"You... you two..." Seeing the "adulterous couple" having a secret rendezvous on the deck late at night, Luo Longwen momentarily found himself at a loss for words.
It had been five years since he last experienced a battlefield against Japanese Pirates. Having narrowly escaped death's door tonight, Luo Longwen suddenly recalled his past missions as the imperial envoy negotiating the surrender of pirate leader Xu Hai.
Being fellow townsmen, Luo Longwen and Xu Hai had been close friends since their youth. Back then, Xu Hai was a notorious monk indulging in all vices - women, gambling, and drugs. His uncle Xu Huaixue was a trusted subordinate of the great pirate Wang Zhi, while Xu Hai handled inland connections for disposing stolen goods. Luo Longwen was a dashing and talented inkstick master. Sharing similar dubious tastes, the two became fast friends.
Later, when Xu Huaixue fell out with Wang Zhi, he mortgaged his nephew Xu Hai to a feudal lord in Kagoshima, Japan, borrowing one hundred thousand taels of silver to start his own smuggling operation.
As a hostage in Japan, Xu Hai proclaimed himself the "Living Buddha" Monk Mingshan from the Great Ming dynasty. Gaining reverence from Japanese Buddhists who favored foreign monks, he received substantial temple donations. Using these funds, Xu Hai built large ships and recruited Japanese ronin and Chinese pseudo-pirates, eventually establishing a pirate fleet powerful enough to rival Wang Zhi.
Meanwhile, Luo Longwen gained renown through his inkstick craftsmanship and earned the appreciation of anti-piracy general Hu Zongxian, becoming a military strategist. As Hu Zongxian was aligned with Yan Shifan and served as a key member of the Yan faction, he frequently presented gifts to curry favor. The inksticks crafted by Luo Longwen particularly delighted Yan Shifan, who subsequently presented them to the Jiajing Emperor. The emperor's effusive praise made Luo Longwen's name known at court.
Thus, the two old friends embarked on completely different paths through their respective circumstances - one sinking deeper into piracy, while the other ascended the official ladder through Hu Zongxian's patronage.
As Xu Hai's pirate fleet grew rapidly through smuggling and plundering, frequent clashes occurred with General Hu Zongxian. Struggling in these conflicts, Hu Zongxian dispatched Xu Hai's fellow townsman Luo Longwen for negotiations.
Negotiations with Japanese Pirates weren't about ceasefire but concurrent fighting and talking. Like arm wrestling between equally matched opponents, neither side could overpower the other despite both suffering immensely. Only when neither could achieve decisive victory would they attempt negotiations.
After all, who would negotiate if they could win outright?
Thus Xu Hai also suffered heavy losses from Hu Zongxian's attacks. When fellow townsman Luo Longwen visited his pirate lair bearing gifts - including personally crafted inksticks that particularly delighted Xu Hai's wife Wang Cuiqiao - the pirate stronghold observed no strict separation between genders. During the feast Xu Hai hosted for Luo Longwen, his wife Wang Cuiqiao came specifically to thank the inkstick master for his gifts.
One a renowned scholar, the other a former courtesan of refinement, both worldly and eloquent, they conversed from poetry and literature to life philosophy, developing a soulmate connection.
Though one shouldn't covet a friend's wife, the temptation remained undeniable.
Through repeated negotiation visits, Luo Longwen himself grew uncertain whether he came to see Xu Hai or Wang Cuiqiao. He persuaded Wang Cuiqiao to influence Xu Hai through pillow talk, advocating for accepting imperial amnesty to leave piracy behind and live as an official's wife.
Neither courtesanship nor being a pirate's wife had been Wang Cuiqiao's choice. For a woman drifting like duckweed through life, beauty and talent proved more curse than blessing. Her existence had always been dictated by money and violence, leaving her no real alternatives.Wang Cuicui longed to leave her life of pleasure-seeking behind. She trusted Luo Longwen, believing that leaving this life was the only autonomous choice she could make. She worked hard to whisper persuasive words in Xu Hai's ear, urging him to accept the imperial court's amnesty and cease his association with the Japanese Pirates.
Coincidentally, Xu Hai had clashed with the genuine Japanese Pirates like Maye within the pirate group over conflicting interests. Seizing the opportunity, Xu Hai beheaded the true Japanese Pirates under his command and presented their heads to Hu Zongxian as a pledge of allegiance.
Xu Hai's internal conflicts weakened him. With the enemy weakened and our side strengthened, Hu Zongxian was confident he could defeat Xu Hai and no longer saw the need for negotiations or amnesty. After killing the genuine Japanese Pirates, Xu Hai also sensed that the court would not truly spare him. Before Hu Zongxian could launch an attack, Xu Hai took the initiative and struck first.
When the real battle broke out, neither Luo Longwen nor Wang Cuicui could do anything to change the outcome. Xu Hai was defeated and took his own life, while Wang Cuicui was captured as a spoil of war and taken away.
Luo Longwen had already made arrangements with Hu Zongxian: in exchange for crushing Xu Hai's pirate group, he asked for no reward other than Wang Cuicui.
He fantasized about building a golden house to cherish her, imagining a harmonious life together where she would play the qin and he the se, certain that he could make her change her mind and forget about Xu Hai forever. After all, a woman must have a man. If she didn’t follow him, Hu Zongxian would reward her as a spoil of war to his soldiers as a wife.
Hadn’t she always wanted to leave her old life behind? Being with him was her chance to do so.
Luo Longwen was determined to have Wang Cuicui, but when the large ship docked, she was not among the spoils of war.
Wang Cuicui had already jumped into the sea as the ship passed the place where Xu Hai had been defeated and drowned himself.
It may not have been out of love. She had been abducted by pirates and forced to submit to Xu Hai; otherwise, she would have been turned into a camp prostitute. She died in despair—a despair born of a life never truly her own, adrift like flowing water or floating duckweed.
The remnants of Xu Hai's forces vowed to kill Luo Longwen in revenge. To escape, Luo Longwen left the coastal regions and headed north, seeking refuge under Yan Shifan and becoming one of his advisors.
In the blink of an eye, five years passed.
Luo Longwen had a brief encounter with Japanese Pirates along the Zhenjiang section of the Grand Canal. The incident reminded him of Xu Hai and Wang Cuicui. Leaning against the railing, he was overwhelmed with emotions. Everyone else had returned to the cabin, and only when the biting spring wind made his joints ache did he finally turn to leave.
Underfoot, he stepped on something. Picking it up, he saw it was a woman’s hair ornament called a "cuique"—a kingfisher-feather craft in the shape of a small bird.
Another "Cuicui," sharing the same name as the Wang Cuicui he longed for but could never have.
The merchant ship Favorable Wind had only one woman aboard: the sharpshooting Madam Ximen.
A sailor cleaning the cannon barrel mentioned seeing Madam Ximen searching for a piece of jewelry and heading toward the stern. Luo Longwen took the cuique and went to return it to its owner.
There, he saw Madam Ximen and the itinerant physician squatting on the deck... kissing.
He then overheard Madam Ximen’s tender words:
"I haven’t gone anywhere; I’ve always been in your heart."
"Clearly, it’s you I love, yet I have to hide it from everyone, putting on an act in front of my so-called husband. I—"
Unlike Madam Ximen’s flustered panic (though in truth, Wang Daxia was already contemplating how to silence you, seize the five thousand taels of gold, and flee), He Daifu remained calm and composed. Shielding Madam Ximen, he confessed openly, "Actually, the child in Madam Ximen’s belly is mine."
In that moment, Luo Longwen couldn’t help but envy this impoverished itinerant physician! Cuique belonged to Sir Ximen, yet this physician had successfully stolen her heart and now possessed her.Wang Daxia reacted swiftly, realizing that only by admitting to an affair could their earlier actions be plausibly explained—otherwise, their cover would be blown.
Wang Daxia said, "Merchants prioritize profit over companionship. My husband is often away on business, and it was I who couldn't endure the loneliness and seduced He Daifu first. If there's any humiliation, beating, or punishment like drowning to bear, let it fall on me. He is innocent."
Innocent, yet with a swollen belly!
Luo Longwen held the emerald hairpin, his palsy-stricken hand trembling violently. Both were emerald hairpins, yet how different their characters were—one willingly throwing herself into another's arms, the other preferring to leap into the sea rather than follow him.
Wei Caiwei bowed deeply. "I beg Boss Zhang not to reveal this. He is currently with child. If this matter gets out, it will likely mean two lives lost."
Luo Longwen suddenly understood. "No wonder a poor physician like you refused to take the cheaper passenger ship and insisted on paying triple for a merchant vessel. Wherever Boss Ximen went, you followed. So your true aim wasn't the journey but Madam Ximen."
See, a masterful lie requires no effort from the liar to explain—bystanders will automatically use the clues they possess to complete the deception, often more perfectly than the liar ever could.
Wei Caiwei quickly added, "Boss Zhang guessed correctly. In the secluded inner chambers, there were too many difficulties. This time, Madam Ximen insisted on accompanying her husband on his business trip partly because her pregnancy was becoming impossible to conceal, and partly because we hoped to seize the opportunity in the open world to elope. At worst, we'd cross the oceans and never return to the Great Ming."
An ordinary merchant would surely have viewed Wei Caiwei and Wang Daxia as an adulterous pair deserving scorn. But Luo Longwen was different—he harbored an unspoken, unrequited love for his sworn brother's woman, who did not return his affections no matter how he pursued her.
Thus, instead of disgust, Luo Longwen felt deeply moved by the poor physician's love for the breathtakingly beautiful Madam Ximen.
Luo Longwen handed the emerald hairpin to Wang Daxia. "Madam Ximen, set your heart at ease. I will act as if nothing happened tonight and will not speak of it to anyone."
Wang Daxia thought: Fortunately, you know what's good for you. Otherwise, I'd have killed you tonight, stolen the gold, and pinned it on the Japanese Pirates.
While thinking this, Wang Daxia outwardly appeared profoundly grateful, accepting the hairpin with both hands and curtsying in thanks.
Wei Caiwei said, "Return to your cabin quickly. If you linger outside too long, your husband might grow suspicious."
Wang Daxia nodded obediently and returned.
On the deck, only Luo Longwen and Wei Caiwei remained, locking eyes.
Wei Caiwei glanced at Luo Longwen's trembling hands and feet, recognizing a gout flare-up. "The night wind carries pathogenic cold—you must be suffering, Boss Zhang. Let me apply cupping therapy to ease your joints. From now on, I'll treat you free of charge, in gratitude for keeping our secret."
Luo Longwen returned to his cabin. Wei Caiwei fetched cupping jars and moxa sticks, performing cupping to draw out the dampness from his joints.After the cupping session, Luo Longwen's tightly furrowed brows relaxed. As Wei Caiwei packed her things to leave, Luo Longwen stopped her, "I see Madam Ximen's pregnancy is already showing. Time is urgent. After you arrive in Hangzhou, where do you plan to elope from? Have you booked a boat? Which sea route will you take? The coastal areas are unstable, full of Japanese Pirates and bandits, with conflicts everywhere. Even if you escape the Great Ming, you'll encounter Japanese Pirates and pirates. With Madam Ximen's beauty, I'm afraid she'll be captured to become a bandit's wife. You're just a feeble physician who can't even use a firearm—how could you protect such a beauty?"
Wei Caiwei frowned deeply, "This... I haven't thought deeply about it. I've never even been to the south and don't know the local situation. We'll take one step at a time."
Luo Longwen said, "If you trust me, I'll make the arrangements for you."
Author's Note: Won without lifting a finger.
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