The Double

Chapter 226: Threat

The incident of the Ye family servants being silenced and the masters disappearing was quickly reported to the authorities. Officials arrived promptly and were startled to find Jiang Li present. They tactfully advised her to return home and wait, as such a brutal massacre was undeniably bloody. However, aside from showing a pained expression, Jiang Li displayed little fear.

She knew Jiang Yuanbai would soon learn of the matter and urge her to return to the residence promptly. Just as Jiang Li was about to bid farewell to Situ Jiuyue, the latter suddenly said, "I'll go back with you."

Jiang Li asked, "Miss Jiuyue?"

"Since those people are targeting you, and Zhao Ke is no longer at the Jiang residence, if the other party intends to force you into something, having me by your side might at least give you someone to consult with," she explained. "Returning to the Duke's residence now is pointless—there's no one there, and it serves no purpose."

Jiang Li understood that Situ Jiuyue was worried about Xue Zhao. Moreover, Situ Jiuyue carried numerous poisons that could prove useful. Thus, she agreed, "Alright, come back with me then."

Situ Jiuyue accompanied Jiang Li back to the Jiang residence. Jiang Li introduced her as a maid from the Duke's residence skilled at hairstyling, specifically invited to attend to her for a couple of days. Upon hearing she was from the Duke's residence, the Jiang family asked no further questions—who would dare interfere with Ji Heng's people?

Old Madam Jiang, having learned of the Ye family's misfortune, first summoned Jiang Li to the Evening Phoenix Hall for questioning. She then informed Jiang Li that Jiang Yuanbai and Jiang Yuanping were already handling the matter, advising her not to worry prematurely—the absence of discovered bodies was good news. She instructed Jiang Li to refrain from going out these days, as Yanjing City was truly unsettled.

Distracted by thoughts of the Ye family, Jiang Li absentmindedly brushed off the conversation. Eventually returning to the Fragrant Garden Courtyard, she found Situ Jiuyue already waiting in her room, brought there by Bai Xue. Jiang Li entered, closed the door, leaving only herself and Situ Jiuyue inside.

Situ Jiuyue anxiously asked, "How did it go?"

This girl had always maintained a cold, indifferent demeanor, so Jiang Li was seeing her this anxious for the first time. Under normal circumstances, she would have felt happy for Xue Zhao, but now she couldn't muster any joy, sharing the same distress as Situ Jiuyue.

Jiang Li shook her head, "Don't expect the officials to uncover anything. Since they dared to do this, they must have come prepared. They've left no traces, and anyone capable of confronting Ji Heng is no ordinary person. I just suspect..." She looked at Situ Jiuyue, "Is the other party from the Yin family?"

"I don't know. I don't know what Ji Heng is planning to do, but," Situ Jiuyue replied, "from what I understand, Ji Heng's ultimate enemy is the Yin family. So, I think your guess might be correct."

Hearing Situ Jiuyue's words did not ease Jiang Li's heart. She understood that if the opponent was Yin Zhan, the situation would likely become even more difficult to handle. Yin Zhan was Ji Heng's greatest enemy. If the other party intended to use her to threaten Ji Heng, Ji Heng would be placed in a highly disadvantageous position. Yet, sacrificing the many lives of the Ye family solely for Ji Heng's sake was impossible.

"Now we can only wait for the other party to send word," Jiang Li said. "I hope there might be another way."

Situ Jiuyue nodded in agreement.Both of them endured an excruciating day, each moment stretching like a year. Jiang Li clutched the whistle tightly in her palm, even attempting to blow it at one point, but there was no response. It was clear that Ji Heng had indeed left Yanjing City with his trusted followers—something he wouldn’t do unless the matter was urgent. Jiang Li found herself torn between worry for Ji Heng and concern for her Ye family relatives, feeling as though she were sitting on pins and needles.

Tong'er and Bai Xue noticed Jiang Li’s agitation but dared not speak. By nightfall, neither Situ Jiuyue nor Jiang Li had slept, waiting deep into the night without any sign of movement. Drowsy, Jiang Li eventually closed her eyes, but less than a quarter of an hour later, she was jolted awake by Situ Jiuyue’s sharp whisper: “Who’s there!”

Jiang Li snapped her eyes open. The lamp on the table had burned out, plunging the room into darkness. Situ Jiuyue struck a tinder, and in its flickering light, they saw a red-tipped dart embedded in the window frame, pinning a letter beneath it.

They’re here! Jiang Li’s heart tightened. Situ Jiuyue swiftly followed, clutching a round wax pellet—likely poison—in her hand, wary of a trap as she scanned their surroundings. Meanwhile, Jiang Li eagerly tore open the envelope, but before she could read its contents, something rolled out.

Both women looked down at the floor, and Jiang Li gasped softly.

It was a severed human finger. Situ Jiuyue calmly bent to pick it up, examining it with a frown. “A woman’s finger. Do you recognize it?”

Suppressing her shock, Jiang Li studied the finger—indeed, it was a woman’s pinky. Stunned at first glance, she murmured, “It’s Haitang’s finger…”

Haitang had three tiny red moles aligned vertically along her pinky, a feature Xue Fangfei had once teased as uniquely hers. The bloody finger bore the same marks in the exact same spots—Jiang Li couldn’t possibly mistake it.

Steadying herself, she unfolded the letter and skimmed through it rapidly before handing it to Situ Jiuyue.

The letter demanded that Jiang Li find a way to leave the city alone that night. Once outside, she was to travel twenty li east to a village, where someone would meet her at the entrance. If she failed to go, Haitang’s body would be delivered at dawn, followed by Xue Zhao’s the next day, and so on until all were killed. It warned Jiang Li against reporting to authorities or bringing others to the meeting point, stating that spies in Yanjing City would ensure the immediate demise of all five members of the Ye family if she attempted it.

The words on the letter were written in what appeared to be fresh blood, the script itself exuding the writer’s madness.

After reading it, Situ Jiuyue cursed through gritted teeth, “Bastard!”

Jiang Li stared at the finger on the table, its image searing her eyes. The ultimatum placed her in an impossible position: leaving the city would make her a pawn to threaten Ji Heng, but staying would allow the deranged captors to vent their fury on the Ye family.

Gritting her teeth, she declared, “I’m going out of the city!”

“Jiang Li!” Situ Jiuyue whispered urgently, “It’s a trap.”

“We have no other choice, Jiuyue. Can you stand by and watch Xue Zhao die?”Situ Jiuyue was rendered speechless. The other party had cut off Haitang's finger as a warning. They believed that if Jiang Li didn't follow the instructions in the letter, they would absolutely silence everyone by killing them.

"In the end, they were implicated because of me," Jiang Li replied. "I'll first find a way to exchange myself for their release. If they try to use me to coerce Ji Heng, tell him not to worry about me and to proceed with his plans."

"What if they capture you but don't release the Ye family members?"

"I'll hide a wax pill in my mouth. If they fail to keep their word, I'll bite through the pill and end my life. To threaten Ji Heng, they need me alive. A dead me is useless and would only ignite Ji Heng's fury. They can use the Ye family to threaten me, and I can use myself to threaten them into releasing the Ye family."

Situ Jiuyue thought for a moment. "No, I must go with you."

Jiang Li said, "Jiuyue..."

"Don't forget, people call me the Poisonous Consort not just for fun. I have my own methods. If we can retreat unscathed, saving the Ye family without sacrificing you, wouldn't that be ideal?"

Her expression was resolute. Jiang Li looked at her for a long time before finally nodding. "Alright. But if there's danger, remember to escape first. Those people need me alive, but they might not show you the same mercy." She thought that without Situ Jiuyue's help tonight, leaving the city might not be possible. The other party had told her not to report to the authorities or bring anyone, but bringing only Situ Jiuyue, a woman, shouldn't count as a mistake.

Situ Jiuyue took out several bottles of medicine from her person, along with some hidden weapons concealed between her fingers and the wax pill Jiang Li needed. She meticulously taught Jiang Li how to use them before finally stopping.

When Jiang Li left, she had Situ Jiuyue drug Bai Xue and Tong'er as well. The sedative would last until tomorrow afternoon. Otherwise, if the Jiang family discovered her disappearance, the two maids would likely be blamed. By drugging them, Jiang Li spared them from being implicated.

To Jiang Li's surprise, she had initially thought Situ Jiuyue, lacking martial skills, would struggle to leave the Jiang residence—unlike Zhao Ke. But unexpectedly, Situ Jiuyue managed to leave even more smoothly than Zhao Ke, as she simply drugged all the guards at the gate. By the time Jiang Li slipped out the back door, less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn had passed.

She suddenly felt that the reputation of "Poisonous Consort" wasn't so bad after all.

Situ Jiuyue stole a carriage, and the two set off. She also gave Jiang Li a mask to wear—thin and fitting perfectly against the skin. When Jiang Li looked in the mirror again, she had transformed into an ordinary-looking woman with a slight cough.

Situ Jiuyue drove the carriage and casually disguised herself as a hunchbacked girl. The guard at the city gate found it strange to see someone leaving the city at night, but Situ Jiuyue presented a travel permit, claiming her mistress had fallen ill late at night and needed to seek a renowned doctor outside the city. The guard opened the carriage and, in the dim light of night, saw Jiang Li appearing indeed as a sickly woman. Suspicion allayed, and with the travel permit genuine, he let them pass.

Once outside the city gates, Jiang Li finally relaxed.Twenty li east of the city gate took approximately half a shichen. Inside the carriage, Jiang Li did not immediately remove the mask that altered her appearance, instead carefully reviewing Situ Jiuyue’s instructions on the use of poisons and hidden weapons. After all, they were merely two women traveling alone. Not only was it uncertain whether they could safely reach the village mentioned by their contact, but encountering bandits or thieves along the way would also spell trouble.

Fortunately, luck was on their side this time, and they encountered no robbers during the journey. When Jiang Li and Situ Jiuyue arrived at the entrance of the agreed-upon village, they found no one in sight.

Situ Jiuyue frowned and asked, “Why is there no one here? Could it be that they didn’t dare to come? Or was that letter a forgery?”

“It shouldn’t be fake,” Jiang Li replied. “They might already be here. The reason they haven’t shown themselves is to observe whether we’ve played any tricks or if we’ve truly come alone.”

Hearing this, Situ Jiuyue relaxed slightly, then remarked sarcastically, “How cautious.”

“Regardless, we’ve arrived. Let’s wait here quietly. I suspect it won’t be long before they show up.”

Situ Jiuyue agreed, “Alright, I’ll stay outside. If there’s any movement, you’ll be prepared.”

Jiang Li nodded in acknowledgment. As it was late at night, darkness enveloped everything, leaving even the interior of the carriage pitch black. The village appeared deserted, with no trace of human activity or even the sounds of animals. The silence was eerie, as if only Jiang Li and Situ Jiuyue existed between heaven and earth. Jiang Li could clearly hear the steady, rhythmic beating of her own heart, yet she had no idea what might happen next. In this matter, at least, they were passive and had no room for choice.

After what felt like an eternity, Jiang Li sensed that a long time had passed, yet there was still no sound from outside. She called out to Situ Jiuyue, “Jiuyue, have you noticed anything unusual?”

The silence was too profound. Even if the other party intended to observe them, there was no need to wait this long.

Only silence answered her. There was no response from Situ Jiuyue outside. Jiang Li’s heart sank slowly, a cold dread creeping over her. Gripping the pouch filled with poisonous powder tightly, she took a deep breath and lifted the carriage curtain.

Then, she saw flickering lights of varying sizes. The desolate wilderness was now filled with people, though she couldn’t tell when they had arrived. Situ Jiuyue, who had been seated in the driver’s position, was nowhere to be seen. The rest of the crowd stared intently at her, their waist knives glaringly conspicuous.

Jiang Li leaped down from the carriage. Suddenly, someone tapped her on the shoulder from behind, as if greeting an old friend. When she turned around, everything went black before her eyes.

Immediately after, she was shoved into a burlap sack, hoisted onto someone’s shoulder, and thrown back into the carriage. Someone took the driver’s seat and drove the carriage away.

Silence reclaimed everything.

…

The next day was clear and sunny.

Sunlight bathed the snow-covered ground, casting a sparkling brilliance and turning the snow a pale gold. Yet the air remained bitterly cold.Mingyue and Qingfeng came out early in the morning to clear the accumulated ice on the ground. By the time they finished, the sky was already bright. Normally at this hour, Bai Xue and Tong'er would have long been up to bring Jiang Li her breakfast, but today there was no sign of them. Mingyue said, "Could Sister Bai Xue and Sister Tong'er have overslept? Why haven't we seen them yet?"

"Probably so. They were busy late into the night yesterday. Still, we should go wake them—the young lady mustn't miss her breakfast," Qingfeng replied. Their living quarters were separate from Bai Xue and Tong'er's; as Jiang Li's personal maids, Bai Xue and Tong'er resided adjacent to her room. Qingfeng went to knock on their door, but after a long while, there was no response. Mingyue approached and muttered, "Maybe they went out early and we just haven't run into them."

Qingfeng tried pushing the door, unexpectedly finding it unlocked. It swung open easily, and as she stepped inside, she nearly tripped over something on the floor. Looking closely, she discovered Bai Xue and Tong'er lying unconscious on the ground.

The two maids were startled. Mingyue quickly crouched down, shaking Bai Xue and calling, "Sister Bai Xue! Sister Bai Xue!"

Bai Xue showed no response. Qingfeng, struck by a thought, hurried to Jiang Li's bedchamber across the way. She knocked first, then barged in to find the room empty and deserted.

"Something terrible has happened! Something terrible!" Qingfeng cried out as she ran toward the Evening Phoenix Hall.

Upon hearing the news, Old Madam Jiang was so overwhelmed with fury that she fainted. Jiang Yuanbai and Jiang Yuanping dispatched people to search, and the investigation revealed something alarming: the guards stationed at the rear gate of the Jiang residence had been drugged unconscious the previous night and were still lying haphazardly on the ground, not yet awake. Bai Xue and Tong'er had also been knocked out by the same drug, hence their collapse.

Jiang Li had vanished without a trace.

Jiang Yuanping immediately recalled the incident with the Ye family in Yanjing City the day before and said, "Xiao Li's disappearance—could it be related to the Ye family's massacre?"

"But I heard there's another maid missing from the second young lady's chamber?" Jiang Yuanbai seized upon Mingyue to ask, "That maid—is she from the Duke's residence?"

"Yes," Mingyue answered cautiously. "The young lady said September styles hair well, so she brought her back. This morning, I didn't see any sign of September. I don't know if she's with the young lady."

Involvement with the Duke's residence complicated matters significantly. Especially since the Jiang residence guards were not easily subdued by ordinary drugs. The situation was grave. Jiang Yuanping suggested, "Elder Brother, why not send someone to the Duke's residence to inquire about this maid named September? Does this matter have any connection to Duke Su? What we fear most is the Jiang family being unwittingly dragged into some affair without our knowledge."

Jiang Yuanbai's expression turned grim as he nodded. For the time being, he did not publicize Jiang Li's disappearance. The bedding in Jiang Li's room was neatly folded, indicating she hadn't slept there the previous night. There were no signs of struggle in the chamber, ruling out the possibility of an abduction. It appeared more as though Jiang Li had left voluntarily. Coupled with the presence of the Duke's residence maid, Jiang Yuanbai felt the situation was far from simple.

The messenger sent to the Duke's residence returned swiftly with a report: Duke Su Ji Heng was not in Yanjing City, nor was Old General Ji. There was no one in charge at the Duke's residence who could answer Jiang Yuanbai's questions."Big brother, things have taken a turn for the worse," Jiang Yuanping said.

An inexplicable fury instantly surged within Jiang Yuanbai. In that moment, he could almost certainly determine that both the silencing of the Ye family's servants and Jiang Li's disappearance were inextricably linked to the Duke's residence. He didn't understand why, as the Duke's residence had never intended to give him answers from the start.

"Send people to search for the Second Young Lady's whereabouts," Jiang Yuanbai ordered. "No matter what, we cannot sit idly by and wait for death."

Jiang Yuanping looked at his elder brother and sighed inwardly. Everyone knew that Jiang Yuanbai's orders might yield no results. The Jiang family's role in this matter was truly minimal.

But where exactly was Jiang Li?

...

When Jiang Li woke up, it was already the evening of the next day.

The first thing she felt upon waking was a sinking sensation in her heart—the wax pill she had been holding in her mouth was gone. She then checked her bosom; all the hidden weapons and poisons Situ Jiuyue had given her for self-defense had vanished without a trace. To be precise, her clothes had been completely changed, inside and out. She had nothing left. And it probably wasn't her imagination—her entire body felt weak and limp. Having experienced being abducted by Prince Cheng's men before, Jiang Li was no stranger to this feeling. This time was exactly the same as the last; she must have been drugged.

Her memory remained fixed on the moment before she completely lost consciousness. She had gotten off the carriage but hadn't seen any sign of Situ Jiuyue. However, upon seeing the black-clad men surrounding the carriage, Jiang Li instantly knew her guess was correct—they were indeed Yin Zhan's men. There was an absolute difference between military men and common folk. These were all soldiers, and capturing her and Situ Jiuyue was more than sufficient.

Thinking of Situ Jiuyue, Jiang Li got out of bed and stood up. The room was empty, with only a lantern placed on a stool beside the bed, emitting a faint glow. There was no sound from outside, but she knew it couldn't possibly be deserted. She wanted to walk to the door but had only taken a few steps when footsteps echoed from outside, and the door to the room swung open.

The other party likely hadn't expected Jiang Li to be awake already, and both were momentarily stunned. After a pause, Jiang Li finally spoke, "Princess Pingyang."

Yin Zhiqing stood at the doorway holding a food basket. Seeing Jiang Li, her expression was complex, but she said nothing. Instead, she turned to close the door, placed the food basket on the table, and said, "You must be hungry. I brought you some food."

Jiang Li watched as Yin Zhiqing unpacked the dishes from the food basket but did not approach. She only said, "These dishes have been drugged, haven't they?"

Yin Zhiqing's movements halted. "I'm sorry."

Her face showed a trace of guilt, which didn't seem feigned. Jiang Li replied, "I truly cannot eat this." Knowing full well that consuming it would leave her at others' mercy, she might have endured it under normal circumstances, but what if she were to become Ji Heng's weakness?

"If you don't eat, we have other ways to make you. For instance, mixing it in water and forcing it down your throat." At this point, she seemed to realize she was being excessive and fell silent for a moment before whispering softly, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to treat you this way."

Jiang Li knew Yin Zhiqing wasn't the mastermind behind this—she didn't have the capability. Anxiously wanting to inquire about Situ Jiuyue's situation, she asked, "Where is the young lady who was with me at the time? Do you know if she's alright?"Yin Zhiqing's reaction made Jiang Li's heart sink. She stared at Jiang Li in astonishment and said, "There's another person? No, when I came over, I only knew about you being here alone."

Jiang Li fell silent. It seemed she couldn't obtain any useful information from Yin Zhiqing. Yin Zhiqing looked at her, hesitated for a moment, then said, "You don't need to worry. Your friend... probably isn't in danger."

"Do you know why I'm here?" Jiang Li countered.

Yin Zhiqing shook her head. "They said it's better for you to stay here."

Jiang Li let out a cold laugh.

She had always maintained a gentle demeanor toward others, so this sarcastic attitude surprised Yin Zhiqing, who stared at Jiang Li as if she didn't recognize her. Jiang Li said, "It seems you know nothing. The one who captured me was Yin Zhan, wasn't it?"

"How could that be?" Yin Zhiqing frowned. "My father isn't here at all."

She had a shrewd and beautiful face, yet her temperament was truly simple-minded. Jiang Li couldn't understand why. Yin Zhan himself certainly didn't appear ordinary, but his two children—Yin Zhili could be considered gentle and upright, while Yin Zhiqing was too naive and straightforward, completely unlike Yin Zhan. If he wanted to raise his children to be honorable and upright, why would he resort to such underhanded methods himself? Why did he harbor such burning ambitions? Didn't he find these actions contradictory?

"If not your father, then who? You don't even know where September is, so it must be Yin Zhili."

Jiang Li's tone was calm, yet carried a rare sharpness. Yin Zhiqing couldn't stand her attitude and said, "Perhaps my brother acted this way because he was dissatisfied with your marriage to Duke Su. Maybe he has other considerations—it's possible he's actually helping you."

"Helping me?" Jiang Li laughed coldly. "By silencing all the servants at my uncle's residence? By kidnapping my uncle, cousin, and the Xue father and son? By threatening me with five lives to force me into walking into a trap? By harming my friends? By stripping me of all means to protect myself? This seems more like dealing with a criminal. Princess Pingyang, I've never known that harming others' friends and family could be considered 'goodwill' in any way."

Yin Zhiqing's mouth fell open. "Wh-what are you saying? Who threatened you? Don't speak nonsense!"

"Isn't it your dear brother?" Jiang Li replied.

"My brother isn't that kind of person!" Yin Zhiqing stood up angrily. "I thought you were at least straightforward, being the daughter of the Grand Secretary, and naturally cultivated and reasonable. I never expected you to fling mud at others so recklessly. How absurd!" Her willow-leaf eyebrows arched sharply and her almond eyes widened—even in anger she remained lovely, though Jiang Li wasn't in the mood to appreciate it.

It seemed Yin Zhili had told his sister nothing. Jiang Li said coldly, "If you don't believe me, you can ask your brother whether it's true. But since he's capable of such despicable acts, lying would be nothing to him."

"You!" Furious, Yin Zhiqing turned to leave, but Jiang Li stopped her. "Princess Pingyang, this isn't Yanjing City, is it?"

Yin Zhiqing paused, her tone still angry. "No!"

Jiang Li grew more certain of one thing: this scheme was likely orchestrated by Yin Zhan long ago. Yin Zhili didn't have the means to pull this off—he was too indecisive. This bore Yin Zhan's fingerprints. While Yin Zhan tangled with Ji Heng on one front, he had Yin Zhili kidnap her to use as leverage against Ji Heng. Two preparations for every contingency—he'd covered all bases.

Truly, every calculation meticulously made.

"Princess Pingyang, do you know why your father and brother kidnapped me and are keeping me confined here?"

Yin Zhiqing said impatiently, "I already told you I don't know! Are you going to fabricate more trumped-up charges?"

"Because of Duke Su."

At the mention of Ji Heng's name, Yin Zhiqing turned back, her gaze burning into Jiang Li. "What did you say?"

"You know I'm engaged to Ji Heng. Soon I'll be the Duchess. By capturing me, they capture Ji Heng. Using my life as leverage, your father can make any demand of Ji Heng—even his life.""Ridiculous," Yin Zhiqing said. "Why would my father threaten Duke Su?"

"Because he is Ji Heng's enemy, destined to fight to the death."

(End of Chapter)