The Double

Chapter 113: Reinforcements

Jiang Li had no time to dwell on the orders issued by Feng Yutang and Princess Yongning, but she was no fool. Having dealt with Princess Yongning in her past life, she knew full well that the princess would stop at nothing to eliminate her. The title of "Grand Secretary's daughter" might intimidate Tong Zhiyang and Feng Yutang, but it held no sway over Yongning. Sooner or later, they would resort to lethal measures against her, but for now, the priority was to ensure Peng Xiao and the others were safely settled. Time was scarce—two of the seven days had already passed.

The secret chamber Jiang Li mentioned was hidden in a haunted, abandoned farmstead in Tongxiang. Beneath the farmstead lay a tunnel, its entrance concealed within the rocky embankment of a lakeshore, shrouded by lush wild grasses where no one would notice.

Ye Mingyu had settled Peng Xiao and the others in that secret chamber, first having them change clothes and eat something. Peng Xiao and He Jun were relatively fine, merely weakened, but Gu Da and Gu Er were in poor condition, and Little Hei was the worst off. When Ye Mingyu found Doctor Zhong as Jiang Li had instructed, the doctor shook his head repeatedly.

Ye Mingyu had brought along Doctor Zhong’s only son and offered him five hundred taels of silver, promising that if he could cure Little Hei and the others, they would find a way to send him away from Tongxiang and give him another fifteen hundred taels—enough for him to start anew elsewhere.

In a small county like Tongxiang, common folks rarely saw so much silver at once. Moreover, Ye Mingyu’s fierce appearance, marked by a scar, made Doctor Zhong tremble with fear, so he exerted every effort to treat Little Hei’s injuries.

While Little Hei, Gu Da, and Gu Er rested, Jiang Li stepped outside with Peng Xiao and the others to talk.

Ye Mingyu found a rock near the secret chamber to sit on and remarked, "A Li, you’ve found a great spot. I doubt Feng Yutang could unearth another place like this even if he dug three feet underground. There are even stone tables and stools inside—wonder who left them here."

Who left them? It was, of course, Xue Zhao. Back then, after reading many tales of the strange and supernatural, Xue Zhao often said, "One day, just like in those stories, we’ll come across a down-and-out hero being hunted by the authorities. We’ll hide him here where no one can find him, and he’ll teach me martial arts. Hey, in three to five years, I’ll be a great master! No one would dare challenge me, and if anyone lays a finger on you, sister, I’ll—make them kneel and beg for mercy with one swing of my sword!"

The carefree laughter of that young man seemed to echo still in the depths of the secret chamber. His words had proven prophetic years later—they were indeed hiding people pursued by the authorities here, but there was no Xue Zhao to learn martial arts from anymore.

Jiang Li pushed aside her memories and met the gazes of Peng Xiao and the others. "I heard about this place by chance. It’s safe for now; at least within these seven days, Feng Yutang’s men won’t find it. Once these seven days pass, everything will be different."

"Second Miss Jiang, thank you," Peng Xiao said. By now, he had learned of Jiang Li’s identity and what she had done in Tongxiang. Though he still didn’t fully understand why she was so dedicated to clearing the Xue family’s name, at the very least, the five of them who had narrowly survived now trusted Jiang Li completely.Perhaps it couldn't be called belief, but rather a willingness to believe—like a drowning person suddenly spotting a lifeline, they would desperately swim toward it, regardless of whether it might sink, unwilling to accept it as a mirage. Xue Huaiyuan was not just their superior but more like a mentor. If there was even the slightest chance to save him, they were willing to try.

"What can we do?" He Jun asked.

Jiang Li looked at He Jun. She had always thought him too scholarly and weak to be a constable, but after the events of these past days, he seemed to have matured overnight. The young man who always asked Xue Fangfei for books would grit his teeth and persist for the sake of justice in his heart. Though they could do nothing, merely surviving was a refusal to surrender to fate.

Fortunately, fate still offered a chance to turn the tables.

"Looking solely at the Xue family's case, it must go through Feng Yutang of Tongxiang. Once Feng Yutang handles it, even a favorable case for the Xues will turn unfavorable. You all know he deliberately had County Magistrate Xue imprisoned. So, this case cannot be left to Feng Yutang. After much thought, I believe the only way is to implicate Feng Yutang as well and hand the case over to the Dali Temple for management—only then will there be room to maneuver."

Peng Xiao and He Jun exchanged glances. "You want us to accuse Feng Yutang?"

Dealing with intelligent people was effortless. Jiang Li replied, "Exactly. Initially, I thought having you accuse Feng Yutang might be somewhat difficult. Even if you reported his private use of torture, such claims could be covered up, and it would be your word against his. But by sending you to the Dongshan mine shaft, Feng Yutang has sealed his own fate. He’s walking straight into a dead end, and no one can stop him."

"What do you mean?" Ye Mingyu interjected. "If not his brutality, then what are we accusing him of?"

"Accuse him of failing to report to the court and mining gold privately. Although Dongshan is an abandoned mine and everyone knows there’s no gold to be found, that was over a decade ago. Many have forgotten about it. As long as rumors spread that there’s still gold to be mined at Dongshan, and Feng Yutang concealed this from the court while sending people to dig secretly, his crime will be severe."

He Jun murmured, "Private mining is a capital offense—confiscation of property and extermination of the family…"

"Everything under heaven belongs to the emperor. Stealing from the emperor himself—death is not enough to atone for such a crime." Jiang Li smiled faintly. "Moreover, it seems this Lord Feng has a mastermind behind him. The waters in Yanjing are murky; who knows what Feng Yutang intends to do with the gold? Mining gold is ultimately for wealth, and such a vast fortune, if used to recruit troops and buy horses, could raise suspicions of colluding with the enemy and treason. Collusion and treason are matters of national importance—how can such significant issues be resolved in a small place like Tongxiang? It wouldn’t be excessive to bring this directly to the emperor."

Ye Mingyu was stunned, while He Jun and Peng Xiao listened in wide-eyed astonishment.

In just a few words, Jiang Li had elevated Feng Yutang’s crime to the level of colluding with the enemy and treason. And yet, everything she said was plausible. They had now witnessed how words could kill without drawing blood."Exactly." He Jun gritted his teeth in a smile, his voice dripping with bitter satisfaction. "Their crimes are too numerous to record, and charging them with treason is letting them off lightly. Second Miss Jiang, you are absolutely right! When Feng Yutang forces our fifteen brothers to mine for gold, we will serve as witnesses to expose his wolfish ambitions! He wants to dig for gold but fears others will discover his plans, so he forces us—former subordinates of Lord Xue—to work for him. By making us mine day and night without rest, and leaving our bodies unclaimed if we die, he ensures the secret never gets out!"

Jiang Li smiled faintly. He Jun had truly matured. Faced with enemies, he now understood that not all honorable methods were effective. Yet this growth and understanding carried a pang of heartache.

Peng Xiao's voice deepened with grim resolve. "It's not just about us—it's for our ten fallen brothers. Lord Xue was always compassionate toward us. All fifteen of us lost our parents early, but we still had wives and children. Now, tortured to death by Feng Yutang, our brothers' corpses were discarded in the eastern hills, devoured by wild dogs. Some had just married or welcomed newborn sons... Their families don't know how to survive now. Even if it costs my life, I, Peng Xiao, will avenge our dead brothers!"

The burly man shed no tears, but every word bled anguish, stirring Ye Mingyu's own fury. "Count me in!" Ye Mingyu declared. "Feng Yutang has committed every vile deed imaginable—he long deserved retribution. If heaven won't punish him, then damn it, I will!"

When hearts unite, even the most daunting tasks begin to seem achievable.

"But..." He Jun paused, steadying himself before turning to Jiang Li. "If we condemn Feng Yutang, what about our Lord?" His thoughts never strayed far from Xue Huaiyuan.

"County Magistrate Xue's charges are baseless," Jiang Li replied. "The accusation of embezzling disaster relief funds? Every citizen of Tongxiang can testify. During the famine, every coin reached the people—Xue Huaiyuan didn't steal a single cent."

"We know," Peng Xiao said, lowering his head. "But no one in Tongxiang is willing to step forward."

"Don't blame them," He Jun interjected. "Feng Yutang threatens their parents and children—who would dare risk testifying for Lord Xue? Since becoming county magistrate, he's seized women, oppressed men, and committed every atrocity. The people seethe with anger but fear speaking out. He was a ruthless scoundrel from the start, using despicable means. No one dares take that risk."

"I understand," Jiang Li said softly. "I don't blame them." She knew too well—if defending a good man meant endangering Xue Huaiyuan and Xue Zhao, she too would hesitate. Pain unrealized remains abstract; such is human nature, and none are exempt.

"Then what do we do?" Ye Mingyu scratched his head in frustration."Although the common people have their difficulties, the residents of Tongxiang must step forward in this matter. I know there are dangers, but there's no other way. Such is the world we live in—what was once fair and just now requires sacrifice to obtain. Only when the people stand up can it become the final straw that breaks the camel's back. I want the criminals who framed the Xue family to either die or be skinned alive this time—I will not let them off easily!" By this point, Jiang Li's tone had intensified, her eyes blazing as if with fire. After a moment, she calmed down.

"I will go myself. There are 568 households in Tongxiang, and I will persuade each one personally. Starting today, with five days left, not a single family in Tongxiang has failed to receive Magistrate Xue's kindness. A drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring—though help should not require repayment, now is the time to reciprocate. People's hearts are made of flesh. I will knock on every door, ask every household. With 568 families, I refuse to believe not one will step forward." She looked at the others. "There will be at least one, right?"

Everyone fell silent.

Jiang Li's eyes were filled with hope. She had always been gentle and composed, making even urgent matters seem unhurried when handled by her. She rarely revealed her true emotions, so this hopeful expression was something Ye Mingyu had never seen before.

Now he had.

And in that moment, she seemed like a genuine young girl in her early teens, eagerly awaiting something wonderful, as if shattering this fragile hope would be an unforgivable sin.

Peng laughed and said, "That's right, there must be more than one household—many more. The people of Tongxiang are not ungrateful. Second Miss Jiang, don't underestimate them."

Jiang Li's lips curved into a smile. "I won't. I've always believed in them."

Just as Father believed in them.

...

After leaving the secret room, Jiang Li and Ye Mingyu walked back together.

Ye Mingyu said, "A Li, when you go to persuade those commoners, let me come with you. I'm afraid you won't be able to manage alone—568 households is no small number."

Jiang Li thought for a moment. "Uncle, you don't know what kindnesses they received from Magistrate Xue, so you might not persuade them effectively. How about I write you a booklet later? You can study it first."

Ye Mingyu was taken aback. "Do you know what favors each received from Magistrate Xue?"

"More or less," Jiang Li smiled. She and Xue Zhao sometimes felt that Xue Huaiyuan was a rare saint in this world. Whenever any resident of Tongxiang faced difficulties, Xue Huaiyuan would help. Back when Tongxiang was poor and no one wanted to come, Xue Huaiyuan arrived and never considered leaving. To him, every person in Tongxiang was family. As their magistrate, it was his duty to solve their problems—if even he couldn't be relied on, then no one could.

She used to think that having a clear conscience was enough, but now she felt somewhat lost, unsure whether Xue Huaiyuan's past actions had any real meaning.

If only Xue Zhao were here, Jiang Li thought. He would surely understand her current confusion and could convince her heart in the shortest time.The carriage convoy bypassed the route Jiang Li had taken earlier and returned to the main road. Jiang Li had already changed back into her original attire inside the carriage. She assumed Feng Yutang had discovered the people from Dongshan had been taken away and was now frantically searching for them in a fit of rage. Her disguise wouldn’t hold up for long, so she decided to step out openly. Feng Yutang knew it was her people who had taken Peng Xiao and the others, but he couldn’t find any evidence. Besides, Feng Yutang wouldn’t dare force her to reveal their whereabouts, so she felt secure in her position.

Sitting in the carriage, Jiang Li pondered carefully what to do next. Unnoticed, darkness had already fallen outside.

Though they had made the most of the day, time had flown by quickly. Jiang Li increasingly felt that time was slipping away. Two of the seven days had already passed, and she wondered if the remaining five would be enough.

She lifted the carriage curtain. Winter nights descended swiftly. Though Tongxiang’s evenings were never particularly lively, there used to be some pedestrians out and about. Now, perhaps due to Feng Yutang’s governance, the streets were nearly empty, with only an occasional passerby after a long while. Every household had closed their doors and extinguished their lights, making Tongxiang resemble a ghost town. The sound of the carriage wheels echoed sharply in the silence, amplifying the desolation.

Ye Mingyu muttered outside, "Why is there no one around?"

A slight breeze lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, and for no apparent reason, Jiang Li’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Just around the corner was Blue Stone Alley. Though it was a familiar street, an ominous premonition surged within her. She called out, "Uncle!"

Before Ye Mingyu could finish saying "Li," a cold, sharp sound cut through the air. Reacting instantly, he drew his sword and blocked with a resounding "clang" as metal met metal.

Several dark figures leaped down from the rooftops with lightning speed, blending seamlessly into the night. They lunged toward the carriage from all directions, their swords aimed directly at Jiang Li!

"Protect the young lady!" Ye Mingyu managed to shout before engaging in a fierce struggle with the black-clad assassins.

Jiang Li’s heart sank. She had anticipated that Yongning would order Feng Yutang to eliminate her, but she hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly! Even accounting for the time it took for a message to travel from Yanjing to Tongxiang, it shouldn’t have been this fast. Feng Yutang, upon receiving Yongning’s command, should have hesitated at least briefly—after all, she was Jiang Yuanbai’s daughter, a status that ought to give him pause.

But sometimes, predictions can be wrong. Feng Yutang, like his master Yongning, was born bold and ruthless. Perhaps he believed Princess Yongning would ensure his safety, emboldening him to act so recklessly!

Jiang Li peered outside, her heart growing heavier. Yongning had truly spared no expense—their party consisted of only seven people, while Yongning had sent over twenty. Among these twenty, a few seemed exceptionally skilled, engaging Ye Mingyu in combat, while the rest, though less formidable, effectively tied up the other guards. Assailants continuously charged toward the carriage—their target was unmistakably Jiang Li!This can’t go on! A sudden suspicion flashed through Jiang Li’s mind—these people were after her, not Ye Mingyu and the others. But if the fight dragged on, Ye Mingyu might be in danger. Without a second thought, she abruptly leaped out of the carriage, startling Ye Mingyu, who shouted sharply, “A Li, get back!”

“I’m fine, Uncle!” Jiang Li moved as swiftly as a blink. Turning, she drew a dagger from her sleeve, severed the carriage’s harness, stepped onto the stirrup, and swung onto the horse’s back. With a tug of the reins, she galloped away into the night.

In an instant, she vanished from sight.

Seeing that Jiang Li had abandoned the carriage and fled, the assassins lost interest in fighting Ye Mingyu and his men, eager to pursue her instead. Ye Mingyu, unwilling to let them succeed, continued to wield his blade fiercely. But outnumbered, a few inevitably slipped past, chasing after Jiang Li’s retreating figure.

On horseback, Jiang Li found her mind growing clearer the more perilous the situation became.

In moments of crisis, panic often leads to mistakes. Sometimes, defeat comes not from the enemy’s strength but from one’s own panic. She knew better than to give up before the final moment—and she had a trump card no one else could match.

Her familiarity with Tongxiang.

Jiang Li had already noticed that their pursuers were divided into two groups. The smaller group was highly skilled, while the larger one was mediocre. The skilled ones were likely sent by Yongning, while the lesser ones were probably ragtag followers Feng Yutang had scraped together. Those now hot on her heels were undoubtedly Princess Yongning’s people.

After all, eliminating her was their mission.

A faint smile touched Jiang Li’s lips as her horse nimbly navigated the forest path. In the deepening night, the moon gradually disappeared behind thick clouds, plunging everything into darkness.

Yet she moved through the woods as if she could see, weaving effortlessly among the trees.

She had grown up in Tongxiang—this was her home. Here, she had watched Xue Zhao hunt, learning that the key to trapping prey lay in luring it silently, step by step, into a snare. Every tree, every patch of earth, was her natural shield, a source of familiar courage.

The sound of pursuit drew closer behind her. She could almost feel the cold gleam of a silver sword at her neck, ready to steal her life in an instant.

But she merely leaped lightly over a clump of grass ahead and came to a halt.

Plop! Plop! Plop!

Three sounds.

Like heavy objects sinking into water, followed by strange curses and panicked cries for help.

Jiang Li stopped and laughed softly from the other side of the grass.

The seemingly peaceful patch of grass had transformed into a treacherous, engulfing marsh—something thick and fluid trapping them. Shadows struggled within.

“Don’t struggle,” Jiang Li said slowly. “This is the most dangerous swamp in the area. The more you struggle, the faster you’ll sink.”The moon gradually emerged from the clouds. Though her dress and hem were stained with mud from the forest, her face remained remarkably clean. With a gentle smile gracing her lips, she spoke in a soft tone, yet her words were utterly terrifying. "Oh dear, I just realized you're already halfway submerged. There's no saving you now. Even if someone were to come, they couldn't rescue you—they'd just get pulled down along with you." She covered her mouth and sighed sympathetically. "How pitiful."

The black-clad assassins glared at her with furious, vicious expressions, but half their bodies were already trapped. One of them had even sunk to the point where the swamp covered his mouth and was about to flood his nose, all because he had struggled too violently. Fear flashed in his eyes.

The agony of waiting for death while still alive was truly unbearable. Jiang Li might as well have given them a swift sword strike to end their suffering quickly.

But Jiang Li was clearly not that merciful. Instead, she turned, mounted her horse, and rode away from the swamp.

Xue Huaiyuan had once strictly forbidden her and Xue Zhao from playing in this forest because of this very swamp. However, the mischievous Xue Zhao saw it as a natural trap. They had set many animal traps here and caught plenty of prey. If Feng Yutang's assassins hadn't appeared so suddenly today, and if she had asked Ye Mingyu to prepare the forest in advance, it wouldn't have been difficult to capture all the assassins at once. Just as in warfare, strategy can sometimes overpower brute force.

Only three of them—what a pity.

Jiang Li turned her horse around, intending to take a different route to safely return to Ye Mingyu's side. She wondered how he was faring now.

After a few steps forward, the horse suddenly halted, its front hooves pawing nervously at the air as if sensing danger, hesitating to advance.

Under the clear moonlight, shadows emerged from the bushes—dozens of black-clad figures encircling her in a tight formation.

"The Second Young Lady is indeed formidable," the leader sneered. "No wonder Madam dispatched so many of us. I initially thought it excessive, but now I see we underestimated you."

Madam? Jiang Li frowned. "Ji Shuran?"

The man remained silent, but Jiang Li instantly understood—it was indeed Ji Shuran.

She had anticipated Ji Shuran would scheme against her upon returning to Xiangyang. In Ji Shuran's eyes, she was an obstacle that must be eliminated. Yet, she hadn't expected Ji Shuran's agents to be so patient, even employing the strategy of "the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind"—trailing her until she and Feng Yutang's men exhausted each other, then striking when she was distracted and vulnerable.

This was her miscalculation, Jiang Li reflected calmly.

There were over a dozen opponents against her alone. She had no weapons except a short dagger tucked in her sleeve, but it would be futile against such overwhelming odds. She had no means to divert their attention—seeing Feng Yutang's men trapped in the swamp would only make them more vigilant, unlikely to fall for the same trick twice.

Heaven often mocks mortals, revealing utter despair just when a broad avenue seems to stretch ahead. It makes the hopeful more hopeless, the desperate forever shrouded in darkness.

"Second Young Lady, stop looking around for another way out," the leader said, his voice dripping with peculiar malice. "Madam ordered us to torture you by any means before killing you." He let out a slimy chuckle. "But you're so pure and lovely, clever and brave—we can't bear to use harsh methods. How about... a more comfortable approach?"

The surrounding black-clad figures echoed his repulsive laughter. Without even thinking, Jiang Li knew what vile schemes occupied their minds.

In an instant, she was transported back to that afternoon in the Shen residence—the humiliation and fury that had consumed her during her subsequent half-year of languishing. It had overturned her life, and these men were now resurrecting those nauseating memories.

Jiang Li's gaze hardened as she retorted coldly, "Do you think victory is assured? What makes you certain I have no other recourse?"

The leader laughed again. "I know you're stalling for time, but Third Master Ye is already injured. Feng Yutang's men have entangled him ahead. Moreover, your horse was too fast—Third Master Ye's steed doesn't know this terrain and won't find this grove or locate you. Here, it's just us... and you."

His arrogance was palpable. Jiang Li's knowledge of the roads had allowed her to lead three assassins into the woods, trapping them in the swamp with no escape. But even if Ye Mingyu shook off his pursuers, he couldn't track Jiang Li—Tongxiang was utterly unfamiliar to him.But Jiang Li merely smiled. "Who said I was looking for Third Master Ye?"

The man froze.

Her clear voice, carrying an inexplicable amusement, echoed through the forest.

"Duke, having watched this show for so long, would you care to join me?"

Ali: Surprised? Thrilled? Excited?

Assassin: ...

Wishing everyone a happy Dragon Boat Festival! Remember to eat zongzi!

(End of Chapter)