Chapter 142 Spreading Out

The death of Lady Ji should have been a major event, yet within the Jiang residence, it was treated with even less regard than Concubine Hu. Nevertheless, with two deaths occurring in rapid succession within the span of a few days, dragging the bloody truths of the past into the light, the atmosphere in the Jiang household could hardly be described as cheerful. This winter was also noticeably colder than previous years.

As if attempting to compensate for the regrets of Jiang Li's past, Old Madame Jiang and Jiang Yuanbo were exceptionally compliant with her every wish, tending to her affairs down to the smallest detail. Pearls and jades from the Old Madame's personal attendants had been sent over with clothing and silver on multiple occasions. Jiang Li accepted all of these gentle offerings one by one, appearing to harbor no estrangement. However, upon learning of Jiang Li's mild reactions, Old Madame Jiang only let out a deep, sorrowful sigh.

Lady Ji was to be buried, but the official narrative declared she had died suddenly of a swift illness overnight. No matter how outsiders whispered, harboring doubts and confusion, the Ji family—Lady Ji's maternal clan—remained completely silent, implicitly endorsing this version of events.

Consequently, while the citizens of Yanjing might casually gossip over tea about whether there was a hidden story behind Ji Shuran's death, the lack of any concrete evidence meant the topic was quickly dropped in favor of other conversations.

Ji Shuran's coffin was not interred until seven days had passed. Throughout those seven days, only Jiang Youyao kept vigil for her. Jiang Bingji was far too young, and while Jiang Li was nominally Ji Shuran's daughter, Ji Shuran had murdered her biological mother—how could she possibly keep vigil for her mother's killer? As for the rest of the Jiang family, Ji Shuran carried the weight of multiple lives and had murdered the former mistress; anyone who would mourn such a murderer would be directly opposing Old Madame Jiang.

Enduring profound humiliation, Jiang Youyao kept vigil for Ji Shuran all by herself. Upon first learning of Ji Shuran's death, Jiang Youyao had been frantic to confront Old Madame Jiang and Jiang Yuanbo, but neither of them would even grant her an audience. It was only when Jinhua, her personal maid, reminded her that this was clearly the Old Madame's decree that Jiang Youyao finally faced reality. At the same time, a deep, bone-chilling terror began to take root in her heart.

The Jiang family could murder her mother without a second thought; they could just as easily murder her! Terror eclipsed grief, leaving Jiang Youyao with no room to seek justice or cry grievances for Ji Shuran. Initially, she had pinned all her hopes on the Ji family, waiting only for them to arrive at the Jiang residence and take her away with them. Yet, ever since Ji Shuran's death, the Ji family never even showed their faces.

They did not even send condolences.

At that moment, Jiang Youyao truly understood that both her mother and she herself had been abandoned by the Ji family. From then on, within the Jiang household, she could only rely on herself.

All of these details reached Jiang Li's ears through Tong'er's chatter. Jiang Li was not surprised by Jiang Youyao's actions. Ji Shuran had always managed everything for Jiang Youyao, naturally fostering in her a habit of depending on others whenever trouble arose. But this time, the Ji family was bound to disappoint her. To maintain at least a superficial peace and avoid a complete falling out with the Jiang family, the Ji family would never make a single move to avenge Ji Shuran.

With Ji Shuran buried, Jiang Youyao temporarily sank into silence, and the household remained peaceful without further incident. Jiang Li continued her daily visits to the Ye family to observe Situ Jiuyue administer acupuncture to Xue Huaiyuan. Although there was still no visible improvement, at least she had something anchoring her thoughts.

However, on this particular day, the rare tranquility was shattered.

Jiang Li had just risen, letting Tong'er comb her hair as she planned a trip to the Ye residence, when Qingfeng suddenly hurried into the inner room. "Mistress! Something has happened!"

Tong'er's hand jerked, the hairpin slipped from her grasp, and the nearly finished coiffure unraveled, letting the dark hair cascade down her back. Ignoring it, Jiang Li looked toward Qingfeng and asked, "What is it?"

"When this servant went out to the market today to buy provisions, everyone on the streets was talking about Lady Ji's death!"

"Let them talk," Tong'er said, puzzled. "Weren't people talking about it already?"

"No," Qingfeng stammered, too flustered to speak clearly. "They are saying Lady Ji died because she committed adultery and bore an illegitimate child! Now that the scandal has been exposed, our master took her life with his own hands!"

"What?" Jiang Li's brows furrowed as she stood up.

"Isn't that just the truth?" Baiwei, holding a tray of hot tea, froze at these words. "Didn't the household forbid anyone from speaking of this outside? How did it leak?"

"No matter how it leaked, it should be a good thing for us," Tong'er said with satisfaction. "Our mistress suffered such wrongs; even though Lady Ji is dead, the groundless accusations against our mistress were still hanging over her. Now the truth is out, and everyone knows our mistress was framed for patricide and matricide back then. Our mistress has finally regained her innocence."

"Her innocence is restored, yes," Baiwei shook her head, "but this way, everyone in the mansion will assume the mistress was the one who leaked it."

Tong'er was stunned, and Qingfeng chimed in, "That's precisely the logic of it!"

"How unjust!" Tong'er cried out. "We didn't breathe a single word outside!"

Jiang Li fell into deep thought.

Although she very much wished to clear the second young miss of those charges, she also knew she had to consider the bigger picture. Family scandals should not be aired publicly; if this matter became common knowledge across the streets, it would do no good for the second young miss's reputation and would hinder Jiang Yuanbo's official career. If Jiang Yuanbo fell, the Jiang family would inevitably be carved up and devoured by rivals. Hence, she had never intended to let word of Ji Shuran's affairs get out.

If it wasn't her, then who? The indentured contracts of all the household servants were held by the masters. Although the Old Madame was aged, she possessed the means—through coercion or enticement—to keep the servants thoroughly disciplined. Furthermore, for the servants, self-preservation was paramount; everyone knew that speaking out meant certain death.

Who on earth could it have been?

Before she could puzzle it out, she suddenly heard Mingyue's startled cry from outside: "Third Young Miss, you cannot go in!"

Immediately following came Jiang Youyao's shrill, angry voice: "Get out of my way!" followed by the sound of Mingyue being shoved aside.

Jiang Youyao stormed in aggressively.

Jiang Li stood up and looked at her.

Meeting Jiang Li's gaze, Jiang Youyao felt a sharp pang of resentment. Jiang Li was dressed in a plain cyan silk brocade quilted jacket and skirt, her hair half-pinned, adorned with two lustrous pearls at her ears that accentuated her refined, fair, bright, and beautiful face.

In her mind instantly flashed the vicious gossip Yinhua had reported hearing outside: "Could the Third Young Miss of the Jiang family also be an illegitimate child born of Lady Ji's adultery? In that case, isn't the Second Young Miss the only true legitimate daughter of the Jiang family's main branch? I told you so! During the six arts competition at the training grounds, the Second Young Miss looked far more impressive than the Third Young Miss!"

Had she heard such words in the past, Jiang Youyao would have scoffed with disdain. But now, she sorrowfully realized she could no longer refute them. Unawares, Jiang Li had overtaken her, usurping Jiang Yuanbo's attention and stealing the Old Madame's partiality. She had completely overshadowed her. Now, Jiang Li was the esteemed daughter of the Senior Chancellor, while she was being branded on the streets as the offspring of an adulteress!

How utterly unjust!

"For Third Sister to charge in so aggressively, must there be an important matter?" Jiang Li asked.

"Spare me your hypocritical and sickening act," Jiang Youyao sneered. "Those rumors outside—you were the one who spread them, weren't you? Father and Grandmother explicitly commanded that this matter must not leave the house, yet you made it common knowledge, turning the Jiang family into a laughingstock. Jiang Li, what is your intention?!"

Jiang Li shook her head. "It was not me."

The mockery on Jiang Youyao's face deepened. "Not you? Then who else could it be? In the entire Jiang family, you are the one who hates me and my mother the most! You wanted to cut off all my paths of survival, so you leaked this news. You've ruined me! You've ruined me!"

"I said before it was not me. If I had wanted to speak, I would have spoken that very day, rather than waiting until after the burial," Jiang Li said. "Furthermore, what turned the Jiang family into a laughingstock was not me, but Ji Shuran. What ruined you was not me, but Ji Shuran. To pin all of this on my head—purgue me, I lack such grand abilities."

When it came to verbal assassinations without shedding blood, Jiang Youyao was no match for Jiang Li. Just a few words further inflamed Jiang Youyao's bloodshot eyes. Staring at Jiang Li, she muttered, "I'm going to kill you..." and lunged straight forward!

However, there was also Baiwei in the room, whose strength was formidable. The moment Jiang Youyao lunged, Baiwei casually tossed aside her teacup and threw herself forward to block Jiang Li. Taller than Jiang Youyao, Baiwei grabbed Jiang Youyao's wrists. Twisting her arms, Jiang Youyao glared furiously at Jinhua and Yinhua standing nearby, barking, "What are you idiots staring at? Grab this cheap maid for me!"

Jinhua and Yinhua finally snapped out of their stupor and rushed forward, but Tong'er was no pushover either. She called out to Qingfeng and Mingyue, and a chaotic brawl ensued. Seeing this, Jiang Li could neither laugh nor cry; she quickly stepped out of the room, summoned a pair of matrons to separate the combatants, and sent someone to fetch Old Madame Jiang.

The Old Madame's people arrived swiftly. Seeing Jiang Youyao in disarray while Jiang Li remained as calm as a gentle breeze, they couldn't help but feel a shiver of apprehension. They informed Jiang Li that the Old Madame requested both young misses' presence at Wanfeng Hall.

Having vented her fury for the moment, Jiang Youyao dared not act presumptuously in front of the Old Madame's attendants. Suppressing her inner dread, she followed them to Wanfeng Hall, only to find Jiang Yuanbo already there.

"Father," Jiang Youyao whimpered timidly.

Jiang Yuanbo looked at Jiang Youyao, his heart a tempest of complex emotions.

He was no saint; his bitter hatred for Ji Shuran inevitably bled over into feelings toward Jiang Youyao. Yet seeing Jiang Youyao looking so terrified and trembling made it difficult for him to remain hardened. Having grown up pampered in the Jiang household, when had Jiang Youyao ever looked so cringing and timid? Were his two daughters destined to tread the same path, growing disappointed in him as a father and completely severing their hearts from the Jiang family?

Having already learned the sequence of events from the matron, Old Madame Jiang glared at Jiang Youyao in fury and demanded, "Third girl, you have gone too far! Is this the decorum you've been taught, daring to scheme against your own kin?"

"Grandmother," Jiang Youyao's knees went weak, and she dropped cleanly to the floor, kneeling as she cried, "Your granddaughter acted on a momentary impulse. But... right now, people everywhere are talking about Mother's... my mother's death. The matter is blown wide open. As her daughter, Youyao knows Mother committed an unforgivable crime, which is why I did not plead on her behalf. But Mother has already passed and paid the price she was due. Why won't people let the dead rest? How is a child supposed to bear this? Father, I beg you to put yourself in our shoes!"

Jiang Li watched Jiang Youyao quietly. It seemed Jiang Youyao had indeed grown somewhat since Ji Shuran's death—at least she knew how to play the pity card to win outsider sympathy.

"Furthermore, with Mother's affairs leaking out, the one who suffers is the Jiang family. What will outsiders think of the Jiang family? People are now saying Father fails to govern his household properly, that the Jiang house is filthy. Second Sister," she turned to Jiang Li, tears streaming down her face as she kowtowed toward her several times, "Youyao knows I can never undo the harm done to Second Sister, but I beg Second Sister to show mercy and stop dragging the Jiang family's name through the mud! As long as you let the Jiang family go, Youyao is willing to do anything!"

Listening from the side, Tong'er burned with indignation. She had previously thought this Third Young Miss was utterly brainless, but now it seemed she was not to be underestimated. At least her skill at putting on a front was identical to Ji Shuran's. No wonder they said like mother, like daughter; when it came to acting pitiful, one had to admire them. In the current tableau, it made Jiang Li look relentless and overbearing while Jiang Youyao appeared entirely innocent.

Jiang Li said, "Third Sister, I did not do this."

"If not you, then who?" Jiang Youyao sobbed. "You are the one who hates Mother the most, you wanted to clear your own name, and you are the only one free to enter and leave the mansion daily..."

Jiang Li visited the Ye residence every day, and because Jiang Yuanbo and Old Madame Jiang felt guilty toward her over past events, they had never restricted her movements. Who would have thought this would now serve as Jiang Youyao's "evidence"?

"Although I harbor resentment toward Father and the Jiang family, I have not yet reached the point of dragging the entire family down with me," Jiang Li replied calmly. "While clearing up this matter would lift the accusations against me, it would place the Jiang family in a severely disadvantageous position. Doing so brings me no benefit whatsoever." Jiang Li smiled faintly. "I understand Third Sister's grief, but no matter how grief-stricken you are, you must weigh the pros and cons and avoid acting impulsively."

Her candid admission of harboring resentment toward the Jiang family left both Old Madame Jiang and Jiang Yuanbo stunned. Immediately following, however, Jiang Li's words filled their hearts with complex emotions. Weighing pros and cons for the sake of the Jiang family was theoretically a good thing, yet Jiang Li's words were too rational, too chillingly cold, and entirely devoid of any sense of "family."

Yet the more she acted this way, the guiltier Jiang Yuanbo and Old Madame Jiang felt toward her.

Jiang Li walked up to Jiang Youyao and personally reached out to help her up. Subconsciously, Jiang Youyao shrank back, trying to avoid Jiang Li's touch. Catching this, Jiang Yuanbo frowned slightly. Seeing his expression, Jiang Youyao had no choice but to grit her teeth and place her hand in Jiang Li's palm.

"Third Sister," Jiang Li helped her to her feet and said, "Your mother has already paid the price for her past mistakes. Whether that price was sufficient or not, she has passed away, and dwelling on her faults now is meaningless. Let this matter be laid to rest; I never intended to pursue it relentlessly. Besides, as a daughter watching her mother depart—others may not know the pain, but standing before me, how can you claim I do not understand?" She added flatly, "Of course I know."

She knew all too well, because Ye Zhenzhen had been murdered by Ji Shuran precisely like that.

A single sentence stripped Jiang Yuanbo and Old Madame Jiang of any remaining doubts or alternative thoughts regarding Jiang Li. Jiang Yuanbo simply asked, "A-Li, was this truly not spread by you?"

"Father may investigate thoroughly; it was not my doing."

Jiang Yuanbo nodded. "Very well. Let today's affair be treated as a misunderstanding. I will find out who is behind it." He looked at Jiang Li. "If nothing else is the matter, you may return to your courtyard to rest." His tone carried an almost cautious, ingratiating warmth.

Staring blankly at the scene before her, Jiang Youyao suddenly realized that neither Old Madame Jiang nor Jiang Yuanbo could do a thing about Jiang Li anymore. It was as if they would compromise no matter what Jiang Li did.

Yes, compromise. Because Jiang Li could effortlessly evoke their guilt while acutely understanding their bottom lines, extracting the maximum demand within those boundaries.

Unreconciled, Jiang Youyao opened her mouth to argue further. But Old Madame Jiang coldly instructed her attendants to escort Jiang Youyao back to Yaoguang Lodge.

This was tantamount to placing her under house arrest.

Horrified, Jiang Youyao could not comprehend why she, the victim, was being punished this way. She wanted to appeal to Jiang Yuanbo to evoke his sympathy, but Jiang Yuanbo only stared at Jiang Li with a complicated expression. As Jiang Youyao watched, the fire in her eyes gradually extinguished.

Without a sound, she allowed the Old Madame's people to "escort" her back to her courtyard.

In her heart, however, she knew clearly that she could no longer remain in the Jiang household. Not a single person would stand by her side anymore. She and Jiang Li were mortal enemies, destined for an irreconcilable feud; yet from now on, whenever she clashed with Jiang Li, without a doubt, everyone in the mansion would stand with Jiang Li.

The position of the Senior Chancellor's daughter had vanished along with the deceased Ji Shuran, never to be reclaimed.

She had to plot another path for survival.

***

Meanwhile, back at Fangfei Courtyard, Jiang Li sat down in the study.

Qingfeng and Mingyue were busy cleaning up the mess left behind from the scuffle with Jiang Youyao's maids. Baiwei and Tong'er bustled about helping, but Jiang Li's mind was far less tranquil than her outward appearance suggested.

Judging by Jiang Youyao's reaction, she was clearly ignorant of the leak. It wasn't spread by Jiang Youyao, nor by herself. Aside from the Jiang family members, only the household servants had been present on that day. Now that the news of Ji Shuran's adultery had spread, there was no turning back. The Jiang family's reputation was damaged, and Jiang Yuanbo and Jiang Yuanping's official careers would inevitably suffer. From any angle, this matter brought the Jiang family a hundred harms and zero benefits.

Within the entire Jiang household, Jiang Li still appeared to bear the greatest suspicion due to her motive of clearing her name. Yet, setting that aside, could someone attempting to target the Jiang family have deliberately leaked the information by exploiting the Ji Shuran incident?

Who could it be? The Right Prime Minister Li family? Princess Yongning? Prince Cheng? Or some other dark forces lurking in the shadows? If so, there might well be spies among the Jiang family servants. From now on, she would have to exercise even greater caution with her every move in the mansion.

If it wasn't outsiders, but a mole from within the Jiang family itself, the situation required even more vigilance. External thieves were easy to guard against, but internal traitors were difficult; if an inside-and-outside collusion formed, the Jiang family would face grave hardships.

Feeling a slight headache from the swirling thoughts, Jiang Li rubbed her temples. Seeing this and assuming she was worrying over the scandal, Tong'er stepped forward to comfort her. "Mistress need not fret excessively. We are upright and fear no shadows; even if Master orders an investigation, he won't trace it to Mistress. Though the matter came out of nowhere, Mistress has also gained a blessing in disguise. Now everyone in Yanjing knows the past affair was a frame-up against Mistress. At least you can never be blamed for it again."

"And by comparison, the Ji family must be the ones suffering headaches right now," Tong'er added with schadenfreude. "With their own family member involved in such a scandal, the reputations of all the women in the Ji family will be implicated. Unmarried maidens aside, even married Ji women will be pointed at. Isn't Consort Li the elder sister of Lady Ji? If His Majesty hears of this, who knows what he might think of Consort Li."

Consort Li?!

Jiang Li abruptly stood up, startling Tong'er, who asked, "Mistress, what is wrong?"

Without answering, Jiang Li's expression shifted continuously. She had always felt she was missing a crucial piece of the puzzle, though she had pushed it aside in recent days; Tong'er's mention of Consort Li suddenly brought it back. Regarding Daoist Chongxu's affair, there was still one key figure left—Consort Li! Jiang Yuanbo had captured Daoist Chongxu and stated he would report the matter directly to Emperor Hongxiao.

If things had gone without a hitch, Emperor Hongxiao should now know that Daoist Chongxu was a fraud, and that the sorcery case against Consort Li years ago had been fabricated. Yet, judging by the absence of any news from the palace, did Emperor Hongxiao still remain ignorant? Or had the information been suppressed within the palace walls? If it were suppressed, at the very least, the Ji family would have sought out Jiang Yuanbo to intercede. Yet ever since Ji Shuran's death, the Ji family hadn't visited even once, clearly signaling they wanted nothing more to do with the affair.

The truth instantly grew murky and labyrinthine. Trapped within the Jiang household, Jiang Li realized it would be exceedingly difficult for her to uncover palace intelligence. Involuntarily, her hand brushed against the whistle hidden within her sleeve. There was a shortcut right before her... but would Ji Heng allow Zhao Ke to inform her?

After all, this was no trivial matter.

***

While Jiang Li pondered Consort Li, deep within the palace, Consort Li had not been living in peace these past few days either.

Ji Shuran had died too suddenly.

The last time Consort Li saw Ji Shuran, they had been scheming over how to utilize Daoist Chongxu to deal with Jiang Li. After parting that day, she received no further news of Ji Shuran. Worse still, Daoist Chongxu had also vanished without a trace. A faint sense of unease took root in Consort Li's heart, though the agents she sent out yielded nothing. The Jiang residence was locked down like an iron fortress, leaking no information whatsoever.

After waiting two more days, she received word that Ji Shuran had abruptly fallen ill and died. Shocked, Consort Li suspected a major change had occurred and wrote a letter to the Ji family. But Ji Yanlin's reply letter mentioned nothing, forbidding Consort Li from even attending the mourning rituals at the Jiang residence. At that point, Consort Li was certain something terrible had happened, though the Ji family's attitude remained baffling. Hearing that the Ji clan hadn't participated in the mourning either only heightened her anxiety.

Preoccupied with worry, Consort Li had feigned illness over the past few days, rarely leaving her side hall and claiming her health had yet to fully recover. Her personal maid, Hongzhu, hurried into the chamber from outside and reported, "Mistress, something has happened outside."

"What is it?" Consort Li sat up.

"Word is that Lady Ji's death has hidden circumstances." Hongzhu repeated the rumors she had heard outside word for word, then added, "Right now, every street and alley is discussing this matter. I'm afraid... I'm afraid His Majesty knows as well."

Hearing this news so abruptly, Consort Li could not collect her thoughts for a long moment. It took quite a while before she regained her composure.

How could Consort Li not know about Ji Shuran's sordid affairs? Whenever Chen Lady Ji came to the palace for visits every few days, she always gossiped about it. Back then, Consort Li hadn't thought much of her younger sister Ji Shuran, who lacked Chen Lady Ji's aggressiveness. However, the whole business involving Ye Zhenzhen and Liu Wencai had made Consort Li look at her in a new light—deep down, Ji Shuran possessed a ruthless streak.

Yet this appreciation transformed into revulsion the moment it threatened to implicate her.

"How did it leak?!" Consort Li raged.

With Ji Shuran's scandal exposed, the reputations of all female members of the Ji family would be compromised, herself included. When people looked at her, they would say, *Look, she is Ji Shuran's sister, flowing with the same venomous blood; will she not prove equally vicious and unchaste in time?* Palace life was a ceaseless battlefield of dark intrigues, and countless individuals would seize upon this scandal to tear her down.

Wait—how did Ji Shuran die? Was it because her scandalous deeds were exposed and Jiang Yuanbo executed her? Then why were the misdeeds exposed? Calculating the timeline, it happened shortly after the exorcism ritual at Daoist Chongxu's manor?

Had someone discovered that Daoist Chongxu was a fraud? Twisting her handkerchief, Consort Li knew that if that were true, she would be the first to fall! The Emperor would never tolerate a fraudster deceiving him remaining alive!

Just as this thought crossed her mind, a palace maid reported from outside: The Emperor had arrived.

Consort Li hurriedly stepped down from the couch to welcome him.

Lowering her head, the corner of a bright yellow imperial dragon robe entered her field of vision. The dragon robe halted before her. In the past, Consort Li possessed immense daring; unlike other palace concubines who treated Emperor Hongxiao with absolute reverence, she could banter with him. Consequently, she had felt little fear facing the dragon robe—it was precisely this fearlessness that made her the most unique existence in Emperor Hongxiao's eyes.

Yet today, that bright yellow color felt like a death warrant. For the first time, she experienced genuine terror toward imperial power, realizing how insignificant and fragile she truly was. As she bowed her head, time dragged on agonizingly. She had no idea what fate awaited her.

A very long time passed.

Just as cold sweat began to bead on Consort Li's forehead, a familiar voice sounded, commanding, "Rise." A pair of hands reached out to lift her.

Emperor Hongxiao looked down at her with a smile, possessing the same pampering and handsome demeanor as before. Only then did Consort Li's heart slowly settle—judging by the Emperor's attitude toward her, he seemingly remained unaffected by the rumors outside.

He must not know about Daoist Chongxu yet.

Emperor Hongxiao reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear, his fingers grazing her cold, sweat-dampened forehead. Frowning, he asked, "Why is Consort Li sweating so much in such cold weather?"

Consort Li smiled brightly. "Perhaps my constitution remains somewhat frail and has not fully recovered."

Nodding, Emperor Hongxiao instructed his attendants to summon the imperial physician to check Consort Li's pulse. Seeing the Emperor's attitude entirely unchanged from before, Consort Li finally let go of her worries.

In truth, as long as the Emperor remained unaware of Daoist Chongxu's deceit, Ji Shuran's scandal alone was insufficient to completely shake her footing. Consort Li could easily deploy other strategies to claim complete ignorance of the matter, even employing a pity plea.

As long as she completely severed herself from the affair, framing herself merely as another victim of deception, she would be safe.

Thank goodness. It felt like walking through the gates of hell and back. Consort Li flashed a genuine smile, gently leaning her head against the monarch's shoulder.

Emperor Hongxiao patted her hand in a soothing gesture, though the gaze in his eyes was chillingly cold.