Chapter 102: The Curtain Falls

The guards dragged them all away. Stripped of their magnificent costumes, those once-dazzling performers lay collapsed on the ground, unable to move, their plight truly wretched. Jin Mantang, once a name that stirred the city, had become a prisoner in an instant.

What awaited them was a fate far more tragic than the play *Sound of Bells at Jiange*.

Jiang Li gazed at Taohong’s retreating back. Even as a woman herself, she could not help but feel a pang of pity for such a delicate and captivating *huadan*. Ji Heng, however, remained unmoved.

Jiang Li turned back to look at Ji Heng. His crimson robes appeared strikingly vivid against the bleak, monochromatic courtyard. On the scattered, ruined stage, the lingering, graceful melodies had vanished, replaced by the blood and blades strewn across the ground—reminders of the slaughter that had just transpired. Yet, the beautiful young man gently waved his folding fan, his eyes filled with the ease of a leisurely life; one could hardly detect the cold-blooded ruthlessness he had shown moments before.

A heart of steel hidden behind a facade of gentle tenderness—Jiang Li had never encountered such a person. He killed while laughing, without a ripple of emotion.

"Why does the Second Miss of the Jiang family look at me like that?" he asked with a smile.

"The play just now was quite spectacular," Jiang Li said. "I admire you greatly, Duke Su."

Ji Heng snapped his fan shut. "I do not play."

"Indeed," Jiang Li replied. "Because you do not enter the play, you win."

Ji Heng was far too clear-headed. Jiang Li had realized long ago that he perceived everything with cold clarity. He wore brilliant red, yet his inner world was as starkly black and white as the courtyard around them. Thus, when Taohong cast flirtatious glances his way on stage, or when the singing moved the audience, he wore a smile, but his heart was filled with mockery.

Just as he had known all along that Jin Mantang had followed him to Xiangyang—ostensibly to curry favor, but in reality to assassinate him—he had understood the nature of this performance from the start. He could have prepared early, yet he chose to wait until the very last moment, letting Jin Mantang finish the entire act.

He simply wanted to watch the show.

Jiang Li thought, perhaps she herself, the Jiang family, and the Ye family were all merely a play in Ji Heng’s eyes. He paid attention only because he still found some interest in it; as for how much he would truly invest—it was just a play, why waste too much effort? It was not to be taken seriously.

Ji Heng remarked, "Second Miss seems to have many thoughts?"

Jiang Li smiled. "I merely find the impermanence of worldly affairs profound."

"Is the Second Miss satisfied with this play?"

"I dare not be dissatisfied," Jiang Li replied with a smile.

"You speak as if I am terrifying," Ji Heng said, his lips curling as he lowered his voice to a suggestive tone. "Just now, when you were in danger, didn't you burrow into my arms in such a fright?"

Jiang Li nearly choked.

At that critical, hair-breadth moment, if she hadn't found a shield, she would have been grievously wronged to die under a stray blade. Naturally, she had to let Ji Heng stand in front. Now that he voiced it, looking at her with such playful amusement, it gave her earlier actions a different shade of meaning.

"In times of urgency, one must be pragmatic," Jiang Li said, her smile not reaching her eyes. "Forgive my rudeness, Duke Su."

For a woman to speak of "rudeness" to a man—if such words reached the capital of Yanjing, it would surely make others roar with laughter.

"It is of no consequence," Ji Heng said. His gaze fell to the ground, and he suddenly bent down to pick something up.

Jiang Li gasped. It was the jade pendant she had redeemed earlier—the one Xue Huaiyuan had carved with his own hands when she was born.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she reached for her neck, finding the cord snapped; it must have broken during the chaos.

"That is my jade pendant," Jiang Li said.

Ji Heng stroked the pendant, his eyes lingering on the lifelike tabby cat carved into it. Jiang Li felt a surge of anxiety and, forgetting all caution, reached out to snatch it back. Ji Heng, however, would not grant her wish; he leaned back slightly and held the pendant high.

Unable to reach it, Jiang Li said, "Duke Su, that is my pendant. Please return it to me."

"I hear the Second Miss has the single name 'Li'," he said with a smile.

Jiang Li felt stifled. All of Yanjing knew her name was Jiang Li; Ji Heng was clearly doing this on purpose.

"The people of the Ye family call you 'Ah Li'. I wonder which 'Li' it is? The 'Li' of pear blossoms, or the 'Li' of a tabby cat?" He lowered his head, his smile deepening, his eyes holding a faint, cold irony that was also somehow affectionate, leaving one utterly confused.

For a moment, Jiang Li felt as if the blood in her veins had frozen.

She forced a smile. "Naturally, it is the 'Li' of pear blossoms."

"Is that so?" Ji Heng stared at her unblinkingly, his voice exceptionally soft. "I, however, think it is the 'Li' of a tabby cat."

Jiang Li raised her eyes to look at him.

The man was absurdly beautiful, and the crimson tear mole beneath his eye seemed to glow, making his features appear even more profound and alluring.

"Why do you say that?" Jiang Li asked.

Ji Heng did not answer immediately. After a while, he laughed. "Because you are not as cute as a pear blossom; you are as crafty as a tabby cat. Is that not right, Ah Li?"

The way he uttered "Ah Li" felt fragrant on his lips, yet Jiang Li felt a chill run through her entire body.

Ji Heng could not possibly know her true identity, yet he must have sensed something amiss. This was a test; whoever wavered would lose.

Jiang Li looked up and offered a smile, flawless and impenetrable. "Duke Su may call me whatever he pleases. It is, after all, just a name. Though, if others were to hear it, they might misunderstand our relationship."

Ji Heng chuckled. "Second Miss’s words are always so heartbreakingly unexpected."

As Jiang Li watched him, Ji Heng continued, "Though, there are other unexpected things as well. For instance, that the Second Miss was able to find the whereabouts of Tong Zhiyang’s mistress—that truly surprised me."

Jiang Li sighed inwardly.

Tong Zhiyang’s men had failed to track down his mistress and her child, but Jiang Li knew that such a matter could never be hidden from Ji Heng. A man who dared to harbor assassins even within the palace surely had his own eyes and ears in Xiangyang.

With Ji Heng’s capabilities, it would be effortless for him to have her watched at any given time.

"I am very curious, Second Miss, how you discovered the whereabouts of Tong Zhiyang’s mistress." His tone was gentle and considerate, yet his words were relentlessly pressuring.

"There is no wall in this world without cracks," Jiang Li replied, meeting his gaze steadily. "Since Tong Zhiyang committed such acts, he would inevitably leave traces. Following those traces to the truth is not difficult. I am also surprised that a man of your status, Duke Su, would concern himself with the domestic affairs of others."

"When it involves you, it is no mere trifle," Ji Heng said with a beaming smile. "Everything the Second Miss does is of great consequence." He paused, then added, "Indeed, there are no walls without cracks. Once something is done, it will leave traces. By following those traces, the truth will be revealed sooner or later," he looked at Jiang Li with a smile. "Is that not so?"

Jiang Li nodded. "It is."

She understood his implication. Her life was filled with suspicious points; no matter how well she hid them, she would eventually leave a trail. As long as he grasped those clues, the secrets she carried would one day be exposed.

Perhaps Ji Heng was truly capable of such a thing, but she was not afraid. Her only goal was to seek vengeance for the Xue family; beyond that, she did not care what the future held.

Ji Heng seemed to perceive her indifference. He remarked nonchalantly, "Second Miss is fearless because she has something to rely on. You plan everything with such thoroughness; now that Tong Zhiyang is watching you, no one dares to touch you."

Jiang Li looked at him sharply.

Even this had been seen through by Ji Heng.

Indeed, before coming to Xiangyang, Jiang Li had anticipated that the mother and daughter of the Ji family would hold a grudge after their defeat at the palace banquet. Even without that, they would never have tolerated her. This return to Xiangyang provided them with the perfect opportunity to eliminate her.

They would certainly have hired people to watch her in secret, ready to strike at the first sign of an opening. By declaring her identity at the gate of the Lizheng Hall, besides causing fear in Tong Zhiyang and forcing him to be polite to the Ye family, she had also secured a protective talisman.

Because her status was special, Tong Zhiyang would definitely have his men monitor her. Furthermore, now that everyone in Xiangyang knew Tong Zhiyang had offended her, if anything happened to her there, Tong Zhiyang would be blamed regardless of the truth. People would assume he had taken revenge. Jiang Yuanbai would never let him off. Therefore, to avoid bearing the stigma of an unjust killing, Tong Zhiyang’s own people would have to protect her.

She had effectively borrowed Tong Zhiyang’s men to counter the assassins sent by the Ji family. At least in Xiangyang, under Tong Zhiyang’s nose, she was safe.

This had been her secret plan, yet she had not expected Ji Heng to see through it.

Jiang Li smiled. "Is there anything in this world that you do not know, Duke Su?"

"There is," Ji Heng said, looking at her with captivating eyes. "And that is you."

"Me?"

"Of all the people I have met in my life," Ji Heng said, "at your age, regardless of gender in Northern Yan, you are the first to possess such scheming and foresight."

"Thank you for the compliment, Duke Su," Jiang Li said. "I am unworthy of such praise."

"You are worthy of it. I am merely puzzled: since you are so brilliant, how were you driven to Mount Qingcheng by your stepmother eight years ago?" he asked with a smile.

"Man proposes, God disposes. I was merely unlucky," Jiang Li laughed. "Besides, I was only seven years old eight years ago. It is quite harsh for you to compare the seven-year-old me to the woman standing before you today. Heaven does not favor the same person forever. My luck was poor then, but as the saying goes, 'Fortune turns like a wheel, and today it turns to my house.'" She smiled lightly.

"Then I shall wait and see."

Jiang Li nodded at him with a smile. At this moment, Ji Heng finally returned her jade pendant. Jiang Li bowed to him in return. "Today’s play was truly magnificent, and I should return now. Thank you for your intervention, Duke Su; I am deeply grateful."

"No need for thanks," Ji Heng smiled. "Actually, even without me, Second Miss would have been able to retreat unscathed, would you not?"

Jiang Li’s gaze sharpened, then she laughed. "I must still offer my thanks." She bid him farewell and turned to leave without haste.

Once her figure disappeared outside the courtyard, Ji appeared behind Ji Heng. "My Lord, the men from Jin Mantang..."

"Do not let them die," Ji Heng said, waving his fan. "Once they have been interrogated, send them to their master."

Ji acknowledged the order, then asked, "And regarding the Second Miss..."

"Continue to watch her," Ji Heng said. "The officials from the Weaving Bureau will arrive soon. I want to see how she finishes this play."

Ji remained silent, deep in thought. He had witnessed everything today. A fifteen-year-old girl, facing an assassination attempt, had shown only a moment of panic before settling down, as if she felt no lingering fear. Ji and his men had also noticed that Jiang Li had repeatedly reached into her sleeves; even in the face of life-or-death danger, she had shown no signs of being helpless or resigned to her fate. She was adept at hiding her contingency plans, preparing for everything. Just as Ji Heng said, even if he hadn't intervened, she might not have been unable to escape unscathed.

Ji looked at Ji Heng. The smile had vanished from his master's face. When he wasn't smiling, all gentleness and pity were gone, replaced by a cold, heartless indifference that was truly chilling.

Yet the Second Miss was not afraid of him; she even played a game of chess with him move by move. She was truly not simple...

...

When Jiang Li returned to the Ye family residence, Tong’er and Bai Xue were shocked. The hem of her skirt was stained with small, dense specks of blood, likely splashed from the assassins.

"Miss, what happened? Are you hurt?" Tong’er rushed about, frantic to check her injuries.

"It is not my blood," Jiang Li comforted her. "I am going to change. Do not speak of this to anyone else."

Tong’er and Bai Xue were worried, but seeing Jiang Li’s serious expression, they could only nod.

Jiang Li breathed a sigh of relief, changed her clothes, and sat down. Bai Xue brought her a cup of hot tea. Both maids were unaware of what had happened; she had only been speaking with Ye Mingyu at the gate for an hour—how could something so extraordinary have occurred?

Jiang Li sipped the tea, her heart slowly calming.

She had intended to gauge Ji Heng’s depth today, but who would have thought she would stumble into the assassination attempt by Jin Mantang? It seemed Xiangyang was not peaceful either. Those people were clearly targeting Ji Heng. She had originally had no connection to him, but in the eyes of others, they might seem close. If the hostility turned toward her, it would be a disaster. The matter of the Ye family was not yet resolved, and she still carried the blood debt of the Xue family; she did not want to add more trouble.

It was best to keep her distance.

Once the matters in Xiangyang were resolved and she returned to Yanjing, she would have no further dealings with Ji Heng. He hid his thoughts too deeply, and his secrets seemed heavy. She must not get herself entangled.

"Today is the seventh day..." she murmured.

Seven days had passed since she spoke out at the gate of the Lizheng Hall. Added to the letter she had already written to Ye Shijie, the officials from the Weaving Bureau should arrive within these two days.

Once they arrived, and with the mistress held by others, Tong Zhiyang would not dare to cause further trouble. The Ye family’s situation would stop deteriorating. Even if the Right Chancellor were behind the plot, because of the Jiang family, the Ye family would be safe for the time being.

Beyond the Ye family, her most important reason for coming to Xiangyang was Xue Huaiyuan. She did not know how Qiongzhi from the Xihua Pavilion had fared. Time was pressing; she had to find an opportunity to return to Xiangyang herself.

...

Two days later, the officials dispatched by the Weaving Bureau arrived in Xiangyang.

They went directly to see Tong Zhiyang. After Ye Shijie had reported the incident regarding the "Ancient Fragrant Silk" in Xiangyang in the name of the Jiang family, the Weaving Bureau in Yanjing realized the matter was not trivial. Since the Ye family was linked to the newly appointed Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue and was a former relative by marriage to the current Chief Grand Secretary, Jiang Yuanbai, they could not ignore it. They immediately sent officials post-haste, traveling day and night to reach Xiangyang and investigate.

Tong Zhiyang had not expected the officials from Yanjing to arrive so quickly. He had spent these days preoccupied with the mistress and child he kept outside, searching almost the entire city of Xiangyang to no avail. Distracted, he had relaxed his guard regarding the Ye family, thinking he had already written to his brother-in-law to see how to handle the changing situation.

But before a reply arrived, the Weaving Bureau’s men were already there. Tong Zhiyang did not know what to do; he could only brace himself to handle them, hoping to stall for time until he received instructions from Yanjing.

"Magistrate Tang," Tong Zhiyang said with a wide smile, "people have died because of the Ye family’s Ancient Fragrant Silk. The people responsible for the Ye family are currently in our custody. Your bureau manages the weaving, but the matter of the deaths falls under our jurisdiction. Therefore, the two masters of the Ye family cannot be released."

The official sent to investigate, Tang Fan, could say nothing to this. Tong Zhiyang was correct; the Weaving Bureau only managed production, not homicide. Since people had died from the fabric, the local government had to investigate.

"That is fine," Jiang Li, who had come with Ye Mingyu, smiled. "We do not request that Uncle Minghui and Uncle Mingxuan be released right now."

Tang Fan felt a weight lift from his heart. Before he left, his superior had clearly told him that this case involved the Chief Grand Secretary’s Jiang family and the Ye family—most importantly, the Jiang family. They were the leaders of Yanjing; he must not offend them. In Yanjing, Jiang Li’s reputation had been the talk of the city for months; everyone knew the Second Miss of the Jiang family was a formidable character. If she wanted to protect the Ye family, they had to comply. If she had insisted on their immediate release, the Weaving Bureau would have been forced into a conflict with the local authorities.

Tong Zhiyang, however, was stunned.

At the gate of the Lizheng Hall, Jiang Li had been quite blunt, and Tong Zhiyang knew this daughter of the Grand Secretary was an overbearing person. He had expected her to insist on their release, which would have led to a dispute with the Weaving Bureau, buying him time to wait for a reply from Yanjing.

Instead, she had agreed so easily and decisively.

Tong Zhiyang suspected it was a trap, looking suspiciously at the girl, but she only appeared gentle and clear-eyed, as if she were a naive young lady who understood nothing.

*Perhaps she is just bluffing, and is actually just a girl who knows nothing?* Tong Zhiyang wondered. He thought that even if she were easy to deal with, the masters of the Ye family were still imprisoned, leaving the family without a head. Ye Mingyu was ignorant of business, and the children were too young; the Ye family was a scattered mess. Even with the Weaving Bureau here, he doubted they would find anything. After a few days of fruitless investigation, a new order from Yanjing would arrive.

Thinking this, Tong Zhiyang felt relaxed. "In that case, the local government will no longer interfere with the Ancient Fragrant Silk matter. Magistrate Tang, please investigate thoroughly and give the people of Xiangyang an answer."

"It is my duty," Tang Fan replied.

Ye Mingyu added, "We leave everything to you, Magistrate Tang."

Just as Tong Zhiyang was feeling triumphant, thinking the Ye family was powerless despite calling in the Weaving Bureau, he heard Jiang Li say, "Magistrate Tang, all the garments made of the Ancient Fragrant Silk that caused rashes on the people have been collected. Our servants have packed them into crates and sent them to the weaving grounds at the foot of the mountain."

Tong Zhiyang froze. Tang Fan looked at Jiang Li in surprise, then smiled. "The Second Miss is very thorough."

"Magistrate Tang should have his men inspect where the issue lies with those silks. Furthermore, nothing in the Ye family’s weaving grounds has been moved, making it easy for your men to investigate," Jiang Li smiled. "If there is anything the Ye family can do, we will help with all our might. Once you find the evidence, Magistrate Tang, you can report it back to the Weaving Bureau. If it is the Ye family’s fault, they will seal the business. If it is not, then the matter is more complex, suggesting a different conspiracy, which must be handled by the Governor."

She spoke unhurriedly. Ye Mingyu, not understanding the ways of officialdom, was confused, but Tong Zhiyang frowned, sensing that Jiang Li was not the naive girl he had imagined. Most surprised was Tang Fan; everything Jiang Li said followed the standard procedures for Yanjing officials. *Could Jiang Yuanbai have been teaching his daughter these official protocols? Otherwise, how could she speak so familiarly, as if she had memorized them long ago?*

They could not know that the girl before them, when married to Shen Yurong, had studied the procedures of officialdom extensively. Back then, Xue Fangfei had wanted to help her husband, and possessing a photographic memory, she had simply read every official book in Yanjing, including those on bureaucratic processes. She knew the Weaving Bureau and what they would do. Telling this to Tang Fan was meant to ensure he understood that, at least regarding the Ye family’s case, she was not someone to be trifled with, and he must take the matter seriously.

If Tang Fan had originally been polite to the Ye family out of respect for Jiang Yuanbai, Jiang Li’s words now filled him with genuine respect. When this "matricidal, fratricidal" Second Miss had returned to the capital, everyone had despised her, yet she had risen to fame through the Mingyi Hall examinations and even received a personal commendation from the Emperor. Talented people could succeed anywhere; even in adversity, they could carve out a path for themselves.

"Then, time is of the essence," Tang Fan said respectfully. "Let us go to the weaving grounds now."

As Jiang Li and her party left with Tang Fan, Tong Zhiyang watched their retreating figures, a flicker of unease crossing his mind. He paused and asked his assistant, with a hint of irritation, "Still no word from Yanjing?"

"No, sir."

"A bunch of useless fools!" Tong Zhiyang cursed. "Go and urge them again. And," he lowered his voice, "if there is still no news of my wife and son, do not blame me for being ruthless!"

His mistress and son were still missing. Tong Zhiyang suspected they had been kidnapped out of Xiangyang, but as so much time had passed, investigating it now was extremely difficult.

*Everything is going against me!* He smashed his cup against the table in anger.

...

The Ye family’s weaving grounds were located on a flat piece of land at the foot of a mountain in Xiangyang.

The grounds were deserted. Ever since the trouble with the Ancient Fragrant Silk, production had ceased. The silk had already flowed throughout Northern Yan, and while the Ye family’s scandal was causing an uproar in Xiangyang, no one knew the situation elsewhere.

The looms were covered in a thin layer of dust. Walking in from the entrance, the vast grounds felt exceptionally cold. Ye Jia’er and Ye Rufeng were waiting there, and when they saw Jiang Li and the others, they hurried forward.

"Cousin, you have finally come," Ye Jia’er said. They had been waiting anxiously for the Weaving Bureau officials. These past few days, no one in the Ye family had slept well. With the masters imprisoned and the Lizheng Hall shuttered, the entire city was gossiping about how their silk had killed people.

Now that the Weaving Bureau had arrived, they could find the source of the problem. Even if there were an issue, they would know how to rectify it, instead of running around like headless chickens, helpless as the situation worsened.

"Cousin, where is the Ancient Fragrant Silk?" Jiang Li asked.

Ye Jia’er hurried to say, "It is here." She stepped aside, revealing a row of neat wooden crates on the platform behind her.

The servants opened the crates, and Tang Fan walked over with his men.

The patterns of the Ancient Fragrant Silk were ancient and dim, and the fabric possessed a natural, faint fragrance that only the Ye family could produce. For the first two years after its release, it had been so sought after that nobles would argue endlessly just to obtain a bolt.

Now, it had become like a rat crossing the street, with everyone shouting for it to be beaten. Sorrow flickered in the eyes of Ye Jia’er and Ye Rufeng.

"We have not touched these silks since they were taken back from the customers," Jiang Li said with a smile. "If there is indeed something that causes illness on the fabric, it should still be there."

Tang Fan reached out and picked up a piece of the fabric, rubbing it between his fingers to inspect it. After a moment, he leaned in and sniffed it lightly.

Ye Jia’er nervously gripped Jiang Li’s hand. Jiang Li gave her a reassuring smile, which eased her tension slightly.

Tang Fan pondered for a while, then motioned for his men to come forward and repeat his actions, as if confirming something.

Seeing that he had discovered something, Jiang Li asked, "Magistrate Tang, have you found something?"

Tang Fan dared not be negligent toward Jiang Li. "I wouldn't call it a discovery, but it is rather strange."

"What is strange?" Ye Jia’er asked urgently.

"Why is there *tuoluo* on this Ancient Fragrant Silk?"