The Double-Chapter 646 - 196 Night Raid

The day passed just like that.

Jiang Li stayed in the mansion, naturally having little to say with Zhao Ke and Wen Ji. Lu Jiu and Jih Heng were not around, and though Wen Renyao was quite a chatterbox, his inquiries about Jiang Li’s conversation were difficult for her to answer, so she had to pretend ignorance.

In her previous life, Jiang Li had never been to Huangzhou, knowing only that it was famous for a special kind of wine. Although Jih Heng didn’t mention it, Jiang Li was aware that the city was rife with crises, far from the peace it seemed to show on the surface. Prince Cheng might have made some arrangements within it, as part of his contingency plans. Once he started his uprising, Huangzhou would inevitably be implicated.

Not knowing when Prince Cheng would make his move, Jiang Li thought it wouldn’t be long. Therefore, in Jih Heng’s absence, she did not propose to take a stroll on the streets, not only because her strength had not yet recovered but also because she might encounter hidden dangers at any moment. Wen Renyao must also understand this; otherwise, with his fondness for excitement, he wouldn’t have stayed in the mansion the whole day without going out.

From day to night, it was Zhao Ke who went out to purchase wine and dishes from nearby the mansion. With nothing much to do, Jiang Li was fortunate that there was a study in the mansion, where she found some books. Though the novels were dull, they were better than nothing.

Reading books, daydreaming, and before she knew it, evening had arrived.

When the lanterns outside were lit, Jih Heng and Lu Jiu still had not returned. The maid came to ask, "Miss, are you ready to rest?"

Jiang Li looked up at the sky, where the stars were hidden among the clouds. From the nearby streets, she could still hear the singers’ sounds from the taverns, though they were no longer as loud as at the beginning—deep into the night, everything quieted down. Those who were sleeping slept, those resting rested, and the whole of Huangzhou City fell into tranquility.

"I don’t want to rest yet, you go ahead," Jiang Li shook her head, "I’ll go to bed when I’m tired."

The maid then withdrew.

Strangely, at this time Jiang Li would normally feel somewhat sleepy, yet today she felt unusually alert. She didn’t know if it was because of the "Soft Muscle Powder" or something else, or perhaps simply because she felt less secure without Jih Heng. In any case, she didn’t feel the slightest bit sleepy. Fortunately, by this time, the effects of the Soft Muscle Powder she had ingested the day before had worn off after 24 hours, and she was completely alert, no longer as weak as before.

Unable to sleep, Jiang Li could only wander around the room. The house was probably a typical Huangzhou family’s residence, and this room must have belonged to a daughter. With its red drapes and soft bed, it was very cozy. Jiang Li sat in front of the dressing mirror, under the dim light. Her face still showed spots, and although the red had faded a bit, it was barely noticeable.

In front of the mirror, there was a palm-sized vermilion basket containing a spool of fine thread and a pair of scissors. The scissors were likely used by girls for needlework, very delicate. Perhaps the former inhabitants moved out too quickly when Jih Heng bought the house that they didn’t manage to take these scissors with them.

Jiang Li weighed the scissors in her hand, which were light and handy, so she tucked them into her sleeve.

Her sharpened hairpins and the dagger given by Jiang Jingrui, among other items, were all thoroughly taken away by Prince Cheng’s men when she was captured. Since the woman who searched her was very thorough, she was left with nothing useful to defend herself. The lack of defensive items made her feel somewhat incomplete. Now she had no time to look for new hairpins and had to make do.

Despite the presence of Wen Ji and Zhao Ke, it was still wise to have an additional layer of safeguards.

After tucking away the scissors, Jiang Li walked over to the window. She didn’t know when Jih Heng would return; it was already late at night, and he might not come back at all this evening. Wen Renyao had retired early to his room, and the lights there seemed to have gone out as well, but Jiang Li still felt wide awake.

Moreover, because it was so quiet, she even thought about waking up Wen Renyao to keep her company in conversation.

The candlelight was dim, and tears of wax fell onto the table, their landings audible in the silent night which ought to have been peaceful. Yet for some reason, without cause, Jiang Li suddenly felt uneasy.

Indeed, it was too quiet around her.

Although nights in spring are quiet, there would always be some sounds. For example, the croaking of frogs, the splashing of fish tails in the pond, the murmuring of birds, or the whispering of the evening breeze. These sounds adorned the night, quietly lively, thriving with life.

But tonight, the quietness was excessive. Jiang Li heard nothing as if everything had agreed to stop at the same moment, and the faint sounds of song and dance that had previously carried from a distance had also vanished without a trace.

Jiang Li inexplicably broke out in goosebumps.

Perhaps because she had died once, she had an intuition for danger. Unlike the wariness of assassins facing powerful foes, this instinct was like that of a wild animal smelling peril, anxious on the eve of disaster.

Jiang Li’s heart suddenly felt stifled. After thinking it over, she dressed in her outer garment and softly opened the door.

As soon as she opened the door, she felt it hit someone’s body. Two people had been squatting in front of her door, and Jiang Li almost cried out in alarm, but the person immediately spoke up in a hushed, clipped voice, "Second Miss, it’s me!"

It was the voice of Zhao Ke.

By the light of the candles inside the house, Jiang Li finally saw clearly; squatting at her door were none other than Zhao Ke and Wen Ji. She was extremely surprised. Although she knew that Zhao Ke and Wen Ji were responsible for her safety, she hadn’t seen the two when she entered the house earlier, and moreover, why were they squatting at her own doorstep? Even if it made sense to guard nearby, why must both of them stay awake through the night? One could sleep while the other rested and they could take turns, couldn’t they? Why be so cautious?

Jiang Li’s mind was a tangled mess, and she couldn’t think clearly for the moment, but one thing she understood profoundly was that something might happen tonight.

Indeed, just as she had come to this realization, an excited voice came from not far away. It was Wen Renyao’s voice, saying, "Miss Jiang the Second, why have you come out as well?"

Jiang Li was extremely astonished and asked Zhao Ke, "What’s happening?"

"I’m afraid there might be some trouble tonight, Prince Cheng might make his move and try to take over Huangzhou by surprise attack in the night. The area outside the city is teeming with his troops." Zhao Ke answered.

"Are there people of Prince Cheng inside Huangzhou too?" Jiang Li asked.

Zhao Ke seemed not to have expected Jiang Li to come to this realization so quickly and was taken aback for a moment before nodding. Realizing Jiang Li might not be able to see his nod in the darkness, he said, "That’s right. Originally we didn’t want to disturb Second Miss, hoping that the night would pass uneventfully, but then you came out on your own." He hesitated for a moment, "Why did Second Miss suddenly come out?"

"I’ve had an uneasy feeling, as if something is about to happen." Jiang Li said, "Perhaps you won’t believe me, but it just feels too quiet tonight. I wanted to take a look outside and didn’t expect to bump into you all as soon as I stepped out."

Zhao Ke suddenly understood.

As they were speaking, Wen Renyao seemed displeased at being left out of the conversation and actually ran over from the other end, bringing two small wooden stools with him. He handed one to Jiang Li and said, "What are you talking about? Miss Jiang the Second, why don’t we all sit down here?"

Jiang Li said, "Why not sit inside the house?"

"Afraid we’ll miss the signal." Zhao Ke explained.

Jiang Li understood then, she asked further, "Where is Jih Heng now?"

"He has to deal with the night attack." Wen Renyao answered enthusiastically, "He’s gone to negotiate with the City Defense Army’s leader. He is a duke; the City Defense Army has to listen to him. If Jih Heng is handling it, Prince Cheng’s people won’t be able to get in for the time being. However, those he left in Huangzhou might seize the opportunity to create chaos, they might kill innocent civilians or might take advantage of the chaos to open the city gates wide and let those troops in. So tonight is of utmost importance."

Jiang Li understood Wen Renyao’s point and said, "What about those civilians, then?"

Wen Renyao said, "Aside from those of the City Defense Army near the city gates, some will stay in the city, but tonight... there will most likely be looting and killing."

Chaos and rebellion always boil down to one thing: turmoil. It’s always the innocent civilians who suffer the consequences. Even Jih Heng couldn’t change that, he couldn’t save everyone. Moreover, Jih Heng wasn’t someone who was soft-hearted. Perhaps his staying in Huangzhou to defend the city and thwarting Prince Cheng’s plans wasn’t out of a desire to save the lives of the people of this city, but merely to accomplish a goal of his own.

Though his goal wasn’t entirely clear yet, Jiang Li could vaguely grasp some clues. But these clues seemed very important to Jih Heng, so it wasn’t convenient for her to inquire directly. And asking others, like Wen Renyao who was close to Jih Heng, they likely wouldn’t know the truth either.

It was all a riddle, hard to clear up.

"Miss Jiang the Second need not worry," seeing Jiang Li silent, Wen Renyao thought she might be scared and said, "Even though Ah Heng isn’t here, I can protect you. Follow me, and you’ll be at ease!"

Jiang Li wasn’t very reassured, especially regarding Wen Renyao, who seemed to her to need protection even more than she did.

Thinking this, she suddenly saw the dark sky, which had been painted bright red without her realizing it. It was as if someone had taken a torch and randomly smeared it across the sky, turning that patch red. And then, that red glow grew larger and brighter, almost illuminating half of Huangzhou City. Following that, a loud bugle call resounded.

The enemy was launching a night attack!

Jiang Li immediately turned to look at Zhao Ke and Wen Ji, both of whom wore an unprecedentedly grave expression. Not far away, from a neighboring area, the sound of panicked footsteps began to spread. It seemed as though the bugle had awakened many from their sleep; people hurriedly dressed and came out to see what was happening.

Just then, the candle in Jiang Li’s house burnt out as well, with the flame flickering briefly before being extinguished completely. The house was bereft of light, leaving only the illuminated sky in the distance to be seen.

They had probably made their move.