Chapter 106 Part 2: Imprisoned

“What did you say?” Jiang Li couldn’t help crying out in surprise.

All along, in front of Qiong Zhi, this Jiang second miss was always calm and magnanimous, never having the appearance of half forgetting her manners. This was the first time Qiong Zhi saw Jiang Li seemingly at a loss.

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Jiang Li didn’t care how Qiong Zhi looked at her. At that moment, ecstasy spurted out and filled her heart. She said: “You said Xue Huai Yuan is still alive?! Is what you said true? Where did you hear it from?!”

At first, Qiong Zhi suspected that Jiang Li might have an ulterior motive asking about the Xue family, perhaps thinking of making use of the Xue family to accomplish some kind of conspiracy. But based on Jiang Li’s behavior at the moment, the misgiving in her mind immediately vanished. When this Jiang second miss heard that Xue Huai Yuan was still alive, there was an unconcealed happy surprise and excitement in her eyes.

Qiong Zhi calmed down for a while before saying: “He’s really still alive, but this doesn’t mean it’s not good. The master of the Xue family, the deputy county of TongXiang, Xue Huai Yuan, is now insane, does not recognize his family. Now he is confined in the Tongxiang prison.”

As if falling from the sky into an abyss, Jiang Li’s palm turned cold all of a sudden, the flash of happiness immediately dispersed. She somewhat did not dare to believe her ears and fixed her eyes on Qiong Zhi. She said: “What did you say?”

Qiong Zi felt that Jiang Li’s expression was terrible and also very frenzied. Just like a trapped beast repressing its sorrow, making an utmost effort to restraint from wanting to tear everything in the surrounding.

Her voice unconsciously softened as she spoke: “I asked all the guests who came to me, as long as they have a bit of power. But I don’t know why, they didn’t breathe a word about the affair of Xue Huai Yuan from Tongxiang, either were not willing to talk about him with me or directly stormed off in a huff. There was only this one merchant whose relationship with me was not bad. He saw that I asked earnestly, thus letting me know quietly.”

“The news says that deputy county of Tongxiang, Xue Huai Yuan, embezzled the disaster relief funds allocated by the court and was imprisoned. Now the deputy county of Tongxiang is someone else. Xue Huai Yuan has already gone mad, not recognizing any family in prison, very miserable…….”

“How could Xue Huai Yuan embezzle?” Jiang Li said angrily: “The common people in Tongxiang will not believe it!”

Qiong Zhi was astonished to hear Jiang Li talking about the common people of Tongxiang. She was also surprised that Jiang Li seemed to understand Xue Huai Yuan very well. However, she still continued saying: “The common people had no way, after all, it was the meaning from above. Moreover,” Qiong Zhi smiled, unknown to whom the mocking smile was directed to, “when one is no longer in a position of power, others no longer care about him. Since ancient times, there’s been the principle that people do not fight with officials. Even if Xue Huai Yuan was truly an honest and upright official and did not embezzle the disaster relief silver, who would speak up for him? Everyone only seeks for their own self-preservation.”

Jiang Li froze.

Xue Huai Yuan wholeheartedly served the people, never thinking of getting something in return. Xue Zhao and Xue Fang Fei also never thought about it, but now it seemed that what Qiong Zhi said was right. People are selfish, who would offend an even greater nobility for a madman who was already in prison? But if Xue Huai Yuan was still sober, looking at the situation, his heart would be cold and dejected.

Probably, precisely because Xue Huai Yuan saw the common people he had helped with his heart and soul were so cold and indifferent, furthermore all his children died, that he was unable to bear and went insane.

Qiong Zhi was suddenly stunned and said: “Miss Jiang second, you…..”

Jiang Li saw her surprised expression and subconsciously touched her face to discover that tears had unexpectedly fallen.

In the end, she wasn’t able to stand by like an outsider, after all, it was her father. Knowing that her father was in prison and suffered hardship, how could she still be at ease?

“So to speak, in the matter of the Xue family, nowadays nobody dared to get involved with it?” Jiang Li took out a silk handkerchief from her sleeve and wiped the tears from her eyes, her expression was ice-cold.

Qiong Zhi perceived the change in her expression, hesitated for a while before saying: “It was indeed so. Since everyone did not open their mouth, I’m afraid this matter involves another person that’s untouched, not as simple as how it looks on the surface.”

Jiang Li laughed bitterly in her heart, involving another person that’s untouched. Without thinking, she knew it was Yongning that made some actions from behind! When she was dying, in order to cut off her attachment, perhaps also to make her be so grieved so she did not want to live, she told her that Xue Huai Yuan was already dead. Now that she thought about it, if all three members of the Xue family died one after another in more or less the same time, it would be hard to avoid criticism. Naturally, Yongning would not be afraid, but Shen Yurong needed to be apprehensive. So as not to add trouble, Yongning could not kill Xue Huai Yuan, but with Yongning’s pettiness, she certainly could not tolerate Xue Huai Yuan. Therefore, she simply used this kind of baseless accusation, imprisoning Xue Huai Yuan and let him bear endless torture!

Yongning knew that Xue Huai Yuan’s heart was connected to the common people. Letting him be abandoned by the common people he was concerned about, made his clear reputation be wiped by stain, this would be more difficult to bear for Xue Huai Yuan rather than just killing him. When Xue Huai Yuan found out news about Xue Fang Fei and Xue Zhao’s death, naturally it would give rise to new despair, life no better than death. Using such disgusting means on a father, Yongning, she could really do so!

“That’s all I heard, that’s about it.” Qiong Zhi said: “After all, I cannot anyhow leave Xi Hua Lou, and this thing involves a big……. What you said was right, perhaps only you will be able to help avenge Xue Zhao.” Qiong Zhi looked at Jiang Li with a glimmer of hope in her eyes. Jiang Li was the Jiang family’s young lady. On the Ye family’s affair, she dared to oppose Tong Zhi Yang. It could be seen that she had the confidence. At least what those common people did not dare to do, Jiang Li dared.

Jiang Li smiled slightly, just at this moment, that smile appeared very cold. She slowly said: “Of course I will help to avenge Xue Zhao, not just help take revenge for Xue Zhao, whoever set up the Xue family, I will also let them pay back a hundred times.”

Originally, these kinds of words coming from the mouth of a young and delicate official young lady’s mouth should sound ridiculous. However, Qiong Zhi did not know why she felt cold. She only felt that the clear eyes of the young lady in front of her seemed to set a deep vortex without any wind nor waves and no end in sight.

“Many thanks to you.” Jiang Li looked at Qiong Zhi, “thank you for asking around for news of the Xue family for me. Just like you said, this matter involved a lot, with you making inquiries, if people found out…..”