Tonger looked at her with concern and asked, "Miss, are you alright?"
Jiang Li shook her head and said, "It’s nothing, let’s go to the Duke Residence."
Today, Lu Jiu should also be back; concerning Jih Heng’s news, only Lu Jiu would have the clearest understanding. Jiang Li wanted to see Lu Jiu, to at least know what exactly happened that day.
Tonger and Bai Xue exchanged glances, not wishing for Jiang Li to go to the Duke Residence at this mont, lest she be reminded of the past. But Jiang Li was adamant, and they could do nothing but accompany her there.
Upon arriving at the Duke Residence, the entrance was eerily quiet; if Jih Heng had been returning today, one would expect it to be sowhat lively. Jiang Li greeted the porter and entered. When she reached the courtyard, after a long absence, she saw Zhao Ke and Wen Ji.
Zhao Ke was the first to spot Jiang Li, greeting her with, "Second Miss."
Jiang Li walked over. Having not seen them for almost a year, Zhao Ke and Wen Ji seed much worn down. Wen Ji’s face now bore several scars, a testant to the fierce combat on the battlefield. Zhao Ke seed hesitant to look into Jiang Li’s eyes and did not initiate conversation; Jiang Li therefore asked, "Jih Heng... did he really not return?"
Wen Ji gently shook his head with a sigh of disappointnt, "It was my fault I couldn’t protect him."
"What exactly happened that day?" Jiang Li asked. "I’ve only heard the facts from others and fear they might not be entirely accurate. Since you were by his side, you surely know best."
"When sir was engaged with Yin Zhili, his old wound reopened. Yin Zhili’s lieutenant struck the original wound, and sir was overpowered. At that mont, sir pursued Yin Zhili alone; we were yet unaware of sir’s condition. Later... when we found those captives, they said sir had escaped, but also that he was gravely injured and couldn’t have gotten far. We searched the surrounding area for a long ti but found no trace of sir. Afterwards, Mr. Lu commanded a search in the mountain, yet nothing turned up until... until..."
Wen Ji, not usually a man to falter, seed to struggle to continue; Jiang Li, with a tightening in her heart, couldn’t help but press, "Until what?"
Wen Ji glanced at Jiang Li, pulling sothing from his sleeve and spreading it in his palm. Jiang Li saw that it was a butterfly fan pendant, broken in half, leaving only the bare wing of the butterfly with its red jeweled fractures vividly apparent.
Jiang Li reached out with trembling hands and took the butterfly. The familiar fan pendant, now devoid of its forr beauty, could no longer dance elegantly with that splendid fan.
"In the mountains, we found this. Mr. Lu recognized it as sir’s fan pendant and instructed us to search the area. We found... we found..." Wen Ji, a robust man, choked up, "We found sir’s armor and garnts, and bloodstains... By then, much ti had passed, and the army said... sir might have been... devoured by wolves and dogs."
Jiang Li’s vision went black, almost causing her to faint. Tonger cried out in alarm and quickly supported her. Jiang Li saw nothing but the crimson armor stained with blood, sprawling unsettlingly on the ground. That prophecy, like a curse, echoed in her ears once more: Due to a woman’s calamity, shall et a dire fate, his body left to the wilderness, pecked and devoured by birds and hounds.
It had all co true.
Jiang Li murmured, "It’s my fault. I dood him."
Tonger said anxiously, "Miss, this is not your fault, you mustn’t take all the bla upon yourself."
"No, it’s my fault, I caused his downfall. If Yin Zhili hadn’t used to trap him that day, he wouldn’t have been injured... It was who dood him." She closed her eyes in anguish, and tears rolled down.
"Sir never thought this way," Zhao Ke said. "Second Miss, to sir, you were the most important. Please don’t torture yourself."
They had followed Jih Heng for many years; rather than serving as re subordinates, they were like brothers. They too were heartbroken over Jih Heng’s demise, but they couldn’t bla Jiang Li. Ultimately, it was fate’s cruel hand that chose that mont for Jih Heng’s old injury to resurface.
"Before sir went off to war, he ntioned that if he didn’t return this ti... the Duke Residence should be left in Second Miss’s hands. Whether Second Miss wants to sell it or keep it, or do sothing else, it is all up to Second Miss. Within Yanjing City, sir had no close kin. Second Miss was sir’s last concern and all he could leave behind, would be given to Second Miss."
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