The Double

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Yanjing City has seen its fair share of incidents these days, and storytellers in the taverns have added many new tales to their repertoires.

The most sensational story recounted is "A charming nun's nightly rendezvous with an ascetic monk shakes up the romantic intrigue."

Some time ago, a group of nobles returned from paying respects at Helin Temple, carrying with them a shocking piece of news.

Within Helin Temple on Green City Mountain, Venerable Master Liaowu's most cherished disciple, Liaowu himself was found to be a lascivious monk, defiling many a local woman, even laying his hands on the nuns nearby, including the Venerable Master Jing'an herself.

One must know that Helin Temple is a renowned sanctuary, frequented by many ladies and misses for prayers and blessings. Hearing of this scandal, women who had visited felt compelled to remain silent for fear of their reputations being tarnished by any association. After the emperor, Emperor Hongxiao, was petitioned about this matter, he was incensed and meted out severe punishment to all involved; even the centuries-old Helin Temple was ordered to close its doors.

Many had witnessed the secret meetings between monks and nuns firsthand. While the women kept silent, the men described the encounters with Venerable Master Jing'an in vivid detail, treating her youth and beauty as fodder for tales of romantic exploits.

However, apart from provoking the emperor's fury, this scandal unexpectedly implicated someone beyond expectation—the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister of the Capital, Jiang Yuanbai, named Jiang Li.

Eight years earlier, Miss Jiang the Second, Jiang Li, had caused her stepmother to miscarry. As punishment, Jiang Yuanbai sent her to the Family Temple to reflect and reform, and thereafter, she vanished from the public eye. This scandal with Liaowu revealed that Miss Jiang the Second had been in Venerable Master Jing'an's nunnery the entire time.

Regardless of how spiteful and tyrannical Miss Jiang the Second was, sending her to the Family Temple was one thing, but to place her in the care of such a bewitching nun was quite indecent of Jiang Yuanbai.

When Gentleman Chengde's wife, Liu Yuanfeng, visited Helin Temple, she encountered Miss Jiang the Second at Venerable Master Jing'an's temple. It was late at night, yet Miss Jiang the Second was tormented by the wicked nun, forced to kneel in the sanctum without a drop of water to drink. Liu Yuanfeng's memorial to the throne was tactfully written; considering the extensive influence of Jiang Yuanbai, who was not easy to shake and best not offended, he did not point out any wrongdoing by Jiang Yuanbai. Instead, he argued that while Jiang Li had erred, she was still young at the time, and a father's failure to instruct is a father's fault. How could one entrust one's own legitimate daughter to a morally degraded individual to let her ruin herself? As the person who oversaw Jiang Yuanbai's household, Ji Shuran was unduly harsh.

Accusing Ji Shuran, which is to say, accusing the Ji family, was a slap in the face to Ji Yanlin. Tucked between the lines of the memorial was the implication that Ji Shuran, out of personal vendetta, had deliberately sent Jiang Li to Venerable Master Jing'an with ill intentions, instructing her to be abused.

The memorial would have been a minor matter, but Emperor Hongxiao, the current ruler, was not born to the previous emperor's queen. His own mother died shortly after his birth, and he was raised under the queen's name. When she had her own son, the Crown Prince, she had no reason to be affectionate towards him. Later, after enduring countless humiliations and with the early demise of the Crown Prince, Emperor Hongxiao ultimately prevailed in the struggle for power and secured his current position.

The memorial from Liu Yuanfeng immediately reminded Emperor Hongxiao of his own past. His mother had died early, and his stepmother had been cruel, prompting him to feel an aversion towards Ji Shuran akin to that he felt towards the former empress. He found himself unintentionally favoring Miss Jiang the Second. The next time he spoke with Jiang Yuanbai in the Imperial Study Room, he hinted as much.

After Jiang Yuanbai left the Imperial Study Room and returned to the Chief Minister's Residence, his first order of business was to have Jiang Li fetched back to Yanjing immediately.

Upon receiving this news, Ji Shuran hurried over, and upon entering the room, she blurted, "My lord, why have we so suddenly decided to bring back the Second Miss..."

With a "slap," Jiang Yuanbai thumped the memorial on the desk, at which Ji Shuran abruptly fell silent, seldom having seen Jiang Yuanbai this infuriated.

Jiang Yuanbai turned his head.

Although he was the father of several children and well past his fortieth year, as the current Grand Secretary and the emperor's mentor, Jiang Yuanbai might have lost the dashing good looks of his youth, but he exuded the unique charisma of a mature man. Renowned as the leader among the civil officials, he possessed an aura of distinguished elegance, as if a lofty pine, carrying a scholarly air.

However, his usually composed demeanor was now absent, replaced with barely concealed anger.

"Today the emperor summoned me to the Imperial Study Room. Despite Gentleman Chengde, Liu Yuanfeng, not mentioning my name in his memorial, I have been implicated," said Jiang Yuanbai. "Bringing Lili back... that is the emperor's wish!"

Ji Shuran was taken aback. "The emperor's wish? How could the emperor be concerned with such matters?"

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"The birth mother of the current Emperor Hongxiao is certainly not the Empress Dowager—" Jiang Yuanbai uttered just one sentence. As Emperor Hongxiao's teacher in his youth, and having assisted him to ascend the throne, he naturally understood Emperor Hongxiao's character very well. He feared that this time the matter had precisely touched upon an issue of concern to Emperor Hongxiao.

We can't not bring Jiang Li back, Jiang Yuanbai mused. The emperor was no longer the little emperor who used to consult him about everything. As an emperor's influence grows and he enjoys the taste of power, he becomes less tolerant of defiance. Since Emperor Hongxiao had personally inquired about this matter, it naturally meant that Jiang Yuanbai was expected to do so; failing to comply would be almost as good as disobeying a royal order in Emperor Hongxiao's eyes.

"Moreover, Lili is indeed a daughter of the Jiang family," Jiang Yuanbai sighed. "It pains my heart to have let her wander outside all this time. My wife," he looked towards Ji Shuran, asking softly, "You wouldn't blame me, would you?"

At this moment, he regained his former gentle demeanor, his eyes filled with guilt.

Ji Shuran smiled and snuggled up to him, said, "What are you saying, my lord? Do you think of me as a malicious person? Second Miss is a young lady of the Jiang family, and your own flesh and blood. She was young and made a mistake back then; I have not dwelt on it for years. If you wish to bring Second Miss back, I'll have the wet nurse prepare some things and clear out the rooms early."

"There's no second woman in the world as considerate as my wife," Jiang Yuanbai held her in his embrace and sighed.

"It's all my duty," Ji Shuran said, her voice somewhat tentative, "I just hope I can get along well with Second Miss." She was rather fearful.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuanbai thought of the things Jiang Li had done six years ago and couldn't help but frown. He comforted Ji Shuran, saying, "She's not a child any longer. If she dares to act inappropriately, I will not let her off lightly!"

After soothing Ji Shuran with a few more words, Jiang Yuanbai left, presumably to give orders about fetching the person.

No sooner had Jiang Yuanbai left than Jiang Youyao burst in with her maidservant, saying as she entered, "Mother, do you know what Jiang Li she..."

"Youyao!" Ji Shuran stopped her mid-sentence, had someone close the doors and windows, and then scolded, "How can you be so reckless!"

Jiang Youyao began to protest with a sense of grievance, "Mother, it's not that I'm reckless! I heard that father is going to bring Jiang Li back, what's going on? Everything was fine, so why suddenly decide to bring her back?"

Ji Shuran frowned, "Youyao, how many times have I told you not to fixate on Jiang Li? She is but a weed that will eventually be crushed. You are the legitimate daughter of the Jiang family—why bother with her?"

"But..." Jiang Youyao still wanted to speak, not reconciled.

"So what if she really does come back? Who's in charge of this residence now? It's your mother. Can she possibly gain any advantage by returning? This time, it was just a fluke that she came across this opportunity," Ji Shuran said.

"Mother, can you stop her from coming back?" Jiang Youyao asked angrily.

Ji Shuran shook her head. If it were someone else's or even Jiang Yuanbai's suggestion, she could certainly sabotage the endeavor, arranging for someone to strike at Jiang Li on her way back to the capital, and it would simply be Jiang Li's bad luck. Unfortunately, the emperor himself had inquired about the matter, and if any incident occurred en route, the entire Jiang family would be unable to escape the consequences.

Jiang Li must not only remain unharmed, but she must also be received properly, and even ostentatiously, for Emperor Hongxiao to see.

It was truly irritating to think about.

"It's fine," Ji Shuran said coldly, "It's just that she has had seven more years of life. Now she has grown too proud. It's good that she's coming back; once she does, I naturally have ways to deal with her."

"By then, she will not think returning to the capital is such a good thing anymore."