Chapter Fourteen: Return to the Manor

From Mount Qingcheng to the capital of Yanjing, the journey was not particularly long; at a leisurely pace, they arrived in just ten days. Descending from the mountains to the plains, it was not only the weather that changed, but also the scenery along the way.

The days grew steadily warmer, yet even the heat of summer could not dampen Tong’er’s curiosity and excitement. The closer they drew to Yanjing, the more frequently she would carefully lift a corner of the carriage curtain, quietly stealing glances at the passing sights.

Yuxiang sat beside Jiang Li. Although Madam Sun had come personally to fetch them, whether by intention or oversight, she had not brought along the maidservants who usually attended Jiang Li. Thus, throughout the journey, only Yuxiang and Tong’er remained by Jiang Li’s side.

The carriage itself was a fine one, lined with soft cushions. As Tong’er let the curtain fall from her hand, she turned to Yuxiang and said, “Sister Yuxiang, we’re about to enter the capital. It’s been years since I returned with our young mistress, and I have no idea what’s fashionable in the city now or what things are like. Won’t you teach me, so I don’t make a fool of myself when we get back?”

Tong’er was about the same age as Jiang Li. Back when Jiang Li was sent to Mount Qingcheng, Tong’er had scarcely been more than an ignorant child herself, so her memories of the capital were very vague.

Yuxiang chuckled. “You’ve said that no less than ten times along the way. I’ve already told you all you need to know. Besides, it’s only returning to the capital—what’s there to be so nervous about? Look at Second Miss; she doesn’t seem worried at all.”

Tong’er glanced at Jiang Li, who was quietly reading, and suddenly broke into a smile at some thought. “Of course. Our young mistress is no ordinary girl—she has nothing to be anxious about.”

Yuxiang laughed as well, but couldn’t help casting another look at Jiang Li. Throughout the journey Jiang Li had either been reading or resting with her eyes closed. Unlike Tong’er’s endless curiosity, Jiang Li seemed exceptionally calm and indifferent about returning to the capital.

Yuxiang couldn’t understand it. Regardless of the reasons for Second Miss Jiang’s exile to Mount Qingcheng—whether she’d been framed by her stepmother or had truly harmed her—after so many years away, surely she ought to show some emotion upon returning? Excitement, nervousness, curiosity, anger, resentment, or even that faint apprehension one feels upon nearing home?

But there was nothing. Second Miss Jiang simply sat quietly in the carriage, calm and composed, as if the capital and the family she had not seen in so long were of no consequence to her. The docility and serenity in her features, at times, even seemed more akin to indifference.

The carriage wheels rolled steadily onward. By the time they reached the city gates, it was nearly midday.

After the city guard had checked Madam Sun’s travel documents and let them pass, the noise of the city seemed to burst upon their ears. From outside came Madam Sun’s cheerful voice: “Second Miss, we are entering the city now.”

Jiang Li lifted the carriage curtain, and at once met the curious gazes of the townspeople. Tong’er was taken aback by the size of the crowd outside and froze for a moment.

Yuxiang smiled and explained, “The carriage of the Grand Chancellor’s residence is grand and beautiful; naturally, the people take notice. News of Second Miss’s return must have spread—these crowds have surely gathered for that reason.”

Jiang Li smiled in return. “Thank you, Sister Yuxiang, for your reminder.”

Yuxiang hastened to protest her unworthiness of thanks.

Outside, the blazing sun was almost blinding. Jiang Li took only a brief glance before letting the curtain fall again. Tong’er wanted to look out a moment longer but had to give up, feeling a faint anxiety in her heart. She wanted to comfort Jiang Li, but Jiang Li merely leaned back against the cushions, sipping her tea with unhurried composure.

She seemed utterly unconcerned.

Tong’er tugged at Jiang Li’s sleeve and whispered, “Miss, once we return home, I will do my utmost to protect you.”

This dry, awkward vow amused Jiang Li, who shook her head. “There’s nothing to fear.” The carriage curtain shut out the curious stares from outside, yet within, Jiang Li’s mind was clear as a mirror.

After the incident at Mount Qingcheng, the entire world knew that Second Miss Jiang had been sent to a nunnery. No doubt Liu Yuanfeng had seized the opportunity to implicate the Jiangs, with Lady Liu lending her assistance. Since Ji Shuran wished to prove herself a virtuous stepmother, she was obliged to silence all gossip—she not only had to bring Jiang Li home, but also make sure the entire city knew of her return.

Such a spectacle was unavoidable; whether the carriage or the guards, it was all for show, a necessity for Ji Shuran. But in doing so, she had unwittingly elevated Jiang Li’s status in the eyes of the public. Even if Second Miss Jiang was rumored to be a viperous girl who had poisoned her stepmother and brother, even after seven years in a nunnery, she was still the legitimate daughter of the Grand Chancellor, and could not be slighted.

One wondered whether Lady Ji, Jiang Li’s stepmother, was at all troubled as she orchestrated these displays.

A faint smile touched Jiang Li’s lips. She did not fear whatever awaited her at the Grand Chancellor’s residence. Even if the road ahead was fraught with peril, she would not shrink back—a person who had already died once had courage forged of iron. To become Second Miss Jiang meant she would bear both the future and the past of that name.

Her final aim was to use the Jiang family’s power to draw near to that person, to walk a path of vengeance for two souls.

The carriage continued forward, and at last came to a halt.

The bustle of the outside world seemed to fade into silence.

Madam Sun’s voice came from outside. “Second Miss, we’re home.”

Home.

This was now Jiang Li’s home.

Outside the carriage, at the gates, crowds of onlookers had gathered. News of Second Miss Jiang’s impending return had swept through the city days before. The scandal of her alleged poisoning of her stepmother had been a sensation seven years earlier, and with Jiang Yuanbai now a pillar of the court, the affairs of the Jiang family drew countless eyes.

Including those of the Second Miss, who had not set foot in the residence for seven years.

At the gates of the Jiang residence stood a large group awaiting her. At their head was a woman, gentle and beautiful, with a graceful bearing; beside her stood a young lady, charming and exquisite, her features as delicate as those of a lady in a painting. The man at their side was tall, refined, and scholarly in appearance.

These were Jiang Yuanbai, his wife Ji Shuran, and their daughter Jiang Youyao.

The whispered speculations of the crowd drifted to their ears.

“Third Miss Jiang is truly a beauty. I wonder what Second Miss looks like?”

Another scoffed, “Third Miss takes after her mother—look at Lady Jiang’s ethereal grace! I heard Second Miss’s birth mother, the former Lady Jiang, was quite plain. If Second Miss resembles her, well, there’s no comparison.”

“That’s not fair. You haven’t even seen her.”

“What of it? Looks aside, Second Miss spent seven years in a nunnery—she can’t possibly have learned proper manners or etiquette. How could she compare to Third Miss’s poise? And those nunneries are hardly clean places; who knows what she might have picked up there? She must be quite unsightly…” The voices trailed off, as if fearing their gossip might bring trouble.

Jiang Youyao nearly let a smirk slip at these remarks, but seeing Ji Shuran’s composed and dignified expression, she buried her thoughts.

Madam Sun had been calling for some time, but there was no movement from within the carriage. Jiang Yuanbai frowned slightly, and the crowd began to grow impatient. Suddenly, a clear young voice rang out from inside.

“Miss, allow me to help you down.”

The curtain was lifted, and with assistance, Second Miss Jiang stepped out of the carriage.

—End of Chapter—

At last, the return home. Time to shred the past.