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The Double-Chapter 703 - 214 Farewell_4
Chapter 703: Chapter 214 Farewell_4
"Talking to him is useless," Jiang Li said, "Father also has to consider the interests of the Jiang Family. Moreover, the Yin Household doesn’t come with good intentions, and their methods are more sophisticated. Even if I spoke to my father, he wouldn’t believe me."
"Then... should we ask the Duke for help?" Tonger asked cautiously.
Bai Xue glanced at Tonger, who returned her gaze innocently. In Tonger’s mind, if her lady encountered any trouble, they could always seek solutions from the Duke Residence. If all else failed, let Duke Su negotiate with the Yin Household. Duke Su was so capable, surely he could make the Yin family back down without a fight.
Jiang Li’s hand rested on the table, clenched into a fist. The Yin family moved quickly, and they were using such dishonorable tactics that she couldn’t find an opportunity to refuse. Since a daughter’s marriage was not hers to decide, the Yin family held the initiative, and Jiang Li was in an extremely passive position.
No wonder, no wonder Yin Zhili’s attitude towards her was different today. Clearly, Yin Zhili already knew that during the celebration banquet, Yin Zhan would request an imperial grant of marriage from Emperor Hongxiao. They treated her as if she were fish on a chopping board, waiting to be sliced at will. In an instant, rage surged in Jiang Li’s heart. Having died once before, what she hated most was being controlled, the feeling of passively accepting her fate.
If they wanted her, she would obstinately deny them!
Since she couldn’t openly refuse, she had plenty of ways to do so secretly. She had intended to fully play her part in the Jiang family’s plot, but she refused to be manipulated like a puppet in a shadow play. She was done watching this drama and playing this game. She would step off the chessboard and refuse to be anyone else’s pawn.
Jiang Li stood up, donned her outer garment, and said, "When night falls, let’s leave." novelbuddy-cσ๓
Bai Xue asked, "Where are you going, Miss?"
"To the Duke Residence," replied Jiang Li, removing a porcelain whistle from her waist. She hadn’t blown this whistle in a long time. Even though it seemed like Zhao Ke was no longer in the Jiang residence, Jiang Li decided to take a gamble. In the dead of night, she would blow this whistle and see what would happen. If no one came, she would make her way alone, trying to reach the Duke Residence.
Tonger’s eyes lit up, "Miss is going to see Duke Su... Isn’t that too risky?" She was torn between joy and worry—joyful that Jiang Li was seeking help from the man in her heart, but worried because everyone said that elopements never ended well. The stories of rich young ladies running away with poor young men always ended with the ladies being abandoned and the couples facing sorrowful fates.
But... their lady was not short on silver, and Duke Su was far from poor, so perhaps that wouldn’t be an issue.
She had not had the chance to consider whether this was a good thing when Jiang Li’s voice came through, saying, "That’s not it. I’m going to see him and say goodbye."
Goodbye? Bai Xue and Tonger looked at Jiang Li, too shocked to speak.
Jiang Li’s heart, however, had moved from initial hesitation to determination. It seemed that she had no way to change the situation, and the only thing she could do was leave the Jiang Residence. Once Jiang Yuanbai discovered she was missing, he would naturally find a way to reject the marriage. But before leaving, she needed to take Xue Huaiyuan with her. She planned to go to the Ye Family, reveal her identity to Xue Huaiyuan, and also say a proper farewell to Ye Mingyu. After all, she had no uncles, and Ye Mingyu had long been treating her like his own niece.
Her night visit to Jih Heng was to say goodbye, a recognition of their acquaintance, and to also earnestly request Jih Heng’s assistance. If possible, she would like a little help on their escape from Yanjing City. Avoiding Jiang Yuanbai might not be difficult, but if the Yin Household also searched for her, Jiang Li wasn’t confident she could completely evade them. If caught, Xue Huaiyuan might get dragged into the mess, and they would wonder why Jiang Li would take Xue Huaiyuan with her when they were not related by blood.
She had to leave no matter what.
As darkness enveloped the yard, Bai Xue and Tonger stood at the entrance to the gardens, watching for a while until they were sure almost everyone in the residence was asleep. Jiang Li stood in front of the window, opened her palm, and in it lay the whistle. She placed the whistle to her lips and gently blew it.
The clear sound of the whistle cut through the night, distinctly audible even though Jiang Li had covered it with her hand to muffle the sound. In the silent yard, it could be heard clearly. Tonger and Bai Xue stood behind Jiang Li, nervously listening for any response from outside.
Jiang Li waited for a long while but no one came. Disappointed, she turned to Bai Xue and said, "Let’s figure out a way to leave on our own."
Just as she finished speaking, a voice came from the tree in front of them, "Where does the Second Miss wish to go?"
Jiang Li looked up sharply to see a figure perched on the branch of a tree outside the window, apparently having been there for some time. When Jiang Li looked up, the figure jumped down from the tree—it was Zhao Ke.
"When did you get here?" Jiang Li exclaimed, "I thought you weren’t at home."
"I’ve been here the whole time, here for a while now. Seeing that the Second Miss didn’t have other orders, I took a nap on the tree," Zhao Ke said, "I heard the Second Miss blowing the whistle. Is there something the matter?"
He still seemed clueless about the situation, and Jiang Li didn’t know if Tonger’s words had reached his ears. But whether Zhao Ke heard them was not important, for Jiang Li would explain the reason personally to Jih Heng. She simply said, "I want to go to the Duke Residence for a bit, to speak with Jih Heng. Is he at home now?"
Zhao Ke noticed that Jiang Li referred to him as "Jih Heng" and not "the Duke," suggesting a more equal form of address. He felt that Jiang Li was somewhat strange today but couldn’t put his finger on what was different, only saying, "The lord is at home. Does the Second Miss want to see him now?"
"Yes," said Jiang Li.
"Then the Second Miss should follow me."
Jiang Li told Tonger and Bai Xue, "You two stay at home. I will come back after I have seen Jih Heng."
Tonger and Bai Xue nodded their heads; they knew they couldn’t control Jiang Li. They simply let it be, as long as Jiang Li was happy.
Jiang Li left with Zhao Ke; the lights in Fangfei Garden went out, and everything returned to silence.
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