The Double

Jiang Li could hardly keep hold of the letter in her hands. She steadied her mind and read the letter twice more, especially the part about Hai Tang, which she scrutinized several times. Her conviction grew stronger—this person was very likely Hai Tang.

But how could Hai Tang have ended up like this? Where had Du Juan gone? Bai Xue’s father mentioned in the letter that a strange girl had come to Zao Hua Village, alone, not in a pair. Initially, she had told Hai Tang and Du Juan to escape together. Du Juan, having no one else to rely on, couldn’t have gone anywhere else, she must have stayed with Hai Tang. But now, only Hai Tang remained. Could it be that Du Juan... Jiang Li dared not continue that line of thought, especially knowing that Hai Tang’s appearance had been completely ruined, which made her endlessly speculate. Had these two maidservants fallen victim to some foul play, or encountered misfortune while on the run? The more she thought, the more uneasy she felt, and her face looked terrible.

Tonger and Bai Xue had rarely seen Jiang Li in such a state; they exchanged looks in confusion, especially Tonger. Having grown up together with Jiang Li, Tonger knew everything about her. But Tonger had never heard of a maid named Hai Tang, much less understood what Hai Tang meant to Jiang Li, to the point of affecting her so greatly. Curiosity about this unseen Hai Tang began to stir in her heart.

Jiang Li said, "Bai Xue, prepare for a moment. I’m going to the Ye Residence."

"Ah?" Bai Xue was startled and reminded her, "My lady, you’ve already been to the Ye Residence today. You’ve just come back from there."

Only then did Jiang Li snap back to reality. Indeed, she had been to the Ye Residence that day, though she had actually spent most of it at the Duke Residence. But in the eyes of the Jiang family members, Jiang Li had left for the Ye Residence in the morning and only returned in the evening. To head out to the Ye Residence again now would be hard to justify.

Jiang Li suppressed a wave of nausea. She had been flustered by her anxieties and said, "Then I will go there first thing tomorrow." She must send someone to Zao Hua Village as soon as possible to bring Hai Tang to Yanjing City. For one, she didn’t know Hai Tang’s current state, and staying in Zao Hua Village might not be safe; if she could find Hai Tang, Princess Yongning would be able to as well. Second, if Shen Yurong and Princess Yongning’s illicit affair was exposed, and if the truth behind the old case of Xue Fangfei’s secret liason came to light, proving Shen Yurong and Princess Yongning conspired to kill and annihilate, then Hai Tang would be a very important witness.

So no matter what, she had to bring Hai Tang back. Thinking it over, she had no one she could use in the Jiang family; she would have to borrow someone from the Ye family. After all, Ye Mingyu had many brothers from the martial arts world; as long as it was people from Ye Mingyu, there should be no problem in retrieving Hai Tang.

"My lady, are you alright?" Bai Xue asked cautiously.

"I’m fine," Jiang Li managed a weak smile at her. "Bai Xue, about this family letter, let me burn it for you."