Chapter 41
She woke up suddenly, gasping for breath, and tears as big as beans slowly slid down her face and fell on the bedding with a plop, instantly wetting a small area of it.
The room was pitch black and quiet all around, but the chirping of cicadas could be clearly heard.
She picked up the handkerchief and wiped her tears.
Fortunately, she exhaled slightly, fortunately it was just a dream.
But I knew it was a dream. When I woke up, why did I feel so uncomfortable in my heart? It felt like someone was grabbing my chest and it was difficult to even breathe.
The frightening scene in the dream was reflected in his mind very clearly at this moment. In the dream, Yin Su was covered with wounds and was tied to the guillotine and beheaded. Jiang Zhaoli suddenly covered his chest with his hands, his brows slightly furrowed. The pain in the dream has not disappeared until now.
The dream lingered around her for a long time, until the evening. Whenever she thought about it, her chest still ached slightly, and she was exhausted from the torture.
—
In a blink of an eye, it was the day to attend the flower banquet. Jiang Zhaoli wore a light pink narrow-sleeved cross-collared skirt with a few floral patterns embroidered on it. She tied a red ribbon around her waist that hung down the edge of her skirt, making her look delicate and charming.
This was something the wet nurse had specially found out about Hongniang a few days ago. Everything was done according to her preferences.
After finishing her makeup, she had a simple breakfast and then walked towards the mansion gate.
She only brought two maids from the courtyard with her. Chuntao had been sent by her to take care of other things recently, so Jiang Zhaoli did not bring her this time. Nanny Hong was old, and it was not suitable for her to move around too much, let alone be by her side for everything.
There was a carriage parked at the door, and the servant had already been sitting in front of the carriage, ready. When he saw Jiang Zhaoli coming out, he jumped off the horse and bowed to her, "Second Miss."
Jiang Zhaoli nodded slightly, and when she turned around, she saw Yin Su's figure walking towards her not far away.
She forgot that he had also received an invitation some time ago.
After not seeing him for a few days, his expression remained the same, but upon closer inspection, his amber eyes looked a little tired. When he approached, he pursed his lips and said in a hoarse voice, "There are many people here today, Madam Jiang, why don't you let me follow you?"
This time, Jiang Zhaoli did not ask him to leave, nor did she refuse him out loud. Perhaps because of the dream she had last night, she did not want the two of them to live like enemies.
On the way, the two didn't say a word. Although Jiang Zhaoli lowered her head, she could feel Yin Su's burning gaze on her, never leaving for a moment.
She took a deep breath, trying to ease the annoyance in her heart, but it was all in vain.
The depressing atmosphere made her feel uneasy. She lifted the curtain and looked outside. The fresh air that rushed in hit her face, briefly relaxing her tight chest.
People were coming and going on the street, and most of them were heading in one direction - Luo Mansion.
If I'm lucky today, I can make friends with big businessmen in various cities. It would be great if I could get a few business deals from them.
Some small merchants would try their best to get in. Merchants from the outer cities who did not receive the invitation could write a letter to the Luo Mansion ten days before the banquet to explain the reason. The Luo Mansion would then send back an invitation until five days before the banquet.
Some small merchants who were unable to enter the mansion gathered in front of the Luo mansion, waiting expectantly for the people coming and going, waiting for people from the mansion to enter or leave.
As soon as Jiang Zhaoli got off the carriage, a bustling crowd rushed up, like hungry wolves rushing towards their prey. Each of them held a palm-sized piece of hard rice paper with densely written words on it. Jiang Zhaoli knew what was written on it without having to guess. It undoubtedly stated what business the person was in, the specific price, and the location.
If a man relies on his height and strength and snorts lightly, no one will dare to step forward. Even if there are enough guards around to protect him, they still dare not step forward. If a weak person is pushed and falls to the ground, something serious will happen.
Seeing this, Yin Su's eyes darkened and he glanced at the group of people coldly. He took the opportunity to block Jiang Zhaoli behind him and warned the crowd who were ready to move with his eyes. After hesitating for a few times, those people turned back and did not come any closer.
The weak merchants from the outer cities nearby did not understand the situation in Los Angeles, but were surrounded by people and were caught in a dilemma...
Jiang Zhaoli and Yin Su had no obstacles. They handed the invitation to the guard smoothly and were led into Luo Mansion by a servant. After arriving at the mansion, Jiang Zhaoli took the initiative to separate from Yin Su.
Yin Su looked at her receding figure, his expression dimmed.
The Luo Mansion is not prosperous, not as luxurious as a merchant's home, and different from the Tixingsi. The Tixingsi is strict, while the Luo Mansion is simple.
The servant of the Luo Mansion led everyone into the hall.
Lord Zhuang and Lord Wang also came to keep the appointment. Seeing Yin Su was also there, they spoke to him alone. After they separated, they started talking to the person who had just come in with a smile on their faces. Looking at his flattering attitude, one could tell that he must be of a high official position.
The lobby here is very large, with twenty long wooden tables, all of which are labeled with mansions and surnames.
Jiang Zhaoli sat in the first row, closest to the seat. It was the same every year. She would find a seat and sit down without talking to anyone.
Most people did not recognize the head of the Jiang family. They only knew that she was a woman, but did not know what she looked like. Now that Jiang Zhaoli sat down, everyone was stunned at first, then whispered to each other, and finally swarmed around her.
They were all small businessmen who recommended themselves, hoping to have more cooperation with the Jiang family in the future. Jiang Zhaoli stood up, smiled and agreed, nodding one by one.
As they were talking excitedly, City Lord Luo arrived. He walked briskly and was followed by two servants.
Looking back, he was followed by Yin Su. His face was heavy, his lips were tightly pursed, and his eyes seemed to be filled with a lingering sadness. He looked in her direction from time to time.
Jiang Zhaoli lowered her eyes and avoided her gaze. The next moment, Yin Su turned and sat next to her, sharing a table with her.
Lord Luo stood on a high place and roughly explained the purpose of this year's flower banquet. The current situation in Luo City is that the number of refugees is increasing dramatically day by day. He has reported the situation to the court. The relief grain from the court will take at least a month to arrive.
During this period, the merchants in Los Angeles were required to contribute some money to help the refugees outside overcome their difficulties. This move would also protect the people in the city.
The number of refugees outside is increasing. If they are not managed in time, once someone instigates them, they will unite against the common enemy and the city gates of Los Angeles may not be able to be blocked.
They are all citizens of the Chao Dynasty, and we cannot treat them like we are at war.
What's more, these refugees seemed to have come to Luocheng intentionally as if they were organized. He had made special inquiries in the past few days and found out that there were very few refugees in places like Yuncheng and Yuecheng, only a few sparse people, so it was convenient to provide relief.
Now the city gate is crowded with people, and finding someone would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, so he doesn't know who is behind this.
The purpose of this flower banquet was for them to exchange experiences and learn the ins and outs of doing business, but who knew they would encounter the refugee issue instead.
As the city lord, he had to take care of it, but his ability was limited. Even if he transferred food from other cities, it would take more than ten days. Now that food was in short supply, people might not be willing to lend it, so he had to pin his hopes on these merchants.
Many people looked at each other in embarrassment. There were so many refugees, how much should they donate? Some people thought it had nothing to do with them, so why should they help irrelevant people?
City Lord Luo's gaze fell on her first. Jiang Zhaoli stood up, presented one thousand taels of silver notes with both hands, and donated one thousand kilograms of grain.
Everyone was surprised, and they were afraid that if they didn't donate this time, they would not receive an invitation next time. After weighing the pros and cons, everyone rushed to follow suit, but most of them only donated more than ten or twenty kilograms of food, and about ten or twenty taels of silver.
After all, it's something that won't pay off, so just do your best within your ability.
City Lord Luo said a few simple words, and then someone came to look for him. He seemed to be in a hurry, so he left in a hurry. Before leaving, he told everyone to look for Lord Zhuang if they had any questions, and the rest could be discussed on their own.
Everyone looked at each other, feeling a little panicked. Could it be that something had happened in Luo City? Luo City had always been the safest of all the cities. Now that Lord Luo was so panicked, it couldn't be that something had really happened in Luo City.
Lord Zhuang stopped the rumors in time and told everyone that City Lord Luo was only going to deal with the refugees, and it was not the Min Kingdom that was attacking. The Min Kingdom was a vassal state, and they did not have the courage to do so, so everyone could be relieved.
Luocheng is the closest city to Min State. If Min State really starts a war, they will definitely attack Luocheng first. In recent years, Min State's strength has gradually increased. They have to pay tribute to Chao State with a large amount of tea and fruits every year. Now it is said that the people of Min State are dissatisfied, feel that they have suffered losses, and want to take action.
These rumors are not unreliable. At least Jiang Zhaoli believes them. She believes that the Min Kingdom really has the courage to do so. Otherwise, why would Yin Su appear in Luocheng.
Just as he was thinking about it, a man in a green round-necked robe came to find Jiang Zhaoli with a cup in his hand. He had a dark complexion and deep eye sockets, giving people a sense of shrewdness and calculation.
"Miss Jiang Er, nice to meet you." He said, shaking the cup in his hand.
"I have heard of the name of Miss Jiang Er for a long time, but I have never seen her in person. Now that I see her today, she is truly as beautiful as a fairy."
Yin Su glanced at him coldly, and the chopsticks in his hand were instantly broken by him. They fell to the ground with a snap: "Slippery tongue."
The man drank it all in one gulp, turned the cup over, and showed the empty side to Jiang Zhaoli to show his sincerity.
Yin Su sneered and cursed the loading under his breath.
Jiang Zhaoli poured himself a glass of wine, smiled politely at the man, and planned to drink it all.
Just as it touched his lips, it was snatched away by a big hand. It was Yin Su. His face was gloomy and unhappy. His deep and shallow eyes stared at the man and he chuckled: "She is not very convenient. I will drink this cup for her."
He smiled at the man, with a warning look in his eyes.
The man was stunned and looked at Jiang Zhaoli in confusion: "What is he doing..."
Jiang Zhaoli smiled apologetically and explained to the people: "Forgive me, he is my husband."
Hearing the word "husband", the young man frowned, and the look he gave Yin Su was not good, and even a little contemptuous: "You are the son-in-law of the Jiang Mansion." "What a pretty boy."
Yin Su lowered his eyes and played with the empty cup, smiling: "Yes."
The man's eyes flashed with disdain. How dare a freeloader like him shout at him? He rolled his eyes and raised his voice to attract everyone's attention: "Madam Jiang and I are toasting, and you, a son-in-law, dare to make decisions for your master."
Hearing this, Jiang Zhaoli frowned, and her eyes turned from indifference to annoyance when she looked at the man. She took a step forward, stood in front of Yin Su, and said with force: "Sir, please be more respectful to my husband. He is not a son-in-law of the Jiang family. He is my husband, Jiang Zhaoli, and naturally the head of the Jiang family. If you dare to humiliate him with words again, you will not be able to do business with the Jiang family in the future."
When the man heard this, he panicked.
That's not right. Why is Miss Jiang so concerned about a son-in-law? He has been observing from behind for a long time. Miss Jiang never said a word to the son-in-law from beginning to end, and didn't even look at him. Instead, the son-in-law's eyes were always on Miss Jiang. He thought that she didn't like the son-in-law, so he wanted to take the opportunity to say a few words to him, but who knew that Miss Jiang was so angry.
The man gritted his teeth and silently comforted himself in his heart. It was not shameful to apologize, but it would be shameful to lose the business, and he would definitely be scolded to death by his father when he returned home.
Thinking of this, he quickly apologized to Yin Su, drank three cups as punishment, and retreated back into the crowd in disgrace.
Jiang Zhaoli said nothing, turned around and left the venue.
There really wasn't much to see in the Luo Mansion. Two words evoked it from top to bottom: poor.
She turned and came to an open space with few people. There were weeds growing here. There was not even a footprint. There was only a green area. It seemed that no one had been here for a long time and it had not even been taken care of.
It was quiet here and she didn't need to be disturbed. From time to time, the sound of birds could be heard from the sky. She looked up and saw a sparrow flying by and landing on the treetop.
She had just dealt with many people and didn't want to talk to anyone anymore.
Her Jiang family didn't use these tricks to make friends with others. On weekdays, many people came to them to cooperate with them. There would be no loss whether she came or not to this kind of flower banquet. It was just that City Lord Luo had invited her, so she had to give him face.
In an instant, Yin Su also followed out.
He said nothing, just stood silently behind her, neither moving forward nor backward, with both of them keeping a certain distance.
Jiang Zhaoli pretended not to see it and just focused on observing the bird. In the moment he was distracted, the bird had flown away without him noticing.
"Madam Jiang." Yin Su called softly. Jiang Zhaoli did not respond, but turned her head to look.
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