The Double-Chapter 561 - 166 Awake_4

Xue Huaiyuan was momentarily stunned before he suddenly laughed and said, "Good. Little Young Master Ye, for being able to speak such words, you actually don’t need to rely on me. You will be able to stand firm in the court on your own in the future."

"Then we have an agreement..."

"No, we don’t." Interrupting Ye Shijie was Jiang Li.

She had been silently listening to the conversation between Ye Shijie and Xue Huaiyuan and at this moment, could no longer hold back. She didn’t like to see her father compromising and pleasing others for her sake. The man who always taught her to stick to her convictions was now being forced into these actions, and Jiang Li found it unbearable.

She looked at Xue Huaiyuan with solemnity and said, "County Magistrate Xue, I understand your concerns. I also know that you are eager to become an official solely because of what happened to Xue Fangfei and Xue Zhao. I have been investigating this matter, and there will be results within two months. The murderer will pay for his deeds. I can assure you of that. Therefore, there is no need for County Magistrate Xue to join the court as an official."

"Besides," Jiang Li continued without giving Xue Huaiyuan a chance to speak, "the world is not very peaceful right now, and the palace is full of internal strife. No one can say for sure how many days the peace in Yanjing City will last. It’s possible that before County Magistrate Xue can climb to the position he desires, a change may occur within the court that could spoil things."

Her words made one think of the current relationship between Prince Cheng and Emperor Hongxiao.

"County Magistrate Xue, you should not only seek revenge but also strive to live well," Jiang Li said. "If your children were still alive, that’s all they would wish for."

Xue Huaiyuan calmed down for a while, perhaps finding Jiang Li’s words reasonable. He no longer mentioned joining the court as an official and instead said to Ye Mingyu and the others, "Could you step out for a moment? I have something I wish to say to Miss Jiang the Second."

Ye Mingyu looked toward Jiang Li, and Jiang Li said, "Uncle, please go out. It’s alright."

Ye Mingyu and Ye Shijie then left, and Hai Tang also wanted to stay, but Ye Mingyu asked her to leave as well. Instantly, only Xue Huaiyuan and Jiang Li were left in the room.

"Miss Jiang the Second," Xue Huaiyuan began, looking at her. His tone was still as gentle as ever, as it had always been when addressing her, briefly causing Jiang Li to have the illusion that none of this was real but just a grand dream of spring and autumn. Upon waking, she might see Xue Zhao sneakily returning through the door, saying to her, "Sister, is father at home?"

"I’ve heard from Old Master Ye the Third that when you were in Tongxiang, you mentioned you intervened because of an old connection with the Xue Family. Hai Tang also told me that you saved her and treated the injury on her face. You plan to investigate the truth behind Fangfei’s case as well. You have been the savior of our Xue Family, but I heard that since the age of seven, Miss Jiang had been on Green City Mountain and only returned to Yanjing City a year ago. Before that, you had never been to Tongxiang. I want to know what ties Miss Jiang has with the Xue Family that would lead you to help us so tirelessly?"

Xue Huaiyuan’s eyes remained as clear as ever; he always had the ability to see the heart of an issue. People often said that Fangfei’s temperament was similar to her father’s, yet softer than Xue Huaiyuan’s.

Helping the Xue Family, indeed Jiang Li had gone too far. Even Jiang Yuanbai had expressed his disapproval of her for this matter. In the eyes of others, this was a very unusual thing. The reason given of having ties with the Xue Family could indeed fool some people, but if the members of the Xue Family were still alive, such a lie could be easily exposed. For instance, she couldn’t possibly confess to Xue Huaiyuan.

In that moment, Jiang Li nearly had the impulse to tell Xue Huaiyuan that she was in fact Xue Fangfei, but she restrained herself.

Would Xue Huaiyuan believe it? After all, this would sound like superstition. Xue Huaiyuan, in the past, was the one who most disbelieves any ghost or godly lore. But what if he did believe? It seems likely that Xue Huaiyuan would be overjoyed, wouldn’t he? However, after the affair with Princess Yongning, Jiang Li’s life might have to be "returned" to Jih Heng. Just reunited with his daughter and then to lose her again, could Xue Huaiyuan accept that? It might be better not to know she was Xue Fangfei from the start to avoid another heartbreak.

Gathering her composure, Jiang Li said, "I have no ties to the Xue Family."

There was no expression of surprise on Xue Huaiyuan’s face, as if he had anticipated this response.

Jiang Li continued, "The one who has a connection with the Xue Family is someone else. I am merely fulfilling a request on behalf of another. Moreover, the murderer is an irreconcilable enemy of my Jiang Family, and a confrontation would have happened sooner or later. To help the Xue Family is to help the Jiang Family itself, so County Magistrate Xue need not be concerned."