The Double

Chapter 198: Fondness

Over the next few days, Prince Cheng's troops launched several more attacks outside the gates of Huangzhou. However, Huangzhou's terrain was naturally easy to defend but difficult to attack, making it no simple task for the assailants. Moreover, the city defenders successfully held their ground each time, significantly dampening the morale of Prince Cheng's forces—they were no longer as fierce as during that first night assault.

The citizens of Huangzhou continued to live in fear, but the successful defenses gradually bolstered their confidence. Beyond repairing the houses damaged by fire that night, they slowly began striving to restore their former way of life. The city guard still patrolled the streets daily, searching for any remaining assassins to prevent another uprising that could throw the people into chaos.

When the military situation wasn't as tense, Ji Heng and Lu Ji would no longer be absent from the residence. On this morning, the rain that had persisted for several days finally ceased, giving way to warm, sunny weather. Wenren Yao was in the courtyard teaching Lin Yao to read the characters on his divination board. Lin Yao's parents and siblings had all been buried under the arrangements of Wenren Yao and Jiang Li. With nowhere else to go, Lin Yao had settled here. Of course, even if he hadn't said anything, Jiang Li wouldn't have left him alone in his old home.

Lu Ji walked in from outside and announced, "Consort Liu has been ordered to commit suicide."

Jiang Li, who had just gotten up and entered the hall, heard this as she arrived. Ji Heng was seated in a chair, drinking tea.

"Is she already dead?" Jiang Li came forward, taking a seat herself, and asked, "Did Prince Cheng not send anyone to rescue her?"

"No," Lu Ji shrugged.

"Then the Emperor's plan to lure the snake out of its hole has failed," Jiang Li remarked.

Upon hearing this, Ji Heng chuckled softly, "Not necessarily."

Jiang Li looked at him, and Lu Ji explained, "Prince Cheng is inherently selfish—something the Emperor is well aware of. Attempting a rescue in the palace would be far too risky and could disrupt his original plans. Once this matter arose, Consort Liu was inevitably sacrificial. If the Emperor truly wanted to lure out the enemy, he would have chosen another method. Precisely because the Emperor understands Prince Cheng's nature, he directly ordered Consort Liu's death. Since she was doomed either way, it was better to provide the people with closure sooner."

"I see," Jiang Li nodded. Her understanding of the Hongxiao Emperor was limited to what she had learned in her previous life from Shen Yurong and her father's accounts. In this life, she had met the Emperor only a handful of times, knowing merely that he held many cards but not the specifics of his relationship with Prince Cheng.

"Also, the Emperor has dispatched General Wuwei to Huangzhou."

Jiang Li said, "That's good news."

With General Wuwei's arrival, Huangzhou City would be secure.

Lu Ji glanced at Ji Heng before adding, "General Zhaode is also on his way back to the capital."

His tone was peculiar, prompting Jiang Li to also look at Ji Heng. Ji Heng's expression remained unchanged as he stated, "Prince Cheng is heading to Yanjing."

After a moment's thought, Jiang Li asked, "Prince Cheng can't defeat General Zhaode, can he?"

Ji Heng gave a light laugh and replied, "A wolf and a tiger—do you think the wolf will kill the tiger, or the tiger will devour the wolf?"He spoke with an air of nonchalance, yet his words sent a chill down Jiang Li's spine. On the surface, Ji Heng was merely stating that Prince Cheng was no match for General Zhaode, but the deeper implications were entirely different. Prince Cheng had spent years preparing for this moment, to the extent that even the Hongxiao Emperor had not dared to act rashly against him before. However, Ji Heng's words suggested a vast disparity in strength between Prince Cheng and General Zhaode. If General Zhaode was truly that formidable, it meant his power surpassed even Prince Cheng's—so when had General Zhaode begun his preparations?

Apart from the late emperor suddenly transferring General Zhaode to the northwest back then, there seemed to be nothing particularly unusual between the late emperor and the general. Did General Zhaode pose a threat to the Hongxiao Emperor's throne? If the Hongxiao Emperor had known, he likely would not have allowed General Zhaode to return to the capital.

Jiang Li had always suspected that Yin Zhan's affairs were entangled with a major secret of the imperial family. But for now, she could only glimpse the tip of the iceberg. Moreover, both Ji Heng and Old General Ji had warned her not to interfere in this matter. Jiang Li had no intention of meddling, but her intuition told her that this was something she would inevitably be drawn into, whether she wanted to or not—because the Jiang family was also involved.

She had to protect the Jiang family, protect herself, protect Xue Huaiyuan, and their legacy. Otherwise, one misstep could lead to total loss.

As these thoughts swirled in her mind, Ji Heng stood up and walked toward the door. Lu Ji asked him, "Where are you going, sir?"

"Just taking a walk." He paused at the doorway and turned to Jiang Li. "Care to join?"

Jiang Li rose to her feet. "Alright."

The sunlight was as brilliant as ever, and after the rain, the sky seemed even brighter. The streets were littered with rubble and fallen wooden beams from collapsed houses. Some buildings had been repaired and were still inhabited, while others, beyond repair, had makeshift thatched huts erected beside them. Coffins, not yet buried, lay on the ground, with monks seated nearby chanting sutras for the deceased.

The children, unaware of the gravity of the situation and the brutality of war, seized moments when their parents weren't watching to play games with their friends, laughing joyfully. Their parents, however, knew that peace was fleeting and wore worried expressions.

Most shops along the street had closed. Only a rare few remained open, including a teahouse and snack shop ahead. Its doorframe was charred black from fire, yet it continued operating. Inside, the number of tables and chairs had significantly decreased, and an elderly couple bustled about, attending to the shop.

In these times, who had the heart to sit and enjoy tea and snacks? The thatched shelter set up outside stood empty, with no one at the tables. If anyone did come, it was usually a woman in a hurry, pulling a few copper coins from her sleeve to buy a packet before rushing off.

At this critical juncture, the streets were particularly unsafe. Though staying at home wasn't necessarily much better, it was still far safer than wandering outside. Who knew if ruthless assassins might suddenly appear and take lives?

Jiang Li paused in front of the teahouse and snack shop. "I'm going to buy something," she said.The temporary maid they had hired earlier had already left. Given Ji Heng and the others' circumstances, it was truly unsuitable for outsiders to be present. Thus, there was no one to attend to Jiang Li. Fortunately, Jiang Li was not a genuinely pampered young lady and didn’t mind it at all. She even helped tidy up the residence. As for meals, Wen Ji bought them from outside. With the city in such a state, the food was naturally far from delicious—it was merely enough to fill their stomachs.

Jiang Li wanted to buy some pastries, not for herself, but for Lin Yao. Though the little one had company every day, he often had nightmares at night, dreaming of his family’s tragic deaths and crying uncontrollably. Wenren Yao was at a loss as well. Since children tend to like sweet treats, she thought Lin Yao would surely enjoy them.

When the elderly couple saw Jiang Li approach, they asked what she needed. Jiang Li made her selections, and as the old man wrapped them up, she casually asked the woman, "Auntie, with the city in such a state, why are you still keeping the shop open?"

The woman smiled and replied, "This shop is an old establishment, passed down from our parents. We live and eat here, so even if the soldiers break in, we have nowhere else to go. Besides, if those troops really enter the city, hiding in a residence or being out on the streets makes no difference. As long as we’re alive, we’ll live each day well. At our age, we’re not afraid of anything anymore."

As she spoke, the old man finished wrapping the pastries and handed them to Jiang Li. She reached to pay but suddenly remembered she had changed clothes earlier and left her purse behind. After a moment’s thought, she was about to slip off a bracelet from her wrist when a slender hand reached over, placing a silver ingot in front of the old woman.

"This…" The old woman was taken aback. "It’s far too much. We don’t have enough change to—"

"No need."

Jiang Li turned to see Ji Heng standing beside her, though she hadn’t noticed when he’d arrived. Perhaps he had grown tired of waiting for her or had seen her predicament and come to her aid.

"Young lady," the old woman said gratefully, "your husband is truly a good man."

Jiang Li’s face flushed, and she was about to explain when Ji Heng tugged at her sleeve and led her away.

Still holding the fragrant oil-paper package in her arms, Jiang Li thought for a moment before looking up at Ji Heng. He wore his usual careless, indifferent smile as he walked ahead at a leisurely pace.

"Did you hear what she said just now…"

"What?" He tilted his head to look at her, his eyes full of amusement.

"That auntie said you’re a good person." Jiang Li replied without changing her expression. "You once said that I was the only one in the world who thought you were good. Now, it seems there are two of us."

Ji Heng was taken aback, clearly not expecting her to say that. But he quickly recovered and said, "I wouldn’t mind making her take back her words."

His tone was chillingly cold, leaving Jiang Li speechless. It was then that she noticed Ji Heng was holding her sleeve. However, with their sleeves so wide, from a distance, it looked as though he was holding her hand. Jiang Li felt inexplicably uneasy. She couldn’t tell whether Ji Heng did this because he disliked others getting too close to him or out of respect for her, deliberately maintaining a distance.Jiang Li secretly tried to pull her sleeve from his grasp, but no matter how she tried, she couldn't succeed. Her movements were so vigorous that she stumbled, nearly falling, only to be steadied by Ji Heng.

"Watch your step," he said with a light laugh.

Jiang Li had no choice but to give up.

The two of them walked along the street outside Huangzhou City. In such chaotic times, few dared to stroll so openly in broad daylight. Moreover, Ji Heng's striking appearance immediately drew the attention of many. People hid behind windows and courtyard gates, stealing glances at them. Young women, in particular, captivated by Ji Heng's extraordinary demeanor, secretly observed him. And by extension, they couldn't help but stare at Jiang Li, whom Ji Heng was leading by the hand.

Jiang Li found herself caught between laughter and tears. She truly disliked being gawked at as if she were some rare spectacle.

"Your Grace," Jiang Li said, "I think we should head back. Or perhaps you can stroll alone, and I'll return first."

"You should be quite accustomed to this from your time as Xue Fangfei," Ji Heng reminded her leisurely.

Jiang Li was left speechless. It was true—when she first married into Yanjing City, her stunning beauty had drawn stares wherever she went. At first, it had made her uncomfortable, but she eventually grew used to it. Yet now, she was no longer Xue Fangfei. "The past is the past, and the present is the present," Jiang Li insisted. "I am no longer Xue Fangfei."

Ji Heng replied, "Then you should get used to it all the more."

"Why?" Jiang Li asked.

"I don't like keeping company with gray mice," he answered matter-of-factly. "If you're not attractive enough, don't stand in front of me."

Jiang Li remembered—ah, this man had a penchant for beauty and an aversion to ugliness. Suddenly, she seized upon a loophole in his earlier words and, feeling unusually mischievous, looked up at Ji Heng and asked, "So, Your Grace, are you saying that I am still quite beautiful now?"

The delight and pride in her voice were impossible to conceal. Ji Heng couldn't help but turn to look at her. The girl tilted her head up, her eyes clear and brimming with laughter, reflecting the unique vigor and fearlessness of youth. She resembled a freshly bloomed pear blossom—pure, lovely, and so genuine that it made one want to smile along with her.

Ji Heng felt a stir in his heart.

From the gentle yet aloof, cunning yet lonely girl she had been at the beginning to now, she had always been fond of smiling. But compared to the Jiang Li he first met, she was like a different person. Perhaps this was her true self—the way she had been in her youth, during her days as Xue Fangfei, before she ever encountered Shen Yurong.

It was hard to imagine how she had later transformed into a dull woman, consumed by trivialities day in and day out. She had tucked away her spirit and cleverness, becoming no different from the other beautiful noblewomen of Yanjing City. Shen Yurong had turned a gentle, lovely, and vibrant pear blossom into a carnivorous flower battling daily in a dim garden—what a waste of something precious.

He had never been one to cherish beauty or show tenderness toward women. He had encountered many beautiful women in the world and had been called heartless and unfeeling. But at this moment, he found the sunlight gentle, her smile endearing, and he wished such a smile could last forever. He hoped this Jiang Li would remain the ever-fearless girl before him, with the courage to stake everything and the luck blessed by heaven.

He leaned closer to Jiang Li and whispered softly, "Mm."

Jiang Li was stunned.All the clever retorts and teasing remarks she had prepared to counter him came to an abrupt halt. The young man's gentle smile and amber eyes, now devoid of layered indifference and hypocrisy, resembled the present sunlight—warm and bright.

She suddenly found herself speechless, her cheeks gradually flushing crimson.

That dormant fawn within her slowly rose again, tentatively lifting its legs to take a few steps before prancing about, trampling her heart into a tangled mess.

Jiang Li could almost hear the sound of her own heartbeat.

She had long forgotten what it felt like to have feelings for Shen Yurong in the past, as it had been too long ago. But now, in this moment, she knew—perhaps just a little, just slightly—she was developing feelings for the man before her.

This was not a good thing. Jiang Li stood frozen, at a loss. Meanwhile, the instigator seemed completely unaware, straightening up and walking ahead.

Sunlight spilled over his tall figure, casting him in a golden hue.

Jiang Li knew—this was trouble.

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(End of Chapter)