The Double
Chapter 772 - 228 Threat_5

Chapter 772: Chapter 228 Threat_5

Yin Zhiqing stood at the doorway with a food basket in hand and saw Jiang Li. Her expression was somewhat complicated, but without saying anything, she turned around, closed the door, and placed the food basket on the table, saying, "You must be hungry, I have brought you some food."

Jiang Li watched her take out the food from the basket but didn’t walk over. Instead, she said, "There must be drugs in this meal, right?"

Yin Zhiqing paused, "I’m sorry."

Her face showed a guilty expression, seemingly genuine. Jiang Li said, "I really can’t eat it." Knowing that eating it would leave her at others’ mercy, if it were any other time, she might have let it go, but what would she do if she truly became Jih Heng’s weakness?

"If you won’t eat, we have ways to make you, for example, mixing it in water and forcing you to drink." She seemed to feel that she was being a bit too harsh and fell silent for a while before softly adding, "I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to treat you this way on purpose."

Jiang Li knew that Yin Zhiqing wasn’t the mastermind behind this; she didn’t have that capability. Eager to inquire about Situ Jiuyue’s situation, she asked, "Where is the girl who was captured with me now? Do you know if she’s alright?"

The response from Yin Zhiqing made Jiang Li’s heart sink. She looked at Jiang Li in shock and said, "There was another person? No, when I came here, I only knew about you."

Jiang Li fell silent. It seemed she could not get any useful information from Yin Zhiqing. After hesitating for a moment, Yin Zhiqing said, "You don’t need to worry, your friend... should be in no danger."

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

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

Jiang Li snorted coldly.

She had always been gentle with people, but such a resentful demeanor surprised Yin Zhiqing, who stared at Jiang Li as if she were a stranger. Jiang Li said, "It seems you know nothing. The one who captured me, it was Yin Zhan, right?" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"How could it be?" Yin Zhiqing frowned, "My father isn’t even here."

With a face that was both shrewd and beautiful, her nature was truly innocent. Jiang Li couldn’t figure out why. Yin Zhan himself did not seem to be an ordinary person, but his two children, Yin Zhili could be considered warm and upright, Yin Zhiqing was too naively straightforward, starkly different from Yin Zhan. If he intended to raise his children to be open and upstanding, why would he use such underhanded methods himself, and why harbor such grand ambitions? Didn’t he find these actions contradictory?

"If it wasn’t your father, then who? Since you don’t even know Jiuyue’s whereabouts, it must be Yin Zhili."

Jiang Li spoke calmly, but there was an unusual directness in her tone. Yin Zhiqing couldn’t handle her attitude and simply said, "My brother may be doing this because he’s unsatisfied with your marriage to Duke Su. Maybe he has other considerations, perhaps he’s trying to help you."

"Help me?" Jiang Li laughed, "Killing all the servants at my uncle’s residence, kidnapping my cousin and the Xue Family father and son, threatening me with five lives so I had no choice but to surrender, harming my friend, stripping me of everything I had for self-defense—it seems like these are the actions of a thief. County Princess of Pingyang, I never knew hurting someone else’s friends and family was a sign of goodwill."

Yin Zhiqing gaped, "You, what are you talking about? Who threatened you? Don’t make false accusations!"

"Isn’t it your dear brother?" Jiang Li said.

"My brother is not that kind of person!" An indignant Yin Zhiqing stood up and said, "I thought you were at least forthright, being a daughter of the Chief Minister’s Family and raised with proper knowledge and manners. But I didn’t expect you to slander others without cause. This is outrageous!" Her brows were furrowed, and her eyes wide with anger, even in her fury she was radiant, but unfortunately, Jiang Li was in no mood to appreciate it.

It seemed Yin Zhili hadn’t told Yin Zhiqing anything. Jiang Li said coldly, "If you don’t believe me, you might as well ask your brother if it’s true. But if he’s capable of such despicable acts, lying is nothing to him."

"You!" In a rage, Yin Zhiqing turned to leave, but Jiang Li stopped her, asking, "County Princess, this place isn’t Yanjing City, is it?"

Yin Zhiqing halted in her steps, still angry, "No, it isn’t!"

Jiang Li became even more convinced of something: this matter was probably premeditated by Yin Zhan. Given Yin Zhili’s capabilities, he couldn’t have pulled this off. He was too indecisive, but this seemed more like Yin Zhan’s handiwork. While Yin Zhan dealt with Jih Heng on one side, he let Yin Zhili capture her, ready to use her as leverage against Jih Heng, preparing for all contingencies.

Such careful scheming indeed.

"County Princess, do you know why your father and brother kidnapped me and kept me confined here?"

Yin Zhiqing replied impatiently, "I’ve already said I don’t know. What false charge are you going to fabricate this time?"

"Because of Duke Su."

At the mention of Jih Heng’s name, Yin Zhiqing turned her head to look at Jiang Li, her eyes blazing as she asked, "What did you say?"

"As you know, I am betrothed to Jih Heng. I will be the Duchess in the future. By holding me, they also hold Jih Heng. With my life as a threat, your father can demand anything from Jih Heng, even his life."

"Nonsense," Yin Zhiqing said, "Why would my father threaten Duke Su?"

"Because he is Jih Heng’s enemy, sworn to death do them part."