The Double-Chapter 673 - 208 Notice_4

Jiang Li complied, but she felt a bit strange in her heart. Having already visited Night Wind Hall during the day, and now needing to go there again at night, it surely wasn’t just on a whim—there must be something she needed to be told. However, it was so late; what could it possibly be?

When Jiang Li arrived at Night Wind Hall, she discovered that Jiang Jingrui and Jiang Jingyou were not there. Madam Jiang the Elder was sitting inside, and Jiang Yuanbai, Jiang Yuanping, and Lady Lu were all present.

Jiang Li entered.

"Second Lady," Madam Jiang the Elder said when she saw her, first letting Jiang Li sit down, then without any further unnecessary words, she got straight to the point, "In three days, the Crown Prince and the princess of Pingyang County will come to our residence for a banquet. During these next few days, remember to dress up nicely."

"The Crown Prince, the princess of Pingyang County?" Jiang Li was startled, and suddenly a thought flashed through her mind, "Is it Prince of Xia County’s..."

"Correct," Jiang Yuanbai answered. He said, "You might already know, Prince of Xia County returned to the capital today."

Jiang Li asked curiously, "Father, does our Jiang Family have any past dealings with Prince of Xia County?"

"Previously, there weren’t any dealings," replied Jiang Yuanping with a smile, "but there may be dealings in the future."

His words were suggestive, and for a moment, Jiang Li did not understand. She thought for a while, recalling the day in Yanjing City when she and Jih Heng encountered an outstandingly attractive brother and sister on the street, who also happened to be surnamed Yin. Considering what Jiang Yuanbai said, Prince of Xia County just happened to have a son and a daughter, which made it impossible for her not to speculate further. Jiang Li asked, "Father, are the names of the Crown Prince and the County Princess, by any chance, Yin Zhili and Yin Zhiqing?"

This time, both Jiang Yuanbai and Jiang Yuanping were taken aback. Jiang Yuanbai stared at Jiang Li and asked, "How do you know?"

That was it? Jiang Li was momentarily dazed, not having expected that the man and woman she had seen on the street that day were Yin Zhan’s children. Yin Zhan’s children had arrived in Yanjing City several days before him? Why was that?

Considering that the brother and sister would recognize Jiang Li when they visited the mansion in three days, she decided not to hide the truth and confessed to Jiang Yuanbai, "On the day I returned to the mansion, my carriage collided with another, and a man and a woman emerged from it, claiming to be Yin Zhili and Yin Zhiqing."

Jiang Yuanbai and Jiang Yuanping looked at each other, bewildered, while Lady Lu, who had been listening, seemed to finally understand and exclaimed in surprise, "Ah, so you’ve already met them! What a coincidence!"

In her tone, besides surprise, there was also some delight, which made Jiang Li even more puzzled. What was so beneficial about her earlier encounter with the siblings that would make Lady Lu so happy? As far as Jiang Li knew, the Jiang Family had no dealings with the Yin Household.

Jiang Yuanbai wasn’t as surprised as Lady Lu and simply asked Jiang Li, "You collided with their carriage... how did you come to know their names?"

Jiang Li fell silent. At that time, Yin Zhiqing had openly revealed her name in front of a crowd, not for any other reason but clearly because of Jih Heng. But to tell others that the County Princess had taken a liking to Jih Heng and had introduced herself, Jiang Li felt it somewhat awkward; Jih Heng might not be pleased, and the County Princess might think her a gossip.

Therefore, Jiang Li said, "It was just a minor accident, there was no conflict, father needn’t worry, we had no quarrel."

She avoided answering Jiang Yuanbai’s question. This deepened Jiang Yuanbai’s suspicions, and just as he was about to press for an answer, he was stopped by Jiang Yuanping, who said, "Since Little Li, you’ve already met the siblings, having them visit us in three days is a fortunate matter indeed, that’s also fate."

Jiang Li was silent for a moment before saying, "Is the Jiang Family going to form an alliance with Zhaode General now?"

Jiang Yuanbai asked, "Why do you ask that?"

"Father, I’m just saying, it’s a time of numerous affairs. Prince Cheng has rebelled, the court is in turmoil, and the Right Chancellor is now secretly making his moves. At such a time, we cannot afford any mistakes. The sudden arrival of Zhaode General, whose intentions are still unknown, calls for caution. Whatever decision you make, father, please think thrice."

Lady Lu looked at Jiang Li, then at Jiang Yuanbai, not understanding these matters, her expression blank. Madam Jiang the Elder’s gaze shifted slightly, but she remained silent as well.

Jiang Yuanbai observed Jiang Li, who calmly met his eye. After a while, he finally said, "Some matters are not within my power to decide. You are a young lady; it’s better for you not to concern yourself with such things."

He understood, or perhaps Jiang Yuanbai was already aware of what Jiang Li had said, but he still had to do it.

Jiang Li remained silent.