The Double

For a time, rumors ran rampant through Yanjing City.

Princess Yongning couldn’t act on her threat to "kill anyone who dared talk behind her back," as she was put under house arrest by Prince Cheng. Enraged, Prince Cheng found Princess Yongning’s outburst in the Golden Throne Hall not only damaged his reputation but also caused the Li Family to drift apart from him at this critical moment. Another confidant he had been counting on, Shen Yurong, was also implicated. Initially, Shen Yurong could have served as a piece on the board, placed close to Emperor Hongxiao, who favored her. Now, this idea had to be abandoned. After such an incident, it was questionable whether Shen Yurong could continue her official career, let alone be valued by Emperor Hongxiao as before. That was wishful thinking.

At the Jiang Family, Jiang Li learned of these events not through Tonger, but from Jiang Yuanbai himself. After the scandalous scene Princess Yongning and Li Xian created in the Golden Throne Hall and court was dismissed, Jiang Yuanbai returned to the Duke Residence and immediately summoned Jiang Li to his study to recount what had happened. In conclusion, Jiang Yuanbai asked Jiang Li if she had already known about the relationship between Princess Yongning and Shen Yurong and if Jiang Li was also aware of Princess Yongning’s pregnancy before her marriage into the Li Family.

Jiang Li naturally denied knowing anything, brushing it off with an excuse she had prepared beforehand. Although Jiang Yuanbai remained skeptical, Jiang Li didn’t care. This was a secret between her and the Duke Residence that even if Jiang Yuanbai continued to investigate, he wouldn’t uncover anything.

Tonger asked, "Miss, did Princess Yongning really have a secret engagement with Lord Shen long ago?"

Jiang Li replied, "Yes."

Tonger then indignantly said, "That’s utterly shameless. To marry someone else while pregnant, but Li Xian of the Li Family is no better. It’s said that Li Xian searches everywhere for handsome orphans and young men to bring back to the Li Family, to do... Anyway, how could they ever get a divorce? They deserve to be a scourge to each other."

Jiang Li smiled, "If they hadn’t divorced, how could Shen Yurong have been implicated?"