Marriage of the Di Daughter

Chapter 56 Part 1: Musician

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When she came out of the teahouse, Jiang Li brought a banknote of 100 silver taels with her. 

Tong’er followed closely by Jiang Li’s side, wanting to say something but hesitated. Jiang Li saw her this way and said: “Just say what you want to say.”

“Miss, even if you lack silver, you can look for old madam, there’s also master……. Why ask Young Master Ye? Although Young Master Ye is related to you, he’s after all still an outsider. If it’s passed on outside…….”

“He’s not a person who speaks casually,” Jiang Li said: “besides, taking his 100 taels can be considered as buying his peace of mind.”

“This servant doesn’t understand.”

“Elder cousin Ye believed that my helping him yesterday was a conspiracy. Although we discussed it just now and the suspicion in his mind was somewhat dissolved, the previous misunderstanding is not that easy to disappear. As far as in regards to me, he wouldn’t completely be willing to accept, which is reasonable. Rather than causing his imagination to run wild, it’s better to just take his silver and treat this thing as business. He would also feel much more relieved. At least he wouldn’t carry a feeling of debt when interacting with me.”

Tong’er nodded thoughtfully. All of a sudden, she seemed to think of something and looked at Jiang Li: “In the future, miss still wants to have further contact with the Ye family’s young master?” 

“Of course.” Jiang Li said: “the difference of having a maternal family or not having a maternal family to rely on, you’ve also seen how it was these days. Jiang You Yao is secure in the knowledge that she has a backing, but my power is very weak in the Jiang residence. Even though the Ye family is not an official family, it is not inferior compared to the Ji family. On earth, silver is needed to come and go. The Ye family doesn’t lack this silver. Even if their position is somewhat weaker, Ye Shijie is currently preparing to enter officialdom. Just now, when I observed his speech and ability, he is not an ordinary person. When he comes out, he would certainly lead the Ye family to prosperity.”  

“So miss is thinking of renewing the relationship with the Ye family,” Tong’er understood after listening to Jiang Li. She then asked: “Then why didn’t miss mention this matter to Young Master Ye just now? Yesterday miss helped Young Master Ye, if today miss proposed for Young Master Ye to write a letter to Xiangyang and help to speak a few words for miss, Young Master Ye ought not refuse.”

Jiang Li smiled: “There’s no need for me to mention, he would still talk about it.”

Ye Shijie was still doubting her, so he would certainly write a letter to the Ye family in Xiangyang telling them the matter of running into her in Yanjing. Jiang Li wasn’t worried that Ye Shijie would conceal this matter from the people in the Ye family. The tricky thing was, at that time the words the young Jiang second miss said towards the people of the Ye family was truly too hurtful. As long as they were still somewhat blood-related, they wouldn’t easily forget this matter. Wanting to rebuild their relationship was actually really difficult.

Jiang Li secretly sighed. The thing was already up to here, she could only walk step by step. If the relationship with the Ye family could be reinstated like before, she could use the reason of visiting her relatives to return to Xiangyang.

What happened to her father in the end, Xue Zhao’s ashes still hadn’t been taken back to their hometown, it wasn’t just this matter. Who arranged things for her father afterwards?

The distant water cannot quench the present thirst, she must return to Xiangyang as soon as possible.

While thinking of these matters in her heart, Jiang Li arrived at Mingyi Hall. 

Chapter 56 Part 2: Musician

IPlease, read this at BloomingTranslation blog. We spend a lot of time and effort to bring you the best quality translations we can provide, so please show us respect by reading from our site instead of aggregators that steal our work.

The women at Mingyi Hall saw the master and servant arrive but didn’t stop their discussions. Jiang Li faintly heard that they were talking about yesterday’s matter where she swept Liu Zimin’s face in the middle of the street. Among the noble ladies in Yanjing, the matter of taking the initiative in the middle of the street was hardly heard of. People usually would be in favor of the majority and wouldn’t understand the minority. In their eyes, Jiang Li’s actions were shocking and going against the established practices. Therefore their gazes towards Jiang Li were as if they were looking at a strange kind and whether intentionally or otherwise, they isolated Jiang Li.  

Jiang Li didn’t mind in the slightest and walked towards her sitting position and sat down. Even today’s Liu Xu was somewhat odd and actively greeted her.

This was somewhat new. Jiang Li understood clearly in her heart that Liu Xu took care of her based on the task entrusted to her by Madam Liu. As for her inner self, Liu Xu might not necessarily like her. However today, for the first time Liu Xu took the initiative to acknowledge her, and even her smile was sincere.  

Liu Xu blushed for a while then said to Jiang Li: “Yesterday I saw the entire scene where you opposed Liu Zimin at the gate of the Imperial College.”

“Oh?” Jiang Li smiled, “I went a little overboard.” When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Since the noble ladies here considered speaking out for justice as overstepping the bounds of what was proper, she wouldn’t deliberately make her independence known.

“No, no, no,” Liu Xu said a few “no’s” in succession then looked at Jiang Li earnestly while saying: “Liu Zimin’s morality and conduct is wrong. In broad daylight, he proceeded to blackmail and cheat. There were so many people in the crowd, but only you dared to speak out the truth. So fearless, I truly admire you.” 

Jiang Li was a bit astonished. 

“Previously, I listened to the rumors outside and wasn’t friendly with you. Now I already understood, it was me who was unclear in recognising people, nearly misunderstood a good person. Compared to those people who hid themselves among the crowd and enjoyed the scene, how much more brilliant were you since you dared to step forward and show your face.” She straightforwardly offered a simple salute to Jiang Li, “I was wrong in the past, today I’ll apologize. From now on, I won’t act like that anymore.”  

Jiang Li smiled and said: “You’ve already treated me very well before.” Liu Xu was, in the end, Madam Liu’s daughter. A very magnanimous girl with self awareness, a very good young lady. Everyone likes a good girl, Jiang Li liked her very much.   

Seeing Jiang Li’s smile which didn’t mind in the slightest, Liu Xu couldn’t help blushing. She said: “Yesterday when you were discussing with Liu Zimin, you seemed to have researched how to appraise counterfeit articles. Can you teach me?”

Jiang Li was a little dazed but immediately followed with: “What’s difficult about this, I can teach you.”

There was once a time when Xue Huaiyuan was acting as the county deputy of Tongxiang that someone went to the yamen to file a lawsuit. It was a family that had bought paintings and calligraphy in a shop selling authentic paintings and calligraphy. They told the government official that the items they bought were counterfeit articles. Those counterfeits, compared to the counterfeit brought by Liu Zimin yesterday, were much more superior, to the stage where it almost could be passed off as genuine articles. Both sides were at a standoff. At last, someone invited a master who happened to be travelling to Tongxiang to help resolve this matter.    

At that time, Jiang Li was still young and just wanted to have fun. She hid within the ranks of the people in Xue Huaiyuan’s team and went together with them. She was discovered afterwards and Xue Huaiyuan had to apologize but Jiang Li felt that it was fun. The master saw that she was adorable and lovely so he taught her a few principles to distinguish the authenticity.  

A famous teacher trains a fine student. Jiang Li could be regarded as a half disciple of this master. Her level couldn’t be said to be very good, but it couldn’t be regarded as too bad. The counterfeit that Liu Zimin brought yesterday couldn’t be regarded as superior. In addition, Jiang Li was fully aware of Liu Zimin’s moral character. Thus, in a few words, she was able to make Liu Zimin give the game away. 

Right in the middle of discussing the keys to appreciating ancient paintings with Liu Xu, a teacher came in. Jiang Li raised her eyes and saw a slender woman in a lilac long skirt with wide sleeves and narrow waist walking inside leisurely. This woman had delicate features, gentle and delightful. The young servant girl behind her held a guqin in her hands. It’s the teacher teaching guqin.  

Compared to Ji Luo, this teacher seemed to have a much better temperament, extremely gentle.

Jiang Li looked at her and laughed in her heart. This woman could previously be considered her “good friend”, the first female musician in the capital, Xiao De Yin.