The Double
Chapter 773 - 229 Ambush

Chapter 773: Chapter 229 Ambush

"Because he is Jih Heng’s enemy, they are bound to be at each other’s throats until the end."

The air in the room seemed to freeze, the candle teetered in the lantern as though it might topple any second, taking the lantern with it and burning it all to ash.

Jiang Li reached out to steady the lantern, and it was as if Yin Zhiqing had only just reacted. She said, "Do you think I would believe your nonsense? Our Yin Household has been living in Yunzhong for many years, how could we possibly have a feud with Duke Su? Yin Zhili kidnapping you was his fault, but that’s no reason for you to slander our family!"

"What other reason is needed?" Jiang Li said indifferently. "The mere fact that the Yin Household left Yanjing is reason enough. Even if the Yin Household did not harm Jih Heng, does it mean they never harmed Jih Heng’s family? I wouldn’t be so sure."

Yin Zhiqing trembled with rage, and the more composed Jiang Li was, the more irrational she appeared. Desiring to defend the Yin Household but not knowing where to begin, the sight of Jiang Li became increasingly offensive to her. Without knowing why, she blurted out, "Even if what you say is true, you’re still overestimating yourself! To think that you alone could threaten Duke Su is preposterous. Everyone knows that Duke Su is ruthless and indifferent, preferring to watch from the sidelines. You’re nothing but a wife bestowed by the emperor, a pawn in a trade between noble families! Why would he risk danger for a mere pawn, so don’t flatter yourself. You can be at ease, for he won’t come here willing to be manipulated for your sake, nor will he risk his life for you!"

"Is that so?" Jiang Li instead let out a laugh. Her tone was almost gentle as she explained, "County Princess of Pingyang, just because you haven’t seen something, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist in the world. What you can’t obtain, doesn’t mean others can’t either. Jih Heng personally asked the emperor for this marriage. Even if I am a pawn in a trade, he chose the Jiang Family and not the Yin Household; otherwise, he would have asked the emperor for you instead."

"You..." Yin Zhiqing was dumbfounded, and Jiang Li’s words exploded in her head like a loud bang. Her hidden thoughts, spoken so bluntly by someone else, made it impossible for her to remain there any longer. She suddenly flung the door open and ran out, not even caring to check if Jiang Li had touched the food in the basket.

The moment she burst through the door, Jiang Li saw very clearly the soldiers guarding all sides of the house, indeed, soldiers in armored clothing.

Jiang Li settled back into her chair, realizing the situation was worse than she had imagined. If this had been orchestrated by Yin Zhili alone, it might have been manageable. Having met Yin Zhili a few times, regardless of his schemes, there was some indecision and softness in his nature, and Jiang Li might have found an opportunity. But as it appeared, Yin Zhili was merely carrying out the plan, which undoubtedly was arranged by Yin Zhan. Only Yin Zhan would cut off Hai Tang’s finger without hesitation to threaten Jiang Li, with cruelty apparent in every word and line.

Yin Zhan had arranged everything, and Yin Zhili was simply acting according to Yin Zhan’s instructions. Therefore, Yin Zhiqing was clueless about everything; what worried Jiang Li was that she had not been able to see Yin Zhili, and thus she couldn’t get any information about Situ Jiuyue and Ye Mingyu.

However, one thing was certain: since it was Yin Zhan’s arrangement, the path Yin Zhili was on was Yin Zhan’s escape route. If Yin Zhan was currently confronting Jih Heng, he must be not far from this place, so he could direct Yin Zhili to prepare a second plan, which was to use her to threaten Jih Heng, once the outcome unfolded.

Jiang Li couldn’t help but clench her fist.

Knowing that Jih Heng was nearby, yet not knowing his whereabouts or the current situation, she felt helpless. All she could hope for was that Yin Zhili would honor their agreement and release Ye Mingyu and the others.

Otherwise... She looked at the food basket on the table, the shards of the smashed dish were also extremely sharp. In this world, living wasn’t easy, but dying was very simple.

In this deal, she couldn’t afford to lose everything.

...

The snow in Qingzhou was falling heavily.

North of the Yangtze River was the Northern Country, south of it was the Southern Country. Located at the edge of the Yangtze, Qingzhou would resemble the Southern Country in spring, bright with flowers and greenery, and like the Northern Country in winter, filled with vast swathes of snow.

Yet even in the bleakness of winter, warmth and bustle pervaded the Red Building. Stepping inside was like entering a never-ending spring, where young women in thin gauzy dresses walked barefoot on snow-white carpets, tiny silver bells jingling on their wrists and ankles, all of them supple and enchanting. Candles were carved into the shape of hibiscus flowers, blooming layer by layer as their wicks burned. Amidst red canopies and gold dust, the sounds of music and dance filled the air, the Gambling Den hid countless jewels, and also hid beauties that no jewel could buy.