Lu Ying was naturally more concerned about her father's health than Wei Caiwei.
At the Imperial Guard Office, Lu Ying first inquired about her father's condition. "...Doctor Wei said Father must absolutely avoid alcohol. If you drink, even an immortal couldn't save you."
"I'm aware," Lu Bing replied. "Last month at your brother's engagement banquet with Miss Wu, I didn't drink any alcohol and used fruit syrup instead. Rest assured, I still want to live to see your brother get married, hold my grandchildren, and if I can see you married with children—"
"Stop." Lu Ying interrupted, "Why does every conversation with you somehow circle back to my marriage? We're discussing your alcohol abstinence right now."
Lu Bing pointed at her dark circles, "Did you stay up late again last night? Staying out overnight, sleeping at a widow's house—a lone man and woman together, what kind of propriety is that?"
Lu Ying explained, "Wang Daxia was there too. We took turns keeping watch overnight." Though they had ended up fighting during the latter half of the night.
Hearing this, Lu Bing felt his stroke symptoms might relapse. "Two women and one man—that's even more absurd. You and Wang Daxia are just putting on an act, don't let it become real. After the new year begins, I'll find you some better matches."
Lu Ying didn't want to continue this conversation with her father. She took out the application for five hundred taels of reward money. "Please affix your seal, Father."
Lu Bing looked at it and saw it involved Wang Daxia again. "You're spoiling him too much, granting whatever he asks. Have you forgotten what I taught you about managing subordinates? You need to balance kindness with authority. If you keep satisfying all his demands, only showing kindness, where does your superior's dignity lie?"
Lu Ying countered, "He deserves this. He endured a month of wind and sand waiting patiently, even sacrificing his dignity to play the role of a wanton woman. Besides, he's a person, not a dog. Why treat someone like training a donkey with an unreachable carrot dangling before them? He's human, not a donkey."
Lu Bing studied his daughter, "You haven't actually fallen for him, have you... Actually, if you've truly set your heart on him, as your father... I might not object."
Like all parents in the world facing an unmarried daughter, Lu Bing had lowered his standards step by step. As long as his daughter would marry, his requirements for a son-in-law had become increasingly lower, eventually reaching the point where any man would do.
"Father, you've really lost your mind. There's no reasoning with you." Lu Ying simply picked up her father's seal and stamped it firmly on the document. "Thank you, Father."
As Lu Ying took the stamped document to get the silver from the accounts office, Lu Bing stopped her again. "Last night, something happened at Prince Yu's residence..."
Lu Bing told her about the night patrol guards seeing the Dark Spectre and handed her a stack of talismans. "These were personally drawn by the Blue Immortal—impossible to buy. The Emperor gave them to me. Keep them with you to ward off evil spirits."
Having seen moving mooncakes last night without fear, even cutting one in half with her sword, Lu Ying didn't believe in talismans. She touched her sword, "No need. I trust my blade more."
Lu Bing insisted on giving the talismans to his daughter, "Either take these, or return the reward document to me."
This was for Wang Daxia's birthday gift after all. Lu Ying had no choice but to tuck the talismans in her clothes.
After collecting five hundred taels in silver notes from the accounts office, Lu Ying went to meet someone at noon—Wu Xiaoqi disguised as a painter.
The two met at a grilled meat restaurant near Prince Yu's residence, where marinated lamb slices sizzled on the circular iron grill.Wu Xiaoqi swiftly flipped the mutton slices on the grill with his chopsticks and said, "...Absolutely true. I was sleeping lightly and rushed out when I heard the guards screaming. I saw a dog-shaped green glow in the snowy night from afar—exactly like the legendary Dark Spectre."
"I refused to believe it was supernatural, so I went to check on the White Deer Temple priests disguised as laborers in the nearby shed. Two were missing. I waited about fifteen minutes before they returned, claiming they'd gone to the latrine together."
"Commander Lu, this doesn't make sense. Who would squat that long in freezing winter? Their backsides would freeze off! I think those damned priests are playing tricks to frighten Prince Yu."
As he finished speaking, the mutton slices on the iron grill were perfectly cooked. Having done heavy manual labor recently, Wu Xiaoqi didn't stand on ceremony with his superior and began eating voraciously.
Lu Ying recalled last month's incident when Consort Shang encountered the Dark Spectre—palace staff inhaled the dark demonic qi, resulting in four injuries and one death.
The Dark Spectre itself wasn't frightening, but the dark demonic qi was terrifying. At best, it caused fainting or madness; at worst, death.
What connection existed between the Dark Spectre appearances in the Forbidden City and Prince Yu's residence?
Lan Daohang never involved himself in succession disputes. What was his relationship with those damned priests from White Deer Temple?
Lu Ying asked, "Was Prince Yu at his residence today?"
Wu Xiaoqi replied, "He went to Guanghua Temple early this morning for a memorial ceremony. Today marks the deceased eldest daughter's birthday."A prince's daughter should normally receive the title of princess, but Prince Yu's strained relationship with his father had caused the Imperial Clan Court and Ministry of Rites to delay approving the title." After his daughter's early death, Prince Yu requested a posthumous title and burial with princess honors. The Jiajing Emperor refused, permitting only half the customary honors for her burial. Thus, the girl remained "eldest young lady" rather than "eldest princess" even in death, further worsening the father-son relationship.
Lu Ying thought: Guanghua Temple is at Shichahai, very close to my family's villa. Should I arrange an "accidental" meeting with Prince Yu? Hint that someone's pretending to be supernatural?
After settling the bill, Lu Ying extra purchased ten jin of roasted meat. "Take this back for the brothers at Prince Yu's residence—an extra dish for them. Keep extra vigilant tonight."
Princess Yu was notoriously stingy. While the craftsmen got enough food to fill their stomachs, the meals lacked richness, leaving them hungry by midnight.
Lu Ying added, "If those priests are indeed behind this, the Dark Spectre must be man-made. The residence is full of dilapidated buildings perfect for hiding. Cover our greyhounds with mud to make them look like strays, then bring them into the residence. If the Dark Spectre appears tonight, use the hounds to chase it. Humans fear demons, but dogs don't."
Wu Xiaoqi acknowledged each instruction.
Having completed his deployment, Lu Ying hurried toward Shichahai.
Meanwhile, at Shichahai's Guanghua Temple:
As mentioned previously, because the Jiajing Emperor promoted Daoism while suppressing Buddhism, this former imperial temple had fallen into disrepair. Forced to rent out temple property for income, it barely maintained incense offerings.
The rear courtyard facing Shichahai had been converted into a large restaurant where cups clinked daily amid extravagant feasts—a Buddhist pure land transformed into worldly decadence.
It was Wang Daxia's birthday. Unable to sit still at home with his fidgety nature, he brought Wei Caiwei to Shichahai for ice games. With his thigh injured, he couldn't skate, so he rented a goat cart—a sled pulled by five goats gliding across Shichahai's frozen surface.
After playing to their hearts' content, the two went to Guanghua Temple's restaurant for lunch.Wang Daxia stepped down from the Goat Cart, leaning on crutches—these very crutches were ones he had personally crafted and gifted to Wei Caiwei. Ding Wu had later used them too, and now it was his turn, making full use of the item.
Hobbling on his crutches, Wang Daxia limped into the grand restaurant. "This place serves the best grilled meat. I can eat up to five plates at most."
Wei Caiwei shook her bulging money pouch. "The birthday boy can eat to his heart's content. It's my treat. I've risen in the world now—no longer a wandering physician roaming the streets. You won't bankrupt me; I can afford to support you."
Wang Daxia laughed, "Then I'd be a kept man."
In your previous life, you were exactly that—a kept man for two lifetimes. Eunuch Wang and Wang Daxia gradually merged in her mind, and Wei Caiwei smiled too. "I'm happy to provide for you."
As they entered the main hall, a strong aroma of coriander washed over them—the marinade for the grilled meat contained coriander, nearly overwhelming Wang Daxia, who detested the herb. He quickly told the waiter, "I want a private room with windows. The meat should be freshly marinated, no coriander. I can't stand the smell."
The waiter replied, "We have Warm Pavilions in the backyard—one table per pavilion, absolutely no mingling of odors."
So the two followed the waiter to the Warm Pavilion. Next door, Buddhist chants from Guanghua Temple echoed clearly, as if performing rites for the grilled meat.
When the first plate of meat slices was ready, Wang Daxia buried himself in eating. Several people passed by the Warm Pavilion, and Wei Caiwei glanced casually: Good heavens! Isn't that the Emperor—no, it's Yu Wang (Prince Yu)!
Prince Yu had also come to dine in another Warm Pavilion. Dressed in ordinary clothes, he appeared like a common young master, accompanied by Eunuch Li Fang and three guards.
A prince of the Great Ming, yet without grandeur, without ceremonial trappings, not even a proper guard detail.
Because Prince Yu simply couldn't afford to maintain guards. Though called "Yu Wang" (Prince of Abundance), he was anything but wealthy—a prince so poor he rattled with emptiness.
The Prince Yu residence originally had a thousand-strong guard unit, but the Ministry of Revenue had withheld their salaries for two years. Unable to pay the guards, Prince Yu simply sold the guard positions to wealthy commoners. These rich men would pay the residence annual "official fees" ranging from a dozen to several dozen taels of silver in exchange for blank Official Certificates, granting them low-ranking officer titles like "Captain of the Prince Yu Residence." This exempted them from annual corvée labor, elevated their social status, allowed them to avoid kneeling before officials, and brought honor to their ancestors.
These residence Official Certificates expired after one year, requiring annual renewal fees to maintain the official status.
It was a legal, open sale of offices. This way, Prince Yu not only avoided paying salaries for a thousand guards but also earned some pocket money from the annual fees, which he used to support the residence's few clerks and remaining guards, preventing them from truly starving.
Thus, Prince Yu's security was virtually nonexistent. Coming to Guanghua Temple to hold Buddhist rites for his eldest daughter, he brought only three guards and one eunuch, appearing so casual that no one would guess he was a Ming prince.
Wei Caiwei whispered, "Daxia, stop eating. Prince Yu is here, in the Warm Pavilion to our left."
Wang Daxia glanced sideways. "So he's here. Since the 'Poor Prince' hasn't revealed his identity, we don't need to pay respects. Let's each mind our own meal. Pretend we don't know."
Having secretly surveilled the Prince Yu residence for a month, they privately referred to Prince Yu as the "Poor Prince."As soon as the words were spoken, the waiter led Lu Ying over and pointed at Wang Daxia, saying, "Sir, is this the handsome cripple with a walking stick, accompanied by a beauty, who doesn't eat cilantro?"
The waiter's voice was loud, and Yu Wang, Li Fang, and the others who were about to enter the warm room overheard it. They glanced over, and Li Fang whispered, "Your Highness, the young man next to the waiter is the fourth young lady of the Lu family."
Author's note: Actually, Daxia and I have two things in common—we're both afraid of ghosts and don't eat cilantro.
Note 1: Blank Official Certificate, from The Plum in the Golden Vase, Chapter 32: Grand Tutor Cai said, "Since you have no official duties, the court bestowed upon me several blank Official Certificates yesterday. I'll appoint your master as the Deputy Assistant Commander of the Shandong Judicial Office. How does that sound?" Laibaoer hurriedly kowtowed, and Grand Tutor Cai wrote Ximen Qing's name on the Official Certificate.
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