The Double

Chapter 200: Protection

Early the next morning, Ji Heng prepared to depart.

Wenren Yao had the most luggage, while Lu Ji and Jiang Li carried little, not to mention Lin Yao.

The carriage was a gift from the General of the Imperial Guards. Knowing Ji Heng was in Huangzhou, he specially found a large carriage and even asked if they needed soldiers to escort them for safety along the way. Lu Ji politely declined.

The carriage was very spacious. Jiang Li and Wenren Yao sat inside, with Wenren Yao holding Lin Yao. Lu Ji and Ji Heng were outside. It was unclear what they discussed with the General of the Imperial Guards, but when Wenren Yao lifted the carriage curtain, the general curiously glanced inside. He likely knew a woman was inside the carriage but didn’t know her identity or her relationship with Ji Heng, so he was merely curious.

Wenren Yao lowered the curtain, and soon Ji Heng and Lu Ji also boarded the carriage. Zhao Ke and Wen Ji took the driver’s seat, and the carriage headed out of Huangzhou city.

After Wenren Yao coaxed Lin Yao to sleep, he lifted the curtain again. Jiang Li also looked outside. She remembered how lively and clean the area outside the city had been when they first arrived in Huangzhou, with many commoners entering and leaving the city. Now, however, there was no one in sight, and even the ground seemed scorched black. The ground was littered with scattered arrows and swords, as well as human corpses piled haphazardly to the side. It was unclear whether they were the city defenders or Prince Cheng’s men.

The smell of blood lingered in the air, and the atmosphere was palpably unsettling. Through the scene before them, one could almost envision the brutality of Prince Cheng’s surprise attack that night. Although Huangzhou had ultimately been defended, it had not been an easy victory.

The mood grew somewhat heavy. Wenren Yao put down the curtain, seemingly trying to lighten the atmosphere. He turned to Jiang Li and said, “Ah? Second Miss Jiang, your face seems much better.”

Jiang Li reached up and touched her face. “It seems so.”

The medicine given to her by that couple had been working over time, and the red patches on her face were gradually fading. Up close, faint red marks were still visible, but from a distance, they were hardly noticeable and posed no real issue.

Hearing this, Ji Heng also looked at Jiang Li. He smiled warmly, but his gaze made her somewhat uncomfortable. Sitting directly across from her, he seemed to see right through her. Jiang Li averted her eyes and pretended to lower her head casually.

“That’s wonderful,” Wenren Yao said animatedly. “Seeing Second Miss Jiang restored to her former radiant beauty, I am genuinely and sincerely happy for you.”

Such smooth-talking words, if spoken by any other man, would likely earn him the label of a scoundrel. But having spent enough time with Wenren Yao, they knew he was merely talkative and loose-lipped, with no ill intentions. Jiang Li could only respond with a mix of amusement and exasperation.

“However,” Wenren Yao glanced outside again, “we probably won’t run into Prince Cheng’s troops on this journey, right?”

Jiang Li asked, “Haven’t they already left?”

“Not necessarily all at once. We might encounter stragglers or scattered soldiers,” Lu Ji said. “Zhao Ke and Wen Ji are taking back roads, so the chances of running into them are slim.”

“Regardless,” Wenren Yao insisted, “you’re the ones who asked me to come along, so you’re responsible for my safety—and Second Miss Jiang’s safety too, right?”

Lu Ji shot him a disdainful look. “Understood.”After that, the four of them fell silent. Jiang Li could feel Ji Heng’s gaze resting on her, carrying a hint of scrutiny, which made her extremely uncomfortable. Yet there was only one carriage, with no way to avoid it. She couldn’t help feeling a bit of regret—had she known earlier, she would have insisted on having two carriages. It didn’t matter who she shared with, as long as it wasn’t Ji Heng. His eyes were too sharp, and he saw things far too clearly. No matter how much Jiang Li tried to conceal her thoughts, she feared it wouldn’t last long. Once he discovered her hidden feelings, she had no idea how he would react.

Moreover, matters of the heart are like the flower a butterfly rests upon—the fragrance of the flower cannot be suppressed. Anyone passing by would immediately catch its scent, so how could it possibly be hidden?

Fortunately, Ji Heng was a clever man, and his thoughts were not easily discerned by others. As long as he didn’t voice them, Jiang Li pretended not to notice. Wenren Yao, being carefree, soon started talking about other matters. Lu Ji, on the other hand, turned out to be more articulate than Jiang Li had imagined, speaking eloquently and wittily. Even Lin Yao, who had woken up later, was drawn into Lu Ji’s conversation.

The journey back to Yanjing was smoother than expected.

Zhao Ke estimated that if they traveled at a leisurely pace during the day, they would likely arrive on the seventh day. The first two days passed without incident, and by the third day, the carriage continued forward, no different from before.

From Huangzhou to Yanjing, aside from the city gates, the number of households gradually dwindled. Moreover, to avoid Prince Cheng’s troops, Zhao Ke and the others took smaller paths, almost heading straight into the mountains. By the third day, they found themselves in near-total wilderness, with no villages or inns in sight—nothing at all.

Wenren Yao looked outside for a while and remarked, “I’m afraid we’ll have to spend the night in the mountains today.”

Jiang Li, however, showed no particular reaction.

Seeing her indifferent expression, Wenren Yao asked, “Second Miss Jiang, aren’t you at all surprised that we’ll be staying in the mountains tonight?”

“There are no other inns around here,” Jiang Li replied. “There might be households in the mountains, but they’re not easy to find. Searching for them recklessly could easily lead to getting lost. Compared to that, staying in the mountains seems like a reasonable choice. However, lighting a fire at night is too dangerous—it might attract troublemakers. It’s better to rest in the carriage.”

She didn’t seem to find the situation difficult at all and spoke quite naturally, which made Wenren Yao look at her strangely, momentarily at a loss for words.

Ji Heng, however, chuckled softly, as if he understood perfectly. Back in Tongxiang, Xue Fangfei had often gone hunting in the mountains with Xue Zhao. Sometimes, when it grew too late to return home, they would light a fire and sleep under a tree. The mountains of Tongxiang held no troublemakers, only wild beasts, and the fire was merely to keep those beasts at bay.

Just then, Lin Yao’s stomach rumbled loudly. “Sister Jiang,” he said, “I’m hungry.”

Jiang Li took out some dry biscuits and water from her bundle and handed them to him. “Have some,” she said.

It was already noon, but there were no inns ahead or behind. It seemed that even if they traveled a long way further, they wouldn’t find one. They definitely wouldn’t be able to eat at an inn today and would have to make do with dry rations. Jiang Li also shared some with Lu Ji and the others. Zhao Ke and Wen Ji stopped the carriage, deciding to rest there for a while and have something to eat.

Everyone got out of the carriage.Ji Heng also held a dry biscuit in his hand. Jiang Li had originally thought that someone as fastidious and refined as him would probably not touch such rations. She wanted to see what he would actually eat, but unexpectedly, he simply picked up the biscuit and brought it to his lips, eating it slowly.

Jiang Li was taken aback.

His elegance seemed ingrained in his very bones. Even while eating a simple biscuit, he remained composed and unhurried, as if savoring some exquisite delicacy. Jiang Li stared at him, forgetting to eat her own food. Ji Heng noticed her gaze and looked over. He paused for a moment, then suddenly smiled and asked, "Why are you looking at me?"

"Nothing," Jiang Li replied, lowering her head to eat her own biscuit.

Wenren Yao came running over from the grass, complaining, "This dry biscuit is really too hard to eat. Isn't there anything else?" Suddenly, he thought of something and said, "Ah, Second Young Lady, didn't you know how to roast venison and make beggar's bird? There are plenty of rabbits and birds in these mountains. Why don't we go hunting and you can roast them?"

Wenren Yao was probably the pickiest eater among them, even more so than Lin Yao, who was just a child. He was entirely focused on eating well. Jiang Li said, "We don't have any hunting bows or arrows here, and besides, we're in a hurry to travel."

"Wen Ji and Zhao Ke are very skilled. I'll go ask them. Or I'll go find bird nests myself and catch some sparrows. Dear sister, your cooking is so good—it'd be a waste not to use it."

He even went so far as to call her "dear sister," showing he had no shame. Jiang Li sighed helplessly. Lu Ji sat under a tree, leisurely eating his biscuit and giving Wenren Yao a disdainful look. Ji Heng simply ignored him. Wenren Yao tossed out, "I'll take that as your agreement," and ran over to Zhao Ke and Wen Ji. However, the two guards didn't seem inclined to go along with Wenren Yao's plan. Jiang Li watched as Wenren Yao lingered there for a long time before finally standing up dejectedly, seemingly unwilling to give up, and heading toward the nearby bushes.

Was he going to catch birds by himself? Jiang Li looked at Ji Heng and asked, "He's alone... won't it be dangerous?"

Ji Heng smiled. "No."

He seemed to have great confidence in Wenren Yao. Jiang Li didn't know what made Wenren Yao so trustworthy, especially since he didn't appear to have any martial skills.

But since Ji Heng had said so, Jiang Li naturally had nothing more to add. Lin Yao was squatting on the ground, eating his biscuit while watching the ants. As a child from a common family, he wasn't as picky as Wenren Yao and was quite sensible and well-behaved.

By the time everyone had finished their rations, Wenren Yao still hadn't returned. Jiang Li began to feel uneasy and asked, "Should we go look for Young Master Wenren? It's been so long..."

Before she could finish her sentence, she suddenly noticed a slight change in Ji Heng's expression. Surprised, she heard rustling sounds from the bushes. Wenren Yao appeared before them, drenched in sweat. As soon as he saw Jiang Li and the others, he shouted, "Run!"

But before he could finish his words, a louder noise came from the bushes—someone was following him!Wenren Yao scrambled over to Lu Ji's side, but Lu Ji, Ji Heng, and Zhao Ke remained motionless, as if they hadn't noticed Wenren Yao's disheveled state. Immediately after, several figures emerged from behind the bushes, all dressed as soldiers. They were far from Huangzhou City by now—these couldn't be General Wuwei's men, nor were they city guards. They were likely Prince Cheng's troops.

The assumption had been that Prince Cheng's forces would take the main roads and move faster, so it was unexpected to encounter them here. Judging by their appearance, these were stragglers, probably soldiers who had fallen behind Prince Cheng's main army.

There were five of them in total, all tall and burly, carrying the fierce aura of men who had recently killed. Spotting Jiang Li's group, their leader demanded, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"Honorable soldiers," Lu Ji replied with a smile, "we are merchants traveling from Yongzhou, just passing through. We originally intended to go to Huangzhou, but the city gates were closed, so we had no choice but to return to Yongzhou. We heard it's chaotic out there, which is why we took the mountain path."

As he spoke, Lu Ji wore an ingratiating smile, completely shedding his usual demeanor of a shrewd strategist. He seemed every bit a timid, fearful merchant. Zhao Ke and Wen Ji remained silent, dressed as coachmen, which raised no suspicion.

"Leave the carriage," the lead soldier ordered. "The rest of you, get lost!"

Jiang Li breathed a quiet sigh of relief. At least these men hadn't drawn their blades yet. With a child in their care, and neither Jiang Li nor Wenren Yao possessing martial skills, a direct confrontation would have left them at a disadvantage. More importantly, if these soldiers alerted Prince Cheng's nearby troops, even Ji Heng's formidable abilities would be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

The soldiers scrutinized the group: a child, a young nobleman, a seemingly cowardly merchant, and two coachmen. Ji Heng's striking beauty stood out, but when he concealed his dangerous aura, he appeared merely as an excessively handsome young man—nothing extraordinary.

The soldiers' gazes lingered on Jiang Li. One of them declared, "The woman stays too!"

Jiang Li's heart sank. As the words were spoken, the soldiers' eyes clung to her with unsettling intensity. The red blotches that had once marred her face had nearly vanished, revealing a slender and delicate young woman. To fall into their hands...

Wenren Yao was the first to protest. "Honorable soldiers, this isn't right. If you want silver... we have plenty... please show some mercy."

One soldier abruptly drew his blade, shouting at Wenren Yao, "Get lost if you don't want to die!"

Startled, Wenren Yao flinched back, and Lin Yao, hiding behind Lu Ji, burst into loud sobs. The child's crying agitated the soldiers. One of them glared murderously and advanced toward Lin Yao and the others with his sword drawn. Meanwhile, two others strode directly toward Jiang Li.Their greedy eyes fixed on Jiang Li like wolves spotting prey. Jiang Li’s fingers brushed against the scissors hidden in her sleeve—the very pair she had found in the sewing basket on the dressing table back when Ji Heng had rescued her and she was staying in Huangzhou City. Likely left behind by the previous residents of the house, the delicate scissors had remained concealed in her sleeve ever since. She had thought they would never be of use, never expecting to rely on them here.

She couldn’t help but glance at Ji Heng. He still wore that faint, smiling expression, watching her calmly with no intention of intervening. Jiang Li knew he wouldn’t allow things to unfold as they were, yet her heart tightened with each step the two men took closer.

Just as one of the soldiers leered and reached a hand toward her face, Jiang Li abruptly drew the scissors from her sleeve and thrust fiercely at the man before her. But in the next moment, a flash of crimson swept across her vision—a scarlet robe enveloped her, and a voice murmured by her ear.

His tone was deep and gentle, yet carried a hint of chill as he said, “Don’t be afraid.”

(End of Chapter)