The Double

Chapter 191: His Arrival

"Don't you dare lay a finger on her," the woman warned. "She's someone His Highness wants."

"We both know His Highness doesn't want her because he fancies her—it's to torment her. Since that's the case, and she's going to suffer anyway, the more miserable she is, the better. Why do you care what I do? His Highness hasn't arrived yet anyway."

Jiang Li was taken aback—Prince Cheng hadn't reached Huangzhou yet?

The woman spat in disgust, "I've already told you—don't get any ideas. If anything goes wrong, I won't speak up for you."

The man replied impatiently, "I know, I know. I won't do anything."

Despite his words, Jiang Li could feel the man's gaze slithering over her like a cold, damp snake—slimy and utterly repulsive. She couldn't help but grow wary, yet there was nothing she could do. Judging by the conversation between the two beside her, they were staying in Huangzhou.

Their journey had ended, and they would likely settle in a fixed location. This meant the man could act on his desires at any moment. She couldn't predict when it might happen, but at the very least, she had to avoid taking the drug that paralyzed her entire body. However, the woman was extremely cautious and personally administered the medicine every night.

Jiang Li's palms grew damp with sweat.

Time was running out.

...

In Yanjing City, Jiang Yuanbai had not given up searching for Jiang Li. Eventually, he no longer cared about damaging her reputation and ordered the authorities to post public notices for her whereabouts. A tarnished reputation was better than losing her life—Jiang Youyao was a stark reminder of that. Every day upon returning home, Jiang Yuanbai would visit Jiang Youyao. The thought of Jiang Li ending up like her now left him speechless with anguish.

He didn't understand why this was happening. If he had committed some grave mistake, the punishment should fall on him alone. Why must his children suffer? Yet, there were still no leads. The authorities claimed that Jiang Li was likely no longer in Yanjing City. Learning from Princess Yongning's case, they had even searched private residences this time, but to no avail.

The maids in Fragrant Garden Courtyard had been downcast these past few days. Bai Xue went into the city daily to search for Jiang Li, while Tong'er, still recovering from her injuries, would gaze sorrowfully at the whistle on Jiang Li's desk. Why did it have to be now that Ji Heng was away from Yanjing? If Duke Su were here, would Jiang Li have been found sooner?

But such thoughts remained just that—wishful thinking. The citizens of Yanjing were too shocked by the scandal of Prince Cheng's affair with Li Pin and the disappearance of Second Miss Jiang to pay much attention to anything else, including the death of Xiao Deyin.

Xiao Deyin was dead.Princess Yongning and Shen Yurong were publicly beheaded, their past atrocities announced to the world. Xiao Deyin naturally could not escape punishment either. Though her life was spared, she received fifty harsh strokes of the cane. When Xiao Deyin returned barely clinging to life, maids in the residence summoned a physician to treat her, barely preserving her existence. However, one day, her chamber door was left ajar, and from her bed, she overheard several maids gossiping outside about how people in Yanjing City now spoke of her—accusing her of hypocrisy, cruelty, and deceit. Overwhelmed with fury, Xiao Deyin vomited blood and, in a fit of rage, died.

Xiao Deyin had lived her whole life craving admiration and respect, aspiring to be peerless in her zither artistry, and refusing to be looked down upon by anyone. Now that even the lowest could scorn her, she could not endure it. Even if she hadn’t died from anger, she would eventually have succumbed to the weight of public disdain and taken her own life.

In the past, news of Yanjing’s premier zither master’s death would have drawn attention, with many likely sighing in regret. But in these turbulent times, who had the leisure to care about Xiao Deyin? If someone happened to hear of it, they might merely mutter “serves her right” before moving on.

Thus ended Xiao Deyin’s life.

In Yaoguang Residence, Jiang Yuanbai sat with Jiang Youyao. Despite another fruitless search by the authorities during the day, he was reluctant to return to his own quarters. Unconsciously, his room had grown desolate. Though not one for bustle, even he found the isolation unbearable. Alone, his thoughts often drifted to Ye Zhenzhen, Ji Shuran, Hu Yiniang, and his deceased daughter Jiang Yue’er.

Here, though watching Jiang Youyao pained him, at least the suffocating emptiness was absent.

A maid’s voice came from outside: “Master, the Second Master is here.”

Jiang Yuanping had arrived. Jiang Yuanbai stood and turned to see his younger brother.

Jiang Yuanping, whether at court or elsewhere, always wore a smiling, amiable demeanor, earning him the nickname “Smiling Tiger.” But recent events had stripped the smile from his face, leaving him looking solemn, even stern, as he regarded Jiang Yuanbai.

“Elder Brother, let’s speak inside,” Jiang Yuanping said.

Sensing urgency, Jiang Yuanbai dismissed the attendants and followed him into the room.

Once inside, Jiang Yuanbai closed the door and asked first, “How are things at the palace?”

Preoccupied with searching for Jiang Li these past days, Jiang Yuanbai had not attended court, and the Hongxiao Emperor had been understanding. Thus, he relied on Jiang Yuanping for updates.

“Consort Liu has been imprisoned. I initially thought His Majesty would use her to threaten Prince Cheng.”

Jiang Yuanbai sneered, “Since when would Prince Cheng yield to threats?”

“His Majesty shares that view. Consort Liu will likely not escape death, but to humiliate Prince Cheng, it will be deliberately carried out after he launches his rebellion.”

Jiang Yuanbai’s eyes flickered with surprise, then he nodded. “Just as well. Doing it earlier might give Prince Cheng a pretext.”

“Elder Brother, that’s not what I came to discuss. A few days ago, someone spotted Jiang Yuanxing visiting the Right Prime Minister’s residence.”

Jiang Yuanbai’s gaze sharpened. “That scoundrel!”"Although we don't know what he discussed with the Right Prime Minister, Elder Brother, I believe at this point it would be best to immediately divide the family assets and explain the situation to the Emperor. We can't let Jiang Yuanxing's actions bring ruin upon us all, or else the entire Jiang family will be dragged down to perish with him. Although we initially kept Jiang Yuanxing around for potential future use, given that Prince Cheng has already initiated his rebellion, keeping Jiang Yuanxing any longer would likely bring disaster."

"You make a valid point," Jiang Yuanbai looked at his younger brother. "Tomorrow I will go to the palace and explain this matter to the Emperor. As for dividing the family, have your wife tell Mother the whole story - she will understand."

Jiang Yuanping nodded. After a moment, he asked quietly, "Elder Brother, do you think A Li's disappearance might be connected to them?"

Jiang Yuanbai froze, his expression instantly changing. "How dare they!"

...

As night fell, Jiang Li arrived at an inn with the man and woman.

They were no longer on mountain paths but in a city. Jiang Li guessed this must be Huangzhou. The surroundings were completely different from before, and Huangzhou differed from Yanjing as well - southern architecture tended to be more delicate and graceful.

The woman helped Jiang Li down from the carriage. The inn attendant only glanced at Jiang Li before looking away. The man paid the innkeeper, and the attendant led Jiang Li and the woman upstairs to their room.

This was a particularly quiet inn, so much so that it seemed aside from Jiang Li and this pair, there were no other guests. After escorting them upstairs, the attendant opened two rooms - one for the woman and Jiang Li to share, and another for the man. The room appeared to have been unoccupied for some time, covered in a fine layer of dust.

Jiang Li was helped inside and pressed down to sit on the bed. The man gave the attendant some silver pieces, and the attendant went downstairs to arrange for food to be brought up.

Generally, by evening, the drug's effects would gradually fade, and Jiang Li wouldn't be completely paralyzed anymore. She could move very slowly, though still weakly. With such limited strength, threatening others or committing suicide would be extremely difficult. Moreover, she still couldn't speak - even if she opened her mouth, no sound would come out.

So Jiang Li simply remained still, partly to reassure her captors, and partly to conserve what little strength she had, though it was pitifully small - any ordinary person could easily overpower her.

"Finally arrived," the man patted his shoulder. "These past few days of travel have been unbearable."

"I wonder how long we'll have to stay here before His Highness arrives," the woman said.

"Regardless of when His Highness comes, keeping proper watch over this young lady is what matters," the man stroked his chin while looking at Jiang Li. Whether to deliberately intimidate her or out of boredom, he said, "I truly wonder what His Highness will do to you, little beauty. Aren't you afraid?"

Jiang Li stared back at him expressionlessly.

The man made a clicking sound with his tongue at her reaction, then reached out and lifted her veil, revealing Jiang Li's scar-covered face. The man seemed disgusted and turned away, asking the woman, "Where's the medicine?"

The woman asked, "What are you doing?"

"Don't you think her appearance is truly repulsive?" the man said indifferently."I've told you before, don't get any ideas about her." The woman spoke coldly: "She's the one His Highness wants. Moreover, His Highness already said this woman is extremely cunning. Don't let her take advantage of any loopholes."

"Cunning?" The man's gaze swept over Jiang Li. Perhaps because Jiang Li's face was truly unbearable to look at now, he deliberately avoided her face, letting his eyes linger on her body before chuckling: "Why do I think this little beauty seems quite docile?"

The woman said: "If you're not afraid of death, then of course you can do as you please."

Just then, the shop attendant brought up their prepared meal. The woman immediately put on an honest smile again. After the attendant left, she deftly divided the food into three portions. For the last portion, she took out a medicine bottle from her bosom, removed the stopper, and poured some powder into the food.

She brought the food to Jiang Li.

But this time, Jiang Li didn't open her mouth, instead keeping her lips tightly sealed.

This woman was extremely cautious - when administering medicine, she would only rest after personally seeing Jiang Li swallow it. Jiang Li had no way to pretend or spit it out. After the first time Jiang Li refused to eat, she had obediently opened her mouth every time since. Since resistance was impossible, there was no point wasting energy.

After so many days had passed, she was once again refusing to take this medicine.

"You won't eat?" The woman said while stuffing a mouthful of rice into Jiang Li's mouth.

Jiang Li remained motionless, allowing her to do this - neither chewing nor swallowing. The woman frantically stuffed more into her mouth, but Jiang Li just stared coldly at her. The young girl's eyes were naturally very clear, but at this moment they resembled a pool of icy water that chilled one's heart.

After several unsuccessful attempts, the woman threw down the bowl with a cold laugh. She directly picked up the teapot from the table, poured the medicine powder in her hand into the teapot, then grabbed the hair at the back of Jiang Li's head, forcing Jiang Li to tilt her head back. She shoved the teapot spout into Jiang Li's mouth and began pouring violently.

Jiang Li was forced to drink large amounts of water, nearly choking. By the time the entire pot was emptied, Jiang Li had long lost her strength and collapsed limply on the floor.

"Oh, little beauty," the man said: "I told you long ago, why resist? If you behave, you'll suffer less. I'm only saying this for your own good."

The woman didn't even glance at Jiang Li, calling the man to come eat at the table. The two of them buried themselves in eating and drinking, paying no attention to Jiang Li still on the floor. As soon as the medicated tea was forced down, Jiang Li felt intense dizziness. She didn't even have the strength to move a finger. Moreover, the medicated tea seemed to not only affect her body - even her mind could no longer think properly. She only felt muddled and confused, unable to devise any countermeasures.

Just like a fish awaiting slaughter.

After finishing their meal, the woman finally walked over to Jiang Li, lifted her up, and threw her onto the bed. Her movements were very rough - during the dragging, Jiang Li's head was knocked. It was this slight pain that helped Jiang Li regain some clarity. She heard the woman call for the attendant to come clear the empty dishes. Everything returned to silence.

Outside, the sky had completely darkened.

Normally, Jiang Li shared a room with this woman while the man had his own room. The man had previously made advances toward Jiang Li and suggested sharing a room with her, but the woman had refused every time - probably out of fear of Prince Cheng.However, today, when the man shamelessly suggested, "Why don't I stay with the little beauty tonight?" the woman's reply was unexpectedly different. She said, "Fine."

Both Jiang Li and the man were taken aback. The man sat up abruptly and asked, "Really?"

"That bitch's eyes are unsettling to look at," the woman said. "Since you like her so much, do as you please. But you'd better clean up properly, lest Her Highness asks about it."

The man seemed to have scored a huge bargain and immediately laughed. "No worries, Her Highness won't do anything for her sake. Keeping her alive was always meant for slow torment. Who knows, maybe this is exactly what Her Highness wants. Hey, if you've got nothing else, why don't you, uh, leave now? A spring night is worth a thousand pieces of gold..." His laughter was utterly lewd.

The woman walked up to Jiang Li, glanced at her with a gaze full of malicious schadenfreude, then turned and left the room. As soon as she was gone, the man eagerly approached Jiang Li.

"Little beauty." His repulsive face was right in front of her.

Jiang Li mustered all her strength but couldn't move an inch. Her body felt as if it no longer belonged to her; she was incapable of any action. At that moment, an overwhelming despair surged within her. She couldn't save herself, and no one would come to her rescue. It was just like in her past life—though she hadn't committed adultery with that man, the despair of that moment remained vivid. Why, after being given a second chance at life, must this nightmare repeat itself?

It was even more despairing than last time.

The man grinned as he pulled off Jiang Li's veil, then seemed repulsed by her disfigured face and spat in disgust. "What a pity I can't drug you first." He put the veil back on her, covering most of the red blotches, leaving only her delicate, charming eyes visible.

"Little beauty, your eyes are truly beautiful," the man said while hastily undoing his belt. After shedding his outer robe, he hurriedly began tearing at Jiang Li's clothes. His movements were far from gentle, almost beast-like. The fabric ripped with a loud tear, sliding off her shoulders.

The sight of her fair skin seemed to mesmerize him. He let out a grotesque laugh and was about to pounce on her.

Tears streamed down Jiang Li's cheeks. In her daze, she felt as if she had returned to the moment of her death in her past life, when Princess Yongning's maidservant strangled her neck, and she was powerless.

Just as she closed her eyes, a sudden, thunderous crash erupted from outside, sounding as if it were right beside her ear. Jiang Li was startled, and the man on top of her froze. He stood up from beside her, and the commotion likely alerted people in the adjacent rooms. Jiang Li heard the door of the neighboring room open—the woman must have rushed over as well.

The candlelight in the room flickered, casting wavering shadows. Jiang Li lay on her back, unable to move, incapable of turning her head or rising to see who had arrived. She only heard the man and woman's voices, filled with confusion and wariness.

"Who goes there?"

Footsteps approached, step by step, unhurried and deliberate. Jiang Li's gaze, peering past the man blocking her view, finally caught sight of the figure behind him.A young man in crimson robes slowly walked into the room. His boots were edged with delicate gold trim, and butterflies embroidered along his robe hem seemed to flutter with his movement. Step by step, he approached Jiang Li's bedside, his shadow gradually sharpening in the candlelight. He possessed an almost ethereal, bewitching beauty, yet the man and woman in the room merely retreated slightly, watching him as if facing a formidable enemy, frozen in place.

He stopped before Jiang Li.

Tears instantly streamed down Jiang Li's face.

In this moment of utter isolation and desperation, the sudden emergence of a new hope surged forth with irresistible force—a dazzling brilliance that would illuminate the rest of her life.

The young man held a folding fan horizontally across his chest. His amber eyes were particularly captivating, with naturally upturned corners that seemed to hook at one's very soul when he raised his brows. The teardrop mole at the corner of his eye shimmered under the lamplight, much like the blood-red butterfly pendant dangling from his fan—both mesmerizing and soul-stealing in their allure.

"Who are you, sir?" the woman repeated. These people possessed an innate sensitivity to danger, and facing Ji Heng filled them with palpable apprehension.

The young man glanced at Jiang Li, his gaze briefly lingering on her exposed shoulder before shifting back to the two figures before him. His eyes still carried a lingering tenderness as he spoke with a faint, ambiguous smile.

He said, "How bold of you to bully someone under my protection."