The Double-Chapter 458 - 147: Master and Servant_3

Yet Jih Heng didn’t continue to press her with questions, seeming to show a hint of fatigue, so he propped up his head with his hand, leaned against the side of the palanquin, and closed his eyes.

Within the cramped confines of the palanquin, the two sat close together, their silence falling in unison. Outside, the whooshing sound of the wind could be heard, along with the soft crunch of the palanquin bearers’ boots in the snow, bringing a sense of vitality to the cold, still night.

Each absorbed in their thoughts, it was uncertain how much time had passed before the palanquin came to a halt, and Zhao Ke’s voice rang out from outside, "Duke, we’ve arrived."

Jih Heng, who had been feigning sleep with his eyes closed, opened them, lifted the curtain, and stepped out first, then waited for Jiang Li to descend.

The Duke Residence at night was not as glamorous as it was by day. Under the hazy light of the lamps, it took on an almost unreal quality. It resembled a celestial palace to the weary traveler stumbling upon it after a long journey in the mountains, and seeing the bewitchingly handsome young man, one could almost believe they had wandered into the lair of spirits.

Jiang Li alighted, and as the grand entrance to the Duke Residence opened, she walked in alongside Jih Heng.

The old general, Old General Jih, must have already gone to bed, as they saw no sign of him. Had the old general been present, the atmosphere wouldn’t have been this quiet—he would have certainly taken Jiang Li aside to interrogate her about why she was visiting so late at night and what her relationship with Jih Heng was.

They continued to the innermost courtyard of the Duke Residence where a room awaited. Outside the room, Wen Ji stood guard. Seeing them approach, he said, "My lord."

"The person is inside," Jih Heng said, looking at her, "Are you going in to see her now?"

Jiang Li nodded, but before she could step in, Wen Ji said, "Miss Jiang the Second, this girl named Hai Tang is very distrustful of others. You going in alone might provoke her to hurt you. Perhaps it would be safer to have a guard..."

"That won’t be necessary," Jiang Li said with a smile, gently declining his offer, "I will negotiate with her. She won’t harm me."

Wen Ji looked to Jih Heng and, seeing no objection in his expression, stepped aside to let Jiang Li push the door open and enter.

Jiang Li hesitated for a moment, then turned to Jih Heng and just as she was about to speak, Jih Heng smiled and said, "I know. I will wait at the entrance of the courtyard. I won’t eavesdrop on your ’secrets.’" He emphasized the word "secrets" slightly.

Jiang Li said with a smile, "Thank you for your understanding, Duke."

Jih Heng and his guards retreated into the courtyard while Jiang Li took a deep breath, mustering the courage to push open the door.

Upon closing the door behind her, Jiang Li looked around the room. A lamp was lit on a table, and a person sat in front of it. She had her back to the wall as if seeking a sense of security from its solidity. The figure was slim and gracefully tall; just catching sight of this silhouette nearly brought tears to Jiang Li’s eyes. It was familiar to her, stirring up mixed emotions—undeniably, it was Hai Tang.

At the sound of an entrant, Hai Tang swiftly turned around, her gaze wary as she fixed her eyes on Jiang Li. Her face was partially veiled, revealing only her eyes, but the look in those eyes was strange. The Hai Tang of the past was gentle and composed, always advising and strategizing from the sidelines, the epitome of attentiveness and reliability. Now, there was no trace of that gentleness—she resembled a wounded animal, cautious of the newcomer.

This gaze broke Jiang Li’s heart.

Yet, Jiang Li simply raised a gentle smile and sat down opposite Hai Tang. As she did so, Hai Tang edged away, pressing against the wall and remaining silent.

"You’re Hai Tang, aren’t you?" Jiang Li said with a smile, "I’m the one who had people look for you and brought you back from Zao Hua Village."

Hai Tang continued to regard her with the eyes of a stranger—in fact, to Hai Tang, Jiang Li was just that, a stranger with unknown intentions. Hai Tang spoke, "What is your purpose?"

At these words, Jiang Li was taken aback, a look of bewilderment crossing her face.

Hai Tang’s voice was light and soft, quite pleasing to the ear. In the past, others would tease that after spending so much time with her mistress, Hai Tang had come to sound quite similar to Jiang Li in tone and voice. But now her voice was as if scorched by fire, unpleasantly hoarse. freewebnøvel.com

"What happened to your voice?" Jiang Li asked.

Hai Tang watched her, remaining silent.

Indeed, it was abnormal for a strange woman to inquire about Hai Tang’s throat with such a concerned demeanor.

"Your purpose," Hai Tang asked again.

"I am Jiang Li, the Second Miss of the Jiang Family, the daughter of the current Grand Secretary Jiang Yuanbai," Jiang Li said, softening her voice and trying to appear as gentle and amiable as possible, "Someone has tasked me with investigating the Lady of the Xue Family, Xue Fangfei’s case."