Marriage of the Di Daughter

The bodyguards dragged all of them down. The opera costumes from those bright actors were peeled off. Unable to move a step, they were paralyzed on the ground, cutting extremely sorry figures as they were towed away. Jin Man Tang, whose name was famous for a while, instantly turned into prisoners.

What awaited them was an ending even more tragic than this 《Jian Ge Wen Ling》.

Jiang Li watched Little Peach’s rear view.

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Such a delicate and charming young opera singer. She, as a female, couldn’t help taking pity, but Ji Heng did not seem to be moved in the slightest.

Jiang Li turned around and looked at Ji Heng.

In the somber black and white courtyard, his red clothes were especially prominent and garish. The broken and disorderly stage no longer had the mellow music heard just now. There’s only the blood and swords left scattered on the ground, a reminder that a fight had just occurred here. The young man shook his fan lightly, his appearance romantic, the cold-heartedness he showed just now could not be seen at all. 

His mind was like steel, but his face was full of tenderness. Jiang Li had never seen such a person. Remaining calm, speaking and laughing while killing. 

“Why does Miss Jiang second look at me like this?” He asked while smiling.

“The play just now was quite brilliant,” Jiang Li said: “I truly admire the duke.” 

Ji Heng closed his fan and said: “I don’t act in a play.”

“But,” Jiang Li said: “the duke did not enter the play, therefore the duke won.” 

Ji Heng was too clear-headed, Jiang Li could see that since long ago. His heart distinguished everything very clearly. He was dressed in bright red clothes, but his heart was black and white like the courtyard before her eyes. He was distinctly clear on what he saw. As a result, when Little Peach casted amorous glances at him, when the opera tunes aroused the sympathy of the audiences, he held a smile in the corner of his lips, but his heart was full of ridicule.

Just like he had known from earlier that Jin Man Tang had followed and came to Xiangyang with the excuse of fawning on him, when in fact, it was to assassinate him. He knew about this play for a long time, thus he could prepare earlier, but he waited for this moment when Jin Man Tang sang a complete drama. 

He just wanted to see the play.

Jiang Li thought, perhaps she, the Jiang family and the Ye family are merely a play in Ji Heng’s eyes. The reason why he is paying attention is due to be bit of interest. As for how engrossed he is, it is just a play, why waste so much mental and physical energy? Anyway it’s not real.

Ji Heng said: “Second miss seems to be very touched?” 

Jiang Li smiled: “Just feeling that the things in the world are impermanent.” 

“Is Miss Jiang second satisfied with this play?” 

“Don’t dare to be dissatisfied.” Jiang Li laughed. 

“Don’t say it as if I’m very scary,” the corner of Ji Heng’s lips was raised. He lowered his voice ambiguously, “just now, when second miss was faced with danger, weren’t you so scared that you drilled into my embrace?”

Jiang Li nearly choked.

Then, when it was the time between life and death, if she didn’t find a shield, she would really feel wronged in case she was mistakenly killed under a sword. So of course she wanted Ji Heng to block in front. The words exported by Ji Heng at this moment while he looked at her sideways intentionally with interest made the action she made just now seem to imply a different meaning. 

“Follow the authority when things are urgent,” Jiang Li smiled insincerely and said: “I’m really sorry for being rude to the duke.” 

She’s a woman, but said “being rude” to a man, if it circulated in Yanjing, afraid would be laughed at by others. 

“No matter.” Ji Heng said, his sight fell on the ground. He suddenly bent down and picked something up.

Jiang Li saw and it was actually the jade pendant that she had redeemed before. The one that Xue Huai Yuan personally carved when she was born. 

She was shocked and hurriedly touched her neck only to find the rope hanging around her neck was broken. Perhaps it broke in the struggle during the confusion before.

Jiang Li said: “That’s my jade pendant.”

Ji Heng stroked the jade pendant in his palm, his eyes stayed on the vivid racoon pattern. Jiang Li was anxious and without caring about anything else, she reached her hand out to grab it. It didn’t go as she hoped, Ji Heng slightly leaned back, looked up, and raised his hand holding the pendant higher. 

Jiang Li couldn’t reach it and said: “Duke, that is my jade pendant, please return it to me.”

“I heard Miss Jiang second only has a single character as a name.” He laughed. 

Jiang Li was annoyed, the entire Yanjing knew that her name was Jiang Li. Ji Heng said this, clearly on purpose.

The people of the Ye family called you Ah Li, I don’t know which “Li” it is. Pear blossom’s Li or raccoon’s Li1?” He lowered his head, the smile at the corner of his lips deepened while his eyes contained a faint cold anticipation and emotion, making people confused. 

Jiang Li felt her blood freeze in a flash. 

She forced herself to smile and said: “Of course it’s the Li from pear blossom.” 

“Is it?” Ji Heng stared at her without blinking as he spoke in a particularly soft tone, “I feel that it’s the Li from raccoon.” 

Jiang Li raised her eyes to look at him. 

The man was indescribably beautiful, the bright tear shaped red moles under his eyes became brighter at this moment, turning his facial features sharper and more amorous. 

Jiang Li said: “Why did you say so?”

Ji Heng didn’t speak for a while. Then he laughed and said: “Because you are not as lovely as a pear blossom, more like a raccoon. Isn’t it, Ah li?” 

That words “Ah Li” was fragrant as it came out of his lips, but Jiang Li felt her body broke out in shivers, 

It’s impossible for Ji Heng to know her past experience, but he must have noticed something amiss. He’s probing, who wavered would be the losing party. 

Jiang Li raised her head and exposed a smile without any trace of weakness. She said: “Duke could call whatever you like to call. Anyway it’s just a name. It’s just that when others hear, they might inevitably misunderstand our relationship.” 

Ji Heng smiled: “The words spoken by second miss always make people feel deeply hurt and unexpected.” 

Jiang Li looked at him and heard him continue: “But the more surprising thing is not this, for instance Miss Jiang second could find out about Tong Zhi Yang’s outer room. This has really surprised me.”   

Jiang Li sighed in her heart. 

Tong Zhi Yang’s outer room mother and son being taken away by Ye Ming Yu, Tong Zhi Yang could not find their whereabouts while Jiang Li knew. This matter certainly couldn’t be concealed from Ji Heng. People who even had the guts to assassinate people in the palace, how could they not plant people in Xiangyang.

Footnotes:

1: Jiang Li’s name in Chinese characters: 姜梨 . Pear blossom: 梨花 líhuā . Racoon: 狸猫 límāo 1.
So the Chinese name usually consists of 3 characters, the first one being the surname and two more characters after. Sometimes, when you state your Chinese name to someone, you explain the meaning of each character, for example: My name is Jiang Li, Li for pear blossom (lihuā). So people won’t mistakenly call you using the wrong intonation which may mean a different thing.