The Double

Chapter 180: On the Brink of Death

In the dimly lit prison of the Ministry of Justice, the scurrying sounds of rats and the noise of some animal gnawing on food could be heard. Strange cries and sobs echoed intermittently. In a corner, Princess Yongning sat with her knees drawn to her chest, pressing herself tightly against the bars facing Shen Yurong, as if seeking a sliver of vitality from his proximity.

Over the past three days, she had pleaded, threatened, and even taken off the bracelets from her wrists to bribe the guards, hoping they would deliver a message to Prince Cheng or Consort Liu. The guards accepted her bracelets but left without a word, never to return. Enraged, Princess Yongning cursed them loudly until her voice grew hoarse and her energy depleted.

The last meal for a condemned prisoner is always exceptionally lavish. Previously, Princess Yongning had incessantly complained about the poor quality of the food here. Yet, when the final day arrived and a feast was laid out before her, she seemed provoked, refusing to take even a single bite, as if eating it would immediately seal her fate. By delaying, she clung to the illusion of postponing the inevitable despair.

In stark contrast, Shen Yurong had remained silent these past few days. He listened to Princess Yongning’s reproaches without offering comfort or devising any plans. When the last meal was delivered that evening, Shen Yurong calmly savored it, pouring himself a cup of wine, utterly indifferent to Princess Yongning’s terror.

Princess Yongning’s heart felt as cold as ashes. If Prince Cheng and Consort Liu had any intention of saving her, they would not have left her without word for three consecutive days. The silence could only mean they had abandoned her.

With the execution scheduled for the next day, Princess Yongning hugged herself even tighter.

Suddenly, footsteps and the voices of guards echoed from outside. Princess Yongning paid no mind—new prisoners arrived daily, and the condemned were led away. The Ministry of Justice’s prison was never short of occupants. After a while, the guards’ voices faded, but the footsteps continued, steady and unhurried, distinct and clear in the prison’s silence, reaching Princess Yongning’s ears.

She couldn’t help but listen intently.

The footsteps drew closer to her and Shen Yurong’s cell. A spark of hope ignited in Princess Yongning’s heart. What if this person was sent by Consort Liu and Prince Cheng? It must be! Surely, they had come to inform her that Prince Cheng and Consort Liu had made preparations to rescue her soon, urging her not to worry!

As the footsteps neared, Princess Yongning eagerly rushed to the iron bars, straining to see who was approaching.

She caught a glimpse of a clean hem of a skirt.

A woman? Puzzled, Princess Yongning looked up. In the depths of the adjacent cell, Shen Yurong, who had been leaning against the wall in the darkness, also lifted his gaze toward the sound.

The lamplight gradually illuminated the visitor’s face—fair skin, delicate features, arched eyebrows, and almond-shaped eyes, clean and radiant. The young woman looked down at her with a smile. For a moment, Princess Yongning was stunned, nearly crying out, "Xue Fangfei!"

This attire and appearance were strikingly similar to that of Xue Fangfei from years past! Back then, when Princess Yongning first met Shen Yurong and secretly admired him, she learned he was already married. Disdainful, she found an excuse to attend a banquet where she caught a glimpse of Xue Fangfei.Though Princess Yongning had long heard of Xue Fangfei's renowned reputation, she believed her to be merely a woman from the rural countryside, with a father who was only a minor official. She thought the widespread rumors were nothing but exaggerations, but reality proved otherwise. When she finally laid eyes on that radiant and captivating woman, an overwhelming sense of resentment surged within her.

Princess Yongning stubbornly desired to possess Shen Yurong. Beyond her genuine affection for him, it was unclear whether part of her obsession stemmed from the fact that Shen Yurong was Xue Fangfei's husband, making her want him all the more.

In truth, she was jealous of Xue Fangfei.

Her mind drifted into a daze as she watched the woman before her slowly crouch down, meeting her gaze through the iron bars, and say, "Your Highness."

Suddenly, Princess Yongning clearly saw her features—this was not Xue Fangfei, but Jiang Li, the second young lady of the Jiang family.

"Jiang Li?!" Princess Yongning exclaimed angrily. "How did you get here?" Prince Cheng and Consort Liu would never allow Jiang Li to deliver a message. Her presence here certainly wasn't to rescue her.

"I came specifically to have a few words with you, Your Highness," Jiang Li tilted her head to look at her, a gesture that appeared exceptionally delicate and charming. She seemed not to be facing a princess on the verge of collapse but rather a long-unseen friend, speaking softly with a gentle smile. "Your current residence here is actually thanks to me."

Princess Yongning was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"Your affair with Lord Shen was exposed because you fell out with Eldest Son Li. Your relentless pursuit of him was solely because you believed he caused the death of your child," Jiang Li said softly. "But in this matter, you have wronged Eldest Son Li. You were never pregnant. It was all because I used a fake pregnancy pill to make you believe you were with child. In your haste to cover it up, you rushed into marriage with the Li family, leading to your current predicament. So," she smiled brightly, "don't you think all of this is connected to me?"

"You..." Princess Yongning's expression shifted from shock to fury. She suddenly lunged forward, reaching out to claw at Jiang Li's face. Jiang Li took a step back, and with the iron bars between them, Princess Yongning could no longer reach her. She could only scream futilely, "You wretched woman! I'll kill you!"

Shen Yurong turned his head to watch, unable to hear clearly what Jiang Li had said to provoke such rage in Princess Yongning. He simply stared at Jiang Li, his gaze fixed intently on her.

"Though the child was fake, what you did to the Xue family back then was very real," Jiang Li said calmly. "So even if you tell others, no one will believe you. Tomorrow morning, you will still be escorted to the execution ground to pay the price you deserve."

Princess Yongning panted heavily, like a wild beast. Her eyes bore into Jiang Li as if she wanted to tear her apart. She demanded, "Why did you do this?"

"Princess Yongning," Jiang Li met her gaze squarely, "I did this because you made me do it."

"Me?""You say..." Jiang Li's voice was soft and gentle, yet in the darkness, it gradually took on a terrifying hue. She said, "I am the daughter of a petty official. Crushing me to death is as easy as stepping on an ant. In your next life, remember to be reborn into a wealthy family."

Princess Yongning was first puzzled, then struck as if by lightning.

The words from that day, long blurred in her memory, suddenly appeared in her mind with startling clarity.

"This princess and Shen Lang are deeply in love, but unfortunately, there is you. Of course, I cannot tolerate you. If you were the daughter of a noble family, I might have to go through some trouble. Unfortunately, your father is just a minor county magistrate. Among the many prefectures and counties in Yanjing, your Xue family is nothing but worthless weeds. In your next life, remember to weigh your options before being reborn—choose a wealthy family."

"Remember, even if your beauty is unparalleled and your talent unmatched, you are still just the daughter of a petty official. Crushing you to death—is as easy as crushing an ant!"

"You... you... you..." Princess Yongning took a step back involuntarily. "Are you human or a ghost? Are you Xue Fangfei?!"

The three words "Xue Fangfei" finally stirred Shen Yurong, who had been hiding in the shadows. He slowly crawled over and looked at Jiang Li through the iron bars.

Jiang Li ignored him, her gaze fixed on Princess Yongning. Suddenly, she curled her lips and whispered, "Who says I'm not?"

She admitted it with such audacity, frankness, and courage.

"Impossible, impossible..." Princess Yongning shook her head frantically, retreating further. She believed this was all a dream, perhaps just her hallucination. It was either a scenario she had conjured up out of fear that Xue Fangfei would seek revenge, or it was simply Jiang Li trying to frighten her to avenge Jiang Youyao.

But how could it be? Princess Yongning knew all too well that when Xue Fangfei died, only she and two old women were present. Those two women had long been silenced. Aside from her, no one else in the world knew about the conversation she had with Xue Fangfei before her death. Yet Jiang Li's words were identical, down to the last syllable. If she were trying to frighten her, how could she have known these details?

This was utterly impossible! Princess Yongning ran to the depths of the prison cell, as if terrified to the extreme, refusing to meet Jiang Li's gaze.

Jiang Li glanced at Princess Yongning. This woman, who had ruined her previous life, was now so disheveled and trembling, so easily frightened by a single word. This version of Princess Yongning suddenly made her feel indifferent, even disinterested in revenge.

Jiang Li stood up and walked toward the exit, but a hand grabbed the hem of her skirt.

Shen Yurong looked up at her and asked softly, "Is it Fangfei?"

His familiar features, his gaze—filled with shock, hope, fear, and anxiety, a mix of conflicting emotions, as if he had endless words to say to Jiang Li if she answered "yes," and immeasurable disappointment and grievance if she answered "no."

But Jiang Li merely lowered her head, tugged forcefully, and freed her skirt from Shen Yurong's grasp. Without so much as a glance at him, she walked away.

The bond of husband and wife had long been severed back when she was still Xue Fangfei. Now that the debt of life had been settled, there was no connection left. She had no interest in looking at him, listening to him, or answering him. Whether he repented, remained stubborn, apologized, or wept and kowtowed, she felt not the slightest concern.

What did it matter whether she was Xue Fangfei or not? In any case, she and Shen Yurong were no longer connected in any way.Jiang Li stepped out of the prison cell. The rain outside had not yet ceased. The jailer offered her an ingratiating smile, while Tong'er and Bai Xue were surprised to see her emerge so quickly. The three of them made their way toward the carriage.

When they reached the carriage, Jiang Li froze.

The coachman had been replaced, and the face revealed was none other than Zhao Ke's. Zhao Ke said, "My lord invites the Second Young Lady to the Duke's residence."

Bai Xue and Tong'er exchanged uneasy glances, but Jiang Li had already boarded the carriage with practiced ease and said, "Let's go."

She had accomplished what she set out to do. Princess Yongning and Shen Yurong were now dealt with. According to her prior agreement with Ji Heng, he should come to claim her life. Jiang Li saw nothing wrong with this—there were no benefits in this world gained without cost. When it came to revenge, without Ji Heng, she alone could never have carried it out as smoothly as it had been. Paying the price was only right.

She had nothing more to say.

(End of Chapter)