Chapter 120: Tenderness

"Ah Li?"

Ah Shun shuddered, looking at the man in surprise. How could County Assistant Xue possibly know that the visitor was the cousin, and why did he address her so intimately?

Jiang Li was also stunned. She slowly lowered her head, her breathing shallow, as she looked at the man she was holding. Father... he hadn't lost his mind? A surge of wild joy erupted in her heart.

But that joy quickly faded.

Xue Huaiyuan opened his eyes, but he did not look at her; he looked at the stone wall, or perhaps at the stains splashed upon it. He struggled out of Jiang Li’s grasp and quickly retreated to the corner, clutching a bundle of straw to his chest as if afraid someone might snatch it away, muttering, "Ah Li... Ah Li..."

Jiang Li’s nose stung, and tears threatened to fall. Her father was not lucid. He only called the name "Ah Li" because it occupied such a vital part of his life that even in his madness, he chewed on it like a mantra.

And indeed, she thought with bitter self-mockery, even if her father were not insane, he might not recognize her if she stood before him. She was no longer "Ah Li"; she had become "Jiang Li."

"Cousin?" Ah Shun asked, concerned.

Jiang Li turned back and said, "I am fine." Looking at Xue Huaiyuan, who was huddled in the corner muttering to himself, she felt another pang of agony. She knew she shouldn't ask for too much; at the very least, her father was still alive, and the fact that they could meet again in this lifetime was a miracle amidst misfortune. But seeing her father in this state, her heart burned with a hatred so deep she wished she could tear Shen Yurong and Yongning limb from limb, though even that would not soothe her pain.

"I will take the County Assistant out," she said. "He is too weak. Please, Uncle Zhang, find the best doctor in Tongxiang to examine him for now."

Butcher Zhang, seeing what had become of his benefactor, hated Feng Yutang to his core. Hearing Jiang Li’s command, he left without a word to find a doctor.

Ah Shun wanted to help support Xue Huaiyuan, but Jiang Li had already lifted him up herself. She did not mind the filth and stench on him, carefully steadying his shoulders and holding his arms. Xue Huaiyuan was now like a two or three-year-old child, flailing about; his hand accidentally struck Jiang Li’s face, leaving a dirty smudge on her fair, tender skin.

Ah Shun couldn't bear to watch and said, "Cousin, let me do it."

"I will," Jiang Li replied, her tone brooking no argument. Ah Shun withdrew his hand. This cousin had always been patient, gentle with the Ye family and even with strangers. But this was the first time Ah Shun had seen her so devoted, as if Xue Huaiyuan were the most precious person in the world, and she was willing to pour her entire heart into caring for him.

Jiang Li supported Xue Huaiyuan as they walked out of the dungeon.

Ah Shun asked, "Cousin, what about the others...?"

Feng Yutang was greedy and indiscriminate in his cruelty; there were surely others in the cells who, like Xue Huaiyuan, were innocent victims and scapegoats. Now that Xue Huaiyuan was out, what about the rest?

"It is fine," Jiang Li said. "Have the files sent over later. I will identify those with questionable cases. Feng Yutang’s time as County Assistant of Tongxiang is over. After this case, the imperial court will soon send a successor. At that time, these cases will be retried, and no one will remain unjustly convicted."

Ah Shun felt relieved.

When they reached the entrance of the county office, Xue Huaiyuan seemed to see something terrifying; he suddenly refused to move forward, struggling and shouting. Jiang Li felt a deep ache in her heart. Ah Shun quickly ordered others to hold Xue Huaiyuan, but they dared not use too much force—Xue Huaiyuan was so emaciated they feared they might break his bones.

Ye Mingyu saw Jiang Li from afar and walked over. "Ah Li, you returned so quickly? Feng Yutang was beaten half to death; if I hadn't stopped them because he still had his uses, he wouldn't have survived the day. Oh, you brought County Assistant Xue out..." Ye Mingyu stopped abruptly as he saw Xue Huaiyuan’s wretched state.

Anyone who had known Xue Huaiyuan in the past would be speechless at the sight. The upright, incorruptible official had been reduced to this.

Ye Mingyu stood stunned for a moment before saying, "County Assistant Xue is truly pitiful..."

Jiang Li said, "Uncle, I’ve asked Uncle Zhang to fetch a doctor. Let him examine the County Assistant first. He is extremely weak, and we still have to return to Xiangyang and then go to Yanjing. Without proper care, I fear he will not survive." She glanced in the other direction. "There are many prisoner carts in the dungeon. Find one and put Magistrate Feng in it. We don't need to wait for Tong Zhiyang’s order from Xiangyang; we will head straight back."

Ye Mingyu nodded instinctively and asked, "What about those guards on East Mountain? Can we let them come out now? Feng Yutang’s men are either captured or have fled, so they are no longer in danger."

Jiang Li nodded. "Thank you, Uncle."

Ye Mingyu sensed that Jiang Li’s mood was very poor, but he understood why. Since she had gone to such lengths to save Xue Huaiyuan, they clearly shared a deep bond. To see him in this state would be heartbreaking for anyone, let alone her.

*Sigh*, in this world, why do good people suffer so much?

...

Dr. Zhong, who had been treating Peng Xiao and the others, was brought in to examine Xue Huaiyuan.

Since Feng Yutang was now a prisoner, Dr. Zhong no longer feared retaliation and did not need to hide his skills. He examined Xue Huaiyuan with great care.

After he finished, Jiang Li asked, "Dr. Zhong, how is he?"

The doctor shook his head. "Miss, I have written a prescription for his physical injuries. To have endured such suffering and still be alive is a miracle. But he is old and weak. Fortunately—perhaps because that beast Feng Yutang wanted to keep him alive—he suffered no fatal wounds. It is agonizing, but with proper care, he may recover in time."

Jiang Li hesitated before asking, "Dr. Zhong, he has lost his sanity and recognizes no one. Will he ever be clear-headed again?"

"I cannot guarantee that," the doctor said, waving his hands. "I am just a small-town doctor. I apologize for my incompetence. I hear you are taking him to Yanjing. There are many talented physicians there; perhaps you can find a master healer who can restore his reason."

Jiang Li fell silent.

Dr. Zhong was not the first to say this. In fact, she had already asked many doctors in Tongxiang, and none could promise that Xue Huaiyuan would recover.

She desperately wanted her father to wake up and call her "Ah Li" one more time. For that, she would pay any price.

"I understand," Jiang Li said. "Thank you, Dr. Zhong." Since the doctor was helpless, she could not force him. Though disappointed, she had to steel herself for what lay ahead.

Outside, the courtyard was crowded with Tongxiang commoners who had come to see Xue Huaiyuan. Aunt Chunfang wiped her tears and lamented, "How did the Magistrate become like this..."

"If only we had stood up sooner, it's all my fault..." Dai Yun held Ping'an's hand, full of regret. "I didn't know he was suffering such torment."

"Feng Yutang is not human!" Butcher Zhang spat. "If he wasn't still useful, I would hack him to death!"

Jiang Li pushed through the crowd. Xue Huaiyuan sat on the bed, playing with a wooden doll like a child, giggling. Nearby, Peng Xiao, He Jun, and the Gu brothers looked on with heavy hearts.

Seeing Jiang Li enter, Peng Xiao asked, "What did the doctor say?"

Jiang Li shook her head.

The men’s expressions turned to disappointment.

"It is alright, we will be going to Yanjing soon," Jiang Li said. "Once there, I will find a master physician to treat him."

"It is all that bastard Feng Yutang’s fault!" Gu Da gritted his teeth. "I will tear him to pieces!"

"Feng Yutang is at most a dog; the true master is behind him," Jiang Li said slowly. "Whoever caused the Magistrate to suffer this must be prepared to pay the price."

...

"We have guessed that Feng Yutang was acting under orders, but we do not know who the mastermind is or why they wanted to destroy the Magistrate. Please, Miss, enlighten us," He Jun said.

"Once you reach Yanjing, you will naturally know. In truth, this case may not be enough to destroy her, but even if it doesn't take her life, peeling away a layer of her skin is a start. You four are the witnesses. To silence you, the enemy will stop at nothing. You may be facing an enemy a hundred or a thousand times more treacherous than Feng Yutang. Think carefully..."

"We have already decided," Peng Xiao interrupted. "We want revenge for the Magistrate, regardless of whether we succeed."

Jiang Li smiled slowly. "Good. Then I shall rely on you all."

"It is we who rely on you, Miss Jiang."

...

The decision to leave for Xiangyang the next day without waiting for Tong Zhiyang’s order and then proceed to Yanjing was made in a heartbeat.

Ye Mingyu sent men to pack. All witnesses, files, and evidence related to the Xue case were collected. Since they were leaving the next morning, everyone turned in early.

Xue Huaiyuan, having lost his sanity, was like a child, and coaxing him to sleep took great effort—a task Jiang Li insisted on doing herself. Ye Mingyu and the others wanted her to rest, but Xue Huaiyuan would only be calmed by her; if others tried, he would become terrified.

Jiang Li was incredibly patient with him, without a hint of complaint. Bai Xue and Tong'er watched and felt an illusion: even if Jiang Yuanbai grew old, Jiang Li might not be this patient with him. She was gentle with the Jiang family, but there was always a polite distance—the maids could feel she didn't invest much genuine heart there.

But for Xue Huaiyuan, her tenderness was sincere, born from the depths of her soul.

After Xue Huaiyuan was asleep, Tong'er asked, "Miss, are you going to rest?"

Even Ye Mingyu had gone to sleep.

Jiang Li looked outside. It was strange; in the few days she had been in Tongxiang, it had snowed twice, including tonight, despite it rarely snowing there for decades.

The wind blew in, carrying snowflakes. Jiang Li put on her cloak and said, "No, I'm going to see Feng Yutang."

Feng Yutang? Tong'er and Bai Xue exchanged glances, but Jiang Li had already left the room.

Wrapped in her white rabbit-fur cloak, with the hood down, her face looked no larger than a palm. Under the lantern light, it was pale, almost the color of jade. She walked at a measured pace until she reached the corner of the courtyard.

In the prisoner cart, Feng Yutang was curled into a ball.

It was snowing, and the cart had not been moved indoors. No matter how hoarse he screamed, no one came to look at him. Freezing, he had no choice but to curl up, much like Xue Huaiyuan had in the dungeon.

The night was exceptionally still. Jiang Li’s footsteps crunched in the snow. Feng Yutang, like a startled rabbit, looked up. He instinctively wanted to call for help, but then hesitated.

He knew that even if he begged, this seemingly gentle and pure young lady would not offer him a blanket. In fact, his current plight was entirely her doing.

She was a demon, yet she wore the face of an angel.

Jiang Li stopped in front of the cart and looked at him quietly. This time, she didn't smile. It was as if she had shed her mask of gentleness, revealing her true self in the night.

Feng Yutang asked in a hoarse voice, "What is Miss Jiang doing here?"

"Coming to see you," she said.

"See me?" Feng Yutang laughed. "Miss Jiang, do you know the penalty for inciting commoners to imprison an imperial official? Even your father cannot save you." The more he feared, the more he spoke, as if trying to convince himself not to be afraid. But he knew deep down: he feared Jiang Li.

"You will not be an imperial official for much longer," Jiang Li said calmly. "The order from Xiangyang will arrive soon. The Xue case will be retried, and we will go to Yanjing together. Of course, it is not just to clear the Magistrate's name—it is for you. What you did in Tongxiang, if brought to Yanjing, is no trivial matter. As for whether we imprisoned you before or after the official order arrived, no one will know, will they?"

She said this so calmly, without a smile, that her underlying ferocity was even more chilling.

A flicker of weakness passed through Feng Yutang's eyes. He could not intimidate her; rather, he was the one being intimidated. How could a fifteen-year-old girl consider every detail so perfectly? If she plotted against someone, she would not miss a single point. It was a trap spread across the horizon. Once you stepped in and died, she would even brush away the traces so no one would ever know.

Feng Yutang gathered his courage. "Miss, I know you are Magistrate Jiang’s daughter and fear nothing. But why go to such lengths for a small fry like me? I may be small, but my master..."

"Princess Yongning is your master," Jiang Li interrupted.

Feng Yutang froze.

He had thought no one knew that. How could she know? And knowing, how dared she proceed? How dared she ruin the Princess's plans?

"Magistrate Feng, there is one thing you must know," Jiang Li stared at him. "I treat you this way because you tortured Magistrate Xue. Since Princess Yongning is the one behind it, how do you think I will treat her?"

"Dealing with you is just a means to deal with her."

"She is Princess Yongning..." Feng Yutang trembled. "The sister of Prince Cheng?"

"The sister of Prince Cheng?" Jiang Li mocked. "Then I shall deal with Prince Cheng as well. If you say Prince Cheng is the son of Concubine Liu, I will deal with him too. I will kill whatever ghost or god stands in my way. Whoever moves against Xue Huaiyuan, I will make them pay in blood! So," she said with contempt, "do not mention Princess Yongning again. Her name is the reason I am acting. Her name is the tolling of the death knell!"

Feng Yutang felt his limbs go weak.

In the night, Jiang Li’s eyes were incredibly bright, and he felt no doubt that he saw a bone-deep hatred within them. It was a ferocity that grew like wild grass, usually hidden beneath a gentle exterior, now fully exposed.

She exposed her other side without hesitation, which could only mean one thing: he was a dead man. There was no need to hide her secrets from the dying.

"Rest assured, Magistrate Feng, I will not let you die until this is over," she said. "I will let you live well, just as you did to Magistrate Xue."

She gave him a cold look and turned away, carrying her lantern.

In the snow, her silver-white cloak almost blended with the white, leaving only shallow footprints to mark her passing.

Feng Yutang felt colder than before. He didn't know if it was the snow or her.

...

After leaving the cart, Jiang Li did not return to her room.

Strangely, she had no desire to sleep. Her mood was not as calm as it appeared.

Her father was in this state, and she didn't know how to wake him. Bringing him to Yanjing to face Princess Yongning meant the battle had officially begun. This was no simple task. Once Jiang Yuanbai found out what she had done in Tongxiang, and with Ji Shuran whispering in his ear, she couldn't estimate what obstacles she would face in the Jiang household.

She had finished one path, only to step onto another filled with thorns.

She sat on a large rock by the pond, thinking, until Tong'er gasped. She looked up and saw a beauty approaching with an umbrella in the snowy night.

Ji Heng wore a crimson cloak embroidered with black peonies, a perfect balance between the rugged and the exquisite. He wasn't holding his gold-threaded folding fan today—perhaps he had put it away. He carried only a simple white silk umbrella as he walked through the snow.

In the deep night, he was a splash of vibrant color that lit up the frozen world.

"Duke," Jiang Li said. She did not stand or salute; she was truly too tired today.

Ji Heng stopped before her and held the umbrella over her head.

His movements were gentle and affectionate. The girl was delicate, the man enchanting, a strangely harmonious sight. Tong'er and Bai Xue were so stunned they forgot to intervene.

"So sad?" he said with a smile. "That doesn't seem like your nature."

"So gentle?" Jiang Li looked at him. "That doesn't seem like your nature either."

Ji Heng laughed loudly. "I am hurt that you say that. I am being merciful to you, yet you say I am not gentle."

"I am merely pleasantly surprised."

Ji Heng asked, "Now, can you tell me why you saved Xue Huaiyuan, even at the cost of becoming an enemy of Princess Yongning? You and the Xue family should have had no connection."

"Duke," Jiang Li said, "I do not intend to hide anything from you, because even if I don't say it, you will eventually find out. I will tell you the reason when the day comes that I entrust my life to you. I will tell you everything. You won't force me, right?"

She looked up, her eyes purer than the snow.

"Why do you always show weakness to me?" Ji Heng wondered. "Do I look like the type to cherish the frail? And even if... are you a delicate flower?"

Jiang Li asked, "Am I not?"

"You are a man-eating flower," Ji Heng said.

Jiang Li laughed.

When they first met, they were suspicious and guarded. But now, it felt as if they had exchanged a secret, a sense of camaraderie. Or perhaps that was just Jiang Li’s illusion. Whether Ji Heng was acting or sincere, it was the first time they had sat together so peacefully.

"We return to Xiangyang and then to Yanjing tomorrow," Jiang Li said. "Along the way, Princess Yongning may send assassins, and Ji Shuran’s people may not give up. I will have to trouble you to clear the obstacles."

"You treat me as your bodyguard?" Ji Heng found it amusing. "Are you not afraid I will kill you?"

"My life is yours, it is your property," Jiang Li said, acting shamelessly. "To protect your own property, is it not normal to kill a few bandits?"

Ji Heng’s hidden guards were stunned. Although Jiang Li’s words made no logical sense, they sounded surprisingly persuasive.

"I don't seem to have received your life," Ji Heng said. "Just a burden."

"Perhaps the burden will be of help to you one day," Jiang Li smiled.

She said it very seriously, not like a joke. Ji Heng said, "If you knew what I was doing, you wouldn't say that. For now," he chuckled, "children speak without taboos."

Jiang Li was in the prime of her youth, but in Ji Heng’s eyes, she was still just a "child."

Jiang Li looked at him. Counting her previous life, their ages were similar. But he didn't seem like a young man; he seemed to have countless secrets, each one heavy. When one is accustomed to such secrets, many things that others find unacceptable seem unimportant.

Everyone had their own secrets.

Jiang Li said, "Who knows? Perhaps. When that day comes, my decision might surprise you, Duke, might it not? But I must survive until that day."

When talking about life and death, the girl seemed indifferent. But this indifference wasn't because it was far away, but because she understood, saw through, and accepted it. She didn't expect to live long, but she didn't fear it either.

Ji Heng watched her with interest. Jiang Li was a girl with secrets. Judging by her actions, she was not one to give up; she was like wild grass surviving in the cracks, fierce and full of vitality. But when she spoke of giving up her life, she was as carefree as a breeze. It was as if she had come into this world for one purpose. Once that was done, she cared for nothing else, not even her own life.

"This play is very long," Ji Heng said with a light laugh. "If you were gone, I would be very sorry."

"Is that so?" Jiang Li tilted her head, her feet swinging lightly under her skirt like a carefree girl. She smiled, "To make you feel sorry would be my honor. If you could enter the play, and we sang the same tune, perhaps the ending would be even happier."

Ji Heng’s beautiful long eyes narrowed. "Little one, why do you always try to pull me into the game? I have said, I do not play."

Indeed, he did not play, because he was the one manipulating the greatest play in the world. Even the one on the Golden Throne was in his palm. The situation was treacherous, forces were rising and falling, fighting for power, yet in the end, who knew whose wedding dress they were sewing?

"I want to stand on your side. At least, not be your enemy." She rarely showed such obedience.

In the Jiang family, the head of the Northern Yan civil officials, they had to pick a side in this turmoil. Since ancient times, picking the right side led to prosperity, while picking the wrong one led to ruin. Success or failure, there was no regret—it was the path one chose.

Not to mention that Prince Cheng was Princess Yongning’s brother, but from a purely pragmatic standpoint, Jiang Li wanted to choose the side that wouldn't lose. Ji Heng’s ruthlessness was silent and terrifying.

Such a person was likely the final winner.

She had already changed her strategy. Since she couldn't coexist peacefully, she would show her stance and choose a side early.

Whether Ji Heng agreed or not, scaring the opponents was a good thing.

Ji Heng looked at her with a smile, as if he saw through all her intentions. He brushed a snowflake from his sleeve and said, "Actually, you don't need to pretend to be obedient, Ah Li."