The Double

Chapter 124 Fury

After Jiang Li left Jiang Yuanbai's study, he did not summon her again.

For now, peace had returned.

Ye Mingyu was staying in the guest courtyard, not far from Jiang Li's residence. Although Xue Huaiyuan was now an elderly man, it was impossible for Jiang Li to live with him in the Jiang family. She could only arrange for Ye Mingyu and Xue Huaiyuan to stay together. Fortunately, they were nearby, allowing her to visit him anytime.

Jiang Jingrui rushed over upon hearing the news and eagerly exclaimed upon seeing her, "Jiang Li, I heard all about what you did at the Chang'an Gate! If I'd known, I would've joined in the excitement! With so many people there, and your father was furious earlier—I never expected you to persuade him with just a few words. Impressive! I really underestimated you before; you're becoming more and more capable."

After not seeing him for many days, Jiang Jingrui remained as unrefined as ever. Jiang Li asked him about recent events in the Jiang family and learned that aside from Jiang Yu'e entering the Marquis Ningyuan's residence, nothing particularly noteworthy had occurred. Relieved, she sent him on his way.

Tong'er entered the room from the courtyard, fuming, "Miss, I just saw a few sneaky people peering into our courtyard at the gate. Mingyue and Qingfeng also mentioned that since this afternoon, there have been many suspicious individuals lurking outside our courtyard. Ji Shi is causing trouble again. She just won't stop—we've only just returned to the residence. What does she want?"

Such inexplicable surveillance could only be orchestrated by Ji Shuran within the entire Jiang family. Jiang Li smiled lightly and said, "Let her be. I don't have the energy to deal with her right now. Besides, if she wants to gather information, what's already known outside is out there, and what isn't, she won't find out from me. Don't worry about it; let's rest early. We're exhausted from the journey."

She lay down on the bed, and soon the lights in the room were extinguished.

The Fragrant Garden Courtyard went dark early, and Jiang Li fell asleep quickly. However, some people in the Jiang residence found it difficult to sleep.

Ji Shuran massaged Jiang Yuanbai's shoulders while expressing concern, "Husband, what's gotten into Li'er this time? No matter what she did before, it was always within the residence. Now she's causing trouble outside—others might blame you for it."

Jiang Yuanbai frowned, recalling Jiang Li's words from earlier. If anything had genuinely moved him, it was the involvement of the Li family. If the Li family had intervened so early, and if they were truly behind the scheming, Jiang Li's approach seemed the best option for now. Moreover, having Jiang Li take the lead made things appear more presentable on the surface.

With this in mind, he waved his hand dismissively and said, "Don't concern yourself with these matters. I have my own considerations."

Ji Shuran's hands tightened slightly as she continued massaging his shoulders. She could tell from Jiang Yuanbai's tone that his attitude had softened. What had Jiang Li said to him to change his mind so quickly? After all, back at the Evening Phoenix Hall, Jiang Yuanbai had been enraged by the incident.But she never pressed for matters Jiang Yuanbai was unwilling to discuss—this was where her cleverness lay. Therefore, Ji Shuran did not continue with that topic but shifted to another: "Master, truthfully, I have no other concerns. This time, Li'er brought the mad county magistrate back to the estate—that in itself is fine. However, today I heard some rumors. They say Li'er treats that mad county magistrate like family, caring for him meticulously, personally serving him food and drink. Some even say... she shows more concern for him than for you, Master."

"Nonsense!" At the last remark, Jiang Yuanbai slammed the table and stood up. "Utter nonsense!"

Ji Shuran quickly soothed him, "Master, please calm down. I only heard this from others. Li'er has always been gentle and kind-hearted. Seeing the county magistrate in such a pitiful state, it's only natural for her to care for him. But what I don't understand is, these tasks could be handled by maids. Why must Li'er, as a young lady of the Jiang family, personally attend to such matters? Could it be that she knew this mad county magistrate before? And Li'er, who was perfectly fine, suddenly got involved in the Tongxiang case—could there be some hidden reason behind it?"

Jiang Yuanbai's chest heaved violently, and it took him a while to calm down. His expression shifted uncertainly, as if lost in deep thought.

Seeing this, Ji Shuran did not press further, a flicker of satisfaction passing through her heart.

Ever since she learned of this matter, she herself had harbored doubts. Though Jiang Li always appeared gentle, generous, and kind-hearted, Ji Shuran, having lived for so many years, could see the coldness and detachment in Jiang Li's heart. Even toward the Jiang family, her ability to remain seemingly indifferent and unaffected stemmed from her treating the Jiang family as if she were merely a "guest." Thus, Jiang Li never complained much about the unfair treatment she received from the Jiang family.

Jiang Li's nature was inherently polite and distant, avoiding unnecessary trouble. She maintained only superficial respect for her own father, Jiang Yuanbai, let alone a stranger. Yet, the information she gathered suggested that Jiang Li seemed to have boundless patience for Xue Huaiyuan, attending to his every need in daily life—food, clothing, and lodging—without delegating any task to others. Her care was so meticulous, it was even more intimate than that of a biological father.

This was highly suspicious. Unfortunately, no matter how much Ji Shuran investigated, she could uncover no further clues. But there was no rush—this alone was enough for her to exploit. For instance, by informing Jiang Yuanbai of this matter, she had successfully planted seeds of doubt in his mind.

Moreover, with Jiang Li recently preoccupied with the Tongxiang case, she would surely have no time to deal with her. Such closeness to Xue Huaiyuan must conceal some secret, and Ji Shuran was determined to uncover it.

When that time came, it would be Jiang Li's downfall.

...

Early the next morning, Jiang Li rose at dawn.

After breakfast, she intended to visit Xue Huaiyuan in Ye Mingyu's courtyard but had not yet stepped out when Bai Xue came in and reported, "Miss, someone outside has come to inform us that Young Master Ye is here to see you."

Ye Shijie? Before Jiang Li could seek him out, he had come to the Jiang residence first. Jiang Li said, "Alright. I'll go see him."

When she arrived at the Evening Phoenix Hall, only Old Madam Jiang was speaking with Ye Shijie. Jiang Yuanbai and Ji Shuran were not present. Seeing her, Ye Shijie greeted, "Cousin."

Jiang Li returned the courtesy, "Cousin Ye."Old Madam Jiang said knowingly, "Second girl, your cousin has come to the residence to speak with you. You two cousins should go and talk first. This old woman is tired and will return to my room now."

Perhaps due to the Xue family case, Old Madam Jiang had developed some resentment toward Jiang Li, as her attitude toward her remained lukewarm. Ye Shijie noticed this but said nothing.

Jiang Li didn't seem to mind. After Old Madam Jiang left, she said, "Cousin, Uncle Mingyu is also at the residence. I was just about to go see him. Since you're here, let's go together."

"Alright," Ye Shijie replied.

The two walked together toward Ye Mingyu's courtyard.

"I've heard about what happened in Xiangyang," Ye Shijie said as they walked. "Thank you for your help with the Ancient Fragrance Satin matter."

"It's nothing," Jiang Li smiled. "Although my surname is Jiang, my mother's surname was Ye. Helping the Ye family is only right. Besides, if you hadn't gone to the Weaving Office Order in Yanjing City, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly. You shouldn't thank me—you should thank yourself."

Ye Shijie shook his head. "Without using Minister Jiang's name, the Weaving Office Order wouldn't have acted so quickly."

"Then you still shouldn't thank me," Jiang Li said. "At most, I was just borrowing authority from the tiger."

Ye Shijie glanced at her sideways. After not seeing her for many days, she seemed to have grown taller, more like a young woman now. Years ago, he would never have imagined that one day he would be speaking with Jiang Li so calmly, as if all the past estrangements and misunderstandings had vanished.

Of course, now the estrangements and misunderstandings between her and the Ye family had truly disappeared—the Ye family had completely accepted her. The only question was whether she had completely accepted the Ye family.

"Cousin Ye, you'll be present at the hearing two days from now, right?" Jiang Li asked.

Ye Shijie nodded. "Yes." After a moment of silence, he added, "I wonder what will happen."

Jiang Li looked at him with a smile. "So, how has being an official been these days? Is it manageable?"

Ye Shijie gave a bitter smile.

Being an official was like being a merchant—both required understanding human relationships and worldly wisdom. But being an official was even harder. Not to mention how many truly good officials never got promoted, in officialdom, if you wanted to climb higher, you had to flatter and curry favor with your superiors. You had to follow along with what others did; if you didn't, you were firmly excluded from their circles.

Over time, Ye Shijie became a man without a faction. Because he refused to join in the corruption, he could only remain in a position with no prospects. Was he to be a Vice Director in the Ministry of Revenue for the rest of his life? But if he wanted to advance further, he would have to act against his conscience.

Ye Shijie felt troubled.

Jiang Li patted his shoulder, as if she could hear his thoughts, and said, "Cousin, don't be troubled. If you're unwilling to go against your principles to gain something, then hold fast to what you believe in. One day, someone will notice you, just like when you came out top in the Imperial College examinations. What you need is an opportunity. If you don't have one, then we can create one."

Ye Shijie was taken aback and couldn't help but look at Jiang Li. The smile on her lips remained, but Ye Shijie felt it was different from before. The Jiang Li who returned from Xiangyang seemed to have let go of something, as if she had gained confidence. The mask she once wore had been gently peeled away, and her reservations had diminished.She had become even less like the former "Second Miss Jiang," nor did she resemble the gentle and magnanimous Jiang Li from later times. She was beginning to reveal a sharp, aggressive edge.

What had changed her?

As he pondered this, Jiang Li pointed ahead and said, "We're here."

Tong'er and Bai Xue went ahead to announce their arrival.

Soon, Ye Mingyu's booming voice echoed from inside: "A Li, Shijie, you're here quite early!"

Jiang Li and Ye Shijie entered Ye Mingyu's courtyard.

As soon as they stepped into the yard, they saw Ye Mingyu wiping Xue Huaiyuan's mouth. Two guards were restraining Xue Huaiyuan, who was struggling fiercely, leaving Ye Mingyu flustered and overwhelmed.

Jiang Li stepped forward and said, "Let me do it." She took the handkerchief, signaled the guards to release him, and slowly soothed Xue Huaiyuan.

Xue Huaiyuan looked at her and gradually calmed down, sitting obediently as Jiang Li carefully wiped his mouth with the handkerchief.

Ye Mingyu heaved a sigh of relief and said, "A Li, you really have a way with him. I was exhausted."

Ye Shijie stared in astonishment and asked, "Who is this...?"

"This is the former county magistrate of Tongxiang, Xue Huaiyuan. He's lost his mind now, and A Li brought him back to the estate, fearing he might be silenced if left outside."

Ye Shijie turned to look at Jiang Li, slightly dazed.

Jiang Li often smiled, her lips always carrying a gentle curve, but whether that smile was genuine or not was impossible for others to discern. Ye Shijie sometimes felt he couldn't understand Jiang Li—everything she did had its own logic, but when pieced together, it seemed inexplicable.

However, the smile Jiang Li showed in front of Xue Huaiyuan was one Ye Shijie could confidently say was sincere. Having seen her genuine smile, he could now recognize how artificial her past smiles had been. As she carefully wiped the corners of Xue Huaiyuan's mouth, the winter sunlight crept across her profile, revealing a purity and beauty in her he had never seen before.

"Kid," Ye Mingyu's voice suddenly sounded beside him, startling Ye Shijie. Ye Mingyu whispered mischievously, "So, what do you think? Our little cousin is quite pretty, isn't she? Staring dumbfounded, are you? Thinking of marrying her?"

"Third Uncle!" Ye Shijie's face flushed bright red as he snapped sharply. He had always known his third uncle was outspoken and unreliable, but he never expected him to joke about such matters.

"Alright, alright, I'll stop," Ye Mingyu said, though his expression remained knowingly amused, making Ye Shijie even more embarrassed and annoyed.

After Jiang Li finished tending to Xue Huaiyuan and had Tong'er and Bai Xue accompany him to play, she walked over and asked, "What were you two talking about?"

"Nothing," Ye Shijie quickly replied.

"I was just saying how long it's been since I last saw my nephew Shijie, and how tall he's grown," Ye Mingyu said, stroking his chin with a serious expression. "Look at him now—a fine young man, already a capital official through his own efforts. He's a rare catch. It's about time to find him a good wife. I wonder which young lady will be lucky enough to marry my nephew Shijie? Don't you think so, A Li?"

Ye Shijie exclaimed in embarrassment, "Third Uncle!"

"Indeed," Jiang Li replied with a smile. "If I come across any suitable young ladies from respectable families, I'll be sure to keep an eye out for Cousin Ye."Ye Shijie and Ye Mingyu were both taken aback for a moment. Ye Mingyu glanced at Ye Shijie, then suddenly burst into laughter, scratching his head as he said, "Well, there's no hurry. One can start a family before building a career—no rush, no rush. We can take it slow."

Ye Shijie remained silent.

"Uncle Mingyu, were there any issues at the inn last night?" Jiang Li asked. Her concern was that someone might target the people of Tongxiang. While ordinary individuals would surely avoid stirring up trouble at such a critical moment—doing so would only invite suspicion—Princess Yongning was no ordinary person. She was arrogant, reckless, and emboldened by the protection of Consort Liu and Prince Cheng, believing herself invincible. There was no telling what she might do.

"Nothing happened," he replied. "The messenger who came to report today said there was some commotion outside last night, but when they went to check, everything was fine. A Li, don’t you think you might be overthinking this? We’re right under the emperor’s nose. Who would dare to kill anyone here, let alone so many people? The uproar would be enormous—they’d have to be out of their minds!"

"That’s good to hear," Jiang Li said, though inwardly she pondered. The commotion was likely handled by Ji Heng’s men outside. She trusted Ji Heng’s people implicitly. Though dealing with Ji Heng was like bargaining with a tiger, borrowing his influence was still a convenient advantage.

Ye Shijie remarked, "The emperor has already ordered the Ministry of Justice to conduct a trial. To be honest, I never expected the appeal drum to achieve this much—to have the emperor personally oversee the case."

"What’s so surprising about that?" Ye Mingyu said dismissively. "Shijie, you didn’t see it. The people of Tongxiang suffered terribly. Feng Yutang is a despicable scoundrel. The emperor must uphold justice for the people. We even risked fifty lashes to sound the appeal drum. Once the emperor heard, of course he had to step up for the common folk, right?"

"Third Uncle, you’re oversimplifying things," Ye Shijie said gravely. "Many matters aren’t resolved just because one is in the right. This case is so delicate that even the emperor could lose public trust if it’s mishandled. I suspect it’s not about the case itself but the people involved, am I right?" He looked at Jiang Li.

Jiang Li smiled. Ye Shijie was maturing quickly. She had always sensed this young man was extraordinary, and though his time as an official was short, he was already grasping the intricacies of court politics.

She replied, "Yes."

"What exactly was written in that memorial?" Ye Shijie asked. "You mentioned that there’s a mastermind behind the Xue family case. This person… must be the key reason the emperor is personally overseeing the investigation. Who is it?"

The memorial to the emperor wasn’t written by Ye Shijie but by Jiang Li, who had Ye Shijie submit it on her behalf. Ye Shijie hadn’t read the memorial and didn’t know who else was implicated in the Xue family case. But he sensed that this person was crucial to the matter.

"Yeah, A Li," Ye Mingyu chimed in, reminded by Ye Shijie’s words. "Earlier, you told me there’s a powerful figure behind the Xue family case, the real mastermind. You said I’d find out once we reached Yanjing. Now can you tell me who it is? I want to see which influential person is so shameless, holding such a deep grudge against the Xue family that they’d go to such lengths to ruin them?"

Jiang Li looked at both of them, sighed softly, and uttered a name.

"Princess Yongning."

…

At the princess’s residence, Princess Yongning slammed her cup to the ground with a sharp crack.She was likely enraged beyond measure, for shards from the shattered cup had cut her hand. The servants nearby were immediately horrified—if anything happened to Princess Yongning, they would be the ones to suffer.

Shen Yurong waved his hand and said, "Go fetch some wound medicine."

Only then did the servants breathe a sigh of relief and gratefully hurry off to find the medicine. Princess Yongning had a terrible temper, and no one could control her. Only this Imperial Secretariat Writer, Lord Shen, could make her restrain herself in his presence, making life much easier for the servants. Lord Shen was gentle and kind-hearted, never giving them a hard time. Occasionally, when a servant made a mistake, he would even persuade Princess Yongning not to punish them. The servants in the princess's residence all felt that if Lord Shen truly became Princess Yongning's Imperial Son-in-Law in the future, it would be a joyous occasion for everyone in the residence.

The wound medicine was quickly brought. Shen Yurong gestured for the servants to withdraw, then took Princess Yongning's hand and placed it on his lap, carefully applying the medicine.

Princess Yongning was moved by his tenderness. He was always like this—sometimes aloof, sometimes considerate, making it impossible for her to see through him. Yet, she still seethed with anger and hissed through gritted teeth, "Jiang Li!"

Now, all of Yanjing City was abuzz with rumors that the Jiang family's second young lady had brought a group of villagers from Tongxiang County to seek justice for the previously wronged Xue Huaiyuan. Yongning had been unaware of this earlier, as she had been solely focused on persuading Consort Liu to facilitate her marriage with Shen Yurong. Consort Liu did not particularly like Shen Yurong—after all, he had once been married, and although his career was now flourishing, he lacked the support of a powerful family. Consort Liu still hoped Yongning would marry into a prominent, well-matched noble family.

Fortunately, Prince Cheng also spoke in Shen Yurong's favor, and Consort Liu finally relented. She planned to bring the matter to Hongxiao Emperor in a few days. Although the emperor despised Prince Cheng and his mother, he would never openly break decorum. Moreover, Hongxiao Emperor was well aware of Yongning's willful nature—if she insisted that she had set her heart on Shen Yurong and would accept no one else, the emperor would find it difficult to interfere.

Thinking the matter was all but settled, Princess Yongning had been joyfully preparing her wedding dress and thus had not bothered to inquire about the affairs in Tongxiang. It was only when Jiang Li returned to the capital yesterday, beat the grievance drum in front of the stone lions at the Ministry of Justice, and the ministry decided to reopen the case, that news reached the princess's residence and Yongning learned of it.

Princess Yongning was furious. She had assumed Jiang Li had long died in Tongxiang. When Feng Yutang earlier reported that Jiang Yuanbai's daughter had come to Tongxiang to investigate the Xue family case and intended to clear their name, Yongning had ordered Feng Yutang to kill Jiang Li.

What status did Jiang Li hold? Even as Jiang Yuanbai's daughter, Yongning was utterly unafraid. Firstly, the Jiang family was no longer as influential as before, and secondly, Jiang Li was not particularly favored within the family. Tongxiang was so remote—who would know what happened there? Even if Feng Yutang were caught, she could send someone to silence him, leaving no evidence for others to trace back to her.

But Princess Yongning never expected Feng Yutang to be so incompetent—not only failing to kill Jiang Li but also allowing her to obtain evidence against him. Even more unexpectedly, Jiang Li had acted so outrageously, bringing villagers from Tongxiang County to the capital to beat the grievance drum.Upon learning the news, Princess Yongning immediately dispatched assassins to Chang'an Gate, intending to silence Feng Yutang. Yet Jiang Li's forces proved remarkably capable, thwarting the assassination attempt.

When night fell, the princess sent another team to the inn housing the villagers from Tongxiang County, only to find it impenetrably guarded. Once again, her plan failed. Princess Yongning was no fool—she knew Jiang Li’s burly uncle was merely a wandering martial artist, hardly a match for her own skilled operatives. Gradually, she began to suspect that someone else was backing Jiang Li from the shadows.

But after much contemplation, she still had no leads. However, the repeated setbacks had already infuriated Princess Yongning. She wasn’t afraid of Feng Yutang revealing her name—Feng Yutang didn’t have the nerve, nor did he have any evidence that could implicate her. What infuriated her was that Jiang Li had actually managed to rescue Xue Huaiyuan.

That was Xue Huaiyuan, Xue Fangfei’s father! She wanted to exterminate the Xue family completely. The escape of any Xue family member would displease her!

Princess Yongning had always disliked Jiang Li. Xue Fangfei played the qin skillfully, and so did Jiang Li. Xue Fangfei was exceptionally talented, and Jiang Li had taken first place in the Mingyi Hall examination. There were far too many similarities between Jiang Li and Xue Fangfei. Every time she saw Jiang Li, it reminded Princess Yongning of what she detested.

Now, Jiang Li had even ruined her plans by rescuing Xue Huaiyuan! How utterly despicable!

"Yongning, let this matter go," Shen Yurong said.

Princess Yongning looked up and asked him, "Shen Lang, what do you mean by that?"

"Stay out of Xue Huaiyuan’s case. Even if Jiang Li brings the people of Tongxiang County to appeal to the emperor, it won’t implicate you. But if you stir up more trouble, it’s hard to say what might happen."

Yongning’s heart sank. She stared at Shen Yurong without speaking.

She hadn’t told Shen Yurong about the Xue family affairs. She had secretly instructed Feng Yutang to imprison Xue Huaiyuan without informing Shen Yurong. Whether Shen Yurong knew about it privately, Yongning wasn’t entirely sure. However, she suspected he didn’t know, because given his temperament, if he had known, he wouldn’t have stood by idly. He still held lingering feelings for Xue Fangfei—how could he stand by and watch her father suffer?

When Jiang Li brought Xue Huaiyuan to the capital, Yongning was eager to have them silenced, not only to avoid implicating herself but also because she didn’t want Shen Yurong to find out. Of course, that was impossible. The matter had blown up so much that Shen Yurong would inevitably learn of it.

But the way he calmly and gently recounted the events sent chills down Princess Yongning’s spine for some reason.

He had known all along. He even knew about her secret orders to Feng Yurong regarding Xue Huaiyuan. Yet, for some unknown reason, he hadn’t intervened, quietly observing everything she had done.

Princess Yongning suddenly felt confused. Did this man truly love Xue Fangfei? If he did, how could he be so heartless? Did he love her? Would he be just as cold toward her?

"Yongning," his voice carried a rational tenderness, "I don’t want anything to happen to you."

He rarely spoke such sweet words. Although Princess Yongning knew he was highly educated and capable of crafting beautiful prose, uttering a few pleasant phrases shouldn’t have been difficult for him. Yet he always seemed stingy with them—not to mention romantic words, even gentle, caring remarks weren’t something she heard every day.

But today, he had spoken them, looking at Yongning with sincerity.

Instantly, the confusion and unease in Yongning’s heart vanished, and she once again lost herself in his affectionate gaze."I just find it strange in my heart," Princess Yongning said. "This is merely a minor local case. Even if Jiang Li brought people to Changmen to install a grievance drum, it shouldn't have immediately prompted the Ministry of Justice to conduct a trial. And even if a trial was conducted, my royal brother shouldn't have personally overseen it. There are countless matters big and small in Yanjing City every day - he can't possibly attend to everything personally. Yet not only did the Emperor involve himself, he appears to be taking it very seriously."

"Lord Shen, you're clever - can you think of why His Majesty would do this?"

Shen Yurong shook his head.

He truly didn't know, because the Emperor's actions were indeed unusual. He couldn't help but think that if only Xue Fangfei were still here - she was brilliantly intelligent, and discussing it with her for just a few words might have revealed the truth.

Unfortunately, there was only one Xue Fangfei, and that one was already dead.

He had watched her die with his own eyes.

Ye San: I wonder which young lady will be fortunate enough to marry our nephew.

Ali: If I come across any suitable young ladies from respectable families, I'll definitely keep them in mind for Cousin Ye.

Cousin Ye: That stings...

(End of Chapter)