Chapter 190: Unexpected Encounter
The man stepped down from the carriage first, and the woman assisted Jiang Li as she descended. Jiang Li felt weak and limp, devoid of any strength. Without support, she would have stumbled even while walking.
The three of them entered the tavern, and the patrons couldn't help but glance at Jiang Li. The woman gently adjusted Jiang Li's veil, causing her to cough. With each cough, the veil lifted slightly, revealing a face covered in terrifying red blotches. Instantly, everyone in the tavern stepped back, fearful of being contaminated by Jiang Li.
The woman offered an apologetic smile and said, "My younger sister is ill. I'm truly sorry."
"If she's sick, take her to the inner seats. Don't let her infect us," a customer at the neighboring table retorted bluntly.
Jiang Li was then led by the two to the innermost part of the tavern.
This tavern was likely the nearest one within a ten-mile radius, bustling with many patrons engaged in conversations. Their discussions drifted clearly into Jiang Li's ears.
"Hey, have you heard? Prince Cheng has rebelled!"
"We have. That Prince Cheng is no good—he even had an affair with Li Pin in the palace. How audacious!"
"Why would Li Pin get involved with Prince Cheng? Wasn't she highly favored in the palace? I heard the Ji family rose to prominence because of her."
"Haha, but this time, they've truly 'ascended to heaven.' My friend, haven't you heard? The Ji family has already been purged. Li Pin was too greedy—like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. Despite the emperor's favor, she couldn't stay content and had to provoke Prince Cheng. Now, she's ruined herself and dragged her family down with her."
"Do you think Prince Cheng's rebellion will reach us here? Are we going to war?"
"Let's hope not. There's no movement yet. Besides, if war does break out, what does it have to do with us commoners? Better not meddle in it."
The man and woman beside Jiang Li remained unfazed, their expressions unchanged. The woman even fed Jiang Li, showing no reaction to the news. Jiang Li realized that the two must have known about these events for some time. She couldn't hide her surprise—the Hongxiao Emperor had acted so swiftly? This was entirely unexpected. Prince Cheng, caught off guard by the emperor's sudden move, was likely seething with rage now.
However, what these commoners misunderstood was that war was inevitable. Although Jiang Li knew that the Hongxiao Emperor was no ordinary ruler, the outcome of a war depended not only on the emperor's wisdom but also on the strength of his troops. Prince Cheng had been building up his forces for years and was likely well-prepared. If a war truly erupted, it was hard to say who would come out worse.
As she pondered this, she heard voices outside the tavern. One person said, "This tavern is too crowded. I don't want to squeeze in with them."
Another replied, "No one's asking you to eat here. We'll leave after feeding the horses."
The moment Jiang Li heard these two voices, she froze briefly, then immediately grew excited. She wasn't mistaken—these were unmistakably the voices of Zhao Ke and Wen Ji!
They were here!
In an instant, boundless hope surged within Jiang Li. If Zhao Ke and Wen Ji were here, did that mean Ji Heng was here as well? If so, she had a chance to break free from these people. Otherwise, if she continued south and was delivered into Prince Cheng's hands, she would have no opportunity to escape.I'm here! Jiang Li screamed silently in her heart, but no sound came from her lips. She wanted to blow her whistle, but it was left back at the residence. Even if she had it with her, she lacked the strength to lift it to her mouth, and the woman beside her would snatch it away immediately.
Zhao Ke's voice rang out: "She's fed. Let's go."
The light in Jiang Li's eyes extinguished.
The sound of hoofbeats came from outside as Zhao Ke and Wen Ji's voices gradually faded into the distance. Jiang Li remained immobilized, unable to step out and check whether Ji Heng was nearby. But even if she could walk, merely being able to shout would have saved her from sitting here helpless.
The woman continued patiently feeding Jiang Li, their interaction so intimate that no one would doubt they were biological sisters. Only sisters would care for such a frightening patient without disgust. Naturally, they didn't know Jiang Li's illness was feigned, which explained the woman's closeness.
Jiang Li obediently swallowed the food. She could tell the meals at the inn during the day weren't drugged. The drug, taken once, rendered one weak for twelve hours, so the woman only laced the evening meal. Fed bite by bite, Jiang Li couldn't refuse—if she spat it out, the woman would mix it into tea and force it down.
They had been extremely cautious, leaving Jiang Li no choice but to appear docile. Any fierce resistance might provoke the pair. Remember, she couldn't even lift a chopstick; confronting them would leave her utterly helpless.
She tried to listen carefully to where Zhao Ke and Wen Ji were heading, but outside was too noisy. Instead of their footsteps, she overheard the conversation from the next table.
"Folks, do you think there'll be war? We're not in Yanjing—Huangzhou is far from Yanjing City. If war breaks out, we'll suffer. By the time troops arrive, we might already be slaughtered!"
"Nonsense! If there's war, they'll target Yanjing City. Why attack Huangzhou? Huangzhou doesn't have..." The room suddenly fell silent, the speaker seemingly realizing his slip and swallowing the word "emperor."
Prince Cheng had fled, but so far, it was only for eloping with the emperor's consort—not yet rebellion. Spreading rumors could cost them their heads.
Hearing this, Jiang Li was startled. Huangzhou? They had already reached Huangzhou?
These past days, Jiang Li had been confined to the carriage, speaking to almost no one but the couple. Even at inns, waitstaff and guests avoided her. She hadn't figured out their location, only inferring from the scenery during brief stops that they were heading south.
But in just three to five days, they had actually reached Huangzhou?Jiang Li suddenly recalled another rumor—it seemed Consort Liu's hometown was in Huangzhou. Could it be that Prince Cheng intended to start his rebellion from Huangzhou? The more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. After all, Hongxiao Emperor's sudden move against Prince Cheng had caught him completely unprepared. With Yanjing City now under full guard, Prince Cheng couldn't proceed as originally planned. Retreating to Huangzhou and starting from there would indeed fit Prince Cheng's character—arrogant yet cowardly, convinced of his superiority over Hongxiao Emperor yet perpetually fearing things might not go perfectly.
Though her mind was in turmoil, her face remained expressionless. She allowed the woman to finish feeding her, carefully adjust her veil, and help her into the carriage. The man went to settle the bill.
Supported by the woman, Jiang Li made her way outside.
The moment she stepped out, she froze.
Not far from the tavern stood a black-and-gold soft sedan chair. Jiang Li's throat tightened, her lips parting without uttering a sound.
It was Ji Heng's sedan—Ji Heng was nearby!
Having ridden in that very sedan to the Duke's residence before, Jiang Li knew only someone as fastidious and particular as Ji Heng would use such a conveyance. She wondered how he had come to Huangzhou. With neither Wen Ji nor Zhao Ke in sight, and no one attending the sedan, there was no way to tell if anyone was inside. Judging by Wen Ji and Zhao Ke's earlier conversation, they had already left this place. Perhaps it was just an empty sedan, vacant after all.
Yet inexplicably, Jiang Li felt an intuition—the person inside that sedan was Ji Heng. He was there.
Jiang Li couldn't help but want to stop. Weak and leaning heavily on the woman, she bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, hoping the pain would sharpen her senses and grant her some strength. She shifted her weight to the right, attempting to break free from the woman's grip.
The woman, startled by Jiang Li's sudden resistance, loosened her hold momentarily. The moment she broke free, Jiang Li desperately wanted to rush toward the sedan, but without the woman's support, she collapsed like a limp cloth doll, falling to the ground.
Jiang Li's fall drew immediate attention from passersby. The man, having just paid the bill, emerged and asked, "What happened?"
The woman quickly crouched to help Jiang Li up, smiling as she explained, "She stepped on a stone and lost her balance—my sister slipped." Pretending to brush dust off Jiang Li's clothes with concern, she prompted Jiang Li to cough violently twice. The wind lifted Jiang Li's veil, revealing red scars beneath. The curious onlookers immediately recoiled, covering their noses as if afraid of contamination, and hurried away without another glance.
The woman said, "Sister, watch your step this time. Don't slip again—be careful."
Though the words sounded concerned, their tone carried little kindness.
Beneath her veil, Jiang Li silently cried out Ji Heng's name again and again. But until she was helped into the carriage, the soft sedan remained motionless—no one descended from it, no voice emerged from within.
He hadn't noticed Jiang Li—they had passed each other by. Or perhaps he wasn't in the sedan at all, and it was all just Jiang Li's hopeless longing.Once inside the carriage, the man immediately ordered the coachman to set off. As the carriage began moving, the man asked the woman, "What happened just now? Why weren't you more careful?"
The woman retorted irritably, "That wretch still tried to escape, truly refusing to accept her fate. I thought she had been quite docile these past few days, never expecting she'd pull such a stunt."
"Escape?" The man's features were rather plain, yet carried a sinister quality that instinctively repelled people. He reached out and patted Jiang Li's cheek, saying, "Where could you possibly escape to? Since you've already been brought here, little beauty, you'd better behave yourself to avoid unnecessary suffering."
"Don't get any ideas about her," the woman warned. "This is someone His Highness wants."
(End of Chapter)
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