violated many women from the neighboring areas, and even hadn’t spared the abbess from the nearby nunnery.

One must know that Helin Temple was a famous temple where many madams and young ladies had come to offer incense and pray for blessings. Upon hearing this scandal, the female guests who had visited there all kept silent about it, fearing they might be implicated and have their virtue questioned. Someone submitted a memorial about this matter, and after reading it, Emperor Hongxiao was furious and severely punished all related parties. Even the century-old famous temple Helin Temple was closed down along with them.

At the time, many people had personally witnessed the illicit meeting between the monk and nun. While the female guests didn’t mention it, the men described in vivid detail how young and beautiful Abbess Jing’an was, treating it as a romantic affair.

However, this romantic affair not only provoked the Emperor’s fury but also unexpectedly involved Jiang Li, the legitimate daughter of the capital’s Chief Minister Jiang Yuanbai.

Eight years ago, Second Miss Jiang Li of the Jiang family had pushed her stepmother, causing a miscarriage. Jiang Yuanbai punished her by sending her to the family temple to cultivate her character, and from then on, she disappeared from everyone’s sight. When Liaowu’s scandal was exposed this time, it was discovered that Second Miss Jiang had actually been in Abbess Jing’an’s nunnery.

No matter how vicious and domineering Second Miss Jiang might have been, sending her to a family temple was one thing, and even if she truly shaved her head to become a nun that would have been acceptable, but to send her into the hands of such a depraved nun—Jiang Yuanbai’s handling of this matter was truly improper.

Madam Liu, wife of Chengde Lang Liu Yuanfeng, had gone to Helin Temple to offer incense and encountered this Second Miss Jiang in Abbess Jing’an’s nunnery. It was already late at night, yet Second Miss Jiang was being tormented by the depraved nun, kneeling in the Buddhist hall without a drop of water to drink. Liu Yuanfeng’s memorial was written with great skill. Since Jiang Yuanbai had extensive connections and was difficult to shake or offend, his memorial didn’t mention Jiang Yuanbai’s wrongdoing at all. Instead, it said that although Jiang Li had made a mistake back then, she was still very young, and moreover, “failure to teach a child is the father’s fault”—how could he hand over his own legitimate daughter to someone of corrupt morals and let her fend for herself? As the mistress of Jiang Yuanbai’s inner household, Ji Shuran was truly too harsh as a mother.

Impeaching Ji Shuran meant impeaching the Ji family and slapping Ji Yanlin in the face. The memorial explicitly and implicitly stated that Ji Shuran was settling a personal vendetta, deliberately sending Jiang Li under Abbess Jing’an’s control with malicious intent, instructing her torment.

Originally this memorial was just a minor matter, but the current Emperor Hongxiao was not born to the late Empress. His birth mother had died after he was born, and he was raised under the Empress’s name. When the Empress still had the Crown Prince, it was impossible for her to show him any affection. Later, Emperor Hongxiao endured humiliation and bore heavy burdens, and with the Crown Prince’s early death, he walked to the end on the road to competing for power before reaching his current position.

Liu Yuanfeng’s memorial immediately reminded Emperor Hongxiao of his own past. With his birth mother dead and his stepmother harsh, it instantly made him develop the same aversion toward Ji Shuran as he had toward the late Empress, and his heart couldn’t help but favor Second Miss Jiang. When he next summoned Jiang Yuanbai to speak in the imperial study, he dropped a few hints.

After Jiang Yuanbai left the imperial study and returned to the Chief Minister’s residence from the palace, the first thing he did was order someone to immediately bring Jiang Li back to Yanjing.

When Ji Shuran received this news, she hurried over in a fluster. Upon entering the room, she said, “My lord, why so suddenly bring Second Miss back…”

With a sharp slap, Jiang Yuanbai pressed the memorial in his hand onto the table. Ji Shuran immediately fell silent. She rarely saw Jiang Yuanbai this furious.

Jiang Yuanbai turned his head.

Although he was already the father of several children and had long passed the age of forty, as the current Chief Minister and the Emperor’s mentor, while Jiang Yuanbai no longer possessed the handsome elegance of his youth, he had gained more of the unique charm that only mature men possess. Moreover, now that one could say he was the foremost of civil officials without exaggeration, he was even more refined and elegant like a pine tree, quite scholarly in bearing.

However, his usually gentle expression was now completely absent, containing hidden anger.

“Today His Majesty summoned me to the imperial study. Although Chengde Lang Liu Yuanfeng didn’t explicitly name me in his memorial, I was still implicated,” Jiang Yuanbai said. “Bringing Li’er back—this is His Majesty’s intention!”

Ji Shuran was shocked. “His Majesty’s intention? How could His Majesty concern himself with such matters?”

“The current Emperor’s birth mother was certainly not the Empress Dowager—” Jiang Yuanbai only said this one sentence. He was Emperor Hongxiao’s childhood teacher and had assisted Emperor Hongxiao in ascending to the throne, so naturally he understood Emperor Hongxiao’s character very well. He feared this matter had happened to touch upon Emperor Hongxiao’s sensitive spot.

Not bringing Jiang Li back was no longer an option, Jiang Yuanbai thought to himself. The Emperor was no longer that little emperor who had to consult him on everything. Once an emperor’s wings grew full and he tasted the flavor of power, he became even less tolerant of disobedience. Since Emperor Hongxiao had personally inquired about this matter, naturally he expected Jiang Yuanbai to act accordingly. If he didn’t, in Emperor Hongxiao’s heart, it would be almost equivalent to defying an imperial decree.

“Moreover, Li’er is indeed my Jiang family’s daughter,” Jiang Yuanbai sighed. “Letting her remain lost outside all this time weighs heavily on my heart. My lady,” he looked at Ji Shuran and asked softly, “you won’t blame me, will you?”

At this moment, he had reverted to his former gentle appearance, with implicit guilt in his eyes.

Ji Shuran smiled and leaned against him, saying, “What are you saying, my lord? Do you take me for a person of wicked heart? Second Miss is a miss of the Jiang family and also your lordship’s own daughter. Back then, Second Miss made mistakes because she was young. After all these years, I’ve long since let it go. If your lordship is going to bring Second Miss back, I’ll have the nannies prepare some things and clear out rooms early.”

“Your thoughtfulness, my lady, cannot be found anywhere else in the world,” Jiang Yuanbai sighed, holding her in his embrace.

“These are all things I should do, it’s just…” Ji Shuran’s voice became somewhat cautious. “I hope to get along well with Second Miss.” She actually seemed a bit afraid.

Hearing this, Jiang Yuanbai thought of the things Jiang Li had done six years ago and couldn’t help but frown. He comforted Ji Shuran, saying, “She’s no longer a child now. If she dares to behave improperly, I will certainly not let her off lightly!”

After consoling Ji Shuran with a few more words, Jiang Yuanbai left, presumably to arrange for people to fetch her.

As soon as Jiang Yuanbai left, Jiang Youyao rushed in with her maids. Upon entering, she immediately said, “Mother, do you know that Jiang Li she…”

“Youyao!” Ji Shuran cut her off, had people close the doors and windows, then scolded, “How can you be so reckless!”

Jiang Youyao said aggrievedly, “Mother, it’s not that I’m being reckless! I heard Father is going to bring Jiang Li back. What’s going on? Why would he suddenly think of bringing her back?”

Ji Shuran frowned. “Youyao, how many times have I told you not to fixate on Jiang Li? She’s nothing but a blade of grass that will be trampled sooner or later. You are the legitimate young lady of the Jiang family born of the first wife. Why must you concern yourself with her?”

“But…” Jiang Youyao was unwilling and wanted to say more.

“Even if she really does come back, so what? Right now, in this residence, your mother is the one in charge. Can she gain any advantages when she returns? This time she’s just lucky to have stumbled upon this opportunity.”

“Can’t Mother prevent her from coming back?” Jiang Youyao asked angrily.

Ji Shuran shook her head. If it were just others’ wishes or even Jiang Yuanbai’s wish, she could of course manipulate things and have someone assassinate Jiang Li on her way back to the capital—that would simply be Jiang Li’s bad fate. Unfortunately, even the Emperor had inquired about this matter. If anything went wrong along the way, the entire Jiang family couldn’t bear the consequences.

Not only could Jiang Li not have any accidents, she must be brought back safely, and even in grand style, for Emperor Hongxiao to see.

Thinking about it was truly unpleasant.

“No matter,” Ji Shuran said coldly. “We’ve merely given her seven more years to live, and she doesn’t know the immensity of heaven and earth. It’s fine that she’s coming back. After she returns, I naturally have ways to deal with her.”

“By then, she won’t think returning to the capital is a good thing anymore.”