The Double-Chapter 573 - 169: Miscarriage

"I promise you."

"I promise you," Jiang Li blinked, he always agreed so quickly. From being initially distant to now almost always being helpful, Jiang Li couldn’t fathom what Jih Heng was thinking.

Pondering over it, she said, "Once this matter is over, will Prince Cheng immediately take action?"

"If Yongning and the Li Family’s reputations are completely destroyed and their vitality greatly damaged by this affair, it will hasten his moves," Jih Heng replied.

Jiang Li then asked, "If it happens earlier, would it affect your plans?"

Jih Heng looked at her, "You know my plans?"

Jiang Li shook her head frankly, "I do not. However, given your position, every move of Prince Cheng should affect you in some way."

"The impact would be small," he remarked.

Jiang Li sighed with relief, "Then I am reassured."

Jih Heng raised an eyebrow, "You seem quite worried about me."

What would have been an ordinary statement took on a teasing quality when spoken in his lowered voice. Jiang Li felt her face warm and simply responded, "Of course, the Duke is connected to my fortunes and life. In the days to come, I will have to rely on you a great deal."

Jih Heng chuckled softly, "Do you know how the Emperor would deploy his troops after Prince Cheng makes his move?"

"There are the Military Defense General and General Ping Rong in the current court," Jiang Li said. "Aren’t they the ones?"

"They are comparatively young and come from military backgrounds. Against the forces of Prince Cheng, they may not hold much advantage," Jih Heng noted impassively.

Jiang Li said, "But during the Late Emperor’s reign, he favored the literati over the military, resulting in a scarcity of military commanders in the court. These two are already amongst the best... Ah, now I recall, there’s also the Zhaode General, the Prince of Xia County!"

The Prince of Xia County was a half-brother of the Late Emperor; although not of the same mother, the Late Emperor in his days showed the Prince brotherly respect and deference. But for some reason, the Late Emperor had later assigned the Prince to the frigid northwest to guard the frontier, rarely allowing him to return to the capital. Now the Prince’s son must be about the same age as Emperor Hongxiao.

The Prince was also the highly renowned Zhaode General, with soldiers under his command known for their bravery. Some speculated that this was why the Late Emperor had sent the Zhaode General to the northwest, and not as a demotion. His soldiers were fierce but unruly, and only the Zhaode General could manage them with strict discipline.

"You know of the Prince of Xia County?" Jih Heng asked, somewhat surprised. "You know quite a bit."

After all, when the Zhaode General had been sent to the northwest, Jiang Li had not been born yet. For a young lady of her age, it would have been highly unusual to have heard of this name. Perhaps many in Yanjing City had long since forgotten about him.

"The one you are referring to, is it him?" Jiang Li asked.

Jih Heng’s eyes darkened slightly, and without a response, he slowly curled up one corner of his mouth and said, "Who knows?"

Jiang Li watched him, unable to decipher what Jih Heng was pondering, as the amber hue in his eyes seemed to deepen. She could not guess his thoughts, yet she sensed that the Prince of Xia County, the Zhaode General, might hold significant importance for Jih Heng.

Suddenly, she recalled that there was another valiant and skilled general in Northern Yan, Jih Minghan, Jih Heng’s biological father. In the past, there were North Jinwu and Nan Zhaode. In terms of military accomplishments, the two might have been on par. If Jih Minghan hadn’t disappeared without a trace, he should have been the one contending with Prince Cheng, not the Zhaode General summoned from far away.

Jih Heng... perhaps he was remembering his father, Jiang Li silently thought.

...

After Jiang Li met with Jih Heng at the Duke Residence that day, she didn’t do much in the following days.

Since Jih Heng had promised to help, he surely wouldn’t just talk the talk. Jiang Li knew that with just a little instigation by Jih Heng’s people within the Right Chancellor’s Residence, it was only a matter of time before the fire between the Li Family and Princess Yongning was ignited. And afterwards, no one else would need to lift a finger; they would fan the flames higher themselves, until they were consumed by the fire.

What preoccupied her after leaving the Duke Residence was the Prince of Xia County, whom Jih Heng had mentioned. Jih Heng wouldn’t bring him up without reason, and his attitude towards the Prince struck her as very strange. But the Prince had been away from Yanjing City for over twenty years, long enough for those who knew him to pass away, even the Late Emperor who had sent him to the northwest was no more. Only very few were left who knew him, and Jiang Li had no means to learn about this stranger.

She couldn’t ask Jiang Yuan Bai; he would think further into it and grow suspicious if she asked about the Prince. But there was one person she could question—Xue Huaiyuan. When she visited the Ye Residence to see Xue Huaiyuan, she took the opportunity to inquire about the Prince of Xia County. Although Xue Huaiyuan didn’t know much, he was aware of some rumors. Moreover, he wouldn’t question why Jiang Li was interested, answering whatever she asked with his usual gentle demeanor.