Commander Wu was a trained martial artist and a tiger-slaying hero. Back when he was a hunter in Wulitun outside Chaoyang Gate, he had single-handedly killed a tiger with his immense strength. Impressed by his prowess, Shuntian Prefecture Governor Wang Niqiu appointed him as commander. His daily duties involved patrolling the streets with his officers and arresting bandits. Thus, when he delivered a vicious kick to the chest, the stinky Taoist was struck with soul-shattering pain, clutching his stomach and curling up on the ground. With just one move, Commander Wu had rendered the stinky Taoist powerless to resist.
Commander Wu's commotion drew guests from nearby rooms, all eager to witness the adultery scandal. When it came to gossip and spectacle, the residents of the central city were no less enthusiastic than those in the northern part of the city.
"Come quick! Adultery caught in the act!"
"The woman's quite pretty."
"I saw her earlier, drinking tea and cracking melon seeds in the main hall, flaunting herself and practically shaking her bosom in men's faces. She's clearly a loose woman."
"I saw her too, no wonder she kept her eye veil on the whole time—she's a married woman sneaking around, afraid of being recognized."
"She's easy to remember. Look at her chest, like freshly steamed buns—so large, with a willow-thin waist. That figure is unforgettable."
"Impressive, brother. You can identify women just by their chests."
The crowd grew larger, none fearing accidental injury from the butcher knife in Commander Wu's hand.
Wang Daxia cowered in the corner, covering his face with a handkerchief and trembling uncontrollably, his chest heaving like two quivering buns. "You've misunderstood, dear husband! We're completely innocent—there's no affair. This customer wanted to buy an eye veil, and I came to deliver the goods. Look, there's a stack of eye veils on the table."
Commander Wu spat in disgust. "You shameless woman, always cuckolding me! You're lazy and greedy, despising the poor and fawning over the rich. The money I earn butchering pigs isn't enough to support you? You claim selling eye veils helps with household expenses, but why can't you sell them properly in the main hall downstairs? Why must you sell them on a customer's bed? Do you take me for a fool? If you're selling on the bed, it's not eye veils you're peddling! I don't need you whoring yourself to support me!"
His tirade left Wang Jinlian too ashamed to lift her head.
"I'll settle with you later, you wretched woman!" Commander Wu grabbed the stinky Taoist, who was curled up on the floor like a boiled shrimp, and scrutinized his face and voice.
It was him!
Commander Wu gestured to Lu Ying, who was blending into the crowd, confirming the identification. Then, raising a fist the size of a clay pot, he punched the stinky Taoist square in the face.
The blow landed like a fruit stall exploding—blood gushed, and fragments flew everywhere.
As he pummeled the Taoist, Commander Wu roared, "You dare sleep with my wife! Haven't you heard of Butcher Hu's reputation? I slaughter ten pigs a day—one more won't make a difference!"
Business owners dread homicide cases. The manager of Three Thoroughfares Inn rushed over to intervene. "Hero Hu, let's talk this through. Please stop hitting him. If someone dies here, who would dare stay in this room again? Since he slept with your wife, he shouldn't get away unscathed. Sir, quickly compensate Hero Hu with some silver to save your life."
The stinky Taoist spat out blood and two teeth knocked loose by Commander Wu. "I didn't sleep with your wife! Spare me, mighty warrior!"Wang Daxia also sobbed with feigned distress, "Husband, my clothes are perfectly tidy, I haven't even removed my eye veil. Which eye of the innkeeper saw me sleeping with a guest? Look at the bed—the bedding is neat and orderly, clearly untouched. I've been wronged! I beg you all to uphold justice!"
The crowd's gaze immediately shifted from the buxom young woman's chest to the bed. The quilt was folded with sharp corners, neat and tidy, indeed not resembling a scene of romantic encounter.
Commander Wu spat again, "You shameless whore who sleeps with anyone! You haven't slept together only because I arrived early and interrupted your little affair! Had I come a moment later, the two of you would already be stripped naked and tangled up in bed!"
The onlookers chimed in agreement.
"With that waist and those ample breasts, who could resist?"
"Caught in the act yet still denying it."
"Stubborn as a dead duck."
The innkeeper urged the stinky Taoist, "Don't die here. Just pay up and settle this."
Commander Wu grabbed the Taoist by the collar and dragged him outward, "I'm taking this adulterous pair to see the magistrate."
At the mention of the magistrate, the Taoist snapped out of his pain, immensely grateful for his bloodied, bruised face that made him unrecognizable as a wanted man. He hurriedly pleaded, "Hero Wu, we can negotiate the amount. Let's not involve the authorities."
Commander Wu released him and made an outrageous demand, "I want five hundred taels. This woman keeps putting a green hat on me everywhere she goes, and I don't want her anymore. Give me five hundred taels, and she's yours."
The onlookers found this unreasonable and protested:
"She's not some untouched maiden—how could she be worth that much!"
"No matter how fine the shoes, once worn they're just old—these old shoes are too expensive."
"This fox-spirit woman is trouble! Bring her home, and she'll seduce other men sooner or later."
This finally ignited Wang Daxia's temper. She stood up, hands on hips, adopting a shrewish posture, and shook her chest—two large white buns—as she cursed:
"Open your dog eyes and see! When I was a star courtesan on Nanjing's Qinhuai River, my monthly fee alone exceeded five hundred taels. After I married a merchant as his second wife, his first wife couldn't stand me and sold me far away to the capital, where I ended up with this butcher. You think I'm not worth five hundred taels? Hah! The silver I paid for my freedom back then could crush you paupers to death!"
As she cursed, Wang Daxia pressed toward the crowd at the door, thrusting her jiggling chest forward like a weapon. "You filthy men! Do you all want a feel? Come on, then! Touch! Ten taels per touch—not a coin less, and no one leaves!"
The onlookers were stunned by Wang Daxia's audacity: caught in adultery yet still so brazen!
But it made sense—a renowned courtesan from the pleasure quarters of the southern Qinhuai River would naturally command a higher price.
With Commander Wu still brandishing his gleaming butcher knife, who dared touch Wang Daxia's "ten-tael buns"? The crowd retreated, afraid any accidental contact would lead to her extorting them.
Clearly, Wang Daxia's chest was more intimidating than Commander Wu's butcher knife.
Seeing no other way, the Taoist resigned to spending his way out of trouble. "I don't have that much silver on me—just over ten taels for expenses. Wait here, and I'll go fetch the money."Commander Wu naturally refused to let go, "Bullshit! Don't take me for a fool. If I let you go, it'd be like throwing meat buns at a dog—gone forever! Then what? Would my wife have slept with you for nothing?"
The stinking Taoist was on the verge of tears, "I didn't sleep with your wife! Really, I didn't!"
Commander Wu immediately raised his fist, as big as a clay pot, and shook it in the stinking Taoist's face. "Your money or your life—you choose. I've caught the adulterers red-handed, and with so many guests outside as witnesses, I'll cut off the heads of this adulterous pair and turn myself in at the Shuntian Prefecture Yamen. At most, I'll get exiled, and I'd still come out ahead. Five hundred taels of silver—do you want to pay or not?"
This was nothing but coercion.
Terrified, the stinking Taoist immediately changed his tune, "Fine, five hundred taels it is. I'll write a note for the hero to take. When they see my letter, they'll surely bring the silver to ransom me."
Commander Wu grabbed the stinking Taoist with one hand and shoved him onto a stool. "Write it now!"
The stinking Taoist took out a white handkerchief. The innkeeper hurriedly brought ink and a brush. The Taoist wrote a few lines on the handkerchief, demanding that the temple abbot immediately bring money to ransom him. Finally, he handed the handkerchief to Commander Wu. "Deliver this to White Deer Temple on Fuchengmen Street."
Commander Wu took the handkerchief, ripped off the Taoist's money pouch, and dug out about two taels of silver. He waved both the silver and the handkerchief in front of the onlookers. "I have to keep an eye on this adulterous pair—no time to deliver the message. Who'll run this errand? This is your payment."
The onlookers thought, why not earn some money while watching the drama? They all raised their hands, shouting, "Me! I'm fast!"
Lu Ying, disguised as a passerby, also raised her hand high. "Me! I'll deliver it for you!"
Commander Wu pretended to randomly pick Lu Ying from the crowd. "You there. Be quick."
Lu Ying took the silver and the letter. "I'll borrow a horse from the inn and return immediately."
This carefully orchestrated honey trap had two purposes: first, for Wang Daxia to trick the stinking Taoist into removing his eye veil, making it easier for Commander Wu to confirm whether he was the carriage driver who had kidnapped Wei Caiwei.
The second purpose, after confirming the kidnappers were Taoists from White Deer Temple, was to use the ransom letter as a pretext to legitimately enter White Deer Temple and probe the Taoists there. This task was assigned to the highly skilled Lu Ying.
Just then, the kitchen staff brought over the prepared food and wine. "Um... do you still want this?"
Commander Wu tossed a small piece of silver to the waiter. "Of course! Set it up for me!"
Commander Wu feasted and drank heartily in the room, while the stinking Taoist didn't dare utter a word. Wang Daxia sidled up to him. "Reverend, I'll be counting on you from now on."
As he spoke, Wang Daxia even nudged him with a large steamed bun.
With Commander Wu present, the stinking Taoist avoided him like the plague, quickly turning his face away. "I'm not worthy of your beauty, madam. Our connection can only be a fleeting one. I beg you, please don't come looking for me at the temple anymore. While you're still young and beautiful, find an honest man to marry."
Wang Daxia covered his face with a handkerchief, pretending to weep. "You... you heartless man."
Commander Wu slammed the wine pot on the table. "Who else would dare marry you besides me? Come here and pour me some wine now!"Wang Daxia obediently poured wine for Commander Wu. As Commander Wu drank, he said, "The men you've stolen are as numerous as a handful of millet. The women I've slept with are as countless as a handful of salt. We're even now. Swear an oath that you'll never go out and steal men again, and you'll still be my wife. I'm about to get five hundred taels of silver. If you follow me, you'll enjoy a life of luxury, and I won't treat you poorly."
Upon hearing this, Wang Daxia immediately went limp and slumped onto Commander Wu's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and sobbing, "You're the only one who doesn't look down on me for coming from the brothel. I'll be devoted to you from now on."
The onlookers exchanged bewildered glances: We came to witness a cheating scandal, but it suddenly turned into a marital reconciliation? Truly, a scoundrel matches with a shameless woman.
One bystander remarked, "This is a honey trap scam, isn't it? This couple hasn't lost anything and even gained five hundred taels for nothing."
"Exactly! It's a honey trap! The adulterer hadn't even taken off his pants when the butcher burst in to catch them in the act. The timing is too convenient."
"Right, once you fall for a honey trap, you can't complain even if you suffer—after all, a man and a woman were alone in a room together. You have to admit it whether you want to or not."
"Truly, they gained both the wife and the money. What a clever honey trap!"
Hearing this, Wang Daxia immediately leaped out of Commander Wu's embrace, planted her hands on her hips, and stormed out while shaking her chest, shouting, "Who said it was a honey trap? I'll curse your ancestors! Say it to my face if you have the guts!"
The onlookers had come for entertainment and didn't want to draw trouble onto themselves, so they fell silent. A few men grew dizzy from Wang Daxia's shaking and didn't dare look at her.
While Wang Daxia was arguing fiercely with the crowd, Lu Ying arrived on horseback at the gate of White Deer Temple and rang the door knocker.
Author's note: Daxia: No one understands how to play a honey trap better than I do.
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