Chapter 99 Part 4: Resolve
In her heart, Jiang Li scolded Ji Heng for having no sense of shame. Currently, Ji Heng was 20 years old, but Jiang second miss was just a young and inexperienced young lady. However, he unexpectedly would carelessly use his beauty to captivate people. At the time when Xue Fang Fei met with mishap, everyone in Yanjing cursed Xue Fang Fei for indulging in debauchery based on her beauty. Yet why not a single person reprimanded Ji Heng for relying on his beauty to commit violent crime?!
Jiang Li fixed her gaze on Ji Heng for a while, then suddenly said: “The duke should have heard, I just scolded Tong Zhi Yang at Li Zheng Tang’s doorway.”
“Heard.” Ji Heng nodded.
“Does the duke think that my scolding is correct?” Jiang Li wanted to fish for Ji Heng’s att.i.tude. At present, Jiang Li guessed that Tong Zhi Yang was instructed by the Li family. Ji Heng was acquainted with the Li family’s young master, Li Lian. Jiang Li wanted to know whether Ji Heng was aware that this matter had something to do with the Li family and his coming to Xiangyang, or whether it was to get involved in this matter. If Ji Heng interfered, the matter would become much more difficult to handle.
“Miss Jiang second called me to watch the play without commenting,” Ji Heng smilingly said: “I don’t know.”
This person, unmoved by force or persuasion, not a drop of water can leak out, really angering people.
Jiang Li said: “If the duke could continue to watch the play silently, that would be good.”
Ji Heng merely smiled without speaking.
Then, Jiang Li started talking to herself: “Tong Zhi Yang has an official brother in law called Zhong. Official Zhong is the Right Prime Minister’s young son, Li Lian’s person. So to speak, this Tong Zhi Yang is still a person under the Right Prime Minister. Really cannot be underestimated.”
Ji Heng’s hand holding the fan paused slightly, his gaze as he looked at Jiang Li had some consideration.
Lu Ji was startled, Jiang Li even knows about this? This little twist and turn might not be necessarily known to Jiang Li’s father, Jiang Yuan Bai. It’s impossible that Jiang Li had found out about this thing in advance, also it’s impossible to use the administrator under Jiang Yuan Bai to investigate. How did she know?
Ji Heng: “It seems the second miss knows these things from the inside out.”
“Because my father is the chief a.s.sistant.” Jiang Li spoke softly: “Our Jiang family has a lot of enemies, a single carelessness could touch someone’s path. The Right Prime Minister’s Li family and my father are sworn enemies. What kind of person is in the forces of sworn enemies must be memorized. Otherwise, being dubiously calculated by a foot soldier could be regarded as a disaster.”
Ji Heng smiled: “With Miss Jiang second here, I reckon the Jiang family will not be calculated against, and still possible to continue on for a hundred years.”
“The duke is joking,” Jiang Li said: “the power behind the Right Prime Minister is not small. How do we dare to hit a stone with an egg.”
There’s craftiness carried between her brows. Although her tone was gentle and courteous, there’s probing in every step.
She didn’t fall at all while sparring with Ji Heng. Lu Ji was somewhat amazed, supposed that the person sitting here was a middle-aged person and not a youngster, he would not be this astonished. On the contrary, it was a teenage girl, and still a n.o.ble daughter in a boudoir.
She was truly an unusual young girl, not like Jiang Yuan Bai in the slightest.
“Oh?” Ji Heng raised his eyebrows, “you were not afraid when you reprimanded Tong Zhi Yang at the doorway just now.”
Jiang Li smiled sweetly: “That’s because of the common people, for the common people, don’t mention Tong Zhi Yang, even if it was the Right Prime Minister, Li Zhong Nan that came, I will also not be afraid.”
Lu Ji nearly shouted in admiration!
He believed he was knowledgeable when talking about bureaucratic words. But this young girl was something else. Seeing people, talking about people, when the words turned strange, she would talk nonsense, her face did not change and did not turn red, continuously showing a magnanimous and honest appearance, rendering people speechless.
Ji Heng was also unable to respond.
It’s unclear how much time pa.s.sed before he scoffed. Not just mocking, but he genuinely thought that Jiang Li’s words were ridiculous. He said: “Second miss makes one admire.”
“This time, more or less, will make the Right Prime Minister angry.” Jiang Li sighed, “There’s also no other way about it.”
“The Right Prime Minister will not take his anger out on you.” Ji Heng smiled, “For the common people.”
Jiang Li said: “That would be great.” She stood up, patted the dust on her sleeves that was not yet brushed away, rubbed by the common people who were making noise in Li Zheng Tang, then said to Ji Heng: “Saw the duke here just now, thus specially came over to greet. Now that the greeting has been done, I’ll go and help older sister and older brother who are still busy, no longer accompany the duke to chat.” She gave a polite and formal courtesy to Ji Heng, “I’ll take my leave.”
Ji Heng had no intention of sending her and merely replied with an indifferent smile: “Miss Jiang second, goodbye.”
Jiang Li smiled slightly before leaving the room unhurriedly. Facing Ji Heng over and over again, though she was still on guard, it could be seen that she was calmer when handling Ji Heng compared to the first time.
This little girl grew very quickly.
Jiang Li left the room in the teahouse and walked downstairs, her heart beating very fast.
The words she said just now, “This time, more or less, will make the Right Prime Minister angry.”, was probing. And the result was as expected, the matter of Tong Zhi Yang targeting the Ye family had something to do with the Right Prime Minister. Based on Ji Heng’s reply, “The Right Prime Minister will not take his anger out on you.”, which gave an approval to Li Zhong Nan’s existence.
Jiang Li lowered her eyes, Li Zhong Nan is part of it, no wonder Tong Zhi Yang has so much guts. But so what? Just right, borrowing this opportunity to make the matter bigger, pulling the Jiang family’s banner, thoroughly disconnecting the Right Prime Minister and the Jiang family’s subtle balance. At the same time, severing the possibility of Cheng w.a.n.g wanting to rope in Jiang Yuan Bai.
Let Cheng w.a.n.g and the Jiang family turn into enemies with irreconcilable differences. Either you die and I live, in this case, Jiang Yuan Bai could cut off his means of retreat, and without any hesitation, justly and honorably, launches an attack on Cheng w.a.n.g boldly and confidently.
This was her motive.
Inside the room, Lu Ji watched Jiang Li’s figure as she gradually walked further away. He sighed deeply and said: “Truly the back wave of the Yangtze River pushing the front wave, the younger generations will surpa.s.s us in time.”
Jiang Li gave him a huge lesson. At only 15 years old, she already had such scheming, it made people look forward to what unknown stage she would mature to in a few years.
“Tricked.” Ji Heng suddenly opened his mouth.
“What?” Lu Ji was stunned.
“As it turns out, just now she was fishing for clues in my words.” Ji Heng recalled something and laughed suddenly, “Tong Zhi Yang is not her opponent.”
He said: “The little girl is quite shrewd.”