Chapter 80 Part 3: Trick
Hold your horses, the trick is not coming yet >D. It will be probably the next chapter or the next one. Btw, I’m listening to the Heart Sutra while translating this. It’s very soothing.
Hong Xiao Emperor looked at the little girl facing him whose gaze held no fear of heaven, yet didn’t let others feel rude and offensive. Rather, her gaze was extraordinarily gentle. Jiang Li’s eyes were very clear and limpid, more like the gaze of a young child. Hong Xiao Emperor wasn’t angry and upon spotting the prayer beads around her wrist, he recalled that Jiang Li used to stay in the nunnery for eight years. He soon asked: “Do you read the scripture on weekdays? Which one do you read?”
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“Returning to Your Majesty, when the servant girl was idle, fond of copying the scriptures, usually read 《Prajnaparamita Sutra》《Avatamsaka Sutra》《Golden Light Sutra》《Lotus Sutra》on weekdays.” She replied.
Hong Xiao Emperor smiled: “No wonder I1 see that you have a serene temperament. With your temper, you would hit it off with the Empress Dowager.”
The present Empress Dowager was keen on Buddhism. These words of Hong Xiao Emperor could be considered as highly elevating Jiang Li.
Jiang Li smiled fittingly and sized Hong Xiao Emperor. This year, Hong Xiao Emperor was only 27 years old, but he appeared somewhat older than other people of the same age, looking especially steady. Probably due to his capacity as the emperor, with many matters for him to worry about. In addition, the current Northern Yan wasn’t as peaceful and prosperous as what it seemed on the surface. Jiang Li was able to understand Hong Xiao Emperor a bit.
Hong Xiao Emperor also felt surprised. He had heard many rumors about Jiang Li, including harming her mother and murdering her younger brother. However, perhaps because Jiang Li lost her mother when she was young, Hong Xiao Emperor had the feeling of “fellow sufferers empathize with each other”. Hong Xiao Emperor did not have much disgust towards Jiang Li. Nowadays, Jiang Li turned up first in Ming Yi Hall’s examination and based on his own eyes, Jiang Li was gentle and pure, unlike the evil person heard in the rumor. So a feeling of appreciation also roused.
Hong Xiao Emperor said: “Jiang aiqing2, You’ve raised a very good daughter. Deserved to be held like a pearl in the palm, came first in Ming Yi Hall’s exam, I also have a reward.” He casually waved his hand and soon someone that looked like a palace eunuch came forward, held up a cloth with both hands, and read out a long list of names.
It was nothing else but jewelry and treasures. Jiang Li had a headache listening to it. After all, Hong Xiao Emperor could not confer her with an official post. If he bestowed her with a princess t.i.tle or other thing now, it would be too abrupt. Jiang Li had no love for jewelry and treasures and was calm as she listened. On the contrary, Jiang Yu’e had sour water of jealousy bubbling in her as she listened to the entire list.
Kong Liu said: “Doesn’t seem so, Jiang second miss isn’t a bit moved. Absolutely a person who’s not eating the food of common mortals, a good female who isn’t moved by splendor, wealth and rank.”
The corner of Ji Heng’s lips was raised, with a tease contained in his smile, he said: “There are endless conspiracies in her mind, naturally she’d remain unmoved.” He familiarly glanced at Kong Liu, “not everybody is as short sighted as you.”
“I’m short sighted?” Kong Liu said: “I could d.a.m.n shoot with great precision!”
Ji Heng was too lazy to respond to him.
After Jiang Li thanked the emperor for his favor, she returned to her seat with everyone’s sights following her. Ji Shuran smiled and praised her: “Li-er is truly giving face to our home.”
“Second sister is much better than me.” Jiang You Yao also complimented.
It’s okay for Ji Shuran to be like this, Jiang Li knew that Ji Shuran liked doing these kinds of acts. But even Jiang You Yao endured her displeasure on the surface, which made Jiang Li flabbergasted.
Jiang You Yao should be feeling the same as Jiang Yu’e, not saying a word, but hated her in her heart.
She carefully looked at Jiang You Yao beside her and discovered a bit of antic.i.p.ation and excitement hidden in her gaze and couldn’t help being alert.
Nevertheless, the palace feast was about to begin.
The dishes were sumptuous, but Jiang Li was not in the mood to try them. In a flaunting way, Jiang Yu’e explained the many different types of dishes to Jiang Li, as if to prove that she had seen a wider world than Jiang Li. Or she deliberately didn’t remind her how to eat certain dishes, waiting to see Jiang Li make a fool of herself. Who would have thought Jiang Li would pa.s.s unscathed, she would either simply not have picked those dishes, making Jiang Yu’e’s plan to fall through.
Afterwards, Jiang Yu’e no longer cared about Jiang Li. She was engrossed in showing her best aspects and intentionally faced sideways towards the male seats. Perhaps she’s trying to be eye-catching.
Jiang Li only felt Jiang Yu’e’s conduct was ridiculous. She didn’t know what Yang-shi thought but if everyone in the third branch had Jiang Yu’e conduct, Jiang Li could understand the reason why after so many years, Jiang Yuan Xin was only a school secretary.
Really stupid, turning into a joke without knowing it.
In the male seating area, Zhou Yan Bang looked towards the direction where Jiang Li was from time to time.
Because Jiang Li was seated in the same place as Jiang You Yao, when others saw, they thought Zhou Yan Bang was looking at his fiancee, Jiang You Yao. The people beside him made fun of him and Zhou Yan Bang smiled in response, yet his mind wasn’t there.
Breaking off his marriage agreement with Jiang You Yao and once again turning Jiang Li into his wife had become Zhou Yan Bang’s obsession. It’s a pity that Ningyuan Marchioness didn’t agree to this matter, and when Ningyuan Marquis heard of this, he was furious. Zhou Yan Bang was also aware that his thinking was absurd; after all, the Jiang family wasn’t a weak and small household, how could the marriage be destroyed over and over again?
But Jiang Li was truly different.
Footnotes:
1: The emperor address himself as zhen or in this novel, gu. I’ll post an explanation in another chapter 1.