Taoist Master Zhiping was carried to the alchemy room. Lu Ying and Wang Daxia wanted to continue eavesdropping on these foul Taoists discussing their "serious business" of "repaying Prince Jing," but the temple head did not proceed further and instructed the Taoists to return to rest, saying they still had tasks to attend to the next day.
In the early hours of the morning, while the temple echoed with thunderous snores, Lu Ying and Wang Daxia moved stealthily through White Deer Temple, picking locks and inspecting various rooms for evidence such as hidden weapons or White Lotus Sect Treasure Scrolls disguised with covers of the Complete Tang Poems. However, they found nothing.
Wang Daxia yawned and began to lose heart. "Boss, these foul Taoists are too cunning. They must have hidden everything in some secret chamber or have another property outside, just to avoid exposing themselves during a raid. Temples and Taoist temples don’t pay taxes, and many of Prince Jing’s shops and farmlands are registered under White Deer Temple’s name. With such vast assets, as the saying goes, ‘a rabbit doesn’t eat the grass near its burrow.’ They definitely wouldn’t do anything shady at home."
Lu Ying frowned. "They kept saying they needed to complete the tasks assigned by Prince Jing. Prince Jing has already left for his fief in Hubei, thousands of miles away. What business could he possibly have left in the capital? I suspect Prince Jing is plotting something major."
Wang Daxia was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open. "Then let’s play the long game and reel in the big fish. We’ll keep an eye on them."
The next morning, after a night of icy rain, the roads were muddy, but the air was fresh. Pedestrians on the streets and alleys removed their eye veils and face coverings, feeling refreshed and invigorated. As they spoke, puffs of white breath escaped their mouths—winter had arrived.
The Taoists from White Deer Temple, dressed in ordinary clothing, left through the back door. Undercover agents from the Embroidered Uniform Guard followed them from a distance and discovered they were heading to Guanghua Temple on West Drum Tower Street in the northern city—very close to Wang Daxia’s home.
Guanghua Temple faced West Drum Tower Street at the front, while its back gate opened to Shichahai. It was once a royal temple. However, due to the Jiajing Emperor’s devotion to Taoism and the flourishing of various Taoist temples, Guanghua Temple, like other Buddhist temples, had fallen into decline in recent years. Without royal patronage, not only had the buildings deteriorated from neglect, but even the gold leaf on the Buddha statues had peeled away, leaving it a shadow of its former glory.
To sustain its legacy, Guanghua Temple had long abandoned the dignity of a royal temple and sought ways to become self-sufficient. It not only opened its doors to ordinary worshippers, placing donation boxes everywhere for the convenience of devotees, but also rented out empty rooms within the temple.
The tenants were a motley crew—provincial scholars coming to the capital for imperial examinations, merchants, and all sorts of people. The entire backyard had even been rented out to a tavern, which converted the temple’s back gate into its main entrance. The place was now a den of indulgence, with female musicians singing and dancing for entertainment. The sanctity of the Buddhist temple was no more.
The Taoists arrived at the bustling, market-like clamor of Guanghua Temple. Some went to offer incense, others wandered around, and a few reserved a private room in the tavern. However, their attention was fixed on one person.
At the sight of this individual, the undercover agents were greatly alarmed and immediately released messenger pigeons.
At the Imperial Guard Office, Wang Daxia was sprawled over a desk, fast asleep and catching up on rest. Lu Ying tried to shake him awake twice but failed, eventually giving up. She picked up a heavy fur cloak and draped it over Wang Daxia’s shoulders.
Then she went to find her father, Lu Bing, and presented the latest intelligence.
"The Taoists from White Deer Temple are secretly tailing Prince Yu. Today is the anniversary of Princess Yu’s death, and Prince Yu is holding a memorial service for his late wife at Guanghua Temple. I suspect these Taoists have ill intentions toward Prince Yu."The relationship between the Jiajing Emperor and his son Yu Wang was strained. The Jiajing Emperor fervently promoted Taoism, bestowed upon himself the title of Supreme Ruler, and devoted himself to cultivating immortality and refining elixirs. In contrast, Yu Wang embraced Buddhism, frequently visiting temples to chant scriptures, observe vegetarian fasts, and perform rituals—a deliberate act of defiance against his father, a silent rebellion born of resignation.
After calmly reviewing the intelligence report, Lu Bing remarked, "The rivalry between the two princes is nothing new. We, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, must not involve ourselves. Our duty is solely to protect the nation and the Emperor’s safety. We must not meddle in the struggle for the throne; otherwise, even I would lose the Emperor’s trust."
Lu Bing was unwaveringly loyal to the Jiajing Emperor. From the perspective of imperial authority’s uniqueness, an aging emperor would naturally guard against his two vigorous sons. A subtle rivalry between the sons was preferable to them uniting against their father.
As a naturally suspicious emperor, he would fear fraternal harmony between his sons. Only when they remained distant, competing and contending, would his throne feel secure.
Having been nourished by the same milk, Lu Bing understood the Jiajing Emperor all too well.
Lu Ying felt as though a bucket of cold water had been dumped over her head, chilling her to the bone. She had stayed up all night following this lead, dark circles shadowing her eyes, convinced she had made a major breakthrough. Yet her father warned her to avoid trouble and not bring disaster upon herself.
Taking a deep breath, Lu Ying refused to give up. "This isn’t just about mutual surveillance and rivalry between the princes. These Taoist priests are cunning—they nearly killed Doctor Wei and disguised themselves as the White Lotus Sect during the attack, showing their deep scheming. Wang Daxia endured a bellyful of sand and wind to stake out the criminals. Should the Embroidered Uniform Guard stand by and do nothing? Were Doctor Wei’s bloodletting and Wang Daxia’s suffering in vain?"
Lu Bing sighed. "You’re still young and don’t understand the complexity of this. The struggle for the throne is extremely sensitive. The conflict between Wei Caiwei and the eunuch from Prince Jing’s residence is a personal grudge. The eunuch used the White Lotus Sect as a pretext to kill Wei Caiwei, who had humiliated him. It didn’t succeed, did it? Moreover, you have witnesses but no physical evidence. Were the books disguised as the White Lotus Sect Treasure Scrolls recovered?"
"Prince Jing’s faction could easily turn the tables, framing this as part of the throne struggle. They could accuse you of colluding to slander Prince Jing in order to aid Yu Wang. If this escalates and reaches the Emperor, he will not side with you. The Emperor has long despised Yu Wang; if you are seen as harming Prince Jing to help Yu Wang, the Emperor will despise you all. You and Wang Daxia would lose your positions—a futile effort that only brings loss. Why bother?"
Lu Ying argued indignantly, "How could this be a personal grudge? Doctor Wei stood up for the palace maids against the eunuch—those maids belong to the Emperor. She wasn’t acting for herself. Clearly, the eunuch disregarded the maids’ lives and safety, and when he lost face, he took it out on Doctor Wei. Her confrontation was for public duty, not personal reasons."
Lu Bing retorted, "Do you think the Emperor would listen to your explanation? All he would see is you aiding Yu Wang. The Embroidered Uniform Guard serves the Emperor directly, not Prince Yu’s household."
Lu Ying pressed, "But Yu Wang is the Emperor’s son. If the vile Taoists from White Deer Temple pose a threat to him, should we stand by and do nothing?"Lu Bing said, "Assassinate Prince Yu in broad daylight? Prince Jing isn't that foolish."
Lu Ying replied, "What if the White Deer Temple priests were merely surveilling and recording Prince Yu's movements, while the actual assassins are a separate group of death warriors who've never shown their faces? When they targeted Doctor Wei, they used the White Lotus Sect as a cover. What if they employ the same tactic against Prince Yu? If the Embroidered Uniform Guard turns a blind eye to this, wouldn't that be gross negligence of duty?"
Lu Bing countered, "This is all your speculation without any evidence. Just because White Deer Temple followers are tracking Prince Yu, you assume they intend to harm him and want the Embroidered Uniform Guard to arrest all these wretched priests. Do you think Prince Jing's faction would stand idly by? Vice Minister Yan would be the first to speak up for Prince Jing and turn the tables on you. When that happens, even I won't be able to protect you."
The Jiajing Emperor detested Prince Yu even more than Prince Jing. While Prince Jing had only peeped at palace maids, Prince Yu had been quietly resisting his father all along - when the emperor embraced Taoism, his son deliberately followed Buddhism. No father would favor a son who consistently opposed him.
Still unconvinced, Lu Ying asked, "So we just let those wretched priests who kidnapped Doctor Wei go unpunished?"
"Don't be impatient. We must bide our time," Lu Bing advised. "We'll definitely settle scores with them later. But we can't act now - any move would passively drag us into the succession dispute. If the Emperor perceives the Embroidered Uniform Guard and our Lu family as supporting Prince Yu, we're finished."
Naturally, Lu Ying wouldn't gamble her family's future and the Guard's prospects. After a moment's silence, she asked, "Should I recall our scouts from Guanghua Temple then?"
"Keep monitoring them," Lu Bing instructed. "Wait and observe without acting rashly. You must be like a hunter awaiting the right moment."
"I understand." As Lu Ying took her leave, Lu Bing stopped her. "Did you pull another all-nighter yesterday?"
Lu Ying lied through her dark-circled eyes, "No."
"I could hear Wang Daxia's snoring all the way here."
Lu Ying pricked up her ears and indeed caught intermittent, cat-like purring sounds.
"Don't push yourself so hard," Lu Bing said. "Don't follow my old path. I'll keep watch over Guanghua Temple for you. While I won't take sides to assist any prince, I won't stand by if a royal prince faces assassination either. Go get some sleep now."
After all, she was his biological daughter. Lu Bing knew her stubborn temperament - making her completely abandon the case was impossible. The best approach was to accommodate her, allowing her to rest assured.
Lu Ying felt doused by cold water from her father, only to be warmed at the end. A slap followed by a sweet date - in the end, what lingered in Lu Ying's memory was always the sweetness.
Returning to the duty room, Lu Ying found Wang Daxia still asleep with his head on the desk, lips slightly parted, transparent drool smearing the open case files as it pulsed with his breathing.
A wave of weariness washed over Lu Ying - not physical exhaustion, but spiritual fatigue. She realized that beneath imperial power, concepts like justice, fairness, and truth ultimately mattered little.
Doctor Wei's perilous ordeal, the sandstorms Wang Daxia endured, Commander Wu's perfectly executed badger game, the efforts of her and her subordinates - all were insignificant as dust under imperial authority, not worth mentioning.
Lu Ying shook Wang Daxia awake. "Don't sleep like that, you'll catch cold. Go lie down properly."
Wang Daxia, at that age when teenagers grow rapidly, was sleeping so deeply that not even thunder could wake him.Lu Ying pushed him several times but couldn't wake him up. Thinking it was better not to interrupt his sweet dream, she simply squatted into a horse stance, hoisted Wang Daxia over her shoulder like a sack, carried him to the bed in the Duty Room, took off his shoes, and covered him with a quilt.
Just then, Wu Xiaoqi happened to pass by the Duty Room and accidentally glanced through the window: Good heavens! Commander Lu and Wang Commander seemed to be on the bed together...
Wu Xiaoqi covered her mouth, lightened her footsteps, and crept away like a cat. I saw nothing! It was all an illusion! Repeat that ten thousand times!
Meanwhile, Wei Caiwei used a childhood counting rhyme to select a palace servant from the middle—a eunuch. She took out a silver needle, intending to forcibly wake him.
But the moment her hand touched his face, she realized something was wrong. He was no longer breathing.
The man had been silenced.
Author's Note: Three people, a hexagonal love web, featuring both BL and BG relationships.
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