The Double

Chapter 196: Guardians

Jiang Li was awakened by Wenren Yao.

When she woke up, the commoners who had slept on the ground with her last night had mostly dispersed in small groups. Wen Ji was gone, but Zhao Ke remained. Wenren Yao, still holding Lin Yao, looked at her and asked, "Second Young Lady, you're awake?"

"What happened?" Jiang Li glanced around, fully alert now. "Is it over?"

"Prince Cheng's troops have temporarily retreated, and everyone has returned home," Wenren Yao said. "They likely won't return today. According to Aheng's judgment, as long as we held out last night, Prince Cheng won't be able to breach the city." He leaned closer to Jiang Li and added, "His Majesty has dispatched General Wuwei to lift the siege."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Li remarked, "With General Wuwei coming, the only available general is Pingrong. But Pingrong cannot leave his post. Could it be that Prince Xia Jun is returning?"

"Most likely," Wenren Yao replied as he stood up. Holding a child and having sat on the ground all night, he nearly lost his balance and staggered. Jiang Li also rose to her feet. Zhao Ke said, "Second Young Lady, let's head back first."

Though Jiang Li wasn't sure where "back" referred to, she nodded in agreement.

Along the way, the streets were in disarray. Even when Jiang Li had first arrived in Huangzhou—forcibly abducted—she remembered the city as lively and beautiful, though not as prosperous as Yanjing City. Now, after the previous night's fires, the city was scorched black, with ruins and debris everywhere. Dried bloodstains and corpses littered the ground. Some knelt before their family members' bodies, weeping in agony; others, exhausted, began cleaning up their destroyed homes.

As long as something wasn't completely burned to ashes, they tried to salvage it—after all, they couldn't sleep on the streets indefinitely. In front of homes that were beyond repair, reduced to ashes, the owners sat wailing loudly, their cries echoing to the heavens. Losing their safe haven was a heartbreaking blow for anyone. These mournful sounds weighed heavily on the hearts of passersby. Overnight, countless families were torn apart. These commoners, who had lived peacefully in Huangzhou, never imagined such calamity would befall them—a truly unjust disaster in an unpredictable world.

As Jiang Li walked, she sighed with sorrow and reflection. When they reached the entrance of the Huangzhou City government office, she saw rows of black-clad individuals lying neatly in front of the two stone lions. All of them were dead, with no visible wounds on their faces or bodies—each killed by a single, fatal strike. Some had dark blood trickling from the corners of their mouths.

Jiang Li asked, "Are these the ones who set the fires last night? The people Prince Cheng planted in Huangzhou City?"

Zhao Ke replied, "Yes. The official has already sent men to search for their whereabouts. These are dead soldiers; nothing can be extracted from them, so capture means execution on sight. These are all that have been found so far, but we can't guarantee there are no remnants in the city. So, Second Young Lady, you must be cautious."

Jiang Li nodded. "I understand."Zhao Ke led Jiang Li and Wenren Yao further along the path, and at its end, a mansion finally came into view. This mansion had likely been burned as well, but the fire had been extinguished quickly, so aside from the charred doorframe, the rest of the structure remained relatively intact. Zhao Ke ushered Jiang Li and the others inside, where Wen Ji was already waiting. When they reached the main hall, they saw Lu Ji. Lu Ji appeared exhausted, as if he hadn’t slept all night, and his usually neatly trimmed beard was now somewhat disheveled. Upon seeing Jiang Li and the others, he said, "You’re back."

"Lu Ji, why do you look so tired?" Wenren Yao remarked. "If you’re tired, rest. Don’t push yourself."

Just as Lu Ji was about to respond, his gaze fell on Lin Yao, who was nestled in Wenren Yao’s arms. Seeing Lu Ji looking at him, the boy turned his head and buried his face in Wenren Yao’s chest. The child was delicate and adorable, with a timid, shy demeanor akin to a girl’s, and having just endured a devastating family tragedy, he was deeply distrustful of others.

"Where did this come from?" Lu Ji asked.

"Second Miss Jiang rescued him from assassins last night. His parents, siblings—his entire family—are gone. He’s the only one who escaped." Wenren Yao replied. "Looking at him, I think he’s quite suited for our 'Spirit Medium Sect.' I’m considering taking him as my disciple."

"As a disciple?" Jiang Li, unaware of Wenren Yao’s plan, asked in surprise, "What do you mean by 'suited for the Spirit Medium Sect'?"

Wenren Yao was candid: "People like us, who reveal heavenly secrets and alter others’ fates, go against destiny itself. Of course, the heavens won’t tolerate it, so we’re born under an unlucky star, destined to be alone. Ahem, well, that’s the general idea. Followers of the Spirit Medium Sect are usually those who experienced great family upheavals in childhood, losing all their kin—parents, spouses, children, elders. I’m no different; I was an orphan, and my father entrusted me to my master before he died. In all my years away from the mountain, I’ve never taken on a disciple, mainly because those who’ve lost their families are often too old. Even if there are young ones, they’re usually consumed by thoughts of avenging their loved ones. The moment I mention taking them as disciples, they chase me away. This little one is different. He’s much younger than me, and his family’s enemies have already been dealt with. He has no attachments left in this world, making him the perfect candidate to join our sect and become my disciple."

He rambled on at length, leaving Jiang Li stunned. She finally understood why Wenren Yao had been staring at Lin Yao earlier—she had assumed it was mere curiosity about the child, never imagining he had such intentions. Jiang Li said, "Regardless, even if you wish to take him as a disciple, it’s best to ask Lin Yao for his opinion. After all, this is his matter."

"Of course, of course," Wenren Yao replied, though he seemed to pay little heed to Jiang Li’s words. She sighed and didn’t press further. At a time like this, there was no real energy to dwell on such matters; the priority was to comfort young Lin Yao. Everything else could wait.

Lu Ji turned to Jiang Li and said, "The Lord is inside."

Jiang Li looked at him, and Lu Ji explained, "If Second Miss has something to say, you may go inside to speak with the Lord." He stood up. "I’ll rest for a couple of hours. Wenren, guard the door well. Zhao Ke and Wen Ji have also been up all night and should rest soon." With that, he turned and entered another room, closing the door behind him.Wenren Yao shrugged and said to Jiang Li, "I'll take this kid back to the room first."

Jiang Li stood outside Ji Heng's door, hesitated for a moment, then pushed it open.

The person inside was sitting at the table.

After last night's surprise attack, the rain had begun falling since morning—a continuous, dreary drizzle that turned the sky gloomy. The room felt like dusk even in daylight. When Jiang Li entered, she could only see a silhouette from behind. As she drew closer, she saw Ji Heng leaning back in a wooden chair, his eyes lightly closed.

She sat down in the chair beside him.

Hearing Jiang Li's movements, he opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Sorry," Jiang Li said, "I didn't mean to wake you."

Ji Heng gave a lazy smile. Though he said nothing, one could sense that the day's city defense had not been easy. Though Jiang Li hadn't witnessed it herself, the deranged Prince Cheng had long prepared for last night's assault. Those who held the city likely paid a heavy price.

Jiang Li's gaze lingered on Ji Heng. For practicality, he wasn't wearing his usual red robes but instead black armor. This softened his typically captivating aura, making him appear more stern and solemn. Yet when he smiled, he regained that detached, almost indifferent demeanor—as if he were merely an observer.

The black clothing made it impossible to tell if he was injured; even bloodstains would be invisible. Jiang Li asked, "Are you... alright?"

"Of course," Ji Heng replied. "I heard you saved a child?"

"Yes, the child's entire family died."

"Jiang Yuanbai would be furious," Ji Heng raised an eyebrow. "He's cunning as a fox, yet he raised a daughter who pities all under heaven."

"It's not about pitying all under heaven," Jiang Li said calmly. "It just reminded me of Ah Zhao. Ah Zhao was like that when he was young."

Ji Heng fell silent. He knew Jiang Li was also Xue Fangfei, and thus knew Xue Fangfei had a younger brother named Xue Zhao, who was later killed by Princess Yongning. Apart from Xue Huaiyuan, the Xue family only had this pair of siblings. One could imagine how close they were, and how devastating Xue Zhao's death must have been for Xue Fangfei.

"Then keep him," Ji Heng said. "He could also stay with Xue Huaiyuan."

Lin Yao had lost his parents, and Xue Huaiyuan had lost his son—they could keep each other company.

Jiang Li smiled faintly. Ji Heng thought far ahead. She looked at him again and asked, "Prince Cheng won't continue attacking the city, will he? Once he receives news of General Wuwei's arrival, he'll head straight for Yanjing."

"Of course," Ji Heng said. "Prince Cheng's troops are hidden all along the route from Huangzhou to Yanjing. By the time he reaches the capital, his forces will be vast and unstoppable. Even his mere presence would be enough to throw Yanjing into chaos."

"But isn't Prince Xia coming?" Jiang Li asked. "His Majesty has no choice but to recall Prince Xia. Back before His Majesty ascended the throne, Prince Xia was sent to the northwest. After all these years, His Majesty probably holds no other thoughts about him and won't be wary."

Ji Heng turned his head and looked quietly at Jiang Li. His amber eyes, shifting between light and shadow, appeared both obscure and bright. Gone was the playful affection he often feigned, replaced by something Jiang Li couldn't quite decipher.

"Duke," Jiang Li said after a moment of silence, "The one you truly want to confront is actually Prince Xia, isn't it?"

Ji Heng did not answer.Jiang Li continued speaking as if to herself: "Back then, no one understood why the late emperor exiled Prince Xia to the northwest, but he remained there for many years. His Majesty had no reason to recall him unless Prince Cheng stirred up trouble. Once Prince Cheng caused disturbances, Prince Xia would return to the capital. All of this resulted from the Duke's carefully orchestrated scheme to divide the court into three factions. Otherwise, if any side fell first, Prince Xia's reappearance would be ill-timed. Perhaps Prince Xia was destined to return to the capital eventually—if not now, then later. The Duke chose this particular moment simply because it wasn't the most perfect timing for Prince Xia."

"But there's one thing I still don't understand," Jiang Li said. "If you wanted to deal with Yin Zhan, you could have used other methods. Why resort to war and openly summon Yin Zhan back to Yanjing? For some reason..." She lowered her head. "It reminds me of the Xue family and Princess Yongning. I exhausted all my efforts to avenge the Xue family and expose Princess Yongning to public scrutiny, because only then could Xue Fangfei's death be brought to light. I did it to clear Xue Fangfei's name. But you—what is your reason?"

Her voice was clear and gentle, unhurried as she narrated, as if telling a tender story. The dim light outside fell on her profile, blurring the red patches on her face and revealing delicate features.

The young man chuckled softly, his tone still indifferent. He said, "Based on what you just said, you deserve to die."

Jiang Li replied, "I know."

"Then why ask?"

"I hope I can be of help."

Ji Heng didn't press further, whether from weariness or unwillingness to discuss the matter. He merely said, "You can't help. Don't waste your energy."

Jiang Li frowned, and he closed his eyes again, as if utterly exhausted.

He still hadn't answered Jiang Li's question, but he hadn't denied her speculations either. Having already slept, Jiang Li wasn't tired and simply sat beside Ji Heng, lost in thought.

From a distance, it looked as though she were watching over him.

(End of Chapter)