The Double

Chapter 185: Trouble

The spring rain from the daytime finally stopped by nightfall.

The Jiang residence had been quite peaceful lately, as if nothing had happened. Jiang Youyao had been found, though she had gone mad, but her madness was relatively quiet. The old lady kept Jiang Yuanbai by her side to raise him, and she was too busy to attend to much else each day. The two brothers, Jiang Yuanbai and Jiang Yuanping, were occupied with political affairs and returned home very late.

In the third branch of the household, Yang Shi entered the room carrying several bolts of new fabric and called out as soon as she stepped inside, "Yuyan, come here quickly."

Jiang Yuyan emerged from behind the door, holding a lamp that cast a dim light in the room. Yang Shi held two bolts of fabric with exquisite patterns and held them up against Jiang Yuyan, saying, "We can make two new outfits from these."

"Mother, I can't wear these..." Jiang Yuyan shrank back. Her appearance was plain, and she had always dressed simply, disliking such ornate clothing because it made her look even more ordinary and unremarkable. But Yang Shi seemed oblivious to this and was always eager to dress her in the most elaborate and lavish clothes and accessories.

"There's nothing you can't wear," Yang Shi glared at her. "You dress in drab, gray clothes all day—what kind of impression does that give? In a few days, I'll take you to a banquet. Dress nicely then. You're at the age where we should be discussing marriage. If the ladies see you dressed well, they'll take more notice of you. Don't you want to marry a good husband?"

Jiang Yuyan murmured noncommittally and did not reply. She did not dare to argue; she had to obey whatever Yang Shi said. But Jiang Yuyan also understood that she was not like Jiang Li, who had a father who was the Grand Secretary, nor was she as pretty as Jiang Yu'e. Given her background and appearance, there was nothing about her to be proud of, and she feared she would not be able to marry a desirable husband.

"Mother, where did this patterned fabric come from?" Jiang Yuyan asked.

"Your sister sent it," Yang Shi replied. "Your sister has plenty of fabric at the Marquis Ningyuan's residence. She picked out two bolts and sent them over for you to make clothes. Your sister still thinks of you in everything. You should learn more from her."

Jiang Yuanxing walked in from outside and, upon entering, heard Yang Shi scolding Jiang Yuyan. Yang Shi had a sharp temper, and Jiang Yu'e took after her in shrewdness, while Jiang Yuyan was as dull as Jiang Yuanxing. For this reason, Yang Shi always found fault with Jiang Yuyan and urged her to emulate Jiang Yu'e. But how could a person's nature be easily changed?

"Stop picking on Yuyan," Jiang Yuanxing couldn't help but say. "What's the point?"

Seeing that Jiang Yuanxing had returned, Yang Shi said to Jiang Yuyan, "Go back to your room and rest now. I have something to discuss with your father."

Jiang Yuyan nodded, turned around, and left the room with the lamp. Jiang Yuanxing sat down on a stool and asked, "What is it?"

"Yu'e sent a letter today," Yang Shi said, pulling a letter from a drawer and handing it to Jiang Yuanxing. "She said that Zhou Yanbang has divorced his wife."

"Divorced his wife?" Jiang Yuanxing frowned at first, then nodded. "The Shen family has run into trouble, so it's natural for the Marquis Ningyuan's residence to divorce her."

"Yu'e's meaning in the letter is that although the Marquis Ningyuan's residence is well-off, Zhou Yanbang cannot enter officialdom. It's unlikely that daughters from prominent families would easily marry into the Zhou family. This way, she has hope of becoming the wife of the heir," Yang Shi explained.

"The wife of the heir?" Jiang Yuanxing retorted. "How is that possible?""How is it impossible?" Seeing Jiang Yuanxing deny it outright without even reading the letter, Yang Shi felt uncomfortable. She said, "Tell me, in terms of talent and appearance, Yu'e is no worse than those official daughters, is she? Why can't she become the wife of the heir? According to Yu'e, Zhou Yanbang treats her quite well now, so their relationship is clearly good. The only thing lacking is her background."

These words struck a sore spot for Jiang Yuanxing. He said, "So? How can we change her background? Although we are part of the Jiang family, we are not from the main or second branch!"

"You've forgotten," Yang Shi nudged him, "relying solely on the Jiang family will get us nowhere, but now you are under the Right Prime Minister's wing. The Right Prime Minister serves Prince Cheng, and we are working for Prince Cheng. If we please Prince Cheng and accomplish something remarkable, securing you a promotion and a title would be as easy as turning over your hand. By then, our daughter's status would naturally be extraordinary. How would the Marquis Ningyuan's household dare to slight her? They would be only too eager to elevate Yu'e to the position of principal wife!"

"You make it sound so easy, but what can we actually do? What happened before was just a coincidence," Jiang Yuanxing said. "Now the Right Prime Minister doesn't even acknowledge us!"

Regarding the matter of Ji Shuran, the third branch had informed the Right Prime Minister, earning a substantial sum of silver in return. The Right Prime Minister had even promised that if they had any future information to share, he would reward them handsomely. At that time, Jiang Yuanxing and Yang Shi had tasted the sweetness and thought their fortunes were turning. But aside from the Ji Shuran incident, they had not uncovered any other secrets of the Jiang family and thus had nothing more to report to the Right Prime Minister. Gradually, the Right Prime Minister grew cold toward them, as they were of no further use.

"My husband, you truly lack foresight," Yang Shi whispered, leaning closer. "Haven't you considered how Princess Yongning ended up in her current predicament? If it weren't for the meddling of our second young lady, who saved Xue Huaiyuan in Tongxiang, Xue Huaiyuan wouldn't have regained his senses and accused Princess Yongning and Shen Yurong. It can be said that without Jiang Li, Princess Yongning would not have died. Who do you think Princess Yongning hated the most? It must be Jiang Li!"

Jiang Yuanxing's gaze deepened. "You mean…"

"Princess Yongning was Prince Cheng's sister. Prince Cheng is bound to avenge her. Although we don't know any secrets about the Jiang family, and Jiang Yuanbai and Jiang Yuanping are as cunning as foxes, leaving no traces, Jiang Li is just a young girl. No matter how capable she is, she can't overturn the heavens. If Prince Cheng wants to target Jiang Li, all we need to do is inform him of when Jiang Li will pass by, when she goes out, or even help arrange things slightly. It would be done effortlessly."

"By then, we would have rendered a great service. Prince Cheng would be pleased, your career would flourish, and would Yu'e still worry about not being elevated to principal wife?"

…

The third branch of the Jiang family planned to use themselves as a pledge to Prince Cheng, but Jiang Li was unaware of this. For now, her days passed with rare tranquility. Though this peace was only temporary, it was still precious.

By the time the peach blossoms in Yanjing City began to bloom one after another, the weather had warmed enough to be called a "warm spring." Grass grew tall, orioles flew about, flowers bloomed red, and willows turned green. With a spring rain at night, the next day would be bathed in brilliant sunlight.Tomorrow was Jiang Li's birthday, or rather, Xue Fangfei's birthday. Jiang Li had already arranged with Ye Mingyu in advance to visit the Ye family tomorrow. Though it was framed as a visit, Jiang Li intended to use this opportunity to spend her birthday with Xue Huaiyuan, knowing he would never forget that this day was Ali's birthday. It was also the moment she planned to reveal her true identity to Xue Huaiyuan.

She had to make it clear to Xue Huaiyuan that she was, in fact, Xue Fangfei, regardless of whether he believed her or not. If he did believe her, then father and daughter would have one more reason and support to live on in this world. Even if it was just for each other, there would still be hope.

Thus, early the next morning, Jiang Li rose to dress and prepare herself.

Jiang Li chose clothing colors and accessories that Xue Fangfei had loved to wear in the past, which puzzled Tong'er and Bai Xue. However, they thought Jiang Li looked quite beautiful dressed this way and simply assumed she wanted to try a new style. After informing the Jiang family's gatekeeper, Jiang Li boarded the carriage and set off for the Ye family.

The sunlight outside was just right. It was said that the peach blossoms on the nearby mountains had bloomed these past few days, and many people had gone to the mountains to admire them and, while there, pray for love at the temples. Spring was always such a gentle season, making one feel that any endeavor or wish made during this time would be rewarded with fulfillment.

Sitting inside the carriage, Jiang Li listened to the bustling crowds outside. Whether it was due to the impending confession to Xue Huaiyuan or some other reason, she had felt restless since the previous night. Her eyelids kept twitching, and she couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to happen. She tried to comfort herself, thinking it was just anxiety over whether Xue Huaiyuan would acknowledge her. Over and over, she reminded herself inwardly: It's nothing, just a small matter that was bound to happen sooner or later. And if she explained it properly, her father would surely believe her.

The road between the Jiang and Ye families had been traveled countless times—not only by the coachman but even Jiang Li herself was familiar with it. Yet today, the journey felt unusually long.

"Young lady, are you feeling a bit hot?" Tong'er took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the fine beads of sweat forming on Jiang Li's forehead.

"Why are you sweating?" Bai Xue asked. "Could you have caught a chill?"

Tong'er grew anxious at this. "Really? Should we stop by a clinic to see a doctor?"

Jiang Li shook her head. "No need, I'm just a little warm." No sooner had she spoken than her heart suddenly raced, and for some reason, her unease and tension intensified.

Before she could say anything more, a sudden scream erupted outside. The carriage lurched violently to the side, throwing Tong'er and Bai Xue off balance and against the back of the carriage. "What's going on?" Tong'er exclaimed.

Gripping the edge of the carriage window, Jiang Li managed to stay upright, unlike Tong'er and Bai Xue, who were tossed about. Just then, the coachman's voice rang out from outside: "Second Young Lady, there's trouble ahead! So many people—we can't get through!"

Jiang Li lifted the carriage curtain to see outside. Panicked crowds were running in disarray, and carriages like hers were careening wildly. As soon as the coachman finished speaking, the horses ahead seemed to be spooked by something and began galloping frantically. However, with the crowd blocking the way, they couldn't break free.

"What's happening? Why are there so many people?" Bai Xue cried out in alarm.Suddenly, someone in the crowd screamed, "Murder!"

As if in response, cries of "Murder!" rose one after another, mingling with screams, wails, and curses from the panicked crowd. The chaos was deafening and unnerving, making one's ears ring and limbs go weak. Jiang Li's heart raced wildly.

"What on earth happened?" Tong'er asked frantically, but no one could give her an answer.

(End of Chapter)