In truth, Lu Ying had come to Longhua Temple seeking an opportunity for a "chance encounter" with Prince Yu. Having secretly followed him from the temple all the way to the restaurant, she was struggling to find an excuse when she happened to spot Wang Daxia and Wei Caiwei eating roasted meat. Seizing the opportunity, she summoned the waiter under the pretense of looking for Wang Daxia, hoping to catch Prince Yu's attention.
What a brilliant stratagem of besieging Wei to rescue Zhao.
As expected, Li Fang, with his sharp eyes, recognized Lu Ying and alerted Prince Yu.
Prince Yu typically only interacted with officials and administrators within his own household. Although Grand Secretariat ministers like Xu Jie and other civil officials frequently submitted memorials urging the Jiajing Emperor to establish the imperial heir early—advocating for the eldest son Prince Yu to be named Crown Prince since there was no legitimate heir—Prince Yu maintained discretion by avoiding associations with external court officials. Lu Bing, being the emperor's confidant, was treated with even greater distance by Prince Yu.
Thus, Prince Yu merely nodded in acknowledgment to Lu Ying before proceeding to the heated private room for his meal.
Today marked the posthumous birthday of his eldest daughter. In observance, Prince Yu abstained from meat and killing, so the table was set with a red copper hot pot containing a clear, simple broth, accompanied by plates of assorted vegetables, mushrooms, and tofu.
Guanghua Temple also offered complimentary vegetarian meals to guests, but free lunches often come with the highest price. Partaking of the temple's arhat feast required a donation of at least fifty taels of incense oil money, whereas a full vegetarian hot pot meal at the restaurant cost less than two taels. Naturally, the restaurant was the more economical choice.
Yan Shifan had reimbursed two years' worth of official salary, but Prince Yu hadn't kept a single coin, handing it all over to Princess Yu to cover household expenses. He remained a impoverished prince, barely sustaining his livelihood by selling off official certificates from his household.
Li Fang, aware of Prince Yu's preferences, began by adding mushrooms to the hot pot to cook.
Just as Prince Yu was about to eat, how could Lu Ying let such a heaven-sent opportunity slip? She dragged Wei Caiwei and the limping Wang Daxia into the adjacent heated room. Li Fang was inside attending to Prince Yu's meal, while three guards stood watch at the door.
Lu Ying declared, "Since we have encountered His Highness Prince Yu, it would be improper not to pay respects. This humble official has come to offer salutations."
The guards went in to relay the message.
Prince Yu watched the mushrooms bobbing in the boiling water and waved his hand dismissively. "Tell her the formalities are waived. There's no need."
Li Fang interjected, "The two individuals behind Lu Ying are quite notable. One is the 'Four Pests of the North City' who caused a commotion at Qionghua Island, and the other is Wei Caiwei, the female physician most favored by Consort Shang."
"Oh? It's them?" Prince Yu immediately showed interest. "Are they the ones who drove Prince Jing to his feudal domain?"
Wang Daxia, that troublemaker, had long since overflowed from the North City, causing havoc even within the Forbidden City—a true case of "troubled waters flowing only to others' fields."
Li Fang confirmed, "Exactly. However, the relationship between these three is rather complicated..."
Li Fang recounted the tangled web of their emotional history, leaving Prince Yu thoroughly bewildered. Pointing at the plate of hand-pulled noodles tangled like a nest of threads, Prince Yu remarked, "How are their relationships even more convoluted than these noodles? Fascinating. Let them in."
Lu Ying led the way in paying respects and introduced Wang Daxia and Wei Caiwei.
Prince Yu glanced at the cane and asked, "Hundred-Household Commander Wang, do you have a leg ailment? Li Fang, have all three of them seated to speak."
After expressing their gratitude, Wang Daxia awkwardly chuckled, "I was walking last night, the path was slippery, and I took a fall." In truth, he had been struck by a self-propelling mooncake.
Lu Ying promptly seized the topic, "With the current freezing weather, it's unsettled both inside and outside the palace, what with the Dark Spectre causing disturbances. One must be careful when walking at night."
Wei Caiwei, upon hearing this, asked, "The Dark Spectre monster is causing trouble outside the palace as well?"
"Well—" Lu Ying glanced at Prince Yu, hesitant to discuss the royal family's affairs as mere gossip.Prince Yu spoke with remarkable candor, "Last night, several night patrol guards in my residence also claimed to have seen a dog-shaped Dark Spectre emitting green light."
Wei Caiwei was astonished: How could there be someone pretending to be ghosts and gods in Prince Yu's mansion as well? Lan Daohang clearly never involved himself in the struggle for the heir apparent, caring only about his standing before the Jiajing Emperor!
Princess Yu had already informed Prince Yu about Wei Caiwei persuading Yan Shifan to repay the debt, but the prince remained half-convinced. Li Jiubao had also told him that Doctor Wei repeatedly insisted it wasn't her achievement, leaving Prince Yu utterly perplexed. However, since Wei Caiwei maintained a good relationship with his favored concubine Li Jiubao and visited monthly to provide treatments, Prince Yu held her in high regard. Noting her surprise, he said:
"I don't believe in demons or monsters. Perhaps the night patrol guards drank too much to ward off the cold. With rumors about the Dark Spectre spreading like wildfire through the palace, they might have experienced hallucinations. It's nothing serious—I've already ordered the household not to spread rumors."
Yet while Lu Ying was concerned about Prince Yu's safety, Wei Caiwei worried about someone else entirely. She asked, "Your Highness, did Concubine Li suffer any fright last night?"
Prince Yu felt somewhat embarrassed, as she had slept with him last night, and replied, "Rest assured, Doctor Wei, Concubine Li is perfectly fine."
But Wei Caiwei couldn't set her mind at ease! Having witnessed the lethal power of the Dark Spectre's black smoke firsthand—causing fainting, madness, even death—she knew last night's brief appearance was merely an appetizer; the main course had yet to be served.
If the Dark Spectre truly ran rampant, even Shang Qinglan in the palace, despite being heavily guarded, had been frightened into unconsciousness. What if Li Jiubao got hurt?
All of us are counting on Li Jiubao as our great protector in the future.
Wei Caiwei said, "Your Highness, regarding the Dark Spectre matter, this humble woman experienced it personally in the palace and has many questions. Having studied medicine since childhood, I don't believe in demons either. This month, I treated five palace servants from Yu De Palace who were affected by the Dark Spectre's demonic influence. They all exhibited symptoms like fever, flushed skin, dilated pupils, convulsions, and delirium. Superstitious folk claim it's demonic possession or ghostly attachment. But this humble woman believes their symptoms perfectly match those induced by hallucinogenic drugs like datura flowers. Except for one fatality, the other four regained consciousness within twelve hours and have returned to duty at Yu De Palace. It's definitely not ghost possession."
"Therefore, I boldly offer my services to visit Prince Yu's residence and examine both the site where the Dark Spectre appeared yesterday and the frightened guards for similar symptoms."
Wei Caiwei's words greatly appealed to Prince Yu, who similarly disdained superstition. He said, "Excellent. This afternoon after I complete the religious ceremony, Doctor Wei shall accompany me back to the residence. We'll determine whether it's demonic forces or human trickery."
Lu Ying immediately seized the opportunity, saying, "Since Doctor Wei is going to the residence, this official must accompany her to ensure her protection..."
Lu Ying recounted how Wei Caiwei had been kidnapped on the street and forced to bleed for survival, adding, "The perpetrator remains at large. Currently, Doctor Wei resides in this official's family villa by Shichahai, protected by guards to prevent further misfortune. Whenever Doctor Wei goes out, this official always provides close protection."
Wang Daxia quickly nodded in agreement, "Indeed, this official must go too."
Prince Yu's gaze fell upon the crutch, "But what about your leg?"Wang Daxia threw away his crutch, stood up, and limped a few steps. "Your Highness, please see, the injury is not serious. I can walk without the crutch."
Prince Yu watched Wang Daxia with great interest: this ability to lie without batting an eye is truly remarkable—no wonder he managed to force Prince Jing to his fiefdom.
Prince Yu said, "Good, we'll go together this afternoon. You all go and eat first."
The three took their leave.
Li Fang picked up the cooked mushrooms and placed them in Prince Yu's bowl, adding half a spoonful of dipping sauce and mixing it. "Your Highness, you have always avoided associating with outside officials to prevent any suspicion or giving others a handle against you. Today, agreeing to let a female physician enter the palace is one thing, but why are you also accepting Wang Daxia and Miss Lu Ying without hesitation? This servant cannot understand."
After finishing the mushrooms, Prince Yu said, "Those two are here to protect Doctor Wei, who is favored by Consort Shang. What does that have to do with me? They are not protecting me. Besides, the palace's defenses are weak. We only have fifty guards, and they are scattered across the four main gates in the east, south, west, and north. At night, fewer than ten are on duty patrolling the palace. I have only three personal guards by my side. Altogether, that's only thirteen people. If someone truly intends to harm us, we would also have to divide our forces to protect the women in the inner quarters, who are utterly defenseless. It’s too much of a strain. If we have a chance to borrow strength, we should take it."
At its peak, Prince Jing's palace had nearly five thousand soldiers. Even when he left for his fiefdom, he took at least a thousand guards with him, setting off in a grand procession. Who would dare provoke such a fallen phoenix?
Prince Yu's palace, on the other hand, had to cut expenses and rely on selling official positions to support its troops, barely managing to sustain around fifty men. Li Fang felt heartbroken upon hearing this—the prince was suffering too much. But the more he suffered, the less it should be spoken of. Li Fang quickly changed the subject. "With the three of them together, did Your Highness notice anything? Is their relationship still as messy as before?"
Prince Yu recalled their expressions. "Lu Ying and Wang Daxia are both very concerned about Doctor Wei. If Lu Ying and Doctor Wei were competing for Wang Daxia as rivals in love, how could the proud Lu Ying tolerate Doctor Wei living in the Lu family's annex? Hearing is not as reliable as seeing. It seems the rumors are not to be trusted."
In the adjacent warm chamber, the three sat down to grill meat. Lu Ying handed five hundred-tael silver notes to Wang Daxia. "Here, your birthday gift."
Wang Daxia cheered with joy. "Thank you, Commander Lu."
Wei Caiwei was also happy for Daxia's gain. "On the first day of your fifteenth birthday, you've received a large reward. Promotion and wealth are just around the corner."
Lu Ying said, "To achieve promotion and wealth, you must accomplish new merits. Right now, Prince Yu's palace is a great opportunity to expose White Deer Temple. I suspect the vile Taoists of White Deer Temple intend to harm Prince Yu, which is why they’ve been monitoring and waiting for a chance to act. Last month, just after the Dark Spectre incident at Yunde Palace, Yan Shifan inexplicably returned the money. Princess Yu used the money to repair the house, and it just so happened that the vile Taoists sneaked in to cause trouble."
"The Dark Spectre last night was likely a fake released by them to frighten the guards. This way, if Prince Yu is later harmed by the Dark Spectre, driven mad by the black mist, or even killed, it would seem perfectly logical, and no one would suspect. This scheme is even more convenient than framing the White Lotus Sect. If the Dark Spectre harms Prince Yu, and Prince Jing is in Anlu, Hubei, everyone would assume he is innocent. Without Prince Yu, the Emperor would have only Prince Jing left as his son. The Emperor would have no other choice."
Wang Daxia felt a chill run down his spine. "This won’t do. I’ve already thoroughly offended Prince Jing. If he becomes emperor, he’ll probably have me torn to pieces."Wei Caiwei said, "Protecting Prince Yu and Li Jiubao is ultimately for our own sake. I've also deeply offended Eunuch Wei from Prince Jing's residence. None of us have a second path to choose."
Lu Ying responded, "I'm doing this for the truth. Though my father always calls me naive, I believe uncovering the truth is more important than political gains."
Thus, despite their differing motives, the three reached a consensus.
By afternoon, their carriage closely followed Prince Yu's entourage into his residence.
Winter nights fell increasingly early, and with roads frozen and slippery, the convoy had to light lanterns halfway through the journey as darkness descended.
Prince Yu's Residence.
Before departing that morning, Prince Yu had instructed his wife to gather all his concubines that evening for a shared meal and conversation to ease their nerves and dispel superstitions about ghosts and deities. The obedient Princess Yu ordered the kitchen to prepare hot pot, awaiting her husband's return for dinner.
The head matron asked, "It's grown dark. Should we still light the lantern stands at the main courtyard entrance?"
Princess Yu replied, "Why bother? Remove them quickly. His Highness dislikes them."
In truth, the princess would have preferred to light them—better safe than sorry—but she had to obey her husband's wishes.
As Prince Yu's carriage entered the residence and reached the inner courtyard gate, he had just alighted when a green-glowing canine-shaped Dark Spectre leaped from behind a large snowman, charging straight toward him!
Author's Note: It's here! It's here! Approaching with an eerie green glow!
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