Chapter 49
After resting in the temple for two days and their legs and feet no longer felt so sore, they prepared to return home.
On the way back home, Jiang Zhaoli was absent-minded and extremely bored. The image of the man standing with his back to him a few days ago kept appearing in his mind and could not be shaken off.
Seeing this, Chuntao lowered the curtain, gradually fell silent, and dared not make any more noise.
Passing through the small town, the hawking of a street vendor dispelled some of her boredom. It was an old man selling wooden carvings.
She immediately told Chuntao to get off the car and buy some to take back for Jiang Yuxing and Yaya, the youngest maid in the mansion, to play with as small toys.
When she arrived at Jiang's house, she had just sent someone to deliver the things when Jiang Yuxing came jumping into the yard and talked to her for a long time. He also complained to her about how much Yaya stuck to her every day, and how she was always writing nonsense and making up some sour poems. She only knew how to study hard, without any brains, and didn't behave like a child at all. She was very pretentious.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhaoli smiled faintly. There was finally another studious girl in the mansion. Let her learn more from Yaya and not just think about playing all day. Nowadays, girls with knowledge can still make a name for themselves. Don't regret it in the future.
Jiang Yuxing didn't believe it. She snorted coldly, made a face at her, and said that if her Third Aunt hadn't insisted on going to the jail to visit that rascal Third Uncle today, she wouldn't have looked after Yaya, this little and troublesome girl.
Jiang Zhaoli smiled. Her third sister was always tough on the outside but soft on the inside. Although she said she disliked Yaya, there was no dislike in her eyes.
Unconsciously, she had already treated Yaya as a family member.
Yaya is an obedient and quiet girl. She is always respectful to her Third Aunt and greets her grandfather every day. She has grown up with her Third Aunt and will definitely be a good and clear-minded girl in the future.
Her thoughts gradually became longer and longer, and the scene of Thousand Buddha Temple flashed before her eyes again. She tapped her forehead and sighed, wondering why he appeared again since he had left.
—
During this period, in order to divert his attention, Jiang Zhaoli focused all his energy on the Jiang Mansion. He was busy running around and running between the shops in the mansion. Gradually, the revenue of the Jiang Mansion increased greatly.
Huang Er was a down-to-earth person who had been with her for many years and was a conscientious person. Jiang Zhaoli first asked for his opinion and promoted him to be the owner of the Rouge Shop, managing two shops and offering two salaries. Huang Er was naturally happy about it.
In a blink of an eye, three years have passed. The elder sister and elder brother Song have already married and have a son. They are now happily married. Because they live close to each other, I can always see the elder sister bringing her little nephew to visit the Jiang Mansion on weekdays. Sometimes they stay for a long time and forget the time, but elder brother Song can always rush to pick up the elder sister and take her back home as soon as possible, which makes people very envious.
It seems that everything is going in an orderly manner.
There was no more news from her old friend from afar, and she never sent anyone to look for him again. The two of them lost contact tacitly and disappeared from each other's lives.
During this period, everyone advised her to find another husband, but she just smiled and declined.
In recent years, the Min Kingdom and the Chao Kingdom have been fighting on the border of Luocheng without any pause. Because Luocheng is the closest to the Min Kingdom, a large number of wounded are carried back to Luocheng from five miles away for recuperation every day. For this reason, the Lord of Luocheng specially built a large area of houses for their use.
That day, after she finished her affairs at home as usual, she suddenly had the idea of going for a stroll in Changming Street.
Changming Street is still bustling as always, but it seems different today. There are more wounded today than usual. After some inquiries, I learned that the soldiers were ambushed by the Fujian people and were defeated for a while. When the news spread, people were in panic.
Some people have already started planning to escape.
The soldiers are all fighting on the front line, and there are not enough people in the rear. If the wounded are not treated in time, their lives may be in danger.
She immediately decided to go back home and organize some people to participate in the care of the wounded, and promised to distribute silver and money to people every day. This move naturally attracted many people, including several managers who had grudges with her.
When Jiang Zhaoli saw that it was these people, he wanted to refuse, but they smiled shyly and said that they didn't need to pay him and just considered it as atonement.
She took all the people to the Ministry of Finance and handed them over to Secretary Song for dispatch. Secretary Song naturally accepted the task with pleasure. He was short of manpower at the moment, and this was really a timely help. He came just in time and exchanged greetings with her before going to get busy.
The busy clerks in the Ministry of Finance all stole glances and giggled. Their boss was becoming more and more shy now, and they didn't know if there would be another chance. They always thought that the second Miss Jiang didn't seem to have any intentions in that direction. When she spoke to people, she kept just the right distance, never overstepping the line, and was frank and open.
Jiang Zhaoli was naturally unaware of what they said. He said goodbye to Song Tisi and went to the shop to check the revenue.
That day, she went to the market to look for Huang Er as usual to find out about something. When she passed Changming Street, she suddenly saw an acquaintance lying on a stretcher. She was slightly stunned. This person was one of the people who broke into her room and asked her where Yin Su was when the Jiang Mansion was trapped three years ago. She remembered that he said his name was Zou Yuan.
If he hadn't delayed time, she would have been killed by the woman named Chu Yun.
At this moment, he was seriously injured, with blood oozing from his arm continuously. Even though he was covered with bedding, a lot of blood still seeped out.
Isn't he a Min person? Why was he carried to Luocheng? It couldn't be that they carried the wrong person. The armor he wore had the totem of the Chao Kingdom.
Confused in his heart, Jiang Zhaoli explained the situation to Song Tisi and then went to see him.
Zou Yuan was stabbed several times on his arms and chest, with some deep and some shallow, and a bloody mess. Fortunately, he was rescued in time and was not in danger of life. The doctor bandaged him and applied medicine on him and carried him to the next room, and then took over the next wounded person.
When Zou Yuan saw the person coming, he almost lost his breath and stared at her in astonishment. His face was pale and he looked weak. He called out weakly, "Miss Jiang... Miss Jiang."
Jiang Zhaoli nodded at him: "No need to say more." She took out the best medicine and placed it on the small table beside the couch.
Due to the large number of injured people, many medicines were in short supply. Some of the medicines used were not top-quality, and some were extremely rare and expensive, so they could only be replaced with generic alternatives. Although the effects were the same, they were far from achieving the desired results.
Zou Yuan forced a smile: "Thank you."
Jiang Zhaoli smiled back: "No need to thank me, I should thank you for saving me during the incident at Jiang Mansion."
Zou Yuan shook his head slightly: "I just accepted someone's request."
Jiang Zhaoli did not ask him who had entrusted him with the task. He just nodded lightly, told him to have a good rest, and was about to leave. Just as he turned around and had not taken a step, he heard him calling him faintly.
"Miss Jiang Er, wait a moment."
Jiang Zhaoli paused slightly and looked at him in confusion.
Zou Yuan hesitated and said, "Can you...can you please stop holding a grudge against Ah Su?"
"A Su was killing enemies on the battlefield just like me. He had no choice but to do what he did. But from beginning to end, he never thought of hurting you."
"We should be able to achieve a great victory in the next few days, and Ah Su will return safely."
Three years later, Jiang Zhaoli's heart trembled slightly when he heard the name again.
—
A few days later, a great victory came as expected. The three-year war was finally over. The Chao Kingdom won a great victory, but also lost a lot of people. It was said that the Prince of Yuncheng led his troops directly into the enemy camp and captured the Princess of Min and all the princes alive.
As soon as the news came out, the people of Luo City rushed to see it, and surrounded Changming Street. Everyone praised the Yuncheng prince for his courage and ability to take charge of things, showing the true spirit of a general.
The maids in the mansion were discussing Prince Yun in private and were overheard by Jiang Zhaoli several times.
Even the always picky third sister said that if she gets married in the future, she would find a man like Prince Yun, who is not afraid of danger and bravely rushes into the enemy camp. He is a truly upright man who can defend his country and protect her in the future.
Jiang Zhaoli nodded and agreed with his face that it was true, but he was thinking about something else in his heart. Last time, Zou Yuan said that Yin Su was also fighting on the front line. So, was he like Zou Yuan, also representing the Chao Kingdom? However, there has been no news about him in the past few days.
She poked her head, wondering what this had to do with her.
When she decided to ask Zou Yuan again, Song Ti Si said that he had been taken away by someone, and he didn't know who it was.
After returning to the Jiang Mansion, she walked to the bedroom and picked up the purse on the bedside. Inside was a yellow amulet with symbols drawn on it. She stared at it in a daze and gently stroked it with her fingertips.
This was something the man at the Thousand Buddha Temple put in her purse. She had kept it in the cabinet beside her bed and had never taken it out.
At this time, someone knocked on the door, and Jiang Zhaoli put the amulet away in time.
"Miss, this is an invitation from Yuncheng, sent to Luo Mansion, delivered by City Lord Luo himself." Chuntao hurriedly handed her a book invitation and repeated what City Lord Luo had said to her word for word.
Lord Luo said that the Jiang family was the richest family in Luocheng, and they should set an example and represent Luocheng to attend the banquet in Yuncheng.
It was a great joy for the Prince of Yuncheng to have won the battle, so he planned to hold a grand banquet to celebrate with the people and invited everyone to attend the banquet.
Chun Tao was very pleased with herself and did not forget to brag about herself. It was not common to see businessmen receiving invitations from the city lord, which showed that the Jiang family still had some reputation in Yuncheng.
Jiang Zhaoli didn't believe it and she remained silent for a long time. The Jiang family didn't have a shop in Yuncheng and she had never been to Yuncheng. Why would an invitation from Yuncheng be sent to the Jiang Mansion?
There were too many loopholes, and City Lord Luo did not explain in detail. She was afraid it would be inappropriate to send someone to inquire now.
But since it was sent by City Lord Luo himself, it couldn't be a prank.
In the past few years, the relationship between the Jiang family and City Lord Luo has been at a stalemate. When the defense map was lost, City Lord Luo was furious and put them under custody. Although the Jiang family was acquitted in the end, Yin Suzeng was a member of the Jiang family after all, and this incident was caused by her.
Since City Lord Luo came in person to give her this face, she had to accept it. She might as well take this opportunity to ease the relationship.
After Jiang Zhaoli explained the reason to the old man, the old man did not say anything else. He just told her not to think too much and to just take this trip to Yuncheng as a way to relax.
Hearing this, Jiang Zhaoli was slightly stunned. His grandfather used to be the most disapproving of things like traveling. He thought it was a waste of time and it would be better to spend time on things that should be used more.
Could it be that her miserable look in recent years was too obvious that even her grandfather couldn't stand it? Thinking of this, Jiang Zhaoli touched his face unconsciously. It couldn't be that exaggerated.
She returned to the courtyard to pack up for a while, then took her two maids and a coachman and hurried to Yuncheng.
Not long after she left the city gate, she heard a horse neighing behind her. Song Shiyan chased after her alone, grinning and waving at her: "Jiang Zhaoli."
Hearing this, Jiang Zhaoli lifted the curtain and said in surprise: "Song Shiyan, why are you here?"
Song Shiyan: "I'll accompany you to the banquet in Yuncheng."
Jiang Zhaoli was silent for a moment: "…You go back, I can go by myself."
Song Shiyan raised his chin: "It's not me who wants to come here, it's Mr. Jiang who asked me to come here, he doesn't trust you to go alone."
"You can't expect that boring guy Song Tisi to accompany you, right?"
Jiang Zhaoli: “…”
—
Yuncheng is different from Luocheng. Yuncheng is named after water, and its villages are all run through streams. Therefore, the grain yield is extremely high.
Jiang Zhaoli observed carefully along the way and found that the water flow became more abundant as she got closer to Yuncheng.
The banquet was held in the evening five days later. The two of them traveled non-stop for nearly five days before arriving in Yuncheng, so they were not considered late.
After handing in the post, the guard looked at the two of them carefully and respectfully let them pass.
The streets of Yuncheng were crowded with people, and they were almost stuck in the street and unable to escape. Fortunately, the guard at the city gate was kind and found someone to take them through another route, thus avoiding the crowds.
We learned from the people that the prince of Yuncheng has returned and will meet with the people at the city gate today.
City Lord Xiao is quite prestigious in Yuncheng and is loved by the people. They were happy when the Crown Prince returned three years ago. This time they don’t have to worry about City Lord Xiao having no successor in Yuncheng a hundred years later. If that were the case, the court would definitely appoint a new city lord to live in Yuncheng.
Who knows whether the new city lord is a good official who speaks up for the people.
They still firmly believe that like father, like son.
Early in the morning, the people of Yuncheng gathered here, young and old alike, all standing on tiptoe to look at the second floor of the city gate.
Song Shiyan lifted the curtain and glared, then folded his hands behind his head and said nonchalantly, "Such a big fuss has been made. I wonder if the prince of Yuncheng is as handsome as this young master."
"He only has a powerful mother who can confer an official title on him."
Jiang Zhaoli glanced at him and said carefully: "He didn't get the position of the crown prince by relying on his mother. He earned it himself. I wonder if you have heard of his deeds."
"I heard that when Prince Xiao was three years old, he went to the imperial study to play alone. He happened to see ministers discussing government affairs and accidentally knocked over the cup on the right hand side of the emperor. Because of this, the emperor immediately decided to repair the dam, which benefited the people around him for decades."
"Afterwards, even the Imperial Astronomical Observatory said that he was a man of extraordinary luck, and that he was specially conferred the title of Crown Prince for the sake of enriching the country and making it prosperous."
"Who would have thought that the young master would be lost before the Ministry of Rites had even completed the procedures? It's a miracle that he's been found now."
"It's just good luck." Song Shiyan sneered, but after hearing the last sentence, he said, "This luck is really bad."
Jiang Zhaoli: “…”
Song Shiyan: "But I can only say that I admire his heroic deeds in attacking the Min Kingdom this time."
There's nothing to criticize, this is really excellent.
"But..." He scratched his head and glanced at her guiltily: "I told you, can you please not be angry?"
"Your son-in-law seems to be from Fujian, right? Have you really forgotten about him?"
Afraid that she didn't understand, he simply sat up straight and said bluntly: "You really have erased her from your heart? You don't have any illusions about her anymore?"
Jiang Zhaoli held his forehead with his hand: "..."
What kind of delusion could she have? She just hoped that he would have peace and happiness in his life.
As for whether they will meet in the future or not, or whether she will forget him or not, she hopes not to meet him, and even more so, she hopes to forget him or not.
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