The Double-Chapter 72 - 70 He Comes

72: Chapter 70 He Comes

72 -70 He Comes

The female students at the Inspection Field had more or less all gathered together.

Jiang Li followed the teacher leading them to one side of the school examination area, where they would draw lots to determine when it would be her turn to be inspected.

The lots were contained in a long, round wooden jar, and Jiang Li and Liu Xu each took a piece of paper from it in turn.

The person responsible for recording announced, “Jiang Li, thirteenth.

Liu Xu, eighteenth.”

There were thirty participants in total for the inspection.

Jiang Li found herself in a middling position.

No sooner had these words been read out than, at the other end, Jiang Yue exaggeratedly exclaimed “Ah!” in a voice loud enough for Jiang Li’s end to hear, “Second Sister is thirteenth!

Right behind Third Sister, who is twelfth.

What a coincidence!”

Jiang Youyao was twelfth?

Jiang Li was momentarily stunned, then laughed to herself, finding the coincidence quite remarkable.

Liu Xu, however, didn’t take it as lightly as Jiang Li, shaking her head and saying, “This is bad.

Jiang Youyao’s zither music is always ranked top at Mingyi Hall.

Last year, her ‘Butterfly Transformation’ astounded everyone, and this year, her skills must have improved even more.

The better she plays, the worse off you’ll be by comparison later.

Even if you’re quite good, you’ll be overshadowed by her.”

People always enjoy making comparisons.

After tasting delicacies, crude grain bread seems unappetizing, and so the rare delicacies become even more exquisite and sought after, while the simple meal becomes harder to swallow.

This was indeed disadvantageous for Jiang Li.

“Why does Second Miss have to follow right after Third Miss?” Madam Jiang the Elder also frowned.

They were all Jiang family members, and if Jiang Li performed too poorly, it wouldn’t reflect well on the Jiang family either.

Jiang Youyao was overjoyed inside; she had never expected such an unexpected pleasure and felt as if heaven itself was on her side.

She was determined to outshine Jiang Li and see her lose face.

Meng Hongjin, upon witnessing the situation, snorted coldly through her nose, clearly taking delight in Jiang Li’s misfortune.

Her own zither skills were no match for Jiang Youyao’s, but she was happy to see Jiang Li embarrass herself.

Jiang Li’s mind, however, wasn’t occupied with these concerns.

She saw Princess Yongning but had yet to see Shen Yurong.

But she also knew that if Princess Yongning had unusually attended, Shen Yurong would surely come as well.

While she was pondering this, the crowd of girls around her suddenly became excited, and even the nearby crowd began to stir.

Liu Xu’s surprised voice reached her ears, “Why has His Highness Prince Cheng also come?”

“His Highness Prince Cheng?” Jiang Li looked toward the source of the commotion and indeed saw a man in blue robes taking his seat beside Princess Yongning—it was Prince Cheng.

Prince Cheng and Princess Yongning were siblings from the same mother, both born of Empress Dowager Liu.

When Jiang Li was with the Shen family, she had heard some palace secrets from Shen Yurong’s mouth.

The Late Emperor, while living, had witnessed Noble Consort Liu and Noble Consort Xia competing fiercely for favor. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

However, after Noble Consort Xia passed away, Emperor Hongxiao was raised under the Empress, and later became the Crown Prince.

When Prince Cheng approached his seat, he was about a step away at the closest point.

Perhaps due to being favored in the past, Empress Dowager Liu still seemed to retain her haughty demeanor, which seemed to influence Prince Cheng as well.

He came across as a bit unrestrained and sharp, and had Emperor Hongxiao not been a kind sovereign, with a more suspicious emperor, Prince Cheng might have suffered greatly.

As Prince Cheng entered, the crowd buzzed, and Jiang Li even heard noble young ladies nearby talking in low, shy voices, “His Highness Prince Cheng is so exceptionally handsome…”

Jiang Li suddenly thought that Prince Cheng had a principal consort but no side consorts.

Among the noble young ladies present, some with slightly lower statuses could well aspire to be side consorts to Prince Cheng.

She wondered if Prince Cheng’s appearance was to select a suitable young woman.

Recalling Jiang Jingrui’s mention of “choosing a wife,” Jiang Li couldn’t help but want to laugh.

Before the smile reached her eyes, Jiang Li was taken aback again.

Not far from Prince Cheng—or rather, from Princess Yongning—sat a familiar figure.

He was dressed in a simple robe of pale blue, his features gentle and refined.

It was easy to see he had been a beautiful youth, though that youth had long since matured into a stable and proper man.

From afar, Jiang Li could recognize him instantly.

Or rather, even if separated by thousands of mountains and rivers, through thousands of years, she would still recognize him at a glance.

Her husband, her childhood sweetheart, whose affection was wrapped around her like a tender silk, who could draw her eyebrows and line her eyes with the blackest of inks, who promised to hold her hand for a century, to grow old alongside her.

He was her husband, the man by her side, but also the enemy who watched her descend into the underworld with wide-open eyes.

Jiang Li abruptly closed her eyes.

Memories of the past surged tumultuously within her, almost piecing together a complete picture before abruptly breaking off at the critical moment, like a bronze mirror shattering.

The final image lingering in her sight was of a shadow fleeing in panic through the window while she struggled in someone else’s grasp.

That cold, both familiar and unfamiliar shadow.

Jiang Li opened her eyes numbly.

Even with just a fleeting glance from afar, Jiang Li was certain she had seen it—Shen Yurong and Princess Yongning exchanging glances.

Princess Yongning was as delicate and charming as a flower, whispering softly, a woman full of life.

Meanwhile, Xue Fangfei was already dead, transformed into a pile of bones buried in the dirt, rotting away in the cold.

She lowered her head, unable to cry or laugh.

Liu Xu, unaware of her pain, still took Jiang Li by the hand and said, “The examiners for today’s inspection exam have arrived.

Look, that’s the Immortal Jing Hong…”

Jiang Li’s heart was in turmoil, but she couldn’t help raising her eyes in the direction Liu Xu was pointing.

She saw a woman dressed in white, outshining the snow, with a fresh yellow ribbon adorning her hair, bright lips and shining teeth, exquisite brows framing a radiant face, a beauty so stunning it seemed she could be a celestial being floating down from the heavens, captivating the hearts of all who beheld her.

This was the Immortal Jing Hong.

Originally, Immortal Jing Hong was a cultured courtesan from Wangxian Tower, who plied her art without selling her body.

Her zither skills were so transcendent that the noble young men of Yanjing City vied for her favor, elevating her status even above that of ordinary ladies of good family.

Later, Immortal Jing Hong fell in love with the son of a tea merchant, who redeemed her from her life.

Leaving Wangxian Tower, she retired to live quietly as a wife, dedicating herself to her family.

The people of Yanjing City all lamented that they could no longer hear Jing Hong play the zither, but no one could question her skills.

Her presence among today’s examiners was not unexpected.

Among the attendees were also young men who, upon seeing the Immortal Jing Hong, who was even more beautiful as a married woman than young maidens, blushed and could not bear to look directly at her

.

As Jiang Li was admiring the ethereal beauty of the Immortal Jing Hong, Liu Xu suddenly gasped beside her, exclaiming, “Duke Su has also arrived.”

As if to validate Liu Xu’s observation, the surrounding area suddenly grew quiet, filled with muffled breaths that were cautiously soft, as if afraid to startle something fragile.

After the snow-white attire, there followed a streak of deep, vibrant red—a mournful, striking red.

That was Duke Su, Jih Heng.