Lu Bing’s words seemed to criticize Wang Daxia for causing trouble, but in reality, every sentence was a carefully laid plan to save his wretched life. Wang Daxia, recognizing the gravity of the situation, obediently stayed in a guest room at the Lu residence.
However, to others in the Lu household, it appeared that the fourth young lady, who had never shown interest in men, had brought one home!
Although Wang Daxia was lodged in the outer courtyard, those in the inner quarters couldn’t suppress their restless curiosity and found all sorts of excuses to catch a glimpse of him.
The first to arrive was Li Yiren, the lady of the house. Li Yiren was the cousin of Lu Bing’s stepmother, Li Shi, and had borne Lu Bing five daughters. After Lu Bing’s four successive wives passed away—forming a full table for mahjong in the afterlife—he stopped remarrying. Instead, he secured a fifth-rank honorary title of Yiren for his concubine Li Shi and entrusted her with managing the household affairs.
Li Yiren’s first three daughters had all married into wealthy and noble families. When it came to the fourth daughter, Lu Ying, she stubbornly refused to marry, dragging her feet until she was eighteen—practically an old maid by then. No matter how much Li Yiren urged her to consider marriage, Lu Ying simply refused to entertain any suitors.
Recently, Li Yiren had set her sights on Sun Xiang, the youngest son of Sun Sheng, the Minister of Rites in Nanjing. The Sun family was a renowned and prestigious clan in Jiangnan, known for their literary heritage and generations of talent. Sun Sheng had placed second in the imperial examinations, while his elder brother was a military top graduate.
Sun Sheng had five sons, all celebrated talents of Jiangnan. The first four had already passed the imperial examinations and were destined for high office—indeed, three later rose to the rank of minister. The youngest, Sun Xiang, was still young, a tribute student at the Imperial Academy who had yet to take the exams. Nevertheless, his brilliance was widely acknowledged, and success was all but guaranteed.
The Sun family, distinguished and noble, never involved themselves in factional strife, maintaining a neutral stance. Such a family, with its deep roots and flourishing branches, promised a life of wealth and tranquility for Lu Ying, no matter the political turmoil in the court. It was the best possible match.
Moreover, as the youngest son, Sun Xiang would not bear the burden of managing the household. Lu Ying, if married to him, wouldn’t have to trouble herself with tedious chores or social obligations—she could simply live a peaceful and comfortable life.
From a practical and contented perspective, Li Yiren believed this would be the most advantageous marriage for her fourth daughter.
Originally, Li Yiren had planned to enlist her three married daughters to help persuade Lu Ying, using both soft and hard tactics to secure her consent. If Lu Ying still refused, Li Yiren was prepared to arrange the marriage herself.
After all, in matters of marriage, parental authority and matchmakers’ words held sway. She was doing this for her daughter’s own good—every woman must marry, and Sun Xiang was the finest choice. Her daughter might resent her for taking charge, but in the future, she would surely be grateful.
Just as Li Yiren was on the verge of despair, ready to force her daughter into marriage, Lu Ying brought a man home!
Li Yiren’s spirits soared. Had the fourth young lady finally awakened to love? Was she finally thinking about her own future? If she had found someone she liked, that would be even better—it would spare Li Yiren the risk of fracturing their mother-daughter bond by forcing her to marry into the Sun family as a young daughter-in-law.
Truly, when all seems lost, a new path emerges. Li Yiren, a woman in her prime, was not overly concerned with propriety between men and women. She immediately ordered her maids to bring several sets of men’s clothing and, accompanied by her attendants, hurried to the outer courtyard under the pretext of visiting the guest as an elder.
A servant had just finished wiping Wang Daxia’s body, applying medicine, combing his hair, and dressing him in a moon-white robe. Wang Daxia was seated, eating a belated dinner—such was his carefree nature. Despite brushing shoulders with death countless times that day and experiencing heart-stopping moments, his appetite remained entirely unaffected.
Halfway through his meal, Li Yiren arrived.Wang Daxia quickly set down his chopsticks and stepped forward to bow in greeting.
As the saying goes, a mother-in-law viewing her prospective son-in-law grows fonder with each look. Wang Daxia was handsome with clear eyes and an upright posture, possessing looks that could rank first among the Embroidered Uniform Guard—the top handsome man, since Lu Ying, being a woman, abstained from the ranking.
Based on appearance alone, Li Yiren was satisfied, feeling he was worthy of her fourth daughter. She sat down and inquired in detail about his family background.
Wang Daxia answered honestly one by one, not even concealing his stepmother Madam Wu who had been divorced for issuing usurious loans—he dared not, as this was Lu Ying’s own mother!
Wang Daxia’s reputation as one of the Four Pests of the North City was known throughout the capital, and Li Yiren had heard a little about it. However, his achievements after joining the Embroidered Uniform Guard were also evident to all: promoted three levels in four months, rising from a common soldier to Hundred-Household Commander through his own ability.
As for the widely circulated rumors of a tragic love triangle involving Wang Daxia, Wei Caiwei, and Lu Ying with miscarriages, Li Yiren naturally did not believe them. Lu Ying was a woman, and all the romantic gossip was to facilitate the Embroidered Uniform Guard in cracking major cases.
As for the scandal of Madam Wu being divorced for usurious loans and Wang Commander being stripped of his position, it was a disgrace and shame to the family in the capital.
But for Li Yiren, this was actually a good thing: with no mother-in-law, her daughter Lu Ying would not have to serve one upon marrying into the Wang family. Her father-in-law held no official position and could not put on airs; instead, he would have to curry favor with the Lu family.
Thus, Lu Ying could do as she pleased in her husband’s household without constraints.
The key point was that Lu Ying herself liked him, which mattered more than anything.
Li Yiren grew even more satisfied with Wang Daxia, wishing she could marry Lu Ying off to him tomorrow.
Li Yiren nodded and asked, "How old are you this year?"
Wang Daxia: "Fourteen years old."
He’s actually a full four years younger than our Yingniang... but four years is good—when the wife is older by four, blessings and longevity follow! Like all parents eager to marry off their children, Li Yiren saw every slightly suitable candidate as perfect, finding only virtues, ideal matches, and just the right fate.
Li Yiren said, "Just stay here peacefully. Our master said you shouldn’t go out these days. Men aren’t secluded maidens and can’t stand being cooped up at home. Whatever you want to play or eat, just tell the servants attending to you—they’ll buy it for you. If the servants aren’t diligent, let me know, and I’ll discipline them."
Wang Daxia hurriedly replied, "They’ve all been very good. I’ll be troubling you, Madam, during this time."
Li Yiren smiled, "It’s just an extra pair of chopsticks. Stay with peace of mind and recover from your injuries. Oh, look at this face—so pretty but with several gashes. It wouldn’t do if scars remained. This is a secret ointment from the palace; remember to have the servants apply it at least three times a day. It guarantees no scars."
Our fourth daughter has high standards—if your face gets marred, I fear she might not want you.
Wang Daxia received it with both hands, thanking her repeatedly. He had to treat Li Yiren with utmost respect and not the slightest neglect, or else Lu Ying would beat him. He already couldn’t defeat her, and now that he knew she was a woman, he felt too embarrassed to fight back.
Seeing the legendary Wang Daxia of the Four Pests of the North City so humble and polite, Li Yiren thought to herself, truly a prodigal son returned! Hearsay is unreliable; seeing is believing—he’s clearly a fine young man.In the inner quarters of the Lu residence, Lu Ying was bathing. Soaked in a wooden tub, she had spent nearly half the day in a brawl, leaving her body sore and bruised in several places. The hot water helped relax her muscles.
Lu Ying’s bath contained no fragrant additions like flower petals; instead, the tub was filled with packets of medicinal herbs to promote blood circulation and reduce bruising—a therapeutic soak.
Upon hearing the news, her younger sister, Lu Xiaomei, eagerly sought her out. "Fourth Sister, I heard you brought a man home? Even Mother went to the front courtyard to meet him."
As the youngest, Lu Xiaomei was charmingly naive and adorable. Already accustomed to the medicinal scent in her fourth sister’s bathing chamber, she pulled up a small stool beside the tub and skillfully began massaging Lu Ying’s shoulders.
Being an unmarried maiden, Lu Xiaomei couldn’t openly observe an unrelated man in the outer courtyard, so she had no choice but to ask her sister directly.
"Press harder," Lu Ying murmured, eyes closed as she leaned against the edge of the tub. "Wang Daxia—have you heard of the Four Pests of the North City?"
Lu Xiaomei nodded obediently. "Yes, the top ne’er-do-well of the North City, the nightmare of all unmarried young women there."
Lu Ying replied, "That’s him. I brought him home."
"What?" Lu Xiaomei’s hands stilled. "Fourth Sister, marriage is a lifelong matter. You mustn’t let Mother and our sisters pressure you into marrying just anyone."
Lu Ying remained silent, neither confirming nor denying. Admitting it would mean she had to marry, while denying it would endanger Wang Daxia’s life, so she chose to say nothing.
Unaware of the circumstances, Lu Xiaomei, after a brief moment of surprise, said, "Fourth Sister, you’ve always been a heroine among women, different from the rest since childhood. I trust your judgment. If Wang Daxia were truly a worthless scoundrel, he wouldn’t have been promoted to Hundred-Household Commander so quickly. Since you like him and even brought him home directly, he must have exceptional qualities. However—"
To help her fourth sister unite with her beloved, Lu Xiaomei revealed a closely guarded secret: "You must act quickly. A while ago, I overheard Mother, Eldest Sister, Second Sister, and Third Sister discussing your marriage. They said that if all else fails, they’d take matters into their own hands and arrange your engagement to Sun Xiang, the youngest son of Sun Sheng, the Minister of Rites in Nanjing."
"The Sun family is filled with imperial scholars—they’re the most exam-savvy household in the Great Ming, with a profound scholarly heritage and impeccable reputation. I’ve heard he’s also refined and handsome. In the eyes of Mother and our sisters, they’d surely consider Sun Xiang a hundred times better than Wang Daxia. If you like Wang Daxia, you must plan ahead."
Forced matches and being pushed into a bridal sedan? How could such things happen?
Lu Ying opened her eyes and patted her younger sister’s hand. "Thank you for telling me, Little Sister. I know what to do."
Lu Xiaomei nodded. "Fourth Sister, you could ask Father for his blessing. He dotes on you the most and, as the head of the household, once he speaks, Mother and our sisters will have to listen."
By the time Lu Ying finished her bath, it was already the second watch. On an autumn night in September, dew had begun to form. Lu Ying changed into fresh clothes—this time, women’s attire—and headed to the outer courtyard.
Wang Daxia, having eaten and drunk his fill, was about to go to bed when the servant attending him said with a strange expression, "Hundred-Household Commander Wang, our Fourth Miss invites you to the Moon-Inviting Pavilion."
This was unprecedented! The Fourth Miss was actually meeting an unrelated man in women’s clothing!
Wang Daxia thought to himself, It can’t be. I’m injured like this, and she still wants to supervise my martial arts training at night? What kind of demon are you?
But he had no choice. Living under someone else’s roof, he had to obey the host’s orders.Wang Daxia wearily dragged a long pole to spar with Lu Ying.
The servant stared at the pole in shock. "This... isn't appropriate, is it?" Who brings a long pole on a date?
Thinking he hadn't brought enough weapons, Wang Daxia uttered an "oh" and also took along his Embroidered Spring Blade. After practicing pole techniques, he'd still need to practice blade techniques—they'd probably be training until midnight.
Thus, with a long blade at his waist and a long pole slung over his shoulder, Wang Daxia went to the Moon-Inviting Terrace.
He saw a graceful beauty standing on the high platform, the autumn wind tousling her long hair, the jade pendants at her waist tinkling softly.
Wang Daxia: "Could you trouble yourself to inform your Fourth Miss that Wang Daxia has arrived?"
The beauty turned around.
Wang Daxia instantly froze as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. The long pole dropped from his hand and landed on his foot, yet he felt no pain.
Lu Ying said: "There's something I need your cooperation with. This arrangement benefits us both. You get to keep your life, and I avoid being forced to marry into the Sun family."
Author's note: Lu Ying's fate in this lifetime has also been altered—she won't have to marry, only to become a widow within months and retreat into monastic life while still young.
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