The Double

Chapter 195 Chaos

The commotion outside continued, accompanied by hurried footsteps as people emerged from their houses. The noise rose and fell—sometimes distant, sometimes near—children cried, dogs barked, creating a scene of bustling chaos.

Amid the turmoil, Jiang Li sat by the doorway, her eyes bright and reflecting the glowing sky, showing no trace of fear. Wenren Yao watched her and suddenly laughed. When he wasn’t being glib, he carried an air of seriousness. He remarked, "Second Miss Jiang doesn’t seem frightened at all."

"Compared to the unarmed civilians and the soldiers confronting each other at the city gates, there’s truly little to fear," Jiang Li replied.

"Your courage reminds me a lot of A-Heng," Wenren Yao said, as if recalling something. "When he had nothing and no one to rely on, he was just as bold."

Jiang Li smiled without comment. She knew nothing of Ji Heng’s past and had no time to listen to Wenren Yao reminisce. Just then, a signal flare shot up into the sky—different from the earlier drum and horn calls—vanishing in an instant.

Immediately, the voices outside grew more chaotic, the cries of women and children intensifying.

At the same time, several torches were hurled into the courtyard from outside. The houses in Huangzhou were small and built of wood, catching fire the moment sparks touched them. Zhao Ke leaped up, knocking away most of the torches, but one ignited, and the building began to burn almost instantly. "They doused it with oil!" Zhao Ke cursed. "Get out, now!"

Wen Ji immediately shielded Jiang Li as they rushed out of the house. The moment they stepped outside, they were stunned by the scene before them. The entire city of Huangzhou was ablaze, rows of neat houses along the streets now engulfed in roaring flames. Like winding serpents of fire, they chased after fleeing figures.

To make matters worse, the awakened residents tried to douse the flames with water, but the fire only grew fiercer—the attackers had splashed oil in advance to ensure the houses burned quickly.

Before Jiang Li could ask Wen Ji anything, screams erupted from the distance, along with the sounds of pursuit and weeping. From the far end of the street, a crowd of civilians came running, their clothes stained with blood, chased by armed men.

They were Prince Cheng’s agents, planted in Huangzhou beforehand.

Jiang Li frowned. Prince Cheng intended to start from Huangzhou and march north to Yanjing. With this night assault—his men inside the city and his troops outside—the Huangzhou garrison, caught off guard, stood no chance against him. But there was one thing Prince Cheng likely hadn’t anticipated: Ji Heng’s presence.

The pursuers moved swiftly. Jiang Li found herself surrounded by panicked civilians fleeing in all directions. Wen Ji, guarding her closely, urged, "Second Miss, you must go first!"

"Can’t we help them?" Jiang Li asked.

"The garrison will arrive soon," Wen Ji replied coldly. "Our duty is to protect you."

As he spoke, Jiang Li watched helplessly as a child just steps away was shoved aside by the crowd and fell behind. A black-clad swordsman closed in with a sinister laugh, on the verge of catching up.Jiang Li had no time to think of anything else. She shoved Wen Ji aside and ran toward the child. The boy, already petrified with fear, had fallen to the ground and was weeping in despair when he suddenly felt someone rush over, scoop him up, and dash away.

The black-clad man hadn’t expected anyone to charge in and rescue the child, but without hesitation, he gave chase. Dragging a child along, Jiang Li couldn’t maintain her speed for long. Just as she was about to be caught, Wen Ji caught up and engaged the black-clad man in a fierce struggle.

Seizing the opportunity, Jiang Li retreated to the side. Zhao Ke hurried over and couldn’t help exclaiming, "Second Young Lady, that was far too reckless!"

"I…" Jiang Li knew how perilous the situation had been and replied, "I’m sorry, but… I couldn’t just stand by and watch him die."

The child, no more than five or six years old, stared blankly at Jiang Li before bursting into loud, hiccupping sobs, his small hands clutching her sleeve tightly. Jiang Li’s heart ached. The boy was covered in blood, likely meaning his parents had met a tragic end. His round eyes reminded her of Xue Zhao—how could she abandon him here?

After a brief skirmish, the cunning black-clad man, realizing he was no match for Wen Ji, disengaged and fled. Wen Ji chose not to pursue, wary of falling for a diversion tactic. Ji Heng had entrusted him with Jiang Li’s safety before leaving, and he took that duty seriously.

Wenren Yao muttered under his breath, "Prince Cheng has committed countless atrocities… He doesn’t even care about the lives of commoners."

Zhao Ke, however, viewed it with a detachment that belied his innocent, boyish face. "For one general’s triumph, ten thousand bones must dry—it has always been this way since ancient times. What of the commoners? The world will never lack for them."

As he spoke, the war drums and horns at the city gates intensified. Jiang Li wondered if it was her imagination, but the ground beneath her feet seemed to tremble slightly.

Wenren Yao’s expression darkened. "The battle has taken a turn. I fear Prince Cheng’s forces are stronger than we anticipated."

"What should we do now?" Jiang Li asked. "The entire city is burning. There’s no safe place left."

"Once the city defense troops arrive, those black-clad men won’t dare roam freely. The key now is the city gates," Wenren Yao said gravely. "Their earlier chaos was meant to create an opportunity to open the gates and let the enemy in. If Prince Cheng’s army breaches the city, even with A-Heng here, our few defenders won’t stand a chance."

Jiang Li pondered this. "They haven’t succeeded yet, right? At least not for now. If they had, things wouldn’t be like this."

"True, which means they’ll redouble their efforts," Wenren Yao replied. "Let’s hope A-Heng can handle it."

This time, Jiang Li didn’t suggest going to the gates. Their small group could accomplish little there, and if captured, they would only become leverage against Ji Heng—a loss far outweighing any gain.The city guards arrived quickly. They seemed to know Zhao Ke and Wen Ji, and one of them asked Zhao Ke and Wen Ji to take Jiang Li aside. Huangzhou City was ablaze with firelight, though some of the flames had been extinguished by then. The common people gathered together, only then beginning to regain their senses and calm down slightly.

The men were somewhat restless, while the women held their children close, all gazing toward the city gate. As time passed, everyone felt that this night was exceptionally long.

The child Jiang Li had saved stared blankly at the horizon, but his family never came for him. Whenever Jiang Li asked him, he would cry. When he finally stopped crying, Jiang Li learned from him that the black-clad men had started from the southern part of the city, and the first family they targeted was his. At the time, his entire family had been fast asleep and were brutally slaughtered. Only his older brother had managed to carry him out, but in the end, his brother died too. Just as he was about to meet the same fate, Jiang Li saved him.

Jiang Li asked him, "What's your name?"

"Lin Yao," he sobbed, utterly aggrieved. Such a young child probably didn't understand what it meant to have his entire family wiped out overnight. If he were older and more aware, experiencing such a devastating blow, who knew what he would become.

Jiang Li had no choice but to comfort him, just as she had comforted Xue Zhao when they were children. After finally coaxing him to sleep, she handed the child over to Wenren Yao. Wenren Yao, surprisingly, didn't seem reluctant but rather curious, staring at the child as if lost in thought. Jiang Li looked around and saw many injured people lying on the ground. The surviving physicians in Huangzhou were all there, busy treating them. Some city guards helped retrieve medicinal herbs from the pharmacies, and once they had the herbs, they began brewing medicine on the spot.

So many had died or been injured.

Jiang Li sighed and looked outside. They were still some distance from the city gate, but faintly, she could hear the clashing of weapons and the sound of hoofbeats. These sounds reached them, making the women tremble even more. Fear was etched on every face.

Jiang Li was worried.

Prince Cheng had been planning for this moment for many years. From that time, Ji Heng had been just a young child. By the time Ji Heng began to strategize for this moment, many more years had passed. People like her, Wen Ji, Zhao Ke, Wenren Yao, Lu Ji, and Kong Liu always blindly trusted Ji Heng, believing he could accomplish anything. But in the end, Ji Heng was just an ordinary person, with a mortal body, and he too could be in danger.

Yet there was nothing she could do.

Jiang Li sighed. Doing nothing was still better than causing trouble. As long as they could endure this night, Prince Cheng's troops would likely lose morale, not as strong as before. If they held out longer, reinforcements would arrive. It wouldn't be wise for Prince Cheng to stake everything on Huangzhou. He would surely regroup his forces and march north to Yanjing City before the reinforcements arrived, aiming to storm the imperial palace in one fell swoop.

But something didn't add up. If that were the case, what was Ji Heng doing here with this plan?

Jiang Li felt something was amiss. Yanjing City had the Imperial Guards, but there were too many civilians in the city. If Prince Cheng attacked, the consequences would be unimaginable, and reinforcements would be necessary. The Xia County Prince and General Zhaode from the northwest... General Zhaode?Like a beam of light finally illuminating reality, Jiang Li suddenly understood.

Ji Heng was not in Yanjing but had come to Huangzhou, engaging in such a stalemate with Prince Cheng for a reason—likely to prompt the emperor in Yanjing City to summon General Yin Zhan of Zhaode back to the capital. Once the entanglement with Prince Cheng was resolved and Ji Heng proceeded to Yanjing, he would just happen to encounter Yin Zhan.

But why would Ji Heng do this? To better eliminate Prince Cheng? That seemed too convoluted. Or perhaps... it was solely for Yin Zhan?

Jiang Li could not comprehend it. She wanted to ponder the question, but before she knew it, the eastern sky brightened—the night had passed, and dawn had arrived.

(End of Chapter)