The Double

Chapter 53 Cousin

Ye Shijie waited for Jiang Li in the private chamber of the neighboring teahouse.

Early this morning, he had someone wait outside the Jiang residence to deliver a message to Jiang Li’s maid. Ye Shijie had arranged to meet her in the teahouse chamber. Though the message was delivered, there was no guarantee Jiang Li would personally come to the appointment.

Nevertheless, Jiang Li eventually arrived.

The time for classes had not yet arrived, and this place was not far from Mingyi Hall. A brief conversation with Ye Shijie would not interfere with her school schedule. After making all the necessary arrangements, Jiang Li came to the meeting.

In the teahouse, Ye Shijie was dressed in a blue-gray robe. Though the color was plain, upon closer inspection, the fabric was exquisite, and the subtle patterns at the cuffs were embroidered with a rare double-needle technique. The young man had thick eyebrows and large eyes, quite handsome, though his gaze as he scrutinized Jiang Li still held a hint of wariness.

“Cousin Ye,” Jiang Li said as she sat down opposite him.

Seemingly startled by the address “Cousin Ye,” Ye Shijie froze for a moment, at a loss for words. After a long pause, he spoke stiffly, “Why did you help me yesterday?”

In the urgency of the situation yesterday, Jiang Li’s sudden appearance had aided Ye Shijie, and he was deeply grateful to this young girl who had stepped in to help. But when he sat under the lamplight that evening, he suddenly realized something was amiss. The Second Miss of the Jiang family in the capital—wasn’t she the daughter of his deceased aunt, his cousin?

If it had been anyone else who had come to his aid, Ye Shijie might not have given it much thought. But when the helper turned out to be Jiang Li, he simply couldn’t believe there wasn’t some ulterior motive at play. Tossing and turning all night without sleep, Ye Shijie decided to confront Jiang Li directly and ask her what was going on.

“I called you Cousin Ye. How could I stand by and watch my own relative being cheated on the street?” Jiang Li spoke naturally, as if surprised that Ye Shijie would ask such a simple question.

Ye Shijie was once again taken aback by her matter-of-fact tone. After a long pause, he sneered, “Stop joking. Weren’t you the one who looked down on us merchants? What do you mean by ‘relatives’?”

Hearing this, Jiang Li asked curiously, “What do you mean by that?”

Ye Shijie glared at her angrily. “Back then, when Grandmother traveled all the way to the capital to bring you to Xiangyang, you publicly insulted the Ye family in front of the entire Jiang household, calling us lowly merchants and vowing to sever all ties with us!” As he spoke, his chest heaved with emotion, clearly agitated. “Grandmother fell seriously ill after returning and had to rest in bed for a full year before recovering. And now you talk about ‘relatives’—are you joking?”

Jiang Li stared at him, blinked, and clicked her tongue in surprise. “Did I really say such things?”

Ye Shijie: “...”

“Perhaps Cousin Ye misremembered,” Jiang Li shook her head. “I don’t recall saying anything like that.”

“You don’t remember?” Ye Shijie retorted sarcastically. “But everyone from the Ye family who was there remembers!”

“Oh, then it seems I really did say such things,” Jiang Li sighed inwardly. No wonder the Ye family had cut ties with the Jiang family. If Second Miss Jiang had indeed spoken such hurtful words to the Ye family matriarch, it would be strange for relations to be restored. However, she wasn’t about to take the blame for something she hadn’t done. Jiang Li said, “It’s just that I truly don’t remember now. May I ask, Cousin Ye, how old was I when I said those words?”

Ye Shijie replied coldly, “Five years old.”"Five years old." Jiang Li frowned. "By all accounts, that should be an age of awareness, yet I have no memory of this matter at all. Don’t you find that strange, Cousin Ye?"

"What excuses are you trying to make now?" Ye Shijie stared at her.

"I mean to say, I was young at the time, and my grandmother was far away in Xiangyang. My mother passed away early, and my father was busy with official duties, so I was mostly under the care of my stepmother. Whatever I said back then might not have been my own words—someone could have coached me or threatened me into saying it."

Ye Shijie was about to mock her, but seeing the earnest expression on Jiang Li’s face, he paused in surprise.

Jiang Li’s words reflected her inner suspicions. The young Second Miss Jiang, despite her tender age, had uttered such hurtful remarks. Moreover, if she truly believed that merchants were lowly, someone must have instilled that idea in her. Based on Jiang Li’s current observations of Ji Shuran’s malicious nature, it was entirely possible that she had manipulated the young Second Miss Jiang, whether through coaxing or threats. In any case, it was unlikely to have been the child’s own idea; someone else’s influence was at play.

Ye Shijie fell silent for a moment. Jiang Li’s words had stirred some doubt in him. Though he held a grudge against her, her demeanor now seemed genuine.

"So what do you intend to do now?" Ye Shijie asked after a while. "Do you want to reconcile with the Ye family?"

Jiang Li smiled. "I merely helped you out as a small favor, Cousin Ye, and you assume I want to mend ties with the Ye family. Let me be clear: if I truly wished to repair our relationship, I wouldn’t use your situation as a means to do so."

"Hmph." Ye Shijie snorted lightly, though his expression was no longer as hostile as before. "You make it sound simple, acting all righteous. Who doesn’t know how shrewd you are underneath? Otherwise, why didn’t you report Liu Zimin to the authorities and instead gave him a way out?"

The day before, during the dispute between Liu Zimin and Ye Shijie, Jiang Li had intervened and turned the situation around with a few words. Just when Liu Zimin had been cornered, she had offered him a way to save face, allowing him to escape unscathed.

"Yanjing is a place where various forces are intricately intertwined, and there are numerous officials and influential families. Although the Ye family is immensely wealthy, you hold no official position. You’re like a piece of unprotected fat—anyone can take a bite. Isn’t that why Liu Zimin targeted you, Cousin? Because of your wealth?"

Ye Shijie frowned.

"The Ye family may be wealthy, but you’re still commoners. Even minor officials dare not confront high-ranking ones, let alone commoners against powerful officials. Letting Liu Zimin off was actually for your own good. If you had pursued the matter relentlessly, the Grand Master of Ceremonies’ household would not have let it slide. The Liu family can afford to drag things out, but the Ye family cannot."

As she spoke, Jiang Li’s expression grew calm, tinged with a hint of suppressed resentment.

Commoners should not contend with officials—a mocking smile flickered in Jiang Li’s heart. Wasn’t that the truth? Even her own Xue family, though they held official positions, were considered mere weeds in the eyes of someone as exalted as Princess Yongning, to be trampled and destroyed at will. Justice and truth did exist in this world, but they depended entirely on the power one wielded. With absolute authority, even the unreasonable could be justified.

Ye Shijie said, "I’m well aware of that. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have let him off so easily."

Seeing his response, Jiang Li understood: the Ye family’s eldest grandson was not a reckless person. She asked, "I almost forgot to ask—what brought you to Yanjing City, Cousin?"For no reason at all, coming from Xiangyang to Yanjing City must have a reason.

"I'm studying at the Imperial College," Ye Shijie looked at Jiang Li, his tone somewhat provocative. "Just as you said, the Ye family has no official status and cannot protect our family property, so I came to the capital to study and enter officialdom."

"You want to become an official?" Jiang Li suddenly understood.

(End of Chapter)