The Double-Chapter 514 - 157 BMW_2

He still had the appearance of a carefree scholar, yet his gaze was like that of a fox sniffing the scent of its prey, intensely keen.

Jiang Li silently laughed to herself, thinking that on the surface, Jiang Yuanbai may hold office in the court, his political achievements being mediocre at best, and could only be described as slick. However, deep down, he was no better than those wily jackals and hyenas, sensing that something was amiss with this affair and had come specifically to deceive with his words.

Jiang Li expressed her surprise, "I have met Duke Su at the palace banquet before, and the only other time I met him was during a court discussion outside the hall. As for Old General Jih, I cannot even begin to talk about any close relations—we have never met."

Her words were half-truths. Indeed, the two times she had encountered Jih Heng were known to Jiang Yuanbai and were unavoidable. There were too many witnesses, and to claim she had never met Jih Heng would only arouse suspicion. As for Old General Jih, each time Jiang Li met him was in private visits to the Duke Residence, unknown to outsiders.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuanbai saw Jiang Li speak earnestly, her story matching exactly with the information he had, and he half-believed it already. In fact, the situation involving the Xue Family’s case where Jih Heng spoke for Jiang Li and confronted Prince Cheng had spread, albeit to a very limited extent within the court. In the beginning, Jiang Yuanbai didn’t care much about it, given that Duke Su had no ties with him for many years, and it wasn’t as if Jiang Li had any dealings with Jih Heng. Perhaps the rumors were exaggerated, warping the truth.

However, today, Madam Jiang the Elder’s servant hastily came to him with this strange invitation, leaving Jiang Yuanbai somewhat undecided.

Could it be that he had missed something? Perhaps there was some unknown connection between Jiang Li and Jih Heng.

But at least from Jiang Li’s current behavior, it was clear that Jiang Li and Jih Heng were not very familiar.

"Father," Jiang Li hesitated before asking, "Do I really have to attend Old General Jih’s birthday celebration?"

When Jiang Yuanbai heard this, he also felt troubled. Old General Jih himself was quite a decent man: brave, loyal, upright, and generous, never treading any crooked paths. When Old General Jih had not yet fully stepped down, he had once pointed at Jiang Yuanbai and jokingly scolded him as a crafty fox. Jiang Yuanbai didn’t take it to heart; having served so long in court, he knew the difference between loyalty and treachery. Although the old general sometimes made shocking remarks, as if he were an old mischief-maker, his character was beyond reproach.

The problem lay with his grandson, the current Duke Su, Jih Heng. Though young, he was already dreaded by many in the court. Let alone his unpredictable nature which made discerning his thoughts difficult, even Jiang Yuanbai, who was older than Jih Heng by several years, felt danger and discomfort upon encountering him.

Jiang Yuanbai was not one to take risks. Faced with such a dangerous person, he always kept his distance. Fortunately, Jih Heng did not support Prince Cheng, and his relationship with the Right Chancellor was very indifferent, so there was no threat of becoming enemies, and their relations were somewhat friendly.

The current invitation, ostensibly from Old General Jih, might have implications of Jih Heng’s intentions. If it did reflect Jih Heng’s will, would rejecting it bring retribution upon the Jiang Family? And what if it was merely a whim of Old General Jih? The invitation also mentioned other guests who were not family members of court officials, which further confused Jiang Yuanbai.

He could not just outright reject the invitation, nor dare to let Jiang Li rashly attend the banquet. He planned on questioning her to see if there was something he wasn’t aware of, but Jiang Li couldn’t provide a satisfactory answer either.

Jiang Yuanbai was caught in a dilemma.

Madam Jiang the Elder said, "Perhaps... we should decline this invitation. It’s seems improper for such a young lady to attend a banquet on her own."

Jiang Yuanbai forced a smile; he naturally wanted to decline as well, but given the Jiang Family was currently facing a time of numerous troubles, offending Duke Su might invite a final catastrophe. Should Jih Heng take the opportunity to kick them while they were down, the entire Jiang Family might suffer. That’s how the political arena was; you watched many claw their way to the top by any means because if they stopped, their entire families could be thrown into a bottomless abyss.

He simply couldn’t afford to stop.

Jiang Li noticed the conflict on Jiang Yuanbai’s face and let out a soft sigh. She said, "I’ve heard that Duke Su, Jih Heng, is unpredictable in temper. If we were to outright refuse his grandfather’s invitation, he might take it as the Jiang Family’s lack of gratitude, potentially bringing unnecessary trouble. The Jiang Family really can’t withstand any further blows right now."