Marriage of the Di Daughter

Chapter 26 Part 1: Shen Family

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The third day of the seventh month was Jiang Youyao’s hairpin ceremony.

The whole Jiang residence had been bustling since the previous evening. Jiang Li who had originally been isolated, was naturally abandoned to the back of everyone’s mind. So much so that in the morning of the next day, no one in the kitchen remembered to send food to Fang Fei Courtyard.   

 Tong’er personally went to the kitchen to find some remaining cakes or pastries to give Jiang Li. On the other hand, she was extremely angry and wanted to speak up: “It’s just a birthday rite, both are the honorable young ladies of the Jiang residence. To go as far as to favor one and discriminate against the other to such a degree, it’s just too much!”

Jiang Li picked up a chestnut cake and took a bite while consoling her: “Jiang Youyao is the pearl in the palm of the people in the main house. Her birthday ceremony is, of course, a major event. Today there are a lot of nobles coming, naturally they cannot neglect them.”

“Young lady, with your manner of speaking, those who don’t know would think that you are an outsider.” Tong’er spoke: “You don’t feel so, but this servant feels unreconciled for you.” Then she continued: “The people in this Fang Fei Courtyard, apart from a few sweeping servants outside, there’s not even one person around. That Yun Shuang in the end is also a servant, but she pulled a long face all day long for people to see. How will young lady use her? Never mind this, that Xiang Qiao, she has taken so many jewelry but today even her shadow couldn’t be seen. She probably went to Ji shi to gain some credits. Pei, really raising an unfamiliar white eyed wolf!” Tong’er was already unhappy with Xiang Qiao and Yun Shuang from long ago. Today she couldn’t bear it any longer and spoke of her bitterness in one breath.    

“Xiang Qiao is originally Ji shi’s person. The past few days, she was fawning in front of me just to get some silvers. My small box has been emptied out by her, of course she no longer has any reason to fawn over me again. As for Yun Shuang, I treated Xiang Qiao so well but she didn’t receive any advantages at all. She will certainly be more prejudiced against me.” Jiang Li finished eating a piece of cake and drank half a mouthful of tea to rinse her mouth. 

Tong’er was looking from the side. Since returning to the Jiang residence, these past few days, Ji Shuran had for the time being not dared to deal with Jiang Li in the open. Food and other things to use were still not too bad. As a result, Jiang Li’s complexion had become somewhat better. Her facial features were originally born exquisite and clear. Her clothing compared to previous days was also better and exposed a beautiful form.

As well as her each and every movement, Tong’er was unable to describe, she just felt that they were especially moving.

Jiang Li saw Tong’er in a daze and asked: “What’s the matter?”

Tong’er came out of her daze and straightaway spoke: “Young lady,  today is third miss’s hairpin ceremony. They wouldn’t not let young lady attend, right?”

Up until now, no one had come to notify Jiang Li to attend the ritual. If it was the real Jiang second miss, it would be hard to avoid displaying the mixed feelings in her heart. No need to think further, she would even be so frantic that she wouldn’t remember her place. After all, Jiang second miss already had a bad reputation. Such a person like the Jiang Old Madam who cherished her clean and pure reputation, in order to not to let Jiang Li make mischief during the ceremony, it was really possible that she would directly not allow Jiang Li to show up. 

In the end, Jiang second miss had a history of harming her mother and murdering her brother, moreover, today Marquis Ningyuan’s heir, Zhou Yan Bang, would appear. If Jiang second miss saw Zhou Yan Bang and recalled how her marriage arrangement was forcibly taken away and by any change her mood was stirred up, it was possible that she might do something that overstepped the boundary. 

Jiang Li laughed: “Impossible.”

Tong’er asked: “How is young lady so certain?”

“Even if each and every one in the Jiang residence doesn’t want me to attend Jiang Youyao’s ceremony, one person will definitely wish for me to take part in it, which is Ji shi. In order for me to attend the ceremony, Ji shi will certainly put in great effort to persuade everybody and give me the opportunity to attend this ritual.”

Tong’er stared with wide eyes at Jiang Li.

“The stage has been set up, if I don’t come to the stage to perform, how can their drama be played?” Jiang Li smiled gently, “it’s impossible.”

Chapter 26 Part 2: Shen Family

Please, read this at BloomingTranslation blog. We spend a lot of time and effort to bring you the best quality translations we can provide, so please show us respect by reading from our site instead of aggregators that steal our work.

Her voice just fell when she saw Xiang Qiao enter from outside. She was beaming as if there was a major happy occasion. Seeing that both Jiang Li and Tong’er were sitting, she directly said: “Second miss, quickly groom and dress yourself. Today is the third miss’s hairpin ceremony, many nobles came one after another. Madam and the rest of the family are waiting for you.”

On Jiang Li’s face emerged a perfectly surprised expression, she smiled and said: “It’s really very good.”

 Really good, finally the play was going to start.

    ……

 Today many people came to the Jiang residence.

Jiang Yuan Bai’s position in the court was not low. On one side, the people in court were dissatisfied with his method of only blindly following the Emperor’s intentions.  On the other hand, they couldn’t help coveting Jiang Yuan Bai’s status in the Emperor’s eyes. 

The previous assistant to the emperor, Sheng Ji, was on an almost equal footing with Hong Xiao Emperor but he was exiled afterwards. It only took a short three years for Sheng Ji to decline, yet Jiang Yuan Bai had sat in this seat for ten years and he still sat steadily. Naturally, he was not as incompetent as he displayed.    

No matter what, Jiang Yuan Bai was an influential role in the court. All the scholars wanted to befriend him. His honorable daughter’s birthday ceremony, obviously many people were bound to attend.

Acting as the greeter for Jiang Youyao’s guests was Ji Shuran’s blood-related sister, the Madam of Minister of Consultation, Ji Chenzhi. Ji Shuran had two older sisters; one was Ji Chenzhi, while the other one was in Hong Xiao Emperor’s harem. To put it, nowadays Jiang Shuran had status in Jiang residence, aside from the fact that the Vice Imperial Censor Ji’s status had become increasingly important in the court, it was also due to looking at Li pin’s1 face.     

Hong Xiao Emperor doted on Li pin very much.

In the main hall, many madams had already arrived, all were the nobles in Yanjing and they were discussing the recent gossip. Even Chengde Minister Liu Yuan Feng’s madam, Madam Liu was also there.

Although Liu Yuan Feng and the Ji family did not get along well, they weren’t hostile towards the Jiang family on the outside and could still be regarded as peaceful. Today Madam Liu came to attend the ceremony also not because she wanted to see Jiang Youyao. Rather, she wanted to see how Jiang Li had passed her days. Ever since Jiang Li had returned to Yanjing, Madam Liu had not seen Jiang Li anymore.

Ji Shuran sat by the side of the ladies. She was born gentle and beautiful, money and power really played in one’s deed, and she also spoke really well in every situation. Not once did she get heated with these nobles. This naturally was also due to the nobles wanting to curry favor with the Jiang family. 

Jiang Yu’e and Jiang Yuyan had also come early. Jiang Yuyan was wearing a deep purple dress, it was very appropriate. Her appearance was just average with nothing remarkable. Jiang Yuyan was used to being a wallflower in the crowd. She didn’t say a word and just sat at the side to accompany her mother, Yang shi.

On the contrary, Jiang Yu’e was unwilling to be mediocre. She probably knew today Jiang Youyao had the leading role and she couldn’t grab Jiang Youyao’s limelight, yet she was not resigned to be as indifferent as Jiang Yuyan. She wore a goose-colored light dress with a small vest and rolled her hair up into a bun. She appeared more and more like a pretty daughter in a humble family, lovely and moving. The tip of her brows was raised in a lively and cheerful look and she strived to look for topics to discuss with the nobles’ daughters, wishing that she could climb a bit of relations.   

In the middle of the female nobles, two people were sitting on the left side of the main hall. One of them was middle-aged with wrinkles on the corner of her eyes. At first glance, she was much older than the other ladies in her surrounding, yet her dress was extremely luxurious and somewhat inappropriate. It somehow didn’t suit her appearance. 

A young female was sitting by her side, around 17-18 years of age. Her features could be regarded as delicate and pretty, however, her face was thin and narrow, her cheekbones were tall and made her appear somewhat unkind. This female was also dressed in extreme riches and honor, especially eye-catching among the crowd of female nobles. There was impatience between her eyes and in a low voice she asked the madam by her side: “Mother, why hasn’t Jiang Youyao come out yet?”

These two people were precisely the current Ministry of Rites people, last year’s top scorer Shen Yurong’s mother and younger sister, Madam Shen and Shen Ruyun.

I agree with Lime, thanks god this is not imperial harem novel… Sorry for the delay, these days I’m dead tired from studying and when I arrived home yesterday went directly to bed >.<

Footnotes:

1: Thank goodness this is not an imperial novel or I’ll cry so much with the titles. These mentions of ministers are already enough to pull my hair out in frustration T^T.