The Double-Chapter 595 - 173: Tenderness_4

Now it seemed Jiang Li had a little understanding, this was her wild guesswork, but guesswork could sometimes strike the truth inadvertently. Maybe just as Emperor Hongxiao was growing up, Jih Heng was also increasing his own power. He might have to deal with a force that he couldn’t handle before, so he needed to increase his chips. Between Emperor Hongxiao and himself, Emperor Hongxiao lent him power, and wasn’t Jih Heng also using Emperor Hongxiao’s influence? Prince Cheng was just a front, Jih Heng’s real target was never Prince Cheng, but the person behind him.

Could that person be Yin Zhan, the Prince of Xia County?

Jiang Li did not know.

While chatting idly with Old General Jih, after he said he was thirsty, he drank all the tea in one gulp and went back to the yard to practice swordsmanship. Jiang Li sat in the study, resting her head on one hand, vaguely hearing Xiao Hong’s enthusiastic praise, "Good swordsmanship!" Her mind wandered between Jih Heng, the Tiger Talisman, and the Prince of Xia County, drifting into sleep without realizing when she fell asleep.

By the time Jih Heng returned to the Duke Residence, it was already evening.

The skies of Yanjing City rarely displayed sunsets, but when they did, the golden red glow pouring from the horizon dazzled the beholder. Jih Heng looked up briefly, the flowers outside his garden scattered across the ground, petals strewn about from Old General Jih’s sword practice. After practicing, the old general, exhausted, fell asleep and completely forgot that Jiang Li was still in his study. Had it not been for a young servant at the Duke Residence informing Jih Heng that Miss Jiang the Second had come and not left yet, he might have not known that there was such a person in the residence.

The surrounding servants did not know where Jiang Li had gone, and Jih Heng did not ask Wen Ji to look for her, but instead began searching room by room himself. His steps were unhurried, forever maintaining a leisurely and composed appearance, until he pushed open the door of Old General Jih’s study.

He stopped in his tracks.

The remaining sunlight filtered through the window, climbing onto the girl’s face, turning her hair into a fuzzy golden halo. She was sleeping with closed eyes, her eyelashes drooping, a small nose, and a delicate mouth. When she was sleeping quietly, without her usual clarity or occasional slyness, it was just peaceful.

Wen Ji stood behind Jih Heng, who gestured with his hand for him to leave. Wen Ji stepped out, and Jih Heng walked over to Jiang Li.

In Old General Jih’s study, or rather his armory, were all kinds of weapons. And these weren’t the newly made ones found in blacksmith shops, they were all weapons the old general had taken into battle, ones that had killed and been stained with blood. People often said the room was heavily laden with murderous Qi, too fierce. Besides the old general himself, others were reluctant to set foot inside.

However, Jiang Li slept peacefully there, seemingly unaffected by it at all. It’s unclear whether her spine naturally had the same fierce sharpness as these weapons, or because of her presence, the room full of fierce weapons became more gentle. Even the golden armor seemed like a gentle general, protecting the fragile girl.

Jih Heng sat down opposite Jiang Li, the tea on the table had long since grown cold. He took a clean teacup, poured himself a cup, and slowly began to drink. He did not wake Jiang Li, nor did he speak; everything was as silent as a painting, exquisitely beautiful.

It wasn’t until Jiang Li felt cold and woke up.

Strangely enough, when she usually slept at the Jiang Residence, she often dreamed, the dreams filled with past lives, and when she woke in the morning, she often couldn’t tell whether everything was a dream or reality. But in Old General Jih’s study, she slept deeply without dreams, vaguely sensing someone by her side, giving her peace of mind, sleeping without any reserves.

And when she woke up, the first thing she saw was the young man in red sitting opposite her, playing with a folding fan in his hand. The room was now lit up, evening had come, the sun’s last rays dwindling, leaving behind the last vestiges of the sunset in the dim light.

"Duke?" she asked groggily.

"You sure make yourself at home," Jih Heng said with a teasing smile, "considering this your own house?"

Jiang Li fell silent for a moment, then smiled, "I didn’t realize when I fell asleep, perhaps it’s because the old general’s study is more comforting. With so many weapons around, it feels very safe."

"Do you sleep uneasily at the Jiang Residence, afraid of someone harming your life in your dreams?" he asked sharply.

The smile faded from Jiang Li’s face as she replied, "Perhaps, maybe I’m naturally more apprehensive."