Chapter 52 Part 2: Empathy

Jiang Li smiled and looked at Ji Shuran. Ji Shuran seemed to be totally unaware that her words would push Jiang Li towards an irretrievable situation. Moreover, it was like a joke.

Jiang Li said: “I don’t know him, I also was not aware that he is my eldest cousin. If Old Madam didn’t tell me, I wouldn’t know the relation between me and him. If it wasn’t him today but any other person and I encountered this kind of scene, I would still step forward.” Jiang Li smiled and stated her mind: “On this earth, although it’s only right to put one’s own safety before matters of principle, sometimes one also needs to stand up bravely for the truth. Especially since we are a clear and peaceful family, it’s even more important to preserve the scholar’s vigorous style.”

Old Madam Jiang was stumped.

Old Madam Jiang’s husband, that is, Jiang Yuan Bai’s father, Old Master Jiang, was a third-ranked literary advisor throughout his life; for 30 years until his pa.s.sing. Although being a third rank-literary advisor was pretty good, to work for several decades without any promotion, there was certainly a reason behind it.

The reason was precisely because Old Master Jiang was too straight and had done quite a bit of frank criticism. Even though the former emperor knew that Old Master Jiang was a good official, he was really hard to like. Due to his own temper, Old Master Jiang also let his official career be stuck here.

With regards to her husband’s temper, Old Madam Jiang seemed reproachful on the surface, yet her heart was proud. From all of the Jiang family’s three sons, the eldest, Jiang Yuan Bai, was conservative and did things moderately. The second son, Jiang Yuan Ping was a man with a big smile and evil intentions. The third son, Jiang Yuan Xing, as the concubine-born son, was even more cowardly and didn’t have his own opinion. Not one inherited Old Master Jiang’s strength of character. Old Madam Jiang could be said to feel a sense of disappointment.

So, even though Jiang Yuan Bai achieved being the first a.s.sistant by relying on “mediocrity”, Old Madam Jiang wasn’t completely satisfied with him. Matters on earth, there are gains, there also must be losses. Having obtained a high post and generous salary, some things must be lost. For example, integrity and haughtiness.

Jiang Li had discovered from an earlier time that Old Madam Jiang was a person with an air of arrogance. Beneath the surface, she was also somewhat n.o.ble and virtuous. This could be seen from Wan Feng Hall’s decorations. Therefore, she deliberately said these high-sounding righteous words in order to evoke Old Madam Jiang’s empathy.

Letting Old Madam Jiang recall the late Old Master Jiang and see a shadow of him in Jiang Li’s body.

As expected, Old Madam Jiang’s gaze when she looked at Jiang Li gradually turned gentle.

Ji Shuran was startled, she didn’t know how Jiang Li’s few sentences could have eased Old Madam Jiang’s tension. Although her ability was good, her consideration towards Jiang Yuan Bai was methodical, purely for her personal benefit. She was incapable of comprehending Old Madam Jiang’s “strength of character”. However, Jiang Li understood.

Jiang Li added: “At that time, I helped people on a whim without thinking of the consequences. But indeed as third sister said, Ye Shijie is eldest cousin, a person from Xiangyang’s Ye family. Then my action this time is even more correct. Although my birth mother has pa.s.sed away, the Ye family and our residence were in-laws once. Our own relative was in deep trouble, supposing that I walked away from trouble at that time, when other people saw it, in the future there would be the possibility of people saying that the people from our Jiang family are cold and feeling with iron hearts. Father is currently serving as an official, every word and action are observed by others. If someone used this to impeach father, then what to do?”

“It’s necessary to do our own things properly, don’t let other people pick our mistakes. Naturally then it will be possible to live together in harmony. Besides, this was originally not a big matter, young master Liu himself said that it was just a misunderstanding. Just talking a bit and was able to resolve a misunderstanding, isn’t it a wonderful thing? There’s not a need for gold or silver, merely a few words can help others and make one happy. If I’m still being stingy with the effort of these few words, then I’m certainly not deserving to be human.”

The last sentence was mocking Jiang You Yao and Jiang Yu’e together.