The Double

Chapter 85: Resentment

Seeing Tong'er and Bai Xue's confused expressions, Jiang Li recounted the events of the previous night.

Since the two maids hadn't attended the palace banquet, they were unaware of these developments. They were utterly astonished after hearing Jiang Li's account. Jiang Li didn't elaborate on how she had tricked Jiang Yu'e, merely stating that through a twist of fate, the drugged wine intended for her had been consumed by Jiang Yu'e instead.

Tong'er was filled with dread, exclaiming fearfully, "Thank goodness Fifth Miss drank that poison! If it had been you, Miss..." She couldn't bear to imagine what might have happened to Jiang Li, clasping her hands together and murmuring a prayer to the heavens, "This must be our late Madam watching over you from above, protecting you from harm. Amitabha..."

"But Madam's heart is truly vicious," Bai Xue frowned. "This scheme left you no way out. She appears gentle and kind, but in reality, she's as venomous as a snake. Miss, shouldn't we tell the Master and reveal her true nature?"

Jiang Li shook her head.

"I have no evidence for this matter. With only my word against theirs, they can easily refute it. Besides, now that Jiang Youyao's engagement has been inexplicably ruined, Father already feels guilty toward her and favors her. Anything I say would be dismissed." Jiang Li continued calmly, "It's alright. Just having Zhou Yanbang's engagement canceled is enough to deal a heavy blow to that mother-daughter pair. Since I wasn't harmed, and as for their true colors..." Jiang Li smiled faintly, "As long as I remain in this household, opportunities to expose them will surely arise."

Tong'er and Bai Xue exchanged uneasy glances.

Since Jiang Li had made her position clear, they had no choice but to drop the matter. Tong'er asked, "So what will happen to Young Master Zhou now? Will he marry Fifth Miss? I don't think the Master would ever allow Third Miss to marry him after this."

Even Tong'er could see that after these events, Jiang Youyao could never marry into the Zhou family. Jiang Yuanbai would never permit his daughter to demean herself or tarnish the Jiang family's reputation in such a manner.

"Fifth Miss couldn't possibly become the principal wife either," Bai Xue added. "Doesn't Young Master Zhou still have ties with the Shen family's young lady? Miss Shen's status far surpasses Fifth Miss's. If they need to give Fifth Miss an explanation, they'll have to do the same for Miss Shen. Between Miss Shen and Fifth Miss, they'll surely prioritize Miss Shen's interests."

Tong'er nodded vigorously, then patted her chest while looking at Jiang Li, sighing with relief. "Young Master Zhou is entangled with so many women even before marriage... It seems he's truly not a suitable match. It's better that you severed ties with him early, Miss. Let him bring trouble to others instead." Tong'er felt immensely grateful that Jiang Li had already dissolved her engagement with Zhou Yanbang. Otherwise, it would be Jiang Li, not Jiang Youyao, suffering heartbreak now.

"But," Tong'er suddenly remembered something, asking curiously, "I've never heard of any connection between Young Master Zhou and Miss Shen before. How did they become involved? Was it accidental?"

Was it that the drunken Zhou Yanbang happened to see Shen Ruyun and was suddenly overcome with lust, leading to his improper behavior?

Jiang Li's smile turned cold.

The gentleman may be heartless, but the lady is determined. This was no accident—it was a carefully orchestrated "grand gesture" by Shen Ruyun herself.

...

Shen Residence.

The servants kept their heads down, diligently attending to their duties.Even though their current master, the Imperial Secretariat Writer, appeared tolerant and benevolent, his mother and sister were not as easygoing as Shen Yurong. These two women were born with a streak of pettiness in their temperaments. Especially now that Shen Yurong's official career was flourishing, their tempers had gradually worsened, as if to compensate for past hardships by venting all the suffering they had endured before.

And their method of venting was, naturally, to torment the servants.

The servants of the Shen residence were well aware of the two mistresses' harshness, so they dared not let their attention wander even for a moment and were extremely cautious in their work.

Inside the room, Shen Ruyun was confronting Shen Yurong.

"You've gone too far!" Shen Yurong said.

Shen Ruyun was unimpressed and retorted, "Brother, the one who did wrong isn't me—it's Zhou Yanbang, the Marquis of Ningyuan. Why are you blaming me? Are you really my elder brother?"

Shen Yurong didn't get angry but instead smiled, looking at Shen Ruyun as he asked, "Oh? So it was really his fault?"

His gaze was sharp, as if it could pierce straight into a person's heart and lay bare all their hidden thoughts. Shen Ruyun shrank back slightly but stubbornly insisted, "That's right!"

Shen Yurong stared fixedly at her.

Shen Ruyun felt somewhat guilty.

On the night of the palace banquet, everyone saw the outcome: Zhou Yanbang, the Heir of Marquis of Ningyuan, had a secret rendezvous in the palace with Jiang Yu'e, the cousin of his fiancée, engaging in intimate acts and even attempting to take liberties with Shen Ruyun, the sister of the Imperial Secretariat Writer. The Heir of Marquis of Ningyuan was not the refined gentleman he appeared to be but rather a man consumed by lust.

Everyone saw the result, but no one knew exactly what had happened that night. Even Zhou Yanbang and Jiang Yu'e might not have been entirely clear about the details. The one who knew the most was none other than Shen Ruyun.

That night, she had encountered Jiang Li in the garden and learned of Zhou Yanbang's whereabouts. After struggling with herself, she couldn't resist her overwhelming admiration and went to Yuxiu Pavilion herself, intending to "accidentally" meet Zhou Yanbang—at least to exchange a few words with him, to make him remember her and know that she existed, rather than being a stranger.

Even now, Shen Ruyun was glad she had made that decision.

When she pushed open the door of Yuxiu Pavilion and saw the disgraceful scene of Jiang Yu'e and Zhou Yanbang locked in an intimate embrace, she nearly screamed aloud. Anger and jealousy instantly overwhelmed her. Shen Ruyun hesitated not at all and planned to run out and expose this scandal, taking fierce revenge on the man who had broken her heart and the shameless woman.

Before leaving, Shen Ruyun, driven by some inexplicable emotion, turned back. She wanted to confront Zhou Yanbang and ask him why he had done this. If she had been forced to give up before, only able to watch this beloved man from afar, it was because Zhou Yanbang was already engaged to Jiang Youyao. But why would an engaged man like Zhou Yanbang be with Jiang Yu'e? Did he actually like Jiang Yu'e?

Shen Ruyun recognized Jiang Yu'e at a glance—Jiang Youyao's sister, a detestable lapdog who always fawned over Jiang Youyao.

But when Shen Ruyun mustered the courage to confront Zhou Yanbang, he didn't respond. He seemed to hear Shen Ruyun speaking and lifted his head in her direction, yet his expression was dazed, as if he were drunk, with an unnatural flush on his face.Shen Ruyun recalled what Jiang Li had mentioned about Zhou Yanbang taking a nap after getting drunk. She wondered if Zhou Yanbang might indeed be intoxicated, and a glimmer of hope arose in her heart—could it be that Zhou Yanbang had acted unconsciously due to drunkenness?

Mustering her courage to step closer, she forced herself to look at Jiang Yu'e despite her disgust, only to find that Jiang Yu'e was just as dazed and incoherent as Zhou Yanbang.

Yet even drunk individuals shouldn’t appear in such a state.

Shen Ruyun faintly sensed something familiar, as if she had witnessed a similar scene somewhere before. It wasn’t until she spotted the half-burned incense in the corner of the room—the other half already reduced to ashes scattered on the floor—that everything clicked into place.

Shen Ruyun suddenly understood!

She realized why the scene felt so familiar, nagging at her memory until now—it mirrored exactly the situation when her elder sister-in-law, Xue Fangfei, had been caught with her "lover."

Almost identical!

Back then, Xue Fangfei had also been muddled and unaware, completely oblivious to her surroundings. By the time she was roused, the observing ladies outside had already seen all they needed to see.

Two equally drowsy and confused individuals, the same incense, the same suggestive fragrance.

The longer Shen Ruyun stayed in the room, the more she felt parched, an unfamiliar heat stirring within her.

Had she not experienced the incident with Xue Fangfei, Shen Ruyun, with her limited cleverness, might never have grasped what was happening. But having that prior knowledge, she quickly pieced it together this time.

Zhou Yanbang and Jiang Yu'e had been set up!

Faced with this realization, Shen Ruyun hesitated.

If Zhou Yanbang had been framed, then it wasn’t his intention, and she wouldn’t need to seek revenge or expose this scandal. But if she didn’t intervene, would Jiang Yu'e seize the opportunity to entrap Zhou Yanbang after waking? The more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Shen Ruyun even began to suspect that Jiang Yu'e herself might have orchestrated the scheme.

With this suspicion, Shen Ruyun grew more convinced she was right. Considering Jiang Yu'e’s status, marrying into an official’s family was already a far-fetched dream, let alone capturing the heart of the Heir of Marquis of Ningyuan, whom all the young ladies in Yanjing City admired. Even becoming his concubine would be a significant climb for Jiang Yu'e.

This line of thinking made Shen Ruyun resentful, and she found Jiang Yu'e increasingly irritating. If she simply walked away now, wouldn’t she be playing right into Jiang Yu'e’s hands? Allowing Jiang Yu'e to gain such an advantage was the last thing Shen Ruyun wanted.

After much deliberation, Shen Ruyun couldn’t come up with a good solution and grew frustrated. Why wasn’t she the one entangled with Zhou Yanbang? If she were the one lying beside him on that bed, things would be much simpler. With her status as the sister of an Imperial Secretariat Writer, Zhou Yanbang could just marry her—a match of equal social standing, perfectly suitable. And with their relationship consummated, no matter how unwilling Jiang Youyao might be, she would have to cut ties with Zhou Yanbang.

The Jiang family would never allow Jiang Youyao to become a co-wife.

What started as a casual thought suddenly gave Shen Ruyun pause.That's right, if getting entangled with Zhou Yanbang would ruin Jiang Youyao's chances, then why not do it?

After all, Zhou Yanbang was currently drugged and unconscious—even if one more person "entangled" with him, he wouldn't know.

But Shen Ruyun also understood that her current status was different from before; she now had an Imperial Secretariat Writer for a brother. If she acted too disgracefully, it would bring shame upon Shen Ruyun and might even affect Shen Yurong's official career. She couldn't possibly sleep beside Zhou Yanbang in disheveled clothes like Jiang Yu'e did. As a woman, she had to protect her reputation.

In this matter, Shen Ruyun seemed to have exhausted all the cleverness she possessed in this lifetime to fabricate a story of "being molested." This way, she became a pitiable victim in everyone's eyes while also having had physical contact with Shen Yurong, which she could use to pressure him into taking responsibility.

Everything proceeded smoothly. Even Princess Yongning stood by her side and spoke up for her. Judging by Marquis Ningyuan's tone, he was bound to give her an explanation.

Shen Ruyun went to sleep dreaming of marrying Zhou Yanbang and becoming the wife of the heir.

But she never expected her own brother, Shen Yurong, to not stand by her. Instead, he criticized her for what she had done.

Unnerved by Shen Yurong's gaze, Shen Ruyun changed the subject, saying, "Brother! What's the point of saying all this now? Marquis Ningyuan promised to give us an explanation. Given my current relationship with Heir Zhou, no one else would dare marry me. Besides marrying him, I have no other choice!"

"No other choice?" Shen Yurong snorted. "When you did this, why didn't you think about having no other choice now?"

Shen Ruyun's heart sank. Shen Yurong had guessed the truth after all. With his intelligence, it was no surprise he could see through the deception.

"I know you like him, but he is the Jiang family's son-in-law!" Shen Yurong said. "Now the Jiang family has no choice but to break off the engagement. You've turned the Jiang and Zhou families into enemies. Do you think the Ningyuan Marquis household won't resent you? The Jiang family will also hold you accountable!"

Shen Ruyun hated any mention of the Jiang family. Although she was now the sister of an Imperial Secretariat Writer, she still couldn't compare to the daughter of a Grand Secretary. Unable to hold back, she retorted sarcastically, "The Jiang family, the Jiang family—that's all you care about! In the end, you're only concerned about your career. Now that Her Highness the Princess is on our Shen family's side, why are you still afraid of the Jiang family? You—"

Slap! Shen Ruyun's words were cut short.

Shen Yurong had struck her across the face.

The force of the blow sent Shen Ruyun stumbling, nearly causing her to fall. Shen Yurong's eyes were bloodshot, his hand trembling as he glared at her with a dark, ominous gaze. "Watch your words," he said.

Shen Ruyun was so terrified she couldn't even cry.

She knew her elder brother was clever. Since childhood, he had excelled in his studies, and the tutors at the private school always said the Shen family would eventually produce a top scholar. Later, Shen Yurong indeed became the top candidate in the imperial examinations.

Shen Yurong had always been good to their mother and Shen Ruyun, but when Shen Ruyun truly angered him, she still feared his wrath. However, at some point—perhaps after Xue Fangfei's death—Shen Ruyun began to feel that her brother was growing increasingly gloomy and unfamiliar. Like now, she was utterly terrified, unsure of what Shen Yurong might do.Hearing the commotion from outside, Shen's mother hurriedly pushed the door open and entered. As soon as she stepped in, she saw Shen Ruyun covering her face with tears in her eyes. She rushed over and pulled Shen Ruyun's hand away. Upon seeing the marks on her daughter's face, she immediately flared up, "Yurong, how could you lay a hand on your sister!"

Seeing his mother arrive, Shen Yurong helplessly pressed his forehead and said, "Mother, please don't interfere in this matter."

"How can I not interfere!" Shen's mother retorted, "I am your mother! Ruyun suffered such a great grievance last night. What did she do wrong? She is your sister! I know you've become capable now, and I can no longer control you. If you think Ruyun and I are burdens, if you're ashamed of us and don't want us as family, just tell me straight. Ruyun and I will pack our things and return to the countryside. We wouldn't dare bother you, the esteemed top scholar!" By the end, she simply plopped down on the floor, wailing dryly, "It's all because your father died early, leaving behind this mess. I worked so hard to raise you, and now you won't even acknowledge your own mother. What a sin..."

Shen Ruyun quickly crouched down beside her, and the mother and daughter hugged each other, weeping bitterly.

The servants outside were so frightened they didn't dare make a sound, pretending not to see anything and keeping their distance. Such scenes were not unfamiliar in the Shen residence. Whenever Shen's mother found herself unable to sway Shen Yurong, she would resort to dry wailing to force him into submission.

Sure enough, Shen Yurong immediately gave in. He said, "Mother, when have I ever said I wouldn't take care of you? It's all my fault. I'm unfilial. I was wrong. Ruyun, I will go to the Marquis Ningyuan's residence at noon. This matter won't let you suffer injustice. Zhou Yanbang... just wait at home with peace of mind."

Shen Ruyun felt secretly pleased but continued to sob intermittently, "Brother, don't deceive me, and don't think I'm being unreasonable. If the Marquis Ningyuan's family doesn't give an explanation now, I have nowhere else to go. I'll have no choice but to shave my head and become a nun. You know how Yanjing City treats unchaste women..." She suddenly stopped, casting an uneasy glance at Shen Yurong.

Shen Yurong forbade any mention of Xue Fangfei in the residence. Everyone speculated it was because admitting to being cuckolded—his wife having an affair—was ultimately a humiliating matter for a husband.

Shen Yurong's brow twitched slightly. He didn't lose his temper but suddenly grew quiet, his expression turning cold. He said, "I understand. Wait here in the residence. I'm going out for a while." With that, he left without another word for Shen Ruyun or his mother, striding out directly.

This time, Shen's mother didn't resume her dry wailing. Only after Shen Yurong had left did she suddenly slap Shen Ruyun's back, complaining, "Why did you have to bring that up for no reason? Look at your brother—he's upset again."

Shen Ruyun also regretted it deeply. At such a critical moment, she didn't want to anger Shen Yurong either, but she still refused to back down verbally, "What's really going on with Brother? Why does he still act like that when that person is mentioned? Could it be that he still misses her?"

"Nonsense!" Shen's mother immediately retorted, "Your brother and that woman have long been finished! She made your brother the laughingstock of the entire capital. What man in the world could tolerate a wife who cheats? She deserved to die. If she hadn't died, your brother would still be dragged down by her. How could he have the bright future he has now?!"Seeing Shen's mother's stern expression and harsh tone, Shen Ruyun dared not argue. After a moment, she asked, "Mother, will Elder Brother really go to Marquis Ningyuan's residence to stand up for me?"

"Of course he will!" Shen's mother grasped Shen Ruyun's hand, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes. "Even if your elder brother doesn't intervene, Marquis Ningyuan's household has publicly tarnished your reputation before so many people. They must give you an explanation. If all else fails, we can ask the princess for help... In any case, we absolutely cannot let you suffer this injustice!"

Shen Ruyun felt somewhat guilty. Aside from Shen Yurong having deduced her scheme against Zhou Yanbang, even her own mother remained unaware. If Marquis Ningyuan's household were to discover the truth, they would certainly not let the matter rest. However, judging by Zhou Yanbang's condition yesterday, it seemed he wouldn't learn the truth.

This way, the plan was seamless, and she could smoothly marry into Marquis Ningyuan's household.

She had finally achieved her heart's desire.

...

Meanwhile, at Marquis Ningyuan's residence, a woman's weeping could be heard from the main hall.

"Master, please stop! Stop beating him! Yanbang can't withstand such punishment!" Madame Ningyuan tried to snatch the whip from the Marquis's hand, but he shoved her aside, sending her stumbling to the ground. She could only watch helplessly as the dark, glossy whip landed on Zhou Yanbang's back, eliciting a sharp cry of pain.

The servants in the hall and other members of the Ningyuan household dared not plead for Zhou Yanbang. Kneeling on the ground, Zhou Yanbang attempted to evade his father's lashes, but this only provoked more furious whipping.

His back was immediately covered with raised red welts. Due to his usually delicate and fair skin, the scars appeared particularly gruesome.

Marquis Ningyuan continued beating him while cursing angrily, "You disgraceful fool!"

Unable to stop him no matter what she tried, Madame Ningyuan could only watch as the Marquis eventually grew tired, threw the whip aside, snorted in disgust, and strode away without looking back.

Madame Ningyuan rushed forward. Seeing Zhou Yanbang on the verge of losing consciousness, her tears flowed uncontrollably. She urgently ordered the servants nearby, "Quickly, fetch a physician!"

The physician arrived promptly, wrote several prescriptions for Zhou Yanbang, and Madame Ningyuan immediately sent someone to prepare the medicine in the kitchen. Meanwhile, she personally applied ointment to Zhou Yanbang's wounded back.

After a while, the unconscious Zhou Yanbang gradually came to and murmured, "Mother..."

Tears fell from Madame Ningyuan's eyes onto the back of her hand. Her heart ached with pity for his suffering yet burned with anger at his foolishness. She wished she could strike him a couple of times herself but couldn't bring herself to do it. She only said, "What have you done?"

Zhou Yanbang couldn't answer.

What had he done? From last night until now, everything had been a blur, and he remembered nothing clearly.

Madame Ningyuan continued, "If you had gotten involved with Jiang Yu'e, that would be one thing. After all, she's just the daughter of an illegitimate child. At worst, we could have taken her in as a noble concubine and been done with it. But why on earth did you have to provoke Shen Ruyun? She's the sister of an Imperial Secretariat Writer! The Emperor currently holds Shen Yurong in the highest regard. By offending the Shen family, you've incurred the Emperor's displeasure toward you and our Ningyuan household. That's why your father is so furious."Zhou Yanbang felt nothing but a throbbing headache. When had he ever provoked Shen Ruyun? He didn’t even know what she looked like. It was only when the Imperial Secretariat Writer’s sister broke down in tears while accusing him last night that he got a clear look at her face for the first time. How could he possibly have acted improperly toward such a stranger? Even he couldn’t make sense of it.

“Didn’t you say before that you fancied Jiang Li, the second daughter of the Jiang family? If that’s the case, why did you go after Jiang Wu, and now Shen Ruyun? Yanbang, what on earth is going through your mind? How could you do something so foolish?”

Jiang Li? Zhou Yanbang was stunned, momentarily forgetting the pain from the whip marks on his back. He remembered clearly—last night, he had arranged to meet Jiang Li at Yuxiu Pavilion. How could it have turned into Jiang Yu'e? At that time, he saw someone approaching the pavilion and assumed it was Jiang Li coming to the rendezvous. Overwhelmed with joy, he had acted impulsively. Could it be that from the very beginning, the person who arrived was actually Jiang Yu'e?

Seeing Zhou Yanbang frozen in silence, the Marchioness of Ningyuan asked, "What's wrong with you?"

Zhou Yanbang snapped back to reality and replied evasively, "It's nothing." But inwardly, his mind was in turmoil, unable to calm down.

How could Jiang Li have become Jiang Yu'e? The note had been delivered to Jiang Li personally, and the messenger confirmed she had received it. Something so important—she would never have carelessly discarded it for someone else to find.

Zhou Yanbang also recalled that after Shen Ruyun led the crowd to the scene last night, Jiang Li stood among them. Her gaze held not a trace of surprise, only a chilling calm.

She had known all along.

It felt like a bucket of cold water had been drenched over him. Zhou Yanbang trembled from head to toe, his body growing colder even as the flames of hatred and rage burned hotter within him.

Jiang Li didn’t want to meet him, so she conspired with Jiang Yu'e to set him up. Jiang Yu'e had been desperate to marry into the Jiang family, and Jiang Li must have known this all along—that’s why she gave the note to Jiang Yu'e.

This way, she could stand among the crowd and coldly watch his humiliation!

Zhou Yanbang was consumed by fury.

Even a fool would understand that after last night’s incident, his official career was utterly ruined. Graduates of the Imperial College were first and foremost judged by their moral character. His virtue had been publicly ridiculed and proven a joke. With the Hongxiao Emperor displeased, he had lost any chance to advance in his career!

All of this was thanks to Jiang Yu'e and Jiang Li.

Zhou Yanbang hated Jiang Yu'e, but he hated Jiang Li even more. She could have simply refused to meet him—instead, she chose this humiliating method. She disregarded his sincere feelings as if they were worthless and used this scheme to destroy his entire life.

What a vicious woman!

Seeing Zhou Yanbang trembling uncontrollably, the Marchioness of Ningyuan grew anxious and asked, "Are you unwell? Should we call the physician again?"

"No need," Zhou Yanbang forced himself to endure the pain in his back and the coldness in his heart. "Mother, what should we do now? I’m now entangled with both the Fifth Jiang Miss and the Shen family’s young lady. How should I proceed?" He forced a bitter smile. "The engagement with Jiang Youyao is probably impossible now, right?"

The Marchioness of Ningyuan fell silent for a moment before shaking her head. "Early this morning, the Jiang family sent someone." Her tone was a mix of anger and regret. "Consider the engagement with Jiang Youyao as if it never happened."

Zhou Yanbang replied, "It’s fine. The engagement with Jiang Youyao was never meant to be in the first place."

The Marchioness found his words strange and couldn’t help but look at him intently.

But Zhou Yanbang was thinking to himself: the engagement with Jiang Youyao had always been a substitute for Jiang Li. Now that Jiang Youyao was out of the picture, things had simply returned to how they were meant to be.

Yet, his connection to the Jiang family did not seem entirely severed."How is Jiang Yu'e?" Zhou Yanbang asked. "It seems I should arrange a status for her. Mother, what about making her a concubine?"

"That would be the best option." Marquis Ningyuan's wife snorted. "She should take a good look at her own status. If even this cannot satisfy her, she'd better give up the idea of entering the Marquis Ningyuan's residence."

(End of Chapter)