Fortunately, he had encountered an understanding and protective superior like Lu Bing; otherwise, most officials would not have been able to withstand the pressure. The best outcome would have been suspension pending a thorough investigation to confirm he was not a spy for an enemy state.
Even if it were determined that he had initially been deceived by Jin Ying out of naivety while rescuing a courtesan, the Embroidered Uniform Guard would never dare employ him again. His future would be ruined—forget about promotions and wealth; if he could return home to inherit his father’s title and ensure his own safety, that would already be a blessing.
Since Wang Daxia joined the Embroidered Uniform Guard, his career had been smooth sailing, rising swiftly like a shooting star. Now facing a major setback, his youthful vigor quickly turned frustration into determination. He said:
“Thank you for your assistance, Lord Lu. I failed to see people clearly and fell for the White Lotus Sect’s honey trap. When the city-wide manhunt for the sect leader was underway, I assumed Jin Ying had a falling out with the Red Sleeve Brothel over her redemption and even lent her money for it. So, I mistakenly thought she had no connection to the **Hall and didn’t search her home, missing a crucial opportunity.”
“Later, when she and her fiancé left the city to return to their hometown for marriage, she even wrote me a farewell letter. At that time, Doctor Wei had fallen ill after drowning, and I was busy caring for her, so I ignored the letter and sent a servant to deliver travel expenses. Looking back now, I missed another chance to capture the sect leader. If I had gone to see her off personally, I might have realized the sect leader was hiding with her.”
“I missed both opportunities. I beg Lord Lu to give me another chance—let me go to Fengcheng and capture the White Lotus Sect Saintess Jin Ying to bring her back to the capital.”
Lu Bing asked, “Why capture Jin Ying? She has already left the White Lotus Sect and is no longer the Saintess. A Saintess must remain chaste and never marry. If she wishes to marry, she must first renounce her position. By now, she is likely busy preparing for her wedding to the Ordos tribe.”
Wang Daxia replied, “Jin Ying is the daughter of the Chiraghut tribe leader, the granddaughter of Anda Khan, and the fiancée of the Ordos tribe. Given her importance, we can use her as leverage to exchange for several key leaders of the White Lotus Sect, especially that Iron Bull who controls the firearms.”
“Absolutely not!” Lu Bing broke out in a cold sweat, thinking how reckless the young could be, without considering the broader implications. “Jin Ying’s status is too noble; moving against her could trigger a chain reaction. Your actions might very well ignite a war between two nations. The Ming dynasty is already struggling with battles against Japanese Pirates along the coast and cannot handle fighting on both northern and southern fronts simultaneously.”
Wang Daxia argued urgently, “But we can’t just let the sect leader escape! In that case, let me go to Fengcheng disguised as a sect follower, find an opportunity to assassinate the sect leader Zhao Quan, and redeem myself through merit.”
Lu Bing thought, the young truly dare to dream. He said, “The White Lotus Sect has deep roots. Even if you kill Zhao Quan, a new leader will emerge, and the followers will still adhere to the sect.”
Wang Daxia proposed, “Ding Wu is already one of the Four Great Disciples and is highly trusted by Anda Khan. If we make him the sect leader, we can uncover the whereabouts of the nine hundred firearms lost from Wang Gong Factory.”
Lu Bing shook his head again. “You’re too impatient. Ding Wu has just become a Branch Leader, and that was due to his merit in the pursuit order. His position is unstable—how could he become the sect leader? This matter should not be rushed. For now, Ding Wu has infiltrated the enemy camp, and we must follow his lead. He is investigating the trail of the firearms; you must not act recklessly and disrupt his plans.”Wang Daxia had all three of his suggestions rejected, and in his anxiety, he clenched his fists tightly. "Have I made such a grave mistake that I can do nothing but wait idly for Ding Wu's news? My conscience is uneasy—I simply cannot sit still."
Though the young man was somewhat impulsive, his courage to take responsibility showed promise. Lu Bing said, "You've only been at this for just over four months, while I've been at it for thirty-nine years—it'll be forty full years after the New Year. Many matters cannot be resolved through haste alone. You must learn to stay calm, observe patiently, and strike only when the timing is right. Once you act, give it your all and ensure a decisive victory. No one can avoid making mistakes forever; it's better to err in youth than in old age. And fortunately, I'm here to cover for you. It's alright—just remember this lesson firmly and be more careful in the future."
Just as Wang Daxia was about to propose other ways to make amends, Lu Bing's personal guard entered. "My Lord, a battle report from Cengang!"
In recent years, the Ming army had been fighting Japanese Pirates along the southwestern coast. The occasional friction and minor conflicts with Anda Khan at the northwestern border were insignificant compared to the havoc wreaked by the Japanese Pirates along the coast. The Ming court prioritized stability in the north, directing the bulk of defense expenditures toward eradicating the Japanese Pirates in the south—this was the top priority.
The struggle between the Ming army and the Japanese Pirates for the Zhoushan Islands and Cengang had persisted for years. Opponents ranged from former great pirates like Wang Zhi and Xu Hai to the current Mao Haifeng. Like clearing away lice, one batch after another emerged—old pirates were eliminated, only for new ones to join forces with remnants and resurge. The coastal residents suffered year after year from the Japanese Pirates' pillaging and slaughter, enduring immense hardship.
Through years of effort, the Ming navy had honed formidable commanders like Hu Zongxian and Yu Dayou in the crucible of war. They had finally encircled the Japanese Pirates at Cengang, planning to annihilate them in one fell swoop. The war against the Japanese Pirates had reached a critical juncture.
Wang Daxia understood the gravity of the situation and immediately fell silent.
Lu Bing read the Cengang battle report, initially calm but growing increasingly grim-faced as he progressed. A murderous glint flashed in his eyes, and the report trembled in his hand.
Though Wang Daxia did not know the contents of the report, Lu Bing's expression suggested that the battle at Cengang had taken a turn for the worse.
Sure enough, upon finishing the report, Lu Bing erupted in fury, slamming it onto the table. "Ridiculous! At such a critical moment, they're still playing games of cat and mouse! They've overplayed their hand—turning victory into defeat! Years of effort, ruined in an instant!"
As he spoke, Lu Bing's right hand began to tremble uncontrollably—a precursor to a stroke.
Alarmed, his guard quickly produced pills. Wang Daxia brought hot water to dissolve them and fed the medicine to Lu Bing, then went to summon Imperial Physician Song.
After taking the medicine and lying down, Wang Daxia used massage techniques he had learned from Wei Caiwei, working over Lu Bing's entire body. He couldn't help but remark, "Lord Lu, you just repeatedly taught me not to rush, to take things slowly, and wait for the best opportunity. Why is it that when lecturing me, you had all the right words, but when it comes to yourself, you're so agitated you nearly had a stroke? The Ming dynasty has been fighting the Japanese Pirates for years—one battle won or lost doesn't change that. If we lost this one, we'll fight again next time. Please don't let anger consume you—your health is what matters most!"Lu Bing was their steadfast pillar of support and must not fall. Especially after Wang Daxia learned that Jin Ying was both the White Lotus Sect Saintess of the Khanate Court and a Han court junjun, he realized that without Lord Lu shielding him, he would risk his entire family’s lives. Thus, Lu Bing’s role as a protector became even more crucial.
Lying on his couch, Lu Bing sighed and shook his head repeatedly. "You’ve only been at this for four months, but the Great Ming has been fighting for decades, spending vast sums on military expenses. Just as we were about to close the net, a misstep by two generals allowed the Japanese Pirates to escape from Cengang. As you said, if they escaped, we’ll just fight again. The Japanese Pirates suffered heavy losses this time, so it shouldn’t be hard to defeat them again. But now, court officials are impeaching Hu Zongxian and Yu Dayou, demanding their execution."
"Hu Zongxian is fine. He’s been bribing Yan Shifan for years and has him as a protector, aligning with the Yan faction. Yan Shifan devised a plan for him to shift all the blame onto Yu Dayou. Hu Zongxian followed through, and now Yu Dayou alone bears all the responsibility for the defeat at Cengang. He’s been stripped of his official position, imprisoned in the Ministry of War’s dungeon, and faces execution. The Great Ming hasn’t even eradicated the Japanese Pirates yet, but we’re about to execute our own general. How can I not be anxious?"
Hearing this, Wang Daxia thought to himself: Yan Shifan really has one trick that works everywhere. He’s perfected the art of shifting blame.
He shifted all the responsibility for the Gengxu Turmoil onto Ding Rukui, who spent ten years in a death cell. Now, he’s teaching Hu Zongxian to pin the defeat at Cengang on Yu Dayou. What a master of deflecting blame—the same tactic works every time.
Like a newborn calf unafraid of tigers, Wang Daxia offered Lu Bing a reckless suggestion: "Lord Lu values talent and doesn’t want to lose a general like Yu Dayou. Why not plead for him before the Emperor? Given your influence, the Emperor would surely spare his life."
Lu Bing replied, "Impossible. First, it was the Emperor who ordered Yu Dayou’s arrest and imprisonment in the Ministry of War’s death cell. Second, Yu Dayou and I have always been close. I was a military jinshi in the 11th year of Jiajing’s reign, and he was a military juren in the 14th year. I was his examiner when he passed and admired him greatly, and we’ve been close friends ever since. Precisely because we’re so close, it’s inappropriate for me to plead for him. The Emperor would think I’m showing favoritism."
Wang Daxia persisted, "Besides you, does Yu Dayou have any other backers? If the high officials unite, surely they can protect him?"
As if poking a sore spot, Wang Daxia’s words made Lu Bing feel as if his stroke was about to recur. "You don’t understand. After Yu Dayou passed the military exams, I introduced him to one of my current relatives by marriage, Grand Secretariat Grand Academician Xu Jie. Xu Jie also admired Yu Dayou and often promoted him, making Xu Jie his patron. But Yan Shifan and Xu Jie frequently clash over political views in court, sometimes like fire and water, utterly irreconcilable."
"These two relatives of mine have been at odds for years. By having Hu Zongxian shift all the blame to Yu Dayou, Yan Shifan aims to sever one of Xu Jie’s key supporters. If Yu Dayou weren’t aligned with Xu Jie, things might be easier."
Lu Bing’s second and third daughters had married into the Yan and Xu families, respectively. The rivalry between these two in-laws in court was now harming an innocent bystander.
This even depressed the usually optimistic Wang Daxia. If that was the case, Yu Dayou had offended Yan Shifan himself—he was surely doomed.Lu Bing was in the midst of worrying when Lu Ying rushed in breathlessly, startling him. "Why are you back? Weren't you assisting the Directorate of Ceremonial with the Imperial Concubine Selection in Yongping Prefecture?"
Lu Ying replied, "As soon as I heard the news of my master's defeat and impending dismissal and investigation, I immediately handed over the selection duties to my subordinates and rushed back to the capital alone overnight. I went home first and asked Li Yiren (her birth mother) to bring Father some valuable items."
"Bring them in!"
At Lu Ying's command, over a dozen Lu family servants carried in five heavy chests.
Lu Ying opened all five chests, and the dazzling glow that spilled out nearly blinded Wang Daxia.
Wang Daxia rubbed his eyes and took a closer look—good heavens, they were filled entirely with gold!
Lu Ying said to her stunned father, "This is one thousand taels of gold. Li Yiren said this is all we can muster for now—we've emptied the household's gold reserves. Father, take this gold immediately to bribe Yan Shifan. Only Yan Shifan can save my master now."
Author's note: Wang Daxia still has much growing to do. Following the Lu father and daughter is an eye-opening experience—using gold to rescue someone.
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