The Double
Chapter 117 - 117 78 Entering the Palace_4

117: Chapter 78: Entering the Palace_4 117: Chapter 78: Entering the Palace_4 Madam Jiang the Elder couldn’t help but take a few extra glances at Jiang Li.

Of the several daughters in the Jiang Family, those from the third wife, who was an illegitimate son’s mother, were not favored by her.

The second wife had no daughters, and of the two daughters from the eldest wife, she had originally thought Jiang Youyao to be the cherished pearl, the beloved one, but now it seemed that Jiang Li, who had grown up away from home, was like unpolished jade on the riverbank, with her own innate grace and elegance.

As for who was better, it was truly hard to tell at this point.

Jiang Yuanbai, seeing that both his daughters were tall and graceful, felt a sense of satisfaction and said, “We can depart now.”

Each family took their own coach.

Inside the carriage with Jiang Li, Jiang Youyao kept cooing to Jiang Yuanbai, perhaps to provoke Jiang Li.

Jiang Li simply smiled, watching everything in front of her without being affected, making Jiang Yuanbai feel somewhat uncomfortable.

Jiang Li could see that Jiang Youyao often fawned over Jiang Yuanbai, and his discomfort might have stemmed from guilt towards his daughter.

But she did not show any sign of sadness.

Seeing this, Jiang Youyao felt like she had punched into cotton, and was frustrated inside.

Ji Shuran, ever the virtuous and good, did not stop Jiang Youyao’s provocative actions.

It seemed to Ji Shuran that a daughter playfully interacting with her father was nothing out of the ordinary, so why would she need to interfere?

Jiang Yuanbai noticed Jiang Li’s indifference and felt a twinge of disappointment.

His daughter had now become beautiful and outstanding, and he, as a father, was not un-proud.

Jiang Li seemed to hold no grudges against what he had done in the past and never complained; perhaps this was due to Jiang Li’s magnanimity, but Jiang Yuanbai felt more than ever that it was because Jiang Li did not care.

To Jiang Li, it was as if she were watching strangers.

At this moment, Jiang Li sat in the carriage, reminiscing about the times she had been to the palace before.

Back then, she was genuinely and profoundly happy, proud of Shen Yurong’s achievements, and fortunate to be his wife.

She was terrified of making a mistake that would embarrass Shen Yurong, so she practiced nervously in the mansion.

She was rarely this anxious, and at that time, Shen Yurong even laughed at her, saying, “Don’t worry, Ah Li, if you make a mistake that angers His Majesty, at worst, your husband will give up his post and we will go back to Tongxiang to farm.”

She pretended to be angry and went to hit Shen Yurong, which made him laugh heartily.

Looking back on it now, it felt like a lifetime ago.

In fact, she had not embarrassed herself at the palace banquet; instead, she had performed very well, and the empress had even praised her intelligence.

Shen Yurong, however, would never give up his position for her; instead, he was willing to sacrifice her for a promotion.

What was thought to be real was not, and what was believed to be a lie was not a lie; truth and falsehood mixed.

This time, walking a road she had once traveled, she would not be blinded again.

She would slowly make her way to where she wanted to be, accomplishing bit by bit what she had set out to do.

She would take revenge for her father and Xue Zhao, and seek justice for herself who had been wrongfully killed.

As the carriage moved, Ying became silent behind her, and the whole family, each immersed in their own thoughts, felt time flying by quickly.

About half an hour passed, and the carriage came to a stop.

The coachman outside said, “Madam, sir, we have arrived.”

Jiang Yuanbai was the first to alight, followed by maids and nannies assisting Ji Shuran and others.

As Jiang Li stepped down from the carriage, she landed on the ground adjacent to the royal palace’s wall, looking deeply at the palace walls, her heart filled with complex emotions.

It was this palace that fostered someone as malicious and tyrannical as Princess Yongning, who would oppress the commons with her power, and Shen Yurong was someone who, for the shimmering splendor of the palace, did not hesitate to sacrifice her.

The palace looked magnificent, but how many living among it were merely walking corpses?

They were draped in gold and silver, seemingly possessing everything, but in reality, they had nothing.

Jiang Li pitied them, looked down on them, and had no desire to be associated with them.

“Second Sister, this is the palace gate,” said Jiang Yue, who had alighted from the coach behind.

Jiang Li smiled, and Jiang Jingrui felt uncomfortable twisting his neck; he had to be dressed properly today and could not act as freely as he did at home.

It was practically torturous for Jiang Jingrui, but Jiang Jingyou, by his side, was as amiable as ever, very much like Jiang Yuanping and his son two peas in a pod.

Many carriages from the Official Families arrived one after another outside the palace gates, with those of lower ranks even coming over to greet Jiang Yuanbai in a flattering manner.

However, as the Jiang Family had arrived a bit late and Jiang Yuanbai had to meet with Emperor Hongxiao first, he did not linger outside the palace gates and was directly led inside by the guide.