The Double-Chapter 734 - 221 Shock

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Chapter 734: Chapter 221 Shock

This celebration banquet was originally prepared for Yin Zhan, the Prince of Xia County, yet in the end, it was Yin Zhan who lost face and failed to get what he wanted. Although Emperor Hongxiao bestowed a great deal of gold, silver, and jewels, on second thought, the Zhaode General had received such rewards for his notable military exploits many years ago, and they had long since filled up the storeroom.

The talk of the banquet was still Jiang Li’s and Jih Heng’s proposed marriage. In fact, both Yin Zhili and Jih Heng seemed like fine choices. They were of similar age, with Yin Zhili gentle and amiable as jade, and Jih Heng strikingly handsome and radiant. One was the Crown Prince, and the other was the Duke. However, compared to Jih Heng, Yin Zhili appeared to be much easier to get along with, and his temperament much milder. The Duke Su, accustomed to his capricious ways, would kill without batting an eye, and even though Miss Jiang the Second looked to have married magnificently, it might not be better than marrying into the Yin Household. With this thought, the ladies’ envy and admiration for Jiang Li dissipated somewhat, replaced by a dose of sympathy; naturally, there were also those who delighted in the misfortune of others. Jiang Li saw all this but said nothing. From the beginning to the end of the day, she remained very composed, even when Emperor Hongxiao decreed the marriage; she did not show the slightest sign of distress.

This continued until the end of the celebration banquet.

When it was time to leave and everyone was dispersing from the palace, many colleagues congratulated Jiang Yuanbai, who, feeling bitterness inside, could only smile and respond politely. Jiang Li stood to one side, her gaze falling on Jih Heng. He rose very slowly, as if he did not feel he had caused a significant stir that day. Locking eyes with Jiang Li from a distance, seeing her looking at him, he smiled, a dazzling gesture.

Hong brazen at this moment, Jiang Li thought, not afraid that others might notice the hint, and she quickly lowered her head, avoiding Jih Heng’s gaze, and pretended as if nothing had happened. Yet, unbeknownst to her, this entire scene was witnessed by two people.

One was Yin Zhili, and the other was Yin Zhiqing. As siblings, one had feelings for Jiang Li and the other for Jih Heng; naturally, they paid close attention to every move the other made. Watching the exchange of glances between Jiang Li and Jih Heng, which was clearly not the look of "strangers," Yin Zhiqing stood there, stunned, barely holding back her tears. Yin Zhili did not lose his composure as Zhiqing did, but a hint of dejection still flashed across his eyes. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

She must have known all along, and when Jih Heng asked for the marriage to be granted, she must have accepted with joy. A dull ache arose in Yin Zhili’s heart: not sharp, but deeply uncomfortable. He remembered every time he visited the Jiang Family to see Jiang Li, she also greeted him with a smile, making him believe that at the very least, she did not dislike him. But after seeing the way Jiang Li looked at Jih Heng, he understood what it truly looked like when she liked somebody.

Definitely not the way she looked at him.

Yin Zhan walked past the siblings, still wearing a hearty smile, and said, "Let’s go!"

Only then did Yin Zhili come back to his senses. He adjusted his emotions and pretended as if nothing had happened. Madam Yin also took Yin Zhiqing by the hand, whispering softly, "Zhiqing, let’s go."

And so, the family left.

On the other hand, after Jiang Yuanbai finally managed to deal with a bunch of colleagues’ congratulations, when Jiang Li left, Jih Heng had already disappeared. She didn’t take the incident to heart and returned home with Jiang Yuanbai and his entourage.

On the way back, Jiang Li still shared a carriage with her brothers Jiang Jingrui and Jiang Jingyou. Jiang Jingrui, appraising Jiang Li’s expression, seemed to have a belly full of questions to ask. Struggling to restrain himself, he eventually couldn’t hold back and said to Jiang Li, "You’ve been granted a marriage, how come you don’t seem to care at all?"

"How should I react?" Jiang Li asked curiously.

"At least... you should show a bit of surprise," muttered Jiang Jingrui, "And from Crown Prince to Duke Su, aren’t you scared at all?"

"Why should I be scared?"

Jiang Jingrui appeared taken aback by Jiang Li’s matter-of-fact question. He asked, "Haven’t you heard the rumors about Duke Su?"

"I have," said Jiang Li, "Maybe they’re all hearsay. Wasn’t the whole of Yanjing City claiming I was a matricide and enemy slayer not long ago? Yet no one knows the truth. Perhaps Duke Su has had experiences not dissimilar to mine, just rumors misconstrued by others."

Jiang Jingrui and Jiang Jingyou were both stunned. Seeing their strange expressions, Jiang Li asked, "What’s the matter?"

"You’re really strange. You’ve never been this defensive of others. When Grandmother told you to spend more time with the Crown Prince, you weren’t even willing. Now that you’ve suddenly been betrothed to a stranger, you not only show no resistance, but you also defend him," said Jiang Jingrui. "Jiang Li," he continued, "you can’t possibly be treating him better because Duke Su is good-looking, can you? But the Crown Prince isn’t bad looking either."

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