Chapter 8: The Visitors
No one spoke.
Beneath the peach blossom trees, upon the rooftop, a strikingly handsome man bathed in the moonlight looked down at Jiang Li.
His smile carried a hint of roguish charm, yet it was impossible to discern whether he was friend or foe—neither wholly good nor entirely evil.
Meanwhile, Tong'er, who had been lost in a daze, couldn't help but murmur in bewilderment, "...A flower immortal?"
This man was so exquisitely beautiful he seemed both demon and deity, his aura so dazzling it was truly disorienting.
Before Jiang Li could speak, clamorous voices suddenly erupted from outside. Her heart tightened, and when she looked up at the rooftop again, the beautiful young man had vanished. Only the gently swaying peach branches remained, as if it had all been a long, dreamlike spring fantasy.
Tong'er was equally astonished, rubbing her eyes as she said, "Was I dreaming?"
Jiang Li replied, "It wasn't a dream, but now..." Hearing the approaching voices, she curled her lips, setting aside her earlier puzzlement. "Let's go kneel in the Buddha hall."
Tong'er had witnessed so many strange occurrences lately that she didn't question further, simply following Jiang Li to kneel before the clay bodhisattva in the Buddha hall. They returned the plate of offerings as well. No sooner had they settled into their kneeling positions than lively voices sounded outside, accompanied by forceful knocking on the nunnery gate.
The knocking startled the nuns inside. Someone went to open the gate, and lanterns were lit one after another throughout the nunnery. The commotion outside grew louder, but Jiang Li remained calm and continued kneeling with Tong'er.
Suddenly, someone burst into the Buddha hall. Leading them was a matron holding a lantern, who seemed surprised to find two people kneeling there so late at night. She called behind her, "Madam, there are two nuns here as well."
A group of people filed in behind her—madams, young ladies, and gentlemen, all dressed in luxurious attire. The "Madam" the matron had addressed was a fair-skinned, slender woman with a gentle demeanor. When she saw Jiang Li, she paused in surprise, then shook her head at the matron. "She's not a nun—she still has her hair. The one beside her must be her maid."
Jiang Li looked on in astonishment as the crowd intruded. Her jet-black hair framed her pale, small face, and her frail figure was draped in a gray Buddhist robe. Her expression was serene and peaceful, and though she appeared weak, kneeling beneath the bodhisattva's gaze made her seem even more delicate and unassuming, evoking an immediate sense of sympathy.
Perhaps out of pity for her youth, the Madam softened her voice as she asked, "Young lady, why are you here so late at night?"
Jiang Li answered, "I made a mistake, and Jing An Shitai ordered me to kneel here to calm my mind."
The group of men and women exchanged surprised glances. Someone exclaimed indignantly, "So late? What mistake could warrant making a young girl kneel in the Buddha hall? What if she injures herself? Aren't Buddhists supposed to be compassionate? How cruel!"
Tong'er's eyes lit up with sudden cunning, and she immediately adopted a pitiful expression. "It was my fault. Yesterday, while bringing food to the young lady, I accidentally broke a plate. Jing An Shitai ordered both the young lady and me to kneel here in the Buddha hall." She wiped away a tear. "I don't matter, but our young lady... our young lady hasn't eaten all day."As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd immediately wore expressions of anger and accusation. Since they had come to the temple to worship the Buddha, these people naturally considered themselves "kind-hearted." Seeing a young girl being bullied, they felt compelled to express their indignation.
Someone exclaimed, "No wonder, no wonder she would commit such a disgraceful act. She is clearly a malicious and wicked nun."
"Exactly."
Jiang Li looked around but did not see any nuns from the nunnery. She asked curiously, "May I ask, where have the little masters of the nunnery gone?"
After she spoke, the men and women before her showed varied expressions, as if finding it difficult to speak.
The gentlewoman who had first spoken to Jiang Li looked at her tentatively and asked, "This young lady doesn’t seem to be from the nunnery."
"My lady is the Second Miss Jiang of the Yanjing Jiang family," Tong'er answered crisply.
"The Jiang family?" Another younger lady’s eyes flickered at this, and she asked, "Could it be the family of Grand Secretary Jiang Yuanbai?"
"Exactly!" Tong'er replied firmly.
"How is that possible?" The young lady, who appeared even younger than Jiang Li, hesitated and said, "I only knew the Jiang family had a Third Miss Jiang Youyao. I never heard of a Second Miss."
When the words "Second Miss Jiang" were mentioned, the younger ladies showed little reaction, but the married women each had their own thoughts. Eight years ago, the incident where Second Miss Jiang pushed her father’s second wife and caused a miscarriage was well-known in Yanjing. However, it had been so long, and since then, it was said that Second Miss Jiang had been sent to a family temple to learn discipline. She had not returned to the capital for many years, and without seeing her, people had naturally forgotten about her.
No one expected to see her here.
And the Second Miss Jiang, Jiang Li, before them did not resemble the vicious person rumored to have attempted to harm her stepmother and unborn brother. Kneeling in the Buddha hall, she appeared so frail and gentle—how could she have poisoned her stepmother? No one would believe it if told!
People always prefer to believe what they see with their own eyes.
Jiang Li stared at the lady who had first spoken to her, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Madam... are you Madam Liu, from the household of Chengde Official Liu Yuanfeng?"
The lady was taken aback and asked, "Do you recognize me, young lady?"
Jiang Li lowered her head, as if shy, and smiled faintly. "Many years ago, during the Peony Festival, you came to our residence to admire the peonies. I still remember."
Upon hearing this, Madam Liu thought for a moment and said, "That’s right." Her gaze toward Jiang Li softened further. "It’s thoughtful of you to remember."
Madam Liu, the wife of Chengde Official Liu Yuanfeng, had been very close to Jiang Li’s birth mother, Ye Zhenzhen. When Ye Zhenzhen first married into Yanjing City, she often interacted with Madam Liu. After Ye Zhenzhen passed away, leaving behind Jiang Li, Madam Liu, out of fond remembrance for her friend, often visited Jiang Li.
However, after Ji Shuran entered the household, Madam Liu found it inappropriate to continue visiting Jiang Li, and their relationship gradually faded. The Peony Festival Jiang Li mentioned was likely the last time Madam Liu had seen her. Now that Jiang Li brought it up, Madam Liu immediately recalled the image of her late friend, Ye Zhenzhen.
Madam Liu carefully observed Jiang Li before her. Whether it was due to a sense of guilt toward her old friend, she found the girl increasingly gentle and endearing. She asked, "Did Lord Jiang send you here?"
Jiang Li nodded slightly."You are the legitimate daughter of the Yanjing Jiang family, Lord Jiang's own flesh and blood. How can you live in such a place? The early summer humidity is heavy—kneeling all night like this, what if you fall ill? Clearly, someone is deliberately making things difficult for you. Second Miss Jiang, come back to Yanjing with me tomorrow," Madam Liu suddenly said.
Tong'er, kneeling on the ground, felt her eyes light up. Madam Liu's words indicated she intended to stand up for Jiang Li. Jiang Li had been abandoned at Qingcheng Mountain for so many years, neglected and forgotten. Now that Madam Liu, an official's wife, had spoken up, even if nothing happened immediately, once they returned to Yanjing and she mentioned it a few times among the other ladies, it was bound to reach Jiang Yuanbai's ears. He would naturally remember this daughter who had been left at the nunnery.
However, after Madam Liu finished speaking, she did not receive the expected response. The girl before her looked up in surprise, a flicker of joy passing through her eyes, but it quickly turned to hesitation before she firmly shook her head and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Madam, but I'm afraid that won't be possible."
The son made a brief appearance and then ran off ╮(╯▽╰)╭
(End of Chapter)
OpenNovel