The Double

Chapter 234: Farewell

From past to present, Jiang Li had always disliked farewells deeply. Back in Tongxiang, bidding farewell to her father and brothers upon her marriage had filled her with sorrow. Now, the ache was even sharper, for she knew the dangers Ji Heng would face. This was no easy battle—Yin Zhan was fighting with the desperation of a cornered beast, having meticulously plotted for years precisely for this day.

The Empress Dowager had even allowed Prince Cheng to confront the Hongxiao Emperor, letting the two sides wear each other down. Were it not for Ji Heng's intervention, the Yin family would now be effortlessly reaping the spoils.

Jiang Li also worried about Ji Heng's wounds. "Can't you delay a little longer?" she asked.

"Yin Zhili will act soon," Ji Heng replied with a light laugh. "We cannot let others seize the initiative."

Jiang Li fell silent. Yin Zhili had become a different person—Yin Zhan's death, the revelation of his origins, and Yin Zhiqing's demise had struck him with successive blows that would shatter most people. Though Jiang Li doubted he would break completely, the Yin Zhili who once grieved for civilians caught in war had vanished forever.

She thought of Yin Zhiqing, who had taken a blade meant for Ji Heng. Jiang Li didn't know if she still lived, but she hoped Yin Zhiqing would recover. The girl had done nothing wrong; her only mistake was being born into the Yin family.

Now clad in armor, Ji Heng seemed a world away from his usual languid elegance. Perhaps he resembled Yu Hongye in appearance, but his core mirrored Ji Mínghán's. Though Jiang Li had never met Ji Mínghán, seeing Ji Heng now allowed her to imagine the legendary grace of the former Golden Crow General.

He patted her shoulder. "Why are you still dazing? Let's go."

Ji Heng appeared fully recovered, but Jiang Li had dressed his wounds herself last night—they were too deep to heal so quickly.

"If you can't endure, don't force yourself," she said earnestly. "Ji Heng, nothing holds more hope than survival. Only by living can anything become possible."

"Little girl," he narrowed his eyes, "Weren't you always selfless? Why so selfish today?"

Jiang Li embraced him gently. "I'm just afraid of losing you."

In this life, she had lost family before, and been fortunate enough to regain them. But heaven wouldn't favor her repeatedly. Some losses were permanent—like Ji Mínghán, Yu Hongye, or Old General Ji.

One may be strong and composed, but no mortal remains unmoved facing the potential loss of a beloved.

Ji Heng's smile faded. Held in her arms, he seemed to sense her unease and sighed softly. "Trust me, Ali."

Zhao Ke entered from outside the cave. "Sir, the carriage is ready."

Jiang Li released him. Ji Heng said, "Let's go. I'll see you off."Ji Heng was to remain in Qingzhou, while Jiang Li had to return to Yanjing City. Since Yin Zhili had managed to abduct Jiang Li once, he could certainly do it again. On the battlefield, Ji Heng might not always be able to protect Jiang Li, and with weapons being blind, Jiang Li, who knew no martial arts, would only become a burden to him if injured.

Jiang Li understood this well, so despite her worries and reluctance, she agreed with Ji Heng's decision. Ji Heng selected several dozen guards to escort her back to the capital by waterway, a route less likely to attract attention.

Yet the path to farewell seemed unusually short, as if they had barely walked any distance before reaching the dock.

The boat was moored by the shore. While the waters of the Long River had frozen, the Yongding River remained flowing, with passenger ships drifting upon its vast expanse, where sky and earth nearly merged into one magnificent scene. Clad in the fox-fur cloak Ji Heng had gifted her, Jiang Li lifted her gaze to him.

She hesitated to take the step aboard, which amused Ji Heng. He teased, "I never realized before how clingy you are." His tone was lighthearted, as if joking, but Jiang Li couldn't bring herself to smile. Accustomed to wearing smiles and often using them to mask her emotions, she found herself unable to muster one now. She even felt a sense of futility—if she couldn't smile, then so be it.

Rising on her toes, Jiang Li placed her hands on Ji Heng's face, closed her eyes, and gently kissed his lips.

Even if others called her shameless or immoral, she would accept it. She simply didn't want to live with regrets. As she withdrew her hands, Ji Heng cupped the back of her head, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss.

Under the snow-filled sky, the young man kissed the petite girl with a fervent intensity that was both resolute and tender, mirroring his conflicted heart and careful devotion. Jiang Li tilted her head to receive the kiss, feeling a warmth in her eyes as if tears were about to fall.

The guards turned away, avoiding the intimate farewell. The solitary boat rested quietly on the river, and the parting lovers on the dock created a scene more poignant than any drama she had ever witnessed.

After a long while, Ji Heng released her. Without looking back, Jiang Li turned, lifted the hem of her dress, and boarded the boat.

The guards followed her aboard, while Zhao Ke and Wen Ji stayed by Ji Heng's side. As his right-hand men, they were to accompany him to the battlefield. Witnessing this separation, even they felt a pang of sorrow, let alone Ji Heng.

Standing at the bow, Jiang Li watched as the boat slowly moved forward. Amid the wind and snow, Ji Heng stood tall and majestic, his striking red attire vivid against the icy landscape, imprinting itself dominantly in her memory, never to fade. Suddenly, she recalled that spring night from her dream: the spring breeze brushing past the bustling crowd, and him pausing by her wall. She was still a married woman then, and he was drowning in despair over his father's death. By a twist of fate, their initial bond had formed during an opera performance on a swing.

Uncertain when this war would end, Jiang Li hoped to reunite with him on another spring night, when all things are reborn, and he would reappear to continue the story that had been left unfinished since long ago.The boat gradually drifted farther away, and the snow grew heavier. Soon, the crimson figure shrank to a mere red dot. Jiang Li stared unblinkingly at that spot until the wind and snow completely obscured his form, leaving no trace of Ji Heng before her. Only the vast river remained, a stark reminder of their separation.

May reunion come swiftly, may we meet again and linger long.

...

The journey from Qingzhou to Yanjing by waterway took over twenty days. By the time Jiang Li returned to Yanjing City, Ji Heng had likely informed the Duke's residence in advance. Ye Mingyu and the others were no longer staying at the Ye residence but had all moved into the Duke's residence. Thus, upon her return to Yanjing City, Jiang Li went directly to the Duke's residence.

White lanterns hung outside the Duke's residence. During Jiang Li's absence, Old General Ji had been laid to rest. As the sole grandson of the Duke's household, Ji Heng had not donned mourning attire for Old General Ji. Given Ji Heng's usual temperament, the cityfolk would have likely condemned him as an unfilial scoundrel. Yet this time, no such criticism arose. The reason was that the Prince of Xia had rebelled in Qingzhou, and Ji Heng had led the Imperial Guard to suppress the uprising. The people are always exceptionally forgiving toward heroes. Even if this hero had a tarnished reputation and no proven military achievements, his actions provided a justification for his failure to return promptly to the capital to fulfill his filial duties.

Over the years, only Ji Heng and Old General Ji had resided in the Duke's residence. Ji Heng's mercurial temperament kept him from forming close ties with others, while Old General Ji had long withdrawn from court affairs. Thus, the household had grown desolate. After the valiant general's passing, few came to offer condolences. The Duke's family had always been small in number, and the white lanterns and mourning symbols at the entrance only accentuated the profound loneliness, evoking a heart-wrenching sorrow.

When Jiang Li returned to the Duke's residence, everyone was astonished.

True to his word, Ji Heng had arranged for Ye Mingyu to relocate everyone to the Duke's residence. As Jiang Li entered the courtyard, she saw Ye Mingyu and Little Red bickering. Thanks to the presence of so many people, the bleak atmosphere of the Duke's residence had been somewhat alleviated. Xue Zhao was the first to notice Jiang Li and called out, "Sister!"

Only then did the others realize Jiang Li had returned.

Situ Jiuyue, holding a mortar for grinding herbs, also approached. The crowd gathered around, and Xue Zhao said, "Sister, Brother-in-law wrote that you'd return in a few days, and here you are, just as he said!"

Ye Mingyu couldn't be bothered to correct Xue Zhao's mistaken address, thinking the boy was merely trying to claim kinship with Jiang Li. He scrutinized Jiang Li from head to toe and asked, "Well, Ali, are you unharmed?"

Jiang Li shook her head. Xue Huaiyuan said gravely, "A Li, this time you were too impulsive. You shouldn't have risked yourself to save us. If anything had happened to you, how could we live with ourselves?"

He called her "A Li," and Ye Mingyu wondered how Xue Huaiyuan and Jiang Li had grown so close. But now was not the time to dwell on that, and since Xue Huaiyuan's point was valid, he nodded in agreement, "Exactly, A Li. If Yin Zhili truly intended to do something, we could have dealt with him together. How could we let a young girl like you rescue us?"

Jiang Li asked, "Mr. Xue, Ah Zhao, Uncle, Cousin, Miss Jiuyue, and Haitang, are you all alright? Did Yin Zhili cause you any trouble... The servants of the Ye family were killed, and Haitang's finger..."Haitang withdrew her hand slightly and said, "It's nothing, really. My face was once ruined, so what's a finger? They knew Miss Jiang has a soft heart and did this precisely to make her act rashly out of concern. I'm the one who implicated Miss Jiang."

"Why say that? If not for me, the Yin family wouldn't have kidnapped you," Jiang Li replied, then asked, "What exactly happened that day? I only know Yin Zhili took you away, but not what you went through."

Ye Mingyu sighed and said, "It happened so suddenly, none of us expected..."

It turned out that on the night before Jiang Li went to the Ye family and discovered something was wrong, someone had infiltrated the Ye residence and kidnapped Ye Mingyu and the others. These people were different from ordinary martial arts assassins; they seemed more like soldiers from a military camp. Even Ye Mingyu had fallen for their tricks. When they woke up, they were already outside the city gates, unsure of the exact location but likely not far from Yanjing City. They heard the men repeatedly mention "Junwang" (Prince), leading them to suspect that the mastermind behind it was Yin Zhan. It was at that moment Haitang was dragged out and had one of her fingers cut off.

Xue Huaiyuan, being more astute, quickly deduced that these people had kidnapped them not for simple reasons but to threaten someone. The only person closely connected to both the Xue father and son and the Ye uncle and nephew seemed to be Jiang Li alone.

"Mr. Xue guessed they might be using us to exchange for you and even tried to intervene, but a few days later, we were knocked unconscious and dumped at the gates of Yanjing City. Officer Kong Liu of the cavalry patrol found us and brought us back," Ye Shijie explained.

Hearing Kong Liu's name, Jiang Li knew his appearance was no coincidence but had been arranged in advance by Ji Heng. Xue Zhao added, "Later, Officer Kong came and said that brother-in-law had made arrangements. Since the Ye residence was no longer safe, we should move into the Duke's residence. That's when we learned that Old General Ji had passed away."

Xue Zhao's voice was tinged with sorrow. Ye Shijie frowned and asked, "Cousin, what's going on? What is the relationship between Duke Su and the Yin family? The Yin family suddenly rebelled—did you know something about this beforehand?"

Given Jiang Li's close relationship with Ji Heng, it was unlikely she knew nothing. But Jiang Li was unwilling to reveal Ji Heng's past to others; it was too dark and cruel for him. She didn't want people to look at Ji Heng with pity.

As if understanding Jiang Li's thoughts, Xue Huaiyuan said, "Miss Jiang is, after all, just a young woman. These matters are of great importance, and Duke Su might not have told her. The more she knows, the more danger she might be in. To protect her, Duke Su probably didn't say much."

Ye Shijie looked at Jiang Li and, seeing her reluctance to speak further, understood. When it came to matters she didn't want to disclose, this cousin of his was stubborn, and no one could sway her decision.

"I think sister should go back to the residence and rest for now," Xue Zhao said, observing Jiang Li's pale complexion. "As for what comes next, there's plenty of time to discuss it slowly."

Xue Zhao was helping her out of the predicament. Xue Huaiyuan chimed in, "That's right. Lord Jiang is also waiting at the residence for Miss Jiang to return. Once she's back, Lord Jiang can rest assured."Although Ye Mingyu also had a bellyful of questions for Jiang Li, those matters weren't important. What he truly cared about was Jiang Li's health and safety. Since both Xue Huaiyuan and Xue Zhao had spoken up, and Jiang Li appeared rather weary, he said, "That's true... A Li, you should return to the residence and rest first. I'll come visit you at the mansion tomorrow. The Duke's residence has guards arranged, so you needn't worry about us. Although Duke Su... he treats you quite well, doesn't he? I won't say more."

Ye Mingyu had always felt that Ji Heng's overwhelming beauty wasn't necessarily a good thing, especially since the rumors about Ji Heng in the streets were far from flattering. Yet time and again, Jiang Li had been rescued by Ji Heng. Moreover, Ji Heng had no relation to their Ye family, so why would he let them stay in the Duke's residence? For a merchant family that officials avoided to be hosted in his own mansion—if not for Jiang Li's sake, why would someone as proud as Ji Heng go to such lengths? Men understand men best; Ji Heng's actions were simply love for the house extending to the crows. To have such feelings for Jiang Li was truly rare. At the very least, compared to Jiang Li's previous engagement with the Marquis Ningyuan's household, this was infinitely better. Plus, Ji Heng had personally led troops into battle, proving he was a real man, not just a pretty-faced dandy.

...

By the time they returned from the Ye residence and arrived at the Jiang family, it was already evening. Jiang Li's return to Yanjing City hadn't been announced in advance. When Ji Heng's personal guards escorted Jiang Li back to the Jiang residence, the gatekeepers were startled to see her and hurried to inform the master and old madam.

The Evening Breeze Hall suddenly became crowded.

Lu Shi was as effusive as ever; her usual shrewdness now showed genuine concern. She looked Jiang Li up and down and said, "Xiao Li, where have you been? And... where did you return from?" She appeared utterly confused, clearly indicating that Jiang Yuanping hadn't shared any news about Jiang Li with her.

Old Madam Jiang remained quite calm, showing only a brief moment of excitement at Jiang Li's sudden return before quickly returning to normal. She didn't ask Jiang Li many questions, only inquiring if she had been injured, and then said nothing more. Jiang Li suspected that Old Madam Jiang probably knew something—regardless of the grievances between the Ji and Yin families, at the very least, Old Madam Jiang should have known where Jiang Li had been during her absence and why she had disappeared. When Jiang Jingrui wanted to ask more questions, Jiang Yuanbai cut him off. Looking at Jiang Li, Jiang Yuanbai said, "Come with me."

He always said this, and Jiang Li was long accustomed to it. She followed Jiang Yuanbai back to his study. Jiang Yuanbai asked, "Do you realize how impulsive you were this time? For the Ye family, you actually went out to serve as a bargaining chip yourself. What does that make of the Jiang family?"

"Sorry, Father," Jiang Li replied. "The situation was urgent at the time, and I truly didn't think that much."

"I'm afraid even if you had thought about it, you still would have done the same," Jiang Yuanbai snorted coldly. "You've always been closer to the Ye family and Xue Huaiyuan's father and son than to the Jiang family."Jiang Li had nothing to say. In all fairness, Jiang Yuanbai was completely right. Yet human hearts are made of flesh—Ye Mingyu had treated her as his own, while Xue Huaiyuan was her biological father. Everyone has their own priorities in relationships. Though Jiang Li wasn’t someone who only remembered the bad and forgot the good, some of the Jiang family’s actions inevitably chilled her heart. She wouldn’t harm the Jiang family, but she couldn’t put them above all else either. Perhaps it was because she was inherently selfish at her core.

Seeing Jiang Li like this, Jiang Yuanbai found himself at a loss for words. She clearly recognized her faults yet refused to change—this stubborn temperament, he wondered whom she took after. It certainly wasn’t him, nor was it like Ye Zhenzhen.

“Let me ask you, has Ji Heng ever told you about the past connections between the Ji and Yin families?”

Jiang Li’s heart skipped a beat, but her expression remained calm as she lowered her eyes and replied, “No.”

“Really?” Jiang Yuanbai looked at her suspiciously.

“Really.”

It was strange—when lying to Ji Heng, Jiang Li always gave herself away and felt deeply uneasy, but lying to Jiang Yuanbai came as naturally as breathing, without a second thought. Jiang Yuanbai sighed and said, “Forget it, none of that matters anymore.”

His sigh was long and heavy, but Jiang Li detected something unusual in his words and asked, “Father, has something happened?”

“Yin Zhan’s rebellion is like holding me over a fire. Previously, he was close to me and visited the Jiang family repeatedly—His Majesty must have been well aware of it. The fact that His Majesty allowed this to happen without warning shows he had long planned to deal with our family as well. The only reason he hasn’t made it explicit yet is out of respect for our years of loyalty as ruler and subject, and the bond of teacher and student, to spare the Jiang family some dignity. If I shamelessly play dumb, I can’t blame His Majesty for being merciless.” He turned to her and shook his head. “The Jiang family can no longer remain in court.”

Jiang Li said nothing. In truth, she had seen this coming long ago. Hongxiao Emperor had likely never intended for the Jiang family to remain in court indefinitely. When Prince Cheng was still around, keeping the Jiang family served as a counterbalance. But now that Prince Cheng was gone, retaining the Jiang family held no benefit. It wasn’t because Jiang Yuanbai had rebellious intentions or anything of the sort, but because most of the civil officials in court had once been his disciples. For Hongxiao Emperor, this was not a good thing.

The art of rulership—it was Jiang Yuanbai himself, then serving as Imperial Tutor, who had taught it to Hongxiao Emperor. He should have understood this better than anyone. Unfortunately, those caught in the midst of things are often blinded by the present circumstances. Jiang Yuanbai’s official career had been too grand, too smooth—to make a painful cut became increasingly difficult. What should have been done many years ago had been delayed until now.

The integrity of the elder Lord Jiang was no longer preserved in the family today, so the decline of the Jiang family was inevitable. That Jiang Yuanbai could now make amends was not necessarily a bad thing. By properly nurturing the younger generation, such as Jiang Jingrui and Jiang Jingyou, the Jiang family might yet flourish again.

It all depends on the choices one makes.

“Xiao Li,” Jiang Yuanbai said, “after I resign from office, you will no longer be the daughter of the Grand Secretary. As for your engagement with Ji Heng…”

“His Majesty’s word is final—how could we go against it?” Jiang Li interrupted Jiang Yuanbai before he could finish.Jiang Yuanbai stared at her, as if suddenly understanding her thoughts. He spoke slowly, "It seems you like him very much."

"Indeed," Jiang Li answered candidly. "I like him very much."

"What if he dies on the battlefield?" Jiang Yuanbai frowned. "You must understand, he has never been to war, while Yin Zhili is Yin Zhan's son, trained in the art of victory since childhood. If he loses, the Emperor's arranged marriage can be rendered void."

"Father is mistaken." Jiang Li raised her eyes to meet Jiang Yuanbai's gaze. Her voice was clear and bright, and in that instant, Jiang Yuanbai seemed to see the same look in her eyes from a year ago, when she had returned to Yanjing City from Qingcheng Mountain and appeared before him after eight years apart. He was astonished by the determination in his daughter's expression—a gentle softness concealing deep stubbornness. Her voice remained gentle, yet it carried the weight of an unshakable vow.

She said, "Ji Heng may die, but he will not lose. If he returns alive, I will marry him. If he does not return, I will tie up my hair and remain a widow for him for the rest of my life. However," the corners of her lips lifted slightly, as if carrying a hint of a smile. Suddenly, Jiang Yuanbai’s vision blurred, and he felt that Jiang Li’s smile at this moment bore a striking resemblance to Ji Heng’s. She continued, "He promised me he would definitely return."

School starts tomorrow—time to copy homework.

(End of Chapter)