The Double

Chapter 99: External Troubles

After Jiang Li left, she returned to Lizheng Hall. She didn't tell Ye Jia'er that she had met Duke Su. For the people of Xiangyang, the name Duke Su was too distant, and very few had ever seen him in person. If Ji Heng were to walk down the street, people would only marvel at how stunningly beautiful the man was, without ever guessing his true identity.

Moreover, Ji Heng's appearance had made the entire situation even more complicated. Before she could fully understand the ins and outs of the matter, Jiang Li had no intention of telling the Ye family. Even if she were to tell them, she would have to wait until Ye Mingxuan and Ye Minghui returned so they could discuss it carefully.

By the time they had settled all the commoners who had come to Lizheng Hall demanding compensation for the Ancient Fragrance Satin, it was nearly evening. Jiang Li and the others returned to the Ye residence, where Guan Shi had already arrived. Both she and Zhuo Shi breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that Lizheng Hall was now safe. However, Ye Mingyu had not returned with them.

"Third Brother is impulsive," Guan Shi explained. "By the time I arrived, he had already barged into the government office, demanding to see Prefect Tong. The officers there overpowered him and took him into custody. They outnumbered him, and he was no match for them. I tried to see Prefect Tong to plead for leniency, but I couldn't even get an audience. The guards at the gate told me that if I wanted to see him, I'd have to bring silver. I was in such a rush that I didn't bring any banknotes. I'll have to take some tomorrow morning and go again. I just hope Third Brother hasn't suffered too much."

"They want banknotes?" Ye Rufeng said angrily. "Those corrupt officials!"

Jiang Li was no longer surprised by this. Not everyone was as incorruptible as Xue Huaiyuan. The smaller the official, the more they relished the privileges their power brought. Otherwise, why would there be a saying like "A 'clean' prefect for three years amasses a hundred thousand taels of silver"?

"That's just the way of the world," Zhuo Shi sighed. "Let's pool our resources. We can't just abandon Third Brother."

"That's right," Ye Jia'er agreed. "Fortunately, all they want is silver. That makes it easier."

"Jia'er, you don't understand," Guan Shi sighed again. "The Ye family has already lost a lot of silver because of the Ancient Fragrance Satin incident. The clothing shops have stopped doing business with us, which is another significant loss. People are greedy, and what I fear is that these people will never be satisfied. They'll keep demanding more, treating our Ye family like a silver vault. Once we open that door... it will take a great deal of effort to get your uncle and father out."

The Ye family was skilled in business and understood human greed all too well. If Tong Zhiyang got a taste of the Ye family's wealth—if even one Ye Mingyu could be ransomed for a large sum of silver—then for Ye Mingxuan and Ye Minghui, he wouldn't rest until he had drained the Ye family dry.

The Ye family was like a piece of fatty meat. Tong Zhiyang had been eyeing it for a long time and had finally found an opportunity to strike. How could he let such a prize slip away?

Jiang Li smiled. "Actually, there's no need to worry."

Everyone in the room turned to look at her.

They all knew that Lizheng Hall had ultimately been saved today thanks to Jiang Li stepping forward and speaking up. Although she was younger than Ye Jia'er and had never managed a business before, her actions had been more thorough than anyone else present.

"There's no need to pool silver. I think Tong Zhiyang will release Uncle Mingyu very soon."

"Why?" Ye Rufeng asked, frowning.

"Because my father is Jiang Yuanbai," Jiang Li said. "He's afraid."In the study of the Tong residence, Tong Zhiyang abruptly threw the book in his hand and retorted loudly, "Jiang Yuanbai's daughter? How could she be in Xiangyang?"

Tong Zhiyang was short, plump, and round-faced, with small eyes and a garlic-bulb nose. Even at home, he wore his gleaming official robe. Yet at this moment, he seemed to radiate furious anger as he berated his subordinate.

"This humble one doesn’t know either," the subordinate replied timidly. "We initially suspected it might be someone from the Ye family in disguise, but the guards from the Grand Secretary’s residence cannot be faked. Someone in Xiangyang who had been to Yanjing personally confirmed it—it is indeed Second Miss Jiang. Second Miss Jiang is currently in Xiangyang, staying with the Ye family."

Tong Zhiyang was stunned. "What’s going on? Wasn’t it said that the Ye and Jiang families cut off contact over a decade ago, and Jiang Li no longer acknowledged the Ye family? Why would she suddenly come to Xiangyang?"

"Well, it’s said that Old Madam Ye is gravely ill, and Second Miss Jiang came to visit her."

Tong Zhiyang kicked a stool on the floor aside. "Are they trying to fool ghosts? After all these years without a word, how could they suddenly become so sentimental?"

"That’s not all... Master, Second Miss Jiang also stood at the entrance of Lizheng Hall and said, said..." The subordinate hesitated.

"Said what?"

After a moment’s pause, the man repeated verbatim what Jiang Li had said in front of Lizheng Hall. His memory was quite sharp—not a single word was missed, including Jiang Li’s mention of the Weaving Office Order and her sarcastic remarks mocking Tong Zhiyang.

After listening, Tong Zhiyang’s face turned pale, then flushed. After a long silence, he spat out two words: "Bastard!"

Being mocked so mercilessly by a junior was, for a pretentious and vain man like Tong Zhiyang, no different from being stripped naked and paraded through the streets. He had to admit that Jiang Li’s taunts, though devoid of vulgar language, were piercingly sharp. What was even more infuriating was that, in the face of such ridicule, Tong Zhiyang could say nothing in response—because Jiang Li was Jiang Yuanbai’s daughter, and Jiang Yuanbai was the current Grand Secretary. In comparison, a mere prefect like him was as insignificant as a blade of grass. Not only could he not refute her, but he also had to curry favor with this young lady, even if only superficially.

"Master, we were almost certain to deal with the Ye family, but who would have thought Second Miss Jiang would appear out of nowhere. She is a member of the Jiang family, so... should we reconsider our plans now?"

His subordinate’s words made Tong Zhiyang ponder. His brother-in-law had recently asked him to find an opportunity to target the Ye family, promising that if the matter was handled well, this prefectural position could lead to a promotion. Tong Zhiyang owed his appointment as prefect entirely to this brother-in-law’s influence. The brother-in-law worked for a noble in Yanjing City and had plenty of connections. Of course, Tong Zhiyang agreed without hesitation, following his brother-in-law’s plan step by step. They were waiting for the Ye family to be driven to utter misery and desperation before offering them a prearranged last resort.

Naturally, Tong Zhiyang also coveted the Ye family’s immense wealth. He didn’t dare dream of taking it all for himself, and besides, the Ye family’s merchant houses were renowned throughout Northern Yan, making them not so easy to swallow. But now, with his brother-in-law and a powerful backer in Yanjing City, Tong Zhiyang’s courage had swelled. Seizing this opportunity, he could both secure a promotion and make a fortune from the Ye family’s silver—why not go for it?

Everything had been proceeding smoothly, until Jiang Li suddenly appeared out of the blue.Tong Zhiyang surmised that in his brother-in-law's initial plan, he probably hadn't anticipated that Second Miss Jiang—who had long severed ties with the Ye family—would suddenly arrive in Xiangyang and stand up for the Ye family. She had even invoked the Weaving Office Order. Tong Zhiyang naturally knew what the Weaving Office Order represented. Though he could act like a local tyrant in Xiangyang, far from the emperor's reach, he was nothing in the face of officials from Yanjing.

"This can't go on," Tong Zhiyang muttered, pacing back and forth in the room. "Fetch me paper and brush."

His subordinate hurried to retrieve writing materials. Wiping sweat from his forehead, Tong Zhiyang stared at the paper, pondering how to begin.

Jiang Li's appearance had disrupted the plan entirely. Since she dared to mention writing to Jiang Yuanbai right in front of Li Zhengtang, it was clear Jiang Yuanbai's stance wasn't completely detached from the Ye family. If Jiang Yuanbai were to take offense at him over this, not only would his brother-in-law be implicated, but his own position as a minor prefect would be untenable. Wealth and status were desirable, but suffering a double loss was not. Tong Zhiyang decided to write to his brother-in-law, or have him consult that influential figure for guidance—at the very least, to learn the next step. Relying solely on himself risked irreversible mistakes.

As he hastily wrote, his subordinate suddenly remembered something. "Sir, Third Master Ye is still detained. Should we release him or not?"

In the original plan, Ye Mingyu was insignificant—he wasn't involved in the Ye family's business and knew nothing about it, so no specific instructions had been given regarding him. When Ye Mingyu showed up on his own, Tong Zhiyang saw no harm in arresting him, expecting the panicked Ye family to pay a hefty ransom, which would have been an unexpected windfall. But now, with circumstances changed, it was best to avoid unnecessary trouble. Incurring further resentment from Second Miss Jiang for no reason was unwise.

"Detain him? Release him at once! Say it was a misunderstanding—my subordinates acted on their own, without my knowledge!" Tong Zhiyang snapped.

The subordinate rushed off to carry out the order.

Alone in the room, Tong Zhiyang grew increasingly agitated. Yet, there was no time to waste. As Jiang Li had said, she had already written to Jiang Yuanbai in Xiangyang. He had to act quickly, writing to his brother-in-law immediately to devise a countermeasure.

What a sudden calamity.

...

An hour later, Ye Mingyu returned to the Ye residence.

The Ye family was overjoyed to see him unharmed. Guan Shi asked if he was injured, but Ye Mingyu shook his head. Although the officers had arrested him, he was no pushover and had given them a hard time. As for any real harm, he was, after all, the Third Master of the Ye family, and with numerous friends in the martial world, anyone targeting him might find themselves in trouble instead.

"I thought we'd have to pay a ransom to get you back tomorrow," Zhuo Shi sighed in relief. "It's good you're back."

"I don't know what happened," Ye Mingyu scratched his head. "The officers were hostile at first, threatening to make me suffer. Then suddenly tonight, they became respectful, apologized saying it was all a misunderstanding, and let me go. I thought the Ancient Fragrance Satin matter had been cleared up, but Eldest Brother and Second Brother haven't returned yet."

Everyone in the room turned their gaze to Jiang Li."Why are you all looking at A Li?" Ye Mingyu asked. "Does this matter have something to do with A Li?"

"This matter was indeed thanks to cousin," Ye Jia'er then recounted in detail what Jiang Li had done in front of Li Zhengtang, concluding, "Prefect Tong probably released Third Uncle so quickly because he feared the Jiang family's influence."

Ye Mingyu hadn't expected there to be such a connection and found himself at a loss for words as he looked at Jiang Li. Although he bore no grudge against Jiang Li, he had never held any favorable opinion of the Jiang family. Jiang Yuanbai had remarried so soon, and with the Jiang and Ji families being well-matched in status, Ye Mingyu secretly despised the Jiang family's selfishness and indifference. Yet today, if not for the Jiang family's reputation, Li Zhengtang might have been lost. Being saved by those he detested left him speechless.

In the past, the Ye family often said that Ye Zhenzhen should never have married Jiang Yuanbai—had she married an ordinary man, her fate might have been different. But if Ye Zhenzhen had indeed married an ordinary man, without the Jiang family's prestige to rely on, how long could the Ye family have held out? Over the years, if not for Ye Zhenzhen's status as Madame Jiang, the Ye family might not have enjoyed such peace. Now that more than a decade had passed and the Jiang and Ye families had ceased contact, these people immediately began to stir.

Ultimately, it was a case of a tall tree catching the wind.

Jiang Li noticed Ye Mingyu's discomfort and smiled, saying, "It's nothing. People tend to bully the weak and fear the strong. Tong Zhiyang is as timid as a mouse, yet greedy and hesitant in his actions. Naturally, he would be intimidated by the Jiang family's name. If it were someone more ruthless, the outcome might not have been the same."

"You seem to know Tong Zhiyang quite well," Ye Rufeng couldn't help but interject.

"Tong Zhiyang never showed himself from start to finish, always having others act on his behalf. That shows he's a coward. He's so cautious, probably waiting only until victory is assured and everything is settled before making an appearance."

Ye Mingyu nodded and suddenly asked, "A Li, did you really write to your father?"

In front of Li Zhengtang, Jiang Li had said she had informed Jiang Yuanbai about the situation in Xiangyang and asked him to report it to the Weaving Office Order, so they would dispatch personnel. Ye Mingyu hesitated before continuing, "Your father... would he really step forward for this matter?"

In the eyes of the Ye family, Jiang Yuanbai shouldn't intervene in such a minor matter. But from Jiang Li's perspective, his reluctance might not be because it was trivial, but because it involved the Right Prime Minister. Although the Jiang and Li families were rivals, they had carefully maintained a balance over the years. In the past, Jiang Yuanbai wouldn't have hesitated to confront the Li family directly, but now, with Prince Cheng backing the Right Prime Minister, the Jiang family had to be more cautious.

If helping the Ye family meant offending Prince Cheng, Jiang Yuanbai definitely wouldn't act.

Jiang Li shook her head. "No."

The Ye family looked at her in surprise. Ye Jia'er asked, "Then, cousin, were you bluffing Prefect Tong?"

"Not exactly," Jiang Li replied. "Although I didn't write to my father, I wrote to Cousin Ye. Cousin Ye is now the newly appointed Vice Minister of Revenue, and the Weaving Office Order wouldn't dare to treat him lightly. Moreover, I told Cousin Ye to use my father's name freely, which would make the Weaving Office Order take it even more seriously. I believe that as soon as the Weaving Office Order receives the report, they will immediately send people to Xiangyang."No one had expected Jiang Li to say such a thing. Ye Rufeng asked uncomfortably, "How can you let Eldest Cousin use your father's name?"

"At the palace banquet, Cousin and I received honors from His Majesty together. Everyone knows about my relationship with Cousin Ye. I've observed that my father holds Cousin Ye in high regard, and I doubt he would avoid mentioning him if colleagues inquire. Since everyone in Yanjing City already assumes Cousin Ye and my father are aligned, why not let them continue believing that? Wouldn't it be a waste not to use such an advantage?"

Her matter-of-fact attitude gave people the illusion that Jiang Li was exploiting not her own father, but a complete stranger.

"Aren't you afraid of causing trouble for your father?" Ye Rufeng pressed. "If you act on your own like this, your father won't let you off easily when you return to Yanjing City."

"So what?" Jiang Li smiled faintly. "What's done is done. Is he going to kill me?"

Her attitude of being unafraid of consequences and letting things take their natural course left the Ye family speechless.

But Jiang Li knew clearly in her heart that besides genuinely wanting to help the Ye family, she was doing all this to sever any potential alliance between Prince Cheng and the Jiang family. She wanted to create an irreparable rift between Jiang Yuanbai and the Right Prime Minister. Only then would she have an opportunity to act.

As for how Jiang Yuanbai would vent his anger on her after returning to Yanjing City—that was something to consider later. To deal with Yongning and Shen Yurong, she was willing to pay any price.

Even her life.

If Tong Zhiyang truly had someone backing him, her appearance must have disrupted his plans. He would inevitably write for help, but before that, Jiang Li's letter to Ye Shijie had already been sent. Before Tong Zhiyang could formulate a concrete countermeasure, the Weaving Office Order officials would likely have arrived in Xiangyang, and everything would no longer be under Tong Zhiyang's control.

This timing difference was precisely the opportunity.

"So rest assured," Jiang Li said with a laugh. "I don't think Tong Zhiyang will make any rash moves recently. As for the recovered Ancient Fragrance Satin, it must be carefully preserved. The Ancient Fragrance Satin I'm wearing has no issues, which suggests the problematic satin either appeared recently or is unique to Xiangyang. This doesn't seem coincidental. When the Weaving Office Order officials arrive, we should be able to get to the bottom of it."

Ye Jia'er nodded. "That's what I think too."

After discussing arrangements for the coming days, the Ye family members dispersed to rest. Jiang Li lingered behind and called out to Ye Mingyu, who was walking ahead, "Uncle Mingyu."

Ye Mingyu stopped. "What is it, A Li?"

"May I have a word in private?"

Ye Mingyu followed Jiang Li to Ye Minghui's study. Jiang Li had Tong'er guard the door outside and said, "Uncle Mingyu, having traveled extensively, you must have some friends, right?"

Hearing this, Ye Mingyu laughed heartily. "Indeed, I have plenty of friends."

"These friends must be the type who would go through fire and water for each other. Uncle Mingyu, there's something that must be done by you or your friends."

Seeing Jiang Li's serious expression, Ye Mingyu unconsciously straightened up and asked, "What is it, A Li? Tell me."

"Everyone in Xiangyang City knows that Tong Zhiyang is henpecked. Although he is insatiably greedy, he is exceptionally clean when it comes to matters between men and women—he doesn't even set foot in brothels. It's precisely because of this that his wife is willing to have her family support him, allowing him to hold the position of Xiangyang Prefect."When it came to matters between men and women, even Ye Mingyu felt somewhat uncomfortable, yet Jiang Li appeared completely composed, as if discussing the most ordinary matter. Ye Mingyu could only rationalize in his heart: after all, Jiang Li had spent eight years in the nunnery, living a life of purity and detachment. Having understood the principle that "form is emptiness, emptiness is form," it was only natural for her to view relationships between men and women with such indifference.

This must be what it means to be above worldly concerns!

His thoughts drifted far until he heard Jiang Li continue, "However, Tong Zhiyang is not as proper in private as he appears on the surface. He keeps a mistress housed just outside Xiangyang City, where he bought her a residence. She even bore him a son."

"What?" Ye Mingyu was startled. He had never heard of such a secret. Everyone knew Tong Zhiyang was as fearful of his wife as a mouse of a cat—how could he have such audacity?

"Uncle, there’s no need to be so surprised," Jiang Li said, somewhat taken aback by his reaction. "The mistress is young and beautiful, and Tong Zhiyang dotes on her. Moreover, his official wife has only given him two daughters, and he has always longed for a son. The mistress fulfilled his wish by bearing him a boy, making her all the more precious to him. He visits the mother and child regularly."

Ye Mingyu was so shocked his jaw nearly dropped. "Y-you’re telling the truth?"

"Absolutely." Jiang Li knew that it was precisely by leveraging this secret of Tong Zhiyang’s that Xue Zhao had prevented him from continuing to trouble Xue Huaiyuan. At that time, Tong Zhiyang had just welcomed the son from his mistress. Calculating now, it had been five or six years. Jiang Li had inquired further and found that in all these years, no rumors about Tong Zhiyang’s mistress had surfaced, proving how well he had concealed the affair. She had even sent someone to check the outskirts of the city, and indeed, the mother and child were still there.

In this matter, Tong Zhiyang’s loyalty was almost laughable.

"Even if what you say is true," Ye Mingyu asked, "how did you come to know all this? A Li, you’ve been in Xiangyang for less than a month. My elder brother and others who have lived here for decades have never heard a word of it."

If others were to hear the secrets Jiang Li revealed, they would be astounded and might even think she was lying. Ye Mingyu didn’t doubt her honesty, but he was utterly perplexed. Jiang Li wasn’t from Xiangyang—how could she know Tong Zhiyang’s affairs so thoroughly? Not only that, but she also knew that Tong Zhiyang’s brother-in-law served as Zhong Guanling in Yanjing City. Ye Mingyu was certain Jiang Yuanbai wouldn’t pay attention to a mere prefect in Xiangyang, so this information couldn’t have come from him.

How did Jiang Li find out?

"The guards I brought from Yanjing City," Jiang Li replied with a smile. "They were carefully selected by my father. I had one of them investigate Tong’s residence, and by chance, they overheard Tong Zhiyang ordering someone to deliver silver to the mother and child. I had them follow the messenger and confirmed it was true. That’s how I uncovered the secret."

Naturally, she couldn’t tell Ye Mingyu that she knew because of Xue Zhao. This explanation was reasonable enough—aside from this, Ye Mingyu couldn’t think of any other way Jiang Li might have learned such details, so he accepted it as a coincidence.

"Alright, A Li, why are you telling me about Tong Zhiyang’s mistress?""As we can see, Tong Zhiyang dotes deeply on this mother and child pair. I suspect Tong Zhiyang is involved in this Ancient Fragrance Satin incident with the Ye family, and there might be someone else directing things behind the scenes. To prevent any mishaps, I need him to feel some restraint. At least until the Weaving Office Order sends someone to Xiangyang, he shouldn't be able to pull any tricks."

Ye Mingyu looked at her, not quite understanding what Jiang Li meant.

"Since Uncle Mingyu is a man of the martial world, taking away a mother and child shouldn't be too difficult," Jiang Li said. "I hope Uncle Mingyu or his friends can abduct Tong Zhiyang's mistress and son. When Tong Zhiyang suddenly receives this news, all his energy will be focused on searching for this pair, leaving him no extra capacity to deal with the Ye family. When necessary, we can even use them as leverage—" Jiang Li smiled. "You should know that Tong Zhiyang dares not let his wife learn of this mistress and son's existence. Once exposed, his position as Xiangyang's prefect would be jeopardized. To protect this secret, Tong Zhiyang will surely be willing to make any deal with you, given how he fears his wife like a tiger."

Ye Mingyu finally understood—Jiang Li wanted him to kidnap Tong Zhiyang's mistress and son and hide them. Whether as bargaining chips or simply to distract Tong Zhiyang, the prefect would be too constrained to act rashly against the Ye family.

He said, "A Li, you want me to abduct a mother and child..." In the martial world, they disdained such base acts and were unwilling to bully women and children.

As if reading his thoughts, Jiang Li looked calmly at Ye Mingyu and said, "Uncle Mingyu, when Tong Zhiyang targeted the Ye family and incited the masses to vandalize Lizheng Hall, did he consider the elderly, weak, and sick in our household? Not to mention Cousin Ye is still serving as an official in Yanjing City, and Grandmother's health is frail. If she learned of the family's troubles, how could she remain at ease?"

"Moreover, having you take them away doesn't mean harming them. They can be well cared for, merely suffering some fright. Once matters are resolved, we'll return them unharmed—they'll lose nothing." Jiang Li smiled. "We're at a critical juncture of survival, Uncle Mingyu. You mustn't be overly merciful."

Though spoken gently, her final words carried an inexplicable sternness.

Ye Mingyu felt a chill, and upon reflection, he said to Jiang Li with shame, "I was too simplistic. You could see what I failed to, despite my years." He straightened up seriously. "Leave this to me. Tomorrow, I'll gather a few trusted friends and find a secure hiding place. Since Tong Zhiyang fears his wife so much, he won't openly search for them, which works to our advantage."

Jiang Li nodded. "Once it's done and Tong Zhiyang gets the news, it'll be too late for him to find them—nearly impossible."

"But," Ye Mingyu said, "you mentioned Tong Zhiyang's involvement in the Ancient Fragrance Satin incident and that someone is guiding him behind the scenes—is that true?"

The Ye family had been unable to pinpoint the cause of the Ancient Fragrance Satin problem, let alone blame Tong Zhiyang. If Jiang Li was right, this was no small matter.

"I only suspect it," Jiang Li said. "There's no concrete evidence yet. However, once the Weaving Office Order arrives in Xiangyang, everything will come to light." She smiled faintly. "I doubt even Tong Zhiyang, bold as he may be, would dare to meddle under the noses of the officials sent by the Weaving Office. Moreover, with his beloved mistress and son as leverage, Prefect Tong should be able to weigh the pros and cons."Even if there truly was a high-ranking official in Yanjing City who could protect Tong Zhiyang, and that official happened to be the powerful Right Prime Minister who held sway over the court, Jiang Li surmised that the Right Prime Minister, being cautious of his reputation, would never reveal his identity to avoid implicating himself if the matter came to light. Without knowing how secure his backing was, Tong Zhiyang would not dare to act recklessly.

Moreover, with Tong Zhiyang's son and his mistress missing, he would inevitably have reservations. He would understand that distant water cannot quench a nearby fire, and he would first know when to yield to circumstances, as a wise man does.

We've passed a hundred chapters!

(End of Chapter)