The Double

Chapter 146: Master and Servant

The winter snow fell heavily, and by nightfall, the light flurry had intensified into a blizzard. Thus, every encounter and reunion carried the weary, travel-stained aura of someone returning home through a stormy night.

Yet amidst this weariness, there were also moments of exquisite and beautiful scenes.

A young woman leaned halfway out, her face frozen in a momentary look of astonishment, made endearing by her surprise. Meanwhile, a young man in red robes smiled as he pressed a fan against the window, lifting his eyes leisurely, his gaze filled with a faint, ambiguous tenderness.

It was both pure and alluring, both unexpected and yet as if scripted in an opera.

Amid the silence, the young man broke the stillness. The corners of his lips curled upward as he asked, "Are you stunned?"

Jiang Li snapped back to reality and replied, "Why has the Duke come?"

"Weren't you planning to visit the Duke's residence tonight?" Ji Heng said with a smile. "I've come to fetch you."

Jiang Li: "..."

The phrase "I've come to fetch you" should have been tender, carrying infinite affection. Yet, when spoken by this man, it felt unnerving and unnatural. Jiang Li said, "There's no need for the Duke to trouble himself. You could have just sent Zhao Ke, or I could have gone on my own."

"Oh," he replied. "But I'm already here."

Since he had already arrived, she couldn't very well send him away. Jiang Li sighed and stood up. Ji Heng reached out, supporting her arm, and said, "Jump down."

Jiang Li stepped onto a stool, then onto a table, and holding onto Ji Heng's arm, she leaped down from the window. The window wasn't high, but she still felt a bit unsteady as she landed. Instinctively, she tightened her grip on the hem of Ji Heng's robe.

Only after Jiang Li had steadied herself did she realize—wait, why did she have to jump out of the window? Couldn't she have just opened the door and walked out?

She glanced at Ji Heng and sighed inwardly. Once again, she had been led astray by him.

Ji Heng looked at Jiang Li with interest and remarked, "That outfit suits you quite well."

Since she was going out at night, Jiang Li couldn't wear anything too elaborate. Women's skirts were too long, so she hadn't even brought a cloak. Instead, she wore a plain white cotton jacket that Bai Xue had prepared for her, paired with gray trousers and black boots. Her long hair was tied high at the back, styled like a man's.

Though dressed as a man, under the lantern light in the snow, her features appeared even more gentle and delicate, exuding an indescribable freshness.

"Thank you for the compliment, Duke," Jiang Li replied. She then asked, "How do we get out?"

"Through the back door," Ji Heng answered.

"The back door?" Jiang Li was taken aback. "What back door?"

As it turned out, Ji Heng was far more familiar with the layout of the Jiang residence than she, the Second Miss Jiang, was. After winding through several gardens that were seldom visited, they indeed found a back door. They encountered no one along the way. Although Jiang Li knew that Ji Heng must have arranged for all possible servants to be diverted, the ease of their passage gave her the illusion that the entire Jiang residence was as flimsy as paper, allowing anyone to come and go as they pleased. If the Jiang residence were to be ransacked overnight, Jiang Li wouldn't be too surprised.

After all, there were hardly any guards at the gates at night!

Ji Heng led Jiang Li out through the back door almost openly.

Outside the back door, in the snow, stood a black sedan chair. In front of it stood Zhao Ke and four bearers. When they saw Jiang Li and Ji Heng emerge, they stepped forward and lifted the curtain.Jiang Li hesitated. Sedan chairs were different from carriages—a man and woman sharing one was rather ambiguous.

While she was still wavering, Ji Heng unhurriedly stepped into the sedan. After waiting for a long moment and seeing Jiang Li remain motionless, he asked, "Aren't you coming up?"

The man spoke with such nonchalance and ease, as if she were overthinking everything. Jiang Li couldn't help wondering if she was making a mountain out of a molehill. But the journey was long, and if she walked through the streets instead of riding in the sedan, she might be recognized by Princess Yongning's people, which could spell trouble. Gritting her teeth, she finally stepped inside.

Zhao Ke ordered the bearers to lift the sedan.

The sedan was as exquisitely crafted as its owner, complete with warm tea and pastries—a rare luxury in winter. However, it was designed for one person, so no matter how spacious it was, the distance between Jiang Li and Ji Heng couldn't be widened much.

It was almost intimate.

Ji Heng handed Jiang Li a cup of tea. The tea was still warm, and after taking a sip, she felt much of the chill dissipate. Glancing at the pastries on the small table, she suddenly blurted out, "Did the Duke make these himself?"

In that instant, Jiang Li was certain Ji Heng's movements faltered—tea spilled from his cup.

The bearers outside walked steadily; the Duke's sedan carriers were likely carefully selected, as not a single jolt could be felt. Therefore, it couldn't have been due to the sedan's movement that the tea spilled. It was because of her words.

Ji Heng set down his cup, took out a snow-white silk handkerchief, and meticulously wiped the tea from his hand. Only then did he look at Jiang Li. "No."

Jiang Li: "..."

If it wasn't, then it wasn't. But only Ji Heng could make "no" sound so murderous. Jiang Li suddenly understood why outsiders rumored that Ji Heng was unpredictable—he truly was.

"Who is Haitang to you?" Ji Heng suddenly asked.

The change of subject was too abrupt. Before Jiang Li could react, she heard Ji Heng continue, "You were so anxious to track her down, even seeking my help without fear of me uncovering your secrets. She must be very important to you."

"She is indeed very important," Jiang Li replied with a faint smile. "Besides, I never intended to hide anything from the Duke."

"Don't say such pretty words. You're the most cunning." Ji Heng chuckled dismissively. "You know this woman named Haitang, just as you've long known Qiong Zhi from the Cherish Flower House and Xue Huaiyuan from Tongxiang."

"I do," Jiang Li admitted. "She's the one who can help me bring down Princess Yongning."

"What I've never understood," Ji Heng said softly, "is why you're so determined to destroy Yongning."

"The Duke only sees my determination to destroy Princess Yongning, but not her repeated attempts to harm me." Jiang Li's smile was faint. "The magistrates are free to burn down houses, while the common people are forbidden even to light lamps. That isn't fair."

When she uttered the word "fair," though she tried to suppress her emotions, a trace of resentment could still be heard. She truly believed it was unfair.

Ji Heng propped his chin on his hand, watching her. "You're the Grand Secretary's daughter, not a commoner."

"Does being the Grand Secretary's daughter grant me privileges?" Jiang Li retorted. "But in my view, when facing Yongning or someone even higher, it might be utterly worthless."Yongning believed that since she was the daughter of a minor official, she could bully the Xue family at will. But back then, even if she had been the daughter of a higher-ranking official, as long as she stood in Yongning's way and her status was not as high as Yongning's, Yongning could still do as she pleased. This was the truth of the current world: commoners were oppressed by minor officials, minor officials were oppressed by high-ranking officials, high-ranking officials feared the nobility, and the nobility bowed in submission to the emperor.

Layer upon layer of exploitation, with the lowest bearing the brunt of blood and tears. The daughter of the Grand Secretary, untouched by the hardships of life, could never understand. But Xue Fangfei, as a commoner, had personally experienced the taste of being bullied by those in power.

"You seem very angry." A voice tinged with laughter sounded by her ear. Only then did Jiang Li realize that, without her noticing, Ji Heng had straightened up, and in the not-so-spacious sedan chair, he was now extremely close to her. By her ear, she could almost feel the warmth of his breath.

It was ticklish, carrying an inexplicable heat that dissipated much of the hostility in her heart in an instant.

Jiang Li deliberately leaned back a little, only to find she had already reached the edge, her head nearly hitting the sedan beam. Fortunately, Ji Heng was quick-eyed and swift-handed, reaching out to cushion the back of her head. Thus, what Jiang Li's head touched was the palm of Ji Heng's hand.

His hand, however, was perpetually cold. Though he wore red robes as fiery as flames, his touch was as cool as ice.

Jiang Li was taken aback for a moment, then softly thanked him.

Ji Heng withdrew his hand and said lazily, "You need not harbor such animosity toward officials. Jiang Yuanbai is the Grand Secretary. What you said has already placed you in opposition to the officials. Little one," he reminded her, whether out of kindness or malice, "it will be exposed."

It will be exposed.

What would be exposed? Jiang Li felt a sudden tension. Would it expose that she was not the Second Miss Jiang? Though she had many mysteries about her, and others might find her inexplicable, as long as she did not speak of it, no one would think that within Jiang Li's shell lay another soul.

But that was when dealing with ordinary people. When it came to Ji Heng... Jiang Li lifted her eyes to look at him.

The young man's eyes were deep and carried a smile. His phoenix eyes were narrow and upturned, their color slightly intense, which further accentuated their beautiful shape. His nose was high-bridged, his lips crimson, like a cup of mysterious poisoned wine. You could not glimpse his inner thoughts, yet you felt seen by his gaze, as if all your secrets were laid bare.

He was too dangerous, too clear-headed, too rational, and too easy to become ensnared by.

He was no ordinary person. If it were him, perhaps he would discover the secret she carried. Jiang Li thought this for no apparent reason.

Jiang Li fell silent, unsure of what to say. Every word she uttered could become a clue for Ji Heng. The more she spoke, the more mistakes she might make, so it was better to say nothing.

Yet Ji Heng did not press her further. Seeming slightly weary, he propped his head with his hand, leaned against the side of the sedan chair, and closed his eyes.

In the cramped sedan chair, the two were close to each other. In their shared silence, they could hear the howling wind outside and the rustling sound of the bearers' boots treading on the snow, lending a touch of vitality to the cold, quiet night.

Each lost in their own thoughts, they did not know how much time had passed when the sedan chair came to a stop. Zhao Ke's voice sounded from outside: "Duke, we've arrived."

Ji Heng, who had been feigning sleep with his eyes closed, opened them, lifted the sedan curtain, and stepped out first, then waited for Jiang Li to alight.The Duke's residence at night appeared less vibrant than in daylight, its hazy lantern light lending it an unreal quality. It was like a weary traveler stumbling upon an ethereal palace deep in the mountains, and upon seeing the unnaturally handsome young man, one might mistakenly believe they had wandered into a den of spirits.

Jiang Li stepped down as the main gate of the Duke's residence swung open. She entered alongside Ji Heng.

Old General Ji had likely already retired for the night, as there was no sign of him. Had he been present, the atmosphere would hardly have been so tranquil—he would surely have seized Jiang Li to demand why she had come so late and precisely what her relationship with Ji Heng entailed.

They proceeded to the innermost courtyard of the estate, where a single room stood. Outside, Wen Ji stood guard. Upon seeing the group, he addressed them, "My lord."

"The person is inside," Ji Heng said, turning to her. "Will you go in to see her now?"

Jiang Li nodded and moved to enter. Wen Ji interjected, "Second Miss Jiang, this girl named Haitang is deeply distrustful of others. If you go in alone, she might harm you. It would be better to have guards—"

"That won't be necessary," Jiang Li declined with a gentle smile. "I will speak with her myself. She won't harm me."

Wen Ji glanced at Ji Heng and, seeing no objection in his expression, stepped aside to allow Jiang Li to push the door open.

Hesitating briefly, Jiang Li turned back to Ji Heng, about to speak, but he smiled faintly and said, "I know. I'll wait at the courtyard gate and won't eavesdrop on your 'secrets'." He emphasized the word "secrets" slightly.

Jiang Li replied with a smile, "Thank you for your understanding, Duke."

Ji Heng and his guards withdrew to the courtyard. Taking a deep breath, Jiang Li mustered her courage and pushed the door open.

Closing the door behind her, she looked into the room. A lone lamp burned on the table, and seated before it was a figure with her back to the wall, as if seeking solace in its solidity. The silhouette was slender and tall, and at the sight of it, Jiang Li's eyes nearly welled with tears. That figure felt achingly familiar, stirring a tumult of emotions—she could never mistake it. This was Haitang.

Hearing someone enter, Haitang swiftly turned, her gaze sharp and wary as it fixed on Jiang Li. A veil covered her face, leaving only her eyes visible, but the warmth they once held was gone. The Haitang of the past had been gentle and composed, ever ready with thoughtful counsel, a steadfast and comforting presence. Now, her eyes held no trace of that tenderness; instead, they mirrored the guarded vigilance of a wounded animal.

The sight pierced Jiang Li's heart.

Yet, Jiang Li merely offered a gentle smile and took a seat opposite Haitang. As she moved, Haitang shrank away, pressing herself tightly against the wall without uttering a word.

"You are Haitang, aren't you?" Jiang Li said softly. "I was the one who had your whereabouts investigated and brought you back from Zaohua Village."

Haitang continued to regard her with the eyes of a stranger—which, in truth, was all Jiang Li was to her now, an unknown figure with unclear motives. Haitang finally spoke, her voice edged with suspicion, "What is your purpose?"

At these words, Jiang Li froze, a look of stunned disbelief washing over her face.Haitang's voice, once soft and gentle, was quite pleasant to the ear. In the past, people had even joked that after staying with her mistress for so long, Haitang's tone and voice had come to resemble Jiang Li's. But now, her voice sounded as if it had been scorched by fire—hoarse and unbearably unpleasant.

"What happened to your voice?" Jiang Li asked.

Haitang stared at her without speaking.

To Haitang, it was already unusual for a stranger to inquire about her voice, especially with such a concerned attitude.

"Your purpose," Haitang asked again.

"I am Jiang Li, the second daughter of the Jiang family, and the daughter of the current Grand Secretary, Jiang Yuanbai," Jiang Li said, trying to soften her voice and make her expression appear gentle and kind. "I have been entrusted by someone to investigate the case of Miss Xue Fangfei of the Xue family."

"Miss..." Haitang froze for a moment, then grew agitated. "What happened to Miss?!"

Jiang Li frowned. "You don't know?"

"I don't know!" Haitang asked urgently. "What exactly happened to her?"

Back when Haitang and Dujuan left the Shen residence, Xue Fangfei was still alive, merely under house arrest due to the scandal of adultery. Xue Fangfei had driven her and Dujuan away because one day she suspected the two maids of stealing valuables and expelled them from the residence, forbidding them from ever returning to the capital.

At the time, Haitang and Dujuan felt deeply wronged. But Xue Fangfei had never been so severe before, and the years of master-servant bond were shattered in an instant, leaving Haitang heartbroken. Later, after they left Yanjing City and some time had passed, Haitang gradually calmed down and came to understand that Xue Fangfei had been protecting them back then. If she and Dujuan had stayed in the Shen residence, they would have inevitably faced Shen's mother's wrath.

Since their mistress wanted them to live on, Haitang and Dujuan had no choice but to endure their grief and survive. Now, hearing Jiang Li suddenly mention Xue Fangfei, Haitang felt an ominous premonition stirring in her heart.

Jiang Li looked at her and said, "She's dead."

Haitang staggered, nearly collapsing to the ground. Jiang Li reached out to steady her, and only then did Haitang look at her, though her expression remained dazed. She asked, "How... how could that be? When I left, she was perfectly fine..."

"After being discovered in adultery, Xue Fangfei lost all dignity and soon fell seriously ill. In the end, her illness proved incurable, and she passed away." After a pause, Jiang Li added, "That's how it appeared on the surface."

"What do you mean?" Haitang immediately seized the implication in Jiang Li's words.

"It means Xue Fangfei's death was no accident, nor did she die from some serious illness. She died because someone killed her. Just like how the adultery incident back then was also a frame-up."

Haitang stared at Jiang Li, her expression shifting gradually—a mix of wariness and agitation. She asked, "How do you know the adultery incident was a frame-up?"

"How I know isn't important, but you should be clear about it. As Xue Fangfei's personal maid, you know better than anyone whether she actually committed adultery back then," Jiang Li said.

Haitang tightly gripped the teacup on the table. "She did not commit adultery."

Jiang Li looked at her. "I know.""Why did you come looking for me," Haitang asked, "and why are you telling me all this? What benefit does this bring you? If you want my life, just take it—I don't care. But if you intend to use us for some ulterior motive, I advise you to abandon that thought immediately. I won't do anything."

Jiang Li didn't answer, merely watching Haitang with a faint smile.

After a moment, Haitang asked nervously, "What are you doing?"

Jiang Li shook her head. "I'm just reflecting on how fortunate Xue Fangfei was to have a maid like you. No wonder she went through such great efforts back then to send you and Dujuan away."

Haitang froze. "You know?" Her voice suddenly trembled. "Back then... she deliberately drove us out of the mansion, didn't she? She never actually wronged us, did she?"

Though Haitang had later guessed this possibility, she could never fully let it go. Now that Xue Fangfei was dead, this question would never be answered—but hearing it from Jiang Li's lips, she suddenly felt a glimmer of hope, as if only this could bring closure.

"Yes," Jiang Li said calmly, looking at her. "She knew she would face constant danger in the Shen family, and that she might not even be able to protect your lives. The only way to give you a chance at survival was to drive you out. If she had told you the truth, you wouldn't have left—you would have insisted on sharing life and death with her. It was better to speak harshly, so you would give up completely, leave Yanjing City, and preserve your lives."

Haitang listened in stunned silence, and soon a tear traced down her cheek. She murmured, "I knew it... I always knew."

"But," Jiang Li asked the question she had been wanting to ask, "from what I know, there wasn't just you—there was another maid named Dujuan. Why are you alone now? Did you part ways along the journey, or was there another plan?"

Haitang lowered her head. "She died."

Jiang Li's heart tightened as if gripped by an invisible hand, making it hard to breathe. Though she had considered this possibility, hearing it confirmed from Haitang's lips was still unbearable.

One by one, the lively companions who had stayed by her side were gone, as if they had left nothing behind.

"How... did she die?" Jiang Li's voice held a barely concealed sob.

But Haitang was too consumed by grief to notice the strangeness in her tone. Exhausted, as if all her strength had been drained, she said, "Not long after we fled Yanjing City, we discovered that the authorities were posting notices everywhere, accusing us of stealing our master's silver and ordering our arrest. Dujuan was captured. I wanted to help her, to beg the officials to tell them she was innocent, but that night... by the time I found Dujuan, she had already been strangled and dumped in a mass burial ground."

Jiang Li's heart ached unbearably."I don't know if they were really government officials. If it was an official arrest, why execute without holding a trial? And even if executing, why not announce it to the public? If they weren't government agents, why were official wanted posters everywhere? I didn't understand, but I knew there was no avoiding it. I saw them even lying in ambush near the mass graves, probably waiting for me to walk right into their trap when I went to collect Dujuan's body so they could capture me. That's why I never retrieved Dujuan's remains." As she reached this part of her story, Haitang's hands began trembling, as if even now she couldn't forgive herself for what she had done.

"I disfigured my face to evade the government search and escaped back to my hometown," Haitang said.

"Your face..."

Haitang asked, "Do you want to see it?"

Jiang Li nodded.

Haitang let out a bitter laugh and reached up to remove her veil.

Jiang Li's breath almost stopped for a moment. The once fair and lovely face now bore two deep knife scars running from the eyes down to the chin, vicious and horrifying. The wounds had scabbed over, but instead of appearing improved, they looked even more shocking.

What could drive a beautiful woman to disfigure herself to such an extent? From then on, she could only move through the world with her face veiled.

Haitang had been staring into Jiang Li's eyes. Wherever she went with this face, all she ever saw was disgust and fear—she had long grown accustomed to it. Even the black-clad men who came to fetch her appeared quite uncomfortable when they saw her appearance. She assumed Jiang Li would be no different from the others.

But Jiang Li wasn't.

Jiang Li simply gazed deeply at Haitang, her eyes filled with sorrow and guilt, heartache and regret—but notably absent were fear and avoidance. She even reached out, wanting to touch the scars.

Haitang suddenly took a step back, replacing her veil. After a moment of silence, she finally said, "You've seen it."

Jiang Li remained silent as well. Meeting an old acquaintance unexpectedly was not a joyful reunion. Both had endured hardships, making one sigh at the absurdity of fate.

"I want to ask," Jiang Li inquired, "what could drive you to disfigure yourself so severely just to survive? What was it all for?"

"I don't know," Haitang's eyes showed a flicker of confusion. "At first, I thought the official warrant was issued by the young lady. But in my heart, I felt it wasn't. I hoped to survive, to one day see the young lady again and ask her what really happened—why she accused us of stealing property. Perhaps the young lady was trying to save our lives, in which case we shouldn't casually throw them away but strive to live on."

She continued, "We've known since childhood that we live for the young lady."

Jiang Li closed her eyes.

In truth, Xue Huaiyuan had never wanted the Xue family servants to devote everything to their masters; he believed they should have their own lives. Jiang Li had also addressed Haitang and Dujuan as sisters. But there are such loyal servants in this world—their entire lives bound to another person.

It was heavy, so very heavy.

"I didn't know the young lady had died..." Haitang murmured, "I was still hoping... perhaps I could see her one more time..."

"Xue Fangfei cannot come back to life," Jiang Li collected her thoughts and looked at her again, "Not only that, but Xue Zhao is dead too, and Xue Huaiyuan has gone mad. The entire Xue family now has nothing left."

Haitang stared at her blankly, shaking her head, "No..."

"Haitang, listen to me. This wasn't an accident, nor was it some karmic retribution. This was a conspiracy—a living, breathing conspiracy. Someone destroyed the Xue family. I am Second Miss Jiang, entrusted by someone to help clear the Xue family's name, to wash away the false accusations against Xue Fangfei, and to find evidence of her murder." Jiang Li stared intently into Haitang's eyes, "This isn't just for Xue Fangfei—it's for you, for Dujuan, for all the innocent people who died tragically in this conspiracy. Should we just watch the murderer roam free?"

"Why should I believe you?" Haitang asked. She was an intelligent girl, determined and decisive. Even now, struck by the truth, she maintained her rationality."If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't have gone through all the trouble to bring you to Yanjing City. You can even visit the mad Xue Huaiyuan to verify whether my words are true." Jiang Li said, "You were Xue Fangfei's personal maid, staying with her every day. At the very least, you should know who to suspect. When Xue Fangfei was framed for adultery, who was the most suspicious? Who did something questionable?"

Haitang stared at Jiang Li, and after a moment, her gaze darkened as she uttered a few words.

"Xiao Deyin."

"And everyone in the Shen family."

(End of Chapter)