107: Chapter 76 Regretting Marriage_6 107: Chapter 76 Regretting Marriage_6 She spoke lightly, yet it made Ji Shuran instantly understand, as if she could see before her eyes the scene of Jiang Li being pointed at and whispered about, which excited and satisfied her.
“I will arrange this matter, during the palace banquet, I’ll make sure to set her up with a ‘lover’.”
Lady Ji Chen glanced at Ji Shuran and said, “Foolish girl, isn’t there one right in front of you?”
Ji Shuran did not understand.
“I have heard that this time, the top scholar from the Imperial College is Ye Shijie, who belongs to Ye Zhenzhen’s family.
Jiang Li and Ye Shijie are, after all, cousins, and what is more apt to lead to trouble than the relationship between cousins?
Didn’t Jiang Li just help Ye Shijie out on the street?
I suspect there might really be something between them.”
Ji Shuran’s expression darkened, “You’re talking about Ye Shijie?
Why should she get off so easily?” In Ji Shuran’s view, Ye Shijie barely counted as a talented young man, and now he was even the top scholar of the Imperial College.
Jiang Li marrying Ye Shijie would be letting Ye Shijie off too lightly.
She would rather have Jiang Li marry someone who had nothing, a loathsome, lazy man that everyone looked down upon.
That would truly be satisfying.
“My dear sister, you must think more long-term.
Is it really good for Jiang Li to marry Ye Shijie?” Lady Ji Chen said at a leisurely pace, “Ye Shijie has just become the top scholar and will serve as an official in the future.
Although the Ji family does not take him seriously, it’s still annoying to see him around.
If the Ye family rises because of Ye Shijie, Jiang Li will have her maternal family’s support.
By then, it will be even harder for you to target Jiang Li.”
“At the palace banquet, if Ye Shijie and Jiang Li are discovered to be intimate and it’s exposed to everyone, His Majesty will become furious and lash out at Ye Shijie.
Ye Shijie’s chance of promotion will vanish, and he will be ridiculed by others.
Jiang Li’s reputation will be ruined, and the two will have no choice but to get married.
But after getting married, will they truly respect each other like guests?” Lady Ji Chen continued in a gentle tone, “Ye Shijie, having his future ruined by Jiang Li, will certainly bear resentment toward her, and the Ye family will also blame Jiang Li.
If there starts to be discord between the couple…” Lady Ji Chen smiled, “It will be much more difficult for them to live well together.
By then, you can simply find a few beautiful maids from outside or bribe someone close to Jiang Li to stir up trouble constantly.
I am not afraid that Ye Shijie and Jiang Li won’t become enemies.”
“And in a marriage with rivals, the woman always suffers more than the man.” Lady Ji Chen continued, “By the time Jiang Li is in Xiangyang, it will be much easier for you to deal with her than it is now.”
Ji Shuran had a moment of realization.
By implicating Jiang Li and Ye Shijie in a romantic affair, it would not only destroy Ye Shijie’s career and dash the Ye family’s hopes, preventing them from rising again, but it would also make Jiang Li marry into a household where she would be resented, and everything would go wrong for her.
Once married into Xiangyang, Ji Shuran believed she had a thousand ways to make Jiang Li’s life worse than death.
“Thank you for the advice, sister.” Now truly convinced, Ji Shuran said to Lady Ji Chen, “Sister’s method is far more thorough than mine.”
“Compared to Consort Li in the palace, we still have a long way to go.” Lady Ji Chen said, “Now go and comfort Youyao quickly.
She has been pampered since childhood, and Zhou Yanbang’s humiliation must have deeply upset her.
Make sure she does not act rashly in her distress and ruin your plans.”
Ji Shuran’s heart chilled, and she said, “I understand, I’ll go right now.”
Lady Ji Chen nodded in satisfaction.
…
Meanwhile, Tonger relayed the information she had gathered to Jiang Li.
“They say that the third young mistress is in a very bad mood, and the servants of Yaoguang Mansion have all been reprimanded.
However, some saw the third young mistress in tears…”
Jiang Li set down the book in her hand and asked in surprise, “Crying?” Jiang Youyao’s frustrations were mostly directed at herself, but Jiang Li did not believe she had done anything to make Jiang Youyao cry.
Since the verification incident, she had been staying inside the Jiang Residence and hadn’t gone anywhere, nor did she have any conflicts with Jiang Youyao.
“Yes, it’s unclear what the matter was.
Later on, it was said that Lady Ji comforted her for a long time until she felt better, but then the master became angry again.”
Jiang Li was even more puzzled.
Having only recently arrived at the Jiang Residence, she did not have the means to arrange her own people there.
Apart from Fangfei Garden, she could only rely on Tonger to help her find out about the happenings in other parts of the residence.
Such second-hand information was always somewhat incomplete.
Just as she said this, someone outside called her name: “Jiang Li!
Jiang Li!”
It was Jiang Jingrui’s voice.
“The second young master is here again.” Tonger grimaced, noting that Jiang Jingrui’s visits were so frequent that they were almost running out of tea in Fangfei Garden, and the new tea wouldn’t arrive until next month.
When Jiang Jingrui saw Tonger’s expression, he complained, “Jiang Li, you need to manage your maid properly.
I am the second young master of the Jiang Family Mansion; others beg me to visit them, and yet I come here.
My presence brings honor to this place, and look at her expression?”