Seeing Wang Daxia still intent on causing trouble at the Imperial Guard Office, Officer Mu hurriedly advised, "Don't let this minor property damage ruin relationships. The Embroidered Uniform Guard is handling a case—don't make trouble for them. This matter has nothing to do with you."
If Young Master Wang were the type to listen to advice, he wouldn't be Young Master Wang.
Wang Daxia retorted, "How is this none of my business? Just two nights ago, the Embroidered Uniform Guard chased me from Wanping to Daxing! If the Shuntian Prefecture Yamen hadn't proven my innocence, I'd have died under Thousand Household Chen's private torture! Now they're tearing down my house. If I don't demand compensation, next time they'll be shitting right on my neck!"
Lu Ying said, "I didn't know this was your house. And could you watch your language? Who wants to—"
Lu Ying clenched his fists and fell silent. Being from Commander Lu Bing's lineage and born into Beijing's top aristocratic family, he couldn't bring himself to utter such vulgarities. Though both were pampered young nobles, Lu Ying had a bottom line where Wang Daxia had none.
"I'll say what I want!" Wang Daxia opened his mouth wide. "Shi—mmph!"
Officer Mu promptly covered Wang Daxia's mouth. "If you don't shut up now, I'll drag you to your father."
Officer Mu was frantic: That previous Thousand Household Chen held the same hereditary rank as your father, so your father could still back you up. But now this involves Lord Lu Bing, commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard—the emperor's close confidant! How dare you provoke his nephew? Even your father won't be able to save you then!
Truthfully, Wang Daxia knew better than to provoke Lu Ying. But he worried the young widow would be at a disadvantage going alone to the Imperial Guard Office for interrogation, so he was deliberately causing a scene.
After all, that troublesome dead mouse had been his mistake.
Noting the growing crowd, Lu Ying realized another public brawl between the Embroidered Uniform Guard and Northern City Military Command would benefit no one—especially since this was the latter's territory. Waving a hand, he declared:
"Official circles usually view the Embroidered Uniform Guard as the underworld courts. You're the first person I've seen voluntarily coming for 'tea.' Young Master Wang, after you! If you dare not go, don't call yourself Wang Daxia anymore—change it to Wang the Turtle!"
Wang Daxia refused to back down verbally. "Go then, I will! I don't kill, don't arson, don't kick down widows' doors, don't ransack homes. My conscience is clear—what is there to fear?"
Thus Wang Daxia followed Lu Ying.
The Imperial Guard Office was far away in Jiangmi Alley, Dashiyong Ward of the southern city—requiring a cross-city journey through the harsh early summer sun. Lu Ying switched to a carriage and brought the suspect Wei Caiwei inside.
Wang Daxia, originally following on horseback, saw Lu Ying summon the pretty young widow into the carriage alone. Alarm bells ringing, he spurred his horse alongside the window and shouted, "Hey! I want to ride too. It's too hot out here."
Lu Ying said coldly, "There's no room for you here. If you're afraid to go to the Imperial Guard Office, just say so. No excuses. Suit yourself."
Wang Daxia kept close, craning his neck turtle-like to peer through the window. "Men and women should maintain propriety! What does Commander Lu mean by taking a young widow alone with you? This damages her reputation!"
Hearing this, Wei Caiwei felt a warmth in her heart, forgiving Wang Daxia's earlier "even beating a dog depends on its master" remark.
Maybe her dead husband could still be salvaged.
Even with his vast experience, Lu Ying had never encountered a spoiled noble so devoid of self-awareness and so persistently troublesome as Wang Daxia."Get lost!" Lu Ying shoved Wang Daxia's head out through the carriage window. "Riding with me damages your reputation? Then what about sharing a carriage with a wastrel like you who sells off his deceased mother's dowry estates to rescue fallen women and redeem courtesans from brothels? Wouldn't that tarnish your reputation even more?"
The Imperial Guard Office was located far in the southern city. It seemed Wang Daxia's "heroic rescue" had spread from north to south, making him "renowned" throughout the capital.
Wang Daxia showed no shame, instead wearing it as a badge of honor. "I saved Miss Yingying from dire straits by lending her two thousand taels in her time of need. Our relationship is completely pure. It's your minds that are filthy, always assuming the worst between men and women. How is that my fault?"
Lu Ying felt he'd just heard the capital's most ridiculous joke. "You and the top courtesan of Red Sleeve Brothel are pure? You expect ghosts to believe that?"
Wang Daxia snorted. "Believe what you will."
The silent Wei Caiwei suddenly spoke up. "I believe him."
Judging by Wang Daxia's chaste and vehement behavior since they started living together last night, he didn't seem like a lecherous man. He'd probably been deceived by Miss Yingying and naively thrown away two thousand taels.
Wang Daxia praised, "Hear that? If you don't believe me, others will."
Lu Ying glanced at Wei Caiwei. "She's your tenant who needs favors from you. Of course she'd say nice things."
Wang Daxia knocked on the carriage window. "Fine if I don't get in, but this window stays open. I need to keep an eye on you—don't think about taking advantage of the young widow."
Actually, with the weather so hot, the windows were naturally open anyway. Lu Ying said, "You have a twisted mind and assume all men are lustful."
Wang Daxia nearly retorted, "So Commander Lu doesn't like women but prefers men?" But then he remembered the carriage had already left the northern city, beyond the Northern City Military Command's jurisdiction. If trouble occurred, no one would clean up his mess. He couldn't speak recklessly, so he swallowed his taunt and changed his words:
"I too hope Commander Lu is a gentleman. Please don't disappoint my expectations!"
Lu Ying sat directly across from Wei Caiwei. Caiwei carefully observed this young Embroidered Uniform Guard—he wasn't just a gentleman, he was almost prudish.
Despite the sweltering heat, he still wore a high-collared robe, the jade dragonfly button at his throat fastened properly. The originally stiff collar had gone soft from sweat absorption, yet he refused to undo it for relief.
His attire was ornate and meticulous, his posture upright with legs spread as if in a horse stance, hands resting on knees. Lu Ying even wore boots reaching mid-calf! The black leather surfaces were spotless—clearly a fastidious man.
Dressed like this, even Wei Caiwei felt hot on his behalf.
Fortunately they were in a carriage. If he'd been riding outside, he'd surely have suffered heatstroke.
Wei Caiwei reached into her silk pouch. Lu Ying immediately seized her right hand. "What are you doing?"
Wang Daxia saw this through the window and shouted, "Didn't Commander Lu claim to be a gentleman? Since when do gentlemen grab young widows' hands? Let go of that widow!"
Lu Ying lifted Wei Caiwei's hand. "She was trying to ambush me."
Wang Daxia retorted, "Ambush you with a medicinal pellet?"
Lu Ying looked closely and indeed saw a green pill.
Wei Caiwei explained, "This is my homemade cooling mume pill. The Japanese apricot is refined with various heat-clearing herbs and honey, then rolled in crushed dried mint leaves. Placed under the tongue, it's most effective for producing saliva and relieving heat. Seeing Commander Lu drenched in sweat, I took one out to help cool you."
It was actually a kind gesture?Lu Ying was drenched in sweat, his inner robes soaked through, but remembering the mouse that might have been either kicked or poisoned to death, he dared not accept it and said, "No need."
"If you don't want it, I'll take it!" Wang Daxia stretched his long arm out the window, snatched the cooling plum, and popped it into his mouth.
As the cooling plum entered his mouth, it melted like a piece of ice. First, the strong peppermint leaves dispelled the foul air, emerging from his nostrils and leaving even his throat feeling cool. Then the sweet and sour plum flavor spread, more refreshing than drinking sour plum soup.
"Delicious!" Wang Daxia devoured it like an ox chewing peonies and reached out the window again. "I want more."
Wei Caiwei took out an oil-paper package, all businesslike. "Twenty coins each, ten in a pack, two hundred coins total."
Wang Daxia, being a profligate, didn't mind the price and gave Wei Caiwei a tael of silver. "I'll take five packs."
Observing the two, Lu Ying initially thought there might be something ambiguous between the landlord and tenant, but from the current interaction, it seemed they only had a pure monetary relationship.
Wang Daxia ate two at once, exclaiming with delight, which made Lu Ying in the carriage salivate. He also gave Wei Caiwei a tael of silver. "I'll take five packs too."
Lu Ying distributed four packs of the cooling plums among the Embroidered Uniform Guards. Seeing that everyone was fine, he finally put one in his mouth.
Once he started, he couldn't stop. By the time they reached the Imperial Guard Office, he had finished an entire pack.
The coroner of the Embroidered Uniform Guards performed an "autopsy" on the dead mouse and concluded, of course, that it was non-toxic and had been smashed to death.
Wei Caiwei asked, "Commander Lu, may this common woman leave now?"
Wang Daxia said, "Hurry up and let her go. She still needs to practice medicine and run her business."
Lu Ying nodded. "You may go."
Wei Caiwei said, "This common woman takes her leave."
Watching Wei Caiwei's figure disappear through the doorway, Wang Daxia lightly tapped the table. "It's time to settle our accounts."
Lu Ying wished he could immediately get rid of this pest and said, "I'm very busy and have no time to deal with such trivial matters. Go back and find craftsmen to repair the house. Fix whatever is broken and make a list for me. I'll pay whatever is owed, not a coin less."
Wang Daxia, having gained an advantage, pushed his luck. "Empty words are no proof. Commander Lu should pay part of the compensation upfront. What if I spend a fortune repairing the house and you end up refusing to pay?"
Lu Ying flicked out ten taels of silver as if swatting a fly. "Return the excess or pay the difference if it's short. Now get lost!"
Wang Daxia's eyes lit up at the sight of money. He pocketed the silver and left.
Lu Ying ordered his subordinates, "Send someone to keep an eye on Wei Caiwei and see if she has any accomplices. It's too much of a coincidence that the Chen father and son died as soon as she arrived in the capital. Let her go for now and see if we can catch a bigger fish."
As soon as Wei Caiwei left the coroner's office, Wang Daxia caught up with her. "Wait!"
Wang Daxia gave Wei Caiwei all ten taels of silver he had just received as compensation. "I want your black veil hat, the silk medicine bag, the Gynecological Master flag, and the Tiger Crutch with the rotating bell. These ten taels should be enough, right?"
"More than enough," Wei Caiwei said. "What do you need these things for?"
Wang Daxia explained, "Officer Mu is still waiting outside the office, trying to catch me and lock me up at home. I want to disguise myself as a traveling doctor to escape and lay low for a while."
Wei Caiwei was no longer angry at her dead husband and was even a bit worried about him. She asked, "Where are you going?"
Wang Daxia thought for a moment. "For now, my only option is to seek refuge with Miss Yingying."
"Not for sale!" Wei Caiwei exploded in fury.Author's Note: This novel is also known as "After Rebirth, I Want to Murder My Husband Every Day." Dear readers, I have an announcement: my historical romance "Storm in the Mu Mansion" has been selected for a limited-time free promotion. For 24 hours on July 12th, the subscription will be completely free. If you're interested in this story but haven't subscribed yet, please wait until the 12th to download the full text for free. Consider this a small gift for my readers - thank you all for your support. Remember, you must download the complete work within the 24-hour window, as it will revert to paid access afterward.
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