The Double

The peach blossoms on Green City Mountain were in full flourish, blooming to the extreme point before large swathes began to wither. Even the decayed petals were tinged with a shade of peach, and coupled with the recent sensational rumors about the monks of Helin Temple, added quite a romantic hue to the mountains.

The mountains were not as hot as the lands below, and were utterly refreshing. Jiang Li and Tonger no longer had to do endless chores as before. Madam Liu had left enough food and silver before she left, and Yu Xiang was also helping out on the side. With the absence of the malicious nuns in the Nunnery, Tonger's laughter seemed to soar much more.

On the second day of the sixth month, suddenly, there were noisy voices outside the Nunnery. Tonger was sitting by the window, listening to Yu Xiang recount the strange happenings in Yanjing City over the years, and upon hearing the voices, she was taken aback and wondered, "What's happening outside?"

Jiang Li, who was sitting next to Tonger and listening to Yu Xiang, shifted her gaze slightly and whispered, "They have arrived."

"Who has arrived?" Tonger asked, puzzled.

Jiang Li smiled faintly, "The people coming to retrieve us."

Yu Xiang pondered for a moment, stood up, and said, "This servant will go outside and have a look first, Miss Jiang the Second, please sit here for a while."

"There's no need," Jiang Li said with a smile, standing up, "I'll go out with you." Without waiting for Yu Xiang to respond, she took the lead and walked outside. Seeing this, Tonger quickly stood up and chased after her, saying, "This servant will go too!"

Ever since the incident involving Master Liaowu and Venerable Master Jing'an, not to mention Helin Temple, the Nunnery had almost fallen into desolation. The place had never drawn large crowds, and after its reputation plummeted, no respectable family would go there willingly. Everyone wanted to stay as far away as possible from such a tainted place to avoid being the subject of gossip.

Consequently, after being quiet for over half a month, the sudden arrival of visitors was quite conspicuous.

Just stepping out of the temple's gates, a crowd of about twenty people could be seen standing outside. Most of them were dressed like estate guards and maids, and at the forefront was a robust woman in a satin blouse with an eye-dazzling pure gold hairpin in her hair, her small, triangular eyes bearing a sense of superiority due to her towering stature.

These people standing there was quite out of place. The woman at the front sized up the three who had come out and quickly fixed her gaze on Jiang Li, stepping forward and saying, "This servant pays respects to the Second Miss."

Jiang Li did not respond but smiled slightly and accepted the greeting with a sidestep. She was not truly the Second Miss of the Jiang Family, and thus she did not know who this woman was, but there was no real reason to fear her.

The woman, seeing that not only did Jiang Li not respond but also accepted her greeting with composure, couldn't help but be somewhat surprised and involuntarily took a closer look at Jiang Li.

Indeed, after six years, there were very few in the Jiang family who still remembered Miss Jiang the Second, and even those who had seen Jiang Li previously would likely have only a vague memory of the young lady's features by now. Looking up at her now, the woman felt the girl before her was completely unfamiliar. When Jiang Li was sent to the nunnery, she was merely a young child, but the girl standing there now, in her plain dress and with her clear eyes, exuded serenity and grace that made her onlookers feel inexplicably at ease.

The woman thought to herself, "Truly the legitimate daughter of Prime Minister Jiang, with a pure and noble demeanor, just like her father." Such thoughts arose unbidden in her heart.

Tonger blinked and said in a strange tone, "Granny Sun, why have you come?"

So this woman was surnamed Sun. Jiang Li thought to herself and heard Granny Sun laugh, "The Madam has commanded me to bring the Second Miss back to the residence. The Second Miss has been here for a few years, and the Madam has been constantly thinking about you, often discussing with the master about bringing the Second Miss back. Just a few days ago, the master finally agreed, and the Madam immediately sent me to bring you back."

Only the Madam, Ji Shuran, wanted to retrieve Jiang Li, while Prime Minister Jiang Yuanbai opposed it at every turn, making it seem like this daughter was certainly not a favorite of her biological father. Whether it was the truth or an attempt to sow discord, Jiang Li obviously could see through it.

She smiled and nodded at Granny Sun, saying, "I appreciate my mother's concern. Jiang Li has always been thinking about my mother in the Nunnery and regretting that I could not serve, attend, and fulfill my filial duties by her side. Now that I am finally returning to the residence, I cannot forget my mother's kindness. In this life, I will find a way to repay it."

Her voice was soft and gentle, but as Granny Sun listened, she inexplicably felt her arms prickling with a fine layer of goosebumps. It was as though a chill had somehow arisen on this sweltering summer day in the sixth month, subtly sweeping over her heart.

Granny Sun was momentarily at a loss for words.

It was Yu Xiang who broke the silence, saying with a smile, "In that case, it's an excellent thing for Miss Jiang the Second to return to the mansion. May I ask, Granny, when do you plan to depart with the Second Miss?"

Only then did Granny Sun notice Yu Xiang and she inquired, "And you are...?"

"The lady I serve is Madam Liu from Gentleman Chengde's mansion," Yu Xiang replied with a smile. "My mistress felt sympathetic towards Miss Jiang the Second and originally wanted to bring her back to Yanjing together with us. Since the Second Miss was unwilling at the time, the mistress had me stay behind to care for her."

Madam Liu's personal maid from Gentleman Chengde's mansion stayed here to serve Jiang Li? When had Jiang Li become so close with the Madam of Gentleman Chengde? Granny Sun was doubtful, but she answered, "Of course, the madam hopes that the Second Miss can return to the mansion as soon as possible. Once the Second Miss has packed her luggage, we can leave immediately."

"In that case," Jiang Li's lips curved slightly, "let's set off right now."

Her statement stunned everyone around, including the servants beside the carriages and horses. Granny Sun concealed the scorn in her eyes and said, "The Second Miss need not be so hasty. Since the madam has said it, she will certainly allow the Second Miss to return to the mansion. There's no need to..."

"It's not that I'm in a hurry," Jiang Li interrupted, "but that I have nothing to pack."

Granny Sun was taken aback.

"I don't have any luggage, just the same things I brought over when I came. It's been six years, Granny surely doesn't think anything is left. You know that I brought no gold, silver, and jewels, only some clothes. Nowadays, I can no longer fit into those clothes. The only thing I have in the entire nunnery is Tonger. Bringing Tonger back with me will be enough. As for those wooden stools and bowls... Does the Chief Minister's Residence really need them? If needed, I will have Tonger pack them all up."

Granny Sun's face flushed red in an instant.

In front of Yu Xiang, Jiang Li's words implied that the Chief Minister's Residence had neglected her, their legitimate daughter. After six years in the mountain, she hadn't used anything valuable and was penniless. Now that she was leaving, she couldn't even pack a single piece of luggage. Even this servant had a few pieces of jewelry!

Moreover, the master of Yu Xiang's household, Liu Yuanfeng from Gentleman Chengde's mansion, was at odds with the Ji family. Knowing these things, who knows how they might make use of this information!

Granny Sun looked at Jiang Li, who was staring back at her seriously, appearing to be genuinely unaware of the deep meaning and mockery contained in her previous words.

For a moment, Granny Sun felt a bit troubled.

This Second Miss, who had left the Jiang Family for six years, was not as impulsive and thoughtless as described in the letters. She was gentle and polite, but this did not make her any easier to please.

Granny Sun forced a smile and said, "Alright then, Second Miss, let the guards have a cup of tea and rest their feet, and then we can set off."

Jiang Li smiled gratefully, "Thank you, Granny."