Wang Daxia's first thought was that the Embroidered Uniform Guard had come to arrest him again. Looking for me? Wasn't it already proven that I'm innocent?
Wait, how did the Embroidered Uniform Guard know I was hiding at the young widow's place?
Wei Caiwei's first reaction was also that the Embroidered Uniform Guard had come for her. However, she had long prepared for this and was confident her arrangements were watertight...
Wei Caiwei pointed toward the backyard gate and whispered, "Quick, leave. Don't worry about me. It won't be good if the Embroidered Uniform Guard discovers you stayed at my place last night."
Right, if the Embroidered Uniform Guard searches the house immediately, they'll definitely find me—a living person—hiding here.
Wang Daxia slung his bundle over his shoulder and made a swift escape.
Wei Caiwei thought: Truly... incompetent at everything except running away fast.
Only after Wang Daxia had left through the back door did Wei Caiwei open the main door.
Just as she opened it, the Embroidered Uniform Guard kicked the door from outside. If Wei Caiwei hadn't reacted quickly, she would have been struck squarely in the chest by the blow!
Wei Caiwei retreated too hastily, her back colliding with the incense table. The spirit tablet toppled over once again.
Dozens of Embroidered Uniform Guard members swarmed in like locusts. Their leader was unexpectedly a rather handsome young man. The youth raised his hand and commanded, "Search!"
The Embroidered Uniform Guard scattered like insects, rushing upstairs and downstairs, through the small courtyard, and even ransacking the unused kitchen from top to bottom.
The young man asked Wei Caiwei, "Why did you take so long to open the door?"
Wei Caiwei replied, "A widow living alone must be cautious. When someone outside claims to be from the Embroidered Uniform Guard and knocks, this humble woman dare not open the door recklessly. It was only after peeking through a crack in the window and confirming the uniforms that I opened the door."
The young man lifted the hem of his robe, spreading his legs in a horse-riding stance as he settled firmly onto the luohan bed. Placing his hands on his knees, he looked Wei Caiwei up and down. "With so many people barging in, you don't seem the least bit afraid."
Wei Caiwei picked up her late husband's spirit tablet, gently dusted it off, and repositioned it properly. "The Embroidered Uniform Guard investigates cases to eliminate violence and uphold justice. This humble woman naturally cooperates."
The young man looked at her with amusement. "Aren't you going to ask why the Embroidered Uniform Guard is looking for you?"
Wei Caiwei lowered her gaze and folded her hands. "Two nights ago, this humble woman had the fortune to witness the Embroidered Uniform Guard apprehending suspect Young Master Wang. Young Master Wang was the tyrant of the Northern City, yet the Embroidered Uniform Guard hunted him down like a stray dog, his life hanging by a thread. If even the beloved son of the Northern City Military Command is treated thus by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, then this humble woman is as insignificant as an ant. Whatever the Embroidered Uniform Guard does, this humble woman will comply. Whatever the officers ask, this humble woman will answer. This humble woman dare not question the officers."
The young man produced a handwritten ledger. "Wei Caiwei, seventeen years old, from Tieling in Liaodong, registered in the Medical Registry."
The founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, had categorized households by profession—military households, horse households, salt households, merchant households, artisan households, medical households, and so on.
Wei Caiwei showed surprise. "How does the officer know this humble woman's background?"
The young man said, "You stayed at the Home-like Inn opposite the Shuntian Prefecture Yamen the night before last. According to regulations, guests must register their household registration name and address before staying at an inn. Thousand Household Chen was poisoned that night, so we are investigating all guests who stayed at the inn that evening."
Wei Caiwei said, "I see."
That night, she had listed her current address as Tianshui Lane.
The young man extended his hand. "Bring me your Household Certificate. I need to verify its authenticity."
Wei Caiwei used an earpick hairpin from her bun to pry open the base of her late husband's spirit tablet. It was hollow inside, containing several silver notes and a light-yellow Household Certificate.The young man raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you're quite good at hiding things. But since I've spotted it, starting today, you'll need to find a new hiding place."
Wei Caiwei didn't respond, instead handing the Household Certificate to the youth with both hands. "Please examine this, sir."
The young Embroidered Uniform Guard unfolded the certificate. It was framed with plum blossom borders, reading from top to bottom:
"Female Household: One household under Wei Caiwei, registered in Tieling Garrison's Medical Registry, enrolled in the 37th year of Jiajing.
One female member: Herself, aged 15.
Properties: Seven tiled rooms, four qing of northern and southern mountain land. Twenty mu of civilian farmland. One boat.
This Household Certificate is issued to Wei Caiwei for possession. Approved accordingly.
7th day of 5th month, 37th year of Jiajing, Iron Character No. 700"
Turning to the back of the certificate, there were three lines of stamped text:
"Tieling Garrison Coordinator Official", "Magistrate Qian Wende, Assistant Magistrate Fu Xue", and "Clerk Ding Wu" - all three bearing large red signature stamps.
The certificate couldn't be more genuine.
The young guard examined it twice over, then pointed at the spirit tablet on the incense altar. "You're a widow and head of a female household. Why isn't your live-in son-in-law Wang Erlang recorded in the certificate?"
Wei Caiwei explained, "Household registration is renewed every ten years with updated records. After my parents passed away, I established this female household to inherit the medical registry and serve the Great Ming's Tieling Garrison. This certificate was issued in the 37th year of Jiajing. My late husband passed away less than a year after our marriage, so he wasn't included in the registration."
Simply put, household certificates were valid for ten years, after which updated records of population and property changes had to be reported for new certificates to be issued. The court used this information for taxation purposes.
It was currently the 39th year of Jiajing - still eight years until the next registration update.
Her late husband had died before he could be added to the household register.
The young guard returned the certificate to Wei Caiwei and asked, "As a widow with a home, why were you staying overnight at an inn?"
"That's a long story." Wei Caiwei recounted the entanglement between her landlord Young Master Wang, her stepmother, and Chen the Agent. "...The key to the second lock is with Young Master Wang. I couldn't return home, so I stayed at the Home-like Inn nearby."
The young guard asked, "Do you remember your room number?"
"I don't remember." Wei Caiwei shook her head blankly. "I only recall it was the second door on the left after turning on the second floor."
The young guard said, "That's Earth Character Room Seven. Its window faces the Shuntian Prefecture Yamen, with a view of the row of hitching posts at the entrance. What did you see that night?"
Wei Caiwei paused. "I had wontons for dinner that night, but halfway through the meal, the Embroidered Uniform Guard came to arrest Young Master Wang. I followed Chen the Agent to watch the commotion. Later, when I checked into the inn, I felt hungry and went to the neighboring pastry shop to buy a box of ghee pastry horns for a midnight snack. They were rather sweet and rich, so I asked the inn attendant to brew a pot of green tea to accompany them."
Wei Caiwei picked up her Tiger Crutch and spun it, producing tinkling sounds. "As an itinerant physician working the streets, I get quite exhausted by the end of the day. After eating, I lay down immediately, but because I drank green tea before bed, I tossed and turned until nearly dawn before falling asleep. I didn't wake up until noon.""After going downstairs to have lunch and settle the bill together, I originally only stayed one night, but the innkeeper said that checking out after noon would count as two nights. I argued with him about this, saying that when I came down it wasn't yet noon, and I'd only been delayed because I'd eaten a meal at his establishment. The innkeeper called me a country bumpkin from out of town who didn't know the rules of capital inns. As a widow, I couldn't very well argue publicly, so I paid for two nights and left. However, I won't be staying at this shady establishment again."
Wei Caiwei surmised that when the Embroidered Uniform Guard examined Thousand Household Chen's body, they would surely discover the three needle marks at the root of his thigh where the poison had spread. From this, they would find the poisoned needle embedded in the leather saddle and deduce that Thousand Household Chen hadn't been poisoned while drinking tea at the Shuntian Prefecture Yamen, but rather that someone had tampered with his saddle.
This was evident from the fact that neither Young Master Wang nor his father had been monitored or summoned by the Embroidered Uniform Guard last night. Both father and son had been present in the main hall, making it impossible for them to have tampered with the saddle.
The Embroidered Uniform Guard had some capability after all, immediately excluding everyone from the main hall and focusing suspicion on those who might have had access to Thousand Household Chen's horse.
The Home-like Inn across from the Shuntian Prefecture Yamen became a key focus of the Embroidered Uniform Guard's investigation.
When Wei Caiwei planted the poisoned needle, she had anticipated the truth would come out. Knowing full well about the inn's rule charging for two nights if checking out after noon, she pretended to be a newcomer, dawdling to eat lunch at the inn before settling the bill, and quarreling with the innkeeper.
She deliberately wanted the innkeeper to remember her—because a real assassin would want to remain silent and unnoticed, and would never argue with an innkeeper over an extra night's accommodation fee!
Moreover, an assassin wouldn't leave their real name and address, fleeing immediately after the kill. How could they possibly wait obediently in Sweetwater Alley for the Embroidered Uniform Guard to come knocking, as she had?
Wei Caiwei had expected the Embroidered Uniform Guard to come, just not so quickly that they nearly discovered Young Master Wang staying overnight at her home.
Just then, the guards searching the house reported one by one, "Lord Lu, no suspicious items found."
So this young Embroidered Uniform Guard was surnamed Lu.
After examining the Household Certificate and questioning Wei Caiwei, Lord Lu also felt it unlikely that Wei Caiwei could be Thousand Household Chen's murderer.
Someone capable of such a meticulous murder method—hiding a poisoned needle in a saddle—wouldn't dare quarrel with an innkeeper the next day and leave their real address waiting for the Embroidered Uniform Guard to find them.
Especially since before killing Thousand Household Chen, the murderer had also slit the throat of his eldest son!
Killing two people in one day—a young widow couldn't possibly accomplish this.
Lord Lu stood up from the couch and waved his hand again, "We apologize for disturbing you today, Doctor Wei. We'll withdraw."
No sooner had he spoken than an excited Embroidered Uniform Guard came holding up a dead mouse, "Lord Lu, we've found something! This house does contain poison! Look, it's even killed a mouse!"
At this moment, Wei Caiwei wished she could castrate her dead husband: Young Master Wang! I told you to dispose of the dead mouse, and you just threw it in the yard! How lazy can you be!
As Wei Caiwei was thinking of an excuse, Wang Daxia's voice came from outside, "Everyone come look! The Embroidered Uniform Guard kicks down a widow's door in broad daylight, a group of grown men bullying a young widow! Is there no justice? Is there no law? Do you know whose house this is? If you break my door, you have to pay for it! I'd have the right to bring this case before the emperor himself!"Wang Daxia actually turned back, risking being caught and confined at home to stand up for me?
Wei Caiwei changed her mind yet again: Perhaps he could still be saved after all?
Author's Note: Wei Caiwei: Every day, I waver between castrating him and letting him keep his manhood!
Wang Daxia: Every day, he teeters unknowingly between survival and death.
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